So, yeah, anyway...
Feel free to call me by my nickname: the Witch of Lapis.
I was thinking it was about time.
On top of my skill with magic, I've got good looks and character.
If you know, you know.
U-Uh, yeah. The Witch of Lapis is a great nickname.
Wh-Who wouldn't admire the Witch of Lapis?
Yeah. She's totally the Witch of Lapis.
Why are you looking at me with pity?!
Hold it!
Oh, Sophie!
I haven't seen you since the Otherworld Festival.
Why are you leaving, Sophie?
Hey, want a ride, baby?
Stay away from me.
Once Upon a Witch's Death
Words and Disasters and Ceremonies
A magic ceremony?
Once every 20 years, mages and magic-related corporations
present new technologies at a grand festival.
The next one is on New Year's Eve this year.
That amazing ceremony is happening this year?
It's all over the news.
At least keep up with current events.
Top-class mages and industry folk invited by the Council of Magic,
plus members of major media outlets will take part.
Naturally, so will the Seven Sages.
Oh, yeah? So in other words, you think you're amazing.
It's not an ego thing. It's the truth.
Can't deny that.
Anyway, should I have been invited to that ceremony?
The Council of Magic invited me, but I wasn't sure if I should take you, since I'm busy.
So I suggested taking you instead.
You did?
You are the Eternal Witch's apprentice,
and this town has given you the nickname, "the Witch of Lapis." It shouldn't be a problem.
Besides, we may find a clue to lifting your curse there.
Sophie...
You're making me blush.
Hey, I know. Like my mistress said, why don't we check on current events?
Onto our next story.
This year's World Beauty Witch has been crowned.
One of the Seven Sages, Ms. Chloe, the Witch of Words, was the unanimous winner.
As this is her third win in a row, she has been inducted into the hall of fame.
We have received a video message from Ms. Chloe responding to the news.
Yup, a body like that just makes you want to cop a feel.
Roll the tape.
No wonder they call her the number one sexiest witch.
Hello, everyone. I'm Chloe, the Witch of Words.
What are you, a pervy old man?
I'm shocked at being crowned World Beauty Witch for the third year in a row.
Chloe might be attending the ceremony, too.
Seriously? I might get to see this jaw-dropping beauty in the flesh?
Chloe is beautiful?
What? Don't you think she's super beautiful?
I'll try to live up to all of your expectations as best I can.
Well...
This person is beautiful.
New Year's Eve really snuck up on us.
Why are they holding a major event at such a busy time of year?
Magic ceremonies can only be held at certain times.
This month happens to be one of them.
Sophie, are you sure we don't need to take anything?
You're so lightly dressed, too.
It's no problem. We're coming back here anyway, and it won't matter if it's cold there.
I should've asked before, but where is this ceremony being held?
My mistress said she had to go prepare and left earlier,
but will we make it in time if we leave now?
It's fine. We'll be there soon.
I've never seen this formula before.
It's a teleportation spell. It'll take us to the teleportation circle at the event space.
Teleportation? That's a thing?
Step inside.
Oh, uh, right.
We're here.
That was fast! Nah, come on. There's no way it's that easy to...
Huh?
Seriously? Are we still on Earth?
This is the holy land in North America under the jurisdiction of the Council of Magic.
It sits on the border of our world and another.
There's a place like this in North America?
Normally, this place is closed. It only opens once every 20 years.
This is my first time coming here.
The magic power is so stable.
All day today, any kind of spell can be constructed here,
and all manner of spells will be announced.
I see.
Ms. Sophie!
Ms. Sophie, tell us about the performance you'll be giving at the ceremony today.
Do you have a message for all your fans who are watching?
Damn you, you media vultures!
If it's a fight you want, you got one!
"Let me handle this. You go on ahead."
How do you feel right now?
Can we get a comment?
White-Owl, stay with Sophie.
What am I supposed to do by myself?
Either way, those media vultures really get my goat!
They're just asking to be cursed for two months of diarrhoea without toilet paper.
Don't say such sinister things, girl.
Huh?
Try casting a curse while under the Council of Magic's supervision,
and you'll be permanently stripped of the right to use magic.
And who do you think you are?
Wait, are these spirits?
From your sorry appearance and poverty-etched face,
I'm guessing you're one of the hired staff, yes?
What?
I'll overlook your ominous statements, so show me to—
How dare you talk to your betters like that, you brat.
Stop that. Who do you think I am?
Ignorant brats need to be punished.
Stop! Let go! Stop that!
Stop! Stop! Stop!
Ah. U-Um, excuse us!
You stupid, ugly...
I'm sorry, okay? I get that I shouldn't have done that to a kid I just met.
You're a total mad dog.
Aw, what a cutie. I've never seen a creature like this before.
He's my familiar. He's from another world, so you don't normally see his kind here.
Uh-huh. I'm glad you came.
This is calming.
You aren't holding back on sniffing him, huh?
Where'd you come from, anyway? Where are your parents?
I came with my servant, who wandered off while I wasn't looking.
She came with a servant, huh?
Is she the child of some VIP?
In that case...
If I return her safely to her parents, they're sure to reward me handsomely.
Your greedy side is showing.
Jokes aside, there must be a reason we met.
Want to walk around together until we find your servant?
Really?!
Hmph. Very well. If you insist.
You're a real pain.
Try a bit harder at concealing your inner thoughts.
By the way, you're from North America, aren't you?
How'd you know?
You're surrounded by many spirits.
North America has lots of nature and lots of spirits.
Since they seem to like you, I figured you must be local.
You can see spirits?
I guess it is kinda rare to be able to see them without using magic like I can.
What's your name?
I'm Meg Raspberry. What's yours?
I'm, uh... It's a secret.
What?
I can't say my name out loud. I promised I wouldn't.
Seriously?
Well, whatever. Let's go, Little Miss Nameless.
Okay!
There's lots of interesting research here.
A pharmaceutical company is announcing its magic medicine over here...
Oh, wait. Ms. Inori helped develop it?
The Witch of Wisdom is over there.
What? Where?
Hey, you're right.
Hey, Ms. Inori!
Aw, man. She's not looking this way.
Still, she sure is popular.
It's no wonder. Inori's the most-watched witch in the field of pharmacology.
Wowee. I guess she really is amazing. No wonder she has men all over her,
despite the fact she's a slob with stinky feet who makes herself look younger than she is.
Hey, is Inori looking at you?
Huh?
I'm
going
to
kill
you
L-Let's head to the next place!
The Witch of Wisdom is still looking at you.
Clear skies, thunderbolts, lightning! Arise!
Cloudy skies, spread, May showers! Arise!
Divine punishment, instant, cry! Shout!
How? Incantations require twelve verses.
They split the incantation between the three of them.
They're young, but they've studied hard to achieve this level of skill.
Our thunderbolt wasn't effective?
Because this is rubber.
That's how it goes with rubber.
Not much you can do if it's rubber.
Go! Drift on your broom!
Use your nitro at max boost!
Keep your lead, Princess of Magic!
Get her, Dramatalina!
Go, go, go!
We walked all over the place checking stuff out, but we never found your servant.
I can't believe I was abandoned. That's it. No meals for two months.
That's a death sentence.
I'm hungry.
Same here.
Wanna check out the buffet over there?
Charge!
Good grief. She's such a little kid.
Excuse me. Thank—
This person has...
I'm scared. But I don't dislike her.
She seems so sad.
You're cursed, aren't you?
Huh? H-How did you know?
A cruel fate awaits you.
When your curse is lifted, you'll lose something important.
Important? You mean my life?
Something more precious and irreplaceable.
Something you'd give your own life for.
Something irreplaceable?
Meg!
I noticed you weren't following, so I came back. Why are you standing around?
Oh, sorry. I was talking to this person right...
Huh? That's odd. She was just here.
The only thing that's odd is your face. More importantly, let's go eat.
R-Right.
Huh? Hey, leave my face out of it.
Whoops.
I brought that on myself!
What now?
Sophie threatened—I mean, asked me to come see her.
Sophie? You mean the Witch of Blessings?
First, Inori, now her. How are you so well-connected for a country bumpkin?
Don't call me that.
Besides, you talk about them in a pretty familiar way, too.
Sophie.
Quite impressive.
She really is amazing.
Anyway, that aside...
White-Owl's totally acting like she's Sophie's familiar.
I'll have to teach her a lesson later.
It's her.
That's one of the Seven Sages, the Witch of Disaster, Eldora.
The Witch of Disaster?
I know that name.
She has an impressive track record, intervening in and ending a large-scale war.
I heard the Council of Magic made her one of the Seven Sages to control her overwhelming power.
What's she doing at the ceremony?
That old man, the council's chairman, must be behind it.
By parading Ms. Faust and Eldora, who are both comparable to Bennett, the Sage of Beginnings,
he's trying to demonstrate the council's power.
That's politics for you.
Thank you for coming to today's momentous magic ceremony.
I am delighted to celebrate this day in this holy land that has opened
for the first time in 20 years.
Huh? What's going on?
It's not working.
What was that?
The Council of Magic is currently working on a large-scale project.
At the center of it are these two top-class witches, Eldora and Faust.
That was some crazy news.
The planet core project, huh?
Environmental destruction has disrupted the balance of magic in the natural world,
leading to frequent disasters.
In response, the Council of Magic has decided to create a source for all magic power on Earth,
making the planet's core resonate with an artificial core made from magic ore,
and controlling the flower of magic by human hand.
The scale is so massive, it doesn't feel real.
Controlling a planet's magic power by human hand? What about the spirits?
Most of all, why would they...
What are you muttering about?
I-It's nothing. I just don't like the fact that Eldora's involved.
And she's with them. Damn her.
Speaking of Eldora, didn't the mood of the crowd seem kinda odd?
I feel like she must've done something.
It was a curse.
Sophie! I'm surprised you found us.
It's thanks to her.
Eldora's curse obstructs perception of her.
It prevents her image and voice from being recorded.
She can do that?
If she's good with curses, maybe she can tell me something about my curse.
S'berry.
Who is this?
This little girl? Apparently, she's lost. She got separated from her servant.
S'berry, that's not a child.
What do you mean?
Where have you been?
I was worried someone had lured you away with candy and kidnapped you.
Okay, okay. Get off me.
Wait, that's Chloe, the Witch of Words!
I'd know that super sexy body anywhere!
Ow.
Glare.
Meg should be fine.
Wendy, introduce yourself.
Oh, yes, ma'am. My name is Wendy.
I'm the number one apprentice of Ms. Chloe, the Witch of Words.
What?
Surprised, Meg the Country Witch?
I'm the real Chloe.
What?
Chloe is one of the council's greatest secrets,
so they gave her a double.
Why go through all that trouble?
Because Chloe is the only witch in the world who can't use magic.
She can't use magic?
My body is half-human, half-spirit.
I act as an intermediary between humans and spirits, conveying their words.
That is my role.
Since Ms. Chloe can't use magic, she has no way to defend herself.
So I stand in for Ms. Chloe while she works behind the scenes.
I see. That must be tough when she's so little.
Chloe is far older than us.
What? Older? How old is she?
Over 150 years.
She's a legit lolibaba!
Who are you calling a "legit lolibaba"?!
Time just flows differently for me because of the spirits, you total airhead!
Who are you, anyway?
You've been rude to me since the moment we met!
S'berry is Faust's apprentice.
Faust's apprentice?
Yes.
Ms. Faust's apprentice?
Yeah.
Wh-Wha...
I thought I heard a ruckus. What are you lot yelling about?
Oh, mistress—
Ms. Faust!
I-It's good to see you again, Ms. Faust!
You look well, Chloe.
Yup!
What's all that about?
Ms. Chloe is a huge fan of Ms. Faust.
Well, that's a surprise.
By the way, Chloe, do you and Meg know each other?
I've been looking after Meg since she got lost.
Now, wait a sec, legit lolibaba.
I see. I'm sorry for all the trouble my unworthy student caused you.
That's not an expression a young lady should be making.
Sh-Shut up!
You should've said you were Ms. Faust's apprentice sooner!
That's no reason to start crying.
Wow.
It'll be the new year soon.
What? But it was still morning when we left.
The flow of magic power is strong in the holy land.
It causes time to speed up, too.
Meg, it's time for us to say goodbye.
Chloe?
See you later.
When we meet next, I, Chloe, the Witch of Words,
will work you hard so you don't bring shame upon the title of Ms. Faust's apprentice.
But you can't even use magic.
Okay, sure.
We're back?
The special once-in-two-decades period of time has ended,
and the holy land has closed and returned to normal.
Well, that was tiring.
Meg, make us some tea.
I'm hungry. Make something for me.
H-Hey, wait. I'm tired, too, you know.
And I didn't resolve anything with my curse, either.
We're home. I look forward to another year!
The Family Bewitched by a Devil