Kays Translations

Chapter 64: The Arrival of the Black Ships

“Listen, okay? Don’t kill anyone. Absolutely do not kill anyone. This isn’t a joke. No matter what happens, do not kill them.”

“I got it, I got it.”

The Blue Witch replied, exasperated, to the insistent warnings of the Seer magician.

On the day of the Black Ships’ arrival, the Tokyo Witch Assembly was holding its final meeting inside a hastily renovated trade house in Minato Ward, now repurposed as a reception hall.

Four Black Ships bearing the American flag were approaching. If they were similar in size to the ones that had arrived in Japan in the 6th year of Kaei (1853) at the end of the Edo period, their crews would number between 600 and 1,000. The vast majority would be sailors, with only around 2 to 10 actually involved in diplomatic negotiations.

In response, Japan would greet them with a delegation of ten (excluding unseen personnel such as chefs and hotel staff).

• Representing the Witch Assembly: The Eyeball Witch.
• Interpreter: Kei Ohinata.
• Guard: The Blue Witch.
• Seven remaining members: Ceremonial guards selected from various security forces.

All guards were in full dress uniform, equipped with staffs, protective amulets, and clad in military attire woven from spider silk and steel-wool fabric.

The Eyeball Witch initially protested that serving as the nation’s representative was beyond her ability, attempting to hand the role over to the Seer magician. However, any harm befalling the Seer magician would be a disaster. The best arrangement was for him to remain behind the scenes while the Eyeball Witch acted as the public face.

Now, the Eyeball Witch sat in a corner of the reception hall’s waiting room, clutching a stomach remedy with a pale face, regretting the absence of the Vampire Magician.

“Ohinata-kun, I’m counting on you. If it comes down to it, stop the Blue Witch. If she kills a delegate, things will get ugly.”

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

The girl with stoat-like ears and a tail nodded with more composure than anyone present, easing the Seer magician’s concerns.

Watching this exchange, the Blue Witch felt a twinge of annoyance. It was as if Ohinata was being trusted more than her.

Of course, the Blue Witch would not hesitate to kill if necessary—even if the target was a U.S. government envoy.

But the Seer magician had seen a strange future:

During the meeting, which was supposed to proceed peacefully, the Blue Witch would suddenly kill the envoy.

If that happened, all the American witches and wizards waiting on the Black Ships would emerge, triggering a war between Japan and the United States.

It made no sense.

The Blue Witch was no indiscriminate killer. If she took a life, she had a reason. The U.S. envoy was supposed to be diplomatic and amiable, so what could possibly provoke her to kill them?

And yet—it was a future that would happen.

Canceling the meeting was considered, but in the end, it was decided to proceed to uncover what would drive the Blue Witch to such a decision.

As the moment of arrival approached, there was still no sign of hostility. The Black Ships sounded their whistles before and after entering Tokyo Bay. There was no indication of an ambush or attack.

With no scouts flying over the water, no familiars dispatched, and no individuals soaring through the sky, it seemed the American side had no witches or wizards capable of such feats.

As the final preparations continued in the waiting room, a messenger entered, saluting with a tense expression.

“Report! A boat has been lowered from the Black Ships. Their envoy is requesting permission to dock all four vessels. They state they are a goodwill delegation from the United States of America.”

“They’re here. Proceed as planned—guide them to Piers One through Four.”

“Understood.”

The messenger saluted again and left.

The Seer magician turned to the Blue Witch one last time.

“I’m serious—don’t kill anyone.”

Then, he departed to a waiting area across the street from the reception hall.

The Blue Witch nodded to Professor Ohinata, encouraged the pale-faced Eyeball Witch, and set off to the pier to greet the American delegation.

From the Black Ship’s gangway descended two figures: one man and one giant, bipedal rat.

Neither concealed their immense magic power—it was unmistakable. They were both wizards.

The humanoid rat, disturbingly realistic in appearance, wore a crisp suit and sunglasses. Male, presumably.

The other man—

The moment the Blue Witch saw him, every nerve in her body bristled.

Beside her, the Eyeball Witch audibly gasped.

The young man, appearing around twenty, had flawless blond hair, striking blue eyes, and impossibly symmetrical features. The kind of beauty that could only be sculpted by a god—a vision of the ideal male.

And his ears were long and pointed.

An elf.

The Blue Witch had nothing but bad memories of blond, blue-eyed elves.

Though the age difference was clear, there was an undeniable resemblance—he was of the same race as him.

For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to send him back to his country immediately.

But she held herself back.

Race didn’t determine personality.

The leader of the Aratake Group was of the same race as herself, yet they were completely different people.

And if the Seer magician had insisted, over and over again, that everything would be fine, then perhaps this envoy truly came in peace.

Even so, she couldn’t fully trust them.

After all, the Seer magician had once been thoroughly deceived by the wizard of Iruma, who also feigned goodwill.

The Blue Witch scrutinized the elf with unconcealed suspicion.

The elf, in turn, looked at her the way men often did when they first met her.

In other words—he was captivated.

However, he quickly regained his composure.

After glancing between the Blue Witch and the Eyeball Witch, he hesitated briefly before extending his hand to the Blue Witch.

『It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Conrad Williams, Supreme Commander of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Demon King Countermeasure Division. It is an honor to meet you, Blue Witch. I have heard of you from the Hell Witch.』

『It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the Blue Witch.』

There were parts of his English she didn’t fully understand, but she responded with the practiced phrase and shook his outstretched hand.

The words Hell Witch caught her attention, allowing her to piece together some of America’s circumstances.

The Hell Witch had set out on a journey to aid those suffering in hardship nearly three years ago.

It seemed she had ended up in America, where she had spoken of the Tokyo Witch Assembly.

This explained how the Americans had found them.

Without prior knowledge, it would have been impossible to cross the vast Pacific and pinpoint Tokyo, especially with no guarantee that survivors were even there.

As the Blue Witch pondered this, still gripping his hand, Professor Ohinata gently interjected.

Conrad released her hand and shook Ohinata’s in turn.

『It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Kei Ohinata, the interpreter. This is the Blue Witch, responsible for security. And this is the Eyeball Witch, the representative of Japan’s survivor community.』

“Eyeball Witch, your introduction.”

“O-oh, um…” 『It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am the Eyeball Witch.』

『Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you as well. I am Conrad Williams, Supreme Commander of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Demon King Countermeasure Division. You all speak English very well.』

Conrad smiled gently. Two of the female honor guards, who had been standing rigidly at attention in silence, couldn’t withstand his strikingly good looks and averted their gaze, only to have their neighboring comrades subtly step on their toes in reprimand.

“Glen, it looks like we won’t need an interpreter.”

“Good. My Japanese, not very good. Can I ask you for translation?”

At Conrad’s words, a rat-like humanoid in a suit and sunglasses turned to Professor Ōhinata for confirmation. His Japanese was somewhat affected by a foreign accent, but it was still remarkably clear and perfectly conveyed its meaning. Professor Ōhinata nodded with a smile.

“No problem at all. Leave it to me.”

“Thank you. My name is Glen Grayling. I am the reconnaissance team leader of the Department of Defense’s Anti-Demon King Task Force. As you may have already guessed, I am a mutant. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“By ‘mutant,’ do you mean someone who originally had an affinity for static electricity?”

“? Ah, my apologies. Yes, that’s correct. In your terminology, that would be a witch or sorcerer, right? I’ll use those terms from now on.”

Professor Ōhinata and Glen quickly conferred in hushed, rapid speech, aligning their terminology regarding the new vocabulary that had emerged after the Gremlin Catastrophe.

With simultaneous interpretation now set up, the group proceeded toward the guesthouse under the lead of the honor guard.

The sidewalk was cordoned off with cones and ropes, and the security forces closely monitored the crowd pressing forward to catch a glimpse of the American delegation.

Conrad and Glen waved to the gathered spectators in a friendly manner. When Conrad waved, high-pitched cheers erupted from the women. When Glen waved, a portion of the crowd responded with enthusiastic shouts.

The delegation arrived at the guesthouse without incident and immediately commenced discussions in a soundproof meeting room.

The American and Japanese representatives faced each other across the table. After a brief exchange of diplomatic pleasantries, the talks began.

“I have heard from the Hell Witch about the Tokyo Witch Assembly. It is said to be a large-scale survivor community composed of extraordinary individuals. While I had heard of it before, visiting in person has made me realize that its reputation does not do it justice. We would greatly appreciate your assistance.”

“Conrad. Before we begin…”

“Ah, of course. As a token of our friendship, we have brought a gift. Please accept it freely—this is not a bribe.”

At Conrad’s words, Glen’s pouch bulged outward, and an enormous box emerged. He opened the lid, revealing neatly stacked silver ingots.

“Five tons of silver. Two tons of platinum. I’m sure you’ll find them useful.”

“? I see. Thank you.”

“…?”

The Eyeball Witch, confused by being presented with precious metals as if they were something of great value, nevertheless offered polite thanks as a matter of decorum.

Glen, puzzled by the Japanese delegation’s subdued reaction, nonetheless completed the formal exchange. In return, the Japanese side presented them with magical staffs, a cage containing a golden hawk, an embedded gremlin, a coat made from the outer hide of a Daidarabotchi, and a magic sleeping aid that allowed one to dream of whatever they wished.

The American delegation showed particular interest in the magical staffs. However, after setting aside the discussion of the exchanged gifts, they began explaining their circumstances.

The Situation in America

The President of the United States survived the Gremlin Catastrophe. However, a key official—the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development—awakened as a magician and subsequently took over as the new president. Demonstrating exceptional leadership, they spearheaded a mass migration, relocating survivors from the devastated East Coast cities such as New York and Washington, D.C., to the Great Plains in central North America.

The Great Plains, one of America’s largest agricultural regions, successfully supported a massive survivor enclave of 4.5 million people.

Among the military-affiliated witches, one possessed a unique ability: the power to fly at high speeds without the need for external support. This allowed the United States to establish a swift and effective communication network across the continent.

Under the authority of the President, 88 witches and wizards were gathered, forming a stable and formidable survivor community.

One particularly strategic location was Texas, which still had operational oil fields.

Even though humanity had lost electricity, petroleum resources remained invaluable.

The revival of old technologies that did not require electricity proceeded rapidly—steamships were being built at shipyards, and steam locomotives were once again running on railroads.

Although some states refused to submit to the new government and declared independence, and several uprisings occurred, America largely remained united. Under the slogan “Great America Again,” the country surged forward, rebuilding civilization at a breathtaking pace.

However, the catastrophe that threatened this great America appeared a year and a half ago.

A monstrous entity classified as “AA-Class”—known as a “Category K-1” entity in Japanese terminology—manifested.

It was abnormally powerful and exhibited extraordinary behavior.

Unlike other creatures that acted purely on instinct, this one demonstrated intelligence on par with humans, specifically targeting witches and wizards.

It employed complex strategies—concealing its magic to ambush prey, using other monsters to create diversions, and executing coordinated attacks.

Moreover, upon defeating a witch or wizard, it absorbed their power and became even stronger.

It displayed a compulsive desire to collect magic stones, devouring them voraciously. Already a formidable AA-Class entity, it rapidly evolved into something far beyond control.

Its magic reserves, durability, attack power, and speed were all overwhelming on their own, yet it possessed all these attributes simultaneously.

Even though the United States had developed magic staffs of its own, and its elite warriors fiercely resisted the Demon King, the battle lines were gradually pushed back.

The Demon King was relentless in its pursuit of magic stones and magic beings. At times, large-scale military operations using magic stones as bait managed to inflict serious wounds on it. However, it regenerated completely within days.

As America’s magic combat forces were steadily depleted, the Demon King only grew stronger.

If all magic stones and magicians disappeared, America would be left defenseless against monsters and would ultimately be annihilated.

The only silver lining was that the Demon King showed no interest in ordinary humans. However, even if regular people survived, they would eventually be crushed by the myriad other monsters.

America’s seemingly endless retreat was finally halted by an unexpected intervention.

A Japanese witch, traveling overland through Alaska and Canada, arrived from the north.

She was none other than the Hell Witch.

The Hell Witch, who had been traveling the world aiding isolated survivor communities, had acquired a vast array of magic from magicians across various regions. Her wide-area annihilation magic, chanted simultaneously through her three mouths, boasted overwhelming destructive power due to its synergistic effects.

In the battle against the Demon King, the Hell Witch performed the work of more than three people on her own.

But above all, what was most remarkable was the staff she carried—the Möbius Linked Staff, Hariti.

Thanks to Hariti, America was also able to discover magic script.

The U.S. military developed methods to utilize magic script, drastically improving its combat capabilities. They even began to push the Demon King back. Additionally, they established strategies to completely avoid the absorption of magic stones and magicians.

Realizing its disadvantage, the Demon King vanished into the Rocky Mountains.

What followed was the Class I Monster Abnormality.

Somehow, the Demon King gained the ability to infect other monsters with its Black Gremlin.

Monsters that developed a Black Gremlin inside their bodies acquired the same time acceleration ability as the Demon King.

Moreover, when the Black Gremlin inside a monster grew larger than its natural Gremlin counterpart, the Demon King gained complete control over it.

The Demon King then infected the world’s most powerful monsters with Black Gremlins, summoning them to its side.

Thus, the end of America began.

With an army of powerful monsters under its command, the Demon King reappeared and obliterated America’s survivor communities in an instant. It seized all magic stones and absorbed any witches or wizards who failed to escape in time.

The remnants of the American government fled for their lives and established a government-in-exile in Cuba.

Presently, America has become a paradise ruled by the Demon King and its monsters.

The Demon King’s obsession with absorbing magic stones and transcendent beings is abnormal. There is no way it will be satisfied with just America.

If left alone, it will continue to grow stronger indefinitely.

This is no longer just America’s crisis.

It is a crisis for the entire world.

The exiled American government, drawing hope from the Hell Witch’s accounts, turned its eyes toward Japan.

Future sight magic. Magic staffs. The Dragon Witch and the Blue Witch, said to be even stronger than the Hell Witch.

If Japan could be convinced to cooperate, then defeating the Demon King might still be possible.

And if the Demon King could not be stopped, the world would fall.

For Japan, this was no longer someone else’s problem.

Thus, America took the last of its steamships and carried out a second Black Ship arrival, determined to seek Japan’s aid.

Upon hearing America’s situation, the Japanese representatives were left speechless.

The mystery of Class I Monsters had finally been solved.

However, their worst-case scenario—“The world might be destroyed”—had just been upgraded to an even worse one: “The world will be destroyed.”

That alone was shocking enough.

But there were too many uncertainties and too many inexplicable elements.

The more they understood, the more they did not understand.

The meeting, while filled with ominous revelations, remained calm and amicable.

But how, from this point, could it possibly lead to a situation where the Blue Witch would kill an envoy?

The intention behind the gifts was also unclear.

What use was silver and platinum?

And what did they mean by “America has also discovered magic script”?

Japan had not discovered magic script yet.

If neither Japan nor America had found it first…

Did that mean a third country had already discovered magic script before either of them?

“…Where do we even begin? There’s too much we need to ask.”

At the Eyeball Witch’s murmur, the Blue Witch nodded.

Professor Ōhinata, who had been trying to maintain her composure but had been furiously wagging her tail ever since the topic of magic script arose, also nodded solemnly.

The meeting was far from over.

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