Tisar: Finally someone else who know Haru could have survive without Tokaku in the main series! Yay!
Haru woke up with a terrible headache. She noticed that she was lying on a hard surface. When she tried to move, she realized with fright that she couldn't. She felt metals around her wrists and ankles. She looked up and understood what was happening. She was chained up to the rock table.
"Oh, you're awake. I was worried I might have hit you too hard."
Haru recognized this voice. From where she was though, she couldn't see her.
"Shiena… chan?"
She heard footsteps approaching her. She turned her head and saw the brunette by her side. Shiena seemed uncomfortable, yet resolved. Haru noticed that she was holding something: a knife. Haru felt her heart beating faster, worried and afraid.
"Shiena-chan… what… what are you going to do to me?"
"Hm… I haven't decided yet. It depends on how things are going to go now."
Haru shivered a little. She had a hard time believing what was happening. Shiena, a dark witch? Unbelievable. But she had to face the truth. Shiena was responsible for the paralyzed students, she knocked her out and chained her up. But Haru wanted to believe that Shiena had a reason to have done that, that she wasn't simply evil.
"Sorry for hitting you, usually I only paralyzed people, but you fought back. I had to knock you out."
"Why… are you doing this?"
"Huh? But Ichinose, you already know why. You guessed everything, remember?"
Haru's mind felt so dizzy and confused, still shocked by the hit and affected by the pain. But she managed to clear her mind and remembered what happened before.
"The successor… you're trying to find them… by analyzing people's blood," Haru said.
"I do. That's why I chose Kaminaga and Takechi, since they are related to the Higanbana family, and Azuma who's the granddaughter of Aoyasha. Neither of them was the successor and I couldn't analyze Azuma's blood. But I won't give up so easily. I'll find the successor, and I'll kill them."
"Shiena-chan… this is insane! This is an obsession! Why are you so obsessed by the successor? the prophecy might not even be true."
"Trust me, the prophecy is true. The successor is a threat to the world and has to be eradicated. This is my duty to eliminate them, for the sake of everyone."
"This isn't… just a personal quest, isn't? You… you are part of Collective Dismissal, a group of Witch Hunters. You… You're a Witch Hunter!"
"I am. They are the one who entrusted me with this mission."
"Is it why… you talked with Isuke-san and Sasoriza-san?"
Shiena looked surprised.
"So you saw me… I tried to recrute Inukai as a Witch Hunter, but she wasn't interested. I kind of got mad at her for calling me stupid to care about blood-status. Hm, what did I expect from a Slytherin… And Sasoriza, well, that's a secret."
"Why?! Shiena-chan, you are a witch, a muggle-born…"
"I'm not!" Shiena sharply interrupted. "I'm a human! A magician! Did you know that muggle is actually a pejorative term to mock humans? Wizards are so pretentious…"
"But… wizards are humans."
"No, they are not! Wizards are… evil. They view themselves as superior, they persecute humans, treat 'muggle-borns' as if there blood was dirty. Well, pure-bloods do. Half-bloods can be okay. There are some half-bloods in Collective Dismissal, since they are partially humans they can be viewed as magicians."
"But… you're friend with Suzu-san, and she's a pure-blood!"
Shiena stopped talking for a moment, like what Haru said made her doubt.
"Shutou… is indeed a good person. I'm not saying that all wizards are bad, but most of them are. Despite our name, Collective Dismissal doesn't kill witches. All we do is protect mankind from opressors, from wizards who persecute us. And the successor will, they are a danger for humans."
Haru didn't know what to think about this. What Shiena was saying simply sound insane, which made her even more worried about what the brunette had planned to do to her.
"Shiena-chan, you're wrong…"
"I'm right! Remember Tanaka? I used to be in the same middle-school as her. She and some of her witch friends bullied me, because I was a 'mudblood'. I know better than you how cruel wizards can be."
Haru wanted to tell her how wrong she was, that her own parents had been murdered by a witch, but she thought it would only add fuel to Shiena's hatred for wizards.
"When you broke our friendship, you told me it was because you were scared to be targetted by my enemies. You said there was no other reason. Was it really true?"
"Huh, you remember that," Shiena replied, surprised. "I lied. The reason why I stopped being your friend was because I was afraid my attachment to you would get in the way of my mission. I couldn't get too close from someone who valued her witch side more than her human side…"
"Then why did you become friend with me again?"
Shiena looked taken by surprise by this question and seemed hesitating to answer.
"I had a moment of weakness. I just… missed you. I know you're a good person, you're just… misguided. I thought I could change you. Ichinose, join us. Join Collective Dismissal and become a magician. And together, we'll find the successor and save humanity."
"I… I'm sorry, Shiena-chan. I can't. I'll never join a group that hurt people. What you are doing is wrong, you're hurting people and frightening them. And Sato-san… did you kill him?"
The brunette looked disappointed by her answer, and even… angry? Contemptful?
"I see… so this is your final choice. Very well. And to answer your question, no I didn't kill Sato. I just got inspired by it for my work. Now if you excuse me, it's time to do what I should have done sooner…"
Without warning, Shiena suddenly cut Haru on the arm. Haru let out a cry of pain when she felt the blade cutting her skin, and blood flew from the wound. Shiena used a flask to collect some of the blood and recoiled, with a gloomy expression. She then drop the blood in another flask filled with a blueish liquid. Suddenly, the liquid turned yellow, much to Shiena's shock. And it was worrying Haru.
"Shiena-chan… what is it? What does it mean?"
Her captor remained quiet for a moment, still gazing at the flask with astonishment, before putting it again.
"Nothing important," Shiena replied as she pointed her wand towards, casting a spell. The blade turned white and lightful.
Haru was starting to get seriously afraid about Shiena's intent.
"Shiena-chan… what is that? What… are you going to do?"
The brunette's hand was shaking as if she was nervous. She then took a deep breath, and became stoic.
"I cast a spell on my knife so you won't feel the blade," Shiena replied coldly.
"What… what are you saying… why?"
"So it won't hurt you when I'll kill you."
It took few seconds for Haru to process what she just heard.
"You want… to kill me? Why!?"
Shiena took a moment before answering, like she needed to find a reason.
"You know too much. I can't take the risk to have you tell others that I'm the culprit."
She approached Haru, who was starting to freak out, pulling on her restrain in vain.
"Please, Shiena-chan, don't do that! We're friends!"
"We're not. You're just a witch."
"Don't do something you'll regret! Don't become a murderer!"
"I won't regret it! What I'm doing is right, it's for the greater good."
As she said that, Shiena raised the knife, ready to strike, while Haru started to tear up.
"Please don't! Don't kill me! Please Shiena-chan!" Haru begged tearfully.
"Shut up! You're not even human, you're just a witch! An you'll betray me one day!"
"I'm both! And I would never betray you!"
"Liar! You're a liar!"
Shiena's hands started to shiver. Haru noticed that there were tears in her eyes too. The brunette was breathing deeply, her knife still raised, ready to strike at any moment. She looked like she was hesitating, but there was also something in her eyes that showed she was resolved.
The door opened with a bam. The brunette blenched and turned back, still holding her knife.
"Haru!"
Haru had never been so relieved to hear Tokaku's voice. Her girlfriend entered the room, pointing her wand at Shiena with a fierce expression.
"Kenmochi! Get away from Haru!"
The brunette shivered nervously with a frighten look, before she regained her composure. She went behind Haru and put the knife under her throat.
"Don't move! Or I'll slice her throat!" Shiena threatened with shaky voice.
Despite the fear for Haru's safety, Tokaku kept her calm.
"Kenmochi, I don't know why you're doing this, and honestly I don't care. But I know you're not a killer. You don't have that kind of smell. If you kill Haru, you'll regret it. Both because of your conscience and because I'll make you pay."
Shiena looked scared at first, before fear turned into anger.
"Shut up! You know nothing about me, so don't pretend you understand. I'm doing what I have to do, I won't regret it. And if you try to get in my way, I'll kill you too!" Shiena shouted.
"You're right, I know nothing about you. I don't care about you. But I care for Haru. So I won't let you kill her, I'll protect her. And I won't regret killing you if it what it's take to save her."
The brunette looked like she was hesitating. Haru wanted to take advantage of it to convince her to stop.
"Shiena-chan… please, stop. It's not too late. I won't tell anyone it was you, I promise."
"No! I can't trust anyone, especially not you! I… I have to kill you… I have no choice!"
"We always have a choice! Make the choice to not be a killer. Please Shiena-chan, don't cross the limit, you can still redeem yourself. But if you kill me, you might never be able to wash the blood from your hands. And I don't want that for you… because you're my friend and I care for you."
"What… what is wrong with you!? I'm going to kill you yet you think about me first… You're not normal!"
Shiena's hand was shaking, she looked tormented, unsure about what she should do. Haru was confident that her words reached her and that she won't kill her.
"Shiena-chan!?"
Someone else had entered the room, looking surprised by the sight.
"Takechi… ? What… what are you doing here!?" Shiena exclaimed.
"I saw Azuma running in the corridor and followed her," Otoya explained. "Shiena-chan… what are you doing? Don't tell me… are you the one who attacked me?"
"I… I'm sorry, it's nothing personal. It's just that… I had to be sure if you were the successor or not, and you aren't."
"Successor? Of what?" Otoya asked.
"It… it doesn't matter! All you need to know is that you aren't and that my mission is to find them and kill them."
"Shiena-chan… you're not a murderer. Please, but that knife down so we can talk," Otoya insisted.
The brunette eyes looked at Haru, Tokaku, then Otoya, seeming panicked. She then took out a flask from her robe. Shiena suddenly threw it on the ground and a cloud of smoke appeared. As she was slowly starting to disappear in the smoke, Otoya suddenly rushed towards her.
"I won't let you get away with this!" Otoya shouted.
She reached the cloud of smoke and disappeared in it with Shiena. Tokaku raised her wand and pointed it to Haru's chains, used a spell and unchained her. Now free, Haru rose up and rushed towards her girlfriend with tears in eye, hugging her.
"Tokaku! I was so scared, I thought I was going to die!"
"I'm sorry for arriving so late. I cast a localisation spell like planned, but it took me a while to find the door," Tokaku explained.
"It's okay, I'm just glad you came to save me."
Haru had told Tokaku about her suspicion about Shiena and her plan was to be alone with Shiena to make her admit it, and for Tokaku to come to save her in case if she was in danger. The blue haired girl didn't like that plan, but she eventually agreed since Haru insisted.
"We need to find Kenmochi, we can't let her get away. She's a criminal."
"I know… we have to stop her before she commits something she'll regret."
Haru and Tokaku exit the room and started wandering in the school, looking for Shiena. Suddenly, they heard a scream of pain. They both rushed towards the scream and arrived in a dead-end, and discovered Otoya, inert on the floor. No signs of Shiena. Other students started to gather there, alerted by the scream. Haru, worried, immediately rushed towards her friend and crouch, checking her vitals. She was relieved to discover that Otoya's heart was still beating and that she was still breathing. She began to shake her shoulder.
"Otoya-san! Otoya-san, please wake up!"
The purple haired girl suddenly opened her eyes and looked around, seeming panicked. She then looked at Haru and calmed down.
"Haru-chi… I'm sorry, I failed. Shiena-chan managed to escape, I couldn't stop her. She cast the torture spell on me and ran away," Otoya explained.
Among the student gathered was Midori, who looked suspicious. The others simply seemed confused. Among those who knew Shiena, no one would have suspect her doing something like that. Haru neither couldn't believe it.
Haru helped Otoya to stand up, feeling saddened by Shiena's actions, and realizing that once again, she lost her as a friend.
Welp, once again, RIP primary trio. And RIP Shiena's screentime.