The Witch Succumbs to Gravity

Mamoru charged down the street. He needed to get around the two crowds and circle behind the first group to get close to Yamiko for the attack. The purple-haired girl must have assumed he was running. A line of zombies emerged from an alleyway further back and blocked the street completely. He started to curve around the first horde well before he came anywhere close to the second.

Okay, I think I have something! I think I can use wind magic to make a sort of air slice. Does that make sense?

“It makes perfect sense.”

Wait really? I thought that it would be harder for someone without magic to understand.

Memories of a darker time in junior high threatened to creep in the back of his mind, but there were more present concerns to take his attention.

He stopped and looked up at Yamiko. She had finally finished brushing her hair and was postured like she sat in an invisible chair. One leg crossed over the other and she leaned back as if on an invisible back. Yet, she was in the air and being up high left nothing to the imagination.

Mamoru swung his sword through the air, at the same time recalling all the anime he’d watched in his life. Hikari groaned a little as she got to share those memories too, but the message was conveyed all the same. The sword cut through the night air, and the night air burst forward in an invisible slash. If it were an anime or manga, Mamoru would have expected a visual effect that flew through the air and smacked the dumb witch on her head.

Instead, she suddenly plummeted to the ground, with all the grace of a diver about to bellyflop and smacked onto the pavement with a non-cute grunt.

Yamiko groaned. Before she could sit up, Mamoru had the point of his sword near her neck. The zombies all froze.

“You like, don’t want to hurt little old me, do you?”

Kick her while she’s down!

“You’re not helping.” Mamoru sighed and shook his head. He did his best to project the type of intimidating voice one should expect from someone who would be willing to stab with his sword. “Now that we’ve calmed down, do you want to tell me what you were thinking.”

“I, like,” Yamiko looked at the pavement below her, then to her now blackened hands. She twitched a little but powered through whatever was wrong with her. “I just like wanted a strong servant, and you were going around waving that sword everywhere, what did you think would happen?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You like totally should be! Now my uniform is all… ugh!”

The high school boy shook his head, mostly in disbelief. Yamiko tried to get up, but he pushed the sword closer to keep the threat up. “Okay. Okay. Like, I’m really sorry all right. I’ve learned the error of my ways and will totally be good from now on!”

Tell me you’re not buying this?

“I am not buying it. You think I can just let a witch with an undead army go free?”

Yamiko made the same face at the word ‘witch’ that she did at her dirty hands.

“I like, have a good reason.”

Hikari laughed. Mamoru found it contagious.

“No, like, seriously. I am not a witch; I am a medium who was tasked with helping spirits in this accursed city!”

And her tasks just so happened to mean she plays with the bodies of all these poor souls! She sickens me! Are you sure you don’t want to chop off her head?

Mamoru wasn’t sure how to be any more adamant about not chopping off heads.

What about an arm then?

“Why would you need zombies to help spirits.”

Yamiko made a heavy breath. She turned slightly enough to look Mamoru in the eyes. Though she still squinted, he could tell she wasn’t trying to be smug like before.

“The yokai have been like disappearing, one by one. I’m not sure why, but I like know it isn’t normal. I needed strong warriors, you know.”

Mamoru laughed and slid the katana back into his kendo bag. Hikari made protests of not disarming, but he figured it was fine. He kneeled next to Yamiko, making his own smug expression.

“Some strong warriors, they couldn’t even take down a crazy dude with a sword.” Yamiko sniffled and made a small nod in agreement. Even with the sword away, she stayed laying on the ground. However, what she said was something that shouldn’t be ignored. Part of Mamoru figured it was somehow Subarashii’s fault that the yokai were disappearing.

Yokai were mysterious creatures that were said to hold overs from the age of myth and magic. Those that were more scientifically inclined theorized they were a product of divergent evolution, and therefore should be counted as any other species. Some with more chunibyo inclinations imagined they were ancient spirits haunting a world increasingly devoid of maryoku to stop them.

Whatever they actually were, Suba had announced a research project on them several years ago, which when crossed with Yamiko’s words was worrying at best.

Whether he was right about that or not would have to be a part of his investigation. He looked at the purple-haired girl.

“But yokai disappearing sounds suspicious. Hesitant as I am to say it….”

Don’t you dare say it.

“Why don’t we form an alliance.”

Ah, you said it!

Yamiko looked up at Mamoru. Her eyes sparkled for a moment before the damns burst. She tried to say something, but it came out garbled.

“-ou -eall- -ant he- -ilr -ke -me?” She reached to wipe her face, but stopped when looking at her blackened palms.

There is no way I am working with a necromancer! Hikari protested. You can make big claims about alliances and what not, but I will not be friendly with someone who plays with other people’s bodies!

The zombies were an issue. Mamoru agreed with that. Even putting aside, the taboo of necromancy the princess was concerned with, the practicality of housing a bunch of dead bodies was a challenge—not to mention they were so slow Yamiko was a sitting duck.

“There is one condition for us to work together,” Mamoru added. Yamiko looked up at him, still sniffling but a little more under control. He offered a hand and she accepted the help standing back up. “We are not using zombies.”

“But, but, my army!”

“But nothing. They weren’t helpful and I find them in poor taste.”

That’s such a weak way to phrase it. Add more insult!

“Then, like, what do we do with them?”

“Grab a shovel. We’ll bury them and you lift your spell.” Yamiko froze in place, her face turned pale and she made a quiet but still noticeable ‘eep’. Hikari burst out laughing.

“You like, don’t really think I know how to use a shovel, do you?”

“Then you will learn. Or we can call the deal off and go back to fighting.”

Mamoru reached for his sword bag. Yamiko tensed up.

“No. No. Like, I get why you want to bury them. It’s a good plan. Like a really good plan!”

The purple hair girl’s posture loosened in parallel with Mamoru’s grip on his sword bag loosening. The magic attack must really have unsettled her, though he wasn’t sure why. Either way, it was effective.

Mamoru cracked a smile as he started to count the zombies. There was already an ample amount out, and with the end of the fight, more crept out from hiding places down side streets.

“You said you wanted to go out with me at school. I hope you are ready, cause I’m going to keep you up all night.”