Kurosaki Witch Detective Agency ~Netorare Case Files~ - Chapter 013: The Red Witch’s One Question One Answer

Chapter 013: The Red Witch’s One Question One Answer

“First, let me explain the rules.”

Akane removed the ring from her ring finger and placed it on the table. A red aura enveloped her body. Waves of red magical power surged toward me.

“The Witch’s One Question One Answer is originally a ritual to draw out each other’s true feelings. If the person answering lies, the ruby on the ring will flash. The other rules are the same as what Kuro taught you before.”

So that ring functions like a lie detector.

“You start asking questions. I’ll answer what you want to know.”

I was a little curious why she hadn’t been calling Big Sis by her name.

“Question. What is ‘Kuro’? Is it Big Sis’s name?”

“It’s a name we only use among witches. Because witches are ageless and immortal, we often change our names. Since there are too many names to remember, we call each other by our witch names. By the way, it is forbidden for non-witches to call us by our witch names. The witch who is called that way will get angry instantly.”

So because she’s the Black Witch, she’s called Kuro(japanese for Black). What about a witch’s constitution?

“Question. What exactly are witches?”

“It means exactly what the word says — women who can use magic and those who bear curses.”

Curses? Big Sis never mentioned that… But the ring didn’t flash.

“Question. What is a witch’s constitution?”

“All witches are basically immortal and ageless. I’ve known Kuro for over a hundred years already.”

Immortal!? Do people with such a constitution really exist? The ring didn’t flash.

“Question. What is a witch’s curse?”

“Each witch bears a different curse. The one thing all curses have in common is that they are related to sexual desire.”

Sexual desire…?

“There are individual differences, but sexual desire must be relieved regularly. However, a witch’s sexual desire cannot be easily satisfied by normal sex or masturbation. In Kuro’s case… it’s not really my place to say, but I’ll tell you.”

What exactly is Big Sis’s curse…?

“Black. Distortion. Simply put, it’s a curse close to abnormal sexual preference — she cannot be satisfied by normal sex.”

Not normal sex? What does that mean?

“Question. What does ‘not normal sex’ mean?”

“It means exactly what it says. Any sexual act other than normal one-on-one lovemaking — rape, reverse rape, gangbang, anal sex, cheating sex, deflowering virgins, and many other sexual plays. There is no fixed standard. It’s like wanting fried rice today, ramen tomorrow, and sushi the day after.”

Big Sis has such an open and extreme sexual side!? The ring… didn’t flash. So it’s true? Still, why does Akane know so much about Big Sis?

“In the end, only the person herself knows what she wants to eat at any given moment. The same goes for sexual preferences. Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”

A question for me? I don’t really have any idea what a woman I just met would ask me…

“Question. Yuuya, do you know about the Black Witch’s curse?”

“The one Akane just mentioned?”

“No. As expected, Kuro didn’t tell you… Taking a disciple with those feelings…”

There’s another curse on Big Sis?

“Question. Is there another curse on the Black Witch?”

I asked Akane instead.

“I’ll explain now. Listen carefully. The curse a witch bears is the curse of her own color. Kuro bears the black curse. I bear the red curse.”

That’s the curse she mentioned earlier.

“When someone becomes a witch’s disciple, they are affected by their master’s curse and receive the witch’s curse. In your case, it is the Black Witch’s curse. To summarize: the Black Witch bears the black curse, and the Black Witch’s disciple bears the Black Witch’s curse. Understood?”

“A different kind of curse?”

“That’s right. Once you become a witch’s disciple, you must bear the witch’s curse.”

“Question. What kind of curse is the Black Witch’s curse?”

“I don’t know.”

You don’t know!? You know so much about Big Sis, yet you don’t know what kind of effect it has on her disciple?

“Kuro has never taken a disciple before. There is no precedent, so there’s nothing to reference. Besides, curses also differ by individual. The effects vary depending on the person cursed. Until now, Kuro was aware of how terrifying her own curse is, so she originally had a policy of never taking disciples… and yet now… just what is she thinking?”

There is no precedent to reference… I also don’t understand why Big Sis chose to take me as her disciple.

“Question. Since Yuuya became a witch’s disciple, have you noticed any changes from before?”

Because I became Big Sis’s disciple?

“…I get to eat good food every day, sleep in a soft bed…”

“That’s not what I mean. Any physical changes? Physiological or psychological changes?”

Physical…? I don’t think there have been any… Ah! That’s right!

“When Big Sis was being raped by the Boss, I got extremely angry. I felt a strong urge to kill the Boss.”

Akane listened while checking whether the ring flashed.

“At that moment, I felt like I heard another voice inside my heart.”

“…A voice?”

Akane looked at me as if she had realized something.

“A voice saying ‘Kill him. I must kill that guy.’ A dark emotion exploded inside me. Then I tore off the zip ties binding my hands.”

“Destruction impulse… Something like murderous intent…”

Akane seemed deep in thought.

“But that could just be normal anger! Anyone would feel that if someone important to them was treated like that right in front of them!”

“If it was just normal anger, you shouldn’t have heard a mysterious voice. Also, do you really think a child like you could tear off zip ties? Even in an emergency, there are limits.”

That’s true…

“I think the Black Witch’s curse is already negatively affecting you. You should break up with Kuro before any serious damage occurs.”

Break up again… Compared to my old life, a curse of this level doesn’t seem like a big deal, but…

“Do I really have to break up with Big Sis?”

“It’s for your own sake. If the two of you stay together like this, only a bad ending awaits.”

I looked at the ring. The gem didn’t flash. Why can Akane say that so definitively? Even I don’t know what the future holds for me and Big Sis. I don’t want others deciding for me.

“Sorry. I’ll decide after talking properly with Big Sis. If I decide just by listening to you, it would be unfair to her.”

“I said it for your sake! A witch’s curse is not that simple!”

Suddenly Akane got angry. The red aura radiating from her body grew more intense. I felt like I was about to be swallowed by the red waves…

“I didn’t want to tell you the truth, but if you insist on not breaking up with Kuro, I’ll tell you.”

At this point, the One Question One Answer seemed meaningless. Akane was just speaking one-sidedly.

Akane took some documents out of her red bag and handed them to me.

“What is this…?”

“You’ll understand when you see it. The real reason Kuro took you as her disciple.”

I looked at the document. The title read:

“Slum Investigation and Destruction Preparation…?”

Inside were profiles of several people — the Boss, Alex… and even my own profile. There were also documents on other people related to the slums.

“Originally, I was in charge of this case. Kuro said she wanted it, so I gave it to her. The reason Kuro took a disciple was also part of the slum investigation.”

I… was being used by Big Sis…? I don’t want to believe it, but looking at the documents, what Akane said might be true…

“Question. Did Big Sis really intend to take me as her disciple?”

I used the One Question One Answer to confirm once more!

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask the person herself, right? But it is certain that you were being used.”

“Even if I was used, it’s fine! As long as I can stay with Big Sis!”

I no longer cared about the curse. Big Sis was raped by the Boss to save me. It’s selfish, but if Big Sis hadn’t been there, I might already be dead.

“You’re fine with just being together? Do you even understand what a witch detective’s job entails?”

“Witch detective’s job? What do you mean?”

I can somewhat understand detective work, but witch detective?

“Question. What is a witch detective’s job?”

I asked first, just in case Akane might lie.

“Because of their immortal and ageless constitution, witches’ bodies are much tougher than normal humans. So they often infiltrate dangerous places for reconnaissance or destruction. In my and Kuro’s case, we sometimes use our bodies because of our curses. Can you endure that?”

I suddenly thought of what happened in the slums this time.

“You seem to have an idea. The slum incident is almost standard operating procedure for witch detective work. Every time Kuro faces danger, can you endure it?”

I don’t know… If Big Sis keeps getting raped over and over again…

“I don’t know… But if I get better at detective work in the future, the chances of Big Sis facing danger will decrease, right!? Besides, Big Sis is immortal, so even if she faces some danger…”

“Yuuya, let me tell you. Even if a witch’s physical wounds heal…”

Akane cut me off mid-sentence. She looked like she was holding back her anger as she denied what I said.

“The wounds in the heart do not disappear.”

Eh…? Heart wounds?

“Before having someone important, even if you get hurt doing witch detective work, the wounds eventually heal. Even if your body gets defiled doing dirty work, you get used to it.”

Akane spoke as if confessing her own experiences.

“But once you have someone important, you realize your body is no longer just yours. When your body gets hurt, the heart of the person important to you also hurts. Seeing the person you care about in pain hurts your own heart too.”

When I was tied to the chair, the pain I felt… Big Sis felt the same…?

“Jobs that require using your body hurt especially badly. Even if the important person understands the nature of the work, the fact that your body and heart were defiled doesn’t change. This is not something you can solve by enduring it alone. Think about Kuro’s feelings too!”

Big Sis’s feelings…?

“I’ve been holding back, but since we’ve come this far, I’ll say everything.”

There’s more?

“First of all, do you really think someone like you, who has already betrayed Kuro once, has the right to stay by her side?”

“Eh…?”

“The slum incident this time — everything was your fault. If you hadn’t come into contact with Kuro, she wouldn’t have gone through that.”

The truth I had unconsciously been avoiding was suddenly thrust before me. That’s right. I betrayed Big Sis. The fact that I put the drug in her drink, and the reason she went to the abandoned building to save me — it was all because of me.

“Does someone like you, a traitor, have the right to stay by my best friend’s side?”

Traitor… A heavy blow… I had no words to reply…

“It looks like you already have your answer. I also need to prepare various things to cancel the witch contract. Let’s say tomorrow at 1 PM, come to my office. The address is on the business card. It’s a red building — you can’t miss it.”

Akane handed me a business card from her bag.

“The Witch’s One Question One Answer is almost over. To end the ritual, do you know what to say?”

“I know…”

“Then let’s say it together.”

““Witch’s One Question One Answer — End, Approved.””

The One Question One Answer with the Red Witch ended here.

“I’ll be waiting at the office tomorrow. Don’t even think about running. I have ways to find you. If you’re a man, don’t run away.”

After saying that, Akane picked up her bag and left the house.

The One Question One Answer with the Red Witch was over. She told me to come to the Sumeragi Detective Agency tomorrow afternoon, but deep in my heart, I still wanted to stay with Big Sis.

“…I don’t want to break up.”

Even today, I kept remembering my life with Big Sis. After overcoming one obstacle, a new one appeared. Is it really wrong for me to be with Big Sis? Looking at Big Sis, who was still unconscious on the bed in the bedroom, I made up my mind.

(30, 29, 28……10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)

I came back here again.

(30, 29, 28……10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)

There was still time until my appointment with Akane. After leaving Big Sis’s building, for some reason I ended up at this traffic light again. Maybe this is where everything began.

“I wonder if Johnny is there. Let me take a look.”

I recalled the day I first met Big Sis. I noticed a very beautiful woman inside the bakery. She was being sexually harassed by Johnny. I decided to get revenge on Johnny and headed to the bakery. In my head, I replayed the events of that day.

First, dodging pedestrians, opening the glass door, grabbing bread, and deliberately brushing my right hand against Big Sis’s breasts. When I tried to escape, my body suddenly floated in the air. Then I heard Big Sis’s voice.

“Caught the bread thief again!”

Yes, just like this, my body was floating. After being grabbed by Big Sis, I was carried away like a backpack… Hmm? Why is my body floating in the air?

“Hey! Why are you here, Big Sis?!”

“To catch a disciple who left home without permission. Hehehe.”

“Let go! Put me down! I’ve already decided! I’m breaking up with you!”

“Who’s going to allow that?”

“I’ve made up my mind! Hmm…? This isn’t the way home? Where are we going?”

I was being carried like a backpack by Big Sis with one hand as she headed somewhere.

“The place Yuuya was originally planning to go. That red building. We’re going to subjugate the evil witch.”

We’re going to Akane’s office? What exactly is Big Sis planning to do?

I was taken to Akane’s office — the red building. Without knocking, Big Sis used enhancement magic to kick open the door of the red building.

“Excuse us!!”

“…Kuro, you could at least knock. What are you doing kicking down someone else’s door?”

Akane looked displeased as she spoke to Big Sis. There were red documents on the desk — probably needed to cancel the witch contract.

“I’m the one who has a lot of questions for you! I only asked you to clean up the slum mess, but you’re providing way too much after-sales service? You even prepared a contract cancellation ritual. You’re trying to make my disciple break up with me!”

Big Sis pointed at the red documents and angrily complained to Akane.

“It’s for both of your sakes. If the two of you stay together like this, there won’t be a good ending.”

“That’s not for you to decide. It’s something Yuuya and I will decide!”

I could feel intense anger from both the Black Witch and the Red Witch.

“First of all, why did you, the Black Witch, take a disciple? What exactly were you thinking?”

“I also want to know why I have to break up with Yuuya. What exactly are you thinking?”

“If we both want to know each other’s true feelings, then this game is perfect.”

“Fine. I’ll return the favor with interest for bullying my disciple.”

Both witches kissed their own rings, and then—

“In the name of the Red Witch, Sumeragi, I hereby execute the Witch’s One Question One Answer!”

“In the name of the Black Witch, Kurosaki, I hereby execute the Witch’s One Question One Answer!”

The One Question One Answer between the Black Witch and the Red Witch has begun.