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SO : 31 The Tragic Witches
🕑 Added 2024-09-11 08:50:02 +0000 UTC"Don't kill her!"
Seeing that Saigo seemed poised to deliver a fatal blow to Aya Tokoyogi, Natsuki Minamiya's expression shifted as she hastily shouted.
Saigo turned his head to look at Natsuki, a strange smile appearing on his face that made her heart skip a beat.
Natsuki's face fluctuated with a range of emotions, assuming Saigo had no intention of listening to her. Just as she was pondering how to stop him, Saigo unexpectedly loosened his grip, allowing Aya Tokoyogi's slender, beautiful figure to fall to the ground.
"Cough, cough… cough, cough…"
Finally able to breathe, Aya Tokoyogi took in deep gasps of air, coughing twice as her lungs ached painfully, and spat out two mouthfuls of fresh blood.
Her delicate, alluring body trembled slightly as she lay on the ground, having lost almost all her strength. The power of aging that Saigo had exerted upon her left her feeling utterly drained.
Even though Saigo had held back, otherwise Aya Tokoyogi would have aged rapidly, becoming a frail, elderly woman, and eventually turning into a pile of bones.
Yet, even without such an outcome, the power of aging had sapped Aya Tokoyogi of all her strength.
She lay on the ground, a pool of blood beneath her, with her slender feet in socks peeking out from under her multilayered kimono, revealing a glimpse of her pale, straight calves.
The face of the witch, so delicate and enchanting, was now filled with fatigue and sorrow, evoking pity from those who saw her.
"Why won't you let me kill her, Natsuki-chan?"
Saigo crouched down, toying with a lock of Aya Tokoyogi's long, black hair with one finger, his gaze shifting toward Natsuki with a faint smile.
"She doesn't deserve to die," Natsuki replied in her muffled voice, her cold expression making it seem as if she were indifferent to Aya Tokoyogi's current miserable state.
"She doesn't deserve to die? This woman intended to use magic to destroy this island, causing the deaths of six hundred thousand residents."
"…If such an act of terror doesn't warrant death, then what kind of crime does?"
As if deliberately contradicting Natsuki, Saigo provocatively asked.
"When did a devil like you develop a sense of compassion?"
Natsuki sneered, though to Saigo, her voice sounded almost childlike.
"Even devils have a conscience occasionally. A witch like this, who treats lives so carelessly, should be killed to prevent future troubles!"
As he spoke, Saigo placed his finger, wreathed in pitch-black flames, on the nape of Aya Tokoyogi's neck, right over her spine.
A mere press of his finger would snap her spine, surely killing the witch.
"There's no death penalty in the laws of Itogami Island!"
At this point, Natsuki could only resort to arguing semantics.
Before Saigo could reply, she quickly added, "...I will imprison her. She will atone for her sins by sacrificing her freedom!"
With that, Natsuki took a few steps forward on her slender legs clad in black silk stockings, slowly crouching down to pick up the Black Bible that had fallen to the ground.
Curious, she opened the magic tome and began to read. As a witch and a magician, it would be impossible for Natsuki not to be interested in the spells of the Black Bible.
"Planning to claim it as a trophy?"
Saigo, now seated, asked.
Aya Tokoyogi groaned softly, her pain evident, as Saigo sat on her supple waist, using her as a chair.
Natsuki opened her mouth, intending to say something, but ultimately remained silent, fearful that Saigo might discern her true intentions.
Unbeknownst to Natsuki, Saigo had long since seen through her thoughts. She simply did not want Aya Tokoyogi to die, that was all.
Aya Tokoyogi was, after all, once a close friend of Natsuki Minamiya.
Natsuki was proud and assertive by nature, but deep down, she was a kind-hearted person who valued emotions deeply. Otherwise, with Aya Tokoyogi's actions, Natsuki's true wish would have been to angrily tear her apart long ago.
"This grimoire is too dangerous. I will destroy it later!"
When the Black Bible finally fell into her hands, Natsuki easily used it to nullify the spell. As the spreading barrier dissipated, the world devoid of magic once again filled with it, and all the abilities Natsuki had lost returned to her.
"Phew…"
Natsuki exhaled softly, finding the sensation of being without magic truly unpleasant. She glanced at Saigo, who was still sitting atop Aya Tokoyogi, and spoke in a softened tone, "...Hand her over to me. I will ensure she pays for her actions."
"Finally planning to activate the Prison Barrier spell, are we, Natsuki-chan?" Saigo gazed at Natsuki's young, delicate face, which was devoid of expression, and asked with a smile.
Natsuki knew she couldn't hide her intentions from the demon before her. She nodded and said, "...This is the agreement I have with the Island Management."
"...Aya Tokoyogi's actions have given me the perfect opportunity. Let her be the first prisoner of the Prison Barrier."
Hearing Natsuki's words, Saigo nonchalantly stood up and said to her, "...Do as you wish, then."
Natsuki found it somewhat strange. Usually, this devil would encourage her to go directly against the Island Management, telling her she didn't need to honor their agreement and didn't need to make herself a part of the Prison Barrier. And at those times, Saigo's reasons always sounded like confessions—"I like you" or "I don't want you to lose your freedom."
But today, when the devil saw that she was genuinely about to activate the spell, he didn't utter a single word of dissuasion.
Thinking of this, Natsuki smiled bitterly to herself. How foolish she had been ever to believe the words of a devil.
"Well then, I'll see you later, Natsuki-chan… It's a pity. The next time I see you, you'll just be a dull puppet."
Saigo's body, made of flames, reformed into a human shape as he spoke with a bored expression.
By putting herself into a slumber within the Prison Barrier, thereby turning the barrier into a dreamscape, she could distance herself from the real world and greatly reduce the possibility of someone breaking her out from the outside.
After the spell was activated, Natsuki would only be able to move as a puppet made of magic, a reality that both she and Saigo were fully aware of.
This time, Natsuki didn't respond to Saigo. She walked over to Aya Tokoyogi, crouched down, and prepared to take her away using a spatial manipulation spell.
But seeing Aya Tokoyogi's continuous silence, Natsuki couldn't help but ask, "...What exactly did you say to her just now? Why has she become like this?"
Given Aya Tokoyogi's proud nature, even in defeat, she shouldn't be rendered speechless like this.
Saigo gave Natsuki a gentle smile, and as she pricked up her ears to listen, he said, "...Take a guess!"
Natsuki's face stiffened with anger. If she weren't aware that she couldn't defeat him, she'd have loved to shove Saigo into a wall!
"Heh, I simply told her that her wish is truly pathetic. To want to create a world without magic, a world with only ordinary people, yet still use spells constructed from 'magic' and 'sorcery' to achieve it."
"...Don't you find that foolish?"
Saigo suddenly remarked.
Natsuki didn't believe a word of Saigo's explanation. She didn't respond further and took Aya Tokoyogi away.
