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

“That’s easy. I’ll just burn the castle down! All the traps will be wiped out!” “Waaah!? No, you can’t burn it, Miss Arisa…” Arisa said coolly, flicking out a flame, while Meruru, standing to the side, almost burst into tears again.

"Hmph! This is the time for this great detective to step in! Just punch the first floor downstairs—" "Waaah!? No, we can't demolish it, Miss Tachibana Sherry..." Meruru couldn't hold back her tears.

"Then let Hannah uproot the entire castle—" "Waaah! Please, please everyone, stop messing around with the castle...!" Meruru cried until she was shriveled.

"Oh dear~ the nun over there has run out of tears. Let's all get a little more serious and discuss this—for example, how about we get those two veterans with the ability to travel through time to help us?"

Baosheng Mag said with a smile, while turning the conversation back to Shiro and Coco.

“I’ve basically shared all the information I have so far. In fact, we didn’t even encounter the secret art studio situation in the previous timeline. Everyone has different information, and the decisions made are different from the past. It’s already significantly different from what I know of the past.” Nikaido Hiro shook his head.

"As for my magical reversal... I can't control the duration of the reversal, and the so-called reversal can only be achieved without other observers."

"Wh-what? Am I going to die too, meow...!?" Zetsu Koko was getting a little flustered by Shiro's stare.

It seems that the so-called intelligence position is not as invincible as imagined, and for a while, no one could find a good way to break it.

"That's it! Why don't we let Meruru go explore? Didn't that crazy woman say she can't die?" Coco suddenly had an idea.

"Hmm...that's right, she's a 'complete witch.' Except for the Witch Slayer Potion, she can't die from any fatal wound. She's a good choice for exploring traps and clearing mines." Hiro nodded. In a sense, Ice Meluru really is a good candidate for clearing mines with her own body.

"Huh? Let me, let me do it..." Meruru was startled. She looked around and found that no one seemed to object much to this half-joking 'suggestion,' after all, she was the real mastermind.

"Don't scare Meruru. While those traps might not kill the witch, they could certainly trap her completely. At least that secret room in the art studio might be able to do that. Meruru's immortality doesn't mean she's invincible; there are still many mechanisms that can counter her."

When everyone was silent, Chang Rong stepped forward and sighed, speaking as if to excuse Mei Lulu on the ice.

"Waaaaah... Chang Rong-jun, Holy Son...!!"

Unexpectedly, it was Chang Rong who stood up for her. Mei Lulu wished she could kill herself right now and resurrect herself, then shed plenty of tears in front of him and confess her sins.

"Tsk, in that case, for now we can only try to be mindful of our surroundings and avoid touching anything strange—"

"...I can help."

Nanoha Kurobe's calm voice rang out, and everyone immediately looked at the black-haired twin-tailed girl wearing a cycling hat who seemed to have been deliberately avoiding the crowd.

"Nanoha Kaoru?" Hiro blinked. Logically speaking, when Kurobe Nanoha Kaoru first arrived at Witch Island, she should still have the mindset that 'everyone is ultimately an enemy,' and she would never have actively participated in or interfered with these matters.

It seems she was also influenced by the intelligence she had previously gathered, and changed her approach to action.

“My ability [Vision] can detect past information about objects and locations, so I should be able to find some traps... I can't continue trying to act alone, as that would most likely be pointless. If we can avoid the outcome of fighting each other, then... acting with you all should give us a better chance of saving my sister.”

Looking at her bandaged arm, Kurobe Nanoka lowered her head and said shyly in a low voice.

Despite being the oldest among them all, she acts more like a younger sister following behind her older sister most of the time.

"Vision? That's a relatively safe method." Hiro nodded. If Nanoha was willing to help and cooperate with everyone from the beginning this time, they should be able to make considerable progress.

"However... my abilities have limitations. I might need to make multiple attempts to obtain the information I want, and frequent activation of my abilities would make me feel irritable and tired, so the efficiency might be relatively slow—"

“In that case, I’ll come and help too!” Chang Rong suddenly raised his hand, while Nikaido Hiro sighed and facepalmed with a helpless expression that said, ‘I knew it…’

"I have the ability to absorb witch factors. If you feel unwell, Nanoha Kaori, just leave it to me!" Chang Rong patted his chest. After experiencing the Natsume An'an incident, he had a good understanding of his abilities. It seemed that the cards were working properly and he could indeed suppress the increase in the concentration of witch factors.

"Um...is this...is this alright? You intend to become my...accomplice?"

Nanoha Kurobe blinked. She didn't know why this white-haired boy had chosen to travel with her, but when she learned that he would also come to help, an indescribable sense of security immediately filled Nanoha Kurobe's whole body.

"Being an accomplice sounds a bit much... but I'll do my best to assist you, Nanoha Kaori."

“…Hmm.” Kurobe Nanoha Kaori nodded to Chang Rong. She seemed to have been familiar with the feeling of entrusting her back to the boy in front of her for a long time.

—Why do I feel like I've become the most jailed information provider again...?

Hiro watched as Nanoha Kaori and Chang Rong nodded to each other, feeling displeased but saying nothing.

Her and Coco's abilities were useless in this regard, and considering everyone's safety, they could only leave it to Kurobe Nanoha and Changrong.

No matter what, Hiro can still distinguish between primary and secondary relationships. Her purpose in this regression is to lead everyone to the happy ending that should belong to everyone. If she causes everyone to be in danger because of the grass rabbit, that would be putting the cart before the horse, and she wouldn't be able to explain it to Chang Rong.

But speaking of Kurobe Nanoha... I feel like I've missed something crucial—

"Hiss hiss hiss!!!"

"Waaaaaah!?!" A distorted, inhuman voice suddenly rang out from the restaurant, accompanied by the panicked screams of the prospective witches. Suddenly, the guard with the hairband—Kurobe Nanoha Kaori's 'older sister'—appeared and stood beside Chang Rong and Nanoha Kaori.

"Huh...? Why did the guards suddenly come out...?!" Meruru crouched down, covering her head, transforming into a vampire jellyfish.

"How did you manage to pull this stunt?! Why are you always the one most surprised when something unexpected happens?!" "Ugh! I'm so sorry, I really apologize for not doing a good job as the stunt cop, sob sob..."

Hiro yelled at Meruru, but torturing her would only get him the little pearl.

No one knew where the guards had come from, but they were now standing next to Naoya Kaori and Chang Rong, and at first glance, they did indeed look like a dungeon raid team.

"Hey! It's about time you let go of Onii-chan! Onii-chan has his own social life and relationships; there's no place for someone as senior as you here—"

"hiss!!!"

"Meow!?"

Zedu Coco went up to try and drive away this KDA king who only brought misfortune, but what she got in return was a powerful breath like a V8 engine from 'Big Sister'.

"This guy is really bad...! Damn it, Onii-chan, hang in there, I'm coming to help you...!!"

"Why are you getting stressed too? By the way, what are you doing with that cardboard box...?" Hiro asked, looking at Zedo Coco suddenly pulling out a cardboard box, with a strange posture like the masked hero Gaim.

"This is a portable witch transformation activator that I invented, so I can protect Onii-chan in emergencies! Once I put it on my head, I'll explode and transform into a witch because of 'It's so dark, it's so cramped, I can't hide here...' and then I'll take down any enemies that threaten Onii-chan!"

"..."

Looking at Sawatari Coco, who was beaming with pride because of his extraordinary wisdom, Nikaido Hiro recalled Hakimi, who was dancing wildly with a plastic bag/can over his head.

The child's intentions were good, and they were kind-hearted, but the way they put it into practice was a bit...

"Ugh, waaaaaa!? Sis, Big Sister—!?"

Nanoha Kurobe's screams drew everyone's attention back, and what was happening before them was far beyond anyone's comprehension:

"Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss—"

The 'Hairband Guardian' stretched out its twisted, slender, tentacle-like hands and embraced Chang Rong, stroking her incessantly. However, each stroke was accompanied by a sound like butter evaporating, and the part of the Hairband Guardian that was in contact with Chang Rong would constantly hiss and smoke.

"Waaaaah, big sister, you're hurting him with your tonic...! Let go! You'll disappear if this keeps up!"

Nanoha Kurobe looked like she was about to drop a pearl and kept trying to pry open the guard's arms, but each time the guard gently pushed her away. "Silly little sister, go play somewhere else and don't ruin my good time."

"Waaaaah! Help! Nanoha Kaori!? I...I can't break free—Big Sister, please shake me!?"

Chang Rong, who was being held tightly, frantically begged for mercy, repeatedly pleading with Kurobe Nanoha to help her escape her sister's large, soon-to-disappearing hands.

...What kind of food chain is this?

After witnessing this scene, everyone lost the ability to speak, their brains forced to constantly upgrade, all in an attempt to understand this bizarre food ecosystem that might be difficult to decipher even within the next century.

In the end, the selection for the 'Witch Island Trap Clearance Team' was narrowed down to Kurobe Nanoha, Chang Rong, and the headband-wearing guard. Nanoha's illusion magic was essential, and for efficiency and safety reasons, Chang Rong also had to act as a stress reliever. And as long as these two were together, the guard would spawn, ultimately resulting in this extremely bizarre team.

But no matter what, that's a piece of trash we'll have to think about starting tomorrow.

"By the way, Baosheng Mag has agreed to help translate the ancient witch's book. Coco knows about Mag's writing skills; they're quite impressive. The translation of the Great Witch's ritual will all depend on you. During this time, everyone should try not to cause any trouble that might interfere with her—thank you for your help, Mag."

Hiro steered the conversation toward Baosheng Mag, and the other prospective witches applauded in gratitude.

Although thanks to Hiro and Coco's frenzied box-opening progress, this year's junior members didn't suffer much from the witch's trial. Even so, quite a few still wanted to leave Witch Island and go home. Finding the Great Witch as soon as possible to resolve this mess was something everyone desperately wanted.

"Oh my... I'm so flattered to be trusted and loved by everyone like this, it's wonderful, I'm so happy~"

Baosheng Mag smiled knowingly, squinting at the crowd cheering him on.

"However, as compensation for the tedious, boring, and high-intensity translation work—it shouldn't be a problem if I make a few requests now and then, right, Hiro?"

Hosho Mag changed the subject and asked Nikaido Hiro, who frowned but nodded in agreement after a moment's thought.

"Of course, no problem. The more capable you are, the more you will be rewarded; that's undoubtedly true. We will do our best to provide you with everything you need. Because the deciphering of the witch's ancient book is directly related to our ability to leave the witch's island, your task, Mag, is one of the highest priorities."

Hiro Nikaido responded with a smile, saying that compared to working for free purely out of interest, a proper incentive and reward mechanism would definitely speed things up more.

But to be honest... I have a feeling that Mag's 'requests' will be super tricky... Is it really okay to just agree so directly and decisively?

Hmm... never mind, it shouldn't be a big problem. I just need to keep an eye on Chang Rong and prevent that idiot rabbit from running around aimlessly trying to seduce other people. After all, based on my previous memories... Marge seems to be more interested in the same sex?

The thought of the vulgar and nauseating things she had said to him during the trial sent chills down Hiro's spine. Even later, it was because Mag had developed a mistaken 'love' for Meruru that he killed her with his own hands.

Yes, yes, the head is made of copper. In fact, when Chang Rong tried to touch her head before, she dodged and ran away with a look of disgust on her face. The evidence is conclusive.

No, no, before this guy was executed, he seemed to have said some weird love words to the idiot rabbit...?

No, those kinds of statements are completely useless. Just forget about the beginning and the end, and leave them alone. The advantage is in my hands!

Hiro finally nodded. Her reasoning was flawless, without a single flaw, and undoubtedly absolutely 'correct'. Chang Rong didn't possess any qualities that could attract Baosheng Mag. There was no need to worry about what earth-shattering things this born loser, who was already several laps behind the starting line, might do.

All I need to do is maintain a good relationship with Baosheng Mag and the other witches, and make her dutifully translate the ancient witch script.

"That's all I wanted to say for today. Everyone should pay close attention during the upcoming operations and try to avoid going to remote places."

"Although this period is tedious, we must wait for Mag to translate the ancient texts. Also, Chang Rong's confessional is not yet in use because it still needs some renovations. Please wait a little longer for the specific period of operation. And please do not go and bother our pastor alone. We will discuss the specific plan for the mine clearance operation tomorrow. That's all."

Without realizing it, Hiro had indeed become the de facto 'class monitor' of the prospective witches. She clapped her hands and finished planning and organizing everything that everyone had experienced today and what needed to be prepared next.

In a sense, the progress on the 'first day' of Witch Island has already exceeded a month in the second playthrough. It would be even better to maintain the status quo and wait to confirm the details of the Great Witch's 'ritual'—

As Hero was thinking this, a sentence broke the silence.

"Just one question...where will I sleep tonight?"

Chang Rong raised her hand, somewhat embarrassed and awkward, and asked in a low voice.

"—!" "—!?" "……!!!"

With the white-haired boy's calm, almost indifferent question, "Have you eaten?", the once peaceful Witch Island instantly transformed into a cruel battlefield of blood and tears.

Volume 1: Chapter 166. Emperor Chang requests to choose a concubine to serve him in bed.

"...Did I say something strange?"

The cafeteria could transform from 'warm and peaceful' to 'murderous' in the blink of an eye. Chang Rong, the instigator, noticed this strange change in atmosphere, blinked, and asked somewhat awkwardly.

"—That is indeed very strange, Chang Rong."

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the first to recover was Nikaido Hiro. She immediately put on her usual confident and elegant smile and looked at Chang Rong.

"Because, do we really need to ask about this? Wasn't it already confirmed before we even arrived at Witch Island that you'd be sleeping with me, your childhood sweetheart?"

Hiro adopted an inviting gesture, trying his best to create an air of nonchalance, as if to say, "I really don't know what's so interesting about this."