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 76: A Date with Lilac - Part 2

Chapter 76: A Date with Lilac – Part 2

[Tatsumori Haruto]

—When you hear the word scarecrow, the first thing that comes to mind is probably one of those things stuck in a rice field or a farm.

A tool meant to frighten off pests and protect the crops.

If my understanding isn’t mistaken, that’s essentially what a scarecrow is. That should be the case.

“I want to make Haru my scarecrow.”

—And yet, no matter how many times I reread the words in the notebook, I couldn’t make sense of them.

If scarecrow meant what I thought it meant, then what she wrote here was downright absurd.

“Uh, Lilac, I mean no offense, but… are you feeling okay?”

Surely, she didn’t mean to tie me to a tree and leave me out in a field.

Or… was scarecrow some kind of secret code in the witch world that I wasn’t aware of?

Either way, I wasn’t seriously questioning her sanity—I was mostly joking.

…Mostly.

Lilac took the notebook and swiftly penned a response.

“You’re doing great… but you could be a bit stronger.”

—Another incomprehensible reply.

This wasn’t so much a game of verbal catch as it was… completely missing the ball.

“Uh, Lilac? Sorry, but I have no idea what you mean by scarecrow.”

“…W-Wait… you… d-didn’t get it? J-Just… wait a moment.”

Hearing me actually speak instead of writing, Lilac stumbled over her words before hastily scribbling something down.

“I want to play the Scarecrow and Crow game with Haru.”

…What?

Never heard of it.

“What kind of game is that?”

“A game where one person plays the crow and the other plays the scarecrow. The scarecrow’s role is to torment the crow in any way possible. The crow’s role is to endure it. That’s it.”

“……”

“……”

—Alright, now this was a problem.

Where the hell was I supposed to even begin reacting to that?

The room fell silent, the air growing so cold it felt like we were both frozen in place.

“…That’s… a game?”

Still, silence wouldn’t solve anything. I had to at least ask.

“…I-It’s… a g-game… Br-Brush… taught me… a long time ago.”

“I see. And… does this game have a win condition? Like, how do you end it?”

“U-Um… w-when the scarecrow… is satisfied… the game… ends…”

“…Got it. Thanks.”

—So, in other words, this “game” was something that Brush—that crazy woman—taught Lilac purely to mess with her.

Brush… The more I learn about her, the more I realize she’s just as much of a disaster as Snow, but in an entirely different way.

For now, though, I set aside my grievances with that problematic witch and focused on the real issue—why was Lilac so eager to play this garbage game with me?

“Not to be rude, but… this doesn’t sound fun at all.”

At least now I understood what she meant by scarecrow, but there was no way in hell I was playing this.

“Would you prefer being the crow?”

“I meant the game itself!”

“I see… When I first joined Ravens, Brush told me it was a game that helps people bond. I’m sorry for suggesting something so troublesome.”

Lilac visibly deflated, her red eyes peeking through her bangs, glistening with disappointment.

“……”

I sighed, then picked up the notebook and started writing.

“If you really want to… I guess I don’t totally mind. Just a little bit, though.”

—Damn it.

I knew this about myself, but I was weak to seeing girls look sad.

The moment Lilac read my note, her hand moved at lightning speed, filling the page with words.

“Thank you for going along with this! Haru really is kind. But… from now on, you can’t be kind. This is a game where kindness isn’t allowed, you know? I understand it might be hard at first, so I’ll write a script for you. Just follow it, and you’ll be fine! But feel free to improvise!”

…Her earlier gloom was gone, replaced by an almost dangerous enthusiasm as she eagerly started drafting what she called a script.

This game was shrouded in mystery, but… was I about to be forced into some kind of acting role—?

* * *

Lilac’s room, with its towering walls of books, had a strangely sweet scent lingering in the air.

Maybe she had perfume somewhere?

I had never drunk alcohol before, but this scent was so overpoweringly sweet that it felt like it could make me tipsy just from inhaling it.

It was that kind of smell.

“—Honestly, I had no expectations to begin with, but I never imagined it would be this bad.”

Tracing it back, this whole Scarecrow and Crow game had originated from Brush, and it had turned out to be even worse than I had imagined.

“…S-Sorry… I-I’m… s-sorry…”

“Your words don’t match your actions, do they?”

“…U-Um… I…”

Lilac hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with her bangs as she lowered her gaze.

“Get on your knees and bow.”

I spat the words out as coldly as I could.

“…Y-Yes… sir…”

Lilac flinched momentarily, then hesitantly knelt down and prostrated herself at my feet.

“……Geez, you can’t even prostrate properly? Press your forehead against the ground, like this.”

I stepped on Lilac’s head with my foot, forcing her face into the ground.

“……Ah, I-I’m sorry…”

—Well, so far, it’s going according to the script… but my heart is already breaking.

The script written by Lilac is just… brutal. I skimmed through it, and this prostration is just the tip of the iceberg—honestly, I have no confidence I can pull this off.

Even now, I feel an incredible sense of guilt for stepping on a girl’s head.

“Umm, I-I’ll do anything, so please forgive me…”

“Anything, huh? Then first, put your hands on that desk and raise your hips.”

“……Huh?”

Not “huh”! You wrote this in the script! I don’t want to say this kind of stuff either.

“……Mm.”

But Lilac shows no sign of getting up. Does she have a problem with my acting? I’m trying my best, but…

“……Mmm.”

Lilac still doesn’t move. Frustrated, I look at the script again and see a small note: ‘Here, kick her stomach hard to urge her on.’

So, she won’t move until she’s kicked.

At this point, I’m just going with the flow. I move around Lilac, still prostrated, and give her stomach a light kick.

“Get up already!”

“……Mph!”

Lilac lets out a small sound but doesn’t get up.

‘Kick her hard…’ this masochist.

“Seriously, you’re so high-maintenance—get up already!”

“……Ahh♡”

I’m surprised at how much force I put into that kick. Lilac’s body even lifts off the ground a bit.

“……Cough, cough, yes…”

But Lilac, coughing and wheezing, staggers to her feet and places her hands on the desk.

Her sailor dress, supposed to be pure, now vividly outlines her hips, giving off a strangely sultry vibe.

“Alright, it’s punishment time.”

“……Uuu, I’m sorry…”

According to the script, I’m supposed to violate this trembling, cute bottom in front of me… but why do I feel like I’m getting into it?

Between the moans, rough breaths fill the room.

The once serene, library-like room is now dominated by sweet voices and scents, transforming into something entirely different.

“For someone who looks so innocent, you’re wearing quite the naughty underwear.”

“……N-no, don’t look!”

The script is reaching its climax, and now I’m supposed to strip her and push her onto the bed.

Strangely, the guilt and disgust I felt earlier are almost gone, replaced by excitement. Maybe I’ve always had this side to me.

Yesterday, Bubblegum had her way with me, but today, right now, I’m in control.

The thought of completely dominating Lilac—this girl in front of me—makes my heart race.

“You say ‘no,’ but this is the script you wrote. You’re a total pervert.”

“I-I’m sorry, I’m a pervert…”

This line isn’t in the script—it’s an ad-lib. Somehow, I’m the one getting into it now.

“From the start, when you talked about making me a scarecrow, it was clear this was your goal. It’s shocking.”

“……I-I’m sorry…”

Trembling in her underwear, Lilac sounds like she’s about to cry. It only fuels my sadistic tendencies.

“You keep apologizing, but you’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you? Show me that face of yours!”

“……N-no, don’t—”

I pin Lilac to the bed and grab her bangs.

—Then I suddenly remember a note from the beginning of the script: ‘Absolutely do not touch her bangs.’

“—You mutt.”

“……Huh!?”

It was sudden.

Before I knew it, I was slammed into the wall—or rather, the bookshelf—and a rain of books poured down on my head.

“──You mutt, you’ve gotten quite cocky, haven’t you?”

Lilac, who had blown me away, got up from the bed, twirled her bangs up and secured them with a pen.

The witches of Ravens are all beautiful, and Lilac is no exception—her features are strikingly refined.

But now is not the time to be thinking about that. Something is clearly off about her.

“……W-wait, Lilac, what’s going on all of a sudden—ow!”

A book flew straight at my face. A thick one, like an encyclopedia.

“You, don’t you dare call me by my first name so casually. Address me with the utmost reverence and respect as Lady Lamy.”

“……Is this an ad-lib?”

“Geez, do you have crap for brains? The charade ended a long time ago.”

Lilac—no, Lady Lamy—strode up to me and suddenly raised her leg.

“……Guh, ahh!?”

“You mutt, the room’s been thrashed because of you. Clean it up now.”

Lilac’s foot crushed my left collarbone. She’s serious—this is no joke or play.

“……Don’t screw with me! You’re the one who made this mess!!”

The pain is intense, but injuries like this are commonplace in sparring with Ethe—they’ll heal in a few dozen seconds.

The real problem isn’t the injury, but this woman’s sudden change.

“……Such an ill-mannered dog. Who do you think you’re talking to?”

She glares at me like I’m a pig in a slaughterhouse.

I talked tough, but I’m trembling in fear. My left shoulder won’t move, either.

“……Lady Lamy… I mean, Lady Lamy.”

“Hmm, at least you’ve got some brains left. Now get to cleaning, mutt. Once you’re done, I’ll deal with your insolence.”

She’s a completely different person. Is it because she lifted her bangs…?

One thing’s clear: Lilac is not herself right now—though, come to think of it, she wasn’t herself before either.

“L-Lady Lamy? This was your idea from the start. It’s not insolence, it’s just… playing around…”

“Shut up, you mutt!!”

Another book flies at my face—this time, two legal code volumes.

“Listen up, mutt. You have no human rights anymore—you’re a dog now. So, without my permission, you’re not allowed to act on your own. Not even speaking, shitting, or anything else. I control everything.”

This is chaos. Ys and Bubblegum were wild, but Lilac—no, Lady Lamy—is on a whole other level.

If this keeps up, I won’t just be stuck here—I’ll be turned into a dog. I need to do something—but what?

Those bangs. This all started when she lifted them. Even a kid could figure it out: if I lower them, maybe she’ll go back to being the shy Lilac…?

It’s worth a try. All I have to do is pull out the pen holding her hair. Even against Lady Lamy, that should be manageable—

“Hey mutt, just so you know, don’t even think about messing with my bangs. Not if you want to keep walking on two legs.”

Maybe it’s not going to be that easy.