The Witch Trial Begins with the OO Buckethead Zombie

Let's go outside for a walk; the outdoors feels more like a date.

Even from the balcony of the infirmary, you can feel that although this prison is a cage that houses witches, the green grass and trees actually have a natural feel, making it a good place for people who have been cooped up indoors for a long time to come out and relax.

The map shows three directions.

One is near the wall, another is near the lake, and the last one is a flower field.

The wall is unsuitable. The larger the wall, the more clearly people realize that they are being imprisoned, even if the other party is the witch herself who is behind it all. Utsunomiya Hoshino also felt that the wall was not a good place.

A lake is synonymous with water, and being pushed into a lake to drown is obviously not a good way to die. Utsunomiya Hoshino would rather have a quick and easy magic slap him to death than see water.

The last remaining option was naturally the flower field.

Flower fields are wonderful, flower fields are wonderful.

Flowers are in full bloom, creating a beautiful tapestry of blossoms.

I just don't know what kind of flower it is.

"Ah."

Under the gaze of the three, Meru nodded softly in response.

Time passed quietly, and after Meruru swallowed the last mouthful of sticky paste on the ice and put down her spoon, Hoshino Utsunomiya finally stood up.

He collected the girl's plate, then turned and went into the kitchen. After a quick wash, he placed it in the designated spot where water droplets still remained.

Actually, they don't necessarily have to wash it clean, but since Arisa Fujito has already washed it, it wouldn't hurt for him to wash it casually.

"..."

After hesitating for a moment, Hoshino Utsunomiya casually tucked a kitchen knife into his sleeve and turned back to the cafeteria.

"Let's go see the flowers."

He said.

......

Door, hinge, latch.

With a click and a creak, Hoshino Utsunomiya slowly opened the front door.

After walking a few steps forward from the main entrance, one can clearly feel that there is a significant difference in terrain between the location of this Western-style mansion and its surroundings.

The entire mansion is situated on a high slope.

No wonder the infirmary is on the first floor, but it has a balcony that looks like it's on the second floor.

As can be seen on the map, once you step out of this mansion, you can easily see the scenery in three different directions.

Shady woods, streams and lakes, and...

Ok?

Where is my flower field?

In the direction that should be a flower field, the view is blurred due to the distance, and it seems that there is not a flower field in full bloom.

There were flowers, in all sorts of colors, but there wasn't that breathtaking sight of them blooming in abundance.

Even when you pull Meruru closer and stand in the middle of the flower field, you can only see a few scattered flowers that have bloomed prematurely.

...Is it not the right season yet?

Hoshino Utsunomiya was a little disappointed.

The most vibrant flower field might just be the most suitable choice for this prison.

If you confess your feelings under a sea of ​​blooming flowers, even if the other person didn't have any feelings before, you may still win them over with your attraction.

Although Hoshino Utsunomiya had no intention of confessing, he was equally eager to die.

Oh well, it's not the right season yet, so there's nothing we can do about it.

"The flowers haven't bloomed yet."

Meruru, standing beside her, seemed to share a similar sense of regret.

“There is a rainbow, though.” Hoshino Utsunomiya looked up. “Unfortunately, it’s not that great.”

The muddy ground underfoot wasn't as wet as I'd imagined, and it didn't look like it had rained recently.

But above the flower field, a rainbow that never fades always hangs.

Almost an hour has passed since Hoshino Utsunomiya reached out his hand to Meruru on the ice.

Judging from the time I just checked on my phone, it's almost nine o'clock now.

It will be 10 o'clock in one hour.

The rules and timetable marked in the Witch's Compendium actually limit the activity time of these 'prisoners'. The time they are allowed to move around outside is from 6:00 to 10:00, from 12:00 to 15:00, and from 17:00 to 22:00.

Outside of this time, everyone must return to their respective cells.

Although it seems that he has been awake for three hours, and although it seems that he has been wandering around with Meru on Ice for more than an hour.

But it seems there hasn't been much progress in terms of distance.

Yes, yes.

Meru on Ice did indeed hold his hand and promised to give him the rest of the day. She not only showed him her healing magic but also let him hold her hand and walk around. She even stood up for herself when Nikaido Hiro attacked her.

Even so, Hoshino Utsunomiya still couldn't sense any progress in their relationship.

It does not refer to a romantic relationship.

Hoshino Utsunomiya had no intention of seducing the witch.

His plan and purpose were simple: to find a way to reduce the sense of unfamiliarity and distance between the two people who were meeting for the first time today, and to lessen the awkwardness caused by saying inappropriate things.

So what he's trying to increase isn't favorability, but intimacy.

Otherwise, there might be someone locked up with you, whose first words upon meeting you are a request for you to kill him.

What would your reaction be?

For no apparent reason, I thought he was crazy and chose to stay away from him.

Indeed, Meluru on Ice is a great witch who originally intended to kill.

However, if you are too proactive in your words, instead of making her focus on you, she will become interested in you and want to keep your life.

That wouldn't be fun.

As for what to do if they get closer and she doesn't want to kill him anymore...

Then we'll just have to see which comes out on top: his plan or the witch's idea.

Hoshino Utsunomiya thought he would win.

...But that's the problem now.

I feel like I've spent over an hour and haven't made much progress.

The biggest progress was that at the very beginning, Meruru on the ice took the initiative to grasp his outstretched hand and let him take her little hand and turn her around.

The ice skating melody gave him a feeling.

She will call your name, let you hold her hand, and care about your injuries.

but.

She's not close to you.

...As expected, it's still because she's a witch.

Hoshino Utsunomiya was not unaware of the reason; there was clearly only one cause for this outcome.

Because Meluru Ice is a witch, because Meluru Ice is a false skin worn by a witch, because Meluru Ice is a fictional existence.

Personality, behavior, existence.

She was just here pretending to be a girl named Melulu on Ice, playing house with them.

To expect that such a witch could actually become close to you...

It's better to hope that Yukishiro will turn around and come back to stab him.

Hoshino Utsunomiya felt a little bit frustrated.

Because he became close to Yuki Tsukishiro and Emma Sakuraba so quickly, he almost developed the illusion that he might actually be quite good at socializing.

Fortunately, he was still the same Hoshino Utsunomiya who had little social experience.

Let's think of a little more ways to create a certain atmosphere.

It would be great if we could prepare in advance.

In this prison I was visiting for the first time, facing such a completely unfamiliar environment, I was still too uncertain.

"Phew." Hoshino Utsunomiya let out a long breath, raised his head, looked at the rainbow above, and then looked down at the grass at his feet: "Although the flowers haven't bloomed yet, since we're already here, let's sit for a while."

The person is dead, but we've already come all this way, it's the Lunar New Year, and the child is still young.

Although the fact that a flower field is not yet in bloom can create a strong sense of disappointment after hearing about the expectation of a flower field, the use of these four words can help to suppress some of the sense of regret.

"Uh-huh."

Melulu on the ice, rather uninterestingly, lowered her head in response and obediently sat down.

He sat on the sloping ground, looking down at the flower and grass seedlings being blown by the wind.

On the ice, Meruru shifted her position slightly and tried to get a little closer to him.

This time, Hoshino Utsunomiya did not create any distance between them.

The view here is quite open, with plenty of things to see and a very long distance to look into.

Hoshino Utsunomiya slowed her breathing, trying to suppress the slight anxiety that had arisen in her heart after realizing the abnormality of Meruru on Ice.

Should I say something? If I were to speak at this moment, what would be a good thing to say?

Will she still respond with hesitant "uh-huh" and "yeah" sounds like she does now?

What will be the reaction, and what should be done?

...For no reason at all, Hoshino Utsunomiya felt as if he had returned to the rhythm of being led by Yuki Tsukishiro back then.