Freezing Nation, Eastern Hill
“Let me go! W-What are you touching?! Stop it!”
I was held in a tight grip by one person while the others, with expressionless faces, restrained my limbs completely. Even without their interference, I was already unable to move at all. I felt a hand crawling up my thigh, and something cold surged from my waist to my back. It was a grotesque sensation I had never experienced before.
This was the first time someone had touched my body, and I never knew it could feel so unpleasant and revolting. I had seen adventurers embrace each other in romantic moments, and even then, I felt a slight sense of disgust. It wasn’t just about the sensation; such acts should be reserved for married couples. It was not something to be done openly and carelessly—was there not a shred of pride in them? That was my belief.
That aside, these guys were clearly acting strangely. They were being manipulated by something, but in such cases, the master was usually nearby. Yet, I couldn’t sense anything around me. It was just them and me. At my level, I could perceive not just flames but heat itself. Yes, sensing the body temperature of living beings around me was a piece of cake. I was not called the True Flame Witch for nothing.
“Hyah!”
Just a single finger moving sent my discomfort skyrocketing. To be honest, it was nothing short of humiliation. What should I do to them later? Even if they were being controlled, they had dared to touch me like this. The icy hell was nothing compared to the torment I would make them suffer—death would be preferable to what I would inflict upon them. But—
“Y-You filthy hands… Hah!”
It was as if the man could see into my heart as he moved his finger slightly. No, I couldn’t move a single finger. My consciousness was intact, but my limbs and body felt like mere objects. I never realized how terrifying it was to be unable to convey my will to my own flesh.
It wasn’t just that; I never knew how unpleasant it could be to be at the mercy of others. No one would listen to my screams; the men around me were devoid of emotion. No matter how much I tried to act tough, I was utterly powerless. This was unacceptable; I didn’t want to acknowledge this.
“H-Higuu… I don’t want this… I don’t want it…”
Please, help me. I had lost all pride as the True Flame Witch. All I wanted was for them to stop—just that. When was the last time I cried? Perhaps it was when I threw a tantrum to my mother, who is no longer in this world.
After all, I was just a girl. I was scared of these men and sobbing. Was this what powerlessness felt like? What had I been doing all this time?
“It’s the same… I, without listening to anyone… doing the same thing…”
I had reveled in my power, taking advantage of everyone’s weaknesses, doing as I pleased. I ignored what others said, sometimes going too far. My opponents were mere civilians who stood no chance against me. Even soldiers from the Freezing Nation, trained to scatter nearby monsters with ease, were powerless before the True Flame Witch. If I wanted, I could engulf this nation in flames in just one day, leaving no trace of the wealth and lives accumulated over the years. With such power, I walked through the streets with an air of dominance, and it was only natural that they felt uneasy inside.
To avoid upsetting me, they would gauge my mood, yet never reveal their true feelings. At that point, all resistance was sealed. Resistance itself was meaningless.
Just like me now. I was also shedding tears of regret, unable to resist. The people whose homes I had burned must have wrapped themselves in blankets, desperately enduring. I couldn’t even imagine the humiliation and anger they felt until now.
“What do you plan to do with me…?”
These puppets would not answer. Whoever was behind this was powerful enough to bind even me. Perhaps these men had lost their consciousness entirely.
“I don’t want this anymore! Someone, please!”
I never thought I would seek help from anyone. Whether they would help or not was entirely up to me; those who needed saving should just hope for it. How unreasonable—if no one helped me now, I would—
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
The men holding me suddenly swayed and collapsed. The arms that had restrained my limbs loosened, and they sank into the snow.
What just happened? I barely had time to think. Someone had definitely come to my aid. I could manage that much of a mental shift. That wasn’t magic; it was just a physical maneuver. An invisible strike had hit them with a speed that made “fast” seem like an understatement. The fact that they avoided vital points showed a remarkable level of skill.
“You surprised me! What just happened?”
This boyish girl with short, sky-blue hair was undoubtedly the one who took down the men. I realized that when she approached without my sensing her body temperature.
“W-Who are you…?”
If she had saved me, I should probably thank her first. But encountering someone of such a different caliber made me more curious about her abilities. Especially since she seemed to surpass even the True Flame Witch.
“Rainis, what happened? Please explain!”
This girl with long, disheveled blonde hair grabbed my shoulder. Her name was Kurinka, if I remembered correctly. While my magical power was greater, her control over flames and her diverse healing and support spells made her no one to underestimate.
Looking closely, I noticed Kurinka wore a warm robe, while I was barefoot under my shorts. It was said that first-time adventurers were often overwhelmed by the cold rather than the monsters, yet she stood calmly with her feet in the snow. It didn’t seem like she was covering her body with magic like I was. What was she?
“My body… suddenly stopped moving… and these men are being controlled by something… You all need to escape quickly…”
“Agah… Agagagaga!”
The men who had collapsed stood up, moving as if ignoring all their joints. Their limbs bent at unnatural angles, as if they were being forced to move. These men were already being controlled, and they felt no pain. No matter how much they were beaten or knocked out, as long as their bodies remained, it was enough for whoever was controlling them.
But they were just ordinary people, and there was no way they could defeat these girls. I had no idea what the master behind this was aiming for.
“Kill…! Killkillkill!”
As the men charged at us again, the girl named Rua swiftly picked up both Kurinka and me in her arms and quickly left the scene. Despite being a girl, her explosive power while carrying two humans was impressive. At this point, I was curious about her level. Or perhaps it was some kind of skill.
“For now, let’s escape to town!”
“They’re being controlled! There must be someone controlling them nearby!”
“Where could that be?”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be struggling!”
“Then we have no choice but to ask them one by one…”
Her intellect seemed surprisingly lacking, as if all her mental capacity had been poured into her physical abilities. She didn’t appear to be dazed, and more importantly, her expression was serious.
Freezing Nation, Castle Town
After explaining the situation to the gatekeeper, we hurriedly had the gates closed. This should prevent any further intrusions from outside. It was unfortunate for those people, but until we found the one controlling them, they would have to be tied up and rendered immobile. As Rainis assessed, even though they were being manipulated, their physical abilities hadn’t increased.
“Is that true? I can’t believe someone could corner someone like Rainis…”
“You all must not open the gates for anyone, no matter what!”
“Understood!”
Rainis spoke bravely, but it seemed she still couldn’t move freely. I suspected she was under the effects of a Paralysis Status Ailment, and when I cast a healing spell, it had no effect. This meant Rainis was still under someone’s control. It was hard to believe that someone could bring someone as powerful as her to this state.
“Hmm, how do we search?”
“There are no abnormalities in the body temperatures of the townspeople. This means they are either not here or are something very close to human. Either way, if they have infiltrated the town, it could be troublesome. If they take the townspeople hostage…”
“Hehe…”
“W-What’s so funny?!”
“I just thought it was surprising that Rainis worries about others.”
“I-I’m not! I just said it would be troublesome if that happened!”
She was raising her voice to hide her embarrassment, but there was no mockery in her tone, nor was she genuinely angry. Perhaps she understood a little.
“I don’t think we can search just the three of us…”
“I’ll definitely take them down with my own hands!”
“We’ll help too! Please, let us help!”
“Alright, just make sure you don’t open the gates!”
“Please! We absolutely will! Please!”
As the words gradually lost their emotional weight, the two gatekeepers began to sway their heads back and forth. Just when I thought they were skipping in place, they suddenly drew their spears and charged at me simultaneously.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”
In this situation, Rainis, who couldn’t move, should have been their primary target. Yet, for some reason, they were coming after me, unleashing a flurry of wild thrusts. These people must have undergone some training, but their movements were horrendous. I managed to dodge their attacks, but it was almost laughable how bad they were. Was this what it looked like when someone who had never held a spear before tried to thrust?
“Th-These people are already being controlled… Could it be they were here in town from the start…?”
“Lua-chan, we need to get away, now!”
I scooped up Rainis and Kurinka and leaped onto the rooftop. Here, they shouldn’t be able to follow us. From this vantage point, perhaps I could find something useful, and for now, I felt a bit more at ease.
“This is my first time experiencing something like this… I have no idea what to do… I wonder if I can spot whoever is controlling them from here.”
“There’s no way someone at that level could trap me!”
“You’re right…”
“Hey, what are you doing up there?”
Looking down, I saw a stranger—a plump, ordinary landlady. She was casually carrying a shopping basket on her elbow, a completely mundane sight.
“Oh, um, I’ll be down in a moment…”
“That’s fine, you can stay there as long as you like.”
“…Huh?”
“There’s no way that old lady can see us from her position! We need to run!”
That’s right; from where she was looking up, it was as if she was on the opposite side. In other words, she was calling out to us, hidden behind the roof.
“That’s fine, you can stay, stay, stay…”
The landlady slowly brought out a ladder and began to climb up. There was no way I would get caught by someone like her, and I shouldn’t lose to her either, but something about it felt eerie. She kept muttering the same thing as she steadily ascended the ladder.
“Could it be that they’re not being controlled, but rather affected by some sort of confusion akin to a status ailment…? No, but their movements are too precise for that.”
“Ugh, this is so frustrating! I don’t know who you are, but if you want to fight, come at me directly! Why does Pansard have to resort to such roundabout tactics?!”
Pansard… Speaking of which, how many of the Twelve Demon Generals are left? Since there are twelve, there should be twelve of them, but I haven’t encountered them all yet. That means…
“You’re an idiot. Anyone who would come at you head-on is either incredibly skilled or just plain foolish. Most monsters tend to ambush from the shadows.”
“That’s right… The Abyss Cave was full of that kind of thing.”
“The Abyss Cave…?”
“Hey! Come down! Come on! Come on!”
“Rainis-chan! Light the fire! Light it! Light it!”
Doors swung open, and townsfolk crawled out. Some leaned out of windows, and I even saw someone emerge from a chimney, covered in soot, clumsily chasing after us. They stumbled and nearly fell, but they never stopped pursuing us. No matter how far we got, they kept coming after us without losing heart.
So this was turning into a situation worse than I had imagined.
“Whoa! Is this… is this the entire town?!”
“They’re just like zombies…”
Just as Rainis said, they resembled zombies. It was no longer a matter of whether I would get caught; I needed to find the source of this chaos before it was too late.
“How cowardly! If you want to fight, come out directly! You’re only doing this because you’re weak!”
I shouted with all my might, but of course, no one responded. Unconsciously, I drew Disballade. It was a warning; if I did this, they would likely scatter. That was my only option.
“Lua-chan, wait. I think I’m close to figuring something out.”
“Figuring out what…?”
“The movements of these townsfolk… they seem to have a pattern…”
“What do you mean?”
“The way they move is like someone is forcing them to act like puppets. But those over there are moving relatively smoothly. This means…”
“Aha! I get it now!”
Kurinka and Rainis exchanged glances and smiled knowingly. I felt a bit left out of the loop. Still, being here together made me realize that Rainis wasn’t really a bad person. In fact, I felt like we could even become friends.
“This narrows it down significantly.”
“Yeah, now it’s time for this to come into play.”
“What is that…?”
“Kurinka, how is that going to help us?”
Kurinka pulled something out of her bag and proudly displayed it. I still had no idea what it was.
“Alright, let’s go! Lua-chan, jump!”
I felt a bit annoyed, as if she was about to tell me to turn into a dragon. I knew there wasn’t enough space to actually transform and fly around, but they seemed to have grasped something important, so I decided to follow their lead.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Hoo hoo, what a troublesome situation
You’ve caught the eye of a tricky one
Will you be my meal, or shall I give you a bath?
First, let’s have dinner
Here, ahh
Delicious
Making the dolls dance, twirl and swirl
Shin is an adult, so he’s not interested in doll games
But what he’s doing is on that level
Now, stop writing foolish things and report
Ah, my arms are moving…