Thinking of this, the Witch subconsciously turned her head to look at the corner of her desk.
There sat an exquisite doll, about the size of a palm, dressed in a Teitan High School uniform. Its black hair and dark eyes were a striking miniature likeness of Hayashi Shuichi.
The doll's eyes were crafted from two obsidians, which glinted with an eerie luster under the flickering candlelight. This was a voodoo doll Koizumi Akane had fashioned using a strand of Shuichi's hair.
The Witch had originally intended to use it to teach that bastard—the one who dared to meddle with her destiny—a lesson. However, since the two of them had reached a non-interference pact, the doll had been casually tossed into the corner of the desk, untouched ever since.
Just then, the full-length magic mirror standing in the corner of the room began to ripple like water. The vine motifs entwined around the frame seemed to come to life, slithering slowly.
A blurred face emerged from the glass, speaking in a low, gravelly voice. "Master, there is an intruder downstairs."
"An intruder?"
Akane sprang from her chair. Her legs, encased in black stockings, made hurried thuds against the carpet as she rushed to the window. She cautiously pulled back a sliver of the curtain, peering out with a vigilant gaze.
The courtyard was deathly silent; not a soul was in sight. Only at the front gate stood a young girl with a high ponytail.
"He's already broken in? But I clearly laid down warning wards..." the Witch muttered to herself, her brow furrowing tighter. "How could there be no sound at all? Did the magic fail?"
The surface of the magic mirror continued to undulate, and the vines on the frame writhed uneasily. "Shall I activate the defensive spells, Master?"
Akane bit her nail, thinking for a moment before shaking her head. "Wait... show me the view of the first floor."
"As you wish, Master," the mirror replied respectfully. The ripples smoothed out, replaced by a crystal-clear image of the villa's ground floor.
Akane leaned in close, her amber eyes locked onto the scene, ready to chant an offensive spell at a moment's notice.
The moment she saw the figure in the mirror, Akane's cheeks puffed out in indignation. Her pale pink lips were bitten so hard they almost bled. "I knew it! That bastard again!"
In the reflection, Hayashi Shuichi was standing in the center of the living room, looking up as if calling out for someone.
"We clearly agreed not to contact each other, yet you dare break into my house!" The Witch clenched her fists and shook them aggressively. "You're the one who broke the contract first!"
"Master," the mirror's voice suddenly turned sinister, and the glass began to glow with a ghastly red light. "Since this fellow is a thorn in your side, why not take this opportunity to kill him while he's in the house? That way, the wheel of your destiny will surely return to its proper course."
"This..." Akane's fingertips absentmindedly twirled a lock of her hair. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head gently. "He's annoying, but he didn't do it on purpose. To kill him just for this is a bit too..."
The mirror went silent, showing no reaction for a long while. Even the vine carvings settled back into stillness.
Akane gave it an annoyed kick. "Don't you understand a hint? I'm waiting for you to give me a few more reasons to kill him!"
"...Master, can you please stop making me play the villain?" the mirror said pitifully, a dejected expression appearing on the glass. "Every time I propose an evil idea, you reject it. What's the point of this routine?"
"If you don't say it, how can I show that I am a kind witch who remains pure despite being surrounded by filth!" Akane huffed, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her chin up proudly.
"But nobody else can see it anyway," the mirror muttered under its breath, its reflection shifting to one of sheer helplessness.
Akane's fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson. In a fit of embarrassed rage, she kicked the mirror again. "Shut up! I am your master, don't talk back!"
"...Yes," the mirror answered feebly. "Master, after the intruder called your name and received no response, he has already climbed the stairs and is heading for the second floor."
"Hmph, I've placed a Labyrinth Spell on those stairs," Akane's lips curled into a slight smirk. "That idiot will be trapped inside the moment he steps up. Should I negotiate with him first and then starve him for two days, or starve him for two days and then show my face..."
In the Witch's mind, she was already picturing Shuichi begging for mercy.
"Master," the mirror suddenly shattered her fantasy. "He's already in the second-floor hallway."
"Impossible!" Akane's eyes went wide with disbelief. "My Labyrinth Spell? How could it not stop him!"
"Master, the intruder seems to have the ability to nullify magic," the mirror explained helplessly. "If it worked, your warning wards would have alerted you the moment he entered the courtyard."
"Right, why didn't I think of that!" Akane slapped her forehead in realization, but her face soon turned a flustered red. She glared at the mirror. "I could have figured that out myself without you telling me!"
"Yes, Master is a witch who embodies beauty, wisdom, and kindness all in one."
It was unclear if the mirror was being genuinely sycophantic or mocking her, as the blurred face took on an exaggerated expression of worship.
"If you don't prepare yourself now, the intruder is going to burst into this room!"
"Damn that Hayashi Shuichi, I'll show him the true power of a witch today!" Akane snorted and waved her hand.
The school uniform she was wearing vanished instantly, as if peeled away by an invisible hand. Her witch's attire, hanging in the corner of the room, floated over automatically, ready to drape itself over her body.
However, at that exact moment, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Time seemed to freeze. Hayashi Shuichi stood at the doorway, staring blankly at the nearly naked girl before him.
Akane froze mid-gesture, her fair skin turning a deep shade of crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Being the first to react, Shuichi spoke with an awkward expression. "Sorry, I didn't realize you liked streaking at home."
"You!"
Akane finally snapped out of it, hurriedly covering her vital areas with her hands as she screamed in fury. "Don't you know how to knock before coming in?!"
"I was calling you from downstairs for ages and you didn't answer. I thought you were ignoring me on purpose," Shuichi gave a dry laugh and quickly backed out, shutting the door behind him.
Akane didn't even have time to use magic to change now; she hurriedly scrambled into her witch outfit by hand.
The sexy black-and-red tube top, the crimson cape, black bracers, the red asymmetrical skirt, and the black high-heeled over-the-knee boots. A golden cobra diadem was placed on her forehead, with twin cobra pauldrons resting on her shoulders.
"That bastard... that absolute bastard!"
Akane gnashed her teeth in a curse as she fastened the purple prayer bead necklace around her throat...
(End of Chapter)
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