Chapter 3 — Dry scrape, burn and perforate! • Episode 3–Rest — The Poisonous Insect Witch
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
A young girl in a toxic costume of purple and black descended upon the world of deception with a shifting light, looked around as if searching for something, and tilted her head curiously.
The girl’s name is Discause. She is also known by her street name, Poisonous Insect Witch, and is the number two of the Witch Party. She is so quiet that no one has ever seen her speak except for chanting, and her character and personality are shrouded in mystery, but she is recognized by the Witch Party as at least not a self-centered villain, given her proactive attitude toward her duties and her behavior that shows no attachment to money.
The reason Discause was transferred to the Deception World was, of course, because they were notified of the Diest outbreak, and until a few minutes ago she was watching the Witch Cup in the tea party room with Captain Treasure, Bullshark, Simeracres, and others.
The girls were gathered at the behest of the Magic Bureau, so that they wouldn’t be allowed to act as they pleased with nine Witches stuck in the Witch Cup, and so that they could respond immediately in the event of a high-level Diest.
And whether the timing was good or bad, an outbreak of Marquis-class Diest was detected and notified in the town that Discause is in charge of. However, when she rushed over to see it, she couldn’t find the Diest. Since there are no Phase 2 Magical Girls in the town that Discause is in charge of, it is unlikely that another Magical Girl has defeated them. Just to be sure, Discause checked her Magiphone and the defeat is not yet complete. In other words, the Diest is still at this location.
「Hello, hello!」
「…?」
An unfamiliar Magical Girl clad in transitional light appeared before the eyes of Discause, who remained vigilant with a vacant expression on her face. She had long, beautiful blonde hair with curls at the ends and a gothic Lolita outfit. Although Discause is not that close to the other Magical Girls who protect this town, she still remembers at least their appearances and names. In other words, the fact that she didn’t recognize Discause indicated that the Magical Girl was an outsider.
『Who are you?』
「Oh no, my apologies. My name is Magical Girl Press! I hope to make your acquaintance hereafter～」
The girl casually closes the distance, smiling and laughing, not paying attention to the mechanical voice emitted from the magiphone held by Discause, and quickly takes her hand in hers and moves it up and down in an exaggerated manner.
「I’m usually in charge of a different town, but I came here today because I really needed something from Discause-san!」
「…」
Unable to operate her Magiphone and unable to speak because the Magical Girl who identified herself as Press was holding his hand, Discause, perhaps thinking that she should defeat the Diest first, took her gaze away from the girl in front of her and again paid attention to her surroundings.
As the girl in front of me is also a Magical Girl, she must’ve appeared here because she was notified of the Diest outbreak, and if so, she may have had the thought that her intentions would be conveyed without words.
However, the words uttered by the girl who noticed Discause’s restlessness were completely unexpected for Discause.
「Ahh, if you’re talking about the Diest. Their appearance reaction is just a disguise.」
【Let go.】
The words, uttered in a mumbled, nonchalant manner, were, nevertheless, accompanied by a crackling pressure, as if a bomb had exploded, and the gothic-lolita costume momentarily erupted into a pale blue flame.
The girl’s hand, which had been holding Discause’s hand, gradually weakened in a jerky, stiff motion like a rusty robot’s, and finally was forcefully shaken off by Discause.
「…」
Shaking off the girl’s hand, Discause backsteps quickly to distance herself and silently holds up a small cane, her exclusive weapon.
「Seriously? I can’t believe I’m going to lose all my anti-phrase talismans now… And I haven’t been able to resist…」
【Who are you?】
To the girl who, despite her words, seems to be somewhat relaxed, Discause asks again with the same words that she threw at her at the very beginning. If she had to make a difference, shs would say two things. One is whether it is through a machine voice via a Magiphone or through the flesh voice of Discause herself. The other is the true meaning of her words.
「Atsuo Yuri, I’m just a humble magician who is everywhere. However, my gifts are too great to use proper techniques.」
She probably had no intention of resisting from the beginning. The Magical Girl who spoke as if in self-mockery lacked the awkwardness characteristic of those who have been compelled by the words and spirits of discernment.
There is always a curse on the words of discernment. It’s a curse of absolute domination, and even Magical Girls with protections against the magic that directly affects them cannot escape its influence. The reason for this isn’t a quibble that it isn’t magic, but a curse. It’s more unreasonable and simpler than that, it is due to the difference in power. Discause’s curses surpasses the existence of Magical Girls.
「The only magic I can use is【Disguise.】It’s a different level of specialness than what most sorcerers use. With this, it’s a piece of cake to fake a Diest reaction. No one, not even the Magical World, not even the sorcerers, could have seen through it.」
What a Sorcerer is, in the first place, was not clear to Discause. Is it different from a Magical Girl? Is sorcery not magic? The questions piled up with each word the girl said, but Discause decided to listen for the time being.
The earlier words of Discause were a question about who she was and what she want. She can’t tell a lie when she was under the control of a curse. So everything she have said so far is true, and so is what she was about to tell her.
The somewhat theatrical tone of the girl’s voice and the way she seemed to be enjoying the conversation told Discause that she herself had intended to tell the whole story from the beginning. If that is the case, it is fine to ask questions after the conversation is over.
「So don’t worry about the Diest. That was just bait to fish you out, Discause-san. The timing could have been anytime, but I decided on today just in case. I don’t know why, but the fairies are obsessed with the Witch Cup. They’re letting their guard down.」
The girl’s words prompted Discause to look again at her Magiphone, and before long, the Diest was defeated.
「They don’t turn Sorcerers into Magical Girls. No, not just sorcerers. Shamans, exorcists, diviners, those mysterious beings that are generally considered to be possible only in fiction, but that certainly exist in reality. Such a sorceress is not chosen to be a Magical Girl. But I guess you didn’t notice because I usually disguise myself as a regular person. Well, that’s why they can’t know that I’m a sorceress. Please keep it a secret, Discause-san.」
If so, Discause didn’t question why she was chosen to be a Magical Girl.
「To be honest, the only thing I couldn’t figure out was why only Discause-san was chosen to be a Magical Girl while being a shaman. That’s why I could not move around. Well, in the end, I still don’t have the answer to that question, but at least you didn’t seem like a bad person, and I couldn’t think of any other way, so I decided to take a chance.」
Discause were chosen to be a Magical Girl, although she was a Shaman.
She learned of the curse after being chosen as a Magical Girl.
The curse caused Discause to lose many things, but in exchange she gained great power.
「Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to pick a fight, nor am I here to show off my abilities. As I said at the beginning, I need a favor. I know it’s impossible, but I’m asking you to do me a favor.」
The girl’s expression turned serious, a complete change from the lighthearted attitude that had made her seem somewhat joking.
「If you can use ritual conjuration, I need you to help my friend. I want you to help me pull that girl out of her stupid fate. I became a Magical Girl for that reason, and for that reason alone.」
『If there is anything I can do, let me help you.』
It would be too tactless to say that Discause instantly nodded to the girl who appealed to them as if she were clinging to her, and yet as if she was a demon, because she knew it to be true by the word of absolute domination.
The curse has caused Discause to lose most of her emotions, but despite this state of affairs, she is so good-natured that she has not changed her natural good-naturedness. Even if the girl had told the story when she was not in control, she would have nodded the same way.
『By the way, what is ritual conjuration?』
「…Huh?」
However, that being the case, Discause had little understanding of the girl’s story. She knew it wasn’t a lie, but there was no way she could understand the jargon about being a shaman and a sorceress. Certainly, Discause uses the power of curses. It is a power different from that of a Magical Girl, and it is a special power that has greatly supported Discause in her rise to the second place in the pecking order and the top position of the real Magical Girls. But Discause didn’t know an iota of the history surrounding it, its environment, or the people who manipulate it.
Still, she understood that the girl was asking for help for her friend. She didn’t need any more reason than that to help a girl who was thinking of her friend.
