Sihat night, Azami Yuki—female version—, returo the apartment as usual. However, something was different.

  I didn’t know how to expin it.

  Her gaze.

  Her tone of voibsp;

  Even the way she walked felt a little… heavier.

  I could see the fatigue on her face, but she didn’t pin at all.

  From that moment on, she became quieter.

  I wao ask.

  I wao know what was going on.

  But every time I tried t up the topic, she would smile faintly and ge the subjebsp;

  "Don’t think about unnecessary things, Yuki."

  As if she was trying to keep me away from something.

  And what was even stranger…

  She became increasingly protective of me.

  I could feel it.

  She watched my every move, making sure I didn’t stray too far from her.

  When we went to campus, she always walked beside me, her eyes occasionally gng around as if watg something invisible.

  Wheurned home, she made sure the apartment door was securely locked befoing to sleep.

  When I worked as a bartender, I could feel her sharp gaze watg from a distanbsp;

  As if she was afraid I would disappear.

  And strangely…

  I didn’t feel bothered by it.

  I should have been a being stantly watched, but for some reason, I actually felt—

  Safe.

  Even though I knew she was hiding something from me, I couldn’t deny that her presence gave me a strange sense of fort.

  But that peace didn’t st long.

  Because the world began to crabsp;

  ---

  That day, I was walking down the campus corridor when I saw something strange.

  A shadow of someo the end of the hallway.

  At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

  However, when I blinked—

  The shadow moved.

  Not in a normal way.

  The shadow crawled along the wall like living bk.

  I held my breath.

  That’s not normal, right?

  I turo Azami Yuki (female), alking beside me.

  But she only gnced briefly at the shadow before sighing.

  "It seems the effects are starting to show."

  I turo her.

  “Effects? What do you mean?”

  She didn’t answer.

  She just grabbed my hand and pulled me away with quick steps.

  I could feel the tension in her grip.

  Azami Yuki—the female version of myself—who was usually rexed and calm, now looked serious.

  I gnced babsp;

  The shadow was gone.

  But the unfortable feeling in my chest remained.

  ---

  Oher side of the city, several figures gathered in a dark room.

  They were Witches.

  They were Azami Yuki’s enemies.

  One of them, a man in a bck suit with gray hair, opened his mouth.

  “It’s firmed. The world is experieng instability. The rules she created are starting to csh with each other.”

  Beside him, a woman with red eyes sighed.

  “So? Are we just going to sit here and wait for destru?”

  The man in the suit smiled faintly.

  “No. We’ll take a.”

  He turo a figure in the er of the room.

  A thin man with an unnatural smile.

  A "Wanderer." A Witch who usually serves as aioner for other Witches deemed dangerous ich world.

  “It’s time for you to do your job.”

  The Wanderer grinned widely.

  His soft ughter echoed in the dark room.

  ---

  That day, Azami Yuki (female) and I had just finished css when I felt something strange.

  The air around me felt heavier.

  I could feel the hairs on the bay neck stand up.

  I turo Azami, and she also looked alert.

  Something was near us.

  And as we passed through a quiet hallway, I saw it.

  A woman with a sexy body and a charming face was standing at the end of the hallway.

  I could immediately sense something was wrong with her.

  She didn’t move.

  She just stood there, staring at us with an unnatural smile.

  Azami Yuki (female) immediately pulled me behind her.

  Her eyes were full of caution.

  “A Wanderer…” she murmured softly.

  I swallowed hard.

  I had heard the term before.

  A Wanderer.

  A Witch who kills other Witches, whether ordered by someone or because the target is deemed 'dangerous' ich world. Simply put, they are 'Assassins' ich world.

  I could feel the tension in the air.

  Then, the woman started walking.

  Her steps were light.

  Rexed.

  As if she had no burdens in this world.

  “Azami Yuki,” she said in a hoarse voibsp;

  I could feel Azami’s hand gripping my arm tighter.

  “You’re the only remaining former 'Indepe Witch,' aren’t you? Even though you’re just a Hughes now…”

  She chuckled softly.

  “I wonder… is a Witch who broke the world’s rules still as strong as the rumors say?”

  I felt cold sweat running down my babsp;

  But Azami Yuki (female) just snorted.

  “Damn, I hate troublesome things like this…” she said softly. “I don’t want to deal with small fry like this right now.”

  I swallowed hard.

  Azami then turo me and said in a serious tone,

  “Yuki, listen to me carefully.”

  I nodded unsciously.

  “No matter what happens, don’t move a siep.”

  Then, without warning—

  The shadow beh her feet moved.

  A magic circle appeared on the floor.

  And the air around us vibrated violently.

  The battle had just begun.