The Witch and the Jellyfish

There is no salvation in a world such as this…

A beautiful young lady thought as she galloped across the rooftops of a small city, the wind caressing the flowing, white blouse that highlighted her bosom. Crystal blue eyes scanned the surrounding area, darting back and forth for the next foothold. With long, magenta hair and skin smooth as the fairest of maidens, any normal man would find himself head turning as she dashed by.

A simple, gray traveler’s robe hid the luscious curves of a woman who was filling out with the allure of maturity, a body that rivaled those of nobility. However, a short, black skirt revealed long, thin legs as she bounded over buildings, drawing the people’s gaze from below. For the lucky ones, a glimpse of underwear flashed before their upturned stares.

However, the libidos of the city folk who gawked at her were quickly doused with ice at the sounds of yelling that followed.

“There she is! Get that Witch!”

Accompanying those cries were bolts of magic that sailed across the skies, aiming to strike the beauty that was on the run.

With a swift leap and a swing of the arm, the girl turned around and flung a firebolt at the nearest magic targeting her before landing on the next rooftop. With an eruption, the two magics collided and shook the air, neutralizing the rest with its impact.

The men in armor, fellow magicians themselves, gritted their teeth and continued the pursuit.

The so-called Witch that the men in armor chased after was Maribell Schuzen, a proud magician herself. But that was not the reason their words held such hatred and disgust. Far from it, magicians were typically regarded well in society, holding coveted positions in a nation’s defense and war potential. A magician could find themselves set for life with a high-ranking title.

However, a Witch was completely different.

Witches were people who had accepted the darkness, forbidden arts by a Demon Lord who once dominated the world. Those labeled as such were so loathed that any Witches were sentenced to death upon discovery. Upon hearing the beauty accused as such, the city folk merely felt dread and fear, vacating to somewhere safe immediately.

Maribell grimaced as she continued bounding away.

Damn it! If only I had kept my mouth shut!

Maribell was indeed one of those Witches, having stumbled upon the Grimoire of Lies during her travels. Knowing not its true existence, she accidentally accepted the alluring powers it held.

The Grimoire of Lies was one of the many pieces of the Demon Lord which bore his abilities. By accepting it, the user could detect the difference between a person’s words and thoughts, perfect for finding trustworthy allies.

Having grown up in an abandoned society, there were many who would take advantage of a lovely, budding woman such as herself, especially one that possessed magic.

However, the powers came with a curse – Maribell was no longer able to lie as a result. That had caused her current situation.

A simple errand to restock her travel supplies had gone awry when someone caught a glimpse of the earring dangling upon her right earlobe. A miniature book that rested gaudily there was the form that the Grimoire took when dormant.

A child approached her and innocently asked what the pretty earring was. In response, Maribell blurted out, “The Grimoire of Lies,” before she could muffle the words spewing out of her mouth with a hand. Those around her instantly recognized the evil artifact’s name and called out Witch! in terror. Even in jest, none would dare utter such a taboo subject.

Her ears and face could have been tucked into a hood, but that would cause more scrutiny of her appearance. After all, magicians flaunted their appearance with pride. It was a mark of their superiority. Hiding oneself while radiating a strong mana signature created more suspicion.

The Grimoire had, unfortunately, chosen a form that was difficult to keep out of sight. Not to mention, she couldn’t easily dodge those with inquiries. This was certainly turning out to be a disastrous day.

Maribell’s attention perked up as she caught sight of the city gates. Past those, the forest would provide her with cover. However, two dozen archers stationed there aimed their spell-enhanced arrows upon her.

“Blast it! Looks like I’ll have to accept a few scrapes to get by!” Maribell charged another flame spell and leapt off the roof to chuck it at her foes. Confident that her attack was strong enough to blow a hole through them, her eyes focused forward.

Suddenly, a swift gale caught her from below, too strong for it to be natural. Of course, someone had laid a trap under her, wind magic fierce enough to send her twirling skyward.

Her eyes widened at her momentary slip in judgement. She was helpless as the words Fire! echoed ominously in her ears, and then, the sharp pain of arrows began to pierce her body. Flame scalded her flesh, ice froze her blood, and lightning pricked across her limbs – places where the magic-laced tips hit.

With a nasty thud, Maribell fell to the ground, heavily injured by the volley.

The heavy, clunking footsteps of iron approached her. The grins of men claiming victory appeared hazily in her vision.

“Another cursed bitch rid from this world!”

“Aye, too bad this one’s a looker.”

“Are you kidding me? Your wee one will turn to stone if you try it with a Witch. Everyone knows that!”

Of course, the people of this world created all kinds of untruths about Witches, just to convince themselves of their supposed evils. In reality, Witches were simply female magicians who happened to be cursed by a grimoire. Why only females were chosen – no one knew. But that didn’t stop people from regarding Witches as scourges upon the world who had offered their souls to the Demon Lord.

Maribell dreaded this day, ever since she discovered her grimoire months ago. Living in hiding was harsh, but being feared by everyone was worse. Slowly, she lost any hope in the world. Surrounded by vile men with disturbing and sick fantasies, Maribell couldn’t even cover her ears from the thoughts of torture that they planned for her.

“Another chance, another life – anything but this…,” she whimpered to no one in particular. Only the Gods could hear her now.

A twinkle in the sky shone above as if it acknowledged her anguish. The light grew stronger and closer, no longer a figment of her imagination. Maribell’s eyes widened as she realized that it was coming straight for her!

CRASHHHHHHH!!!

With a thunderous clap, a tremor shook through the city streets, tossing those around the Witch into the air. Like a meteor from Heaven passing judgment on the wicked Witch in their stead, a shrill cry of her supposed last moments broke through the impact. Moments later, dust still clung to the air, disguising the fate imposed by the Gods.

Maribell had expected a moment of excruciating pain to end her sad life, filled with nothing but trouble since discovering her grimoire. Part of her was relieved that it would all end. Still, the fear of death clammed her eyes shut as she waited for the inevitable.

However, that moment happened not with a bang, but a heavy tug upon her ample bosom, accompanied by a strange Boing! sound. Certainly, this was not the death strike that she expected.

Even stranger, whatever hit her proceeded to wrap itself around her. Something slithered across her upper body as it sent a jolt of nerves down her back.

Maribell’s voice leaked out a subdued moan that caused her mana to flare up and generate a large explosion around her. What others believed was the impact of a meteor had been, in fact, merely a burst of mana caused by the Witch herself.

The resulting explosion had popped her several feet up, causing her body to land with a thud, a subtle sound gone unnoticed among the loud noise. As if her situation could get any worse, her body was now being harassed by some unknown entity.

What more of an embarrassing situation could this be!? I’d rather be struck dead instead!

Her mind flared as she wondered how else she would be punished before her fate was sealed. Her answer came from an unexpected source.

“Oof. Why, hello to you too…,” a high-pitched voice rang out.

Through the dust, Maribell could see no one around her. Had she imagined it? But she felt the vibration of those words through her body, right where her… chest… was…

Looking down, she caught sight of a thin appendage waving from a bluish blob adhered to her.

“Howdy there! The name’s Snazzy-chan! Quite the entrance I made, hahaha.”

A shiver of terror crept down Maribell’s back as she tried to grab the nasty being attached to her. She grimaced in disgust as a feeling akin to gelatinous slime squished between her fingers while trying to grip the mysterious blob. With no firm texture to grasp, clawing at the thing did little more than bat it around her chest, each swipe sending another jolt through her body.

“Get OFF! What the hell are you!?” she whispered, knowing full well that her pursuers were just beyond the dust cloud.

“Woah, woah! Calm down, hot Onee-san! You wouldn’t want to harm a cute, little jellyfish, now would you?”

“A jellyfish! How absurd! We’re miles away from the ocean! I don’t have time for this! I have to escape now!”

The jellyfish, called Snazzy-chan, shrugged with two of its tentacles. A cute gesture it would have been if the situation were different.

“You expect me to understand what ails you? I literally just landed here. Though, what aim Kami-sama has….” A tendril shifted its shape until a thumbs-up was formed toward the sky.

Maribell ignored it and quickly analyzed the situation around her as the dust started to settle. Somehow, the stimulation had given her a second wind. However, she was still surrounded by the city’s best magicians. Archers and soldiers stood on either side of her, waiting to see if she remained standing.

She would have one chance. By gambling her remaining magic at the archers, she could penetrate their line and use the forest to hide and recover. That was all she could hope for. As she planned originally, her casting began anew.

“Heated crimson from the depths of Hell! Send my foes into an inescapable inferno that-“

“AHHHH! AHHHH!” The jellyfish cried at that very moment, breaking her concentration as it bounced up and down in a fury. That had unfortunately cancelled her spell, wasting precious mana.

She wanted to curse at the blasted thing, but its complaints kept her from doing so.

“Oh my god! What is this!? Where is it!? Where is it!?” the high-pitched voice bellowed out.

Unable to resist, Maribell responded impatiently. “What do you even mean, where is it!? Where is WHAT!?”

“I just noticed! Despite hanging onto such amazing thiccness, there isn’t a single response! I guess jellyfish really have no-“

“WHAT IN GOD’S NAME ARE YOU SAYING!?”

Maribell’s roar cut through the vicinity just in time for the dust to clear. The magicians gawked at her in confusion as the Witch seemingly roared at God knows who while in a disheveled state. Certainly, the explosion had trounced her thoroughly, leaving her with various injuries. Perhaps, she might have hit her head and gone crazy. A meteor from Heaven would certainly do that.

“W-Watch out! The Witch has summoned some kind of strange familiar!” One of the soldiers pointed at Snazzy as he came into view.

“Calling upon the demonic denizens of the Underworld to reign terror! That will not help you from the just hand of this kingdom!”

Seeing the armed soldiers all around suddenly, Snazzy shook in fear before proceeding to dive into Maribell’s blouse. “Oh shit! That is not what I expected!” he said as the blob shivered inside of her clothing. That was not comfortable for her at all.

In fact, the odd sensation felt both ticklish and arousing at the same time, causing Maribell to wiggle and bounce around in discomfort. Seeing this strange fit of dance being done, the soldiers couldn’t help but feel entertained by the Witch’s misfortune in her failed summon. Some even noticed the seductive moans that she let out, but they tried to disregard them. However, they found themselves needing to shield a certain part of their bodies that was a bit more truthful. It didn’t help that her clothing was partially in tatters, giving them good looks at her lovely body.

But that only lasted for a moment. They still had a criminal to execute. They were sworn protectors to their kingdom, and a single temptress’s hip shaking wouldn’t invoke mercy from them.

Hesitantly, the men raised their weapons to end the Witch’s demonic dance of seduction. Surely, there was not a shred of regret upon their faces, they told themselves with heavy resolve.

In the meantime, Maribell continued to jerk to and fro, suffering from the whims of Snazzy-chan, its frantic slithering causing no end of sensations overwhelming her mind.

She wanted to just die. To let this farce be over with. She couldn’t deal with the shame much longer.

Out of the blue, Snazzy-chan let out a cry which shocked everyone, especially those that had disregarded the jellyfish from further thought.

“Oh wait! I feel something! I feel it! Something is rising!”

“Wait, what? What are you saying now!? You are not- STOP, right this instan-“

Of course, the jellyfish cared not for the cries of the girl. It continued rubbing itself upon her body, feeling something welling up. Enthralled by the sensations of her nice body against its own, a strange power seemed to emerge. With a loud cry of glee, the jellyfish felt a sensation of release as something let loose from its body.

Maribell shut her eyes once again, dreading what was to come. Her body couldn’t take much more of this. She was at the brink of exhaustion.

Suddenly, a mysterious wave washed over her. A torrent crashed upon the surface of her body and dyed her with its colors. Her face, her stomach, even her arms and legs – from the tips of her extremities to her very core, she felt herself drowning in it as the sensation absorbed into her body.

Wait, absorbing?

She cracked an eye cautiously to understand the unfamiliar feeling. She saw the soldiers in front of her standing stock-still, in awe at her appearance.

What spectacle am I a part of now?

Her eyes popped open, attracted to a sudden light around her.

A miraculous glow encompassed her body, giving her renewed strength. Her recent wounds had even been healed, and every movement was filled with a vigor like never before. Moreover, a comforting fullness of mana gave her confidence that she could vanquish her enemies.

As if reading her desires, flames swelled around her, growing more and more vast until it snapped the gawking men from their stupor and caused them to start panicking in fear.

With a swift swing of the arm, flames spewed from the inferno and crashed into the surroundings. Soldiers were tossed into the air. Buildings rumbled as wood burnt away and stone melted. Anyone that hadn’t been hit by the torrent of magic was now fleeing for their lives while ducking behind cover.

Unsatisfied with just clearing out the area, Maribell’s eyes suddenly glowed red as the inferno around her became blinding as it burst forth.

A deafening explosion rocked the entire city. And after the dust cleared, Maribell shook her head as the incredible energy that she possessed had finally died down. Gazing all around her, she saw that an entire city block had been leveled to the ground. The soldiers from before were nowhere in sight, likely incinerated like the surroundings. The gate leading out of the city was also in shambles, with no one left to guard it. It was a wide open path to freedom.

“Ah, guess I forgot to mention. Kami-sama gave me a support ability upon reincarnation, but he wouldn’t tell me how to activate it. Found the trigger for it, don’t ‘cha think?”

With the coast clear, the jellyfish slithered out of her clothing and bounced onto her shoulder, rubbing its tendrils together as if savoring its new companion. “We’ll be in each other’s care from now on.”

Maribell had no words in response. Her tattered clothing gently flapped in the wind as she stiffly walked through the unguarded area. She simply wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Unknown to her at that time, the mysterious tentacle being known as Snazzy-chan was destined to help Maribell tear away the horrible fate of all Witches in this world.