The next day, the purchase was over, so we decided to leave the village and return to the house.
　Everyone in the village, including Von, saw us off with such force that it could have turned into another party.

　We were given a grand send-off and returned to the mansion with flying magic.

　Up in the sky, with Angier in my arms, I was enjoying the flight as much as I had come.
　I noticed that Angier, who wanted to entertain me, was staring at me in silence.

What is it, Angel?
Was it good?
"What?
"Master, that is. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to leave things as they are. We believe that Mr. Alec's life is in danger and it is better to find the real culprit: ......
That's okay.

　In my arms, flinching in my arms, Angela cocks her head.

"I've already got a bead on you by magic.
"Really?
Yes. I got a big hint that it's for food speculation. I figured it out the night before last.
"Right after she first arrived, you mean?
That kind of thing.
"That's great, Mr. Alec. ......

　I had already made the first move, and Angel was staring at me with enthralled eyes.

"So you don't have anything to worry about, Angel.
"Yes!

　Angela's worries were taken away.
　She returned to her usual lovely, bright smile.

"Let's go somewhere else for a change. The ocean?　Or do you prefer the mountains?
"I want to see the sea with Alec.
"Okay.

　To make her wish come true, I changed the direction of my flight in a big circle.
　I was flying in the direction of the sea.

　　　　　.

　Night .
　Angier, who had been frolicking at the sea, was tired and got under the covers earlier than usual.
　Leaving her in the bedroom, I came to the study.

　I walked into the study and leaned back deeply into the soft chair and took a breath.

There's a lot of room.
Hey, I'm here for you.

　A girl who appeared without a sound, as if she were oozing out of the darkness.

I know and I'm seamless?
"Hey, what's your name?
"Answer the question: ...... Dorothy
"Dorothy, that's a good name. Did the master give you that name?

　The girl--Dorothy shook her head slowly.

"I've known that much for as long as I can remember.
I see. Oh, yeah, I got you a present.

　I took out a snail I had picked up in the sea, put it on the desk and held it out to her.

"Shells?
"Have you ever heard the story that if you put your ear to a shell, you can hear the sound of the sea . Have you ever heard the story that if you put your ear to a shell, you can hear the sound of the sea.
There is, though.
"Yeah. Put your ear to it.

　Dorothy took the snail and held it to her ear, looking at it quizzically.

"It really does sound like the sea.
You will.
"Magic?
No, but . . that's what magic does.

　I reached out my right hand.
　My outstretched index finger emitted a blur of light that was sucked into Dorothy's snail.

"What magic?
You'll see.
"......
"......
"What magic?
"Put that shell against your ear.

　Dorothy looked as if she had been pinched by a fox and put the snail to her ear again.

"Hey, this,

　Startled, Dorothy pulled the shell away from her ear.
　That caused the sound to leak out.

"What magic?
"You'll see.
"......
"......
"What magic?
"Hold that shell against your ear.



　What flowed was an exchange between me and Dorothy.

"That's magic, though, that's simple magic, just recording your voice.
"Yes.
...... tchotchkes tchotchkes

　I leaned over and tickled Dorothy's armpit.

"Ha-ha-ha, what are you doing?

　Dorothy jumped with a snap and hit her back against the study wall.
　The impact set off the snail.

"Kyah-ha-ha-ha, what are you doing?

　The sound of Dorothy's laugh was played.
　I was tickled, but I couldn't imagine her laughing in a more joyful way than she usually does.

My laugh ......
It's more fun to laugh.
"............

　Dorothy didn't answer, but seemed to be very pleased with herself.
　Now, since we're here, let's see if we can't make some more--

Sorry.

　Suddenly Dorothy apologized.

What's wrong?
I have to kill you, I have to repay the master. I have to repay the master.
"Yes.

　I nodded.
　It would be.
　Maybe that's her purpose to begin with, maybe even her reason for living.
　So I wasn't surprised that Dorothy had come up with it.

"I'm sorry,
"Never mind.

　Dorothy, with a cold, conscious blank expression, took a piece of jewelry from her pocket.

"What's that?
"Got it from the master.

　Just say yes, and then shut up and say nothing.
　Something to bring me down.

...... Sorry.

　Finally, Dorothy tightened her grip on the jewel.
　Light spilled from her fist, strands of light reflecting diffusely in the room.

　In Dorothy's hand it flickers and flickers again, until it is strong enough to fill the room.

　You hold your hand in front of you.
　The light subsided, and there it was...

"...... Dorothy?

　It was a huge hexenbiest that bore no resemblance to her former self.

　If she stood upright, she would be more than three meters tall, but she was bent over as if cramped.
　Its overall form was a wolf.

　He is a werewolf of over three meters and wears a deceitful aura all over his body.

It's that kind of power: ......

　I was astonished to hear the wise man's sword for an instant solution.
　That gave me an opening.

　Dorothy came charging in.
　She was instantly upon me and ripped me apart with her sharp claws.

　I blocked her with my wise men's sword on the spur of the moment--but her power blasted me through the wall and into the night garden.

''Whoa, whoa, whoa!

　A heaven piercing roar, and immediately afterwards, the monsters came flying in at even greater speed.
　Guard your claws and parry them away this time.

　With what little time you have left, ask the wise man's sword again.

　This is how you will bring Dorothy back from this.

　The answer is--no.

　It's a witchcraft tool that forces a human to become a hexenbiest, one that can't be reversed no matter what until death.
　Only death can lift it, no exceptions.

　The hexenbiest is attacking even harder.

　Under the night sky, the wise man's sword fights back and listens further.

　Then how do you die and come back to life right away?
　The answer was also no.

　It would take a power as powerful as that of a creator to cancel the death, to bring him back to life.
　At least I can't.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

　Howling and rushing.
　I was blown away by the monster and crashed into the wall of the house.

　Something fell beside me with a thud.
　I turned to see what it was.

What is it?

"--Ha!

　Dorothy's snail.
　This is the snail that I recorded her laughing.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. ！！！！！

　On the other hand, a roaring Hexenbiest Dorothy that bears no resemblance to her former self .

I'll bring ...... back, I promise.

　I thought.
　There's gotta be something, something.

　A way to help her, a way to bring her back.

　A curse that cannot return unless you die, a fact that it is impossible to revive.

　Still, I was--.



!!!

　At that moment, a flash of inspiration ran through my head.

　Thinking and remembering (、、、、).
　And then the wise man's sword tells me.

And I hear the wise man's sword.

　He caught Dorothy with his sage sword as she rushed at him, whirled around, and kicked her up into the air.

　The little time he had gained in doing so.
　He thrust his sword into the ground and pulled out a bag of materials.

　He put his hand in and used his magic.

　It's a relay, so it doesn't matter what it looks like.

　He yanked his hand out and pulled out a homunculus.

　A hexenbiest falls and you use Hershel's magic on her.

　Dorothy's soul was extracted and transferred to the homunculus.

　The hexenbiest stops moving and crashes to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
　It coughed up a cloud of dust, which gradually cleared away.

"Gulp!

　The sound of my salivation sounded awfully loud.
　I think he's nervous.

　I wondered if I was going to make it--I could make it.
　With renewed vigor, I looked across the clearing dust cloud.

　Instead, I saw Dorothy's naked body restored to its original state.

　Dorothy's body had lost its soul, or in other words, it had become dead, and its hexenbiest transformation was over.
　But the soul--and most importantly the soul that was temporarily transferred to the homunculus--was not "dead.

　I used Herschel's magic again to transfer Dorothy's soul from the homunculus to her body.

　There is no change, she did not become a hexenbiest.
　She was breathing again, and I saw that she was no longer a hexenbiest.

"Fuuuu. ......

　I was relieved.