That was something that had happened more than ten years ago.
At that time, Rozen was not even five years old, but due to his exceptional learning ability, he was highly valued by Natsuki, who was in high school at the time. She believed that she should properly cultivate her younger brother and make him into an outstanding man.
Therefore, Natsuki recorded all her knowledge of space manipulation magic and her insights, and gave them to Rozen for self-study.
Thanks to this, although Rozen was just a chubby little kid at that time, he always carried around a very profound book of magic. He would read it diligently wherever he went, absorbing all the spells recorded in it.
Since Natsuki hadn't graduated from high school yet and wasn't yet the famous demon slayer, Rozen and Natsuki naturally didn't live in the top-floor luxury apartment, but just in an apartment in the southern district.
Moreover, since Natsuki had to go to school and work to support the family after obtaining her official license as an attack mage, Rozen was often left alone at home.
What Rozen liked to do the most was to sit on the balcony of the apartment's top floor, reading the book of magic on the long chair, and learning the highest level of magic among all the magic.
The encounter with "that person" happened one day when Rozen was repeating this kind of life day after day.
That day, Rozen was sitting on the balcony's long chair as usual, reading the book of space manipulation magic.
And then, the other party appeared.
"Do you like magic?"
It was a beautiful voice that was both mysterious and peaceful, as if it had come from another world.
The owner of the voice was a woman with long hair that reached her feet, wearing a twelve-layered kimono reminiscent of the Heian period's noblewoman. Her clothes were luxurious and magnificent, but her black-and-white appearance resembled that of a grim reaper. Yet, her youthful and charming appearance was neither human nor ominous.
From this woman, Rozen felt an extraordinary magical aura, even greater than Natsuki's.
"Do you like magic?" the woman asked again.
The voice still carried a mysterious, peaceful, and tranquil feeling.
Listening to this voice, Rozen pondered for a long time before giving an answer.
"I don't like magic, I like miracles."
Indeed.
What Rozen truly liked was the pursuit of miracles, and magic was just one means to that end.
"Is that so?" the woman said lightly. "But have you ever thought that perhaps that is not something this world should have?"
"Not something this world should have?"
What did that mean?
Actually, it's simple.
"Do you think the current state of the world is right?"
For some reason, the woman spoke in a serene tone as she said this.
"People unconsciously use magic, vampires and beastmen walk proudly, and even the so-called primogenitors, who have been given the power to destroy cities and even countries. If powerful beings like them truly go out of control, the world could even descend into chaos because of it."
The woman lowered her eyes and murmured pitifully.
"Is a world so easily shaken really the right face of this world?"
"Is the world we live in really like what it seems on the surface?"
"Or perhaps, have we been living in a dream all along?"
The woman seemed to be asking Rozen, yet also seemed to be asking herself.
Finally...
"People often say that we witches are cursed beings, but who is truly cursed, us or this world?"
With these words, the woman's eyes seemed to ignite, flashing a crimson hue.
And the woman's words made Rozen silent for a long time.
Then...
"Whether someone is cursed or not, it has nothing to do with me."
Rozen voiced his thoughts.
"I also have things I must do. As long as I haven't accomplished them, no matter how many different worlds I traverse or how many different worlds I face, I will continue to move forward."
This was what Rozen wanted to accomplish the most at that time, and it was also an obsession that drove him into a dead end.
Everything was just to save a kind-hearted and pure girl who always held a shield and silently followed by his side.
However, at that time, Rozen overlooked many things because he was fixated on a single idea.
"...Yes."
With an expression Rozen couldn't understand, the woman muttered to herself.
"I also have things I must do. As long as I haven't accomplished them, no matter how many different worlds I traverse or how many different worlds I face, I will continue to move forward."
The woman repeated Rozen's words, and as if determined, she turned her head and looked at Rozen.
Her pair of eyes completely turned into crimson fire eyes, and her aura became completely filled with miasma.
"Thank you, Natsuki's brother."
Leaving these words behind, the woman slowly left.
Rozen didn't stop her, just watched her leave.
Afterward, Rozen learned that this woman was one of Natsuki's few friends, and she was also a pure-blood witch like Natsuki.
However, she was not from Itogami Island but belonged to a criminal organization called the "Library," and even served as its leader, overseeing the Grand Secretary of the LCO.
She was called the "Witch of the Notaria."
Her name was Tokoyogi Aya.
After that, Rozen saw her several times.
Then, not long after, she launched a large-scale experiment on Itogami Island, causing great damage to the island.
The person who arrested and stopped her was none other than Rozen's sister, Natsuki, who was also her friend.
Afterward, Tokoyogi Aya completely disappeared from the human world.
But Rozen still remembered her face, and even more so, her appearance.
Ten years later, Rozen saw this face again.
However, the person was not a friend of his sister, but a friend of his friend.
...
"I'm Tokoyogi Yuuma, a friend of Nagisa and Kojou from the mainland, who grew up playing together since childhood."
Introducing herself in this way, Tokoyogi Yuuma showed a refreshing smile as she entered the room.
"Perhaps I'll have to bother you for a while here, please take care of me, Minamiya."
Tokoyogi Yuuma didn't seem to show any status, standing in front of Rozen, extending a hand to him and staring straight at him.
Rozen met Tokoyogi Yuuma's gaze, looking at her completely different smiling face from what he remembered, and couldn't help but fall silent.
After a while...
"Likewise."
Rozen replied lightly, extending his hand and shaking hands with Tokoyogi Yuuma.
On the side, Nagisa and Kojou watched this scene with great satisfaction and happiness.
Avrora, Kanon, and Astarte looked at each other.
As for Rozen, he had been watching Tokoyogi Yuuma's face from beginning to end.
Soon, he fell into silence.
None of the people present noticed anything unusual about Rozen. Instead, they continued to chat with each other as before.
Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for a long time, Kojou and Nagisa kept chatting with Tokoyogi Yuuma about their past experiences.
Sometimes it was catching rhinoceros beetle together in the mountains.
Sometimes it was fishing in the river.
Sometimes it was playing basketball together.
Sometimes it was playing hide and seek.
Almost everything was there, allowing people to catch a glimpse of their childhood.
Although Avrora and Kanon didn't often interrupt, they showed considerable interest, seemingly eager to know what interesting things Kojou and Nagisa experienced when they were young, listening with relish.
Astarte didn't join the conversation but acted like a true maid, quietly pouring tea and water on the side, with a blank expression throughout, attracting Tokoyogi Yuuma's attention many times.
But Tokoyogi Yuuma seemed only curious about Astarte, and then immersed herself in the topic of childhood with everyone, laughing and joking with them.
It must be said that Tokoyogi Yuuma was indeed very approachable, with a personality that was lively and unconstrained, despite being a perfect beauty, she had a somewhat boyish charm, was outgoing, and didn't mind expressing her emotions.
She laughed freely when she should, showed surprise when she heard something astonishing, and her interaction with Kojou and Nagisa was extremely natural. Even Avrora and Kanon, who were somewhat shy types, couldn't help but relax around her and eventually joined in the conversation, chatting enthusiastically.
From this, one could see how affable Tokoyogi Yuuma was and how charismatic her personality was. Compared to the witch Rozen remembered from his past, apart from their identical appearance, they were almost completely different.
Not to mention, the relationship between her and the Akatsuki siblings was genuine, not fake at all.
So...
"Is it just a coincidence that she looks so much like her...?"
Rozen had been silently watching everything from the sidelines, but no matter what, he couldn't convince himself that all of this was truly coincidental.
Just recently, the witch from LCO had once again appeared on this island, and in such a situation, a girl who looked exactly like the former head of LCO had appeared here. Rozen's rationality couldn't convince himself that all of this was just a coincidence.
Moreover...
"Tokoyogi..."
This surname alone was enough to explain everything.
Tokoyogi Yuuma.
Tokoyogi Aya.
These two individuals must be related in some way.
Even...
"The mastermind behind manipulating No. 539 has probably already appeared."
Rozen held onto this thought and gazed at Tokoyogi Yuuma.
Naturally, such open and upright actions couldn't have escaped others' notice.
"Um..." Tokoyogi Yuuma seemed a little troubled. "I say, Minamiya, it's kind of embarrassing when you keep staring at me like that."
Tokoyogi Yuuma seemed helpless.
Not only Tokoyogi Yuuma, but even the others couldn't help but speak up.
"What's wrong with you, Nichiyo-kun?"
Nagisa blinked and asked.
"Although it's not easy to see her as a girl, isn't it a bit too much to stare at someone like that?" Even Kojou whispered in Rozen's ear.
"Hey, Kojou, what do you mean it's not easy to see me as a girl?" Tokoyogi Yuuma chuckled.
As for Avrora and Kanon, they exchanged glances once again.
"Are you enchanted by that face?" Avrora said somewhat sourly.
"Indeed, Yuuma-san is very beautiful." Kanon's expression was complicated.
It seemed that both of them thought Rozen kept staring at Tokoyogi Yuuma because she was exceptionally beautiful.
"Huh? Is that so?" Nagisa was both surprised and puffed up her cheeks.
"Really?" Kojou looked bewildered. "With so many cute girls liking you, you're fixated on Yuuma?"
That reaction was almost as if he couldn't believe what he had heard.
It's easy to imagine that in Kojou's mind, Tokoyogi Yuuma shouldn't be considered as a romantic interest.
Facing this, Kojou...
"Smack!"
Tokoyogi Yuuma grabbed his neck and started choking him.
"What do you mean by that? When we haven't seen each other for so long!"
Tokoyogi Yuuma seemed angry, but it was actually in a playful manner as she tightly choked Kojou.
"Quick... Let go of me! I can't breathe...! I can't...!"
Being choked like this, Kojou's face turned blue and purple directly, desperately slapping Tokoyogi Yuuma's hand around his neck and shouting for mercy.
"Kojou-kun is also an idiot. Yuu-chan has turned into such a beauty, and you don't even know how to cherish her."
Nagisa's firepower was successfully diverted, scolding Kojou instead.
The trio played together, and everything seemed so natural.
After four years, the distance between these childhood playmates seemed to have remained unchanged.
Presumably, this was the way they had interacted with each other since childhood?
Avrora and Kanon looked a little envious.
Astarte watched quietly, saying nothing.
Rozen also didn't join in, just watching the interaction between the three of them, his eyes flickering.
To be honest, at this point, Rozen was also a bit confused.
It was because Rozen was very intelligent that he could see that the interaction between Tokoyogi Yuuma and the Akatsuki siblings was definitely not fake, containing bits and pieces of their past.
Otherwise, others wouldn't envy them so much, because it was something that came from the heart.
But if all this was true, who exactly was Tokoyogi Yuuma?
And why did she get to know Kojou and Nagisa?
Rozen was already puzzled.
However, there was one thing Rozen was certain of.
That is...
"Tokoyogi Yuuma definitely knows me."
This was an undeniable fact.
The evidence was the subtle smile in her eyes as she covertly glanced at him at this moment, a smile that others couldn't detect.
So, Rozen knew that Tokoyogi Yuuma was definitely not as simple as she appeared on the surface.
And Rozen, who possessed the power of Mind's Eye, easily sensed it.
Behind Tokoyogi Yuuma, there were faint ripples in the air, like ripples on the surface of a deep lake.
At the other end of those ripples, something emerged slowly, a huge and ferocious figure shrouded in blue——a knight.
Rozen could see the scene that only he could perceive.
And he was certain of one thing.
"Tokoyogi Yuuma is a witch."
The blue knight behind her was the guardian of the witch.
//// Gonna stop updating for a while, my second term exam is drawing closer so I won't have any time. Will upload more when I finish the exam.////
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