/
That night. Although the number of people had decreased compared to those of the day, the streets were still not completely deserted. Eisuke, Yui and Serika were walking together along the main street of Balletta. Of course, they were patrolling for the “witches” case.
“Yui, if you see someone suspicious, tell me right away. But if you see that they are very suspicious, shoot him then.”
“Understood.”
“Hey, don’t say you understand so lightly, you can’t shoot him, or we’ll be apprehended.”
Serika was fed up with Eisuke’s ranting. The two of them were so desperate to find the culprit of the incident that they were even the most suspicious in sight.
“Yui, you act like you’re his faithful dog?”
“Naturally. I’m Eisuke’s faithful dog.”
“Don’t be calling yourself that way.”
“Then, I’m an obedient b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲.”
“That’s even worse! Don’t go around saying that with such a straight face!” Eisuke raised his voice because of what Yui said, who dropped that bombshell with such a flat tone.
“So what am I to you, Eisuke? Your girlfriend?”
“I think you’re getting carried away… I didn’t mention it before, but to me you guys are more friends in the same circumstances than women?”
Serika looked sideways at Eisuke’s profile.
Friends in the same circumstances. She turned the phrase over in her mind.
Serika was a prep school girl who had lived relatively well compared to Eisuke and Yui. As long as she kept her abilities under control, she didn’t usually get exposed. In fact, she even used her abilities to make things easier when she occasionally went to the store or when she was running late. She was superhuman, but ordinary at the same time. She was not particularly dissatisfied with such an incongruous life.
However, being satisfied was not the same as having no dissatisfactions. There were times when she suddenly felt a sense of alienation in a corner of her mind. She was not normal, she was different from the others, she was really strange.
“Hey, what’s wrong, Serika?”
Serika, who was distracted thinking about the past, was jolted back to reality. Eisuke and Yui were looking at her curiously.
They were the only two friends who accepted Serika as she was, even if she preferred things more tender and out of the ordinary, even if she showed off her extraordinary abilities…. They were the first friends she had ever made without having to feel self-conscious, friends at heart.
Serika frowned and stuck out her tongue mischievously.
“Eh, I was just thinking what a stupid friend I have!”
“Why are you making fun of me in your mind!?”
Serika teased Eisuke with a sheepish and carefree smile.
…But then at that moment.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, Serika’s neck bent forward with a jerk. She turned her face, hiding her expression.
“Serika?”
Eisuke and Yui were puzzled at Serika’s sudden change in mood. Eisuke tried to put his hand on her shoulder.
And Serika… disappeared.
“Eh…?” Eisuke was stunned. However, a shiver immediately ran down his spine.
“Yui!”
“Eh, hyah…!”
Turning quickly on his heels, Eisuke covered Yui with his arm. Almost at the same time…
Eisuke’s arm was kicked with great force.
…Serika kicked him.
“What is…?”
Serika, without hesitation and without paying attention to the surprised Eisuke, gave him a succession of kicks at great speed. She didn’t hurt him thanks to his strong body, but it was his own friend who was kicking him. And protected Yui as he was, he could only defend himself in bewilderment.
“Hey, what kind of joke is this, Serika…?” Eisuke exclaimed, his voice hoarse.
…Her big dark eyes had gone blank and lost their light.
“It can’t be, you…?”
…She had become a “Witch”.
“Why Serika…!?”
“I don’t know! How did she become a witch!?”
“Ah… B-but, it’s kind of nice to be protected by Eisuke’s arms ♡…”
“Stop fooling around, can’t you see what’s going on!? Start looking for anyone suspicious around us!”
“Oh, yes, that’s right!”
Eisuke managed to give instructions to Yui, but Serika’s continuous attacks didn’t stop in the meantime. He was trying to think while getting kicks thrown at breakneck speeds, and as if to interrupt him, she easily put her legs around his neck and choked him hard.
“Wait, Guoh!”
Eisuke lost his balance and fell backwards. Serika, who had turned into a witch, had her empty eyes and silently began to strangle him with her thighs.
“F̲u̲c̲k̲, the situation is what it is, so I couldn’t consider it a reward or anything…!”
Eisuke pulled her supple thighs tightly. With a slight movement, Serika moved away from him and disappeared again at high speed. Then she threw another kick in surprise. Eisuke clicked his tongue as he somersaulted backwards and looked for her.
“I can’t see her at all…! If Serika becomes our enemy, she’s going to be a nuisance…”
Of course, it would be easy for Eisuke to create an explosion and blow her up or shatter the ground. There were many ways to defeat her. …But this was Serika. He couldn’t afford to be rough with her. Just as Eisuke was about to ponder what the cause might be…
Goooooooo!
Flames raced like a fuse to the ground beneath his feet. Serika, controlled, stepped back. Eisuke, startled, traced the source of the flames with his eyes.
There stood the Hero Kyoko. She shot flames from her hands and hurriedly asked Eisuke a question.
“She’s become a witch! How did it happen!?”
“I don’t know! You really don’t know the cause of all this!?”
“Didn’t you notice anything strange about her behavior!?”
Eisuke followed Serika’s high-speed movement with his eyes, frantically thinking about what to do.
…Witches appear in this place. I have to think about what she did when she entered this city…there’s only one more thing she did, isn’t there…!?
Serika’s kick came at Eisuke from the front. He caught the leg with his forearm and shouted behind him.
“Yui! That strange stuffed animal she bought today at lunchtime, do you remember where she put it!”
He asked Yui sharply, who was slightly perplexed. However, she quickly replied.
“I think it was in his breast pocket!”
“In her breast pocket!? Please forgive me, Serika!”
“Wait, what are you going to do!”
“I’m going to take it from her! I’ll bring her back!”
Eisuke stopped Kyoko, and bent down to warn Serika, who was moving at a breakneck pace. Having excused himself beforehand, he deliberately, for a moment, showed a large opening at his back. Serika jumped to take advantage of the opening.
“…!”
Eisuke immediately turned around and reached for Serika’s chest with his left hand while pressing her flesh. He pulled the collar of her shirt with rolled up sleeves and pulled her body closer. Then, without giving her a moment’s pause, he forcefully ripped the stuffed toy along with the whole pocket with his right arm and threw it away.
“…Huh?”
The light returned to Serika’s eyes. Her whole body suddenly weakened, and she fell onto Eisuke’s chest leaning against him. Eisuke reflexively held her in his arms.
“…Eh? …What? What are you…?”
“Are you alright?”
The confused Serika’s eyes blinked as she couldn’t take in what was happening, and Eisuke asked her. Serika, still in Eisuke’s arms, checked her condition, dazed. Finally, she realized that her body was snuggled against Eisuke’s. She blushed and pulled away from him to push him away.
“Hey, i-idiot, what are you doing?!”
“What?! You, you were being manipulated…!”
“Manipulated…? Huh?” Serika raised her eyebrows. Apparently, she didn’t remember being manipulated. She looked around…
“…Ah.”
“…Huh?”
They both froze at the same time.
…Serika’s shirt, which had been ripped off by Eisuke, had boldly exposed her chest.
“What… what… what!?”
Serika’s bra was exposed, revealing a simple light blue design. The dazzling white cleavage of her breasts peeked out from there. In contrast to the color of the bra, Serika’s face turned red as a boiled octopus, losing her mind much more than when she was in the brainwashed state.
“Uh…” Eisuke turned away from her awkwardly and looked at Yui again. “…Yui.”
“…What’s wrong…?”
Eisuke said to Yui with a serious look.
“This time, it’s Serika who wins in sex appeal.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t say you understaaaand!!”
“Ugh!?”
Serika’s flying kick exploded at the tactless Eisuke’s waist. It was much more forceful than when she was in a brainwashed state.
“…Haa, anyway, I’m glad you’re okay.”
Kyoko exhaled, put away her sword and picked up the suspicious stuffed toy Eisuke had thrown away.
“…And what’s this?”
“…Ah, it’s a rare stuffed animal that Serika bought from a suspicious person. Yes, she’s an irresponsible girl.”
“You’re the one who told me to do whatever I want!”
“I will take care of this stuffed animal. I will also ask the public for information about this suspicious woman. You guys can go back to the inn right now.”
Kyoko said coldly and left. At the same time, Marielle and Rukino desperately ran up to them.
“A-Are you all right?”
“Y-Yes… I’m fine.”
Serika was puzzled by Marielle’s concern. Eisuke frowned.
“What was that woman’s purpose? Why would she want to cause such an incident in this town?”
“Purpose?”
Yui tilted her head to the side, and Eisuke pointed with his chin.
“Oh. It must be because there’s that nasty Hero of Justice in this town. It’s like committing a crime right in front of the police station.”
As long as Kyoko ruled this town as a Hero of Justice, the evil of the place would be punished by her. So why go to the trouble of causing such evil among these people?
“Was it someone like us who rebelled against the heroes?”
“No, because she did everything half-heartedly. It’s not possible that a mere witch won against a Hero. No matter how many times she tried to fight, it would be a losing battle.”
Eisuke pointed out. First of all, the basic premise was that in this world Heroes were known to be invincible. So why would they be so willing to not give up and create witches over and over again?
Hmm…? Lost battle…? Eisuke suddenly felt uncomfortable with his own statement.
“Perhaps… winning is not their goal…?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Marielle asked. Rukino frowned as well.
“What do you mean, then what’s the culprit’s goal?”
Eisuke put his finger to his chin and kept silent. He found himself in silent contemplation. Silently, he tried to recall today’s events, but… trying to guess did not always lead to the truth. Eisuke became distressed with a worried expression on his face.
…At that moment, as if to stop him from thinking any further, someone tugged at his sleeve.
“What’s wrong, Yui? I’m concentrating right now.”
It was Yui who was tugging on Eisuke’s sleeve. She pointed to Serika, who was half a step behind her.
“Serika seems to want to say something.”
“Wait a minute, Yui! Not now!”
“…Hm… Say it quickly. It might be interesting.”
Eisuke looked at Serika with half-open eyes. Serika fidgeted nervously. She opened and closed her mouth for a while, then let out a sigh and said:
“I’m sorry. I still don’t quite understand what happened, but thank you. For… helping me.”
Serika said to Eisuke, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. Blinking with a curious look, Eisuke…
“Haa… seriously, that really couldn’t wait until later?”
“I thought so too! It’s Yui’s fault, isn’t it!?”
She replied with a heavy sigh. She made a cutting gesture with her hand to Serika, who was very red.
“You don’t have to thank me, that’s what friends are for…”
…Thanks me?
Eisuke swallowed and blinked several times. Yes, that was it. With that one word, it all led to a truth…!
“I see…! It’s all connected! Serika!”
“Hyah!? What’s wrong now?”
Eisuke grabbed her by the shoulders in an instant of excitement. He laughed vigorously and put his hands on Serika’s shoulders while Serika didn’t know what was going on.
“I’m so proud to be your friend! I love you!”
“You love me, what, huh?!”
“Mr. Eisuke!”
Serika was completely shocked by Eisuke’s impetuous comment. Even Marielle, who was watching from the side, her eyes almost popped out in surprise. …While Yui’s real face was tense with despair.
“Eh, Eisuke… l-loves her, eh…? How did that…?”
“Marielle! I know who’s behind this!”
“What!? Really!?”
“Yes. The criminal is definitely going to contact us tomorrow. This time it’s our turn to trick them.
Eisuke smiled. Marielle felt her own kind smile contract at his evil grin, which made her suspicious if he wasn’t the mastermind behind the whole thing. …She had a bad feeling about this. Without breaking his smile at all, Eisuke grabbed her by the shoulders, she felt terrified.
“So, Marielle. I’m going to use you as bait for a while.”
“…U-um… that means, by the way, that I have no way to refuse… Ah, well, do what you want…” Marielle could only give in to Eisuke’s silent pressure.