The Witch and Her Companion: I'm Just a Normal High School Student, but I Became the Familiar of the Highest-Ranked Witch. Also, It Seems I'm the Only Guy in the Witch Organization I Joined

Chapter 52: “Rachel and the Lock”

[Baba Sakurako]

“—Hey, Vivian. Can I ask you something?”

“What is it? If thou art about to demand this ham, then thy request is most unreasonable.”

“Che, stingy. But no, it’s not about the ham.”

Vivian, who was leisurely sipping wine atop the castle wall, cast a curious gaze my way.

“Vivian, you’re always getting into fights with Wisteria and the others, right? Your arm gets torn off and everything… Doesn’t that hurt?”

“What’s this, coming at me out of nowhere…? Well, since I am magnanimous, I shall answer thee. It hurts, and yet it doth not. When I shut off my pain perception, I feel naught, but when I do not, it is as painful as one might expect.”

“Hee, so how do you shut it off?”

“…Thou dost not fancy thyself capable of using Undead Body simply because thou possesseth the same Black Wings as I, dost thou?”

“No way. I was just a little curious, that’s all. Curiosity’s important, isn’t it?”

“…Hmm, well, I suppose ‘tis fine. The trick to pain suppression, thou see, is—verily, a lock.”

Vivian dangled her feet off the castle wall, idly swinging them as she stabbed a fork into a slice of ham.

“…A lock?”

“Aye. ‘Tis an image of locking away the sensation of pain—like this, kachak!”

“That’s… not quite what I expected.”

“Didst thou think I would ramble on about neural pathways and whatnot? Such matters are irrelevant. In truth, dost thou consciously know how many veins course through thy body, or what manner of organs art crammed within thee? And yet, thy body functions without fail, doth it not?”

“…I think I get it.”

“In short, ‘tis not reason but imagery that be of import. The finer details oft fall into place later of their own accord. This is why, when it comes to magic, imagination is key. Hast thou grasped this truth?”

Vivian stuffed the ham into her mouth and washed it down with a sip of wine.

“That was quite the lesson. Thank you.”

“Mm, no need for formality. Now, ‘tis thy turn—”

“Hm? My turn for what?”

“What, pray tell, is that most peculiar attire of thine?”

Vivian scrutinized me, jabbing her fork in my direction.

“…Huh? Oh, this? It’s my uniform. My school uniform.”

“…School uniform, thou sayest? I comprehend not.”

“No, no, I always wear this when I come to the office lately, right?”

“〇〇, what nonsense dost thou prattle? What is this ‘office’ thou speakest of?”

…She wasn’t joking. The conversation was completely out of sync. I had a feeling this same disconnect was what caused her fights with Wisteria.

“Come on, my name is Sakurako. Baba Sakurako… Wait, hold on, why was I speaking so casually to the President?”

“…Enough. Art thou satisfied now?”

Something felt off—deeply, profoundly wrong. A powerful sense of unease welled up, filling my mind.

“…W-Wait, President, don’t go.”

“〇〇, pull thyself together. If thou dost falter thus, the name of the Lord shall weep.”

“…What… are you saying…? My name is… my name…”

The swirling storm of confusion in my head slowly began to clear.

“Thou still say that? Thou is not called Baba Sakurako.”

“Yeah… My name is not Baba Sakurako.”

Indeed, now that I thought about it, it was strange.

Why had I believed, even for a moment, that I was Baba Sakurako?

“…Vivian. Call my name again.”

“Hmph, truly, wert thou naught but drowsy this whole time? Thou art one of the Four Great Witches of Ravens, the Seraph—Rachel Poker.”

…That’s right. I remember now.

My name is Rachel.

Rachel Poker.

***

[Rachel Poker]

The first thing I felt upon opening my eyes was darkness.

The second was pain.

I seemed to be trapped inside a narrow, box-like space. A sharp pain stabbed through my abdomen, and with it, my awareness gradually returned.

Today was the second day of the hot spring training camp. An alarm had blared about an escaped crocodile, and there was a girl who’d been injured. I tried to help her, but she was actually a witch hunter.

I had been tricked—and stabbed.

Then, after that, she strangled me until I lost consciousness.

Which means… this pain in my side isn’t just like being stabbed. I am stabbed.

But honestly, that was the least of my worries right now.

The biggest problem was: Who am I?

Since waking up, my memories hadn’t changed at all. I still had the recollections of Baba Sakurako, but I knew—with absolute certainty—that I was Rachel Poker.

My body, my past experiences—all my memories pointed to Sakurako.

Yet despite that, I knew deep down that I was Rachel Poker.

“…Anyway, first things first—I need to get out of here.”

The biggest question didn’t seem like one I could solve right away. So, I’d deal with the next most pressing matter.

That damned inquisitor who so kindly stuck a knife in my side—there’s no way I’m letting her off the hook.

I shut my eyes in the darkness and pictured a lock inside my mind.

“Pain suppression.”

I imagined sliding a key into the lock—and with a kachak, I turned it.

Instantly, the pain in my side vanished.

…Huh. Maybe Vivian was always pretty good at teaching others.

“There, there, not a scratch on me… Kurobane!”

Since the pain had vanished, I activated Kurobane and slashed away at my surroundings with my blade-shaped wings.

With a crash, the makeshift wall crumbled, letting in a flood of light. When I sat up and took a look around, it became clear—I’d been stuffed into a toppled locker.

I pulled the knife from my body and tossed it aside. With my sense of pain shut off, it didn’t hurt at all.

Blood gushed from the wound but stopped almost instantly, the cut sealing up before my eyes. Somehow, I had known this would happen… No, rather, I had remembered.

“…An undead body, just like Vivian… Just what am I—?”

—GAGAAAN!!

Before I could even process my own absurdity, a thunderous crash interrupted my thoughts.

The noise came from beyond the door to this room. Probably that Inquisitor… but what the hell was she thrashing around for—?

“…Wait, Hikari-chan!!”

Oh no. Right before I blacked out, that Inquisitor had used my phone to lure Hikari-chan here.

Back then, I’d been too consumed by fear and agony to focus, and until now, I had completely forgotten.

I shot out of the room in a hurry, dashing toward the noise.

And just as expected, Hikari-chan was locked in combat with the Inquisitor. No—more like she was desperately dodging a relentless assault.

That woman’s back was crawling with grotesque, leg-like appendages, extending and retracting as they tried to skewer Hikari-chan.

“—Onee-san!! D just came out of the room!”

A boy’s voice suddenly echoed through the warehouse. I glanced around, but he was well hidden—I couldn’t pinpoint the source.

“…Ara ara, that won’t do. You should’ve just stayed put.”

The moment she heard the voice, the woman halted her attack and turned to face me.

Now that we were standing off properly, I could feel it—this woman’s magical power was no joke. A normal witch wouldn’t stand a chance in a straight fight. No wonder Hikari-chan was on the defensive.

“Sakurako! You’re safe?!”

“Still deciding on that one. What about you, Hikari-chan?”

Freed from the barrage of attacks, Hikari-chan leaped over in a single bound, landing beside me.

At a glance, she didn’t seem badly hurt. A few scratches here and there, but nothing major.

“I’m fine! But that woman—she’s real tough.”

“Yeah, looks like it. But if you and I fight together, she’s not unbeatable.”

“Huh? The hell’s up with you, Sakurako…? Did you hit your head or something?!”

Hikari-chan was staring up at me with a deadly serious expression. She was genuinely worried.

“Geez, I got stabbed in the stomach, not the head. Besides, I’m feeling amazing right now.”

I activated Kurobane—but instead of wings, I sprouted grotesque legs, just like the Inquisitor’s. Twice as many.

“…!? W-What the hell is that magic…? That’s just cheating!”

The woman’s face twisted in sheer disbelief. But I couldn’t let my guard down—she was a damn good actress.

“Sakurako?! What the hell happened to you…? You’re turning into Vivian!!”

“Well, I did learn from Vivian… So, what’ll it be, witch hunter? Wanna take your chances against both of us?”

“…Very well. I’ll retreat for today. But should fate bring us together again, I look forward to our next encounter.”

With that, she vanished, taking the hidden boy with her. Since he’d finally shown himself, she was likely serious about withdrawing. For now, at least, we were safe.

“…The hell was that? Was it really okay to let them go?”

“Yeah. We probably could’ve beaten her together, but if witch hunters are raiding this place, chances are there are more of them.”

“Wait… You mean Bakarta and Kanon’s groups might be—?!”

“Yeah. So rather than wasting time fighting here, we should check on everyone first.”

If all the attacking Inquisitors were as strong as that woman, things could get really bad. I just hoped Karuta-chan and the others were okay…

“…You’re acting weird. Like, way too different… You sure you ain’t some witch hunter in disguise?!”

Well, of course I was acting different. I had changed. But wow, Hikari-chan’s intuition was sharp—her conclusion, though? Way off.

“Oh, come on. Like that’d ever happen. We don’t have time for this, we need to hurry!”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about! You’re always all wishy-washy, hemming and hawing, but now you’re spitting out orders like it’s nothing!”

“…Ouch. That kinda stings. Ugh, whatever—look! I even smell the same! Now let’s go already!”

Tired of arguing, I grabbed Hikari-chan and pressed her face into my chest. She was always trying to sneak in a sniff, so this ought to convince her.

“…Fugo fugo…! T-There’s no doubt! It’s Sakurako’s scent! Alright, let’s go!!”