As the hooded woman declared herself a witch, just like the Witch of Sloth had summoned demonic beasts using a black orb in the old gym, dozens of beasts appeared in the air with the sparkle of the black orb in her hand.
There were bat-like and bird-like creatures, each of significant size, filling the sky with their wings. The shadows cast by those beasts made it look like darkness had descended upon the earth.
[[[[■■■■■■■■■■!!!!!!!]]]]
The roar of the gigantic beasts resonated through the air. Some students clutched their ears and staggered as everything happened in a moment that could only be described as a heartbeat.
However, the heroes, sensing the crisis, had already been running toward where the students gathered, to protect those weaker than themselves. Martina, who had raced to the front, shouted loudly towards the students.
“Everyone! Behind me!”
Although the ambush was unexpected, as long as they could fight while protecting the students, they would be able to deal with it. That was likely the fastest and most accurate judgment the heroes could make.
If the witch hadn’t been closer to the students than them…
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let that happen.”
With the woman’s voice, a black veil emerged, separating the students from the heroes. When Martina, who had rushed to protect them, was blocked by the veil, someone shouted.
“It’s a barrier! We need to get in from our side!”
The barrier—an ability of the Beasts of Greed learned back at the academy. It could create a space where you could enter from the outside but couldn’t leave until defeating the beasts summoned from within.
Realizing they couldn’t join the heroes, the students leaped toward the black veil and collided with it, bouncing back with a thud. The students, whose gazes turned skyward, saw several beasts looking down at them, flapping their wings as if mocking them.
All of them were intermediate-level beasts. It meant they couldn’t leave until all of them were defeated. It was a desperate situation, but the students refused to give up. Desperately, they began attacking the beasts in the sky.
However, their attacks were swallowed and vanished into a strange hole appearing in the air. Momentarily dazed, the students slowly turned their heads.
There was only one among them capable of such extraordinary feats.
At the place to which the children turned their heads, there was the witch, grinning slyly at them.
“Ah…”
Someone sighed in despair, realizing that a being far more threatening than any beast was right beside them. They understood that, without her permission, no one could escape from this place.
“Aha, don’t be so scared. As long as you don’t attack first, I have no intention of laying a finger on you. I didn’t come here to fight today.”
The woman who introduced herself as a witch— no, it was certain she was a witch—said so. But there was no way to relax.
How could one trust someone who unleashed such a number of beasts and separated them from the rest?
No, one couldn’t simply trust a witch that easily.
The children quickly distanced themselves from her, casting wary glances, while the witch smiled slyly.
“I’m serious. Is it because of the beasts? I released them to keep you away from those disturbance makers over there. Humans at that level outside would be a threat to me too. I’m not really good at fighting for a witch and don’t particularly enjoy it.”
The witch took steps back, showing her palms as if to say she meant no harm.
Holding back a gulp, I felt something subtly different, reminiscent of the frigid sensation of looking for the hidden Witch of Sloth before.
An unclear but distinct intuition told me that this witch was different from Beatrice, the Witch of Sloth I had encountered before.
Could it be there are two more witches who never appeared in the original work…?
Despairing at the unexpected reality, I realized I had to get through this situation safely.
Avoiding battle was vital.
No matter how weak she claimed to be, a witch is still a witch.
It implied she considered us, who were inside, not a threat compared to the humans outside.
Trying to pile up together seemed unlikely to give us even a slim chance of victory.
Fortunately, I felt no hostility from the witch before my eyes.
However, judging by how she had nullified our recent attack on the beasts, it was clear she had no intentions of letting us out of the barrier easily.
Buying time until the heroes outside finish off the beasts was our best option.
Some of the kids seemed to share my thoughts and subtly shifted their gazes.
As a sign of intent, I stepped forward, feeling the need to buy some time and, for reasons unknown, I turned to face the witch with a fierce gaze.
“…If you didn’t come to fight, what’s your purpose?”
“Well, if I had to say, my purpose would be to watch. I can’t help but get curious. I wanted to see firsthand.”
“…So, witches are also curious about human life?”
“Aha, human life? Hehe, let’s say that. Oh, I’m glad I came to see this in person. I never imagined it would be so interesting. Truly entertaining.”
With giggles, the witch responded to my words.
I seemed to have piqued her curiosity for some reason.
If I could keep talking and buy time…
Just as I was about to speak again, the witch flashed a meaningful smile and said.
“Hmm, it seems like you’re trying to bide time until those humans outside arrive by chatting with me…”
I was caught.
I felt the kids behind me flinch and grip their weapons tightly.
My hands trembled.
Was there any chance of winning in battle?
While I was deep in thought, the witch continued to speak with a smile.
“Well, okay. I’ll let it slide. I’ll leave once the kids outside are all down. How about we just chat until then?”
Whether it was a whim or she genuinely disliked fighting, I was fortunate that the witch decided to overlook my actions.
A cold sweat broke out.
I had thought we might have to fight in the worst-case scenario…
As I sighed in relief, the witch spoke again with a grin.
“By the way, I wonder if you received the gift I sent?”
“…Gift?”
The witch grinned wider.
“The beasts I sent into the city. It didn’t go as planned back then, which was disappointing, but I hope it was fun, seeing the people you trusted turn against you.”
The witch muttered provocatively.
It hit me.
This witch was connected to that incident which caused tremendous damage in the city.
I heard a sharp intake of breath from somewhere.
Out of nowhere, I turned to see Jessie, her eyes bloodshot, trembling as she glared at the witch.
No, Jessie.
You can’t attack now.
So please hold back, I tried to convey desperately with my eyes.
Yet, in Jessie’s eyes, filled with a red haze, only one thing shone through.
“Ah… Ah… AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!”
With a scream bursting from her gut, Jessie charged forward.
As Jessie swung her staff, the shockwave from her telekinesis split the air and shot forward.
But as the witch waved her hand, that attack was swallowed by the hole in the air and vanished without a trace.
The witch’s gaze gradually shifted toward Jessie.
“I was planning to peacefully chat today, but it seems someone doesn’t want that?”
The witch smiled brightly.
In that instant, I threw myself toward the place where Jessie stood as she dove.
I felt something barely skim past Jessie’s position, narrowly avoiding her.
If I had just let it be, she would have definitely died…
“Hmm, didn’t expect someone to butt in…”
I heard the witch mumble.
Looking over, she shook her head as if not intending to attack again, crossing her arms.
I let out a sigh of relief. Beneath me, Jessie was writhing and sobbing.
“Scarlet, please move…! Move aside…! Let me… I have to have my revenge…!”
“Jessie… Please hold back… You’ll really die… You can’t get your revenge like this; you’ll just die for nothing!”
“How can you say hold back?! The one who killed my brother is right there! My brother who begs me every day to get revenge on the witch! I don’t care if I die… I just need to get revenge on the witch… So move! Please!!!”
It was clear Jessie would charge at the witch the moment I moved aside, so I desperately pressed her down.
Using my telekinesis to restrain her movements, I could see that those behind me were gripping their weapons, sneaking closer.
As the witch walked towards us, Jessie struggled, yelling for me to let go.
I held Jessie down with all my might while keeping a keen eye on the approaching witch.
If she dared to lay a hand on Jessie, then I would fight back, whatever the cost.
Kids nearby must have thought the same, as they were gripping their weapons and creeping closer.
The witch loomed over Jessie, muttering.
“You think you can die and come back to have revenge? You’d do anything for revenge?”
“Ahhh!!! I’ll kill you! I will kill you!!!”
The witch relaxed her crossed arms, raising her hand gently.
I steeled myself.
If she showed any intent to harm Jessie, I would immediately prepare to attack her…
And then, the witch pointed her finger at me.
“If you attack me, then I’ll kill this girl in your place.”
“AAAAAAAAA…..?”
Jessie’s struggling body froze immediately at those words.
“Ah…? Dead? Scarlet…?”
“Yeah, if you really want revenge that badly, then the life of another doesn’t matter, right? Go ahead, try your best. However, this girl will definitely die. If she does, the next will be another, and the next another. I’ll keep killing until I reach the last one. What do you think? Sounds like a good deal?”
Jessie’s eyes flickered.
Her gaze shifted between me and the witch as her eyes squeezed shut.
I could feel the tension draining from Jessie’s body, which had been filled with strength.
With tears rolling down her cheeks, she muttered in a trembling voice.
“Please… don’t… I’m sorry… I was wrong… Please don’t kill my friends… Save them… Please…”
“Then get up and stand quietly.”
“Okay… I understand…”
I watched the witch’s demeanor carefully, but she didn’t seem to be lying.
She didn’t seem to have any intention of harming us.
For now, it made sense to go along with whatever she wanted.
I quietly rose to my feet.
As I reached out to help Jessie up, she gazed at the witch and me with dazed eyes before trudging back to her spot.
The witch tilted her head, observing Jessie.
“You know, it’s fascinating. If you want something, you can use others as you please, but I can’t seem to understand it. Am I too detached as a witch to grasp human emotions?”
As the witch looked pondering, her gaze suddenly turned toward me.
She stared at me for a moment and then broke into a bright smile.
“Ahh, I suddenly became curious.”
At that moment, chills ran down my spine.
An overwhelming pressure surged through me.
It felt as though the witch was emanating an aura suffocating me.
The sensation was eerily similar to what I felt with Leon Lionelle, as if I had become prey in front of a predator.
Could this be the true strength the witch had been hiding?
A dreadful sense of impending death lingered.
I could see the children’s faces turn pale, unable to move.
Biting my lips, I managed to ask her.
“What… what are you doing…”
“Oh? You seem fine. No, I just suddenly became curious whether I really couldn’t understand human emotions. So I want to play a game. I’ll give you a choice.”
As she waved her hand, a large hole appeared in the air.
“This leads to a miasma-filled outer realm. For a human, well, they would usually die upon entering.”
The witch pointed at the kids.
“If you go in, all of those kids will be safe.”
Then she pointed at me.
“If you don’t go, they will all die.”
The witch laughed.
“So, which will you choose?”
Above, the beasts remained focused on the kids.
Overwhelmed by the witch’s pressure, the children were hardly capable of resistance.
Even if they could move, there was no way they could stand against a witch who wielded such overwhelming power.
Also, this witch was serious.
It was clear she intended to kill every last one of them, which was why I felt such pressure.
My lips torn, I tasted the coppery taste of blood in my mouth.
I asked the witch.
“If I go in, how can I trust you won’t harm the kids?”
“Hmm? If you don’t trust me, then I could offer a contract. If you enter, I’ll ensure that everyone is sent back safely.”
“…How can I trust that?”
“Ahaha, you really know nothing. A contract with a witch is sacred. It can’t be violated. If you do, you would lose all your strength and abilities. You’ll figure it out if you try it yourself.”
As the witch smiled and said this, I felt something tie the two of us together.
In that moment, I vaguely sensed that it was something that had to be kept.
Then, there was nothing I could do about it.
Steeling myself, I glanced at the kids.
Mei, Jessie, Silvia.
They were staring at me with pleading eyes, unable to move or speak.
Blood flowed from Silvia’s lips as her strained voice reached me faintly.
“…Please don’t… Scarlet…”
At that moment, I forced a bitter smile and tightened my resolve.
One day, during an ethics class, there was a thought experiment like this.
On one track, five people were tied down, and on another, one person was tied down.
When it became necessary to send a train down one of the tracks, which would you choose?
I chose to let the train go down the track with just one person to save the five.
Then the teacher asked.
Now imagine that the one person is someone you hold dear.
I was selfish, so I chose the track with the five people to save the one.
Then the teacher asked again.
How about this time, five of your most important people are tied on the track, and you yourself are tied on the remaining track.
Where do you want the train to go?
I was immensely selfish, knowing how the remaining people would feel, I still chose the same answer as before.
“…I’m sorry. Silvia.”
Tears streamed down Silvia’s face.
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