Unspeakable Past

Fu You scratched his head again.

Witch took out her phone and quickly swiped through the pictures.

"Enough. Don't say another word."

Fu You already vaguely knew what was about to happen.

Witch found what she was looking for and held her phone up before him, looking extremely excited.

"Senior You! You've always been my idol! Pictures like this have always inspired me to strive to become an even greater Witch!"

The Witch before him was trembling slightly with excitement, as though even breathing took effort.

Fu You helplessly raised his head and saw Witch's flushed face, as well as the picture displayed on her phone.

In the picture, two girls in black dresses with somewhat sinister makeup were pressed together. They wore identical black puff-sleeved lace gowns, differing only in a few extra accessories, making them nearly indistinguishable at a glance.

The gowns had deep V-shaped openings at the chest, as though they wanted to swallow someone whole, terrified that people might fail to notice their pale skin.

Their overly fair necks were adorned with black lace chokers, black gemstones set at the centers of the chokers and giving off a dark, murky aura.

The one on the left had white hair adorned with a black bow. Her scarlet eyes were lined with somewhat exaggerated black eyeliner, the corners decorated with tiny red crystals, and her lips painted an especially vivid crimson.

The one on the right had pale pink hair, the same accessories, and equally exaggerated eyeshadow, except her lips were painted with black lipstick.

Their fingers were intertwined. Beneath the black lace gloves, both their fingers looked exceptionally slender. Their cheeks were pressed together, their soft faces intimately joined as they tried their hardest to squeeze both faces into the same frame...

The one on the left looked much colder, while the one on the right seemed exceptionally excited. She had even stuck out her tongue, attempting to lick the left girl's face—though she had not actually done so that day. After all, with such thick makeup on his face, he would have been disgusted.

Compared to the flat chest of the Witch on the left, the one on the right made up for that shortcoming quite nicely.

They were Witches, after all. Their makeup was not only sinister, but somewhat frightening as well.

The black aura around them had condensed into something tangible, like black snakes.

Fu You covered his face.

He truly did not understand how this picture had earned such widespread acclaim. It had merely been taken on a whim. It had even been taken at a roadside photo booth.

Back when they had crowded together for that picture...

It had been pretty awkward.

But then and now alike, he had always worn that expression like he was about to die.

What exactly was so appealing about it?

It had even been called a model for Witches—people had called him that before.

That was right. The white-haired Witch was him.

Or rather, his former self.

The fact that he had been the Abyss Witch should have been a secret.

He had never told anyone on his own initiative, and he had hidden it well. It was difficult for others to connect him with the Abyss Witch. After all, by logic or common sense, being a Witch and being a boy were two traits that could never exist in the same person.

Back then, he had not thought there was anything wrong with being a Witch. He had even enjoyed it somewhat.

It had simply been two years since he stopped being the Abyss Witch.

In most people's minds, the Abyss Witch had long since been eliminated. She had only recently risen from the ashes and begun appearing again.

He rubbed his forehead and said quietly, "Dark Witch told you all this?"

The current Abyss Witch before him nodded cautiously. She had noticed that Fu You did not look too pleased.

She quickly examined Fu You's face and body. Even now, traces of his former identity as a Witch could still vaguely be seen, such as those conspicuous red earrings.

Although his build looked like that of a boy, the fair, tender texture his skin could not conceal was something no ordinary boy could possess. Looking down from his collar, she could see his pale collarbones and attractive neckline.

Those collarbones were perfectly shaped, balanced and slender. She was certain that no man could have collarbones like those.

They were exactly the same as in the picture.

She felt that the boy before her only needed a different hairstyle and a change of clothes to completely part ways with his male identity. Yet, much of the time, a person's gender was determined by their hairstyle and clothes.

Noticing the girl's gaze, Fu You covered his collar with one hand.

No, why did he, a boy, always have to be ogled by girls? And the most ridiculous part was that if he firmly considered himself a boy, then he had no justification for refusing to be ogled.

In the public's perception, a male body did not seem to be something worth protecting. If a girl expressed interest, he was even supposed to willingly let her look. That was what a boy was supposed to do.

But he truly disliked that.

Which was why he hated everyone equally.

He scratched his head.

"How about this... Tomorrow, go to the rear courtyard of Benevolence Hospital with a few people. Make a commotion at least B-rank or higher, then leave once I arrive."

The Abyss Witch was somewhat confused. "Why do that?"

"Don't you want to stay alive?" Fu You said.

The Abyss Witch froze for a moment, then nodded.

Fu You leaned back. "I obviously have my reasons for telling you to do this."

"Senior You... Then, do you still plan to come back and guide us?"

"I stopped being the Abyss Witch a long time ago."

"I know. You're a magical girl."

"...I'm Fu You, not some kind of girl this or Witch that!" He scratched his head again.

He felt that he had been scratching his head unusually often today.

Couldn't they just let him be a man in peace for a little while?

"You absolutely cannot let a third person know about my identity. Otherwise..."

The Abyss Witch looked utterly shocked.

"But... when Dark Witch told us, we all found out."

"What do you mean, all of you found out? When did she say it?"

"Last night. At least... ten people know."

Can HP -10.

Coffee table HP -10.

He gritted his teeth.

"That Dark Witch!..."

"Isn't she your childhood friend...? Aren't you two... very close?"

Fu You said nothing.

The Abyss Witch continued cautiously, "Dark Witch also said that if we wanted to be as close to her as you are, we had to work hard to become S+-rank Witches..."

Fu You's eyes turned much redder, the strange crimson making even the Abyss Witch feel a trace of fear.

"You'd better hope I never learn the names of those ten people. Otherwise."

"Senior You! If you want to know, I can write down the list for you!" the Abyss Witch said.

"...Very good."

The Abyss Witch's face flushed much more deeply. She clenched her hands into fists before her chest. "Then Lord You will accept me, right?"

"Mm."

Fu You set down the crushed can, rose to his feet, and fixed his red pupils on the Abyss Witch.

"All right, you should go back now. The limiter is about to sound the alarm."

As soon as Fu You finished speaking, a beep—boop—beep—boop suddenly rang through the room.

The Abyss Witch hurriedly stood up and looked at the alarm in surprise.

"It has nothing to do with you. It's detecting me. Go." Fu You ignored the alarm. Instead, right in front of the Abyss Witch, he touched his earring and transformed into a magical girl.

Black magic power spread from his feet across her entire body in an instant. Black thigh-high stockings covered her legs, and extravagant black-and-gold boots that concealed their high heels appeared on her feet. A golden bow cinched her waist. Her lengthened hair was automatically tied into twin ponytails by ribbons, while a translucent black hooded cape draped around her neck and swayed theatrically.

She let out a soft breath.

Her line of sight had become slightly lower. As a result, she now had to raise her head to look at the Abyss Witch.

"You know the rules, right? When we go outside, we fight. You say the villain lines, I say the hero lines, and then we throw down. If you don't want to die, leave before I use my ultimate. My range is one thousand meters. Beyond one thousand meters, it does no damage."