In the kingdom of Ras Lirute, magic was once a privilege of the nobility, but its widespread dissemination led to an explosion of violent magical crime. To counter this, the Magical Crime Investigation Bureau was established. Detective Rogue Macabesta, a capable and sharp-tongued investigator, finds himself transferred against his will to the notorious Sixth Division, a covert unit that operates on a controversial principle: using the very criminals society fears most to catch other magical offenders. These criminals are the witches—individuals of immense power who once brought ruin to the kingdom. They are kept imprisoned within the division, their abilities suppressed by magical collars that double as restraints and kill switches.

Rogue is assigned to work alongside Miseria, known as the Puppet Demon, a witch whose power over the mind once nearly destroyed the empire. She regards Rogue not as a partner but as a source of amusement, constantly testing his limits with provocative suggestions and a playful, dangerous demeanor. Rogue’s first major case is a series of murders dubbed the Lifetaker incident. Victims, all young men, are found mummified, their life force drained as if decades were stolen in an instant. The investigation forces Rogue to rely on Miseria’s insight, creating a tense, unbalanced partnership where trust is laced with suspicion. As they close in on the killer, the meaning of the title unfolds: the idea that a witch cannot truly be collared—not just physically, but in spirit or allegiance—proves central to the climax. Rogue must confront the moral ambiguity of using a monster to catch another, and Miseria’s true motives remain an open question.

Beyond the first arc, the series expands into larger conspiracies involving the kingdom’s hidden power structures, other witches with unique abilities, and the personal cost of Rogue’s choices. The bond between him and Miseria deepens in unpredictable ways, sometimes cooperative, sometimes adversarial. The key cast includes Veradonna, the calculating superior who engineered Rogue’s transfer; Catherine, a saintly witch with a hidden duality; and later, other imprisoned witches who each bring their own agenda. The setting—a fantasy world where cars, guns, and modern police procedures coexist with arcane magic—creates a distinctive atmosphere for a crime thriller. The narrative is driven by witty dialogue, psychological games, and a refusal to offer easy answers about justice, loyalty, and the nature of evil.