CH 35

Chapter 2 — Expand, my world! • Episode 2-1 • Expansion Witch ②

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

「Since many of you are new to me, let me briefly introduce myself. My area of activity is Junkoi Town, my magic I use is Expansion magic, and you can feel free to call me the Witch of Expansion.」

Seeing Extend Traveler, who showed no sign of being offended by the fact that she had arrived late without calling, but on the contrary was somewhat irreverent, Doppelganger felt resigned to the fact that she would have to do it again.

The Witch’s power is far more powerful than that of a Phase 2 Magical Girl. From the moment they opened the third gate, their bodies were filled with power, and a feeling of almightiness enveloped their entire bodies, as if they could do anything. As long as they are fighting for their lives against the unidentified monster called Diest, more witches means more powerful and dependable allies, and that is something that Magical Girls as a whole should be happy about. But the story does not end so simply there.

If an adolescent girl, with no training or special education, suddenly obtains a power so powerful that she surpasses her surroundings, will she be able to handle it in the same way as before? The answer is no. A girl who suddenly has great power in her hands is engulfed by it.

Doppelganger was classified as quite old among today’s witches, but she have seen a number of them who have become witches and who have become arrogant and aggressive in their words and actions because they are swept away by their power. Among the current members, The Magnetic Witch, Rabbit Witch, Gravity Witch, and Dragon Witch were cocky when they first became witches. It’s called being a wuss.

And witches who are so consumed by their power that they are in a state of frenzy will sooner or later get into fights with other witches, get beat up, and gradually become more mature.

Of course, some of them could still wield their power as before. But this new witch was clearly consumed by her power.

「You’ve got some nerve showing up late out of the blue, don’t you?」

「The star of the show comes late, isn’t that the way it is?」

「Hahaha! No difference!!」

Extend Traveler laughs in a theatrical tone, while Captain Treasure opens her big mouth and laughs loudly. Although the question was violent, she did not seem to be actually angry.

「You mean you came late on purpose～?」

「Oops, please don’t misunderstand me. There is no way that this I would knowingly violate a contract.」

When Red Ball nodded her head curiously, Extend emphatically denied it.

「Either way, we would have liked to have been informed.」

「I was in the middle of a battle. It didn’t work out that way, Thread Witch-dono.」

Extend cowered her shoulders as if to say, “Oh dear.”

Witches are powerful beings, but that does not mean they are invincible. If they let their guard down in the face of an unknown monster of a Diest, they cannot be sure that it will not become a fatal gap. If that was the situation, it was inevitable, and most of the witches closed their mouths as if they had to settle the contradiction.

However, there was only one who stood up, pulling out her chair with a loud rattling sound as if to show her anger.

「Tardiness is tardiness, no matter the reason. Am I wrong?」

Rabbitfoot, the Rabbit Witch, points her finger down at Extend with anger in her words.

「When you apologize, you should bow. Can’t you even bow?」

「Hmm, I recognize that I am in no way in denial… Explaining things in a way that even a young child can understand is more difficult than it seems.」

Rabbitfoot usually has a low boiling point, but even so, that was so unreasonable today. And while there was certainly anger in her tone of voice, there was no sense of the usual hysterical screaming and rage that seemed to boil over in an instant.

From Doppelganger’s point of view, Rabbitfoot, who suddenly became angry over such a trivial matter, was an unruly problem child, but at the same time, she inwardly sighed that this new witch also seemed to have a troublesome personality.

She was sure that Extend is not to blame as far as the story goes, but there are a few more ways to interpret it. If she speak in such a way that is nothing more than a provocation, it is obvious what will happen next.

「Haah? You’re getting all worked up just because you’re a witch!? It would have been if you just apologize!!」

「If you insist on making me bow my head, make me bow by force. 10th in the seating order, Rabbit Witch-dono.」

As usual, Rabbitfoot’s voltage instantly increased and she began to spread her anger, and Extend piled on more words of provocation. At this point, Extend’s purpose was clear. This new witch is trying to fight her predecessors. Was it coincidence, or was it inevitable, that the other party was Rabbitfoot?

「No big deal! I’ll forgive you if you cry and apologize!!」

「That’s very kind of you. I appreciate it, Rabbit Witch-dono.」

Even though it is said that the Witch’s power will engulf you, what kind of problematic behavior you will experience as a result is different for each person. Relatively common among these is the attempt to satisfy the desire to test how far one’s strength will go and to wield that strength with all one’s might to the limit. Extend was exactly this type.

This is a phenomenon that even girls who are not evil and who would normally be in a relatively good category or who are discreet and earnest can fall into, and if the timing is right, they may be content to fight a higher Diest, such as a Marquis-class or, if they are really lucky, a Duke-class.

But when they don’t get just the right opportunity, they target their fellow witches. It is still better if they challenge them to training or a duel face to face, and there have been those who attacked them after a battle with a Diest or tried to provoke them into a fight.

They couldn’t read into Doppelganger until Extend was trying to bring this to the table from the beginning. She noticed some irreverence, but not so much that she would normally have pursued it with any sort of concern. It just happened. It just so happened that Rabbitfoot was in a bad mood. If Rabbitfoot had held up her end of the contraption like the other witches, the Tea Party would have started without any problems.

There is no point in making assumptions.

The air is so swarthy that it makes her skin crawl around the two of them. The Pirate Witch, the Gravity Witch, and the Magnetism Witch are amused by the fact that two were about to start fighting. The Poison Insect Witch is silent and uninterested as usual, while the Ice Witch is engrossed in her tea cakes. The Dragon Witch is just upset. The Octopus Witch is enjoying the aroma of tea and tilting her teacup. Only the Shark Witch looked at them with a serious face, but she seemed to have no intention of interceding.

「Leap Up——」

「Expand——」

「Puppet Play」(TN : Dance, my puppet.)

Just as the two were about to chant their keywords for lifting the limitation, the singing words echoed faster than that, and each of them covered their mouths with their own hands.

「Nhn—!?」

「Mhmhmm?」

Of course, it was not an action that the two took of their own volition. They made a muffled sound of surprise, then realized that they could not move their bodies freely, so they moved only their eyeballs, which they could move, and turned their attention to Wigs Crosseau So, who was gracefully drinking tea.

Crosseau slowly lowers her teacup to the saucer as she catches the gaze of not only the two of them, but almost everyone present.

「You guys are free to fight, but at least do it in the training room. If you want to do it now, I won’t hold you back.」

Their feet start to move on their own in time with Crosseau’s words. The destination of their feet was the door connecting the room and the passageway.

「Mmhm—!? Mhmnhm!!!」

「Mhm—」

「If you two have something to say, go ahead.」

Their feet stopped as they walked toward the exit, and the hands that had been holding their mouths and their tightly bound lips regained their freedom.

「I–I understand! Enough about what happened earlier!」

「I agree. As expected, I don’t want to be forced to leave after my first participation.」

When the two girls explained themselves with some impatience, they turned around and sat down in the chairs inscribed with 10 and 13, respectively, with awkward movements like puppets being manipulated by strings.

「Not really, you’re indeed the Witch of the 3rd rank in the hierarchy. I don’t think I can resist at all.」

「Hey! Hurry up and break the spell!」

Extend looks impressed by the fact that she cannot move her body even a twitch of her own will, and Rabbitfoot shouts angrily in a high-pitched voice.

「…Rabbitfoot-san, I don’t dislike you, but let me tell you that there is a limit to everything.」

「!…nfuh, I’ll put up with it just for today.」

It was in her usual calm and detached tone of voice, but Rabbitfoot was silent after uttering what could only be described as a throwaway line. Crosseau, who is usually calm and never jokes about anything dangerous, especially to the younger group, made a threatening remark. No matter how short-tempered and quick-handed Rabbitfoot was, she understood that this was not a good idea any more.

「So, let’s start the Tea Party, shall we?」

Crosseau, who announced the opening of the event as if to regain her composure, turned her attention to the thirteenth witch, the Extend Traveler.