Chapter 45: The Witch and the Hero

Hearing Sensei’s urgent plea, I immediately put the fastest plan into action.

“Fufu, Master, hold on tight!” I said.

“Huh? Kaoru, what are you—eek?!” Sensei yelped as I scooped her up in a princess carry.

It wasn’t fancy, but it was effective.

In less than a minute, I caught up to the Squad, who had gone ahead.

“Ugh…!”

Even with the time saved, we were met with a horrific sight that made Sensei grimace.

The narrow hall looked like a storm had torn through it.

Arius students lay scattered, battered and broken.

Misaki and Hiyori were among them, seemingly taken down in a single blow, motionless.

Standing alone amidst the bloodied chaos was, as expected, the white-winged angel, Misono Mika.

“Haha, what? Already done? I thought you’d fight better than this,” Mika muttered, sneering down at her feet, oblivious to our arrival.

“Urgh…” At her gaze’s end was Saori, her left shoulder twisted at an unnatural angle, groaning in pain.

Crunch.

“Argh!” Saori screamed as Mika pressed her foot harder into the mangled shoulder.

“Haha, so you do feel pain? But this isn’t enough—” Mika began.

“Mika! Stop!” Sensei’s sharp shout cut through, halting her just before she could ruin Saori’s arm completely.

“Oh? Sensei?” Mika’s voice was eerily cold as she turned, leaving Saori and approaching us.

“…!”

As dim light illuminated her, we froze.

Mika’s once-vibrant pink halo, resembling a starry galaxy, now flickered like a glitching screen, radiating an ominous, blood-red aura.

In a Blue Archive PV from another timeline—one without Sensei—students were depicted in despair.

In it, Mika, having lost everything, laughed maniacally, drenched in blood.

The madness in the pink-haired girl before us now was a chilling echo of that scene.

“Oh, outsider-chan’s here too. Should I call you ‘hero’ now?” Mika said, noticing me.

When I narrowed my eyes, she giggled.

“Hahaha, I saw you on TV during the last incident. Honestly, you were cool! Isn’t it funny? I’ve fallen to a witch, while the outsider I tormented became a hero. Bet you’re thrilled, right?”

Her exaggerated laughter contrasted with the hollow, emotionless void in her eyes as she rambled.

“…” She’s broken, I concluded silently.

Sensei, undeterred, tried to reach her.

“Mika, you’re not a witch. These girls are victims like you. Please, calm down and listen—”

“Hmm… Sensei, you never change. Clinging to a problem child like me—adult patience, huh?” Mika tilted her head, cutting Sensei off.

As in the original story, she stated her reason for targeting the Squad.

“But that’s why you can’t stop me. It’s only fair. They ruined me, so why shouldn’t I get revenge?”

Unlike the original, where Mika sobbed while pouring out her emotions, the girl before us now spoke with chilling calm—no anger, no sorrow, no remorse.

Just a single-minded lunatic driven to kill.

“That’s all I have to say. Now, if you’re not involved, leave. Got it?”

Step!

With that, Mika abruptly turned and sprinted down the opposite end of the passage.

“Mika! No, wait…!” Sensei’s desperate cries echoed as Mika vanished into the darkness.

“Mika! Mika…! Damn it… Kids, are you okay?”

Gritting her teeth, Sensei rushed to Saori’s side.

“It’s a trap, Sensei!” Saori gasped, her voice a pained shout.

At that moment, as I glanced up—

BOOM! Crash!

A deafening roar accompanied the collapse of the hall’s ceiling above Sensei.

“Danger!” I shouted.

“Master!”

Thud!

Kicking off the ground, I lunged forward, barely shoving Sensei back as I swung my arm.

The momentum carried me through the falling debris.

“Ugh…” That stings.

Even Kaoru’s body wasn’t built to take such a hit head-on, and the pain was sharp.

But my speed saved me—I landed safely on the other side before the ceiling fully collapsed.

Rumble…

Tons of debris now blocked the passage completely.

As the dust settled, Sensei’s frantic voice called out, “Kaoru! Are you okay?! Answer me!”

“I’m fine, Master. Saori’s safe too,” I replied, glancing at her.

Her leg was slightly caught in the rubble’s edge, but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

“Good… Kaoru, can you bring Saori back here?” Sensei asked.

“Fufu, that… might be tricky,” I said.

“What? Why… oh no,” Sensei trailed off, realizing what I sensed.

Click, click.

From the darkened passage ahead, familiar footsteps rang out clearly.

“Collapsing the ceiling above Master? Are you out of your mind?” I said, biting my lip as I rose, facing the figure emerging from the shadows.

“…Mika.”

My voice carried a quiet fury as I called her name.

“Hahaha! What’s that face, outsider-chan? You can look like that too? You were always smiling when I messed with you,” Mika laughed, unfazed.

Glancing at the collapsed ceiling, she muttered, “I didn’t mean to involve Sensei, of course. I figured you’d protect her like this. I only targeted the floor behind that girl, after all.”

She pointed at Saori, still collapsed behind me.

“And… am I in my right mind? Of course not. I’m a witch—the villain a hero like you needs to slay.”

With a hollow smile, she spoke as I stood tense, ready to move, blocking her path.

“So, Mika, what are you planning now?” I asked.

“Hmm… so cold, straight to the point as always. Well… maybe I should just ask nicely here?” Mika pouted playfully, then clapped her hands, grinning.

“I actually kinda like you, outsider-chan. At least, I did until I heard Seia collapsed again. I even thought we could be friends!”

“Oh my, that’s flattering,” I replied evenly to her now-meaningless confession.

Mika’s lively tone belied her dead eyes as she glanced at Saori.

“So, could you step aside just until I crush her halo? A witch taking out a villain—doesn’t that work out perfectly for a hero like you? What do you say?”

She was asking me to stand by and let her become a murderer.

“Fufu, Mika,” I said softly.

There was only one answer.

“Looks like I’ll have to save that crazed head of yours instead.”

“…”

Mika stared at me in silence, then sighed, shaking her head as if she’d expected it.

“Haa, I was hoping Saori would be my only target…”

Her yellow eyes gleamed lifelessly as she continued, “But this isn’t bad either. I’ve wanted to settle things with you too.”

Click.

Raising her gun with a mad grin, she echoed the words she’d once left me in a note.

“Looking forward to it.”