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

"Should, perhaps, probably, it seems...?"

Chang Rong was covered in cold sweat and stammered his response.

—Why are you staring at me for a while and then suddenly your hatred level skyrockets?! What did I do to offend you, bro?!

Chang Rong was completely baffled as to what she could do to provoke the mechanical, biological 'guardian' time and time again.

Book 1: Chapter 6 - Emma's Gentle Trap

Chang Rong used to hear one question all the time:

Good-looking is good-looking, and ugly is ugly. What does "very ugly" mean?

Chang Rong felt that people who asked such questions were simply being deliberately nitpicky and had no sense of reason.

However, Chang Rong himself has now experienced it firsthand; sometimes people do indeed unconsciously utter such sentiments.

"It hurts so much..."

"Feeling good is feeling good, feeling bad is feeling bad, what does 'feeling bad' mean?"

This was the fourth time Nikaido Hiro had heard this idiotic rabbit utter such a remark, which finally made him lose his temper and turn around to question Chang Rong about what he was trying to do.

"No, how should I put it... Although it's true that the change in mood is very pleasant, for various reasons, it also feels a bit painful...?"

Chang Rong responded with a conflicted expression, her gaze constantly shifting between the scenery before her and the figure behind her.

Chang Rong, Emma, ​​and Shiro Sanliu Renyi's nine-eyed wonderland is located in the [Flower Field] on the northeast side of the castle. After leaving through the entrance, walk along the wall and you will soon arrive at the flower field that Emma mentioned.

What comes into view is a wide expanse of green grass. Under the clear blue sky, the emerald green unfolds like a canvas, dotted with various brightly colored flowers. Although it is not exactly 'endless', it certainly gives people an incredibly refreshing and invigorating feeling.

When the gentle breeze, carrying the warmth of the morning sun, caresses the skin, even the cruel reality of being in a 'prison' is temporarily forgotten, as if one were merely an ordinary traveler on vacation in this ancient castle, far from the hustle and bustle of the world.

A rainbow bridge tightly connects the green grass, flowers, and azure sky. The rainbow bridge remains motionless as if it were fixed in place, neither slowly fading away with time, but standing tall in the clear sky where not a drop of rain falls.

That rainbow was like a little trick of a witch. This dreamlike scene, detached from reality, reminded the travelers who had strayed into the flower field that the owners of this painting were witches with magical powers. And those who were enjoying the tranquility on the green grass were not travelers, but rather prisoners and sinners burdened with the name of "witches".

"This flower field is indeed very beautiful, you could even describe it as dreamy, but, uh..."

Chang Rong glanced back at the corner again, where the deformed guard with a blank stare on his head stood quietly in the shadows, his eyes fixed on Chang Rong.

Theoretically speaking, these guards are 'artificial creations made from the remnants of witches'; they have neither consciousness nor emotions, and are nothing more than 'empty containers'.

—But why is that guy following us?! And not only is he following us, but why is he also targeting me specifically and continuously releasing killing intent?!

Damn it... Was it all just an illusion? I recalled the time when I first transmigrated and was in jail with Hiro, and the guard's gentle princess carry. I recalled the time when I moved to the study and had nothing, suffering from hunger and cold, and the guard brought me warm clothes and blankets after we finished drinking.

Chang Rong once genuinely believed that humans could coexist with demons, goblins could coexist with adventurers, magical girls could coexist with tentacles, and witch remains could coexist with herself.

It turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking and delusion. How awful!

"I don't know why you were breaking down your defenses over there... but it must have been really awkward to be stared at like that by the guards."

Xi Yilu sighed helplessly, rubbing her eyebrows. She thought about how she had just finished making all sorts of silly faces and rolling around in a marathon of pampering. "Hehe, I'm definitely going to go out and play with W idiot rabbit Ryuko." But in the end, not only did she bring a pink-haired puppy, but she also brought a guard. She felt like her life had become meaningless.

"The warden said that the Guardian seemed to have originally been a prospective witch like us, but after being transformed into a witch, it was deliberately distorted into that form. Perhaps we can communicate with it...?" Sakura Emma secretly looked at the guard and whispered.

"Don't say such stupid things (with an innocent face). It's disgusting to read. Donglingxi has nothing in common with 'humans' anymore. He's just an immortal, mindless remnant. Are you the kind of stupid dog who, regardless of status, will immediately bark and pounce on someone as soon as he sees them in a slightly disheveled state?"

"Woof?! Well, you don't have to be so harsh, Hiro-chan..."

Emma Sakura was harshly reprimanded by Hiro Nikaido without any mercy. Although Chang Rong felt sorry for Emma when she saw her cute and soft expression as if she was about to shed small pearls after being scolded, she did not interrupt the conversation to say a good word for Emma.

After all, Heero had just said that "anyone who blindly rushes towards something soft and cute is a stupid dog," so if he rushed over to help Emma now, wouldn't that perfectly match Heero's line...?

Moreover, Emma Sakura's thinking was indeed a bit too naive. No matter how dreamy the rainbow in the sky was, no matter how beautiful the garden under the clear sky was, it still couldn't change the cruel fact that this place was a 'prison and graveyard for witches'.

However... what Hiro just said is a little troubling.

【An immortal, indestructible, and mindless remnant of a witch】—Although it's used to describe the guards, I seem to have heard similar descriptions from other people.

Oh right, it's Kurobe Nanoha Kaori.

She once asked herself what she would do if the person most important to her became an 'immortal, twisted monster'. Kurobe also mentioned that she had an 'older sister' who had always taken good care of her.

Does this mean that... the reason why Kurobe Nanoha was willingly captured and taken to Witch Island was to help her 'older sister' who had already become a wreck?

The thought flashed through Chang Errong's mind. Although the evidence provided by Qi Zhengjiu was not as straightforward and complete, Chang Rong felt that this guess was probably not too far off.

The biggest problem is that Chang Rong doesn't know if the fact that her sister turned into remains is a taboo for Kurobe Nanoha. If she asks her rashly, it might cause Nanoha to turn evil on the spot.

If you really step on a landmine, it won't be as simple as being pinned down and begging for whipping and adjustment. You'll probably get rid of a thousand transparent holes in Kurobe Nanoha Kaori with her brand-new Dragon Sniper rifle.

"You shouldn't have to go along with that Sakura Emma's nonsense."

"Waaaah... Oh my gosh!"

Chang Rong stared blankly at the guard, but Nikaido Hiro took it as him seriously considering whether he could coexist with the guard, so he grabbed Chang Rong by the hair and dragged him into the middle of the flower field without saying a word.

Before being dragged away, Chang Rong glanced at the guard with the hairband one last time. Although it had been following behind the group, it had only stayed in the shadows of the corner. Even as the three of them moved deeper into the flower field, it did not continue to follow, as if it itself knew that this body no longer had the right or the right to bask in the sunlight and breeze.

"—"

If Kurobe Nanoha's goal was truly to save her sister, and if her sister really had been turned into a guard... then it must be that 'hairband guard'—Chang Rong believed this for no reason.

Rather than saying he was genuinely praying for this kind of plot, because at least that way he would still have a chance to cling to Nanoha Kaori's leg and beg her to plead with her older sister, asking her to stop focusing on him and draining his anger points, lest she chop him into mincemeat once she's full...

The three walked deeper into the flower field. Although they had finally escaped the guards' sight, the wall in the distance became increasingly conspicuous.

"I didn't see it clearly when I passed by last night, but could that wall that looked 3 or 4 people high be the 'fence' of this prison island?"

Chang Rong pointed to the wall in the distance, which didn't look very solid, and asked.

"Ah, yesterday when you and Shirley were playing detective agency house, I took another look at this wall. It can indeed be considered that this wall is the outermost 'fence' of Prison Island."

Nikaido Hiro responded with a cold snort, emphasizing the words "Detective Agency" in his entire statement.

"Didn't Hiro-chan go there at noon when Chang Rong-jun was cleaning the art studio...?" "Shut up, Emma."

The pink-haired girl's well-intentioned correction was abruptly and unreasonably interrupted by Hiro.

"Well... it looks like it would break at the slightest touch. I could knock it down with just two punches without even the president (Sherry Tachibana) having to lift a finger."

Chang Rong stroked his chin. Perhaps it was because he had been filming too much on CatTV lately, he had developed some unrealistic fantasies about his place in the food chain.

"Um, that probably won't work, Chang Rong-jun..."

"The best way to make an idiot realize that Rin Marizaki is the one who tries it out himself—why don't you go and try it?"

Emma Sakura was still trying to explain to Chang Rong in a tactful way, but Hiro directly started to encourage Chang Rong, saying that if she was not convinced, she should go and have a go herself.

"Now that you mention it, I'm really not sleepy anymore! With the power of twenty years of my punch, even two Coco-chans tied together might not be able to stop me!"

Chang Rong also perked up and immediately ran to the base of the wall to prepare to elbow it. It can only be said that Ze Du Ke Ke did give Chang Rong a distorted perception of his own strength.

"Uh... Hiro-chan is an idiot, and so is Changrong-kun."

Sakura Emma couldn't stop Chang Rong, so she sighed helplessly and could only follow him again, accompanying the white-haired boy in his antics, or rather, 'practice makes perfect'.

"Yeah!"

By the time Sakura Emma ran over, Chang Rong had already finished warming up and gave a strange shout as he elbowed her.

Boom!

"Guwa!!"

With a short, dull thud, when Emma Sakura arrived, she only saw Chang Rong lying on the ground, writhing and rolling around with his elbows in his arms, and Nikaido Hiro taking out his phone to take a serious picture while trying not to laugh.

Chang Rong's list of "Guardians You Can't Beat in Prison" now has another wall added to it.

"Hiro-chan, really... don't bully Chang Rong-jun, you've already tried it on Sherry-chan, haven't you?"

Emma Sakura sighed helplessly at the scene before her, but her hands were not idle either. She took out her phone and started snapping photos and videos, with angles and positions even more professional than Hiro's.

"You should have said earlier that the club president had also elbowed me... then I won't humiliate myself further...!"

Chang Rong, feeling tricked, was furious and bristled, but Xi Luo simply shrugged and said, "You didn't ask either."

"However, rather than saying that Sherry couldn't break it, it's more accurate to say that 'Sherry's superhuman strength magic is forbidden by this wall'."

"Magic is restricted...it seems that's true."

Upon hearing Emma Sakura's explanation, Chang Rong recalled the memory of changing Sherry's bandages and treating her wounds in the punishment room. The rope used to restrain Tachibana Sherry at that time had the ability to 'suppress magic'.

The execution platform used when Baosheng Mag was executed also seems to have had the same effect.

In other words, the prison authorities actually have the ability to easily kill or restrain witches. Theoretically, the prison authorities can make these prospective witches stand in a row and eat bullets. Whoever eats the bullets and turns into a witch can then be restrained with a restraint device and killed with additional fixed shots.

However, the prison authorities' approach was actually to transform as many prospective witches as possible into witches before placing them in captivity.

It's almost like... screening out a specific witch.

"Although magic can't be applied to this wall, the wall itself doesn't have any extra security mechanisms! I've actually been thinking, could we all make a hot air balloon or something and fly directly away from Prison Island?"

Emma Sakura spoke excitedly to Chang Rong, but before Chang Rong could respond, Hiro clicked his tongue and snorted coldly.

"Didn't I already say, Emma—I've already tolerated your own recklessness to the extreme, but taking others along to carry out this kind of risky, almost impractical prison break is practically a crime!"

"Waaah... I, I just wanted to leave here with everyone as soon as possible..."

Emma Sakura, who had been mercilessly reprimanded, immediately deflated. Hiro crossed his arms and looked at the pink-haired girl with her head drooping in front of him with the air of a victor.

It seems that today is another day where 'just and correct arguments' have triumphed over 'incorrect and mindless idiots'.

But the next second, Chang Rong reached out and started rubbing Sakura Emma.

"While I understand how you feel, Sakura-san, Nikaido is right. The desire to unite everyone is commendable, but we still need to find a safer way that won't bring any danger, right?"

"Hmm...you're right, Chang Rongjun."

Emma Sakura, whose head was being ruffled, nodded obediently to indicate that she understood. Then she gave Heero a cold glance, her eyes showing not a trace of 'clumsiness', but only peak wisdom comparable to Dora's.

—Sakura Emma…you tricked me!?

I've been used! This guy, Yiqi1 8, knew all along that I'd scold him for saying something like that, and then he used that scolding to make Chang Rong compliant...!

Damn it, why do I have this vague feeling that I'm no match for this guy at all...? How could this be?

For a moment, Nikaido Heero genuinely felt that the pink-haired girl in front of him might be a Stand user of some kind of Western fencing. On the surface, she was just a cripple in a wheelchair, but behind the scenes, she had a Stand capable of destroying the world firmly in her grasp, waiting to unleash it at the crucial moment to shock Asia.

"But even if we don't break out of prison, it would be helpful to know something about what's outside the walls, right? Hey... what's on the other side of the walls?"

Chang Rong pointed to the wall with a melancholy expression and asked.