After I finish the preparations, Beatrice issues the invitation. (Pink Trigger)

My understanding of witches was limited, but, from what I imagined, it normally ought to involve things like incantations, setting traps, performing rituals. As a demon, I was now learning all of the behind-the-scenes elbow grease that went into it, at least for a witch currently lacking power and seeking to gain it...

Early in the afternoon, I had been lurking in the shadows. When one thinks of a demon doing that, one might imagine something that looked like a shadow itself, but with glistening fangs and a pointed tail... Well, that wasn't me. I was just my usual self in my slightly shabby, not even especially dark suit, wearing a party mask like I was set to attend a masquerade ball. Not exactly subtle. I wasn't a human in this story, and if anyone saw me, I could only assume something was going to go far off the rails... For all I knew, it'd be instant ****.

As such, I was quite proud of myself for the reservation I showed in waiting for the perfect opportunity to approach Battler and perform the first miracle of the witch. Hours passed agonizingly. Midnight seemed to creep towards me like a paving roller, slowly but inescapably. And yet... I knew the witch's power grew as the sun's light faded. I thought of the witch's patience of a thousand years; surely I could wait a short time longer for my own small miracle.

But damn! I knew he hadn't seen them in a while, but Battler was basically glued to his cousins. Every second he wasn't spending with them, it seemed like he was getting a lecture from an aunt, uncle, or parent. At first, I enjoyed the opportunity to hear rare moments of peace between the family, but I very quickly began to wish it was something I was reading instead... Not so I could skip it, of course, but at least let me skim!

Ah!

I was so busy complaining, I almost missed the perfect chance! Battler finally broke away from a conversation with the elder Kumasawa, who seemed to have been using conversation with him as an excuse to shirk work, to finally get some relief. Now, he was finally by himself, isolated from the other humans... The call of nature, or the beckoning of a witch?

Well... The former, obviously. I hadn't seen him head to the bathroom since I started watching him, and finally, blessedly, he had to take a dump. I tiptoed my way over to the bathroom with the signed and sealed envelope Beatrice had given me in hand... Just to avoid any confusion, let me say this was no pale imitation, but a genuine article from the woman herself! If everything went as planned, Battler wouldn't show this to anybody. Were he to do so, however, they'd confirm it was mysteriously sealed by the ring of the Ushiromiya family head, believed to be worn by Kinzo himself. Very mysterious.

Now, holding that prized item, the key to so many mysteries that held as many questions and answers, a hallowed item of fantasy and a treasure to Witch Hunters...

I sneakily slid it under the bathroom door and hurried off as quietly as I could. As soon as I turned the corner to ascend the corner, I nearly ran into Beatrice, who grabbed my arm and hauled me back up the stairs. She was gripping tightly, with what I first took to be excitement...

Upon a closer look, I wasn't quite sure. She seemed kind of ticked. "Hip, you great idiot!" The witch flushed and held her fists at her sides, shaking with rage. "That was an invitation from the ruler of Rokkenjima, not a spare square of toilet tissue from a conscientious neighbor! You don't just slide it under a bathroom door, imbecile!!"

Sheesh! Could you be any more of an ingrate? Do you have any idea how long it took me to find a chance to do that?! I have no idea how you witches do it.

"Kyahaha! That is precisely the fun of it." It seemed my indirect flattery of her tricks put Beatrice in a good mood again. "Sooo? How did he react? What did he look like? Do you think he'll come?"

He was on the other side of a bathroom door. I have no idea how he reacted. At all.

"Tch." The witch folded her arms behind her head and casually strolled through the hall of the mansion, as though it all belonged to her. It would be easy to believe she had no fear of encountering a human... In reality, however, it was probably fair to assume she was simply careful enough to make sure she was alone before doing as she liked. "Well... what do you think, though? Will he actually show up?"

I couldn't tell Beatrice what my head was thinking. It seemed... very doubtful. Battler was a bit of a cynic at heart, from what I could tell. It was much more reasonable to think that he'd share the letter around, trying to figure out who was playing such a dumb prank on him.

My heart, however... My heart had faith that a miracle would occur. After all, if it didn't, my story was as good as over. Furthermore, I just couldn't imagine my preparations were-

Oh shit! I still had major preparations to take care of. I told Beatrice she should get ready, too, and then got back to it myself.

Now, back to that elbow grease. You might have thought I was complaining about a boring job before, but I was referring to effort in a literal sense. I was up on the roof with one of Beatrice's servants. Night had already fallen, and rain was already upon us. I couldn't see anything of the other man's face beneath his hood, but he never spoke: I had to assume it was one of her goats. Still, he'd been kind enough to do another demon a solid and toss me a rain slicker, the kind he was wearing. The two of us were waiting on standby for a signal.

... I hoped we wouldn't be waiting too long. I could imagine the same thunder which once destroyed a nearby shrine bringing about a swift bad end. Honestly, if that happened, I'd be more mad about the wasted effort than anything.