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

"Really... If that's the case, then Nikaido—uh, Heero, if it's really as you say, then hurry up and use magic! This kind of ending, this... I, I absolutely don't want to admit it!"

Upon hearing Hiro's explanation, Arisa immediately stood up and went to his side. The white-haired hooded girl had now shed all her spiked disguises and was pleading with Hiro to rewrite this hopeless reality.

"That's right, that's right! It's all thanks to you, Heero! Hurry up and activate the time rewind to save everyone! Whether it's Nanoha Kaori, Noah, Rhea, or Milia—no one should end up like this!" Tono Hannah also joined in, pleading with Nikaido Heero to correct this ridiculously wicked mistake.

"Okay~ So, after you die, you'll go back to this morning, right? No problem, don't worry, I'll send you on your way with one punch. I guarantee it'll cure you instantly, no tricks, safe, painless, and all in one go! It'll save you the trouble of elbowing the roof beams of the earth and wrestling with sumo at the Universiade, right?"

Blue-haired detective Shirley Tachibana, being a renowned and powerful detective, immediately analyzed the essence of all the suffering and despair at hand—that Hero was still alive.

Since that's the case, then I, the petite and adorable Sherry, wouldn't mind giving you a ride!

"Ugh...!" Upon hearing that Sherry was going to deliver a deliberate punch to his head like a punching bag, Hiro, who claimed to possess the magic of hope reversal, tensed up and froze for a moment.

"Whoa!? Well, it doesn't have to be this fast, Sherry-chan...! Hiro-chan seems to still have something to say!"

Emma Sakura quickly stepped forward to stop her. This wasn't some free-form American RPG where you could disregard etiquette and launch a surprise attack with karate, but at least don't skip ahead and let the person finish speaking first.

—Hiro's magic is death reversal...? If that's the case... if that's the case, that's really great. Everyone who has left can be saved. Those tragedies that should never have happened, caused by all sorts of twisted coincidences, can be reversed and corrected, right...?

Upon hearing about Hiro's magic, Chang Rong thought to herself that Hiro's words were like a divine revelation of salvation and guidance for Chang Rong, who was on the verge of losing consciousness.

—Just leave it to Hiro, that's enough. Hiro can save everyone, can he save Nanoha and the others...?

When Chang Rong was just awakened from the ice and dragged to the witch trial of the Meluru case on ice in a daze, she was actually quite fortunate that her originally 'mediocre' brain had been given an intelligence boost.

However, this 'wisdom' is not always a blessing. At least for Chang Rong, who now wants to give up thinking and completely fall into darkness and give up, this wisdom has become a curse that she cannot get rid of.

He really hoped that he could hand over the 'cool opportunity' to save everything to Hero without any guilt. He really hoped that the invincible Hero could use the invincible death reversal magic to save everyone, while he himself didn't need to think or figure anything out. He just needed to be an NPC who was being saved.

However... after hearing Hero's words, he almost instinctively began to think, and almost immediately realized that Nikaido Hero's magic was not what was promised—at least it contradicted the various signs she had shown.

If Hiro really does possess the magic to rewind death, then the most important question is... why is she only saying it now?

At that time, because of Meruru's shady dealings on Ice and the fact that they had only been on Witch Island for less than a week and were not yet familiar with each other, Hiro did not want to interfere in the matter—this reason, though lame, was barely valid.

But why didn't Hiro use the rewind magic during the Coco case later? Coco wasn't a witch; she acted with human will and assassinated Natsume Anan, the biggest unstable factor in her eyes, in order to protect me.

That case was a completely 'wrong' tragedy, and for Hero, there was clearly a reason to go back and correct it.

Unless... the risks of going back are too great, preventing Hiro from making a decision.

Moreover, speaking of Ze Du Ke Ke... the message she left behind seems to be a complete rebuttal to 'death rewind'?

If Hero's magic is rewind, it would explain why Hero was beheaded by the guards on the first day that Zedo Coco saw, but this time, with nothing changed, Hero refrained from breathing on the guards.

Because Hero herself had witnessed that breathing on a guard resulted in being stabbed to death, she proactively changed her modus operandi.

But this also means that perhaps Hiro's 'retrospection'... is not as simple as she explained.

Chang Rong's forehead throbbed with pain. He really wanted to give up thinking and leave everything to Hiro, but he couldn't do it, especially after he realized Hiro's "false testimony".

"Is your magic... really that convenient, Hiro?"

Chang Rong spoke softly, her voice somewhat hoarse and low, but her words were incredibly clear, almost instantly causing a look of panic to appear on Nikaido Hiro's face.

"...Don't always be so perceptive, you idiot rabbit."

Hiro Nikaido, who had initially held a sliver of hope, or perhaps even a touch of 'despair' and a desire to simply unleash magic, showed a helpless expression upon hearing Chang Rong's question. She put one hand to her forehead, gritted her teeth, shook her head, and sighed.

“But…you’re right, my magic does have some ‘problems’ – my ‘taboo’ is suicide. Any attempt to abandon one’s life is the most wrong thing for me. This means that I can’t use this magic in a subjective way – not only can I not use it myself, but after I tell you this, even if you use your attacks to activate the rewind, it is still a form of ‘suicide’ for me.”

"Hiro-chan... why is she like this..." Upon hearing Hiro Nikaido's taboo, Emma Sakuraba showed a worried and concerned expression.

"However—now I realize that my [forbidden] was merely fabricated and manipulated by Xiaoxue... by the Great Witch! The Great Witch didn't commit suicide. Now that I know this, I have nothing to fear anymore. My body feels so light!"

Shiro patted his chest and said this with absolute certainty, and at the same time, the instant Shirley Tachibana finished speaking, she took action.

Just like when she guessed Chang Rong's magic was "resurrection" back in the cafeteria and punched him without hesitation, Tachibana Sherry suddenly appeared in front of Hiro and swung her fist straight at Nikaido Hiro's head.

"OK~! I'll give you a back massage then, Hiro~~"

"Ugh...!?"

Sherry Tachibana's small fist carried immense power, like a howling gust of wind, capable of uprooting Nikaido Hiro without leaving a trace.

As Shirley's fist drew ever closer to her head, time seemed to slow down slightly, yet it also seemed to pile up almost instantaneously—either way, Nikaido Hiro didn't have time to make an effective response; her ability to think was forcibly halted in an instant.

boom!!!!

Shirley Tachibana's fist grazed Heero's scalp, but even so, the violent force of the punch almost caused the flower decorations on Heero's head to wither.

"How is it, Hiro? Do you feel like you've been triggered to become a witch? Or have you truly overcome your immature self?"

Sherry Tachibana, who had scared Hiro, withdrew her fist and smiled as she asked the long-haired girl in front of her how she felt. How did she feel?

"I...uh...waaaah...!"

It seems there's no need to ask anymore. Although Tachibana Sherry's act of helping him commit suicide was undoubtedly 'perjury', even as perjury, the impact on Hiro was unbearable.

After realizing that she had almost 'successfully committed suicide,' Hiro's breathing became heavy. She gasped for breath, her hair fell down in a mess, and even the fingernails on her ten fingers began to grow sharp and long.

—Damn it, damn it…! Even though I already know that this 'taboo' was a shackle that Yuki deliberately put on me, it's still impossible to reconcile and pretend nothing happened in a single day… Hmm! This feeling of impulsiveness and chaos is just like when I first came to Witch Island… No, it's even more severe—is this what witch transformation is like?

Hiro clenched her fists in anguish, trying to calm herself, but she immediately realized it was pointless and gave up struggling, turning instead to look at the white-haired boy beside her.

"You idiot rabbit, I'll gore you to death...!!"

"Ugh...!?"

Without a word, Hiro grabbed Chang Rong and instantly melted him down. Corrupted by the witch-like transformation, Hiro Nikaido, with a ferocious expression, frantically rubbed and bit Chang Rong, as if he intended to strip the white-haired boy naked and devour him alive.

As for Chang Rong, although he was already somewhat disheartened, he was not an immortal zombie after all. When a beautiful girl kissed him so intimately, he would still stammer out meaningless and incoherent resistance.

And so, to everyone's astonished expressions, a few minutes later:

"Damn it, it seems my taboo hasn't subsided yet...!" Nikaido Hiro wiped his mouth, reverting to his Yamato Nadeshiko-like appearance, frowning and licking his lips viciously.

"..." Chang Rong lay sprawled on the tattered sofa, looking like a pillow that had been completely trampled by a naughty child during the New Year. However, at least his mental state had changed from the emptiness and despair of "I'm so tired, I don't want to do anything" to the confusion, helplessness, and bewilderment of "Why am I always the one who gets kissed and fed..."

"Is that not allowed!? You bastard...! By the way, why are you able to do something like this so brazenly, Hiro!?"

Arisa saw Hiro Nikaido's angry and annoyed expression. She first felt the same way about Hiro's curses as his hopes were dashed again. Then she belatedly realized, what was the difference between what had just happened and outdoor training in public? Except for the lack of close contact.

Although Arisa Wisteria knew that Chang Rong's constitution was somewhat special and that he needed a mixture of 'witch factors' to maintain his physiological functions, she did not yet understand that the essence of Chang Rong's constitution was to absorb witch factors to suppress witchification.

After being given a quick, impromptu explanation by Emma, ​​Arisa blinked and gave a look that said, "Wow, that's amazing!"

"So it really is absorption at the physical level... You guys are really amazing to have been able to research something like this." Arisa Fujito tugged at her hood with genuine admiration.

"Ah, I just experienced it again, it's really true." Hiro, who had just been ordered to enjoy the white-haired boy, shrugged. When you feel unhappy/want jade/want to transform into a witch, go rub Chang Rong, everything will be alright—this is the truth.

"Hey hey! I've tried it too, and it's much more exciting than what Hiro just did~!" Shirley Tachibana wasn't going to be outdone, and the blue-haired girl quickly raised her hand to say, "Okay, you suck Chang Rong, I'll suck Chang Rong too!"

"Mmm... It's true, even though it sounds fantastical. I've experienced it myself, it's definitely true." Tono Hannah quickly chimed in. If it weren't for Chang Rong when she was in the sunroom, she probably would have flown out of the stratosphere.

“Although it’s not because I’m about to become a witch… no, but I can do those kinds of things with Chang Rong-kun all the time…!” Even Sakura Emma came over to join in the fun.

"Huh...? So, so it really is true that you have to make a mistake (referring to stepping on a landmine and becoming a witch) to get a reward...?" Arisa Fujito felt her worldview was being shaken, and at the same time looked at the white-haired boy Chang Rong beside her.

If you want to hug and kiss this guy in a relationship... the right approach is actually the complete opposite of how men and women interact in the outside world.

If you suddenly have a desire to kill Chang Rong, what should you do in that situation?

Show your charm in daily interactions, confirm each other's feelings, and then earnestly and shyly ask if you can take things further—this textbook answer would only be rejected by Chang Rong with a "friend zone" card.

Humans are good at compromise. If you ask Chang Rong to come over and lick his lips, he will definitely resist, struggle, and disagree.

But if you say, "If you don't bite my lips, I'll turn into a witch," then he will definitely pounce on you and do all sorts of things to you immediately. Afterwards, he will look guilty and say that it was all his fault for not paying attention and almost turning you into a witch.

People who are fed up with red tape can choose to directly confront you and refuse to listen to any of it.

"However... this ability really suits you, Chang Rong. It's a very gentle ability, born to protect everyone."

After learning about Chang Rong's situation, Arisa looked at Chang Rong, gave him a sweet and elegant smile, and whispered something to him.

"I...I'm not as good as you say, Arisa," Chang Rong replied, looking away somewhat embarrassed.

"Gurgle...!" After giving Chang Rong a good rub, Hiro, who felt like a proud soldier, saw Arisa in this state and felt as if he had completely lost something.

Never mind, it's probably not that important anyway!

"So, Hiro-chan still can't accept her taboo after all...?" Sakura Emma asked with some worry and concern.

"Emma...I'm sorry..."

Upon seeing the pink-haired girl's ever-concerned expression, Nikaido Hiro felt an intense pang of regret.

"Hmm, it's okay, Hiro-chan. Besides, now's not the time to talk about these things, is it?"

Emma Sakura smiled. She didn't pursue the misunderstandings that Hiro had caused over the years because of Xiaoxue, nor did she feel disgusted or resistant towards Hiro because of his cold violence.

"I'm sorry... but you're right, now's not the time to talk about these things—the taboo... I can grit my teeth and get through it! Or I can lie to myself—"

Hero didn't have the courage to meet Emma's gaze, who was too gentle. She could only look away and stubbornly say that she could learn to be patient.

"No, no, no, how can you grit your teeth to do something like that?! Gritting your teeth will only result in your teeth breaking! Besides, An'an has already left, Hiro, how are you planning to lie to yourself? You can't really say that you're planning to have a tug-of-war with the roof beam, can you...?"

Tono Hannah quickly refuted Hirona's overly absurd and beautiful words.

"In that case... in that case—right, maybe I can maintain my mental stability by kissing Changrong while I'm trying to commit suicide—"

"Hiro-chan, um... if you're really under too much pressure, how about you take a break for a bit? This isn't even a suggestion anymore, it's just a bizarre, chaotic statement..."

Emma gently suggested that Shiro go to the refrigerator to calm down; her 'plan' didn't sound like something a human could come up with.

What if you're eating rabbit heads while hanging yourself, and your body isn't hard yet but other parts are already hard...?

"How am I supposed to rest in this situation...! Damn it, I should be doing something right now, but I have no idea why Xiaoxue altered my memories, or what kind of magic she gave you, Emma—Emma, ​​what exactly is your magic?"

Hiro rubbed his eyebrows and gritted his teeth in rebuttal, while at the same time mustering his courage to look at Sakura Emma and ask what the pink-haired girl had gotten from the Great Witch.

"I...I really don't know, I'm sorry...I really want to use magic to help everyone, but I don't really know what kind of magic I have, I only know that it might be related to the witch factor...?"

Emma lowered her head and responded dejectedly, saying that if she could, she really wished she could use magic to help everyone.

“Xiaoxue did grant you some kind of magic, otherwise you wouldn’t have been captured and brought to Witch Island, Emma. But now we can’t tell if your magic is working or not… However, Xiaoxue seems particularly concerned about my ‘Death Rewind,’ which means that your magic is unlikely to be of any help in the current situation.” Hiro frowned as he analyzed, trying to find more information about the Great Witch Tsukishiro Yuki in his gradually recovering memories.

"Wait, wait a minute—I wanted to ask earlier, who is [Xiaoxue]?" Tono Hannah quickly seized the opportunity to ask. Shiro had been talking to himself about a name he had never heard of, but Emma and Chang Rong didn't seem to have any questions about it. Instead, it made Hannah a little insecure, wondering if she had accidentally pressed the skip button.

“I’m curious too… who is Yuki?” Arisa chimed in.

"Oh right, I haven't told you about the 'Great Witch' yet."

Hiro belatedly realized that the departure of Milia and Noah had completely disrupted everyone's original rhythm, and he hadn't even had a chance to tell the others that he and Chang Rong's 'childhood friend' Xiaoxue were actually the Great Witch.

After briefly telling everyone about 'Xiaoxue', Hiro took the opportunity to organize everyone's memories of Xiaoxue again—the false ones, the real ones, the past ones, and the present ones.

Emma's memories were not altered or tampered with by Xiaoxue, but Xiaoxue seemed to have entrusted Emma with some kind of magic to keep safe, because Emma was 'kind enough'.