Chapter 241 - One-Shot: The Demon King and the Seven Witches

Ever since I can remember, I always asked myself the same thing: Was the world always like this?

It was Monday morning like any other day.

I woke up at 7 in the morning to get ready for school.

I had breakfast of eggs with bacon, toast, and juice. Once in a while I ate salad. Then I prepared my lunch to eat at school; the food there was expensive but delicious.

I had to leave at 8 o'clock sharp to catch the train, so I watched the news looking for something new.

Before turning it off, I saw a news story that reminded me of how "ordinary" this world was.

"Today, Monday, December 30th, we are making preparations for the centennial celebration. We will celebrate the 100 years of life of the world, and the best way to do it is…"

The next words the reporter said did not match her ear-to-ear smile.

"Burn a witch!"

"Noooo! Let me go!"

On television, they were showing how a woman—a witch—was being burned alive.

This was normal in this world, but sometimes I wonder: is this really ordinary?

◇

My name is Kagari Tatsuya, I'm 16 years old.

I consider myself average because of my black hair and blue eyes; I couldn't consider myself attractive because no girl at school pays attention to me, but I have a good physique because I practice kendo.

I opened the door to leave my room and in front of me stood a girl wearing the same uniform as me.

White jacket and striped skirt. Although I wore a sweater under my jacket because of the cold weather.

The girl with amber eyes and green hair like leaves, tied in a side ponytail, greeted me.

"Tatsuya-kun, good morning."

"Good morning, Mio."

Natsuki Mio, my childhood friend, always waited for me to go to class.

"Did you make your breakfast?"

"I did."

"Boo. I told you I didn't mind making it."

"I don't want to bother you; besides, you're busy studying and I don't want to take your time."

"You say that as if you didn't have to study either."

"I go at my own pace and I don't want to drag you down to it."

"Got it, Mister 'I get just the passing grade so I don't repeat the school year'."

"That hurt."

"That was the point."

With a big smile, she welcomed me on this new day.

◇

We lived in the city of Sherlock, New Londinium.

Ever since I can remember, I was always told this: witches are enemies of humanity.

Nearly 100 years ago, the world was destroyed by a phenomenon known as the "Great Cataclysm," which was supposed to exterminate all of us.

Thanks to the Holy Crimson Church, we managed to survive. All remaining humanity ended up living on the ancient continent, or rather, the last continent.

I've never left here, but from images on TV and the internet, you can see an ocean of fire covering the land.

I have no idea how the Crimson Church managed to save us, but thank you very much.

What do witches have to do with this?

The Church told us that those who brought the cataclysm were the witches.

Women who possess demonic powers and hate humanity. They wanted to take over the earth after exterminating us all, but we managed to survive.

Today, the remnants of humanity fight against them to retake the land we lost.

Even though everyone knows and recognizes that, I wonder if I'm the only one who feels something strange here.

"Tatsuya-kun, are you listening to me?"

Mio was calling me; I didn't hear her.

"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."

"Heavens~. Stop having your head in the clouds or you'll bump into something again."

"Sorry, but I have a lot on my mind."

"You mean lazing around."

"…"

"We're here."

Before going to school, we always came to pick up a classmate.

She lived in the fanciest area of the city; to enter you needed permission from a resident or a card like you were working for some company.

"Alice-chan~! Come play~!"

"You're not 5 years old to say that, you know?"

"She doesn't mind, so I don't see the problem."

Mio said with puffed cheeks.

We were standing near a black gate, and in front of us was a huge white house; mansion was the right word to describe it.

The red door opened and a girl with a sleepy expression came out.

Her short hair, asymmetrical style in the bangs, was white and pale like her skin.

Her eyes were red like a tomato.

Even though she seemed anemic, she was actually healthy.

Especially in the chest area, which was well-proportioned.

(Like Mio.)

Unintentionally, I glanced at Mio's chest.

(It's growing too much there.)

For a year now, I've felt my body reacting to her, mainly that area.

(Come to think of it, aren't school skirts too short? Her thighs are exposed, and if the wind lifts it, you can see her underwear.)

(Not that I'm complaining.)

"Good morning, Kagari-kun, Natsuki-san."

"I'm sorry you have to come for me every morning."

Alice Kanzaki was her name. She is the daughter of a millionaire businessman.

Or rather, she was the daughter.

What unites us three, besides school, is the fact that we are orphans.

Our parents died at an early age in different witch attacks.

The state took care of us until we could fend for ourselves.

They give us a monthly check and cover various expenses until we turn 20, which is the age of majority.

Mio and I met when we were sent to that apartment building where there are other kids like us.

But Alice is different, since her uncle takes care of her.

We met her at a regular meeting to talk about how we felt about losing our parents.

Apparently, her parents' death somehow caused her an illness that weakens her, which is why she doesn't always go to class.

Also, the school is in the same district, and it takes us 10 minutes to walk there, so we take the opportunity to take her with us.

"By the way, what are you planning to do tomorrow?"

Alice asked us about tomorrow, which is important for everyone.

"The centennial celebration, right?"

"Which other one do you think she's talking about?"

I gave Mio a light tap on the forehead; she looked at me with angry eyes.

"Yes. It's really annoying that we still have classes."

"That's because we'll have a festival in the afternoon before celebrating at night. Everyone is excited."

"Excited, huh?"

It's true that celebrating the 100 years of existence of the empire is something that excites everyone.

But…

(Why don't I feel excited?)

For a couple of days I've had a headache that won't go away with medicine; I think that's why I can't enjoy this celebration like everyone else.

"Ah! The teacher is at the door, hurry up you two!"

Mio took Alice's hand and ran with her. I was about to do the same when I saw something strange out of the corner of my eye.

In a dark alley created by the gap between two houses, I saw a strange black shadow.

"Not long now… the awakening is coming…"

"The seven… are coming…"

Even though I was more than five meters away, I could clearly hear what it said.

(The seven are coming?)

When I thought about it, my head started to hurt, and in my mind seven shadows stood before me.

I think I'm intoxicated, since this isn't normal. But being late isn't either.

◇

Mio and I were in the same class; Alice was in the adjacent class.

The first few hours of class we would help with tomorrow's preparations, then in the afternoon we would have normal classes because the teacher in charge didn't want us to slack off.

"Alright guys, I know you're all excited about tomorrow, so let's review a bit of history.

In the year 2000, a fire suddenly occurred that covered 85% of the planet, eliminating terrestrial, aerial, and marine life.

Then one day two groups united and stood up to the great fire that was approaching. Does anyone know which groups they were?"

Mio raised her hand, since she was the class president and the smartest in the group.

"The Crimson Church, which provided the sacred scriptures to create the 'Sacred Arts', along with what we now know as the 'Avalon Empire', which provided the 'Paladins'."

"That's right."

The teacher was glad that someone actually paid attention in class.

"The Crimson Church set up a barrier that protected us from the flames, and the paladins fought the aberrations created by the infernal flames.

These two groups that emerged at that time made an alliance and formed our entire organization."

The Avalon Empire is the name of this country; in the past it is said there were several countries, but today only one exists and it cooperates with the Crimson Church.

The Church uses a blessing called Sacred Arts; it is a white flame that purifies evil.

While the paladins are knights trained to fight witches.

A group of paladins was burning a witch in the morning on television.

It's generally rare to see them together because they do different jobs even though their work is similar.

◇

Recess time arrived. Mio will go eat with her friends; Alice had lunch with hers. Although I never saw her eat in the cafeteria or anywhere else.

I went to the rooftop because the wind is pleasant and there's room to stretch my legs.

After opening the door and walking a few steps, sitting with his back against the railings was my only friend.

"Hey, Lowe."

"Hey, Tatsu."

Lowe was the typical rebellious guy you can find in any series or movie.

His shirt untucked, the chain on his belt, that skull-shaped ring, and the most rebellious thing about him is his messy blond hair and red eyes.

His attitude of ignoring everyone was also a problem, but not for me.

I sat down next to him.

"Excited about tomorrow?"

"Meh. I'm not interested."

"Got a date?"

My friend was special; in fact, that's the reason that made us special that we met.

"Yeah."

"How much older?"

"40 years old."

Lowe loved women twice his age. Like Mio and Alice, he lost his parents, but it never affected him. I met him when at age 10 he asked a high school girl for a kiss; somehow she accepted.

I was far away and ran to him to ask: "How did you do it!?"

And he replied, "Adult stuff, you wouldn't understand." We were the same age, but he lived in a different world from mine.

Even though he seems standoffish because he doesn't hang out with anyone but me, Lowe is actually a very kind and social guy.

"The woman this time is one of my favorites. Big hips and long legs."

"I'm sure you'll get into serious trouble, like last time."

"It wasn't my fault."

"She was a married woman."

"It's not my fault that her husband doesn't satisfy her."

"She chased you with a rifle."

"I managed to escape and leave her happy."

"She chased you with a rifle all the way to the city center! The police had to call for backup."

"You're exaggerating."

"It was on the news last week!"

"It's still an exaggeration."

After saying that, he continued biting his tuna sandwich and drinking his orange juice.

"More importantly, how are things going with Natsuki-chan?"

"What does Mio have to do with this?"

I didn't understand his question, but I didn't care, so I continued eating my fried chicken with noodles.

"You like her, don't you? That's what I'm talking about."

"Puah!"

I spat out my food and started choking; I took a sip of my water to wash it down.

After catching my breath, I said very upset:

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

Lowe looked at me as if he had just discovered that water is wet.

"You don't like her?"

"Of course not. Mio is my childhood friend."

"And what does that have to do with it? Men and women, when they develop an emotional or sentimental relationship, they end up developing a physical one."

"Don't involve us, please."

"Look, you two have been together from the start. So it wouldn't be strange if one of you liked the other. I get that you're slow with women, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong."

"You are definitely wrong!"

"I don't look at Mio that way."

"Really?"

Lowe tilted his head and showed the smile he used on the women he seduced.

"So, if I go after her, there's no problem? She's smart, has a nice personality, and has a great body for her age."

"Of course not! I would never let her go with a womanizer like you."

I grabbed him by the shoulders to tell him that.

This time he smirked mockingly.

"Are you her toxic friend to say that, or do you say it as a man interested in a woman?"

I blushed and left him alone.

I covered my face in shame.

"I… don't want to ruin our relationship. If I take a wrong step, I could ruin it, and I'd feel terrible if I lost all these years over a foolishness that may or may not be real."

"Love is like a minefield. You have to be careful where you step, but when you reach the end unscathed, the reward is worth it."

"That was very deep coming from you."

"I read it on a fortune cookie, while eating in that woman's bed."

"Besides, Natsuki-chan isn't my type. At least bring herself from 20 years from now to try."

"Someday a woman will stab you in the back."

"I look forward to it. That day will mean I've conquered all the older women in the world."

The bell rang; recess was over and it was time to go back to class.

"By the way, Tatsu. Have you heard the rumors?"

Lowe called me as we threw the lunch leftovers into the trash bin.

"What rumors?"

"They say someone came to visit."

"Really? Who is it?"

"I don't know. But they say it's a big shot and that he's going to all the classrooms."

What Lowe said caught my attention, but not enough to raise my eyebrow.

◇

"I can't believe it."

"Hey, is this for real?"

Everyone in the classroom was surprised, and I couldn't blame them, since the person present was a celebrity to us.

"You probably heard about it during recess, but it was really a surprise for us."

"P-please, could you introduce yourself to everyone present?"

The teacher was nervous but excited.

"Sure."

With his raspy voice like a 30-year smoker, he said that.

A man nearly two meters tall, wearing blue armor straight out of an RPG, stood before us.

His white cape had the emblem of the knights of the Avalon Empire on the back.

A sheathed sword rested on his hip.

The man introduced himself as if it were a show for kids.

"Nice to meet you, youngsters. I am a Paladin of the Round Table, the first seat of the Rounds. The…"

"Lord Lancelot himself!"

All my classmates screamed like crazy as they stood up from their seats.

"Y-yes."

Even the knight himself was surprised.

"They didn't let me introduce myself. You're truly excited."

*Cough*

"I'm sorry to interrupt your class, but I came to your school to greet you, since as you know, tomorrow begins the centennial festival of the empire and of the survival of humanity. I just wanted to encourage you in your studies; it's not that I'm shirking my duties, of course not."

That sounded like he wanted a break.

"Excuse me, Lord Lancelot."

"Yes, little miss."

"I-is it true that you defeated a witch who could control mud?"

"Ah, you're talking about the case from five years ago. It was. That witch had snuck into our barracks and attacked us from within. Many died, but I made sure to avenge them. Was that what you wanted to know?"

"No. What I wanted to know was…"

The girl was very nervous.

"H-how is that possible? We're supposed to be tested at an early age to know if we are witches or not. How can there be witches?"

Witches are only women. At age five, an obligatory examination is done for all women: to go get tested to see if they have the possibility of becoming a witch.

It's free, and if someone can't go, a team is sent to their home to do the test.

"Oh, you're worried about becoming a witch, aren't you?"

She nodded in panic. I had heard from Mio that women live with a constant fear of something like that.

"Don't worry, miss. The test you all take indicates that your chance of being a witch is 0%. All witches don't take that test because they already show the mark on their right back from the beginning."

The mark she speaks of is a symbol that all witches have. It appears there and cannot be erased but can be hidden; that's why witches can do their deeds without being found.

"So don't be scared, you won't be a witch. But if one day for some strange anomaly you see that mark on your hand, you can go to this city's barracks. The church priests have the technology to remove it, and it would only take a few days to return to your normal life. I guarantee it. Our mission here is to save humanity from witches, and even more so to keep innocent young girls like you from becoming those demons that destroyed the ancient world."

"Lord Lancelot, I have a question."

"Go ahead, young man."

"Can I touch your sword? I have a replica at home, but it doesn't compare to the original."

"My sword? Are you talking about this golden sacred sword that only Paladins can touch?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, but denied."

"No way…"

He was very disappointed; I don't know what he expected, since it's a very dangerous object for ordinary people.

Paladins wear armor that is not only wrapped in Sacred Arts, but they also use weapons that emanate that same energy; touching them would be equivalent to frying your fingers instantly.

"I can't let you touch it for two reasons: because it's dangerous for you civilians… and because they'd send me to jail, and you don't want me to go to jail, right?"

"Hahaha, that's true."

"Lord Lancelot is a good comedian."

"Right! Ahahaha, I'm a riot."

Everyone was laughing with him. He wasn't a bad person based on how he acted.

"I have to go to the next classroom. Before I leave, take these."

"Brochures?"

Said the surprised teacher.

"This city's barracks will open its doors for civilians to come in and take pictures and look around. It's a gift for the centennial celebration; it will be available on January 1st. Take one for you, one for you, another for you…"

Finally, he reached my desk. We looked at each other fixedly; even though the slits of his helmet didn't show his eyes, I could feel him looking at me.

"One for you, young man."

"Thank you."

"Another for you."

And so on until he said goodbye to everyone.

◇

Before we knew it, the day was over. We managed to finish the arrangements for tomorrow and went home.

I was with Mio walking to the train stop to go home.

"It was really strange and surprising."

She told me; I was watching videos of what dish to prepare tomorrow.

"What was?"

"The Paladin. It was amazing to see one."

"You'd never seen one before?"

"In person, no. Only on TV."

"It was truly incredible. At first I felt afraid because he was a person in armor hiding his face, but after he made jokes, I felt relaxed."

"This is what they call charisma, right?"

"I've never known anyone charismatic, so it must be."

We were almost at the train station when an explosion occurred.

"Kyah!"

"Mio! Are you okay?"

"I-is? What was that?"

"A gas explosion, maybe?"

It was nothing of the sort.

We saw a woman covered in mud jumping between buildings, attacking some paladins.

Her mud heated up and could explode.

"Hold her back until the captain arrives!"

"The paladins are fighting. Tatsuya-kun, it's dangerous here. Let's go."

"I-I want to watch for a moment. You go ahead."

"Huh? Don't talk nonsense, it's dangerous for both of us. Let's go."

Mio pulled me, and we went to hide in the stairs connecting to the subway.

The roar lasted a short time.

"Is it finally over?"

"Seems so."

I stood up to check if everything was over and then…

"Damn it."

A woman fell near us.

She was covered in mud that wrapped her body like an exoskeleton.

She looked at me fixedly. I looked at the back of her right hand and saw a mark: a red circle with a strange wound, as if self-inflicted.

All I could say was:

"A witch."

The witch got angry when I called her that.

She extended her hand and the mud came towards me, but before being enveloped in it…

"Tatsuya-kun!"

Mio pushed me aside and she was caught by the mud.

"Mioooooooooooo!"

I screamed because of me the witch had caught Mio.

She jumped onto a nearby building and showed her in front of the paladins.

"Look closely, disgusting humans. I have a hostage. If you don't want this human to die, back off now!"

The paladins were motionless. Unlike the Round Table knight who came today, they had no helmet or cloak.

The witch smiled.

"Good, get out of here before I kill her."

The witch squeezed her hand and the exoskeleton squeezed Mio.

"It hurts!"

She screamed.

I could do nothing; I was trembling; at any moment I could start crying.

All I could do was say:

"Please… someone help Mio."

"You, who bear the mark of the demon and do evil to innocents."

A voice we all heard, coming from somewhere.

"My hand is the tool for justice, my sword is the instrument to wield it."

In the distance I saw a paladin leaping from building to building at great speed.

I recognized him immediately by that blue armor.

"You sow evil to strengthen yourself, but I sow justice to bring peace to your surroundings."

The witch noticed him and used Mio as a shield.

"Stop right there or this girl dies now!"

He didn't stop and kept advancing.

"The heavens bless my sword, and with my oath I will free humanity from demons."

The witch was getting more and more scared.

"I'm telling you to stop this instant or she—!"

"Eh? Hey, why do you smell like…?"

The witch seemed confused, but he took advantage of that distraction to get close.

He drew his sword from its sheath and the golden glow began to shine with a white flame.

"I will purge the evil from this world. Excalibur!"

After swinging his sword down, a white flame shot out, burning the witch.

Her body disintegrated, but before being eliminated I could hear her say:

"You are the ones who truly destroyed the world."

Before being turned to dust.

Lord Lancelot caught Mio and I could hear him say:

"A demon lying, as always."

He jumped from the rooftop to the ground as if stepping down from one step to another.

I went to check on her; she was fine.

Mio started crying and hugged me tightly.

"Tatsuya-kun!"

"Mio! I'm glad you're okay."

I looked at him and thanked him profoundly.

"Thank you very much. I really appreciate it."

He stared at me.

"You are the boy from this afternoon, right?"

"Yes. You came to our classroom."

"That's right, that's right."

"Sorry, with these slits I can barely recognize faces. Hahaha."

"You have to be careful. Weren't you taught that you must stay at least 20 meters away if you see a witch?"

"We're sorry, but we took this train stop to go home."

"I understand. But let this be a lesson: don't risk your life just to be nosy. If you feel bad or have any trauma from what happened, you can contact the Church, and they'll check you out."

"Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

I could feel he was smiling even though I couldn't see his face.

"You rookies! Can't you stop a witch? What did you go to the academy for then?"

"We're very sorry!"

"Sorry my ass when I ate chili and potatoes!"

He left and we went down to catch the train.

Mio was still clinging to me.

The train was about to arrive, but she kept hugging me.

I won't lie, I liked this feeling.

◇

After a short ride, we arrived at our home.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I feel better now. I'll make some tea and put on relaxing music to calm my nerves."

We were going up the elevator; we could hear the voices of the other kids who had arrived home.

Our apartments were on the top floor, which had few rooms; we could make a lot of noise, that was the good part.

We both went to open the door when I noticed something.

"Mio, your hand is bleeding."

"Eh? Really?"

She had blood on her right hand.

"No way. I must have cut myself on something back then. I'll heal it quickly."

"Anyway, good night, Tatsuya-kun. See you tomorrow."

"Same here. See you tomorrow."

I entered my house, did what I always do.

Tomorrow will be another day like any other.

◇

As soon as I woke up, I felt a strange sensation.

It was because of the dream I had.

Again I saw seven figures standing before me; those shadows said something and I can't remember what it was, but it was terrifying.

Since today was the last day of classes and of the year, people started celebrating big time.

Music could be heard from very early; on the news they were very excited.

Everything went on as usual: I dressed, prepared breakfast and today's lunch.

And outside, Mio was waiting for me to go to class.

Or so it was supposed to be.

"Eh? Mio?"

Mio wasn't waiting for me.

I went out to see if she was hiding like she sometimes did, but she wasn't there.

This was strange, but now that I think about it…

(She's the class president, so she probably had to go early today.)

That Mio isn't in front of my house as soon as I leave doesn't mean it's the end of the world.

I closed the door and went straight to see Alice.

◇

"Eh? She's not here?"

The gate guard told me that Alice had left very early today for school. Although that was odd, I didn't pay it any mind.

"Today everyone seems to be busy with something. But it doesn't matter, since we'll meet in class."

◇

"This is strange."

"What is?"

The festival started and it was already noon.

I was telling Lowe that it was because…

"Mio isn't here. I haven't seen Alice either, and that's even though everyone is out of their classrooms."

Lowe and I were eating noodle broth in a room themed after something called Osaka.

"She didn't come to see me in the morning and I didn't think much of it, but she wasn't in the classroom either. I wonder where she went."

"Maybe she spent the night at her boyfriend's house tattooed and is still there."

"I'll hit you."

"You wouldn't be the first."

I gave him a light punch on the arm; it hurt me, since his muscle was very strong.

"Anyway, the fact that Natsuki-chan isn't here might mean she's sick."

"Did something happen yesterday?"

"Well…"

I told him what happened.

"I see. It could be that she's still terrified and hasn't left her house. Send her a message later."

"I will."

As I continued eating, Lowe told me about something he saw on the news.

"They've put up this graffiti again."

For a few years now, this strange graffiti has been appearing on the walls of buildings.

It's a bird on fire and there's some writing next to it. No one knows what it means, but the only thing we know about it is:

"Kakeru of the Sun Warriors is recruiting members to free the world."

"Can you read what it says?"

"No. It's on the news; apparently it's an ancient language."

"I see. By the way, Lowe, haven't you seen Alice? You're in the same class, and I'd at least like to know if she's around here."

He looked at me with an expression that said: "What are you talking about?"

"Who is Alice?"

"Alice Kanzaki, from class 2-C."

"I'm in class 2-C and I don't know any Alice. Although my recently divorced teacher is named that."

I was about to believe that he didn't know her until he said that. Since Alice is quiet, she probably doesn't stand out, and that's why he doesn't remember her.

"Well, when the festival ends I'll go to her house with some gifts and a bandage."

"Why a bandage? Did she get hurt?"

Lowe asked while checking his phone.

I continued eating and told him:

"She had a wound on her right hand; she got it at some point when she was taken hostage."

Something fell on the table: Lowe's phone crashed, and when I was about to ask him what happened, I was amazed by the way he was looking at me.

For the first time in my life, I saw this boy with a mocking and relaxed expression, his eyes wide open, looking at me as if he had remembered that he left the gas stove on.

"Something wrong?"

"… No. It's just that I remembered I forgot to send a shirtless photo to a woman who dropped her kids off at school."

"Sooner or later, a woman will stab you in the back."

◇

It was still afternoon; the time to leave had come.

Since everyone wanted to enjoy the festival, they went straight to the city.

At the exit, I met her.

Mio was waiting for me at the school gate; she was wearing a hoodie just like mine.

"Mio, why didn't you come today?"

"…"

"You missed the festival. Lowe got several confessions from girls that he rejected, but instead he went to confess to our teacher."

"…"

"What's wrong with you?"

She kept looking at the ground and didn't look at me at all.

"Something wrong?"

"Please follow me."

I went after her because I didn't understand what was wrong with her.

Was this something normal in women?

I didn't know where she was taking me, but I walked behind her.

"Tell me, are you feeling bad about yesterday? If so, we can go together to the Church so they can check you out. After that, we can go get ice cream or maybe to the movies. No, wait, the cinema will be closed today. So we can go buy fireworks and set them off from the balcony."

Before I knew it, we arrived at a park.

She went to sit on the swing.

I followed her.

"What's wrong with you? You're really worrying me."

I didn't understand what was happening to her, and it was frightening me.

"Tatsuya-kun, do you remember the first time we met?"

"Yes, I remember it very well."

"We had lost our parents that same day and were crying. When I saw you, I saw myself. You tried to act tough while your nose was running."

"That's not something I want to remember."

"I just wanted to have one last talk with you."

Then I went cold.

"Mio, don't play with that, don't talk nonsense."

"I wish it were nonsense."

She took off her hood and I could finally see her face.

Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were red from crying so much.

"I really… wanted to go today. But… but… I was very scared."

I got up from the swing.

"I'm the one who's scared here, Mio. Please tell me what's wrong!"

She pulled up the sleeve of her right arm and I saw her entire hand covered in bandages; there were bloodstains.

"Did the wound get worse? You could have told me so we could go to the hospital—"

She took off the bandages and I was horrified by what I saw.

On the back of her right hand was a red circle that had a symbol similar to a heart with thorns.

"Mio… did you get a tattoo yesterday?"

(Don't say it.)

"I didn't know you'd become rebellious."

(I refuse to accept it.)

"I-I'll get one too, to match."

(Stop, don't you dare even think about it.)

"It's okay, Tatsuya-kun."

Mio took my hand; I felt the same as when we were children.

I tried to cheer her up, but it was she who at that moment took my hand and calmed me down.

"It's okay. You don't have to try to cheer me up anymore. I, better than anyone, know this."

(I don't want the only thing I cherish in this world to be destroyed.)

Suddenly, the world fell silent.

The sounds of cheers in the distance faded away, and only a humming remained in the air.

Mio, with her eyes closed and tears streaming down her cheeks, said the words that destroyed my world:

"I… have become a witch."

"Don't say stupid things!"

I yelled at her and immediately took the bandages to cover her hand.

"Don't say something so stupid again! You're nothing of the sort! You're just going through a rebellious phase. So that no one thinks anything strange about you, we'll get multiple tattoos on our arms. It's true that it will make it harder to get a job, but as long as we're together—"

She took my cheeks, rubbed her fingers on my skin, and shook her head.

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about me anymore. Deep down, I felt that something like this would happen one day. I didn't know why, but I always knew it. That's why I wanted to meet with you one last time. I would have liked to go out to eat something, take a walk, and go to school."

Her tears flowed again, but her cracked voice showed that she too regretted it.

"But there won't be a tomorrow for that."

"Mio, we can still—"

"The agreed time is over."

A voice came from the back of the place.

From among the trees, a familiar figure appeared.

"Lord Lancelot?! What are you doing here?!"

"I called him."

I looked at Mio because I couldn't believe what she was saying.

"You called them? Why did you do that!"

"Tatsuya-kun, witches are persecuted everywhere. There's nowhere for them to hide."

Before I knew it, Lancelot was standing behind me.

"As agreed, we gave you a few minutes so you could say goodbye."

"You agreed?"

"Mio… don't tell me."

"That's right. I called them. At night I tried to wash the wound, but it grew little by little within an hour. I cried all night. When I woke up, I thought it was a dream, but it wasn't. I knew I couldn't hide it forever."

"Wait a moment."

I stopped her because something was strange here.

I turned to him; there were more paladins approaching.

"Lord Lancelot, she is a good person, she's not someone who would do evil things."

"I know. I spoke with her personally, and I can say the same."

"You hadn't said that there was a way to remove the witch's mark. Then why does all this seem like a goodbye?"

"It's the same as entering the hospital, isn't it?"

I expected his confirmation, and when he finally spoke…

"That is…"

I could feel for the second time how my world was destroyed.

"A complete lie."

"… Eh?"

"… Lie?"

"There is no way to remove the witch's mark. We say that to calm the population, especially women. What do you think would happen if everyone knew that the witch's mark can actually appear at any time?"

"The mark can… appear at any time…?"

"That's not something that is in the public information."

"Of course, it's ultra-secret information."

Unlike yesterday, whose tone was very childish and comical, today he was speaking like a judge pronouncing a criminal's sentence.

"Your friend is smart. She immediately understood her situation, didn't make a scene, and didn't try to run away like the others."

"The others… You mean this isn't the first time this has happened?"

The uncomfortable silence left my skin sensitive; I trembled as if a bucket of ice water had hit me.

"It's part of the protocol, I said. You're neither the first nor the last to find out about this. Well, we had a nice chat. Let's go, young lady."

Mio stood up; I stood in between.

"Wait a moment. Even if Mio has the witch's mark, it doesn't mean she is one. I've known her all my life, and she's always been kind to others and isn't selfish! She loves feeding stray cats and donating part of her money to those who lost their homes to witches."

I could hear Mio crying.

"Tatsuya-kun… please stop."

"That's why I'm asking you to turn a blind eye this time. She… would never harm anyone."

I bowed my head to beg him.

I hoped, at least, that my words would make him change his mind.

But what he said chilled me completely.

"I don't care. She is a witch; the law dictates her extermination. But seeing you plead for her, I guarantee her death will be painless and quick. We can also arrange a fake burial paid for by us so you can remember her. We can't give you her ashes, though."

I got so angry that I didn't hesitate to attack him, since my words went in one ear and out the other.

"You're not a paladin, you're scum!"

He got angry with me and punched me in the stomach.

"Watch your mouth, brat! I'm being very kind to you by giving you time to say goodbye, and this is how you repay me? Just so you know, you're not the first to be in this situation. Many men saw their mothers, sisters, partners, and daughters in this same situation, and they all tried to run away and ended up dead. I suggest that if you don't want to end up like them, or in case you open your big mouth in the future, shut up and live quietly as an ordinary citizen."

"Tatsuya-kun!"

Mio came to help me.

"Let's go."

Lancelot took her hand and left with her.

"M-Mi-o."

I reached out my hand towards her; the blow was so hard that I was losing consciousness.

All I could see was her crying face saying the words:

"Goodbye."

Don't go, I haven't told you yet…

◇

After a while I woke up; it was completely dark.

The city music reached here.

The park was lit, with no trace of what had happened earlier.

I checked my phone; it was past ten at night.

(Apparently, I was unconscious for about four hours.)

"Damn it!"

I punched the ground in frustration.

"I couldn't do anything to protect her."

I feel so helpless.

I couldn't protect Mio.

I couldn't save her.

I started crying out of frustration because I'm a weakling who can't do anything.

I couldn't protect my parents that day; it was my fault for telling them to go buy me a toy. If I hadn't told them that, they'd still be alive.

If I were strong, I could have protected Mio.

She will die; I knew it, and she wanted to meet with me one last time.

"Damn it all! I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die!"

"What are you doing there, Tatsu?"

I looked up because I recognized that voice.

Lowe was standing in front of me; he had a shopping bag in one hand and a popsicle in the other.

"Lowe, what are you doing here?"

"That's my question. I was at a woman's house, I went out to buy some things, and I found you lying here."

"Lowe."

"What's up?"

"Lowe!"

I threw myself at him because I needed to vent about what happened.

"Get away from me! It's disgusting for another man to hug me!"

◇

After calming down, I told him what happened.

"I see."

I thought that maybe someone from another world could help me.

When I looked at him, he showed an expression of disgust.

"She's a witch. Why would you grieve for her? It's better if she dies so she doesn't try to destroy the world."

It was the first time I heard him say something like that.

Apparently, he also thinks like the others, and apparently I'm the only one who tried to stop it.

"That's what I would like to say if you asked me normally what I think."

The disgusted expression on his face vanished, replaced by the relaxed expression he usually showed.

"Huh? You don't think that?"

"Of course not. I don't care about witches; I live my own way. I can tell you something: in this world, you can't trust that someone is who they say they are."

"What does that mean?"

I asked because he left me baffled.

"Who tells us that witches are evil? Are all witches evil? Using the same logic, you could say the same about humans. Not all are good and not all are bad. For example, if you were my enemy, I wouldn't hesitate to attack you, but you're not. Does that make me a good or bad person?"

It was the first time in my life I had seen that kind of thinking.

"That's why I'm telling you this as a friend: if Natsuki-chan is a good person despite being a witch, and the Church and the Empire want to kill her, who is your enemy here?"

His words were sharp, cutting just by listening.

"B-but we're talking about the Church and the Empire."

"So what?"

"It's the only place in the world to live."

"You want her to die just because she has nowhere to run?"

"Of course not!"

I shouted at Lowe.

"I want Mio to live! I don't care if that goes against the Church and the Empire. I don't want her to die because she's important to me."

"Would you risk your life for a friend? Just so you know, I wouldn't. I wouldn't do it for a friend."

Lowe's words made me realize what I didn't want to admit so as not to ruin our relationship.

"I would confront the Church and the Empire to save the woman I love."

"Wow, that was so cheesy. It gave me so much cringe."

"Damn you, but you were the one who told me—"

I was about to hit him when he touched my shoulder and smiled.

"So what are you waiting for, Romeo? Go save your girl."

"You say that as if it were easy. Besides, she might already be…"

There's no guarantee Mio is still alive.

"Give me a moment."

Lowe took out his cell phone and walked away.

"Yes, it's me. Look, I have a favor to ask. Yes. I know I'm asking for the impossible, but do it for me. I'll give you a little something for your anniversary."

"…"

"Uh-huh. I see. Thank you very much, sweetheart. See you later."

He was obviously talking to a woman. He hung up and came over to me.

"I managed to get information from someone inside. Natsuki-chan is still alive. Apparently, they're going to transfer her to the capital at the time everyone is celebrating the centennial."

That was amazing, but something left me even more amazed.

"How the hell do you have the number of someone inside the Church barracks?"

He smiled with an expression that said: "My network of unsatisfied women is bigger than you think."

"You're incredible, but in a bad way!"

Now that I know Mio is alive, I need to think of a way to get in.

"Lowe, did that person tell you where she was?"

"She said in jail. Since this city isn't that important, the jail isn't maximum security but minimum. But I have to find out which cell she's in; she'll send me the details later."

I took out of my backpack what I received yesterday.

"This pamphlet, if it's not lying, shows where the barracks' jail is."

"You're really going?"

Lowe asked me with a serious face.

I answered him with the same seriousness.

"I can't let Mio go to die just for being a witch. That's why this is goodbye."

"What are you doing?"

He said intrigued.

"I'll come up with a plan to sneak in. It'll be difficult, but I have to do it."

"Idiot~. Who says you'll do it alone?"

"Huh? But you said you wouldn't do it for anyone."

"That's right. I wouldn't do it for anyone, except my best friend. You were the only person in the world who hangs out with someone like me, who repels everyone. Even though I spat on you and treated you badly, you followed me to the point where having you by my side was normal. I can't let my only friend die stupidly. That's why I'll help you get in, but you'll have to figure out how to get out."

"So this will be our last time talking."

I extended my hand to him; he doesn't like greetings, but he didn't hesitate to shake mine.

"You better be happy with her wherever you are."

"I will be. Sorry for involving you."

"It won't be the first time I've gotten into trouble. I have a system for evading responsibility. Give me 30 minutes to get what you need and wait for me near the barracks."

"Okay."

I ran off after saying goodbye to him.

Truly, there is no better friend than him.

◇◇◇

When Tatsuya left, Lowe remained alone.

His smile faded with every step he took.

When he disappeared from sight, he took out his phone and called someone.

"He's moving. Yes, everything is going according to plan. Now it's my turn. Make sure you follow yours."

◇◇◇

The paladins' barracks, also part of the Crimson Church's headquarters, was located in a place anciently known as Buckingham Palace.

After the cataclysm, it was demolished and rebuilt.

Inside the place, in the deepest part near a drain, was the jail.

There they locked up witches and other criminals before being tried.

Those who resisted were tried on the spot wherever they were.

Mio was locked in a cell.

Paladin Lancelot stood before her.

"Answer: how did this happen? Yesterday you were fine, your hand didn't have the stigma either. Do you need some kind of activator to become witches?"

Mio was silent; the reason was the bruise on her cheek.

"I don't know. I already told you I have no idea how this happened."

"You're lying! There must be some way you manage to awaken your powers without us noticing. If all women in the world could become witches, that would reduce humanity to extinction because we would be incompatible. We must locate the source of your origin and destroy it. You must do it to prevent more girls like you from becoming demons."

Tears welled up again from her cheeks.

"I already told you I don't know. It just happened."

"It can't be like that! You can't become a witch just because. If that were possible, then our fight would be meaningless, and we would have to kill all women suspected of becoming witches, and that would destroy our society."

Lancelot stood up and took Mio's hand.

"Besides, what about this stigma? It's very strange, and it's the first time I've seen a heart, and also its circle is complete. It means you're a rare witch. That's why I received orders to transfer you to the royal capital Camelot for investigation instead of executing you. I'm telling you for your own good: they'll experiment on you, and that's not pleasant. Answer my questions to facilitate your trial and thus give you a dignified death worthy of the human being you once were."

"Why?"

"Hmm?"

Mio's tears didn't stop flowing, but this time for another reason.

"Why are you so cruel to witches?"

"It's obvious: they destroyed the world. They are enemies of humanity."

"But I haven't done anything wrong, and you're treating me like a terrorist. Have other women been in my situation and received the same treatment?"

"I can't say."

"I see. So that did happen. I don't doubt that there are evil witches, but some must have been women who had families and loved ones and wanted to live with them. Didn't those women deserve a chance to prove their innocence?"

"They don't have one."

Lancelot's dark and gloomy tone of voice overshadowed Mio's voice.

"Witches are aberrations created by the demon to destroy humanity. We must eliminate them all. It's the only way humanity can survive. Regardless of who they were or who they are, every witch is an enemy."

From inside his armor, he took out a wallet and showed her a photo.

It was a blonde girl smiling in a park; the face of the man next to her was cut out, along with the mother.

"Who is it?"

"My daughter Sofia. She was 4 years old when that tragedy happened."

Lancelot began to cry; tears flowed from the slits.

Mio understood that he must have lost his young daughter to a witch.

But the reality was different from what she believed.

"She… at a young age… became a witch."

"Eh?"

He raised his head; his eyes stared fixedly at Mio, who could feel an unease she had never felt before.

"She had become a monster, and with these very hands I had to burn my daughter."

"… Your own daughter… you killed her?"

"Also my wife, who tried to stab me. She said, 'How could you do that to our daughter?' and I burned her too. My wife was an accomplice of the witch. My daughter was a witch who enchanted her mother to attack me. See how terrifying witches are? If we knew how to eradicate them at the root, none of this would have happened. My wife and daughter would still be alive if it weren't for the witches! Witches destroyed my family!"

Mio trembled with fear.

(This man is insane. He killed his own family just for disagreeing with what he did. That means that in this country, everyone is the same. Not all witches are monsters. The people here are the real monsters.)

"…!"

Mio remembered the words of the witch from yesterday:

"You are the ones who truly destroyed the world."

Mio understood at that moment that everything she knew was based on a lie created by a sect.

"Tatsuya-kun, save me."

Lancelot regained his composure and decided to leave.

"I'll come back when it's time to go. I'll go rest for a while."

She remained in that desolate place crying, begging for a miracle to save her.

◇

The agreed time had arrived.

I had received from Lowe the place where Mio was; now I had to save her.

Behind the barracks there is an abandoned factory; we'll go there to escape directly through the heliport.

Lowe said he got someone who transports drugs to take us with him.

I'm very scared of his contacts, but it's the only way out of here.

"Anyway, where is that guy?"

I was waiting for him.

I was hiding in an adjacent building but facing the paladins' barracks. The gate is small but it's in a place where everyone can see it.

Lowe said he would create a distraction and I would sneak in, but I don't understand how he would do it with so many people watching the entrance and the inside.

I checked my phone; it was almost twelve.

I enjoyed one last chocolate that I liked, since I probably won't be able to eat one again.

Then in the distance I heard the sound of a horn.

I looked out and saw a van speeding toward the gate.

I ran downstairs to jump over the wall.

◇◇◇

The van approached at great speed; the guards stepped aside, and it smashed the gate and crashed into the door.

The headlights surrounded it, and the guards approached.

When they opened the door, Lowe was tied to the steering wheel with his mouth covered.

He was crying.

The guard removed the tape from his mouth, and he said:

"Please help me! A witch tied me up here because she wants to attack the place!"

The guard noticed that in the back of the truck there was something lit; he shone a light on it and was scared to see dynamite with fireworks there.

He quickly cut the tape and took Lowe away from it.

The truck exploded, and the fireworks flew out, hitting different areas, setting everything on fire.

"Put out the fire!"

Shouted the guards as the fireworks shot out uncontrollably.

Lowe was ducking his head but could see that Tatsuya had jumped the fence and was heading for the door that should be open by now by someone he had contacted.

(This is the only way I can help you. It's all up to you, Tatsu.)

◇

I took advantage of Lowe's distraction and entered the paladins' barracks.

There was no one; they were outside trying to put out the fire. There were some areas that were on fire.

Fortunately, there's no one on the first floor. According to the pamphlet, the door leading to the basement is around here.

After sneaking around and looking around, there was no one.

I entered the place and had to go down some stairs.

I carefully checked, and there was no one; I searched the cells, and there was no one except the last one.

There she was.

"Mio!"

She weakly lifted her face and looked at me.

"Tatsuya-kun! What are you doing here?"

"I came to rescue you."

Thanks to Lowe, I knew what kind of lock they had; it's an old one, so I used a lock-picking tool sold at hardware stores.

I opened the gate and went straight to her.

Her hands were tied with a rope hanging from the ceiling.

When I touched her, I felt a slight current.

"I've heard of this. It's a tool used to suppress the power of witches. Again, thanks to Lowe for telling me."

From the bag I brought, I took out a knife he gave me; that knife was wrapped in Sacred Arts. I really want to know how he got all this.

But it doesn't matter.

I cut it, and it fell to the ground.

It hurt when I took the remains to remove the rest from her hands.

I hugged her.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Tatsuya-kun, you have to get out of here."

"I won't. I came to save you."

"Why?"

Mio looked at me with sad eyes.

"You're throwing your entire future away for me. We may be friends, but I don't want anything to happen to you."

When I heard that, I felt a stab in my heart.

(She sees me as a friend, but still, I won't give up.)

"Forget that. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

I took her hand and ran with her back to the stairs, but…

"You really are a fool if you thought this place would be unguarded."

Sitting there, staring at us, was Lancelot.

"I can't believe you actually caused all this just to rescue her. You're a big… idiot!"

He stepped toward me and grabbed me by the neck.

"Please let him go!"

Mio begged for him to release me, but he refused.

"I refuse! This insolent brat dares to break the law. He will be killed in the most painful way possible. You and your accomplice, when I find him, will pay dearly."

"I can't breathe."

My breath was cut short; I was falling asleep.

Mio tried to stop his hand.

"Please stop!"

"I will not!"

"I beg you!"

"No matter how much you beg, I won't let go."

He squeezed me hard; my mind blurred, and at that moment…

"Let him goooooooooo!"

The back of Mio's right hand shone intensely, and at that moment roots covered with flowers burst from the ground, enveloping the place and destroying it.

Lancelot was covered by those roots, and so were we.

But unlike him, the roots that enveloped us went into the drain and left us there, blocking the entrance.

I coughed a bit and looked intently at the roots.

"Mio, did you do this?"

"I-I don't know."

"It doesn't matter. We have to go."

I took her hand and we hurried to the abandoned factory.

◇

Once we arrived, we stopped to rest for a moment. The heliport was close; we just had to cross this place and a few streets and we would get there.

"Let me catch my breath, then we'll continue."

While my heart relaxed, she approached me.

She slapped me.

I stared at her, confused by that reaction.

"Why did you do that?!"

"Mio."

"No one told you to save me. I appreciate what you did, but now your life is in danger. If only I were the only one whose life is in danger, you could have at least lived your life in peace."

She was angry, but with herself.

When I rescued her, she was happy to see me, but after Lancelot discovered us, it means we can't go back to how we were before.

"You won't be able to go back to school, or your home, or even see Lowe-kun again. All because you came to save me."

I hugged her and decided to finally tell her my feelings, no matter what she said.

"Mio, I didn't save you because we're friends. I saved you because you are special to me."

"Eh?"

She looked at me when I said that. I continued.

"I wish this had been somewhere else, in a more romantic way."

I looked at her intently and said:

"Mio, I've been in love with you for a long time. I don't care if you reject me; I just wanted you to know. I love you so much that I risk my life for you."

She started crying again.

"Idiot! Just for something like that, you threw away your whole life? What do you think would happen if I told you I don't like you?"

"I wouldn't care; I just wanted you to know. But I also wouldn't have wanted to live knowing that I could never tell you, let alone hear your answer."

"I…"

The sound of applause came along with approaching footsteps.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful."

Said the voice I recognized as it approached through the darkness.

"Lancelot!"

"So that's why you did all this. For love… It's the stupidest and cheesiest thing I've ever heard! Does saving a woman really justify throwing your life away?"

He drew his sword; I had nothing at hand, so I grabbed a pipe that was on the ground.

"It is worth it."

I said firmly in my decision.

"Mio, run!"

"Don't screw with me!"

Lancelot lunged at her. I had practiced kendo for several years, so I had knowledge of fencing.

I knew there was no way I could beat someone with a sword using this, but I had to make sure she escaped no matter what.

With my improvised weapon, I deflected his to the ground, but that was all I could do.

"Don't get in my way!"

With his angry voice he said that and kicked me hard in the stomach.

It was the second time he kicked me there.

I tried to raise my weapon, but he pierced my hand.

"You think I'll let you do that again? I'll kill you here and now!"

He pulled out the sword and a lot of blood gushed out; it hurt a lot.

He brought his sword down quickly toward me, but he was hit by the same green light, accompanied by Mio's scream.

"Don't do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!"

The vines intertwined with his arm and covered it with flowers; the roots approached him like tentacles.

Lancelot cut the roots one after another.

"Damn it! This is endless!"

She came to help me while the roots continued to emerge from the ground to attack him.

"Tatsuya-kun, your hand!"

I looked at my hand and it was turning blue.

I couldn't feel my fingers or move it.

"Damn. And it was my dominant hand."

"Let me see if there's something to treat it with."

She used her uniform, tore off a bit of cloth, and used it to wrap my hand.

The part she tore off covered her abdomen; her navel was visible.

She was very cute, although I shouldn't be thinking about such things now.

"How is it?"

"I still can't feel anything."

The weird thing is that the numbness isn't just in my hand; my whole arm hurts.

Did the sword have some kind of toxin?

"Excalibur!"

A faint bright light swept through the place and destroyed the roof, as well as the roots.

Some protected us, and thanks to that, the debris didn't crush us.

Lancelot approached very angry.

"Change of plans: I'll kill both of you here. You're too irritating, girl. I hate girls like you."

He drew his sword and approached us.

"If you want to be together so much, die!"

I stood in front of her; I had nothing to protect her with but my body.

This really frustrates me.

It makes me very angry.

(Are you angry?)

Suddenly I heard a voice in my head; it was a strange time for my subconscious to speak to me.

(Does this situation bother you a lot?)

It does. I hate this situation where Mio has to be killed for something she didn't do, much less by a madman with a distorted view of life.

(Do you want to destroy him?)

I want to destroy him.

(What do you want to destroy?)

I said it bluntly:

"I want to destroy everything! I want to destroy this rotten world that eliminates innocent people who did nothing wrong and are judged on the basis of prejudice for crimes they didn't commit!"

(Very well. The first act is complete. The time has come for you to receive your reward.)

What is this I'm feeling?

Suddenly it started to get very hot.

I'm burning.

(Congratulations. Among all humans, you have been chosen to represent the Destroyer. Become the Demon King and destroy this rotten world using your seven deadly sins.)

What do you mean?

Suddenly my arm ignited in blue flames.

"What the hell is this?!"

I was immediately scared.

"Waaaah!"

My arm was burning, and he approached; I decided to use it against him.

But at the moment he came close…

"Flame of Purgatory."

I said those words for no apparent reason, and a huge fireball shot out, burning him.

The debris and roots were burned to ashes.

I could see through the fire how Lancelot used his sword to block my attack.

"W-what is this power? They're not Sacred Arts. It looks like witch sorcery. But how is it possible for a man to use sorcery if only women can—?"

The power was too much for him, and he was engulfed by it.

"Wooooooh!"

A slight explosion occurred, and the blue flames devoured part of the place and with it Lancelot.

My arm was still on fire, but the fire no longer burned; it didn't scorch; it was just a kind of flaming mist surrounding my arm.

Mio approached without me noticing and took my hand.

"It's warm; it doesn't burn, but it's refreshing like a blanket in winter."

The blue flames went out when she touched it.

"Let's go now. We need to get out as soon as possible."

"Where do you think you're going?"

Before we knew it, we were surrounded by three mysterious figures.

One of them was a Paladin in green armor with two blades intertwined.

He sounded young, about 20 years old.

"I can't believe some brats gave you so much trouble, Lord Lancelot."

Another wore purple armor and had an axe on his back; in his hand was Lancelot, who was also being held by a paladin in yellow armor.

"Hahaha, Lancelot-senpai was defeated by some brats."

He too was another young man with a voice of someone around 20 but with a childish attitude.

He carried a three-pronged spear in his other hand.

Both let him go; Lancelot's cloak was the only thing that was destroyed.

"You… weren't you in Reingrad?"

(The neighboring city of Reingrad?)

(Then they are…)

The one in green armor introduced himself:

"Third seat of the Round Table, Galahad."

The one in purple and yellow armor also did:

"Seventh of the Rounds, Gawain."

"Same, but I'm the ninth, Percival."

"The Four Evils."

I unintentionally said.

"Oh, you know us then?"

Expressed Galahad.

"You better not do anything stupid; our companion is over there aiming at you."

In the distance was a Paladin in red armor waving at us.

"The thirteenth, the newest member of the Rounds, Lohengrin. They call us the Four Evils because we all graduated in the worst possible way. Let's leave our introductions aside. Now then, Lancelot…"

Galahad approached us.

"Are you telling me you couldn't catch these brats? And you're supposed to be the most powerful Rounds among us?"

"Galahad-senpai, maybe Lancelot-senpai has become weak because he's the oldest of us?"

"Who knows. The only thing certain is that we saved his ass."

"Stop this useless talk and let's get to the important stuff."

Gawain approached us.

"What the hell did you do, brat? We saw everything. You were able to use witch sorcery, but you're a man. I don't see that you have women's hips and pretend to be a man."

"Galahad, Percival, Gawain, Lohengrin."

Lancelot was trying to stand up.

"Tell me, why are you here?"

"Hah? Isn't it obvious?"

Gawain answered without even looking at him.

"The higher-ups told us to bring her with us. Apparently, your description indicates that she is not just a rare witch."

Then I understood something terrifying.

"She is the queen of witches."

"What do you mean?"

I asked, and he didn't answer me, but rather Lancelot, who wanted to ask the same question.

"According to those elders of the Church, when the cataclysm occurred, a woman appeared who was going to cover the planet with vegetation when they destroyed the world. But the paladins of that era managed to stop her, wounding her, and she had to hide. If we kill her, she'll just be reborn somewhere else, but if we capture her now, we can find out how to destroy the witches forever."

Percival approached Mio.

"So I'm sorry, miss, but you'll have to be a guinea pig, and a very painful one."

"Stop talking and arrest them."

I tried to use my flames but couldn't.

I was quickly subdued by Galahad; Gawain took Mio by the arm.

"Mission complete. Let's go."

After Galahad said that, Lohengrin's body fell to the ground.

No one knows what happened, but there he was.

"Percival, go check him."

Percival ran quickly and then said just as Lancelot finally managed to stand up:

"He's fine, but he's unconscious. Apparently, something hit him on the head."

"Something? I don't see anything—"

"Ufufu, good evening, paladins."

We heard a woman's voice; we didn't know where it came from.

Everyone looked in all directions when Lancelot noticed it.

Tonight there's a full moon, so the place was visible.

I also looked in the direction everyone was looking.

There, standing on a melted beam, was a beautiful woman with white hair and two pigtails on the sides, eyes red as blood.

She wore gothic clothing with frills, very fashionable.

But there was something about her that I recognized immediately.

Her face.

"…Alice?"

Alice Kanzaki was standing on that beam. She had a sickly body, but the woman before us didn't look like her.

With a seductive voice, she said:

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I came for those two. So if you'd be so kind as to give them to me, I promise not to hurt you, much?"

"Hahahaha!"

The paladins laughed at her.

Percival dropped Lohengrin's body and went straight to fight her.

She didn't move at all; she simply pointed her finger at him and said:

"Bang."

The space around her distorted, and in less than a fraction of a second, a violet light flew directly at Percival, sending him flying several meters.

The other paladins were stunned.

"Lancelot, can you move?"

Asked Galahad, drawing his twin daggers.

Lancelot adjusted his shoulder and said:

"I'm fine."

"Take them both and get out of here. Gawain, let's go."

"Don't give me orders, four-eyes."

"Wait a moment."

Lancelot stopped both.

"Why should I be the one to leave?"

"You're the one who took the most damage here."

"Don't make excuses, old man, and do as we say."

Gawain quickly launched his attack; he swung his axe and attacked Alice at great speed, but she dodged them in the air like a butterfly.

She seemed to walk in the sky the way her legs touched the starry sky.

"Is that all you can do? How weak."

With a slight puff, Gawain was sent flying into a nearby building.

Galahad used his blade and caught Alice.

"You won't escape, witch. Unlike them, I used to belong to the Church. Take this. Divine Ray!"

A lightning bolt fell from the sky striking Alice.

Or so it was supposed to be, but she used her finger to make a circle, and the lightning was sent to her finger, and with a movement, she sent it back to him.

All but Lancelot were defeated in a moment.

He was angry and prepared to fight.

But Alice quickly descended and placed her hand on his face.

"Who the hell are you? How is it that we have no information on the power of a witch like you?"

"Because I didn't allow it. But I'll tell you this name so you know who I am: Bernstein."

"Bernstein?! You're the surviving daughter of that heretical family."

"Small talk is over."

Lancelot was crushed by gravity and embedded in the ground.

Alice turned to look at us and smiled.

"I'm glad to see you're safe, Kagari-kun, Natsuki-san."

"Alice?"

Mio finally seemed to recognize her.

Alice approached us.

"Hey, can I call you Mio-chan now that you've finally become a witch?"

"What do you mean 'finally'?"

"Alice, did you know something like this would happen?"

"Umm, there's a lot to explain, but let's get out of here quickly."

We listened to her and went to the heliport.

◇

The heliport is connected to the port, so if you want to leave the city, you have to go through here to go to the next island.

We boarded a military plane; the pilot was a man wearing strange clothes, like a bathrobe. There was another guy filling the gas tank.

We sat together and looked at Alice, who was sitting like a princess.

It was the first time I could see how beautiful she was, including her plump thighs.

"I like that you're devouring me with your eyes, Kagari-kun, but this is neither the time nor the place for that."

"Eh? I wasn't really…"

Mio glared at me.

"So, who are you really, Alice? Or if that's your real name."

Mio went straight to the point. Alice fixed her hair before revealing who she is.

"That's right; my name is Alice, but I'm not who you think I am. My real name is Alice Bernstein. I am the last daughter of the Bernstein family, a house of witches that has served to protect the Queen."

"The Queen?"

"Yes, the Queen of Witches. That is, you, Mio-chan."

"Me?"

I don't know who was more surprised here, me or her.

"That's right. The Queen of Witches is the most important figure for us, as she symbolizes the power of restoration."

"Restoration?"

I asked, remembering yesterday's words of the witch.

"That's right. You see, the Crimson Church and the Empire have lied to you. The world was indeed destroyed by a witch. But it was because humans were trying to destroy us. At that time, there was a group called 'Luminatus' that was in charge of capturing witches and kidnapping them to try to steal their powers. Witches in the ancient world were worshiped as deities, because in reality our powers are not sorcery: they are blessings from Mother Nature. For example, why is woman the only one who can give life? Because nature decided so. Likewise, this is so: witches are women chosen by nature to take care of the world. But Luminatus wanted to control nature, using technology to destroy the world and control it no matter how much suffering they brought. Then one day it happened: The Great Cataclysm. It was a very unexpected act for everyone, since the Witch Queen of that time used her body to try to destroy them, but somehow they managed to replicate nature's power and called it Sacred Arts. They have spent all these years looking for the Witch Queen, the one who possesses the power to restore the world. That is, yours, Mio-chan."

"Mine?"

Every word she said destroyed the concept of the world we had.

"That's why my family dedicated themselves to finding the Queen at the cost of being killed. I managed to escape and took refuge here in Sherlock using a false identity based on a real girl. I'm sorry for deceiving you, but I needed to find the Witch Queen, and this was the best method I could think of. I even spent years thinking it was Mio-chan because of her kind nature. But who would have thought that you really would be, and at the most inopportune moment. I was planning to leave the city until an acquaintance told me about you. I think you might know him. He's—"

I raised my hand to stop her.

"That's a lot of information you're giving. Witch Queen? Luminatus? All of that would sound so fake if all this hadn't happened. I have to believe you, but I have to ask this."

I looked at her seriously.

"Are you a friend of Mio and mine, or not?"

Alice, with a mocking smile, said:

"I've been your friend for years, but now I'm your best ally. Especially yours, Kagari-kun. You have obtained the most terrifying power of nature."

"Really?"

"That's right. You have obtained the key to destroy this world of lies. When the Great Cataclysm occurred, seven catastrophes were released into the world, and seven witches had to capture them. Then they sealed them in a male vessel, since he was the only one who could control them. The seven witches swore to protect the vessel as well as the Witch Queen. Allow me to introduce myself again."

Alice stood up and made a bow straight out of some nobility show.

"One of the Seven Sisters of Purgatory, Alice Bernstein, the key that will unlock the seal of 'The Wrath of Satan'."

Alice approached me and, before I knew it, placed her lips on mine.

She intertwined her tongue with mine; it was my first kiss, one that could only be seen in adult movies.

Mio screamed when she saw us.

"Stop it!"

She separated us using all her strength, but she couldn't. Alice stopped kissing me, and I felt a heat that ran through my entire body.

"With this, the seal of the sin of Wrath has been completely released. Now we have to get out of here and head to—"

"Waaaaaaaaait a minute!"

A familiar voice echoed in the place.

We turned in the same direction and saw how Lancelot and the Four Evils were running toward us at great speed.

"I won't let you escape! I swear in the name of Lancelot!"

Alice clicked her tongue when she saw them.

"Tsk. These guys don't give up. I used a lot of magical power, and they're still alive. Their armor is really annoying."

"Hey, how much longer until the tank is full?"

"About five minutes."

"Warm up the engines. I'll buy you time."

"Alice, where are you going?"

I asked.

She turned around and with a sexy pose said:

"I'll show you the real power of a witch."

◇◇◇

Lancelot and company were approaching at great speed toward the plane where they were.

"Don't let them escape, especially the silver-haired woman!"

"Lohengrin, shoot your arrows."

"Orders received."

Lohengrin kept running and shot several arrows at the plane.

Alice, walking on a path like a runway, came out of the plane and with her fingers pinched the night sky.

This made it deform, causing the arrows to fall in opposite directions except for one, which she caught with her hands.

The flaming arrow became an ordinary arrow.

She jumped slightly and sat on the arrow.

Crossing her legs, she said:

"I know I'm very pretty, but I don't like stalkers."

"Die, damn witch!"

Shouted Gawain, who was the first to arrive.

He lunged at her and tried to cut her.

Alice turned half a turn like a carousel, used her fingers, and gave a slight pinch to the space between her and Gawain, and he was hit by a violet light and crashed to the ground.

Galahad spoke to his companions.

"I've figured out her sorcery. She can alter space-time, erasing distances. That is, she can deform reality at will."

Alice grabbed the sky and then slammed it against them; the place was flattened like a tortilla, creating a hole.

The paladins kept approaching.

Alice decided to get serious.

"I'm bored of playing. It's time to show you how dangerous witches are."

Imitating an archer, she put one hand forward and the other back; using her left hand, she stretched toward the night sky that she had grabbed with the other hand and let it go.

"Shooting star."

She said, and different lights were sent in their direction, causing many explosions, chaos, and debris flying everywhere.

The paladins stopped trying to go toward the plane; it was dangerous.

So they opted to take her down first, since she was the cause of all this.

"Don't screw with me!"

Shouted Gawain again as he lunged at her. One of Galahad's daggers caught him and sent him toward him.

"What the hell are you doing, four-eyes?"

"Don't be reckless, Gawain. That woman is not like the witches we've faced before. She has combat experience, and her ability is very dangerous. I'd say that on the witch danger ranking, she's an SSS or even higher."

"You must be joking!"

"I wish I were."

"Lohengrin!"

Shouted Galahad. Lohengrin prepared some arrows; Lancelot and Percival went together to attack when he fired.

After doing so, the arrows flew straight at her, but the curvature bent for some reason and they were sent to Lancelot and Percival, who narrowly dodged the spears.

"Hey, Lohengrin, what the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm very sorry! But for some reason my arrows are deflected no matter how hard I throw them."

Lohengrin kept attacking, and his arrows were bent, falling on different sections of the runway.

It was almost time for the centennial; voices could be heard celebrating at full volume.

Lancelot complained because they planned to escape amid the fireworks; that way they couldn't order them to shoot because they wouldn't know where the heat source was.

(Still, that all this happened precisely on the same day… Is it a coincidence or did they plan this? Mio's awakening, the appearance of the Witch Queen's mark, and their escape on this day.) Lancelot felt that something was off, but he didn't care.

"Just attack until she can't take anymore! We have to stop them before they take off!"

It was useless to bring other paladins or armed forces, since that single witch could easily finish them off.

The four, without Lohengrin, went straight for Alice.

"When there are no options left, desperate attack comes. I don't blame them, but poor choice of opponent. Shooting star."

Alice used her attack again, but this time it was like a machine gun.

She was very confident, but she couldn't imagine what would happen next.

"Excalibur!"

Three voices shouted, and three different rays of light approached her; she used space to block their attacks.

"You still had energy for something like that?"

Then she saw Lancelot with Lohengrin running at great speed.

"Damn it!"

They used that opportunity to end all this.

"Don't fail this time, Lo."

"Understood!"

Lohengrin positioned himself to one side to destroy the plane, but Lancelot would go to quickly pull Mio out.

Both standing, they saw something unthinkable.

◇◇◇

Moments after Alice went to fight, Tatsuya and Mio were sitting listening to her voice while various explosions sounded.

"I can't take it anymore."

Said Tatsuya, standing up.

"Tatsuya-kun?"

"Alice is outside buying time. I want to help her too, but I don't know what I can do."

Mio also stood up.

"I understand you. I didn't understand anything she said, but I did understand that she is our ally and we must help her get in. I don't really know what to do, and I'm scared, but what terrifies me more is knowing that my friend and the boy I like give everything to help me, and I can't do something myself."

"I understand you."

"Eh?"

Tatsuya reacted to those words.

"You like me? Me?"

Mio looked at him with embarrassment as she said:

"I've liked you since elementary school. You were always there for me, but I really felt that I didn't deserve so much affection from you. That's why I only thought of being friends until I found someone I liked without breaking our friendship. Nothing indicated that you liked me, but deep down I wanted to be happy with you. And when this happened, I realized that you and I are destined for each other one way or another."

Mio approached him. "That's why, no matter what happens, I don't regret this."

She brought her lips to his, and they kissed.

Both felt a warmth run through their bodies.

"My body feels like it's invincible today."

"I understand you. It's the first time I've felt like this."

The crewman quickly boarded the plane to go to his place.

"Hey, tell Miss Alice that she can come up now. We have to go now."

Outside, the battle could still be heard.

"Alice needs some help."

(I can feel that sensation from before running through my body. I feel like I can use it again, but I'd like a method to defend myself.)

Tatsuya went straight to the pilots.

"Excuse me, do you have a weapon I can use?"

They checked their belongings, and one handed him a weapon Tatsuya didn't recognize.

"A curved sword?"

"It's called a katana. In our country, they're common like that."

"Thank you very much."

He went to Mio to tell her:

"I'll go get Alice. Stay here. I'll be back."

"Yes."

He ran to find her and then saw how Lancelot was heading toward them.

"That guy!"

He wasn't the only one.

Lohengrin was standing in front of them.

"Shit! That guy won't let us fly."

Mio, seeing him, understood that she had to help.

She placed her hands on her chest, begging for the same thing to happen as before.

"Please, lend me your power once more."

Meanwhile, Tatsuya left the plane to attack Lancelot.

"Lanceloooot!"

"Braaaaaaaat!"

The encounter was inevitable between them.

Their swords clashed. Lancelot's sword was made of material capable of cutting a tank.

But Tatsuya's sword could resist his attacks because he unconsciously sent the energy from his arm to the sword.

"Uoooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

Both shouted as their swords clashed aggressively.

Sweat and war cries from both resonated more than the attacks Alice received.

Tatsuya had won inter-school matches, being one of the best young fencers in the country, but Lancelot was a paladin.

Someone trained to easily defeat witches.

He should have had an easy victory, but it wasn't happening.

(Why? Why are we equal?)

Lancelot wondered why his sword technique was easily repelled by Tatsuya.

He was someone with almost no experience, but he could fight him without a problem; he even dodged his kicks and stomps.

Lancelot didn't understand that Tatsuya was one of those who studies his stronger opponent to understand how they fight.

While waiting for Lowe to bring the van, he had watched videos of Lancelot fighting.

(He always starts attacking with a left, then right, then right again, and back to left, repeating the cycle. When cornered, he uses his legs; depending on his hips, he'll either kick or stomp you. If his right foot is forward, it means he's attacking without regard for his surroundings.)

Tatsuya understood all that, and that's why he could repel him.

"Stop messing with me, damn heretic!"

Lancelot stepped back and raised his sword.

"I don't care about anything anymore. I'll receive my punishment, but I won't let them escape. Ex—!"

His sword began to fill with energy.

◇◇◇

Back to Mio, she was begging for a miracle.

As if nature itself had heard her, roots emerged from the ground and formed a bridge that connected to the clouds. That was a signal for the pilots, who floored it, and the plane began to move forward.

Lohengrin tried to shoot, but he was surrounded by roots and wrapped in them.

Alice noticed this and pulled the three of them back; she saw Tatsuya and went to grab him by the sleeve.

She flew straight to the still-open hatch.

But she didn't notice that Lancelot didn't lose his posture as he ran at great speed.

"I said I wouldn't let you escape, and I swear by the emperor who gave me the name Lancelot that it won't happen!"

Alice quickly arrived with Tatsuya at the hatch; he stood there and said:

"Please hold me tight."

"Eh?"

"I'm going to finish him here and now."

Alice had to close the door, but seeing him so determined, she decided to listen to him.

"You have one chance."

"I know."

Tatsuya took the katana and closed his eyes.

(Concentrate. Feel the same sensation as before.)

Lancelot was getting closer and closer.

(Feel it and then release it.)

A flame began to emerge from his arm until it enveloped the katana. Tatsuya opened his eyes and noticed that Lancelot had jumped close to them. He was face to face.

Alice opened her mouth and said:

"Show the world the power of the vessel of the catastrophe that will destroy it... the power of the Demon King."

An echo resonated with the voices of everyone in that place.

"Excalibur!"

"Flame of Purgatory!"

The blue flame and the white flame clashed, with the will of both at stake.

Lancelot shouted from the bottom of his heart:

"I won't let heretics like you destroy the world agaiiiiiin!"

While Tatsuya shouted to protect Mio:

"I won't let them kill Mio just because they think it's riiiiiight!"

"Uooooooooooooooooooooh!"

The flames were so evenly matched that they were making the plane sway; it would be the end of everyone due to the intensity of both warriors.

But it wasn't going to end like that.

"I never thought Plan B would work for this moment. It's your turn, flame boy."

After saying that, a light shot across the sky at great speed. It was a flame.

No, it was a person with flames on his feet who seemed to be running and stopped to stare inches from Lancelot.

He recognized him instantly.

"You are…"

The boy wore strange white clothes with red pants.

His long hair was tied in a braid, and the same fire as his feet.

He looked like a 12-year-old boy and smiled playfully.

"Nice to meet you. I am the King of the Sun Empire and the leader of the Sun Warriors."

He drew his katana, and it was engulfed in fire.

Lancelot shouted in anger.

"Yamataikoku Kakeruuuu!"

"That's right. Bye bye."

He lightly lowered his katana, and with a bell-like sound, a powerful light occurred that sent Lancelot flying.

The hatch closed, and the centennial celebration began.

◇◇◇

"Who is he?"

Mio asked about the boy running on the flaming clouds while waving at them.

"Our personal escort, and he is the king of the country we're going to."

"Country? But we can't go back to the Avalon Empire. Where are we going?"

Mio asked, intrigued.

Alice told them with her finger to come to the cockpit.

In the distance, flames could be seen reaching the sky.

She snapped her fingers, and everyone saw how those flames disappeared, revealing a different wasteland.

"This is…"

"It's incredible…"

None could believe what they were seeing.

Green areas and a blue sea. According to school, the world was destroyed and the water in the distance was contaminated.

"You have a lot to learn, but you'll learn it in the place we're going."

"Where are we going?"

Mio asked. Alice turned to say it.

"To a place known as Japan, where the other keys of the catastrophes sealed inside you await."

Tatsuya squeezed Mio's hand tightly.

(No matter what happens, I will protect you, and I will also make sure that you can live in a world where witches are not hunted.)

Mio squeezed back, and the two looked at each other fixedly.

The plane was almost arriving in Japan.

◇◇◇

"Damn it! Damn you all!"

Lancelot had survived that attack.

He lay on the ground, pounding it hard.

Part of his helmet was falling off in pieces.

His blond hair and exposed blue eye could be seen.

"I swear I'll catch them no matter what. I won't rest until I catch them."

"Stop it already, Lancelot."

"Shut up!"

Lancelot's anger faded when Galahad took out a tablet and showed him the person on the video call.

He was a man sitting on a throne, wearing golden armor with a ring on his head.

"You are… the King."

"That's right, Lancelot, it's me, your king."

The King of the Avalon Empire was watching him throw a tantrum like a spoiled child.

"Arthur Pendragon. Tell me, Lancelot—Fabian-kun, how is it that such a simple task ended with the escape of two witches?"

"He called me by my civilian name."

The paladins behind Galahad laughed at him.

"He called him by his name, that old man."

"He won't get out of this one, Lancelot-senpai."

While Lancelot was thinking about what to say, Lohengrin stood looking in the direction where Tatsuya and company had gone.

"This is the last time I can help you…"

He took off his helmet and his true identity was…

"Best friend."

Lowe, who was one of the paladins.

◇◇◇

In the capital of Camelot is the central headquarters of the Crimson Church, known as the St. Peter's Basilica.

In the highest part of the place, in one of its deepest rooms, a group of 27 elders known as "Divine Hand" sat with their faces covered.

"It seems the Witch Queen has finally appeared."

"That idiot Lancelot let her escape."

"It doesn't matter; we know where she'll go."

"We must prepare. The place they went to is one we have tried to conquer for years without success. Now we must make it happen. Because we, Luminatus, must follow the orders of our messiah."

The 27 elders looked at an empty throne to one side; there was a black mist covering it.

"This is the will of the Son of God."

The mist had eyes with triple eyelids looking in some direction.

_______________________

The End.

You can download the PDF and image here, including my final words with some extra details: https://mega.nz/folder/6w5jCB7C#SKFXUfEw0JkwCYrhAqGdvw

_______________

Characters:

Kagari Tatsuya

The protagonist who lives in a world where witches are hunted for being responsible for destroying it in the past.

He always questioned this, but didn't pay much attention until his friend turned into one, and he must protect her from the Church at any cost.

Natsuki Mio

Tatsuya's childhood friend. She likes to help others and always thought that witch hunting was strange.

She is a very special witch, since her power is a threat to the Church.

Alice Bernstein

One of the Seven Catastrophes, the most dangerous witches in the world. They want to destroy the Church, because the Church hides the secret of what happened that day and blames the witches for it.

She pretended to be a student because she was looking for the witch who possessed the power to create life.

Lowe

Tatsuya's best friend, a quiet guy but one who intrigues everyone.

He keeps it hidden, but in reality he is a Paladin by the name of Lohengrin.

Lancelot

Part of the Round Table of Paladins of the Avalon Empire.

He loves his job, since he considers that nothing makes him happier than helping humanity hunt witches.

Yamataikoku Kakeru

The young emperor of the sun nation, a country that in the past was called Japan.

Despite being a man, he has witch powers and can manipulate fire, allowing him to fly.

His sword is named "Susamaru", which means "bell"; its name also comes from the era when Japan was just being formed.