12. Witch of the Crimson Flame (4)

Flames swirl.

Smoke rises from the scorched asphalt.

Blood splatters across the broken road.

There are girls gasping for air, merely waiting for death.

It's not that they are weak.

It's just that the Crimson Flame defeated them.

At that moment, finally, the girl—the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠girl of crimson flame—arrived.

Gasping for breath, she looks at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it, at the Crimson Flame Witch.

And only then does she realize.

That the emotion she is feeling right now is not just despair.

The girl could not grasp reality.

She could not accept that what was happening right now was true, was reality.

That witch who drove the sunbae-nims and AA to their deaths.

The reality that it is herself.

Who on earth could accept that?

&&&

I ran and ran. Once I had seen the future, once I had seen the ruin, I had no choice but to run.

To save the sunbae-nims? No.

No, maybe that's right. But I know. It's as clear as day that this isn't a problem I can solve just by going there.

Then why am I running?

Because I want to indulge in playing Magical Girl? No. That's not it.

What makes someone like me so special to go around doing things like that?

I just thought about it.

Will it really end with the ruin of the sunbae-nims?

No. There's no way.

While I was in the hospital room, Strawberry-sunbae said something. It was a story about witches.

'Witches are... hmm, just like a disaster. They never stop until you block them, until you subjugate them. They probably wouldn't even stop if it reached the level of world destruction, you know?'

Interpreting that, it means that in this state, the Crimson Flame Witch will move to another place and destroy everything there again.

I am going to catch the Crimson Flame Witch.

I obviously know the fact that if things go wrong, I might die in that state.

In the first place, my two hands and two feet, my two legs, are all shaking so much that I can't even run properly right now.

The only things I have to rely on are my new ability and Dori's request for support.

The fact that I can take a step forward with just that is amazing even to me.

I am walking the path to death.

I haven't even become a mage yet, and I haven't been recognized by my parents.

I kick off the ground with my trembling legs and feet.

Let's not think right now.

I will not die.

Let's believe in myself.

[Are you really okay?]

"Of course I am."

[You're still trembling right now, are you sure you're okay?]

"I'm a Magical Girl, aren't I? Anyway, Dori. How did the support go?"

[Alea and Equitesia are coming. It will take about 15 minutes. Perhaps during that time, the witch might invade the nearby area.]

I was scared. But thanks to Dori's words, I realized it. If I don't stop it, the damage will grow.

[You're not usually this kind of person!]

"I don't know how well Dori knows me. I'm just that kind of person. A human whose emotions come before reason, and whose compassion is faster than calculation."

[Think again. I don't want you to die.]

"It's okay. I won't die."

[Do you really have to say that, which is the most famous last words among Magical Girls?]

I run again.

And, I witnessed the familiar scene I had seen in the video.

I arrived in front of the Crimson Flame Witch.

And.

I was overwhelmed by the aura of death.

"......Theresia?!"

I heard Mika's voice. Perhaps she had coughed up blood while casting healing magic, as blood was splattered on the floor.

Next to her, Devia was lying down with blood in her mouth.

AA-sunbae was collapsed inside a small barrier.

Strawberry-sunbae was... crying.

"Huh?"

I quietly approached Strawberry-sunbae. Strawberry-sunbae's gaze slowly shifted to meet my eyes. Her eyes were dead.

"Sunbae-nim?"

"Theresia... why did you come?"

"I saw the future."

At that moment, the video popped into my head.

I moved exactly as it showed. Grabbing sunbae-nim and sliding to the side.

Immediately after, a fireball flew in.

"We're all finished. Theresia. You at least should have run away."

"But sunbae-nim. I can't do that."

The video came to mind again.

I dodged exactly as it showed.

"Why? Do you think you've become something now?"

"No. I am me. I am still me."

"Then you should have run away! Why, why on earth?"

"Because I'm that kind of person. Emotions over reason. Compassion over calculation. I'm a foolish person."

That must be why I'm foolishly taking the mage exam for the third time.

I gave a bitter smile.

"It's all over now."

I carried sunbae-nim and took her near Mika. 15 minutes. No, until I can hold out. I intend to carry out the mission I defined for myself.

"Dori, how much time is left?"

[10 minutes left. Theresia. A record of a PR-class surviving against a witch is something that happens maybe once every 100 years. I beg you, I hope you update that record.]

Dori's expression was long-winded, but the core was one thing. It meant to survive.

"Magical Girl Theresia, appearing."

I declare briefly. The Crimson Flame Witch looks at me. It is an abyss.

It's scary.

I'm scared out of my mind.

Even so, I create a sword with magic.

And, I run toward the witch while casting acceleration magic.

Paching!

The sword clashes with the witch.

And as if it were natural, the sword breaks.

"Ouch!"

As if I had struck a stone, I drop the hilt due to the shock transmitted to my hand.

At that moment, the video popped up.

It was a fireball that would fly from behind.

At the same time, it was the witch's claws approaching as if to scratch forward.

Huh?

I first deployed water magic behind my back.

And,

I created a spear to deflect the claws.

The fireball was blocked.

However, the claws grazed my left side.

Hot blood escaped my body and splattered on the ground.

In an instant, blood also came up from my mouth.

"Keuheuk!"

It was that moment. The witch created a spear made of fire and pierced it accurately toward my chest.

No words came out.

It feels like my lungs have been pierced.

There is a sound of air escaping.

Ah.

I don't want to die.

Foolish girl.

[Theresia!]

I hear Dori's voice.

It keeps getting farther away.

I don't want to die.

Death.

No.

I don't want to.

I don't want to.

I said I don't want to.

My consciousness keeps fading.

Blood flows from the corner of my mouth.

The taste of iron stabs my brain.

But my consciousness is still.

Feels so far away.

It was then.

-Theresia. I realized it.

It's a familiar voice.

-You still don't know yourself very well.

It's a lovely tone.

-I'm disappointed. I thought you would know how to make a better choice.

It's a remark that stabs like a dagger.

-But still, I guess I can't help it.

What?

-As expected, I guess I have no choice but to love even this version of you.

The voice gets closer.

And, a soft sensation remains on the corner of my mouth.

-Leave it to me.

That was all.

My consciousness went black.

&&&

Having realized the fact that I am a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠witch, or more accurately, the fact that I will become a witch, I couldn't do anything.

I was just thinking of sitting down and meeting the end.

Driving Devia-sunbae to her death, driving Mika-sunbae to her death.

Driving AA to her death. The existence trying to destroy this place.

I realized that it was ultimately myself.

The Crimson Flame Witch.

As soon as I saw it, I could feel it instantly. That is my magic power. That is my magic.

Because it's familiar, I know. The fact that that is me who became a witch, in other words, Strawberry who became a witch. Hong Yu-na who became a witch.

Witches come over from another world.

Actually, people who already know, know it all.

In fact, it could be seen as a parallel world, not another world.

A witch ends up destroying the original world she lived in. And then she crosses worlds in search of destruction.

The witches that have been subjugated so far were all such beings.

But when I realized that that being was myself from another world.

I couldn't hold on.

I was confident that I would never become a witch.

I don't even have the desire to become a witch.

I have lived having most things already.

To me like that, that I might become a witch.

An existence that drills into my mind that the possibility still remains has appeared.

Its existence means that it is a flaw in my existence, and it could be my future.

Also, the fact that it crossed worlds means that the witch has already destroyed everything in the world she originally lived in.

That's why I was sitting there in despair.

At that time, I didn't know Theresia would appear.

She risked death and saved me.

While doing so, she said.

That she could see the future.

I wanted to say, if you can see the future, you should have run away with that ability.

Although I did say something similar as a result.

I wanted Theresia not to die.

I wanted her to live a life with no connection to death. It's not that I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠particularly like Theresia.

Just, because she was a child who became my disciple.

For that reason alone, I wanted her to live.

The mortality rate of Magical Girls is on the high side. Actually, most PR-class ones end up dying.

Most of the time, it was because of arrogance. They died because of such behavior, acting like they were something.

If you're PR-class, act like PR-class. I kept thinking I wished they would grow up without dying.

That thought is just the same for her, Theresia.

Theresia, my disciple. A cute child. I should have just forced her not to participate.

I laughed at myself inwardly. I blamed myself.

It was that moment.

I heard someone whispering in my ear.

-You really adore the girl named Theresia, don't you?

I didn't know who that voice was, but for some reason, I felt like I knew.

-Perhaps she might be a child related to your [Desire].

Desire.

The witch's keyword.

I realized.

It is the master of all desires.

In other words, it was the existence that creates witches.

-I have realized your [Desire]. You want to protect the child named Theresia, right?

It was that moment.

There was a sound of something piercing flesh and bone.

Instantly, I raised my head and looked at the scene.

There, Theresia was dead, with her eyes lost, impaled by a spear made of fire in her chest.

-Oh my. It's okay. I will fulfill your [Desire].

I shook my head.

No.

I must not fall for the temptation. That thing creates witches.

That is an existence that appeared to make me a witch.

I closed my eyes tightly.

It was that moment.

Theresia's voice, the voice of Theresia who should have been dead, was heard.

"Did you think I would have died from something like this? Strawberry-eonni?"

I felt a sense of incongruity. The tone was different. I looked at Theresia.

Theresia was standing with her feet on the air, looking at Strawberry. Her clothes had changed.

"Why? Aha! Are you not used to it? That can happen. Then shall I introduce myself?"

Theresia continued speaking skillfully. For a moment, I couldn't understand. To be precise, maybe it would be more correct to say I gave up on understanding.

"PR-class Magical Girl Theresia, just arrived, you know?"