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Chapter 56 Part 4 – Mr. Queer Witch and I are reading each other, causing sparks to fly around. And what are the seven phantoms!? And then, the third person from the five heroes!! Enter the fray, the melee, the great chaotic battle!

The net that had been bulging with the shape of a small human figure fell to the ground.

The casting nets used by the〈Lawless Crew〉are special, and although it is as fine and detailed as a mist net, it is incredibly sturdy. It has a unique weave pattern, and once entangled in it, it is not easy to take it off from the inside. In fact, the more one struggles, the tighter the net becomes.

「…… You did it. All of you did a great job.」

Bradd jumped through the trees and landed next to them while commending them.

The people of the〈Lawless Crew〉who were about to turn around with smiles on their faces stiffened.
One of them shouted after he tried to check on the state of the Queer Witch, who had been captured by the net.

「Young master!! Be careful!! This is a human-shaped doll made out of grass!! Stay away ……!!」

The one that we thought we had captured was a dummy of the Queer Witch!!

Unable to finish the rest of his sentence, he fell to the ground while clawing at his throat.

It was not only them. All of the imperial guards who were trying to escape from the thorns were also experiencing the same thing.

「Don’t …… breathe …… the air ……!! …… You’ll be …… paralyzed ……!!」

With the broken words, which they tried hard to convey, I grasped what had happened and paled.

The insects that had been covering the area like a black fog fell down.
Before I knew it, countless vines had blossomed into white flowers.
The swarm of insects was a cover until the blooming was over!!
The flowers were dispersing pollen.
Everyone was within that range except for me and mother.
We fell into a trap ……!!

「…… An attack of pollen with paralyzing poison ……!!」

「…… That’s right. I’ve been waiting for a chance to round them all up. And …… with this, the remaining archer also won’t be able to make a move. It’s checkmate!!」

As mother was about to fix an arrow to the bowstring in response to his voice, buds sprouted from the bow and then leaves opened up. The bow has reverted to the form of a branch. In no time at all, it could no longer be used.

The vines that had spread all the way to our feet were excited. Mr. Queer Witch sudddenly appeared. He had hidden himself in the knee-high grass and was now in close proximity to us.

「Scarlet!!」

Mother threw out her bow and tried to run towards me, but the vines twined itself around her and stopped her from moving.

「…… Kuh ……!! Let go!!」

She struggled so hard that blood oozed from her skin. Even though mother is a genius in archery, when she is empty-handed, she is just a delicate and slender woman. It is impossible for her to tear off the restraints of the vines like the imperial guards did. But she did not give up and continued to struggle with her whole body, trying to break free from the vines.

「Hey!! You’ll get hurt if you struggle anymore than that, you know!?」

Mr. Queer Witch tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen at all.

「Scarlet!! Mother will go to you right now …… Mugoh ……!?」

Mother’s cries were interrupted.

Mr. Queer Witch sighed and blocked her movements with additional vines.

I was rather relieved. I’m happy for mother’s feelings, but if she continued at that rate, I was afraid that she could have seriously injured herself. Perhaps because Mr. Queer Witch was also flustered, mother’s mouth was gagged and she was bound in a kind of sexually suggestive tortoise shell bondage, but let’s pretend that I didn’t see that ……

「Now there’s no one to protect the ruby princess. It’s a pity, but you lost. You alone have no way to stand against me. And just to be safe, I’m going to have to tie the princess’s hands as well.」

The vines that were creeping up behind me wrapped around my wrists like handcuffs.

「Sorry about this. I’ll be troubled if you throw the Ruby of God’s Eye at me. If it’s that jewel’s curse, there is a possibility that it might work on me.」

Ughh, he had seen right through me.
I was going to paralyze Mr. Queer Witch with the 「Ruby of God’s Eye」 shot.

Mr. Queer Witch blinked his eyes apologetically and quickly walked over to my side.
I could see the vines squirming in his open palm.

「I’m going to plant this on you and render you unconscious for a little while. I promise I won’t leave a single scratch on your beautiful skin. …… Please stay quiet okay. Admitting defeat isn’t something to be ashamed of.」

I didn’t move.
But it was not because I was paralyzed with horror.
My heart was calm.

Mr. Queer Witch is right, I alone have no way to stand against him, who was a great magician in ancient times.
However, that was only if I was really alone ……

Mr. Queer Witch tilted his head to the side in puzzlement.

「…… That’s strange. The light in your eyes has not given up at all. It’s a look that says you have a trump card left to play that can turn the tables around. But your allies have already been wiped out. You should realize that there’s nothing you can do now.」

「…… No, I’m still here. I’m the trump card that can turn the tables around ……!!」

「…… What!?」

Mr. Queer Witch froze at the unexpected response coming from Bradd’s voice.

The black and white maid uniform fluttered in the air. The red ribbon flashed vividly.
Bradd came down from above, made use of the wind, and dived toward Mr. Queer Witch’s chest.
It was as if he was illuminated by a ray of light. His jet-black eyes focused on the target.
His attack was faster than the wind.

However, Mr. Queer Witch reacted immediately.
He jumped backward at high speed.
No, that was not it. It seemed that the vines were already twined around his body. He had fastened the vines to the tree behind him, so now he just shrunk it rapidly like a rubber band and used that momentum to escape. From the start, he had a contingency plan to prepare for an unlikely event.

「…… I’m surprised. I never thought I would have to use this trick. But, how? Even just a moment ago, you were right in the midst of the pollen over there ……」

Mr. Queer Witch’s eyes widened in surprise.

Bradd’s figure, which had been standing stunned by the side of the fallen〈Lawless Crew〉, became a flurry of blood-red sakura blossoms and disappeared. It was the cloning technique, Blood Sakura Butterfly.

「…… An illusionary cloning technique!? What an astonishing child!! Then how about this magic!? …… Haa!!」

Mr. Queer Witch got fired up.

As Bradd chased after Mr. Queer Witch, a wall of thorns and vines rose up between the two of them and it fell down like a tsunami. Taking advantage of the short moment when Bradd slowed down, white flowers bloomed on the wall of thorns and sprayed the pollen that has paralyzing poison in it on Bradd all at once.

「…… You got hit by it ……!! It’s my victory!!」

Mr. Queer Witch declared his victory.

Bradd!! Run away!! I almost screamed so, but I stopped myself right before I could say anything.
He told me, 「Leave it to me」.
If I, the one who is being protected by him, don’t believe his words, then who will!?
If that’s the case, then what I should say right now is ……!!

「…… Don’t lose!! Bradd!!」

Bradd didn’t turn around, but kept his back toward me and extended one arm out to the side, giving me a thumbs up.
Then, he didn’t avoid the pollen, but plunged head-on into it.
Bradd’s pupils became red and a mist of blood rose up from his back.
He activated the physical ability enhancement technique, 「Blood Atonement」 ……!!

「……『Blood Atonement』not only boosts physical strength, but also explosively increases the detoxification effect inside the body. Poison won’t stop me now.」

It has that kind of effect ……!! I’ve never heard of that before ……!!

Mr. Queer Witch gasped as Bradd calmly closed the distance between them.

「……『Blood Atonement』!? At that age!? What a crazy little boy!! But my wall of thorns is unmatched in robustness!! You won’t be able to break through it so easily ……!!」

「…… I can.」

Bradd directly put both of his hands on the wall of thorns that was coming at him like a raging torrent.

Why!? What are you doing, not avoiding or kicking it!?
Just look, now you’re surrounded!!