Part 142: Journey's Endpoint

BGM: Monochrome Clock



"Whoops, my bad. You don't like M. Zakky?"
"I'm just not in the mood."

Amakusa turned the radio off. The world of cheery sounds was immediately swallowed up by the roar of the sea...and blotted out by the ocean's gray...



BGM: Sukashiyuri

"..."

The boat captain pointed, but I couldn't really recall that scene of 12 years ago. I thought I'd surely be able to immediately remember how things had been at the time, but no memories came back to me. After that incident, the island was sealed off and left to the wild. I couldn't satisfy myself with the thought that this was just inevitable, and it felt sad and painful for some reason.

...Ah, but I at least remember one thing. You might say that it'd probably be the same anywhere on the sea, but I remember at least one thing.



...When I was young, I rarely went to the ocean. So everything that symbolized the ocean meant Rokkenjima and a family gathering to me. In short, it was a symbol for the happiness of going out with my family. However, at this point in time, it seems doubtful whether that even was happiness. In my younger days, the trip had felt like a relaxed family vacation, but considering my parents' situation at the time, it was surely a very difficult trip to handle, with the distribution of the inheritance filling the place with the smell of gunpowder. I can remember giggling all over the place, completely ignorant of my parents' feelings...



Amakusa, in an attempt to speak for my innermost feelings, tried to sound cool. The boat slowly rounded the island. I hoped that viewing it at a different angle might bring back my memories of the island's silhouette at the time just a little, but in the end, even when that inlet was hidden completely by cliffs, I wasn't able to remember anything...

"...Captain, please tell me... about that other harbor you mentioned."
"Sure. Rokkenjima supposedly has only one harbor. But that's only for public appearances."
"On the back of the island, there's another hidden harbor. Like Rokkenjima itself. It has a second face, which no one knows about..."
"...Rokkenjima is an island owned by the Ushiromiya family. But it has another face, as an island owned by Kinzo-san personally..."
"So this island... has two harbors and two mansions. He sure spent a lot just to keep a mistress."
"Who knew about this other harbor...?"
"Very few. Kinzo-san, the butler Genji-san. Those of us involved with the boats, and a very small number of the oldest servants. Both the previous owner of the Nanjo clinic and that Kumasawa baa-san knew."
"Naming them off like this makes it sound like there were quite a few, but basically, there was a small number of people who knew."
"Please... tell me about that other mansion."
"...I was only told that there was a mansion called Kuwadorian. Since I wasn't allowed to leave the boat, I never saw it, not even once."
"So it was far enough away that you couldn't see it from the harbor?"
"I don't know. But it was a hidden mansion, after all. It was probably built where you couldn't see it from the outside. Anyway, Kuwadorian was the biggest secret of that island."
"There's a theory that Beatrice lived in Kuwadorian, or else was confined there. What do you think, Captain?"
"...I did sometimes carry miscellaneous goods to Kuwadorian. And that included a lot of stuff that only women would use, and expensive stuff at that. I'm also convinced that theory is true."
"So does that mean you never saw Beatrice directly, Captain?"
"Nope. Came and went for about 20 years, and I never saw her once."
"Twenty years...! Whew, that means she was at least 20+. Look's like she wasn't some mademoiselle."



"Bang? You mean suddenly?"
"...We came to the Hidden Side on a set schedule to carry food and trash back and forth. Ah, right, the Hidden Side's what we called the harbor linked to Kuwadorian."
"I get it. So then?"
"One day, we got an urgent message from Genji-san. He said that until we heard differently, there was no need for us to go to the Hidden Side anymore."
"And did you hear differently?"
"Not really. Long story short, one day, I was suddenly told that they wouldn't need regular service to the Hidden Side anymore... and that I didn't have to take food there either. At first, I thought I was being fired. But I quickly figured it out. Going by the reactions of the servants who knew of Kuwadorian, I managed to guess somehow."



"That's what I think. From that point on, I was never told to take a boat to the Hidden Side. However, after that, Genji-san came to see me face to face and got pushy, strongly urging me never to speak of anything related to the Hidden Side until I died."
"So, if that hidden mansion was abandoned for 20 whole years... why was Aunt Eva there?"



Why was she in a hidden mansion that had been forgotten for 20 years...?

"I saw on the talk shows. Even I don't have a clue what happened. Not once did I guide Eva-san to the Hidden Side. I have no idea how or why she knew about or reached Kuwadorian."
"I wonder if it was possible to reach this Hidden Kuwadorian by land."
"...If, as we heard, the forest was dense and uncultivated, I seriously doubt a well-dressed lady person'd be able to bush-crash it."
"So what about by sea? Maybe there was a motorboat or something."
"Are you kidding? That two-nighter typhoon was awful. No way you could'a used a boat."



"You mean a tunnel long enough to connect mansions on opposite sides of a 2 kilometer island like Rokkenjima...? Well, I'd like to laugh at the thought, but this rich guy made a whole hidden mansion for his mistress. Guess I can't deny the possibility. What do you think, Captain?"
"I'm a man of the sea. I don't know about holes. But the Japanese military dug a 25 kilometer tunnel on Iwo Jima. Wouldn't surprise me if the Kinzo-san could dig at least 2 kilometers."
"...There really is something wrong with this island. Even now, not one of us really knows a thing about it."



BGM: Hope

"...I'll wait here. The mansion's that way. The path from back then's probably still there, but I'll bet it's covered with plants. Make sure you don't get lost."
"Right, let's go."
"Thanks for everything, Amakusa. You wait here too."
"...Well, I had a feeling you'd say that."
"I'm just delivering something. It'll be troublesome for them if you come too. I imagine your toxin is strong."
"Toxin? Oho."
"I'll be back soon. Today, our main goal is Kuwadorian. After I deliver this, I'll come right back."

Ange put on her knapsack, holding the flowers she would offer.

"Give her some space, young'un."
"...See you soon, little lady. Your family's waiting for you."



It was true that the vegetation was incredibly thick, and if I didn't pay attention, I would lose track of the path. But the road that was left was much clearer than I'd guessed it would be.

Still, that didn't change the fact that it was a bad road. Contrary to the distance shown on the map, I was forced to walk a long way...



At the time, I had been threatened into staying away from the forest because a witch lived there. Of course, that fear is gone now, but... I feel it. Because I was me, I could feel the presence, like an aura, of the Golden Witch, Beatrice...

Here and there were massive fallen lumps of rock along with overgrown trees and ivy. And the voices of birds and bugs. Yeah, I feel it. I feel... that the witch... is here...

Ahead, an ivy-covered construction site fence and warning sign stood.



Yeah, that's right. When you think 'Tokyo', you tend to think of a city, but Rokkenjima is also located within the Tokyo Metropolis. Apologizing to the sign for my rude mistake, I climbed the fence.

When I crossed the steep slope beyond that, my field of vision rapidly expanded, and a fresh sea breeze blew through my hair... It was like the top of a little hill. Below me was a vast view of the island. I could only see desolated forest and rock walls spread out below me. But I realized that the mansion was probably somewhere around there.

The steep downward slope beyond this hill had probably been caused by earth and rocks collapsing from 12 years of wind and rain. It had become a slant filled with crags that you might even call gentle cliffs, and it would be easy to tumble down, though it looked like climbing back would be pretty difficult. In any event, it seemed that proceeding any further would be impossible.



This place is 1986 and 1998. And, it is that day and today. The boundary between this world and nirvana.

"...This spot is... this journey's final destination, it seems."

As the strong winds blew Mammon's and Sakutaro's hair, they looked down from the hilltop...



'Uryu, that's impossible. We won't be able to come back.'

...We won't be able... to come back. Is that it? I see. This is 1998, and I am the Ushiromiya Ange who has been left all alone.

At first, this was a journey to die. But not anymore. It's become a journey to accomplish something...

"Yeah. So, I'm sorry, you two. Although, as I was back then on that day, I would've gone down that cliff without any hesitation."
"Come on, this is pretty lame for the skyscraper-jumping Ushiromiya Ange."
"Sorry."
'This place is as good as any. After all, you can feel the wind of that day.'
"...Was the wind... really like this?"
'Yeah. Very soon, they will come. Everyone.'

Sakutaro said it as though it was completely natural. And... I believed it. Dad. Mom. Onii-chan. All of my relatives, and those fun servants. And... Maria onee-chan.



When I started my journey to expose the past of 12 years ago, my goal had been abstract, and I hadn't understood. But now, I have no doubts. This journey... was induced by several thoughts and fates over 12 years. A journey to reach an end for me, Ushiromiya Ange. And, a journey reach an end as the last witch of Mariage Sorcière. I came here as the last daughter of the Ushiromiya family... and as the last witch...

"...Dad, Mom, Onii-chan. Sorry. Let me greet Maria onee-chan first."

A strong tailwind urged me on. That tailwind took just my soul out from inside my body... to the vast forest beneath me. And, though from here on I couldn't see, I believed that it flew me to the mansion on that day, to where everyone was, to where Maria onee-chan was. And so, even though my body was on the top of a hill, a strong wind blowing against me, my soul was now certainly dancing through that sky...

The vast, vast sky of Rokkenjima. Below me was the green of many trees. But... I understand. I can comprehend the presences of my family and relatives... and all the servants. And... Maria onee-chan too. I could even comprehend... Maria onee-chan as a witch. It was vast, more so than any vast space I had imagined up until now.



Ange called to the Maria of that day. She told her of the long journey she'd undergone. Of her long-delayed realization of just how much she'd wounded Maria in her youth. She understood magic... and now understood everything about the world Maria had wanted to show her. It was very warm, overflowing with love and happiness.

She wanted to become even happier by sharing that world, but I trampled it.

"So now, I finally understand everything. I understand magic...! Our magic is surely very faint and fills the space beside us. But it isn't something that anyone can see with their eyes. Magic is... yes, I can say it clearly."



Sorry, Onee-chan. I've already been excommunicated from the alliance of witches, but now, I understand how wonderful it is. And... I know that, after the day I wounded you, Mariage Sorcière... was transfigured into something different from what you truly desired. Even the magic that spat anger by cursing people was probably important to Onee-chan in those days. Onee-chan's environment was sad enough to permit that.

"But now, those sad days... are over. So, let's return Onee-chan's alliance of witches... back to the original Mariage Sorcière."

The grimoire was in my hands before I realized it. The strong winds were rapidly blowing its pages one after another... That world had been kind in the beginning.

How could you give birth to magic that would make candy fall from the sky?
How could you give birth to magic that would make tomorrow's dinner creme croquette?
How could you give birth to magic that would make the weather good when you went out the next day, making your whole day fun?

New spells of happiness were created one after another, coloring her world with kindness... Those days were flipped through one after another, and months began to flash by...



...Eerie magic circles and demon summonings. Evil magic for harming people.

How could you give birth to magic that would cause the class bully to catch a cold?
How could you give birth to magic that would seriously injure someone in class so that they died?
How could you give birth to magic that would cause a bus loaded with all the bullies to fall off a cliff?

Malicious spells were created one after another, burying the pages and her heart...



"...I'll... return it to how it was. I'll bring back the original Maria onee-chan, the one who scattered magic to make people happy across the entire world. That's the reason I came here. I was guided by fate. Maria onee-chan, can you hear me...? Show yourself before me...!!"

That voice rode an even stronger wind and was sent 12 years into the past... Then, the wind gradually ceased, and silence fell...



I listened to those footsteps, surprised at this miracle. Without a doubt, those were Maria onee-chan's footsteps.

"...M-Maria onee-chan..."



BGM: None

"..."

Before I knew it, Aunt Kasumi and her black-suits, a total of seven people who didn't resemble Maria onee-chan in the slightest, were standing there, surrounding me. And it felt like my voice had been just about to reach Maria onee-chan, too... Because of these guys' toxin, that magic was cut off...

Ange clicked her tongue at that, but Kasumi probably didn't hear it that way.

"...Hmmmm. Are those flowers for your deceased family? How admirable. You're going to throw them, right? Go ahead, we'll wait that long."

...Just what are you waiting for...? But Ange could more or less guess. The way the black-suits unnaturally stuck their hands into their pockets clearly brought to mind the likelihood that they had handguns.



I have absolutely no interest in the family matters of the Sumadera family. But if I die, all that wealth will go to them. Unlike me, they're probably very interested and concerned about this matter. Of course, it seems that if the massive amounts of stock I own suddenly go to them, it'll be pretty bad for the Ushiromiya Group as well, and they're apparently having a secret feud, fighting over me all by themselves.

...That's probably why President Okonogi gave me Amakusa as a guard. Having Amakusa wait on the boat was a regrettable mistake...

"Aunt Kasumi, how long have you been waiting for this ambush...?"
"Since early morning. Thanks to that, I'm completely tired of waiting. After all, there are no cafes or dressing rooms here."
"No toilets either, so I guess you had to elegantly drop a load behind a tree. ...Ack-"
s "A lady with half Sumadera blood flowing through her veins will not use such filthy words. You really are Sumadera Kyrie's child. Not a trace of grace."

She grabbed me by the hair and forced my face up to hers. And then spat at me. My words might be filthy, but they're no worse than her spit.

"...Every time you talk to me, Aunt Kasumi, it's always about Mom. Am I really that much like my mother?"
"Yes, you are. That impertinent gaze. Your mouth and nose are the same too. Freewheeling and irresponsible. You thought nothing of the long history and tradition of the Sumadera family... and selfishly flew out of the house. Thanks to that, my entire life has been devoted to cleaning up your mess...!"
"I guess your life really has been covered with crap."

When I was slapped on the cheek, my ear was smashed, and for an instant, my head rang... My hair was pulled, spinning me around, and I fell to the ground. And in a flash, the ground was kicked and I was struck with sand.



BGM: Rose

"...You're a sad person. I'll bet that since you were young, you always got compared to Mom and scorned. And for your entire life, you'll never be released from that wretchedness."
"A little girl like you couldn't possibly understand. You see, your mother is a loser who threw everything away and ran away from the Sumadera family, right...?"
"Do you know how much... how much trouble I went through because of that loser?!!"
"Any trouble you went through has nothing to do with me. Sorry, but what am I supposed to do about something that happened before I was born?"
"...When will your life begin? It never will. For all eternity, you'll always, always continue to be sneered at by my dead mother until you die. If only you'd just die. Why are you living?"
"You little piss...!! You all...! Make her some tea."
"Heheheh... Leave it to us..."
"You big-mouthed shitty brat. Let us teach you a little lesson."



"Do whatever you want to her until my break is over. Teach my cute niece her place."

Sumadera Kasumi. When I think about it, she was a pitiable person. To the outside world, women of the Sumadera family were trained to be in a position that supported and deferred to men. But in actuality, strong leadership was required from them, so that they could manage all the common people.

The role demanded of them really was that of a female commander. Managing the Sumadera family with all its traditions was not something that could be accomplished with just an ordinary level of dignity. It was an unimaginably heavy responsibility. Normally, this would have been demanded of Kyrie. Kyrie had undergone that harsh training. And Kasumi, as the younger sister, should have been able to take it easy. No, on the contrary, she had lived like a lazy, selfish and affluent princess, sneering at Kyrie, who had been given the heavy responsibility.

...However, Kyrie had suddenly been disinherited. She had refused the fiancé her parents had arranged...and had gotten pregnant by her lover, Ushiromiya Rudolf. From the Sumaderas' perspective, even though the Ushiromiya family held a vast fortune, it was a low-level family that had already collapsed. And to become not even a legal wife, but a mistress to the second son of that family... Normally, a daughter of the main family would be shown no mercy for such dishonor. They would wrap her up in a mat, place a pole on end, and throw her either into the Pacific Ocean if the pole fell to the right or the Sea of Japan if it fell to the left.

...But Kyrie's punishment ended with disinheritance, an unbelievably warm-hearted decision. After that, the Sumadera family began receiving favorable treatment from a section of the Ushiromiya group. There must've been some kind of backroom deal. In other words, Kyrie openly left the Sumadera family under the pretense of gaining financial support from the Ushiromiya family. Kasumi had watched it happen in shock. No, she even disparaged her dishonorable sister as a loser. But, eventually... She realized that the heavy responsibilities Kyrie had borne would be passed on to her, and then, for the first time, she saw that she'd been outwitted...



"...Isn't that what you get for making light of life until then? ...Gyack! Gah... gah..."
"Don't you ever stop talking, girl?! Hyaah!"

The black-suit punched me in the gut, and I doubled over. But I was quickly grabbed by the nape of the neck and made to stand up again. Kasumi cold-heartedly looked down at me, smoking a cigarette...

The painful days after Kyrie had left were floating through her mind. Until then, she had been allowed to be a simple lady, freewheeling and naive. Only the older sister, Kyrie, had been harshly trained, and she, the younger sister, had been able to live as nothing more than a princess. Then, suddenly, everything got flipped over... and her life came crashing down...



"Glad to hear it. Keep up the good work."
"...Graggghh!!"

A kick landed in Ange's side as she crawled on the ground.

Ange didn't stand up again. So, she continued to lie there like a caterpillar as she was kicked each time she spoke up.

"...I saw Nee-san at an Ushiromiya Group party once. She was with her husband, looking very happy... and laughing. She... pushed everything onto me... and found happiness... only for herself..."
"...So what? How is taking it out on me going to make you happy? Will taking it out on me turn back time and change history or something?"
" "...Uguhguhguh, gah, ghackk...!!"
"You said something a short while ago... When will my life start? No matter how much I despise you or take out my frustrations on you, I can't turn back time. So, must I keep hating my sister even though she's gone, until I die?"
"You've got to be kidding me. How long will I have to be tormented by my sister's ghost? So I thought of something. If I could accomplish one thing, I'd be able to forget all of my hatred and start over."

Ange was about to lash back out at her, but stopped. Because she'd be kicked again if she responded. Even if Kasumi didn't say any more, Ange had a pretty good idea what she meant. Kasumi thought that by taking revenge against Kyrie's daughter, Ange, she'd be able to put an end to her hatred.

...Talk about pushing your problems onto other people.



"...Who'd... say something like that?
"...Gwah, ghhh...!!"



"Ange-sama, no...! You mustn't provoke them...!! You should at least make it seem like you're going along with them, so you can buy some time...!"
"...They often say that... you should throw your foolish pride... out with the garbage..."
'Oh, what about Amakusa-san...?! If Amakusa-san comes, I'm sure...!'
"...It's no use, I can't see him... You idiot, Ange-sama...! Why did you leave Amakusa behind...?!"

I didn't need Mammon to tell me. I was seriously regretting it already.

Part 143: Journey's Endpoint II

The moment I grabbed at my head, my scalp was kicked by someone at a bad angle, and my head was filled with stars... The feeling of stars flickering in this gray, twisted world...was one I remembered clearly.

My life was very similar to the one Sumadera Kasumi led. After all, as the Successor to the Ushiromiya family, I was tormented constantly with various kinds of bullying... under the guise of education and training. Yes. Having the inside of my head filled with stars like this... is a feeling I know well. When being reprimanded for some error in manners I seemed to have made, the discussion always turned to whether I was fitting to be the Successor or not. On and on about the honor of the Ushiromiya family, and how deep that was.

...By the time the conversation reached that point, I'd forget what mistake I was being blamed for in the first place. No, in fact, it was the same for Aunt Eva. After all, sometimes she'd ask herself "Umm, what was it again?" But in the end, she wouldn't be able to remember, and would say something like...



...There'd be some ridiculous reasoning like that, and then she'd keep on punishing me. Yes. Aunt Eva's punishment wasn't something that would continue until I learned something, or acknowledged my mistake, or apologized. It would continue until Aunt Eva wanted to stop. So this violence was a bit nostalgic, in a way that made me want to vomit.



BGM: Fortitude

Right next to Kasumi, who's smoking a cigarette, I can see Aunt Eva, almost as though the two of them are laughing together.

When I think about it, even Aunt Eva's life might be a thing worthy of my sympathy. The responsibility and pressure of being a member of the Ushiromiya family, which she often mentioned to me, had probably caused her great pain. After all, people can't make insults that they've never been the targets of themselves... It was probably the same for Aunt Rosa as well. As the youngest child of the honorable Ushiromiya family, she must've gone through many tough times. So, it was just like what Aunt Eva did to me... Just like what Sumadera Kasumi is doing now...

...Aunt Rosa... must have been the same. People tend to push the pain they're burdened with onto other people. Otherwise, they can never escape from that pain. So on and on, in eternity and perpetuity, the chain of pain and sadness does not end.



With her magic, she didn't have to bear the pain caused by Aunt Rosa. The pain probably was pushed onto her. Its weight probably tormented her. But Onee-chan didn't carry that burden on her own shoulders. She purified it... and filled her world with happiness.

So I'm sure... If Maria onee-chan had had children in the future... She probably wouldn't have pushed the pain that had been forced on her onto her children. That chain of pain and sadness that stretched back for who knows how long, which she couldn't understand and which she had inherited, which had been forced onto her... Maria onee-chan cut it with her magic.



In the past, I would have snapped back. I would've met her hatred with hatred, so that they'd cancel each other out. No, nothing got cancelled out. The thing being forced on me ended up right there on my shoulders. Just like how even now, I hate her. So, now that I... know of magic, I'll look at the human called Ushiromiya Eva again.



Unable to withstand the pain of that torn heart, she was doing nothing more than howl sadly, like a lion crying in pain, like a child. Even Ushiromiya Eva was someone I should have felt compassion for. She needed someone to understand the difficulties and pain of her childhood years. Even she, who was the only survivor of the Rokkenjima crime, who was faced with the curiosity of all of society, who was publicly slandered and forced to have salt continually flung into the wound, had needed someone's compassion.

In order to let Eva forget her pain and sadness at least a little, the black witch...taught her magic, just like the times it had possessed Aunt Rosa. It was the same magic of anger and sadness...that Beatrice had taught Maria onee-chan when she was mourning for her torn-apart friend, Sakutarou. That same magic... that witch... had probably dwelled inside Aunt Rosa too. So I mustn't hate Ushiromiya Eva. Maybe... I should've become her ally, as the only person in the world who could understand her.

...What did I say to her when I was young, when she returned alive all alone...? Could it be... that I acted... as though she'd killed my family and returned on her own...?

...I can't believe it. Aunt Eva, who has never been more than a object of and a synonym for hatred throughout my life, is turning into... a human I can understand... So, I can see, right next to Aunt Eva, the form of the black witch, who taught her the black magic...



It was only natural. Not only was no one willing to understand the pain of losing her husband and son at once, but her only relative had insulted her, saying 'Give me back my Dad and Mom'. I can make the excuse that I was merciless because of my youth. However, to her at the time, it had probably been cruel enough to sever the last thread in her heart.

...In the following days, the talk shows and magazines publicly slandered her. The truth of her husband's business and character... and even her beloved son were negated. She no longer had anything left. She could do nothing but cry and howl, trying to forget the pain and sadness at least for a while. After all, she could only feel a tiny bit of release, and only during the time that she howled. And so, the black witch taught her how to howl.

The one I hated... was the black witch. Black magic can probably release one from that pain for an instant. However, it never lifts that weight from a person's shoulders. On the contrary, it forces that weight onto further victims, filling the world with hatred. If only Aunt Eva knew of white magic... and had a true witch nearby...



BGM: Wingless

Didn't I learn the magic to create happiness from Maria onee-chan? If I'd taught her... with that magic, could we have... built a future with a completely different relationship?

Up until now, I've hated Aunt Eva constantly. So I didn't notice the black witch beside her. Without love, it could not be 'seen'. I didn't... have any love for her...

So now, finally... I'll glare at the black witch, the one I truly should hate.



"...I see you. The one I should've hated wasn't Aunt Eva... It's you."
"Whoa, awesome. To think that a lowly Human could 'see' a witch like me. So? Are you trying to say something with that glare? Do you hate me?"
"...Hate? Yes, I do. But... that's not quite it. I just think you're sad."
"Sad? *giggle*giggle* Ahhahahahahaha! What're you saying?! Come on, go ahead! Why not hate me as much as you waant?!"
"...I won't hate. Hating you... means I'm doing nothing more than inheriting Aunt Eva's hatred. I'll put a stop to hatred. I'll accept Aunt Eva's pain, purify it, and throw it away."
"Ahhahahahahahahaha!! What kind of epiphany do you think you've had? Is your head all right? Seriously, if only you'd just give up and diie! Kyaahhahhahahahahahaha! You guys, kick her more and more, okay? Not her face, though. 'Cause it'd be boring if her pitiful face got any better!"
"Gwurgh! Gwah!! Nngg..."



"...My, my, are you still not suffering after all that...? You keep staring right at me. Do you hate me? I'll bet you do. Same here. *giggle*giggle*giggle*..."

Kasumi sneered at me. But for some reason, I had the feeling that she was crying behind that expression. Just like me, the pain of being forced into an unreasonable life would never, ever heal. The sad lion gasping in pain from the thorn he can't get out continues to howl...



"...Don't you feel better now? You used to be standing there, but now you're on this side, right? Heheheh, isn't it great? Don't you like having the roles switched?!"
"...Yes, it really is... great... Ahhahahahaha, how can you make that kind of face, Ange...?! Go on and cry, you want to, right?!"
"Kyahhahahahahahaha!! Yes, yes, of course she wants to cry! Make her cry. Didn't someone make you cry back then? So make her cry too. *giggle* You too, Ange. If only you'd just break down and cry! Kyaaahhahhahhahhahha!!"
"...Aha, ahahahahahahaha!! Cry, Angee! I want to see your crying face! Cry, and try saying 'I'm sorry, Aunt Kasumi'...!!"
"Yes, make her say those words. Aren't those words painful? Isn't being made to apologize for something that isn't your fault... just the worst pain...? Make her feel the same way... By doing that, you can relieve your pain. Hehheheheh, yeah, that's it. Be a little more honest with yourself, okay? If only you'd just let your emotions run free more, and more, and mooooooooooore!"

...The black witch provoked Kasumi. And Kasumi began to give herself over to that dark emotion. By turning deep sadness into an evil alcohol and forcing it down, trying to forget it for just an instant, nothing would change. The words Kasumi insulted me with... were themselves... sad. And, I couldn't forgive the black witch who had imposed that sadness on Kasumi...

...I had gone limp, which seemed to have stopped the black-suits' kicking competition. Or maybe the kickers were getting tired too. Kasumi didn't order them to stop, but at some point, they did. However, I was reflected in Kasumi's eyes, and they burned me with flames of hatred. She had been tempted by the witch to do that in order to relieve her own pain.



"...I can't. I still can't forgive her with just this."
"Right? There's no way you can forgive her! Do it more! More of the flames of hatred! Nothing can warm you except the fires of hate. After being frozen in the snow fields of anger and sadness, the only flame that can warm you is hatred...!! Say it, okay? Scream it!! If only you'd just burn yourself to ashes with a roar of haaaaaaaaaate!"



"Sumadera Kasumi, look at that bundle of flowers. These flowers are for your dead family, right, Ange?"

The black witch grinned at me unpleasantly, using her chin to signal Kasumi to pick it up. Kasumi picked up the flowers I was going to offer, brought them all the way over to me, dropped them, and made a show of trampling them... Her expression was filled with hatred... and a frantic quality that couldn't be explained with hatred alone.

...She trampled them over and over again as though her sadness was reaching the bursting point. So the sound of her trampling it was just sad.

"...Oh, still not suffering yet? Then what about this? Sumadera Kasumi! Use this."
"...N-No, not that..."



Kasumi also noticed it... and picked up that book, which was heavier than it looked...

"Whaat's this?"
"*giggle* Why not read it? Eheheh, you might fall over laughing, okay?"

Kasumi opened the grimoire, skimmed over the contents, and snorted derisively.



BGM: Eternity

Of course, my hand couldn't reach. My stomach was once again kicked by the black-suits, and I doubled over...

"See? This book's really important to Ange, right? Gotta belittle the things that are important to her, okay? That'll work better than punching or kicking for a girl like her. You know that better than anyone, don't you...?"

As though remembering something painful, Kasumi's face twisted for an instant. But that quickly disappeared, changing into a scornful smile directed at me.

"*giggle*giggle* Whew, what a creepy book. Did you write this...?"
"...Stop it, give it back..."
"*giggle*giggle*giggle*, *giggle*giggle*!! Look at that face...! Belittle it more, belittle it more...! Teach her the pain of having your dignity trampled, that's the only way to soften your own pain...!"
"Heh, heheheheh, what's with this embarrassing book...? I'll admit I did have a little interest in fortune telling as a girl."
"But isn't this going a bit too far? Magic? Ew. You're one of those, aren't you? It's like in those cartoons, where a girl says that something-somethiiiing spell and transforms into a witch, right? You like those, don't you? How pathetic. *giggle*giggle*."

Cackling, Kasumi opened to a random page and showed it to the black-suits. The black-suits looked too and guffawed. That sneer didn't wound me. But I couldn't forgive it. After all, that sneer was ridiculing Maria onee-chan.

I don't hate Kasumi. But for forcing that unhealing anger and sadness on Kasumi, I cannot forgive the black witch... That black witch ate into Aunt Eva, Sumadera Kasumi, and Aunt Rosa, tormenting them for an eternity without letting their wounds be healed. I can't forgive her... I can't forgive... the black witch...



"What's this? Sprinkle water cleansed by the sun with sugar...? Stick the magic staff in, and then an incantation, *cackle*cackle*cackle*, ahhahahahahahahahaha!! What the hell?! Ahhahahahahahahaha...!! It huuuuuuuurts!!"

The black-suits were also rolling around, guffawing. Then, grinning, the black witch whispered something into Kasumi's ear. After glaring at me with a grin, Kasumi took that page-

"...Ah..."



BGM: Thanks for Being Born

'...S-So cruel. That was... Maria's magic...'
"Oh, really? Heheh, how sad."

...It was one of the spells to summon happiness... that Maria had made with Sakutarou. Anyone knows that making sugar water, coloring it, and leaving it by the window... isn't going to make candy fall from the sky. But after repeating that every day, one time on her way home from school... She had found several pieces of candy scattered around...

How happy must that miracle have made Maria onee-chan? Didn't she treasure that candy, eating it during her night alone with Sakutarou to distract herself from her loneliness? That... magic that Onee-chan had given birth to... had been torn and thrown away... and had disappeared... The whole miracle of happiness that magic had given birth to... had been torn and thrown away...



"Tear that too. Eheheh!! If only you'd just tear it more and moooooooore!!"

With a brutal, loud laugh, the black witch made Maria onee-chan's spells get torn out one after another... Magic of happiness was... sneered at, torn, and thrown away...

"Stop it, stop it...!! Don't... defile Lady MARIA's magic...!! Don't defile it... with your filthy toxin...!!"

Mammon cried and yelled, but she had no way of reaching Kasumi.

"Come on, why not defile it?! Miracles of magic? Magic to bring happiness? No way, nothing like that exists! Don't you know that you can't heal pain and sadness without pushing it onto someone else? Hey, you also had those magic friend things, right?"
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*! Sumadera Kasumi, open to that page."
"What's this? Magic friends? The Seven Sisters of Purgatory? Aha, what a creepy name! *giggle* It says they can fly at awesome speeds and finish off the enemy. Ahhaha, Ange, if you can use this kind of magic, shouldn't you use it right now? Ahhahahahaha. Foolish!"

The page that wrote of the Seven Sisters of Purgatory was also heartlessly torn away. The page itself was just paper. It wasn't Mammon's vessel or anything. But the tearing, denying toxin burned Mammon from the inside...

Mammon's face twisted from that heat and pain...



'Are you okay, Mammon?! Hold on...!!'
"...This much is... no problem... It's not me, but Ange-sama... who's in pain..."

However, Mammon's expression was twisted with unbearable anguish and humiliation...

'Stop it, black witch...!! Why are you doing something like this?! Why... can't you use magic for happiness?!!'
"...Oh, you're a magic friend too, right? *giggle* I'll defile you too. Sumadera Kasumi, look for this guy's page too, okay?"



"Ahhahahahahahaha!! It really is a crappy scribble. This ugly lion is totally you."
"To think she had something like this as a friend... That Ushiromiya Maria kid's mind is so pathetic it's embarassing, what a joooke. She's like, a moron. If only she'd just give up... and diiiiiiiieee...!"
'U...ryu... Don't make fun... of Maria...'
"...St...op...it... Don't break it..."
""No waay.""

There was a shrill sound. The page had been filthily ripped out... The picture of Sakutarou... that Onee-chan had drawn... was violently ripped in half...











"You all laugh too, okay? Ahhahahahahahahaha...!"

A pair of the black-suits laughed vulgarly... and heartlessly trampled the two halves that had been torn and thrown away...

'Uuuuuuuuuuuu, hic! Uuuuuuuuuuu...'
"...Sakutaro, hang in there..."
'I'm... not sad... I just... can't stand it... I can't stand that... Maria's being made fun of, and I can't do anything about it...'
"...To Humans who can't 'see' us, it's as though we don't exist... We can only interact with Humans that need us. That's why... we're furniture..."

As Sakutarou and Mammon... supported each other, they crouched down, sobbing...

I couldn't stand it either... Those who can't 'see' how wonderful the world of magic is... can't understand it. You can't explain to humans who can't understand. So it gets belittled. If you could show them it... But you can't... Because, in front of Humans who are filled with the magic-resisting toxin and who can't understand magic, magic cannot be used...

"I really don't get it. From this delusional diary, I've got to assume that something's wrong with your head. It really is fun to take a peek into your mind. You creepy child."
"Both you and Maria. And that stuffed animal and the furniture over there too, right? *giggle*giggle*giggle*!! Ahhahahahahahahahahaha!"
"Aah, I could laugh. You don't have any friends, do you? You're aaalways all alone, so stuffed animals are your friends? What a pitiable child. Heheheheheheheheh...! Don't worry, I understand. I know what it's like to live that way. So I'll accept it. You really are a pitiable child, right? Ehhehehhahahahahahahaha!"

...To you, it probably would look... like something made by a pitiful child. That's right. If a hundred people were to read Onee-chan's diary, a hundred people would probably think the same thing. I used to be like that too.

But you know, despite all of that, Maria onee-chan... summoned a world of happiness. Don't deny... that magic, that happiness...

"Such a stubborn child, you are. Very well. This is the last one. I'll tear apart the source of the truly foolish magic that you and Maria believed in. Sumadera Kasumi, read this page, okay?"



'St-Stop iiiiiiiiiiit!! Not that page...!!'
"Aha. This magic's really simple, isn't it? It looks like even I could do it. Even I could remember an incantation this short. Shall I give it a whirl?"
"*giggle*giggle* It really is a short incantation, isn't it? Okay, give it a try, let's have everyone spit it out!"

With expressions that ridiculed it from the bottom of their hearts, the black witch and Kasumi... tapered their mouths. And they said it aloud...

Part 144: Journey's Endpoint III

"This is supposed to be an incantation. Are you kidding me...?! Ahhahahahahahaha...!!!"
"Come on, why don't you guys try it too? Uu-uu-uu-."

The black-suits imitated that moaning voice, making fun of it...



"What the hell, how stupid...!! If you could make family relationships better just by saying uu-uu-, the world would always be peaceful. Ahahahahaha!!"
"Uu-uu-uu-! A stupid moaning voice! Too bad that if you do this over and over again, people'll think you're a pathetic, stupid kid! Are you a moron?! Wahhahahahahaha, waaahahahahahahha!!"
'Stop iiiit... At least don't belittle... that magiiiiiiiic...'



It was written that this was one of the top five happiest days of her life. Onee-chan was singing a song she'd just learned from her Mama. Her mother had been delighted. But partway through, Maria forgot the lyrics. But, since she saw that her mother was so happy, she tried to sing until the very end. With 'uu-uu-uu-'. Even though she'd only pretended to know the lyrics, her mother had enjoyed it a lot...

After that, 'uu-' remained as an incantation to remember that day she'd spent in fun and happiness with her mother. Of course, even though she seemed to find it funny at first, Aunt Rosa eventually tired of hearing it, and eventually started scolding Onee-chan when she said it, but to Onee-chan, it was a memory of a fun day that she'd never forget... So among the spells that Maria had created, it was the oldest and the first...

Kasumi stuck her fingernails into that page too...

"...Stop it, don't tear it... At least spare... that page..."
"Hahahahahahahahaha! No waay!!"



"Uu-uu-uu-! Aaaahhahhahhahhahha, aaaaahahahhahahah!! Is this your magic of happiness? Hilarious, hilarious...!!"
"There's no way there could be magic to make you happy, right?! Magic is made out of anger and hatred, right?"
"Happiness is what you call the feeling of release you get only when you've pushed all the hatred you bear onto other people. The happiness you all are talking about is a phantom that doesn't show up outside picture books!!"

As Kasumi laughed her head off, she slammed the grimoire against the ground and stepped on it.

"Can't stand it? Hey, you can't stand it, right?! You white witches of happiness? If you can't stand it that much, why don't you show us?! Show us your magic!!"
"If it exists, then you just have to show us, riiiiight? A witch who can't use magic isn't a witch!! That's why we're the real witches. You're just brats trying to escape reality with a dream!!"



"Huh? Kyahhahahaha, yeah, sure!! I'll believe! If you can use magic and show me, that is!! Let's see it, you stupid braaaaaaaaaaaat!!"

...Silently, slowly, I stood up. Sensations of this cramped world, such as the pain in my body, felt truly trifling...

"Oh, looks like you've still got enough energy to stand up, Miss Great Witch. *giggle*giggle*!"
"Now that you've stood up, what are you going to show us? Show us some magiic...!"



BGM: F Style

"Whaat? What's this kid saying...?! Did you guys hear that?!"
"Silence!!! Heh, isn't that interesting. You people always refuse to show this power of miracles because of the magic-resisting toxin. Disciple of the white witch, MARIA, let's see some magic...!!"
"..."
"...Do you have any clue how many humans have believed in that miracle before being betrayed?"
"*giggle* Everyone believes! Everyone is betrayed and despairs! And they learn that true magic can only be gained by the power of black witches, like me...!!"
"...Hitting someone with your hatred is nothing more than a sin. That isn't magic. I'll show you real magic."
"...Y-You..."

The black witch winced slightly. However, Kasumi sneered at me even more.

"Then let's have a look. So, what kind of magic will you show us? Magic to make candy fall from the sky? Or else magic to make cookies multiply?"
"...Whaaat?!"



"Come, arise, the Seven Sisters of Purgatory."
"...Whaaat...?"

There was a flash behind me, and in an instant, seven pieces of high-level furniture were gathered there. It was a power that far surpassed the magical strength I'd had in my prime. It was a power that matched even Maria onee-chan and Beatrice.



"...A-Ange-sama...!"
"You said it once. Because I lacked magical power and resolve, I couldn't use you or your sisters. This isn't some cheap emotion, like wanting to get back at my bullying classmates."
"...In order to protect Maria onee-chan's... Mariage Sorcière's world, I now order you to show me the miracle of magic."
"I-It's impossible... No matter what you try, before such a mass of toxin..."

The Seven Sisters also remembered what had happened in that classroom. If they could have obeyed Ange's order, they would have. However, surrounded by the toxin that runs thick in Humans, they hadn't been able to display the miracle of magic. And they remembered very well how deeply that had hurt Ange...

But Ange spoke very quietly.

"In that case, you all believe too."
"...Huh?"
"...Mariage Sorcière was created to bring people happiness. And also to fight the black witch."
"In order to show that miracle to the foolish black witch, who denies the world that one of the founders, the Witch of Origins Lady Maria, gave birth to, and in order to protect that world... believe. In magic. In witches. In miracles, right now...!"

When Kasumi gave an order to the black-suits, one of them took out a gun and pointed it at Ange.



"You get one chance. Show us before I count to three, got it? If you can't, then you'd best prepare yourself, okay? Ehheheheheh!"
"...Shoot."
"What's with this kid? Hehheheh, she's lost it."

The black-suit pointing the gun laughed at Ange's detached attitude.

"Ahhahahahahaha!! Are you serious?! This girl's lost her mind! In that case, get yourself shot! If only you'd just diiiiiiiiiiiiie!"
'Ange...!! I-It's impossible! You can't block bullets with magic...!!'
"No. There's nothing to be afraid of. Compared to my magic, to the Seven Sisters of Purgatory, bullets are nothing."
"A-Ange-sama..."

Mammon was perplexed by Ange's absolute trust. If she could comply, she would have. On that day as well. But, because she had been unable to do anything, she had hurt Ange...

"Hehheheh, you brat. If you can use magic, let us have a look right now."
"What's wrong? We're tellin' you to show us magic, right?!!"
"Come on, no need to hold back, okay? *booom*! Show me some magic!! Hihhehhehheh!"

The black-suits jeered at her. But Ange simply concentrated her mind in silence...

"If only you'd just shoot! She's even telling you to try and shoot, you guys!"
"...This kid's already lost her mind from fear. Bye-bye, Ange-chan. Go and pretend to be a witch as much as you want in heaven. Fire."
"Heheh, you sure?"
"Fire! Die, Ange!!"
"If you can do it, then give this magic of yours a try!!!"



"..."

The sound of gunfire rang out, and the world... stopped. A red spray scattered out... and chunks of flesh flew.



BGM: Dive to Emergency

"What are you doing, Mammon? Don't tell me you'd let a boorish pebble of a bullet like this reach Ange-sama."

Lucifer lined up the bullet perfectly, and with a single swing, sliced it... And, in the chest of the black-suit who had apparently fired the gun, was a hole as big as a fist...



Half of Leviathan's body was covered with blood, and a cold smile was on her face. Then, slowly, the pitiful prey that she had brought down... fell over.

"...Y-You pierced... a Human...!!!"
"Idiot! Do you still not believe?! In our master's magic power...?!!"
"Are... you... kidding me...?!?! Y-You materialized... in front of this many Humans?!?!"
"...Wh-What is this? What?!"

Kasumi and the rest were flustered... He certainly seemed to have fired his gun... However, it hadn't hit Ange... and why... was the person who fired... hurt instead...?!

"...This is... magic. Great job, Leviathan."
"I'm most honored...!!"
"You foolish Humans who dare oppose our master! Now is the time of judgement! Prostrate yourselves!!"
"Wh-Why...?!!! You shouldn't be able to bring magic into the world of Humans...!! They shouldn't be able to 'see' magic, and they shouldn't be able to be touched by magic!! Why?!!"
"...Because this... is true magic."
"...Gah, aaaaaaaaaaarrrggggg...!!"
"Wh-What are you people doing?! K-Kill, kill!!!"

One of the black-suits, who had finally come to his senses, took out his gun, readied it,

"Like I'd allow you the disrespect of pointing a gun barrel at our master...! Die."



Thump! With the sound of the second person falling, the black-suits now realized for certain that their lives were in peril...!!

"W-Waaaaaaaah, s-s-save me...!!!"

The instant one of the black suits doubled over in shock... and turned on his heels to escape from that place, the Stake of Sloth...



In his right eye, a hole as big as a walnut opened, and his head split. Belphegor was sprayed with blood, and her face twisted demonically with the joy at being able to use her full power...!

"Ooh, waaaaaaahhh?! Who's that?! Who's there?! Where are you?!"

The black-suits were flustered, pointing their guns in every direction. But they didn't understand what was happening. They knew that something terrifying was coming for them from somewhere, but they didn't know where...!!

"Dumbass! Th-The enemy is right before your eyes! The witch's furniture is after you!!!"

But they couldn't 'see'...!! Because they didn't believe in magic, they could not 'see'...!!

Just as the black witch said, Satan was standing boldly right in front of a black-suit. However, the black-suit couldn't 'see' her at all...!



"Eee, eeeeeeeeeeeekk!!! What is this?! What's going on?!"
"...You can't 'see' it. Because you have no love."
"...Impossible!! Even though there are so many Humans here, even though the magic-resisting toxin is everywhere, why can you manifest your magic?! Who... are you?!?!"
"...A witch. And unlike you, a real one."
"Wh-Whaaaaaaaaaaat, damn iiiiiiit, you biiiiiiiitch!!"

As though announcing his candidacy for becoming the fourth victim, one of the black-suits pointed his gun at Ange. And the trigger was...

Ange glared at him coldly... and simply ordered.

"D-Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!!"
"Next one. Satan."
"Satan of Wrath, already right here!! Blockhead!! You think a simple bullet could hit Ange-sama or us now?!!!"

The Stake of Anger... pierced and smashed the bullet fired by the black-suit... and continued straight on, towards the man's face-

"...Know your foolishness... and regret in hell!! Die!!"



Bathed in scattered flesh and blood, Ange quietly asked one more question.

"...Hey, Aunt Kasumi. Do you still... not feel like believing in magic?"
"Th-There's no way... something so ridiculous... could exist...!! I-I won't accept it...!! There's no way magic exists...!!!"
"Yes, that's right... There's no way magic exists...!! There's no way witches exist!!"
'...M-Magic exists!! Witches exist...!! Uryu-!!'
"...That's right. Magic exists. Witches exist. And, in this world filled with anger and sadness, it can become the key that opens the door to the world of happiness...!! I won't let... someone like you deny that!!"
'The key to a world of happiness lies in every person's hands...! No one... has any right to steal that away...!!'
"You pitiful Human who cannot understand this. If there had been magic in your life, it would probably have turned out differently, becoming much more peaceful."
"When I think that in your entire life, you were never able to meet with a true witch... I pity you."
"Eee, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!!"

Kasumi let out a piercing scream. At the same time, two of the black-suits came for me at once, thrusting their guns at my head. Like they were trying to use me as a hostage against something their eyes couldn't 'see'. Against the Seven Sisters of Purgatory, who had now reached the level of weapons, this was completely pointless.

"Damn, where are you?! Keep on attacking, and this bitch is dead!! Show yourself!!"



"Go ahead. Kill him."
"Thank you so much!! I'm so happyyyyyy!!"
" "Diiiiiee!!!"

The man's chest split, and his guts poured out. This terrible way of dying threw the other man into a total panic. However, Asmodeus's form was already at his back, grasping his neck... and smiling obscenely...



"The head."
"Certainly, my masteer!! Die!!"

The final black-suit had his head smashed by the Stake of Lust, and as his insides scattered, he twisted and fell. In the gruesome world where six people lay in a sea of blood, witch and Human confronted each other.

"...Sumadera Kasumi. I sympathize with your sad life from the bottom of my soul. I'm willing to grant you magic that can seal up that unfillable hole in your heart. If you can believe, that is."
"D-Don't be... ridiculous...!! I-I... will never accept something like this!!"

As Kasumi, who was scared out of her wits, stepped backwards, she picked up a handgun that someone had dropped. Then, shaking, she pointed it at Ange...



"Eeek, eeek...!! I'll kill you... I'll kill you...!! If I don't kill you, I'll never be paid back for the life I've lived...!!"
"Yes, kill! Pull the trigger!! Take all of the anger and pain from your shabby life until now! Use it all against her!"
"If you don't, you won't be released from your pain and anguish!!"
"...Stop it, Aunt Kasumi. You mustn't listen to the black witch."
"I'll kill you, I'll kill you...! Because of your mother, my entire life... has been a wreck...!!"
"In that case, my magic might be able to turn that life into something bright and peaceful, bit by bit, starting now. If you can believe in magic... and just have a change of heart, I'll be able to open the door to a new world for you."
"There's no such thing!! The salvation she speaks of is obviously just some fairy tale!"
"Your life is gonna be covered with thorns until you die anyway...!! Let her hear that cry of agony!! You can't regain anything that was lost, right? Sumadera Kasumiiiiiiiiii?!?!"
"That's right, you might not be able to regain anything."
"However, I know you'll be able to create something new. So, Aunt Kasumi, throw that gun away. I might be able to teach you too... about a world of happiness."
"Eeek... eeeeeeeeeekk...!! Y... You know, because your mother ran away, I was forced to marry her fiancé in her place...!!"
"There was a man I swore I'd spend my life with! And I was forced to break up with him! You think you understand how I felt when I was forced to be wed in your mother's place... and was held by a man I had barely even talked to?!?!"
"I wanted to kill her!! But Nee-san just went and died on her own! That's why I'll kill you!! Otherwise, my thorn-filled life will never eeeeeeeeeeeeeeend!!"

...From Kasumi's eyes, tears of passion dripped down. So pitiable... This person's tears were so clear and beautiful. But for that very reason, she hadn't been able to fully withstand her sad pain, and had been given no choice but to listen to the black witch's temptation...



"Diiiiiiiiiiiee, Ushiromiya Angeeeeeeeeeee!!!"
"Goodbye, Aunt Kasumi. Take a long rest in a quiet world."

I no longer feel anger or hatred for you. I just want to let your soul rest in peace. Kasumi's handgun spat fire. Slowly, that bullet continued through a world frozen to the utmost limit, aiming for ANGE's forehead.

"Mammon."
"...Y-Yeah!! Mammon the Covetous, right here...!!"
"Thanks."
"...Huh?"
"Because I met you and Sakutarou, I was able to understand everything."
'...Ange...'
"Look away, Sakutarou."
"...Mammon, release that woman. And protect the honor of Mariage Sorcière...!!"
"Y...Yes!! Prepare yourself, Sumadera Kasumi!!"

Even though the world was frozen, the Stake of Greed flashed like lightning...and had already gotten behind Kasumi...



BGM: None

The upper half of Sumadera Kasumi's head was smashed. Her cage of flesh was shattered, and she was finally released...

"...Next is you. The black witch. By now, I think even the fact that you look like Aunt Eva is inexcusable to her."
"Heh, heheheheheh. If my form still looks like Ushiromiya Eva, that means you still haven't been able to forgive 'me' inside yourself. I understand, Ange. Even you want to be released from your thorn-filled life more than anything."
"..."
"In that case, I thought of something interesting. I'll show you magic as well. I won't be the one to kill you."

With the worst of smiles on her face, the black witch changed her form into something like a black mist, or else a vast swarm of black flying insects, which began to swirl around me. Then, that black mist began to gather bit by bit, shaping itself into the form of a human.

"...What's this supposed to be...?"

Hehheheheheh! You've got at least a vague idea, don't you?! It's the woman you hated and despised the most! The woman who hated and despised you the most...!



BGM: Miragecoordinator

...Her hands... were holding a gun.

"...Aunt Eva... died."
"*giggle* Long time no see, Angeeee. I've come back from hell to kill youu! *cackle*cackle*!!"

Aunt Eva glared at me with a mad laugh.

"But... I'm not that surprised. Aunt Eva was that kind of person."
"I imagine my funeral came as quite a relief to you, right? I feel the same, since I'll never have to see your face again...! But I had just one regret. And this is it!!"
"...Killing me? Was that your last request?"

How pitiful. Even after death, my aunt wasn't released from her pain...

"The black witch's power is itself the source of my magic. Anger and hatred taught me how to work hard and persist. Completely different from this magic to escape reality that you speak of!"
"...The magic you speak of is nothing more than stress reduction through outbursts of anger. Our magic is different. It can remake the entire world. It's in a totally different class than your wicked magic."



"I've surrounded you with the magic-resisting toxin. You can't call the Seven Sisters anymore. That miracle just now won't occur again...!!"
"...Having it occur despite all that is why it's called magic. Okay. Mammon, lend me your power."

...But Mammon didn't respond. She didn't appear. Certainly, as she'd said, the magic-resisting toxin had burned everything up like a wasteland parched by a blazing sun...

...This... might be a little tough.



"And... being able to call them even so is what makes it magic, right?"
"...How pitiful. So long, Ange. The few days we spent together were fun in their own way. This is goodbye. Aren't you glad... that the end of the line for you turned out to be this place?"
"Yeah, seriously. How thoughtful of you."
"Thanks. Then this is farewell."

The barrel of the gun rose slowly, so that you could see all the way down it. Then, the trigger was slowly...

Then, there was a loud bang from the gun.



...You're... kidding me...

...In shock, inside a frozen space, Eva looked at the ruptured gun. When time melted, the fragments would probably smash into her face all at once...



"...You're... kidding me..."

Behind Eva's back, Mammon stood. She had already penetrated the target I had given her. Which was... the gun.

"Is this... enough magic for you, Aunt Eva?"
"...A-Angeee..."

Then, time melted. The fragments of the burst gun and exploding gunpowder burned her face. Letting out a shrill scream, she covered her face and rolled around...

...It was pitiful.



BGM: Wingless

I signaled to Mammon. So that Eva would be freed quickly from the pain of her burnt face as she writhed around.

"...Thank you, Mammon. This time, I want to apologize again, and from the bottom of my heart, for calling all of you powerless on that day in the classroom. You were excellent furniture for protecting witches."
"...I'm the one that's grateful. I feel truly honored at being able to meet a good witch... a good master in the end, and at being able to fulfill my duty as furniture...!"

Mammon had understood. This would be the final job I'd give her. Mammon quietly walked up to me.

Then, she looked down at Eva.





Then, the light sound of her forehead being bored into rang out. The battle of gunpowder smoke and fury... of white and black magic... ended. I get the feeling it was a long... truly a long journey.

And the world slowly... sank into darkness...



BGM: Haze

...When I realized that the pearl and ruby made a red and white stream, I noticed that it was a vast nighttime scene spread out below... I was in the sky of that nighttime scene, neither standing nor flying, but simply floating.

...From nowhere in particular, I could hear a *clap*clap*clap*, a truly dull applause. I know. It's the one who ordered me to go on a journey,



"...Yes. I now... understand everything about magic. I am... a witch. The last witch who inherited the magical world created by Mariage Sorcière."
"...No one besides you... can tear Beatrice's world to pieces."
"Because I know witches, I learned how to resist them."
"..."
"...Magic is made of love and sadness and anger. No matter how cruel a witch Beatrice might have been, the source of her magic is exactly the same. And that's why I wish I could leave that world of hers alone. After all, in her eyes at least, that world is complete."
"...But then you'd have to give up on your family."
"...That's right. So, I don't like doing it, but I have to fight. The very reason I left on this journey to become a witch... was so I could bet on the faint chance that I'd be able to take my family back someday."
"Unless you kill Beatrice, only worlds of isolation can exist for you. As one who has traveled to billions of Fragments, I guarantee it."
"...I understand. I can't afford to have compassion. I must make my heart a demon... and tear her heart to pieces."
"...It's good that you're steady in that resolve. I was worried that, as another witch like her, you might grow attached and lose your will to continue."

It felt a bit hollow hearing that from a person whose face was almost always expressionless. Bernkastel. The mysterious witch who invited me on this journey...



"...Why?"
"...I am the Ange of 1998, so even if I save my family, they will only be saved for the Ange of 1986. They won't be saved for me. So I've sometimes felt like I was being deceived."
"...That is correct. I deceived you."
"...But now I'm grateful. After all, in the end, you did teach me how to get my family back."
"...I didn't teach you anything. If you know something, it's because you've reached that mental state by yourself, as a witch. That mental state is different from my own. I personally cannot understand it, but if that's the truth, then congratulations."
"I'm not a player in this game, but a piece. You said that to me, right?"
"...Yes, I said it."
"Now, I fully understand that role. A piece doesn't need emotions. It just has to give its all for victory's sake."
"...Yes. That is correct. A game requires that you each make the best possible moves, right? If your moves get distorted by hesitation and confusion, your opponent will be confused as well."

...Sorry, Beatrice. But... don't hate me. 'Ushiromiya Ange' still needs her family. So, I have the right to fight you, so that I can take them back. And, you have the responsibility to be challenged by me to a fight. So... don't hate me. In exchange... If you do win in this game, I'll give you my blessing as well.

Come on, let's go. As the piece I am, it's finally time for my true turn.

Sorry, Beatrice.