I Picked up a Corrupted Heroine (The Secret Boss), and When I Spoiled Her, She Became Uncontrollably Affectionate With Me - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Witch of the End Does Not Forgive Her Enemies

We finished buying the other things we needed and were on our way home.

“Man, we bought a lot of stuff. I’m really happy with it.”

By the way, the shopkeeper also helped pick out underwear.
Good thing, because I know nothing about little girls’ underwear.

While I was thinking that and heading home, we passed through a dark back alley.

—That was when it happened.

“…This got annoying.”

The moment we reached the middle of the alley, a dangerous atmosphere filled the air.

I stopped Ria with my hand.

“—I already know you’re there, so why don’t you come out?”

“—Heh, not bad for a former A-rank adventurer.”

The voice came from right above us.

“Watch out!”

I quickly grabbed Ria’s arm and jumped backward.

In that instant, a huge battle axe slammed down where we had just been standing and made a giant crater.

“Hoh, you dodged that without even looking…”

The one who said that was the owner of the battle axe — a massive, muscular giant of a man.

“Haha… that was just luck. I was almost flattened too.”

“Oh? You don’t look like someone who’s just lucky.”

“No way.”

The giant looked me over like I was nothing, then spoke with sharp eyes.

“…Look, I’ll be nice. Hand over that girl. If you do, I’ll let you go.”

“…Heh, so you’re after this girl? Are you friends with those punks from yesterday?”

“Huh? Don’t lump us in with those small-time thugs!”

I see.
So they’re not.

Then… no way.

“—You’re a gang, huh.”

The famous gang that recently came into the city.
I think the leader was supposed to be a huge muscular guy.

They probably wanted to catch Ria because of her looks, turn her into a slave, and sell her.

“Heh, if you already know, then this’ll be quick. Hand over the girl.”

The giant raised his right hand.

—The next moment, people started pouring out from both ends of the alley.

There were… about ten of them in total.

“…Yeah, of course it wouldn’t be just one guy…”

“Haha, finally giving up? Just so you know, everyone here is at least C-rank. The strongest one—”

The giant pointed at himself.

“—is A-rank.”

“…Yeah, I do value my life.”

I glanced at Ria.

She was staring at me with eyes full of fear and hope mixed together.

“So—”

“—But I can’t leave this kid behind. That’s asking too much.”

“…Heh, you’re an idiot.”

“I’m her protector. At least that’s how I see it, and that’s what I told her. So—I can’t betray her. Ever.”

I drew the sword at my waist.

Ria has probably been betrayed by so many people before.
That’s exactly why I can’t betray her.

“Ha! What a stupid bastard! But… I don’t hate that way of thinking.”

The giant lifted his battle axe onto his shoulder.

“I’m Grave. Grave the ‘Giant Slayer.’ I’ll kill you quickly and painlessly.”

“Thanks…!”

I kicked the ground with all my strength and charged.

After closing the distance—

“<Sand Shot>”

I fired magic with my left hand.

It was a basic spell that scatters sand.
But it’s more than enough to blind someone.

In that opening, I raised my sword—

“—Idiot. You think that cheap trick will work on me!”

Grave swung his battle axe with his eyes closed.

I couldn’t get close, and the distraction was wasted.

—Or it should have been.

“See ya.”

— A dry gunshot sound rang out.

What I held in my right hand wasn’t a sword anymore. It was a pistol.

“…Haha, I thought you were some hero of justice, but you’re just a dirty coward…”

Grave muttered in pain.

A bullet was buried in his left arm, and blood was flowing badly.

“You blocked it with your left hand at the last second…? That’s insane reaction speed.”

“Ha! You’re the one who dropped your sword and pulled out a long-range weapon. That’s way too cowardly, it’s actually funny.”

Grave glared at the weapon in my hand.

The point of the sand wasn’t to hit him with the sword.
The sword was just a fake-out.

The real goal was to make him close his eyes so I could pull out the pistol and shoot.

“Still… never seen a weapon like that before.”

“Well, it’s one of a kind.”

Of course, I got the pistol from a hidden treasure chest.

It uses gunpowder and magic power to fire bullets with explosive force. Even a tough body dies instantly if hit in the head.

“But… you failed to kill me with your surprise attack. That’s already your loss.”

In that instant— Grave’s figure vanished.

Ugh, worst case.

This is exactly why I hate fighting people.

“Gu… ah…”

By the time I noticed, Grave’s fist had slammed into my stomach with dull pain.

My physical ability is only around C-rank at best.
I only reached A-rank by covering my weak points with weapons and items.

So there’s no way I can win a fistfight against someone who reached A-rank with pure physical strength.

“Ri… a…”

I caught sight of Ria one last time… and lost consciousness.

Her eyes were wide open in shock.

—

【Ria Side】

“—Ri… a…”

Asta fell to the ground while looking at me and saying that.

The man named Grave who punched him held his wound and grinned at me.

“There, your protector is down. If you had just come quietly, this wouldn’t have happened.”

—Why.

—Why why why?

I really had hoped he would protect me.

But… I never expected him to risk his life for me when we’d only known each other for a day.

—’I can’t betray her. Ever.’

He was willing to throw away his own life to keep his promise to me.

“…It was true. Asta’s words… weren’t lies…”

—It felt like color had been added to a black-and-white world.

I will never forget this feeling.

Even though the situation was hopeless… I felt incredibly happy, and my mouth corners lifted on their own.

“What the? Why are you… smiling?”

“Fufu… I wonder why?”

I thought the world was filthy and covered in lies.

That anyone would betray others easily once they got desperate.

I had hopes for Asta… but I thought he was the same.

But I was wrong…!

He’s different from all the other humans!

He’s like a single flower blooming in a pitch-black world.

No matter what—

“…I have to protect him. Even if I have to sacrifice everything else…”

“Huh? What are you saying? Has this kid finally lost her mind?”

Grave frowned suspiciously, then—

“—Hey, you guys! Hurry up and catch her! She’s just a kid, it should be easy for you.”

He gave orders to his men and stepped back.

No, more precisely—

—he tried to step back.

“<Manifest: Witch of the End>”

In that instant, the witch’s power I had been holding back overflowed.

Black darkness appeared from somewhere and wrapped around me, changing me back to my original form.

“…Ha!? Wh-what the hell is that appearance…!”

Grave turned around and let out a confused voice.

Right now I was wearing a jet-black dress, had an adult body, and my translucent silver hair was flowing.

But that wasn’t the only reason Grave was confused.

“Why… do you have black wings…?”

He pointed at the pair of wings growing from my back.

Seeing them, he probably reached one conclusion.

A being in human form with black wings.

That is—

“A witch—!?”

“Yes, correct…! As a reward— I won’t take your life.”

I smiled sweetly and pointed my right hand at Grave.

“—Well, I’ll be taking everything except your life though.”

A huge black arm appeared from empty space.

Grave’s face turned even paler.

“That black arm… d-don’t tell me it’s <Arm of Greed>!?”

“You know it well. It’s the power that steals everything — memories, skills, all of it…!”

“Gh… you monster! Everyone, run—”

He never finished the sentence.

The black arm grabbed Grave’s body. He let out a short scream and lost consciousness.

The same thing happened to the other gang members.

Some tried to run, some tried to cut the black arm, some tried to help Grave… there were all kinds.

But in the end, every single one of them was grabbed by the black arm and collapsed on the ground.

“Now then… after taking everything from me, you even hurt the person I care about. You’re ready for what comes next, right?”

I laughed softly.

I probably looked like a terribly cruel witch right then.

But that’s fine.

For Asta’s sake—

—I don’t mind becoming a cruel witch.