"Why don't you give up and die?!"

"Why don't you give up and die?" I said the words almost reflexively in response to the young woman's voice behind me. Even in spite of my looming ****, if the voice trailed off, I had to finish that thought.

"-Why don't you- huh?"

I turned around to face the witch, the one who called herself Beatrice. Obviously, this wasn't the witch of the portrait: she was shorter, for one thing. If that witch was refined and elegant, this one was more of a pop-cute lolita, dressed in a dark pill-box hat and purple gown. Her opulent golden staff was raised with what was certainly killing intent a moment ago, its heavy golden head poised to end my life in spite of its wielder's slight frame.

She marched over to me, raising an eyebrow as she held her staff behind the small of her back with both hands. She was a full head shorter than me, and she walked around me peering up into my eyes. "So, we finally meet... H. I. Player, right? You stand before the Endless Witch herself... A bit premature, perhaps, but I've decided to claim my title early! Now, bow before me!"

As I was trying to decide whether the right answer was to obey that or not, she held up a finger to pause me.

"Actually, stop. You know, Player, I was thinking it was weird that we hadn't met until now. I mean, I heard you're bringing all kinds of ridiculous, lame pervy stories to life with everyone else on this island! Groooss! Don't you have any real hobbies...~?" The witch had a quick cackle at my expense as she managed to somehow look down on me from her shorter height. "But you seem to know my favorite catch phrase, so that can't be it, after all. Why don't you give me a proper introduction and explain why we haven't met until now, Player?"

Why don't I? Because... she'd definitely kill me if I told her I was in no rush to meet up with a small-bodied witch who would toy with me before killing me over and over, and really only represented an unstudied fringe of the Rokkenjima tale most scholars can't comprehend... I mean, frankly, among witches, I thought she was far from the most impressive.

Obviously, I didn't say any of that. Besides... It was true I had been sleeping on the opportunities spending time with a witch like this could present. The young witch wiggled her hips with bored energy, looking up with a face that said "This better be worth it..." She was definitely cute in her own way, and I didn't want to disappoint her. Well, I should say I didn't dare to disappoint her.