Ozu let out desperate sounds.
Small squeaks, sharp gasps, clumsy noises that failed to form even a single word. His mind screamed, cursed, demanded answers—but his mouth, that tiny thing with large, sharp incisors, could only produce rabbit-like noises that echoed through the damp ruins.
He backed away as far as he could over the crystal-clear water that lightly covered his bare little paws.
The witch before him advanced without haste, with a burning elegance, while the water at her feet retreated, as if something so pure could not touch the corrosive witch.
Obed.The Wicked Witch of the West.The most infamous terrorist in Fantasia.The one he had devoted more than ten years of service to see destroyed.
But now, things were different.
Not only was his body delicate and fluffy—he could feel how the weight of his wet fur restricted his movement even more. To make matters worse, he had no weapon at all.
He was completely screwed.
Fear took hold of Ozu.
With only one hope left, he made a sudden movement and kicked the water toward her. What he managed was barely what could be called a splash, as if a stone had disturbed the surface near her feet, reaching just high enough to graze the witch, who stepped back almost on instinct.
Ozu knew it.
Glin's warning.Water was her greatest weakness.It would destroy her upon contact. In fact, that was why someone like the decorated Dory had been able to kill her.
He expected any reaction.
Screams.Howls.Some kind of groan…
Ideally, dissolution.Her body melting like wax before fire.
The water soaked Obed's clothes, clinging tightly to her figure.
Nothing happened.
Unless someone was going to melt purely from her slender silhouette—which clashed sharply with the ugliness of the legends—no one was melting today.
The dark fabric fell away, revealing greenish skin, alive, marked with faint luminous veins. Obed calmly examined her own arms, then made an elegant, almost annoyed gesture, and the water evaporated from her body as if it had never been there.
The outfit beneath the veil was not a tattered robe nor ragged clothing, but a dark leather suit, perfectly fitted, outlining every curve with dangerous precision. Tight. Flexible. Elegant. Designed to move… and to be seen.
Ozu froze.
He didn't understand why.
Maybe it was animal instinct.Maybe shock.Maybe accumulated humiliation.
But he couldn't look away.
The witch's body seemed, in that moment, intensely sensual.
Obed raised an eyebrow.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't imagine strange things," she said dryly. "This is uncomfortable enough for both of us."
Ozu squeaked in embarrassment and turned away clumsily, splashing water.
Then, breaking the moment, a loud crash echoed through the flooded basement.
A sharp sound of collapsing wood resonated from the stairs, which gave way under a hurried, clumsy step.
From the half-ruined staircase emerged a heroic figure from Fantasia. Ozu nearly sighed in relief at the sight of such a legend.
It was a tall man made entirely of straw, with long, disproportionate limbs, an incredibly human face, and vivid blue eyes.
Each step produced dry creaks.
He wore an old, patched suit, and carried a solemn air that contrasted with his absurd nature.
The decorated hero: the Straw Man.
"My sincerest apologies," he said, bowing. "The stairs were never repaired after the Third District fire—and bending my knees has never been my strong suit."
Obed sighed.
"Lord George… you're late, as always."
The straw man smiled and approached the witch, who seemed to float almost unnaturally. He took her hand with extreme delicacy and placed a gentle kiss upon it, a flawless bow following.
"My fault, my eternal lady."
Then he turned to Ozu, maintaining his noble posture.
"A pleasure to meet you… or at least, what remains of you, General Emerald Ozu."
Ozu stared at him in confusion.
How could a hero of Fantasia be standing there, beside the greatest terrorist the country had ever known?
Lord George adjusted his posture and spoke calmly.
"The Wicked Witch never died, as you can see."
Ozu's world trembled.
"The whole 'defeated by water' performance was an agreement," the witch said softly from behind the scarecrow. "A pact between Glind, Dory, and of course, myself."
Something shattered inside Ozu's mind.
"It was a brilliant idea," George continued. "To turn Obed into a convenient landmark. A global enemy who would gather all the world's hatred, only to be defeated in the name of peace and justice. A symbol of unity for the righteous. The people needed something to believe in—and they were given exactly that."
Obed crossed her arms, almost disapproving.
"For years, I played my role," she said. "I stayed 'dead.' Silent. Watching everything unfold in Fantasia from afar, waiting for Glin to fulfill her part of the deal."
Ozu was left stunned by the sheer amount of information dismantling his world in seconds.
If all of this was true…
Why had I risked my life for so many years?Why were my family and I taken like this?
Rage twisted Ozu's soft rabbit features as he glared at Obed, who returned his gaze calmly from beneath the veil, almost as if reading his thoughts.
"I never caused any of the attacks, General," she said firmly. "That was the work of the Wizard's followers… and the Principality."
Her voice hardened.
"They needed scapegoats. Clear enemies. Simple fears to keep the people obedient and united."
Lord George nodded.
"And you," he said, pointing at Ozu, "are the perfect proof. Yet another scapegoat of a corrupt man's rule."
Lord George pulled an old, folded, stained poster from his suit.
He unfolded it before Ozu, who trembled instantly.
WANTEDOZUDEAD OR ALIVE
Reward for attempted assassination against the Principality of Fantasia.
The world stopped.
His breathing grew erratic. Instinctively, his small paws rose to what he assumed was his throat.
Ozu recognized the face on the poster.
Without a shadow of doubt…
It was him.His true self.
The princes had testified against him.Concealing the existence of the girl in the red hood…
"They wanted to frame you," Obed said. "To turn you into the new monster and divert public attention from the 'Ferocious Wolves' incident."
Rage slowly consumed the rabbit's small body.
Then came the final revelation.
"You died," Obed said bluntly. "Five years ago."
An icy void spread through Ozu.
"But your soul…" she continued, "was too strong. Too combative. And above all… vengeful. It fully anchored itself to this."
Obed pulled a familiar object from the shadows.
One incredibly important to Ozu.
The pocket watch, with a small ring tied to its chain.
His wedding ring.
"Your soul clung to this," she explained. "And I used it as a catalyst to bring you back, General Ozu."
Ozu wanted to scream.
"As for the rabbit body…" she added indifferently, "that was a coincidence. Grimoires sometimes work in strange, incomprehensible ways."
After swallowing everything he could, the anger finally exploded.
But before he could react, Obed extended the watch toward him.
"I know you want to speak—and you will. Your new body has twelve seals," she said. "Each time you break one, you'll receive one of my blessings as my familiar."
She fell silent for a moment, waiting for a response from the rabbit.
"If you want revenge, you'll need them."
Something burned in Ozu's chest.
His rage turned him into a wild hare.His pain.His betrayal.
Everything converged.
The watch vibrated.
The hands did not move.The minute hand still pointed to the exact time of his death.
But behind it…
An emerald second hand appeared.
It ticked to one.
Ozu's body felt lighter.Stronger.
He leapt like a furious hare.
And for the first time since awakening, his voice emerged—filled with fury.
"OBED!"