Chapter 03: The Blue Witch

Since I couldn’t use a car, I walked for three hours along the railway tracks, trekking all the way from Okutama to Ome.

On the way, I passed many houses, but they were deserted and eerily quiet.

At first, I thought about scavenging those houses. But something felt off, so I gave up on the idea.

The houses looked like they had been half-destroyed or completely obliterated, as if a giant monster had rampaged through.

It wasn’t the kind of damage caused by an earthquake, nor did it look like the aftermath of a fire.

Parts of the houses were gouged out or blown away, as if swiped by a massive arm or pierced by a beam of energy. While a few had blue tarps draped over them, most were left exposed to the elements, rotting and decaying in the rain and wind.

It was a sight that practically screamed “danger.”

Even if law and order had collapsed and mobs had gone on a rampage, this kind of destruction seemed unlikely.

Maybe an actual monster had shown up.

Magic turned out to be real, so why not monsters too?

In fact, since there were magic deer and tanuki, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were magic bears or lions capable of tearing houses apart.

Terrifying.

Better to follow the old adage: “A wise man avoids danger.”

I chose Ome as my scavenging point because the buildings seemed relatively intact.

While there were houses that were burned, roofless, or with shattered windows, there were no signs of the kind of monster-like rampage I saw elsewhere.

It seemed that whatever terrifying force had destroyed the other houses hadn’t reached this area.

The lack of human presence was another plus. It was an ideal spot to scavenge.

With my magic staff, Hendenshaw, in hand, I cautiously crept into a house with broken windows and searched for food.

The house was empty, but a strong, foul smell—like something had rotted—hung in the air.

I avoided entering rooms with dried bloodstains near the doors.

Clearly, something terrible had happened here. Thank goodness I stayed holed up deep in the mountains.

There wasn’t much food inside, but I managed to find some unopened canned goods, condiments, and dried noodles.

I also found volumes of a manga I’d been curious about stacked neatly on a bookshelf. That was a bonus.

I stuffed everything into my hiking backpack and moved on to the next house.

The door to the second house was left open, and there was a note taped to it:

“We’ve evacuated to the General Medical Center.”

The note was addressed to family members, and the date written on it was from last year.

A postscript that read “Beware of monsters, not humans” caught my attention.

Were these “monsters” the same magic-wielding animals I’d encountered before?

If it’s just rabbits or mice with magic, I could probably handle them…

But what if escaped lions or rhinos from a zoo were roaming around?

I’d better scavenge quickly and head back as soon as possible.

There wasn’t any food in the second house, but I did find seeds for strawberries and edamame in the storage room—both of which I didn’t have in my garden.

That was a big find.

The rest of the house didn’t offer much, though.

A dried-up goldfish lying on the gravel at the bottom of a fish tank—its water long gone—stirred a deep sense of melancholy.

This post-apocalyptic world is just so sad.

As I quietly made my way to a third house, my hiking backpack already feeling heavier with loot, a voice from above stopped me cold.

“Halt! Who gave you permission to be in this area?”

Heart pounding, I looked up cautiously.

On the roof of a house across the street stood a young girl.

She looked about high school age, her long black hair tied back in a single ponytail that swayed in the wind.

Her tattered black clothing was so damaged that it was impossible to tell its original design, giving her an ominous appearance.

Her face was strikingly beautiful, with a sharp, cool expression that looked like it belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine.

In fact, I felt like I might’ve seen her on one of those magazines before.

Though, honestly, all real-life pretty girls look the same to me, so who knows?

If only this were an anime and people had different hair colors—this whole “black hair or brown hair” thing is just way too confusing.

Still, this “unhelpfully beautiful” girl had a strict and intense expression on her face.

It wasn’t the kind of look you’d see on a fashion model—it was more like the cold, steely gaze of a soldier on the battlefield.

“Are you incapable of answering?”

As I remained silent, she held up a palm-sized blue gemstone in her hand, letting it catch the sunlight.

The air immediately grew cold and heavy, as if something terrifying was about to happen.

What the heck?! She’s got a magic stone?!

I surrender! I surrender!

I don’t want to get into a magic shootout! I’ll die for sure!

Panicked, I tossed my staff aside, raised both hands, and struck a surrender pose.

The girl, still keeping her eyes on me, leapt down from the roof of the house.

She landed softly and effortlessly, with the kind of agility that suggested she wasn’t entirely human.

Who is this person?

Humans are scary enough as it is, but someone like her—with her high-handed attitude and superhuman abilities—is three times as terrifying.

I averted my eyes, unable to look directly at her out of fear.

“Who gave you permission to be in this area? Where are you from?”

Standing before me, she repeated her question, her tone brimming with hostility.

It was almost as if a secondary voice whispered, “Answer me or die.”

Shrinking under her intense gaze, I obediently gave her an answer.

“U-uh, um, I-I’m unaffiliated…”

“Are you living alone?”

“Y-yes.”

“Where do you live?”

“Okutama.”

“You must have seen the warning sign saying, ‘Trespassers beyond this point will be killed,’ on your way here.”

“Ehh? N-no, um, well… I was walking with my eyes on the ground, so… I guess I didn’t… see it… haha…”

“……….”

Timidly, I raised my head to steal a glance at the girl, and she seemed utterly exasperated.

“Well, judging by that attitude, I suppose you’re telling the truth. What a hopeless guy.”

Saying this, the girl turned her attention to Hendenshaw, the magic staff I had tossed to the ground, and picked it up to examine it.

“This?”

“It’s a staff. A magic one.”

“A gremlin staff? But this… it’s been modified, hasn’t it?”

She ran her fingers along the staff and held it up to the sunlight, inspecting it with great interest.

“U-uh, um…”

“Wait.”

I was about to suggest, “You can keep the staff if you let me go,” but the girl silenced me, so I obediently clammed up.

Okay, waiting. I can wait. I’m smarter than a dog—I can follow commands like “wait.”

As I stayed silent, careful not to upset her, the girl suddenly raised Hendenshaw and began chanting a spell.

“Dhu Varlaar!”

With a peculiar intonation, she uttered strange words, and a massive ice spear—large enough to hug—shot out of Hendenshaw, piercing through the wall of a nearby house and shaking the entire building.

“What?”

W-was that magic?! That’s incredible! Way fancier than the white beams I usually shoot!

How did she do that?! Was that a spell just now?!

I was awestruck, my curiosity skyrocketing, but the girl looked even more shocked than I was.

“What? Hey, what’s going on!? That power level is insane! There’s no way a gremlin staff of this size could produce such force. Where did you get this staff?!”

“Yikes! U-uh, I, I made it!”

“…Huh?”

“I-I made it myself!”

The girl leaned in close, and I felt like crying.

I was taller than her, and she had a delicate build, but the pressure she exerted felt like I was being cornered by a hulking giant. As she drew closer, I caught a faint scent of gunpowder from her, sending a chill down my spine.

She’s definitely bad news! Let me go! I just want to go home! This is why I hate meeting people!

Unable to endure the fear, I started to sob, tears streaming down my face.

The girl looked startled.

Her expression softened, and with an awkward air, she shoved Hendenshaw back into my hands.

“My bad. It doesn’t seem like you came here with any malicious intent. But I still need to hear your story. You’ve trespassed into my area. Like it or not, you’re going to have to cooperate.”

Her voice was calm, but her tone left no room for argument.

Sniffling, I nodded, unable to resist.

The girl sighed heavily, clearly exasperated, then grabbed my hand and started to lead me somewhere.

Damn it—what’s with that look of disdain?! I’m not crying because I want to!

I’m scared, okay?! Give me a break!!

The girl led me by the hand to what appeared to be her base. It looked like a small fortress: a single house with its walls reinforced by barbed wire, surrounded by dry moats and sandbags.

Inside, the house was surprisingly clean. The bundles of dried herbs hanging from the ceiling in the living room gave off a soothing fragrance that calmed my nerves. However, the smell of oil and gunpowder coming from a case on the workbench in the corner ruined the atmosphere entirely.

The girl had me sit down in a chair, then went to the kitchen to brew some tea, which she brought over.

Sitting heavily on the chair across the table from me, she took a sip of her tea and gestured for me to do the same before introducing herself.

“You might have heard of me—I’m the ‘Witch of Ome,’ or just the ‘Blue Witch’ recently. I govern this area. And you are?”

“Kenshi Oori.”

“Hmm? That’s an unusual surname. How’s it written?”

After I explained, the Blue Witch nodded.

“I see. You said you live in Okutama, right? How is it there?”

“How is it…?”

“Monsters. Who governs that area?”

“Monsters? Do you mean animals with gemstones on their bodies?”

I asked, and the Blue Witch tilted her head.

“Ah, well, there are those, sure. But I mean things like dragons or ghost-like creatures.”

“Uh, no, I haven’t seen anything like that.”

“Huh. Then maybe whoever governs the area wipes them out quickly. Who’s fighting off the monsters there?”

“No one. There are a few animals with gemstones using magic here and there in Okutama, but no dragons or anything. I’ve never seen another person there, so I don’t think anyone’s fighting off monsters… probably…”

“Huh. So Okutama’s that peaceful, huh? I see… maybe monsters get stronger in more densely populated areas.”

“Um, I’m not really following. This is all new to me.”

I timidly raised my hand and interjected in a small voice. The Blue Witch leaned back in her chair and looked at me with an expression of curiosity.

“I see. If you’ve lived alone in a peaceful place, it’s no wonder you don’t know anything.”

“I wouldn’t say I don’t know anything. I’d appreciate it if you could explain things to me, though. Just enough to have a proper conversation… Oh, but if that’s too much trouble, it’s totally fine!”

“Relax. I might be a witch, but I’m not going to cook you in a pot and eat you. Some witches do that, though. But let’s put that aside for now.”

Don’t casually drop terrifying information like that.

You’re pretending to reassure me while trying to scare me, aren’t you?

I tried to appear calm and took a sip of the tea she made, but my hands were shaking so badly that I spilled half of it down my front.

“If you could explain things like you’re teaching a beginner, I’d really appreciate it.”

“Your tea—oh, whatever. Fine. Where should I start? Do you know what gremlins are?”

“Are they the crystals that grow by feeding on electricity?”

“Exactly. They’re named after the mischievous sprites from British folklore that are said to cause malfunctions in machines and computers.”

It seemed the Blue Witch was willing to give me the lecture I had hoped for, so I listened attentively.

Yes, this kind of information was exactly what I needed. Though honestly, I would’ve preferred to learn it from a book instead of face-to-face.

“On April 4th of last year, the Shantacid Meteor Shower rained magic stones down onto Earth. Magic stones are these things here. Magic stones scatter invisible spores, and when those spores attach to electrical devices, they quickly grow into gremlins. These gremlins disabled electronic devices all over the world. Think of magic stones as the original seeds and gremlins as their degraded offspring.”

“I see.”

So they’re like invasive species.

Kind of like how bluegills, introduced into a lake, devour native fish populations and spread uncontrollably.

I’d always thought the Octa Meteorite was a romantic and fascinating phenomenon, but it turns out it’s nothing but trouble.

“Gremlins grow by consuming electricity, but it’s not limited to just machines. You know electric eels, right? Most of the electric eels kept in aquariums were killed when gremlins grew inside them, tearing through their bodies. However, a few managed to adapt. They gained magic powers and became monsters. There are also animals that, for reasons we don’t fully understand—maybe due to their constitution—circulate gremlins through their bodies and use magic. Some even mutate into grotesque creatures completely different from their original forms. All of these creatures are collectively called ‘monsters.'”

“Excuse me, on my way to Ome, I saw a destroyed house…”

I raised my hand to ask, and the Blue Witch nodded.

“That was probably the work of a monster. They’re not inherently evil, but many of them are massive. Just moving around, they destroy things, and if they’re hungry, they’ll eat humans. On top of that, they use magic. After gremlins paralyzed the administration, the police and self-defense forces held out for a while, but once the number of monsters started increasing, it was over. Even the shelters in Ome were wiped out.”

“Ah… I see…”

A chill ran down my spine.

Honestly, I’m so glad I stayed holed up at home. If I had evacuated, I’d be dead by now. Result: all good.

Still, from what I’m hearing, it sounds like humanity is on the verge of extinction. With electricity cut off and ammunition factories unable to operate, we’d run out of bullets quickly. Isn’t this pretty much the end?

But one thing doesn’t add up.

“For how dangerous these monsters are, you were standing proudly on the roof earlier, Blue Witch. Aren’t you worried about hiding?”

“I’m a witch.”

“…Uh, does that mean you’re strong and can use magic?”

Not quite understanding, I asked for clarification. The Blue Witch waved her empty teacup as she explained further.

“I was born with a static electricity condition. My body naturally stores electricity. When gremlins began spreading, it was hell. It felt like needles were running through my veins for three days and nights. Many others with the same condition couldn’t endure it and died.

Still, I survived. Those who survive being invaded by gremlins… well, skipping the technical details, most of them are women under specific conditions. Women who survive and gain the ability to use magic are called witches. Monster women. Witches, basically.”

She added that men who gain such abilities are called wizards, then poured herself another cup of tea.

Sounds like you’ve been through a lot. I’m so relieved I’m not one of those with a static electricity condition.

“In Tokyo, and probably elsewhere, city areas with resources are mostly governed by witches or wizards. Only witches or wizards can fight against monsters. Very few monsters can be killed with metal bats or crossbows. For a while, I governed Ome and protected the people here from monsters. My father, mother, younger sister, and childhood friend helped me. It wasn’t a bad life. Honestly, I enjoyed defeating monsters that attacked innocent people much more than being admired for appearing in fashion magazines or being popular with my classmates.”

The Blue Witch’s eyes narrowed nostalgically as she sighed.

The world’s in chaos, but a beautiful high school girl awakens to superpowers and saves people!

This feels like an anime plot I’ve seen before. Pretty epic, right?

“But there’s no sign of people in Ome now.” 

I said, puzzled.

At that, the Blue Witch’s expression turned icy cold in an instant.

Wait, did I step on a landmine? Terrifying!

“They’re all dead. I killed some of them myself. Now, I live alone in Ome. I hunt all the monsters that appear in this area. Intruders are killed. I’ve told the witches in surrounding areas that if they find any surviving residents of Ome seeking a safe place, they should send them here.”

“I-I see?”

What she said when we first encountered each other—“Who gave you permission to be here?”—must have meant something like, “Which witch referred you to this place?”

Ignorance is terrifying. While the Blue Witch is intimidating and dangerous, at least she’s someone you can communicate with. If I had unknowingly wandered into the territory of a cannibalistic witch she mentioned in passing, I’d probably already be someone’s lunch by now.

I’m glad I got to learn these basics this time.

To summarize the fundamental knowledge the Blue Witch shared:

• Electricity has become unusable worldwide, leading to the collapse of civilization.
• Monsters now roam freely, causing chaos and destruction, leading to the breakdown of public order and countless deaths.
• Currently, witches and wizards with awakened special powers maintain order within their own territories.

I see. That’s the gist of it. Got it.

As I nodded in understanding, the Blue Witch leaned forward, tapping the magic staff, Hendenshou-kun, she had placed on the table with her fingers, and spoke.

“You’ve got the general picture now, right? Good. This time, it’s my turn to ask. Tell me about this out-of-place artifact.”

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