Chapter 11: The Witch’s Mobile Prison

In the profound stillness of the night, moonlight, a slender sliver, pierced through a gap in the curtains, casting a small, cool patch of light upon Kazami Jin’s desk.

A single, dim desk lamp cast a faint, yellow glow across the room, illuminating an open notebook. Though its cover proudly declared “Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Practice Tests,” its inner pages had been cleverly swapped for a collection of obscure, ancient symbols—the meager remnants of her witch lore.

Kazami Jin sat cross-legged on her chair, eyes tightly shut, her breathing long and steady, every ounce of her mental energy converging upon her fingertips.

A faint trace of magic, yet significantly more substantial than any she had conjured before, slowly coalesced, responding to her unpracticed but resolute guidance.

Gone was the precarious, flickering speck, like a firefly’s glow on the verge of extinction. Now, suspended above the tip of her index finger, was a stably burning orb of profound, ethereal purple light, roughly the size of a marble. Within its depths, a miniature nebula appeared to swirl in slow motion, emanating an aura of contained mystery.

Success!

Kazami Jin’s eyes snapped open, fixed intently on the deep purple orb, her heart hammering wildly with excitement. She could distinctly feel that the energy contained within this orb, though still faint, was easily ten times stronger than before! Controlling it also felt far smoother, devoid of the previous ephemeral sensation that it might slip from her grasp at any moment.

So many nights of clandestine effort, enduring both shame and helplessness to comply with the myriad demands of those two “friends”—all to snatch moments of peace and practice time—had finally yielded substantial progress!

Marble-sized… the next step would be the size of a ping-pong ball! Then, a tennis ball! Someday…

A brilliant smile, imbued with the sense of a triumphant resurgence, slowly bloomed on her face. In her mind, a beautiful blueprint of the future began to unfold uncontrollably:

Once her magic recovered sufficiently, the first thing she would do, right in front of Xia Yue and Lin Wan, would be to utterly destroy that accursed mobile video recording her humiliating declarations! Then, she would proudly declare that she, Kazami Jin, would no longer submit to any coercion!

In her imagination, Xia Yue’s perpetually placid face would finally show an expression of astonishment, while Lin Wan would shriek and pounce. But this time, with just a gentle wave of her hand, she would repel that overly energetic girl with a magical barrier!

Then, who would dare force her to bathe with them? Who would dare pin her to their lap to play games, even making it onto the news? And who would dare utter “I’ll love you no matter what” in that suggestive tone?

The tables would turn for this witch, and she would sing! All the “humiliation” she had endured would be repaid with interest… She hadn’t quite figured out how, but that didn’t matter.

In any case, she would firmly seize control! She would make those two magical girls taste what it felt like to be “oppressed”!

“…Then, we’ll see if you still dare… Hmph!” She couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, and the deep purple orb at her fingertip flickered faintly with the surge of her emotions, as if echoing the grand ambitions in her heart.

Just as she was immersed in her delightful fantasy, her smile widening into a triumphant grin at this crucial moment—

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The clear, rhythmic knocking, like a dousing of ice water, instantly dragged her from the clouds back to reality.

The orb at her fingertip extinguished with a soft ‘poof,’ as if it had never existed. Kazami Jin’s smile froze, and her heart skipped a beat.

‘So late… who could it be?’

‘Could it be… they heard? Heard her muttering to herself just now? Or sensed the magical fluctuations?’

A chill shot from the soles of her feet straight to the crown of her head. She hastily snapped shut the open “magic notebook,” shoving it beneath a pile of actual textbooks. Then, quickly composing her expression and struggling to calm her racing heart, she finally took a deep breath and walked to the door.

Peering through the peephole, she saw—sure enough, it was Xia Yue and Lin Wan!

Xia Yue was still dressed in her usual practical casual wear, her expression stern. And Lin Wan… Lin Wan was actually pushing a… a metal-framed “stroller” that looked exceptionally sturdy, even imbued with a touch of futuristic technology? Its body gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster; by no means did it appear designed for a baby!

A strong sense of foreboding seized Jin. This posture… it didn’t suggest a casual chat or “intimate interaction.”

Gritting her teeth, she twisted the doorknob.

The atmosphere outside the door was somewhat heavy. Xia Yue’s gaze was sharp, falling directly on Jin’s face as she cut straight to the chase: “Jin, get ready. You’re coming with us.”

“C-coming with you?” Jin’s heart sank.

Lin Wan patted the strange “stroller,” her face displaying an expression mixed with helplessness and “this is for your own good.” She sighed. “Oh, Jin, it’s all because of your last ‘night run’ escapade, isn’t it? The mission location this time is a bit far, and the situation is unclear, so we can’t let you stay by yourself again. What if you ‘wander off’ and get lost again? Where would we even look for you?”

Xia Yue interjected, her tone calm yet imbued with undeniable resolve. “To ensure your ‘safety’ and prevent any unnecessary ‘incidents,’ we’ve unanimously decided that we need to bring you along this time.” Her gaze swept over the specialized pushcart. “This is a specially designed restraint… *cough*, a ‘secure transport unit,’ capable of effectively shielding internal energy fluctuations and providing basic protection. Will you get in yourself, or shall we assist you?”

Kazami Jin stared at the “stroller” that was clearly “tailor-made” for her, then looked at the two serious-faced magical girls before her, and felt her vision dim.

‘So… this contraption was specifically made to imprison and escort her, fearing she might escape again?! And they had the nerve to call it a “secure transport unit”?!’

The joy and grand ambitions brought by the marble-sized magic she had secretly cultivated earlier were utterly shattered before this humiliating “chariot.”

“C-can I… can I not go?” Jin made a final, trembling plea. “I promise to stay home obediently! Absolutely no running around!”

“What do you think?” Xia Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze clearly stating, ‘Your credibility is bankrupt.’

Lin Wan, meanwhile, had already stepped forward, grinning, yet her movements were undeniably firm as she grasped Jin’s arm. “Come on, Jin, just think of it as a night tour! Don’t worry, this ‘baby carriage’ is super comfy!”

Ultimately, under the absolute superiority of force and their “thoughtful” “care,” Kazami Jin, tears of humiliation welling in her eyes, was semi-coercively “ushered” into the specialized metal pushcart. The seat, surprisingly, fit perfectly, and even seatbelt-like restraints automatically clicked into place, securing her firmly.

Xia Yue confirmed the restraints were locked and the energy shielding field activated, then nodded to Lin Wan.

Lin Wan pushed the “baby carriage” carrying Kazami Jin, whose face was a mask of utter despair, with Xia Yue guarding alongside. The trio swiftly vanished into the night.

As they walked, Xia Yue quietly explained the situation to Jin. “Remnants of the ‘Shadow of the End’ are stirring; high-intensity energy readings have been detected in the abandoned industrial district west of the city. This operation might be risky, so you’ll be safest inside the ‘unit’.”

Kazami Jin curled up in the cold “stroller,” listening to Xia Yue’s words and feeling the slight jolts as the cart moved, her heart filled with an overwhelming sense of absurdity and powerlessness.

She looked at her fingertips, where she had just conjured the orb of magic, then at this cart that imprisoned her like an infant, and finally at the backs of the two magical girls ahead, poised to enter a real battle.

Turn the tables? Envision a glorious future?

She tugged at the corner of her mouth, forcing a smile that was uglier than a cry.

Reality was, she had not only failed to escape their “clutches,” but had also been