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

"I'm sorry... I'm always so careless, Xiaoxue, Changrong-jun... Um, Xiaoxue has things to do, right? I can't trouble Xiaoxue, Changrong-jun. If possible, could you please lend a hand, hehehe..." Emma asked Changrong for help in a soft, sweet voice.

"Kind Emma, ​​my good child Emma, ​​it's not your fault. Don't worry, I can help you with healing magic—"

"As expected, I still hope to overcome this hardship with the power of humanity, so thank you, Xiaoxue!"

Emma directly rejected Xiaoxue's healing magic, stuck to Chang Rong and abducted her away. She looked completely different from the person who had just been kneeling on the ground in pain, losing her pearls.

"...Okay, fine."

Xiaoxue could only stand there, nodding in a daze, while watching helplessly as Chang Rong was carried away by the dog.

It wasn't until Chang Rong was once again lured away by Xi Luo under the pretext of "violating discipline, come with me immediately for a major investigation!" that Xiao Xue finally realized the problem.

Every aspiring witch on this witch island is trying to steal food and run away, using all sorts of despicable human acts to lure my rabbit away!

Xiaoxue finally understood this, and her face instantly turned red. She angrily planned to go and complain to Meruru.

However, when she arrived at the infirmary, she heard sounds coming from inside before she even pushed open the door.

"Lord Changrong... after everything we've been through, you're still willing to help me organize the medicines. I'm truly, truly touched. Thank you..."

"Because we've been through so much together, I've come to realize that you, Meruru, are not a cruel angel. Whether you're arrogant or indifferent, those emotions are just mistakes you made because you couldn't face your own heart. I will always be with you, just like the infirmary after you've cleaned up the medicines. One day, we'll truly become a clean, tidy, and spotless place, dedicated to saving lives."

"Lady Changrong... Ugh, sob sob... I'm so sorry, ever since the Great Witch returned, I feel like I've become so prone to tears again... I'm such an immature idiot..."

"—"

Xiaoxue paused for a moment outside the infirmary before finally withdrawing her hand from the doorknob.

Even though her nose was red and her head was green, Xiaoxue ultimately decided to give the two of them space to confide in each other. Wasn't that a good thing?

I feel so much guilt towards Meruru... Even if I can only make up for a little bit, I hope I can repay that child with something.

Even though the sounds coming from the infirmary were clearly unrelated to 'organizing medicine bottles', Xiaoxue simply fiddled with her emerald green hair and did not break down the door.

However, after Xiaoxue gained intelligence, she didn't just sit idly by. Her pet rabbits were repeatedly stolen, and Xiaoxue, who couldn't stand it anymore, eventually sought help from the Kurobe sisters.

My older sister was a ruthless and domineering woman who would do anything to get rabbit meat back in the old days. If it were her, she would definitely be able to help me!

"Silly sister—we're both veterans, so I order you to help me."

"Eh... Xiaoxue?"

The older sister, who was staring blankly in the courtyard with Nanoha, blinked, looking completely bewildered by the great witch who suddenly appeared before her.

After Xiaoxue explained the problem she encountered, her older sister revealed a meaningful smile, adopted a wise demeanor, and leaned close to Xiaoxue's ear to give her advice in a serious and low voice.

"—I see, I understand completely now. Foolish humans, your end has come…!"

After listening to her older sister's words, Xiaoxue nodded as if enlightened, and with a smug look on her face, immediately went to find Chang Rong again.

"Rong, the curtains in the sunroom are broken. Come and fix them for me."

Xiaoxue approached Chang Rong, mimicking his behavior, and made up an excuse to steal Chang Rong away from him while he was painting with Noah. According to the script, what followed was the scenario of the kind-hearted, silly rabbit leaving with her to enjoy some time alone together—

"Noah also wants to sunbathe in the sunroom!"

"...!?"

A single sentence from the colorful little balloon instantly disrupted Xiaoxue's plans. The reason she had racked her brains to come up with suddenly became the very reason for Noah to continue clinging to Chang Rong.

As Chang Rong led Noah to the sunroom, the sweet little girl gave Xiao Xue a seemingly harmless smile that, in reality, was a smile that could spill out like black sesame paste if you cut it open.

—This guy is so mean... completely different from Alice!

Xiaoxue froze on the spot. Although they were both daughters in the same ecological niche, it was obvious that Noah and Alice were not on the same level at all!

After much fuss, Xiaoxue finally realized a cruel truth: she was no match for the lowly elites. These people had been engaged in a high-intensity, chaotic battle of lowly women ever since she fell asleep, and the Great Witch's current state was practically a lamb to the slaughter.

The Great Witch only cried 13 times in her life. She couldn't protect the rabbit from Heero, she couldn't protect the rabbit from Emma, ​​and she couldn't protect the rabbit from Sherry.

And so, night fell once again.

"...I really want to leave. This place is full of traps."

Xiaoxue finally found Chang Rong in the reception room, but she was exhausted and could only slump in Chang Rong's arms and complain softly.

"Haha, everyone's a good kid. You just haven't gotten used to the rhythm yet, Xue! Um, I have some things to take care of with Nanoha Kaori, see you later, Xue!"

"--Hmm?"

Before Xiaoxue could react, Chang Rong took out his phone, glanced at it, and prepared to get up and leave immediately, leaving Xiaoxue with a bellyful of grievances she hadn't had time to complain about.

"What is this..."

Xiaoxue puffed up her puffs of air, and at the same time, she thought of another piece of advice from her older sister.

If you're feeling really lost and don't know what to do, try to think about what the most cunning person would do in a situation like this.

The most cunning person... Emma!

The image of the pink and white furry little dog naturally came to Xiaoxue's mind.

Naughty Emma, ​​naughty Emma!

If it were Emma, ​​what would she do in this situation...? Hmm, that would definitely be it!

After hesitating for a moment, Xiaoxue lay down on the ground, revealing her flat, almost airborne belly.

"Xiaoxue, you—"

"Rong..."

Did you eat something bad?

"Rong...!!"

Instead of receiving hugs, kisses, and affectionate caresses from Chang Rong, all she got was his concerned look that said, "If you're sick, take your medicine."

Seeing that her plan had failed miserably, Xiaoxue had no choice but to get up and honestly admit that she was cosplaying Emma.

"Xiaoxue is so cute like this~ Don't worry, Xiaoxue, I told you I would never leave you, but I do have some things to take care of right now, wait for me, okay?"

Chang Rong ruffled Xiao Xue's hair, smiling as she comforted the great witch who could easily lift an island into the air.

"……I see."

Xiaoxue lowered her head and looked obedient, which reassured Chang Rong as she left.

However, as soon as Chang Rong left the meeting room, Xiao Xue immediately raised her head, looked in the direction where Chang Rong disappeared with a determined look, and called over the warden who was preparing to go to bed early.

"Coo coo coo... Following Mr. Chang Rong...? I understand, Master. Well, you are the master, after all..."

"After this is done, I'll bring you along next time."

"I swear to serve my master to the death!!"

Having obtained the soup-drinking permit from Green Snow, the warden instantly filled himself with pigeon blood and, using his extensive experience, quickly located Chang Rong's whereabouts—the underground freezer.

"Where is this...?" Xiaoxue tilted her head, not remembering that there was such a place as Witch Island.

"Um, it's a bit complicated to explain, Master... Anyway, this isn't a very nice place."

The owl girl rubbed her feathers, unsure how to explain, so she opened the hidden passage and led the great witch to the basement.

Passing through a corridor filled with poured concrete and pipes, through a room with strange instrument panels, and opening an incredibly heavy metal door, the Great Witch finally arrived at the underground cryogenic chamber, where she also saw Kurobe Nanoha and her target, Chang Rong.

"Is this really okay...? I can help too—"

"No need, Naoka. This is too much of a burden for you. Even you probably couldn't handle using it continuously."

"But even so... if it makes you more comfortable, Chang Rong, I'm fine with it...!"

"It's enough that you've given me everything. I can't let you bear any more, Nanoha. And—"

Hearing this part of their conversation, Xiaoxue took the initiative and blushed more than she could say.

"Death... Death penalty!!! Rong, you idiot, you big idiot! You super idiot!!"

"Huh? Xiaoxue, what's wrong with you—oohoo ...

Chang Rong's calves are undergoing a severe test!

"Death penalty! Secretly dating that little slicker behind my back, you're shameless, perverted, and an idiot!" "No, no, that's not it! Stop kicking me—owl! Who would sneak off to a place like this where they can freeze into an icicle for a secret date!" Chang Rong quickly explained.

"Well……"

Xiaoxue paused for a moment. Judging from the surrounding temperature, what Chang Rong said did make some sense, so she finally stopped kicking her little feet.

"Warden—you'll be in for a world of hurt next time you get your feathers pampered." Chang Rong gritted her teeth and rubbed her leg while glaring at the warden and uttering a fierce threat. "You're the one who lured the Great Witch here?"

"Coo coo coo...!?" The warden was so frightened that he became as thin as a stick.

"So, Rong, you've been acting really strange all day... what have you been doing...?"

"Well, I—uh, how should I put it—" Chang Rong evaded the question, seemingly unwilling to answer Xiao Xue's question directly.

"Chang Rong was experimenting with whether he could temporarily gain corresponding magic by absorbing witch factors, and the result was feasible. He temporarily mastered the magic of [Vision]."

Suddenly, Nanoha Kaori spoke up. Although Chang Rong waved her hand, Nanoha Kaori ignored her and spoke to the great witch in front of her.

"You wanted to borrow the illusion magic again before, to test whether it could be passed on to Rong...? But... why?"

"Because Chang Rong intends to use the magic of [Vision] to witness firsthand the end of the witches buried here, and the beginning of their tragedy."

"The witches buried here..."

Xiaoxue stood frozen in place, only realizing at this moment that this basement was the graveyard of witches, and also the monument to her own [original sin].

And that boy—he intended to bear all the sins for himself.

------

Thank you so much to Linglan Huaxing·Luo Tianyi for the generous donation! 318. The Story That Began Because of You

The spacious basement was filled with countless man-made iron and ice coffins, the protruding objects arranged neatly like the internal structure of some huge machine.

However, when the Great Witch looked inside those artifacts, she suddenly realized that these seemingly mechanical storage structures were actually coffins containing and sealing the prospective witches.

The moment she realized this, the Great Witch's breath was suddenly blocked as if her throat was being choked, and the chill that she could still bear before turned into a bone-chilling cold that made it almost impossible for her to stay.

Although she knew that Meluru on Ice had been collecting the remains of the aspiring witches during the witch trials, she had never personally come to the basement to check.

Now, the Great Witch, enveloped by countless silent and cold tombstones, feels more clearly than ever the original sin she carries.

When the price to be paid for the grand vision of 'making humanity pay for the sake of the race' is solidified and frozen in the lives of individual people in this way, this tangible and palpable condemnation makes the Great Witch feel even more distressed.

"Time reversal to change the past definitely requires corresponding node anchors. I plan to make some preparations in advance and use [Illusion Magic] to record the moments when these prospective witches awaken their witch factors and use magic. However, this process will probably be a bit... difficult, and I don't really want you, Yuki, to see it. Actually, I don't want Nanoha Kaori to bear the burden either."