Little Witch’s POV.
I was Rufe, the witch.
I was currently in pursuit of the Harpy who had taken flight to escape.
However, simply sprouting wings with Transformation Magic and buoying myself with Levitation Magic wasn't enough to catch her. To close the gap, I decided to summon a gust with my newly acquired Storm Magic and ride the currents.
Storm Magic was a branch of Black Magic exclusive to witches, granting the user control over the weather. When I visited the Witch's Village, Groa had taught me the fundamentals until I could cast it myself.
Because Alraune was a plant, her life was often at the mercy of the elements. That was why I had resolved to master Storm Magic—for Alraune’s sake as well.
Thanks to the secret training I’d practiced every day since then, I was now capable of manipulating the weather, at least within my immediate vicinity. By harnessing the winds of my Storm Magic, I caught up to her in no time.
The Bird Woman slowed to a hover, glancing back at me. Realizing I had overtaken her, she seemed to have given up on running.
"I am impressed," she said. "I never imagined a human could keep pace with me, a Harpy."
"I’m not just a human," I replied. "I’m a witch, after all."
"A witch? Another one visited this place quite recently. Is she a companion of yours?"
"I don't have any witch companions."
"Is that so? And yet, you resemble her quite strikingly. Especially that white hair."
"...I don't know anyone like that."
I didn't like the Witch Queen. She was an enigmatic, terrifying existence.
"Speaking of resemblances," the Harpy continued, "the wings on your back are the same shape as my brother’s. How is that possible?"
"I'll tell you if you can beat me."
"You certainly have confidence. Very well. Allow me to demonstrate why a Harpy is absolute in the sky."
The Bird Woman's bloodlust was palpable. My heart began to hammer against my ribs. I was actually going to fight this Harpy...
This was my first time facing an opponent alone. I was anxious, and the tension was making me stiff. Yet, without waiting for me to find my resolve, the Bird Woman took a combat stance and dove toward me.
"Catching me was thanks to my brother's wings, but it seems your use of the wind played a larger role. However, do not think you are the only one who can command the air!"
The Bird Woman chanted an incantation. So Harpies could use magic, too.
"Wind Magic: Slashing Storm (Sturmbrost)!"
Blades of pressurized air tore through the sky toward me. I tried to bank away, but the wind moved faster than I could fly.
The wings on my back were shredded.
It hurt. It hurt so much.
I couldn't stop the tears from welling up. Blood was everywhere. The pain was so sharp I felt like I was going to bite my tongue off.
Under the weight of the agony, my Levitation Magic flickered out. I began to plummet through the empty air. I could see the Bird Woman’s face, twisted into a triumphant sneer.
Had I lost?
It was so painful. Surely no one would blame me if I gave up right here.
—No. It was just pain.
Compared to the days when the villagers hurled abuse at me for being a witch, or when they beat me and forced me to eat stones because they thought a witch could endure anything, this was nothing.
I remembered the words of Groa. She told me that because Storm Magic manipulated the weather itself, it was an incredibly advanced discipline. Creating wind was one thing, but summoning rain clouds was far more difficult. Calling forth a blizzard or a Thunder Cloud was harder still—feats reserved only for veteran witches.
Alraune had told me the Witch Queen could command snow and ice. Reaching that level was supposedly something only the Queen herself could achieve.
I looked like a child, and only a few years had passed since I became a witch. But everyone in the Witch's Village had said the same thing: no other witch had inherited as much magic power from the Witch Queen as I had. They said my magic was a closer match to the Queen's than even her assistant, Groa...
"Now then," the Harpy mused. "With the witch dealt with, I must return to the Demon King's Castle... Wait, what is this? The Frost Golem is gone, yet there are ice pellets in the air? Where are they coming from?"
"...From right here!" I shouted.
I had watched the ice golem manipulate the weather. If it could do it, then I could, too.
"Storm Magic: Ice Rain (Graupel)!"
Reactivating my Levitation Magic, I surged back up toward the Harpy, conjuring a bank of clouds that unleashed a frozen downpour. I was capable of raining down jagged shards of ice!
"You might be able to control the wind, Bird Woman, but don't let it go to your head."
The shards of ice pelted her, but just before they could strike her body, they shattered against an invisible force.
"I am constantly protected by a Wind Armor. A weak attack like this will never reach me."
So that was how she had flown so easily through the golem's blizzard—she had been wearing that armor the whole time.
"A mysterious witch who can chase me through the sky, sprout my brother's wings, and command both wind and ice," she said, her tone shifting. "I thought you were merely a human doll for the immobile Crimson Flower Princess to play with, but I must reassess my opinion of you."
"I'll have you know, I'm Alraune's big sister. Don't you forget it."
"You, the sister of the Crimson Flower Princess? I have never heard of a human and a plant being siblings."
It was true that Alraune and I weren't related by blood. We weren't a 'real' family in the traditional sense. I was a human, and she was a monster. To most people, the idea of us being sisters was probably insane.
But I didn't care what anyone thought. I had no intention of changing my mind. Alraune was the most important person in the world to me—she was my family.
"I spent a whole year living in the forest, you know."
I had abandoned the Human Settlement to live with the Forest Alraune. But life in the woods was harsher than I had ever imagined. There were no houses and no roofs. I could sleep wrapped in the warmth of Alraune's vines, but the pitch-black woods were still terrifying. I was scared of the breathing and the screams of monsters echoing from the depths.
Most of all, the rain was hard to bear. It soaked my clothes and chilled me to the bone. But even so, I couldn't bring myself to hate the rain, because Alraune always smiled when it fell.
The only thing I truly hated was the thunder.
Whenever lightning struck the forest, Alraune would tremble. Lightning brought fire, and Alraune had been burned by fire once before. She was traumatized by the flames.
I had spent so long wishing I could do something about the lightning so Alraune wouldn't have to be afraid. And finally, I had obtained the power to do just that.
I would never let Alraune be put in danger again. That girl was a precious flower who deserved to do nothing but smile.
I reached my hands toward the sky. It was time to use the magic I had practiced in secret, over and over, amidst the heavy snow. I had never succeeded before, but I knew I could do it now.
"You intend to summon more ice, but it is futile," the Harpy scoffed. "Ice-Attribute attacks have no effect on a subordinate of the Ice Dragon."
"You're wrong, Bird Woman."
This wasn't just more ice. This was a secret Black Magic that only a handful of witches could ever hope to cast. A high-level manipulation of the atmosphere to call forth the fury of the storm.
"Storm Magic: Heavenly Thunder (Blitz)!"
"I was just wondering... are birds supposed to be strong against lightning?"
"L-Lightning clouds?! No... it can't be!"
A single bolt of lightning tore through the black clouds. The flash illuminated the world for a split second before striking the Yellow Harpy directly.
A roar like the world splitting apart deafened me. Simultaneously, I heard the Bird Woman shriek. It looked like the lightning had pierced right through her Wind Armor. It was effective.
"Come to think of it," I whispered, "one of the meals Alraune made for me before was roast chicken."
I transformed my arms into snakes and lashed out, catching the falling Harpy before she could hit the ground.
I had found a wonderful souvenir for Alraune. I wondered if she’d be happy? I was already looking forward to it.
My first real battle was over. I was hurt, but I had won against the Demon King's Army. The joy of it bubbled up inside me.
I was going to be okay. I had always relied on Alraune for everything, but that was over. I was done being the one who only got protected.
From now on, as her big sister, it was my turn to protect Alraune!
And that was the story from the Little Witch's POV.
Next time: The Harpy's Wish and the Thawing Castle.