Chapter 20: The Black Demon Who Doesn’t Cry

The Blue Witch led the Witch of Hell to the living room, brewed only two cups of tea, and sat at the table. The arrangement was such that the Blue Witch and I sat next to each other, with the Witch of Hell seated across from us.

I leaned in and whispered to the Blue Witch.

“You forgot a cup. There are three of us here.”

“I know. I did it on purpose.”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“I didn’t make her one because she’s not welcome here. Get it? It’s a way of saying, ‘There’s no tea for you.’”

“Oh, I see. This is like one of those daytime soap dramas, huh? Where the nasty mother-in-law bullies her daughter-in-law with passive-aggressive stuff. It’s like the worst side of women on display.”

“……”

The Blue Witch silently got up and went to fetch a third cup.

See? She ended up making it anyway. Should’ve just done it from the start.

The Witch of Hell, who had first looked at our exchange with confusion but then began smiling, received the cup of tea with a loud, booming “Thank you!” She straightened her posture and got right to the point.

“So! Does this mean I’ll get to meet the Staff Maker!?”

I looked at the Blue Witch for help, but she simply sipped her tea through the gap in her mask and didn’t respond. Reluctantly, I answered.

“Uh, so, I’m actually the Staff Maker’s apprentice. I’ll make sure to pass on your gratitude.”

“Oh, you’re the apprentice! Nice to meet you! So is the Staff Maker out at the moment? Or are they ill!?”

“Ah, no… It’s just that they’re a massive recluse and don’t like meeting people.”

“Hey! Don’t talk badly about your mentor like that!”

“Eek! I-I’m sorry, I swear I’m a good person, please don’t eat me.”

“I told you, I only eat actual bad guys! Sorry if I scared you, though! I know I can be a little intimidating with my voice and all, but I can’t help it—it happened during my transformation!”

“Uh, right…”

So, she’s like some kind of dragon witch? Having your speech forcibly changed sounds like a hassle.

The Witch of Hell crossed her arms and let out a thoughtful hum.

“Hmmm. Well, if the Staff Maker doesn’t want to meet me, I guess it can’t be helped! I had no idea why they wouldn’t see me since the Ōme Witch wouldn’t tell me anything. All I could do was sit outside and wait!”

“Hey.”

“Shut up.” 

The Blue Witch muttered as I nudged her with my elbow. She looked away awkwardly.

She’s always calling me socially awkward and maladjusted, but she’s no better, honestly.

After gazing at the ceiling for a while, the Witch of Hell nodded, pulled something out of her pocket, and placed it on the table.

“Alright then, apprentice! I want you to give this to the Staff Maker for me! It’s a token of my gratitude from the Witch of Hell. It should make great material for crafting staffs, right!?”

What she laid on the table was a massive gemstone.

It was slightly smaller than a spread-out palm, flat, and had a vibrant amber hue. However, unlike amber, it was opaque and didn’t let light through.

But most of all, it was stunningly beautiful!

I was struck by its unique presence and captivating allure.

No doubt about it.

“It’s a magic stone! Are you sure I can have this!?”

“No, no, it’s for your mentor, not for you!”

As she admonished me, I quickly pulled the amber-colored magic stone closer to me before she could change her mind.

Yes! A windfall!

I crafted a staff out of gremlin, and it came back as a magic stone!

This is like a bugged return policy—amazing!

The Blue Witch, noticing my barely-concealed grin, looked a little exasperated but turned to the Witch of Hell with a curt remark.

“Hey, are you sure about this?”

“About what!?”

“About giving away such a precious magic stone so easily.”

“But the Ōedo Witch used to lend things like this to people all the time, didn’t she!? What’s the problem!?”

“The Ōedo Witch was killed as soon as she lent a magic stone to the Iruma Wizard. It’s not the kind of thing you can just casually lend or give anymore.”

Hearing this, the Witch of Hell spit out her tea and started coughing.

“Wait, WHAT!? The Ōedo Witch, killed!? By Iruma!? That doesn’t sound like him at all!”

“Everyone thought the same thing. That’s why no one saw it coming. In the Iruma coup, the Edogawa Witch, the Crow, the Meteor, and the Tachikawa Wizard were all killed. I dealt with Iruma myself. The Arakawa Wizard returned home after suppressing the coup, so the current Arakawa Ward is governed by the Flower Witch. Oh, and the Mermaid managed to establish some form of communication by drinking blood. She’s about as articulate as a dolphin that learned human language.”

“W-Wait, what!? So much has changed in just two and a half years!”

“Guess you didn’t hear much from the Eyeball Witch, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say I didn’t hear anything! But she told me that the Ome witch has become cold toward non-citizens, so I figured I wouldn’t get anywhere if I tried to ask…So, what’s with that mask?”

“Why do you care about my mask?”

“Oh, no reason! I’ll just… I’ll just stop asking!”

By the way, for the record, that mask isn’t tied to some big dramatic incident. She’s only wearing it because I’m such a hopeless introvert that I can’t handle looking directly at her pretty face. It’s such a lame reason, so please don’t dig into it.

“So much happened while I was suppressing my rampaging magic! I feel like Urashima Tarō, and I’m an oni!”

“Ask the Eyeball Witch for the details. She probably has the most information. Adachi Ward is no longer habitable for humans, right? She should also be able to arrange a new management area for you.”

“Oh, sorry! I’m planning to leave Tokyo altogether!”

The Blue Witch paused for a moment, the teapot hovering above my cup as she considered what she’d just heard. Already looking less than thrilled, her expression deepened into full-on displeasure as she pressed for answers.

“Why? Aren’t you from Tokyo? You didn’t leave behind family there, did you?”

“No, it’s just… Tokyo is peaceful now! Well, not peaceful-peaceful, but you know, pretty calm compared to before. Reconstruction’s really coming along, right? I saw the city on the way here from Adachi Ward, and it didn’t feel like the kind of place where you wouldn’t know if you’d survive another day.”

What the heck? Was Tokyo really that bad before?
I’m glad I was holed up in Okutama. Also, lucky for me, my first encounter was with the Blue Witch. She almost killed me, sure, but still—dodged a bullet there.

“But there are still lots of regions without witches or sorcerers, and life is harsh there, right? So I was thinking, maybe I’ll travel the world, helping out the survivors wherever I can!”

The Hell Witch added, almost as an afterthought, “Since Adachi Ward’s completely empty now anyway!”

At that, the Blue Witch murmured.

“You don’t think about staying to protect the city?”

“Adachi Ward? But no one lives there anymore! Hmm, no, I guess I don’t think that’s for me. I’d rather take out bad guys, eat ‘em, clean up the mess, and help good folks! That just feels more like my thing.”

“I see…”

“Uh, wait! Oh no, I said something insensitive, didn’t I? Is it because, uh… I mean… sorry!”

The Hell Witch looked nervously at the Blue Witch, who had gone silent and motionless. She cast a worried glance my way, as if to say, Help? But her gaze only made me flustered too. Uh, could you not look at me like that?

“Uh, um!! I think I made things awkward, huh!! Gosh, even at a time like this, my voice just keeps getting louder… Anyway!! My business here is done, so I think I’ll be leaving now!! Apprentice boy, make sure to pass my regards to your master!!”

Flustered but still absurdly loud, the Hell Witch tried to make a quiet exit.

Wait, hold on—your business might be done, but mine isn’t! I need your feedback on the staff! Tell me how it worked!

“Ah, um, sorry, but just a moment!”

“Oh, sorry, am I leaving too quickly? What’s up?”

“Uh, could you tell me your impressions of the staff? Like, how it felt to use it?”

“My impressions, huh?”

She hesitated, her large frame settling back into the creaky chair as she tilted her head.

Well, okay. If you’re not used to being asked for feedback on magic tools, I get that.

“You got the staff from the Eyeball Witch, and it helped you rein in your magic, right? Even though it had been out of control for two and a half years. Can you tell me how you used it, what worked well, what could be improved? Maybe something that would’ve made it even better? I just want your honest thoughts—it’s for my master’s reference.”

“Wow, that’s so professional of you! Sure, I’ll tell you anything you want! Hmm, where should I start?”

“Anything is fine—just say whatever comes to mind.”

“Is that how it works? Okay, let’s see!! First off, I used to live in Adachi Ward, but…”

According to her, the Hell Witch was originally a college girl living in Adachi Ward. During the coma caused by her transformation, she was attacked by monsters but was saved by an unnamed woman. After recovering, she donned her savior’s clothing and started helping and protecting people as the Hell Witch.

But her magic? Absolutely terrible for everyday use. She hadn’t learned any precise, small-scale spells. Every single one of her spells was essentially a map-wide nuke.

For instance:

• A spell that makes everything in its range kill each other.
• A spell that turns the area into a sea of fire, incinerating all within.
• A spell that sinks the area into a pool of blood, inflicting unbearable pain on anyone who touches it until they beg for death.

Every spell she had was devastatingly large-scale and unmanageable. As the “Hell Witch,” her abilities were as catastrophic as her name implied, forcing her to fight mostly with her fists.

Even after acquiring a magic stone (which she got from a police station), she avoided using it. Amplifying her already unwieldy spells seemed like a recipe for disaster.

But then, disaster struck—a genuine crisis that forced her hand.

“You know slimes, right? Like the enemy types you see in games!!? Something like that appeared! They started multiplying in the sewers and eventually made their way to the surface. We had to wipe them out quickly before they spread further!!”

“So, that’s when you used your range magic and lost control?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t just that!! I couldn’t take them all out with just two spells, so I used the magic stone to amplify my magic and cast three spells at the same time!!”

“Three spells? At once? How…?”

“Well, I have three mouths, so!!”

“Wait, what?”

The Hell Witch lifted her teacup to the back of her head. I couldn’t see the exact angle, but something back there slurped up the tea she poured.

Oh my god, there’s a mouth on the back of her head! That’s horrifying! Well, she is a demon, so… sure, why not?

“And here, too!!”

“WHAT?!”

Her abdominal muscles spoke. I nearly fell out of my chair before realizing that what looked like a mouth was just her abs forming a seam where it opened. What kind of camouflage is that?

Unbothered, she shut both extra mouths and continued speaking with her “normal” one.

“Anyway, back to the story! The monsters were wiped out because of my reckless magic use!! But my magic went completely out of control!! Blood, fire, miasma—Adachi Ward turned into literal hell!! For two and a half years, I had to suppress the runaway magic while surviving on blood and mud!! If I’d lost control completely, the hell would’ve spread beyond Adachi Ward!!”

“That’s… intense!”

When I heard she’d been suppressing her magic for two and a half years, I thought maybe she’d been able to sleep and eat like normal, just stuck in the epicentre.

But no—sounds like she didn’t sleep or rest at all. The level of stamina, willpower, and magic control that must’ve required is insane.

“But!! About five days ago, the Eyeball Witch delivered a staff all the way to the epicentre of the hellish chaos!! With the balance that had been teetering between the rampaging magic and my control suddenly tipping in my favor, I was able to erase the hell! Happy ending!! Something like that!! Was that helpful at all!?”

“Uh, yeah, sort of.” 

I replied vaguely.

Honestly, that was more of an autobiography of the Hell Witch than feedback on the staff. But I guess she didn’t know what kind of information would be useful to a craftsman, so she just shared everything that came to mind. I’ve seen reviews like this on online auctions, so I get it.

I asked a few more pointed questions about the staff’s usability, prying out valuable data she hadn’t considered noteworthy. This is what I needed—specific, unique insights. This kind of feedback could lead to further improvements for magical staves. I was thoroughly satisfied. Another staff upgrade was on the horizon.

Still, I felt compelled to offer her one piece of advice. It might be meddlesome, but since her behavior seemed warped by her transformation, like the Dragon Witch before her, someone had to say it. She might not even realize how extreme she was.

“Uh, so, before you go, can I just say one last thing? It’s not really about the staff, and I’m not trying to lecture you or anything. Just think of it as a passing remark from some random guy… though, if you take it a little seriously, that’d be nice too.”

“What!?”

“Um. Maybe, just maybe, you should stop eating people? I mean, even if they’re bad guys, eating people is, uh, generally frowned upon. It could complicate your relationships or make people hate you… you know, just saying, like, in general.”

I mean, it freaked me out too. Even now, after learning more about her, I can’t help but worry if she’s really okay.

When I timidly suggested it, the Hell Witch smiled brightly.

“Thanks for worrying about me!! But I won’t stop!! Even though I know eating people is bad, even if they’re evil!! One day, someone will judge me!! Someday, when the world becomes peaceful and strong enough to punish man-eating demons like me!! But that day isn’t today!!”

Her words carried a fierce resolve, louder and larger than her booming voice.

“The way the world is now, we have to eliminate truly bad people who drag everyone else down, or things will fall apart!! There’s no time for trials!! There are too many people who need to be taken out immediately!! If you look at it from a ‘future perspective,’ it’s unfortunate, but it’s necessary!! The Seer Witch probably does his share of shady stuff in secret. Vampires, too. Even the Eyeball Witch, maybe. To some extent, this is all needed!! And I think that’s evil!! Eating people, being hated, and killing bad people to make the world better in a horrible way!! Eventually, someone will slay me, a wicked man-eating demon!! That’s the kind of life, the kind of death, I’ve chosen!!”

“…”

“Oh, sorry!! You were just worried about me, and I started rambling!! But yeah, I do enjoy eating human meat, so in the end, I really am a bad person!! I just wanted to show my gratitude to my benefactor!! That’s all!!”

With that, she stood up and prepared to leave. For real, this time. But I stopped her once more.

Despite everything, it seemed she was bad, but also good at heart. Her journey would no doubt be a lonely one. Even if she saved lives wherever she went, her man-eating habits would overshadow her deeds. Her gratitude and guilt wouldn’t be enough to sustain her connections with others.

Moved by her resolve and self-awareness, I decided to give her a companion for her journey.

“Uh, so… I’m going to make an amazing staff with this magic stone. Would you take it with you as a companion on your travels? I promise it’ll be helpful. Please, use it… is what my master would probably say, but, uh, what do you think?”

The Hell Witch, towering over me with her massive frame, looked down at me blankly for a moment before blurting out:

“You!!”

“Y-yes?”

“You’re not actually the apprentice, are you!? You’re the Staff Maker himself, right!? The way you talk doesn’t feel like an apprentice at all!! It doesn’t sound like you’re waiting for your master’s opinion—you’re just deciding everything on your own!!”

G-gulp!! How… how did she figure it out!?

Wh-what’s your evidence!? Are you saying you have proof to back up your claims!?

“No, no way. I mean, it’s just that my socially awkward master left everything to me… Not that I’m not socially awkward too, but I guess I’m a little better. So yeah, I’m definitely the apprentice, not the master. That’s the truth. I swear.”

“Yeah, that’s right!! I said something weird!! Forget about it!! I’d be thrilled to get a good staff, but don’t feel like you have to go out of your way for me, okay!!”

The Hell Witch laughed lightly and said she’d be staying with the Eyeball Witch for a while to catch up on the past two and a half years of world events. Then, she finally left for real.

With just one person gone, the living room suddenly felt like it had gained the space of two people. In the eerie silence, which was so quiet it almost caused ringing in my ears, I turned to the Blue Witch, who was still sitting there with her hand on her chin, deep in thought.

“Hey, do you think she got suspicious? I feel like I acted really sketchy when I denied being the master after she asked me directly.”

“…Hmm? Oh, nah, you’re fine. You’re always sketchy anyway.”

“Oh, really? That’s a relief.”

Guess it’s fine, then.

Thank goodness for being socially awkward.

Alright, this socially awkward guy is now going to craft a special, custom magic staff just for the Hell Witch. Time to head back to Okutama for now.

It’s been a while since I worked with magic stones. My hands are itching to get started!

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