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

"No, no, no, even if you list all the dishes, I won't choose a single one!" Chang Rong refused righteously. These colorful little bottles, no matter which one they were, would feel terrible if injected into her body.

"Choose...? No, no, Lord Changrong! This isn't a multiple-choice question, it's a ranking question..."

"^q^Way!?"

I thought Meruru was already pretty crazy, but I didn't expect I was still too conservative in my thinking.

As the evil jellyfish licked its saliva and slowly approached him, Chang Rong hurriedly raised his left hand to block it.

"Wait a minute, Meruru! The witch factor in your body was just eroded by the witch killer potion, and the aftereffects haven't completely subsided yet. Your healing magic is also much weaker than before, right?"

"Hmm... yes, that's exactly right... the phone that Ms. Shirley smashed can only go through the scrapping and recycling process; there's no way to restore it directly..."

Meruru nodded and responded softly. The bottle of Witch Slayer Potion had ultimately affected her. Even though Chang Rong used her own blood as a buffer, it still reduced her witch factor to the point where her magical efficacy was halved again.

"So Meruru, you can't use this method. Your witch factor is already insufficient, and forcibly transferring it will put a great burden on you." Chang Rong tried to persuade Meruru to give up this healing-transferring setting that resembled an ancient martial arts drama.

"Then...wouldn't that be even better...! I can both kiss the Holy Son and bear my own burden as atonement for kissing the Holy Son—"

"Is there even such a logical chain?!"

Chang Rong instantly looked at the evil poison jellyfish with a shocked expression, as if to say, "So powerful!?"

It's clear that there's no rational way to stop the evil jellyfish right now, so...

"In the name of the Holy Son, in the name of the bloodline that lives within you, I command you to step down, Meluru on Ice!"

"Hmm...!? Lord Chang Rong...?"

Meruru was startled. As everyone knows, if a usually kind parent suddenly calls you by your full name, it means that you are about to become a bitter mistress.

The boy in front of me suddenly switched to a fighting expression. He pointed to himself, his words losing their previous gentleness and replaced by an undeniable resolve. In other words, it was like going from a customer service octopus to the God of Oblivion, the octopus, in a second.

“I know the loneliness you’ve endured all these years, Meruru, and the repression you’ve felt constantly repeating on this endless road, but that’s no excuse for your reckless behavior. If you continue down this path—I will take back all your sins and ensure you never get a chance to atone.”

"Waaaaah... Yes, I'm sorry, Lord Changrong... I, I know I was wrong... Waaaaah...!"

Even the most repressed Meruru on the ice knows the difference between a full meal and a regular one. Chang Rong's attitude today was inexplicably resolute, not at all like someone who would expose her belly with just a couple of pokes. After being sternly reprimanded, Meruru could only transform from an evil jellyfish back into a tearful jellyfish, leaving the stage with a tearful regret.

"Aha……"

After seeing Meruru leave with the bottles and jars, Chang Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the tough expression she had been putting on instantly crumbled.

"[Coo coo... As expected of Mr. Chang Rong, he actually managed to drive away Lady Meruru in that state.]"

The warden was untied from the ropes, and while shaking his head, he mumbled something to Chang Rong.

"I hope Meruru won't take it too seriously... Am I being a bit too harsh?"

"【Hmm, there shouldn't be any need to worry, Mr. Chang Rong. Lady Meruru is actually quite aware that she's not truly ready to be with you yet. It's just that Lady Meruru has been struggling with this for far too long.】"

The warden flew back onto Chang Rong's head and coiled up, revealing an expression of enjoyment.

"Whether she is human or a witch, whether she tortures or redeems the aspiring witches, whether she destroys or saves humanity, Lady Meruru has always been torn between these two conflicting stances. And it is only when she is with you, Mr. Changrong, that Lady Meruru can clearly reconcile her beliefs on one thing."

"So that's trying to strangle 'the Holy Son'... That's really tough."

Chang Rong complained helplessly that giving confused people a goal to live for is certainly a good thing, but if possible, it's best to be careful not to become that 'goal' yourself, otherwise the after-sales service will be a real hassle.

“Speaking of which, this rope…” Chang Rong noticed that the rope that had just bound the warden seemed to be the same ‘magical restraint rope’ that had been used to bind Meruru. Originally intending to put it away, Chang Rong thought of something and after a moment of thought, stuffed the rope under his pillow.

If it's not needed, that would be best.

Boom!

The door to the infirmary was suddenly pushed open, and the Blue Man, who had put all his points into Intelligence, walked straight into the room with his usual cheerful expression.

"Whoa!? Sherry...?" Chang Rong's head had just touched the pillow when he was startled awake again by Tachibana Sherry's light and agile intrusion.

"Hehehe~ I'm back! Hey Watson, Watson, I just had a sudden inspiration and I want to play a little kissing game with you!"

"...Uh, huh?"

If someone is wearing a mask and sneaking around suspiciously, you'd probably realize they're not a good person. But if someone walks in fully armed, wearing a bulletproof vest, carrying a heavy machine gun, and muttering something like 'remember, no Russian,' your brain will likely shut down when you see them.

Tachibana Sherry's overly direct and straightforward remarks caused Chang Rong's brain to freeze.

"OK—if there's no denial after 3 seconds, then Watson has voluntarily joined this year's CCB symposium, right?"

"Huh? No, no, no—I must refuse!" Chang Rong hurriedly waved his hand in refusal as Tachibana Sherry approached step by step like a tyrant.

"That's right, that's right! It's only a 'kissing game' if you refuse! You're really on point, Watson!"

"^q^ Huh!?"

With a thud, Chang Rong was tackled onto the hospital bed by Shirley Tachibana, and the warden's newly warmed little nest was once again destroyed in front of him.

“This time you don’t have a choice, Watson. Because this is part of the treatment, treatment!” Shirley Tachibana hummed, her cheeks flushing red, which added a touch of youthful cuteness to this blue-haired tyrant.

If Meruru at least had some awareness of the impropriety of her actions because of her status as a 'sinner,' then Tachibana Sherry was completely 'clear-minded and her actions were all for the sake of her fans... and all for justice.'

Chang Rong knew very well that behind the seemingly carefree and silly grin of the blue-haired guy lay Tachibana Sherry's own realization.

She seems to really intend to 'exchange witch factors' with Chang Rong (don't ask how), even if Chang Rong says something like 'If you dare to do this, I'll block you,' Tachibana Sherry will still act with utter filth without hesitation.

Normally, faced with Shirley's level of awareness, Chang Rong might have impulsively agreed, but—

"I understand, Sherry." Chang Rong shrugged resignedly, and Sherry immediately smiled upon seeing this. She released her grip on Chang Rong and prepared to unbutton her clothes.

Just as Shirley let go, Chang Rong suddenly pulled out the magic-suppressing rope from under the pillow and tied it to Shirley's wrists.

"My favorite thing is to say NO to those aspiring witches who try to mate with me!"

"Huh? Oh dear—whoaah! This is cheating, Watson! Cheating!!"

Suddenly entangled, Tachibana Sherry lost all her strength and abilities. If the muzzle of the glass cannon was blocked, then all that was left was glass.

"Miss Holmes, it was clearly you who suddenly acted out first... What you just did was illegal! Witch Island isn't a lawless place, watch out—"

Chang Rong paused halfway through her threat. It was indeed illegal, but if Uncle Hat were really called over, it was hard to say who would be dragged into the car.

Having intimate relations against a woman's will is illegal. As for who kissed whom, that's another matter.

In short, it's best not to think about it too much...

"Ahem! This time, your reckless behavior must be punished, Sherry!"

"Hey, Watson, why are you looking so serious after taking a tonic? I just wanted to have some fun with you—"

"The real culprit is the protagonist's best friend. His method is to fake the real time, and the victim is just a smokescreen!"

“…Eh?” Tachibana Sherry blinked. She hadn’t quite grasped the meaning of those words when another spoiler came crashing down on her. With her hands tied, she couldn’t even cover her ears.

A few minutes later—

"Watson is an idiot...!!"

Tachibana Sherry, unusually flustered and sulking, stormed out of the infirmary. She had just been spoiled by Chang Rong on everything from the Orient Express to the Snowstorm Lodge, from the villains of the Black Organization to what ONE PIECE is.

"【Coo coo coo... Hmm, although Mr. Chang Rong's counterattack was very cool, why didn't you just agree?"

The owl was a little curious. They had already brought him to the bedside, yet Chang Rong was still able to hold back and even actively kick him out. Was this guy really some kind of saint? Moreover, the warden also knew very well that this was not 'wishful thinking'. The white-haired boy in front of him actually had feelings beyond friendship for these prospective witches.

"Hmm... reasons? I think I did have some reasons before, mainly the aversion I felt towards my 'witch factor constitution'. But for now—it's because of the 'promise'."

"【Coo coo...?】" The warden tilted his head, unsure of what agreement had made Chang Rong so serious.

After killing Tachibana Sherry, Chang Rong seemed to become Su Nuo, and for a while, things calmed down. Perhaps the other prospective witches also realized that acting rashly would only lead to a regrettable end.

This rare period of leisure allowed Chang Rong to begin reflecting on the current situation.

If absorbing the witch's essence can really accelerate my healing... then perhaps it really is necessary to do so. After all, if I just stay here lying around, it will not only cause trouble for everyone, but also make them worry about me.

Although the island of witches has regained a brief period of peace following the surrender and arrest of Meru on Ice, it remains an isolated "abnormal zone." If she doesn't recover her health soon, she'll only be adding pressure to others.

However, the absorption of witch factors must be done in a special way. At least in Sherry and Meruru's understanding, 'intimate communication' is this method.

If we really have to do that...

Chang Rong thought of Xi Luo, and also of the promise she made to herself back then.

Thinking back to Hero's sudden, almost bewitching behavior, it was probably all for my sake. By attracting everyone's attention, he managed to lure everyone away in one go, so I could rest in peace... Hero, you're so great!

It's just that it's reverted to a solo arena-like format...

Chang Rong kept thinking about random things while holding her phone, her thumb resting on Nikaido Hiro's profile picture, but she didn't press any buttons.

After some time, Kurobe Nanoka arrived at the infirmary.

"I reduced the sugar and oil ratio in the cake I baked this time, so it should be easier to absorb. However, the taste and addictiveness are also reduced a lot... Anyway, if you don't mind, please give it a try."

"—Waaaaah, as expected of Nanoha Kaori!"

"Waaaaaah!? Why, why do you suddenly look like you're about to cry...? I, I shouldn't have added those forbidden seasonings that only top-tier chefs use...!"

Looking at Kurobe Nanoha, who was wearing a cycling helmet, had black hair in twin tails, was honest, gentle, and quiet, and then quietly huddled to the side after handing her the cake, Chang Rong almost dropped her pearls.

—What?! This also shows normal male-female relationships...!

Chang Rong gratefully put the cake into her mouth, but the taste was indeed a bit weak, like suddenly smoking taro boba after being used to smoking waste paper.

Chang Rong's appearance startled Naoya Kaori, who almost snatched the cake back to check the condition of the ingredients. After all, a dish that can make someone cry, besides having too many onions, is somehow abnormal.

“It’s still delicious, Nanako.” Chang Rong said to Kurobe Nanako with a smile.

"...I'm glad you like it." Nanoha Kaori returned the smile. After a brief exchange of glances, Nanoha Kaori blinked hesitantly before finally leaving the room.

And as soon as she left the infirmary—

"Hiss hiss hiss? Hiss hiss hiss!"

"No, this is still too..." "Hiss!!" "Even if you say that, big sister—" "Hiss—!"

"Whoa...!?"

The door was pushed open again, and Kurobe Nanoha, who had just left, returned to the room. However, this time, Nanoha was dragged in by the neck by the guard with the hairband.

Not only that, she also had a pair of cat ears on her head. Although they were made of cardboard, the workmanship was surprisingly exquisite.

"Ugh... Ugh..."

After being placed on the ground by her older sister, Nanoha Kaori blinked wildly and looked around, eventually raising her hands to shyly cover her face.

"So cute, Nanoha! This shy and a little clumsy look suits you better than always having a serious expression while carrying a spear. By the way, did your older sister make these cardboard cat ears? As expected of your older sister, she's so skillful, and they're so adorable!"

Chang Rong smiled and said to the Heibu sisters, "Indeed, this kind of sisterhood is the most youthful and beautiful."

"Ugh..." "Hiss—"