"Haizzzz....."
A long, melancholic sigh escaped her lips, carrying with it the gloom clearly etched on her delicate face.
Just earlier, while those sisters were arguing over who got to take her home, Kyouno had taken advantage of the chaos and slipped through their circle unnoticed.
But, after that, she didn't know where to go.
Mana? who knows where she'd run off to and vanished.
(Uhm... earlier she did vaguely hear some wailing screams and desperate cries for mercy somewhere...)
As for mom?
She didn't want to make mom worry about her any more than she already had.
Wandering aimlessly, she eventually slumped down beneath this tree, stared blankly at the strangers chatting and laughing merrily by the roadside.
Actually, Kyouno wanted to make friends too!
When she saw her sister smiling, laughing, playing so happily with her friends—
She felt jealous. Deeply jealous, and also full of admiration.
"If only... I could be like sister."- That was what she had wished for in her heart.
But no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much courage she gathered, she was still just the same shy, trembling Kyouno. She could never become someone as bold and lively as her sister.
"Maybe... I can never make any friends" - she mumbled to herself, voice tinged with disheartenment and a hint of helplessness.
Kyouno slumped further, as if the very idea of making friends no longer even crossed her mind.
Suddenly—
"Hey... isn't that the daughter of that witch from the mountain?!"- A shrill shout suddenly rang out.
("Witch" is a derogatory term used to insult a mage ಠ_ಠ)
Hearing that voice, little Kyouno froze in place. The daughter of the mountain witch...Wasn't that referring to her?!
By instinct, the little girl turned her head, and not far from where she was, stood another group of children. This bunch were younger than the brothers and sisters from earlier, only about two or three years older than her.
However, the demeanor of these kids was nothing like the friendly older ones from earlier. Instead, each one wore a scowling face, their posture arrogant and overbearing. There was clearly nothing even remotely related to the word "friendly" about them.
Those kids, spotted the little girl, didn't even give her time to grasp what was happening. The whole group quickly closed in on her.
"Oi, fatty, didn't you say she was the daughter of that witch? I thought she was supposed to be older, like seven or eight years older than us or something?"- One of the boys asked when they got close enough to see her clearly.
"Godness, are you stupid or what? If it was her, you think I'd call you lot over just to get our butts kicked?"- Next to him, a chubby boy—the same one who had yelled earlier—snapped back in annoyance.
"You don't know, do you? This is the youngest daughter of that witch, she's the little sister of that wild brat!" - he added.
"If it were her sister, we'd just give up, but this tiny little thing? Don't tell me we can't deal with her? Especially when she's sitting here all alone, this is the chance for leader and the rest of us to teach that old witch a lesson" - He said, his voice laced with sinister intent.
"But, don't you afraid she'll come after us?" that boy, still hesitant, asked quickly.
"Tch, what are you so worried about? Our leader is the village head's grandson, isn't he? And that witch and the village head are close like father and daughter. Worst case, we just get a slap on the wrist, maybe a scolding or two. What's she gonna do to us?"
"Y-Yeah... I guess you're right."
Kyouno, surrounded by those scowling kids, was already frozen stiff with fear. But when she heard that one ominous word "deal with" uttered by that boy, her trembling only grew worse.
"A-Anou..."- The little girl spoke up softly, trying her best to suppress the trembling in her voice.
"SHUT UP! Who gave you permission to talk?!"- Suddenly, a sharp shout cut her off, making Kyouno flinch violently. Her whole body curled in on itself, and the color drained from her face.
Then, from within the group, a boy —the same one who had just yelled, stepped forward.
This boy was lanky but tall. Though he was clearly the same age as the others, he stood a full head above them.
He had dark brown hair, sharply cut, with his bangs parting slightly and brushing lightly against his forehead, framing the arrogant tilt of his face.
Along with the crisp white tunic draped over his shoulders, the boy looked completely set apart from the scruffy, poor farm kids. His whole demeanor was arrogant and puffed-up, to the point of being downright obnoxious.
He walked toward her, step by step, eyes cold as ice locked onto the little girl.
As for Kyouno, seeing the boy drawing closer and closer, her entire body tensed up. She wanted to run, but her legs had already turned to jelly without her even realizing it.
When he finally stood right in front of her, the little girl could do nothing but lower her head, trembling violently.
"Y-Yu... You... you... you guys..."- She stammered, too terrified to form a proper sentence.
Suddenly—
"Aaaah...!"- A sharp jolt of pain burst across her scalp, causing her to cry out in shock. At the same time, a loud, domineering voice rang out:
"Who said you can talk, you filthy witch?!"- As he spoke, he violently yanked the little girl's soft hair, forcing her to lift her head.
At that moment, staring into his bloodshot eyes filled with malice, Kyouno felt her heart plunge into a bottomless abyss.
The boy spoke again, his voice icier than ever:
"You're that little girl the witch brought down here today, right? You're her daughter, aren't you?"
Kyouno, paralyzed by fear, couldn't get a single word out.
"I asked you ISN'T THAT RIGHT?!"
"Aaaaaa!"
The boy, seeing the little girl didn't respond, growled and yanked her hair even harder.
Kyouno had no choice but to frantically nod, her face scrunching up in pain.
The boy, seeing the little girl's face twisted in pain, grew even more excited, the corners of his mouth curling into a twisted, wicked grin.
...