Following.

Kazami.

Facing the breeze that was still slightly cold in the early morning, Lin Xuan followed Sakura Kyoko to an abandoned warehouse.

"Well, it's probably here......" Biting the bun, Kyoko Sakura looked around uncertainly: "I remember there should be a lot of them......"

A distorted aura that covers almost all nearby areas.

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows: "You are raising witches in captivity here?" ”

"How is it possible" Kyoko Sakura's tone was vague: "I can't kill that kind of thing, and I'm still in captivity...... However, he turned his head and looked at Lin Xuan with strange eyes: "I found a lot of demons, but I didn't kill them~"

Lin Xuan glanced at Kyoko Sakura and was silent.

"What's the matter, don't you say anything?"

"It's just a rational move to survive, there's nothing to say"

“…… Hey, you can see it" kicked open the blocking box, and Kyoko Sakura looked around for something.

"As for me, I was a magical girl who became for my father"

In the girl's narrative, Lin Xuan learns about her unknown history.

Kyoko Sakura's father was a priest of the church.

Because of the difference in philosophy, the original believers slowly left because they could not understand the priest's philosophy.

Naturally, the family, who lived on donations from believers, was also in trouble.

If there is anything that is the most powerful ** of human beings, then appetite is undoubtedly in the first place.

Especially when you are extremely hungry.

―――――― Split ――――――

“…… Sister, I'm hungry. ”

My sister said suddenly.

Her once-fleshy cheeks were too thin to recognize, and her lips were shriveled.

Kyoko Sakura, who noticed this, shouted something to her shabby-dressed father.

However, the father did not look back - he continued to walk to the next believer's house.

The girl looked at his back and shed tears, and suddenly she was attracted to something again. She was staring at a fruit and vegetable store with tender fruit neatly placed on the shelves.

Staring at a red-colored apple on it.

Then she gently touched her sister's head - and ran over.

The girl grabbed the apple in the box with one hand, and was about to run back to her sister.

The sturdy uncle of the fruit and vegetable store stood in the way. Then, without saying anything, he punched her in the face. The girl fell so hard that the apple rolled to her feet—and the girl hurriedly picked it up. The uncle, who wanted to get the apple back, was even more angry, and before she could get up, he beat it down again. No matter how the uncle tried to get the apple back from her, the girl clung to it, clenched her teeth and refused to let go.

Finally, the uncle grabbed her hair and kept beating her in the face. Although the girl's eyes were filled with tears, she still didn't mean to let go of the apple at all.

Lin Xuan quietly looked at the girl's back and was silent.

He understood.

The girl didn't cry for the pain of being beaten......

Instead, I cried for not being able to buy even an apple for my sister, so I was useless.

Sadness, remorse, tears for no one to listen to my father's sermons.

I don't know when I was surrounded by people watching the excitement.

The girl's cheeks were swollen and she cried out in her heart while crying.

As if hating this world without a companion - hating all those who would not be companions, glaring fiercely at a certain place.

And then, at this time-

As far as the girl's eyes could see, a long white tail wagged gently.

"--Kyoko Sakura."

This lovely voice called her name.

"If you sign a contract with me, you can make this wish come true."

It's Kewpie with shining red eyes.

The girl in the abyss of despair stretched out her hand without hesitation-

In a trembling voice, she said her wish.

"I hope ...... People can understand what Dad is saying -- they can listen to what he says. ”

The girl's wish was granted.

The faithful gathered again in the church to listen to the priest's theories, not because of approval and understanding, but because of the power of magic.

Next, the hopeful maiden fights the witch at night, while her father, spreads the light during the day.

One light and one darkness, guarding this family, changing this filthy world, until one day-

“…… Apricot? ”

The girl's father saw her and called out to her.

“…… You, this dress is—"

"Ah...... That, this is ......"

The girl was speechless. Father said in a trembling voice.

"Are you—have you been bewitched by a witch......?"

“…… Huh? ”

"Could it be...... No wonder, believers or something...... Are you all the ......? ”

"This ...... No! Because Dad's sermon was correct, that's why he ......"

The girl hurriedly shouted-

But her father's eyes were no longer looking at her.

No—the way he looked at her daughter, it didn't look like a human anymore...... It's like watching a girl sacrifice her life to fight against it—something called a "witch."

After that, the girl's father closed the church and never preached again.

Every day in a dark church, a man drinks and spends his days -- I don't know what I'm talking about.

“…… Ha ha...... What God said...... I was ...... The devil is at the mercy of ...... The daughters have become witches...... What kind of proverbs and admonitions am I still saying to others......"

No matter what the girl said to her father, he ignored it.

Soon her father became speechless.

Days like this go on.

One night, the streets were lit white by the waning moon.

The girl came home from hunting the witch as usual, and as soon as she opened the door of the church.

What greeted her was such a tragic picture.

"Dad...... Father......? ”

From the door to the dark room.

The feet of the man in leather shoes hung down.

"What's going on...... Why ......"

And then, underneath the hanging foot is-

“…… Small...... Momo-......!? Mom!? ”

A kitchen knife stained with blood, and the body of a woman and a young girl lying together.

Both of them had a large gash in their necks, and the red-black liquid spread all the way to the girl's feet.

“…… Why...... No...... It shouldn't end up like this......"

With the girl's trembling voice, her heart was also engulfed in darkness.

"Because he did not understand the will of others, he made a wish for him without authorization, and as a result, everyone was unlucky."

The voice of Kyoko Sakura, who was walking in front, blended into the dark scenery, and the surrounding scenery slowly distorted.

"At that time, I swore in my heart. Never use magic for someone else's sake again, this power is always used only for yourself. ”

The girl let out a long breath as if pouring out all the painful memories.

Turning around, he showed his trademark bright smile: "Next, I'll leave it to you"

The witch is approaching.