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

"Thank you for your malicious excuse, Emma Sakuraba...!"

Just moments ago, Hiro Nikaido had maintained a dignified and elegant demeanor, as if the student council president had descended upon the world. In an instant, he lost his composure, his veins bulging as he glared at Emma.

"Hehehe, at times like these, it's time for the famous detective like me to step in!" The blue-haired god suddenly struck a pose like a blue-haired little girl raising her hand, then raised his hand with his signature humming and held up a finger toward Arisa.

"Simply put, since we're all prisoners held in this jail converted from Witch Island, we have an obligation to explain the so-called 'suspension bridge effect' to you!"

"Huh...? What is that? A suspension bridge?" Arisa Fujito was taken aback by the unfamiliar words spoken by Sherry Tachibana.

"As the name suggests, it refers to the process of opposite sexes walking together across a seemingly terrifying suspension bridge, during which they develop 'heart-fluttering' feelings for each other. However... heh heh, it's not emotional attraction at all; it's just mistaking fear of the dangerous environment for attraction!"

With a smug expression, Tachibana Sherry began to explain to Shizuka Arisa.

"Really? Why are you telling me this?"

Arisa was completely bewildered. Although she wanted to turn around and leave, Emma had already secretly closed the door without her noticing... What a terrifying pink and white-haired girl.

"Because I suspect that you, Arisa, are attached to appearances—we need to break your hypnosis. In other words, the 'heartbeat' you feel for that guy is essentially just an illusion caused by an extremely special situation."

Hiro Nikaido smiled as he poured tea for Arisa Shito, handing her the teacup and saying something along the way.

"What... an illusion?" Arisa was indeed having an illusion at this moment, feeling as if she was neither in a prison nor at a tea party, but had accidentally entered some kind of slanted organization...

“I’ve already heard about the underground cold storage. Although I don’t know how you disposed of that old veteran’s remains, it was the result of your joint efforts. Arisa, you don’t need to wrongly blame that idiot rabbit for this,” Hiro said, raising his teacup.

“Wreckage…” Upon hearing Hiro’s words, Arisa immediately looked at Tachibana Sherry, the other member of the dungeon raid’s firepower squad, who gave a 'hehe~' smug smile and tilted her head, trying to brush it off.

Sherry Tachibana seems to know Chang Rong's physical secret, but she chooses to help him conceal it, waiting for the boy to reveal it himself. Arisa, while witnessing Chang Rong's healing of the remains and his 'rapid recovery by biting his lip' wounds,' isn't entirely clear on how Chang Rong accomplished this.

As for Hero, he seems to be completely out of the loop, probably still struggling with himself near the starting line.

"I don't know anything about suspension bridges or anything like that, and I'm too lazy to find out... Anyway, it's my freedom to do whatever I want, right? Even if it's just a private matter with Chang Rong..." Arisa stammered shyly again.

"Sigh... It seems you still don't understand the current situation—please, Hannah, explain to Arisa the purpose of this tea party."

Nikaido Hiro sighed helplessly, then handed the floor to Tono Hanna, the young lady in a lace dress who was drinking red tea.

"Hmm? Ahem, here's the thing—our most urgent task right now is to get out of this prison, Desuwa! In that case, shouldn't we focus on finding a way out, rather than trying to find ways to fall in love?"

"Hannah Tono said in a serious tone, while her emerald green eyes looked at Arisa Wisteria.

"Hmm... if that's the case..."

Arisa Fujito instantly showed a somewhat conflicted expression. After witnessing the execution of Hosho Mag and Sawatari Coco, as well as the deaths of Hyokami Meruru and Natsume Anan, it would be a lie to say that she didn't want to leave this witch's island.

Although Chang Rong's appearance eased the tension between everyone to some extent, no one could guarantee that everyone would live in peace in the future... After all, the underlying code of the witch factor was there, and no one could say whether tomorrow or an accident would come first.

While Arisa was struggling with her decision, everyone else also expressed their opinions.

“Arisa, you know that what I hate most are frivolous, outspoken people who use false evidence as if it were breathing, impulsive and reckless people who don’t follow the rules—so all I want to do with that idiot rabbit is to correct him. And right now, what I need to deal with most is to plan and coordinate everyone’s future actions,” Hiro said.

—How can someone who is full of incorrect ideas be corrected without drastic measures? And because I am very strong, a hexagonal all-rounder, I can naturally take care of both finding an escape route and fighting the idiot rabbit. For me, this level of multitasking is undoubtedly 'correct'.

"Arisa-chan, I do sometimes cause trouble for everyone... no, even so, I know I can't be a burden to everyone! As long as we all work together and try our best, no matter how desperate the situation is, we will definitely find a way, right?" Emma said, striking a pose of effort.

—Because I can't hold Chang Rong back, I only snuggle up to him when it doesn't interfere with his work, okay? Emma is a good girl, even though sometimes she secretly snatches Chang Rong away, but that's just how it is, isn't it? Come to think of it, this is also a way to relieve Chang Rong's stress, so I guess I'm doing my job... Hmm, that's it!

"In short, the most important thing right now is to find the mastermind, then punch her and make her explode and scatter, right? After all, in the game, as long as you defeat the final boss, all the problems will be solved!" Tachibana Sherry said cheerfully, raising her high-damage left fist.

—Hmph, getting involved with Watson is one of the essential lessons for the new generation of Sherlock Holmes! So for me, this is the most important thing! If I don't get Watson into bed, how will everyone know if I'm Sherlock Holmes or Moriarty?

“That’s about it, desuwa. The current situation is quite special. We should at least ensure our own safety before thinking about anything else, right? We need to distinguish between what’s important and what’s urgent. This is exactly the way of doing things, desuwa!” Tono Hannah said, holding up her fan and striking a dignified and arrogant pose.

—But that silly knight hasn't come to 'serve me' in a long time... I need to figure out a way to lure him over. Although I also have important business to attend to, at least let's have sex once first... Just once! After that, I'll go get down to business. It's settled!

"Hmm, that does seem to be the case..."

—Besides, it seems like I've been unilaterally causing trouble for Chang Rong. Even if I were to go and talk to him about repaying him with my body now, it would probably only add to his pressure... That's really not a good idea; it sounds like I'm just indulging in self-gratification.

After hearing everyone's insightful remarks, Arisa Fujito couldn't help but feel ashamed of her own behavior of taking up the majority of the attention.

Arisa Fujito seriously reflected on her actions. From some perspectives, they were indeed not praiseworthy. Perhaps she should really examine her feelings for that boy and see if they were an unbearable burden for him.

"Everyone speaks freely and empathizes with each other—that's the purpose of this tea party. But since everyone is already aware of this, I won't add anything unnecessary. The current situation is special and tense, so I hope everyone will refrain from harboring any strange or ulterior motives. We are an unbreakable ironclad alliance; let that warden see our resolve!"

"Okay!" "Whoa!" "Mmm!"

Hero raised his cup and toasted everyone, and the scene was reminiscent of the heroic spirit of the sworn brotherhood in the Peach Garden.

—Hehe...I believe it, you all believe it, so the idiot rabbit is mine!

—Hiro-chan is definitely lying to people right now, but so am I...

—Anyway, let's figure out a way to kiss Watson first! We'll leave everything else for later!

—Is there any excuse I can use to get that idiot knight to come out?

—I need to... make sure I'm really sure of what I'm thinking...

At the tea party, everyone greeted each other with smiles and said they were best friends forever, but behind the scenes, they could pull out more than 20 people to form small groups. This is also one side of Witch Cheese... It's just a pity for Arisa Fujito, who can't keep up with such a high-end werewolf game room at all.

"Now that we have formed an alliance and realized that our common goal is to escape Witch Island, let's talk about another matter at this women's tea party."

Having been temporarily fooled by Arisa, Hiro spoke with more confidence.

"I hope to confirm what everyone can do in their future lives, so that I can make overall plans and arrangements, whether it's to ultimately achieve a prison break, find the mastermind behind it all, or contact other forces for help—whatever the method, the ultimate goal is to leave Witch Island."

Hiro smiled as he looked at everyone, his words exuding the commanding presence and spiritual pressure characteristic of someone in a superior position.

"Hey hey~ That's right! But Sherry-chan is a detective, and detectives are not affected! That's a common point in all mystery novels! After all, if Uncle Hat stopped her outside the crime scene, wouldn't the first chapter be the finale?" Tachibana Sherry said with a smile. Although her tone sounded lively and cute, she was implying one thing—she wouldn't listen to Hiro.

"Don't apply the fictional stories of detective novels to reality. Real-life detectives are at most only capable of investigating extramarital affairs and finding lost cats and dogs."

"Oh dear—v—...I can't just pretend I didn't hear that and laugh it off, Hiro~?"

"Then use your detective brain to refute me?"

The two instantly engaged in a sharp confrontation, exchanging barbs.

"Isn't this already falling apart before any overall planning has even been done?!" Tono Hannah shouted at the two of them.

"In short, as I just said, I have ample ability to plan activities and coordinate personnel, and I can also record everyone's daily status indicators. In case of any emergency, I can temporarily replace anyone." Shiro said, taking out the Death Note murder book from his pocket.

—Since I can monitor all officials, it's perfectly reasonable for me to investigate the idiotic rabbit who makes mistakes, right? So it's also normal to punish him a little for the many 'incorrect' behaviors he's committed, right? He accidentally stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes simply because he's been filled with correct knowledge, right?

"I'm very strong, so whether it's skirmishes, annihilation battles, blitzkrieg, or guerrilla warfare, just leave it to me! I can also help with moving, and my prices are fair and honest. Whether you're exploring castles or clearing maps with one click, you have to rely on the cutest and most kangaroo-chicken Sherry-chan!" Tachibana Sherry said, raising her high-damage right fist.

—That's right, because I'm very strong, I can easily carry Watson away, as long as there's even the slightest opportunity.

"I can mend and wash clothes for everyone, and I can also make costumes. In addition, I've been handling most of the housework in the castle lately—that guard is gradually turning into the warden, and he's been slacking off more and more...! Where has he gone, and what is he doing?!" Tono Hannah said, getting a little agitated, while a certain wild girl suddenly sneezed.

—In short, it seems that the idiot knight doesn't have many outfits left to change into, so I'll have to make them myself, right? Since we're making clothes, it's perfectly normal to have him strip naked so we can take his body measurements, right? It's perfectly normal to touch him and feel his body, right? It's perfectly normal to put him in and see if he fits...!

"I, I don't know what I'm good at... But I want to help everyone! Also—um, I can eat a lot!" Sakura Emma was a little embarrassed and conflicted, blushing as she raised her hand to state her strength: eating rice with both hands, classified as a super-sized bowl.

"Okay, since Emma Sakura has made no contribution, she will be stripped of her right to chat with the idiot rabbit from now on."

"W-How could this be...! But... Hiro-chan's attendance record hasn't been very good lately, so she's probably disqualified as a disciplinary committee member, right...?"

“Sakuraba… Emma—!”

Hero's facial expression shifted so smoothly from "Finally got rid of that annoying guy" to "I got bitten by that pink and white dog."

“You all seem to have the ability to help others, but I… I don’t know what someone like me can do.” Arisa Fujito suddenly spoke, her tone extremely heavy.

"Even if I wanted to help, I would only mess it up, and might even cause everyone more worry and trouble... I'm the kind of person who's always thinking about self-destruction. Even if I did get help from everyone, I wouldn't know how to respond at all..."

"No, no, no, that's not how it is, Arisa-chan!"

Seeing that Arisa Fujito was becoming more and more dejected and depressed, the others, fearing that she would give up and turn into a crazy witch, quickly went over to comfort her.

"Arisa-chan is so gentle, isn't she! And she's so cute too!"

"Don't say such discouraging things, Desuwa. Isn't your flame warm? And it helped everyone explore the underground freezer, you deserve a lot of credit!"

"Yeah, if it weren't for Arisa's amazing skills, even I would probably have been killed. Arisa is my savior, Arisa Daisuki~!"

"That's right. Excessive self-deprecation will only overshadow your inherent strengths. Be confident."

"Me...can someone like me really be trusted and liked by everyone...? Ugh, sob sob sob—"

Encouraged by everyone, Arisa's cheeks instantly felt warm, hot, and crackling—like nuclear fission!

"No! Oh no, oh no—!" Nikaido Hiro instantly realized that this scene seemed somewhat familiar.

Although the aspiring witches each possess their own lighthearted and bright secrets that they are unwilling to tell others, in other words, they are hidden landmines.

However, a girl like Arisa Fujito, who can explode physically, is a relatively rare type even on the entire Witch Island.

Fortunately, Arisa pulled back from the brink this time and avoided the atomic bomb effect. And at first glance, Arisa's tea party (deception) seems to have come to an end.

"Well then, what I want to say has been said before. From now on, let's all work together towards our goal of leaving Witch Island, and stop engaging in any pointless attempts to escape. Cheers to our friendship!"

Beep beep!

Just as Hiro was about to give his closing remarks and play "Auld Lang Syne," Tono Hannah's phone screen on the table suddenly lit up; it was an invitation from Chang Rong.

Immediately following this was Arisa Fujito's explosive statement, "It's okay if she's not the legal wife."

The next second, the little boat of friendship, like a destroyer of gratitude, ran aground and capsized as soon as it was launched.

After a brief moment of stunned silence following the terrifying words of Arisa Fujito, Hiro was the first to recover.

"What are you saying, Arisa! That kind of thing is illegal in modern society! It's wrong, absolutely wrong!"

Hiro blushed and loudly refuted Arisa's high-risk remarks.

"Hmm, since you knew there was no chance of a direct confrontation, you chose to launch a surprise attack from the flank... I acknowledge your strategic thinking, Arisa~!"

Sherry Tachibana pulled out a magnifying glass and activated the top-level gaming mode. It seems that compared to Heero, that 99K pure trash, it is the previously inconspicuous Arisa Fujiwara, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, who is her nemesis Moriarty!

It is widely known that unofficial historical accounts state that Holmes and Moriarty fought over Watson.

“Since Arisa-chan has already made this decision, then, then I…woofwoof…I can also form the Little White Pluto Little Snail Brian team—no, no, even so, I still have to compete with Rhea-chan…” Sakura Emma lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, looking confused with a look of having made some kind of decision but immediately becoming conflicted.

"Emma, ​​what are you competing for... No, anyway, you guys talk first. Since that idiot knight specifically sought me out, it must be something very important and serious, right? Oh, what could it be? I'm really curious—well, I'll be going now. Also, you absolutely, absolutely are not allowed to follow me here!"

Although Hannah Tono was also somewhat shocked by Arisa's remarks, it was her turn now, and the young lady naturally didn't want to waste any more words at the tea party. She happily got up to leave.

However, she quickly realized that several hyenas and pink and white evil dogs were following her, so she specifically instructed everyone not to follow her, as this was a sacred and inviolable private date!

Just as Tono Hannah, with an undisguised smile, happily forgot about her sworn sisters and said, "This isn't necessary," Nikaido Hiro, Sakura Emma, ​​and Tachibana Sherry almost simultaneously got up, unanimously preparing to follow behind Tachibana Sherry.

"Wait a minute... what are you going to do?" Arisa Fujito asked, frowning and blinking.

"Of course, it's to follow and investigate what that idiot rabbit is trying to do with Hannah!" Hiro replied with an air of righteous indignation, an expression that even made Arisa Fujito momentarily doubt whether she was the one who had the problem with the beating.

"Isn't this a bad idea? Didn't Tono say we shouldn't follow them...? Besides, we should also give Changrong some privacy. And isn't this kind of behavior 'incorrect'?" Shito Arisa asked with some concern.