Chapter 68

Chapter Sixty Eight of the Witch Hat Atelier manga series.

Summary

The chapter starts on the history of monsters and how they were made from before the Day of the Pact when witches modified flora and fauna. Those that become especially aggressive were known as monsters.

Qifrey rushes to Coco's side while Engendale stands in the ocean. When he notices that Coco is still alive as she moves slightly, he covers them both in a dome of sand. He manages to rouse her and gets her to stay lying down when she tries to get up. He tells her that she can't leave as the dome is to protect her and he'd rather her not see what he's about to do.

Qifrey approaches Engendale in the water. He explains that the strike was never meant to hit her but instead him in the hopes that Coco could be convinced to do what he wants. Engendale uses magic to make waves in the water and quotes the principle on spells not being used to harm others in that he's not at fault because she put herself in the way of the path so she's the one who has to suffer the consequences. He exclaims that since Qifrey has seen his face, he cannot go free. Using his magic, Engendale creates a giant ball of water and throws it at Qifrey who manages to deflect it.

Engendale reveals that he has already killed someone when he says that the Valance Leech will explain the disappearance of anyone else he removes from the world. Qifrey asks who was the first death that convinced him to be a Brimmed Cap. Engendale says that his hat doesn't mean anything regarding who he aligns himself with and that it was made for convenience. It's revealed to Qifrey that the valance leech was once a man who was transformed with magic. He only wanted to escape from his cell but since transformation magic isn't straightforward it fused him with the valance leech. Engendale remarks on how it felt like a glimpse of how monsters were made in the days of yore.

Qifrey creates snakes out of water to attack Engendale and eventually manages to trap him by wrapping ropes of water around his body. Qifrey mentions that Beldaruit taught him to look inward and learn about how cruel witches can be. Engendale shows his disdain for Beldaruit and uses a free hand to pierce Qifrey's torso with a spike. He says Beldaruit would have all witches as servants of Outsiders and that he and all others like him fail to see that Outsiders take them for tools to use, that witches demand respect for their power. Qifrey ends up face down in the water. Engendale approaches Coco, brandishing a sword and continues to monologue about how the only reason why medicine is left to the Outsiders is to provide a semblance of balance between the two groups. He reveals that he has an illness that can't be healed, only have his lifespan prolonged by expensive care from doctors. He goes to kill Coco but Qifrey bursts from behind the sand dome and traps Engendale in a sphere of water. Engendale realizes that he was fighting a smokesculpture of Qifrey instead of his real body. It is also revealed that the Coco Engendale attacked was also a smokesculpture, and that she was with the real Qifrey the whole time. Qifrey defends Beldaruit and his behavior, saying that he is the best teacher of magic, and that the only monster around here is Engendale himself.

Characters by Appearance

• Engendale
• Qifrey
• Coco

Image Gallery

• 
  Japanese Morning Two chapter cover
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  A Monster made by witches before the Day of the Pact
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  A monster mid-transformation

Chapter Notes

• This chapter reveals that numerous animals and plants in Zozah were unnaturally combined through magic by witches from before the Day of the Pact.
• The Morning Two magazine chapter cover features a unique phrase not present in the volume version of this chapter. It reads: 「保護と反撃、平和と平等。叶えられるのは、どちらか一つ？」 and can be translated to: "Protection and counterattack, peace and equality. Which one will be granted?"
• The final page of the Morning Two magazine version of the chapter includes a unique phrase not present in the volume version of this chapter. It reads: 「魔法に縋り、魔法に溺れた男。」 and can be translated to: "A man who clung to magic and nearly drowned in it."

Magazine vs Volume Changes

For the volume release of this chapter, the following changes were made:

Panel Redraws

• For the entire chapter in the Morning Two release, Coco's magic cuff on her wrist was not drawn. This was fixed for the volume version. (on pages 6, 8, 10, 25, 26, 28, and 30)
• On page 8, the second Coco panel had her hand redrawn to be smaller, and more detail lines were added to her hair.
• On page 25 (third panel), the sand dome was drawn into the panel background when Engendale attacks it, as well as more ink added to his hat.
• On page 25 (fourth panel), parts of Coco's body outline was erased so it blended into the smoke wisps. More screentone shading was also added to her outfit and around Brushbuddy.
• On page 28 (third panel), wisps of smoke were added to Coco's body. Action lines and a sound effect were also added to Engendale's sword.
• On page 28 (fourth panel), a stream of sand falls over the Coco Smokesculpture, and her black uniform collar is more obscured while more definition is added to the smoke wisps around her.
• On page 30, the second panel is entirely new. Originally showing Qifrey and Coco running outside of the sand dome in the magazine version, the volume version has a new, closer view of Qifrey casting the Qifrey Smokesculpture spell.
• On page 30 (fourth panel), more detail lines have been added to Coco's face and the front of her shirt.

• 
  Pages 6, 8, and 10: magic cuff added to Coco's wrist
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  Page 25: sand dome added to background
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  Page 25: more smoke details and screentone added to Coco, and magic cuff
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  Page 26: magic cuff added to Coco's wrist
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  Page 28: smoke wisps, magic cuff, and sword action lines added
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  Page 28: sand falls over Coco, smoke wisps and magic cuff added
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  Page 30: middle panel of Qifrey smokesculpture is entirely new
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  Page 30: more details for Coco's face and shirt, and magic cuff added