The Violence Witch’s Yuri Harem

Chapter 225 – New Blood at the Helm

A few weeks had passed since Iroha was taken captive. Autumn was slowly but surely settling in, with the leaves on the trees losing the vibrant luster they previously had. People could finally go outside wearing long sleeves comfortably, though jackets were still a no-go.

Life in the House was very hectic right now. Everyone was constantly scrambling to prepare, memorizing layouts and routes, and training.

And amidst those hardworking girls, a silver-haired girl dragged a large suitcase through the entrance.

“Nghhh! Hey! Can someone give me a hand? Don’t just ignore me!”

Miyuki wrestled with the case, but it was mostly performative. The case slid in small increments every time her body bent, but her legs and shoulders weren’t even tensing up. Either she was incredibly weak or wasn’t even trying.

“We’re busy right now if you haven’t noticed. No one has time to cater to your whims.” Carol stopped and stared with an annoyed expression. “What are you even doing dragging that thing around? Can you get out of the way?”

“Hahh… hahh… What does it look like… genius…?” Miyuki let go of the case and wiped her forehead. “Whew… I’m one of you now, so I’m moving in. Come on, carry my stuff for me.”

“No… I don’t think so…” Carol said. “Is your head even working? Why would you move in now when we’re going to have to move to the hideout soon enough? It’s just a waste of time.”

“And who was it that made that plan possible in the first place, huh? I’m arguably the most important person here, so you have to do as I say.”

This little… “*Sigh…*” Carol controlled herself.

No point in starting a fight right now. Miyuki wasn’t this spoiled and selfish as a classmate. Why did she have to act this way now?

“Well… I don’t have anything to do right now, so I can give you a hand too.” Katja walked over after overhearing the conversation and grabbed Miyuki’s case. “We have a lot of empty rooms, so it’s not a problem if you wanna stay here.”

“Thanks! I’ve always wanted to live in a hectic household!”

“Hah… You’re the reason it’s hectic…” Carol rolled her eyes.

Katja lifted Miyuki’s bag with both hands and took them deeper inside. Miyuki went with her, and Carol tagged along, just to keep an eye on her.

“So… We have a hideout now? I thought you didn’t want to drag your caretaker into this.” Miyuki said.

“You mean Shinji?” Carol asked. “It wasn’t easy…  Wasn’t easy convincing him to stay put. He’s the farthest thing from a fighter, but he was saying he was ready to infiltrate the PSF with us. Just thinking of helping us as a meat shield. How dumb is that?”

“*Sigh…* We argued for hours…” Katja shook her head. “He got us a place closer downtown, and he’s going to stay away for a while. Until our infiltration happens, he’ll stay in the PSF trying to negotiate. If he succeeds, we won’t need to do anything and get Iroha back. If he doesn’t, he has an alibi and gets to claim we acted on our own.”

“Hmm… Good for you.” Miyuki said. “When are you going to get Iroha’s other girlfriends on the plan?”

“The girls from the other world?” Katja had a conflicted expression.

“Yep. I can tell you for sure you’ll have an easier time if they’re here. Ririna’s a wonderful girl who’ll make your attack much more unpredictable, and Sarasa can tank a few bullets. You know, just like monsters can.”

“What about the princess?” Carol asked.

“Sure. Bring her and Flanne too. They’re not going to help in the day of the rescue, but they should be able to spot any strategies we overlook.” Miyuki was way too familiar with all of them. Her prophecies were too convenient…

“Hmm…” Katja’s voice showed some hesitation. “I get what you’re saying. The more the merrier, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I get that they also want to save Iroha, but we’re the ones with ties to the PSF… And there’s that stuff with my family… I don’t think it’s right to burden them with that…”

“Oh yeah…? I’ll just borrow that.” With a phone that wasn’t hers, Miyuki immediately started a call. Carol tapped her empty pocket then glared at her. When did she…?

“Hi? Sarasa? It’s me, Miyuki! Do you remember me?” After a second of silence, Miyuki’s shoulders dropped. “No? Oh well… whatever… Come to this world, to the dorm. Carol and the others wanna talk. And bring Ririna too. And Bea and Flanne.”

Carol and Katja caught some flustered cat noises from the speaker. Something about commoners and royals and the difficulties of communication.

“It’s hard for you?” Miyuki asked. “That has nothing do with us, has it? You’ll figure it out, so bring them here as soon as possible. We’ll be waiting.”

*click*

Miyuki ended the call in her face. “Here you go, Carol. Thanks.”

“Yeah…” Carol retrieved her phone.

“I don’t think it’s necessary, but if they want to help, we might as well accept.” Katja said. “Well, this room is empty.” She dropped Miyuki’s case near the door. “Does it work for you?” It was a room on the first floor, making her and Hecate the only ones with rooms there.

“Sure! They’re all the same, aren’t they? This will do.” Miyuki pulled her luggage inside while Katja and Carol lingered for a while. “Hey, Katja, how come you have so much free time when everyone else is busy? Is it because you’re not training? How do you expect to save Iroha if you’re not at your maximum potential?”

“Huh?” What a biting question… Katja’s brows contorted, but she explained with a calm voice. “Well… I am at my maximum potential… I- I’m not like the others, you see. Training doesn’t really do anything for me. I’m more like a tool rather than a person, and tools don’t improve with training.”

“But that’s all made up.”

Miyuki instantly denied it. She pushed her face against Katja’s and stared with cold eyes.

“Wha…?”

“Isn’t it? It’s just something you tell yourself. You became a tool to deal with the guilt from your past. To atone for your sins, you started thinking of yourself as a sword whose only purpose was to protect people. But in the end, it’s all made up.”

“H- how…” How did Miyuki know so much? Did Iroha tell her? But Katja never even fully explained it to her…

“Isn’t it time for you to discard that? For Iroha? You know, that girl sees you as a human, even if you want to see yourself as something else. You can discard that silly notion of being a tool now, can’t you?”

C- could she…? Really?

“I- It’s not that simple…” Katja said. “That would be the same as me ignoring my sins… Atoning is the only reason I’ve come this far… If it’s not to atone in one way or the other, I don’t think I’ll be able to fight… It’d be too selfish for me to start acting for my own sake at this point… I have to remain as a tool.”

“Nghh… Is atoning more important to you than saving Iroha? Seriously?” Carol never liked that part of Katja, but that was a step too far. “Your priorities are messed up!”

“That’s not it. It’s not a choice for me… I can atone by saving Iroha. She’s really strong. If I want to protect the city of Three Records, having her around ready to fight monsters is the best way to do that. She can do a much better job than me. So don’t worry about my training. I’ll pull my own weight and save her. No matter the cost.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll fail.”

Miyuki poked Katja’s forehead.

“Why are you surprised? Aren’t I right? If you need to be a tool to fight, if you need to atone to be able to fight, you’re gonna fail. That narrative is already falling apart, isn’t it? You’ve been having butterflies ever since Iroha said she liked you, haven’t you? Your human side can’t be denied anymore.”

Katja’s face turned bright red. “Th- that’s not… I- It doesn’t matter, okay? I can be useful for her rescue even if I can’t fight. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

“By sacrificing yourself?” Miyuki read her perfectly. Carol glared at her, and Katja froze. “That’s what you’re thinking, right? You know you won’t be able to stay as a tool and continue to atone for long, so you’re planning on ending it before that can happen? That’s awful of you…”

“Is she right?!” Carol shouted. “Sacrificing yourself? Again? Why do you think Iroha let herself get taken? It was to buy time for you to get away from the Kurokawa family, wasn’t it? Without everyone together, there’s no point!”

“What am I supposed to do then? If I turn my back on my purpose, I won’t have a reason to fight anymore. I want to save Iroha, I really do… But if I stop being a sword, forget training, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to fight. All the sins I’ve committed and the pain I endured will have been for nothing. I’ll get crushed and freeze… I have to act as a tool… There’s no other way.”

“But there is a way, isn’t there? You just need to change masters.” Miyuki’s voice had the allure to convince anyone to taste the forbidden fruit.

“Change masters? What do you mean…?” Katja asked.

“Right now, what you’re truly scared of is not having a purpose, right? You’ve fought for so long to atone by protecting peace. This selfless sense of duty you feel towards the people of Three Records is your current master, and you can do that as a tool. You need that as a tool. But if it’s a master you need, why not serve Iroha instead?”

“You have what it takes. You can serve her as a sword. Just like you’ve done up till now. But now you won’t be a simple sword anymore. You’ll be able to improve like a person. Iroha likes your human side. If you serve her, so indulging that side will make you fulfill your purpose better. It will please Iroha more. You can be selfish and sharpen yourself through the guilt and the shame from turning your back on your sins and living for yourself. And as an added bonus, Iroha will think you’re hotter and like you more. Doesn’t it all work out nicely?”

“I- Is that even possible… Would Iroha really be happy with a girl like that…?”

“Don’t you already know the answer to that. You heard her yourself, didn’t you?” Miyuki extended a hand to Katja. “It’s okay… I’ll teach you everything you need.

“…” Katja stared at her hand. Slowly… Hesitating a lot… She reached forward and grabbed it. “Alright…”