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

"Hmph...then I'll be the one to strike the first brilliant blow—witness it all!!"

Hasumi Ryoya pulled out her kite—which was less a kite and more like a twisted, cancerous growth that had spread and expanded.

"A head as graceful as a phoenix! A body as strong as a tiger! Feet as elegant as a cheetah! A left arm as powerful as a lion! A right arm as fierce! Hehehe... With my [Simple Limb-Extending Kite] on the field, victory is assured!"

Ryota Hasumi strikes an elegant and graceful pose, then pulls the kite string to launch the [Simple Limb-Extending Kite].

*Plop!*

With a crisp tearing sound, Rie Hasumi's kite disintegrated at lightning speed, a feat that even Meruru might not be able to match.

"Hasumi Rieya—0.7m, next," Nikaido Hiro wrote emotionlessly.

"Wait, wait a minute!? My kite is so wonderful, why are you—!"

Ryota Hasumi made a regretful exit.

"That's crude and tasteless. True elegance is understated and restrained."

The second contestant, S. Yuya Hanna, arrived at the center of the courtyard. The kite in her hand seemed ordinary, but it was inlaid with some fine gold lines. Although these lines accounted for a small proportion, they added a touch of nobility and elegance to the ordinary kite.

"When it comes to 'floating,' I'm second to none! Fly, Dutchman!"

Hannah Tono waved her feather fan, and in the next instant, the kite in her hand flew up into the air on its own.

"Hmm...! As expected of Lady Tono! That pose is truly beautiful, Subarashi!"

"Huh? Well, it's not as bad as you said—whoa!!"

Chang Rong's flattery threw Tono Hannah off balance for a moment, and the kite, which had been flying steadily, suddenly veered off course, then shook violently, and crashed.

"The kite string broke... This, this damn gravity...!" Tono Hannah stomped her foot in frustration.

"The uncle wanted to complain, but he felt that blaming gravity didn't seem so bad...?"

"Hannah is already amazing!" "Waaah... Don't comfort me, Emma."

"Hannah Tono—13m, next." Humans experience joys and sorrows differently, and Nikaido Hiro only wanted a fair and just judgment to determine the winner.

"Hmph, a bunch of weaklings, it's time for this streamer to teach you a lesson! Just watch, this imposing presence that's 2 or 3 meters ahead of everyone else right from the start!"

"Go for it, Coco-chan, I'm listening."

"Hey!?"

Ze Du Ke Ke and Chang Rong's voices came from the second floor. The two ran to the balcony of the entertainment room. Ze Du Ke Ke leaned against the railing, while Chang Rong crossed her arms behind her, looking like she could eat as much as Ke Ke breathed on her.

"No, no, no, this is no pressure at all. It's just that you've climbed one more level, desuwa!"

"Enough talk! Anyway, I've taken the high ground now! What a bunch of weaklings. Watch me crush you all with one hand without even needing a running start. I'll use the technique I was taught to me as a kid—Go, [I'm pushing this account]!"

Zedu Keke threw the kite into the air, then suddenly pulled the string, instantly sending the kite soaring into the sky.

"W-what...! Coco actually has a broom, a scabbard, and a rapier—"

"That's quite something!"

Both Hasumi Rieya and Tono Hannah were somewhat surprised that Sawatari Coco, who seemed to be the least important person, was flying the highest and most stable kite.

"How about that?! Small fry, a bunch of small fry!!"

"Ze Du Ke Ke - Cheating will result in disqualification."

"Hey you, you damn firewood-stick woman!!!"

Before Hakimi could even finish his tirade for more than 10 seconds, he was instantly put in his place by the mysterious, correct person.

"Hey hey~~! So, it's time for the great detective Sherry-chan to take the stage, to reveal all the mysteries and leave no room for suspense!"

Blue-haired detective Shirley Tachibana walked cheerfully to the center of the courtyard, constantly stretching her shoulders.

"Um... Xiaoli, I'm a little curious, did you forget to bring your kite?" Saeki Milia rubbed her temples and asked the question that everyone else wanted to ask.

"Huh? Milia, you're joking. I'm not some forgetful idiot!"

"You gorilla woman, do you ever remember to use your brain for even a day...!"

"Hmph! Hmph! My kite is here, clang clang!"

Shirley Tachibana opened her right hand, revealing a small ball of unknown material in her palm.

"Uh... Sherry-chan, you didn't... give the kite to..." While everyone else was still confused, Emma Sakura seemed to have guessed something. She swallowed and asked in disbelief.

"As expected of my destined nemesis, Emma-chan, the stumbling block on my detective's path! That's right, this is my kite [Neutron Star]!"

Shirley Tachibana happily raised the mysterious ball, then struck a pose reminiscent of a cosmic phantom charging up.

"Kamehameha!!!"

"The posture and the slogan don't match at all, hey—"

brake!!!!!

A loud bang interrupted Chang Rong's rant.

A fierce wind howls, and standing before you is a truly frail, wheelchair-bound detective.

The hurricane swept through the courtyard, whipping up countless tree leaves and foliage. As the dust settled, a trail pierced the clear blue sky.

"..." "..." "..." "..."

"Sherry Orange - Stratosphere, currently ranked first."

The courtyard was completely silent, save for Hiro Nikaido's cold yet trembling voice as he delivered his report.

"...Yes, from now on I will unconditionally obey all arrangements made by the president and strictly adhere to the policy of having only one Sherry-sama without wavering."

After witnessing the miracle firsthand, Chang Rong swallowed hard and decided to obediently serve Tachibana Sherry like a slave from now on, never again harboring the slightest thought of rebellion.

I had always thought that if my magic wasn't "immortal", I would probably have been scattered if I hadn't been able to dodge Tachibana Sherry's basic attack.

Chang Rong now realizes that if his magic wasn't "immortality," it might have become "molecularized" after taking a punch.

By the time Chang Rong and Ze Du Ke Ke returned to the courtyard from the high ground they had occupied, Xi Luo had already compiled the data for the first kite flying competition.

"Based on the contestant scores, this year's champion is—Sherry Tachibana."

"—Ughhhhhh!!??"

As Herro announced the result of the match, excited voices rang out.

"There's really no need to be so surprised... after all, it's that gorilla woman, Desuwa."

"No...no, Hannah-chan, that's Nanoha Kaori's voice."

Tono Hannah rubbed her hair with a helpless expression, while Sakura Emma beside her had a somewhat serious look on her face.

"Nanoha Kaori...?"

"The voice... is right behind us...!"

Following Emma Sakura's gaze, everyone turned to the small rectangular window connecting the courtyard and Chang Rong's bedroom.

Although the window is only wide enough to barely fit an arm through, it allows for an unobstructed view of the interior.

Through the narrow window, everyone saw blood-red butterflies fluttering about.

The butterflies danced freely in the air, their only audience being the terrified Nanoha Kurobe, who knelt before the doorway.

The woman who brought these crimson butterflies to the world now lies quietly in her study. A crossbow bolt pierced her chest, leaving no trace, along with her sketchbook.

The witch named Natsume Anan has finished filming her script at this moment.

Volume 1: Chapter 73. The Second Witch Trial Begins

"An'an... sauce?"

Emma Sakura's voice trembled, so faint that it seemed she would disappear in the next second.

"Hmm—?"

The commotion outside the window reached Kurobe Nanoha's ears. The black-haired, twin-tailed girl, who had been sitting blankly in front of Natsume Anan's corpse, looked up and met the gazes of the people outside the small window.

"Hey, hey... This, this is a murder scene, right?"

Zedu Coco opened her eyes wide and pointed to the scene in front of her.

"not me--"

Nanoha Kurobe collapsed to the ground, her gray eyes trembling as they wandered between Natsume Anan's corpse and the figures of the people outside the window. Sweat dripped from her forehead, splashing up a cloud of white dust.

"An'an...no, that's not right, I'm coming over now, calm down, Kurobe-kun, don't be impulsive!!"

Chang Rong approached the window connecting the study to the courtyard, but the window was only wide enough to stick an arm through. After a brief attempt, Chang Rong pushed open the courtyard door and ran straight to the study.

"You bastards, what are you arguing about—uh!?"

Arisa Wisteria, who did not participate in the kite competition, was attracted by the sound and ended up bumping into Chang Rong.

"Go to the infirmary and get the first-aid kit for me, quick!!"

"Uh!? Me, me? Okay...okay!" Arisa's shoulders were gripped tightly by Chang Rong with a force that was almost painful, and at the same time, the white-haired boy in front of her spoke in an impatient tone that could even be described as 'rough'.

But faced with Chang Rong like this, Arisa Shito didn't get angry or argue back. Instead, she obediently nodded with a blush on her face and immediately ran to the infirmary.

Meanwhile, the group arrived at Chang Rong's study.

Although the corridor in front of the door had been cleaned by the guards, a thin layer of quicklime that had seeped into the carpet still covered most of the passage.

The window facing the study door opens outwards, and the light streaming in fills the corridor with the Tyndall effect, even giving it a touch of the sacred.

Unfortunately, shrouded in 'holy light,' Kurobe Nanoha Kaori looked to anyone who saw her at that moment as far as a saint, but rather as a sinner burdened with bloodshed.

"Chang Rong, I...I didn't—"

Kneeling on the ground, Nanoha, with her eyes open, reached out to the young man who had been waiting for her for so long. Almost instinctively, she grabbed him, drawing his hand. In this extreme situation beyond her comprehension, she received what she considered the most 'reliable' help.

"We can talk about this later. Immediately take the spear off your back and get away from An'an, Kurobe Nanoha Kaori!"

With one hand resting on the hilt of the longsword at her waist, Ryoua Hasumi carefully walked towards Nanoha Kurobe.

Kurobe Nanoka noticed that Chang Rong was looking at her with an almost pleading look, and the intention behind that look was very clear.

Don't resist, don't let people continue to doubt you.