The Fall

After receiving a warning from Foresight, Blue Witch instantly killed the Arataki-gumi witch who had been watching her, then sprinted toward Bunkyo Ward.

As she ran, she used her eyeball familiar to sternly order Dairi, with almost excessive thoroughness, never to leave Okutama under any circumstances, while racing to save Ohinata Kei, who was in the very center of Bunkyo Ward, a special-grade danger zone that might be flattened entirely.

At worst, she would have to consider saving only Ohinata and fleeing.

The simultaneous attacks designed to overwhelm Foresight's ability to respond had certainly been effective. Her opponent was no fool who would charge into a witches' gathering without a plan.

There was at least one intelligent enemy who had drawn up the strategy. Blue Witch had no idea what they would do or what was being done.

She regretted not extracting information from the watcher instead of killing her, but there was no undoing what had been done. Besides, she knew nothing about interrogation, and if extracting information took too long, she might not reach Ohinata in time.

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop across office buildings and apartment blocks while searching for signs of trouble from above, Blue Witch saw a massive, pitch-black hemispherical dome unfold in the distance.

It was Night Witch's magic. The location was Bunkyo Ward. The Arataki-gumi's assault had begun before Blue Witch could arrive.

All she could see was the black dome. No fog was spreading, and there were no spiderwebs in sight. Spider Witch seemed to have refused to participate in the defensive battle. That meant only three witches were protecting the heart of Tokyo: Eyeball Witch, Night Witch, and Tobacco Witch.

Frankly, they were not reassuring.

Night Witch would be stronger at night, but it was the middle of the day. How long could three ordinary witches, even if all of them possessed magic stones, hold off the Arataki-gumi's assault?

Her fears proved justified, and before long the black dome dissolved as if melting into the air.

There was no reason for Night Witch to dispel her magic in the middle of a crisis. It was more reasonable to assume that someone had dispelled it for her—in other words, that she had been defeated.

Even if the three witches were not suited for combat, that was far too fast. The Arataki-gumi had clearly attacked Bunkyo Ward with some kind of winning strategy, and it had succeeded.

But fortunately, Bunkyo Ward did not appear to have been flattened. At least, not yet.

Seeing that Bunkyo Ward had fallen, Blue Witch changed her strategy. She descended to the ground, kicked down the door of a private home, and barged inside.

Under the state of emergency, a mother and her son had barricaded themselves indoors. The mother was trembling with a kitchen knife in hand, while the boy who appeared to be her son clutched a piece of lumber.

"Eek! ... Ah, Blue Witch-sama?"

"Sorry for barging in, but I'm in a hurry. I need to disguise myself as an ordinary person. Could I borrow some clothes?"

"Oh! Y-yes!"

The mother hurriedly tossed aside the knife, pulled clothes from a chest of drawers, and handed them to Blue Witch. Blue Witch struggled with the tightness around her chest and the looseness around her waist, but for the moment she changed into an ordinary outfit that did not look out of place.

Her mask, tattered black coat, and Cuanos were extremely well-known identifying marks of Blue Witch. Conversely, without those three things, her appearance was entirely human, allowing her to blend in with ordinary people.

"Um..."

"What is it?"

"If I may say so, if you're going to disguise yourself as an ordinary person, you should probably dirty your face a little."

"Why?"

"Well, Blue Witch-sama, you're beautiful. You'd be like a crane among the trash. In other words, even your face alone is very conspicuous."

"Ah..."

Feeling awkward, Blue Witch gratefully let the mother smear her face with ash, dust, and a little soil, and mess up her long, glossy black hair. She did not like it, but it was necessary.

After thanking the mother who had helped with her disguise and the boy who had cheered, "Beat the bad guys!" Blue Witch once again headed briskly toward the center of Bunkyo Ward. She borrowed a bamboo sword bag that had belonged to the mother's late husband to conceal Cuanos. She also suppressed her magical power thoroughly, taking care with every detail of her disguise as an ordinary person.

If Foresight had lost consciousness and Eyeball Witch had been defeated, then the witches' gathering had effectively lost the head it needed to act as a group.

The witches' gathering already lacked cooperation; without a leader, they were nothing more than a rabble. The dragon mixed in among the crows would probably put up a decent fight, but Blue Witch could not place much faith in her.

If the violent but well-organized Arataki-gumi had seized control of the witches' gathering's core, Blue Witch could no longer rampage through the enemy by brute force. She could hardly freeze all of Bunkyo Ward as she had during the giant monster incident.

Therefore, Blue Witch needed to engage in guerrilla activity. She would move in secret, investigate the Arataki-gumi, find the right opening, and blow them apart in one decisive strike.

She did not know how much information the Arataki-gumi had about the witches' gathering.

Judging from the efficiency of the assault, Dragon Witch must have leaked a considerable amount of information. However, considering that the witch assigned to watch Blue Witch had been a contemptible weakling, there were likely some serious gaps in the Arataki-gumi's intelligence.

Blue Witch prayed that Dairi had managed to escape from the Arataki-gumi and go into hiding.

If the Arataki-gumi knew how dearly Blue Witch loved Ohinata, it would not be hard to imagine them taking her hostage.

If that happened, Blue Witch would be unable to oppose the Arataki-gumi. Of course, it would depend on the exact circumstances...

Blue Witch once again emphatically reminded Dairi never to leave Okutama, then deactivated the eyeball familiar and made it vanish. An unexpected call from Dairi while she was moving covertly would be a problem.

Considering how little danger Dairi seemed to sense, even after being told not to call, it seemed entirely possible that Dairi might call at the worst possible moment. Blue Witch wanted to eliminate every uncertainty.

Even under the state of emergency, some people still traveled back and forth along the streets. Blue Witch observed her surroundings unobtrusively as she headed toward central Bunkyo Ward, and no one took notice of her.

By eavesdropping on the anxious, confused security guards, she learned that Eyeball Witch, Night Witch, and Tobacco Witch had indeed been defeated.

However, the Arataki-gumi had accepted their surrender and apparently had not killed them.

Foresight had been unable to take command after issuing her initial instructions, but there had been no reports of her being captured or killed. It seemed she had managed to hide herself.

Walking briskly while gathering every scrap of information she could hear, Blue Witch reached the gates of Tokyo Magic University, where Ohinata was most likely to be.

Inside the university, men and women dressed unmistakably like gangsters, clearly neither students nor faculty, were prowling around. Killing them all at once would be easy, but if she did, the witch or wizard responsible for the magical fluctuations deeper inside would come flying out.

She was confident she could kill every enemy inside the university, including the witches and wizards.

However, with neither Ohinata's whereabouts nor her safety known, Blue Witch could not afford to act recklessly.

While hiding in the bushes behind a statue of Professor Ohinata's father and wondering how to investigate, someone suddenly spoke to her in a low voice.

"Witch-sama. You're Blue Witch-sama, aren't you?"

"!?"

Blue Witch nearly screamed at the sudden presence and voice that had appeared beside her.

She instinctively tried to bludgeon the intruder with the bamboo sword bag, but stopped just short when she realized that the person who had appeared beside her was Ms. Nanase Nanami, an assistant professor in the Department of Magical Linguistics.

Nanase broke into a cold sweat at the weapon halted at the tips of her eyelashes and raised both hands.

"I'm, I'm sorry..."

"You startled me. I didn't sense your presence at all."

"I used suspended-animation magic and hid the whole time. Then Witch-sama came near me."

"I see. That was excellent judgment."

Blue Witch was impressed and nodded. As expected of an assistant professor at the elite Magic University.

Suspended-animation magic was one of Spider Witch's spells. It made a person difficult for monsters, witches, and wizards to detect, both visually and by scent. The spell was dispelled the moment its user spoke or moved, and it was not suitable for ambushes because anyone who entered a person's field of vision conspicuously would still be noticed. However, it was ideal for letting an enemy pass by. For escaping danger in a situation like this, it was the perfect answer.

Even while suspended-animation magic was active, the user could see and hear normally. Fortunately, Assistant Professor Nanase knew almost everything that had happened or been discussed inside the university, including the entire battle at the Bunkyo Ward Office. She had even used an eyeball familiar to investigate, though it had been destroyed partway through.

Crouching in the bushes behind the statue, Blue Witch listened as Assistant Professor Nanase whispered the details of what had happened.

Nanase had been on campus when the state of emergency was declared, so she had not personally witnessed the entire battle at the Bunkyo Ward Office. However, an eyeball familiar had arrived in time to see the battle's conclusion.

According to Nanase, one of the Arataki-gumi witches had used a spell that made magic run wild.

There had been three enemies attacking the ward office, and all of them possessed magic stones. One had died before the familiar arrived, showing just how fiercely the three witches of the gathering had fought.

But the moment Tobacco Witch began chanting a grand spell to wipe out the remaining two, the enemy witch chanted an unknown spell. Tobacco Witch's control over her magic suddenly collapsed, and her spell nearly ran wild.

Tobacco Witch's wand was mass-produced and low-quality. Eyeball Witch hurriedly made her grip her own custom-made wand crafted by 0933, barely restoring her control and preventing the grand spell from completely escaping her command.

But in the confusion, Night Witch had her wand—and the arm holding it—taken from her, and she was knocked unconscious. Her night magic was dispelled.

Tobacco Witch was utterly exhausted from nearly letting her magic run wild.

Having lost any chance of victory, Eyeball Witch obeyed the demand to surrender and gave herself up.

Blue Witch had thought they had lost far too quickly, even against an opponent like that, but now she understood.

She had heard that the Arataki-gumi might flatten Bunkyo Ward at worst. Their hidden trump card had not been a large-scale area spell, but the ability to make magic run wild.

By disrupting a witch's or wizard's control over their magic and making a grand spell run wild, they could effectively turn the enemy into an extremely powerful bomb.

Katsushika Ward had been flattened when a wizard's magic ran wild and he exploded, while Hell Witch had caused an administrative district to collapse through runaway magic. The bomb's power had already been proven.

With a spell like that in play, Blue Witch could not use Cuanos carelessly.

Magic amplified abnormally by Cuanos was difficult to control. If it were made to run wild, half of Tokyo would sink beneath a glacier—not just Bunkyo Ward.

Around the time the three witches were defeated at the ward office, two wizards known as the Boss and the Underboss invaded Magic University with a force of followers.

Magic University was divided between those advocating all-out resistance and those advocating a bloodless surrender. The resistance faction ignored Professor Ohinata's attempts to stop them and moved to intercept the two wizards.

The professors and students, led by the Department of Combat Studies, successfully caught the Underboss in the monster tongs kept at the university for research, then subjected him to a concentrated barrage of magic.

But there was no overcoming the fundamental lack of power in their magic.

The Underboss was covered in bruises and dropped to one knee, but he had suffered no serious injuries. The resistance faction was subdued by a spell cast by the Boss and defeated.

"What does 'subdued' mean? Don't tell me it was Puppet Magic?"

Blue Witch tensed. If he used the same magic as Iruma, the destruction of the witches' gathering was beginning to look like a real possibility.

However, Assistant Professor Nanase shook her head.

"No. Its effect seemed more like 'becoming unable to disobey orders.' They could still intend to disobey—their mouths and bodies simply stopped moving when they tried—so their thoughts had not been twisted. There was also a grace period of about thirty seconds between the spell being cast and its effect taking hold. It did not contain any of Puppet Magic's core words, either."

"If the core words are different, then it isn't Puppet Magic. Thank goodness..."

"The three witches brought to the university were subjected to an incantation different from the one used on the professors and students. In addition to the incantation, they were asked to consent to a contract. Apparently, the magic used on the witches requires consent. All three refused, and they were discussing preparations for torture to obtain that consent."

"That's a spell with a lot of holes. It's safe to assume the Boss is a lesser Iruma."

Relieved by the comparison, Blue Witch was called out by Assistant Professor Nanase, who narrowed her eyes.

"What are you relieved about? Foresight-sama has fallen, Eyeball Witch-sama has been restrained and is about to be tortured, and you're the only one who can turn this situation around!"

"Ah, right. Sorry. But as far as I'm concerned, as long as Kei-chan is safe..."

Blue Witch started to say that, but reflexively dodged a fist flying at her face.

She dodged the second punch as well. As Blue Witch stared in astonishment, Assistant Professor Nanase quietly raged, keeping her voice low as she clenched her fist.

"Enough fooling around, or I'll hit you too."

"What do you mean, 'as long as Kei-chan is safe'?"

"You. Because you insist on protecting some ruins, Professor Ohinata attempted suicide by taking poison."

"...What did you say?"

"There! You don't even know! If I may be so bold, you're nothing more than someone pretending to be a guardian. You haven't protected her at all."

As the color drained from Blue Witch's face, Assistant Professor Nanase clicked her tongue and patiently explained the situation.

"Professor Ohinata is intelligent. She knew that if she fell into the enemy's hands, they would use her as a hostage against you. So she tried to negotiate with the Arataki-gumi until the very last moment, and drank poison the instant negotiations broke down."

"The Boss noticed and made her vomit it back up, so she survived, but she is unconscious."

"You made Professor Ohinata—a girl who is only fifteen—go that far!"

"Because you dote on her, she gained value as a hostage."

"And yet you insisted on protecting a deserted city instead of staying by her side. Because you weren't there, the professor is now in the enemy's hands with her life in danger."

"If you had been at the professor's side—if you had been in Bunkyo Ward from the beginning—the university would not have fallen, and Eyeball Witch-sama, Night Witch-sama, and Tobacco Witch-sama would not have had to surrender. Foresight-sama would not have needed to push herself until she collapsed, either."

"I understand that your trauma and grief must be beyond anything I can imagine. You were still in your third year of high school back then."

"But how long are you going to stay immersed in sentimentality and hide away in Ome? Look at what is happening now!"

Blue Witch did not dodge the third punch. The fist sank into her face, but she did not move an inch.

Nanase raised her aching fist again and threatened her, radiating anger.

"Do you want another punch, or will you wake up and start working seriously to turn this situation around? Which will it be?"

"...I'll move. You're right. This is all my fault."

In the face of an obvious crisis, Blue Witch had been harshly reprimanded by an outsider, and she suffered from the pain in her chest and intense self-reproach.

Hell Witch had lost the things she needed to protect, yet she had continued forward with her eyes fixed ahead.

Blue Witch should have followed her example. She should have done it much sooner.

Naturally, the Arataki-gumi, who had invaded and spread violence, were the ones most at fault.

But Blue Witch blamed herself, deciding that she was the next most guilty party.

Until she nearly lost something precious again, Blue Witch had remained tethered to the past.

Assistant Professor Nanase lowered her raised fist when she saw the change in Blue Witch's expression.

Though some anger remained in her face, she gave Blue Witch even more precious information.

Nanase had endured the impulse to rush out while watching her allies fall and be captured, and had devoted herself to gathering information. Thanks to that, Blue Witch now had enough information to act.

"The Arataki-gumi has gathered influential people in the courtyard, subdued them with magic, and is extracting information. Professor Ohinata's whereabouts have been concealed, so we don't know where she is, but it would be better to observe the courtyard first rather than search blindly."

"All right. I understand."

"I have only 1K of magical power left. I can't be of any help, so I'll leave the rest to you, Blue Witch-sama. Do you understand? Save Professor Ohinata even if it costs your life. That is the bare minimum of responsibility you must fulfill. Then wipe out the enemy. Don't tell me you can't do it."

Blue Witch was driven from the bushes where she had been hiding, half-kicked out by Nanase.

Blue Witch immediately went to check the courtyard as instructed. However, gangsters who appeared to be Arataki-gumi operatives were prowling the route from the gate to the courtyard, so she made a huge leap from the shadows of the buildings to the rooftops and moved along the roofs until she reached a spot overlooking the courtyard.

If she were discovered and threatened with Ohinata's safety, Blue Witch was certain she would yield without difficulty. She could not let anyone find her.

Fortunately, no one noticed her, and Blue Witch found a good position from which to peer into the courtyard.

In the courtyard, professors and influential people from the surrounding area—with the witches excluded—had been lined up on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs, like prisoners assembled before a firing squad.

A grim-faced man in his fifties placed a hand on each influential person's shoulder and cast a spell on them. Once he had cast it on everyone, he began the interrogation. Straining her ears, Blue Witch could hear the faint exchange.

"I'll ask you one more time. Answer truthfully. Where is the wandmaker?"

"I don't know. I've heard the wandmaker is in Ome City."

"What's their name? It isn't 0933—I want the real name."

"I don't know."

"What's the gender? The age?"

"Male or female. The age is probably somewhere between five and one hundred fifty years old."

Hearing the utterly unhelpful answer, the wizard who appeared to be the Boss groaned.

"Damn it. You're no use anymore. Next. You—where is the wandmaker?"

"I don't know. I believe the story that the wandmaker is secretly being sent to Hokkaido aboard a merchant ship to provide technical assistance."

"What's the name? The gender? The age?"

"I don't know any of it."

Another answer devoid of substance came back, and the wizard irritably scratched his head.

"You bastard...! Next! Where is the wandmaker!? Who are they!?"

"I don't know. I support the theory that the wandmaker and Foresight-sama are the same person."

"Don't screw with me...! None of you are telling the same story. What the hell is going on?"

Blue Witch could not help smiling as she eavesdropped. She had never been more grateful for Dairi's social ineptitude.

Because Dairi had consistently refused to appear in public, the Arataki-gumi had no idea what to make of the situation.

Had Dairi been sociable, personally admirable, and active in society, the Arataki-gumi would have extracted Dairi's whereabouts long ago, and Dairi would now be in danger.

The situation was still serious.

Even so, seeing the enemy confused because of Dairi's stubborn fear of people made Blue Witch's shoulders relax.

Dairi was so spaced out, yet somehow just hearing Dairi's name made it seem as though everything might work out.

Blue Witch gripped the amulet given to Dairi through her clothes and vowed to herself that she would find Ohinata and rescue her, no matter what.