Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

(This Hashimi is still holding a grudge! All I did was rub your head and try to help you change your clothes, and he treated my kindness like dirt!)

[Milia]: If that's really the case, then perhaps it is indeed true—

[Baosheng Mag]: Perhaps that's indeed the case?

Baosheng Mag interrupted Milia, her smile still effortless, provocative, and alluring.

[Hosho Mag]: Wow, Hiro-chan, you're really something! You've managed to concoct such an interesting story just based on the assumption of a 'forged phone call.' But if you're still trying to twist and struggle to escape punishment now, then your pretty face can hardly be called beautiful, can it?

[Nikaido Hiro]: Who is the real coward trying to escape punishment? Speaking of which, the phone in my pocket that originally belonged to Meruru seems to have been reset to factory settings. The culprit must have had to 'remove their gloves' and operate it themselves to delete all the records and frame me. In that case, perhaps some unwanted fingerprints remain?

[Baosheng Mag]: ...Perhaps that is indeed the case, or perhaps this is just another pleading attempt to escape responsibility. In any case, we don't have time to leisurely check fingerprints.

[Nikaido Hiro]: Hmm—

[Hoshin Mag]: It's beautiful, Hiro-chan. Your dance, performed to escape original sin... but a disguised monster can never possess a heart as beautiful as a human's. Heh, what do you all think? Was I impersonating Meruru's voice? Or was it all just Hiro-chan's own performance?

[Nikaido Hiro]: There is no room for rebuttal to the correct facts, Hosho Mag. You are the true culprit of this heinous crime, without a doubt, and—I believe everyone.

Nikaido Hiro looked at everyone with a sincere and harmless smile and said.

[Sakura Emma]: I... Hiro-chan...

[Ryota Hasumi]: Ugh, it all sounds so reasonable...

[Milia]: Uncle, do I really have to choose?

【Ze Du Ke Ke】: It doesn't matter who it is, just hurry up and vote, otherwise we'll all die when the time comes!

[Hanna Tono]: No, no, no, this absolutely cannot be 'anyone will do'!

...No, Nikaido Hiro doesn't trust anyone else at all, nor does she expect anyone else to believe her.

The current discussion is far from sufficient to determine which way the scales will ultimately tip.

Ultimately, this isn't a rule of electoral debunking. In fact, theoretically, anyone could be voted out, and the rest could simply disappear and take their talents elsewhere. As for the 'witch' who gets executed, we can only wish her good luck.

and--

Chang Rong glanced at the warden owl on his shoulder, which, unsurprisingly, was still slacking off.

What does slacking off mean? It means someone is a seasoned office worker... no, wait.

It means it doesn't care.

This is not a court striving for perfect justice, nor is it a tale of heroes judging witches. It doesn't care who is executed, who is wrongly accused, or who escapes punishment.

It only cares about the result; the process doesn't matter, even if it involves—using lies.

Chang Rong had two choices: he could choose to stand by and watch the execution, like a warden, praying that the wisdom of the majority would lead to the right outcome.

Alternatively, he could choose to intervene in this fragile balance to help one side, even at the cost of the other's death.

"..."

Chang Rong unconsciously tightened her grip on the bell she had found earlier, and looked at Hiro, just as Nikaido Hiro's gaze swept over as well.

The two looked at each other. Her gaze was as serious, as firm, and as angry as ever at what was 'wrong'. She showed no fear and would not cry for help—even though Chang Rong could tell at a glance that she was barely holding on on the verge of collapse.

This is the existence of Nikaido Hiro, who obsessively pursues a 'correctness' that no one can understand, and will continue to move forward even when he is alone.

The next moment, Chang Rong made a decision.

You might regret it, it might lead you into endless trouble, or the behavior itself might be hopelessly stupid.

But he still made a decision.

Hiro's entire theory is based on the premise that 'Meruru's phone call was fake,' so...

"Interesting, was that really Hime (Meru Hime) on the phone?"

"—!?" "Chang Rong-jun...!" "Chang Rong!"

The voice wasn't loud, but everyone's eyes were drawn to Chang Rong.

"[False evidence] The Ice I know hates 'dining parties' more than anyone else."

Chang Rong smiled casually, her tone nonchalant, like a backstage audience member pointing out a flaw in a poor performance.

—Don't actually believe me, lady, that I'm behind this and then suddenly pull out a gun and shoot me dead! Don't actually believe me, lady, that I'm behind this and then suddenly pull out a gun and shoot me dead…!!

Meanwhile, contrary to her calm and aloof demeanor, Chang Rong was secretly praying that the mysterious female sniper would stop using her powers.

Volume 1: Chapter 17. A Lie Exposed by a Lie

"...Hey buddy over there, interrupting someone's dance is really rude, isn't it?"

Seemingly completely unprepared for Chang Rong to interfere with the witch's trial in such a direct way at this moment, Bao Sheng Mag, who had always maintained a confident smile, felt a brief moment of hesitation for the first time.

It was this subtle wavering that convinced Chang Rong that her choice was correct. Nikaido Hiro was not the murderer; the kimono-clad girl before her, feigning maturity and armed with lies, was the true 'witch'.

Even knowing that he was acting in the right, Chang Rong still hesitated.

—It’s really strange. I don’t even know the whole story of this case, but at this moment I have the life and death of the girl in front of me in some way. Do I really have this right?

Even so... I will continue.

"A dance with steps that are not in sync and full of mistakes and errors will make people feel bored, right, Leia-sama?" Chang Rong looked at Leia.

"Ah, of course! Although even I wasn't born with the ability to master elegant dance, constantly improving and presenting the perfect version of myself to the audience is the duty of an idol!"

“That’s precisely why I can’t let Miss Tono see such a flawed and desperate dance. That’s not something a proper knight should do,” Chang Rong said, then looked at Tono Hannah.

"Huh? A knight—even a knight doesn't have to be this desuwa..."

As always, the green Lolita girl hid her head behind a feather fan; anyone who didn't know better would think she was using the east wind.

—Listen up, Nikaido Hiro, this is how you campaign in Werewolf, no need to be overly grateful to me... Why is this guy glaring at me and my anger level is rising again?!

He was clearly helping, even though he looked like an evil villain with women on both sides right now, he was still helping, that's right.

With the 'support' of Hannah and Rhea, coupled with the other girls' 'suspicious behind-the-scenes manipulation' of Chang Rong, his words have become a powerful weapon.

"So, can I hear your reason, buddy?"

“Reasons? This isn’t a courtroom where you can play house and fool around. I’m just stating the ‘facts’ I know. Meluru on Ice, she doesn’t like crowded places, and she genuinely refuses to become someone’s irreplaceable treasure. This place is an endless cage for her. She can’t truly love anyone, and she has never experienced anyone’s love.”

—I don’t know this Ice Maiden at all, but since she’s a ‘nun’s nurse,’ a ‘gentle person,’ and also a ‘behind-the-scenes mastermind,’ then it’s natural to use this ambiguous phrase, which can almost encompass everyone, to describe this guy.

You'd better really be a seemingly gentle, compassionate, and kind person who is actually a wicked lunatic who doesn't value human life, like a mango pomelo sago dessert served on ice, otherwise I'll be very troubled.

Perhaps the 'con artist' in front of me, Baosheng Mag, could easily expose my Barnum effect rhetoric, but that doesn't matter, as long as some of these girls believe it—no, they definitely will.

The human brain is the best renderer; they can only accept, must accept, that Meruru on Ice is pure 'evil,' only in this way can they numb her death and attribute it to her deserved fate.

"No, that's not how it is, Er Chang_Rong Junyi...! Mei Lulu, she must have thought about becoming friends with me, because she always heals everyone's wounds, feels pain for everyone's suffering, and grieves for withered flowers... Mei Lulu, she—"

"You're wrong, Brother Chang Rong."

Sakura Emma? Her clumsy wings tried to rise and say something, but her words were interrupted by a cold and abrupt interruption. It was Baosheng Mag.

—Even so, are you still planning to continue? This is a bit tricky... To be honest, my 'expert' persona could be exposed at any time, and the more I say, the faster I'll break down.

"Meruru left behind her clothes and doubts. She has experienced love because I love Meruru on Ice."

"……what?"

Chang Rong, who thought she was about to enter a debate mode, was stunned by Bao Shengma's words.

"Looks like you were lying after all, Brother Changrong~ But it's precisely this kind of 'lie' that I've always loved, no, it's the only thing I possess." Baosheng Mag's smile reappeared on his face.

"So Chang Rong was lying after all. Noah had felt something was off, but why would Chang Rong lie? The case had nothing to do with him. Was it to protect Hiro? Noah doesn't understand at all..."

"What nonsense are you talking about, kid?! Everyone, please don't mind it, he's just a kid and doesn't know any better—"

Throughout the entire trial, X Dulin (Nor Liuya) never uttered a definitive statement. His first words were a scathing attack on Chang Rong, instantly turning her adorable little cotton-padded jacket into a leaky rag. Chang Rong could only frantically retort, trying to shut up this brat.

"Noah... don't talk nonsense, that's incorrect...! That guy is not..." For some reason, Nikaido Hiro also covered his face with one hand and turned his head away, refusing Chang Rong's request for a statement.

"Hehe, that's great. You've only just woken up and you've already made so many friends. Perhaps there's some warmth in your 'lies' that I've never experienced. If possible, I really hope to chat with you more and see how you've been completely fooled by me."

Seeing the somewhat agitated group, Baosheng Mag's smile grew even brighter, as if he were truly experiencing some kind of happiness he had never known before.

The next second, Baosheng Mag disappeared from his smile.

"I love Meruru on Ice. She is so beautiful, so radiant, so warm—so much so that I love her to death."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

-

After a brief, deathly silence, the courtroom erupted in its greatest commotion.

"Magesang...!? No, no way? No way!"

"Killing because of love? What are you talking about... This is so weird, Desu!?"

"Yeah, yeah, even though I don't understand at all, I get you, my sis!"

"I mean...did this guy admit he's the murderer?! How terrifying!"

"Uncle, uncle, I also think there might be something wrong with this..."

The girls were all at a loss after being caught off guard by Hosho Mag's self-destruction, except for Nikaido Hiro and Chang Rong, who just stared at the girl in the purple kimono in front of them.

"Lies have a surprisingly short shelf life. At least I can see from your eyes that the lie I carefully crafted has already rotted away. In that case, why not end this disgusting game of friendship as soon as possible?"

"Margot sauce..."

“Baosheng Mag, I will not sympathize with you. The sins you have committed are real and cannot be changed by any reason.”

"Really? That's a pity. But I'm quite envious of you, Hiro. If our positions were reversed... would you go to great lengths to weave layer after layer of lies for someone like me, Chang Rong?"

Baosheng Mag smiled and looked at Chang Rong, asking in a flippant tone in a low voice.

"I……"

"Hehe, no need to respond. The most beautiful moment of a lie is before it is exposed. A lie that has expired, a lie that has been torn apart, a lie that has no meaning—they are all just remnants that no one cares about."

"What a pity, if I had met someone as interesting as you sooner... Ah, perhaps I could have killed you with my own hands?"

"Marg, what are you still saying now—!" Just as Hiro was about to rush up and confront Marg face to face, the warden, who had been motionless until now, suddenly spread his wings and flew up from Chang Rong's shoulder, standing on the tip of the wooden stake standing on the base in the center of the courtroom.

“Umbrella, have you finished talking about the Seventh Order? Wo Yao (not watching the second episode)... Shi Gu Ba Gu, Yao 罽 This isn't the first time the Witch Trial will give you some leniency, now the deadline has long passed.”

“That guy admitted himself to being the murderer!” Zedu Coco quickly pointed at Baosheng Mag.