Chapter 153: The Future
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: The Future
She turned back time.
It was a magic all her own, one that no one else could perceive, or even be aware of.
—She had thought it was invincible. The ultimate power, impossible to counter even if you knew it was coming.
‘How?’
Margaret stared at Regina, who stood before her. This wasn't like Yohan, who was merely aware that he had returned to the past.
Regina had clearly followed her, traveling back through time. That was something only she, the Witch of Time, should have been able to do.
"Hmm, so this is what it feels like."
Regina savored the sensation of returning to the past. It felt like merging with her past self, a strange feeling of pushing her past self aside and taking its place.
"You… how on earth…"
Margaret pointed a trembling finger at Regina. It was impossible. It had to be a mistake, or an act to deceive her.
Convinced of this, Margaret turned back time once more. She couldn't go too far, or she might not be able to return to the future she came from, but if she went back as far as she could…!
"Gasp, gasp—!"
"Ritz?"
At the sound of Evangeline's voice, Margaret clutched her pounding heart and looked around.
She had traveled back in time. Regina was nowhere to be seen. Phew. Letting out a sigh of relief, Margaret wiped the sweat from her brow and forced a smile, looking for Yohan.
Her magic power was nearly depleted. If she didn't replenish it soon…
"Hmm, is that really so?"
Then, she heard the voice she had been so desperate to escape. Margaret’s eyes darted to the side, and there she was.
Regina was tilting her head, looking right at her. No way, no way—she followed me all the way here? It wasn't a mistake or a misunderstanding—she really awakened as the Witch of Time?
‘No, that can't happen.’
One witch to rule the timeline was enough. If two people were constantly rewinding time to suit their own desires, the outcome was obvious.
Either one of them would give up, or the timeline would snap under the strain. Margaret had no intention of giving up her power, and a broken timeline was an even more terrifying prospect.
That left killing Regina, but that was impossible. You couldn't kill the Witch of Time. If she saw a future where she died, she could simply return to the past.
"Is something wrong, Miss Margaret?"
"Wh-what?"
"You're sweating so much…"
"You, you…"
"—Is there a problem?"
Watching Regina speak to her so casually, Margaret couldn't help but wonder if she had truly awakened her time magic or not.
Her expression was one of pure concern, too innocent for someone who had just awakened. But if she hadn't, then what just happened was…
"Right, Miss Margaret. You should go get some rest."
"O-oh, yeah. M-maybe I should?"
"I'll make you some porridge. Go rest in your room."
At Yohan's words, Margaret nodded and carefully went into her room.
As he watched her go, Yohan turned to Regina.
"How was it?"
"It's unbelievable."
Regina looked at Yohan and relayed what she had discovered.
"Traveling back in time… is something like this really possible?"
"It's not a question of possibility… you saw it yourself, didn't you?"
"Yes, and that's what makes it so hard to believe."
Due to the nature of her Record Magic, which consumed twice as much magic power as others, it was impossible for her to physically follow Margaret into the past.
So, Regina had used a different method. She had sent only the records in her mind—her memories—back to the past.
The Regina of the present had received those memories from her future self and, in disbelief, had come to find Yohan.
"To think it's possible to freely control time, moving to the past and future at will."
"Alright, then now… we need to figure out how to find the original Margaret."
"That will be difficult," Regina murmured. It wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't impossible.
"First, there is one thing I've learned."
Margaret's secret.
"Her starting point is today."
The day she awakened as the Witch of Time and had her body stolen by her future self. That day was today.
That was why the fake Margaret couldn't go back any further than today. If she traveled further back in time, she would end up in the distant future where Yohan was dead—the very future Margaret was so desperate to escape.
"But I'm different."
A time traveler who cannot return to the past.
And a time traveler with no such restrictions.
It didn't need to be said who would win in a fight between the two.
"Well then—I'll see you yesterday, Yohan."
"…Right."
With those words, Regina leaped through time. To a past where Margaret had not yet awakened.
*
The day rewound.
Yohan was aware of it.
‘Looks like she succeeded.’
The reason he, who wasn't the Witch of Time, could perceive the time travel was simple. He possessed the magic of nullification, and beyond that, the subconscious that was the source of that magic.
It was the very origin of Yohan's being, the reason why psychoactive drugs like aphrodisiacs or narcotics worked on him, but something like hypnosis magic never would.
"Let's see—if this is the past, then…"
Realizing he had returned to the past, Yohan immediately left his room. The doting, wifely Margaret who would always wake up before him to prepare breakfast was no longer there.
Only the witch who prioritized pleasure, who was only interested in playing, and who preferred others to do things for her rather than the other way around, would remain.
"Miss Margaret."
Yohan headed to Margaret's room, opened the unlocked door, and found her inside, sleeping with a pillow hugged between her legs.
The short bob that had been cut just past her shoulders was gone, replaced by the shimmering, long hair she originally had.
Yohan carefully approached the bed and fiddled with a strand of her hair.
"Mmm… Disciple?"
Muttering in her sleep, Margaret slowly opened her eyes and saw Yohan standing before her.
A grin spread across her face as she shot out a hand, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him toward her.
"What's the matter? Couldn't you hold back because you were so hot for me? Huh?"
"…Is that you, Miss Margaret?"
"What are you talking about? If I'm not me, then who am I?"
Margaret tilted her head as if to ask what nonsense he was spouting. Yohan buried his face in her chest, listening to the sound of her heartbeat.
A steady rhythm. It didn't seem like she was lying. Her heart was beating a little faster, but it seemed to be from excitement.
"Um. Miss Margaret. Please listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Tomorrow, you will die. At the hands of your own self from hundreds of years in the future."
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
"That's just how it is."
The words sounded like something out of the science fiction movies Yohan sometimes showed her, and Margaret was filled with questions.
She was going to die tomorrow? And her future self was coming to kill her? As the Witch of Space, it was a concept she couldn't yet grasp.
Ignoring Margaret's confusion, Yohan began to explain the information he had gathered.
"The reason this happens is because you're going to awaken tomorrow, and the reason the future Miss Margaret is coming to the present is because I die in the future. She plans to kill the current you and take your place."
"…I don't really get it."
"Just remember this, Miss Margaret. I will save you, no matter what."
"—Heeey, what's this? Were you just trying to say something cool?"
Margaret giggled, adding that he didn't need to do all that.
If he wanted to say something cool, he could just say it. She would always smile and praise him.
With that, Margaret went outside with Yohan.
She would die tomorrow? As if that could ever happen.
*
A day passed.
In the end, Margaret succeeded in awakening.
It was thanks to her pondering how such a thing could be possible after hearing Yohan's story about her future self coming to kill her.
The future Margaret, who had somehow managed to return to Yohan's side once more, realized this couldn't continue.
‘If Regina just turns back time again, it'll all be for nothing… I have to do something to stop that from happening…’
Just then, a brilliant idea popped into Margaret's head. It was a self-destructive thought, but at the same time, it was a way to ensure she could have Yohan all to herself.
It would create a stretch of time so long that it wouldn't matter if he came to hate her.
Margaret put her plan into action.
*
Chirp, chirp—.
Yohan squinted as an unusually bright sunlight hit his eyes, and he sat up. His body felt strangely heavy.
As if he had been asleep for decades.
He carefully got up and left the cabin for his usual morning training.
The same lush, green forest as always greeted him… or not.
"…What is this?"
Yohan let out a low groan as he stared at the ultramodern buildings that had appeared before him. A massive skyscraper soared into the sky as if to pierce it.
Dozens of other buildings surrounded it.
It felt as if he had returned not to another world, but to the modern era.
‘Where… am I?’
"Good morning, Yohan."
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind him. Margaret's voice. Yohan turned his head and realized her hair was short again.
"—Was this your doing?"
"Mhm. That's right. I did it."
Margaret followed Yohan out of the cabin.
"Welcome to the future, decades from now."
This was a future so distant that Regina couldn't possibly return to it with her magic power alone.
To ensure he could never go back to the past, Margaret had skipped them forward decades in an instant.