Chapter 54: Why Are You So Riled Up?

After the Spider Witch safely handed over Professor Ōhinata to Hiyori, I found myself riding on her back alongside the fire lizards, heading back against the subway’s usual direction. We were moving at quite a speed—at least as fast as the charcoal-powered car we took on the way in.

The giant spider’s back was hard, making it painful to sit on, but by gripping one of the sharp, menacing spikes and leaning against another, I managed to stabilize myself.

As we skillfully maneuvered along the walls, avoiding the submerged areas, the Spider Witch murmured thoughtfully.

“I don’t mind sending you to Okutama, but… wouldn’t it be better to just apologize honestly?”

“No way, no way, no way! She was super clear about it—’Do not, under any circumstances, leave Okutama.’ If she finds out, I’ll be in for the scolding of a lifetime. I have to get back before she notice.”

“The Blue Witch is a good person. If you explain properly, she’ll understand. I met her before things got like this… She was scary, but she was really kind to me.”

“Huh? I can’t picture that at all. When was this?”

“Before the coup in Iruma. Even now, sometimes I think… if Iruma hadn’t existed, maybe everything would’ve worked out.”

That must have been around the time I was struggling with the whole sudden survival thing.

I had no idea what was happening in the city back then. From what I’ve heard, the wizard who led the coup in Iruma was a truly evil guy. The Spider Witch had even described the contract magic used by Aratake boss, the one invading now, as a “cheap knockoff of Iruma’s magic.” Just how terrifying was that guy? Good riddance.

As I pondered over this history I didn’t witness, the Spider Witch gradually slowed down and came to a stop.

The station sign read “Kori.” Okutama was still two stops away.

“What’s wrong? Is there a monster?”

“……Hmm. Hey, 0933…  there isn’t a Flower Witch in Okutama, right?”

The Spider Witch took a hesitant step backward and spoke with visible reluctance.

“There’s no Flower Witch, but her daughter is there. You don’t like the Flower Witch?”

“It’s not that I dislike her. But… I can smell the Flower Witch’s essential oils. The scent is getting stronger. If I go any further… I’ll die.”

“Ah—! Right! That’s right! Back up, back up!”

A memory from about a year ago resurfaced, and I frantically urged her to retreat.

Of course. The Flower Witch once said, “My essential oils kill magic fungi and insect monsters.”

Spiders aren’t insects, but I’d seen the Fuyou’s oil work on centipede monsters, which, like spiders, are arthropods. So yeah, it would probably work on spiders too.

Oh crap. She’s a natural predator of the Spider Witch!

To protect Okutama, Fuyōu regularly disperses those essential oils to keep magic fungi and insect monsters at bay. I never thought it would come back to bite me like this.

“I’m so sorry! Seriously, this is beyond ‘I forgot,’ this is unforgivable. I deeply apologize.”

“It’s fine… I remembered the scent from the pandemic, so I wasn’t going to rush in and die. But I definitely don’t want to get any closer. Can I drop you off here…?”

“Of course! Just back up, back up—keep going!”

Once I was sure the Spider Witch was at a safe distance, I climbed down from her back.

I helped the fire lizards off too—they were cranky from hunger and exhausted after riding on the back of someone much stronger than them. Lastly, I unloaded my tool bag.

“That should be everything, right?”

“Yeah. Are you really okay with me keeping the staff? If you need it, I can return it…”

“No, no, don’t be so modest. I made that staff specifically for you, so please use it. Honestly, it’s so roughly made that I feel bad. Want me to take it back and refine it properly?”

“No, this is good. You made it just for me, 0933…”

The Spider Witch let out a chirping sound and lightly scuttled her feet as she tucked the staff into a holder.

Well, as a craftsman, I wasn’t fully satisfied with it, but if the customer’s happy, I guess it’s fine.

“The one casting the mist over Okutama is the Flower Witch’s daughter, Fuyōu. I’ll tell her to let you and your familiars through. So… maybe come visit—ah, wait, I guess that’s not possible. At least send me a letter sometime?”

“……!? ………Yeah. If the Blue Witch allows it…”

“It’s fine! She’s got a sharp tongue, but she’s actually pretty lenient with me. If I push hard enough, I can convince her.”

“I see. 0933, you should… look behind you.”

“Huh?”

I turned around as instructed—and standing just one step away, within intimate distance, was the furious Blue Witch.

She was carrying her staff, but she wasn’t wearing her usual ragged black coat. Instead, she was dressed like a regular woman, without even her mask.

Her face was fully visible.

Her face, filled with unfiltered rage.

I felt the blood drain from my entire body.

“…Hii—”

“Dairi—!! You idiot! I told you so many times never to leave Okutama!!”

“Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…!”

Overcome with fury, the puddle at Hiyori’s feet froze solid. Her magic was literally leaking out!

I figured she’d be mad if she found out, but this was at least three times worse than I imagined!

“Do you have any idea how I felt, leaving Kei-chan at the hospital and heading back to Okutama!? Until I spoke with Fuyōu, I thought you’d been kidnapped! I nearly had a heart attack! You absolute fool!”

“Uh, but… You’re my best friend, and the professor is my friend too. A friend was in trouble, so I thought I should help—”

“You utter moron! What could YOU do on a battlefield!? You’d just be another hostage!!”

Hiyori raised a hand, about to slap me, but at the last second, she managed to restrain herself. Her palm stopped just beside my cheek.

Even so, the air displacement from the halted strike hit me like a real slap, rattling my skull harder than a normal one.

“S-Sorry! I get it! You’re right—I should’ve stayed put like you said. But I thought it through! I brought weapons, fire lizards, my tool bag, and I took the underground paths to stay out of sight—”

“Shut up. Do you really think such petty tricks would work against witches and wizards? If the Spider Witch hadn’t… Wait a minute. Dairi, you went all the way to Bunkyō, didn’t you?! That’s the only way to explain that magic staff on her leg!!”

“Awawawa, sorry, sorry, sorry! I won’t do it again! I swear! I swear on my life!”

“You swore never to leave Okutama, and yet here you are! Do you even understand why we fortified Okutama’s defenses?! You—! You absolute—! Idiot, idiot, idiot!”

Hiyori’s rage kept escalating.

Th-this is terrifying!

And she’s completely right. I made her worry so much, and now I feel awful about it.

Seriously, I’m so sorry!

“I’m sorry. Um, from now on, I’ll make sure to properly consult Hiyori before leaving Okutama.”

“Next time!? You plan to do this again!? You—!”

Damn it! I feel like everything I say is just adding fuel to the fire.

Honestly, this is my fault, and no matter what I say, it’s useless.

As I sat on the cold concrete in seiza position, repeating “yes” and “I’m sorry” like a machine, the Spider Witch, who had been watching the furious Blue Witch, hesitantly extended a lifeline.

“Blue Witch, can I talk to you for a second?”

“What? I’m in the middle of something! Talk later!”

“You know how my decoy magic works, right? 0933… Dairi saw my decoy as you. That means he cherishes you the most. He truly, from the bottom of his heart, wanted to help you. Please forgive him…”

“Wha…? Th—! N-no…! Ugh, this is driving me crazy! Dairi, get your act together! What the hell are you trying to do to my emotions!?”

Hearing the Spider Witch’s explanation, Hiyori let out a frustrated scream and punched the subway wall. A spiderweb-like crack spread across it, sending dust trickling from the ceiling.

Stop that, stop that! If the whole thing collapses, we’ll be buried alive!

“Hmm. Look, I know I’m just an outsider, so maybe my words don’t carry much weight, but I do think the Blue Witch is a bit overprotective. Dairi isn’t some treasure to be locked away. He’s your friend… right? Trying to keep him tucked away and stopping him from doing what he wants isn’t the best way to protect him.”

“What are you saying? I was just… protecting him, wasn’t I? I do appreciate that you were keeping an eye on him, but you saw how reckless he is. How could I possibly just leave him be?”

“Yeah, he did say some pretty dangerous things, and I get where you’re coming from… but maybe if you made it easier for him to talk to you, things could have turned out differently. You probably told him something like, ‘Never leave, no matter what,’ right?”

I knew speaking up would only make Hiyori angrier, so I just nodded vigorously.

Hiyori crossed her arms irritably, tapping her fingers against them.

“Then what should I have done? Taking him with me was out of the question.”

“It’s about making it make sense to him. You need to listen to him more—understand his thoughts and opinions. Just like Dairi wants to act for his friends, you also want him to stay safe for his own good. If you made that feeling clear, maybe he wouldn’t have acted on his own…”

“…………”

The Blue Witch gave me a skeptical look, and I nodded.

To be honest, I think I got the wrong idea about friendship from manga and novels. “Risking your life for a friend” seems so cool—like the ultimate proof of friendship—but really, it depends on the situation.

As Hiyori fell silent, the Spider Witch gently nudged her forward with her words.

“Besides, thanks to Dairi coming here, I was able to get my staff made. And because I had my staff, I was able to save Professor Ohinata… Of course, luck played a role too, but in the end, you and Dairi worked together to take on the Aratake gang. Dairi’s feelings were kind and noble, and the results were good. His approach just wasn’t great. So please, don’t be too hard on him. If something like this happens again, I’ll keep all seven of my eyes on him and help out.”

Hiyori was silent for a long time but finally, reluctantly, nodded.

“Fine. I’ve said what I needed to say. That’s enough.”

Oh, Spider Witch~!

The wrath of the raging god has been calmed! Are you the savior?

She’s so good with words. Honestly, just make the Witch of Spiders the leader of the Witch Assembly already.

“Dairi, you better be grateful to the Spider Witch. And wait, aren’t you two standing a little too close?”

“Huh…? This seems normal to me.”

“Really? It doesn’t look that way.”

“Ah, uh, I should get going. I can’t go any further than this, so you two head back to Okutama on your own. Well then, see you…”

Looking a bit flustered, the Spider Witch hurriedly disappeared into the darkness of the subway.

I saluted her retreating figure, and after hesitating for a moment, the Blue placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly.

Yeah, she was a good witch. Almost on par with the Blue Witch. I definitely want to stay on good terms with her.

When the Seer Mage collapsed, the emergency alert was issued, and the Aratake gang launched their attack, I thought we were doomed. But somehow, we made it through.

It’s heartbreaking that there were casualties.

Especially Professor Hanada—just when I heard his voice for the first time, it turned out to be his final words. His sacrifice was truly tragic.

But because of him, the Tokyo Witch Assembly won.

The great professor of Gremlin Engineering gave his life to open a path to victory. I deeply mourn his loss and offer my utmost praise.

Another thing we can’t forget—the entire Aratake gang had magic stones.

Those insane yakuza bastards died, leaving behind a ton of magic stones for the Witch Assembly.

We won’t know the total number until all the post-battle work is done, but it’s definitely more than just one or two.

The magic stones will rebuild the Tokyo that the Aratake gang devastated.

And magic stones mean—

It’s my time to shine.

I need to start thinking about the staffs we’ll craft using the magic stones the Witch Assembly collected.

Looks like I’m going to be busy!

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