Careless-Didn't Dodge

(Bai Ziye)

Fomalhaut didn't answer at all, and directly led me into a room that resembled an interrogation room. He kept my eyes covered the whole way, so I didn't see anything.

How did you get here?

She shrunk to an energy-efficient size and sat down facing me.

I have to say, this reduced my nervousness a lot.

"Hey, fine, you're not going to answer my question, but aren't you going to prepare a pork chop rice bowl for me?"

"I don't want to waste time arguing with you. Tell me honestly, how exactly did you get here?"

So serious, there's absolutely no interest in joking.

"How else could it be? A wormhole, of course. Didn't you guys notice?"

"Still talking nonsense. There's no way we wouldn't have detected a wormhole... No, what about the previous three times? The payload of the third drone was definitely empty..."

That's because there's no need to deploy miniature drones; all that's needed is to receive the transmitted signals. But I obviously wouldn't say that, since the Sword Witch has prepared a great way for me to back down.

"I'm not completely brainless, you know. If my magic hadn't been depleted and I was waiting to recover, you probably would never have found me."

He spoke with pride, but deep down he still had doubts.

Although I wasn't noticed at first, I was discovered while hiding in the alley. Why was that?

"Who's really the more foolish one, Morning Star? Do you really think you can accomplish anything by coming here alone?"

"I was just a scout. It was my mistake to be caught by you, but it's just me who was lost."

Fortunately Ceruno didn't follow me in.

"Your body and the Crystal are both very precious materials. I hope that through these, I can create a witch companion with a compatible personality."

"But aren't your personalities and memories inherited from 'magical girls'? Even if a witch is born, she'll probably still be similar to me, right?"

"..."

Fomalhaut frowned, not wanting to discuss the topic any further.

She insists that she and the magical girls of the Past are two different individuals, but she has no strong arguments to support this claim.

"You'll just wait here until you're on the operating table."

She stood up to leave, and just as she reached the door, I asked, "Wait, what if you get hungry or need to use the restroom?"

"Solve it on the spot."

A cold response.

She closed the heavy, airtight iron door and went out.

They actually want me to relieve myself right there in the interrogation room? What a shameful thing to do...

However, my magic power has almost fully recovered.

But there must be surveillance cameras in this interrogation room that I can't see. If we use teleportation magic to open a wormhole here, we'll lose a secret reconnaissance route.

We must find a place where there is absolutely no one...

Knock knock--

Just as he was contemplating his escape plan, there was a knock on the interrogation room door.

"Yo!"

The Golden Witch entered through the door.

A short, blonde loli, wearing a dress woven with gold threads and a huge crown on her head, entered the room, and tentacles floated behind her, closing the door shut.

"Let me see which idiot dares to come here alone to die?"

Aldebaran...

She wouldn't let me speak, interrupting me, "Hey! Let me make this clear first, I'm not like Fomalhaut. I won't answer all your questions. If you're hoping to get any secrets out of me, I advise you to give up on that idea."

"..."

If it's not a head-on confrontation, this guy is even more difficult to deal with than Fomalhaut.

"Would you like to see someone you know? Anjie, who is human, is about to disappear. I can take you to hear her last words."

Was it really Anjie escaped, as captured by the miniature drone?

"... She's Sun Ji's subordinate; aren't you partners?"

The Golden Witch grinned and replied, "Ha, I can answer that question. Turning Anjie into a witch was A-Ji's own request. That man was practically cold-bloodedly rational, but it was also the right judgment..."

"What kind of correct judgment is this?"

She sat down in the seat opposite me.

"Miluno- chan, you don't know anything about Spica's magic, do you?"

Spica known as Spica.

"Is her magic 'Mental Overlay'?"

"Simply put, it's brainwashing. Moreover, her magic can permanently alter thoughts. Implanting suggestions into Anjie's subconscious that she herself is unaware of would be Spica... Therefore, the safest way is to replace her brain."

Satire.

Anjie's unwavering loyalty held little value for them.

I don't know what it feels like to be betrayed by the person you follow, but since she's escaped, she must have been unwilling.

They're pitiful, but not deserving of sympathy.

"And I, the director of the Fusion Soldier Development Department..."

The Golden Witch pressed her hand against her barren chest, her posture proud.

"... I will personally serve as her chief surgeon, and even less-than-ideal material can be transformed into a powerful witch."

She looked at me.

Waiting for my reaction to this.

"I have little sympathy for that kind of traitor. To avoid her becoming an even more troublesome enemy, I might even consider eliminating her first."

That's true, but it would be even more profitable to steal her back.

"You really are cold-blooded."

"Don't you also adopt the same strategy of annihilation towards the Liuhe and Achernar?"

"That was a rational consideration to protect classified information... Besides, Betelgeuse failed several times."

"Who told her to hide behind the scenes all day? She's too naive to think she can take us down with a remote clone."

"Wow, do you want to meet her in person?"

"..."

If I had the chance, I would really like to know what kind of person she is.

I have never seen the real Betelgeuse; it always appears as a robotic clone.

"They didn't refuse, so they really want to go?"

The Golden Witch stood up from her chair and casually activated a Teleportation Halo in the interrogation room.

"Betelgeuse's 'domain' is right there, but you'll be severely injured the moment you Past. But don't worry, I'll drag you back before you die and transform you into a better form than you are now, guaranteed to satisfy you."

"Very dangerous?"

"I dare not set foot in that guy's headquarters; every inch of land is covered with various traps and mechanisms."

Positional warfare is undoubtedly one of Betelgeuse's strengths.

However, all witches are dangerous, and she's not the only one.

"Let's get to know each other again next time."

The Golden Witch dispelled the teleportation spell and sat back down.

"You still haven't told me what you're here for?"

"Communication, dialogue."

Is there any room for communication between us?

"I'm not communicating with you."

"Hmm--"

An unbearable pain suddenly shot through my back; I had no idea when the golden vines had circled around behind me and pierced my back.

"Don't struggle, darling. My thorns have barbs, and the more you struggle, the more it hurts... But I've thoughtfully secreted a strong anesthetic, so you won't feel the pain for long."

Is her so-called communication an attempt to directly access my Star Crystal?!

Something must be done...

Although I understood, a drowsy feeling had already crept over me.

I lost consciousness.