Five hundred years ago, the church waged a holy war against witches.
The defeated witches went into hiding,
but the church continued to hunt them down in the name of righteousness.
Sorena, a Mooncaller witch beloved by the masses,
was burned at the stake for the crime of spreading plagues.
Those flames lit a vengeful fire, and witches all over the world rose up in response.
The Kingdom of Wenias called forth mercenaries to subjugate the witches.
Liturgical Year 526.
The world knew of the study of sorcery...
but it was still unaware of the skill called "magic."
Witches!
I heard it was all the witches' doing!
How scary...
Where the hell were they hiding?
The huge storm...
The rivers flooding...
Kidnappings, too!
You murderers!
Give me back my family!
They destroyed my fields, too!
We can always rely on the church to take care of us.
Faithful believers!
The witches before you have brought terror and chaos!
The Church will exterminate them, here and now!
Hey, sweetheart, want a good...?
We're closed.
I need some salt.
A beastfallen!
It's a beastfallen!
Get 'im!
Kill 'im and reap the bounty!
Every now and then, normal humans will give birth to a half-human, half-beast.
These so-called "beastfallen" are said to be instruments of the witches' sorcery,
and have large bounties placed on their heads.
That's why every ruffian around was a fan of mine.
All right.
I am leaving this place, Thirteen.
Is that what they said about you?
Are you scared of me, Mom?
Why would I be scared of you?
Your fur is fluffy, your eyes are big and round, and your mouth looks like you're always smiling!
My meat's not all that tasty.
Oh! I thought you were an animal, but you're just a mercenary.
A catlike beastfallen with white fur. My hearin' gets sharper the older I get.
I've heard rumors 'bout you.
I think they called you the "Black Beast of Death."
You wiped out an entire enemy squadron by yourself,
and your fur was dyed black by their blood...
You've got the wrong guy.
I hope they'll put a quick end to those witches wreaking havoc.
There's been so much ruckus in this forest as of late.
Are the ebelboars running amok, too?
The insects, the animals, everything.
Beastfallen huntin' witches are more than welcome here.
Take these.
Dammit, some luck I've got!
Zahard fraud! Swiftly pierce through mine enemies!
Chapter of Hunting, Page Two, steim!
Grant me power, for I am...
God dammit... I HATE WITCHES!
The hell did I end up here?
You bastard!
How dare you?! I worked really hard on that soup!
Shut it!
Now's not the time to be worryin' about soup!
What could be a bigger problem than my soup right...?
THAT'S a bigger problem.
Watch out!
Hey, why are you carrying me?
It just happened!
Someone's chasing you? What did you do?
Does a witch need a goddamn reason to be goin' after a beastfallen?!
Okay, let me down.
Are you a witch?
I am indeed a witch.
I draw meaning from the meaningless, and substance from nothingness.
I am a Mud-Black Witch!
Hot!
Huh?
The hell are you doing?!
You're the one who spilled my soup in the first place!
What?
Give that back!
It's mine, dammit!
Giving soup back to me is what's morally right!
Givin' hospitality to a witch ain't morally right.
Why do you have such hatred for witches?
You try saying that to my face again!
I can't say I dislike the human face hiding behind that furry one.
You...
You can see it? You see my human face?
I could not call myself a witch if I could not see through the beastleaven sorcery.
Beastleaven?
Witches imbued humans with the spirits of animals, transforming them into powerful soldiers.
It is said that in the olden days of endless war, one million beastleaven soldiers were created.
Witches created the beastfallen?
If you don't give me some soup right now, I'll use my sorcery on you!
Famine in the north!
Plague in the south!
Swarms of rats in the west!
Crippling drought in the east!
Your wrongdoing will bring the world to an end!
Whatever.
I want to eat.
I'm so hungry.
I'd been working on that soup since early morning.
I was looking forward to eating it...
And this soup is so delicious, I could die for it.
I want to eat it.
Here.
More!
Why the hell did you come here?
I'm too hungry to answer that.
I'll give you another bowl if you talk.
I am looking for a man by the name of Thirteen.
My compatriot left on a mission to take care of some trouble,
but he has neither returned nor informed me of his well-being.
He's part of the witches' uprising?
'Cause if he's trying to take over the country, I ain't on his side.
"Take over the country"?
Why would I do such a bothersome thing?
Then what's he doin'?
Looking for something. A book that was stolen from him.
A book?
A precious book that has no copy.
If it fell into the wrong hands, it could spell disaster.
What kind of disaster?
The end of the world.
Well, damn! I'm so scared I'm about to burst into tears.
They wouldn't even need the whole book, just one chapter could do it.
So where do I come in with all that?
I'd like to hurry my journey, but I've been the frequent target of witch hunters.
It's inconvenient to be traveling alone.
So...
...you will be my guard!
Like hell I will!
That was an impressively quick response.
I came here to kill witches, now you want me to protect one?
You will be compensated, of course.
I don't give a shit about compensation!
I hate those damn witches!
You mean the one attacking you earlier?
Not just him - all of you bastards!
No matter how much I hate them, all you witches and thieves just love beastfallen!
Because of my body, because I look like this, every goddamn day turns into a big bloody mess!
Even humans shut me out, tell me to keep out of their towns, their stores, their sight!
I'm sick of it!
Do you want to return to being human?
Can you turn me back into a human?
It's quite simple.
In return, will you protect me?
You're not tryin' ta get me off guard so you can slit my throat, are you?
If I were, I would have already done so.
Wh-what are you doing?!
If you are so in doubt, I will draw up a contract.
A sorcerer's blood contract.
I will warn you, this contract is absolute.
Any party that breaks it will be killed.
"Killed"?
Nothing to fear as long as you don't break the contract.
Give me your hand.
I will not kill you.
After your guard service has ended, I will turn you back to a human.
Hey, Witch... why'd you choose me?
Traveling with a beastfallen's just gonna draw more attention to us.
It will mean less attention drawn to me.
You're not scared of me?
What is there to be afraid of?
You have wonderful fur, sharp eyes, and a cute mouth that looks as if it is smiling.
And you smell like a cellar.
What?
There's a hiding place for witches in Moonsbow Forest.
It's dark, damp, and quite comfortable.
I have fond memories of that place, and you smell strongly of it.
Give up your money and the beastfallen's head!
I will not give them my son!
We can't let there be any more victims!
They say they'll leave us alone if we give them the beastfallen's head...
"Like a cellar," huh?
All right.
Burning the contract will activate it.
Hey! What are you doing?!
Don't need a contract.
Gimme your hand.
Oh, I've heard of this!
A blood oath, right?
That's how we mercenaries do it.
What's your name?
I am Zero.
First Thirteen, now Zero...
Oh, my name's--
I don't care.
What?
I only call my manservants by their names.
Simply "Mercenary" will do just fine.
Whatever.
Names are important to witches.
If you ever try to discover my real name,
I will make you my obedient servant in a heartbeat!
That sounds like somethin' I'd hear out of a witch's mouth.
Of course, because I do indeed have a witch's mouth!
Look who it is.
Master...
Hey!
The hell are you doing?!
So cold.
I need my fluffy, furry...
Wake the hell up already!
You should be grateful to me.
You slept with an unrivaled beauty in your arms.
That's rich, coming from you.
It's the unwavering truth.
You've got no shame.
Did you desire me so?
Like hell I did!
My, how boring.
Then just think of us as inanimate objects.
You're the floor, and I'm a body pillow.
Stop it with that ridiculous crap!
From the course of Thirteen's mana, he should be around here.
Plasta? The royal capital? That's enemy headquarters.
Judging by the contents of the book he's searching for,
it makes sense it would lie at the heart of the witches' revolt.
So what kind of book is it?
This book that can destroy the world...
How much do you know about sorcery?
Uh, you draw up weird circles, summon a demon, and make strange things happen.
Well done.
The witch chasing you last night was firing arrows of light at you.
Yeah. When the hell did you guys get the ability to draw circles on the fly?
Strictly speaking, that is not sorcery.
That is magic.
"Ma...gic"?
What?
Nothing. I'm just surprised a tough mercenary like you could make such cute expressions.
Cut that out.
Don't act shy, it only makes you look cuter.
I'll succumb to the temptation to hug you.
All right.
I'll show you a bit of sorcery.
Wait, c'mon, are you really gonna do it now?
Wochare, westore, grou,
wideo, omnis,
wedis, kazam, ego.
Dichael, miamnism, audi,
Qui, habitent in,
Ignem charo rai...
What's happening?
...rex fiat!
An ebelboar...
Good timing.
Demon, grant my wish.
That sucked.
Good work.
Mercenary, this is sorcery.
Not the time for a lesson!
Damn!
Mercenary.
Huh?
Now, I will show you magic.
Miza ri kiv, squirm forth and ensnare mine enemy!
Chapter of Capture, Page Eight!
Caplata!
Grant me power, for I am Zero!
I use sacrifices and the power of words to draw forth demonic energy,
without invocations or summoning circles.
That is magic.
What about that demon?
You summoned it 'cause you needed it, right?
No.
I only did that because no one had tried to before.
So, Mercenary, do you think we can eat it?
They're tasty, but forbidden to hunt. Let it go.
It is quite the lucky hunk of meat to be spared its life after attacking me.
The stolen book contains the basic theories of magic.
The power demons possess is limited by laws similar to those of nature, and there is no circumventing them.
I call it the Magical Law of the Demonic Pact, or "magic" for short.
Magic...
There you are!
The witch from last night!
He's just a kid!
Setting a boar upon us was quite the violent tactic.
You're a witch, you should know why!
I need his head!
I've gotta get stronger!
Bag do glaht!
Hellsfire, come forth! Incinerate mine enemies!
Chapter of Hunting, Page Six, flagis!
Oh?
Grant me power, for my name is Albus!
Request denied.
Grant me power, for my name is Zero.
Don't underestimate me, boy.
That was my magic...
My knowledge, my power.
Trying to use it against me is truly laughable!
Boy, where did you learn magic?
I learned it from a group of sorcerers of Zero.
Their holy book was the Grimoire of Zero.
"The Grimoire of Zero"?
The ability to use sacrifices and the power of words to draw forth demonic energy
without invocations or summoning circles begins with the Grimoire of Zero.
I am Zero.
I wrote that book.
Tsuretette Take me with you
Ikisaki wa kimetenai kedo Though I haven't decided where
Yurashiteite Sway me with you
Sakasama demo kawaranai desho It doesn't matter if we go upside down
Zutto koko ga ii to omotteta I thought staying here forever was alright
Ano hi kimi to deau made wa Until the day I met you
Sagashidashitatte ii I want us to go on a search
Kasaneau mirai no hou ga ii I want our futures to overlap
Hikari ni nare Becoming the light
Tsunagiattatte ii I want us to be tied together
Futatsu no sekai o nozondatte ii It's fine if we want two worlds
Issho ni ikou Let's go together