The roller coaster glided smoothly into the station and slowly came to a stop. With the ride attendants' help, the still-shaken passengers released their safety bars one by one.
"Kanon, how are you? Can you stand?"
"I'm sorry, Ciel-oneesama..."
Kanon Kanase placed her hand in Ciel's, a little embarrassed, and let Ciel help her up from the seat and down from the ride.
When the roller coaster had plunged from its highest point, her screams had been the loudest of all. Now her cheeks were faintly flushed, though even she did not seem to know whether that was from lingering fright or embarrassment at losing her composure.
"Ciel-oneesama, you're so brave... When the car rushed down from that high up, you didn't even make a sound."
"I'm a little different. I never scream on roller coasters."
That was not a lie. Back when she used to ride roller coasters, she really had been like that. While everyone else screamed themselves hoarse, she alone would sit there with a blank, almost stunned look on her face, never making a sound.
But that had been when she was still an ordinary person. This time, the only reason she had not screamed was because, now that she possessed a Servant's body, this level of thrill could no longer frighten her.
She had already seen far too many things far more heart-pounding than this.
After helping Kanon steady herself, Ciel turned around and used her other hand to help Avrora and Natsuki Minamiya down in turn.
She couldn't play favorites, could she?
The group walked from the exit into the bright sunlight. Ciel smiled and sighed softly.
"When I saw the height restriction for this roller coaster while we were lining up, I was really worried the three of you wouldn't be able to ride. Thank goodness you all met the requirement."
"Hohoho? Are you mocking me for being short? You have quite the nerve, Ciel."
"Ow!"
Hearing that, Natsuki Minamiya laughed in anger and jabbed Ciel hard in the lower back with her fan.
"That's not what I meant, Natsuki-oneechan..." Ciel hurriedly explained with an ingratiating smile.
"Hmph!" Natsuki Minamiya put away the fan and lifted her chin slightly. "Come hold my umbrella for me. When you see your older sister carrying an umbrella all this time, as the younger sister, you should learn to be a little considerate and hold it for her, so your sister doesn't get tired."
"If you're tired, Natsuki-oneechan, wouldn't it be fine not to hold it at all?"
Ciel muttered under her breath, but her hands had already obediently taken the elegant black parasol. She stepped to Natsuki Minamiya's side and held it up to shade her.
At times like this, Natsuki Minamiya's petite height did have its advantages. At the very least, when Ciel held an umbrella for her, it was much easier on Ciel's arm.
Next, they tried the amusement park's shooting attractions.
There were shooting games that used toy guns, and a short distance away, there was also a venue where visitors could try traditional bows and arrows.
For Ciel, these attractions were basically easy mode. After all, she had the nickname "Bow Ciel" and was proficient with all kinds of projectiles, including Black Keys and firearms. The first and seventh forms of her Conceptual Weapon, the [Seventh Holy Scripture], were a 7.62mm assault rifle and a siege crossbow, respectively.
Whether it was a toy gun or a bow and arrow, she could handle it easily, as if it were an extension of her own limbs.
With a perfect score in the shooting game, she won a cat plush, which was just right as a gift for Kanon Kanase. After all, Kanon loved cats most.
In the distance, a huge splash and the excited screams of visitors suddenly rang out. A massive curtain of water shot into the sky, refracting rainbow-like halos beneath the sun.
"That... is also a roller coaster?"
Holding Ciel's hand, Avrora pointed ahead and asked curiously.
"That's a water coaster. It's more interesting than a regular roller coaster. You might even end up liking it."
"Truly? I look forward to it."
A smile bloomed on Avrora's face, and she pulled Ciel by the hand, running in that direction.
"Hmph! Childish as expected... You girls can ride that yourselves. I won't be joining you."
Natsuki Minamiya spoke with considerable disdain. A normal roller coaster was one thing, but riding this water coaster would inevitably get her clothes wet. She had no desire to end up looking like a drowned rat.
Ciel saw through her concern and did not force her. She simply smiled and let the excited Avrora pull her along, joining the line together with Kanon Kanase.
Watching the three of them leave, Natsuki Minamiya found a quiet, shaded spot alone and sat down on a bench to rest for a while.
With the direct sunlight blocked, she put away the black parasol and gently leaned it against the side of the bench.
Today was Saturday. The children were all on break, so there were far more people in the amusement park than usual. The already sweltering air was filled with all kinds of lively noise.
Before her, people streamed back and forth, most of them in groups—couples leaning against each other and laughing, friends with arms over each other's shoulders as they joked and shoved, and most of all, parents holding the hands of children bouncing with excitement.
Those little ones seemed to never know fatigue. Tugging their parents' or companions' hands, they eagerly ran toward one attraction after another, impatient even with the few extra steps between them, as if every minute and second had to be spent on the act of "playing."
Their clear, unshadowed laughter was like strings of transparent bells, colliding and echoing through the warm air.
They ran, screamed, and argued over what to ride next, their faces filled with the purest joy, as if there were no such word as "worry" in life, only inexhaustible energy and endless fun to explore.
Natsuki Minamiya sat quietly on the bench, her slightly unfocused gaze drifting over the figures coming and going.
She watched a little girl cheer and jump for joy over a balloon she had received, watched a few half-grown children argue over who would ride the pirate ship first and then quickly make up again, watched young parents chase after their children with helpless yet indulgent smiles on their faces.
Gradually, she lost herself in the sight.
Those vivid, noisy, even overly loud scenes were like a slowly flowing reel of film, silently playing before her eyes.
...
Sunlight spilled down in silence, scattering fine, swaying patches of light across the bench.
She only watched, saying nothing and not moving, her thoughts drifting back to that spring day, just as hot as this one...
A witch was another name for a woman who had entered into a contract with a demon. Through the "Guardian" that served as the demon's retainer, a witch could use abilities identical to a demon's. Though human, witches could manipulate magical power that rivaled or even surpassed that of high-ranking demons, and their magical skill could exceed even that of the highest-ranked mages.
This power was not a gift, but a transaction. The heavier the "price" paid when forming the contract, the more power a witch could obtain from the demon. Price and power always remained balanced on either end of a cruel scale.
Things had not changed much since the Middle Ages. Witches had always been hated and feared.
What people feared was not only the immense power they held, a power difficult for common sense to restrain, but also the terrifying danger rooted deep within the contract.
If, over the long years, a witch gradually fell and ultimately offered her entire soul to the demon, her self would be completely annihilated. The empty shell whose soul had been wholly devoured by the demon would then turn into a true demon and descend upon the earth, bringing unimaginable catastrophe.
This possibility of eventually becoming a monster hung over witches like the sword of Damocles, leaving them always wandering along the cliff edge between the temptation of power and the extinction of the self.
At the urging of the Gigafloat Management Corporation, the girl had entered into a contract with a demon. The price she would pay was beneficial to them and to this island, which also granted the girl many privileges on the island.
Yet while she gained those privileges, those people remained wary of her and afraid of her. They feared the power she had obtained through the contract, and even more, they feared that she might violate that contract.
She was a natural-born witch, chosen by a demon from the moment of her birth.
She had been sent to Itogami Island very early, placed under the surveillance and control of the Gigafloat Management Corporation.
In her memories, she had never experienced the warmth of a so-called "home," nor had there been anyone she could call "family." Loneliness was like a shadow she had been born with, accompanying her as she grew.
But she had never wept bitterly over the unfair treatment she received, nor had she hated or blamed anyone, nor had she rebelled against the fate arranged for her.
Because, as she understood it, none of this came from any one person's malicious choice. A demon's favor was both talent and curse. Supervision was both necessary and isolating. It was more like a helpless, destined path.
She could understand it. She could accept it.
But when she stood alone at the noisy entrance of the amusement park and watched other children being held tightly by their parents' hands, their faces filled with anticipation and happy smiles as they chattered and poured through the colorful gates full of laughter... deep inside her chest, there was still a faint but distinct ache, as though something were missing.
It was not sharp grief, but a faint, lingering loneliness, like morning mist quietly spreading through her heart.
'Are you jealous of them?'
The voice in her mind suddenly sounded, bringing the girl slightly back to herself.
The owner of that voice claimed to be a member of the clergy who had accidentally killed the demon she had contracted with. From then on, that person would always talk to her like this from time to time.
She had never seen the other person's true appearance. She could only infer from the voice that the person was a girl, though even that was uncertain. Voices were simply too deceptive.
As for the other person having killed the demon she had contracted with, not only did she not feel regret, she thought it was something worth celebrating... Having someone to talk to and relieve her loneliness was far better than that demon, which had been useless aside from giving her a bit of power.
"...I'm not."
'Really not?'
"...Fine. Maybe a little."
She closed her eyes as if from embarrassed annoyance, as though she could see the other person's teasing expression.
Her face felt a little hot. She guessed it must be very red right now.
'There's nothing to be embarrassed about, right? Other children your age are still acting spoiled with their mothers.'
"That only applies to ordinary people. I'm different from them. I'm a witch."
'Oh, you want to compare yourself to witches? I just happen to know a few. For example, the Dragon Witch who can summon pure-blooded dragons, the Rain Witch who can cross time and space to return to the past, the Fairy-Tale Witch who can blur the boundary between reality and fairy tales, and a little witch who can draw the gaze of an all-knowing, all-seeing Outer God at the end of time and space... That little witch pesters me all the time, too. Every Christmas, she comes to me for a present.'
"How are those witches?! They're monsters—!"
'That's why I'm telling you to compare yourself to ordinary people instead. Next to real witches, you still don't measure up.'
"Don't bring your world's standards for witches over here!"
After venting like that, the loneliness pressing on the girl's heart eased considerably.
Of course, she was not going to thank the other person.
'Getting ready to leave?'
"I'm leaving. I've been standing too long, and my legs have gone numb."
'No, what I mean is... You came all this way, and you're just going to stand around like a post at the amusement park entrance? Why not go in?'
"...No. Everyone came in groups. Going in to play by myself would be too stupid."
If she stayed here too long, that loneliness would only grow heavier and heavier, like cotton soaked in water. It was better to go back early, so she would not have to suffer through it.
The voice in her mind suddenly stopped speaking.
In its place, an illusory figure abruptly appeared beside the girl and took one of her hands.
'If playing alone would look stupid, then the two of us can go in together. Come to think of it, I haven't been to an amusement park in a long, long time.'
For a long while, the girl could not get a single word out. Her lips were only slightly parted as she stared blankly at the figure before her.
Her smile was beautiful, gentle as moonlight over a quiet lake. Just like her voice, it carried a power that put the heart at ease.
That person watched her with a radiant, charming smile, warm eyes clear as water holding the girl's reflection as she patiently waited for her to come back to herself.
"..."
She had originally thought that her meeting with the other person would happen in a grander setting, at a more crucial moment.
Reality, however, was far more casual than she had expected.
In her panic, the first thing that slipped out of her mouth was...
"You... Didn't you say you couldn't descend into this world for now?"
"That's right. As a witch, you're still too immature. The opening you can create is only this tiny. Before you become stronger, it'll be impossible for my true body to descend."
As she spoke, Ciel held up two fingers to indicate the so-called "tiny" opening, then smiled and continued.
"So this is only a projection of part of my power. Pitifully weak. I can't even shatter Itogami Island in a single strike..."
"Enough! That's enough! Shattering all of Itogami Island in one strike is too much! Put away that dangerous thought of yours!"
The girl hurriedly stopped that far-too-dangerous idea.
"My name is Ciel. You can call me Ciel-oneesama, or just Ciel. All right, let's go play in the amusement park together... Of course, you're the one paying."
"I'm amazed you can say with a straight face that a teenage girl should pay for you."
"So now you're willing to admit you're a child? Come on, call me Ciel-oneesama and let me hear it."
"...No."
"I advise you not to be ungrateful. I'm old enough to be your ancestor. I'm only asking you to call me older sister. You're getting a huge bargain, do you know that?"
"No."
The two of them quarreled noisily as they bought two tickets and spent the entire day at the amusement park.
Although the girl had never mentioned it to the other person... that day had genuinely been wonderful.
Of course, she was not going to thank her. After all, she had been the one to pay for the other person's ticket. That made them even.
...
"Natsuki-oneechan, we looked everywhere for you. So this is where you ran off to."
When Ciel found Natsuki Minamiya, the other girl was lost in thought. Only after Ciel called her name did Natsuki Minamiya slowly come back to herself.
Looking at the three of them, whose clothes were clean and neat, she asked in confusion.
"You're back... Your clothes didn't get wet?"
"A spell that makes clothes as clean as new. What do you think? Convenient, isn't it? Magic really ought to be used for the benefit of the masses."
"...Where do you get so many bizarre spells?"
Natsuki Minamiya sighed helplessly.
Suddenly, Ciel pulled Natsuki Minamiya up from the bench.
"All right, let's hurry to the next place. You looked like you were about to fall asleep. Waiting for us must have bored you, right? Then next, let's go somewhere Natsuki-oneechan likes."
"Hey..."
Natsuki Minamiya was pulled along by Ciel. Avrora and Kanon Kanase followed behind them with smiles on their faces, seeming not yet over the excitement of riding the water coaster.
All around them, people streamed back and forth, most of them in groups—couples leaning against each other and laughing, friends with arms over each other's shoulders as they joked and shoved, and most of all, parents holding the hands of children bouncing with excitement.
She no longer needed to stay alone in the shadows, acting as a bystander, watching them with envy in her eyes.
She was already standing where the sunlight fell.
"Ciel."
"Mm?"
"Thank you... for being willing to become my little sister—my family."
"Why are you suddenly saying that?"
Faced with Ciel's puzzled gaze, the corners of Natsuki Minamiya's lips lifted into a smile.
"I just suddenly felt like saying it."
---
T/N: hello i am back from japan, and i am sick heres some chapters i remembered you guys exist
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