บท 15: 15 The Witches
"Natsuki, are you ready?"
The elegant woman, adorned in a magnificent twelve-layered kimono with fiery eyes, gazed at her companion and ally with a somewhat complex expression.
Aya Tokoyogi, the Witch of the Notaria who oversees the Library of Criminal Organizations!
The magical writing inscribed in books imbues them with extraordinary abilities through prolonged magical influence, transforming ordinary texts into grimoires.
However, if the power of these grimoires is misused, the knowledge recorded within them will be lost, and the grimoire itself will lose its uniqueness.
The organization known as the Library of Criminal Organizations is a consortium of mages and witches devoted to knowledge.
Their goal is to collect grimoires scattered across the world, protect the knowledge contained within them, and prevent the misuse of these books by outsiders.
From the perspective of the organization's objectives, the Library of Criminal Organizations is without fault and could even be described as great.
Yet, the members of the Library of Criminal Organizations are excessively fanatic, much like extreme animal protection groups.
Their methods of collecting grimoires are neither reasonable nor compliant.
As a result, over time, the entire Library of Criminal Organizations has been classified by most nations as a "terrorist organization."
Natsuki Minamiya was dressed in a gothic black gown, adorned with lavish lace and ruffles.
Her long, dark hair flowed like ink, and her exquisite features were akin to a beautiful doll.
Her slender, straight legs were clad in black silk stockings, and her petite feet were encased in matching high heels, secured with several straps around her dainty calves.
On the surface, Natsuki Minamiya appeared to be a young girl, her appearance verging on that of a child.
In reality, however, Natsuki Minamiya was a high school student this year, and her youthful appearance was due to the effects of a particular spell.
"For this moment, I have been preparing since birth, studying various forms of knowledge from an early age. There is no need for special preparation."
Although her mental age was that of a high school student, her youthful appearance and body still had an impact on Natsuki Minamiya.
One such influence was her childlike, unclear way of speaking.
While this babyish babble might seem endearing, Natsuki Minamiya's youthful voice paradoxically conveyed an unexpected air of authority.
Despite Natsuki Minamiya's calm demeanor and unchanging expression, her friend and ally, Aya Tokoyogi, could discern a trace of unease and reluctance in her mental state.
Indeed, Natsuki Minamiya felt a sense of dissatisfaction, much like Aya herself.
Aya Tokoyogi withdrew her gaze from Natsuki Minamiya, turning her attention to the magical circle before them. Her well-shaped eyebrows furrowed, creating a look of concern.
Natsuki Minamiya was about to enter that ritual and sign a contract with a devil, exchanging her soul for the privilege of becoming a witch.
A witch is a woman who makes a pact with a devil, sacrificing her soul in exchange for the devil's powers, gaining magical abilities that rival those of high-ranking demons.
Simultaneously, the devil's power significantly enhances the witch's magical skills, transforming her into an accomplished sorceress.
However, the price for acquiring all this is extraordinarily high. For humans, the soul is the most crucial part of their being.
Humans who sell their souls never end well; those who lose their souls can no longer be considered human, becoming complete monsters instead.
Yet, those who choose to become witches do so voluntarily, trading their souls for power, so there is no pity to be had.
But Aya Tokoyogi's situation is different from Natsuki Minamiya's.
They are pure-blood witches, born with souls that do not belong to them from the moment of birth.
They have no other paths or choices; their only option is to become witches.
Failure to become a witch means only death awaits.
Pure-blood witches are extremely rare, and even Aya Tokoyogi knows only Natsuki Minamiya in this regard.
It's not that there are no other pure-blood witches in the world, but those few who are unaware of their witch nature after birth and do not sign a contract with a devil before reaching maturity are destined to die.
Natsuki Minamiya was fortunate. Born on the demon-controlled Itogami Island, she was identified as a pure-blood witch from a young age, which afforded her the opportunity to survive.
From childhood, Natsuki Minamiya had been meticulously trained as a witch.
Aya Tokoyogi referred to Natsuki Minamiya as an ally for this very reason. In this world, Natsuki likely understood Aya better than anyone else, and only Aya understood Natsuki as well.
Both had been abandoned by the world since birth.
Becoming a witch was not something to regret, but being forced into it by fate, with no other options, left Aya deeply resentful.
She believed Natsuki felt the same way.
Especially since Aya knew how fiercely independent her friend was. Such a personality would undoubtedly be angered by an unavoidable fate.
"Natsuki, you must understand that once you choose to become a witch, you are bound to the predetermined fate."
"...You will have to abide by the contract with the devil. If you defy it, death is the price, though perhaps something even more terrifying than death."
"You cannot resist the devil, for your soul does not belong to you but to the devil."
"...Especially if you choose to become a witch, you will be more miserable than other witches. You might even lose all your freedom!"
Aya's fiery eyes flashed with anger as she spoke.
The administrative body of Itogami Island had exploited Natsuki Minamiya's identity as a pure-blood witch from a very young age.
Although the administrative body had provided Natsuki with an excellent teacher, who imparted valuable magical knowledge to her, they also handed her a discarded prison barrier from an unknown source.
They used a coercive method to make Natsuki the manager of the prison barrier.
She would only be allowed to activate the barrier once she had fully become a witch and gained the power of the devil.
Natsuki had no choice but to comply. She was powerless to resist the administrative body of Itogami Island.
Moreover, her true wish, her desire to make a pact with the devil, also kept her bound to this island.
"When did you become so nagging, Aya?"
"...Very few people know my true wish, and you are one of them."
"A wish reflects the deepest part of one's soul. One cannot deceive their own wish, let alone deceive a demon."
"...My wish is 'peaceful coexistence between humans and demons,' and this will be the contract I make with the devil."
"A witch who defies the contract will pay a tragic price. Only Itogami Island, this demon territory, can sustain my contract and allow me to survive."
"...Don't be fooled by my appearance. Actually, Aya, I'm afraid of death too."
Natsuki Minamiya said with a touch of impatience.
Yet, a hint of weakness briefly flickered in her resolute blue eyes.
Natsuki Minamiya was still a teenage girl. Despite her strong personality and elite training from a young age, she was not immune to fear.
Aya Tokoyogi looked at her friend with compassion.
After making a pact with a devil, witches remain in the state they were at the time of signing, forever youthful—a rare benefit for witches.
Although there are many witches in the world, Natsuki Minamiya is the only one who maintains such a youthful appearance.
Under normal circumstances, a girl so young would not be able to enter into a contract to become a witch.
But due to the prison barrier, Natsuki Minamiya has been deprived of growth from a very young age.
This is the injustice of fate, subjecting Natsuki to the same afflictions as other witches.
It is also a consequence of the island named Itogami, which has inflicted harm upon her!
At this moment, Aya Tokoyogi made a firm decision.
"Then let us begin. I shall ensure your safety and will not let any issues arise during the ceremony."
Following Aya's words, Natsuki Minamiya stepped into the ritual's magic circle.
The Witch of the Notaria recited the incantation.
As the ritual commenced, the power of the devil emerged from the ceremony site. The surging magical energy caused even Aya Tokoyogi to frown.
The more difficult the terms of the contract with the devil, the greater the power the witch receives, but the stricter the witch's constraints will be.
Given Natsuki Minamiya's true desire, the devil she would contract with was likely to be extraordinarily powerful.
But at that moment, an unimaginable force, reeking of all the evil in the world as if imbued with all darkness and sin, abruptly appeared!
Even a mere trace of this presence caused Aya Tokoyogi's face to turn pale, and an uncontrollable terror overflowed from the depths of her soul, her body shaking uncontrollably.
"Natsuki, what is that thing on you? Throw it away immediately!"
Aya Tokoyogi cried out urgently.
She had noticed that the horrifying aura was emanating from a pitch-black piece of paper in Natsuki Minamiya's hand.
At this point, Natsuki Minamiya was also somewhat at a loss. She wanted to discard the paper, but it was too late.
Under Aya's watchful eyes, Natsuki Minamiya's figure vanished from the ritual's magic circle.
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