Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

"That's enough, honey! Stop hitting me!"

"Stop talking nonsense! I've been putting up with you two parasites for a long time!"

Boom!

"what!"

Boom!

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

No, don't hit Mom anymore. If you keep doing this, she'll die...

Boom!

Blood spurted out.

Mom collapsed softly onto the boat.

Dad... he knelt on the ground and cried.

"Enough... I don't want this..."

The scene before my eyes became blurry, as if veiled.

"Disappear...all of you...all of you, disappear..."

......

"Cough cough!"

Xiangzi knelt on the ground and vomited up the acid from his stomach.

What she just saw... was it Mio's memory?

"what----!"

My head is throbbing so badly it feels like it's going to split open, and memories keep flooding back.

Xiangzi's vision seemed to be synchronized with the rapids; she could see it swimming towards the sea.

Where is it going?

Never mind, I've already absorbed its flower, so even if it can still move, it's not much different from being dead.

Xiangzi staggered to her feet, holding in her hands the last remaining flower—the gem of her own soul.

Devouring—what Mio left for herself was the ability to devour souls and transform them into familiars.

In other words, the only way to save Chuhua now is...

Xiangzi raised his head and looked at the corpse lying quietly on the seabed.

......

"It's almost dawn."

Ji looked up at the sea.

"I've been out for so long... I have to go home..."

It swam towards the sea, towards the faint light appearing on the surface, the light of sunrise.

My parents are waiting for me at home.

If we don't go back soon... they'll worry...

Mio...

You mustn't be a bad child...

Mio saw someone waving at her; it was her parents, standing at the door of their house waving at her.

That's a really long road.

I'm finally almost home.

She looked towards her front door.

"Mom and Dad!"

Mio could no longer hold back her tears, and she took off running towards her parents.

......

Am I... dead...?

Chu Hua opened her eyes in the pitch black and murmured.

She can't feel anything anymore.

Perhaps this is death.

She looked up and saw a blurry figure in the distance with its back to her.

"Mother?!"

Chu Hua took a step forward and stumbled as she ran towards the figure.

"mom!"

The hazy figure suddenly turned around.

“Chuhua.” Lin smiled and raised her hand, drawing a line between them.

Chu Hua seemed to have crashed into a barrier, unable to take another step forward.

"Mom, why won't you let me come over!"

......

"Welcome home, Mio." Her mother smiled and hugged her, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Oh, why are you crying?"

......

"Mom?" Chu Hua looked at Lin blankly.

The tears streaming down my face wouldn't stop, they just wouldn't stop.

“I will wait for you at the finish line, but this is not your finish line,” Lin said softly. “Chuhua, someone is desperately, desperately trying to pull you back from the clutches of death, once, twice—look back, don’t let her shed tears for you again.”

She raised her hand, crossed the line she had drawn, grabbed Chu Hua's shoulder, and forcefully made her turn around.

From that distant, profound place, I have heard your voice and weighed every choice you make.

"Mio, you've worked so hard." Her mother hugged little Mio, who was only about ten years old, and gently stroked her hair. "I've watched every step you've taken... but unfortunately, I'm so useless... I can't do anything..."

"Waaah... It's... enough... enough..." Mio collapsed into the woman's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm home... I'll never leave again..."

The light in Ji's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

She seemed to see herself and her mother together, turning around and walking home. In that moment, she had no need to envy or be jealous of anyone.

Because that was her moment.

They walked further and further away, until they were swallowed up by the darkness and could no longer be seen.

I will wipe away your tears, extinguish your fear with joy, and gently push you to the shore.

Chu Hua was forcefully turned around by Lin and looked into the dark distance.

There, a light was growing brighter, brighter, and more conspicuous.

"Time to go, my little spark."

"Mom, can't we go together?"

"Life is a long journey, and you can only walk it alone. Everyone around you can only accompany you for a short while," Lin said with a smile. "My journey is over, Little Spark."

Lin gently pushed Chu Hua towards the light.

Chu Hua felt a lightness in her body.

My body flew uncontrollably toward the light.

She turned around and tried to grab her mother's hand.

"mom!"

Lin simply stood quietly in place, waving goodbye to Chu Hua, her figure growing smaller and smaller.

"Mom left you a book of stories, it's in the safe at home. It contains Mom's stories, remember to go get it!"

Lin cupped her hands into a megaphone shape and shouted at Chu Hua.

"I'll be waiting for you at the end of the road. When that time comes, you have to tell me all the stories we've been through!"

At that time, everything will be reborn along with hope.

"what!"

Chu Hua suddenly opened her eyes and found herself lying in Xiangzi's arms. Xiangzi looked at her with a complicated expression, tears streaming down his face.

What happened...? Shouldn't she be dead already...?

"Xiao Xiang... why are you crying..." Chu Hua raised her hand, trying to wipe away the tears from Xiangzi's eyes. "Did someone make you unhappy?"

"It's you," Xiangzi said, sobbing. "I almost thought you wouldn't come back."

"I should be dead..." Chu Hua blinked in confusion.

“You died…but I acquired Mio’s nature…I ate your…Seed of Lamentation…and transformed you into…my familiar,” Shoko sobbed. “But…you were completely dead…your soul…was incomplete…so I filled the rest with…Doloris…you are now half…Doloris…desuwa…”

While whimpering, they didn't forget to use their signature honorifics.

Looking into Xiangzi's tearful eyes, Chu Hua realized, through the reflection in her eyes, that one of her eyes had turned into the same white-gold color as Dolores's.

"Huh?!" Chu Hua's mouth dropped open.

Doesn't that mean she and Xiangzi are now—of one heart and one mind, inseparable, perfectly intertwined, bound by blood, sharing joys and sorrows, and facing hardships together...?!?!

However, when she thought about how she hadn't told Shoko about any of the decisions she had made—including dying with Mio—Hatsuka became somewhat hesitant.

She patted Xiangzi on the back, seemingly at a loss.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to abandon Xiao Xiang..."

"Don't say anymore..." Xiang (one) wife? father (four) V$I〦I matter" Wu Liaozi hugged her neck and said intermittently, "We are still three thousand meters underwater, we can't go back..."

"Uh......"

Hush, darling, close your eyes and drift off to sleep.

"I'll ask you one more time, is this really not a dream, Xiao Xiang?"

"I already said no! You're my familiar now, hurry up and figure out a way to get us up to Desuwa—" Xiangzi cried loudly, like a child.

"Alright, alright." Chu Hua helplessly hugged Xiangzi back and pressed her into his arms.

The ocean is thousands of meters deep.

This would certainly be a big problem for others, but fortunately, her magic is the Hundred Transformations, which allows her to transform into any creature she desires. Even after becoming a familiar, the activation of the Hundred Transformations remains unaffected.

"Xiao Xiang, hold me tight."

As Chu Hua spoke, her body began to change.

The bubbles surrounding them shrank to just the right size to envelop Xiangzi.

Chu Hua, on the other hand, was directly exposed to the pressure at a depth of 3,000 meters in the deep sea.

Safe and sound.

Her internal organs adjusted to a marine life mode that could automatically regulate with pressure. Her legs came together, turning into a fish tail, and several slits appeared on the back of her neck, from which lattice-like gills grew.

"A mermaid?!"

Xiangzi nestled in Chuhua's warm embrace, his face flushed red like an apple, streaked with snot and tears.

Has Chu Hua not realized she's not wearing clothes yet?!

Let the distant sunlight resonate and echo in the depths of your dreams.

"Let's go, Xiao Xiang, let's go home."

Chu Hua swept Xiangzi into her arms in a princess carry, then swam towards the surface of the sea, swaying her fish tail.

"Waaaaah—!" Xiangzi hugged Chuhua tightly and screamed with his eyes closed.