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

"So... you don't need to blame yourself, Arisa. You and Noah Rea are already very, very good friends, close enough to be able to go out and brag to others, right?"

Chang Rong vigorously wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then released his hands and smiled at the girl in front of him.

Don't blame yourself for parting ways forever before you've had a chance to get to know each other properly. You've actually become each other's most important friends without even realizing it, haven't you?

Arisa sniffed hard, nodded to Chang Rong, then wiped her eyes and sat down next to Nanoha and Miria.

"I will take good care of Kurobe... I will take good care of Nanoha and Miria, so you guys... do your best too."

"Hmm, we'll leave it to our detective agency, along with the disciplinary committee member, Little Silly Dog, and the young lady. That's quite a lineup... um...!"

Chang Rong was smiling when she suddenly staggered halfway through her sentence.

"Hey...! Why don't you stay here too? You can't just keep acting tough like this!"

Hiro was a little angry and asked Chang Rong to stay and rest as well, but the white-haired boy shook his head with a very firm and serious tone.

"I'm sorry... I promised Noah I would protect her, and I promised Leia-sama I would be her only fan, but I broke all my promises... Since that's the case, I should at least, at least..."

"Seriously... is this what they call 'the doctor can't heal himself'? Listen up, you idiot rabbit, just like Rhea and Noah have already become friends with Arisa, you've never really owed anyone anything! If Noah and Rhea saw you like this, do you think they'd complain that you broke your promise, or complain about your pathetic state of being in the ghastly world while trying to act all relaxed!?"

"I……"

"If you want to come along for the investigation, then get your mindset right! You're not here to atone for sins, and you've never carried anyone's burdens. If you can't do that... then stay here and don't go anywhere, understand, you idiot rabbit...!!"

"...I'm sorry, thank you, Hiro. I was just being a bit obsessive."

Faced with the girl's seemingly fierce reprimand, which looked like she was about to cry, Chang Rong blinked and then smiled at her.

“You…it’s good that you know this. We need to find out what exactly happened between Noah and Rhea in that warehouse, not go to sweep the grave, at least…not now.” Nikaido Hiro looked at Chang Rong’s smile, her cheeks flushing slightly for a moment, but she immediately shook her head and smiled back.

"Hiro-chan... as expected of Hiro-chan..."

Seeing how a few words from Xiluo had cheered Chang Rong up again, Sakura Emma's face was filled with envy.

I've always been the one being comforted by Chang Rongjun, like a little girl who never grew up. I can only ever take from Chang Rongjun.

But Hiro-chan is different. Although she often troubles Changrong-kun and has been rescued and helped by him, Hiro-chan is able to become Changrong-kun's pillar of support in crucial moments. Perhaps this is something only Hiro-chan can do, a 'right' that belongs only to her. If only I could be like Hiro-chan, occasionally letting the tired Changrong-kun lean on me...

In any case, with everyone's joint efforts, the group managed to slowly emerge from the overwhelming and despairing atmosphere.

There are still things to do, even if it's despair, sadness, or anger... those shouldn't be things to consider right now.

"Speaking of which, the search area for the witch this time should actually be quite small, right?"

On the way back to the warehouse, Tachibana Sherry, who had entered 'detective mode' with a magnifying glass in hand, suddenly spoke.

"You're not going to say something like 'there were no footsteps, so it must have been me' again... I'm really not in the mood to play your nonsense right now."

Hannah Tono asked helplessly, "The young lady doesn't even have the energy to add her verbal tic anymore, which is enough to prove that she is indeed extremely tired."

"Hannah, even I wouldn't make a joke like that at a time like this... Well, maybe I would have before."

Tachibana Sherry frowned helplessly and complained softly, then held up a few fingers.

“Watson and I have always been working together, Hannah, Emma, ​​and Hiro have always been working together, Milia, Lean, and Noah have all been working together—which means that the only ones who truly had the opportunity to commit the crime are Arisa and Nanoha, right?” Tachibana Sherry concluded after analyzing the alibi.

“No… First of all, we can’t confirm the time of death because… because Rhea-chan can no longer help us with the autopsy. Actually, when we were at the castle, Hiro-chan, Hannah-chan, and I weren’t always together. If the case had already occurred at that time, then our alibis would be very difficult to establish.”

Emma Sakura refuted Sherry Tachibana's reasoning.

"I mean, do we really need to interrogate her so thoroughly...?" Tono Hannah still refused to believe the possibility that a witch might be behind it.

“Don’t be stubborn, Hannah. None of us want a witch trial, but if… if there really is a 1% chance that it’s a murder orchestrated by a witch… then for the sake of everyone’s collective right, we have to do it,” Hiro replied.

"I know...of course I know, it's just...I just don't want to accept it...Why did it turn out like this..."

"This is also one of the answers we are looking for."

Hiro rubbed her brows and spoke in a serious tone. Although she said that, she herself was not mentally prepared.

If the investigation reveals that a 'witch' truly exists, how should I confront her? Do I really have the courage to face her?

and most importantly -

Can Chang Rong really hold on?

Looking at the white-haired boy beside him, who was feigning composure but actually seemed on the verge of fainting, Nikaido Hiro wondered if he could pull him back to his side again. If that didn't work, then... there was really only one option left.

Although it was an 'option' that made Hiro feel cold and shiver just thinking about it...

The group arrived at the warehouse door once again. Unlike before, when they were unaware of the situation inside, everyone's expressions became extremely heavy after realizing that this was the place where Noah and Leia had spent their last days. Tono Hannah even shrank behind Chang Rong, trying to find the courage to continue.

In every previous investigation, Emma Sakura hoped to find useful clues so that she could use the clues to deduce the suspect from the mystery and then, in the witch's trial, send the other party to the witch's execution platform with an unquestionable chain of logical reasoning.

Although the process is cruel and desperate, it is precisely the evil act that the demon of law must carry out.

This time, however, Emma Sakura was praying, praying that she wouldn't see any 'clues', praying that this... was really just a complete dereliction of duty by the prison authorities.

I don't want anyone else to leave, and I don't want to witness anyone being executed, even if... the other party is the witch who killed Noah and Rhea.

The warehouse door was pushed open, and the trial of the witch continued.

Volume 1: Chapter 137. The Broken Key

"Hannah, are you really okay?"

Before re-entering the hidden warehouse, Tachibana Sherry asked Tohno Hannah beside her one last time. The warehouse still held the silent remains of Hasumi Rhea and Kinosaki Noa; just thinking about it was enough to send chills down one's spine.

"I...I don't know either, but even if I don't know, I have to try my best. I can't hold you back..."

Hannah Tono responded somewhat uncertainly, and could only continue to wave her fan to encourage herself.

"If you're really feeling unwell, just say a little something, Miss. We're here to seek the truth, not to leave scars on ourselves," Chang Rong comforted her. Some things can't be forced through just by pushing yourself.

“I’ve seen corpses before, but this time… well, it’s because we’re already familiar with each other, so it’s harder to face death this time…”

"Hannah Tono said softly, glancing at the white-haired boy and the prospective witches beside him.

"If I weren't such a foolish knight, I probably wouldn't have become so familiar with everyone..."

"Hmm, at least I probably won't be as close to Rhea and Noah as I am now, right? After all, I actually quite disliked Rhea's behavior of forming cliques at the beginning, but now Sherry-chan completely understands the beauty of cliques!"

As the first member of the group to enjoy a delicious meal, Shirley Tachibana agreed with Hannah's words. If it weren't for Chang Rong acting as a bridge, most of the prospective witches would probably end up with a relationship of 'not really close, the innocent are innocent, what a quick breakup'.

"And Emma and Shiro probably won't be able to act together without any barriers like they are now, right?" Shirley said with a smile to her two best friends from junior high school.

"Hehe... Hiro-chan really doesn't hate me like she used to..." Sakura Emma replied, rubbing her hair a little shyly.

"Tsk... Don't get me wrong, who doesn't have a grudge against you? My dislike for you will never... no, for now, uh... let's put that aside for a bit." Nikaido Hiro frowned, instinctively wanting to retort, but then felt that he might have gone a bit too far with his harsh words, so he could only adjust the intensity little by little.

Seeing Hero in her classic "yawning on her own foot" pose, Chang Rong was no longer surprised. She had previously thought of collecting Hero's boomerang-like behaviors to torture her later, but in reality, she didn't need to intervene at all. If left unattended, Hero would simply hand her the boomerangs herself.

"Anyway, if you're really feeling unwell, Hannah, you can come to me! I can break a few of your fingers, and after Hannah turns into a witch of despair from the pain, she won't have anything to be afraid of, and she'll feel so much better!" Tachibana Sherry gave a thumbs up and said to Tono Hannah with a reliable expression of 'Sherry-chan, I've got your back!'

"Your words, whether in terms of methods, motives, or goals, are not those of a normal human being, you gorilla woman...!!"

Tono Hannah complained loudly, but in her heart she was very grateful to everyone. Even though everyone was in a bad mood, they would still pretend to be as usual in order to comfort and encourage her. And she really preferred how everyone usually interacted. This gave Tono Hannah a sense of relief that 'everything has not completely collapsed yet'.

The teasing from everyone gave Tono Hannah some courage. She put away her fan, took a deep breath, and then followed the others into the warehouse.

"It's really chaotic..."

The first impression anyone would have upon entering the warehouse would likely be 'chaos'. The once neatly arranged shelves, resembling supermarket shelves, were now overturned and scattered all sorts of survival supplies.

Normally, Chang Rong would have fainted upon seeing this. Such a blatant waste of food would be the worst thing ever done on the isolated Witch Island. She'd want to kill the mastermind a thousand times over—and that still wouldn't be enough!

However, after learning that this was the 'scene' where Rhea and Noah died and Nanoha was seriously injured, Chang Rong's mind was only focused on finding the truth.

"Only those terrifying guards could cause this much damage, right?" Nikaido Hiro analyzed in a low voice, frowning.

"Hmm... if we disregard the fact that a certain gorilla woman suddenly went mad, it can only be the work of the wreckage guard."

"Hehehe, don't praise me like that, or I'll learn levitation magic and float around like a bird!" "I wasn't praising you, you little gorilla!"

"Nanoha Kaori...did she hide in this warehouse all by herself before? Hmm...did she feel lonely?" Sakura Emma asked in a low, soft voice after checking the general situation of the warehouse.

Probably... After all, Nanoha Kaori is just saying she wants to keep her distance from everyone, but in reality, she's the kind of idiot who immediately runs to a corner and drops little pearls after Noah gives her a sour look.

The thought of hiding and surviving alone in a cold, dark warehouse sent chills down Chang Rong's spine.

And speaking of which... the temperature in the warehouse was actually much lower than I expected. No wonder Nanoha always stole (or rather, robbed) my blanket. Perhaps it was a necessary measure to keep warm for Nanoha. I misunderstood Nanoha...

Chang Rong regretted her actions. If she had realized Naoya's loneliness sooner, if she had known about Naoya's need for warm clothing, perhaps she wouldn't have wronged Naoya.

"Wow, this shelf is full of fluffy-looking comforters! I wish I could take one back to my cell—well, I'll just automatically pick up two for now~"

Chang Rong's self-reflection was interrupted by Tachibana Sherry's exclamation from not far away. Looking in the direction of the sound, Chang Rong saw Tachibana Sherry standing in front of the half-collapsed shelves, choosing her favorite bedding.

...Hmm, it seems I really misunderstood Nanoha Kaori. This is just pure, unadulterated, and simple infatuated behavior.

"Ugh...!" Emma Sakuraba saw the two guards' remains lying on the ground and let out a frightened sound.

“Don’t be afraid, Emma. According to the warden’s intelligence, these guards are temporarily unable to regain their mobility because their ‘controllers’ have been destroyed. Just stay behind the president next to me.”

Chang Rong gently patted the trembling pink and white-haired girl's hair, and then told her that if she was really afraid of something happening, she should hide behind Sherry, and the invincible Sherry would naturally think of an invincible solution.

"Hmph... I've noticed that Watson is getting more and more arrogant lately. Has I given you too much freedom? Or have you developed unrealistic fantasies because of your previous behavior? Before, I was just being lenient with you, Watson. That's right!"

Shirley Tachibana looked at Chang Rong with a "v" expression, her mind already racing, trying to decide whether to kiss the fan first or kiss first and then eat.

"...??" Seeing this, Nikaido Hiro was even more confused about the food chain relationship between the two.

It is said that as long as a person lives long enough, they can see anything. This is indeed true. I even saw the underworld scene of Tachibana Sherry putting on a tough act in front of Chang Rong.

"However, if something really happens, Watson, you'll still rush in like an idiot, honestly... you're even more reckless than me."

Shirley Tachibana smiled helplessly again. Although the boy in front of her always had a prankster look like he was standing behind Shirley, Chang Rong would always rush over in a moment of impulsiveness whenever there was a crisis.

After hearing Chang Rong say that the guardian of the remains would not be resurrected on the spot for the time being, Sakura Emma swallowed hard and cautiously approached the guardian of the remains to observe the situation.

Like the other guards, the two guards in front of them wore distorted masks, and their robes concealed their twisted bodies and tentacled arms. Various weapons were sticking out of their bodies in a grotesque manner, and their heads were embedded with some kind of artificial object, the so-called 'controller,' although the controllers on the heads of these two guards looked somewhat strange.

Scattered around the guard were blunt weapons resembling police batons, which, judging from their size, appeared to be weapons used by this 'inferior guard'.

"Hmm... those things stuck in their heads were indeed destroyed. Judging from the cuts, it looks more like they were 'cut off'. But who could have done it? Rhea-chan... I don't think so."

Emma Sakura rested her chin on her hand and began to think.

—The severed controller—only the 'Hairband Guardian,' also a witch's remnant, could have done that. If that's the case, was 'Sister' actually protecting Kurobe Nanoha back then? If so, that's great…it means it's not the culprit in this case…right?

Chang Rong's optimistic thoughts were interrupted by self-doubt before they could fully take shape, because he remembered that in the previous test, the headband guards were responsible for both 'protecting Kurobe Nanoha Kaoru' and 'killing other prospective witches' in parallel.

"The only ones capable of easily disabling the wreckage guard's mobility are probably the other guards... So, is it possible that these two guards... have had an internal conflict?"

“No, when I arrived at the warehouse, there was actually another guard there—the same guard who was responsible for patrolling and cleaning the castle before.” Chang Rong shared the information that she had witnessed her ‘sister’ with everyone.