Chapter 112: Malice is Eternal in the Heart
“AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHHHH!”
A scream of anguish echoes like a curse through the woodlands.
The blow imbued with the power of [Hope] by Charl will likely be fatal for the witch. Cracks are spreading across her entire body, triggering a chain of collapse as miasma bursts out more violently and in greater quantities than ever before. The witch’s body, fashioned from this [Ragment] by devouring Charl, will soon vanish.
“…Ah, you win. It’s your victory, Alfred. And the royals too.”
Despite her disintegrating body, the witch boasts victoriously.
“But…what of it? Even if you defeat me, the path of the Orchestra cannot be altered. Its descent cannot be stopped. I have already consumed the magic needed to move this palace. Moreover, I told you before. I am the [Devouring Phenomenon]. Merely a phenomenon. Certainly, it will take a long time to reconstruct this witch’s body based on Charl in this world again. But I will be reborn. There is no way to destroy me. Just as storms never leave this world, and rain always falls eventually.”
The cracked face of the witch sneers.
“Even if you defeated me here, your defeat is inevitable! The Orchestra will fall, the capital and the country will perish, and you too will die here! And I will be reborn as the witch again in the ages to come!”
She laughs loudly.
“I will not disappear! I will not perish! I am the Night Witch—an eternal being born from the malice of you humans! Ahah! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
Only her twisted laughter echoes through the palace, as if declaring victory.
“…Indeed, you are an eternal being.”
“Which is why we will continue to fight you from now on.”
“…What?”
“Night Witch. We can no longer turn our eyes away from malice.”
“We accept the existence of malice and will continue to face it. That is…the conclusion Alfred and I have chosen.”
This is the conclusion Charl and I have reached—to fight the embodiment of malice that is the Night Witch, and the choice we have grasped.
“Accept me? Face me continually?”
“My power is not only the light of benevolence…the power of [Hope]. I also harbor the power of [Despair] that you created. Light and darkness. I possess these two powers.”
“So what?!”
“Do you not understand? Certainly, the human heart is not just malice. But it is not just benevolence either. Just as it is not only benevolence, malice too is one aspect of the human heart. It cannot be denied or destroyed. As long as the human heart exists, malice will always be present.”
“Malice sleeps within Charl and I too. Within everyone’s heart.”
“…!”
You’re cowering. Ah, I see now.
You were afraid of being denied, more than anything else.
“Malice will never disappear from this world. So we will fight malice for as long as we live. There is no end to it. Even if we win one battle before us, another awaits.”
I suppose so. You are a being born from human malice. Denying malice is tantamount to denying your very existence.
“There may be times we can win, and times we’ll lose. The malice harbored by humans is that great, that terribly powerful……But it’s alright to lose. As long as we don’t give up there and can stand back up. As long as we can start walking again.”
“The true defeat is when we kneel before malice and give up everything.”
I know the pain of being denied by everyone.
“Night Witch. We will not deny malice.”
“Malice is no longer alone.”
“…!”
Surely that’s why you sought a family.
You wanted someone who wouldn’t deny you. But unable to truly trust others, you took them into your own body, imprisoning them inside yourself.
You’re a coward. Having only malice, you couldn’t bring yourself to trust others wholeheartedly. Not even family.
“I aim to become a king who can help everyone face malice…so that even after I die, you, the eternal one, won’t be alone.”
“That is the responsibility we humans who gave birth to you must bear.”
“…Ridiculous. That’s just pretty words. An ideal.”
The witch’s faint smile as the miasma Ragments scatter—
“…But you’re the first. The first humans to try and fulfill such an ideal.”
—is serene, as if drained of strength.
“In past battles, they only denied my existence. Despite you humans creating me.”
The witch’s body disintegrates, dissolving into dust on the wind.
“I am the [Devouring Phenomenon]. Since I have eternity, then…I may as well enjoy watching your foolish struggles.”
Only her voice remains, resonating as it blends into the world.
“Show me, Alfred. Charlotte. How you’ll defy this reality of despair. If you can realize those pretty words.”
Not a speck of dust remains as the witch vanishes back into the darkness.
“We’ll meet again, Night Witch.”
“And we’ll be watching you too.”
There is no response from the witch. She is already gone from this world. Eventually, amid the lingering miasma, the prone form of a girl returns to the reality of this world.
“Lucille…!”
Leo gently embraces Lucille’s unconscious body. Cradled in Leo’s arms, Lucille’s face strangely seems at peace.
“…!”
But in the blink of an eye, the entire palace is rocked by violent tremors.
“…Al sama, the Orchestra is trying to descend!”
“Without the witch controlling it, we can’t stabilize the miasma…”!
The miasma woven throughout the palace was being controlled by the witch.
Losing her now, the miasma is just unbound energy swirling about.
“Nii Nii!”
“Alfred!”
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Sophie and Noel are the first to rejoin us, followed by Lady Liatris, Princess Marietta, and then Luche and Roberto come running up behind them. Though worn from battling the [Ragment] hordes, they all seem unharmed.
“I’m glad you’re all safe.”
“Of course. Who did you think you were dealing with?”
“Ahaha! It seems you were victorious over the witch as well!”
“We can discuss that later. For now, we need to do something about this Orchestra.”
“These tremors…it’s starting to descend, but what’s your plan?”
“Al sama seemed to have a strategy in mind…”
“Sophie repaired the mechanisms, so all that’s left is securing the magic power.”
“And you have a way to secure that magic power?”
The last to ask is Leo, still cradling the sleeping Lucille in his arms.
Meeting the resolve in his eyes to return with Lucille, I nod with conviction.
“While the [Ragments] have stopped appearing, the miasma remains throughout the palace. We’ll make use of it.”
“The miasma…Don’t tell me—”
“That’s right. We’ll purify the miasma and use it to power the mechanisms.”
“…You had that option…!”
Sophie nods at my proposal, hope lighting her eyes.
“Purifying that much miasma is no trivial feat.”
“But now that Charl and Makina have increased their magic purity, they can assist in the purification. We have a chance.”
“It’s a gamble, but…we have no choice but to try.”
“Ahaha! Did we not just defeat the Night Witch herself? There is nothing our current selves cannot accomplish! Is that not so, brother?”
“I don’t care. I simply cannot die while still holding Lucille in my arms. That’s all.”
“Let’s do it. So we can all go home together.”
Our hearts are united, our course decided. We quickly disperse throughout the palace.
To purify all the miasma, we need to perform purification at key points.
And in this throne room, Charl and I are the ones who remain.
“Are you nervous?”
“…Yes, a little.”
“Well, makes sense. It’ll be a disaster if we fail…”
My jet-black [Sixth Attribute] magic and Lady Liatris’ cannot contribute to the purification effort.
She’s likely beside Noel now, adjusting her rings as a [goldsmith] to try drawing out any purification power she can muster.
I’m not a [goldsmith], so I can’t do anything like that. But…
“…I’ll do what I can too. I won’t leave Charl alone.”
“Something Al kun can do…?”
“Yeah. Gonna try out this [Original Magic] thing.”
Not magic dwelling in rings, but magic dwelling within one’s own body.
That’s [Original Magic].
“Apparently I have this [Original Magic to Rewrite Fate] or something, and I used its power to save Makina…though honestly, I have no recollection of it and don’t know how to use it.”
“Yet you won’t give up, will you?”
I nod firmly at Charl’s words.
“If I don’t give up, I might be able to activate it properly and assist the purification.”
“That’s just like you, Al kun.”
“Let me be clear, this isn’t some reckless gamble…at least, I think it’s not.”
“Is that so?”
“…The Night Witch feared my Original Magic. A magic to rewrite the narrative called fate. Supposing this [Original Magic to Rewrite Fate] truly exists within me…this magic is probably not something that can be conveniently used.”
The witch said it defeated her in past battles using this Original Magic.
That’s why it tried to nullify it with the power of [Despair].
“I think this is a magic that lends its hand to those who don’t give up. Not just me, but the people around me too.”
I was able to save Makina thanks to this magic as well.
But that’s because I didn’t give up. And…
“It’s not just me. I’m not special. As long as you don’t give up, fate can be changed by anyone—that’s the kind of magic I think this is.”
…Makina herself stopped giving up.
My Original Magic activated when Makina stopped giving up.
“So don’t give up either, Charl. If you don’t give up from the depths of your heart, and make a wish, surely—my Original Magic will answer.”
“Of course. I have no intention of giving up.”
We clasp hands, exchanging warmth, our feelings flowing into each other.
“I’m sure everyone feels the same. So fate can definitely be changed.”
“…Yeah. That’s right. No matter the tragedy, no matter the sorrowful ending—”
We grip tightly, infusing resolve and feelings through our intertwined fingers, sensing the heat.
“—we can change it.”
The purifying light swells, the miasma woven throughout bathed in golden radiance, and then…
TLNOTE : There’s one chapter left, see you next month…
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