⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯Back to Kyouko's point of view.

...

I sigh in relief, and my hand slips down her face, coming into contact with her hair.

"Oh? Nice..."

I gently comb my fingers through her soft, silky hair.

It's really messy right now and dirty, but it's really smooth and soft, it feels good in my fingers.

...

I look behind me, and see the giant's body laying there, lifeless.

Eureshya has defeated him.

"...Thanks." I tell her silently.

"What?" I hear Eureshya voice in my head, sounding confused.

"Huh? What?" I say aloud, a little surprised.

Eureshya walks towards me.

"That was child's play, a simple little game to kill time, but your mana is something else." Eureshya tells me, her eyes scanning me, from my hair to my tail.

"No touching!" I quickly move to hide my tail, sounding embarrassed.

Eureshya seems a bit taken back.

"What is the matter? What's with the sudden movement? Did I say anything that offended you?" Eureshya asks.

"...No..."

Eureshya walks forward, stopping right in front of me, towering over me, making me feel really small and insecure.

"Well?" Eureshya asks.

I stare at the ground, feeling a little scared and intimidated.

"...Nothing." I whisper, not daring to meet Eureshya's eyes.

I don't even look up.

Witches are terrifying... I never want to see them ever again...

"You are quite odd for a child." Eureshya remarks.

"You don't have to be so scared..."

I feel her finger lift my chin up.

"Look at me." Eureshya commands, her tone serious.

I look up.

"Better."

Her gaze is so deep. So piercing. It makes me feel a bit uneasy.

Red eyes, with dark, black circles.

They don't look evil, but they give a feeling of something that is not human...

"Now... Tell me." Eureshya says.

"I... I was afraid. Your gaze... Your figure... Everything..." I tell her.

I sound really scared.

Eureshya seems taken back.

"Frightened of me? How boring." Eureshya says, sounding annoyed.

Eureshya quickly kneels down to me, staring directly at my eyes.

"You shouldn't fear me. I'm a witch, that's true, but you don't need to be so frightened. You were the one who agreed to my deal, and it's already complete. I'm yours, now. And that makes you the winner here."

"Winner?"

"That's right. I'm yours to control now. My fate is bound to yours, so I can't leave you without losing myself. We are tied together." Eureshya explains, her voice calm, and yet there is something dark underneath.

"...You'll help me?" I ask her, sounding confused.

"Of course. I have to, anyway. You've already agreed to be my master. There's no escaping this."

"I see. Well... That's fine." I tell her.

"Although... I still feel really scared, and... You still seem a little scary. But you protected me, so... Thank you for doing this. And thank you for helping me survive."

Eureshya doesn't answer me.

She stares at me for a long moment, as if thinking something over.

I don't understand. Is it normal for a witch to help a small child, who doesn't know much about her?

...I don't know anything about witches.

Is it a curse, or a blessing? I don't know.

"So? How long do you plan on staying like that?" Eureshya asks me.

"Ah. Ah! My parents. They will worry about me!"

I get up from the ground.

Eureshya also gets up, towering over me once more.

"I have to carry this girl." I tell Eureshya, looking down at the small girl.

"Fine. Do as you like. Let's go then."

I use enhancement magic on myself, picking up the small girl. She weighs next to nothing with it on.

I look around the forest... Where did we enter? I should return to that road and return home.

...

I start walking back the way we came.

Eureshya seems to be watching me silently, following behind.

As I walk through the forest, my ears, and tail start moving around again.

...I'm a bit lost. I can't tell where the road is...

I wonder how long I'll need to walk until I find it.

It takes a while... I start walking around randomly.

But eventually find a road.

(...Which is it?) I wonder.

I'm really not sure... There are many paths I could choose, I could end up on the wrong road.

It's becoming night now.

Eureshya looks around as well.

"Ugh."

...

"You're lost, aren't you?"

I stop.

I sigh in annoyance, looking at the ground, sounding upset.

"...I don't remember where this road is. There were other roads before, but I can't tell where I am."

"From your memories, it should be this way." Eureshya points out, towards a specific road.

"My memories? What do you mean?"

"Your memories, Kyouko. When we made the contract, we became connected. Your memories were uploaded to me when it happened. Now, you have them, and I have them." Eureshya explains.

"Ah." I say, remembering.

...

Wait! What? She can access my memories?

"You're being awfully quiet... Is it something serious?" Eureshya asks me, sounding slightly curious.

"No!" I quickly answer.

...

But she can see my memories!

That's terrible!

Does that mean she knows about my previous world, and all those embarrassing things I've done?!

My cheeks start to redden...

...

Its hopeless... I can't stop her from looking at my memories.

But... I have no choice, and she's helped me save the little girl behind me.

...

"We should get going..." I say, hoping to end the conversation.

"No. Your house seems pretty far away. We should find somewhere to spend the night. You are still too injured, and based on the fight earlier, it seems like there's many dangers out there." Eureshya tells me, sounding firm.

...

What do I say?

She's right.

But...

Where are we going to sleep?

...

"Where? We should find someplace safe, right?"

Eureshya is silent for a bit, thinking.

"In your memories, there's these weird houses. Maybe you can make them? Something small for just me, you and the girl, I suppose?"

I pause in my tracks, shocked at her suggestion.

"Me? You want me to create a house for us, to spend the night in? In the middle of the forest?"

"You seem shocked by my words. You really have low expectations. It would be possible if you are capable of it. Don't tell me that you are really incapable of such a task." Eureshya asks me.

"I can barely make a broken shield! How can you ask me to build a house? That's way too complex!"

"Really now? That's surprising. Your visualization magic is quite unique. I wonder... Why do you say that, if you already created that shield earlier. The shield may be a bit broken, but that's mainly because your mana is unstable."

I stare at her, surprised by her words.

"...So?" I ask her.

"Hmm, I suppose it would be hard to create something with your unstable mana. Still, your potential is something to be desired. I can tell that much just by watching you, your mind is complex. And you were chosen, it seems. That makes me very curious about what your magic is capable of."

...I don't want her to keep analyzing my magical power like this. It's making me uncomfortable.

"Please stop it. I'm a small girl, so stop trying to see things you don't need to see."

I say to Eureshya.

She seems confused by my sudden anger.

"Does a small girl think about touching herself? Your thoughts and imagination are interesting. It's quite entertaining, even if you aren't even fully mature yet."

"Ah!"

...

She read my memories, and knows what I'm thinking about.

...

"D-Don't! Please, just don't do that." I say, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Don't? What do you mean by that?"

"You... Please. Don't tell anyone. Don't talk to my parents, and... Just forget everything, if possible." I plead.

"Why?"

"It's... Private, okay? It's private. That's all." I tell her.

Eureshya is silent for a few seconds.

"I don't really understand, but if that is what you wish, I suppose I could refrain from reading your mind too often. And... If you feel uncomfortable about it, I will not say a word of it." Eureshya says, her voice solemn.

I nod in agreement, relief evident on my face.

"...If you really want to talk about that, make sure its just the two of us, okay?"

"You seem worried. If it's a serious matter, I promise that I will not reveal it. However, I want to know more about it." Eureshya asks, sounding a bit curious.

"Huh?"

...

She really doesn't understand!?

"What is it, exactly?"

"...E-Erm." I reply, looking away, not sure how to explain.

"Why can't you explain it to me?"

"B-Because..."

...

How am I supposed to say this?

"Because it's embarrassing! If anyone ever heard me talking about it, I would probably die of embarrassment."

"I see. That does not sound good." Eureshya says, her voice tinged with worry.

"Yes. That's right... It's embarrassing and a little shameful."

"I'll keep that in mind."

And so, the matter of me being embarrassed and ashamed about what I am thinking about, was finally over.