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A Witch Is Still Human in the End.
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That phrase meant that no matter how powerful a witch might be, their flesh was not much different from that of a fragile human.
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A blade, melting in the electric current, flickered blue as it heavily severed an arm.
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Even after being cut off, the severed limb twitched as if still alive until, at last, it ceased to move.
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And then, a beat too late.
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The one holding the sword collapsed with a dull thud.
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His body, charred black.
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The molten skin of his hand fused tightly to the hilt, making it impossible to let go.
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“Mister?”
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As if reality had just started to set in, Alje blinked blankly.
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Then, with a voice torn apart by anguish, she screamed.
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“Mister Hans!”
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“Ugh…”
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When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a young girl staring down at him, tears dripping onto his face.
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Even in his current state, Hans couldn’t help but admire her.
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He wasn’t sure if it was because of her breathtaking beauty or because, despite being a mimic monster, she could shed tears a testament to the remarkable transformation abilities of her kind.
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The line between the two was slowly blurring in his mind.
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“Mister! Are you okay?”
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“He had been unconscious twice now, completely defenseless.”
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And yet, he hadn’t been devoured.
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Maybe it was finally safe to trust her.
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More importantly, considering how thoroughly he had been fried, his condition was surprisingly good.
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No lost senses, no trouble moving he couldn’t be entirely certain, but his mind seemed intact too.
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Given that his body remained whole, wasn’t that enough of a blessing?
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As he sat up, Hans muttered,”You protected me, didn’t you?”
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“Huh? Oh, well, of course.”
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“Really, thank you.”
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Thud.
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A small doll tumbled out from his clothes.
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“Greta.”
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“Eh?”
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The reason Hans knew more about witches than “just a little.”
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That was because he personally knew one.
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Not quite at the level of a Grand Witch, but certainly more skilled than a single severed arm of one.
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She had always insisted that he keep this doll close to his heart.
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Now, the doll had turned into little more than a lump of charcoal, having absorbed a fatal attack meant for him.
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Its purpose was fulfilled.
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Its once deep reddish-brown eyes, now faded, stared blankly at him for a moment before crumbling into dust.
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“Ah! Mister!”
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And then, Hans had to face the wrath of Alje, who realized she had been fooled.
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“Oof, this brat is actually hitting a patient.”
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“Patient, my foot! I healed you completely!”
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Alje pounded his shoulder repeatedly in protest.
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Hans chuckled as he endured the fierce assault from the mimic monster.
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Well, she had a point.
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That spell had been powerful enough to erase an entire section of a hill covered in corpses.
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Even if the doll had absorbed some of the damage, surviving at all was nothing short of a miracle.
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The only reason he was still standing was thanks to the Saint.
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“Thanks, Alje. I never thought I’d have the luxury of being healed by a Saint.”
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“Wow, now you say that?”
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She huffed and puffed but couldn’t quite hide the way her lips curled up.
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Seeing her adorable reaction, Hans was tempted to tease her more.
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But first, he ignored her for a moment and examined the severed witch’s arm he had cut off.
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It hadn’t been touched.
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It lay exactly where it had fallen, discarded among the other bodies on the hill.
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And then Crunch.
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“What’s wrong?”
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The witch’s severed arm had dried up completely, withered like the other corpses on the hill.
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If it hadn’t been such a memorable experience, he might not have even recognized it.
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Hans studied the limb for a moment before asking Alje,”How long was I out?”
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“I don’t know!”
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“Huh?”
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“There’s no sun or moon here. No clocks either.”
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Right.
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Alje had been in this place far longer than he had.
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It wouldn’t be strange if her sense of time was completely broken.
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That meant he had to guess on his own.
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Hans pondered for a moment.
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He couldn’t be sure, but he didn’t think he had been unconscious for long.
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His injuries were severe, but healing had been administered immediately.
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At most, a few hours?
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No, even if he had been out for days, a corpse shouldn’t have dried up and shriveled so quickly.
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Not under normal circumstances.
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“I don’t get it.”
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Hans gave up thinking and threw the witch’s arm aside.
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Thinking too hard about things wasn’t his style.
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Besides, he had no companions here to do the thinking for him, and he couldn’t expect Alje to come up with any brilliant insights either.
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Hans decided to focus on something he could do.
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Taking out his frustrations.
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As he cheerfully hacked away at the motionless witch’s arm, Alje hesitantly approached and tugged on his sleeve.
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“Mister?”
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“What?”
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“So… that really was a witch?”
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“Yeah, pretty much.”
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“It wasn’t surprising that she was shocked.”
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Even if she lacked common sense, as a Saint, she must have been thoroughly educated about their sworn enemies.
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“Wow, scary.”
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“Try changing your expression before you say that.”
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But the girl just giggled and tugged at his arm.
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“But it’s okay because you protected me!”
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“Hah. If you put it that way, you also healed me, so we’re even.”
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“It’s a Saint’s duty to care for the wounded!”For someone who had been acting clueless, she suddenly sounded quite resolute.
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Those weren’t the words of a monster.
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Hans suddenly wondered if he asked her who she really was, how would she answer?
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“That’s admirable.”
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“Hehe.”
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Instead of pushing the issue, Hans simply ran his large hand through her hair.
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Even though it got messed up, she didn’t seem to mind and smiled brightly.
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But.
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As soon as his hand left, her expression turned somber.
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“No one’s ever praised me before.”
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“Really?”
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“Yeah. No matter how hard I tried, it was always just expected. And when I got hurt, no one cared.”
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She was smiling, but Hans felt something shift inside him.
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Still, he was an excellent actor.
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Even without a script, he delivered the perfect response.
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“Well, now you have someone who cares.”
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“Really? Where?”
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“Here.”
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With a playful motion, he pointed at himself, making her burst into laughter.
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“Haha! Mister, you’re so obvious!”
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“Oops, you caught me.”
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“Hmm. But I don’t hate it.”
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After Hans woke up, they resumed walking.
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Whether unconsciousness counted as sleep, he wasn’t sure, but his body felt fine.
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And moving was better than standing still.
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The same repeating landscape.
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Corpses everywhere.
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A place perfect for driving someone insane.
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But thanks to the girl who jingled beside him like a little lily of the valley, Hans remained relatively sane.
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Sane enough to crack jokes with her.
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“So, do you hurt anywhere?”
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“Everywhere!”
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“Where exactly?”
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“All over!”
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And when a monster suddenly pounced on him from behind, he had enough restraint not to draw his sword.
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Though maybe that was also because his blade, half-melted, was now closer to a club.
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“My heart hurts.”
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“Of course it does. It got pierced, after all.”
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Alje clung tightly to his back.
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As he instinctively caught her soft, bare thigh, Hans couldn’t quite sort out the pounding in his chest.
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Fear?
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Desire?
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Maybe they weren’t so different after all.
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