Theo was walking at a fast pace along the path that wound toward the forest clearing. His boots made hardly any noise on the dry leaves, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop dwelling on what had just happened at the girl's house. Although he had faced monsters and nightmare creatures to level up in his adventures, having killed a human being—or at least someone with that appearance—left a different kind of weight on his shoulders. The witch was ugly and evil, but she was still human in essence.
'It's not the same as a giant toad or a goblin' - Theo thought. But he shook his head hard to clear those thoughts. He didn't have time for moral crises. He needed to reach the place where Hansel and Gretel were facing Muriel. Although he trusted that the siblings were veteran hunters with years of experience, he knew that Muriel was no ordinary witch.
As he approached the clearing, Theo hid among the bushes to evaluate the situation. He was met with a great surprise, and not exactly a pleasant one. He saw the siblings standing there, almost hypnotized, listening to Muriel's monologue. The great dark witch was pouring poison into their ears, talking about their mother and the past, and the siblings were so immersed in their own pain that they didn't realize what was happening. Muriel, with calculated and slow movements, was sliding toward her fallen wand.
Theo didn't hesitate for a second longer. He stored his sword in his inventory and, with a thought, summoned his pistols—those weapons he had almost forgotten but which, at this moment, were the perfect tool. He had never fired a firearm in his life, much less two at once, but his super-soldier body did not fail him. He felt his muscles adjust automatically, keeping his aim steady and his arms like rocks.
Just before squeezing the triggers, he noticed that Muriel had spotted him out of the corner of her eye. The witch tried to lunge to one side, but it was too late. Theo fired.
The two bullets left with a thunderous roar that broke the climax of Muriel's talk. The projectiles were incredibly fast. Muriel couldn't dodge them completely; the bullets struck her side and her shoulder. But unlike a normal lead bullet that would pierce the flesh, these seemed to crash against an invisible wall. Upon impact, they created waves of bluish energy that traveled through the witch's body, as if they were draining something from within.
Theo had already expected something like this. Those pistols came from a game and their damage worked by a percentage of HP. Although Muriel tried to keep moving by pure inertia, the world suddenly seemed to spin. Her legs gave way and she fell to her knees on the ground, letting out a groan of pure agony. She felt absolutely weakened, as if every fiber of her being had lost its connection to her will.
"What... what have you done to me?" - Muriel stammered. Her face, which was already a sickly white, turned even more hideous. She felt her body numb, heavy, as if gravity had multiplied tenfold. Her magical and physical strength were simply fading away.
Hansel and Gretel, snapped out of their stupor by the shots, looked first at Muriel's deplorable state and then at Theo, who was emerging from between the trees with the pistols still smoking in his hands.
"The bullets are special" - Theo said, shrugging his shoulders and walking toward them with composure.
He stopped a few meters from the siblings and looked at them with a raised eyebrow, showing his disapproval.
"I hope this is a one-time thing because you won't last long if it's like this..." - Theo said, gesturing with his chin toward the wand that Muriel had almost reached.
Gretel opened her mouth to defend herself, but looking at the ground and seeing how close Muriel had been to recovering her weapon, she could only make a face of annoyance. Hansel did the same, clenching his jaw; he knew Theo was right, but the story about their mother had hit them where it hurt most.
Theo approached Muriel, who was groaning on the ground, and picked up the dark wooden wand. Then, with a sharp movement, he placed his boot on the witch's back and pressed down. Muriel let out a high-pitched whimper and sank against the damp earth of the clearing. She didn't even have the strength to try and push Theo's foot away.
'They really work' - Theo thought. The weapons removed HP, which in the real world translated into pure vitality. By losing vitality, the body entered a state of shock: weakness, fainting, and, if all was lost, death. Muriel right now was little more than a corpse that was still breathing.
Theo looked up at the siblings, who were watching the witch with eyes laden with an old hatred, renewed by the recent confessions.
"What do you plan to do with her?" - Theo asked. He already knew they were going to kill her, but after hearing what she did to them, he didn't think it would be something quick and easy.
Hansel and Gretel looked at each other. There was no need for words. The silent communication between them was absolute. In their expressions, there was no longer pain or doubt, only a thirst for pure revenge. Muriel had taken away their childhood, their parents, and the peace of their home.
Time passed as the forest shadows lengthened. The siblings did not give Muriel a good time. To make a long story short, they made sure she paid for every lie and every manipulation. They tortured her with the coldness of those who have seen the worst of the world, and finally, when there was nothing left to get out of her, they burned her. The bonfire that consumed Muriel was not that of an ignorant village, but the final pyre of a long-awaited justice.
When Muriel seemed more dead than alive, the siblings managed to get the information they needed out of her. They confirmed that many other witches were already on their way to her lair for the Blood Moon ritual.
Following the directions obtained under duress, the trio headed to the cavern that served as the secret lair. There, they spent the next few hours preparing a series of ingenious and lethal traps. And then, they only had to wait for the day of the blood moon.
When the witches began to arrive, the carnage was total. Theo decided it was the perfect moment to test his Inner Beast skill in a more controlled and open environment. He transformed into a whirlwind, moving without the witches being able to react before they were cut down by his sword; he moved with a ferocity that even made Hansel stop for a moment to watch in awe, making him think that fortunately, they hadn't pushed things further. On the other hand, the witches, accustomed to hunting weak humans, stood no chance against Theo's brute strength and speed combined with the precision of the siblings' shots.
Finally, after a long night of blood and fire, silence returned to the forest.
Now, the three were inside the cavern, which now smelled of smoke and victory. They had lit a small campfire and were eating some of the remaining provisions, enjoying a well-deserved rest. The tension of the previous days had dissipated, leaving only the physical exhaustion of a battle won.
Theo finished eating his ration and set the bowl aside. He stretched a bit and stood up, shaking the dust off his clothes.
"Well, now that everything is over, it's time for me to go" - Theo said matter-of-factly. He had finally completed the mission, as it also encompassed the witches coming for the ritual, and without killing them, the mission would not be complete.
The comment caught the siblings' attention. Hansel stopped his beer mug halfway and Gretel stopped eating. There was no big fuss; in their line of work, people come and go constantly. They were used to quick goodbyes.
Gretel stood up first. She approached Theo and held out her hand with an expression of respect.
"Thank you for your help, Theo" - she said sincerely. - "And... I apologize for everything at the beginning. You were a great help, more than we expected."
She shot a pointed look at her brother, who was still sitting. Hansel sighed, set down the mug, and stood up begrudgingly, though his expression was no longer hostile.
"It's true" - Hansel added. - "Thank you. I apologize for my behavior, I was... well, you know. I hope we can work together again next time. We need people who know how to fight like you."
Theo accepted the handshakes with a calm smile.
"No problem, I perfectly understand why you acted that way" - Theo responded. - "I hope to see you in better shape next time our paths cross." - He said that, but mentally he thought that he didn't want to return to this world.
Without another word, Theo turned around and walked out of the cavern into the coolness of the forest night. He walked for a good while until he was in a secluded area, where the trees were so dense that the moonlight barely reached the ground. He stood there, alone with his thoughts.
'It's time to go back' - he thought. It didn't take long before the familiar feeling of translocation enveloped him. The forest air vanished and was replaced by the familiar scent of his room in the world of Konosuba.
Theo appeared standing in the middle of his room. He let out a long sigh and let himself fall onto his back onto the bed, feeling the softness of the sheets after days of sleeping on the ground or in cheap inns. He looked at the ceiling and smiled slightly.
"It really is good to be back" - he whispered to himself before closing his eyes.
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Honestly, I didn't want to continue in that world; it wasn't like there was much to do after Muriel was killed.
And finally, Theo used the pistols from the first gacha roll. I hadn't forgotten about them (I had actually planned to do a mission in a world where I could use them, but I ultimately decided against it, so they were simply left aside, forgotten by Theo).
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.