【Future Sight】Saving Tragic Beautiful Girls and Making Them Obsessively Fall for Me 〜I Selfishly “Helped” the Witches Who Were Gonna Destroy the World Just to Train My Martial Arts, and Now They’re All Dripping with Obsession and Worshipping Me〜 - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

…Well, the big reveal was just a joke anyway. Fuka already warned me to watch out for her.

More importantly, we’d barely said a word the whole way here. No way I’m letting this perfect chance slip when she’s the one who started talking.

Still… “Why are we getting attacked so much?” Hmm, how should I even answer that?

“…………Uhh. Today’s… got nice weather, y’know? Everybody’s probably just hyped up.”

“You expect me to believe they’re like this because of the weather…?! And just now, you paused for a second like you were thinking hard about something. You do know what’s going on, don’t you?”

“Well, truth is, I do know. But even if I told you, you probably wouldn’t believe me, and Fuka told me to keep quiet about it.”

“! From Fuka…? What on earth is… No, never mind. You’re not going to tell me anyway, are you? Fine, I’ll change the question.”

“Hm?”

“Do you—have any intention of harming the Karakuri Clock Pavilion?”

Oh?

“Of course I don’t. Neither does Fuka. But would you believe me even if I said that?”

“Don’t underestimate a courtesan’s eye for people. When you spend your days listening to so many ugly desires spill out… that kind of job lets you notice a lot of things.”

“Hmm. I see, so that’s how it is.”

Sakurako said it with a slightly gloomy air around her.

From the way she spoke just now, it sounded like she didn’t exactly enjoy being a courtesan. Maybe that’s where her world-weary vibe came from?

“So, how do I look to you, Sakurako? Was I lying just now?”

“…………You don’t seem like the type who shows his feelings on the surface. I can’t tell right here and now. But if there was some kind of event where I could see what’s really inside a person…”

“Oh, an event. Yeah… Well then, for example—”

“?”

“—how about this?”

The moment I pointed, five thugs were already climbing the hill straight toward us.

“! More new ones…?”

And there were even a few vanguard mixed in. We’d only had scattered attacks until now, but they were going all out here. My fists were itching…!

“You’re… smiling? So these attacks really are because of you… No, that’s not it. That fighting spirit isn’t fake. …Are you some kind of suicidal maniac?”

Me, suicidal? Haha, no way.

Sure, I’m betting my life on choosing my own path, but I’m definitely not trying to do it by picking death.

The whole point of training these fists is to clear away every obstacle and carve open the road ahead.

“Then let’s do this properly.”

The enemies were now only about ten running steps away. I clenched my fists tight, dropped my stance—

“—Wait. I understand now… that you’re not lying.”

“Hm? Oh, good. But even so, my fists are still needed here, right? We can’t just leave these bastards—”

“No… You don’t need to get involved any further. I’ll stay here, so please go back to the brothel.”

“What? What do you mean? Then what about you, Sakurako?”

“I’ve been planning this from the start… to meet them.”

What? Wait, has she already awakened as a witch…? Is she trying to gather the vanguard?

“Getting out without Makina noticing needs a bodyguard. I was going to slip away from Yae somehow and head to Zigo’s place, but a lot of plans fell apart. The bodyguard became you, and now they’ve come straight to us.”

The thugs finally stopped right in front of us. Sakurako gave a thin, tired-looking smile.

“Their… no, Zigo’s main target is me. If I’m just going to keep causing trouble for the Karakuri Clock Pavilion, then it’s only right that I go to them myself.”

…That resignation in her voice.

—I didn’t like it. Not one bit. Was she really declaring, right in front of me, that she was going to bend to a power she couldn’t fight?

Was she telling me to just ignore this and go back alone?

“So you don’t need to stay. I’ll handle it somehow, so please go back… and in return, could you keep being the brothel’s bodyguard? Please protect everyone—”

“—No.”

“…Eh?”

Heh, they really underestimated me.

Did they think I’d just tuck my tail between my legs and leave quietly because someone powerless felt sorry for me?

Well, she’s not exactly powerless since she’s a witch, but still—at least she doesn’t realize her own strength and is ready to sacrifice herself.

…Yeah, I really don’t like that.

So.

“—You lot are Zigo’s worthless trash, right?”

“! Hey, wait…!”

See? Totally worthless. No doubt about it.

Five cheap thugs who fell for a weak taunt, two of them being witch vanguard.

“The hell are you, skinny brat? Playing knight for a bunch of whores?!”

“Hahahaha! That’s hilarious!”

With the two vanguard in the lead, they strolled closer without a care, clearly not even considering the possibility of losing.

“…You! Even now, please bow your head as pathetically as you can! I’ll try to talk them down…!”

“Too late for that, Sakurako. The boss said as long as you and most of the girls stay safe, we can do whatever we want with the rest. Killing one annoying kid to get things rolling sounds good!”

“After that we’ll hit the brothel! The crazy customers who come for you and some of the girls—they had stupid strong power, but our forces have swelled up huge now. We’re gonna rape as many women as we like…!”

“…You. Scum like you are exactly why we… why I…!”

A faint dark aura started drifting from Sakurako. It was thick with deep resignation and resentment toward the world… the witch’s miasma, like all that bitterness boiled down.

It was so strong that even my earlier worry for her had completely vanished from her eyes.

That “our forces have swelled” line from the vanguard guy was probably thanks to Sakurako’s power growing day by day.

Right now we were facing two fully conscious vanguard like the guy from before, plus three others. Not bad numbers for a many-versus-one fight—but this was going to be another fantastic experience!

For me, who has no magic power, this would be perfect training for the technique of channeling magic into my fists—

“Heh. I’m happy. To get so many chances to test my skills day after day…! Looks like sticking close to a witch really was the right call.”

“Huh? What the hell are you babbling about… Did fear finally drive you crazy?!”

Crazy? Nah. If anything, I’m sharp as hell from the excitement.

“The great feats of heroes who face destruction in the future would be wasted on small fry like you…! Alright then, let’s do this fairly—”

My ready fists slowly filled with magic power. They started swirling like they were sucking in the surrounding air, occasionally crackling with purple lightning.

“Wh… what the? Is this… magic power…?”

“Hey, you were a mage?! …Doesn’t matter! We’ve got the goddess’s blessing now! A cheap little tornado like this…!”

“…………No, this is… Hey, this is already…!”

Goddess, huh. Sure, Sakurako’s looks could pass for one, but her power is more like a curse packed full of resentment.

But don’t worry. I’ll purge that powerful curse with my fists.

Now then—the technique that, in a certain future, let a great sword demon tear apart demons.

“Hey!! Run—”

“Too late————Magic Fist Style, First Form. [Storm Dragon Tear Palm].”

A palm strike that combined magic power with martial technique. It unleashed a powerful blast of wind and lightning forward, carrying the air it had pulled in.

Just like in my future memories, a sideways tornado formed right in front of us, wrapped entirely in purple electricity as it flew forward.

It swallowed the thugs with their stunned faces and easily blew them clear out of sight—

“Yeah. One clean sweep of the whole mob.”

Under the clear sky after the storm,

The only ones still standing in the bright sunlight were—me and Sakurako, just the two of us.