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no more than the contents poured into an empty vessel over the course of long months and years." "Wait, wait, wait! This conversation's developing really fast! Created? Still empty? We skipped over somethin' really important there. Saying the girl in the magic crystal is the real one isn't enough of an explanation!" "The girl within the magic crystal is the original, the first Ryuzu. Ryuzu Meyer." Subaru drew in his breath when that name was stated. Ryuzu greeted his hesitation with a single nod and said, "That is the real Ryuzu. All other Ryuzus, me included, are replicas of Ryuzu Meyer...which would make us imitations." Thus did Ryuzu declare that she like the others was a duplicate. Subaru had no immediate follow-up to that explanation. Her explanation just then matched up with the vague theory Subaru had inside of him from having seen many Ryuzus for himself. The reason he'd averted his eyes from that theory was none other than Subaru not wanting to believe it. The prejudice in his mind came from physiological disgust toward the fact that an "acquaintance" of his was a clone. "Does knowing I am an imitation change how you see me?" "...Dunno. I want to say it doesn't. I want to, I really do...especially when the person concerned asks that right in front of me." Since he was in a different world than his own, it was not appropriate for him to call Ryuzu a clone. The way she had been born was probably fundamentally different from Subaru's imagination. Besides, even if it was a fact she was a replica, all life was equal. It had to be equal. Yes, even though he understood it in his head... "I don't have any confidence I could nod and say that with a chill look on my face. So I'm not gonna say those words lightly." "You are kind, Young Su. That is also being soft, naive...excessively honest to the core." He'd been absolutely certain it was not an answer that would leave her pleased. But Ryuzu nodded, apparently satisfied with Subaru's reply. The gesture tugged at Subaru's thoughts, and he came to stare at the girl sitting right beside him. The girl he'd dubbed Piko as a matter of convenience gazed at the room with emotionless eyes. She continued to keep hold of Subaru's sleeve, almost looking like a doll. Even though it was impossible for a doll to have her physical warmth. "That you feel something like physical warmth is no more than a function of a false body." "A false body... Whaddaya mean, false? I can touch it and everything." "Producing a vessel of flesh from nothing is no easy thing. Can you even imagine the principles by which the girl and I are able to exist like this, Young Su?" She said it like she was testing him. Subaru restrained his mind's craving for an immediate answer and sank into thought. With Ryuzu taking such an earnest posture, he wanted his own demeanor to be in kind. For that sake, he brought all mental hands on deck. "Could it be mana...? So making a body like that of a spirit?" Abruptly, the existence of a little kitty Great Spirit quite familiar to him broached that possibility in his mind. Normally, Puck was inside a crystal; when he materialized, he formed a physical body out of mana. Was it not possible that a physical body, a false body that held warmth, might follow along the same lines? Ryuzu responded to Subaru's idea by clapping her hands, acting quite impressed. "Well done. You did well to think of that, even though no one told you the answer." "That's because you gave me a hint that led me to the answer. All I did after that was realize from a spirit that's close from time to time... So should I take that as meaning I'm right?" "It is very close to the mark. Our physical replica bodies are created by a ritual, using artificial odo at its core. Enshrouding mana around this core materializes these bodies into being." "Odo, that was the power in the body, as distinct from the mana that floats in the atmosphere, wasn't it?" "Odo rests within all that lives. Accordingly, it is even said that odo is proof of the soul." The mismatched gravity with which the young voice spoke the words made Subaru unwittingly draw in his breath. If odo was proof of the soul, then using a ritual to create it was surely "This is kind of putting it lightly, but ain't that...creating life?" "Of course, rather special conditions must be in order to make such a phenomenon possible. Unfortunately, I was unable to comprehend the details. You may simply think of the formula's creation as the result of a Witch's quest and the result obtained via experimentation." "This is pretty far-out stuff... She was really something, huh?" Becoming the creator of life was a feat that rivaled God himself. Setting aside the pros and cons of accomplishing the feat, it was surely worth praising the talent behind bringing it into fruition. Yes, the talent itself was praiseworthy. However, the impression that the feat of creating life was violating a sacred taboo was another matter entirely. "I wonder what she did an experiment like that for? I suppose that's the next topic for discussion." "Mmm." "Put bluntly, magic's totally out of my expertise. I can't even begin to understand how incredible what Echidna did is. Even so, I can tell it's really something else." As Ryuzu folded her arms, adopting the posture of the listener, Subaru continued his words. "Where'd the motivation come from to do something that incredible? What brought it on? Why did Echidna make the replicas of Ryuzu...of Ryuzu Meyer?" As mysteries of the Sanctuary went, the girl named Ryuzu Meyer stood in the number one spot. The Ryuzu Bilma before his eyes called herself the Sanctuary's current representative. Her family name differed from that of the original. From the conversation to date, he could tell that she had arrived at that position over the course of a prolonged period of time. In that case, where Ryuzu Meyer's relationship to the Witch was concerned "...I thought I'd float a possibility that came to mind." "Oh-ho. Do tell?" "This is the time-honored way these stories tend to go my theory is, for some reason, the girl named Ryuzu Meyer lost her life, and she tried to resurrect the girl in the form of replicas." The eternal search for how to bring back a life that had been lost, realistic or not, was a difficult issue. There were all kinds of ideas proposed to deal with that difficult issue, including reproducing the dead via clone technology, which led to constructing substitutes in their place. And in the vast majority of these fictional circumstances, this was greeted by numerous failures along the lines of Even if you bring the physical body back, you cannot bring back the soul. "Given what you said, Ryuzu, and the state of Piko here, the possibility this experiment ended in the same kind of failure seems pretty high. It feels like, even if the appearance is completely the same, you can't reproduce what's on the inside." If Echidna stubbornly kept creating more replicas without giving up, that was truly an act of madness. Even after over twenty failures, had she continued hoping for the possibility the soul might be resurrected? But the one thing Subaru couldn't do was dismiss that as mere obsession. He absolutely could not think of wanting for, struggling for someone to be brought back to life as wrong. Not Subaru, racing in search of an optimal future that very moment "Although I think you and the others are probably qualified to blame her, Ryuzu." "And say, we did not ask to be created like this? I have lived a little too long to make such a naive plea... Besides, it seems you have an overidealized view of the Witch, Young Su." "'Overidealized view of the Witch'?" Subaru's eyes went wide, as if he'd never expected that to be said to him. To that Subaru, Ryuzu said, "It is as if you are watching a dream," forming a smile that gave off a rather desolate air as she gently shook her head. "I take it, you are thinking along the lines of...if the Witch went to the extreme of such experiments to bring Ryuzu Meyer back to life, the girl must have been an irreplaceable being from the perspective of the Witch?" "Well, yeah... I mean, is there any other answer?" In point of fact, no other answer came to mind. The Witch had tried to bring the girl back to the point of drawing up a ritual to create a soul. So the girl must have been that important to her what other answer was there? "Ryuzu Meyer was a mere village girl. The circumstances of her birth were just a little special, but...she was certainly not close to the Witch nor were they related by blood. Ryuzu Meyer and the Witch were such strangers that the times they had spoken could no doubt have been counted on one hand." *** "Incidentally, Young Su. Earlier, you deduced that the experiment in this land had failed, yes?" " ? Y-yeah." Subaru was perplexed at how she had put the current discussion on hold and had gone back to a matter from a little earlier. But Subaru being thrown off did not make Ryuzu hesitate to land an additional blow. "The experiment in this land failed not. I told you before I am an example of its success." "Ryuzu, you're an example of success...? No, wait! Something's weird about that!" Overwhelmed, Subaru thrust a palm out and second-guessed what had just been said. Ryuzu's wording was strange. After all, had she not explained previously? "You said you were born empty. I know you said you were born the same as Piko is now, and you came to be as you are now. How does that make you a success?" "My, my. Having that said to my face is rather hurtful, you know?" "Please don't make light of it! I'm seriously... I'm seriously asking this!" He accepted that his statement was inconsiderate. But it wasn't a situation where he could tread lightly. The force of Subaru's words brought a rather strained smile from Ryuzu. She gently touched a hand to her chest. According to the explanation to that point, there was no heart beating behind her diminutive chest. However, Piko conveyed warmth to him as she sat by his side. Where was that heat coming from? he wondered. This was the proof of the soul, the result created by Echidna's experiment to create life " That girl and I, born empty, are successes of the Witch's experiment. Those words are no lie." As Ryuzu repeated her earlier words, Subaru calmed down his quickened heart and nodded. Ryuzu was saying that their being born as dolls in an empty state and not as reproductions of the original, Ryuzu Meyer this was by the Witch's intent. What was the meaning behind this? "Back then, the girls leaping at the Witch were all the same as Piko..." Obeying Garfiel's commands, the replicas had sacrificed themselves against the Witch enshrouded by a vast shadow without the slightest fear. They'd been made that way...like dolls, merely obeying the commands issued to them. Was that what that white-haired Witch wanted? Was that what she was after? "You could pass it off as curiosity to that point, but what could she learn from that? If she wanted that, brainwashing someone appropriate would've been a hell of a lot faster. Don't tell me the motivation was madness of some sort like, I thought of making them, so I did..." And if it was so, that would be that. But for some reason, he was certain that it was not. Why would Echidna make something from nothing, an empty vessel,

something you could pour anything into " Ah." Instantly, he saw it in the far distance, a possibility pieced together from various fragments. It was simply a preposterous thought, the sort that one ought to forget about with a single shake of the head. But once the thought was given life, Subaru's brain grabbed hold of it and would not let go. This was the Witch of Greed, curiosity incarnate. She had a logical objective that lived up to that lofty title. She had a reason for constructing an empty vessel with nothing inside. After all, what is an empty vessel for " It's obvious. It's for pouring something into it." If the empty vessel was the completed form, the objective was to fill it. Just what would fill such a vessel? What could possibly be the ambition of someone called a Witch, a person who had a bottomless craving for knowledge and wanted to know all there was to learn in the world? What was that something the Witch wanted to pour into an empty Ryuzu Meyer " She'd pour personality, memory, knowledge...in other words, a soul." The deduction made Subaru feel like his throat had suddenly gone dry. In his place, Ryuzu picked up where Subaru left off. Her blue eyes narrowed, and though the old woman seemed to be peering far into the distance, her gaze rested on her own offshoot standing right at his side no, this was no offshoot. She shifted her eyes toward the doll that was like her own little sister. "The Witch was supposed to pour herself into the body of Ryuzu Meyer. This was, in other words " " one type of immortality." It was this conclusion that unveiled the truth about the experiment conducted in the Sanctuary. 5 Immortality. There were many legends about such a thing stretching from ancient to modern times, from Occident and Orient alike. Life reaching that point formed an ideal. For eternity, one would never grow old or wither, and the "self" would be tied to the world without passing through the great cycle of death and reincarnation. Even knowing that this violated the defining rules of life, there was much that was attractive about arriving at the pinnacle of living Yet, an exceedingly decrepit ring of truth rested behind those grandiose words. "Immortality, that's...a greedy thought even for a Witch. Immortality... It comes off as the goal of a small person obsessed with her own life, I've gotta say..." "Whether being reluctant to part with life is a sign of poor character is open to personal interpretation, but at the very least, the Witch does not seem to regard her own life as a trivial thing. Fear of death is natural, as is searching for a way to keep it at bay. In most circumstances, it is the sort of desire one might laugh off, but..." "Echidna was someone who had the ability to make it into a reality. And this is the result of that line of thinking?" Looking down at Piko as she sat at his side, Subaru had the annoying sense that he couldn't say anything bad about that. Piko did not react to his gaze, either. She simply had a vacant expression, as if simply awaiting his command. "...If these girls really are empty, even making them cry like little babies would've been way better..." "Apparently, that was not the Witch's desire. What the Witch wanted in the end was a vessel...not one with a personality such as I but one beginning with the minimum intelligence required to obey instructions. To a certain extent, that would also give the Witch the option of keeping or discarding the memories of the girl from which they were extracted." Memory and intelligence were installed and saved within the empty vessel. Those were the easiest words he could use to describe it, but they weren't talking about data. They were talking about a single person's personality, memories, knowledge...a person's soul. "It'd let her implant her own memories into a new vessel. By doing that, when one body became old, if she kept creating new vessels, that'd definitely become one form of immortality. But..." Maybe you could call passing down the personality and memory one sure way of conquering death. If you saved a personality like data, even if one vessel was destroyed due to some mistake, you could be resurrected through installation into a new vessel. You could copy the personality, and you could copy the physical body that was the immortality Echidna had theoretically established. And when he unraveled the method behind the immortality Echidna had aimed for, he realized something. "Ahhh, so that's it... So that's how it is." "Young Su?" Suddenly, a sense of acceptance calmed the inside of his chest, and a dry smile came over Subaru. The smile made Ryuzu's brows grimace, but Subaru did not give her any reply. After all, it was meaningless to speak about it. There was no one who could understand what was inside Subaru's chest that moment. "Finally, I get it... I get the reason why you acted all chummy with me." To the smiling Echidna on the back of his eyelids, Subaru quietly let out what seemed like admiration. Echidna's objective was to prepare multiple replicas to inherit her own life and the personality and knowledge therein immortality achieved through transference of the soul. This was, in other words, none other than her method of preparing for what came "after" life. " Just how different is that from my Return by Death...?" From their very first meeting onward, Echidna had harbored a great deal of goodwill toward Subaru. She'd been his confidant, speaking to him at great length, and through the conduct she had displayed, the distance between them had been reduced, and she had obtained his trust. Now he understood the true intent behind those actions. This was the Witch's joy...a joy akin to that of discovery. "I understand how you felt at the time... I mean, I was happy enough to cry..." When Subaru had revealed Return by Death, it had saved him. Truly, he'd looked at the world a different way since. Probably she'd had the same feeling from the first time she and Subaru had met. That's why Echidna... *** Because he understood that, there was no way he could harbor ill will toward her works. If anything, it made him feel closer to her. The emotion Subaru harbored for the Witch really was genuine gratitude...gratitude at having met someone cut from the same cloth. Echidna desired immortality. Subaru continued to pile on death to win his future. The methods did not change that both were engaged in rebellion at the single "life" that they ought to have had. If that was so. If that was so, in a true sense, was not Echidna the one being who could truly understand where he was coming from, and Echidna, him? "...Ryuzu, I understand your position...and what Echidna was trying to do, too. So knowing this, I ask you...did Echidna succeed in her goal?" "Her goal, in other words..." "She prepared the vessels. All that was left was to overwrite one with her. Did that overwriting succeed? No, if I was to put it more bluntly..." Was Echidna alive somewhere in that world that very moment? He'd cut off his words halfway because he felt like his tongue was going numb. But as if she sensed what was in his thoughts, Ryuzu shook her head. Slowly, she shook her head. "I imagine it is to the chagrin of the Witch, but her plan was a failure... Echidna was not passed down." "Wh-why not? Did the personality installa Etching fail?" "It was not a complete failure. However, from the Witch's point of view, her wish was incompletely granted." "Whaddaya mean, incompletely?" "It is a simple matter... If the amount poured is too great for the vessel, of course the rest spills out. If one portion spills out, what remains is already something different from the original." Blinking at the echo of the word vessel, Subaru looked at Ryuzu, then Piko. "When you say the vessel isn't enough to hold it, you're not talking about physical size, are you?" "Perhaps it is better to say, the capacity for the soul. People are suited to the various souls that are inside of them. The vessel of Ryuzu Meyer was simply insufficient to accept the Witch of Greed." "Didn't she...know that beforehand somehow?" "I cannot know the entirety of a Witch's thoughts. But the vessel chosen by the Witch, Ryuzu Meyer, was insufficient for the Witch's hopes. As a result, her plans went awry...and a terrible failure came to be born." "Goodness," went Ryuzu, a tired look on her as her shoulders fell. Subaru felt the same way. Echidna had overlooked something in the fine details, an unfathomable error for a Witch. Knowing the person concerned, Subaru thought such an error was eminently understandable and predictable but "So the plan failed...but she still made replicas after that, right?" "...However, those replicas were born from filling the magic crystal in that facility with a certain level of mana. The Witch designed it so that the magic crystal itself forms them." "The magic crystal itself... You mean she made it make the replicas automatically?" "As a result, after the Witch's death, only the facility remained, and even today the number of replicas continues to grow... It is all a matter of mana. That we require no material resources to live is the single saving grace." These words spoken, Ryuzu audibly sipped her tea with the same mouth that had just announced she required neither food nor drink. "...You seem to drink tea just fine, though." "This is a hobby of mine. It is an individual quirk I acquired over the course of a long life." Subaru's listless jab made Ryuzu's little throat ring out with laughter. Feeling a little rescued by that laugh, Subaru let out a long sigh and put a question onto his lips. "So what about this first 'failed' replica? Even if you couldn't stuff the entire soul in, she must've inherited part of a Witch's memories, right? Even if it wasn't all the way, she'd still end up pretty witchy, right?" "When poured liquid spills, one cannot pick and choose which part spills out? If it is minor memories that spill out, there might be no hindrance to everyday life, but if parts with a crucial impact on personality spill out, it is already beyond salvaging." Subaru thought Ryuzu's roundabout explanation must apply to the first failed replica. In other words, she became something far from the Witch's expectations "Thanks to that replica having a completely bankrupt personality yet having inherited a fragment of the power of the Witch of Greed, it was apparently quite the uproar. Though she was disposed of, it caused the Lady Ros of prior generations quite a bit of anguish." "Disposed of... I see." "Of course, if she was one to give up after a single failure, she would not have pursued immortality to begin with. Reflecting upon her failure, the Witch's next thought was perhaps the net volume of the soul could be modified." "Takes one hell of a soul to come up with that!" In other words, the idea was nothing short of compressing the data before transfer. Subaru could understand because he had a passing familiarity with computers and the concept of moving amounts of data around, but Echidna was quite something to arrive at the same idea without that knowledge and apply it to the soul at that. "But it sounds like...that failed, too." "It did not. The Witch did not make it in time. The Witch of Jealousy swallowed her up before she could do so." After the last of that statement, of how the great hope harbored by Echidna the Witch had gone to waste, she let out a distinct sigh. Subaru, too, knew how the six Witches bearing the

titles of the other Deadly Sins had met their end. Already destroyed by the seventh Witch, the Witches in the false, transient encounters within the castle of dreams were nothing more than vestiges of their souls. Or perhaps remaining in soul form alone was simply a matter of Echidna's stubbornness. "So Roswaal's family has been administering the Sanctuary since Echidna passed away. Ryuzu, can I assume...you live here for the same reason?" "It is so where Young Ros is concerned, but I live here because I am bound by the pact." The word pact brought a dramatic rise from Subaru's eyebrows. He didn't have any good memories of that or similar words since arriving in that world: pact, vow, covenant the whole bunch. Not noticing the state Subaru was in, Ryuzu made a very deep sigh. "As the replicas go, I was one of the first four. I was granted the knowledge and personality required to administer the Sanctuary as the number of replicas continue to increase. That duty continues even now." "So you were given a personality and a role from the time you were born?" "My quirks come from my upbringing after the fact, but it was quite a hardship at first. I had a duty, yet I had no memory. Many years would pass before I could truly appreciate living each and every day." Somehow, her words had a pained echo to them, no doubt from thinking of the months and years that had passed to date. Only Ryuzu could know the hardships she had faced on the long road she had walked. It had been four centuries since Echidna's death it was a span of time that Subaru couldn't even begin to imagine. "I am grateful for your consideration, but you need not wear that painful look. I believe there is deep meaning behind the duty I fulfill. Their circumstances are varied, but because I was here, I was able to save a great many brethren. Maintaining this place has tangible meaning." These words spoken, Ryuzu smiled, and Subaru felt pressure inside of his chest. By brethren she had saved, she meant the demi-human people living in the Sanctuary had been exposed to bias and discrimination, unable to stay in any one place for long. Whatever the Witch's intentions, this had become a place of peace to them, a homeland they had attained at long last. But several days hence, even that land where they could live in peace would be cruelly eaten apart by the fangs of demon beasts. *** He had to do something. That was something Subaru and only Subaru could do. For if Subaru didn't do it, a great many lives that he had to save would be lost. "I believe we have finally spoken about all there was to speak of. It became a longer conversation than I had expected." "There just isn't enough time at all to hear about all the hard times you've been through, Ryuzu... Er, actually, I haven't heard anything about the really important part yet." As Ryuzu took another sip of her now-cooled tea, Subaru raised a finger. The final question was actually the first, the issue to which the answer had been kicked down the road. "The conversation flew away a little so I forgot, but can you tell me about this Apostle of Greed business?" "Ahhh, that's right. It is something I took so much for granted, I failed to realize." "Please. If I don't understand that, I won't be able to relax 'cause I won't know the reason this girl's acting so fond of me." Glancing sidelong at Piko, she remained wordless and unreactive from beginning to end, never leaving Subaru's side. And that term, the Apostles of Greed, was the answer. "Answer me, Ryuzu. No need to gloss anything over. Just tell it like it is." "Let me see... Put simply, the Apostles of Greed are the beings who have the right to command us, the replicas of Ryuzu Meyer. As fellow pawns of the Witch Echidna, our positions are similar...but your authority places you above us, Young Su." "Wait, wait, wait! I can't let that part just slide! Whaddaya mean Echidna's pawn?!" " ? It is strange that you are unaware of it. The fact that you stand before the magic crystal is proof you have been acknowledged as being qualified to do so." Cocking her head, Ryuzu looked genuinely mystified. Her reaction left Subaru opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Calming down after several seconds like that, he spoke up again. "...Explain it to me from the beginning. I found that place relying on the memories of other people. That's why I can't agree with what you're telling me. I don't have anything to do with the Witch...with Echidna." Fearful of breaking the taboo, Subaru became selective about his words midway through his sentence. The explanation sent Ryuzu sinking into thought, her childish brow creasing as she made an mmm murmur. "And yet, I feel compulsive power from Young Su's words. This is unshakable proof that you have become an apostle, Young Su. At the tomb, did you not receive something from the Witch that acknowledged you as her apostle?" "Something I got from Echidna at the tomb...?" Thinking back to his passing encounter with Echidna, he couldn't put his finger on anything that fit the bill. He had no memory whatsoever of words acknowledging him as an apostle nor of any kind of appointment ceremony. What Subaru was granted in that dream was a fair bit of knowledge and reassuring and terrifying experiences. And "...Wait, don't tell me it was the Dona Tea?" "Dona Tea?" "Twice the Witch made me drink what she said were her body fluids disguised as tea..." "So you took a portion of the Witch into you, then? Without humor or irony, 'tis surely that." "Why, that little She really did make me drink one hell of a thing!!" As the indignant Subaru unwittingly rose to his feet, Ryuzu went, "Now, now," as she chided him. While Subaru's heart and head filled with anger, she smiled at him. "When all is said and done, it's thanks to that you've come this far. It's not all bad, yes?" "I'm upset that she set me up and kept quiet about it! What does she think someone's body is? My relations with Witches are complicated as it is, and now I've got Greed and Jealousy all over me..." First was the Witch of Jealousy, granting Subaru the power of Return by Death without asking; then there was the Witch of Greed, arbitrarily adding him to the ranks of her apostles. Witches really did do things as they damn well pleased. The instant he also thought of Wrath, Pride, and Gluttony, he was assailed by resignation. "I mean I knew that... Witches do as they please. I can't really expect much from the last two, either..." "At any rate, Young Su, you have gained command over the Sanctuary's replicas of Ryuzu Meyer. You may make even me obey any order you please. Quite thrilling for a healthy young man, is it not?" "I might be a grown young man, but you don't exactly look like a grown young woman..." Those with particular...tastes might drooled at such an opportunity, but it was a treasure wasted on Subaru. Still, when it came to taking advantage of it, this treasure was certainly a useful one for fulfilling Subaru's objective. " If I have the mark of an apostle with command rights, there's an Apostle of Greed besides me here in the Sanctuary, right?" The question made Ryuzu fall silent. However, her expression told him what wanted to know. More than anything, Subaru had already seen the answer with his very own eyes the apostle who had given orders to over twenty Ryuzu replicas, employing them in the battle against the Witch. "Garfiel. He has to have qualifications as an Apostle of Greed, too. And if my guess is right, qualifications to be an apostle aren't something you get unless you meet with Echidna." And with the Witch having already passed away, that world had only one remaining way to meet her. "Garfiel's been inside the tomb. He's taken the Trial... Ryuzu, you said yourself that anyone can take it. That's gotta be why he's an apostle." It wasn't difficult to imagine Garfiel challenging the tomb. He'd probably raced recklessly into the tomb, full of confidence and spirits high, hoping to liberate the Sanctuary. And there, Garfiel had no doubt faced his own past. Subaru didn't know what Garfiel thought of the results. But given the fact that the Sanctuary's barrier had not been lifted, Garfiel's challenge of the Trial must have ended in failure. And yet, he had become an apostle. After taking the Trial, he must have been invited into the castle of dreams. There he engaged in conversation with Echidna, and then they must have formed some kind of pact. Exactly what kind of pact had been exchanged between them? Reasoning by analogy, Garfiel's objectives all fit the role of a guardian of the Sanctuary. That was the only point on which there had been no inconsistency between all the runs Subaru had been through so far. However, once that was removed from the picture, inconsistencies in his words and deeds had appeared between each attempt. Perhaps, for whatever reason, Garfiel's actions had begun to go haywire? Did that have something to do with him being an apostle no, that was overthinking it. He couldn't get overly sympathetic for Garfiel. He didn't have the leeway for that. He, Garfiel, is my enemy. It's better that way. "Ryuzu, are command rights broadcasted to other apostles?" "There is no outward sign of it, so no. We might feel the compulsive power ourselves, but surely Young Gar would feel nothing of that. Nor do I intend to go out of my way to tell him of it." "Then let me bind you on that one thing. Even if Garfiel asks, don't answer him." *** Subaru's command made Ryuzu narrow her eyes. He felt an odd throbbing in his chest. Belatedly, he realized that this was a sense of guilt of having ignored the will of another being and his aversion to forcing another to obey him. It wasn't something he wanted to get used to. But this one time, he ignored those feelings. "I can't tell you all the details, but this is the best road for everyone to travel. Ryuzu, my relationship to you girls is secret. Piko and the others can just do the same things they've always done... To make sure Garfiel doesn't know there's anything between us." "After all, Young Gar would not be silent if he knew that our relationship was one of adulterer and harem." "On top of being one evil metaphor, that makes my sins sound waaaay too dark..." Be it sarcasm or complaint, Ryuzu's reply left Subaru drained of energy as he gravely accepted it. Don't forget. Remember this. Even if you get a pardon, even if this becomes a lost world... The crimes committed by Subaru Natsuki had to be remembered, even if by Subaru Natsuki alone. "Young Su?" "...Nah, this is a really huge help. For the moment, I'm good for everything I wanted to ask. I figure I'll be asking for your cooperation from here on out, so counting on you for when that time comes." "Of course, for I cannot defy you. Use me as you please, be it to evade Young Gar or as your own personal hugging pillow..." "And can you stop treating me like my demands aren't greedy enough?! I'm really not used to it!" Responding to Ryuzu's teasing, Subaru proceeded to give a command to Piko at his side. For several seconds, he mulled over what he ought to say, but "Please continue working as the eyes of the Sanctuary just like you have to date. I'll call you when I need

you." *** Having received her command, Piko did not nod as she quickly rose up, heading out of the house in a small run. "When I wanna talk to you in secret, Ryuzu, should I just use this hideaway?" "Yes, for this is where I am sleeping while I lend my house to Young Ros and the others. I am here most of the time between morning and night. A house without a master is slighted if one does not use it once in a while, after all." When Ryuzu slapped her thighs, Subaru nodded a fair bit and lightly surveyed the room. He'd thought this when they'd first brought him in, too, but this really was an average house with no defining characteristics. But if he was to point out one thing that made it stand out from the other house, it would be the two shields on the wall both spherical and polished a silver color, decorated with images as if to powerfully assert themselves. "They are the toys that Young Gar and Frederica played with long ago." "...Children playing with shields. Different culture, huh?" Seeing in which direction Subaru's gaze faced, Ryuzu made a pained smile as she spoke. It was hard for Subaru to imagine the sight of kids playing with shields. It was just as difficult to imagine Garfiel and Frederica as little kids. "Thank you, Ryuzu. See you later... Er, that wasn't a command, okay?" "I will not be quite that much of a tease. Worry not. As representative of the Sanctuary, I shall cooperate with you hereafter." The oddly roundabout phrasing on the occasion of his departure made Subaru tilt his head. But unrelated to that tilting, he waved a hand and headed out of the house. And just before actually leaving, Subaru abruptly looked back. "Come to think of it, Ryuzu, if the original family name is Meyer, why is your family name Bilma? Where'd that come from?" The question made Ryuzu, watching him head off, flash a wry smile. Somehow, that expression was incredibly fleeting smile, like something so fragile that would crumple if you put your finger on it. "The name of Ryuzu is assigned as part of our role. Accordingly, we can only demonstrate our individuality in other places. Hobbies, tastes, and names... Ah, Young Su." "...Yeah?" "If you do not mind, perhaps you could ask the same question to me again? From tomorrow and thereafter." Subaru was silent in the face of Ryuzu's request as that fleeting, brittle smile crossed her face. However, it did not take very much time for him to agree to her earnest plea. 6 Parting with Ryuzu, Subaru walked to the settlement in the dead of night. Ahead of him lay the Cathedral the place where the fleeing people of Earlham Village had been given refuge and the place that served as Subaru's sleeping place. Most were simply dozing in a huddle, but the villagers did as they were told without complaint, and that courageous spirit greatly bolstered Subaru's willpower. "Somehow, I've gotta get everyone to the village safe and sound..." As Suburu murmured, in the back of his mind, the smiling faces of people familiar to him were dyed with blood in an instant. The sights of them being cruelly slain by claw and fang that came from a future that might not be long in coming. Be the culprit Garfiel or the Great Rabbit, the difference in the form of death offered no salvation. But if it was just a matter of liberating the villagers from the Sanctuary, Subaru had a way. He merely needed to ask that they be released on the firm promise that Emilia would undertake the Trial. They wouldn't refuse. "Besides, if they're here...they might do something reckless again." On a previous run, the villagers had metaphorically broken their bones to cooperate with Ram and company in aiding Subaru. Then that metaphor became far too literal with the unfolding of a tragedy far worse than the figure of speech could account for. A tragedy that could not be undone. Subaru didn't want to go through that again. And it was something he absolutely could not allow to repeat itself. Accordingly, he planned to have the people of Earlham Village peaceably released from the Sanctuary. Getting Roswaal to offer such a proposal made it possible. This was an issue he'd already cleared once before. As for what remained, the next problem he needed to deal with was " Subaru? What are you doing in a place like this?" "Wah-yaah!" Suddenly, Subaru was taken by surprise by a voice calling out to him from out of the blue. He'd been concentrating so hard on his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her presence whatsoever. Subaru's reaction also seemed to surprise the girl who'd called out to him. "That preposterous way of being surprised can really startle someone, you know?" "N-no one uses the word 'preposterous' anymore..." As the surprised girl Emilia pursed her lips in protest, Subaru somehow managed to respond with his usual flippancy. In response, Emilia put her hands on her hips and said, "Goodness, Subaru, that mouth of yours never quits. And to think I was worried." "I didn't do anything that you had to worry about, so it's all right... But since I'm happy that Emilia-tan was thinking about me, I'd like it if you keep me in your thoughts all the time. We could even meet in a dream." "Sorry, I don't really follow." Quickly recovering emotionally, Subaru entrusted matters to his gilded tongue as he walked closer to Emilia. Unlike when they had parted, Subaru noticed that Emilia, framed by the waning moonlight, was wearing thin one-piece pajamas. Without exaggeration, she bore an air of mystery like a fairy spotted on a moonlit night. Subaru felt his cheeks growing warmer at the thought. "You look like a fairy there, Emilia-tan." "Ah, you mustn't. You cannot speak badly of people like that. Even I will get upset." "Calling you a fairy was meant to be a compliment, though!" " ? But fairies are a type of evil spirit, right? You can't fool me by calling those words of praise." "Gah, my wooing was foiled by cultural differences..." Emilia, refusing to lend her ears to Subaru's excuses, puffed up her cheeks. After that, she glanced at the downcast Subaru and let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Yes, yes, let us leave the jokes there... Subaru, what were you doing at an hour like this?" "That's my line. I told you not to stay up tonight, and here you are on a nighttime stroll... If Puck was here, he'd say your beauty would be going to waste." "That's, er...mm, I might not actually have an excuse." By piling a question onto Emilia's own, Subaru hid from her the information he had gleaned that night. She didn't need to know about the circumstances of Ryuzu's birth or about the Witch. It would just be an extra burden to bear. But Emilia's nighttime stroll bugged him on a mundane level. His question made her cast her eyes down. "Um, having you say that to me makes this a little embarrassing, Subaru, but I couldn't sleep at all since... So I went out for a stroll with the night breeze hitting me. It helped calm me down a little." "...Really are uneasy about the Trial, then?" "It's not that... Well, it might be that. But I don't really understand it myself. I thought, maybe by walking around I could find out what it was. Really, if only " Cutting her words off there, Emilia lowered her eyelids, donning a gentle self-deprecating smile. Even without saying them, Subaru understood the words that lay ahead of where she had cut them off. Emilia probably wanted to say this: Really, if only Puck were here. "...I guess I'm a stand-in to the very end, huh?" "Eh?" "Nah. Emilia-tan... Emilia, you're doing great. You really want to run from it, and there's nothing wrong with that. I really respect you for not letting that keep you down and standing up to face it." On her one opportunity to do so, Emilia would continue her challenge, undaunted by the allure of running away. The result might still be unpalatable, but even so, Subaru saw her trying to fulfill her duty with all her might. That was why Subaru's words were true, no falseness to them whatsoever. He respected Emilia, Ram, Otto, Petra, the villagers. He thought similarly of Puck, Roswaal, Ryuzu, and Frederica. For that sake, he had to overcome the obstacles known as Garfiel, Elsa, the Beast Master, and the Great Rabbit. "Wh-what's with you all of a sudden? You saying that out of the blue...it's startling." "It's not all of a sudden. I always think that; I'm just taking the time to say it. I wish I could say it in a more romantic way, but I guess you'll have to settle for a moonlit night." Hearing Subaru's words made Emilia furiously blink her violet eyes. Smiling at the sight, Subaru spread his arms wide as if trying to hug the night sky itself. "I don't know how much strength my words'll have, but I'm saying it 'cause I feel like it. Emilia, you'll be all right. I'm sure you can do it. I'm here for you." "Subaru..." "My words might not be much compared to the real deal, but if playing the role helps, great." He truly did not know how much his words could support her in the stead of what she truly wanted to hear from her family. Even so, Subaru's words made Emilia give the crystal lying against her chest a squeeze. "...Mm, thank you. That really gave me the courage I need. Really." "So I managed to help Emilia-tan a little bit?" "Don't say weird things like 'a little bit.' Subaru, you've always been helping me... Even today, I failed, and still you..." "But tomorrow'll probably be different. You'll make sure of it, right?" In the face of Subaru closing one eye in a wink, Emilia closed her eyes and let out her breath. Then, after Emilia maintained her silence for several seconds, she nodded. " Yeah, I'll do my best. Cheer me on, okay?" "You know I will." Subaru responded to Emilia's soft smile by baring his teeth and giving a thumbs-up. The response deepened Emilia's smile, and after a little bit of mutual laughter, the pair walked toward the settlement. After a bit of quiet time together, they came to a fork in the road. This was where they would part for that night Subaru going left to the Cathedral, Emilia going right to the Ryuzu residence. "Well, you'd better get some sleep this time, Emilia-tan. Any loss of your beauty is a loss for the world." "That way of talking is a lot like Puck. You too, Subaru. You won't get taller if you keep staying up at night." "I'm at the end of my growth period anyway, so you don't need to worry about that...!" With a bitter smile on him, the pair waved as they parted ways then and there. He truly wanted to escort Emilia all the way, but it was unclear just how long Ram's sabotage keeping Garfiel tied down would last. Blithely running into Garfiel would only be trouble, so with great regret, he abandoned the role of the wolf in gentleman's clothing. Besides, if he was together with Emilia any further, his resolve would be dulled. "...Looks like everyone's fast asleep, huh?" Passing along the nighttime path to bring the Cathedral in sight, Subaru cautiously stepped inside. The interior of the building had a large hall reminiscent of a place of worship with only candles to illuminate it, and the villagers' sleeping breaths arose from a communal space. Most of those sleeping in the open space were the village's menfolk. The women and children and the elderly were sleeping in rooms too frugal to be properly called bedrooms, but

they were the closest thing under the circumstances. Rather than complain about their accommodation, they acted to make the best of it. Subaru greatly admired their ability to do so. He did feel apologetic toward the several traveling merchants wrapped up in similar circumstances. "That's why I can't let them treat me as more special than they are..." Paying consideration to those asleep, Subaru meticulously made his way to the back of the hall. There lay the space kept open for Subaru, which at first the villagers had kindly furnished with not only a rug and a blanket but also the immense luxury of a pillow. That was something he just could not allow, so he'd firmly refused in favor of sleeping accommodations like everyone else's. " So you're back, Mr. Natsuki?" "Ew, ew, sorry, did I wake y ? Doesn't seem like it." Looking back toward the quiet voice, in the sleeping space immediately beside him was a plump bla Correction, Otto with a blanket pulled over him. Under the blanket, he was relying on a lagnite ore's light to read a book. "I was worried that you were so late in returning. I feared you might have carelessly gotten lost in the forest and fallen into distress." "Like hell I would... Wait, don't tell me you were waiting for me to come back?" "I will not for I did not. I am merely adjusting the calculations for how much the merchants here with me need to demand from the Marquis for compensation for the loss of business during our time here. Though as it has taken quite a bit more time than I had thought, I was thinking I should finally get some sleep." As he spoke, Otto closed the book in his hands and returned the luminous ore to its leather pouch. This made the light even more meager, and the expression on his face grew less distinct as well. But even without being able to see his face, Subaru could manage to see through such a clumsy lie regardless. "What are you, an overprotective mother...?" "At least make me out to be the male parent... Er, I actually have no idea what you are referring to." After trying to gloss things over in various ways, Otto curled up in the blanket and turned his back toward Subaru. Maybe he thought he'd be found out if he said any more. His thinking he hadn't already been found out was kind of pathetic. Sighing at the sight of his back, Subaru lay on the rug of his own sleeping space. Pulling the blanket up to chest level, he felt sleepiness close at hand, contrary to expectations. He had no intention of sleeping for particularly long. Even so, his body apparently craved sleep more than he had appreciated. "Mr. Natsuki, I believe this is very forward of me on various levels, but if anything happens, I am here to listen." "...This guy says some weird stuff in his sleep. Gives me the creeps..." "Is that the kind of reply to give to someone worried about you?!" Riding his emotions and raising his voice, Otto looked like he was immediately covering his mouth with his own hands. Fortunately, there was no sign of the sleep around them being disrupted by that single blow. "Behave and go to sleep. If the villagers explode because of your jabs, there'll be no stopping it." "Um, I was not saying that as a joke..." "I know, I know. I know already. And that's why I can't tell you." The latter half alone was a murmur that seemed to vanish inside of his mouth. After that, Otto fell into silence, apparently dissatisfied with Subaru's lack of further words. He soon lost his battle against sleep. Subaru heartily sighed as he sensed that from Otto. He did not doubt Otto's offer in any way. If Subaru asked, no doubt Otto would cooperate. He really was far too good to other people to be cut out as a merchant. He'd seen that benevolence for his fellow man get him killed. That was why he absolutely wouldn't ask the man for help. He wouldn't have Emilia or Otto or the people of Earlham Village save him. Subaru would wager his own life and save them all. 7 After several hours of sleep at the Cathedral, Subaru was there when daybreak came to greet the Sanctuary. Shaking his still-sleepy head, Subaru spurred his mind to awaken. Even that short sleep had somewhat softened the fatigue of brain and body. At the very least, he did not need to worry about falling off a dragon in the near future. "Well, in the end, I'm relying on your running technique to help with that part." This said, Subaru stretched a hand out to his favorite pitch-black land dragon Patlash standing right beside him. Upon this, their first reunion since the day before, Patlash fondly brought the tip of her nose over to Subaru. Making a little smile at the adorable gesture, he savored the ticklish feeling and stroked her head. "I know I'm waking you up like this, but I'm counting on you to get the job done. It'll be one run all the way to the mansion." Patlash responded to Subaru's request with a sound from her throat. It sounded to Subaru's ears like, It can't be helped, leaving him very grateful for the depth of his beloved dragon's fondness. Very early in the morning, away from prying eyes, Subaru was trying to leave the Sanctuary. His objective was to take on affairs at Roswaal Manor, for prioritizing that over the tomb was the plan Subaru had decided on that time around. In complete secrecy, his aim was to get a grip on the situation arising at the mansion, develop firm countermeasures, and return. In the present circumstances, Subaru remained far more ignorant of the events set to occur at the mansion than the situation in the Sanctuary. He couldn't save anyone like that. Accordingly, he would proceed to the mansion to learn about those things. Besides "If I know the circumstances, I can rely on Echidna, too. Right now, I still don't have enough data to hold a conversation." He could lament his ignorance and powerlessness after he had acted. Subaru didn't deserve to have such laments yet. His preparations were insufficient for conversing with the Witch. But that did not mean he was without hope. "Beatrice, isn't part of the Witch Cult... That I know for sure." This was something Roswaal had spoken to Subaru about during the go-around before last. Roswaal had declared that the book in Beatrice's hands was an inferior version of what might otherwise be called a book of knowledge, but that book had nothing to do with the Witch Cult. If Beatrice was unrelated to the Cult, she was not his enemy. He could save Beatrice. That, to Subaru, was hope. Of course, there were many unnatural aspects to Beatrice's demeanor toward him. But the biggest issue had been held at bay. For the moment, that was enough. "If there's a way to save Beatrice and then Rem and Petra 'n' Frederica, that clears the mansion side." Touching the handkerchief wrapped around his wrist, Subaru crisply put his objective into words. If he knew how to deal with the issues at the mansion, he could pour all his efforts into taking on the tomb and liberating the Sanctuary. If there were firm ways to take on both sides, he ought to be able to break through even those twin towers of suffering. Just how many times Subaru might have to sacrifice himself for that end was an unknown variable, but " That's the only value I have here." Flicking a finger off his own forehead, Subaru put his own resolve into words, carving them into his chest. This time, his return to the mansion was the morning of the second day, the fastest timing yet. He'd beat out last time's speed record and return to the mansion, spurring Petra and the others to evacuate. Everything would begin with that. Before he set off, Subaru dealt with his one lingering regret sliding a letter under the door into the entrance to the Ryuzu residence. The contents were addressed to Emilia, expressing on paper his desire that she not worry about him. "Not that this makes any logical sense, since my premise is that I'm redoing this world..." This time, Subaru wasn't telling anyone in the Sanctuary about his return to the mansion. All he'd done was write that letter, an effort to inform Emilia and those immediately around her. He'd firmly cut down the possibilities of liberating the villagers and taking Ram and Otto with him. This time, Subaru would return to the mansion alone. What he needed to guard against the consequences of that surely had a very simple answer. Leaving the letter behind even so was to guard against unnecessary accidents. If Subaru clouded the reason for his sudden absence, at a minimum he could avoid chaos in the Sanctuary. He wanted to avoid an undesirable change occurring to the greatest possible extent, passing it off as his running some kind of errand to the mansion and so forth. That was his ostensible reason, at least. When you ripped that facade away, his real reason was terribly simplistic. He didn't want to make Emilia sad. That was all. Even in a land fated to vanish in a world fated to be erased, Subaru did not want to make Emilia sad. For that reason alone, Subaru left a letter behind. Truly, the best thing would be for Subaru to stay. Her smiling face from the previous night rose into the back of his mind. " Let's go, Patlash. Sorry to make you wait." Shaking his head, Subaru severed himself from lingering regret as he mounted Patlash. When he gripped the reins and spoke to her, Patlash made a little sound, turning her head to the way out of the Sanctuary. Her running feet already had the blessing of wind repel deployed around them, so that Subaru felt neither the sway of the land dragon nor the resistance of the wind. At a speed outstripping the wind itself, Patlash raced through the forest at daybreak. Even the Lost Woods of Cremaldi was all for naught before this all-too-clever land dragon. She continued her sprint with no sign of getting lost in the Lost Woods. At that rate, they'd get out of the forest in another hour " Aww, too bad. It's just like the story o' one should be suspicious of Berbe's different sweat." When the voice poured down from overhead, Subaru instantly pulled back the reins. Receiving this command, Patlash kicked up a cloud of dust as she slammed the brakes. With the land dragon standing at a halt, her wariness toward the figure standing straight before her as one of the guardian deva kings was laid bare by her neigh. But if anything, the opponent bared his fangs in amusement at the hostility. "Ha! Ain't you all worked up early in the mornin'. That land dragon has some serious guts, don't she?" "...That's because, aside from her tastes in men, Patlash is a completely perfect lady." "Real adorable of her. Unlike your land dragon, you're nothin' but a stupid bastard, though." Ferocious vigor poured out, and from a single step on the ground, Subaru felt as if the forest itself was being shaken. Such was the oppressive feeling that the youth who had shown himself Garfiel was thrusting in his direction. The prickly sense of oppression made Subaru swallow his saliva as he raised both of his hands up. "...There's a misunderstanding between me and you. I think that's something I need to clear up." "Misunderstanding...? Like hell there is. You're runnin' away in the middle o' the night with your tail curled between your legs. That's the small of heart for ya. 'Cause if it ain't that..." On that note, Garfiel

audibly clamped his fangs down, a distinct grimace appearing as he said, " Then that just leaves a guy stinkin' of the Witch headin' out to do wicked deeds, am I right?" Crinkling his nose, he spat the words out, making his hostility clear. What he had said made Subaru close his eyes for a moment; then he stroked the agitated Patlash's neck, dismounting so that he would stand at the same eye level as Garfiel. He sighed at confirmation that the Witch's stench the miasma clinging to his body was indeed the cause of Garfiel's antagonism toward him. However, he simultaneously felt that something was a little off. Amid that vagueness, Subaru formed words for the purpose of giving that amorphous ill feeling a tangible form. "Just now, you mentioned the Witch's stench, but I've had a fair number of people point that out to me before." "...Heh, that so? I dunno about what other people think. It's one helluva stench, though." "Setting my body odor aside, those people decided based on my actions. It'd be a big help if you did the same. At the very least, you let me go right after I came out of the tomb, right?" *** Seeing Garfiel go silent made the bad feeling that had been bothering Subaru grow more distinct. Simply put, the timing with which Garfiel pointed the miasma out was unsettling. Why had he chosen this moment rather than right after he'd come out of the tomb? Of course, it was possible that when he'd noticed Subaru acting away from prying eyes, he'd linked that to his suspicions about the miasma, giving him justification to be hostile " If that's the case, just say the word and I'll give you a sincere and honest apology from the bottom of my heart." *** When Garfiel heard Subaru's question, his mood clearly shifted. At his back, Patlash gave off a slight growl, perhaps the work of a land dragon's acute sense for danger. Even without such instincts, Subaru could tell that Garfiel's annoyance was at dangerously high levels. "I asked something inconvenient for you. That's written all over your face, Garfiel." "...Stop it. Don't annoy me any more than ya have." "No can do. This is your reward for getting in my way. If you hadn't shown up, I'd have let it go, but since you did show up, I'm taking the opportunity. Garfiel, your face will give me my answer." Garfiel's voice grew quieter; in its place, the ghastliness residing in his expression grew hotter still. Keeping his eye on that, Subaru raised three fingers. And then "I have three guesses for what's put you in a sour mood. The first is the miasma...but I have my suspicions about that. If your nose is for real, I can't square it with your actions yesterday." He started by raising his doubts concerning the miasma. Garfiel's cheek twitched slightly. "The second is you spotting me as I ran out this morning. It's true that was wildly suspicious...but that's weird, too. Unless you've been tailing me the whole time, it's like you have someone else keeping an eye on me." His next shot was a bluff, since he'd already heard as much from Ryuzu. Garfiel's pupils narrowed. "The third and final guess is what links the first and the second together. It's the girl who looks just like Ryuzu that I saw in the forest. That girl oof." With the third assertion, he had clearly succeeded in getting under Garfiel's skin something that became obvious when the world Subaru saw was suddenly flipping upside down when he was only midway through his sentence. " Gwaa!!" The next moment, his back was slammed against something hard, wringing out an anguished groan along with all the air from his lungs. He felt something extremely hard pressing against his back which turned out to be a fat tree trunk. The palm digging into the center of his abdomen was holding him so far up against the tree that his feet didn't even reach the ground. As Subaru moaned in pain, the culprit, Garfiel, glared at him from up close and said, " And where the hell did you see that?" "Whaddaya mean where...? Inside, the forest...was right there for the seeing." "Ain't no way ya could have been there. Stop tryin' to fool me if ya don't wanna end up squished flat." An audible creak accompanied the increase in pressure, causing drool to spill out as Subaru writhed in agony at the churning his internal organs were going through. Twist as he might, he couldn't even make Garfiel's hand twitch. "Don't move a muscle, land dragon. You do and I'll crush your precious master." Garfiel moved to check Patlash, who was about to make a move to rescue Subaru from his suffering. The land dragon snarled in frustration, lowering her center of gravity as if waiting for an opening. Upon reflection, these two foul-tempered personalities one man and one beast had been at odds ever since their first meeting. This explained why Garfiel had been the cause of Patlash's death during a previous run. Of course, neither of the two concerned knew anything about that and when Subaru thought about it, he felt his agony ease somewhat. "...The hell's...wrong with you? Why are you smilin' at a time like this?" "S...orry, just...remembered something... Made me laugh..." " You're off your rocker, damn it." "Whoa?! The heck are you...?" With a low murmur, Garfiel suddenly let Subaru go. Unable to break his fall, Subaru tumbled to the ground, immediately glaring at Garfiel as he wondered what the big idea was and then he realized it. Resting in Garfiel's eyes was disgust and a faint trace of fear. "Garfiel, you're..." "Shaddap, madman. This ain't funny. Damn it, you were testin' me, weren't ya?" *** Pressed into silence, Subaru touched a hand to his throat as he let out a light cough. He sensed Patlash rushing right over to his side; during that time, Garfiel moved a fair ways back. "You knew ya might be killed then and there, damn it. This ain't no joke. How can ya can smile when your own life is on the line? Ya lost your mind!" "When you put it like that, it's kinda hurtful, you know... I'm not exactly calm and composed here." Smiling weakly at Garfiel's statement, Subaru scratched his head. On one level, what he'd said was correct; on another, it was not. Fact was, Subaru's hands were shaking, and his stomach hadn't stopped crying out from convulsion-like pains. Mistaking his demeanor for composure was a considerable misreading. But it was also a fact that he'd intentionally provoked Garfiel fully knowing it put his life at risk. After all, he had to be certain of what drove Garfiel to anger, what was making him explode. This was an investigation Subaru had purportedly kicked down the road when he previously decided to prioritize the mansion. But it wasn't a move he would refuse to play if granted a golden opportunity. There was no denying that his life had been in danger as a result, but " If my life's payment enough, I'll use it to get the results I want." If the only sacrifice that needed to be paid was in Subaru's heart, he might as well buy something worthwhile with it. If he could cheaply obtain a piece of the puzzle that eventually led to an optimal conclusion, he'd risk his life as many times as it took. No doubt his determination had been conveyed to Garfiel. Looking revolted from the bottom of his heart, his teeth groaned as he spat a reply. "I know a bastard who has the same eyes as you do. Me, I hate his guts. Hell, I should crush your head right now while I have the chance." "I think that'd end up being a problem for both of us. If possible, I'd like you to let me go with a generous heart." "What proof do I have that lettin' ya go here won't be bad for us lat " " I won't betray Emilia. I won't do anything that'll harm the Sanctuary, either. Believe me." Brushing dirt off his body, Subaru declared his innocence to Garfiel's suspicious heart. This was a gamble. If Garfiel suppressed his hesitation and decided to eliminate Subaru then and there, his life could be forfeit at any moment. But from Subaru's point of view, there was still time before that moment arrived. *** Garfiel was unsure what to do. There was no doubt that if Subaru crossed the line, Garfiel's fangs would mercilessly fall upon him. But this time, he hadn't crossed that threshold yet. Accordingly, Garfiel was at a loss as to whether he should put away his fangs and his claws or not " So you're letting me go. Fine if that's how I take this?" "Don't get cocky. Get lost before I change my mind." Lowering his arms, Garfiel spat out his decision as he moved to the side, seemingly yielding the path to Subaru. His demeanor brought a low growl from Patlash, but Subaru held out a palm to stop her. Some might say that he had both won the gamble and lost. Either way, this time he'd apparently managed not to cross the line with Garfiel. "Now that you're letting me go, mind answering my third question from earlier?" "I said don't get cocky. Geluugel does not forgive twice, damn it." "That so. Guess it was too much to ask for, then." That sour reply made Subaru's shoulders sink as he promptly backed off. Subaru proceeded to mount Patlash as Garfiel kept regarding him with suspicion. "You don't wanna talk. I have no way of forcing you to talk. Betting on tears to sway you has bad odds, so I won't push it this time. I'm saving you for later." "This time...? Later...? What the hell are ya talkin' ab ?" "Don't act all mystified, Garfiel. I know you're hiding something. But I'm going to expose it. That's an absolute certainty. Because that's what needs to be done." Subaru's plainspoken announcement made Garfiel open his eyes wide. His gaze met with Subaru's. However, this time Subaru was not afraid of that sharp stare. The power behind Subaru's and Garfiel's eyes as well as the pair's standpoints had been reversed. Garfiel ought to have been overwhelming with his clear advantage in brute force, but he was being held in check by Subaru's bottomless determination. As if refusing to admit what was happening, Garfiel clacked his fangs once more. "...Shut up. If I silence you right here, right now, then that 'absolute certainty' goes poof, too." "Sorry, but this won't change. As long as I don't give up, the moment I know someone's hiding a secret, it's not a secret anymore. If you're gonna blame something, blame your carelessness." Garfiel, not knowing the meaning behind the cumulative weight of Subaru's words, was beset by total confusion. He had no way of knowing the meaning of Subaru's choice of the word "carelessness," because it wasn't him, but another Garfiel from a previous time that was responsible. And this was both a future him and a him that already was destined never to arrive. They were looking at different realities. They were seeing different numbers of possibilities. That was what separated them. "Do you still want to try and stop me, Garfiel?" *** "If you do, all it's gonna accomplish is waste time. It'd be helpful if you don't anymore." If Subaru lost his life at this very moment, he'd have to restart from last night in the tomb. Re-creating the exact same conditions to make sure he reached the same point again would be back-breaking work. Not that he couldn't do it. "Damn it...curse you! Why are you here?! What are you trying to do to us?!" If he didn't plan on stopping them, then Subaru was just about ready to order Patlash to go right around him. Garfiel's voice, which sounded pathetic as it echoed through

the forest, made Subaru sigh deeply. "I told you my objective is to save Emilia. I don't have any intention of doing harm to the Sanctuary... I'm not trying to do anything to you and your people." Far from hurting anyone, Subaru's only goal was but to extend a helping hand. First and foremost, he was thinking of Emilia and company of course, but it applied to Ryuzu and the residents of the Sanctuary, too. He had no qualms about adding Garfiel to the list. Just " In the time before I get there, I'll probably make you hate me a few times more. Let me apologize in advance for that. Really, I'm sorry." "I don't get it, I don't get it, I don't get it, I don't get it... I don't get it!" Garfiel rejected everything he could not understand. Subaru was intimately familiar with that behavior. If only I could make him understand somehow, he thought. But he acted the way he did because he didn't think that was possible. When Subaru emitted a sigh heavily laden with resignation, it sparked Garfiel's indignation and made him explode "The hell do ya think you are, lookin' down on us?! Who the hell asked you to do anything?! It's none of your... You don't know anythin' about this place, anythin' about the old hags; you don't know nothin'!!" "I know I don't know. Actually, it's precisely because of that thought that I'm doing this." "Whaddaya think ya can do just scratchin' the surface and coming around with nothin' but pretty words?! Smilin' all frivolous, talkin' only about stuff like it's a dream, foolin' people with words to make 'em comfortable you're nothin' but a charlatan son of a bitch!" *** "Someone who ain't known pain and ain't known suffering shouldn't run his mouth like he understands!!" Unable to tear down Subaru's knowing face, Garfiel remained indignant as he shouted. Garfiel's jeer was swallowed up by the far reaches of the daybreak sky. Faced with the distant echo of those bladelike words, Subaru gripped his reins. Patlash changed direction and began to walk. Leaving Garfiel behind, Subaru turned his back to the Sanctuary to look ahead toward the forest's exterior. Garfiel had said Subaru looked down on him, pretending like he knew things, butting into things he didn't understand. Everything Garfiel said was true. Subaru was probably wrong about everything. Nonetheless, he would say one thing. " I do know." *** "I know Hell. I've already seen it, over and over." If there was a Hell to be found here, then it must have been in many of the worlds Subaru had seen so far. Countless times, when the end of the world arrived, Subaru had seen Hell again and again, enough to make him want to avert his gaze; it was burned into his eyes, seared into his body, and forever lodged into his mind. That was why he said that to Garfiel. He said it confidently, hoping to put him at ease. He left behind a smile, so that he might find some courage " I'm the only one who needs to know what Hell is. That's what I'm here for." CHAPTER 3 *** 1 When Subaru passed through the gate, slipping through the front courtyard, he looked up at the sun overhead. Its position in the sky was a bit inclined to the west. Based on that, the time seemed to be a little past noon. Roughly half a day since leaving the Sanctuary, Subaru emitted a light sigh as he finally arrived before the majestic facade of Roswaal Manor. It was a sigh of relief that he'd at least made it safely that far. "Could you not show me such a flabbergasted-looking face?" "...I am not flabbergasted whatsoever. I am merely surprised at your exceedingly quick return." Saying this was a tall, golden-haired woman whose jade eyes were open wide Frederica. Coming out to receive the arriving guest, she was beside herself when she noticed it was Subaru in the entryway. From her point of view, he'd returned after only a single day, a virtual somersault. It was natural for her to be surprised. However, to Subaru, his time away had been one of repeated upheaval. "I have a reason for the quick turnaround... It relates to you, too." "...And so you have returned alone? You did not bring Lady Emilia with you?" "You know full well why Emilia can't leave the Sanctuary, right? You don't need to put on an act. I think you'll find I've returned a lot better informed than you might assume." Tension was gripping Frederica, something Subaru intended to relieve as he raised both of his hands. He didn't want to spark any fruitless arguments. His suspicions about Frederica had already been cleared up once before. He believed she was positively uninvolved in both the raid on the mansion and the calamity occurring in the Sanctuary. All she had done was give Emilia that crystal, offered several false pieces of information about the barrier, and refused to explain who had commanded her to do so. That said, the secret she was keeping close to the chest was one he absolutely had to expose... "...Come to think of it, I've sworn to expose the secrets of brother and sister alike. Man, I'm a disagreeable guy." "Are you speaking to yourself? Also, the way you are staring at my breasts... Y-you mustn't...?" "I won't go so far as to say I'm not interested in them, but that's not what I'm thinking, okay? Anyway, let's..." " Huh?! Subaru?!" When Frederica noticed the inappropriate place he had let his gaze linger, she reacted by hiding her cleavage and squirming away. Right as Subaru started claiming that it was a misunderstanding, a lively, high-pitched voice rang out. He could hear energetic footsteps approaching as a small, adorable girl in a maid outfit Petra raced down to the pair. "Wah! You came back really fast, didn't you?!" Lining up beside Frederica, Petra looked up at Subaru, her eyes sparkling with delight at his return. Her reaction made Subaru cross his arms and turn his eyes toward Frederica. "Hey, see that? This is what a maid's supposed to be like." "Petra is a special case. I am simply not as charming... Ahhh, so cute." " ? Su... Master Subaru, Miss Frederica, is something wrong?" Petra tilted her head, looking puzzled by the exchange between the pair. Glancing at Frederica, who was enraptured by the adorable sight, Subaru patted his own chest in relief. Petra and Frederica. He was truly glad that he was able to reunite with both of them safe and sound. Getting to meet Petra again was making the corners of his eyes particularly hot. After all, Subaru's last memory of Petra was from the height of the tragedy at the mansion, when he grieved at seeing her reduced to only an arm. "...Master Subaru?" "Nah, I was just thinking, seeing Petra heals my heart sooo much. Seeing your face is a serious relief. Come to think of it, Petra, this time around, you're the only one I can talk to without worrying about anything." As Petra watched with upturned eyes, Subaru flashed a smile and stretched a hand toward her. He proceeded to stroke her reddish-brown hair as if he was combing it, something she happily accepted. "Master Subaru, let us put that envia That charming cuddling for later. You wanted to speak with me, yes?" "Sounded like a bit of your true feelings slipped through for a second there, but not dragging things out is a big help... Is talking in the lounge okay?" "I shall be there with tea. Petra, show him in." "Yes, Miss Frederica. Master Subaru, this way, please." Briskly dividing their duties, Frederica headed to the kitchen while Petra pulled Subaru's hand as she guided him along. *** The moment Subaru began walking into the mansion, the urge to head to Rem's room instantly sprouted inside of him. However, Subaru suppressed that impulse out of a sense of duty. At that moment, he felt that if he prioritized his desire to meet her, something precious to him would break. For a short while, he would carefully, carefully hide Rem deep within the confines of his consciousness "...Come to think of it, there's something I have to say to you, Petra." " ? What is it?" "Thank you for the charm, Petra. It saved me. Probably in a different way than you intended, though." As Petra walked not so much ahead of him than in a more normal side-by-side manner, Subaru showed her the handkerchief wrapped around his right wrist as he conveyed his gratitude. That handkerchief had truly saved him in an unexpected way. "Really? I helped Subaru?" "Yeah. It saved my li Well that's not quite exactly how it saved me but pretty close." " ? ? I don't really get it, but I'm glad! That makes me really happy!" Easily accepting even Subaru's vague, half-baked reply, Petra's face broke into a brilliant smile, something that brought a great measure of peace to Subaru's mind. Enough to make Subaru firmly swear to his heart that this smiling face was one of the things he had to protect. 2 When Subaru returned to the front entrance, Petra was staring at him with her cheeks sourly puffed up. There was not even a hint of the smiling face that Subaru had vowed to defend just under an hour before. With her red face and wet eyes projecting dissatisfaction with all their might, Subaru felt distinctly ashamed of himself. "Petra, how long are you going to sulk like that? If you keep this up, you'll be causing trouble for Master Subaru, yes?" "But but, Miss Fredericaaa..." "No buts. You heard what Master Subaru said. And yet, you are being unreasonable as a maid... No, the issue precedes being a maid. You understand, don't you?" "Uughu~~." Chided by Frederica, Petra hung her head in chagrin. He felt sorry for Petra as he watched her get a scolding, but Subaru knew that any intervention would only fan the flames. Though he felt bad about it, this was one point that Subaru could not yield, even if he had to become a demon in the process. In the lounge, Subaru had proposed a plan to the pair based on his experiences from all the failed attempts he had made so far. The contents of that plan were the cause of Petra's sour mood, for he had proposed that " We shall leave the mansion empty, temporarily concealing ourselves in the village. That is what you require of us?" "Yeah, I'm counting on you. Sorry for the unreasonable demands." "It was only just the other day we had the Witch Cult affair, so if that is your reasoning, then I cannot refute you." The basis behind Subaru's plan made Frederica sullenly cast her eyes downward. It had only been one short week since the Witch Cultists under Petelgeuse's command had mounted an attack on the mansion and the village. The still-fresh memories and scars from what they had done were tremendously effective for persuading Petra and Frederica. His goal was to evacuate the pair from the mansion and distance them from Elsa's imminent attack. This was the strategy Subaru had decided on when he returned to the mansion with maximum possible speed. For the sake of persuasiveness, he'd explained that it was a precaution against Witch Cult remnants rather than assassins. For that reason, they would flee to the village not in maid outfits but outfits any village girl might wear, so as to conceal their connection to the mansion. To be blunt, Petra notwithstanding, whether Frederica would do as he asked was a real gamble, but " I cannot shirk this duty. After all, Master Subaru, you are entrusting me with your beloved dragon and a woman most precious to you." "...I really didn't mean to bring that up as a way to persuade you. I'm leaving them in your

care because I trust you." "My, such killer words. Master Subaru, you are truly skilled at tickling a maid's heart." "I! I think that, too...!" Petra raised her hands up, hopping as if declaring she was also present, drawing a pained smile from Subaru as he shifted his gaze to his arms and to the sleeping face of the lovely girl he held within them. Wearing thin blue pajamas over her upper body, it was the girl who continued to sleep without making even the slightest sound Rem. Subaru had picked her up from the bedroom in which she slumbered, carrying her all the way out of the mansion like that. She was no exception "Rem, Petra, Patlash I'm entrusting them all to you, Frederica. I plan on rendezvousing with you as fast as possible, so..." "I hope that you are able to come to terms with Lady Beatrice so that she might join us as well. Truly, I do." "...Yeah, me too." Subaru replied to Frederica as his back teeth bit into his cheek. When would he actually be able to fulfill that vow? Even Subaru did not know if it would be this time around or at some point in the future. But he would most certainly fulfill it. That he swore on his life. Casting that vow into a future with no guarantees, Subaru hoped he could be forgiven for doing the best he could along the way. "Could you cheer up for me, Petra? It's tough to be hated like this." "Muu, in that case... Subaru, you said earlier that I saved you, right?" As Subaru raised the proverbial white flag, the sulking Petra looked like she had suddenly recalled the thanks she had received earlier. When that elicited a nod from Subaru, she held a finger up and said, "Then, an expression of gratitude, please! I'll let you off in exchange for one dayte!" "A date? Where the heck did you hear about...? Must be from that time with Emilia, huh? You really have a sharp memory, Petra." The adorable proposal made Subaru recall his first date with Emilia, his reward after the demon beast incident. At the time, they'd gone together from spot to spot around Earlham Village, meaning the villagers and the children had seen them. Apparently, Petra had remembered the word from way back then. "Got it. If that'll do, then consider this escort job accepted. I'm honored to be Petra's first date, so I'm looking forward to it." "Yes! It's a promise!" Petra's face brightened with the appearance of a beaming smile, her foul mood seemingly forgotten. That face offered nothing short of salvation. Through one girl's sympathy, it felt like even his failures could be swept away. "Well, I'm going to go call Patlash over!" Straightening her back with a spring, Petra energetically raced for the rear of the mansion. She seemed almost too worked up, but her consideration for others was probably a large part of that. The astute girl had probably sensed that Subaru still had more to discuss with Frederica. "...Let's make this promise again someday, Petra." Watching the girl receding in the distance, Subaru whispered those words for his ears alone. This was a world that would likely vanish. The promise they exchanged would not remain within her. However, Subaru would never forget. All so that they could make the same promise again when it was time to choose the correct future. "She is a good girl, isn't she?" "Yeah. Let me be the one to brag about her sometime, all right? I'm the one she chose for her first date after all." After watching Petra head off, only Subaru and Frederica remained. With the exception of Rem, asleep in Subaru's arms, the two were alone making this the ideal opportunity to speak openly. Surmising what was to come, Frederica's body was slightly stiff as she reoriented herself toward Subaru. And then "I know you're about to set off and all, but can I ask you a ? Actually, make it three questions." "That is incredibly sudden and exceedingly shameless of you. It would depend upon the specifics." Adjusting how he held Rem while he broached the subject, Frederica knitted her brows. There was a twinge of unease that came over her jade eyes. For a time, Subaru mulled over just what he ought to probe at before he finally asked, "I want to ask about Garfiel. He's been inside the tomb. Did you know?" " . Is there something between you and Garfiel?" "You're the one who warned me to watch out. Harsh words, you know? I know about your relation to Garfiel, too. That's why you don't have to cover anything up." "In but a single...really, in half a day, you would seem to have gained a great deal of the master's trust." Gazing in wonder at the breadth of Subaru's knowledge, Frederica voiced that conclusion as if speaking to herself. She apparently thought that Subaru had obtained the information from Roswaal, something he made no effort to correct. After all, information nigh impossible to learn in a single day was a weapon Subaru and Subaru alone wielded. Using that as leverage, Subaru wanted to discover Garfiel's true intentions, an irreplaceable piece of information for him to devise a way to clear Sanctuary. Given the fact that he had the qualifications to be an apostle, his bias toward the Trial, and the slight measure of sympathy he had shown Emilia as she challenged the tomb, there was no mistaking that Garfiel bore special feelings toward that tomb. If this was the core component of the differences in his actions from each of Subaru's runs, then that was how he would unravel the thread. "Did you hear anything about me from...my little brother?" "...I don't really want to say this, Frederica, but most of it was bad. Garfiel said that you abandoned your birthplace and left." *** "Ah, er, but since it's him, it could just have been his foul way of ta " "No, it is fine. Thank you for your consideration, but I am all right." Firmly shaking her head, she left Subaru choking on his words, unable to continue. During that time, Frederica narrowed her eyes, averting her gaze almost as if to stare into the distance as she began to explain. "It has been over ten years since I departed the Sanctuary. I have not spoken to my younger...to Garf, once in all that time. The gap has remained unbridged ever since." "...Frederica, is it all right if I asked why you left the Sanctuary?" He already knew the reason why she was not held captive by the barrier enveloping the Sanctuary. The barrier, which bound those who carried mixed human and demi-human blood, did not activate if that mixture was too weak. She was not a half-blood but a quarter. This was the reason Frederica could leave the Sanctuary. "Still, being able to leave and leaving are two different things. I tried asking Garfiel what he wanted to do after the barrier was lifted, too...but he didn't answer." "I...see. I probably wanted to create that for him." Subaru put on a puzzled look when he heard the vague explanation, one focused around the word that. Not noticing his reaction, Frederica seemed to be trying to coax an answer out of something amorphous that rested deep inside of her. "Someday, the barrier will be lifted. I was absolutely certain of that. Perhaps that was simply wishful thinking on my part. If the barrier was lifted finally, the people living inside the Sanctuary would be freed...and they would come outside, having no more idea what to do than Garfiel does right now." "So you wanted to create that 'something' for them, Frederica?" "Close. It is very much like that. A place for them, perhaps something to give courage to those dependent on the Sanctuary, a spark for them to step outside." Frederica seemed satisfied with this explanation as she touched a hand to her chest. Subaru had never seen her act this way, like a bud gently blooming into a flower. The people dependent on the Sanctuary were those with nowhere else to go due to irrational ostracism and discrimination. When the barrier was lifted and even the Sanctuary was lost to them, where would they go? To answer that question, Frederica had been working toward a new place they could call home. With such conviction roaring inside of her, an earnest light shined in Frederica's jade eyes. Coming back to Subaru's question, "As far as the tomb is concerned," she offered as a preamble, before saying, "to the best of my knowledge, Garf entered the tomb only once. If he took the Trial, it could only be then... I do not know whether he challenged it again thereafter." "So what was the result at the time? I imagine that he failed, but..." Shaking her head, Frederica had a grave look on her face. "At the time, I was unable to rush into the tomb after him. Grandmother simply told me that Garf had not returned, and it was Grandmother who entered the tomb and brought him back..." "So Ryuzu is the one who brought Garfiel back, huh?" The natives of the Sanctuary could not lift the barrier. Ryuzu had previously told him that she was bound to the place by a pact. For that same Ryuzu to enter the tomb was akin to defying the Witch's commands. Considering the circumstances of Ryuzu's birth as a replica, this was truly on par with an act of rebellion against her creator. Small wonder, then, that Garfiel revered Ryuzu, who had gone that far to rescue him and thought of the Sanctuary as a precious place. But for the result of that trial to be Garfiel becoming an Apostle of Greed, he had to have wanted something. "When she returned, Grandmother kept their trip to the tomb a secret. And ever since, Garf stopped saying he was going to enter the tomb. He'd said he was going to liberate the Sanctuary by his own hand and show Grandmother and the others the outside world." From Frederica's lonely words, Subaru realized a truth that she herself had not. Frederica had departed the Sanctuary in order to build a new home in anticipation of the day liberation would come. She was waiting. Waiting for the time when Garfiel would free the people of the Sanctuary. Frederica had ventured to the outside world to support the hope her younger brother once embraced And yet, that hope had been dashed midway, and now Garfiel took great pains to protect the Sanctuary. So that's what it was. This was the true motive behind Garfiel's actions. Grieving for a future he could no longer see, he protected the present instead. This explained the apparent contradictions in his actions to date. " Master Subaru, I ask that you somehow take good care of my uncouth younger brother." "...Even if you say that to me, there's not much I can do." As Subaru sank into thought, Frederica bent deeply at the hip as she made her request. Subaru was at a loss for how to respond. But Frederica slowly shook her head side to side and smiled. Making no attempts to hide her mouth and leaving her sharp fangs on display, her beaming face was beautiful enough to captivate him "Master Subaru, the reason I ask is because I now believe you are up to the task. I will have you know, I have some confidence in my ability to read people." Frederica's statement, somehow coming off as playful, made Subaru avert his gaze. He wanted to answer her expectations. But could he really say he was prepared to fulfill them this time around? It was because he had no such conviction that Subaru could not bear to meet her gaze and hesitated in his reply. "I humbly ask that you take good care of my younger brother." Even so, it

was this Subaru with whom Frederica spoke once more, repeating her request with a smile still on her face. "Master Subaru, please allow me to take Rem. Your arms must be at their limits?" "...Yeah, actually I've been really been pushing it. It's not like I can afford to just drop her, after all." Frederica opened her arms, which also signaled the end of the conversation. Indulging in her benevolence, Subaru handed over the sleeping Rem. He had heard once unconscious people were supposed to be far harder to lift than anyone who was awake, but her body didn't feel heavy to him. It was as if having her name and memory stolen away had left her diluted, almost like she was going to fade away. *** When Frederica's arms embraced Rem, he brushed aside the slumbering girl's hair, burning her face into his eyes, as if this would ensure his hope, his vow they would be reunited might reach her even as she dreamed. " Have you already thought of a method to find Lady Beatrice?" If there was any time to spare, he'd have spent all of it caressing Rem like that. As if to discard that lingering regret, Frederica asked Subaru, who was staying behind in the mansion, about what his next move would be. How did he plan to find Beatrice, presumably in the archive of forbidden books even at that very moment, and bring her out with him? "If she really wants to hide, there's no way I'll find her no matter what plan I come up with." "Then what shall you do? It is necessary for Master Subaru to meet with Lady Beatrice, after all." "I told you. That's if she really wants to hide." As Subaru repeated himself, the Frederica's arched in doubt. Faced with her questioning gaze, Subaru finally pulled his fingers away from Rem and turned back toward the palatial building. It was a big, overly broad manor. Beatrice had as many hiding places as it had doors. But "There's no one who plays hide-and-seek who doesn't wanna be found. I always find her because she's hiding with the hope that someone will find her." And it was probably that single loophole that tied Subaru and Beatrice together. "Take care of Rem, Petra, Patlash, and yourself too, okay?" With that, Subaru bid Frederica farewell one last time. In response, Frederica, with Rem still in her arms, bowed respectfully. 3 The instant he touched the doorknob, Subaru wore a pained smile as he had the sense that he'd grasped "correctly." After all, once seeing Frederica and company off, he returned to the mansion, did a few light stretches, and walked off to search for Beatrice, whereupon the first door he selected was a bingo. If the words he had exchanged with Frederica at the entrance were true, this game of hide-and-seek was rigged. To begin with, the timing of just when she began that game of hide-and-seek would greatly alter how he interpreted this series of events. To find out for certain, Subaru took a breath and twisted the doorknob " You finally showed up, I suppose?" Alongside that single phrase greeting came a current of air mixed with the unmistakable musk of old books. That unsociable tone of voice, that grumpy way of speaking hearing that Subaru instinctually release the tension in his shoulders. The worries that hounded him just moments before, the travails he had endured up to that point for a brief moment, he was able to forgot them as he raised a hand in greeting. "Heya, Beako. Haven't seen your face in a while, but you haven't changed one bit." "It has only been three days, and yet somehow the way your flippant tongue irritates me has not changed at all, either." It was the mistress of the archive of forbidden books and its rows of bookshelves who responded. At the center of the room, surrounded by those old books, a young girl was sitting on a wooden stool with her cheek resting upon her palm Beatrice. While gazing at her, Subaru abruptly realized that she was always sitting on that stool. The Archive had proper desks and tables. And yet, she was always there, ready to receive guests. That was how she was when Subaru first met her, and the numerous, many times Subaru had visited since "...Could you cease and desist with that unpleasant gaze, I wonder? There is no reason for you to look at Betty with such eyes." "If you're talking about my mean mug, then unfortunately the same one I was born with. I hate to admit that, but I've got no intention of getting a replacement now. Putting that aside... I came here today with a different reason in mind than all the other times before." Subaru's words heavily implied the reams of information he'd gained about Beatrice during that loop. And it was she herself who had told Subaru that if he wanted to understand, he ought to change places and obtain that knowledge in the Sanctuary. In fact, Subaru had learned why Beatrice continued to obsess over the archive of forbidden books and about the magical tome she possessed. He would not claim that he had discovered everything there was to know about her. But it was still enough to be a thread he could follow. Subaru's gaze, imbued with determination, made Beatrice's cheeks stiffen slightly. "...In the Sanctuary, did you find out, I wonder?" "If you're asking just how much I know, that's hard to say. I learned a bit, but definitely not everything. I'm using the power of guesswork to fill in the parts I don't have." "Then do as you please... It is an ironic idea either way, I suppose." She let out a sigh, and right after, Beatrice's expression abruptly relaxed. When she took off her mask of obstinacy, what rested beneath was the gentle, charming smile she was born with and a forlorn blue glimmer in her eyes the sight unwittingly left Subaru at a loss for words. Her fleeting, fragile beauty left him unable to draw in his breath. That charming smile was just too lonely "The long, long pact is coming to an end. This time, the end of the end shall come to an end, and Betty can finally be freed from stagnation. Though I must say " Cutting off her words there, Beatrice's eyes narrowed teasingly as she continued, "...For Betty, having you be the one to do it is an exceptionally ironic conclusion, I suppose?" 4 Mesmerized by her words and her charming smile, Subaru blinked hard for a moment to regain his bearings. "Ironic...ironic, huh? I guess being able to talk like you know it all is another benefit of your precious book?" Beatrice's charming smile and the annoyance he felt made Subaru a tiny bit aggressive. When he sent a glance her way, Beatrice sighed deeply and sent a hand behind her stool, and from there, pulled out a single tome a black-bound book of knowledge and held it against her chest. Such a book of prophecies recorded the possessor's future and guided that possessor to a better path Beatrice's fingers grasped this book, what Roswaal had described as falling somewhere short of a truly complete product. Indeed, the girl had said to him that her actions to date had been in accordance to what was written in that book. Having saved Subaru, smiling with him in the mansion, stubbornly continuing to say this was her own place everything was as recorded in the book. However "If everything was according to the book, your own will had nothing to do with it. That's what you're saying, right?" "...So many questions. If you know about this book, no explanation should be necessary." "I told you, I'm filling in the gaps with guesswork. You and Roswaal hide way too much stuff. That's why it's been such a pain in the rear to bring you out of here." "Bring me out...?" Beatrice's murmur bore the echo of her having heard an unexpected phrase. Receiving this, Subaru said, "That's right, I've come to bring you out of this archive of forbidden books. We can call it a temporary evacuation but...if I'm being honest, I don't wanna bring you back here. This place, it's unhealthy." "Wh...what do you think you are saying, I wonder? Bring me out of here? What self-serving...!" "Your face says this wasn't what you had in mind. Isn't everything I do written in that book of yours?" Pointing at the book, Subaru posed the question to the unnerved Beatrice. His assertion sent the girl's face flying into shock, her fingers trembling as she opened the book and flipped through its pages. As if clinging to the book, as if trying to reel the future in, her big eyes were filled with gloom as she flipped the pages. "Why...?" The girl's attitude toward the conduct Subaru himself had pointed out rubbed him in a very bad way. Perhaps it was irrational of him. And yet, a smudge of anger welled up within his chest. In the blink of an eye, the instantaneous relief he felt when he got his wish for a reunion with Beatrice was blotted out. "Why are you clinging to that book? That's not something you need to do." *** Subaru suppressed his anger at the feeble gesture and murmured. During that time, Beatrice was desperately flipping the pages, her eyes running through the book in search of salvation. She looked so very frail. She was always full of confidence, sitting haughtily upon her stool, greeting Subaru as if he was nothing but trouble, grudgingly lending him her aid Was that not the librarian of the archive of forbidden books, Beatrice, who Subaru Natsuki believed in? "You're right here in front of my eyes. When I'm talking to you, look at my eyes, not the book, damn it!" " Ah." Stomping his feet, Subaru stood in front of Beatrice. When his shadow was cast over the open book, Beatrice looked up, realizing for the first time that Subaru was standing right next to her. Subaru felt anger at the sight of himself reflected in her pupils. He had the face of a child abandoned by his parents. It was both Subaru and the actions of the girl bound by the book that had left him with that expression. If that pensive face, that sullen face, that frail, fleeting face, if any and all of those things had been recorded in the book, then where was the girl Subaru had been meeting until now? What face did the girl named Beatrice truly make? "Gimme that !" "Ah...!" Extending his arm, he seized the magic tome Beatrice was clutching by force. Instantly, she attempted to resist, but her trembling fingers had no strength in them, and Subaru easily tore the book away from her. It was lighter than he had expected. That fact, too, irritated him. A single tome this light had cast such a dark shadow over Beatrice's entire way of life? Just how much power did the notations within possess? And how much of Beatrice's actions, words, emotions, were all done according to the book " Eh?" Grasping the book he had torn away, he violently flipped the pages with his fingers. His eyes ran across the contents to read what was written therein. In so doing, he meant to discover Beatrice's true thoughts. And yet, Subaru gazed in blank astonishment as his eyes leaped across the book's interior. There was nothing written on the page he had opened. He flipped the page. There was nothing on the back side, either. He flipped the page. Flip. Flip. Flip, flip, flip as he might... There was not a single sentence or even a single character on so much as a single page. It was blank pages with nothing written on them over and over " It has been like that for a long time now." Addressing the bewildered Subaru, whose eyes were bulging

in surprise, Beatrice murmured almost as if uttering a soliloquy. With the book stolen from her two hands, the girl used them to cover her face instead, so that Subaru would not see the expression now resting upon it. With nothing more than a broken voice, she put her withered emotions to her tongue and continued. "It has been many years since that book has shown Betty's future..." Pulling her knees close, Beatrice curled up and shrank atop of the stool. Realizing that was a posture that would not yield to interference, Subaru endured his impatience and waited for her next words. From this halting silence, Beatrice began her confession with a lecture on her duties as a librarian. It was a lecture about the true nature of the archive of forbidden books and unraveled the history behind it. "The role granted to Betty is to maintain and preserve this archive of knowledge, to continue and protect this place until the time we shall someday be reunited... I suppose?" "Archive of knowledge..." Standing up, Subaru surveyed the array of bookshelves that entombed the room. His legs had brought him to this place many times over, and a great many times his eyes had perused a number of the books found within. It was from this that Subaru knew that the archive contained a huge variety of books, including texts that even he could understand and most likely various types containing forbidden knowledge as well. This collection was impossibly vast, lacking rhyme or reason, almost as if books of any and every type had been stuffed into the place. "It was established by someone who loved storing knowledge above all else." The murmur was full of fondness, of cherishing, of yearning. It was those words trickling out of Beatrice that made the image of someone Subaru knew float up into his mind. "...I had a vague suspicion...ever since I found out that Roswaal was connected to that Witch." The first clue was the administration of the Sanctuary, passed down through the Roswaal family generation after generation. Roswaal had said this was a role entrusted to them by the Witch. Based on his extraordinary obsession with the Witch and his behavior to date, Subaru had somehow managed to guess. There was a spirit in that very Roswaal's mansion, one who had come to dwell there long ago. There was no pact between Roswaal and this spirit. This, too, was something Roswaal had openly declared. Who, then, had been at that mansion and made a contract with the spirit to protect the archive of forbidden books? "Beatrice. You're Echidna's contracted spirit." *** The breath that trickled out of her was reply enough. That small thing was sufficient to know what rested within her heart. Beatrice was a spirit contracted to Echidna the Witch. It was Beatrice's duty to serve as guardian of the essence of knowledge of the Witch who styled herself as greed for knowledge incarnate, craving to know all there was to know in the world. Perhaps she had granted the girl her book of knowledge as a reward or as a tool necessary for her duties. Even if that was so, it had already ceased to function "...You said earlier that the book's been blank for years now?" "It is the truth." "It's not like I'm doubting you. Actually, I really am doubting you. I mean, come on. If not, you... Without anything being even written in that book..." For that meant she had granted Subaru her aid several times over...of her own free will. *** The confirmation that he could not put into words was the greatest hope Subaru had discovered in that entire loop. Previously, he had begun that loop with the knowledge that Beatrice possessed that magic tome. When she told Subaru that all her actions to date were simply what was recorded in that book, it had been a heavy blow to him. He had known Beatrice for scarcely two months but during those two months, Subaru had talked with her many times, they had been involved in many events, and sometimes they had laughed together. When he was told that had all been a sham, it had been a time of agony and disbelief but he had checked the magic tome of blank pages because he'd suspected it would confirm his suspicions. By healing the gut wound he had received in the royal capital, by letting Subaru be close to her when the tragedy at the mansion drove nails into his heart, by cooperating with the investigation into the cause of his curse Beatrice had saved Subaru many times over. He believed that all that was unrelated to what was written in the book, and so, too, the days of fun they had spent thereafter "Without any relation to the book, you..." " Did I not tell you last time, I wonder?" As Subaru's voice broached the subject of gentler things, seemingly clinging to hope, Beatrice interrupted. Her voice did not tremble. In front of Subaru, his breath catching as she interrupted him, Beatrice slowly lowered the hands covering her face and what emerged was emotionless, like a Noh mask. Her face, unfeeling like something completely artificial, made Subaru shudder, gripped by a strange sensation. For some reason, the impression she gave off at that moment was like the Ryuzu replicas the same as that of a copy. As Subaru's lips twisted in horror, Beatrice remained expressionless as she continued. "Someday, That Person will come to the archive. Betty was told her duty is to wait until then." "...!! For That Person you said?" The term that suddenly leaped into his eardrums made Subaru open his eyes wide in astonishment. That Person, the words Subaru had heard several times over during that loop Roswaal had told him to say those words to Beatrice, as if it was a deeply suggestive term. Having missed his opportunities to say it himself to Beatrice, some twist of fate had made him hear those words from Beatrice herself, leaving Subaru bewildered. Beatrice, interpreting his confusion as a sign that he simply didn't know what she meant, explained further. "It is as I said. Betty is to continue to protect the archive of forbidden books until That Person appears. It is Betty's duty to protect the stored knowledge so it may be handed to That Person, I suppose." The complicated emotions with which Betty spoke of That Person stabbed him in the chest. The tone of her voice was complex, at once full of loveliness, hatred, impatience, resentment, and exhaustion. Those reverberations made Subaru stuff his heart full of hateful words toward Roswaal, who had so lightly told Subaru to bring up That Person to her. And more than that, he could not fail to sense an ominous disquiet in Beatrice's demeanor. "Someday, someone will fulfill the promise of the archive of forbidden books. Betty has always awaited the day That Person would arrive as written in the book." "Wait, Beatrice. Calm down a little. You and I are both too worked up. Let's calm down a bit, and " "But That Person never came. Nor will the book say who That Person is. And so time has passed, and so too much time has passed, and that is why..." He couldn't let her say any more. Even though he was certain of this, the words refused to come out. What should he say that she might not speak the words? If he said the wrong thing, there would be no stopping her. He didn't know what the correct answer was. Hence, all that trickled out was a broken breath. "I do not care if you are not That Person. I shall bear it if it must be you. Are you the one who shall end Betty, who shall bring an end to the pact, who shall take this life, I wonder?" This was Beatrice's desire. Her earnest wish was for a way to end the end of the end. *** Subaru could not pull his look away from those eyes brimming with sorrow. Beatrice's greatest wish slid into his eardrums, but its contents would not sink into his head. No, it was not that they couldn't enter. His brain was merely rejecting them, doing everything it could to prevent him from understanding. But even so, he did comprehend. It was conveyed to him. The eyes, the voice, the thoughts of the girl before him were screaming it at him. Her desire to end the end of the end at the far side of a very long pact. "You're saying...because of that you...want to die?..." "Strictly speaking, it is different from 'wanting to die.' Betty desires the end of the pact. Perhaps desires freedom from the pact to which she has been eternally bound." "If the only way to do that is taking your life, how is that different from wanting to die?!!" Subaru wrung his voice out at the girl who refused to understand. He was shouting in anger. He slammed the magic tome in his grasp onto the floor. Just like that, the blow unraveled the old tome. Its blank pages fluttered and danced within the archive. Blank pages scattered, flitting back and forth in the space between Subaru and Beatrice. Sweeping them away with an arm, he howled. "You wanna die? Cut the crap! Saying you wanna die... Even if others would let you say it, I... That's the one thing I won't let anyone say in front of me!" If you died, your life could not be brought back. That was an iron rule. That alone was absolutely inviolable. Only Subaru Natsuki was different. That was why there was value in him and him alone casting away his life. Even if he died, it had meaning, something he had been able to demonstrate with tangible proof. Beatrice was different. Everyone else was different. This was something he absolutely could not allow. "That is a very self-serving thing of you to say. What do you understand about Betty, I wonder?" However, her reply to his irritation was so very cold, as sharp as any blade. Spreading her skirt, Beatrice set her feet onto the stool and hopped onto the floor. Then she gestured toward the archive with a hand. "Betty has spent many years here, obeying the pact...four hundred years." "Four hundred years..." That phrase again, thought Subaru, grimacing. He felt tempted to click his tongue. Many of that world's important historical events were clumped up together four hundred years prior. That had been the era of the Witch, the end of destruction and the beginning of prosperity, the patronage of the kingdom, the contempt for half-demons it was an abominable era that was responsible for the fates of so many. Beatrice, too, was born in that era and had lived since then until the present day. "Obeying the pact, I lived under the same roof as the Mathers family, who stood in the same position as I, spending my days in accordance to what was written in the magic tome. I would hardly consider those first several decades to be suffering at all, I suppose." Subaru felt a chill as he listened to her voice and the grandness of the details she spoke of. "But even during that time, the world shifted. The first Roswaal that Betty knew passed away, and the next generation inherited the duty. Betty has been watching this act of replacement the whole time." The girl explained calmly. This reflected the blandness of the passage of time, the frayed nature of the reality she had experienced. "I waited day after day for That Person who was supposed to come someday...but was I at all anxious, I wonder? After all, Betty had the book. As long as she trusted and waited, as long as there were amended pages, then surely, one day." "But that's..." The remains of the magic tome were scattered all over the floor. Subaru knew that from Beatrice's perspective what

was written on those blank pages was very cruel indeed. To Beatrice, that whiteness denoted despair. At some point, the book of knowledge, which to her was a symbol of hope "No matter how many times I checked each and every day, there was no change in the text... The span of time until I became certain was incredibly trying." *** "I have seen the revision to the final page in my dreams over and over. Perhaps I continued to yearn for That Person, who I did not know, face unknown to me, opening the door so that I might receive the blessing of a duty fulfilled." "...Beatrice." "Each time someone's hand reached for that door, Betty's heart was betrayed." In other words, whenever someone had opened the door, entering the archive of forbidden books, yet was not That Person. Subaru was probably included as one of those who disappointed her with every visit. Beatrice's despair only ever continued to piled higher countless times. Subaru had only added to the wounds she carried within her. Wounds he had unreservedly, rudely, thoughtlessly gouged into her, over and over, never healed and were still oozing blood. "As I spent my time like that, I realized... No, perhaps I knew it all along?" "Realized what?" Knowing of her suffering, knowing that he had added to her wounds, his voice trembled. And as his own sins tore at his chest, Beatrice softly smiled. It was a forlorn, frail smile, just like when she had stated she wanted someone to end it all. " When no more is written in the book, it means that the owner's future has come to an end." "You're wrong...!" The fitful denial that flew out never reached Beatrice. It simply bounced right off her immovable, resigned heart. A baseless emotional argument was not what she sought. She wasn't looking for someone to console her either. The answer to her question had already come out from inside her. Out it came, into the open. "Why...do you have to...?!" Even so, Subaru's emotions would not permit it. He refuted Beatrice's surrender, her desire for death. "So you came to a conclusion all by yourself!! This is what happens to everyone when they're worried and mull things over all by their lonesome! That's when things go in bad directions, just like this! You start thinking, This is the only way, and you agonize over that thought... That's when you think the only road in front of you is the worst one possible!" Because he was Subaru, someone who'd railed against his own powerlessness as he threw himself against hardship over and over, he understood. A senseless destiny pushed people into isolation. And with the compulsion to continue to stand and face it alone, black fingers would entwine around any heart fighting that lonely battle. But that was a rule that didn't need to be followed. He wanted to convey that to her. If only he could return to Beatrice the power of the similar words she had once spoken to him, Subaru could "If what you want is someone to do something to help, say it so people can understand. One sentence is enough. Say that you're sad. Say that you want help. If you can say that...even I...!" If she did that, surely she would notice. There was no need to give up at all. "A whole bunch of times, you... That's why this time I'll...!" "...Do something to help?" "That's it... Call out for help, just like that." "Do something to help..." "That's it! That's it, that's it, that's it! If you say that and reach out with your hand..." "Betty, wants to be saved from this...sadness, this suffering...this darkness..." "Yeah, leave it to me. I'll " Her tiny, shaking fingers reached out toward Subaru. He reached a hand out toward hers. His blood was rushing to his head. That moment, all he wanted to do was to embrace the girl before his eyes, to shower her with kindness. That moment, Subaru had completely forgotten the reason he came for a visit to begin with. But that was for the best. Thanks to that, he had discovered this girl tormented by loneliness. Then and there, Subaru was being driven solely by the burning sense of duty residing in his chest. If he took her hand, Subaru would be accepting another weighty burden. He didn't care. Beatrice was someone he could not abandon to begin with. All he had done was confirm that in his heart. His soul was shouting as loud as it could. And Subaru simply obeyed its call. Save her. Rescue her. After all, that girl is to you. "Is that why...?" The fingers she had stretched out indeed reached Subaru's own. He grabbed hold of her frail, trembling fingers, strongly joining their hands so that neither could let go. He looked into Beatrice's eyes, unsure if he should smile or send a nod her way instead. Her blue eyes were filled with a great many tears " Betty wants you to kill her, I wonder?" She flung Subaru's hand aside. The salvation she sought was nothing so cheap. " Ah." His hand cast aside, his fingers grasping nothing at all. The rejection made his heart go numb. He could not raise his voice to ask, Why? Beatrice's eyes would not let him. *** It was too late for that. Those eyes were filled with too much despair with too much that could not be undone. "I have spent four hundred years...always here alone." "B-Beatri..." "I continued protecting this place always alone, while That Person who's certain arrival never came, I suppose." He could not look away from Beatrice's two eyes. He called out her name. But the current Subaru hesitated to do even that. "I do not know how many times I thought of throwing it all away. I do not know how many times I wished I could forget everything. A hundred times, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred million, and still it was not enough..." In that dimly lit room, Beatrice had spent a very, very long time steeped in loneliness. Holding her knees, sitting on top of that stool, she had continued to cling to hope and despair for someone whose name she knew not. Just how many times had loneliness killed this girl's heart? "You want to save me...? You want to do something to help me...?" " Ah." "Just how many times do you think Betty has asked exactly that? Did you think Betty simply gave up, not once thinking of such a thing, I wonder?" The words were halting, but they were imbued with steadily increasing heat. Her eyes held an intensity light. Anger, disappointment, sadness, dejection Subaru didn't see any of that. It was simply the glimmer of her tears. "Are you saying that if I reached out with a hand, you would pull Betty out of this darkness that has no end in sight? Are you saying that you would teach me the correct answer for this never-ending blind alley, I wonder?" *** "If you were going to do that...then why...then why...?" As Beatrice lowered her face, she breathed in, leaving a brief pause in time. This was the final opportunity, the only moment left where he could get a word in. It was that or nothing. And yet, Subaru hesitated out of fear. Afraid of hurting her, he said nothing. Beatrice lifted her face. She was glaring at him. She opened her mouth, baring her teeth " Why did you leave Betty alone for four hundred years?!" *** "I was alone! Always! Always, always, always, Betty was here alone! I was lonely! I was scared! I felt abandoned; I felt like I could not fulfill the single duty assigned to me, uphold the promise I made... I thought I was going to be alone here forever!!" Tears spilled out, coursing down from Beatrice's large eyes. Passing over her cheeks, a deluge of sorrow fell from her chin onto the floor. As her searing tears struck the floor, Subaru's heart was struck by an incredible blow, cracking and smashing it to pieces. "You came to save me?! You came to rescue me?! Why didn't you come sooner?! Why didn't you embrace me from the beginning?! Why?! Why did you leave Betty by herself?!" Her words became a blade, became fire, became steel, wounding Subaru's heart one after the next. In various forms, in various meanings, she tormented Subaru with every suffering she had endured. And Beatrice was only showering him with the tip of the iceberg of four hundred years' worth of pain. Just how much did the words of someone like Subaru Natsuki ring true compared to Beatrice's four centuries of isolation? "Words, like, save me, do something to help me...! Over four centuries, have I not exhausted such pleas long ago, I wonder...?" *** "It is not as if no one came during those four hundred years. Among them were humans who attempted to bring Betty out. They sought Betty's power as a high-ranking spirit..." "D-don't lump me in with people like that! All I want is to " "It has nothing to do with Betty's power. You merely wish to save the person before your eyes... Did I claim there were no naive sorts like you among them, I wonder?" "A...uu..." "But they did not bring Betty out. Of course not." After all, Beatrice continued her words, making a very forlorn smile as she said, "Half-hearted resolve cannot erase the pact that binds Betty. It is impossible for mere humans." "What should I...?" " Make Betty number one." The words tossed his way were so very quiet and yet so very sharp. Subaru felt like fine needles had been thrust through his eardrums, sending a blow shooting right through him. "Make, Betty your number one. Think of Betty first. Choose Betty first. Overwrite the pact. Blot out the pact. Bring me out of here. Draw me to you. Embrace me." *** "That is absolutely impossible for you, I suppose?" Beatrice's sincere, earnest plea was enough to clamp down on his heart. The request was unspeakably heavy, one that did not permit a thoughtless nod. "Your number one has been long decided. Therefore, you cannot save Betty." Emilia was inside him. Rem was inside him. Both were inside him. Betty's words were clear. When he thought of both of them, Subaru's heart leaped and grew hot. This was the answer carved upon his soul. Beatrice's words were the truth. It was probably beyond Subaru to make Betty his number one priority. "That is why I wish you to destroy Betty...the worthless girl who desires to destroy her pact, to turn her back on her duty as a spirit, who has accomplished nothing and no one for four hundred years." "That's...how important the pact is to you? If you don't like it, if you want to stop, why don't you just stop, then? If it's not something you do out of your own will whatsoever, then " " Is it not the one thing that gives Betty's life meaning, I wonder?" Subaru couldn't find an answer for that. Instead, Subaru posed a different question, and in so doing, he committed a base sin. Instantly, despair filled Beatrice's eyes as she stated her words in a thin voice. "Betty is a spirit who lives for the sake of this pact. It was the first role I was granted in this life. Selfishly cast this aside and live... That is what you are telling me to do?" "It's not selfish at all, damn it! You've already hung in there for four centuries!! Who'd blame you after you protected a single promise for all that time! Who could?! You've done enough..." "No one would blame? That is not so... Betty would! Betty absolutely cannot permit it! Beatrice the spirit cannot permit such a haphazard way of life!!" Stepping forward with a trembling foot, Subaru attempted to grasp the little girl's shoulder. But Beatrice

angrily rebuffed his attempt, thrusting his touch aside and putting distance between them. He stepped back and coughed. He felt weak. What meaning was there in having a voice if it could not reach her? *** She was glaring at him. Her eyes were filled with tears. Biting her lip, she grasped the hem of her skirt. She's far too small, he thought. How could everyone have abandoned this little girl for all that time? "You... are not That Person spoken of in the pact, I suppose..." *** "But would you become That Person? Would you make Betty your number one?" Subaru had no words. This was not something he could easily agree to nor could he impulsively refute her words. He could not heal Beatrice's loneliness. Four centuries were too much for his mind to even grasp. Unless he spent an equal amount of time alone, there was no way to truly learn what was in her heart "Betty knows best of all that there is nothing you can do." "Beatrice..." "Therefore, kill Betty by your own hand. Suicide is the same as violating the pact. Is it something a spirit absolutely cannot do, I suppose. I cannot even choose to die by myself." "Why me...?" Beatrice stretched both arms toward him in an earnest plea. Unable to look directly at the hands she haltingly stretched forth, Subaru covered his face with both of his own. "Why are you entrusting me with your final your four centuries' final end...?" "Why...I wonder?" They were tearful words. They were words making excuses, evasive words merely spoken to block things he disliked out of his ears. Beatrice did not scorn Subaru for his cowardice. She simply sighed. Then, after a momentary pause, she slowly nodded and said, " Ahhh, I understand now. Betty is probably entrusting you with her final moment because..." Once he heard the answer, there was no going back. He was certain of it. And yet, his decision came too late. He had realized too late. It was too late for everything. " Sorry to intrude mid-conversation, but..." A voice he should not have heard spoke. Hastened by a terrible chill, Subaru flipped around. Then he saw her. " Is it all right if I become That Person for you, I wonder?" Carrying a black curved blade in her hand a kukri knife the black-clothed Bowel Hunter stood at the archive's entrance. 5 To Subaru, the voice of the woman he heard behind him was the backing track to his very first death. Since being summoned to that other world, Subaru had experienced a great many perils, sometimes losing his life to them, but that black-clothed woman's existence remained a symbol of death to him nonetheless. Wearing a black mantle, clad in an outfit unsparingly exposing her curvaceous physique, her black hair, as rare in that world as Subaru's own, tied in a triple knot, the woman had a lustrous, sensuous beauty to her that far exceeded the norm. There stood Elsa Gramhilde, aka the "Bowel Hunter." " Oh my, so you were here, too. So tell me, how did your body fare after that? Did the insides of your belly get all prettied up again?" Noticing Subaru, frozen from shock, Elsa slightly opened her eyes wider and tilted her head, almost like greeting an old friend. She posed that question, but from the beginning, she had not come in order to hold a conversation. Speaking and acting in ways no normal person could understand, the person before his eyes, speaking things like that as if they made perfect sense, was a dyed-in-the-wool madwoman. " Whose permission did you obtain to step into this archive, I wonder?" As Subaru stood rooted to the spot, a voice abruptly slipped past his flank, aiming the question directly at Elsa. It was Beatrice, with cold hostility trained upon the insolent intruder. Her posture remained the same as when she had confronted Subaru earlier, but she was glaring at the trespasser without the slightest hint of tears on her face. Elsa responded to the girl's question while slowly stroking her own long hair. "It wasn't locked, so all I did was open the door and come in. If you want to have an important conversation, I think you really should remember to lock the door first..." "Such a frivolous reply... This is Betty's archive of forbidden books. None may enter without permission." "Ahhh, that is what you mean. It is quite simple, really." When Beatrice questioned her further, Elsa nodded as if finally understanding the meaning of the question. Then she indicated the still-open door with her hand as she explained. "Your magic to isolate a space...it uses doors as catalysts, yes? Now-lost Dark magic that links doors to other doors, was it?" "...That is correct, I suppose. But just because you know that..." "Oh my, once you understand that, it's quite simple. When facing magic that affects closed doors...as long as I go ahead and open every last door, I eliminate all your options, don't I?" *** Elsa indicated a very simple method indeed for breaking Beatrice's Passage spell. Those words made Beatrice eyes go wide, unshakable proof that this was the correct answer. Simultaneously, Subaru realized that this was the reason for the inexplicable sight he saw earlier in the loop when he discovered all the doors in the mansion flung open. That was not a ransacking a violent means of searching every nook and cranny for people within the mansion but the vestiges of a search completely and solely devoted to finding Beatrice. "I told you, yes? It's a very simple matter. It did take a little time, so I'm rather relieved to have finally found you. I'm truly glad to have reached you before Meili returns from the village." " Village? You said 'village' just now?" As Elsa patted her chest in relief, words rolled out of her mouth that Subaru could not ignore. She said "village" and a person's name. Meili Subaru remembered that name. He was sure it was the same name Elsa had mentioned when appearing at the mansion on a previous run. Considering the situation, it was probably the Beast Master attacking the mansion with her at the time "What's that Beast Master doing at the village...?!" "Well, of course she went there; her targets fled into the village after all. When you're hired to do something, it's only right and proper that you do your utmost to achieve optimal results, yes? So we divided our labor." "Div...ided...?" "You may have the advantage in quantity, but I have the advantage in quality. Most of all, I have been granted an opportunity to open a spirit's belly. I've always wanted to try that." As she spoke, Elsa licked her lips. Taking in the meaning of her words, Subaru felt the fact that his judgment had been fundamentally mistaken plunging into him like a stake. His plan to have Rem, Petra, and Frederica take shelter in the village had failed. Now he knew that Elsa and her allies would continue chasing after their targets even if they were no longer at the mansion. No matter how soon Subaru acted, the scent of blood would be invariably reach the archive of forbidden books, just like this " Shielding this child, are you?" "Damn right." Changing where he stood, Subaru stood right in front of Elsa, as if to shield Beatrice behind his back. If Elsa's target was Beatrice, there was no way he could allow that wicked blade to reach her. Besides, he couldn't leave the village as it was, either. The Beast Master was doing something at the village. If he raced there that very moment... No, idiot! The enemy's standing right in front of you... But over there, death was closing in on the village, on Rem "...For you to do such a thing, preoccupied as you are with idle thoughts, is nothing but a nuisance. If you will not do it, does Betty really mind if it comes by her hand, I wonder?" "Shut the hell up. I told you what my answer is. I'm dragging you out of here." "More importantly, how about the two of you spend your final moments together, exposing your bellies to me like good, obedient children?" With despair written all over Beatrice's downcast face, Subaru made an urgent plea to her. Elsa offered a totally unwelcome suggestion, but he had no time to deal with that. He inched back, moving toward Beatrice. Simultaneously, Elsa advanced. His brow steadily grew hotter, the heat increasing gradually like the quickening beats of his heart "You get along so well. I'm so jealous. I'll make sure to pose you side by side like little angels." Elsa stretched a thin smile over her lips, and the next instant, she lowered her stance and shot forward like an arrow. Using the momentum, she moved toward the pair in the archive of forbidden books with her first step; by the second step, she was already closing the gap in the blink of an eye; and by step three *** His eyes could not keep up with her speed. Subaru's thoughts coalesced into an instant decision even faster than that. He'd decided that if he met Elsa, he had to use it. Once again, he chose to use "Sha " Shamak!"" With simultaneous chants, darkness suddenly sprung out of the thin air. Ceaselessly pouring out, the shadowy murk swept across the archive, obscuring everything in a field of incomprehension. The bookshelves, the stool, and the onrushing butcher were no exception. If exceptions had to be named, they would be " ! Come on, Beatrice!" Instantly, Subaru, an exception to the magic's effects, clenched his teeth as he grasped the arm of the girl who had been chanting Beatrice sweeping her light body into his arms as he ran straight ahead. There was darkness woven by magic before his eyes. However, he leaped into the gap on the left that he had intentionally created slipping past the butcher. He'd already confirmed that Shamak was effective on Elsa. With Elsa trapped for the moment in a sea of incomprehension, he left her behind as he fled out of the butcher's range as fast as he could. "...Let go of me." "Just be quiet! If you seriously wanted me to, you wouldn't have done that!" As he held Beatrice in his arms, he smothered her words of rejection from above. Subaru had tried to abuse his incomplete Gate to chant a spell to drive Elsa off. It was Beatrice who had interrupted midway, activating her spell on a scale incomparable to what Subaru was capable of. With the same tongue that had said, "I want to die; leave me be," she had taken action so that someone might live. He wondered exactly who the chant was meant to keep alive *** As Subaru ran with her in his arms, Beatrice's hands firmly grasped Subaru's clothing over his chest. Seeing this in the corners of his eyes, Subaru said nothing. He did not press the point. For in that moment, he thought, it was enough. "Beatrice! How long will Shamak hold her?!" "Not for very long, I suppose. It was never particularly effective magic to begin with... What will you do?" "What'll I do? What'll I do? It's obvious what I'm gonna do!" He practically tumbled as he raced out of the archive. The place he emerged into was a corridor on the first floor of the mansion's main wing. Fortunately, the front entrance hall was close by. From there, he would head outside and rush toward Earlham Village "Is it all right to leave that woman in black, I wonder?" "We don't have time to mess around with her! It'll take awhile for her to bust out of Shamak. Right now, we've gotta " Beatrice's words went in one ear and out the other. Adjusting his grip on the girl he carried, Subaru sprinted with all his strength. At any rate, that moment, he had to get to Earlham Village.

With unease still racing through him, Subaru's breathed hard as he desperately, desperately ran. For he had seen the black plume of smoke hovering over the landscape on the other side of the windows. 6 Rushing past the front gate, Subaru continued to run down the street, riding his ragged breaths. "Haaah, haah, haah!" Beatrice did not feel heavy in his arms. This was neither because her body was small nor because she was a spirit. It was because he was single-mindedly running. For the burning urge that drove his body into motion was so powerful that he paid no attention to himself. Normally, the distance between the mansion and Earlham Village took fifteen minutes of walking to cross far less if at a run, let alone an all-out sprint. And yet, it was slow, much too slow. It was as if his body simply could not keep up with the speed of his quickened thoughts. It was as if he was already too late. It was as if he had been too late before he'd even set off. And yet "...Even if you go now, it will achieve nothing." "Don't say stupid things! It's it's possible what she said was just a pack of lies...!" "That is nothing as lofty as hope. Is it merely regret or avoidance of reality, I wonder?" The heartless words Beatrice murmured from so close he could feel her breathe pierced his brain no, the thrust had come from reality. Forcing his eyes open, he gazed upon the rising black plume in the distance. Ironically, as he had gone back in time on multiple occasions, it was now a very familiar sight. This was proof. That very moment, a tragedy that could not be undone was taking place beneath that plume of black smoke. "And even if we could do something, Betty is already..." Those words, foretelling the end, made Subaru's head heavy with anger and sadness. Was this anger directed at Beatrice for holding her life in such contempt? Was this sadness directed at himself, the fool who had failed despite so many opportunities? He no longer knew which. What was right, what was wrong? Subaru knew where he had gone wrong. Therefore, what he craved was an answer as to how he might be right. As for what he wanted to do by confirming what rested beneath that black plume of smoke, that was already " Huhhh? What are the two of you doing in a place like this, Mister...?" *** With his face lowered in an attempt to hold back the stuff welling up behind his eyes as he ran, Subaru was slow to notice. When he looked toward the voice straight ahead, he saw that a petite figure was standing midway on the road that continued toward the village. It was a young girl, hands crossed behind her back as she calmly walked along the path. Her dark blue hair was tied in a triple braid, and the girl of the same age as Petra wore a black outfit over her entire body. Her eyes and nose seemed quite refined, and her yellow-green eyes gave her a mysterious air. Someday, she would grow into a demon that was the impression, the foreboding that Subaru felt when he saw the girl. Of course, there was also the creeping realization that no innocent little girl would be standing there. However, that bad feeling was sparking an altogether different sensation "Oh, Elsa, so sloppy of you to let someone escape. Let me guess, she was all overconfident and careless again, like usual?" "You're... Wait, you're that..." " ? Ahhh, maybe you don't recognize me. I had my hair dyed a different color before." Bewildered, Subaru came to a halt and all the exhaustion he had been ignoring came rushing back all at once. However, Subaru forced it down with long breaths, focusing his mind on the little girl before him. The girl toyed with her triple braid, performing a pirouette that made her black mantle flutter as she said, "That day, it was a lot of fun when we played together. Let's play some more today, shall we?" "Th-the Beast Master...!!" "Meili Portroute. There's no need to call me an uncharming name like that." The girl the Beast Master introduced herself as Meili, drawing her lips in as she visibly pouted. It was precisely because the gesture was so childish and innocent that it was all the more frightening to behold. Behind the girl's adorable gesture loomed the plume of black smoke, proof that a tragedy had occurred. There was no mistaking that the little girl before his eyes was the very cause of that tragedy. "You're...a monster just like Elsa!! What did you do to the village...to Rem and the others?!" "Errm, I don't know which one was this Rem person, but I'm very passionate about my work, so I always make sure to complete the task I've been assigned. Namely the big maid and the little maid from the mansion it's too bad the little maid turned out to be Petra, though..." "Too bad? What do you mean, too bad? Too bad, too bad... Wh-what have you done...?" "It's all right; she was a friend of mine you know. So I made sure it was settled with one bite so she wouldn't feel the pain..." Putting her hands together, Meili nodded, smiling as she spoke as if this was her idea of mercy. " Ah." Learning from this report that the girl he had exchanged the promise of a date with had already met her end drained the strength from his knees. Before he realized it, Subaru had crumpled to the ground, sinking down to his knees in bewilderment. *** Deep down, he had already known. The moment he looked out the window after eluding Elsa, Subaru realized his own mistake. Beatrice had even pointed out he was avoiding reality, but even so, Subaru had stubbornly made his way toward the village, if only to scrounge one extra second before he was forced to gaze directly at cruel reality. He'd pretended to see a glimmer of hope, but that was only his miserable self-defense instincts at work. "...What a buffoon you are. If you were going to give up in the end, should you have resisted to begin with, I wonder?" *** "You said such grandiose things to Betty, yet this is the result. Would I not truly like to show you your miserable face in the mirror, I wonder?" The abusive words came from right beside him as he rested on his knees. Before he realized it, his arms had been brushed aside, and the little girl who he had been carrying in his arms stood upon the ground. Her face showed nothing less than utter disappointment. Everything she said was true. He'd arrogantly flapped his lips to say this and that, yet in the end, he hadn't saved anyone " I have changed my mind. Betty's life is wasted on the likes of you, I suppose." "Eh...?" There was a sound of footsteps. The figure standing beside him turned to look forward. Beatrice advanced a step, putting the kneeling Subaru at her back as she and Meili wound up glaring straight at each other. That demeanor elicited an "oh my?" from Meili, her voice trickling out in surprise. "You wanna fight? From what I heard, you shouldn't be fighting this..." "Perhaps that would be convenient for others, but it is a terrible misunderstanding. Betty is the guardian of the archive of forbidden books...and does not forgive those who would disturb the archive. That's all there is to it, I suppose." "...Hmmm." With a hard voice, Beatrice invoked once more the position she had already tried to abandon. For her part, Meili gave an unenthused reply. However, somewhere in her narrowed eyes was a glint of annoyance. "I really hate it when a plan goes sideways, you see. Thanks to Miss Big Maid bringing the others along, I'm well behind schedule as it is, and I don't want to fall behind any further " "How terrible for you. Incidentally, regardless of how much time you save, the likes of you cannot..." " That's why I'm going to stick with the division of labor and leave you to my partner..." Tilting her little head, a cruel flicker remained in Meili's eyes as she stated those words to Beatrice. There was a sound of a blowing wind as Beatrice slightly raised her eyebrows, wondering what those words might mean. The sound of the wind no, that was not wind. It was death approaching, heralding a slaughter. "Beatri " When he noticed, Subaru tried to raise his voice to convey that as soon as he possibly could. But it was too late. A figure in black seemed to glide as it thrust down the street in a straight line, slipping above Subaru's head as he knelt still, seemingly dancing toward Beatrice's turned back as she said, "I came all the way here to visit you isn't it rude to run away?" There was not even a moment of difference between when she announced her bloodlust and when she lashed out with her black blade. Subaru thought for certain that her blade would impale the little girl's chest as if sucked into it, with nothing she could do to stop it. *** Shaking off incomprehension, the pursuing butcher launched her surprise attack, landing a direct hit with her merciless blade only to be greeted by the echo of a tinny ring. The sound in no way resembled that of metal severing flesh and bone. " If you believed Dark magic cannot be used as a means of attack, you were far too naive." The arm swinging the blade bounced back, throwing Elsa heavily off balance as Beatrice stated those words. It was clear that this statement was no exaggeration when shots of lights surged toward Elsa one after another. Elsa evaded with backward leaps, avoiding them with acrobatic evasive maneuvers. "How surprising. To think that you could do such a thing. How delightful." "Minya mana arrows of stagnant time. You should have a good taste of them, I suppose." As both Elsa's eyes glimmered with fury, Beatrice taunted her as she continued gathering magical energy. Crystal arrows radiated purple as they hovered and rotated above the little girl's head. They quickly became too many to count, and the missiles seemed to lock on to Elsa as if they had minds of their own. "Outside the archive of forbidden books, this is the utmost I can muster...and yet, it is sufficient to hunt down the likes of you!" The big guns had come out. A moment later, Beatrice launched the purple arrows in a single volley. With no need for a bow, the arrows of magical energy shot through the wind, bearing down upon the butcher, who had lowered her body in the manner of a spider. "Certainly, it was a surprise seeing this the first time, but now that I have seen it once " Elsa intercepted the countless arrows bearing down upon her with swings of her black blade, filling the air with wildly dancing sounds of crystals shattering. The fragile arrows fleetingly shimmered as they scattered apart, unable to reach Elsa "Was I not clear, I wonder? That you should not take me lightly and that this is enough with which to hunt you." " This is an error on my part, it would seem." Licking her lips, Elsa's cheeks reddened in arousal as she replied. The right arm she used to grip her bladed weapon shattered at the wrist, and the severed remains fell onto the ground. The damage continued to spread in a wave across her shoulder and leg, engulfing her entire right half, leaving Elsa's body cracking as if it was made of delicate glass. Dark magic: Minya, arrows of stagnant time having demonstrated their true worth, victory and defeat had been completely decided. Beatrice showed no futile compassion, such as asking to hear her final words. She thrust an

arm toward Elsa, clenching her open hand. That was all it took for countless arrows in the sky to converge upon Elsa, impaling the entirety of her body. Repeated destructive impacts caused a cloud of dust to rise from the street. When the dust settled, what remained was a remorseless and cruel yet somehow overwhelmingly beautiful work of lethal art. Crystal arrows were thrust through her entire body, half of it shattered like inorganic matter. Such was Elsa's death. "Aaaah. Oh, Elsa, how truly, truly stupid of you." With the menace dispatched, Subaru gawked, unable to process what was happening. In Subaru's place, it was Meili who reacted, having observed the same battle. Taking the death of her comrade in stride, Meili showed no sign of pain or loss, wearing only an exasperated look on her face after seeing the result of the battle. Exactly as she had stated, there was no emotion upon it save disappointment toward Elsa. It was twisted. It was strange. This was a place filled with death. To show such contempt for it "Now then, with your companion like this, is it your turn next, I wonder? Even the opponent is a child, Betty shall show no mercy." "Oh, don't say that... You and I don't look much different at all. We could have been such wonderful friends..." "A bald-faced lie. Is such a convenient thing even possible with the likes of you, I wonder?" Though Meili was blatantly taunting her, Beatrice's emotions remained undisturbed as she replied. Above her head, the purple arrows that had so thoroughly pierced Elsa took aim at Meili. Considering what had befallen her partner, Meili had to have noticed that she was in imminent and extreme peril. How was it that she could remain so calm despite that fact? She was not afraid of death. She thought nothing of death. Perhaps this was the reason why Meili and Elsa could toy with the lives of others as they had. *** Beatrice's eyes narrowed, seemingly seeing right through Meili's demeanor. From the tiny wavering of the purple arrows' tips, Subaru knew that they were ready to be loosed. If launched, Meili would die, just like Elsa. She was their enemy. It was the right thing to do, and yet "She's a...child." " An enemy is an enemy, child or no. There is nothing to be gained from allowing her to live." "That's... But...what about making her say who...asked her to do this or something...?" "You mean today's job? Well, you see, that'd make my client angry, so nope. I won't say a word." At the last minute, Subaru voiced an idealistic argument in an attempt to counter Beatrice's sound logic. And it was not even Beatrice but Meili who sliced it down as a foolish notion. Of course she did. Even Subaru himself had no idea what he wanted to do. Perhaps he simply didn't want to witness the death of a child. Or perhaps "Killing a kid, that's just..." " ! You, saying such things again " With a broken voice, he offered his feeble thoughts of revulsion. His murmur made Beatrice twist her lips and look back. Then she turned a tiny palm toward Subaru, stretching it out toward him when " Eh?" a light impact pressed into Subaru's shoulder, sending him falling onto his side. With that unexpected act leaving him unable to remain kneeling, Subaru's eyes opened wide with incomprehension as he gazed up at Beatrice, the one who had pushed him. Her anger toward the stupid exchange from a moment earlier ran stale, and then, somehow, her expression shifted. Beatrice's eyebrows fell as she let out a breath of instantaneous relief, forming a thin smile in the process. The tip of a black blade was poking out of her chest. " My, what an odd feeling in the hand. A spirit's belly really is different." The blade penetrating from behind and peeking out of her chest slowly slid downward, as if to widen the wound. Beatrice's body gave a heavy shudder. Subaru, dumbfounded, could only watch. "...With this." Haltingly, abruptly, something was woven by Beatrice's lips. That instant, Beatrice's expression and eyes spoke the feelings coming and going through her heart. "Finally..." "Wait...!" He didn't know what he was trying to say to her. He didn't know what she was trying to say to him. And these were things that Subaru and Beatrice would likely never know for all of eternity. Weakly, Beatrice's body leaned forward and crumpled to the ground. The force of the movement drew out the blade. There was no bleeding from the wound. In its place, light gushed out, as if dislodged from the little girl's flesh. Subaru could tell from her extremities turning into particles that her very existence was melting into the world around them. "W-wait..." He didn't know to whom he made that earnest plea. All he could do was beg as he stretched a hand toward the light. Please don't take her away. Please don't take this girl away. Don't carry her away. The light scattered. He desperately tried to gather it back together. And yet, the motes passed through his hands, vanishing in the blink of an eye. In the span of a single second, Beatrice had become insubstantial. He couldn't reach her. He couldn't save her. How did this happen? Who could do this to her ? " Elsaaaaa!!" "You don't need to shout. I can hear you just fine." As he ferociously howled, the side of his face was slammed hard by the tip of the kukri knife. The hard impact jostling his brain, Subaru rolled violently across the ground. His eyes rolled, his thoughts raced fruitlessly, and his heart could not catch up to the speed of the world spinning around him. "You took your sweet time. I was getting worried. She was about to kill me, you know..." "Such a cheeky girl, even after I saved you. As for taking my sweet time, I'm offended at how easily you can say such a thing." As he lay faceup, a pair of figures leaped into his field of vision against the backdrop of the sky. The spectacle horrified him. Standing right beside Meili, flippantly running her mouth, was none other than Elsa Gramhilde. The woman who had been blanketed by purple arrows all over, with half her body shattered, was calmly standing right there. There were no visible wounds on her body, but the side effects of the damage had wrecked her clothing, leaving her exposed and half-naked. There had been a battle. Without doubt, fatal wounds had been inflicted upon her. And yet "Don't tell me, you're...you're not gonna say you're immortal or something...?" "No? That would be incorrect. I merely live a tad filthier than most. A boon granted by a malicious soul. Though I am fresh from being broken to such an extent, I can count the occasions on one hand." Implication oozed out of that crazed memory as a lustrous, wicked smile came over Elsa. After that, she shifted her eyes to Meili, standing at her side, and said, "One spirit and two maids... Meili, you're finished with everything in the village?" "Yeah, but my shadow lion lost to the big maid and the black land dragon..." All three targets had been at the mansion it was Subaru's thoughtless decision that had made the villagers into victims. Put more bluntly, Subaru had killed them; just as he'd killed Rem, Petra, Frederica and Beatrice. This was as far as I go this time, huh? "What unsightly eyes you have." "Ga...gyaaa ?!" The instant his mind recognized impending death before him, a scalding sensation shot through his left eye. Just before the heat burned him, the last thing he saw in the left of his field of vision was a dull black glint from that, he gathered that the kukri knife in Elsa's hand had gouged out his eyeball. His brain wailed at the terrible sensation of having lost a part of his body, and Subaru reeled from the pain and the bleeding. His right eye could see his optic nerve getting pulled out like a string. His right eye had witnessed the death of the left. His face had an impossible cavity, a blank space, a meaningless hole in it. His left eye had been lost forever. "Oh my, Elsa, you're so cruel... What a poor thing." "One must struggle to live until the very last moment. Otherwise, what meaning is there to life?" Elsa replied to Meili with a cold voice. Among the short and few occasions he had come into contact with Elsa, this was the first time she had looked upon him with an emotion that could be called...scorn. "The spirit was the poor thing. To think she sacrificed herself for the sake of a child like this." But ironically, it was none other than Subaru Natsuki who agreed most with Elsa's words. Beatrice was an idiot. Why had she done such a thing? She was the one who'd said she wanted to die, wanted someone to kill her. Why? *** Wanting to know the answer to that, Subaru held back the blood coursing from his left eye socket as he moved his remaining right eyeball, looking in Beatrice's direction. Beatrice was lying on the ground, light gushing as she faded away. There was no longer anything left of her little body from the waist down. Her vanishing arm was turned in Subaru's direction, hand open. "No way. Bea " The change in Subaru's eyes told Elsa and Meili that something was wrong. However, it was already too late, even for them. At the cost of her life, Beatrice the Great Spirit, Librarian of the archive of forbidden books, cast her final spell The blue crystal, still in Subaru's pocket, glowed. A teleportation occurred. 7 When he came to, the first thing he did was confirm he was not dead. *** The existence of a cavity where his left eye had been told him he continued to live. It was one hell of an easy way to tell. Even Elsa had her moments. The loss of one eye was a remarkably easy-to-understand indicator of a human being who was missing something. Subaru treated the wound left by his lost eye by wrapping the sleeve of his ripped jacket over his head. It was pretty crude as first aid went. He'd stopped the bleeding, but there would be no subsequent care whatsoever from a trained nurse or anyone else. That was for the best. If he wasn't dead that very moment, he didn't care about whatever happened after. Subaru had already decided. He would pay for the crime he had committed in that world with death. He'd already lost too much. That world was already wrecked, far too painful to continue living in. Just like before no, more so than before, Subaru had committed a sin that made him lose so many things. If at the cost of his own life, he could get those things back, he would not even hesitate. This was a world that had to end. He had to undo Rem's death, Petra's death, Frederica's death, Beatrice's death all of it. His regrets at Rem dying in a place he could not even reach, the promise he exchanged with Petra, the words he had vowed to Frederica, his reply to Beatrice's laments he would carry them into the next world. If there, he could find an answer, everything else could probably be written off. "It won't... I won't let it... I'll remember..." He murmured his self-awareness. He repeated his self-admonishment. He could not escape the fact that Subaru Natsuki was a criminal. His powerlessness had caused many deaths. His worthlessness had caused many laments. His recklessness had caused many torments. His inconsiderateness had trampled many a world underfoot. He was an apostle of atrocity. *** In that room filled with a vile stench, Subaru wobbled as he rose to his feet, placing a hand against the wall. With his left

eye gone, the vision of his right hand alone lacked a sense of depth, making grasping things an ordeal. He had no intention to deal with such inconvenience for long, but he would not permit himself an easy death, like a quick slice to the neck. Only after he returned with something that rivaled his sin could he begin to be forgiven for the death he carried with him. "This is..." Looking around, he saw a white floor and white walls in his narrowed field of vision. The unnatural white space, the foul stench hovering in the air these he remembered, allowing him to form a guess before he could know it for certain. This was the Sanctuary. It was Ryuzu Meyer's experimental facility, hidden deep within those Lost Woods. "Ha." His breath trickled out. He couldn't really call the broken breaths that trickled out either dry or wet. He'd been teleported to the same spot again. His connection with the place ran far too deep. As if it was testing him. Testing, experiment the experimental facility was laughing at him. Was this the power of the stone? Or was it the final flicker of Beatrice's life? He didn't know. There were far too many things he didn't know. He couldn't leave things like that. Regrets, regrets were limitless. He could not allow those regrets to shackle his legs, to pin him in place. "Right now..." He sank his sense of loss, his sense of despair, down to the lowest depths of his psyche, as his legs slowly stepped forward. He'd go back with the knowledge of what happened to the Sanctuary when Subaru was absent. If he could at least do that much *** Was that a vow or was it a wish? Subaru did not understand even that much as he headed outside the facility. He left the room, went through the passage, breathing white breaths, trusting his weight to the wall, dragging his feet. After some time passed, he finally arrived at the entrance that led outside, and then Subaru saw. A silvery world dyed wholly white the landscape of the Sanctuary enveloped by snow. CHAPTER 4 *** 1 From the cold air pricking his skin, he had been fairly certain. Even so, seeing that sight with his very own eye sent an unfathomable blow running through Subaru's heart. That was how much Subaru's lukewarm assumptions were exceeded by the Sanctuary's extreme cold. "This isn't funny... It's still the second day..." Grasping his own shoulders and exhaling white breath due to the cold, Subaru clenched his teeth. Without matching up his teeth, he put strength into his jaw, ignored the throbbing of his left eye, and earnestly forced his freezing right eye open. The wind felt cold enough to slice into his body, and the powdery snow was slamming against him rather than merely falling and piling up. Both intensely robbed him of body heat, a white nightmare that killed off your vitality second by second. Snow was falling on the Sanctuary. Subaru knew this landscape. "But why is it...as soon as this?" Subaru had seen this powdery landscape before. During the go-around before last, Garfiel was on the verge of killing him when the power of the crystal teleported Subaru to that experimental facility. When he exited the facility, the world was already dyed white. But at that time, the snow had already fallen. That was why Subaru had not seen the snow itself as of such great importance, but "So the snow fell this hard..." He ought to have guessed. In the span of a few hours, a half day at longest, the Sanctuary had been completely blanketed in snow. The tremendous snowfall in such a short time should have made its force easy to imagine. In the present, just like back then, the cold was extreme enough that Subaru's flesh seemed ready to freeze over. "Any way...the settlement is this way..." Shaking off the snow accumulating on his body, Subaru trained his mind toward the settlement, seeking to grasp the situation. The throbbing of his left eye made him think of the various tragedies that had occurred just before. Don't forget, don't forget, it said to him. For that moment alone, he would put it on the back burner. He'd definitely have time to think about it later. For the moment, he focused on what was before him. If Subaru did not do so, his feet would stop moving. That was a certainty. "If you're getting this, answer me, please..." Wiping the flickering figures from the back of his mind, Subaru felt something hard in his pocket and drew out the crystal. Grasping this, he focused his thoughts. If Subaru was still qualified, surely she would come. That eye, watching the Sanctuary, would respond to the desire of the Apostle of Greed " Ah." Enveloped by wind, he did not hear any sound. But slowly, a figure appeared. Walking barefoot over the accumulated snow, Ryuzu or rather, a replica thereof finally came. As one of the individuals assigned near the lab site, it might well have been Piko. "I should've made some way to tell you apart from the rest..." Perhaps at the time he'd been too stunned to wrap his mind around such a thing. Or perhaps the fact that he'd noticed it only then, when so hard-pressed, indicated weakness and aversion from reality that was impermissible. "Piko, I think it's you anyway... I have a request. Guide me to the settlement. I don't have time for getting lost." *** Having been asked to guide the way, the replica Piko neither nodded nor replied but simply turned her back to Subaru. Heedless of the snow covering the path, she proceeded to break into a nimble run, and Subaru chased after her with all haste. The authority that he had unwittingly obtained was still valid, but using the rights the Witch had arbitrarily granted in accordance with her expectations put him in a vexing mood. Of course, he was enormously grateful, but "Just how much of this did you see coming, Echidna...?" She'd planted a Witch countermeasure into Petra's handkerchief, and Subaru had received from her the means to make Piko cooperate with him that very moment. He didn't understand her true intent. He did not doubt that she was cooperating with him, but still... There was too much he did not understand. If it was possible, he wanted an answer to that nonsensical circumstance that very moment. The mystery of the Sanctuary, Beatrice's lament surely, Echidna had the answers to those things and everything else "Shit. Right now... I'll deal with her later. This is just...!" The tremendous snowfall smothering the Sanctuary, that world of extreme cold that seemed ready to freeze his body solid, dyed life and everything else in white. Subaru had seen that spectacle before. He had lost his life to it, as well. If this was like back then, if anything and everything about it was the same, then " What the heck happened to you, Emilia?" Having apparently made it snow like this, what was she really thinking? 2 It took Subaru's legs over an hour before he arrived at the settlement. With the white world already throwing his sense of distance terribly awry, Subaru's having freshly lost one eye made the trek a terrible ordeal. Snow robbed him of body temperature, his thinking ability had decreased and become leaden, and his legs felt as slow as a turtle's crawl. "Even so..." Pulling his shoes out of the snow burying him up to the ankles, Subaru murmured with numb, quivering lips. Ahead of him, on the other side of blowing snow, he could vaguely make out a simplified stonework building. He had somehow managed to make it back to the settlement where the residents of the Sanctuary dwelled. But what tugged at him was there was no sign of people in the settlement whatsoever. "There's no lights on in the houses... Isn't anyone inside...?" So far as he could survey, there was no light from crystal lamps or candles to be seen. That said, amid this cold, not lighting a fire was nigh suicidal behavior. Surely, as signs of life went, the existence of fire was an absolute. Instantly, the silence made Subaru's intestines clench. What floated into his mind was that this was indeed the Sanctuary enveloped by snow and from there, a terrible white monster would emerge. Had the Sanctuary already been defiled by the attack of the Great Rabbit " Hey, you're back, ain't ya? Dunno what stupid face ya brought back with ya, though." The voice leaping into his eardrums made Subaru reflexively turn around. At the end of his gaze was a figure rudely trampling through the snow Garfiel walked casually, batting the tremendous snowfall aside. He came to a standstill at a distance of several yards right in front of Subaru, grimacing with apparent dismay. "Ah? Seriously, the hell's with that face? Ya dropped your left eye somewhere or somethin'?" "A lot happened after I left... It isn't like you to be so thoughtful, coming out of your way to welcome me back." "Ha! This ain't sympathy. Besides, seems ya noticed the power that's in the crystal, too." From the sight of Piko standing at his side, he'd apparently guessed that Subaru had gained command rights. The combativeness enshrouding Garfiel rose a notch higher, and the enmity stabbing into him made the pain of his left eye ooze all the greater. But behind that strengthened pain, Subaru's heart did not fear Garfiel's combativeness. It was not that the cold distracting him from the pain or some such thing rather, the issue was the nature of Garfiel's enmity. "...Setting aside the being thoughtful part, it's still true this isn't like you. I don't think the you that I know would just stand here casually talking with me at a time like this." "Now you're creepin' me out. I ain't got time for your nonsense. If you're seein' this snow, shouldn't need no explanation why I can't have a chitchat with ya over tea, damn it." "Meaning, you have something to talk to me about that isn't chat over tea." *** With Garfiel pressed into silence, complex emotions arose in the back of his jade eyes. He was angry. His anger was strong. But at the same time, he was afraid. When he thought about it that time around, his and Garfiel's relationship had worsened in a way different from when he'd resorted to killing. Garfiel's bewilderment over Subaru's actions, ones that calculated death into them, remained. But that bewilderment had created just enough space for the two of them to hold a conversation then and there. "The fact that you're still rational and not attacking out of the blue...means that the other people are safe, I take it?" "I dunno how far ya define other people, but our old men 'n' women and the bunch from your village are all in the Cathedral. The noisy guy came up with the idea." "Otto did? He's the one who proposed that?" "In a situation like this, there ain't no enemies or allies, he said. No reason to bite each other blindly. And to think he's just some guy wrapped up in all this." As Garfiel clacked his fangs, Subaru nodded toward him. Amid this snowfall no, this situation in the Sanctuary he was internally grateful that Otto had come up with a typical good decision. Thanks to him managing to speak to Garfiel, the villagers' safety had been assured. The remaining issue was something he had to confirm for himself. " The snow. Did Emilia do this?" To Subaru, the question had a ring much like a bald-faced lie. He knew the answer to the question. He did not ask it despite that because he optimistically expected to find a ray of hope. Probably he was just...frightened. Frightened of his own conclusion: that Emilia had created this spectacle herself. Subaru's question, posed with a voice that somehow seemed raspy, made Garfiel spit out a "ha!" "Dunno

that, either. The Princess has been holed up in the tomb since last night, see?" " . Huh? Holed up in the tomb...?" "Guess ya don't realize that you're the damn cause. Your disappearin' like that hit the Princess's heart pretty darn hard. It threw her way off, and then she went into the tomb...and she ain't come out since." "That's crazy! I mean, I left a proper letter and everyth..." "Letter...?" What letter? was the reply's subtext, one that made Subaru draw in his breath. He'd certainly slid a letter under the Ryuzu residence door. Subaru had properly written and left behind a letter saying he was leaving the Sanctuary. If Emilia had read it, she shouldn't have been shocked to the point of making her fall into distress. Even without that letter, there was no reason for her to hide herself from others "...Seems like a scheme's at work that ain't from you or me." "Eh?" "Leave that for later. Follow me. Izolte's decision put history back on course an' all. Annoys me to heck, but you're the only one I can use. We're headin' to the tomb." Motioning with his chin, Garfiel indicated for him to come along as he walked out. The great difference in power of their legs meant his kicked the snow aside, never stopping for anything. Subaru somehow caught up to him with a small run. "The tomb, meaning...you're gonna let me meet Emilia?!" "Ain't you an optimistic bastard. I ain't letting ya meet her. I'm getting ya to get your Princess to stop this snow from fallin'. You're goin' inside. That's your damned job, not mine." "...! Yeah, that's fine with me. If you're not gonna butt into me talking with Emilia, then..." It was a brusque request, but Subaru had no objection, accepting it with grace. Neither Subaru nor Garfiel had lost their enmity for each other. But just like when they confronted the Witch, this momentary request put them on the same page and so they walked together for the moment. " Garfiel, how much did you hear from Ryuzu?" Abruptly, as he squinted at the snow, Subaru posed that question to the back walking in front of him. The words did not make Garfiel look back. "Ha?" he snarled sourly as he said, "...I see. Ya forced the old hag to talk about the crystal's power against her will, did ya?" "People would get the wrong idea hearing that, but most of that chat was voluntary... Well, since the person concerned said there was compulsory power, suppose there's reason to doubt how much was really voluntary, but..." "Ha, I wonder. Me, I didn't hear nothin' from the old hag. Just you came back with one of the 'Eyes' with ya. Hearin' that was enough to send me comin' out to see it." "Eyes... I see, so stuff's conveyed from Piko to Ryuzu, then." The tongue click mixed with an explanation made Subaru nod in acknowledgment. Glancing backward and at an angle, he saw Piko following, saying nothing in particular. The sight irritated Garfiel. "I dunno about this Piko business, but don't you go stickin' names on 'em. They're dolls without minds of their own. Ain't no point feelin' sorry for 'em." "...Like hell I can, especially when they look just like Ryuzu." "That's exactly why. We've got an old hag. We don't need any more. Those are fakes." The wording and tone of voice behind the coarse conclusion ascribed great meaning to it. Though the statement seemed harsh, to Subaru, it sounded almost like Garfiel was insisting on that to himself. " We're here. Fair bit o' snow piled up even here at the entrance, too." As Garfiel came to a halt, Subaru peered past his shoulder at the silhouette of the large building obstructed by a blanket of billowing snow confirming the presence of the tomb. His breath caught just a little. "Emilia's inside. Knowing that, you didn't just rush in there yourself?" "Me, I... The residents o' the Sanctuary can't go in. That's the rule. And me, I'm a resident here." "I heard from Ryuzu that they can't lift the barrier, but wasn't going in and out separate? Given the circumstances, you could've... Guu?!" "Hey, stop with the long, whinin' preamble, you bastard." Subaru was saying that Garfiel could have trampled on that rule and gone inside himself. Garfiel interrupted Subaru's words by grabbing him by the collar, slightly lifting his body off the ground, and drawing his now-clawed hand close to Subaru's face while showing off his fangs. "Me, I protect this place. What's your role? It's to protect the Princess. Galganchua second-guesses a comeback not. Or should I gouge out your right eye, too?" Showering Subaru in ferocious combativeness, Garfiel made his gripping hand relent. Subaru lightly coughed as he glared at Garfiel. But all Garfiel did was nod with his chin. "Go." No ifs or buts about it. Having come this far, that was the only word Garfiel had to offer. Turning his back, Subaru trod on snow without a single footprint upon it, heading for the entrance of the tomb buried in white. The only two seeing him off, watching Subaru's back, were Garfiel and Piko, standing side by side. One was emotionless. The other had an indecipherable emotion welling up in the deepest depths of his anger. 3 The cold, serene sensation of the air was unrelated to the extreme cold outside, almost as if time had stopped. Amid the gloom, the sound of Subaru's shoes echoed as he advanced down the corridor, asking his heart but one thing. That moment, was he sane or had some mental disturbance befallen him? Already, several tragedies that could not be undone had befallen that world. He had lost Rem, Petra, and Frederica, and he had seen Beatrice die. Returning to find the Sanctuary in this state, his striving to maintain calm could only strike him as absurd. A man aware of that absurdity could not fail to be disturbed. There was no way he was sane. Even so, he could not allow himself to stop thinking. He smacked away all thoughts of surrender. He had to crave a future ahead of him, above him. For that, he'd pay whatever it took, including paying with his life. If not for that, then why was Subaru still ? " Subaru?" The voice he heard from the gloom freed Subaru from what felt like a long time trapped in a cage of thought. Straight ahead, the corridor came to an end, and he could see the stonework room that gave off a faint blue glow. There stood a single figure. Her silver hair glimmered in the faint light. Her purple eyes seemed to pull you in. Subaru did not think of those characteristics as a murmur trickled out of him. " Emilia." "Yes. That's right, Subaru... It's me. It's me, Emilia." The four brief syllables became a name, and the fact that there was a reply crashed through Subaru like a bolt of lightning. His knees wavered and crumpled. Perhaps others would think this grandiose. However, he could endure no more. Fatigue, loss, despair, relief countless sensations stuffed Subaru's limbs with lead. Subaru had glossed over these things through willpower, but when his ears heard that voice like a silver bell, he reached his limit. With those taut strings cut, he tumbled forward. As he tumbled, arms instantly reached out to support him. He felt something soft and warm. The warmth of the touch from right before his eyes made Subaru's body go rigid. That moment, he was being gently embraced by Emilia. "Ah, er, sor... My body just let go..." *** "Emilia?" Instead of responding to his apologetic excuse, Emilia pressed harder with her arms to make them embrace Subaru even stronger. It was by no means great strength. But somehow, he felt like she was almost clinging to him. It immediately became clear that this was not a misunderstanding on Subaru's part. " I was lonely." "...Eh?" Subaru was struck numb. Her beautiful face was gazing intently at him from up close, close enough to share their breath. Adding further to Subaru's surprise, Emilia hauntingly lowered the ends of her eyebrows as she said, "I was lonely, Subaru. I mean, you left me and went off somewhere." "Th...at's... Y-you're wrong. I didn't mean to just leave you like that..." Subaru spoke awkwardly when the fact that he'd left the Sanctuary was pointed out to him. He tried to excuse it as something that should never have happened like that, if only the letter had reached her. Yes, the letter. "The letter...that's right. I wrote a letter. I wrote everything on it, that's why. I really meant to tell you about everything, but..." "Tee-hee." As he groped for where the precaution he'd left ought to have led, he gaped. In the middle of their conversation in that tension-filled situation, Emilia made an adorable laugh. She laughed. It was as if everything was normal, as if Subaru's tongue had spun another joke during the days when nothing was happening at the mansion. As if she had forgotten her sense of duty in regards to the Trial. "Even without working that hard to make an excuse, I won't get upset. Oh, Subaru, you don't need to be so pale. You really are just careless." "E...milia...?" "It's fine. It's all right, no excuses needed. I mean, you came back, Subaru. I always believed you would. I said, Subaru will come for me. If I work hard and properly fulfill my own duty, he'll come and save me... That's always, always how it's been. Right?" As she sweetly spoke the words, Emilia drew near to Subaru's chest. She had an adorable, bewitching smile, and her sweet murmurs were simply enchanting. Subaru gazed at the heat rising from her lustrous breaths and the moisture in her eyes; that witchiness was wrapping around his heart. Then, bathed in so much passion that it made his throat feel parched, Subaru's instincts cried out. Wrong. Something was wrong. The ill feeling he'd had from the start of their reunion had never been revised. Something was wrong. Something, somewhere, felt off, even though Emilia was that adorable. Even though Emilia was that adorable as she responded to Subaru... "C-come to think of it... I heard that you've been here since yesterday..." With that ill feeling still lodged in his throat, Subaru changed the topic with the worst possible performance ability, even by his standards. At that rate, he'd drown in her sweet voice. Straw or no, he needed to grab onto something before he was fully submerged. "You being here means you were in the Trial, right? But right now you're..." As he spoke the words, Subaru put his finger on one of the tips of that ill feeling. This was the tomb, and the room for the Trial at that. The Trial definitely began as soon as Emilia arrived there. Invited to the Trial of her past, her mind would not escape until the very end. And yet, Emilia was there awake, meaning that her Trial had ended in "...Emilia?" In the middle of his question, Subaru stiffened from an unexpected sensation. It was the sensation of fingers being inserted into his black hair, gently stroking his head. Emilia was stroking Subaru's head. Her cheeks were red as she grinned. "Oh, Subaru, you stroke my hair once in a while, don't you? So I should return the favor." *** "To tell you the truth, I was really scared. I was scared Subaru didn't love me to the bottom of his heart, that he'd come to hate me. So I was scared, came here, but it didn't work out after all... That's why I'm truly, truly happy that you came, Subaru." It wasn't an answer to his question. But Emilia was staring at Subaru with sincerity. There was nothing reflected in those eyes save Subaru; there was only Subaru and Subaru alone. That was why

"Stay with me forever? As long as you're with me, I don't need anything else " In his wildest dreams, he'd never imagined how frightening the eyes of an Emilia blind with love could be. "At first, I was really scared, you see. It was really hard. I mean, I wasn't able to do anything right at all, and I thought, Subaru's going to get fed up with me like this." "But I thought right after, this is no good. I can't just be soft, shake in fear and let someone else take care of everything... This was really stupid of me, too, huh? I mean, I finally realized that you've always been taking care of everything, Subaru." "I remembered your words, Subaru. They've come up over and over till now. You've been telling me them ever since the first time we met. You've been giving me courage, urging me onward, supporting me... I remember, that you've said you love me..." "I finally realized that you've always come through for me in really big ways. But in spite of that, you not being here made me worried; I felt like it would crush me..." "That's why when I saw Subaru coming to me now, I felt my chest squeezing... It got hot, too hot to endure, I thought; this might be a dream, but no, it's not... I'm sorry, I don't even know what I want to say anymore. Er, erm... I want to say this properly, so..." "I'm sorry for everything up to now, Subaru. I, did a horrible thing to you. It has to be really something to have someone always thinking of you like this... I'm so self-serving. Even though I thought I want to understand Subaru more, I don't understand you at all." "But it's different now. I've been thinking about you all this time, Subaru. I've been feeling all these things. Now I want to say all the things to you that you've been saying to me... Mmm, I'm so sorry. This is really unfair of me. I I need to properly say these things." "I need to properly...mm, properly convey them." "Hey, Subaru. I love you. I really love you. When I think about you, when I think only of you, I want to be with you forever. That's what I think." "I'd be happy if...you think about me the same way, Subaru..." "Eh-heh-heh. Yeah, yeah... I love you. Subaru...I really love you." 4 " What, the hell do ya think you're thinkin', aaah?" When Subaru stood at the entrance of the tomb, he was greeted by Garfiel's voice, brimming with rage. The menace of the snow had not abated. The strength of the wind blowing it had increased, mercilessly piling up the snow that progressively blotted out the Sanctuary's original landscape. As a resident, it was natural for him to harbor anger at the spectacle. And it was unreasonable for him to not harbor anger toward Subaru as well. For having left the girl, presumably the cause of that snow inside, Subaru had come out alone. "Alone, alone...alone?! What about the Princess...the half-demon?! What about the damned snow?!" "Emilia ain't comin' out. She's sleeping inside right now." "Sleeping ya say? This ain't time for slackin' off like..." "She's exhausted. Since last night, she's been repeating the Trial over and over. Her body and mind are... Her mind in particular is worn down. Right now, I want to just let her rest." Stubbornly believing it to be the best way to break the situation open, Emilia had challenged the Trial a number of times. Unable to surpass it even so, it wasn't hard for him to imagine her mental state as the number of those challenges piled up. After all, Subaru had felt the same sense of powerlessness as many times as he had tasted death. Inside the stone room, with Subaru's jacket over her, Emilia was peacefully asleep. His memories of her whispers of blindly devoted love and the heat of her body's clingy embrace were still fresh. These filled him with enough feelings of love to make the blood plasma in Subaru's body boil and enough regret to make him want to die. The memory of the redness of Emilia's cheeks, the quivering of her lips, and her whispers of love to Subaru came back over and over. No one could understand how Subaru had agonized over the prospect of falling into that softness, drowning in it, and sinking down with Emilia together. There was no reason for anyone to blame him. This was a world that was already done for. It was a platform of bubbles set to disappear. Just who could blame Subaru for choosing comfort and pulling the curtain down over them? "So ya left the half-demon, and the snow ain't endin'. Ya come back empty-handed with your head down, and what, ya think I'm just gonna accept that, huh? Hey, hey, just who do ya think ya are, huh?" Still angry, Garfiel clacked his fangs, storming his way up to the tomb. With Subaru standing right before him at the entrance, the pupils of his jade eyes spoke of danger as they narrowed. "So what kind of excuse did ya bring to tell me, aaah?" " Emilia. She said that she loves me." *** As Garfiel emphasized and asserted his anger, Subaru's rebuttal was way out in left field. It was so unexpected that Garfiel could only gape wide-eyed at him. However, he immediately bared his fangs, the notion that he was being mocked igniting his anger. "Looks like it ain't just the half-demon; ya just love gettin' on my nerves, too, don't ya! Got a lot of guts talkin' about stupid, shitty sweet nothin's of love in a situation like this, don't ya, aaah?!" Filled with heat from his swelling anger, Garfiel was making the snow touching him evaporate. His fangs made a creaking sound as they elongated, and his body, on the verge of transfiguration, swelled to twice its size. Though his eye caught that harbinger of transfiguration, Subaru's expression did not waver. All he did was stare at the angry Garfiel with his right eye alone as he continued to speak. "Emilia said she loves me. She said to me if I was there with her, it was enough." "Why you..." "She said with a cute face, a sweet voice, right by my side... Enough, it was enchanting." "I'm sayin', what of it?! One glance was all it took to tell the half-demon had a thing for ya! The hell does it matter now! Ya want me to crush your head in my fa " " There's no way Emilia would tell me she loves me, goddamnit!!" *** As Garfiel howled, Subaru thrust his face into Garfiel's and shouted. The explosion of emotion made even the angry Garfiel forget himself and shut his mouth. Glaring at the reeling Garfiel, Subaru's face fell apart as he screamed. He cast the words exchanged in the tomb, the heat from their touching, the affirmed feelings of love to the wind. He felt their loss. There was no way he could not. He couldn't help but regret the loss of the words, the heat, and the emotions of love he had received. But Subaru could not become deft enough to pretend to be deceived by a false gemstone. If he was deft enough to play the fool and call it quits, his chest would not be filled with such pain. "Like hell she'd say that to me. Emilia telling me she loves me...relying on me, leaving everything to me, say if I'm there she doesn't need anything else... No way in hell." "Th-the heck are ya tryin' to say..." "Telling me 'everything' like that... There's no way. And if Puck was by her side, there's no way she'd rely on me in a way like that...!" He did not know just how much he desired to be Emilia's number one. But he was not so self-conceited as to believe he was Emilia's number one that very moment. Her number one, the place in which she laid her greatest trust, was the little cat spirit, even then her one and only family. With that same Puck absent, Subaru had stepped up to serve as his stand-in, nothing more. That confession of love, those hot fingertips, and her trembling breaths he didn't want to think that they were all false. But they were not genuine. If they weren't genuine, he couldn't accept them. "Someone's driven that girl...driven her into a corner until she ended up like that. Drove that girl's heart into a corner enough to make a situation like this, where she has to depend on someone like me..." "Y-you're the one who decided to do that, damn it...! So what, she made it snow like this for payback for all her failures?! She's sayin' it's me and the old hags' 'n' geezers' fault?!" As if chewing down on Subaru's words, Garfiel brushed the snow aside and grabbed Subaru by the collar. He shoved him against the wall behind him by brute force, and an anguished groan trickled out of Subaru's throat. "Like I know or care what made her lash out! Bring the half-demon out! If ya can't even do that..." "Bring Emilia out and make it stop snowing...? No can do. I mean..." "Ya mean what?!" " I mean, it won't help because Emilia's not the one making this snow fall." Subaru's confident declaration made Garfiel's grip on his collar relent. With Garfiel gazing straight at him with a dumbfounded look, Subaru continued. "The situation's all wrong. The snow and Emilia... If she was holed up in the tomb, the timeline for making the snow fall is all messed up. If Emilia did make the snow fall, what's her reason?" "Th-that's...payback against me, the old hags, and geezers..." "Why would Emilia want payback against you? That's just weird. You hold animosity for Emilia right now because the snow's falling. The snow, being backed into a corner... The timing doesn't match up." The situation had been warped from the beginning. He could only think that someone had set it up that way. Someone in the Sanctuary was controlling the situation, hiding Subaru's letter, inducing Emilia to hole herself up in the tomb, and stirring up Garfiel's anger against her. And as for who that someone was he had a single guess. "When it comes to people who can make it...who can control the weather, I have two suspects only. But Emilia can't do it. Without Puck here, she can't do something on that scale." "You're sure of that...?" "...A deduction with my own optimism mixed in, I suppose. I want to believe it, that's all. Even if she's desperate, Emilia's not the kind of girl who can do something like this. That's just what I want to believe." "Just want to believe..." Subaru's repeated pleas made Garfiel close his eyes and sink into thought. But his internal conclusion was soon in coming. Garfiel removed the hand gripping the collar, freeing Subaru from his grasp. When Subaru's feet touched the ground, he lightly stroked his throat and nodded toward Garfiel. " Where's Roswaal?" "The bastard's in the old hag's house. Ram was supposed to go there and get 'im, but...can't expect much from her at a time like this." When one searched for suspects fulfilling the same conditions, only one name fit the bill of a mastermind. Garfiel had easily accepted the notion, perhaps because doubts about Roswaal had been growing inside of him as well. "Ram's..." "Shaddap. Even against the girl I've fallen for, what I gotta do don't change." If Roswaal was the mastermind, the loyalties of Ram, his faithful retainer, came into question as well. With a low growl, Garfiel's statement interrupted Subaru voicing his concerns about that. Subaru envied that resolve. Unyielding before the possibility the girl he'd fallen for might prove his enemy, he had the heart of steel Subaru wished he had. Besides, setting

Roswaal aside, it still wasn't clear where Ram stood in Subaru's book. Going by his relationship with Ram to that point and her actions during those repeated worlds in the Sanctuary, he had a deduction that bordered on hope, but " Hearing the answer is the last thing on my to-do list in this world." Subaru murmured that quietly, so that the spirited Garfiel might not hear it. 5 "My, my, it is quite rare to see such faces put together with such interesting tiiiiming, is it not?" Roswaal smiled amusedly at the unexpected arrival of his guests. His heavily wounded body wrapped in bandages, Roswaal was lying sideways on his bed in the room allotted to him, his face bearing the makeup of a clown as per usual and before this man they had eyed as the mastermind stood Subaru and Garfiel side by side. The expressions on both their faces were fairly severe, and anyone inside the room could tell that a palpable sense of tension was filling up the room. In spite of this, Roswaal was calm; if anything, he was in a rather good mood as he spread both hands apart. "So a pair of youths have come to cart off a heavily wounded man during such a tremendous snowfall... Although I must somewhat question your choice of personnel. Judging from that left eye, you are quite a gravely woooounded man as well?" "Cut the taunts, Roswaal. This guy and I both know darn well that's the kind of guy you are...but under certain circumstances, whether that's allowable changes. Like now." "Seeing the two of you standing side by side, such words become truly persuaaasive..." Saying this, Roswaal shifted taunting eyes toward Garfiel, standing right beside Subaru. He, standing in front of the room's entrance to seal it off, crinkled his nose sourly. "Like he just said. Changes with the circumstances. Me, if I don't find out for sure who's my enemy and who ain't, I won't know who to grind into mincemeat." "What a barbaric thing to say... In the end, Garf is Garf, I suppose?" As Garfiel made a low growl, Ram, standing in a corner of the room, sighed toward him. Just as they'd figured at the tomb, she was indeed waiting at Roswaal's side, even amid that snowfall. And from the very fact she was there, Ram was a partner in Roswaal's schemes perhaps not all of them, but there could be no doubt she shared in part of them. The problem lay in the true intent behind those schemes. Just what was Roswaal's objective, and why was Ram cooperating with him? "Don't butt in, Ram, not this time. Me, I don't wanna turn my claws against ya." "Should there be rudeness toward Master Roswaal, Ram will stand before him. It all depends upon you, Garf." "Calm yourselves, both of you. That of course goes for Garfiel, but you too, Ram. For the moment, do as he says and be silent. Those are words that should be saved for the proper moment." "He has spoken. Be grateful for Master Roswaal's benevolence." With a haughty, audible snort, Ram took a step back, suspending her role as attending servant. Garfiel went "Keh," clicking his tongue as he said, "Puttin' Ram aside, me, I've got no reason to listen to your words and calm down or anythin' like it. Watch how ya talk to me. Dependin' on what ya say, my claws might end up turned against one of ya." "Can you stop including me as a potential target for violence like it's supernatural? Geez, you're still doubting me?" "Ya've got your own mountain of suspicious things to spare, damn it. Witch-smellin' lunatic." They harbored suspicions toward the same person but whether they shared comradery was a different issue altogether. Subaru didn't trust Garfiel on all fronts, either. They both had claws pointing at each other. Then, upon the exchange between the pair, Roswaal closed one eye, the world reflecting in his yellow pupil as he said, "Setting a bedridden man like me aside, you should not look upon good Subaru too lightly, Garfiel. If the two of you clash, it is by no means guaranteeeed that the odds of victory are invariably in your favor." "He's missin' one eye. How could he win? Ya got holes in your eyes? If he heard all the fights I've won, he'd be smacked senseless." "Is that so? If the proper conditions were aligned, I do not think his chances of victory are quite so poooor..." As Roswaal narrowed his eye, Subaru could only agree that he must have a hole in it. Since being summoned to that other world, Subaru's individual combat exploits were limited to one victory by three surprise blows. Of course, it was futile even trying to compare Garfiel to three punks in a back alley. " !! Enough of this! I didn't come 'cause I wanted to talk about crap like that! Are ya both asleep?! The old hags are out there, shiverin' and waitin'!" To cut off that futile line of conversation, Garfiel stomped the heel of his shoe onto the wooden floor. As the impact sent wood dust spreading within the room, Subaru closed his eye to the angrily snarling Garfiel. Garfiel was right to be angry. Subaru had left Emilia at the tomb. Surely everyone present knew there was no time for taking it easy. Accordingly, Subaru took a deep breath, opening his right eye. Catching Roswaal in his field of vision, he "You're the one who made the snow fall here in the Sanctuary, aren't you, Roswaal?" cut straight to the heart of the matter. *** Roswaal was silent in the face of Subaru's question. But the smirk vanished from his lips. He'd caught a glimpse of the true face under the mask of makeup that he'd kept up until the moment prior. Coming from him, that was more proof than anything that Subaru was on the money. A silence fell for a time, and the only sound reverberating inside the room was that of the wind and blowing snow smacking the window. That silence, in which not even the sounds of breathing could be heard, seemed to course for eternity until it abruptly ended. "Subaru." After his name came up, gazes turned toward him, and Subaru waited in silence for what would follow. With Subaru taking that posture, Roswaal left a pause before he continued. " You heard that from me, I take it?" Subaru did not understand what the question meant. Subaru had anticipated a number of responses from Roswaal. Excuses, being shaken, attempts to gloss things over, violence but this result was different from everything he'd surmised. Naturally, faced with a question he did not understand, he could not even imagine what answer was being sought. "Mm-mmm... I see. I see. I seeee...... How disappointing." Facing the suspicion swirling in Subaru's black eyes, Roswaal nodded, his face giving an answer that went far beyond words. From his sunken face and voice, it was immediately clear that this was not the answer he yearned for. The sight threw Subaru off. It felt to him like the man known as Roswaal despite being heavily wounded, face pale had literally fallen from his standpoint and clear through the realm of normal men. But " Ya ain't gonna deny it, are ya?" The angered Garfiel paid no heed to the change in Roswaal. To him, the important thing was not Roswaal's sentiments but the identity of the culprit behind the menace assailing the Sanctuary. Faced with that blame, Roswaal seemed numb to it, letting a heavy sigh trickle out. "I could assert my innocence, but you are hardly one to politely accept that at this juncture, yes? You came here because you possess more than adequate reasons for doing so. Should I not pay this the proper respeeeect?" "Respect! Respect, huh?! Ha, well ain't I grateful. Milkiss had no line of retreat! Maybe it's high time I paid that excess of stupidity proper respect, yaaah?!" To Roswaal, who acknowledged the suspicions against him, Garfiel unleashed a sharp exhale and stepped forward. In the cramped confines of the room, it was only a few paces from the entrance to the bed. He easily closed the distance in a single second. Riding that momentum, Garfiel moved to grip the self-possessed Roswaal's throat. Was restraint really going to hold back strength whipped up by anger? Fearful of this, Subaru tried to raise his voice. But faster than Subaru could speak, a figure circled in front of Garfiel and spoke up. " I told you, Garf. I shall permit no rudeness toward Master Roswaal." Now directly in front of the outstretched arm, Ram pushed out her modest chest, blocking its path with her body. For an instant, the prospect of hurting someone he cared for made anger and hesitation rise up in his eyes and then some form of determination. Guessing that this determination was, in truth, the will to remove even Ram from his path, the color of Subaru's face changed. In fact, in a previous loop, he had seen Garfiel take Ram's life once already "Ram. You are truly a fine servant." Accordingly, Subaru's reaction to that sentence was thoroughly late in coming. Wary of Garfiel's violent actions and concerned for Ram's safety, Subaru knitted his brows, perplexed. There was nothing odd per se about the sentence just now. Just as he stated, Roswaal was praising Ram for her attempt to defend her master. That wasn't the problem. Roswaal, lying on his side on the bed last anyone checked, was not trying to get up. He was not glaring at Ram and Garfiel, either. But Subaru felt like something strange had entered his eyes. Not finding a reason for why he was getting a bad feeling, Subaru's bewilderment deepened his irritation as he desperately groped for some kind of answer. And finally, that ill feeling took tangible form. *** Huh, the heck? There's a person's arm sticking out from Garfiel's back... He could see a human arm, complete with five wriggling fingers, thrusting through the center of his torso and out his back. "Go-fu...!" Garfiel's body shuddered greatly, seemingly moving while time had stopped. The back of his vest was dyed by a creeping vermilion as his knees buckled, crumpling then and there. When Garfiel's knees hit the floor, the arm vanished from his back. Instantly, blood gushed out from the wound that it had been plugging. " Eh?" As Garfiel went down on his rear, Ram and Roswaal were looking down at him. And as Ram watched Garfiel collapse in a pool of blood, coming out of her chest was... "Ros..." "I have not reneged on my promise. I offer this soul to you." When frailly, Ram attempted to call out his name, Roswaal interrupted her, speaking those words in an exceedingly gentle voice. From behind, he preciously embraced Ram's thin body, softly stroking her pink hair with his left hand. Ram seemed entranced by his touch, her cheeks reddened as a charming smile came to rest upon her face. From the corner of the lips forming that charming smile came out a delayed spill of fresh blood. Of course it did. Her chest had been run straight through from the back. *** The spectacle made Subaru recall another he had seen up close. The sight of Beatrice impaled was superimposed over that of Ram. The arm was pulled back. Without anything to support it, Ram's body tumbled forward. It was Garfiel who caught her, profusely bleeding himself. The blood-ridden pair embraced each other. "Gah... Ros...ra, mm... Ram, Ram, Ram, Ramramramramrammm...!!" In an instant, a heart governed by hatred was smashed to pieces by the sight of wounds on the his beloved. Calling out the name of the girl in his arms, Garfiel let up a bloody roar as his arm emitted a pale light. Subaru discerned that the flowing energy, enveloped by vivid luminescence, was healing magic. But that fact was inconsistent

with what he was seeing, and more than that, the dizzying situation had thrown his thought process awry. His impression of Garfiel was that he was wholly unsuited toward using any magic, let alone healing magic, but to pull it off instantly at a juncture like that displayed considerable mastery of healing techniques. Despite bearing mortal wounds of his own, he put everything aside, pouring all his strength into healing Ram. All of it was beyond Subaru's expectations, so far beyond his imagination that he was unable to move a single foot. "Gah-ah-aaahhh...!" Employing healing magic, the snarling Garfiel's flesh bounced, enlarging much like a pulsing vein. Golden fur covered his exposed flesh, his sharp fangs creaked as they began to lengthen, and his body, which Subaru had guessed was on death's door, was instinctively urging him to transfigure in order to avert that death. If he transformed into a giant tiger, it might well save his own life. However, if that happened, his healing would be interrupted. Ram would die. His rational mind rejected that, clashing ferociously with his survival instincts. If he stopped healing their wounds before he transfigured, there still existed some chance both of them might survi " It would be troublesome to let you transfigure, yes?" Roswaal took a single step forward. His right leg bent and then lashed out. With a vividness that made it impossible for Subaru to tear his eyes away, wind entwined around his bent leg as it scored a direct hit to the back of Garfiel's skull causing a heavy sound, much like that of an egg cracking, rupturing his target and smearing that blond hair with such ease it didn't seem real. " ll." With his skull half-smashed, Garfiel lay on his side, glaring at Roswaal with his one remaining eye. In a twist of fate, he and Ram fell together almost as one, both lying powerlessly on the floor. Garfiel was dying, and in his arms, Ram did not move a muscle, either, a thin smile still on her lips. No healing magic existed that could be effective on people with dead faces like this. None would even activate. By the time Roswaal drew his arm out, Ram's life had already been lost, for her heart had been destroyed. Not realizing this, Garfiel struggled to save her, but that was as far as it went. "Even I would find it extremely difficult to weave magic without Garfiel noticing. Accordingly, for but a brief moment, I relied upon means that are heretical for a magic user." Wiping his bloodstained hand and foot with the sheets, the Roswaal that had murdered the pair turned toward Subaru. During that entire time, Subaru had stood rooted to the spot, unable to move a step, unable to speak a word. Inspecting Subaru, Roswaal narrowed his eyes before shrugging his shoulders with a casual air as he spoke again. "Now then in accordance with the vow we have exchanged, let us speak, Subaru Natsuki." 6 Subaru stood in a daze amid that incomprehensible scene. Ram had sunken into a pool of blood; Garfiel had lost his life from his skull being crushed. As the two lay atop each other, Roswaal he who had murdered both stood astride their corpses, calmly gazing Subaru's way. The incredible physical feat he had witnessed left Subaru unable to even speak. Realizing that Subaru was gawking, Roswaal stared at Subaru with his yellow eye alone as he said, "To believe a magic user cannot engage in unarmed combat is to fall prey to prejudice, you seeee. It is the sort of pitfall even Witches are known to miss. You should remember for future reference." Perhaps he meant it as honest advice, but Roswaal's lecture, made with a raised finger, left Subaru horrified. Certainly, he was shocked. That Roswaal's unarmed combat technique was eye-catching was the simple truth. Comparing that shock to what he felt at seeing the pair's sudden deaths was difficult. And yet, he could not comprehend how Roswaal could smile pleasantly, not letting it bother him. "Wh-why...?" "Mm? Why what?" "Why did you kill th......? Why did you kill Ram...eh? Even Garfiel's..." "Because Garfiel was an impediment to speaking with you. I did a terrible thing to Ram...but her cooperation was indispensable for getting Garfiel out of the way. Had she not created an opening, even my odds of victory would have been quite poor." " Huh?" Shrugging his shoulders like it was no big deal, he came right out and plainly confessed his murderous intentions. The contents flew into Subaru, sailing right over his sentiments of anger, drawing out an unconscious breath. It was an absurd answer for an absurd situation. It was an absurd comment about an absurd fate. What the hell was going on? "An unexpected reaction. The Subaru that I know is a boy who would see nothing beyond this situation, fly into a rage, and even try to grab hold of me. Am I wrong, Subaru Natsuki?" "What are you trying to say? You're a shitty, psychopathic bastard... There's no way in hell I can...!" "Forgive me or the like? You do not require language such as that. You should be more honest in facing your own heart. That is the 'you' I desire, the 'you' that I have always, alwaaaays desired." " !! Stop, looking at me with that eye! The hell! The hell is wrong with you?!" During those words, Roswaal had continued looking at Subaru with his left eye alone. The intent gaze of that lone yellow iris made him feel queasy, like something was clawing at the core of his psyche. Hence, his voice had gone ragged. "You murdered two people! And that ain't all! I'm not talking about just this! Before, that's right, before when you were talking about the Witch Cult, too! You've been giving me the slip over and over " " Over and over. Yes, over and over, Subaru." Subaru shuddered, feeling an awful chill, almost like a wet fingertip was stroking his spine. Subaru had given in to his violent storm of emotions, venting about all the things that had been agonizing him to date. The expression that Roswaal trained upon Subaru was exceedingly out of place. He was smiling. The sides of his face were cracked by his thin lips, and Roswaal wore that pleasant expression full of welcome, the grin of a demon, as he kept staring at Subaru. This was not sarcasm or anything of the sort. He felt genuine delight at seeing Subaru's demeanor. All Subaru could feel for that flow of incomprehensible emotion was disgust. He feared it, for it was something he absolutely could not comprehend. As he peered into Subaru's trembling eyes, Roswaal made what seemed like an affectionate nod. "Very well. Since you do not understand, I, someone who assumes he understands, have decided to arbitrarily enlighten you; specifically, I'll tell you the reason why you, despite witnessing the deaths of these two and now confronting me, the one who slew them both, are not acting out of emotion." *** "It's quite simple. You are not sad about their deaths. You are surprised. However, you are not sad. That is why you have not hurled yourself at me in anger." It really was the arbitrary statement of someone who assumed they understood. What do you understand! As if I'm not sad that they're dead! I'll kill you!! Inside Subaru's heart, one phrase after another floated up, all candidates for what he should shout in response. They were countless. In truth, Subaru had multiple violent emotions swirling around inside of him. They cried for him to chew out the clown with the all-knowing face. Anger, despair, grief, shock his emotions were ready to make him explode and say those things at any moment " It is because you do believe these things can be undone, is it nooooot?" *** The blow made his blood freeze. Subaru went rigid, feeling like his heart had been clenched. It was not a metaphor. He truly felt like his heart was in a death grip. The impact was simply that great. Whatever Roswaal meant by it, his statement's wording was all too close to Return by Death. The Witch's court was strict and severe. That very moment, the world might stop and those black arms emerge to impose their sentence. Or perhaps the arms would be insufficient, and the Witch might descend once more, drinking the Sanctuary dry "...Not...coming?" "This wariness... I see. So you and that have exchanged a pact. In light of that, I can now accept how you came to so many of your words and actions to date. She is quite a mean one." "Accept, you say...? No, before even that, you...!" Subaru's face went pale as Roswaal put a hand to his chin and nodded. There was no mistake: Roswaal's statement that moment had most certainly touched upon the taboo at Subaru's core "You...you noticed what's been happening with me...?!" "To explain, it is likely faster to show you than to tell you." "Wait! That feels like you're just giving me the slip aga " When Roswaal turned around and headed toward the bed, Subaru tried to close the distance. However, he hesitated to touch the pool of blood at the tips of his toes and the corpses of Ram and Garfiel within. During that time, Roswaal arrived at the bed. He reached a hand under the pillow, groping under it, and "...Wait, don't tell me that's ?" "A Gospel? Rest at ease. This is not any such knockoff but one of the only two genuine articles." When he lifted what was in his hand, Subaru recalled hearing similar words from Roswaal before. When the topic had come up previously, the man had stated that these were the real deal, that only two volumes existed, and that one was in Beatrice's hands. As for the other "So you had it...!" "It would seem you require no explanation as to the book's contents. It would also seem you do not require an explanation of who possesses the other, either. In that case, you require no further answer to your query, I take it?" *** As the black-bound book held his attention, Subaru heard a very loud ringing in his ears. When he concentrated, working to match what he was seeing with his memories to date, he found his proof. Leaving the reality of the present behind, overusing his brain to the point of meltdown, he finally arrived at a meaningful conclusion. In Roswaal's hand rested the second book of knowledge. This tome prophesized the future, and just like Beatrice, whose blank book had reinforced her isolation across four centuries, Roswaal too had read the book's contents over and over "From the look of you, it would appear that Beatrice somehow fulfilled her duty." " . Duty? Duty, what do you know about her...?" The interjection brought his thought process to a temporary halt. As it continued the work of verifying background information, the sense of loss etched into Subaru's chest made him flare up at Roswaal for the sake of the girl at the center of that pain. Did this man know the true feelings of Beatrice, the girl who had cried out in such loneliness? "Didn't you know about what she was going through?! Always bound to that room, always clinging to a promise from a long time ago... Didn't you know about her tears?!" "Of course I knew. To me, she is someone I have known since the time of my birth. The sense of desolation she harbors within her chest, her desire to move on... These are things I have always known." " !! Then..." "I hope you do not say, Why did you do nothing about them? or the like. Do you know what that girl desires someone do to relieve her sadness? You have heard her plea, have you not?" Skewered by Roswaal's sound logic, Subaru's heart reeled, like it was spitting up blood. It was the truth.

It was very much the truth. Subaru had heard Beatrice's plea. He'd reached out to her, wanting to save her. His hand had been rejected, his voice had failed to reach her and in the end, Beatrice's life had been taken by a vile blade. The power and the knowledge to heal four centuries of isolation was too much to hope for from Subaru. Going back in time, using his means of redoing things, Subaru could create a "final" chance to exchange words with Beatrice any number of times. But how should one heal four centuries of sadness? He couldn't turn back the clock on the four centuries of time Beatrice had spent in the archive of forbidden books. " Though I must envy her." Almost as an afterthought, the murmuring voice crept its way into Subaru's battered eardrums. Unable to believe what he just heard, Subaru lifted his face, staring at the mouth Roswaal had used to speak the words. But Roswaal did not notice his gaze, and together with a vague sigh, he carried on. "Beatrice was able to vanish, granting her long-cherished desire. That is the meaning behind the fact that you are here, am I riiiiight?" "Long-cherished...desire? A-are you?! Are you trying to tell me dying like, like that was her long-cherished desire?!" "That was the girl's wish. Whatever end each person hopes for is not something others should belittle, and her desires were her own. It is impermissible to sully that girl's demise, for you and for me." "You killed Ram and Garfiel, and you get to say that to me?!" As Subaru shouted in anger and raised his finger in accusation for the slaughter, Roswaal shook his head side to side. It was as if to say, And were your own actions so noble that you can act so high and mighty? Subaru had heard Beatrice's plea, her lament. And yet, why was Roswaal, the man who had done nothing for her, able to put on that face like he understood Beatrice? After all, there was no sympathizing with Beatrice's wish, her plea for death. That wish was not what she had wanted at all. If it was, then why had Beatrice shielded Subaru in the end? "Like I said, I envy her. After all, it would seem that my long-cherished desire shall not be granted." *** Until that point, Subaru had been unable to comprehend a single word out of Roswaal's mouth. There was only chaos in his mind. But even so, what he just said left a particularly strange and queasy feeling in Subaru. Granting a long-cherished desire. Fulfilling a wish. These felt wrong, discordant. As for his wish "What...do you want, then? What the heck is your wish? Why why do all this...?" "I shall not speak it. I have a vow to uphold, much like you. What has come out of my mouth so far is the greatest concession I am capable of giving you. But allow me to say this." *** "I always do my utmost, always acting in the best interests of my long-cherished desire. My various schemes, blasphemies, aid, and support are all for its sake. I have never once turned my back on that." Blatantly, boldly, and proudly, Roswaal affirmed every last one of his own actions to date. How could he say it with a straight face like that, shamelessly, brazenly? Pitch-black anger welled up in Subaru. For Subaru's part, his anger seemed selfish, if not wholly disconnected from the contempt for the feelings and emotions for which he had come so far. But he couldn't help himself. "What best interests?! Never turned your back on that, my ass! You...you too, it's that book, huh?! You're acting according to what's written in the book, aren't you?! Are you gonna tell me the same things that Beatrice did?! That what you've done until now, that what you're doing in the Sanctuary is all...!" The first run when Subaru had discovered that book, Beatrice had told him she was doing everything as written within. That had been a lie. This time around, Subaru had learned her book was filled with blank pages. So what about Roswaal's book, then? Was the future accurately detailed therein? "Is this snow according to the book, too?! Did the writing in the book tell you to make the snow fall? What the hell for?!" "That should be obvious. To isolate Lady Emilia." " H...uh? "I suppose I must repeat myself. Making the snow fall like this inflicts harm upon the residents. This isolates Lady Emilia, causing her to fall into an unstable mental state. Without this snow, she would not, yes?" Roswaal's conclusion accurately described the state of Emilia, left behind at the tomb, as if he could see it for himself. The situation had advanced precisely in accordance with Roswaal's prediction. But the issue was not the effects. Subaru did not comprehend the meaning behind the thought process of Roswaal's that had arrived at such an extreme. With Subaru perplexed, Roswaal spread his hands out a little. "This is a land connected to a Witch, and Lady Emilia is in the position of confronting the Trial to liberate the Sanctuary. For a great, unseasonable snowfall to arrive out of season in a place she is located...one can imagine what would happen?" "Wh-why, you..." "At a time like this, Garfiel's lack of guile proves most useful. His suspicions would naturally jump straight to Lady Emilia, blaming her with a loud voice. This is where the memories of the people of Earlham Village would come into play. They know of the wave of localized cold that Lady Emilia...well, more precisely, the Great Spirit, can trigger." Roswaal's statement made a chill run through Subaru. The "wave of localized cold" he spoke of referred to the sight of out-of-season snow occurring alone in the environs of Roswaal Manor. It was a fun, peaceful time between the people of the mansion and the villagers. Roswaal was using that memory. In point of fact, every last thing had gone in accordance with Roswaal's scheme. Garfiel had suspected Emilia, and his voice propagated that suspicion through the residents of the settlement. The people of Earlham Village would want to believe in her. But they had memories that associated snow with Emilia. It was Emilia who had made the snow fall and every plot of soil in that land, that world, carried a reason to pin every crime upon her, regardless of who might have committed it. This was the demon named Prejudice, which had caused Emilia so much suffering over many years. "And do what by isolating Lady Emilia, you ask? Lady Emilia is truly a weak person, you see. It is by no means mysterious for her to entrust herself to the hands of 'someone' who can accept her... And if that someone wished to support Lady Emilia with every fiber of his being, all the better." "Wait, wait...wait, wait, wait, wait...!" As Roswaal continued his confession, the words triggered an instinctual fear, prompting Subaru to raise his hands. He felt like at that moment some preposterous tale, some outrageous fact, was being spoken to him. As if that moment, he had heard Roswaal's true intent, and having heard it, there was no going back "Once Lady Emilia depends upon you, you shall never push her away. Of course not... You love her, after all. If your beloved Lady Emilia entrusts everything to you, you will be unable to brush her aside." "That's not..." No. It can't be true. That very moment, the present Subaru had resisted giving in to Emilia when she had clung to him back at the tomb. He had come this far after enduring it. Knowing that those were not Emilia's true feelings, he could not allow himself to drown in feelings of love that were a pale substitute for the real "Not today is surely your answer. That is an unfortunate development for me. It would seem that the current you is overly invested in extraneous things." "Extraneous...? Wait, this is why you did something to my letter...?" " Letter?" Suspicion slipped into Roswaal's question to himself. Though he knit his brows, he immediately cast that suspicion aside. When Roswaal stepped forward, taking a single step into the pool of blood, Subaru's body subconsciously flinched back. Roswaal, shaking his long arm, flashed a lonely, pained smile at Subaru's reaction and said; "The current you is insufficient to bring about the future indicated in the text. Any discrepancy with that recorded requires a correction." "You plan to kill...me?" "Killing you would be putting the cart before the horse, would it noooot? I would be inconvenienced were you to perish. I mean, I simply must have you seize the next opportunity, no matter what might befall you." " Eh?" For an instant, the words Roswaal said as he approached threw Subaru for a loop. But he immediately grasped what the words meant and, at the same time, recognized their variance with the facts. Based on some kind of notation in the book of knowledge, Roswaal had caught on to Subaru's looping. However, he did not know that death was the trigger to activate Return by Death. Accordingly, Roswaal believed he could not kill him until Subaru activated the looping of his own free will. If it was like that, he had a chance to w " I shall not kill you. However, I can do anything to you besides that. Am I wrong?" The next instant, Subaru was struck by a blow that seemed to go straight through his solar plexus, slamming him into the wall. "G-ahh..." "Considering how our relationship will develop after this, I would not consider this course of action to be suave of me. Did I use the term correctly?" "Goaa! G-gyaaa!" Driving his fingernails into the fallen Subaru's flank, Roswaal cocked his head like this was any other regular moment. Rather than the force of his kick, he was using precise gouging at weak points to meticulously increase Subaru's suffering. And as Subaru writhed in intense pain, Roswaal rained more one-sided acts of violence upon him with punches, kicks, and sometimes a stomp to the head, causing tears of blood to flow out of his left eye cavity once more. But he didn't die. Therefore, there was no Return by Death. The looping did not occur. "...I have done all this, and still you will not try again? You are quite obstinate." *** "Ahhh, or is this already after you have made another attempt? Now that I think of it, I have no method of recognizing whether you have done it or not. Quite the miscalculation." The pitying look Roswaal directed toward Subaru was a spiteful sight indeed. But what tugged at his chest even more than that, something that always had, spilled out of Subaru's mouth. "Ros...waal... Y...you talk like I've tried again a whole...bunch of times..." "Oh my? This is becoming a rather important discussion? Do tell." "I'm...the one asking you... What's...with you...acting...planning on the premise that I...that someone else...can redo things? Do you actually...?" Finally, the terrible premonition that he'd dragged around with him all that time coalesced into a tangible suspicion. And that suspicion was that Roswaal had a way to inherit memories. Just like Echidna, inside the tomb, who spent her time cut off from reality in her castle of dreams, did Roswaal also inherit memories of a prior world even after Subaru Returned by Death? For if not, Subaru couldn't make sense of his plan that hinged on redoing things. "If that's so...that's fine. But if that's really what it is, then I can't..." Can't forgive you. If they had both inherited those memories, their relationship could be extended no further. Roswaal had committed a great many heresies for the sake of an objective unknown to Subaru. This was not limited to the current run but was this man's policy for every time moving forward as well. If that was

so, the optimal future Subaru was aiming for and his goal were " It would seem that the conversation is at an end..." However, as Subaru's broken words trailed off, Roswaal turned his head toward the room's window. Then, in the corner of the fallen Subaru's eye, he slightly narrowed his eyes and spoke a single word. "Goa." In contrast to the whisper-like volume of his voice, the result created by that chant was an all-too-dazzling red. He unleashed the fist-size crimson fireball created via chant with the speed of an arrow, melting and breaking through the intervening window and scoring a direct hit on the silhouette seemingly trying to leap into the room through it, burning the target completely. The silhouette, of a similar size to the fireball, was unable to resist the flames, burning to ash in the blink of an eye. But just before it completely burned away, it left behind only one thing: the sound of its kii, kii death cries "Just now... Agh?" "I see, I see. So this is how it ends?" Subaru gasped as Roswaal grabbed hold of the front of his neck, easily lifting up his body with one slender arm. Subaru groaned and thrashed, but Roswaal paid no heed to his resistance, dragging him to the door. At a rapid gait, he passed out of the house's interior, violently dragging Subaru out of the building and into the cold, buffeting winds outside. Hurled into the snowy landscape, Subaru shook off something cold touching his head, somehow managing to sit up. And then he noticed it and gaped. *** He heard a skrtskrt sound, a discordant noise like that of hard things rubbing against each other. This was the song of fangs meant for tearing prey to shreds, a sound that Subaru knew from personal experience. The pure-white fur blended in perfectly with the snowed-in landscape of the Sanctuary. Their tiny bodies, small enough to fit into one's palm, quivered as their round eyes surveyed the landscape. They were adorable animals and indiscriminate weapons of slaughter. "Th-the rabbits...!" Subaru shivered, raising a shout at the arrival of the Great Rabbit, one of the three great demon beasts. As Subaru did so, just as his fright foretold, the hopping demon beasts leaped onto the snow one after another. "Kii, kii," they cried out, and skrtskrt went the sound of the demon beasts' fangs, their numbers already beyond counting. These monsters, left with no instincts save insatiable hunger, the demon beast horde known as the Great Rabbit, had arrived in the Sanctuary. "B-but...this is ridiculous. I mean, it's only the second day... Why is this...?!" Subaru was sure that according to his memories, the Great Rabbit had attacked the Sanctuary on the fifth day. There should have been plenty of time to spare. Why were they in the Sanctuary with timing like that? "This snow is no doubt the cause." " ! Daphne said the Great Rabbit eats magical energy; the bigger the mana the better...!" During his fleeting encounter with the Witches, the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne, creator and mother of the Great Rabbit, had told Subaru that about the creatures' ecology. He had yet to turn the information about that trait of the Great Rabbit, its attraction to mana, into a means of opposing the menace of the demon beasts, but "The snow... There's no reason they can't munch down on the great magic controlling the weather. That's why...!" "To the Great Rabbit, this is a desirable feeding ground. From birth, those residents with demi-human blood are blessed with bountiful mana... And more important, they and the evacuated villagers are all gathered in one place." "The Cathedral !" As if the conclusion was propelling him, Subaru forced his creaking body to stand. Then, wiping his nosebleed with a sleeve, with the attack of the Great Rabbit imminent, he drew close to Roswaal. "Roswaal! Right now...just for now, a cease-fire! Anyway, let's get to the Cathedral! Can we hole up there...? No, gotta rendezvous with Emilia at the tomb and flee outside..." "Flee? To where? There is the barrier. The residents of the Sanctuary cannot escape." " . Th-that's..." "There was not enough time, Subaru. So long as the Trial remains unfinished, the residents cannot leave the Sanctuary. In other words, the future you desire will never come to pass." As Subaru hemmed, Roswaal pushed his chest away and calmly walked forward. Ahead of where he advanced, walking over the snow the Great Rabbit pressed forward as an uncoordinated line of death. With his might as one of the kingdom's preeminent mages, they couldn't ask for anything more ideal than a target-rich battlefield; numbers meant nothing to him. Surely, with his overwhelming magical strength, he could mow down the horde and open a path. However, Subaru did not have any sense whatsoever that Roswaal had the willpower to resist. As he continued to advance, his very demeanor was clearly that of a man going off to his death. "Wait, wait, damn it, Roswaal...! We aren't done talking yet!" "No, we are finished. At the very least, I have no more words to speak to you. Nor any reason left to live." "E-even if I redo it, this way is the worst! If we talked more, talked properly...or maybe you just think you can do it next time, but...!" " You seem to have a misconception about something, Subaru." "Wha?" The term misconception made Subaru's words catch. Standing still, Roswaal turned only his head toward Subaru. And with Subaru frozen, Roswaal continued speaking to him. "Even if you can try again, I cannot. The me waiting for you after a redo is not the me you see here. This is my end. But that is fine." Bewilderment, amazement, shock slammed into Subaru all at once. Roswaal himself was saying that redos applied only to Subaru; everything else in the loop was unrelated. In other words, Roswaal knew of Subaru's looping and was trying to use it for some kind of objective, but what he was doing was no more and no less than that. For the Roswaal that died there, in that world, his life was over, his consciousness at an end. He knew that even if Subaru redid things, the current Roswaal would not be waiting on the other end. But that way of thinking was just too " That's not the thought process of a human being." With Subaru, whose consciousness continued on, the prerequisite conditions differed. With Roswaal, whose consciousness did not continue on, if he died it was the end. And so understanding that end, he accepted it as a matter of fact, inserting it into his plan. That was abnormal. "At any rate, the time will come when, in a genuine sense, you catch up to me, Subaru." "Roswaal...?" "Listen well, Subaru. You have something that is important. One thing that is truly, truly precious to you. Strip away all other things. Let go of everything else and think only of protecting that one thing that you hold dear." *** "Do this and " Somewhere amid that much urgency, with an air of so much sincerity, Roswaal smiled at Subaru. The Great Rabbit that had already come so very close tore into that Roswaal's neck. Blood scattered, and the sound of gouged flesh heralded the beginning of the tragic spectacle. Late to appear, the next rabbits bit into his arms, his knees, his rump. "Roswaalllll !!" " You can become like me." The jester's smile could no longer be seen, buried under the gleeful horde of rabbit bodies. As if craving it, the Great Rabbit covered the whole of Roswaal's body. Falling to his side, the unresisting Roswaal was gouged out by the rabbits' fangs. Hungrily, they fed, eating their fill. Fresh blood sprayed onto the white snow, drawing a picture of Hell upon that great natural canvas. Even that bloody sketch went to waste, for the demon beasts slurped the blood-smeared snow, erasing every remaining trace. Without a word, Subaru watched the spectacle of Roswaal ceasing to be Roswaal. He watched, as the being known as Roswaal was lost to the world, his life gnawed away. He watched. 7 A finished world, an unreachable future, lost hopes, and trampled bonds: They all tasted of blood. Upon those, Subaru bit down. He bit down on the rising bitterness. He bit down on his decision. It was time. This time he would truly give up on this world, for it was time that he let go. From hither and yonder, he heard the kichikichi sound of the monsters' fangs, captive to their own obsession with hunger. The Sanctuary was no longer anything more than the Great Rabbit Horde's hunting grounds. Screams and angry shouts alike were drowned out by the demon beasts' cries and the sounds of their gnawing as countless cruel deaths were playing out across that powdery landscape. Subaru single-mindedly raced past the horrors, running in a beeline to his destination. Surrounded by the sounds of fangs, the flesh-craving rabbits delighted at having new prey enter their feeding grounds. Subaru drew the crystal from his pocket and made one reckless prayer. Employing his rights as an apostle, Subaru assembled the replicas remaining in the Sanctuary. Leaving it to them to leap in and intercept the demon beasts, Subaru somehow managed to escape with his life. The remaining replicas dwindled even as he watched. A moment after Piko, the first to come to his side, was sacrificed to the rabbits and torn apart, they ceased being effective as expendable speed bumps. He made them fight until they were being shredded, finally causing them to self-destruct, taking as many as they could with them. This he repeated over and over "Ha-ha-ha-ha..." Coming to a halt, a dry laugh trickled out. Before his eyes was a fire-enveloped building, burning with brilliant flames. It was the Cathedral. Between the people of Earlham Village and the residents of the Sanctuary, there ought to have been nearly a hundred souls housed inside. Their bastion, the place where survivors should have been waiting for aid, was engulfed by flame. Possessing nothing save hunger, the Great Rabbit lacked the presence of mind to set its prey on fire. Who, then, had set the fire? For what purpose had ? Without having to think about it, he knew. The people inside had chosen suicide over being devoured by demon beasts. That was all. Hell this was a portrait of Hell itself. The people from the village, the residents of the Sanctuary, and even Ryuzu and Otto had probably all been inside. How could they do something so hasty? But Subaru had no right to blame them. They had simply exercised a natural right. They had the right to choose their end a right Subaru did not possess and so they chose. That was all. It was Subaru Natsuki who ought to be blamed. It was he who had made them choose how to end lives that, unlike his, would never return this was the crime of Subaru Natsuki, a crime he could never undo. "...Put yourselves on the line and protect me. Once I make it to the tomb, do what you want." The Great Rabbit began to surround the Cathedral as it burned and collapsed. Sensing their approach, Subaru left only those orders to the remaining Ryuzu replicas of which there were six. Shifting his head, Subaru looked not at the scene of the fire but across the snow to where the tomb was supposed to be. With one step and another, he walked, casting his hesitation aside as he broke into a run. Behind him, the demon beasts identified the racing Subaru as more prey, their little bodies bounding in pursuit. The replicas did as ordered, fighting without self-regard as they protected him from the beasts. He heard a chaotic mix of sound from the cries of demon beasts and of the horrifically wounded replicas turning into light and exploding. Leaving all of it behind, Subaru covered his ears with his hands, continuing

to run into the blowing snow. Countless sounds reached the eardrums of Subaru Natsuki, berating him as they did. He did his best to ignore it and shook them off. He continued to run. 8 By the time he arrived at the tomb, Subaru's body no longer felt the cold. He had a cavity for a left eye, and the vision of his right was dying bit by bit. But he thought nothing of the pain. In his dull, leaden thought process, the image of a single girl flickered. Stepping into the corridor of dry stone, Subaru headed deeper, deeper within. And there he found " Subaru?" At the back of the corridor was a stone room filled with a faint blue light. From there, someone called his name. Invited by the voice, his legs dragged him forward, and the person standing in the center of the stone room gazed at Subaru and said, "Subaru, it really is you! Goodness, where have you been? I was worried!" As she spoke, Emilia rushed over in a small run and grasped both his hands. Wearing a pouty look, Emilia proceeded to pull Subaru's hands against her own chest. As gentle softness and body temperature blended together, she gazed at him with upturned eyes. "...Are you tired by any chance?" "Yeah... I might be just a little tired..." "Tee-hee, is that so? Well, in that case..." Nodding, Emilia smiled with redness dying her cheeks. From there, she bent her knees on the spot, leaned on her hip, folded her legs under her, and gave her white thighs a couple of pats. "...A...lap pillow, huh?" "Yes. Subaru, you just love my lap pillow, don't you? You've told me as much. I remember." Emilia proudly made the proposal with only a tiny hint of a blush. Though it took Subaru a little longer, he also sat down on the spot, indulging in her generosity as he laid his head upon her soft thighs. Right away, the sensation of his hair elicited a sweet murmur of "mmm," but Emilia immediately began stroking Subaru's head. "How many times does this make that I've offered Subaru my lap as a pillow anyway?" "Who knows...third time, maybe? I think I was a real wreck every time." "I am happy to indulge Subaru like this, but you know, spoiled children get their hair teased..." Teasing his forelocks, tickling his forehead with her fingers, Emilia was in high spirits as she did as she pleased to Subaru. Because Emilia wore that adorable expression, not even a smidgeon of an urge to brush her fingers aside arose. Besides, he had neither the willpower nor physical endurance to do so. Most of what should have been in his belly had already spilled out anyway. *** Subaru was in a sorry state that was almost unbearable to look at. The bite wound in his hip had reached his intestines. Of the fingers on the right hand he'd used to swipe away a leaping rabbit, only the thumb really remained. Below his waist, countless deep gashes had left the bone visible, and from which too much blood had escaped. That he'd made it that far with his fraying mind was the result of tenacity bordering on obsession and the freezing cold slowing the metabolism of his body. But even that bargain-bin miracle had finally reached its limit. "Subaru, are you sleepy? "Just a...a tiny bit, yeah. Ahhh, it's all right, it's all right... I can do this, I can do this..." "Really? You're not forcing yourself? I mean, Subaru, you always do reckless things for someone else's sake... I mean, even Subaru understands that about Subaru, but it really makes me worry." "I'm...all...right..." "I'm a little conflicted about it. I want Subaru to do reckless things just for me...but I don't want to see Subaru pretending not to see other people... Sorry, I'm very selfish, huh?" Emilia piled words upon words in quick succession. Her voice grew distant. Unlike the snow-buried grounds of the Sanctuary, the tomb interior retained a moderate amount of heat. This thawed Subaru's still-battered flesh, and his bleeding commenced once more. The pool of blood on the stone floor broadened, and the blood Subaru was coughing splattered onto Emilia's cheek. But Emilia paid the blood no mind. "Hey, Subaru, are you listening? There's so, so, soooooo much that I want to talk to you about. So please let me be by your side. Listen to my voice. Let me speak, 'kay?" She wasn't ignoring him. Emilia hadn't noticed not Subaru's state, nor the blood on her cheek. Subaru was firmly reflected in her violet eyes. But reality didn't show up in them. Emilia didn't see what was wrong with Subaru. Nor did she notice the change in the Sanctuary, the gradually approaching end, or much of anything else for that matter. However, perhaps the same was true of Subaru. *** Subaru should have been doing his best to get Emilia out of the Sanctuary. The Great Rabbit was already burying the exterior of the tomb. It probably would not be long before they surged inside. If they did, just like with Roswaal, not even one scrap of Emilia would be left behind. That would mean Emilia's death but even knowing this, Subaru did not tell Emilia to run. He could not escape from his self-centered desire to be at Emilia's side for the little time he had left. Roswaal's words and grand death, the regrets he harbored for Ram's and Garfiel's deaths, the uncertainty of how Petra and Frederica had been taken, his inability to save Rem and Beatrice; these were killing Subaru. Trapped between a sense of loss and a sense of loneliness, Subaru wanted to vanish, and not a moment too soon. As the world began to go white, his consciousness and his soul were being whittled away from it, bit by tiny bit. Strength drained from his limbs, and sensation vanished from his dying flesh. Emilia, not realizing that Subaru was dying, would be the only one left. Here, he was going to leave Emilia behind? Emilia, who no longer had anyone else on whom to depend. "Ah " Even if he wanted to regret it, it was too late. It was too late for everything. His voice refused to come out. Light vanished from his black eyes. Not noticing this, thinking Subaru had merely fallen silent, Emilia tilted her neck in adorable fashion. Then she abruptly smiled, gently bringing her face closer, and *** kissed the silent Subaru's lips. The taste of her first kiss was the cold taste of death. CHAPTER 5 *** 1 Subaru's consciousness was greeted by the same sensation of a cold, hard floor. *** Still lying faceup, Subaru opened his eyes and coughed out the dirt inside his mouth. When he grimaced at the stench of dirt and looked around the area, he saw he was in a dimly lit stone room back within the tomb. Subaru returned to the world in the exact same place right after the old one had ended, going back only in time. His eyeball had returned to his left eye socket, restoring his vision. Though on the one hand, he was relieved by this, the fear that this left eye would see Hell and a sense of inescapable confinement made him feel an ache from a wound that surely no longer existed. The main thing holding back his sense of despair and the creeping feeling that he would only reach another dead end was the presence of the girl lying by his side. There, beautiful silver hair spread over the floor, moaning in anguish, was Emilia, the girl with whom he had surely met his demise here she was tormented by the Trial, seeing a nightmare of the past from which she could not awaken. *** Quietly, with his fingers, Subaru gently touched not Emilia but his own parched lips. In the back of his mind arose the sight of Emilia just before Return by Death when, putting the dying Subaru on her lap, she did not notice his loss as she kissed him. He could not imagine what Emilia's mental state was like the moment she kissed Subaru's bloody lips. Nor was Subaru, then on the verge of death, able to bring with him the sensations or feelings from the final moment of his passing. It would have been the first kiss with Emilia in Subaru's life, and it was death that had gotten in the way. *** But if Subaru had to answer whether he regretted feeling the touch of her lips, he would resoundingly say no. Reminiscing about the kiss in that final moment was to reconfirm his sense of crisis at seeing Emilia becoming wholly dependent on Subaru as she fled from reality after her mental state had deteriorated so much... Unable to rely on Puck, enduring the pressure from those around her, losing the support of Subaru's consoling words must have pushed Emilia's mind to its limits. He'd taken pride in the best start to date, but if Emilia's collapse was the result... "If I'm not at her side...then that happens. I don't want to...make her sad..." Even if she'd temporarily recovered from the tomb, the nighttime conversation, the letter, it all backfired. Swallowed up by a tremendous snowfall, a great many became victims to the Great Rabbit's invasion. Roswaal had slain Ram and Garfiel in a fit of madness. And finally, having Emilia kiss him on the lips was Subaru's final moment as he went to his death "I knew. I should have known." To Subaru, that world had offered the cruelest, the most senseless of fates. Therefore, as if by design, Emilia, Beatrice, and even Elsa and Roswaal were arranged in the most formidable configuration possible. "I'll save...Emilia, the Sanctuary, the mansion. I'll save them all. If I don't, then..." Can you do it? It's not a matter of whether I can. I have to. I will. Me. Subaru bared his fangs and silenced the inner voice that he'd heard many times already. He would permit no excuses, no lifelines. He swore a vow, one that would absolutely never be rescinded. All he had to do was list the problems, obstacles, issues, and walls in his way; clarify his victory conditions; put them in chronological order; then challenge them with trial runs over and over, as many as time and his mind would permit. Even if Subaru's mind was whittled down with every failure, he would be satisfied so long as a future worth holding on to still existed... No matter how many horrific things he had to see, like what he had already bore witness to. And so " Emilia, are you all right?" He stretched out his hand, shook the shoulder of the adorable girl lying on her side, and gently brought her back to reality. As Subaru watched her long eyelashes tremble and her purple eyes slowly open, he decided. All over again, he made a vow inside of himself, making it hard and strong so that it would never be broken. I'll protect Emilia and save everyone else. Even if it costs me my life. 2 In his head, he organized the information he never got a chance to digest at the end of the last run, given the chaotic events and his impending death. The most crucial of this was the man who knew of Subaru's Return by Death Roswaal L. Mathers. Subaru had to consider his position and how to best confront his schemes. Roswaal did not know that dying was the condition for activating his ability, but he knew that Subaru looped. It was unclear whether he learned this since Subaru's arrival in the Sanctuary or perhaps long before, but the way he found out had to be the magic tome in his possession the book of knowledge. This magic tome had the same origin as the blank one Beatrice possessed, one of only two volumes in the world. Subaru had no

idea whether the contents of the tome accurately foretold the future or not. But if he took Roswaal's words at face value, Roswaal had to be acting in accordance with the magical tome's notations. His words and deeds in the Sanctuary and even his offering his body to the Great Rabbit at the end were the results of his strict observance of the magic tome the ideology motivating his actions was similar to what drove the Witch Cultists from Petelgeuse on down. However, there was a clear difference between the two. An unbridgeable gap existed between the positions from which they obeyed their magic tomes. Petelgeuse interpreted incomplete prophecies on his own, following the tome's notations while adjusting to changing events on the fly. Roswaal strictly observed the notations in his tome, permitting no inconsistency with them, not even if events had to be redone as a consequence. Both fully intended on obeying their tomes, but their motivations and methodologies seemed completely different. And with Roswaal willing to use even Return by Death for the sake of his tome, Subaru was in an even worse position with him than Petelgeuse. Just what was Roswaal's objective, making him resort to such extremes? If Roswaal's magic tome said to bring the current incidents in the Sanctuary and at the mansion to an end, he'd repeat those tragedies any number of times until things went to his liking. If that was so, why not just kneel on the ground and have Roswaal tell Subaru what was in the magic tome? Why not just make a firm promise to obey the notations, exhausting his strength until Roswaal's wish was granted? But as a result of obeying the notations of the magic tome, Roswaal had made the snow fall on the Sanctuary. The snowy landscape had made people suspect Emilia, and her isolation was what caused her so much distress. If that was Roswaal's...if that was the magic tome's desire, then Subaru absolutely could not obey. Subaru's and Roswaal's goals were incompatible. To Subaru, risking his life to carry everything in his arms, Roswaal had spoken. Strip away everything except that which is truly important to you, he'd said. He had also said that in doing so, Subaru would become like him. Not that Subaru wanted to resemble the man even slightly, but it was clear that Roswaal was acting in accordance with those words, up to and including throwing away his own life. Strictly obeying his book, he'd isolated Emilia, and Roswaal was firm in the belief that if he reached the conclusion the magic tome desired, he'd be able to protect the one thing that was truly important to him. All of Roswaal's actions were for the sake of that. If so, Subaru had but one reply. "Let everything else go, my ass. No way in Hell." He wouldn't let Emilia be hurt nor Rem, nor Ram, nor Petra, nor Otto, nor Frederica, nor the people of Earlham Village, nor the residents of the Sanctuary, nor Ryuzu, nor even Garfiel. If even one of them were to fall, Subaru's small world would become a dreary one. To the greedy, self-centered Subaru, that was something he could not endure. "Roswaal, I won't become like you." To make this declaration true, Subaru had to find an answer that defied the magic tome. He could rely on no one. Subaru worried, lived, and struggled alone. But if there was someone somewhere Subaru might rely upon "Can I depend on you again...?" There was only one Witch in that world to whom Subaru could confide his troubles. 3 Subaru quickened his legs, his impatience difficult to endure. After returning with Emilia, who finished her attempt to clear the Trial at the tomb, the usual review meeting at the Ryuzu residence had also been concluded. With the Sanctuary sunken deep into the dead of night, Subaru was earnestly running alone. Put bluntly, Subaru didn't remember much of the contents bounced around the review meeting. But he probably didn't need to remember to have a full grasp of the contents. This time, Emilia was distraught over the past. Therefore, with clumsy explanations and it being clear at a glance she was forcing herself, she tearfully vowed to challenge her nightmare again tomorrow and thereafter. Subaru respected her sense of duty and the nobility of her resolve. But she would fail. This he knew. Accordingly, Subaru consoled the hurt Emilia, gently encouraged her, and saw her off to bed. After that, when Ram went to call him for his promised talk with Roswaal, Subaru brushed her off and rushed out of the house. Breath ragged, brow sweaty, he headed straight toward the Witch's moonlit tomb there lay the key to dealing with the situation, and even if not, there rested an ally with whom he could resolve some of the issues that troubled him. He was worried that he'd be stopped as he ran to the tomb, but fortunately neither Ryuzu, nor Garfiel, nor Roswaal had interrupted his decisive move. That night, for the second time, the third if counting during the day, he charged toward the tomb. *** Arriving at the entrance, Subaru got his breathing under control in the corridor filled with cool, serene air. With the Trial having already finished for that evening, it was no longer illuminated by the light that welcomed the qualified challengers. Even so, he squinted, searching for the entrance to the castle of dreams that ought to have been there. His vision was too poor to locate the door to that place. But the Witch had certainly spoken those words... "If you have the desire to know..." Echidna had said that this was the condition to be invited to the Witch's Tea Party once more. Also that his voice had to be not only equal to but rise higher than at the time of his second invitation, when his entire body had been bitten away by demon beasts. Did pain and fear even exist that could exceed what he had experienced then, enough to drive him mad? It did. The voice with which he cried out this time, for liberation from that dead end, rivaled that. *** The things he wanted to know, to ascertain, to mull over together were as innumerable as the stars. As bottomless emotions smoldered quietly in his eyes, Subaru's footsteps echoed as he advanced down the corridor. With the chill permeating his body, it was dozens of seconds later when he arrived at the stonework room enveloped in a pale light. Nearly one short hour before, he had left this place, Emilia in tow and it had also been nearly one short hour since Subaru had died in that place and that the world had restarted through Return by Death. In that place of Subaru's anguish, Subaru's death and resurrection, he yearned for an audience with the Witch. "Please call me, Echidna...!" He'd thrown his life away over and over. If casting away his pride as well was sufficient, he'd offer even that. For displaying his pathetic nature with all his strength was all the ignorant, powerless Subaru Natsuki was capable of. *** Kneeling in the center of the stonework room, Subaru offered up his prayer, his wish to be reunited with the Witch. In the back of his mind, he drew a portrait of a white-haired Witch, lining up his own emotions to make them a chorus with which to call out to her, fervently seeking the optimal possibility to bring those intertwined futures close. Desperately, he sought her out. With all his spirit, he craved. And as he continued doing nothing but wish, droplets of sweat dripped from his brow. A moment later. " Uu." Abruptly, Subaru saw a white light in the back of his closed eyelids. The hallucination no, this was no hallucination. Before he realized it, his kneeling body had come to lie on the ground. Unable to move his limbs, his lips were not even free to gasp at whatever might be happening. His consciousness was being peeled away from reality. It was the situation he'd desired. He was invited to the castle of dreams and so Subaru felt gratitude toward the unexpected omen. As Subaru's consciousness grew hazy, he was relieved that there was a finger pointing the way to a heretofore closed future " Behold the unknowable present." The instant his consciousness vanished, he felt like he heard such a whisper. 4 Subaru's emotions rocked back and forth in a way that made him feel drunk. He didn't know what had happened. His consciousness had given out, and after that, his awakening was sudden. It resembled the confusion linked to the sudden shift between times present and past when Return by Death activated. His brain was in chaos when suddenly dealing with the difference between the world from the moment prior and the world that instantly appeared at that moment. When he realized it was a confusion that he was already familiar with, recovery was an easy feat. Taking a long, deep breath, he first told his racing thoughts and beating heart to calm down. But he did not feel the mouth, the throat, or the lungs necessary to take that deep breath. *** With a hand, he tried to confirm that the parts he couldn't feel were actually there. He could not touch them. The reason was simple: He couldn't feel his hand, either. No, it wasn't just his hand. His head, his body that moment they did not exist for Subaru. All he had was his consciousness; he existed as consciousness alone. Subaru's consciousness was alone in the sky, an existence that retained only his vision from his commanding view of the world. The unnatural lack of his flesh and blood generated a new kind of confusion. However, by thinking of the nonexistent organs and remembering the concept of a deep breath, he instilled an imitation of calm into his heart. Brushing aside his bewilderment and his sense of intoxication, he earnestly strove to grasp the present circumstance. Beneath those thoughts, Subaru sought to ascertain where he was and what he was doing. " aru." Abruptly, there was a voice. It was a broken, small voice. It was such a frail voice that it was difficult to hear just what it had said. And yet, Subaru instinctively knew. This was a voice to which he must not listen, must not notice: a voice he must ignore. However, that was not possible. Without a body, Subaru was not permitted to turn his head aside or even to close his eyes. He was permitted nothing, save to watch the scene from so very close, to burn it into his consciousness. He was a fool. He should have welcomed the confusion. That intoxication was the mercy of God himself "Liar...liar, liarliarliarliarliarliar...!" As the word repeated itself, he heard clearly what he initially could not; the voice became more apparently tearful. It was a painful sight. He could hear the unendurable misery in the voice. Among the sufferings of that world, to lend his eyes to this, for his ears to hear this, that was what he had feared most. Why was he here? Why did he notice that he was there? He'd failed. He'd miscalculated. He'd made a mistake. His judgment had been faulty. He should not have noticed. It was not for him to know. It was not something he ought to have learned. After all If only I hadn't thought there's no way that could happen. "Liar, liar! Subaru...you liar! You liar !!" Tears poured out of her purple eyes like a faucet, Emilia crumpling as she yelled in a shrill voice. She shouted as if accusing him of betrayal, as if a nightmare had appeared before her very eyes, her long hair swaying about like that of a child. Emilia cried and shouted as if she had gone mad. On the bed, lying beside Rem, was Subaru, dead from running a short blade through his own throat. 5 What the

hell am I seeing right now? *** Crying and crying, Emilia continued calling out Subaru's name over and over. Her laments were futile, for Subaru, blood-ridden and lying stomach down on the bed, did not even twitch. Of course not. That Subaru was already nothing save a corpse. The dead Subaru had become a ghost, looking down upon the Subaru that was no longer anything but an empty shell. It was immeasurably repulsive. Never had he known a more terrifying scene. Even Subaru, whose deaths had already exceeded ten, never once had such a commanding view of his own death. He was experiencing something as never before: Emilia grieving over him. *** He gazed upon the furniture of the room, the various people assembled in that place, and at the sight of him pathetically dead and the cause of that death. Urgently tying those things together, comprehension struck Subaru like a lightning bolt as to exactly when this scene must have taken place. It was after Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, the Archbishop of the Deadly Sins, had been dispatched and Emilia saved from the Cult. This was the outcome of Subaru's quick-tempered action when he first learned that Rem was lost to him. After riding to the capital, only to learn that all memory of Rem, attacked by the Witch Cult, had been lost from the world, Subaru impulsively thrust a knife into his own throat, wanting with all his heart to bring Rem back. Subaru's rash wish was not granted. He tasted despair when he went back in time to a few scant seconds prior. The starting point for Return by Death had changed, which meant Subaru lost his means of saving Rem. Vowing not to give up on Rem even so, he swore in his heart to cheer Emilia on. But "I didn't know... I've never seen this before. I didn't know... There's no way I could have known!" It was a scene he had never beheld. After all, in that world, Subaru was already dead. Even with the power of Return by Death granted to him, he could knew nothing of what took place in a world after he had died. No, he thought; that wasn't true. To Subaru, who went back to do things over at the cost of his life, repainting the most awful of conclusions, a world where he had died represented nothing except a midway point on his journey toward the future that was his final destination. After all, if he didn't think that way, if he didn't see it that way, Subaru would... Subaru Natsuki's world would shatter. "Stop it. S?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?s?t?o?p?i?t?p?l?e?a?s?e?s?t?o?p?i?t...!" Unable to accept the scene playing out before his eyes, Subaru sent up an incoherent scream. However, his voice did not project from his throatless form, and he could not turn his eyeless face away, nor block out sound from his earless head. The end of that world was being inscribed into Subaru, now nothing save a consciousness. This was punishment for the rash act Subaru had committed. "Lady Emilia! This is " As he listened to Emilia's voice cry and shout, someone rushed into the room with a sharp voice. He had white hair and wore a black butler's outfit. This was the Crusch manor in the royal capital. Wilhelm the "Sword Devil," who very much belonged there, took in the tragic scene, his eyes widening in horror. For his part, the consciousness-only Subaru was almost beside himself at the sight of the aged swordsman in shock. That was how much Wilhelm was thrown off balance by Subaru's corpse lying before him. "Subaru... Subaruuu...you liar... You said we'd be together..." "What has happ No, Lady Emilia, forgive me!" Emilia blamed him for his betrayal like she was casting a curse. Her sobbing voice pulling Wilhelm back to his senses, he gently peeled Emilia away as she clung to Subaru's body. Emilia proceeded to wobble and fall onto the floor. But Wilhelm was more concerned with resuscitating Subaru than with her. "Ferris! Felix! Come quickly! It is urgent! Utmost urgency!!" Quickly stripping his jacket off and pressing it to the wound, Wilhelm forcefully shouted with a grave look on his face. Slamming Subaru's chest in an attempt to coax his still heart to beat again, droplets of blood smeared his terrible visage. Too much blood had coursed out. A man who had seen as much death as the Sword Devil surely knew Subaru's soul was no longer present. Even so, his efforts to resuscitate Subaru did not relent. "Old Man Wil, why're you raising your voice like... Eh?" "Felix, hurry! A blade has pierced his throat! Not a second to lose!" When Ferris appeared, Wilhelm instantly conveyed the facts in a sharp voice. Ferris enshrouded his palm with a blue luminance, and this great quantity of mana became healing power that he poured into the prone Subaru's wound. As he attempted treatment, desperate concentration gripped Ferris like never before. Subaru's consciousness lamented as he looked down, watching them attempt to resuscitate an empty, soulless shell. "Just stop already... It's no use. It's just no use. He's already dead..." The result was already obvious. Subaru had died there. No matter how desperately they might try, no matter how much Emilia might cry, Subaru was dead. Thinking nothing of what would happen after his death, forgetting everything else, he'd selfishly died. "You will not perish! Absolutely not... As if I could let he who aided me die like this?!" "How could you, at a time like this...? Stop messing around, just stop it...!!" Wilhelm shouted as he compulsively applied pressure on the wound; Ferris's voice trembled with anger as he employed the kindest magic in the world. The scene and the waves of emotion from both of them continued to crash against Subaru's heart. But no matter how earnestly the pair might strive "Felix! Why?! Why have you stopped the treatment! At this rate, he'll..." "It's over, Old Man Wil. There's nothing of the soul left here." As Wilhelm drew close, Ferris shook his head, gently wiping with a handkerchief the wound that the jacket had plugged. The scar had been sealed so neatly that, as he wiped it, there was no sign of there ever having been a wound at all. But a great quantity of blood had flowed out, and the soul that had slipped out was nowhere to be found. "Why...why?!! Why, Sir Subaru...how could you do this so easily...!" Looking down upon Subaru's dead face, Wilhelm formed a fist of regret, pounding it against the floor. The floor split and fragmented, blood mixing with those shards Wilhelm's fist had split along as well. With blood dripping from his hand, Wilhelm raised his face to the heavens in lamentation. In contrast to Wilhelm's raw, ferocious emotions, Ferris let out a little exhale and said, "...Weakling, coward. Everyone has precious people leave them, don't they? ...Pushing all your pain and hardship onto everyone else... Are you satisfied with that?" As sarcasm, it was harsh. As an accusation, it was all too charitable. Having abandoned all comprehension, Subaru's consciousness could not decipher such a complex state of mind. But from Wilhelm's and Ferris's demeanor, one thing was perfectly clear. Subaru had carved deep, lasting wounds upon their hearts. *** Notwithstanding his absentminded daze, he was a being of consciousness alone yet that fact thrust very deep indeed. Subaru was seeing something. He was being shown something. What was this supposed to be? He was being shown his crime. " Even though you told me..." It was low. It was thin. And as her voice reverberated hollowly in the silence the two had created, it struck into Subaru like a stake. As Wilhelm and Ferris succumbed to resignation, Emilia continued clutching her knees behind them, still sobbing. Her cheeks displayed tracks of dried tears, but without paying this any heed, she carried on with a trembling voice. "Even though you told me that you love me...!" He did. Yes, he had certainly said that. He'd only just managed to say the words he'd wanted to for so long. It was Emilia, who flashed a tearful smile when she heard those words, that Subaru had left behind. Suddenly, as if someone had turned out the lights, the world he was watching snapped out of existence. 6 " T-t..." The pain of his face slamming against the ground woke Subaru. Groaning from his chin hitting the cool floor, Subaru shook his head. Realizing that he had the sensation of his hand touching his bumped chin, he was certain of his own physical existence. Nothing was out of place. "T-tomb. Inside the..." Murmuring with a trembling voice, his gaze wandered as he confirmed his own location. Suddenly, he was there in the room of the Trial he had surely been in until just before losing consciousness, having in no way leaped beyond it in either time or space. Emilia wasn't there, either. He hadn't Returned by Death. He was there right after his wish had come. "But that was...no daydream or anything close..." Putting a hand to his mouth, Subaru felt every inner organ spasm at once at the scene burned into the core of his mind. It was an unanticipated scene, an impossible world, a nonexistent stage that he had surely left behind that was unmistakably the "Scene After Subaru's Death." "U...bu " The instant his comprehension redoubled, his trembling intestines reached their limit, and the contents of Subaru's stomach were expelled. A supper of which he had only a distant memory of eating spewed onto the floor along with his stomach fluids. It was no great amount. Even so, wringing his stomach repeatedly made him feel a small easing of his nausea. "Haah, haah... Th-this is..." After vomiting repeatedly, Subaru moaned from the burning pain of stomach fluids in his throat as he sank into thought. What the heck had happened? Had Subaru, seeking an invitation to the castle of dreams, fallen into some sort of aberrant situation? Given the place, if he had to put his finger on a possibility, the only one that came to mind was "Wait, don't tell me that was the Trial just now...? Not the one of the past but the second one...?!" This was the room of the Trial inside the tomb of the Witch so having cleared the first gate, it was natural for there to be a second. It was only natural, but to Subaru, this natural thing was exceedingly unexpected. Of course, that went for not just the Trial starting; the most frightening thing of all was the Trial's contents. If what he'd seen earlier was the second Trial, to Subaru, it was the worst development possible. When it came to Hell, Subaru had seen it repeatedly. He was well aware of the fact. And to grasp an optimal future, he'd resigned himself to seeing that Hell as many times as it took. But how could he maintain his determination after learning of something that went beyond Hell, something more terrifying than Hell itself? " Behold the unknowable present." "Wha ?!" Subaru could practically feel his blood freezing as his body trembled. Someone's whisper had suddenly grazed his eardrums. Raising a cry at that fact, his body stiffened and that instant the loss of consciousness came once more. He thrust out his arms, but they could not hold on to anything. Falling shoulder-first onto the floor, he could not force his eyelids open. His consciousness proceeded to rapidly fall into the abyss and vanish. So that the Trial and the world beyond Hell might chastise Subaru Natsuki. 7 Shallowly, sharply, the blade that brought his life to an end was so elegant it was enchanting. The minimal bleeding was proof of the precise skill with which the single fatal blow was landed. But specks of that minute blood spatter remained on his white mantle, which looked akin to proof of the knight's crime. As Subaru's remains lay faceup, a purple-haired knight looked down upon them. To

his side, Ferris had sunken down to the ground on his backside, and it was clear at a glance he was in an exceedingly haggard state. *** As Subaru gazed down upon that scene what lay beyond Hell he felt his consciousness fraying. With nothing but his consciousness, Subaru had no means to stop the scene or even avert his eyes. The crime he had committed remained undiminished, and the resentments of the world he had left behind served as a rasp that filed down his very soul. And this scene, too, kicked Subaru when he was No, the blow that came was even greater than what had preceded it. "...Su...baru?" With a sound of footsteps on grass, someone was approaching the encirclement formed by the knights. With wobbly steps, this individual walked closer to the boy lying fallen at its center. In a daze, Emilia stood beside the deceased Subaru. Beside her stood a knight Julius. "Lady Emilia, please wipe his...Subaru's face." *** "I believe he would have desired that it be you rather than I who does it. At the least, it should be by your hand." Offering a white handkerchief, Julius spoke to Emilia, who was lost in a daze. However, Emilia did not give any reply. She simply stood there, her round eyes bewildered, filled with emotion. Sluggishly, Emilia touched Subaru's face with her trembling fingers. Heedless of her hand being sullied, Emilia wiped the dried sweat and a slight amount of blood that had come from his mouth with her very own palm. And when by doing so, she was tidying up Subaru's dead face bit by bit, Emilia haltingly murmured, "Why...? Why did Subaru come back, only to end up like this...?" As if there had to be some mistake, Emilia murmured the question asking someone eternally unable to answer. A dead body had no ears with which to hear it or a mouth with which to reply. And Subaru's consciousness, being chastised for his crime, had no way of interfering with their world. *** He understood just which death was being reenacted in this new world beyond Hell. This was the scene of the death brought about by the battle with Petelgeuse. After defeating the White Whale, in the first battle in which he and the expeditionary force had challenged Petelgeuse Subaru, having failed to see through his Possession ability, had his body stolen by the madman. And to defeat the worst-case scenario, where he would not even be permitted to Return by Death, Subaru had borrowed the strength of Julius and Ferris, opting for his own death. Ferris's magic had greatly disrupted the circulation inside his body, and Subaru's demise had left a terrible expression on his face. It was thanks to Julius's intervention that Subaru had averted a horrific appearance in death. But if the question was whether this was any comfort to those left behind, that was a different story. "Sir Subaru... I am so very sorry...!" Wilhelm, his entire body covered with wounds, fell to his knees and lowered his head in shame. Pushing his wounded body, Wilhelm wept grandly over Subaru's death. As he lowered his face with an expression of regret, aged knights stood around him, wearing similar faces of silent pain. Each was one of the comrades in battle with whom Subaru had challenged the White Whale. Having struck down the Witch Cult, they had promised each other a triumphant return to the royal capital, and the hearts of all were pained to be unable to fulfill that promise; some among them were driven to tears. Subaru gaped at to just what extent they were afflicted by his death. Or perhaps those tears struck Subaru so hard because he was seeing them from the world after death. "Why did Subaru come to help me, only to end up like this...? Why did this happen?" With Subaru saying nothing in return, Emilia kept a hand pressed to his cheek, continuing to call out to him in a voice that could not reach. From that sad and painful sight, Subaru knew very well what was within her chest. In that world, Subaru had not given an answer to Emilia's question. In death, it had been postponed for all eternity. Accordingly, going forward, Emilia would never know the reason for Subaru's devotion. "The Witch Cult has long brought suffering to this world. Its vanguard, the Archbishop of the Deadly Sins of Sloth, has been slain. To the world, this is an exceptional victory. But." Speaking to Subaru's remains, Julius used his fingers to rap the scabbard of the knight's sword on his hip. He repeated the gesture over and over, the intervals between them gradually shortening. "That does not mean all the sacrifices for its sake are pardonable. I had hoped to exchange more words with you, Subaru Natsuki." With that painful murmur, Julius averted his face from Subaru's dead visage. Lifting his face toward the sky dyed by the setting sun, gloom rested in the knight's eyes as he said, " I wanted to call you friend." Julius's whisper in a powerless voice trickled into the forest in vain. 8 The world's stage lights suddenly turned off, and his consciousness returned. He awoke with a start. " Bwha, whaa! Whu, ah, ahhh?!" His body writhed. When he came to, he found his body atop a cool, hard floor. In that room, filled with air chilly enough to make his nostrils hurt, Subaru lost himself as he rolled around. There was no meaning behind the action. Through actions made in a frenzy, he wanted to reject having to think about anything. He could not allow himself to think about what he had just seen. He could not allow himself to comprehend. He rolled and rolled, making his inner ear hurt as he scraped his head against the floor, as if trying to escape the storm spawned from his own internal organs. He tried to reduce the possibility of conscious thought by even the tiniest degree. "Gah...!!" But as he evaded reality in that manner, he bumped into the wall, and his bounce off it brought that process to an end. The hard collision by his back made his bones creak, and his forehead was oozing blood from all the scraping against the ground. Yet, as he lay facedown, it was most certainly not the pain that had caused Subaru's tears to flow. Subaru's sobs were for the shame he felt toward his spineless self. Just how often, how many times over, would Subaru Natsuki's weakness continue to torment him? Just how could he obtain a heart of steel that would never, ever waver, no matter the predicament, no matter the ordeal? It was because Subaru was so weak, so frail, that so many times before he'd... "The stuff I pretended not to see, the stuff I turned my back on... That's what this is...?" It wasn't...that he had never thought about it. The possibility had floated up in a corner of Subaru's mind a number of times. The fact that he'd made no attempt to seriously come to grips with it was nothing save himself subconsciously rejecting any verification of the possibility, any inquiry into it, all out of fear. The idea that when Subaru Returned by Death, the worlds continued after his demise if he openly considered the possibility, if he even suspected it, the foundation of how Subaru fought would crumble under his feet. That Subaru, wishing to save others, had been left behind by everyone. No, it was Subaru who had left them behind. Shamefully, selfishly embracing his own death, Subaru left the world behind, as only he escaped into a brand-new world. His irresponsibility had borne terrible fruit. That was the truth behind those scenes, what had created Hell beyond Hell itself. " Behold the unknowable present." You can't escape, the whispering voice close to Subaru's ears seemed to declare. The forced estrangement of his consciousness that differed from sleep made Subaru fall into a world of white. When the whisper ended for the third time, he wondered why the voice sounded familiar then he realized the answer. Without the slightest doubt, the voice he heard...was his own. 9 There was a girl. She was kneeling in front of a corpse with its skull smashed apart. Unable to withstand a fall from a great height, the corpse had bloomed upon the ground as a flower of blood. From the fragments that had cruelly flown apart, it was barely discernible that this had once been a black-haired boy. *** Subaru was no longer surprised to awaken as a consciousness alone. Once again, his consciousness had been forcibly switched; once again, Subaru was being shown what came after his death. The only thing Subaru's consciousness couldn't expect was just which reenactment of death he had been called to "Right up until the very, very end, you kept saying the most nonsensical things..." In front of the Subaru who had tumbled to his death, a pink-haired girl spat out the words it was Ram. Her physical appearance was askew, and her uniform was torn in several places. The expression of Ram, a girl who normally strove to maintain her cool at all times, bore the color of complex, unpalatable emotions, as well as burning anger. Her expression was not so much regret at Subaru's death...as nigh-unendurable anger toward it. "Is this, too, all according to your expectations, Lady Beatrice? Is this why you obstructed Ram's path...?!" In a way unlike her usual self, Ram lobbed accusations one after the other before interrupting her words midway. Ram's pink eyes beheld Subaru's corpse and Beatrice standing at his side. Caring nothing for the grime that marred the hem of her skirt, she stared at the smashed Subaru and spoke one word. " Why?" Haltingly, a melancholic voice spilled out. The presence of Ram, right beside her, didn't even register; Beatrice's gaze was trained upon dead Subaru alone. He could see transparent droplets falling from the corners of her blue eyes onto her cheeks. Beatrice...was crying. That fact filled Subaru with a sense of guilt, an agony that felt like he'd swallowed molten lead. The pain gouged a hole in his heart, filling the back of his nonexistent eyes with an unbearable heat. That very moment, he wanted to rush to the girl's side, to speak some kind words to her. He wanted to make the tears stop. But Subaru lacked the legs, the arms, and the mouth with which to do so "I knew that...at the least, you weren't That Person...but..." With all expression vanished, Beatrice seemed delirious, teardrops continuing to fall as she murmured. Apparently the sight was so painful that it convinced Ram to abandon pressing Beatrice any further. She simply let out a quiet sigh, turning scornful eyes toward Subaru and murmured softly as she took in his spectacular demise. "What 'love.' Truly, this is a helpless tale." 10 " Behold the unknowable present." 11 The atmosphere was dyed white. The world was ruled by such cold it seemed as if the very nighttime sky might freeze. As the wind blew, frozen trees cracked and broke apart, returning to dust as the mana required for maintaining the forest's existence was sucked from it. The trees, the buildings, the living creatures, the world itself were slowly vanishing into that white end. *** The next scene Subaru laid eyes upon was the end of the world itself. Enveloped by cold, compassionate destruction, the world progressively sank toward its end as if falling asleep. But " So...you have come." That low voice made the very air rumble as his acknowledgment echoed with a roar. The next moment, the ground shook like an earthquake had struck as a gargantuan impact raced through the ground and altered the landscape in the blink of an eye. Raging winds mowed down the trees, their fallen trunks collapsing as if they were pillars of snow, and an entire section of forest was transformed into a snowy plain. The frozen

forest was leveled until there was only flat soil, and the cause of this destruction was a four-legged beast, with long gray fur suggesting the creature was some kind of feline, with a body size so great, he actually had to look up at it. However, the fangs set in the giant beast's maw had been snapped and broken, and its repeated, heavy breaths carried a heavy air of fatigue. However, it glared straight in front of it with the eyes of brilliant gold, the only part that still retained tremendous vigor. "How unfortunate... Even knowing it would come to this, I cannot alter the result?" " I have a general grasp of what must have happened... The pity is all the greater." As the great beast's voice seemed to lament aloud, a serene, beautiful voice replied, unhesitant even amid the blowing snow. It was but one corner of an ending world, yet the voice was in no way lacking in vitality. The speaker's tall frame stood with a straight posture, a youth whose burning-red hair swayed in the white wind. The youth stared at the beast with eyes that evoked a clear blue sky, faint sadness dwelling in that gaze. "Neither Lady Emilia nor Subaru are anywhere to be seen." "Ria sleeps for eternity. A world without that girl is a world I do not want to exist. Thus, in accordance with the pact, I will make this a world of frozen soil. I and that man share this crime " "So that is your reason for trying to destroy this world?" "I knew you would try to prevent it. But if I do not do this, that girl cannot be saved." When the beast made that ferociously growling reply, the youth shook his head a little, grasping the hilt of the sword on his hip. Its white scabbard bore claw marks engraved into it, proof this was the legendary sword left behind by the Dragon long ago the Dragon Sword. In that world, there was but a single person who could draw, who could wield the dazzling, gleaming Dragon Sword. The Sword Saint, Reinhard von Astrea, raised the Dragon Sword, boldly training it toward the enormous beast. "I understand your regrets. I feel the same way. However, I cannot allow you to blindly lash out because of those feelings. Your vow wounds the world itself. That is something I absolutely cannot forgive." "Because it is not just?" "Yes, because it is not just. Justice is my standard. My sword...exists to right wrongs. For that reason, I shall cut you down here and now, O Great Spirit." There was an overwhelming difference of mass between the great beast and the youth between Puck and Reinhard. In spite of this, even Subaru knew from a single glance, which possessed the greater combat strength between them. Even Puck with his true power unleashed could not cause the serenity of Reinhard's face to falter. With a single slash from the Dragon Sword, the Sword Saint could sever even this spirit in half. The sheer immensity of the swordsman's spirit gushing into the surrounding area made that loud and clear. "If you do not move, I solemnly promise you will not suffer." "That I cannot do. I will struggle for the sake of my vow until my life expires...for as long as I live." The Dragon Sword audibly vibrated, letting up a terrifying aura that seemed to make the frozen air crack and cry out for mercy. Before that overwhelming power, the fallen, enormous beast stood up on its front legs, forcing its body up onto its paws, baring its fangs. Together, they both adopted a stance to land a single blow, one final duel, the result of which was already clear "I must prevent you from inflicting any further damage. If you must hate someone, hate me." "I do not resent you, Reinhard. You...you are a hero. A hero has only the role of a hero to play. I neither blame nor resent you for resigning yourself to that fact." *** "You are a hero, Reinhard. And a hero is all you can be." It was only in those words, at the very, very end, that there was pure malice disconnected from anger or regrets. The next instant, Reinhard raised the Dragon Blade above his head, and there was a single flash of light the sky split, cracks running through the very air; the ground crumbled; mana swirled in a vortex; and along the arc of his slash, the world...slid. *** The moment after that cascading slash settled down, the white, cold air covering the world...recovered. The slide in the world was repaired, the parts that had become a swirling vortex of mana reverted to their proper forms, flowers budded forth from the shattered ground, and peace spread through the cracked air. From the sky, dazzling sunrays poured down. The slash of the Sword Saint had both ended the world and simultaneously brought about its re-creation And the enormous beast that had been bathed in that slash had been annihilated from the world without a trace. There were not even side effects of destruction to be seen; that a battle had even taken place seemed like nothing but a dream. With a rasping sound, Reinhard sheathed the Dragon Sword within its white scabbard once more. As the passing breeze rustled through his red hair, Reinhard narrowed his eyes at the sunlight and lifted his face to the sky. His lips faintly stiffened, and as he exhaled, he whispered too faintly for any to hear " Lady Felt shall surely...be sad." The Sword Saint closed his eyes with a final whisper. 12 " Behold the unknowable present." 13 " Behold the unknowable present." 14 " Behold the unknowable present." 15 " Behold the unknowable present." 16 " Behold the unknowable present." 17 " Behold the unknowable present." 18 " Behold the unknowable present." 19 " Behold the unknowable present." 20 He beheld the unknowable presents. Shown one finished world after the next, Subaru could do nothing but lie flat upon the floor. He did not know at that moment where he was. Was he in reality? Was he within the dream? Was he consciousness alone? Did he have a body? Having repeated those nightmares... Was it right to even call them nightmares? Or was this his crime, the reality he had to accept? Were they mere hallucinations of possibilities? Or had he truly seen a Hell beyond Hell itself? Or maybe convenient worlds had been created from Subaru's memories once again? Then how had information from after Subaru's death, which Subaru clearly did not know, trickled into them? Were they really false worlds borne from delusions? Or was his reality being consumed by a different reality? No matter what the answer might be, Subaru had taken a tremendous blow to his psyche enough that he was unable to face it head-on, to stand, to even lift his head. That was why " Goodness, can you even stand anymore? Subaru." He heard someone standing beside him, someone gently trying to rescue his battered mind. It felt like a lovely voice, one that belonged to someone precious to him. " Ah." Subaru's cheek felt a hot teardrop, one that should never have flowed, trickling down his cheek. How long had it been since he had heard that voice ring in his ears? In terms of actual days, the time that she had been asleep was not truly so great. At most, it had been a week's time since acquaintances and family had laid eyes upon her face. And yet, it did not seem that way to Subaru. It felt like they had parted eons ago. To Subaru, who had gone back at the cost of his life over and over, the actual passage of time held no meaning. What was important was the moments experienced by his soul. And it had truly been a great deal of time since his soul had heard her voice. "Subaru, are you all right?" The voice whispered lovingly, consolingly, compassionately. The familial love, the passion with which her call was infused, quickly quenched Subaru's parched heart. The vessel of his heart, empty and surely sinking into the void, became filled with warmth. All it had taken was a single sentence just how much strength did she grant him? " It's a lie." "No, it is not a lie." "You can't be here." "If you want me to be, I will always be at your side, Subaru." "As if, just when I most think, I want someone to do something, anything...as if you'd always be there for me... Things aren't convenient like...!" "Because I am always thinking, I want to be the most convenient woman of all for Subaru." With a sobbing voice and unsightly, weak sounds, he fell to pieces. And yet, even with his hollowness laid bare, that voice would never look down on Subaru, never lose faith in him. Because she knew. She knew that Subaru was weak, helpless; so fragile and lacking in confidence that he had to cling to something just to get by; someone who continued to hesitate. For she was the girl who knew Subaru was not strong yet had said to him anyway, "I love you." " Rem." "Yes. I am Subaru's Rem." He lifted his face. In his tear-blurred vision, the color blue filtered in. Violently rubbing his eyes with his dirty sleeve, wiping away his tears, Subaru saw perfectly clearly. He saw, standing before his eyes the sight of Rem that he had yearned for so desperately. "Remmm..." "Yes, I am Rem. Subaru's personal, dutiful, all-purpose maid." "Why, you..." With a little tilt of her head, Rem's playful manner blindsided Subaru. Faced with such behavior from her, before Subaru could say anything, he felt something heavy fall out from inside his chest. His breathing eased, and the pessimistic voice inside of him vanished. Subaru was dumbfounded at how easily so easily indeed he had been saved. His mind, battered and broken down, thinking that he was at a dead end, had been freed of its bonds with such ease from nothing more than one girl's smile. "Rem, you're incredible..." "Thank you very much. You are wonderful too, Subaru." With that smiling reply, the way she spoke out of sync was so familiar that it was if she was perfectly in tune, just like always. That nostalgic exchange left Subaru near tears, seemingly unable to hold them back no matter how hard he tried. Still lying flat on the floor, Subaru's cheeks twitched as Rem knelt before him. "Are you all right? Are you tired?" "I wonder...am I tired...? Even though...I still haven't...accomplished anything yet..." He had accomplished nothing. He had done nothing. He had no right to say he was tired. Everyone was suffering more. Everyone was going through more agony. Why did everyone have to suffer like that? The answer was clear. "It's because I'm weak." *** "Because I don't have enough strength." *** "If I was stronger, if I was wiser, if I was a man who could do more...no one would have to suffer, to be sad, to go through hard times like that..." It would have been so much better if Subaru had been strong enough to do everything, all of it, alone. Emilia's sadness, Beatrice's loneliness, the calamity befalling Petra and Frederica, the menace of the Great Rabbit, Garfiel, who was desperately protecting something... He should have been able to do...something. Everything, all of it, every last bit of it was Subaru's fault. That was why, to balance out his weakness, Subaru had to pay by shaving away his life. That was what he'd thought, and yet... "Have I saved...anyone...?" "Subaru." "If those worlds continued after my death, how many times I have I abandoned everyone to die?" "Subaru." "How many times...did I make you die? How many times...do I have to kill you?" With rapid words, with fear from the depths of his body making him tremble, Subaru confessed his crimes. He wanted to vent it all,

to lay everything bare that very moment. Before he whittled away his mind, he wanted someone at his side someone qualified to do so to pass judgment on his crime. Deciding in his heart, no more mistakes he'd marched off on his path mistaken from the very first step. He wanted that great and foolish bastard, that fool beyond redemption, to get a walloping. " Subaru." " Ah." And yet, Subaru, seeking punishment, was granted a gentle embrace of forgiveness. "Re...m." "It's all right. It's all right, Subaru." "What is...? What's all right...? No way, it's...!" Subaru had accomplished nothing. Not one single thing. There were many people who could not be saved unless Subaru saved them. There were many with terrible ends awaiting them. Even Rem was someone Subaru had to save. It was she who had the right to blame Subaru Natsuki that insufficient, weak fool for falling short. "You're...you should be...!" " I love you." Touching their foreheads together, she simply whispered her love. *** It sealed his words away. He could say...nothing. From very close, those light blue eyes, those eyes filled with benevolent love, seemed to be trying to drown Subaru in kindness. "I love you, Subaru. That's why everything is all right." "That's not...an answer..." "Yes, it is. Why is Rem here? Why does Rem forgive Subaru? Why does Rem embrace Subaru? It is the answer to everything." With firm arms, the charmingly smiling Rem held Subaru tight, close enough to feel her breath. He could not move. He could not even twitch. Rem's arms were strong, so strong that he could do nothing. "You've had a really hard time, huh, Subaru?" *** "For one person to be hurt this much...it must have been hard, Subaru." *** "It's all right. You don't need to go through only sad things anymore." Desperately working to hold out, Subaru was unable to reply as the sweet sound of Rem's voice continued, as if trying to gently unravel the chains around Subaru's heart, to dissolve the hardened emotions within. "Rem will take the place of all Subaru's feelings." *** "There is no reason anywhere for you to bear anything and everything on your shoulders, Subaru. Leave all of them to Rem. Rest well now. It is all right to sleep. And then..." *** "Show Rem the Subaru she loves so much one more time." Placing a hand on Subaru's forehead, Rem peered right into his black eyes from up close. There was a momentary hesitation, and then Rem's face slowly drew closer. Even Subaru's sluggish consciousness could understand what she was trying to do. He wondered if it would be right to let her do it, to let her fasten him, laden him, for him to drown, to dissolve, to sink... Whether it was right or wrong, Rem would forgive it, wouldn't she? His emotions were frayed, his confused soul wanted someone to reach out to him, and in that moment, Rem, who understood everything about Subaru, was saving him once more. To Subaru the powerless, Subaru the fragile, Subaru the foolish, Rem was lending her strength. If by indulging in that, clinging to that, nestling against that, he arrived at the correct answer, then... He'd been worn away, no longer knowing which path to walk, not even knowing which way to turn. So he'd yield; he'd give up on anything and everything "It is easy to give up." "However..." " It does not suit you, Subaru." He heard a voice. " Subaru?" He heard Rem's coming from the front, seemingly questioning him. In addition, her face, presumably on the verge of closing the gap between their lips so that they might touch, was being obstructed by Subaru's hand. Gazing at the flicker in her wavering, light blue eyes between the gaps of his fingers, Subaru spoke. " Who are you?" "...Eh?" "I'm asking you, who are you?" "S-Subaru, what are...? Who, that's just..." When Subaru asked that in a low voice, Rem shook her head defensively, seemingly out of fear. The hurt look that had floated into her eyes thickened, and she clutched at Subaru's chest with a pained expression. As if to twist that pain deeper, Subaru put a hand to his own chest, baring his fangs. With a fleeting encounter that should never have been, rescue that should never have been granted, the entirety of Subaru Natsuki's soul was "If ever I...got in a jam I couldn't get out of, if I seriously wanted someone to do something, anything for me, when I wanted to give up... From the bottom of my heart, I thought that you would be there for me." *** "I figured, when I was in a dead end like this, when I kept on hugging my knees worrying about the past, I thought, you'd cuddle up and be nice to me." *** "And then you'd listen to me talking weak, make me spit out my tearful words, wring out every tear and everything else out of me till I run dry..." *** " And then you'd say stand up." Under that clear blue sky, those were the words she had spoken to Subaru Natsuki, who had been crushed by despair. With his entire body and soul, Subaru remembered how slender her fingers were, how warm her skin was when she nestled close, and also the enormity of the love she had granted him. That was why he could say, firmly, that the Rem before his eyes was a fake. "She'd never tell me rest well now." *** "She'd never tell me to give up and leave all those things to Rem." *** "Because by liking me, she made me like myself, because she's gentle to me, because she loves me in this world, there's no one stricter, no one who's less soft on me than Rem!!" Seemingly bouncing to his feet, Subaru howled, putting distance between him and the Rem in front of him. Still on her knees, Rem looked up at Subaru, speechless. But her expression was filled with sadness at Subaru's rejection of her, seemingly ready to split apart at any moment. "You are wrong. Please listen to me, Subaru! Rem Rem is different. Rem just couldn't watch Subaru in pain like that and wanted to help him... That is all!!" "I'll show you my weakness. I'll show you my vulnerabilities. I'll even show you how I'm a petty, irredeemable bastard. But the one thing I won't show you is me giving up." Rem had once said...Subaru was her hero. And Subaru Natsuki had decided to be Rem's hero. Ever since the moment that promise was exchanged, Subaru Natsuki had decided. In that world, Subaru Natsuki would show his weakness to Rem alone. Only before Rem, who knew Subaru was weak and yet believed he would overcome that and be strong, would Subaru display his weakness, concealing nothing. He would not show that to anyone else, not even to Emilia, not even to Beatrice. Subaru, who had to be strong, could not show his weakness to anyone save Rem. "That's because my weakness belongs to her. It's because my Rem has my weakness covered up so tight that even if I might flirt with giving up, it never comes out." *** "Get lost, fake. Don't get sweet on me with the face, with the voice of my Rem!!" Declaring this, Subaru thrust a fist out toward Rem toward the fake. Subaru's statement left the other party at a loss for words. She proceeded to lower her face, slowly, silently standing up then and there "Th-this isn't...how it was...supposed to be?" Tilting her little head, the girl's blue hair swayed as she haltingly wove together the words. The unfamiliar voice made Subaru's breath catch when... "Ah...?" ...before his eyes something occurred, like a television breaking into static in the dead of night. Off in the static, Rem's form grew vague and melted away. Standing there was a girl he did not know. 21 What greatly resembled Rem in appearance alone vanished, and the face of an unfamiliar girl appeared in its stead. The girl had long light pink hair and somehow gave off a fragile impression. Her face was very refined, but rather than standout beauty, what she possessed was an uncommonly adorable appearance. A muffler was wrapped around her neck, long enough that its end seemed to touch the ground, matching the white clothing with sleeves long enough to cover her up to the wrists; from this, he inferred that she was highly averse to exposing of her skin. In fact, Subaru's gaze made her lower her face, as if she was fearful of the eyes of men. "Who...the heck are you?" "I'm C-Carmilla...? Th-the Witch of Lust... P-pleased to meet...you." The reply the girl Carmilla gave to his question made Subaru unwittingly suck in his breath. Not that the absurd phenomenon hadn't made him think it, but "This nonsensical space...it's Echidna's dream?" "Close but...incorrect...I think. Echidna is watching the Trial, so...the Trial is always like a dream, so......yeah." *** Carmilla had politely confirmed his speculation, but the gaze with which Subaru regarded her was harsh. Of course it was. She had done something beyond the pale. Shying from the stern gaze, Carmilla pleaded in worry. "S-stop... Don't hit me..." "I won't. I won't, but...what were you tryin' to pull back there?" "Back...there?" "Standing in front of me looking like Rem! Is that your power?!" With Carmilla, this was the fifth encounter he'd had with the Witches bearing the titles of the deadly sins. Based on each Witch bearing some off-the-wall Authority, he could guess that the earlier transformation could be counted among them. However "Impersonating other people, that's pretty simple stuff compared to the other Witches." "I I did not t-transform...? Wh-when someone else sees me, th-that...... It it is because you looked at me?" "What?" "I I didn't...want to do this, but Echidna......sh-she lied to me..." As Carmilla murmured in a broken manner, Subaru realized just what was ticking him off about her. The way she spoke, how her gaze wandered, the frailty with which she lowered her eyes as she looked back at him... All of it rubbed him the wrong way. What was she pulling with the clumsy words and the pouty demeanor? "Did you...did you realize what you were doing to me...?" "Echidna...said it was all right to pamper you, but...d-don't..." " !! Listen to me!!" "Th-this is why everyone...b-bullies me... That's that's right. Echidna did it, too. Making me do this terrible...so terrible..." "Didn't you get it the first time when I said to listen ?!!" Anger dyed his vision. He wanted to make the woman before him pay. The fury filling his chest was roasting him. His angry voice was raspy, his lungs hot. He was fed up. Subaru wanted to shut up by force the squeamish, squirmy mouth continuing to spout those tearful words, to pound the anger he harbored into her, to make her understand what she had done " Any more, and your life will be in peril." *** That instant, that voice, seemingly whispering into his ear, brought him back to sanity. "Gagh...?" Instantly, he was assaulted by the anguish of lack of oxygen from a prolonged lack of air and the ferocious pain of his heart seemingly remembering how to beat and make his blood flow once more. "Eha, ngh... Gogh, haagh...!" "Rough treatment, but at least it has brought you back. Carmilla's Faceless Bride makes its victims forget how to breathe. By the end, their hearts forget how to beat as well." As the difficulty in breathing caused Subaru to writhe and cough, his thought process blinked white and red. The serene voice making his eardrums tremble seemed to soothe his nerves, making his breathing and heartbeat gradually calm down. Had the voice saved him? Even if it did, should he just politely accept that? With that thought, Subaru, now on all fours, lifted his face. He glared straight ahead at the face of the individual sitting there, the very one who had engendered that situation. "What the hell were

you scheming Echidna?" Seeing that hate-imbued gaze, the white-haired Witch calmly stroked her own hair. Sitting in a white chair at a white table on a field of grass, she laid her cheek against her palm with a charming, suggestive smile as she said, "Isn't it obvious? Wicked deeds. I am a Witch, you know." Echidna winked as she spoke. CHAPTER 6 *** 1 As Subaru writhed, his breathing painful, he realized that at some point the scenery had shifted to a grassy plain. His nostrils were filled with the thick scent of grass coming from the ground where he squatted. Like just after a rainfall, the sun poured down from above; Subaru's entire body was enveloped by natural aromas, the scents almost chokingly cloying. Atop that green hill, Echidna waited in her natural state of being, preparations for the tea party already complete. In her natural state, just like usual. Just like usual. "I am guessing you have various things you wish to say, things you wish to ask me...but first how about we begin with you sitting and having a cup of tea?" "...Do you really think I can just shrug off what you did to me just now and sit over there?" "I do. You are capable of putting calculated rationality first, as opposed to allowing anger to throw your opportunity to waste. You would rather speak with me than push me away... This is the internal decision you have already made, yes?" *** From above, like an adult easily seeing through the schemes of children, Echidna easily struck the mark resting in Subaru's chest, using that confident demeanor to make him submit. Her assertion was correct. But he was not such a doormat to just listen and take it with good grace. "Echidna...if that wasn't your real intention, say so." "Mm?" "From earlier...if that was Lust doing her own thing, not what you actually intended her to do, say it. Say you're sorry. If you do that, I won't find fault with you." He presented his case to Echidna. To go any further, Subaru required her intellect, her cooperation. Even so, he could not forgive the unforgivable. After all, the fact remained that Echidna had used Carmilla to trample on an inviolable Sanctuary of Subaru's own. Hence, it was necessary, both for the sake of forgiving Echidna and to bring himself to sit at her tea party. "...I wonder how to best put this..." And in that single instant, she no doubt fully comprehended the weakness and conflict inside Subaru's heart. Echidna let a faint exhale trickle out, and as Subaru awaited her reply, she narrowed her black eyes and said, "It is as you said. That was all Carmilla running amok. I tried to stop her, but she refused to listen to me. She used the Trial as an excuse to begin a stage play in an attempt to ensnare you." *** "Though I must say, you escaped that perilous juncture under your own power. And using the opening from Carmilla failing to ensnare you, I seized back the initiative, narrowly resulting in this reunion with you." *** "...Now that I have said all this, are you satisfied?" Having laid out, in a rush of words, the reply Subaru desired, Echidna undermined it all with that final sentence. When that reply made Subaru bite his lip, Echidna's shoulders sank with visible exasperation. She proceeded to bring a cup resting on the table to her lips as she continued. "I'm sure you understand. I directed Carmilla to head to you and disguise herself as the woman who rests in your heart. Though you seeing through it because of insufficient resemblance is her fault." "...Why do something like that?" " Because it was the method that was likely the most effective, carrying the greatest possibility of working." As Subaru's expression evaporated, Echidna continued her words without the slightest hint of guilt. "To be honest, your being pulled into the second Trial was unexpected, even for me. You may take this as a confession that the Trial thrusting that deeply into you was beyond my imagination." *** "Oh, please close your eyes where my peering into the Trial is concerned. I said this after the first Trial, but these Trials are of my own design. It will be awkward if you were to complain." "...Go on." "As thou wish. At any rate, while watching you from the sidelines during the Trial, I had this thought. If I just left you like that, the Trial would wear your heart down to nothing." Echidna's prognosis was no exaggeration. Indeed, there was little doubt that's how things would have ended. Subaru was not so unable to gaze beneath his own feet as to blindly deny it. In the second Trial he'd seen a number of Hells. They had thoroughly deprived him of any bluffs, stubbornness, or misunderstanding he could use to shield himself. "Therefore, I interfered. I did so because I saw the possibility of the Trial breaking you, making you give up on the future." "But that's weird. It's a contradiction. I know you said you're not hung up on the Trial's results. You said it yourself: You're someone who wants to know everything in the world, greed for knowledge incarnate. It was like that for the first Trial. If someone's gonna fail, that failure is still one of the results you want to know." "It is not inconsistent at all. Certainly, your mind breaking would constitute one result. However, I am not such a heartless woman that I have no regrets regardless of the result." "What...?" When Subaru pressed the point, Echidna lowered the tone of her voice as she replied. For the first time in that conversation, the echo of her words made him knit his brows for a reason besides anger. He was groping for the true intent behind Echidna's remark from just then. If he was to take her words at face value, then "You're saying you did that to...stop me from being broken down as a result?" "...I have no excuse for having wounded your heart. Therefore, your anger is just. I will accept your disparagements with grace. You are correct. I was mistaken. That is all." Averting her gaze, Echidna entwined her white hair around a finger as she spun her reply. Subaru drew in his breath at her demeanor and voice, which somehow came off as acting...stubborn. And then the anger he had harbored for the Witch in his mind until a moment before seemed so shallow and misplaced. In point of fact, without Echidna's aid though he hesitated to use that term for an impersonation of Rem Subaru's mind would have no doubt shattered and carried away by the winds. Surely, once his mind was ruined, he would completely lose all means with which to resist and become unable to fight. Echidna had prevented that beforehand. He could not convey gratitude toward her. However, this was not behavior that warranted being showered in vitriol and insults. This would serve as their common ground. "...Let me say just one thing." " Ah." Standing up, Subaru went over and took a seat at the tea party atop the hill. Seeing this, Echidna let a tiny breath trickle out, and from the very slight slackening of the corners of her eyes, he knew. Relief was the water that had washed a little of the worry off her face. Therefore, Subaru glared at the Witch's face and spoke. "I won't drink any Dona Tea. But I'll take you up on a conversation." 2 "I understand what it is you most wish to know. Shall I explain about the Trial, then?" With Subaru having sat down for the tea party, Echidna proposed a topic, seemingly to demonstrate her sincerity to him. He had no objections to the contents. When Subaru nodded in assent, Echidna gently lifted up a finger. "Just like the first Trial, the second Trial is, to put it bluntly, a construct. Those worlds are reproduced from your memories, gathering together various conditions that exist within your memory, and from information about past, present, and future, a fictitious 'now' is created, nothing more." "In other words, those were..." "However well fashioned, they were not reality. Their cohesiveness ran far ahead of my expectations, but those worlds are 'constructs' nonetheless. It does not mean that, in fact, such worlds exist." "Then!" "However "When Subaru tried to see hope in her explanation, Echidna's logical gaze immediately obstructed that glimmer just coming into view, sealing off Subaru's path of escape. As Subaru choked on his words, Echidna closed one eye and said, "Your Return by Death is a Witch's Authority. Only she knows the principles by which it functions. As for whether your death triggers the rewinding of time, or shifts to a parallel world the existence of which I find doubtful or if 'you' overwrite a 'you' that exists in that world, I can only say there are nothing but possibilities. The facts are unknown." "Parallel worlds..." Echidna had deduced that parallel worlds might exist so-called parallel world theory. By that way of thinking, when people in the world acted and made a choice, a reality branched off with each possibility, leading to countless planes of existence. It was this very possibility of which Subaru, he who Returned by Death, was most afraid. "Isn't there...isn't there any way to...to make sure?" " There is not." "Ah..." As Subaru clung to hope, Echidna cut him off with that heartless assertion. The Witch's assertion slammed into Subaru, leaving him speechless, powerlessly sinking into his chair. Gazing at Subaru's state with a pained look, Echidna tapped the table with her fingers. "All that worries you, only the Witch of Jealousy knows. I am exceptionally upset that I cannot relieve you of this pain here and now." In a form that differed from consoling, Echidna spoke with Subaru in a way that seemed to bring her closer to his heart. If this was her being considerate, he was probably grateful enough to burst into tears. But at that moment, it was no salvation to Subaru. Even Echidna, one of the Witches of the Deadly Sins, could not expunge the crimes Subaru had created. He'd hoped for a firm denial. A denial that the worlds Subaru had seen after his death did not exist. If that was no good, he'd hoped for an assertion. An assertion saying, Your conceit has come at the cost of numerous sacrifices. With either reply, Subaru could fight. The reply would surely chastise him, drive the truth home so that he might never forget, and he would grit his teeth, tears of blood would flow, and his very soul would wail as he stepped forward. "But in spite of that, there's not even...an answer...?" With neither assent nor rejection, with the worlds dangling in the sky above, how could he resist? Not even knowing whether he was the one doing the violating or the one being violated, he couldn't even cast aside the feeling of being discarded. Was it Subaru's punishment that he could not even acknowledge his crime? No one could pass judgment on Subaru. No one could blame him. He understood that. But was even Subaru himself prevented from doing so? "I think it is a terrible thing. But I also think there is no choice save to break with the past." "...Break with the past?" With sluggish movements, Subaru lifted his head and turned his face toward Echidna. Nodding toward his gaze, she adopted the most serious look she had to date as she said, "Certainly, the choices you have made to date might well have come with many casualties. What you may have left behind, what cannot be undone, is surely incalculable. But to simply count the things you have lost and to be a prisoner to them is very hollow indeed. Don't you think so?" "Cut with the simple psychological arguments, would you? Gotta say, are my experiences something a little counseling is

gonna solve?" He didn't need consolation. Echidna's words were comfortable to the ears, but they were only to set him at ease. If Subaru was a better human being, those words making his wounds shallower, making the crime he had committed lighter, might have had the greatest effect of all. But he couldn't let himself think that way. "If those worlds really do exist, there's absolutely no way to make up for what I've done. That can't be refuted not by you, not by me. I absolutely can't be forgiven. It's not something that should be forgiven." *** "If I do X, I can forgive myself... How can I accept embracing something like that? Even though I rejected your helping hand...the hand of that fake Rem..." Pausing to breathe, Subaru's face twisted and crumpled as he put the possibility he feared most into words. " If I get Rem back someday, is she really going to be the Rem I wanted to save?" He'd left countless worlds behind. Among them, Subaru had left behind many people whom he had saved and many people who had saved him. Among them were the Emilia he first met in the royal capital, the Rem who told him he was her hero, the Beatrice who supported him when his mind had been worn away, the Ram who had fought alongside him for Rem's sake; he had so many memories of the days he had spent together with them, and those memories, and the people who had woven them, were fading away. Even though this was so, even though a nigh-unendurable sense of loss was being pounded into him... "Even so...you're telling me to break with the past?" *** "...You're telling me, instead of counting the people I couldn't save, live for the people I have saved... ?" The words Echidna had offered Subaru out of consideration should have constituted hope. If he could rely on them, cling to them, walk with them as his foundation, how much better would it be? But he could not. It was not possible. After all, Subaru's anguish was nothing that shallow "With that plain old psychological argument, you're telling me...to resist...?!" " I am." *** "That is what I am saying to you." When Subaru dismissed the consoling words, his voice rising to the edge of despair, Echidna spoke. Slowly, so that he might fully digest it, Echidna looked straight at Subaru as the words came out. "Rather than count the many you might not have saved, you should count the many that you have. That is what you did as you walked the path that brought you this far. I have seen it." "What do...you know about me...?" "This is my dream, and I am the Witch of Greed. I know that in your own fashion, you have lived with all your strength, survived with all your spirit. That is why I say it. That is why I must." *** "You have not taken a single futile step on the path you have walked to this day. No one has the right to say the whole of your spirit was not good enough. You did everything you were capable of, putting your life on the line, and even this very instant, you walk forward. That is something you should take pride in." Echidna's sincere-sounding words pounded into Subaru's empty chest. Something powerful resounded in the hollow space therein. But it was not enough. He could not stand back up from such words alone. Even though she told him to take pride, the fact remained that Subaru let many things slip out of his grasp. He ought to have been able to manage. Someone not Subaru, operating under the same conditions, would have surely pulled it off. Yet despite this, because it was Subaru who was there, many had gone unsaved. That was Subaru's crime. That was Subaru's sin. It was a sin Subaru had to acknowledge and pay for. "No one can forgive me." "I do. Knowing these things, I forgive you." "No one can judge me." "I do. Knowing your crimes, I judge you." " No one can approve of me." "If I cannot approve of you, then I shall reject the you that cannot forgive yourself." *** "If you accept your crimes, then I reject your crimes." As Subaru spoke various words, Echidna persisted, brushing them aside. Why was the Witch this strong, strong enough to cast aside Subaru's crimes? Why was the Witch so heavy she could bolster Subaru's broken heart? "Why are you...trying to do all this for someone like me?" "...Is it not a bit too mean to make a girl's mouth speak such words?" It was then that Echidna, who had not hesitated in her words a single time up to that point, began to prevaricate. And with the Witch's face still faintly red, she consciously cleared her throat before continuing. " Would you form a pact with me, Subaru Natsuki?" Her voice was quiet, but it made him sense a powerful will. The words made Subaru blink his eyes. It required several seconds of time before he understood them correctly. "Pa...ct...?" "We were speaking about something just before you left the last time around, yes? I was referring to this." To Subaru, having a hard time following her words, Echidna flashed a very slight smile as she spoke. The words made him go back in his memories to the time just before a series of upheavals, and he remembered that such an exchange had indeed taken place. Certainly, at the end of the previous tea party, Echidna had said it. That should there be a third tea party, there were things she wished to speak to Subaru about. "By pact I mean a formal pact with the Witch of Greed. Would you do this and form a bond between you and I?" "Exchange a... What does that mean?" "It is a simple matter. Hereafter, when you slam into a wall that you can do nothing to overcome, you and I shall inspect that wall together. When you desire to hear someone's words, when you desire to convey words to someone, I shall make every effort. When you are ever on the verge of being crushed by your crimes, I shall bear them upon my shoulders." Pausing her words, a bashful-looking smile came over Echidna. "Would you not exchange such a pact with me?" "...Wasn't the story since you're already dead, you can't interfere in the real world?" "I suppose I am exceeding the remit of the dead. But we have already come this far, so I think there is no harm in it now. If you will permit this, then..." When Echidna put a hand to his chest, lowering her face, her voice made Subaru's eardrums tremble. The trembling spread within his body, progressively becoming tinged with heat, which together with the circulation of his blood traveled across the whole of his body. Sensation returned to his numbed limbs. A strange heat was surging into the tip of his dry tongue and the back of his eyes. He was at a loss at how to respond to the hand, the request, the proposal offered to him by the Witch. He had vowed to continue to struggle. When he was on the verge of losing sight of what that meant, it was she Echidna the Witch who had bolstered his fracturing will. "Oh yes, not to brag, but I have confidence in the extent of my knowledge. I should be able to provide plans to deal with the majority of problems you face, and no matter what preposterous difficulties may befall you, unlike the other people around you, no explanation will be necessary. After all, Return by Death is something shared between us." "...The hell? Don't tell me, you're giving me a sales pitch for forming a pact?" "I thought that raising the merits of forming a pact with me is a natural attitude for the proposing party to take. I am gambling that this may tilt your heart toward forming a pact even a tiny little bit. Calculations, you see. Calculations." The aura of mystique she maintained until a moment before vanished as the Witch turned a smug face toward Subaru. That such a witch could appear so intimate made Subaru unwittingly slacken his cheeks. Listlessly taken aback, short of breath "Yeah," went Subaru, his voice trickling out. Giving his body over to the grassland breeze, he slumped back in his seat as he gazed up, narrowing his eyes at the white clouds in that constructed blue sky, and as he gazed at that relaxed scenery, Subaru breathed easier. When he hit a dead end, when he no longer saw an answer, when the time came to confront his troubles... If he could meet and exchange words under a blue sky like that, then... "Maybe that's a good thing..." " Meaning?" Spontaneously, or at least acting as such, Echidna knocked her chair back, leaning forward as she peered intensely at Subaru. When his eyes bulged at her excessive reaction, the Witch's cheeks reddened a bit as she replied. "Ah, er...yes. If you strenuously insist, I would be willing to form such a pact with..." "Bit late to smooth that over now. Wait, I'm not the one asking, you... No, that's wrong. In any case, it's pretty cheap to talk about who went first." Echidna had done the proposing, but this was ultimately to save Subaru's mind. If he had to put it bluntly, this was the Witch's kindness. She was engaging in such clumsy theater for no reason save consideration for Subaru's mental state. He was incredibly weak. If Subaru Natsuki was unable to stand alone, then with someone's aid, he might... *** Sitting up from his slumped position, he rode the momentum to rise to his feet. Echidna, standing at handshake distance, lifted her gaze due to the minor height difference, a faint hint of worry on her face. The Witch was crafty with every expression. Though that had been his salvation. "So how do you form one of these pact things anyway?" " To form a formal pact, a bond must be tied between your soul and mine. The fine details are handled on my end...but at any rate, let us begin by joining hands." Echidna lifted her right hand, turning its white palm toward Subaru. She most likely meant for him to place his palm upon hers. Straight in front of him, Subaru saw the subtle but undisguised grin of delight on the Witch's lips, audibly exhaling as he felt like all the poison was being drained from the air. "If with this, it'll make things turn a bit for the better, then..." Yes, he moved to place his own palm upon Echidna's, with no small amount of hope for the future imbued within Impact. An earsplitting sound echoed. From out of nowhere, the white table was blown into the air. The blow that smashed the table apart was continued traveling straight into the hill, causing the grassland to spectacularly cave in. The ground shook ferociously with an earthquake-like roar and shuddered, throwing Subaru onto his backside. And there stood " I'm putting that pact on hold." Smashing her fist into the ground, the blond, blue-eyed girl made that declaration with an imposing air. The Witch of Wrath was glaring at the pair, her eyes filled with powerful anger. 3 Squatting on the impact-flattened ground, Subaru squinted up at the bearer of that angry gaze. With bottomless anger in her blue eyes, the beautiful face of the Witch Minerva had a crimson hue. It was not toward the frozen stiff Subaru but to Echidna, standing at his side, to whom she turned a grave look as she said, "I repeat, I am putting this pact on hold. I do not approve of this pact." "...Hmm. To me, this is quite an unexpected development." The way she spoke held familiarity as well as enmity, displaying an attitude far too bloodthirsty to

be called friendly. As she trained that toward Echidna, Minerva stood at the center of the crater, crossing the arms with which she had used to make the mighty deformation, making her bountiful breasts bounce as she bit her lip. "This is the occasion of a pact and a Witch's pact at that. Even you are surely not incapable of understanding what an important ceremony this is. Or perhaps you had your eye on him, too... Is this envy?" "Do not make light of this with your petty jokes. Do you not understand the reason I am angry like this? I am indignant. I am in a rage. You have driven me into a fury!" When Echidna tried to sidestep with frivolities, Minerva shouted with anger, her face growing redder still. She was so high-strung that her eyes were filled with tears, with clear droplets trickling down the sides of her tender visage. This was the very different sense of presence that Minerva no, what was odd was not the sensation but the fact that she was there at all. "...How are you here?" "What?! Are you saying it's wrong for me to come here like this?!" "Not that. I'm not saying that...but I mean, Echidna's, like, right there." As Minerva's cheeks puffed up with dismay, Subaru pointed toward Echidna. The pointing finger made Minerva cock her head, but Echidna went "Ah" in apparent understanding, clapping her hands together as she said, "Now I know the cause of your bewilderment. You find it strange that she and I are together in the same place." "Th-that's right. Before when you let me meet with the other Witches, you said you were lending yourself to let them borrow your existence, but this would mean that talk was " "She lied to you, then. This girl has a foul personality, prone to evil pranks for no good reason." When Minerva smacked down his rebuttal, Subaru went, "No way," and looked at Echidna. "Please do not misunderstand," Echidna stated as a preamble in response to his gaze. "Certainly, when I explained substitution was necessary, I lied but only about that single point. But their manifesting here presents a danger to me. If I, a soul alone at present, am defeated, the right to rule this place will be transferred. There is no guarantee that they would not angle for that." "That's, ah, but just on account of that..." "For example, if Sekhmet, the Witch of Sloth, was of a mind to do just that, I have no chance of victory. Though in the first place, if I made an enemy of her, she could slaughter me and the other four Witches put together in one second." To Subaru, slow on the uptake, Echidna was revealing what had happened without a single shred of guilt. There were parts that he could accept and parts that, emotionally speaking, he could not. But as that complicated mental state made Subaru grimace, Echidna continued, "Besides, perhaps I dislike other Witches crawling out of the woodwork out of concern one might whisk you away?" "Er, um, what?" "I find myself liking you more with every return. Not in life or death has a conversational partner made my heart leap so. Therefore, I want you all to myself. If you must declare me a fool for making one shallow lie for that sake...go ahead and laugh, if you like." For her craving to monopolize ran very deep a powerless smile came over Echidna as she revealed her true thoughts. Left speechless, Subaru's thoughts wandered over Echidna's excuse and in search of the reason for her obsessive spirit toward him. It wasn't just her; the Witch of Jealousy also saw Subaru as "What do you think you're doing, swallowing everything she says so easily?" " Dah?!" As Subaru sank into thought, a powerful blow struck his head from behind. The impact made his eyes spin. It seemingly had enough power to rip his head off and yet, what occurred was not pain but a feeling of excessive exhilaration that blew lethargy out of his entire body. The blond Witch who had done this made an exaggerated grimace with her adorable face and said, "And, you, stop letting Echidna take you for a ride with her flattery! That lightweight decision-making and empty-headed attitude is really ticking me off!!" "Flattery makes it sound so underhanded. I am creating an opportunity between him and I only so that we might strive for greater understanding together. If I do say so myself, a pact is simply the result of having formed a bond of trust..." "I'm telling you, change that 'I explained it properly already' attitude! Certainly, you've spoken with the boy about the good points of a pact. But as for the bad points of being in a pact! You haven't! Said! A single! Darn! Word!!" Giving in to her anger, Minerva stamped her foot on the ground, making the grassland explode in a spectacular cloud of dust. Setting aside her overwhelming state of agitation, Subaru was aghast at the meaning of Minerva's words. Certainly, he had no memory of touching on the downsides of a pact during his back-and-forth with Echidna. He became self-conscious of how careless he'd been in not realizing that fact. "W-wait. Whaddaya mean, downsides? There wouldn't be some huge exaggerated thing like..." "You don't think there'd be any? You look on pacts too lightly, particularly where the Witch of Greed is concerned she who came into contact with the most humans among all the Witches, whose words interfered with history." "All of those were acts taken in life... Though I cannot say that all of those who formed pacts with me found happiness." Minerva was thrusting before Subaru's eyes a side of the Witch he didn't know. Furthermore, as if to bolster the validity of the words, Echidna was, in the end, asserting that she meant no harm to Subaru. Subaru was tormented by the pair's words, but emotionally he wanted to believe Echidna. Of course he did. Ever since associating with Echidna at the tomb like that, they'd met several times over. She was also someone to whom he could divulge the circumstances he couldn't to anyone outside the dream, someone who understood Return by Death. That was why, through the offer of cooperation that went by the name of pact, Subaru had found salvation. As Subaru mulled it over, he stared at the white-haired Witch and the blond-haired Witch in turn. Emotionally, he doubtlessly tilted toward Echidna. However, Minerva's presence had him concerned. Why had she leaped out? Previously, Minerva had leaped out to deliver healing via punches and save Subaru from impending death. This was the Witch of Wrath's reason for being. That same Minerva had gone out of her way to cut into the conversation, something that had to give him pause. "Echidna. When a pact is formed, there has to be a demerita...no, compensation." "...I suppose there is. A pact requires compensation. Just as I am to provide you with my knowledge, you must offer me something to serve as compensation." "If that's so, what do you want from me? What do I have to offer you?" That question was one that needed to be asked and answered before a pact was formed. Indulging in Echidna's benevolence, Subaru had sincerely forgotten that he had to offer her something, too. And just what compensation could a Witch extract from a fool at an impasse in a blind alley of fate? "There is no need to be tense. There is no need for concern. The compensation I seek from you is not a difficult thing. For that matter, among the pacts I have formed to date, I would call it exceptionally forthright." "...What, then?" "It is a simple thing. What you feel, what you think, what is left in your heart, the futures you know, the things you do, the possibilities you create, the fruits of all the 'Unknowns' that hail from your existence I...wish to taste them." Her cheeks faintly reddened, Echidna confessed as if she was a young maiden in love. The fruits of the Unknowns the poetic, roundabout wording made Subaru knit his brow. "That's... Are you saying you'd pull my emotions and memories right out of me?" "You say the most provocative things. You are mistaken. I simply want to see the scenery you see, to hear the music you hear, to stand in the place of knowing the Unknowns that spring forth from you. That is all it will take to satisfy me." As if to wipe away Subaru's concerns, Echidna clarified what it was that she sought. All that she wanted was to see Subaru walk off toward his destination and to gaze at the same scenery he did along the way. She wanted to know what Subaru felt, what Subaru knew, and the results of Subaru's actions. "That's not a lie, is it?" "The occasion of a pact is no place for lies. So that I may remain myself, I vow that I shall absolutely never turn my back upon these words. Even at the cost of my life." Touching a hand to her chest, Echidna added, "Though I am already dead," concluding with a lighthearted demeanor. He did not think that those words were lies. Perhaps that was simply what he wanted to believe. But if it was just him wanting to believe, that was enough. If Subaru were to think that way, then "It is all...true, but...she has not...said every...thing?" Just when Subaru was about to accept Echidna's confession and try to send Minerva away, his shoulders jumped. It was a voice he had heard only tens of minutes before, and the sound anything but pleasant. "The Witch of Lust...Carmilla!" "S-stop... I'm not, doing anything... So don't make such scary eyes... No..." "I was born with this mean mug. This ain't some kind of special glare meant just for you." With broken grassland separating Subaru and the pair of Witches, a third Witch appeared from a position a short distance removed. Carmilla, dressed no differently from earlier, timidly stared down at her own feet. She did not look toward Subaru. She did not meet anyone's eyes. But that did not mean she was silent. "E-Echidna is...not lying...but she is hiding lots of things, okay?" "She's hiding things...?" At that late stage, no anger rose within him at successive Witches coming to stand before him. However, the Witches successively standing before him were making assertions one after the other that he could not simply let pass in silence. The same went for Echidna. Toward the suddenly appearing Carmilla, she closed one eye and said, "Suddenly appearing and lobbing insults is very rude. In the first place, why are you giving him warnings? Unlike Minerva, you have no reason to give him your backing. You must despise him." "A...r-reason like...Minerva? I have a proper... Mm, I don't. But, Echidna, you...deceived me...didn't you?" Echidna's statement was orderly; in contrast, Carmilla's words were halting and broken. Eyes downcast, the Witch's speech pattern was frail. However, in contrast to her voice, her assertion was uncompromising. Even as Carmilla's gaze timidly wandered, her demeanor stared straight at Echidna. "I don't...l-like this boy. But...Echidna because you...deceived me... People who do things to me I don't like are...absolutely unforgivable." Only the last phrase was so clear that he heard it distinctly. It took some time before Subaru could comprehend what this meek Witch was saying. That was how much at variance that last phrase was from his image of the Witch to that point. In silence, without averting her eyes whatsoever, Carmilla stared at Echidna. A vortex of emotion hard to put into words rested in her eyes laying within was a somber darkness resembling hatred for those who bore enmity for her or who turned similar emotions toward her; this she absolutely could not forgive. She was love of self-personified that was the thought that rose in the back of Subaru's mind. "Good grief. Even

if it was necessary, making Carmilla do something contrary to her will was a blunder on my part. Making an enemy of you is exceptionally troublesome, after all." "That is...because everyone is my ally... Being hated by me is...terrible, you know...?" By no means were meekness and militancy necessarily exclusive. Carmilla might have been introverted so frail of personality that she could not even meet other people's eyes while conversing with them but she would show no mercy to her enemies. The former was unrelated to the latter. "What have you...? What have you people been talking about all this time?!" And surrounded by the Witches' perilous atmosphere, Subaru finally exploded. Feeling the gazes of the three Witches turn toward him, Subaru had a desperate look as he pleaded his case. "Quit cutting me out of the conversation already! It's my...it's my choice, damn it! Say it so I can understand! What's Echidna hiding?! What do you know?!!" "Please do not lend your ears to these girls, Subaru Natsuki. I have made my vow. To waver here would be akin to doubting that vow. That would be simply too cruel..." As Subaru raised his voice in anger, Echidna spoke with a calm, collected voice to the last. Once more, Subaru began to feel like something was off about that calm, collected tone. Moving past the rising passion of his earlier mental state, he gave her words fresh scrutiny. Why were the two Witches interrupting Echidna's words? Something was odd. She hadn't said anything odd. She'd vowed that she was not lying. The other Witches acknowledged that, too. Then just where was the problem ? "I shall repeat myself, Subaru Natsuki. Once you choose me, once you form a pact with me I will, without fail, bring you to the future you desire." " Sigh. Bringing out 'without fail' at the very end is so cliché..." " !! Who is it this time?!" As Echidna stretched a hand out toward him, her assertive words were weighed down by a languid voice. When he looked over, he saw a bizarre creature opposite Carmilla, a mass of purplish-red tumbling abo No, this was no bizarre creature. This was a person, a human being with such a great amount of hair, it looked like a giant ball of fur. She had hair reaching down as far as her toes, a sultry outfit that was primarily black, and a voluptuous, feminine physique. Her skin was so pale it was beyond notions of white; her sultry, beautiful face could not shake off that unhealthy impression. The beautiful woman sat on the ground leaning on her hip, gazing at the scene with purple eyes he knew at a glance she was a Witch. "So what, you're the sixth..." "Sekhmet, the Witch of Sloth, sigh. I thought I should at least introduce myself, sigh. In the end, I am simply insurance...of this place's equality, phoo. So I'm on watch duty to keep things in line, sigh." "Equality? Insurance?" "I will kill anyone who resorts to force, phew. I am the, sigh, restrictive force for that purpose, phoo." Regularly peppering her speech with sighs, the Witch of Sloth Sekhmet told her story with a very personalized manner of speaking. In contrast to the tone of her voice, the contents were savage, but none of the Witches moved to object. Echidna had said it just prior: Sekhmet could kill all the other Witches there put together. But what of it? In that moment, just how many Witches were going to appear in that "Ohhh? Baru came? And everyone's together? That's rare, huh?!" One after another, uninvited Witches crashed the already broken tea party. With Gluttony and Pride now joining Greed, Wrath, Lust, and Sloth, this amounted to a reenactment of the nightmare that occurred four hundred years prior, and at the center of it, Subaru cried out. The only one there to face the gathered Witches, the foolish, ordinary person named Subaru Natsuki shouted. "Stop it! Stop screwing around! What do all of you want with me?! I just... I only wanted some way to get by! You're in the way of...!" "I think I told you, sigh. The pillow talk at the end is very cliché, phoo." "At the end...?" Sekhmet's languid words weighed down Subaru's raspy shout. The other Witches said nothing about what Sekhmet spoke, save one, for Echidna slightly narrowed her eyes. "Sekhmet, you're " "I am not taking anyone's side, sigh. I just want to be courteous to the lad, phoo." What she meant by courtesy or what coursed in the silence between Echidna and Sekhmet, Subaru did not know. However, from what Sekhmet had said, the words of the Witches to that point, and from Echidna's responses and demeanor toward them, Subaru's contemplations finally led to a single hypothesis. *** The hypothesis that floated up drove none other than Subaru himself into silence. It was extremely difficult to accept; accordingly, Subaru hardened his cheeks and looked at Echidna. "Echidna...you said, without fail, you'd bring me to an optimal future, right?" "Yes, I did indeed. That is a fact. There is no mistake; I shall fulfill this pact. Between my intellect and your special nature, it shall be accomplished without fail." Echidna's response to Subaru's question was exactly what Subaru had hoped to hear, a full hundred marks for the reply. This pact, properly fulfilled, would put Subaru on the path to the optimal future. It was just that "Your cooperation will help me arrive at the optimal future...but will that be by the optimal path?" *** "Why aren't you saying anything? Answer me, Echidna... Answer me, Witch of Greed!!" As if biting, as if tearing away at that stifling silence, Subaru howled. Subaru stepped forward, heedless of the overpowering, ghastly atmosphere that came from being surrounded by six Witches. There was but the Witch Echidna before him in his eyes; he had eyes for none other. And faced with that sharp gaze, Echidna let a little sigh trickle out as she said, "To grasp the future you desire, you must accept sacrifices along the way. You simply lacked the resolve for that, Subaru Natsuki." " !! Wait, wait, waitwaitwaitwaitwait! Wait, Echidnaaa..." "No, I will not. This is something you should know better. Think about it." Faced with Subaru pressing the point, Echidna's reply went far outside his desires. Her words were most certainly not ones that would clear up the doubts that Subaru harbored. As Subaru shook his head side to side, repulsed by the warped nature of those words, Echidna spread both of her arms and continued, so that Subaru might comprehend her own thoughts, her own feelings "The Return by Death that you possess is an incredible Authority. You do not comprehend how it is truly to be used. You can redo the world any number of times before you arrive at the result that you desire. To a researcher, this is the ultimate ideal manifesting in physical form. Is that not so? By rights, you should only be able to obtain one result for any particular thing. You can make excessive amounts of varied deductions and suppositions about the results. But there is usually but a single result. You can never repeat the exact same conditions in search of a different result. The conditions all shift: time, environment, memory, procedures. 'Back then, if I'd only changed one thing, the results would be different.' This is not in the realm of ideals but of dreams and delusions. Because I have the heart of a researcher, your Authority truly makes my mouth water. With 'identical conditions' and 'verification of differences' secured, one can identify a 'proper result' and a 'variant result.' How could I not covet that? With it before me, how could I not test various possibilities? Of course, I will not coerce you to use Return by Death. You will use that power for the sake of the result you desire. And I shall lend my wit as much as you please so that your desire might be granted. I have high hopes that the great many results that shall be borne from this shall serve to satisfy my inquisitive mind. No one would punish a girl for wanting such a small thing, surely? Your desire for a future and my curiosity shall be satisfied together. Perhaps this makes you uneasy, for I do not know the future, either. I will not purposefully lead you to a mistaken future in order to test the results. All Unknowns are equal before me. By mulling and struggling against the same problems, the answer will come. This makes necessary the highest form of relationship between us. I swear I shall protect you with all my heart. But that does not change the fact that I cannot interfere with reality. If a physical obstacle stands before you, I can expect that challenging it will break your mind and body many times over. If it comes to that, I genuinely intend to exert my every power to protect your mind. I will not tell you there are no ulterior motives involved in that. But I don't want you to think that I am calculating everything because of my inquisitive mind. I do think fondly of you, and it is a fact that my maidenly heart wishes to be of aid to you. I am repeating myself, but you and I are ideally compatibility. I can say it plainly. I will use your power, and you will use me for the sake of your 'optimal future.' It is my genuine desire to be a woman used for your own convenience. Though it would only be in this dream world, should you desire it, I do not mind using this body of mine to comfort you. I shall happily grant it to you. Oh my, that might not be the best thing for the people you care for, that silver-haired half-elf and that blue-haired demon...they who you have sworn to save and protect without fail. Not that I can claim any particular opinion toward them, but at any rate, please take it as expressing how strong, how unshakable my feelings are. Many difficulties shall befall you in the future as well. Your resolve shall lead you to challenge them, but that is tragic. I will become the beacon that lights your path. So, too, will I be the bonds you wish to protect. Your questions, your burdens, your feelings, your hopes...unexpectedly, through the Trial, you have taught me just how much value these things hold. Certainly, to you, the scenes you saw might have been Hell itself. But given the choice between knowing beforehand and ignorance, I wish to praise the will to learn even such tragic facts. With these serving as your gruel, you shall stretch a hand toward the future, even at the cost of your life. That Trial was necessary so that you might learn there might be sacrifices made for that future's sake. As you use Return by Death more and more, perhaps your emotions might fray, perhaps the deaths of people precious to you might fail to move your heart, but most of all, you might have to lose some part of yourself in order to arrive at the place at which you are destined to reach. The Trial prevented that end. I did that, in order to protect you. If those scenes pained your heart, putting you on the verge of breaking, I do not exaggerate in saying I did it for that sake. Because it would serve as the linchpin for your moving forward, I accepted it. With my words, I shall grant you the strength to advance forward. I will console you, I will scold you, I will even love you. Or if it is hatred you require, I will devote that to you, all for you. You like girls who devote themselves to you, yes? You need me. By yourself, you cannot grasp the future. It is none other than

I who is the most suitable girl for you. You need me. And I need you. Already, there is none other than you who can satisfy my curiosity. I mean, I've already discovered you. You broadened my world. Through you, I, said to be the Witch bearing the greatest intellect in the world, have tasted the fruit of the Unknown once more. If you want to use that power to save someone, then save me. Having even the crumbs of that noble thought is enough for me. Please. I want you to trust me. Perhaps you think I deceived you because of the fact that I did not expose enough of what I truly thought beforehand. I wanted to get the timing right. If I exposed these feelings while our relationship was still shallow, you would probably have pushed me away. I did not want that. I could not endure that. That goes for you too, yes? If you lost me as a collaborator, your heart would surely be broken. We are both working toward our optimal ends. And I know what that optimal end is. I can help you. Through infinite trial runs, you will arrive at the future, albeit with your heart worn down and scarred by the ordeal. Let me do this. I will never betray your trust. Certainly, my heart might be attracted to the resulting choices, and my inquisitive heart may waver toward paths other than that which is optimal. I cannot hold my own greed in check enough for me to tell you that will never happen. I acknowledge that. But I will gloss over nothing. I will speak openly and honestly. Even if the result of that will damage your trust, I will expend no effort to win that trust back. No matter what might happen, I will, without fail, bring you to the future you desire. I absolutely, absolutely will. So as the choices necessary for that become clear, would you not let me be the one to choose? It will be precisely according to the preamble for the pact: I will grant what you desire, what it is that you seek. It will be no more and no less than this. After that, how much you permit your body to be sliced for the sake of that which you desire and crave is up to you. I have conveyed my resolve. Next, I want to hear yours. I want you to demonstrate that you, who would form a pact with me, who would benefit from my cooperation, have the enduring spirit required to arrive at the future without fail. It is you, the first and only one to overcome the second Trial, who can puff out your chest and speak these words with pride. Do this, please me, and I shall release you from the tomb and guide you to the third Trial. Beyond that rests the liberation of the Sanctuary. In so doing, the precious people most important to you, the people you care about held captive in the Sanctuary, will be saved. For the sake of this, you will undergo a true Trial. For the sake of that, seize me, use me, do with me as you please as you let your greed rage, and we shall grasp the future together. This is everything I have to offer to aid you and find what you desire, what you seek. I intend to peel back everything honestly and earnestly. I will not allow the other girls around us to interfere any longer. It is as you said: This is a matter between you and I alone. I want you to give me your answer. I have told you everything... Truly the naked truth. Passionately. This might be close to love. A vow of love. So how will you respond to my love? I want a reply. This reply, after all, will be another thing serving to satisfy my curiosity." With that, Echidna smiled adorably. Her fleeting, snow-like hair rustled, her cheeks faintly red from excitement, standing there with the look of a maiden at her most vulnerable, fresh from offering her confession, waiting with all her heart for Subaru's reply. With upturned eyes, she gazed toward him, Subaru's face reflected clearly in her black eyes. Subaru slowly shifted his gaze from them, looking at the other Witches gathered around. The five Witches besides Echidna were each in various states, watching and awaiting the result of Echidna's confession in their own way. Sekhmet, languidly; Carmilla, disinterestedly; Daphne, with a repulsive smile; Typhon, tilting her head with a mystified look; for some reason, Minerva alone had a face ready to burst into tears. It was funny. He was tempted to laugh. Not that he actually did. "Echidna." "What is it?" "You'll be...using me?" She'd be using him. Such words were repeated over and over as Echidna had spoken. Echidna nodded unreservedly in response. "I will. You should simply use me back. That is the purpose of our pact. If you wish to rebuke me for using it as a means of not letting go of you, I shall gladly hear it. This is the truth, after all." "It's not as if I didn't think about it. That's how relationships based on pros and cons work. I expected I was resolved to your intentions not being a hundred percent benevolent. But." In front of Echidna, Subaru covered his face with his hands. He turned his face toward the sky in a simple...lament. "But this is just too much..." *** Echidna had an aura of bewilderment at the tenor of Subaru's trembling voice. That settled it. Everything that had accumulated between their first chance encounter and that very moment lost its color and collapsed. Across their introduction, the tea party upon their reunion, the false classroom in the Trial, and the obstructions in reality her presence and her words had saved the brokenhearted Subaru many times over. It was those bonds that had brought him to the determination to form a pact. Cruelly, all those things had come back to mock the foolishness of Subaru Natsuki. "I do not really understand what your problem is. If you are to arrive at the optimal result, you must resign yourself to a certain degree of injury. That is your decision to make, something I believe I have already acknowledged, so..." "Me resigning to... Not that I've resigned to it, but that's dancing to your tune, ain't it?" "Unsurprisingly, you find that hard to accept. In the end, it is you who must draw the conclusion. I am merely aiding you to do so. If you wish to place the responsibility for that with me, that would put me in a bind. That's a horrible thing to do, don't you think?" Pursing her lips, Echidna made a pouty face as she protested. It seemed like a childish display of emotion, out of place enough to make one laugh, but it only served to deepen Subaru's misgivings. Those doubts had been there from the beginning. Now they had only grown stronger. She acted so unwitchy, and many times, the gap between the subjective and the objective had instilled ease rather than discomfort. However, at the present, that foreboding he felt strengthened, enlarged, and took definable form " There's no sense of seriousness anywhere in your attitude. Everything you do and say feels...superficial." *** "When you laugh, even when you're angry, your attitude is frivolous and childish. Even right now, when it's time to be angry, you're just pouting... It's not an issue of being open-minded or something. That attitude of yours...your attitude is strange. I...mistook that for you being someone easy to get along with, but..." *** "That's not actually it. Echidna, you're someone who can't understand other people's emotions." His fleeting encounters with Echidna to that point, the words they had exchanged, all of them changed to the color of sepia. He'd believed all those traits made her likable, but as a result of those shallow displays of emotion, he'd come to know better. And faced with such disparaging words, Echidna's expression still did not change. It was not the proper response. "This is another place you should be getting angry, see." "...Is that so? I should have taken this moment to make my voice coarser and shower insults upon you, then? I see, I will make a note of that. If we should meet again, I shall put that knowledge to good use." When Echidna replied with those words, all emotion vanished from the Witch's face. All emotions worthy of the name vanished, and a Witch appeared in their stead. For the very first time, Subaru truly set eyes upon the Witch of Greed. *** In front of Subaru, cowed into silence, Echidna snapped her dry fingers. As she did so, the purportedly destroyed hill and plain were restored, and the chair and table smashed to pieces returned to their original form. The tea party had seven chairs arranged. Having provided one for Subaru and each of the Witches, Echidna closed one eye. "First, would you sit? I would like to speak a little more about pacts." "...In a situation like this, you're still optimistic I'll form a pact with you?" "Don't tell me you would reject me over such a minor difference in outlook? I cannot call being temporarily carried away by emotion a wise thing. You should make the realistic, rational choice." Echidna's sound statement made Subaru close his eyes and breathe deeply over and over. Echidna's words rang true. Subaru was being emotional. He was being swallowed up by the course of events. In the end, Echidna had done nothing more than conceal her true intentions. He could believe that all the other parts were sincere and that she would act in the manner she had claimed. Forming a pact here was a reliable key to the future. The key was in the palm of his hand. All he had to do was to clench it "I just remembered that there was something I wanted to ask if I met you again." "...Mm, I wonder what?" "I feel like if I hear the answer to this, I'll be able to decide." Echidna was waiting for Subaru to present his question. And so Subaru asked the Witch a question relating to Echidna that, during the loop that had begun with the Sanctuary, remained a mystery. Namely " You know Beatrice, don't you, Echidna?" "Of course I know her. I am deeply related to that girl's birth. What of it?" There was nothing hidden in Echidna's reply. She simply could not guess what Subaru's question was getting at. He closed his eyes. On the back of his eyelids, he traced his last glimpse of the girl as she vanished. There was nothing sadder than the thin expression of relief on her face. Subaru had been unable to save Beatrice from the centuries she had spent in loneliness. When he'd shouted to the girl at the time, her final smile of relief was seared forever into his eyes. That was why "Beatrice, has been waiting all this time for That Person to arrive, according to the pact. That pact has to be one you made with her. You tied her to that mansion. That's about right?" "I did not specify the place, but it is indeed I who commanded her to protect the archive of forbidden books and wait until someone came." "Then...then who is this That Person? What has to be done to free her?" For four centuries, Beatrice had continued to await That Person, alone in the archive of forbidden books. A promise had made her do so. A pact had strengthened her isolation. Even Beatrice did not know who That Person was. Subaru hadn't found any clue, either. But Echidna, the Witch who had commanded her to wait for That Person, surely knew the answ "I wonder, just who might it be?" " H-uh?" "Er, I am not making

some kind of joke. I think that from the bottom of my heart. Who do you think That Person who Beatrice waits for might be?" As Subaru gaped at her, Echidna shrugged her shoulders, appearing genuinely mystified. Subaru was aghast at her demeanor, but he immediately shook his head. He couldn't accept this. "Y-you're telling me you don't know who Beatrice is waiting for, either?" "Mm, I do not. I know not who That Person Beatrice awaits might be." "Why n...? You're the one who told her to wait, right? So how can you not...?" Subaru was dumbfounded at the one thread he clung to having been snipped like it was nothing. That Person Beatrice had been commanded to wait for had to exist. Was it even possible that Echidna did not know? Or was some third part going to suddenly pop up and "You are wrong, Subaru Natsuki. You misunderstand. It is most certainly I who made Beatrice promise to wait for That Person. But you have a fundamental misunderstanding about this." "'Fundamental misunderstanding'...?" "You misunderstand the reason behind the pact I formed with Beatrice. You believe I made Beatrice promise for the sake of handing the archive of forbidden books to That Person, I take it?" He didn't understand what Echidna's assertion meant. It was natural, even obvious, to take it that way. She'd been told to hold on to something and to wait for someone. Therefore, the objective was obviously for her to hand that thing over. However, Echidna met Subaru's thought process with a sideways shake of her head. "That was not my objective. You see...I made Beatrice promise to wait for That Person because I want to know who that girl selects to be That Person." *** What? "That girl, you see, was created for a particular purpose. But I decided to use her for a different purpose than that originally intended. That is why I sent that girl far from the Sanctuary. Since a substitute objective was required, I granted the archive of forbidden books to that girl and gave that empty girl a purpose for living: to administer my knowledge and to await That Person who would someday come. I did not set a time limit. After all, it is not an issue with one set answer to begin with. As arranged, that girl's life was linked to it, enabling her to live outside of the Sanctuary. And I was able to engage in a new inquiry: that girl's choice. Logical, isn't it? Of course, spending four centuries without selecting anyone is one result in itself. Having been unable to comfortably select anyone she had met to date, continuing to obey the pact while full of worry, and desiring her own death is another result." "And what do you think about that?" " ? I think that it is a marvelous thing?" As if asked a question to which the answer was obvious, Echidna tilted her head without a single hint of shame. Her reply, her demeanor, and the expression on the girl in the back of Subaru's mind gave him his answer. He'd decided. He understood. He grasped it, loud and clear. Then and there, he would confront her and make perfectly clear exactly who was mistaken. "Echidna, you are...a Witch." *** "You are a monster beyond human knowledge, beyond human understanding." He told her. He voiced the reply that had spawned within him. He would reject the hand he had once decided to accept. This time, he would decide for himself who he would reach out to with his hand. "I...I can't take your hand. I've decided whose I will take." *** "Your inquisitive mind, the words you spoke without malice have bound a girl for four hundred years. I've decided. I'm choosing that girl's hand. I can't leave her with you." This was a farewell. He was brushing away the hand of the one who once surely would have become his partner, with whom he would have walked forward and drawn a future together. He'd go wipe away that final expression off the girl traced on the back of his eyelids. She'd been afraid of death, her face ready to break into tears, but having protected Subaru, her expression was one of relief. He would save Beatrice, who had grieved over Subaru's death. He'd decided. *** That decision made Echidna narrow her eyes. Countless thoughts ran through her black pupils; she was perhaps meaning to say something to Subaru that would make him change his decision. However, before she could, a change arrived. A sudden change desired by none present had occurred. " So she's come." "H-hey...this doesn't...concern me anymore...so, ahhh..." "At a troublesome time, a troublesome girl has come to make trouble, sigh." "Ahaaa. My stomach's reaaally, reaaally throbbing. We really have the full lineup now, huhhh?" The spectating Witches displayed various reactions to the change taking place. One bit her lip; one clutched her head; one gave a sigh; one licked her lips. The Witches' gazes shifted behind Subaru and from there, an overwhelming, impossible-to-ignore presence sprang forth. As Subaru was facing her, Echidna caught sight of "it" straight in front of her. Her eyes widened slightly, and within them, Subaru saw a complex vortex of emotions be it before or after her true nature had been exposed, this was the first time he saw hatred in them. *** Seeing that hatred made him belatedly turn around. For a second, he hesitated, and then matching breath and heartbeat, he moved. Looking behind him, Subaru's own eyes finally beheld the new arrival. From her black dress, long hair, and white skin, he imagined she must have a most beautiful face yet though he was certain of this, he saw not the Witch's face but a veil of impenetrable darkness that covered it. Greed, Wrath, Lust, Sloth, Gluttony, Pride with each of these attending the tea party, the seventh Witch, Jealousy, had finally joined them. "Ohhh! It's Tela! Wow, it sure has been a while!" Only one, the child Witch, greeted the Witch of Jealousy with a wave of her hand. The Witches' Tea Party had only one invited guest. Having become a banquet, it hurtled toward its final act. CHAPTER 1 *** 1 Atop a little hill rising out of a green, grassy plain that smelled of wildflowers, the Witch's Tea Party was about to commence. The Witches in attendance were all notorious figures who had rampaged across every corner of the world four centuries ago. Joining them was a single boy from a foreign land in a foreign world plus one final participant, who had just arrived. This last-minute appearance elicited a variety of reactions from the six Witches already there. One clenched her fists with a forlorn look. One shrank back in palpable fear. One closed her eyes with a languid sigh. One drooled in ecstasy. One spread both arms wide in an innocent, welcoming gesture. And the last of the six " Crossing multiple boundaries to intrude upon even my castle of dreams. Her rudeness truly knows no limits." Echidna the Witch's gaze and voice grew pointed as she spat out those words, directing them toward the detestable shadow approaching the table. The sheer hatred and disgust reflected in those eyes made the boy Subaru Natsuki gaze in wonder. Subaru had been roundly criticizing Echidna for lacking proper human emotions just moments earlier. It was only natural for him to be shocked by her display of such vehement feelings. Even if those emotions were incredibly negative rather than positive. "But right now..." There was an issue that took precedence over Echidna's raw emotions. Subaru and the Witches watched as the shadow slowly came up the hill. The shadow was clad in a pitch-black dress, with a veil of darkness concealing her face. The oddly hazy impression she gave off was impossible to ignore. No one had any doubt about her true identity. She was the one who had slain the six Witches now gathered once again in this place. She was the worst of calamities, and one who had nearly destroyed the world. This shadow was the Witch of Jealousy. *** Cheeks stiff from tension and wariness, Subaru could feel every beat of his heart. In the back of his mind, he could see the Sanctuary vanishing into shadow, swallowed by the madness and obsessiveness of the Witch who had already caused such devastation once before. What would happen if the same thing occurred in this dream world...? The thought alone left him aghast. Of course, there were six Witches besides Jealousy in this place. Perhaps these Witches, who bore titles of similar power, would be able to resist her in some way. However "...Why...isn't anyone...making a move?" Subaru seemed short of breath as his confusion trickled out of him. Jealousy was right in front of them, just now reaching the crest of the hill. Only a few scant yards remained between them; the looming apprehension he felt rivaled that terrible moment back in the Sanctuary. But that was all. Jealousy wasn't fanning out her shadows. Her old acquaintances, the other Witches, were also not doing anything besides waiting quietly in place. Not a single one of them budged. Not a single one tried to avenge themselves. "The fact that no one is doing anything means..." Abruptly, someone stepped forward, breaking the silence. She crossed her arms, emphasizing her bountiful breasts in the process. A terrible anger was visible on this Witch's adorable face. It was none other than Minerva of Wrath. "Is...this the you I know? Can I trust you?" *** Without flinching, Minerva called out to Jealousy. There was no reply. But her act made Subaru open his eyes wide and gape. That was only natural. As far as Subaru knew, Minerva was the only one of the Witches besides Jealousy who lacked any means of directly attacking her opponent. She was the weakest Witch of all. This was because her power to transform any kind of violence into healing was the least suited for combat. "...So why isn't anyone trying to stop her?" Every last one of them had to have some kind of grudge against Jealousy, if not hatred that was comparable to what Echidna harbored toward her. And yet, no one made any move to prevent Minerva's attempt at conversation. Just as shocking was Jealousy, who had no answer for Minerva's words. The Witch stood there, paying no heed to her whatsoever. The sight of such defenselessness left Subaru confounded. In terms of brute force, magical ability, and Authorities, if the six Witches challenged her then and there, Jealousy would easily be " I understand how you feel. I raise both hands in sincere approval. If we could erase her in an instant without leaving even a single fragment behind, it would settle so many of the problems swirling around you. Truly, it would." "You..." Subaru felt utterly disgusted at how Echidna nodded with a knowing look. But as much as he hated to admit it, if there was anyone who could ease Subaru's doubts at this moment, it was the Witch of Greed. "Then why aren't you doing anything? This is a chance to get payback after all these years?" "Simple. If I attempt to eliminate her, I will expose my back to all the other Witches. Even if we ignore Minerva, I am not strong enough to survive making an enemy of Sekhmet or Typhon." "What...?" The incomprehensible logic of Echidna's explanation baffled Subaru. "I just...don't get it. Why would trying to kill the Witch of Jealousy mean that you'd end up fighting the other Witches? You might have a particular thirst for vengeance, but isn't she an enemy to ev..." "Th-that's not...true..." It was Carmilla of Lust's halting words that interrupted Subaru's question. She ignored Subaru's gawking, keeping her eyes on the standoff between Minerva and Jealousy. "A-all of us hold a...grudge against Jealousy... That is true. But this isn't true...for that g-girl, you know?" "The hell are you...?

All of you hold a grudge against Jealousy, but this is different?" "Thaaat's right. You're just overthinking it, Subarun." When Subaru failed to follow what Carmilla was saying, Daphne of Gluttony spoke in her stead, laughing with a sweet voice. She turned her blindfolded face toward Subaru, smacking her lips as she savored his delectable anguish. "Everything comes down to whether it's Tella-Tella ooor Jealousy who came. If we don't know that, there's nothing Daphne and the others can do. A candidate to be a sage should know that much." "Let him be, Daphne, sigh. He doesn't know, phew. About any of that yet, sigh." "Ohhh, is that right? Daphne made an oopsie..." Daphne wore a smile that seemed devoid of any malice as Sekhmet chastised her. The Witch of Sloth lowered her eyes, which were rimmed by long eyelashes, before emitting a particularly lethargic sigh. " ! Why you little..." Subaru felt rage welling up when it became incredibly obvious from the exchange and their knowing looks that he had been left out of the loop. He'd gotten this far by being completely and utterly swept along by recent events: a harrowing Return by Death, an undesired second Trial, and learning about Echidna's true nature on top of everything else. It felt like the Witches had toyed with his heart one after another until finally, he found himself face-to-face with the Witch of Jealousy herself. Daphne's and Sekhmet's exchange was the last push that sent Subaru's head reeling. Just how much were they going to make a fool of him? "Cut the crap already! I...I ain't got the time or the patience to be messing around!" "Wow, Baru, so scawwy. Are you mad? You'll get tired, y'know?" Typhon of Pride poked a finger into her cheek, tilting her head as she innocently questioned Subaru. "Also, get it right. We're not mad at Tella. But we are mad at the Witch. And y'see, Typhon likes Tella, so..." "Tella... You mean Satella? That's...the name of the Witch of Jealousy, ain't it...?" "...To put it in simple terms, the world remembered Satella as the Witch of Jealousy. However, what was not recorded in history was that Satella had a type of personality disorder." Echidna picked up where Typhon's explanation left off to fill in the blanks with words even Subaru could comprehend. Unfortunately, he had no idea how he should interpret the words personality disorder. That could be " Something like a split personality? That would mean Satella and the Witch of Jealousy are..." "Perhaps it would be clearer to say that she absorbed a Factor that was incompatible with her, causing a mental abnormality that ultimately created the Witch personality within Satella...not that I personally have any inclination to distinguish between the two." Echidna was disgruntled, but Subaru could not conceal his shock at the new fact that had come to light. He couldn't recall ever hearing a word about Satella and the Witch of Jealousy being two distinct personalities. It was natural this information couldn't be found anywhere in the legends. At the same time, this revelation finally allowed him to comprehend the current standoff. Was the person standing before them the Witch of Jealousy or Satella? Even the other Witches apparently didn't know. "Accordingly, I cannot recklessly go on the attack. If I cross the other five just to eliminate her alone, there will be no hope for victory. After all, if my soul dissipates, even I cannot escape death." "...But this is a big risk for the other five, too, isn't it? You were lending your soul out to them, right? If you vanish, won't they go up in smoke, too?" "They've already accepted their deaths. They have no lingering attachments to a prolonged existence as mere souls. Rather than struggle to remain, they would rather perish while living according their beliefs. It is because we are only capable of this destructive way of life that we are Witches." Not a single one of the other five disputed Echidna's statement. Subaru could not approve of the Witches' way of life, for it was too focused on living in the moment for him to consider it pure of heart. Such fanatic devotion to a singular purpose, both in life and in death, was far from normal. Moreover... "I get you're all like that. It's...hard to accept, but I can at least understand where you're coming from. But that only goes for you guys. For Sate...for that Witch, it's different." He had managed to grasp the Witches' perspective. However, this was ultimately an account from the victims. He had yet to hear the offender's story. If that was even possible. *** Without a word, the pitch-black figure watched on as Subaru spoke with the Witches. No, it was more accurate to say that Jealousy watched Subaru alone. "It's better than her attacking without a word like last time we met, but only barely. What did she come to...? What does she want to make me do? What did she...?" What did she do to me? What does she want to make Subaru Natsuki to do in this world? "If you want to know the answer...then ask her yourself." *** Minerva interrupted Subaru's thoughts with a voice that was mixed with both irritation and a sense of grief. Standing at Jealousy's side, she kept her blue eyes wide open, which were brimming with tears as she glared at Subaru. "I don't want to hear your lame excuses. This girl came here to meet you. Speak to her directly... If you can't manage that, then you aren't the man we thought you are!" "Aren't the man you...? The hell are you going on about?! Who asked you to pass judgment on me?! I'm not about to just roll over and do whatever you want!" "If you aren't going to talk to her, sigh...then what would you rather do, phew." Lying on her side, Sekhmet suddenly tossed a question toward the emotional Subaru. Not moving from the slovenly posture that was worthy of her title, Sloth turned her pale face until she was looking directly at Subaru's reddened one. "As you can see, sigh. We are in a stalemate, phew. At this point, the key, sigh...literally rests in your hands, phew. For better or for worse, that is, sigh." Subaru could feel on his skin how Sekhmet's words drew the gazes of all the Witches to him. Everything had been entrusted to Subaru Natsuki, the weakest, most foolish, and shallowest among them. The relationship between Jealousy and the other six Witches was just as they had told him. The Witches kept one another in check, while Jealousy's attention was focused on Subaru alone. "Echidna, you don't have any intention of letting me out of here, do you?" "It is meaningless to neglect this situation, after all. I am a maiden suffering from a broken heart after a certain someone cruelly dumped me. At the very least, I want to see what you will choose in your current position. If I dared to wish for more, I would be very gratified to see you cruelly dump another girl." "You really are a Witch..." After hearing that malicious reply, Subaru closed his eyes, exhaling slightly. Then he steeled himself and slowly began approaching Jealousy, the Witch shrouded in shadow. "...Took you long enough to decide." What sounded like an insult slipped out of Minerva as she took a step away from Jealousy's side. With this, there was no one left to intrude between Subaru and Jealousy. The two faced off against each other, close enough to touch. *** Though they were but a few short yards apart, Subaru felt the pressure increasing with every step. Even looking directly at her like this, he could see nothing of her face, hidden as it was behind a veil of darkness. This was not because the shadow was so thick that it obscured everything from sight. His primal instincts had chosen to not see. "Everyone would prefer to avert their eyes from their most unsightly delusions." *** "If you cannot see her face, the issue lies within your own mind." From somewhere behind him, someone gave welcome advice that cleared some of his doubts. He wanted to suck his teeth, but he resisted the impulse. More importantly, Subaru didn't have enough composure to bother with Echidna. Whether it was Satella or Jealousy before him, he could not take his eyes away from either. If his gaze wandered for even a split second, there was no telling what might happen that very " Ah." Suddenly, Subaru found two hands being offered to him. His throat froze over. Subaru had been on guard, not taking his eyes off Jealousy for even a single second. And yet, in an instant, all his efforts were for nothing. It wasn't that he failed to see. He saw her move from start to finish. It was simply that when Jealousy raised her hands toward him, all he could do was watch in silence. "Seriously...what's with you? What do you want me to do...?" Subaru shook his head from side to side, refusing the outstretched hands. Seeing Jealousy's actions and knowing that she was standing right there in front of him made Subaru feel something hot inside his chest. It would have been easier if what he felt was hatred or disgust. But this was something else. What Subaru Natsuki's soul felt was relief when he looked at the Witch of Jealousy. "i" "Wha?" Subaru was mostly occupied by the chaos that gripped heart. That explained his delayed reaction to the faint sound that reached his eardrums. His comprehension was delayed as well. It took him a moment to realize that it was Jealousy who had made that sound. Veiled by shadow, Subaru was unable to see Jealousy's expression as both her hands still reached toward him, as if she was slowly attempting to convey something to him. Swallowing hard, Subaru waited for her. Finally, the Witch of Jealousy spoke: " I have always, always loved you. You, and you alone." 2 The instant he heard that confession of love, an indescribable impact shot through Subaru's whole body. From the crown of his head to the tips of his toes, he felt like a bolt of lightning had passed through him. Every hair on his body was standing up, and every pore was open. All the blood coursing through his body seemed to be boiling and steaming. His chest beat so loud and hard that it hurt. Subaru breathed unevenly as he backed away. Subaru knew: He could not stay here. If he didn't leave, her breath would reach him. Her fingers would touch him. Instinctively, Subaru understood that if he did not flee to a safe place, he would be swept away by "love." "Stop it..." "I love you." "Please stop..." "I have always loved you, and only you, with all my heart." "I told you to stop, damn it !!" With a hoarse voice, he spurned her. Still, the fire in Subaru's chest didn't abate at all. His mind rejected her, but his soul found her a source of comfort. This inconsistency set Subaru's heart aflame as he wrestled against the contradiction within himself. If he didn't do so, he was absolutely certain that the very core of his being would become totally warped. The very first ray of light Subaru Natsuki had found in this world was his love for Emilia. Summoned to a foreign place with no one to depend on, she was the one who reached out to him in his time of crisis. How much had her existence been his salvation? During the dark days when he died over and over again, his feelings only grew as his soul cried out for her. He could no longer say that his feelings for Emilia were the only reason he continued forging ahead. Subaru had gained a great many things since his arrival. He had met

many people whom he now cared for deeply. However, the Witch of Jealousy's compulsion was so powerful that it rivaled all those emotions put together. The conversations and warm touches he had shared, the time he had spent with others, the many bonds he had forged all the love contained within these moments were in danger of being stripped from him despite the fact that there was nothing real between him and this Witch. If this wasn't the definition of repulsive, then what else could it be? "You're insane...you and Echidna both! This place...it's filled with people who make no sense! I've had it! I'm done, damn it!!" Subaru scattered angry shouts with a frenzied face, making his refusal as clear as possible. He didn't want to be by Jealousy's side, in front of Echidna, or stay in the company of the other Witches for a single second longer. Subaru had countless other things he ought to be doing. There was nothing he needed here. This is a waste of time. I want to get out of here, right now. Please, release me... "I won't take help from any of you! I'll deal with all the problems outside by myself. That's fine, isn't it?! That's what I should've done from the start!" "And then? You'll die again, repeat the cycle, and make everyone cry time after time? Then you'll excuse it by saying their tears are an unavoidable sacrifice? Wow, how admirable of you." When Subaru bid them farewell, Minerva applauded him with a sour look on her face. Subaru turned his bloodshot eyes toward her, yelling "So what?!" and flaring his nostrils as he glared at Minerva. "What does it have to with you? You got a problem with Return by Death? The pain, the suffering, the trauma those are all my problem and no one else's, damn it. Either way, it's none of your business." "Must be nice to say you're resigned to pain and suffering. No matter what the people watching you think, you can keep making excuses by saying you're the one who has it toughest." "What did you say...?!" "If your suffering is the most obvious, no one around you is allowed to say a word. You're the one suffering the worst, after all...so the weak voices around you just stay silent. Of course they do." As Minerva spoke, the tone of her voice steadily grew stronger and angrier. Subaru could not remain silent. "Are you Are you trying to say I'm drowning in some self-made tragedy just to shut up everyone around me?! That I'm only at a dead end right now because I want to star in my own tragic drama?!" "That's not really what I'm getting at. This it's fine if I'm the one who's hurting the most idea is low and unfair. I think Echidna's a blackhearted schemer, too, and I know exactly how underhanded she can be...but I think you're twisted in a way that's creepier than any Witch." *** "More than anything, as someone who hits everything that's hurt to heal it, your way of living isn't just the direct opposite of mine it makes you my natural enemy. Something like that is just too cruel for her." After airing all her grievances and slamming them against Subaru's feelings, Minerva finally looked toward Jealousy. Jealousy had gone silent ever since Subaru shouted at her, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Minerva, or showing any sign of reacting to the conversation at all. The faint tears in Minerva's eyes told Subaru that she found it a lonely sight. But that didn't matter to him at all. "Creepy...? Cruel...?" Subaru bent forward, his shoulders trembling. The trembling gradually grew stronger until finally, Subaru lifted up his face and laughed. It was so overwhelmingly stupid, he couldn't help but laugh. "The hell is that supposed mean? Creepy or not, why do you think I decided to do things this way? How do you think I ended up becoming 'twisted'? The way I see it, my methods and my way of thinking are just a natural result of what I've been through. Am I wrong?" *** "You! You made me like this, goddamnit!!" Subaru shouted his anger at Jealousy, who seemed to stand there in silence to escape all responsibility. Through accepting and using Return by Death, Subaru had overcome many challenges. The despair he tasted from embracing death again and again was carved into his soul. That was how Subaru had gotten this far. This was the road of scars that had led Subaru Natsuki to his current way of thinking. "The pain, the suffering! All that should be for me! If I'm the only one who gets hurt, that's better for everyone, ain't it?! No matter how hard it gets, I'll just clench my teeth and bear it... That way, no one else has to go through what I do! As long as no one but me gets torn up from start to finish...well, what the hell's wrong with that?!" "Shouldering everything by yourself without saying a word to anyone else... It's as if you think no one besides you is capable of doing anything." "If I didn't do anything, what would have changed? Wouldn't we just end up with horrible futures? If not me, then who?! Who else could've gotten this far?!" Through trial and error by repeatedly using Return by Death, Subaru had discovered the optimal path. It was just like Echidna had said. He wasn't thrilled to agree with the sweet whisperings of the Witch who was taking advantage of his resolve to fulfill her own selfish desires, but he could still stay the course regardless. If a scarred Subaru could find a path to a future where no one else had to get hurt, then "Earlier, I said I can't understand you and that I'm sick of all this. Sorry about that. Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't take even one bit of it back, but it's true I'm grateful to you, too. It was real shitty of me to forget that in the moment." *** "I'm grateful to you for one thing and one thing only. Thanks...for giving me Return by Death. That's all I'm thankful for. Without that, I wouldn't have been able to protect a fly. I'll keep relying on this power from here on out as well. So for that alone, I'm thanking you." He was determined to continue making progress through trial and error. The option of running away had disappeared long ago. Ever since the moment he'd grasped a certain girl's hands and asked her to run away together, only to be rejected. Running was not an option. His only choice was to keep fighting. That was what he'd sworn to do. She expected that from Subaru, too. She trusted that Subaru wouldn't give, wouldn't run away. She trusted that Subaru was a man who could climb back onto his feet. If he couldn't do that, he'd never be able to face her again. "That's why I'm thanking you only for the power you gave me. Even a guy like me with no redeeming features can bust through a hopeless dead end like..." " Don't." "A dead end...like..." With one phrase, Jealousy stopped Subaru in his tracks, keeping him from venting the dark emotions dominating the inside of his chest. That faint, whisper-like murmur dulled his momentum. His cheeks hardening, Subaru breathed hard as he blinked. What did she say to him just then? After a momentary, silent pause, Jealousy spoke to Subaru. " Don't cry. Don't hurt yourself. Don't suffer. Don't...make such a sad face." Jealousy pleaded with Subaru, as if urging him or maybe even praying. Her words clouded the fierce emotions in Subaru's heart; part of it was anger, part of it was surprise, and the rest was a mix of various emotions that made no sense whatsoever. "Wh-why are...you saying..." His throat caught in shock. He didn't know how he should respond. All he could do was stare at Jealousy, bewildered... Subaru was already shaken, but Jealousy was not done yet. "Love, please." "I-in the end, that's what it's all about...? You twist my feelings, then tell me to love you? Who'd love someone like..." " No." When Subaru tried to reject her through his trembling, Jealousy engaged him in conversation for the first time. Even then, he could not see her face. However, in his soul, he knew what expression Jealousy was making as she gazed at him from the other side of that curtain of darkness. He knew what face Jealousy no, Satella was looking at him with at that very moment. " Love yourself more." She was surely gazing at him with a look of affection. Even though the meaning of her words had already permeated Subaru's brain, it still took a fair bit for them to register. The moment understanding spread through his mind, Subaru's heart was overwhelmed by a wave of indescribable sensations. "What the hell...are you even saying?" "Don't hurt yourself. Don't be sorry. Take...better care of yourself." "Shit, you're the one who gave me Return by Death. You're the one who gave me this power that lets me move forward, damn it!" " I love you. That's why...I want you to love and protect yourself." "If you take away the way I cope, the way I defend myself, then what the hell do I have left?!" Rejecting Satella's whispers of inexhaustible love, Subaru shouted, pressing his hand hard against his own chest. "You know, don't you?! I don't have any power! No smarts or special skills, either! I don't have a single advantage of my own! I don't have anything but the Return by Death ability you gave me! That's why the only thing I can pay with is my own life!" "Don't be sad." "If I'm hurt more than other people, if I see more things than other people, if I can run around protecting everyone, then no one but me has to go through this awful stuff! That's all I want!" "Please don't cry." "You don't really care what happens to me, do you?! Whatever happens to a guy like me, no one's gonna shed a tear! No matter how beat-up I get, if everyone can reach the future safe and sound, then that's...!" After all, if Subaru didn't stay on the front line, continuing to be hurt like that "If I can get to tomorrow without losing anyone, that's..." There was a chance he might lose someone in a way he could never undo. "...Rem's...gone." *** "It never would've happened if...if I was smarter, if I had any power, if I'd cared less for myself, if only I'd laid my life on the line in the first place..." The sense of loss and despair from that time still weighed heavily on Subaru Natsuki. That was why Subaru chose to rely on no one but himself while continuing to fight his painful battles alone. If choosing to rely on someone else or seeking out aid meant he would lose another person dear to him, then "If I don't believe that...if I don't believe that there has to be a way to make this work..." If he could master how to use it, Subaru wouldn't have to lose anything. He could solve everything with Return by Death. If he lost faith in that idea, if he stopped telling himself his suffering was necessary and he couldn't convince himself anymore, then how could he ever confront that despair again...? "I...! I don't wanna lose anyone else like how I lost Rem !!" Clutching his head, Subaru screamed in denial of anything and everything beyond himself. He realized that at some point, he'd slumped to the ground. With Satella right before his eyes, he was cowering inside his shell, shutting out her soft, tiny whispers. She was poison. A deadly substance. Satella's very existence was like a sweet venom that melted Subaru's hardened heart. As it melted, frigid despair seeped into the cracks that had

opened up, dredging up the crushing loss he felt that day. "You're not a child, are you?" Out of the blue, he heard a voice murmur. As Subaru tearfully shouted while stubbornly clinging to the conclusion he'd reached all alone, one of the Witches who had been silent so far looked directly at Subaru as she muttered, shaking her head in disapproval. "Crying, mewling, throwing a tantrum, taking on everything by yourself...that's just like..." *** "...a sad, lonely child, no?" With a pitying voice, Sekhmet passed judgment on Subaru. Not one of the wordless Witches present uttered a word of denial. Everything she had said rung true. In this moment, Subaru was nothing but a small, frail child. It was too painful to even watch. " Baru, are you crying...?" As he remained on his knees, Subaru abruptly felt his head being enveloped by something soft. Through his teary vision, he saw Typhon, the olive-skinned little girl who governed Pride. Standing at his side, the little girl was gently embracing Subaru's head. Then, without moving from her spot "It's so sad seeing you cry like this... Who's the one who made you cry?" Pitying Subaru, Pride surveyed the Witches gathered at the tea party with her red eyes. He sensed that the dangerous look in her gaze was slowly but surely causing the strained, tenuous equilibrium between the Witches to crumble. "Was it Tella? Daffy? Milla? Sigh? Or was it Nerva who...well, I guess probably not. Then was it Dona who did something bad to you again? Who was bad?" "Wh-why did you take me off the list right away? Even I can h-h-hurt someone, you know." "Your face goes pale just from imagining it. You're not capable. More importantly, why was I the only one who came out as a firm suspect, I wonder? It makes me want to meet the parents who raised you and question them in great detail..." "Because that is a daily affair for you, sigh." Typhon vigilantly watched the Witches as they reacted. She was eager to root out the "bad person who made Subaru cry." The fact that the suspects were her fellow Witches was no reason for them to be exempt from her punishment. Still, these women all possessed supernatural powers that could destroy whole nations or perhaps even the entire world itself. With all of them gathered in the same place at the same time and ready to lash out at the slightest provocation, this tea party was more dangerous than playing with matches next to a powder keg. Pride, clutching the head of the crying boy, was keen on punishing whoever had sinned. Wrath, siding with her own murderer, was adamant on making sure the quiet Witch's feelings were heard. Sloth, keeping an eye on everyone equally, was lazily waiting to instantly smash whoever would make the first move. Gluttony, showing no interest in the changing circumstances, was craving to take advantage of everything going on to satisfy her hunger. Lust, maintaining her neutrality, was clutching at her own head as if to protect herself alone. Greed, with a faint trace of hatred remaining in her glimmering eyes, was inquisitively watching for any shifts in the balance of power. And finally, the Witch called Satella, who was apparently not the Witch of Jealousy " I...love you. Because you...gave me light. Because you took my hand, and you taught me about the world outside. Because...when I trembled on lonely nights, you never stopped holding my hand. Because when I felt lonely, you kissed me and said that I wasn't alone. You gave me so many things... That's why I love you. Because you...you gave me everything." She showed no intention of cutting short her whispers of love for the kneeling Subaru, who didn't seem to register anything she said. He couldn't understand. He didn't get any of it. He'd never met Satella before, nor had he ever exchanged words with her. Everything she was saying had to be the product of her delusions. She wasn't any different than Petelgeuse, another person who had gone mad with love. All that should have been true. And yet, Subaru Natsuki knew. "What the hell...? What's this...inside me? I don't want any of these feelings. Don't...tie me to memories I don't have... How could... How could I...for someone like you...?!" I hate you is what he wanted to add. The word hate did not truly suffice. He detested this person. He didn't feel a single shred of good will toward her. If she was going to force such self-centered feelings of love onto him, he might as well see what kind of face she was making. It would be something to behold, no doubt. How can you do this to her...? *** Having reached the pinnacle of a supposedly impossible contradiction, Subaru's mind went blank. The next moment, Subaru "addressed" the confusion. There could be no more direct way to do so. "...Baru?" It was Typhon, touching Subaru, who was the first to notice the change. The little girl's eyes went wide as she realized that strength had drained from Subaru even as he remained kneeling within her arms. She immediately noticed something else. A large quantity of blood was dripping from his mouth. Subaru had bit his tongue. " Ahh, so this is another option you have, Subaru Natsuki." As the various Witches reacted to his decision, Echidna was the only one whose cheeks slackened in joy. " Gh, puh." This was Echidna's castle of dreams. Subaru's real body wasn't here. Accordingly, dying in this place was a death of the mind, which ran the risk of leaving his body an empty husk. Even after considering the possibility, Subaru tried to end it nonetheless. Death was Subaru's only hope "You...absolute idiot !!" The moment Minerva noticed Subaru trying to take his own life, her face reddened as she flew into action. She raised her fist, brimming with the power of healing, and prepared to slam it into Subaru. But before she could, Typhon stood in her way. The young Witch spread both arms wide, shielding Subaru behind her as much as her little body could. "Baru chose this himself! Don't get in his way, Nerva!" "Hurting yourself, killing yourself, hurting others, killing others I won't allow any of it! Mental suffering is beyond me! If I can't see it, there's no way for me to know when someone's hurt! So that's why instead, I never ignore any wounds I can see, even it means destroying the world!!" With one determined step forward, which left a crater in the hill, Minerva slammed her fist into Typhon's face. It wasn't an exaggeration to say it hit like a cannonball that could crush whole boulders. However, the instant her fist came into contact with a living thing, the force of her blow changed from being destructive to healing and so, only the momentum of the impact remained. With an explosive roar, Minerva's strike sent the young Witch's childlike body flying. However, while she had managed to overcome the obstacle, it was not just Typhon who'd taken damage. The right arm Minerva had swung with cracked like a shattered glass window. The Witch of Pride had deemed her actions evil; this was the result of being touched by her judgment. The pain of having lost her arm made Minerva turn her face up toward the sky, opening her mouth wide in " Piece of caaaaake !!" what was decidedly not a scream of pain. The Witch of Wrath was so sensitive to the suffering of others that she put her own aside no matter what. Her calling Subaru's methods twisted while stubbornly adhering to her own extreme ideals was truly the pot calling the kettle black. "Anyway! With this, I'll...!" "Sigh...the next one to interfere...is me." An instant later, a blow that came from straight above knocked Minerva off the hill. After her entire body was forced into the ground, Minerva left a human-shaped indentation on the grassy plain. Lifting up her head, she looked toward Sekhmet with a face marred with rage and shouted: "Don't interfere, Sekhmet!!" "I can do no such thing, phew. Emotionally, I am on the boy's side, sigh. You could probably say I'm also on Typhon's side, phew. So you see, I have no reason not to interfere, sigh." Faced with Sekhmet's declaration of opposition, Minerva resentfully bit her lip and scanned the area. Unfortunately for her, Daphne and Carmilla were maintaining their neutrality in this dispute, while Echidna was nothing but a detached observer awaiting the results. And Satella was "Agh, aghhh..." Subaru continued heaving up terrible amounts of blood as the Witch knelt in her black dress, her voice shaking as she spoke to him. The frothy blood pouring from the boy's torn tongue was blocking his throat. Subaru was drowning in his own blood as he caught sight of Satella. Finally, I'll be free, he thought. But the moment he noticed her grieving, his relief evaporated like ephemeral mist. "Why haven't you realized...? That somewhere among all the things you wish to save, shouldn't there be a spot for you, too...?" Why did she think about Subaru that way? Just how much had Subaru soothed her heart during those delusions she must've had? "Just like many other people, fate has led you to many dead ends. But just because you have the chance to change those... Why can't you see...that you're someone who deserves to be saved, too...?" There had to be...some mistake. Subaru was an unredeemable person, unable to take care of even the things that were within his reach. He couldn't even save just the people he wanted to save. He couldn't break free from his inadequacy, his immaturity. Hadn't he sworn to change? To stop being such a fool? Hadn't he decided to act cool? The part of him that was weak and the part of him that didn't want to be weak anymore warred inside him. He'd made a vow a vow to the girl who had chosen him to be her hero. He could not go back on that vow. He had to challenge death, to desire death, to face death head-on. If she knew of this, would she be happy? Would she be sad? What would she think of Subaru, who she'd wished to be her hero? He couldn't think about it. He couldn't know about it. This was a dangerous line of thought. Subaru Natsuki was fine with that. He did not think of himself as a person anyone would miss. He was not a human being with that kind of worth. Subaru's life was an expendable commodity. And so, like any other resource, all he needed to do was use it, and use it as much as necessary to make sure he reached the end. It was simple. In order to gain something valuable, something worthless would be exhausted. It was only natural. The decision was so obvious, anyone would do the same, wouldn't they? All Subaru had was his life. He would save the lives of precious people who needed to be saved, lives that would never return. If he could manage that at least, Subaru could "What happened in the second Trial...? What did you see...?" Trial. Trial. Trial, "Trial." Trialtrialtrial, Trialtrialtrialtrial, Trial ? Shock and insufficient oxygen had severely dulled his mind. His vision was finally becoming indistinct, and the world began to flash red. White noise like television static filled his thoughts. Subaru hazily considered that the end was near. The end would finally come. With this, how many times would he have greeted death? It was annoying to count, but that was fine. Sooner or later, he would confront death so many times that he'd be tired of counting anyway. He didn't think the human mind could withstand remembering the number of deaths it had experienced. He readied his heart into steel. A heart of steel that would not be swayed by anything Finally, Subaru's consciousness slowly, gently

melted into the darkness " I've got high hopes for you, son." There was...a sound. From somewhere on the other side of the white noise, from the chaotically reflecting noises, he heard...something very clear. " Come back soon." There it was again. He heard a different sound. But this resonated in his chest in the same way. " I...wanted to call you my friend." A different sound, a sound that carried another feeling. The sounds were far from calming. But still, they were comforting. "Why...why?!! Why, Subaru... How could you do this so easily...!" A different sound again. The sound of parting filled his chest with a sense of desolation and something resembling longing, a feeling that made him want to say he was sorry. "I knew that...at the very least, you weren't That Person...but..." A new sound made his chest tighten. It was impossible to remain detached and unemotional. This was a tearful sound. It was the sound of someone who he shouldn't make cry. Who he had to protect. Who he had to save. Sound. Sound. Sound. "Please show me your good parts, Subaru." Reacting to the sound, a kind of thump rang out. The inside of his body grew hot. A sense of duty stirred within him. That sound had always supported him. And then "Thank you, Subaru." There was...a sound. " Thank you...for helping me." A sound that heralded the beginning of...everything. 3 He wondered if they would cry. Subaru wondered if the people important to him would be sad about his death. In the world he would leave through selfishly experiencing death, would the irreplaceable people he left behind miss him? Would they be sad at his passing? As Subaru repeated Return by Death, would they, too, be chagrined? There were people who he thought of as precious, who he believed he had to protect, who he yearned to save. Did he have enough worth to make these previous people miss him? Is it fine to be that conceited? Do precious people think of a guy like me...as a precious existence? Is it all right for me to believe that? To believe I'm needed by the people I want to protect, enough that they want to protect even a guy like me? Is it forgivable to even wish for it? To wish that even a guy like me is worth enough that people would cry if they lost me, that they'd reach a hand out because they want to save me? Is it all right for me to even think it? To think I don't wanna die. To think I don't want to give up, to say this is the only way. To think I don't want to become the cornerstone that protects the future of the people precious to me, and then disappear. To think I want to be with those precious people in the future I've protected, together. Is it all right to think like that? Do I have that kind of worth? If I really do "I don't...wanna die..." A clump of blood made a sound as it fell. There was a sound of air leaking out, and it brought along a different sound. His breathing eased. His consciousness was returning. His hazy vision had begun to return, and with it, color returned to the world. And then "I knew that's how you really felt all along...you jerk!!" ...As he tenaciously crawled, the face of Wrath came into focus, right as she healed him with a headbutt. 4 Subaru coughed, spitting out clumps of blood. He rolled onto his back, faceup as he looked at the sky. He made repeated, ragged breaths, earnestly gasping in search of oxygen, the fuel needed for life. His heart had no time to feel shame at how lowly and pathetic he looked as he clung to life. Just... "Am I...?" *** "Am I...worthy of living...? Me, who can't die...do I have...any value outside of dying...?" Through Return by Death, he had saved people he held dear from horrific fates. Subaru Natsuki had believed his only value was in the results he had obtained at the cost of his life. But was it right to think that this was not so? "Can I think that...a human being like me has value outside of Return by Death...? Is it all right for me to think that...the people I care for...care for me, too...?" "...I wouldn't know any such thing." Minerva gave Subaru's frail question that very curt reply. She was in a terrible state. Her arm was shattered, and there were bruises from blunt trauma all over her body. But she calmly rose to her feet, gritted her teeth at those wounds, and regenerated herself. Doing this, the Witch of Wrath stood solidly on her own two feet, crossing her arms as she looked down at Subaru. And then "Don't ask me what worth you have. But that girl wants you to live so much...plus, you saw in the second Trial yourself, didn't you?" "...But the second Trial showed me the mistakes, the sins I committed..." "What are you, an idiot? That wasn't to make you take responsibility for worlds gone wrong. That was to show you just how sad people got because of the results of your mistakes. That's your answer right there, isn't it?" " hh." They returned to the back of his mind. He remembered. He remembered crying voices. He remembered voices clenched in regret. He remembered strong voices sending him off. He remembered all the people sending him off so kindly. He remembered whispers of love from those who'd believed in him. He remembered the genesis, the trigger of his struggle against fate. He remembered a life that supposedly had nothing awaiting him. Subaru remembered he'd been invited into that world with nothing, with the things he was supposed to have falling from his fingertips. To prove that someone like him had worth, he had to keep struggling. And as he kept struggling to protect those precious things he had gained, he thought he had no choice but to walk an even lonelier path. I'd thought to myself, it's all others giving unto me. Is it all right for me to think it's not so? People will cry for my sake? People will lament their powerlessness for my sake? People wish to see the future with me, together? Precious people will give me the privilege of standing and smiling at their side? Surely it was impossible for someone stubbornly walking a lonely path to the very end, as Subaru had been doing, to receive such a privilege. With a heart of steel a mental state that swayed before nothing he was disconnected from the softness that would've allowed him to smile. Then was it all right to believe? That the choice to whittle away his own heart, deciding it was the price he had to pay for the future of those precious to him... That the choice to desperately struggle to protect his own heart, thus becoming unable to walk his chosen path... To believe that neither need be taken, and that there was another, greedier choice? Was it all right to believe and to want it? " I permit it." These were Subaru's thoughts, thoughts he had in no way spoken aloud. And yet, there was a reply to those thoughts. Still flat on the ground and faceup, he let his head tumble sideways. Over where Minerva was standing still, someone was kneeling on the grassy field. Her face was drenched with tears, but still she smiled. Even then, Subaru could not see this face, which was covered by shadow. Obstructed by that curtain of darkness, he could not see the expression turned toward him. And yet, he knew she was smiling. "I was saved by you. That is why I permit that you can be saved. And it is my hope to be saved by you." Satella's words, her voice, and her smile permeated the cracks in his heart. Subaru covered his face with his hands. Tears flowed. Sobs spilled out. He continued to hide his weeping face. That moment, he didn't want anyone, especially her, to see him like that for the sake of his meager stubbornness. "...I was surprised that Minerva broke through Typhon and Sekhmet's obstruction, but I find this action by the two of you even more unexpected." Echidna made that small comment, ignoring Subaru as he covered his weeping face. After all, before Echidna was a spectacle of talons stretching from the black, lacquered coffin to restrain Typhon while the coffin's mistress, Daphne, faced off against Sekhmet. Daphne responded to Echidna's words with a low, throaty laugh. Released from her restraints, she stepped barefoot onto the grassy field, tilting her hips as she stuck out her tongue. "There's no mistaaake that Daphne's compatibility with Ty-Ty is number oooone. The Centipede Coffin has no head for thinking because it's Daphne's arms and leeeegs. And its compatibility with Ty-Ty's Authority is the woooorst." "Uuugh! Daffy, out of my way! Nnnn! Uuu!" "So...sigh. That means you are holding me back yourself, phew. I'm not Echidna, but, sigh. Why are you doing something like this, phew. Unlike Minerva, I do not understand your reason for getting involved, sigh." Glancing as Typhon writhed under the coffin, Sekhmet made another weighty sigh. With Typhon taken hostage, the mightiest of the Witches apparently could not act rashly. Responding to Sekhmet's words, Daphne shook her head, braids swaying as she said "Nahhhh" and laughed. "Subaru, you seeee, killed the White Whale, then talked big and told Daphne that the Great Rabbit was neeext. Sooo I figured I wanted him to last at least long enough to chaaaallenge it." "A most fascinating opinion. Certainly, if he puts his mind to it, he can achieve such a feat. You must understand this as well...but Daphne, do you want the Great Rabbit to be destroyed?" "Not reaaaally? From the moment they were born from Daphne, those children's empty stomachs and Daphne's empty stomach weren't related anymooore. Where and how it's destroyed makes no differeeeence...but all the same, Daphne might be interested in just how the Great Rabbit, Daphne's own inexhaustible hunger, reaches its eeeend." You see, she seemed to say, sipping her own drool. "If Daphne is satisfied at how it eeeends, that would be a happiness unknoooown to Daphne..." To Daphne, who was tormented by an inexhaustible sense of emptiness, satisfaction was a dream eternally out of reach. And if the Great Rabbit was a reflection of her own endless hunger, it existed as the incarnation of her cravings. Not that Daphne herself held any sentimentality toward it. But Daphne harbored an interest, a curiosity beyond hunger. To Echidna, this was a most satisfying answer. Smiling at this, Echidna nodded, turning her gaze to the other person to whom she had referred to the Witch of Lust, standing apart from the group. "Carmilla, what about you? Do you have a reason like Daphne's, I wonder?" "Wh-what are you...trying to say, E-Echidna...?" "It is very simple. You were the one who called him back from the brink of death, weren't you? I do not understand the reason you would go as far as employing your Faceless Bride Authority." *** "You must have called forth countless bonds for him. I thought you were not fond of him. And so, I wish to ask: Why have you done this?" When Echidna posed her question, Carmilla hid her mouth under the stole wrapped around her neck, glancing around in search of aid from the Witches around them. She wanted someone other than herself to come rescue her. However, there was no Witch in that place who would fall under the lovely Carmilla's charms. Left with no other choice, Carmilla leaned forward, gazing at Echidna with upturned eyes. "N-no r-reason, really? I'm satisfied with that boy refusing Echidna's...mm, advances...so even if others fight, as long as I'm safe, then...just..." "Just?" "L-love is important...r-right? You mustn't hold it in...contempt... You mustn't. That boy...he

thinks he doesn't want to see it, when 'love' is right there, so...I won't let him...deny what's there. And besides, I......really hate not repaying a debt." Her words were halting and plodding. However, only at the end did Carmilla assert herself loud and clear. Receiving this, Echidna dropped her shoulders as she looked at the faces of the various Witches in turn. "Sekhmet and Typhon tried to honor his will. Minerva, honoring his life, healed him. Daphne cooperated, extending his life so she might watch his battle. Carmilla, who'd kept her back turned to him, used her Authority to make him understand 'love.' Now then, putting each and every person's various assertions together...all of you were trying to help Subaru Natsuki." The Witches stood still, neither affirming nor denying Echidna's assessment. Sloth, Pride, Wrath, Gluttony, Lust all stood still. Seeing the Witches like that, Greed twisted her cheeks in amusement. And then "This is indeed most interesting. Do you not think so?" She posed this question, casting it toward Subaru, looking haggard as he wobbled to his feet. *** His head was terribly heavy. His entire body was languid as if he had a high fever. Even then, his tears had not fully dried. Wiping from his cheek what remained of his tears with his sleeve, Subaru, somehow managing to stand on his own two feet, surveyed the faces of Echidna and the other Witches with insipid eyes. "Really...the hell is wrong with you all..." It was a question a natural question for a puny human to have after meeting a Witch. "Curiosity. Sympathy. Compassion. Sense of duty. Expectation. Hatred... Can't say I really understand or agree with the reasons you had to take my side. I get why they call you all Witches." "From this insulting attitude, I take it that your willpower has returned?" "...Dunno." From the words that had trickled out of him, Echidna winked and bluntly laid out Subaru's mental state. "I decided there were things I had to do. That hasn't changed, even now. And I'd...resolved that...to accomplish them, this was the only way. But..." Haltingly, Subaru spoke not to anyone else in particular, but to himself. "My resolve...when I came to this place, the Trial...broke it. Just when I thought you were lending me a hand, I found out what you really thought, then even Satella appeared...my head's all a mess. You're all self-serving... I decided what it is I had to do. But then..." After coming this far, if he clung to his supposedly expendable life, what then? After coming this far, if he yearned for life when using it was his only option, what then? After coming this far, if he internalized that he was loved, what was it he ought to do? "Now I...don't know what I should do anymore." Logic pleaded that if he did not desire death, he could save nothing via Return by Death. His memories told him that as death piled higher, the flood of tears from those who had lost Subaru grew greater. Without his death, someone would be sad, and yet with his death, someone would be sad also. " Now, I ask you once more, Subaru Natsuki." With Subaru unable to sew his thoughts together, Echidna lowered her voice, speaking solemnly. When he lifted his face, Echidna was standing right in front of him, slowly nodding. "If I cooperate with you, the people you absolutely wish to save will arrive at a future in which they are saved. You will have no more reason to worry. In extremis, I will find the answers to the problems that you must directly confront. All you need do is put them into effect, thus climbing over the walls. If you are afraid you must continue to worry, one choice you have is entrusting those worries to me. I will not fault you for this. I will welcome it. Therefore, I now ask you once more." *** "Since you do not understand what to do, how about letting me lead you by the hand? I promise, I will bring you to the future you desire without fail." This spoken, Echidna stretched her hand out to Subaru. If he took that hand, a pact would be formed. Echidna would cooperate with Subaru in accordance with her words. It was an idea he'd rejected out of emotion a short while before. But Echidna's proposal hit the mark. If he truly wanted that future, he ought to sacrifice himself in a true sense and use her for that purpose. He ought to take that hand. If he did not fear being hurt and resolved to swallow down thoughts of pain and suffering as he continued to fight, he ought to take that hand. Hence "Echidna. I'm afraid of being hurt." *** "I hate pain, suffering, and sadness. I don't want to go through painful times, and I don't want to watch someone other than me go through bad things, either. I don't want to die." *** "So because it's predicated on sacrifice, I won't take your hand anymore." Not even Subaru knew what he might be able to do. But he could not walk the path Echidna had presented. He could not choose it. For he was aware that he did not want to die. He, who had thought dying was the only service he could contribute, had learned that there were people who would accept him without him having to die. Subaru Natsuki was not a man who had value only in death. For the people who regretted Subaru's death would not have done so had they seen value in his death. No, what they regretted was "I don't know exactly what everyone felt like they lost yet. But I think I want to find out. If I understand that, I think I can repay everyone in a way besides death." "...But that is a path of thorns. The shortest way to the future is to choose to use your life as a tool and cut it open. It would have been better if you offered your heart alone. To reject this, and to preserve both your own heart and someone else's future in your hands at the same time, is most difficult, and moreover " Echidna cut off her words with a pause of her breath. Then the most charming smile he had seen on the Witch to that point came over her. " it is greed." Affirming its greed, the Witch of Greed joyfully accepted Subaru's judgment. Subaru did not understand the thinking of the Witch, who seemed so happy even though he had rejected her proposal. But. "What is true is that you came and saved me a bunch of times over... Even if in the bottom of your heart, you think of me as nothing more than a lab animal, that much is true." It was undeniable that for some travails, Echidna's existence had lent support to his heart, allowing him to overcome them. Therefore, his gratitude for the times when she'd saved his heart was also definite. " Foolish, pitiable Garfiel fears the outside world." "...Eh?" "What he saw during the first Trial has bound his heart ever since. If you are to get through this situation with your own power, it will surely be necessary to break that curse." "Echidna?" "What, just sour grapes from a busybody. I would rather you did not think All those other Witches are good people deep down, but that Echidna is a bad person to the bitter end or the like. Whatever your thoughts, I am a girl, and it is the truth that I have some degree of fondness for you." Speaking rapidly, Echidna gave Subaru's chest a light poke with the hand he had not taken. Then she turned her back, her white hair swaying as the Witch of Greed put distance between them. During that time, Daphne was using her coffin to cuddle Typhon up to Sekhmet, and Carmilla had returned to the fold as well. Seeing the Witches like that made Subaru sigh. "You really are incomprehensible monsters. I don't think I could ever come to like or understand you." These were his true, unvarnished thoughts. The values each Witch harbored never wavered, something that would never sit well with Subaru no, that was true for any normal person. Thus Subaru could not understand the Witches, nor could he cooperate with them. But just like he thought with Echidna, understanding and gratitude were wholly different things. "Thanks for trying to let me die. Thanks for not letting me die. Thanks for making me hear the voices that are precious to me. Thanks for all that." He bowed his head to the Witches one by one. Pride smiled, Sloth sighed, Lust grimaced in disgust, Gluttony licked her lips in arousal, and Wrath turned her face aside. Then he turned around toward Satella, who was kneeling on the hill, and began walking to her. As Subaru walked over, Satella looked up at him, her breath catching. Her body trembled in fear and unease. Why was it that someone he had so dreaded filled his chest with such warmth? What were these emotions he continued to harbor for someone he'd never come in contact with? It was a mystery with no answer, but this dream castle had already given Subaru too many. With not a single answer to that question, Subaru opted to keep worrying about it as he crouched down, extending his hand to the Witch. Seemingly bewildered, Satella stared at the hand offered to her. "I...don't know who you are. I don't know why you told me you love me...and I don't know the meaning of...you telling me that I saved you." " Ah." "But it's still a fact that you saved me by giving me Return by Death. It's also true that I've relied on it to get me this far." *** "To me, Return by Death is...one choice, I suppose?" *** "And you're telling me...not to depend on it, but to love myself...right?" *** "I'm not saying it's as cut and dry as that. But there's no mistaking that you gave me Return by Death because you don't want me to die." That was why... "Just like you said, I'm going to...try loving myself, just a little more. I'll take better care of myself. I don't know what'll happen because of it, but that's fine." "...It's all right?" "Yeah...compared with death, it ain't nothin'." Responding to Satella's concerned voice, Subaru made a smile, frail as it was. Seemingly relieved by that expression, Satella took Subaru's hand. The next moment, Subaru's eardrums caught a sound as if the very world had cracked. The colors of the blue sky and the green, grassy field faded. Subaru Natsuki was being freed from the castle of dreams. " I'm returning outside, huh?" Even then, it was unclear how, and why, he had arrived at that place. What should he do first when he got back? His mind was in chaos over even an issue like that. "Don't worry all by yourself. Do it together, with the people who consider you precious..." *** "Struggle together with the people who you do not wish to die, the people who do not wish to let you die. And when even that fails, do not forget to fear death when you die." *** "Do not forget that when you die, it makes people sad " The world made a sound like it was breaking. Satella's voice grew distant. And yet, it clawed terribly at Subaru's heart. The palm connecting him to her was hot. He felt a longing that told him he mustn't take his hand away. *** He called out to her, but his voice would not come out. His voice could not call her...Satella. If he called her that, he wouldn't be able to reject her any longer. He would lose to his wanting to accept her. His soul kept on screaming at him, asking how he should deal with that emotion.

The sky was falling. The earth was splitting. Light flooded in, and the scene around them had already completely changed. All signs of the Witches had vanished, too. The world consisted of Subaru and Satella alone. There was a vanishing. And then, there was a beginning. Still unable to speak, Subaru stared at the Satella right in front of him. *** Suddenly, the curtain of darkness lifted. The subconscious veil that had hidden from Subaru what he had not wished to see became transparent, making visible what rested across it. And then, when he saw the face peering at him from below, Subaru drew in his breath. Looking at Subaru, Satella made her silver hair sway, narrowing her violet eyes. And as tears coursed from the corners of those eyes "And someday you will come to kill me, yes?" She vanished. She was gone. The world was being erased, and he could no longer see even the girl who was right before his eyes. The only thing that was still certain was the warmth within his palm. And so, Subaru gripped it tight. " I will save you. You'll see." That was all he said to the lovely girl whom he could no longer see. CHAPTER 2 *** 1 The first sensation he became aware of was something rough rubbing against his cheek. As he regained consciousness, his entire being was dominated by a sense of extreme languor. His body felt sluggish, as if it was sand coursing through his veins rather than blood. When he opened his mouth in search of air, his parched lips refused to let go of each other and tore apart. The pain and the taste of blood on the tip of his tongue startled him. His slightly bleary eyes rolled around as he forced open his heavy eyelids. His vision cleared, and the world gained color and then, the sight of a pitch-black land dragon leaped into his eyes. "...Oh, it's you?" There by his side, heaving rasping breaths and watching him with two narrowed, amber eyes, was Subaru's beloved land dragon, Patlash. She extended her head, continuing to lick the sleepy Subaru in an apparent show of concern. "So that rough tongue belongs to you, huh... Where...are we...?" Subaru suspended the touchy-feely wakeup call, rendering Patlash silent. Lying at his favorite dragon's side, Subaru looked around the area, drawing his brows together when he saw he was outside the tomb. He remembered the encounter with the Witches that had occurred just prior in the world of dreams. The condition for being invited to Echidna's tea party was to enter the tomb. According to previous experience, he should have woken up in the stonework room within the tomb. Instead, Subaru was resting his body against the stone wall at the entrance to the tomb. "Someone brought me out...? But who..." " W-wait! Please wait, dear! Patlash...! Wait a...huff, huff... If you run off and I lose track of you...I'll be in such trouble...!" The question Subaru murmured aloud was interrupted by a pathetic voice echoing through the nighttime forest. The speaker was out of breath, tripping as he earnestly ran up the stone stairs of the tomb. Then, when he spotted Patlash on the steps above, he was clearly exhausted as well as relieved. "Ahh, I'm so glad! To think you were in a place like...er, ah? Mr. Natsuki?" "...You sure are in high spirits on a night like this, Otto. What are you up to? Burglary?" "I shall return that very same question to you. What are you up to? For that matter, you are hardly unrelated to why I am in these dire straits to begin with, Mr. Natsuki." Otto's shoulders dropped as he addressed Subaru, who was sitting on the ground with his legs spread out. Seeing Otto, Subaru had reflexively joked around like usual, but he got down to business in short order. "I'm not unrelated? Wait, what happened?" "I mean our dear Patlash. In fact, Patlash went wild back at the stables. As these are unfamiliar surroundings, I untied her thinking I might take her for a refreshing stroll...and poof! Off she ran." Otto made a gaze of protest toward her, but the land dragon in question had her face turned away from him, her expression one of lofty indifference. "...She literally has no eyes for me... At any rate, she rushed out of the stables, and I was nervous that if she ran off entirely, my situation would become grave, bringing us to the present, you see." "So she came right to me, then. Well, well, Patlash. You must be the sort to get lonely quick." "It did not appear to be...mere longing for you, Mr. Natsuki. I mean..." Crossing his arms, Otto narrowed his eyes, suggestively turning them toward Patlash. Subaru followed suit, squinting as he gazed at the land dragon's scales, which seemed to melt into the night. That was when he realized it. Patlash's black scales had wounds that oozed with blood. Surely, the hard scales covering her body could not be easily harmed, and more than that, her injuries looked like they were inflicted internally rather than externally. Instantly, the stated rules for entering the tomb rose in the back of Subaru's mind. "When someone not qualified enters the tomb, they get rejected..." As a matter of fact, that rule was the cause of Roswaal's grave injuries from when he had entered the tomb. There was no mercy for any violators of that edict, and it was effective not only against people, but even against land dragons. "Don't tell me you...got all hurt like this to pull me out of there?" Murmuring, Subaru touched his own shoulder. There were traces of saliva left on his sports jacket. There was dirt on his back and hips from being dragged, too. It was Patlash who had brought Subaru outside. In spite of her wounds from the penalty for entering the tomb, Subaru's beloved dragon had brought him out. "Why'd you do something stupid like...when I woke up, I could've just come outside on my...you didn't need to drag me out and get all hurt like this..." Unable to keep looking at her seeping wounds, Subaru hung his head. Patlash reached out once more, rubbing the tip of her nose against Subaru. Subaru couldn't tell what she meant by it. Unable to exchange words with her, the flow of thoughts and feelings ran only in one direction between them. He was always the one being saved. "Otto." "What is it? If I am in the way, perhaps it would be best if I went somewhere for the..." "Can you...ask Patlash why she saved me?" There was only one way to find out what Patlash truly thought. Otto's blessing of language. This power allowed him to converse with birds and animals, both of which could not normally engage in human speech. Surely, with this, it was possible to find out how Patlash felt. However, faced with Subaru's request, Otto twisted his lips and put on a disagreeable look. "Er...to be honest, I cannot wrap my head around it. Mr. Natsuki, are you trying to be funny?" "...Do I look like I'm trying to make a joke right now?" "Even in such a sorry state, I feel like Mr. Natsuki of all people might make some sort of unfunny jest, and I must admit that I do hope you are joking. You truly cannot tell?" When Otto replied in a low voice, Subaru tried to respond only to be overwhelmed by Otto's gaze. Otto was looking at Subaru with an incredulous look, as if he was watching something ridiculous. Subaru felt like he was overlooking something rather big, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Seeing Subaru's confusion, Otto let out an exasperated sigh as he touched his hand to his cheek. "My blessing is not as omnipotent as you believe it to be, Mr. Natsuki. Mere transmission of thoughts differs from translation, so asking me to bridge the gap in this exchange is asking for the impossible." *** "Your eyes say to try anyway. Very well...though I wonder if there is a point, really..." Though his sullen dismay trickled out, Otto grudgingly accepted Subaru's request. Otto gently stroked Patlash's back as she snuggled up to Subaru. A high-pitched, raspy breath came out of that very Otto's throat. Through the power of the blessing of language, he had converted human speech into land dragon speech. Patlash responded to his call, turned her head toward Otto, and emitted a similar, high-pitched call. Otto responded to this with a high-pitched call, and so it went, back and forth. "I am finished...but, mm-hmm, it is difficult. How do I translate this into human terms..." "Don't keep me in suspense. Just tell me, I'm begging you." "I am not attempting to keep you in...ahh, this really puts me in a bind! Then again, would conveying this message be considered an extremely strange form of kindness?!" Scratching his head, Otto repeatedly searched his thoughts for words that he would find acceptable. Finally, after noticing Subaru nervously clenching his teeth, he sighed with what felt like an air of resignation. "It is closest to Don't make me...say something like that, I believe." "...Eh?" Scratching his cheek with a blush on his face, Otto averted his gaze as Subaru widened his eyes at those words. Though Subaru waited for him to continue, Otto offered nothing more. Or so it seemed, but Otto raised his eyebrows toward the speechless Subaru. "I mean, she said Don't make me...say something like that. I thought she might say as much..." "Not making her say...what's that supposed to mean...?" "Exactly what it sounds like. If I was to add my own personal impression, it'd be with an air of Do I really need to say it for you to understand?" Otto's statement only further perplexed Subaru. Though he was being asked Don't you understand? he really didn't. What was it, exactly, that Subaru didn't understand, then? "...Overcome with worry whether a certain person is in peril and unable to hold still, she comes rushing out to mount a rescue regardless of what wounds she may sustain, staying right at his side until he awakens, smiling at him in relief when he opens his eyes in such a case, be it human or land dragon, I believe the feelings behind those actions are much the same." "Ah " "And even if it wasn't Patlash, you would still get Don't make me say it. To not notice when her demeanor demonstrates so much is something beyond being merely dense... I suppose that ignorance is bliss?" Otto looking exasperated from the very bottom of his heart made Subaru appreciate the depth of his own foolishness. Next, when he looked at Patlash, who was right by his side, the land dragon stared at Subaru with a gentle gaze, drawing her nose close to rub against his neck once more. By nature, he stroked the land dragon's head, gently petting her hard, rocklike scales. "I see...you love me, don't you?" *** "So you're in love with me... I see." Thump, he felt, as something that'd been caught inside his chest seemed to fall away. Subaru's acknowledgment brought a neigh out of Patlash, and the strength of her rubbing increased as if she was trying to conceal a blush. The sensation scraped his skin, but when Subaru tried to open his mouth to protest "Uh, ah...?" Abruptly, hot droplets coursed down Subaru's cheeks. Tears. They were tears. From somewhere in the very back of his consciousness, something urgently welled up and came pouring out. He rushed to touch his hands to his cheeks, but he was too late to hide it. Otto gaped right at him. "M-Mr. Natsuki? Breaking into tears from realizing your land dragon is fond of you is a little..." "You're wro...this isn't...it's just, the timing is too darn perfect...shit, right when I was having doubts, the answer came

flying into my face...!" It wasn't fair. This came at the perfect time. That was Patlash for you. Too crafty, too cunning. Internally papering things over with such foolish words, Subaru desperately fought to hold back tears. He recalled how at the Witch's Tea Party, he had confessed his true desire of not wanting to die. He confessed, too, his greed: His desire to be with the people precious to him was just as strong as his desire to protect them. And how he yearned to know if the people important to him thought he was something precious to them. "Who'd have thought you'd be the first one to tell me? Thanks, Patlash." As if to reply to the faithful love trained toward him, Subaru poured his feelings into his palm as he stroked his beloved dragon. Satisfied with his touch, Patlash lifted her head in a ladylike manner. Moreover, the swaying of her tail showed without a doubt that she was in a good mood. "Now that you have reaffirmed your bonds with Patlash, are you all right?" "Yeah, thanks to her. Sorry to cause you a lot of trouble, too... Whaddaya mean 'all right'?" "Mentally, but also physically. I can tell just by looking that you entered the tomb. You collapsed when you went in to save Emilia, so what was it this time? It is more than enough to make one worry." "So you were worried about me...by any chance, are you in love with me, too?" "Could you please not say something creepy such as that?! Surely, you are not so unsatisfied with being loved by Patlash that you feel like asking this of all your acquaintances?" "Some reason I can't? To be honest, right now, I'd love even one extra message of support and consolation, but..." "Yes, yes, I am quite happy to see that you have returned to your usual form... I believe that for the sake of my future, I will be supporting you, Mr. Natsuki. Even to the bitter end." Shuddering in the face of Subaru's eccentric advance warning, Otto thrust both hands forward in a visible attempt to stop him. It was so very mercantile of him to use the roundabout phrase for the sake of my future. "But if that precondition should come into question, and I find myself in peril, I shall flee with all available haste. Please keep that in mind." It certainly was a heartless statement, but drawing a line was a necessary ritual for tacit consent. Even though he'd said it like that, Otto's good nature was on full display. "Yeah, I get it. You're " Subaru, about to give a nod to Otto's realistic point of view, stopped. Something felt off. And immediately realizing just what it was, he let out a little "Hah." "...What is it?" "Mm, just remembered something. Yeah, that's right..." With Otto giving him a suspicious look, Subaru nodded several times over, lifting his face toward the night sky. Amid the loop that had begun in that very Sanctuary, Subaru had cooperated with Otto several times over. And during that time, Subaru had many opportunities to observe him. Hence "If you find yourself in peril, you'll flee with all haste...is it right?" "Yes, but of course. I bear no duty to Mr. Natsuki and others to go quite that f..." "You won't run." " Eh?" Subaru murmured to Otto, who was trying to lightheartedly adopt the role of a realist. Then, when Otto widened his eyes, Subaru faced him directly as he continued. " You won't leave me and run, Otto." This was the man who hadn't faltered in the face of Garfiel's threats, who had come to rescue Subaru from imprisonment. This was the man who had shielded Subaru from a bestial Garfiel, resisting him together with the villagers. However unfeeling he might act, Subaru knew the truth. "Otto. That's because you're my friend." 2 Having received encouragement from Otto and Patlash, Subaru gained a moment of mental respite. To be blunt, he still couldn't entirely digest what had happened in the castle of dreams. Even so, he chewed it over bit by bit, using it as fuel to drive himself onward. "I shall take Patlash back... Goodness, this is really throwing me off my stride." Otto had continued to let out little grumbles as he departed, with Patlash somehow looking like a girl dragged off by her hair as they left the tomb. Seeing off the two people (or rather, one person and one steed), Subaru, left behind after claiming to want to feel the nighttime breeze, slowly turned back toward the tomb. Same as before, the tomb of the Witch of Greed stood there, illuminated by the pale moonlight. Parting ways with the Witch who he'd sought to rely on was a deeply painful matter to Subaru. The words serious blow did not quite suffice. But cutting ties with the Witch had been necessary, however heavy a blow. He couldn't pigeonhole her as an "evil" being. However, she was someone with whom he could not see eye to eye. The same went for Minerva and the other Witches, and so, too, for Satella, aka Jealousy "It's fine that she told me to love myself more, but..." Subaru recalled what she'd told him just before the parting promise he'd made to her, but the words left him at a loss. "How the heck should I go about relying on the people precious to me...?" He wondered if that was asking him to be honest with them. Yet, it was none other than Satella herself who had forbidden him from doing this or rather, if he went by what he had learned in the conversations within the dream, it was the Witch personality that had forbidden Subaru from speaking of Return by Death. Everyone there had asserted there was a discrepancy between Satella and the Witch of Jealousy. If that was so, then the promise at the very end had been with " I've gotta put that on the back burner for now, damn it." It was then that Subaru slammed the brakes, keeping his thoughts from coursing in Satella's direction. What he needed was a way to break through this stalemate of a situation, or at the very least, he needed to grab hold of a single strand that would lead him to a way out. "The trigger at the mansion is based on when I return...in which case, I have to get a handle on the issues in the Sanctuary first. That means the Trial, Garfiel, and Roswaal's book of knowledge, huh..." Each of the individual issues raised before him were troublesome in and of themselves, but the greatest difficulty was in how closely each related to the others. In particular, he still couldn't forget his shock at how Roswaal's grandiose plans factored in even death. Roswaal knew of Subaru's Return by Death or more precisely, he knew Subaru could loop. Knowing that Subaru had the power to turn time back, he sought to employ that for his own objective. His goal was to make what was written in his book of knowledge a reality. For that, Roswaal made snow fall on the Sanctuary, turning the place into a feeding ground for the demon beast known as the Great Rabbit. Beyond that, there was the barrier that would not be lifted until the Trial was overcome, preventing the residents of the Sanctuary from evacuating; and Garfiel, whose thinking grew more obstinate with each repetition. Every time Subaru had looped, he found Garfiel standing in a different position. Once, he had pressed Subaru to take the Trial, displaying a cooperative stance toward resolving the Sanctuary's issues. In hindsight, that had all been an act so as not to convey that he himself was opposed to resolving those problems. The more Subaru pursued the Sanctuary's liberation, the sterner Garfiel's measures became. It was difficult for Subaru to forget his anger from when Garfiel had bared his fangs toward Otto, Ram, and the people of Earlham Village. But Garfiel had also saved Subaru's life. Accordingly, the discordant sense he felt toward Garfiel's true thoughts had deepened with each new start of the loop. Having received Echidna's final words of advice, those feelings had grown stronger, and deeply barbed. "Foolish, pitiable Garfiel fears the outside world...was it?" It was already clear to him that Garfiel must have taken the Trial at some point in the past. As a result, Garfiel had become an Apostle of Greed, gaining command rights over Ryuzu and the other replicas. If it was his past that made Garfiel fearful of the outside world...if that was the curse that bound him to the Sanctuary it was an issue that Subaru had thought of once, only to discard it. He'd told himself it was not necessary to delve too deeply into who Garfiel was as a person. In so doing, he had once again averted his eyes from a pressing issue in front of him. "In the end, it really is important to learn, huh? But knowing nothing but that still gets me a failing grade." It was not possible to overcome the wall that was Garfiel without knowing his true intent. But even if he could do so, the problems of the Sanctuary's barrier and Roswaal still remained. And to break through that worst of all combinations " In the end, clearing the tomb to secure our line of retreat is the most pressing business, huh?" When he put everything in order, he inevitably wound up back at the very beginning. Clearing the tomb was an indispensable condition for resolving the issues of the Sanctuary the real problem being the number of remaining Trials. "With the horrible time I had in it, did I end up clearing the second Trial or not...?" Under the rubric of the event he'd come to know as behold the unknowable present, Subaru arrived at the worlds where he had chosen differently experiencing what one might call a series of parallel worlds. These were glimpses into worlds beyond hell, impaling Subaru with particular cruelty. After driving Subaru to lamentation with various second guesses and countless regrets, how exactly had the Trial graded him? *** Audibly cracking the bones of his neck, Subaru powerfully exhaled as his footsteps echoed through the corridor in the tomb. His largest reason for sending Otto and Patlash back ahead of him was so he could do this and check for himself which Trial the tomb would guide him to: the second or the third. In other words, he was challenging the possibility he might have to behold the unknowable presents once more. The scenes frightened Subaru more than anything in this world, and his mind shuddered at the possibility of seeing them again. Even so, he could not ignore them. Forgetting them, or running from them, was out of the question. He had no choice but to face them. He bore a duty to do so. And to fulfill that duty "Uugh?" He stepped strongly, his movements in line with his resolve. But the very next moment, his vision swayed. "Agh, guh!" Losing his balance from the sudden dizziness, Subaru bumped into a wall and fell right to the floor. An intense wave of nausea hit him, stirring his brain. Unable to resist it, he got on all fours and vomited onto the floor. Alarm bells kept ringing. Ringing. Ringing. Ringing. "Ugeh...hah, ach, ugh...!" His thoughts were all tangled. He felt as if a hole had opened in his skull, and an electrode had been thrust into it, frying his brain. No matter how much he vomited, he didn't feel any better; instinctively, Subaru rushed outside, tumbling through the corridor as he did so. "Wh-what was that just now...?" Wiping tears from his eyes, Subaru looked back up at the tomb in a daze. The tomb was unchanged, as was the tranquility in the air. Aside from the fact that it seemed oddly malevolent. When he tried to

crawl closer to approach the tomb once more, Subaru's limbs were constrained by a painful sense of aversion. He was being rejected. That sensation brought him to a different realization, linking the two like a bolt of lightning. It was a simple explanation. This was what had happened to Patlash's body but a brief time earlier. It simply meant the same rejection that had hurt Roswaal was now hitting Subaru. A simple thing, but it demonstrated a most crucial fact. Namely that " I've...lost the qualification to challenge the tomb? You're kidding me, that can't..." Standing up, Subaru gazed upon the tomb as if trying to reject that conclusion. However, his feet would not take the single step that would lead him inside. He instinctively understood both the tomb's rejection and his loss of qualification. From the back of his mind arose the image of a white-haired Witch clad in a black dress for a funeral. "Why that malicious little...!" Certainly, the Witch had posed the question to Subaru on their parting. She asked him to choose which hand he would take: hers or Satella's? And Subaru had chosen Satella. If this was payback for his choice "Damn you! Just how much of a rotten personality do you have, Echidna the crappy Witch !!" Subaru wrung out an angry shout into the night sky, howling at a Witch who could surely could not hear him. But however much he yelled, wailed, or raged, it would not change what had happened. Subaru Natsuki had lost his qualification to challenge the Trial, and thus, could no longer liberate the Sanctuary. 3 To Subaru, it was a decision that required courage identical to that for challenging the tomb. The Trial that thrust his mistakes before him in the worst possible manner, making even his legs recoil in fear. It was enough to make him question whether it wasn't just his fear that had prevented him from going back into the tomb. However, that was not in fact the case. Fear had not been the reason why his legs refused to move. And his decision was fueled by the same desire to overcome the deadlock that had made him push past his fear to begin with. If the possibilities of challenging the tomb and gaining the cooperation of the Witch, had both been exhausted, the remaining choices dwindled to one "Visiting so late at night such as thiiiis is an unexpectedly haaaappy thing." Lying in bed, speaking these words, and greeting Subaru with a smile in his clown makeup was the man no, this was the devil Roswaal L. Mathers, a creature harboring plots and an obsession so great that Subaru likened him to a monster more than man. Propping his back up with a pillow, Roswaal was sitting up, his white-dabbed face illuminated by the flame of a burning candle inside the room, giving rise to a bizarre atmosphere that emphasized his inhumanity. With that devil before him, Subaru dry swallowed and forced down his nervousness. The only choice left for Subaru was to rely upon the Roswaal before him. However, that didn't mean he intended to break through every issue facing the Sanctuary together. Given Subaru's mental attitude, and his ultimate objectives, that was impossible. Subaru could not forgive Roswaal for slaying Ram and Garfiel with his own hands, nor his sacrificing the villagers. Roswaal was similarly unlikely to abide by Subaru's way of life when it ill-suited his own objectives. Accordingly, what began from there was an elaborate ruse between two people whose hearts could absolutely not forgive the other. "And? You have come out of your way to sneak in at such a late hour. Whaaat is it that you bring? Perhaps some seductive, persuasive phrases that might arouse my iiiinterest?" "...Well, you're not wrong that I'm trying to sweet-talk you. There's something I want to ask you. Is there a way to slip out of the Sanctuary while ignoring the tomb?" Faced with Subaru's difficult-to-articulate opening move, Roswaal's smile gained a frosty air to it. He cracked open the side of the lips, which formed that clownish smile, and with his yellow eye, Roswaal beheld Subaru as he spoke: "Subaru. Is this the first tiiiime you have asked me this?" The simple act of asking of that question established they were fully aware exactly where the other stood. Roswaal knew that Subaru looped. Subaru knew that Roswaal knew. Now that both understood this, it was possible to play the conversation card. With this in mind, Subaru shrugged his shoulders in a provocative gesture. "It's the first time I've asked 'this' question. At this point, it's stupid trying to count how many times we've been feeling the other out like this, though." "Is that...so. I see. From your demeanor...may I take it as meaning that...?" "Well, who's to say?" Averting his gaze, Subaru delayed revealing the conclusion Roswaal sought. Subaru did not let the faint whiff of hope residing in Roswaal's eyes during that exchange escape his notice. Noticing a change that slight was an advantage that Return by Death provided him. Roswaal, who knew only the fact that looping existed, had no way of understanding what emotions Subaru brought with him from having looped previously. Hence "I'm still in the middle of trial and error. Cooperation from you would be a big help, though." Even if Subaru pretended to be moving in accordance with Roswaal's will, there was no way for Roswaal to know it was an act. The book of knowledge in his possession did not account for the finer details of Subaru's actions. He was able to deduce that from Roswaal's statements prior to the assault by the Great Rabbit. In the end, Roswaal only had the gist of things spelled out for him. In other words, if Subaru played his role perfectly, he ought to be able to deceive Roswaal and lead him around by the nose. That was certainly a possibility. "And part of that trial and error involves breaking past the Sanctuary while ignoring the tomb? If so, that is quite timid of you. With the Authority you possess, surely you can challenge it an infinite number of times and overcome any difficulties. To cast that aside midway is an deficiency of resolve, is it noooot?" "Being flexible is definitely an advantage. Just like you said, I have an infinite number of chances. But what we need now is results, not quibbling about the process...so long as Emilia gets the credit for liberating the Sanctuary, it's all good, right?" Forcing a calm, composed look onto his face, Subaru's nerves frayed as he tried not to let anything slip. His heartbeats were rapid, and the sweat on his back was far from modest, but he had to pull the wool over Roswaal's eyes no matter what. He had to give a cruel explanation for that was how Roswaal wanted Subaru to be. By putting Emilia first, he was playing the role of the brave knight, faithful to a fault. For her sake, Subaru would choose methods that hurt him in the process something he imagined would please Roswaal. "I seeee... Certainly, that is the sort of answer I prefer to heaaar." Roswaal's intimidating gaze had a glint that welcomed Subaru as a kindred soul. Physiological revulsion welled within him at having such a devil with incomprehensible thoughts acknowledge him as a comrade. Subaru resented the label despite being well aware of how twisted he had to be for Roswaal to think of him that way... "I am pleased at the change within you. But it is difficult to answer your question. After all, it has been four centuries since the barrier was first deployed. There is no precedent. There is no reason to doubt how it was woven, and when I think of who wove it, it iiis difficult to conceive she might have made such a blunder..." "So it's Echidna's barrier, huh?" "My, you are already acquainted with her?" There was no way the faint whiff of envy in that seemingly teasing sentence was his imagination. Roswaal clearly had an obsession with Echidna. But this time, Subaru would make use of that. "Yeah, of course I am. Just to mention, I've already picked up a bunch of things already, like about the Ryuzu Meyer facility in the forest and Garfiel being an Apostle of Greed." "Ahaaaa, that is most spleeeendid of you. I am graaaateful this speeds our conversation." As Subaru unveiled crucial pieces of information one by one, he could feel Roswaal's suspicions begin to loosen. At this rate His feelings of haste for success caused a tardy response to the words that followed. "But if that is so, my doubts grow greater still. Why are you searching for a loophole out of the Sanctuary? Having resolved to act, it is most indecisive to probe for that possibility. Indeed, your current proposal cannot but make me think...this is you before your resolve is at its zeniiiith." "...Well, take it as you will." For a single second, his reply to Roswaal's counterattack stuck in his throat, but Subaru raised a finger and continued. "As you know, I've had plenty of opportunities to earn fame for Emilia. Plus, I have to say, there's not many people involved with the Sanctuary, so it's a small-time event. Newsworthy moments, like the White Whale or the Witch Cult, take precedence. This place holds no value." "Therefore, you are searching for a loophole? I cannot heeeelp but find your answer suspect." "Suspect?" Right when Subaru thought he'd snuck through, Roswaal surprised him, shaking his head from side to side. "I have not confirmed your Authority with my very own eeeyes. This being the case, I am not obligated to go along with your foolishness. Therefore, we must draw a line we can mutually accept." "An acceptable line, huh?" "I wish for this to be the liberation of the Sanctuary. Not through a back door, but rather, liberation in a true sense. If you achieve this, my suspicions will be allayed, and you and I shall be coconspirators striving for a common goal...two men working to place Lady Emilia upon the royal throne. A rather profitable relationship, I truuuust?" This time, Subaru hardened his cheeks as Roswaal's words cut off any hope of retreat. His words carried a power to them that was difficult to resist. Even if he was making liberal use of Subaru's Return by Death, Roswaal was an irreplaceable force in making Emilia's wish come true. Roswaal's patronage was a prerequisite for making Emilia's dream attainable. To secure the royal throne for her required Subaru and Roswaal both. He'd jabbed at a very sore spot. But though the logical argument was a severe blow to him, Subaru had the odd feeling that something was off as if a different scheme was being hidden behind an opinion that only seemed righteous at first glance. Subaru probably noticed it because he was attempting to deceive Roswaal with precisely the same logic. "Something's bugging me a little...you're really hung up on liberating the Sanctuary." Almost as if he had a reason for wanting to do so that overshadowed the rest. Subaru's statement, containing that implication, made Roswaal's smile deepen in an even more suspicious manner. *** It was that smile that made Subaru feel intensely wary toward Roswaal. In other words, within his chest, there was an instant of clarity rivaling when Roswaal had murdered Ram and Garfiel just prior to being savagely consumed by the Great Rabbit...a moment when the blackest depths of his obsessed mind, thinking nothing of sacrificing the lives of others, poured out. " Why do you think this?" But it seemed that Roswaal had no intention of opening his own heart at that point in time. Faced with the return question, Subaru clicked his tongue. "It's not very complicated. To be honest, I think your plan doesn't seem very like you. Of course I'd notice how every word from you from start

to finish lists liberating the Sanctuary as a condition." "I believe I already explained that. You are to exhaust all efforts for Lady Emilia. I am having you deal with the nearest problem at hand so that you might prove to me that this is your true stance. You take issue with this?" "I don't think forbidding every answer besides liberation is very fair. There's plenty of other proof to be had." "We are speaking past each other. Indeed, there is something I wish to ask you insteaaad." This time, it was Roswaal who raised a finger, one eye closed as he spoke to the stubborn Subaru. "You appear quite tiiiimid where it comes to the Trial. It almost feels to me as if you have a reason to not desire the liberation of the Sanctuary." "As if I don't want this place freed! I'd just love to pry that barrier open and drag all the unresolvable problems outside! ...But." "But?" He was being carried away by the intensity of the conversation. Realizing this, Subaru instantly shut his mouth. If he spoke without thinking at this point, everything would be for naught. He strove to calm himself and choose his words with care. "I don't...I don't want to see Emilia hurt herself challenging the tomb's Trial any longer." "That is why it must be you. If Lady Emilia stumbles in the Trial, you need only do it in her place. Who lifts the barrier is not an issue, precisely as you yourself have said." "Nghh..." He'd never imagined the conversation would go in this direction. Subaru clenched his back teeth at the resistance he faced left and right. Seeing Subaru pressed into anguished silence, Roswaal narrowed his eye. "Surely, you are not finding it too hard to take the Trial in Lady Emilia's place? It cannot be that you are seeking a way out to spare yourself? If so, then that means your feelings for Lady Emilia are meager indeed." "Don't mess with...! It's not like..." "It is not like that? How can you be certain? Who would believe such a thing? If you are truly thinking of Lady Emilia, suffering any agony for her sake is only natural. If you truly love Lady Emilia, is it not most natural for you to do so? If it is for Lady Emilia's sake, you should set your own heart aside...but can you?" It seemed like an interrogation. Subaru felt like he was being swallowed up as Roswaal pressed him. Those words constituted an extremist argument. However, it was a conclusion anyone comprehending Subaru's Return by Death would arrive at. There was a time when Subaru had clung to that very conclusion himself. Probably, had Subaru taken the hand Echidna had offered, he, too, would have trivialized everything save for the person most precious to him. He'd endure scars and pain both for the sake of the future. But he could no longer live like that. He'd realized... he didn't want to. " It would seem that your resolve has not been suffiiiiciently honed." Seeing something in Subaru's black eyes, Roswaal abruptly let those words trickle out, making a sad-sounding sigh. "I had hoped...yes, just a little, I had placed hope in you that by some chance, I might see what I yearn for with my very own eyes. But it seems things shall not go so well indeed." Roswaal did not conceal his disappointment as strength drained out of his body, whereupon he lay on the bed once more. His demeanor indicated that the conversation was over. Subaru was upset that the meeting had failed. Based on his statement just then, Roswaal was conveying that he had no further reason to live this time. Having tested Subaru's mental state and found it wanting, he intended to lie down, content to merely watch Subaru's struggles, and end his own life. But if the current Subaru allowed that, all his efforts would have been for nothing. "Why do you have to...throw everything away all of a sudden like that?! Nothing's over yet!" "It is indeed over. No, perhaps I should rather say, it has not even begun. You have yet to even stand at the starting line of resolve. So long as your feet do not find it, you shall never overcome these troubles." "The starting line of resolve?! I don't get you!! Just how far do you want to push m..." " I had hoped you possessed the will to pursue your own objective, even if it tramples Lady Emilia's will underfoot." With Subaru standing rigid, Roswaal went "Now see here?" as if teaching a little child. "If you truly think it is for Lady Emilia's sake, you should ignore what Lady Emilia herself thinks. Like a little child dreaming of paradise, you do not possess the resolve to choose to walk through the cruelty of hell. To save her life, you should readily choose to ignore her wishes." "Th-that's putting the cart before the horse, ain't it?! What's with that thinking, saying as long as it's for Emilia's sake ..." "There is life. So long as there is life, there is a future. If there is a future, there is hope." With Subaru's words catching in his throat, Roswaal continued his own. He spat them out meticulously, cruelly; like lead bullets, they shot directly into Subaru's heart. "If there is hope, there is possibility. If there is possibility, a person can be saved. Am I wrong?" You're wrong, Subaru wanted to speak in a thunderous voice. However, he did not have another answer. Unable to make an emotional argument, Subaru's stranded feelings made him want to wail. *** "No response, hmm? How many more times will you disappoint me?" When Subaru clenched his fists, his lips trembling, Roswaal turned his eyes toward him with a look of pity. Following this, he sat up once more, clutching a black book his book of knowledge to his chest. Then, Roswaal stroked the book's cover with a finger as he spoke toward the rigid Subaru. "Therefore, I shall hone your insufficient resolve. I shall back you into a corner once more." Subaru was aghast. What more could he do? What would force him to even greater limits? "Already, you must have come face-to-face with the issues occurring in this Sanctuary. You are likely better versed with them than I. But the problems before you are not within this Sanctuary alone." "Y-you mean the mansion...? You know about that, too...?" Subaru was horrified at the reference to the assault on the mansion coming from Roswaal's own lips. Was even that written within the book of knowledge? Or was Roswaal simply illustrating the issue with a hypothetical? The next instant blew away Subaru's such thoughts without a single trace remaining. After all " But of course, for it is I who contracted the assassins to attack the manor." He had just confessed that the mastermind of the incident, the one pulling the strings of the tragedy at the mansion, was none other than Roswaal himself. 4 It was crumbling. The ground beneath his feet was crumbling. Having lost the firm footing that should've been there, Subaru felt like he was falling into darkness. Roswaal's confession was simply that shocking. "Wait...wait. Wait a minute...you did what?" "I sent assassins to the mansion. To hone your resolve, you see." "Resolve? What do you...mean by 'resolve'?" "That is simple. Even with your Authority, you cannot save things precious to you that are imperiled in two places at once. You must choose what is most important to you. Once you make that choice, you can never take it back. Then, you will finally be complete. A being who can save but one, single thing." Subaru's words refused to come out. It was not that he was unable to face the unpleasant evidence, or had faltered before the argument. It was simply that words did not suffice to convey the ferocity of his emotions. That was all. Never to that degree had he experienced something that was truly unspeakable. Frederica, Petra, even Beatrice...had they died for such a preposterous scheme? For the sake of a banal plot to shape Subaru, had they been betrayed by and lost their lives to the master they trusted completely? "Roswaal...you...are truly mad..." "I am indeed. I went mad long ago. Since I was bewitched by those eyes four centuries ago, I have been mad ever since." "Four hundred...?" Not understanding the meaning of the words tossed out, Subaru could only repeat them like a village idiot. Once again, an issue arose from a time four centuries prior. However, it was unnatural for such words to have come from Roswaal's lips. He, a man living in the present age, had no way to know of things four hundred years before. And yet, Roswaal had spoken as if he had experienced those events firsthand " Subaru Natsuki." "Ah..." "Why are you not yet mad? Why are you not yet sufficiently insane? You should be just as crazed as I...no, more. When walking upon the lonely path through territory uncharted for the sane, a human heart is nothing but a hindrance. That is what I shall strengthen in you." As a means of shattering Subaru's heart, which was supposedly already hardened in resolve, the declaration struck all too true. He'd underestimated Roswaal's knowledge of the loop. The advantage of his experiences via Return by Death had made him arrogant and presumptive. Roswaal had devised a sieve so tight that not even Return by Death could break through. "So what do you intend to do?" Roswaal's chilling voice showered down upon him from overhead. Even though Roswaal lay in bed at a height lower than him, Subaru went down on all fours on the spot, scraping his head against the floor. He prostrated himself... There was nothing else he could do. In an unsightly manner, Subaru touched his head to the floor, pathetically making his earnest plea. "Please, wait... I'm begging you, please forgive me. I-I'm the one at fault. So please, save everyone... I-I'll..." "Goodness, please raise your head, Subaru. You have nothing to apologize for. You have done nothing wrong. That is why I must..." "Y-you're wrong... I can't do what you're saying. My feelings have nothing to do with it. I can't...take the Trial. I've lost my qualifications." "...What?" As Subaru sniffed his nose, the words he haltingly conveyed threw Roswaal off for the first time. Unsurprisingly, the fact was outside his expectations as well. With Roswaal seemingly sinking into thought wondering why, Subaru smacked his head against the floor once more. "Please! I'm begging you! I can't do it. Even if the mansion's attacked, it's no use! There'll be no meaning to anyone's death...so please stop. Please, stop this...!" " No, I cannot. Indeed, hearing this, the necessity has grown stronger still." But his earnest plea earned only that cruel announcement. Shocked, Subaru raised his head. Roswaal beheld Subaru with both his eyes. A gaze of black eyes intertwined with one of blue and yellow. "To be blunt, your loss of qualifications is outside my calculations. However, that does not constitute a dead end." "Why...no matter how much you whittle me down, those qualifications aren't coming back! The sacrifices won't have any meani..." "Is that truly the case? Deep down, you yourself surely understand?" Subaru's entreaty was rebuffed by Roswaal's frigid voice. Thump went the powerful leap of his heart. His surprise was not directed toward those unexpected words, for Subaru, too, understood what Roswaal was saying and his true intent. His qualifications had been stripped away. They had been taken back. They had been lost. But that also meant "If she wishes it, Echidna could reissue your qualifications or anything else. If you have put her in an ill mood, you need merely reconcile with her. Such is the nature of her Greed." In other words, Subaru needed to change his mind and take Echidna's hand. But that "Do not grow

conceited, Subaru Natsuki. You are not the oooonly one who understands Echidna." Roswaal pounded these words, and the envy accompanying them, into the very bottom of Subaru's heart. "You will regain your qualifications. You will rectify the situation. Accordingly, my actions will not change. By not changing them, I shall back you into a corner, hone your resolve, and make you whole." "Ah..." Knowing that even his earnest plea was futile, Subaru, still on his knees, sank into despair. But his dry lips moved, and slowly, he spoke: "If you...if you hate me, then make it me, and no one el..." "Hate you?" What other feelings could he have that would make him act like this? However, Roswaal seemed genuinely put off by Subaru's words, raising his eyebrows and then, he smiled. "It is impossible for me to hate you. You are my hope. If I harbor the emotion one might call expectation anywhere in this world, it is with you and Ram, and none others. I trust you, from the bottom of my heart." Their resolve...was nothing alike. The sheer weight of Roswaal determination was on a different scale than his own. Without the slightest altruism, Roswaal had crushed underfoot the tiny bit Subaru had learned from his experiences. He'd put Subaru in checkmate, leaving not so much as a gap for Return by Death to slip through. At that point, even if Roswaal was killed, the attack on the mansion could not be stopped. In the first place, so as far as Roswaal was concerned, his life was not something up for negotiation. Without his existence, Emilia could not win the royal selection. Life, royal selection, plea, compromise...everything was in a jumble. *** Without realizing it, Subaru had wobbled to his feet, bumping his back against the wall. He slid along the wall toward the exit, pouring his strength into leaving that place without a moment to spare. Conversation was meaningless. No concession was forthcoming. All he could do was exhaust the limited time he had. *** They were not thoughts he consciously put into words. His voice simply tumbled out of his mouth. "I won't become like you. I'm a human being. And I'm staying one." Leaving only those words behind him, Subaru left Roswaal's room. At the very end, Roswaal said nothing. Subaru rued how pathetic he was that this brought him some small relief. 5 Distancing himself from Roswaal's place of repose, Subaru walked unsteadily under the moonlight. "...What should I do?" Trickling out was a question toward a situation with no future in sight. However much he went over it, the very same words echoed back toward him, as if no other reply was possible. The situation was already a stalemate, but he felt that even the smallest hope, as fine as grains of sand, had been lost to him. With this, all possibility of anyone cooperating with him had been exhausted. He could not comprehend them, Witch and devil both. But oddly, he found Roswaal's confession easy to accept. "The timing of the attack being when I return to the mansion, too..." If the assassins were acting under Roswaal's instructions, that explained a lot. How they knew to encircle the mansion, how to invade the mansion with great ease, even the method to breach Beatrice's Passage. Roswaal surely knew these like the back of his hand. That was not all. It was likely this was the second time that Roswaal had hired Elsa. "Making Felt steal Emilia's jewel back at the royal capital, too..." Had all of it been done knowing Subaru would intervene to save Emilia? Everything on that day, from earnestly running about to dying three times to save Emilia, to Emilia's smiling face and her telling him her name had he been dancing atop Roswaal's palm all along? "If everything has gone according to the book of knowledge...then was Rem being robbed of her existence and the Sanctuary being sealed up...did all this happen exactly as someone predicted...?" If that was so, had Subaru's free will merely been an extension of a string someone else pulled? In ensuring everything proceeded according with the prophecy, Roswaal put a stop to any developments contrary to what was recorded. If the path was crooked, he corrected it by force so that without fail, prophecy became reality " Huh?" That moment, he felt like something was...off. Slowly, putting everything in order, he went over his conception of Roswaal's book of knowledge. He had a definite sense that something was off. Something was nagging at him. But he couldn't remember what. "What? What...is wrong? Something's...not right. Something's wrong...!" It was a mystery lacking an answer. It resembled the prior situation, but this was different than the dead end. This haze had a path leading forward. And he felt like this path was linked to the hope he had thought lost. Roswaal's book of knowledge, making its contents reality, Beatrice's book of knowledge, the Witch Cult's Gospels, blank pages, prophetic pages, results according to prophecy, correction, future " Subaru?" *** Suddenly, a voice intruded upon that vortex of thought, making Subaru's shoulders jump. He looked back. Behind him, standing a short distance away, was a girl standing in the gloom, with moonlight showering down upon her Emilia, her silver hair sparkling as it swayed, gazed upon Subaru with her violet eyes open wide. This unexpected encounter caused a dull ache in Subaru's chest. But Subaru swiftly schooled his expression. "Ah...Emilia-tan. What are you doing in a place like this? It's already pretty late, isn't it?" "The same goes for you, doesn't it, Subaru? I couldn't sleep so I went on a stroll." "...That so. Ah, that's right." *** When Subaru nodded in acceptance, Emilia cocked her head with a mystified look. This was not the first time he had encountered Emilia at night. On one previous occasion, he had met Emilia during a moonlit stroll and had spoken with her then. This situation surely differed from that time, but to bump into her here even so meant Emilia's action must have been inevitable. Subaru had been invited to the tea party, reaffirmed his bonds with Patlash, heard Ryuzu's secret deep within the forest, learned Roswaal was the mastermind, and amid those various actions, Emilia had not been sitting still either. That was an obvious thing, and yet, at that moment, it struck Subaru with great clarity. "...Subaru, you're not feeling well, are you?" "That so? I thought I was feeling fine..." "Liar. I can tell just by looking at you. Something happened, didn't it? You can tell me if you like." Emilia walked close, seemingly examining the color of Subaru's face as she spoke. Subaru's supposedly smooth facade had been seen through with ease, making him truly resent his own weakness. "It's...my problem. I...don't want to bother you, Emilia." "It's no bother at all..." "It's fine, I'm all right. You've got bigger problems than me right now. You were pretty panicked after the Trial...are you all right now?" "Mm, I'm fine. I'm sorry I caused you trouble back there...I'm really sorry, 'kay?" When Subaru averted his face, desperate to avoid the subject, Emilia flashed a smile with no mirth behind it. Afraid of being hurt, he'd touched upon Emilia's own unhealed wound the worst thing he could have done. Failing to notice his self-deprecating thoughts, Emilia gently touched a hand to her own chest. "Seems like I butted into these issues without being prepared for them at all...really, it made me feel like I don't have any resolve. I really, really want to just run away..." "If you...if you want to run, isn't that fine?" "Subaru?" Latching onto Emilia's words, Subaru instantly tossed out a response. Emilia's long eyebrows jerked; she looked perplexed. Subaru glanced at her, digging his nails into his palm. "If you don't want to do it, what's wrong with running away? By forcing yourself to face something you don't want to, will you conquer it someday? Do you have to overcome it? If you see a path leading somewhere after you run that's different from before you run...is choosing that something you should be criticized for...?" The words poured out in a rush; he wasn't even sure what he was trying to say. Praised unconditionally for challenging, scorned unconditionally for fleeing wasn't that wrong? What good came of facing something head on if it broke you? Even Emilia's determination, Emilia's will, and Emilia's nobility were toys in someone else's game. "Echidna, Roswaal, Garfiel, they're all self-centered. Stop getting jerked around by them. They're all telling me do something. Even though I'm trying to deal with it my own way, they all complain, saying not this way, not that way " His emotions rising, it was then that he felt dizziness along with his senseless rage. *** An arm wrapped around the back of his head, pulling him forward before he had time to think. He felt something soft and hot, bringing Subaru's breath and thoughts both came to a halt. A warm touch pressed against him, and he realized that the gentle echo from the other side was a heartbeat. That was when he figured it out Emilia was hugging him against her chest. "Emi..." "Take it slow. Take it easy. Just take it slow and listen to the sound of my heart." Her voice was like a silver bell, tickling his eardrums. Unresisting, Subaru did as he was told. A pleasant, ticklish feeling on his back made his breaths grow shallow, and a hot sensation emerged from behind the corners of his eyes. His banal depression faded, washed away by a tide of much greater emotion. For a while, he let Emilia's heartbeats soothe his stricken heart. "Have you calmed down?" Emilia slowly took away her arms, freeing Subaru's head from her chest. Facing the concern in the violet eyes before him, Subaru exhaled slightly. "Sorry to get all flustered like that. I didn't wanna cause you trouble like some little kid, but..." "I've told you, I don't find this troubling at all. You're really stubborn, Subaru." Giggling, Emilia touched a hand to her lips as she smiled just a tiny bit. However, the smile was too strained for him to feel like smiling himself. Rather, it made him want to apologize until he ran out of words. He didn't want to make Emilia worry. He wanted to reassure her, to tell her it was all right. "Really, nothing's going right at all...actually, I was in a meeting with Roswaal just now, trying to see if there wasn't some way to get out of here without the Trial." "Eh?" "Really, it'd be best if I could just take the Trial in your place, but it doesn't look like that's possible. So I thought if I could at least find......sorry for being so useless." He lowered his head. Even though he wanted to reassure her, he had obtained nothing that could offer her any comfort. Even after repeating Return by Death over and over, he hadn't found even a single answer. His regrets on how he could've he'd done better were influenced by his memories of the second Trial as well. Subaru's tragedy from birth was that he was lacking, even though that, too, should never have been the case. "But I'll probably manage something. I'll manage somehow, because I don't want to make you go through hard, bad things. So I want you to trust me." He didn't want to bare his weakness. So Subaru issued his declaration of war toward a darkness with nothing in sight beyond it. He hadn't found a way, not yet. Even so, he would not fail Emilia, or everyone e " Subaru." As Subaru conveyed his resolve, Emilia turned her moist eyes toward him. When he saw himself in those damp eyes, Subaru encouraged his own, pathetic self so that, within his swaying heart, at least the most important part of him would not become warped. He would protect Emilia, overcome the Sanctuary, rescue

the mansion, and save every " I am happy for your feelings, Subaru. Really, I am. But I can't accept your kindness." And yet, it was none other than Emilia herself who repudiated that resolve head-on. "...Eh?" For a second, Subaru let out a dumbfounded voice, not comprehending what had just been said to him. Subaru was astounded, eyes completely wide. Emilia gazed at Subaru as he remained like that, piecing together the thoughts inside him word by word, trying to arrange them into a recognizable shape. "I'm really happy you think and work so hard for my sake like this, Subaru. Really, really happy. You're really reliable, really dependable... But I can't let you look for a loophole or an easy way out." "Wh-whaddaya mean you can't...this is just something other people forced onto you!" "Even so, I'm the one who decided to do it. I have my own goal, and I have to work hard to achieve it...that's why I'm here right now. I don't want to make excuses." With her lips pursed tight, Emilia's display of determination left Subaru at a loss for words. Her resolute face glimmered, filled with a powerful will. It was not the look of a weak girl, one who could not walk down her path unless Subaru reached his hand out to her and dragged her along it. "Besides, somehow, I get it, too. The Trial in that tomb probably doesn't have a shortcut or a loophole anyway." *** "It's strange, but somehow, I just know. Even if I spend more time thinking about it, if I don't really get my heart in order before challenging the Trial, the result will probably stay the same. I get that, too." He could offer no words to deny her. He'd looked for a loophole. But Subaru knew, too, there was none to be found. He knew there was no way the Witch who had set up the barrier would permit such an illogical result. In the first place, why was Subaru desperately trying to refute Emilia like that? "Hey, Subaru. Subaru, why are you trying to help me?" *** With Subaru hesitating amid a vortex of doubt, Emilia seemed to circle ahead as she tossed that question at him. It was the same question she had posed once before, one that held deep meaning to both of them. Just how much time had Subaru desperately spent so that he might tell her his answer? Just how many difficulties had he overcome so that he could convey it to Emilia? Therefore, without hesitation, Subaru could give her the very same reply. "I want to help you because I because I love you." " Mm, I know. I can do my best because I know." Touching a hand to her breast, Emilia's cheeks reddened just a touch as she backed up a step, closing her eyes. She continued, her words infused with myriad emotions. "So don't think like you have to do something. Just having you watch me means I can work hard, Subaru. If you want to do something for me, if you're willing to listen to my selfish words, then I want you by my side. I want you cheering me on. I want you there, pushing me forward." "Emilia..." Emilia's words made emotions well up inside his chest. He could not stop it, nor could he put it into words. It was difficult to comprehend, and Subaru did not know just what it was. But it asserted its existence ever stronger, seemingly trying to rob him of all thought, which Subaru, clenching his teeth, continued to resist. "You've been spoiling me nonstop, so...this time, I want to try and do without. The only thing that pains me is making you and everyone worry as I fail...but I'm trying to overcome the Trial as fast as possible so that no one has to worry anymore." With Subaru unable to string words together, Emilia sent his way the stout smile that came over her. It looked very beautiful. "Please, watch over me as I do my best. That's what I want you to do for me, Subaru." 6 *** Subaru forcefully kicked the ground, slicing through the wind. His heart remained restless. He still didn't have a destination. He raced down a slope with bad footing, seemingly about to take flight. Branches scraped his cheeks, leaving marks, and even as he tumbled repeatedly, he kept running so long as he had breath. He raised an incoherent voice, screaming so much that his throat seemed ready to burst, and looking up at the sky, Subaru ran. To the crisp, cool air, to the pale moon floating in the clear sky, Subaru cried out in shame. The final sight of Emilia's strong smile was burned into the back of his eyelids. That charming smile, and the resolve it conveyed, drove Subaru's misunderstanding home. Finally, he realized the true nature of the urge welling up within him, charring the inside of his chest to ashes. And because he now understood, Subaru had parted with Emilia, impulsively racing into the forest, rushing through the underbrush as if he were some kind of beast. Deep within his chest, the emotion asserted itself, growing hotter, hotter, fiercer this was what people called shame. *** How conceited! How prideful! How utterly foolish! He recalled his anger at Roswaal's words and actions for looking down upon, even pitying Emilia. He'd been indignant. He'd sworn upon his unforgiving heart, then he met Emilia immediately after, baring his thoughts to her only to be gently rebuffed. That was when Subaru realized it for the first time. That the one who believed least in Emilia's resolve, Emilia's determination, and Emilia's strength was none other than Subaru himself. He had to protect her; he didn't want her to go through bitter thoughts or sad feelings under the guise of such words, Subaru had decided that Emilia was incapable of doing anything. Even while Subaru had contrived various schemes out of his desire to keep her under his protection alone, Emilia had hardened her own resolve and determination in her own, Emilia-like way, deciding to face the Trial. In making that determination, Emilia had asked Subaru to support her more than anyone else, and yet It had been none other than Subaru Natsuki who had underestimated Emilia the most. *** The instant he realized that, unendurable shame slammed into Subaru, enough to make him want to die. And so, without giving Emilia's determination a clear reply, he had turned his back to escape from her and her concern, fleeing into the forest with the same feet that still carried him. Once before, Subaru had hurt Emilia in a similar attempt to monopolize her at the royal capital. Of course, he had regretted it. Of course, he had reflected upon his sins. That was why he had returned, remaining by her side up to that point. And still, Subaru had made the same mistake once more. He'd hurt himself in Emilia's place, taking her burdens for her to pave a road for her to travel. He hadn't changed. He'd just become better at hiding his wounds. He'd simply discarded his pride in taking her burdens for himself. In terms of inflating himself and putting himself first in line, not a single thing had changed. "I...I just...waah?!" Out of breath, he lifted his head seemingly to gasp for air. That instant, he lost his balance, and his planted foot sailed into the air. Immediately losing his balance, Subaru slid down a slope in the forest. Tumbling onto the ground, which was marred with dirt and fallen leaves, Subaru rolled and fell, spreading his limbs as he lay there on his back. *** With his back pressed against ground so cold, it seemed to rob him of all heat, his breathing remained ragged as he looked up above. The sky was only visible through the gaps in the forest, yet even so, he beheld the light of countless stars. The heavens were filled with gleaming stars, seemingly mocking Subaru, their stray comrade lying upon the ground. Surrounded by unfamiliar constellations, puny little Subaru was melting into the night. Fatigue suddenly pressed upon him. Once again, even more than his body, his psyche had been terribly worn down. Return by Death, the Witch's Tea Party, Roswaal's true intent, Emilia's resolve, and his very own shame. Too much time had passed. Limited time, the time left to him, precious, precious time was slowly ticking away. He'd been enmeshed in a labyrinth of swirling doubts, his heart eaten away by the gloom at finding no way out. Betrayed on every level, everything had backfired and been thrown back in his face. What to do What should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do what should I do whatshouldIdowhatshouldIdowhatshouldI " Perhaps I can tell you what you should do?" *** The voice from above his head made Subaru sit up with a start. There was a figure standing with his back against the night, atop the slope from which he had fallen. Slowly, the figure glided down, his contours gradually growing more definite. "...Otto?" "Yes, indeed. Good morning. Yes, it is I." "Morn...? With that out-of-place greeting tossed toward him, the perplexed Subaru noticed it, too, albeit most belatedly. The aura of dawn had already spread throughout the world, announcing the impending end of the night. Just how many hours had he wasted in a daze, gazing at an empty sky...? "It is morning. So you did not even realize that fact? Serious symptoms indeed." "Can't deny it...but what are you doin' here?" "For the moment, I shall set aside what brought me here. More important is the situation you have been placed in, Mr. Natsuki, looking like you are dreaming as you mumble things to yourself over and over." Ignoring Subaru's surprise at the hours having passed, Otto placed his hands on his hips and made an exasperated sigh. Subaru wobbled to his feet, using his sleeve to wipe away the dirt on his cheeks. Only a short time had passed since Otto had seen him at another strange place the night before. Not only had Otto seen him crying when Patlash was consoling him, but he also saw him in a place like this, covered in mud and shame. "Is that really something to care about at this point? In the few days since I have met you, Mr. Natsuki, I have only seen you clean at the Duchess of Karsten's manor, I believe." "...I'm not really feeling up to joking around. More importantly, you..." "You have reached a dead end? You wish to know what to do? Yes, I understand." Prompted by Subaru's words, Otto patted his own chest in a rather flippant manner. Subaru was taken aback by the sight of him being so carefree. But he wanted to cling to that humorous sight. At a time like this, he didn't mind if Otto just wanted to put him at ease. If there was even a slight chance to improve the situation, he wanted to hear it. "Please do not rush me. All right? This requires preparation." "P-preparation..." "Yes. First, take a big breath, nice and slow..." Presenting a hand toward him, Otto indicated to Subaru that he should breathe deeply. Subaru didn't know what meaning it held, but he did as he was told, putting his breathing in order, closing his eyes and letting oxygen fill his lun *** Instantly, a hard impact pummeled the side of his face, and Subaru collapsed to the ground once more. Unable to break his fall, Subaru tumbled and fell face-first into the dirt, eyes spinning. He shook his head, lifting it, and wondering what the heck had happened; seeing Otto shaking a fist, he realized he'd been punched. Then, as Subaru drew in a breath, Otto shook his hardened, reddened fist toward him once more

and spoke: " Stop trying to keep up appearances in front of your friends, Subaru Natsuki." 7 Subaru could only gape, forgetting even the pain of being punched. As Subaru lay upon the ground, Otto glared at him with a sharp look. Normally, he would seem pathetic, or laugh amiably, his facial expression always seeking to avert conflict with other people, but at that moment, it blazed with anger. With fury residing in his eyes, Otto Suwen gazed down upon Subaru. "Rather than not knowing what to do, I imagine the inside of your mind is simply all a jumble." *** "I expect you are in a position where you must extend a hand to others, yet your own limbs and head are insufficient for the task, so you desperately flap your arms around, accomplishing nothing but wasting time." With Subaru pressed into silence, Otto threw words at him as the distance, and his patience, dwindled. Subaru remained on the ground, immobile. He grimaced, the pain and heat of his left cheek belatedly becoming clearer, as he was unable to do anything but stare at Otto. "I take your silence to mean you have no objections. In the world of us merchants, at the very least, such an imposition is the vilest of all conduct. Are you listening?" When Subaru made no reply, Otto grabbed him by his collar and pulled him upward. "If you're listening, then answer me!" " Gah!" A sharp, hard blow struck his forehead, sending stars scattering across Subaru's vision. It was a headbutt. Otto had reared his head back, vigorously slamming both their brows together. His eyes were spinning. But Otto did not relent. He delivered one more headbutt, sending the wobbly Subaru reeling. Forehead, forehead heat, pain. He reeled but did not fall. His legs came to a halt. "Whaddaya think you're...!" "Oh my, knocking you back brought you to your senses, did it? The thought that you might be asleep forced me to engage in a violent manner to which I am not accustomed." "What'd ya say, you bastard !" Teary-eyed from taking a headbutt to the bridge of his nose, Subaru recklessly charged toward Otto. But Otto evaded his outstretched arms, sweeping his feet out in return. Subaru crashed magnificently to the ground. "Just when your blood rushes to your head, you find yourself at my feet. Truly, Mr. Natsuki, there is only one word for your conduct: pathetic." "Is that...right?!" Hopping up from his tripped position, Subaru hurled a handful of dirt toward Otto's head. However, Otto covered his face with an arm to block. With Subaru surprised that his effort to blind him had been foiled, Otto grabbed his collar and proceeded to hurl Subaru over his back, slamming him upon the ground. The blow to his back made him lose his breath. Subaru, gasping, could not stand up. "Gh, agh..." "Hey, Mr. Natsuki. This is the strength you possess. It cannot hold a candle to a knight or to Marquis Mathers, let alone one such as Garfiel. Even I can do this to you." As Subaru desperately tried to draw oxygen into his convulsing lungs, he beheld Otto, his vision upside down as the latter walked over. Otto shook his head with an air of exhaustion. "To even think you faced the White Whale and the Witch Cult. Mr. Natsuki, you are so weak, they could crush you with but a single finger. Surely, you too are well aware of this." "Haa, haa..." "You supplement your strength with intellect, then? So far as my eyes have seen, Mr. Natsuki, you have made fervent use of the puny head at your disposal...but in terms of planning and decision-making capabilities, you certainly do not rise to a level that one could take pride in. Indeed, your common sense is quite lacking." What was Otto trying to say? Subaru breathed raggedly as irritation began to mix with his confusion. The convulsion of his lungs, the impact of being punched, the pain on cheek and brow...all these were fading. Slowly, in their place, he regained the ability to think and strove to understand. "You lack both strength and intellect. When I ponder what you might supplement these with, I can think of nothing. Mr. Natsuki, you are a puny, ordinary human being, the sort one can find on any street. And yet, you are living far beyond your means." "What have you...been tryin' to say all this time..." "I imagine that, knowing full well you are lacking with things beyond your reach, you gradually attempted to come up with various plans, driving yourself further and further into a corner...truly, I understand how Patlash feels." "Patlash...?" Subaru was more surprised than perplexed at the sudden mention of his beloved dragon. She was an excellent land dragon who was practically wasted on Subaru, and in his time of need, she had told him exactly what he needed to hear. He owed her a great deal. Otto was saying he understood her feelings. He blinked his eyes. It was incomprehensible. Noticing his continued ignorance, Otto spoke with irritation. "It is perfectly understandable to want to look good in front of a woman you're smitten with. As I believe such vanity is a necessity, I respect it. While I might find fault with aiming above one's station, let us set that aside for the moment." He must have meant Emilia. He must have meant Subaru's attitude toward Emilia. "Trying to look good in front of a girl who likes you, let us forgive this as well. This is a necessary thing. After all, I believe responsibility is shared in a romantic relationship between both the cherisher and the cherished. Showing off for the sake of someone who likes you this, too, is important. Quite understandable." He must have meant Rem. Once upon a time, Subaru had spoken to Otto about Rem in such a manner. He was striking at Subaru's core, the treasured feelings he felt toward both girls "But you see, that is as far as it goes." Breaking off his words, Otto suddenly drew his head close. To Subaru, who was on guard against a renewed headbutt, Otto looked like he was clenching his teeth as he continued. "You are lacking. I am sure you understand this. You cannot do much of anything. I am sure you know this. You want to show off for the girl you like, I am sure. I am sure you want to be someone the girl who likes you can be proud of." *** "Then, for the sake of those girls, to at least supplement the portions beyond what their eyes can see, surely it is fine to have someone lend you a hand? A friend, perhaps?" Otto pulled his face away, placing one hand on his chest and the other on Subaru's as he spoke those final words. They left Subaru in a momentary daze, after which he audibly pulled in a breath. To be blunt, Subaru's thoughts were Wait, that...? Subaru had once thought like that: wanting to ask for aid, to cling to someone. Of course he had. Just as Otto had said, Subaru was well aware of his own deficiencies. That was why he'd been running around, even humbling himself, to get Echidna and then Roswaal to cooperate with him. The results of his efforts were that he'd gained the cooperation of neither. Subaru had that unpalatable truth rubbed into his face. Hence, Otto's words were way off base. That path had been long closed to him. "I tried asking people. I looked for help... But it was no good." In the end, the arbitrary, overbearing If I don't protect her... feelings he'd harbored were rejected by Emilia, and he'd realized he himself had been looking down on her. Having his expectations betrayed yet refusing to give up, he'd spent the rest of the night lamenting to the stars. Despite Subaru's various experiences, despite Subaru's numerous encounters, he was neither able to advance nor retreat. Subaru was even out of dry laughter as his own shame tormented him. To Subaru, there in quiet despair, Otto's lips trembled. "But...but Mr. Natsuki, I do not yet recall you ever asking me." *** "Perhaps you think I am not worth asking, that it is meaningless to ask, or otherwise dismissed the notion in a similar fashion. Perhaps, Mr. Natsuki, I appear to you as one among the great throngs of people you must protect, or something along those lines." His voice trembled in an effort to suppress his emotions, though it only brought them into sharper relief. This was Otto's anger, Otto's sadness, and only a fraction of more roiling emotions left with no place to go. He'd hurt Otto very deeply. Comprehending this, Subaru instantly lifted his face. "Y-you're wrong." "How am I mistaken? Otherwise, it would be very strange indeed. With what reason do you have to cower here by yourself without a single word to me?" "I haven't looked at you like...not telling you things wasn't because I didn't trust you...it's not like that. You're wrong." Shaking his head, Subaru denied it. Otto pressed him further into a corner with a wordless stare. Its power made Subaru lower his eyes, running dry on words as he desperately sought a reply. It wasn't that he didn't trust Otto. If anything, it was the reverse. He trusted Otto. Just how many times over had Otto aided Subaru that loop? It wasn't about money; Otto had saved him before out of benevolence, putting his sense of obligation and humanity first. When he'd called Otto a friend, there was no falsehood behind it. But how could Subaru speak to that very Otto about his circumstances? *** Instinctively, he knew. The penalty for speaking of Return by Death remained in place. Subaru could not divulge any information carried across the boundary of death. He could engage using fragmentary information if someone had knowledge of Subaru's circumstances, like Echidna or Roswaal. But Otto was different. It wasn't just Otto; Emilia, Ram, all the other people involved with the Sanctuary Subaru could not speak to them about a single part of the unimaginable circumstances that surrounded him. And those not knowing of Return by Death would dismiss Subaru's words as nothing but delusions. "I can't explain any of it right. The inside of my mind's all a mess...it's a big jumble, just like you said. I can't logically explain a single thing." *** "Even if I told you, it's all stuff no one would believe anyway... I don't know what to even say...not to you, not to anyone, nothing...!" "...Please, just say it." " Eh?" To Subaru, murmuring that he could not offer up proof to make anyone believe him, Otto spoke those words. When Subaru spontaneously lifted his face, Otto crossed his arms. "I said, please, just say it. Even if it isn't logical, even if it is all a jumble, even if it is not in chronological order, I will listen to it all without jumping to conclusions, so please." "Er, but that's..." "This...this is what I have been talking about! I told you to stop keeping up appearances!!" Otto howled, as if this time he had truly reached the limits of his patience. Otto's outburst left Subaru astonished, only to find a finger pointed at his black eyes. "This you have no proof to make people trust you, no one will trust you without proof, you cannot explain things in a proper order... I tell you, if you have the time to think up such petty excuses, it would be far healthier for you to spill out everything inside your mind than cower like this!!" "Even if you say that... I...! Don't have anything to make anyone believe this messed-up...!" " Tell me everything! Then, at the end of this messy tale, just say Believe me!! We're friends, after all!!" He felt like a great many thoughts and feelings inside his mind had been torn away

at the root and sent flying. There was no basis to those words. They made no logical sense. They weren't convincing in the slightest. And yet, with Subaru unable to move a muscle, they had enough of something to give his back a shove. "You might not believe me, but..." Even though, in that halting manner, he spoke of all the issues he had been carrying alone until there was no more to tell, it did not take him all that long. 8 " So Roswaal's ordering assassins to attack the mansion basically to...push Emilia and me into a corner, leaving no place for either of us to run." Subaru finished his explanation, heedful of the minor details for fear of violating his taboo. All the while, Otto had been creasing his brow, silent as he lent Subaru his ears. "At this moment in time, this's...all the information I have. There's nothing more to hide." Of course, his explanation had left out the things he couldn't speak of: the Witch's Tea Party and Return by Death. As that left crucial gaps in his story, it was fair to say his explanation was chock full of holes. The logical threads connecting various pieces of information were so frayed, even he thought they sounded strange. That was how much he was waiting with bated breath for Otto's reaction to the explanation he had received: the reaction of the same Otto who had declared that all he had to do was just stick Believe me!! onto the very end. Would this become hope, or turn into despair? Such worries and expectations had his eardrums on edge. "Mr. Natsuki." Finally, after a long period of silent thought, Otto uncrossed his arms and spoke: "Would it be so wrong to turn tail and run without a word to anyone else?" "What...the hell?!" His reply, which came from a completely unexpected angle, elicited a foul and uncouth voice from Subaru. Faced with that reaction from Subaru, Otto's voice went shrill as he replied: "I mean, we are trapped in a hunting ground for the Great Rabbit, escape depends on Lady Emilia breaking through the Trial, a prospect that seems doubtful; even evacuating the people not held captive by the barrier is being obstructed by an ignoramus, and even if somehow we arrive back at the mansion, there are assassins coming on the lord of the manor's orders...just how many sins have you been committing on a daily basis for things to turn out like this?!" "That's what I wanna know! Why does this senseless situation have to barrel down on me like this?! I already knew, but God must seriously hate me! I hate me, too!" If there was a God who governed fate, that deity most definitely hated Subaru, detesting him as if he were a venomous snake. But resenting that made the situation neither progress nor withdraw, nor its level of difficulty rise or fall. "Nah, before all that... Otto, I understand why you're getting all worked up...but you actually believe this preposterous story?" *** "A horde of demon beasts way beyond 'trouble' is coming our way. Even if we try to run, we can't do anything without Emilia being up to the job, Garfiel's in the way of everyone escaping, and Roswaal's gone insane and betrayed us... You actually believe all this?" To any objective person, the bad situations lined up one after another constituted an unfolding nightmare. It seemed far more realistic to think that Subaru alone had become touched in the head than believe everything he said was fact. That's why he hadn't even thought of divulging all this. Even Otto had to "Now see here, Mr. Natsuki." Otto raised one finger as he responded to Subaru's question. "In the course of my travels across many lands, I have been involved with a rather considerable number of people." "...Don't tell me you can just look into someone's eyes and know whether you can trust them or something...?" "No, and you should not believe in such superstitious nonsense. In my time as a merchant, I have experienced far too much firsthand of just how capable people are of shrouding their gazes in order to deceive others. It is nothing to boast of, but I have some experience with being deceived myself." It really was nothing to boast of, so the fact that he was doing exactly that made it hard to respond. This conversation was too important to make light of any part of it, so Subaru pursed his lips as Otto continued onward. "I left my parents' home at fourteen, firmly believing in my abilities as a merchant like any other. The results of that choice were scarcely good...or rather, the unbelievable difficulties I encountered when taking chances, thinking I had a shot at winning, made for results that were quite poor, but..." "Now just a..." "Setting aside whether the results were fair or foul, I intend to live without regretting the decisions themselves. I am the one who placed my trust and made those wagers something I believe I should remain well aware of." Between them, only Otto knew what choices he was using as the basis of his argument, but he surely meant he had engaged in some rather high-stakes financial battles of his own. Accompanying Subaru to the Sanctuary and seeking to connect himself with Roswaal was one such idea. In contrast to expectations, Otto had been acting in a sound, realistic manner. That was why Subaru had doubted Otto would lend his ears to such a baseless tale with scarce odds of victory... "That is why this is a first for me, Mr. Natsuki." "...Eh?" Subaru let his mouth fall open, staring as he wondered just what Otto was trying to say. To that, Otto spoke with a stupidly cheerful look on his face. It was a crisp declaration. "Ignoring the odds and joining a side with no visible chance of winning...this is a first for me." 9 He hurried. He was short of breath. He raised an incoherent voice. Subaru ran across the grass, irritation in tow, seemingly chasing his own emotions as they rushed ahead of him. He cut through the crisp, morning air, kicked the soil, and leaped over rocks, each and every stride grand and powerful. Finally, having run in a straight line, the building that was his destination came into view. Unintentional exultation made Subaru bare his teeth. He bared his teeth and laughed. The door practically flew when he opened it. He powerfully barreled his way into the building. And then " Roswaal!" Racing through the entry hall and the living room, Subaru vigorously kicked the bedroom door open so hard, it seemed a wonder he did not break it. In the room were Roswaal, sitting upon on the bed, and Ram, in the middle of changing the bandages on Roswaal's body; both wore expressions of surprise as they watched Subaru's arrival. It was rare to see such expressions on either the perpetually made-up Roswaal or the usually calm and composed Ram. An unprecedented occurrence was a good omen for the sake of changing the future. A smile gushed from him. Then, jabbing a finger straight at the surprised pair, he announced in a loud voice: " Let's make a bet. You and me. And the chips will be our wishes." CHAPTER 3 *** 1 Subaru's breathing leaped, and he felt like gloating as he received shocked stares from both of them. The two people inside the room, Roswaal and Ram, were a pair that Subaru never expected to see with surprise on their faces. As if to project that sentiment, Subaru twisted his lips, a wicked smile coming over him. " Bet?" Recovering from his initial shock, Roswaal narrowed his differently colored eyes. Roswaal, having his bandages changed atop the bed, gave off a visual impression that was slightly different than normal. The reason was that the makeup on his face, the makeup he always wore, was off, leaving his bare face exposed. The flesh under the white makeup was pale, making the look in his eyes feel gentle rather than sharp, which gave Subaru the polar opposite impression from the usual. Still, he was quite handsome whether he did anything to his looks or not. "Yes, a bet. I'm challenging you to a big, serious match...with what you and I want on the line." "Wait, Barusu." Subaru raised a finger, boldly making his statement to Roswaal. Roswaal narrowed his brows as he pondered the proposal, but Ram interposed herself between them. Ram shielded Roswaal behind her, sustaining Subaru's gaze with a reproachful look in her eyes. "What do you think you are doing, suddenly forcing your way into the room and spouting random things? Do you intend to burden Master Roswaal during his bed rest? This is too rude, even for you." "You know as well as I do that he's not the kind of guy to just sit and wait to get better. Besides, the situation doesn't allow it. This problem is everybody's problem, so I'm gonna be a little pushy and reckless." "Barusu " "No matter what anybody says, I don't have any reason to stop." When Ram exuded a dangerous aura that was mixed with obvious irritation, Subaru thrust a palm straight at her. Then, anticipating just where her actions might lead, he tilted his head and called to Roswaal, sitting behind her. "What about you, Roswaal? You're not gonna sulk about your schedule going a little out of whack, now are you? Do you have the guts to push yourself a little for the sake of your successor?" "...What a roundabout and deeeeply interesting turn of phrase. For the sake of my successor, you say?" Without directly touching upon the truth of Return by Death, Subaru made his proposal to Roswaal in a deviously indirect manner. Its contents brought a suspicious look over Ram, but Subaru's intent definitely got through to Roswaal. His face still ghastly and pale, Roswaal slowly sat up higher. "Ram, wait by my...no, for a brief time, could you leave young Subaru and I alone?" "...Are you certain?" "Do not worry; there is no concern that Subaru might cause harm to me. He is not here for payback, but for a quite diiiifferent matter, yes?" "Well, even if I was here for that, I wouldn't be able to do a thing. You'd just nail me back. Pathetic, but yeah, don't worry, 'kay?" Waving both his empty hands, he asserted to an anxious Ram that he had no hostile intentions. Not that this was the slightest bit convincing, but Ram let a sigh trickle out, then bowed to Roswaal. "Please do not overly exert yourself. And Barusu, please do nothing rude." "Man, you're really only worried I'm gonna start something. Worry about him starting something, would ya?" Exchanging these words as Ram headed for the room's exit, Subaru slumped his shoulders as Ram snorted. Then, after the door was closed, there were but two people, Subaru and Roswaal, remaining in the room. It had been just a few, scant hours since his heart was thoroughly broken, and yet, Subaru found himself in the same situation once again. "I had not thought you and I would meet again face-to-face in this lifetime, and so quickly at that...did something happen to alter your state of mind?" "Alter my state of mind...well, you're not wrong. My shame was exposed, I got lectured a ton, I traded blows of friendship...nah, the punching was too one-sided to spin it like that." Recalling how Otto had pummeled him, Subaru smiled wryly over his complete defeat. But it was a good loss. Over and over, Subaru had lost a variety of battles since arriving in this world, but never had defeat tasted so sweet. "A most cheerful face... It was only last night that you became aware of your own lack of commitment, yet you seem to have put your thoughts in order. I grandly congratulate

you for your swift return." "When it comes to the meaning of grand, you've got me beat, the thickness of your face included... You know, borrowing someone's hand to get back on your feet ain't so bad. Especially if it's a friend's." Upon receiving Subaru's reply, Roswaal slowly shook his head. Despair rested within his eyes; his expression crestfallen, obvious pity projected by his demeanor, Roswaal sighed deeply. "So soft. So weak, and so very young... Ultimately, you can only solve the suffering in this world by yourself. Relying on a friend is a foolish plan, betraying only your own weakness." "Depending on people, connections, feelings...what, that's no good?" "No goooood at all." "That so. Then there's no way to settle this except a bet." With that one sentence, Roswaal's expression changed. Subaru took a step forward toward the center of the room. He walked closer to the bed, closing the distance between him and Roswaal, and thrust a finger toward him once more. "Just like I said, let's make a bet. The chips are what we want most, and there'll only be one wager." "...I shall hear you out, at the very leaaaast." Rather than dismissing the proposal as out of hand, Roswaal prodded Subaru to continue speaking. Having vaulted over the initial hurdle, Subaru exhaled, turning his finger toward the heavens as he formally stated his preconditions. "What you and I want are on parallel lines. After yesterday, I'm sure of that. I want to save everything. You can't forgive me for that. Am I right?" "Yes, you are indeed. Nor can you forgive me. However, you cannot distance yourself from me, either." "...You got me there. If we lose you, Emilia can't fight going forward. I hate to say it, but you have the power here, no matter what you're scheming, no matter how bad you and I get along." "And? Knowing that much, what is it you wish to do? With your naive reliance on others, you are incapable of resolving the situation. Compromise or honing there are no other paths before us." "If it was just me, I'm sure you'd be right." Faced with Roswaal's words, Subaru bluntly acknowledged the weakness of his own heart. Even if he stubbornly persisted, clinging to Return by Death, at some point, he would surely be worn down, just as Roswaal was saying. Certainly, if it was Subaru alone, still relying on no one, clutching his knees and cowering, then... But that was no longer the case. Because it wasn't, he could lift up his head. "Roswaal, let's have one final showdown between you and me, here and now. This time around, I will save the Sanctuary and the mansion. I'll blow away each and every one of your schemes." "You say you will recover somehow from this dire position? And that you will relinquish your one and only Authority?" "...Redoing and telling you about it are two separate things. I had that ground into me. We got too conceited, you and me both. My thing...isn't convenient like that." In the second Trial, Subaru saw scenes from worlds where he had chosen poorly. The more Subaru faced death, the more such tragedies unfolded; this was no way to find salvation. Besides, the search for salvation was the curse that haunted Subaru's and Roswaal's hearts. "And you will confine your final chance to this life, hereafter doing as the Sanctuary...no, as I fondly desire?" "Yeah, that's what it amounts to. I'm sick and tired of feeling each other out like this. I'm making this the last time." "And what guarantee do I have that you will uphold your word?" Roswaal sought confirmation regarding Subaru's assertion as if it was the natural thing to do. "Given your Authority, you could surely make it so that the instant you said 'final' never happened. You are free to rescind anything inconvenient to you. The validity of a promise from such a person is rather..." " Roswaal." With Roswaal concerned Subaru might go back on his word, Subaru quietly called out his name. His words stopping the moment he heard that voice, Roswaal widened his eyes as he found Subaru's gaze trained upon him. Then, without changing his tone of voice, Subaru continued. "Do you think I'd do that?" *** "If you think I would, we have nothing to discuss. I'll end this conversation here." He declared it strongly, strong enough that many opponents would break off the discussion in a fit. Such words from Subaru made Roswaal close his eyes; from there, he lightly raised both his hands. "...In proposing to make this time your last, what is it you seek from me?" " What I want is pretty simple. If I do manage to resolve the situation my way, that'll mean a result different from what you want, right? If that happens, this unwanted development would make you lose your will to live and your drive to do certain things... I want you to set that aside." "Aside, you say? To not lose my drive, you say? Yet, I cannot help but call that a most difficult thing to achieve. After all, it is a matter of the heart. Of course, it is possible to engage in pretense on the surface, but..." "Not really, Roswaal. It's not like you and I are always going to be wrestling with each other." "...Hmm?" With a doubtful look on his face, Roswaal was voicing dissatisfaction with the terms Subaru proposed. Seeing that Roswaal clearly did not understand, Subaru rubbed his own nose with a finger as he spoke: "I know if I win, it'd lead to an unwanted development for you. But for the sake of my future, and for the sake of putting Emilia on the throne, you need to keep on staying close by. There'll probably be times when she'll have to rely on the power only I have. Setting aside the issue of priorities, I'll still be working toward your goal in the end." *** "Roswaal, my demand is simple. If I can save both the Sanctuary and the mansion...throw the book aside and join us. I'll make Emilia King. And I need your power to make it happen." "What foolishness." When Subaru extended his hand and spoke those words, Roswaal's reply was brief, practically spitting out the words. It sounded less like scorn than rejection and bewilderment. "Your proposal is twisted, even for you. You will engage in your own methods, yet you will forgive me, whose thoughts are incompatible with yours? My actions are exceedingly wicked. Surely, those who I have sacrificed would hate me and curse me for what I have already done. Are you not at the very toooop of that list?" "If the issue is forgiving you or not, there's no way in hell I'm forgiving you. What you've done to me, to me and to Emilia, isn't something that can be forgiven. But that's an issue of my heart." There was no way he could fail to hate the man. Many of the hardships Subaru had suffered were crafted and set into motion by Roswaal, courtesy of the poison fangs he had meticulously prepared. That venom had wounded Subaru in mind and body both, even robbing him of his life, making him taste despair many times over. But " You won't be kicking up anything fatal like that again. Not if I resolve things, see?" "Even if I cease to commit such crimes, wicked deeds are wicked deeds. Surely, this is not so convenient a tale?" "Me, I just love convenient tales. Emilia's gonna work hard and become King, and I'll live happily ever after right by her side, so get on the bandwagon, damn it. Let me make clear: I'm not taking no for an answer." *** When Subaru closed one eye, winking as he spoke those words, Roswaal was literally agape. From there, Roswaal's silence continued for a while, until finally, he covered his face with his own hands. "Succeeding in your goals, while letting go of nothing? On top of that, taking in even me, a man with thoughts irreconcilable with yours, and counting me as one of the cornerstones upon which to build your future? Do you even understand, Subaru?" "Do I even understand, what?" "To just what extent your answer is infused with greed." Roswaal's words made Subaru's expression shift...not into surprise, but a smile of remembrance. Just prior to leaving the castle of dreams, Echidna had told him the exact same thing. Witch and devil alike had identically appraised his greed. And that was just fine with him. "You're the one who said it, Roswaal." His smile of remembrance became twisted as Subaru Natsuki responded with a wicked look. "Backing me into a corner will make me the strongest card of all. It won't be the way you wanted it, but I'll be the strongest card you can play against your enemies. Still not satisfied?" "...And if this strongest card is ineffective...?" "I won't have any more hands to play. Your victory will be complete. I'll be your minion or anything you want." If Roswaal won, his scheme would be fulfilled. This time, the terms proposed sent Roswaal into prolonged, silent thought. Subaru quietly waited for him to voice his reply. And then "No matter how much you struggle, you cannot hope to achieve a breakthrough. Lady Emilia cannot overcome the obstacle before her, and the barrier will not be unraveled. The Sanctuary will be buried in snow, and the mansion will sink into a tragic spectacle of blood." "Yeah. It'll be worth it to see how you react when I screw all that up." Subaru raised his middle finger in a fit of annoyance. The gesture made Roswaal sigh, whereupon he lifted a finger of his own. "Just as you will run around attempting to fulfill your victory conditions, I shall give one more push to fulfill that which is written within my book of knowledge. You have no complaints, I trust?" "Well, can I take that to mean you're going along with my proposal?" "As you say, it is not a bad thing to do something for my successor... Nor do I lack interest in whether the results will be in accordance with what is wriiiitten." In a world already contradicting the book, Roswaal was declaring he would act according to its contents even so. Before all was said and done, Subaru had to wreck Roswaal's plans, saving everything and everyone. "Now that this is decided, time is precious. If you'll excuse me, I'll get started." "Subaru." As Subaru turned his back on the bed, seemingly about to leave the room, Roswaal called out to him. When Subaru looked again at him, Roswaal averted his gaze ever so slightly. "The snow in the Sanctuary, and the attack on the mansion, will occur in three days. I expect a valiant battle from you, and an ignominious defeat." "Say what you want." Roswaal's mundane sarcasm made Subaru click his tongue and come back with a retort. Then, Subaru pinched his own cheek a little. "Roswaal, you're throwing me off my game here. Get that clown makeup back on, would ya?" "Hmm. Come to mention it...this is the first time you have seen my bare face, is it not?" "I suppose in this world, it is." Once, in a world long left behind, they had entered the bath together. Subaru made a pained smile as he recalled the sight from back then that Roswaal knew nothing of. "This is a bout between you and I, two clowns toyed with by fate. Let's do this fair and square." Leaving behind only those words, Subaru left the room. They had come to terms on a wager over their incompatible desires. And so, it began. This was the start of Subaru Natsuki's final challenge, to liberate the Sanctuary and save the mansion. 2 " Barusu, you look like you are engaged in wicked deeds with your friend. What happened?"

Having formed a promise over the wager, Subaru was just leaving the building when a voice came from behind. The bitter comment was all he needed to identify the speaker. When he turned back from the building's entrance, Ram was leaning against the wall to the side of the door, hugging her own elbows as she stared intently at him. "Stop talking about wicked deeds and stuff. That makes me sound super shady. You'll scare people." "It aptly describes two little men quietly plotting about this and that, does it not? Master Roswaal permitted it so I did not interfere, but you should know your place." "...Sorry, Big Sis, but I'm not facing an opponent I can beat with halfhearted moves on the game board." As Subaru shrugged his shoulders, his reply made Ram narrow her eyes in a sour mood. "You have done it several times, but please cease addressing me as Big Sis. Ram does not recall becoming Barusu's elder sister. It is repulsive." "Saying repulsive is overkill, geez... Well, it's like a bad habit. Forgive me, 'kay?" "How self-serving of you. Why should Ram forgive such a..." Right as she was about to strongly admonish him, Ram's words came to a halt. This was probably because she noticed the deep, forlorn look in Subaru's eyes. It was not on purpose that Subaru called her Big Sis. He unthinkingly sought out her kindness. In his moments of weakness, he leaned on Ram...because Ram let him. "...I have no interest in your strange hobbies, Barusu." Just as planned, Ram accepted Subaru's words as a joke without pursuing the issue further. "I shall return to my initial question, then. What is this conspiracy you are up to?" "You really don't beat around the bush, do you? You shouldn't have been listening to me and Roswaal talking anyway..." "Certainly, I was not listening. But I do have the means to peek." "...Clairvoyance, huh?" When Ram pointed to her own eyes, Subaru remembered that she possessed the power of Clairvoyance. That ability allowed her to synchronize with another person's eyes, pilfering their vision for her own it was through this power that Ram had learned of the pair's wager. "You're a serious housemaid to the core, but those poor manners are gonna make your master hate you." "It is the cute selfishness of a uniquely faithful spirit and a wavering maiden's heart. Overlook it, please." Her statement was truly brazen in how it placed her on a pedestal, but Subaru hardened his cheeks. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to continue this fruitless conversation with her. He forced down such personal greed. "Right now, is Roswaal accepting that cute maiden's heart and faithful spirit?" *** When Subaru posed his question, it was clear that Ram's emotionless expression had grown frostier. The edge of her pink gaze grew sharper still, but Subaru boldly took a step forward, closing the physical and psychological distance between them. "You're the one taking care of his needs. You've seen his black book, haven't you?" "If I told you, what would you do with the answer?" "I'm taking that as a yes, okay?" Subaru interpreted her demeanor as a clear attempt to evade a direct reply meaning Ram knew of the book of knowledge. Indeed, Ram had not denied Subaru's assertion. Ram knew of the book of knowledge. It was unclear whether her eyes had perused its pages, but... "What's written in that book decides whether Roswaal takes a left turn or right. But letting him do as it says is no good. All hell will break loose in the Sanctuary. And if that happens, everyone'll..." "Do you think speaking such words will move Ram's heart? If so, how shallow you are, Barusu." When Subaru tried redoubling his words with an explanation, Ram crisply and sternly cut him off. The light in her eyes did not waver, not even as Subaru suggested Roswaal's actions would lead to a dead end. "To Ram, there is only one thing that can be placed above all else. This is absolute. It will never waver. Therefore, if it is your hope to change Ram's heart, please stop." "...There's no such thing as absolutes, Ram." "Watch what you speak. I shall not warn you again." When Ram took Subaru's suppressed words as mocking her loyalty, her voice grew barbed. But Subaru's denial was not about Ram's feelings toward Roswaal. It was directed at Ram herself, who had forgotten her other half, the most important thing to her in life. It was toward her using the word absolute. "Barusu. Do you really...expect something out of Lady Emilia?" That was why, while turned toward a door, Ram continuing the conversation over her shoulder was truly unexpected. Her emotions remained hidden as Ram tossed the question Subaru's way. He immediately realized this was revenge having questioned Ram about her loyalty, she was now questioning his own. "Yeah, I do. I trust her. She asked me to support her and everything." Subaru replied to Ram's question honestly and without reserve. Even while respecting Emilia choice to challenge the Trial herself, he'd schemed to push the matter away several times over. However, this was not because he viewed it as impossible for her and had given up. He'd never questioned whether she could overcome it, not even once. Subaru had arbitrarily judged that time did not permit it, and nothing more. "...Lady Emilia being unable to overcome the Trial is through no fault of her own." "Ram?" "There is a reason she stumbles without knowing why herself. Being unaware of this, she merely repeats herself, to no avail." Without touching upon Subaru's proverbial question mark, Ram said only this before opening the door. Before her petite physique vanished into the building's interior, Subaru instantly opened his mouth. "Ram, the situation's already contradicting what the book says. Roswaal is free." He didn't think of it as returning the favor for her words of advice. But he put the words on his lips all the same. The events had already strayed from what was written in the book of knowledge, and the world proceeded apace toward a new future. It was yet to be determined whether this was linked to tragedy, with all laid to ruin, or to breaking through fate itself *** When Ram receded from sight, closing the door behind her, Subaru let out a sigh. In the end, Ram's position had not changed, nor had she spoken of things beyond her personal opinion. "But she gave a lot more advice than I expected. Maybe she likes me, too..." " Are you still speaking such things? I believe the person concerned would be quite angry if she overheard you..." "This Feel-the-Love Campaign is still ongoing. Go ahead and give me more good news to celebrate if you'd like." As Subaru shot the breeze, Otto, with leaves stuck to his hat, emerged from the shadow of a nearby tree, which he had been hiding behind. The sight made it hard for Subaru to deny Ram's assertion he was engaging in "wicked deeds." "Hiding 'cause you're scared of Ram? She won't bite. She's not as scary as she looks." "I think that would also make her angry if she overheard it...! ...At the moment, Ram is cooperating with the Marquis, so that makes us enemies of a sort, yes? It's only natural to be wary of her." "Ram, an enemy?" Subaru was fairly surprised when Otto made that assertion with eyes of reproach. In return, Otto gave him a questioning look, leaving Subaru agape at his own self. Otto's thinking was certainly correct. Given her position, Ram was on the opposing side. He should have thought of it in those terms from the beginning. Though he knew she couldn't be counted on as an ally, he'd still arbitrarily assumed she was a neutral party in this contest of wills. "Haa... Mr. Natsuki, I understand just how much you have trusted Miss Ram in the past. There are also your feelings for Miss Rem remaining back at the mansion, to be sure." "Just lay off for a second, all right? I'm still reeling from how naive I've been." "That is fine and well. Self-awareness is important. But more importantly, what of the Marquis?" Having finished with his opening jabs, Otto cut straight to the point. Subaru twisted his cheeks as he jutted a thumb straight up. "Negotiations were a success. The bet's been made." "I am relieved to hear it. Well, I certainly thought he would go along, but tripping up here would have made all the plans for what follows come to naught." "You're quite an optimist...it was plenty possible Roswaal wouldn't go for it, right?" "Very little, really. The Marquis appears to lack experience with losing." As Otto sank his shoulders, Subaru went "Aha," accepting his view. Certainly, just as Otto supposed, Roswaal seemed strong in a fight. He was cunning, and he had guts, too. In fact, 80 percent or so of the crises Subaru had been placed in were schemes of Roswaal's devising. "A human being who schemes that much will not back down, for if he did, it would be none other than himself who he betrays. There is also the fact that it would seem like weakness..." "Ohh, somehow, you feel really dependable... You haven't died by any chance, have you?" "I am quite alive! Besides, please stop flattering me. When I let compliments go to my head, I am bound to trip up somewhere soon. I speak from vast experience." "Not that I'm one to talk, but that's some sad experience..." Both of them lost often enough that they could not relax, even if the circumstances seemed to be running smoothly. Either way, Otto had made his own proposals, which had set the stage for the showdown with Roswaal. Of course, in the end, this succeeded only in creating the preliminary conditions, but " At least I avoided having to play this game all by my lonesome." "For the moment...however, this is still only the first game board. And we must discuss the next..." No temporary sense of accomplishment arose in Otto as he immediately switched over to the next issue at hand. At this point, Subaru crossed his arms and donned a grim face. The creases of his brow displayed his inner discord. The cause was "...Garfiel, huh?" Otto led the conversation toward a single answer namely, the conclusion that Garfiel's cooperation was necessary and irreplaceable for breaking free of the Sanctuary. To date, Subaru and Garfiel had borne enmity toward each other several times; at times, this descended into killing. Subaru could not forget how his fangs and claws ripped the people dear to him to shreds. Naturally, he had not forgotten his anger, either. "Certainly, he is a moody opponent, but in the present situation, he is the easiest to bring onto our side. His position is different from that of the Marquis, whose views are absolutely irreconcilable with yours. Surely, you understand this, Mr. Natsuki?" The explanation came from none other than Otto, who had been a murder victim himself once. Subaru nodded solemnly. If Subaru ignored his own reluctance, it wasn't impossible to fight alongside Garfiel. Indeed, Subaru had cooperated with him twice already. The first was against the Witch, and the second was to confront Roswaal. Both had resulted in tragedy, but... "So the only problem is how I feel, isn't it..." "Well then, please forget about that here and now and let us speak of it no more." "Forget and speak of it no more...man, that's easy for you to say." Subaru was less angry than taken aback at how bluntly Otto had put it. However, he said "Now see here?" as he thrust a reproachful finger forward. "Mr. Natsuki, we have no time for this. There is no time to worry about such sentiment. As we speak, time is steadily passing us by. It is the same as merchandise growing

stale. Before irrevocable damage is incurred, we must set aside our personal feelings. They are unproductive, unproductive!" "I I get it, I get it... Really, you're a lifesaver." To Otto, who was urging him to use all of his head rather than part of it, Subaru let the last part of his sentence trickle out in a small voice. He needed to cut off his emotions and deal with the top priorities. In terms of cutting things away, Otto's demand differed little from Roswaal's. And yet, it felt like a world of difference to him. "Guess whether it's looking forward, backward, or sideways, the speaker makes a big difference..." "We have no time for idle banter. That is not your job, Mr. Natsuki." "Yeah, I know." Against Garfiel, the key would be the Witch's advice that he was afraid of the outside world. He hated relying on Echidna, but in this current situation, he couldn't let himself get hung up on that. If he wasn't going to depend on Return by Death, he needed to use anything he could, be it a cat's paw or the words of a Witch with a foul personality. "I will do as we planned. As for Emilia..." "That's the one thing I won't let you stick your hand into. I suppose I can't exactly stick mine in, either." Subaru was unsure whether he should have nodded his head or shaken it from side to side in response to Otto's worry. Having lost his qualifications, Subaru could not aid with the Trial. The tomb's barrier could only be undone by Emilia challenging the Trial. At the very least, if he only could find a clue... Even though he knew that clue was to be found in Emilia's past, a past she feared, filled with excessive grief "I still haven't asked Emilia about it. In the end, I guess I chickened out." Unable to watch Emilia shed tears after she was crushed by the Trial, he had not confirmed anything beyond that. He'd danced around the issue...it was the price of having a weak, loving, tender heart. "Because I didn't have the courage to stare straight at her scars, I gave her a pat on the head to console her and pretended to not notice. How many times do I have to repeat that before I learn..." "My goodness. I have to question your love if you can't even handle this much. Please stop playing innocent all the time. It is quite ridiculous." "...Why, you..." Subaru twisted his lips over Otto's rush of words, making light of the somewhat embarrassing exchange. Sighing deeply at his reaction, Otto lightly stretched on the spot. "Well then, have you resolved to treat Lady Emilia's wounds?" "Resolved to ask if it's okay for me to, at least. Unlike with Garfiel, I'm not afraid it's gonna get me killed." "I am somewhat torn whether it is all right to laugh about that." If he carelessly picked at Garfiel's wounds and earned his ire, that would simply put him mortal danger. Compared with that, he had no concerns about asking Emilia, save a fear of being intrusive. What spurred him to do so was Ram's words of advice: that Emilia stumbled without even realizing why. "So for that, too, it all comes down to my Emilia...huh?" "She is not yours yet, Mr. Natsuki. I suppose that is me telling you in Lady Emilia's stead?" "Oh, shaddap." Glossing over his worries with a frivolous tongue, Subaru turned a clenched fist in Otto's way. Seeing this, Otto scratched his head, then answered in kind, meeting Subaru's fist with his. "Anyway, we gotta do this. Let's have one hell of a party when everything's settled. Don't screw up, man." "Indeed. For the sake of not just yours, but my own sparkling future, I'd certainly like it if everything goes nicely." "Don't talk about stuff like your own sparkling future. You're worrying me." "Just what do you mean by that?!" After wrapping up their exchange, the two bumped their fists together and turned away from each other. Otto had his role to play and Subaru had his. With this in mind, he took the first step toward fulfilling his role and headed for the forest his feet hastening to the place hidden within. 3 When he placed the crystal into the white wall, the dazzling light gushing forth filled his vision. "...Even when you know it's coming, it's still a surprise." Covering his face with an arm, Subaru commented idly as he waited for the blue light to abate. Then he timidly lowered his arm, looked at the brightly lit wall, and was relieved to find what he had sought. "The fact the wall opened up means that even if I'm stripped of the challenger status, I still haven't been expelled from the Apostles. Is this Echidna's scheming or a simple oversight...? I'll bet Otto's soul that it's just an oversight." Speaking such words, Subaru used the crystal as a key to a hidden room and stepped into the Ryuzu Meyer replication facility, which was hidden deep in the forest of the Sanctuary. Inside, Subaru eyes found a giant crystal and the girl sealed within it. Arriving to find the sight utterly unchanged from before, this served as proof that Subaru's status remained similarly unchanged. This was one method for Subaru to confirm his status as an Apostle of Greed. He had paid this place a visit with that exact intent. Besides, coming here meant that "I can meet the people involved, too. But the smell here is just awful. Wouldn't it be better to clean this out?" " I am of the same opinion, but it is a measure to prevent insects and small animals from approaching. If you wish to complain, I would prefer you lodged it with its wily designer." "Nah, I'll pass. I don't want to meet her ever again if I can help it." With this, Subaru trained a pained smile toward the figure who had appeared at the entrance to the hidden room. It was a girl with long, pink hair Ryuzu, an individual with an elderly air about her. Walking over, the girl stood beside Subaru, gazing up due to their height difference as she peered into his black eyes. The air felt parched as she squinted at him with her round eyes. "Now then, from the fact that you are here and the statement just now...it would appear you are already rather well versed concerning us?" "It's pretty much what you suspect. I already have a general idea about that...and the purpose of this place." "I see. I had wondered if that might be the case when you went into the tomb to bring out Lady Emilia last night...there is now no question that you are a qualified Apostle." Ryuzu was surprised by Subaru's reply but immediately nodded in acceptance. Somehow, she had a tired expression on her face; the look in her eyes was rich in deep sentiment. "So it is you, Young Su, who Young Ros was waiting for..." "Ah, sorry. That plotline's been scrapped. The editors said the readers don't want to see that." " Huh?" "Also, I want to confirm something about what you said just now. Somethin' really important." The way he ignored her solemn discovery with a lighthearted demeanor took Ryuzu aback. But while she was still reeling, Subaru placed a hand on her shoulder, earnestly meeting her eye to eye. "Ryuzu, how much do you know about Roswaal's thinking?" "Young Su...?" "Tell me, Ryuzu. I don't want to think of you as an enemy." Staying in place, Subaru bowed his head as he pleaded to Ryuzu. His intensity brought a conflicted look over Ryuzu. Finally, the corners of her eyebrows fell. "If you wish to ask, you need only exercise your rights as an Apostle and ask away. I am sure that at your age, you must love being able to do with a girl as you please, Young Su." "I might be a young man, but your outward appearance is outside my suitable age range, Ryuzu. Besides " "Besides?" "I don't want to rely on command rights to talk to a replica. I came to talk to you, Ryuzu." Subaru's words made Ryuzu's breath catch. Her somewhat long ears trembled in surprise. If all he cared about were results, Subaru should have brandished his rights as an Apostle right then and there. But if he treated Ryuzu as a replica a doll Subaru felt he would end up damaging something important to him. As long as there was life, a future, hope, possibilities. Yes, that was what Roswaal had said. Subaru didn't think he was mistaken about that. But that was all. Roswaal was not correct, either. The proper path surely rested elsewhere. That was why Subaru wanted to speak to Ryuzu the proper way. "...All I know is that Young Ros inherited a book from Her Lady the Witch." Perhaps his sentiments had gotten through, for the surprise in Ryuzu's eyes faded as she haltingly began to speak. "Surely, one part of what is written within the book is to administer the Sanctuary. This, and all else, is for the sake of greeting the awaited one...yes, it was a previous generation of Roswaals from which I heard this." "That's it, huh?" "I swear, that is all. Or do you wish to question whether it is true or false as an Apostle?" "...I'm gonna pass. I trust you, Ryuzu." Perhaps it was more precise to say he wanted to believe her. Drawing in her chin, seemingly satisfied by Subaru's reply, Ryuzu looked at the hand resting on her shoulder. "I must say, though, this is quite passionate of you. It makes even my heart beat a little faster." "That's painting a problematic picture, but still, this is a big help. I mean, Ryuzu, if even you turned out to be a devil, I would've been this close to ordering you as an Apostle to go sink into a smelter or something..." "You are a boy who likes saying very scary things with that childish face of yours, aren't you...?" When Subaru removed his hand from her shoulder, Ryuzu tut-tutted as she slapped her hip. It felt like an act of consideration to brush the stifling atmosphere aside. Going along with it, Subaru let his cheeks slacken. And then, having finished checking up on the initial scare, Ryuzu inclined her head. "Now, from the look of things, this is no trifling matter. Young Su, are you in some kind of argument with Young Ros?" "It sounds more impressive to call it a match than an argument. The results will be better for everyone if I win, so I wanted you to cooperate with me, too, Ryuzu..." "Young men resort to posturing so quickly... So what kind of dispute is it?" "The easiest way to put it is: What's the best way to liberate the Sanctuary, I guess?" So far as their relationship with Ryuzu and the others was concerned, the conflict between Subaru and Roswaal began and ended with that. Both wanted the barrier lifted; the only difference was in how to bring that about. Subaru pinned his hopes on Emilia; Roswaal pinned his hopes on Subaru. "And I know that while you support liberating the Sanctuary on the surface, you're actually part of the opposition. And that Garfiel holds the same opinion." Finally, Subaru cut to the heart of the matter, which he hadn't had a chance to directly confirm to date. Previously, he had heard from Ram that not all residents of the Sanctuary supported its liberation. Some residents were part of a faction that wanted to remain. Subaru was already confident that Ryuzu and Garfiel formed the vanguard of this remain faction and were the ones wielding the most influence within it. Once before during that loop, Subaru proposed that he liberate the Sanctuary on his own. But the proposal courted Ryuzu's ire and resulted in Garfiel

crushing his plans by force. It could mean only one thing: Neither of the two desired the liberation of the Sanctuary. "I understand how you feel. I don't intend to stand here and say heading outside is the absolute right thing to do. I understand the feeling of not wanting to change your environment. But..." Opening a path to the outside created change, like it or not. It was instinctual to disdain this and seek to protect the present status quo, which was familiar. He didn't want to force that sentiment down. However "But it'll inevitably bring misfortune, and that's something I can't let happen. This once, it's necessary, by hook or by crook." In the near future, disaster would strike the Sanctuary. When that time came, the only thing remaining would be death. To avert this catastrophe, the barrier had to be lifted. He needed to liberate this place. But the decisions did not end there. "If it comes down to it, you can make a choice then and there. Whether one stays or goes can be left up to each person. But I won't let you keep the door locked. On that, I won't budge." "Young Su." "I don't want to resort to it, but I will if I have no choice. So please don't make me. Let's settle this by talking to each other." He didn't want to depend on his right of compulsion as an Apostle or anything like that. That was why he desperately wanted to settle things through dialogue. "That's why...er, um, Ryuzu?" When he raised his resolve-imbued face, Subaru furrowed his brows, perplexed. In front of Subaru, contrary to his expectations, Ryuzu listened to his words with what felt like a very conflicted look. Then, her face still conflicted, Ryuzu audibly cleared her throat. "Ahem. I am sorry to interrupt when you are being so heartfelt...but where did you hear that I oppose liberating the Sanctuary?" " Somewhere that's not quite here. You don't need to hide it." "Don't go spouting something vague like Young Garand give me a serious reply. Where did you hear such idle gossip?" "Idle gossip...er, um, I heard it myself, with my very own ears..." Faced with Ryuzu's souring demeanor, Subaru's voice gradually lost its strength. After that, Subaru gulped, his eyes faintly avoiding Ryuzu's gaze. "...Ryuzu, don't tell me you're actually not opposed to liberating the Sanctuary?" "As far as whether to lift the barrier, I have no intention of obstructing its removal. Just as you said, Young Su, whether one stays or goes should be an individual choice...that is what I believe." "The hell?! That's crazy!" This unanticipated comeback sent Subaru reeling. He had come here with the intention of persuading Ryuzu, who apparently held Garfiel's reins. And that was supposed to put him one step closer to dealing with Garfiel, the lynchpin to all his plans. Her reply had shaken those plans to the core. No, disrupting those plans was far from the only issue. "Then, that time, why did you...? I was sure I was being imprisoned so that I couldn't liberate the Sanctuary. If I'm wrong, what was that all about?" Clutching his head in confusion, Subaru desperately tried to make sense of all the inconsistencies. Ryuzu, watching Subaru with narrowed eyes, let out a delicate sigh. "This is all quite a jumble... But I cannot dismiss your doubts as pure delusion." "Ryuzu? Do you have any idea what...?" "Before that, Young Su, I wish to ask you something." Interrupting the hasty Subaru's flustered thoughts, Ryuzu's serene eyes seemed sincere as she spoke. What is she going to ask me? thought Subaru, blinking his eyes in surprise as Ryuzu hesitated ever so slightly. "...Young Su, what do you think of Young Gar?" The question came out of the blue, but Subaru immediately understood the reason for her unease. "Ahh, I see...that figures, huh." Subaru's acceptance of what was natural became a sigh that trickled out from his lips. It wasn't complicated. Ryuzu was worried about Garfiel. From their conversation to this point, anyone could tell that there was antagonism between Subaru and Garfiel. That would no doubt have an impact on relationships after the Sanctuary was liberated. To Ryuzu, it was unmistakably a major issue that went well beyond her personal affairs. That was why "To be honest, I don't have a good impression of him. At this point, he's my closest potential enemy." Thinking that hiding it was futile, Subaru offered Ryuzu a crisp answer. His reply made Ryuzu lower her eyes. "I see..." was her faint response. However, seeing with that sunken expression, Subaru continued, "But. "By closest potential enemy, I mean that he's the one I'll clash with first. Once that's taken care of, I won't know if we can get along well or not until everything's said and done." "Ah..." "To figure that out, among other things, I'd want to learn more about him, see..." Scratching his cheek, Subaru resigned himself to coming off as someone spinning a convenient tale. But these were not words he had chosen because they sounded good; they expressed Subaru's true views. Just like Roswaal, he didn't harbor a good impression of Garfiel. But he'd confirmed for himself Garfiel did not have a wicked heart on Roswaal's level, leaving Subaru with no reason to make an enemy of him. "...You are good at pulling the wool over your elders, Young Su." "Ryuzu, you're seriously trying my reputation in the neighborhood, aren't you?" Ryuzu shook her head with a muted smile. Then, taking a step forward, she placed a hand on the blue crystal before her the object that touched her very own roots. "It seems you heard about us from our mistress the Witch...that we are replicas of Ryuzu Meyer...or perhaps, the objective for which the replicas were created." "...I know that it was an experiment in immortality, and you and the others are the products of that experiment." Strictly speaking, it was not Echidna, but Ryuzu herself from whom he heard the explanation on a previous lap. That briefing included how the Sanctuary containing Echidna's tomb was a laboratory for her search for immortality, that Ryuzu was an example of its success, and that the replicas' roles were to serve as vessels in which to pour a soul. Also, that even among the replicas in that place, Ryuzu held a special, individual role. "I am one of the original four. Even now, I watch over the magic crystal as more replicas continue to be born. I bear the duties of administrator and overseer. The four of us were to bear these duties in sequence." "I heard the part about being one of the first four. So besides you, Ryuzu, there's three other people?" "Four...people, is it. It is likely inappropriate to count us, born by unnatural means, as people..." "I don't want to treat you, who's currently living a full life as a loli hag, like some doll. Don't try to convince me otherwise, okay? The other three people...wait." Breaking off his words there, Subaru licked his dry lips once. Instantly, a sense of déjà vu arose. Something stood out in his memories. Subaru carefully selected his words for the question that needed to be asked. On a previous time going through the loop, Ryuzu herself had made a request to him. Her role had been assigned. They sought individuality in all other things: in tastes, in hobbies, and in names. Therefore, what he needed to ask at that point was "My name is Subaru Natsuki... Ryuzu, what's your name?" *** Ryuzu narrowed her eyes at the question, looking like she was gazing at something that dazzled bright. "My name...is Ryuzu Arma. I am...one of the first four replicas." " Arma." As Ryuzu gave her personal name, Subaru repeated it, closing his eyes. He nodded but once. "The Ryuzu I first met named herself Ryuzu Bilma, I'm pretty sure. Meaning you didn't have any intention of hiding it at the start, did you, Ryuzu?" When he asked for her name, she answered. For hiding it meant repudiating the very individuality she had gained. Finally, Subaru understood, too. The four Ryuzus, the overseers of the Sanctuary, shared their role with one another. The four had been pretending to be a single person. "But why go through all that trouble? Couldn't you have just acted like quadruplets?" "Our replica bodies are not of flesh and blood, but false Odo shrouded in mana. Mana depletes according to how active the body is. It is insufficient for even a full day's worth of activity." "I see, it's just like with spirits! So to make sure your job doesn't go unfilled during the time you can't materialize, a substitute Ryuzu does the job for you!" Subaru snapped his fingers; it all made sense. But he did think it was an awkward way to live. Ryuzu's role of overseer was being performed by multiple people. One could also say that four people's lives were chained to that single role. That was " That is a matter for the ones in question to take on. To interfere in that would be an act of arrogance, Young Su." "...I get that. I won't say a word if you don't have a problem with it, Ryuzu. But." "But?" "If you don't accept it, please tell me. Then I'll have Roswaal put you four girls...or maybe it should be dozens of sisters...on a family register, even if I have to smack him." If the replicas of Ryuzu Meyer, numbering over twenty, who existed in the Sanctuary intended to search for a life beyond that of a replica, Subaru wanted to help. "Young Su...mm-hmm, you are a good child." The term family register probably didn't get across, but Subaru's intent must have been conveyed nonetheless. Ryuzu smiled, her eyes filled with the same affection as if gazing at a baby. This was doubtlessly the glimmer of individuality that Ryuzu Arma had gained over the lengthy passage of time. "...Ahem. Anyway I get it. I get it, so let's get back to the original discussion." "You may blush all you like. That said, it is I who began this discussion... The four originals fulfilling the role of overseer, myself included, shared the same intent. Had we not, we would have been unable to act as if we were a single person. However, this only remained true until ten years ago." "Ten years ago?" "Ryuzu Shima. She who has strayed from the original four, and the one and only exception to this rule." She named the person that ought to have shouldered the same role as her. Ryuzu Shima the one from the original four who had strayed from her duty as overseer. Subaru remembered hearing her name. The first one he had met was Bilma; the one before his eyes was Arma. And "I shall uphold my promise. I shall tell no one. This, I swear upon the name of Ryuzu Shima." On that problematic night, those final words had been the trigger for his imprisonment. The Ryuzu who had been together with Garfiel in that place had named herself Shima. And Subaru had most likely been incarcerated by Garfiel on this Shima's orders. "Ryuzu...Shima..." "Yes. The issue arose roughly ten years ago. She was relieved of her duty as an overseer and has lived in the forest like the other replicas ever since. Accordingly, it is now three people who fulfill the role of overseer." "What was the issue that got this Shima stripped of her duty?" When Subaru asked about the details from ten years prior, Ryuzu hesitated. However, it only lasted a single second. Ryuzu sighed, perhaps thinking that silence came off as insincerity. " She defied our vow to our creator, the Witch. Accordingly, she was stripped of her duty." "By vow, you mean..." "Ryuzu Shima defied the vow by entering the tomb. She went against the Witch's command, entering the tomb to bring back Young Gar...Garfiel,

who had not returned from the Trial." *** Upon receiving that explanation, Subaru felt a jolt run through him as disparate pieces of information inside him were linked together. Garfiel had challenged the Trial, only to fail and become an Apostle of Greed. Ryuzu Shima, who had brought him back, had been stripped of her duty as overseer. And multiple replicas were playing the role of Ryuzu the overseer. So the reason Garfiel opposed liberating the Sanctuary, even resorting to force to do so, was that "Shima put the idea in his head? She was stripped of her duty for rescuing Garfiel from the tomb, and that became her reason for being against liberating the Sanctuary?" "That, I know not. I have never met Shima since she was stripped of her duty. But it would not be strange for Young Gar to have...met with Shima, for they share memories in a fashion we do not." "Memories that you other Ryuzus...don't have..." " What Young Gar saw in the Trial at the tomb was the past." When Ryuzu lowered her eyes and replied, Subaru went "Ah," letting his voice trickle out like a village idiot. And he felt the hazy connection between Garfiel and Ryuzu grow stronger and more distinct. Garfiel knew it was Shima who had saved him. And as for Garfiel's past, what Garfiel felt toward that past, and what feelings he harbored about it up to that very moment only Shima knew. "Young Su, do you know of Young Gar's family?" "Only a bit. I know that Frederica is Garfiel's sister through a different father, and that's why their family names are different. Also, how only Frederica, who's thin-blooded, left the Sanctuary ten years ago..." After getting that far, the ten years ago time frame made Subaru open his eyes wide. What if the events of ten years prior made up the barb deeply embedded in Garfiel's heart...? "Don't tell me the past that Garfiel saw was the sight of Frederica leaving?" "No, it is not so. Fuu...Frederica left the Sanctuary after Young Gar took the Trial. Therefore, what he saw was surely..." After correcting Subaru's mistaken assumption, Ryuzu trailed off at the end. It was the hesitation of a human being who had a strong suspicion. Then, after a pause of several seconds, Ryuzu voiced her thoughts aloud. " What that child saw was most likely when he parted with his mother." With a shudder, Subaru felt like something had torn into his own chest. Leaving your mother and in the Trial, at that hit Subaru close to home. "If that child of ten years ago had seen something powerful enough to leave scars upon his heart, it must be parting with his mother. I cannot think of anything it could be, save for when Young Gar and Fuu's mother left them here." "Parting with his mother...and being left behind..." When Subaru put the possible past on his lips, to be blunt, he felt a little disappointed. It would be wrong to quite call it hope. But he'd imagined a much grander past than that. But if Ryuzu's guess was correct, and Garfiel separating with his mother was the barb driven into his heart... "Him obstructing the Sanctuary's liberation isn't caused by negative feelings for the outside world so much as...for the mother who chose it over him...?" "Perhaps he hates it. There is also Fuu leaving after the fact. The outside world stole his mother and his elder sister from him. Even if he wanted to go after them, there is the barrier blocking the path. He cannot bring us outside with him. Surely, the child anguished over who is more important to him...his family or us." "I'm sure he's still doing it...Hey, does he actually resent or hate his mother?" Garfiel's anguish was one that was impossible for Subaru to understand. Through thick and thin, Subaru's parents had never abandoned him or given up on him. It was because he had been so blessed that the notion gave Subaru pause. "That child came to call himself Garfiel Tinzel. That is the family name of the child's mother. I believe Garfiel calls himself this so that I do not forget about her." "So that you...don't forget..." Nodding at Subaru's words, Ryuzu looked up at the crystal, narrowing her eyes. She had her own issues that were difficult to forget. She gazed at their core, seemingly thinking of Garfiel as she did so. "He did this so that the feelings he harbors for his past are not forgotten. Whether this is out of anger or sadness is something known only to him and Shima." 4 He knocked on the room's door, waiting for several seconds. But there was no response. When he turned the knob and easily let himself in, Subaru knit his brows at the carelessness of it. "This is a security issue. Have to tell her to properly lock up..." He grumbled to himself as he peered into the room through the gap made by the opened door. His intent was not to peek out of inquisitiveness, but to confirm whether there was a person inside sleeping defenseless. Fortunately, there was no one present on the bed at the back of the room. He was relieved by this, but also a bit conflicted. "Dang, I heard she was in her room. Where is sh..." "...Subaru?" "Er, ah? Emilia-tan, you're here?" Subaru was struck by surprise to hear only a voice, with the girl herself nowhere in sight, whereupon a white hand slowly emerged from the other side of the bed. It belonged to an individual sitting on the floor there. "What's wrong, Emilia-tan, sitting on the floor like that? You'll get your butt dirty." "Er, I was tossing and turning in my sl...sorry, that's a lie. Really, I was having a bit of trouble sleeping." "That's an odd thing to lie about. I'll pretend I didn't hear it...but I see." Hugging her knees as she sat on the floor, Emilia greeted Subaru with a guilty look on her face. The whiff of gloom upon her comely, lovely features had likely been caused by a lack of sleep and overwork, just as she had stated. There was no mistaking the mental strain. Subaru knew, having had plenty of experience sitting alone on a sleepless night. "Did you sleep a little after meeting me last night?" "...Mm." He did not take her frail nod to mean yes, but merely as conveying that she was listening to him. This was hardly the only loop that involved greeting the morning without having slept a wink. All-nighters caused a gradual collapse as both mind and body were worn away. "...Sorry. Making you see me in a sorry state like this." "Emilia?" "And it was only yesterday I asked you to watch me do my best, Subaru. I can't have you seeing me weak like this, can I? It's all right. I'm going to sleep properly until nightfall, so..." Emilia pinched her own cheek as if to show an obviously worried Subaru that she was trying to bolster her spirits. This somehow adorable expression of resolve made Subaru spontaneously loosen his lips. "Emilia-tan, it's almost noon. Announcing you're going to sleep from now until sunset...that's sloth." "Ugh...somehow, the way you worded that makes me feel really weird. Subaru, you meanie." After Subaru's flippant words made Emilia smile, the two proceeded to spend a few brief, relaxed moments together. He admired Emilia's determination and resolve. Emilia's words from the night before had not only smashed Subaru's conceit but also showed she, too, had courage. It was an important realization. Emilia had said she wanted him to support her. Subaru had come to do just that. " Emilia. Are you willing to talk to me about...what you saw in the Trial?" *** When Subaru shattered the gentle, lingering atmosphere, cutting straight to the point, Emilia's breath caught. Grief spread across her violet eyes. Before she could wipe it away, Subaru pressed the issue further. "I heard from Ryuzu and the others, so I know that you see your past in the Trial. You see your hardest moments from the past...and I know that's the reason you're suffering." The only reason Subaru was passing it off as hearsay was to conceal that he had his own experience challenging the Trial. Having already lost his qualifications, talking about his encounters with Echidna would only court confusion. Besides, in that moment, he wanted to devote all his feelings for Emilia's benefit. "I was happy when you told me you want me to support you. That's why I want to help you...properly, and not just try to keep you all to myself. So I want to know what's worrying you." "Subaru..." "I won't claim anything like talking will make it easier. But if you talk about it, we can at least worry about it together. I don't know how dependable I'll be, but won't you let me fight the same enemy you are?" He had lost the qualifications to take Emilia's place, to fight the suffering pouring down onto her in her stead. Therefore, Subaru hoped to come close and give Emilia a shoulder to lean on when she was tired. *** Perplexed, Emilia fell silent. Subaru quietly awaited her reply. The sway of Emilia's eyes bespoke of her profound gloom. A vortex of various agonies raged within Emilia: bewilderment, hesitation, guilt, self-loathing. But finally, Emilia closed her eyes tight. "Subaru...Subaru, you'll believe me..." Won't you...? were the words surely to follow, but Emilia did not voice them. Her nobility would not permit the unfairness of doubting someone who was asserting his sincerity. ...The very unfairness that Subaru had once beaten into Emilia, unable to resist trying to monopolize her for himself. "I...I think that the past I see is probably from before I slept." Opening her closed eyes, Emilia haltingly began to tell her tale. ...The tale of the wounds of her past, the memories she had harbored all alone that she'd kept Subaru from touching all this time. Drawing in his breath at her confession, Subaru took Emilia's hand into his own. "Thank you for talking to me... This could get long, right? We should sit." "Mm, yeah." Nodding, Emilia sat upon the bed, with Subaru sitting down right beside her. When Emilia deepened her brow, seemingly unsure of what to speak of, Subaru glanced at the side of her face as he spoke: "Hey, I don't want to interrupt, but what do you mean 'before you slept'?" "...I haven't told you about being in the ice all that time, have I, Subaru?" "Inside the ice...wait, do you mean while frozen?" The unexpected words made Subaru blink. For a moment, an image from the facility in the forest the crystal in which Ryuzu Meyer was sealed came into the back of his mind. Strictly speaking, that differed from being frozen, but the images were terribly similar. Provided that Subaru had not misunderstood... "I was frozen in the forest for a long time. A very, very long time until Puck found me...he said I'd been sleeping within the ice." After a pause, Emilia's confession established that Subaru's striking mental image...had indeed been true. *** Touching the crystal at her neck in which Puck was sealed, Emilia closed her eyes. No doubt the memory of the spirit at her side when she had awoken was playing out on the back of her eyelids. That was probably when the loving bonds of trust between Emilia and Puck had begun. While he certainly felt envy for that, the keywords ice and forest stimulated Subaru's memory. " I see, the Eternally Frozen Great Elior Forest! Come to think of it, back at the royal selection meeting..." His memories of the opening speech conducted at the site of the royal selection returned to him. With a great throng of people surrounding them in the royal court, Emilia had most certainly spoken of herself: that she had lived in the forest, spending

a long time within it... And how she had lived in the frozen forest and had been called The Freezing Witch. "Emilia, if you were in ice in the forest all that time...exactly how long were you there?" "...My memories are really hazy. I was probably...six or seven at the time." "Six or seven...do elves count years the same way humans do?" As Subaru counted on his fingers, Emilia meekly nodded. Being frozen solid during your childhood and waking up years later was tantamount to a time slip. Emilia had probably been hurled into a new era like a distant cousin of the mythic Taro Urashima. It was only natural that the time she subsequently spent together with Puck made them just like family. "So the memories you see in the tomb are from before you were frozen...and the forest was frozen when...?" "Apparently, it was about a hundred years ago." "I see, a hundred yea...eh, a hundred years?" As he tried to put the timeline in order, her casual reply took Subaru by surprise. Noticing his reaction, Emilia asked "What is it?" as she tilted her head. "Er, ah, I was imagining a span of ten years, so I wondered if it was off by a digit... I mean, uh, Emilia-tan, you look like you're the same age as I am, so I figured the time frozen was..." "I...kept growing physically while I was inside the ice. That's why, right after I woke up, it was like being in another person's body, enough to make me trip and slip up all over the place..." "A-ahh, I see. Errr, so putting everything together..." Emilia was around seven years old when she first slept, and it had been a hundred years or so later when she awoke. In other words, Emilia's chronological age was a hundred and seven years old at this point in time. "So Emilia-tan, how many years has it been since Puck woke you?" "...I think it was probably six or seven years ago..." Emilia's reply was not very precise, but the response convinced Subaru that his doubts were true. She was a hundred and seven years old after emerging from the ice. From there, she had lived seven years, making her a hundred and fourteen. Emilia was a hundred and fourteen years old, eighteen years old going by outward appearance, and mentally, fourteen years of age. "R-real age, apparent age, and mental age...they're all disconnected." The elven blood Emilia had inherited made her age a vague concept in ways not normally possible. At the same time, it resolved many doubts Subaru had about Emilia's behavior. For someone who had lived for over a century, she was fairly ignorant of worldly affairs, often used phrases and gestures that stood out as childish, and from time to time, she liked using words that seemed oddly archaic. All of these things could be attributed to the fact that Emilia had spent most of her life sleeping within the ice. "Fourteen that's no different than Felt...so why...?" Why did this girl have to bear such heavy responsibilities? The competition for the throne, the frozen forest of her homeland, the Sanctuary with four centuries of stopped time the sufferings pouring down upon her were so numerous, so illogical, that he wanted to yell Why?! "Subaru?" "...Sorry, and I said I wasn't trying to interrupt..." With Emilia growing concerned, Subaru forced himself to smile as he responded. Her sufferings with the royal selection only made his ire for Roswaal grow within his chest. But had it not been for that, Subaru would have never met Emilia...hence, his irritation. "...Emilia, did you live a normal life before the forest froze?" "I...probably did...when I lived together...with everyone in the forest..." When Subaru tried to get the conversation back on track, Emilia touched a hand to her forehead as she replied haltingly. It looked suspiciously like she was enduring some kind of pain. Subaru touched her slender shoulder with a hand. "Emilia? Are you all right? If it's hard to talk about..." "I-it's all right. It's just, um, my memories...aren't very clear. Even though I saw my past at the Trial, I...really didn't understand what I was seeing." "You can't remember the memories you saw? Is that even...?" Whether it was possible was beyond Subaru to judge. Subaru had challenged his past but once, and with that one time, Subaru had overcome the Trial. Accordingly, his memories of both his parents were clear, but he didn't know what would have happened to those memories if he'd failed. There was no guarantee the Trial hadn't been wickedly put together to make repeat challengers suffer. "How about trying to remember one bit at a time? For example...who did you live in the forest with?" "...There was...a tiny settlement in the forest. All the elves lived there together." "Emilia, what about your family?" He wondered about both her parents and any siblings. It was with that intent that Subaru asked the question, but he instantly realized his error. Emilia had always spoken of Puck as her only family. That she'd lost her entire birth family was something he should have deduced without thinking. "Don't worry about that. My family wasn't living inside the forest. Everyone was really nice to me, and I liked everyone...but, mm, family." With Subaru regretting his slip, Emilia resolutely smiled and shook her head. "There was someone like a mommy to me. She was really gentle, beautiful, amazing..." "Mommy?" "She had a look in her eyes like you have, Subaru. Just a tiny bit. That...er?" Still smiling, Emilia was finding something in common between Subaru and her memories of her mother. However, that smile abruptly stiffened, and Emilia blinked her eyes several times. "Uhhh...why Mommy...Mom...my? Why did I...call her that..." Seemingly in disbelief, the shaken Emilia touched a hand to her own lips. Emilia's gaze began to wander around the room, as if searching for an answer, yet it was unable to find one. But there was no reason a lost fragment of memory would be found fallen on the floor of her temporary abode. "Emilia, calm down. Take it easy. There's no need to rush." *** Emilia was on the brink of panic when Subaru wrapped an arm around her head, pulling her close against him. Her long, silver hair flowed down her back as Emilia found, in her surprise, that her forehead touched Subaru's chest. He let her hear his heartbeat. Just like Emilia had done for Subaru the night before. "...What happened to everyone when the forest froze?" " . Just like me, they were inside the ice...they're still frozen even now. I was living inside the forest with Puck, waiting for everyone..." "I see... That's really kind of you." The days she had spent together with Puck, living in that frozen forest that was time truly and literally spent alone with the spirit, among the ice statues who had once been like family. Even just picturing it in his mind, it was a forlorn, lonely scene... "I waited for everyone to wake up...but that day never came. That's why... That's why I...left the forest and participated in the royal selection." " ? Why is the forest related to the royal selection?" "I made a promise with Roswaal." His breath caught. That one phrase, promise with Roswaal, sent a shudder through him. What kind of promise had Emilia, tormented by loneliness in the forest, made with the devil that was Roswaal? "He made me hold the crest he had...after he made sure the Dragon Jewel was glowing, he spoke about the royal selection, but, I didn't understand a single thing about the Kingdom of Lugunica." Of course she didn't. There was no way a girl who had lived in the forest since infancy would know about the outside world. So just how had Roswaal lured Emilia out of the forest? That was "To me, who understood nothing, Roswaal said this. If you are able to gain the throne, surely your wish to melt the forest's ice shall be granted." *** Subaru imagined his seething blood blotting his entire vision red. Roswaal had used Emilia's pure, innocent wish to lead her out of the forest. That Emilia held the qualifications to join the royal selection was probably written in the book of knowledge. Not because he held any hopes for Emilia, but merely so that he might add the strongest card fated to appear under Emilia a card named Subaru Natsuki to his own deck. If he were honest, it made him loath the idea of keeping Roswaal in Emilia's party once all the issues were taken care of. "Subaru, do you think less of me?" "...Huh? Why would I?" As soot-black anger burned in Subaru's chest, Emilia, her face still buried against it, posed that delicate question. "All the other candidates...they're participating in the royal selection with all kinds of wonderful goals, but my reason is really, really personal " " So that's what you meant by your own selfish reason, huh?" After parting ways right after the opening speech, when Subaru was reunited with her and conveyed his feelings for her, he firmly recalled that Emilia, spilling out her words while bewildered by his goodwill, stated that her reason for aiming for the throne was very selfish. Perhaps it really was a wish that did not consider the future of the kingdom, or the welfare of all its citizens. However, it served as no more than the trigger. Her wish was her starting point, but that was no reason to belittle it. "There's nothing wrong with your motive of wanting to save your family and the people precious to you. Saving people isn't any less legitimate just because it's the few and not the many. Besides, that's not the only thing care about, right?" Whatever the initial reason for leaving the forest might have been, Emilia undoubtedly changed in the days that followed. Had she not, she would never have been able to speak her wish so boldly at the meeting place of the royal selection. She had said she wanted to be seen with fairness, with equality. That was something Emilia had surely gained in the outside world. "...Yeah. I'm really grateful." Still resting her head against Subaru's chest, Emilia nodded several times as she spoke. As he felt her squirmy movements, Subaru was pensive as to whether he'd been able to support her as intended, even just a little. But infusing his hand with his undiminished love, he continued gently stroking Emilia's head. "...Emilia?" Just how long had he been doing that? Midway through their wordless embrace, Subaru called out Emilia's name. Exhausted, she made no reply; instead, he heard faint sounds of sleep. Given her mental fatigue, it was only natural Emilia had quickly fallen asleep the moment she found even a tiny measure of peace. Seeing that her face bore the hallmarks not of nightmares, but of sleep to recover from fatigue, Subaru sighed. Thinking back to the night of the Trial, he should have asked her about her past in more detail. However, in the end, Subaru had not. That was not because she had been tormented by nightmares, and though it was partly to let Emilia rest when she had been worn down mentally and physically, it was not just that, either. The biggest reason was something else. Clearly, something strange was affecting Emilia. Emilia had revealed to Subaru her birthplace and her reason for participating in the royal selection. The decision to do so must have required a fair bit of courage, but her memories related to the actual Trial had lost their vibrancy. It showed on her face that she didn't want to talk about it but that wasn't the only reason. She had gaps in her memories. The Trial had likely shown Emilia happenings from a hundred years prior, before the forest was frozen. And yet, she did not properly carry those memories with her. She was stumbling, and she did not

even know why. Truly, it was just like Ram had told him. Properly speaking, she could not recall the memories that were causing her to stumble. And this was fatal to her efforts. If things proceeded like every time before, Emilia would challenge the Trial in a fresh state each night. It would be as if Subaru didn't retain his memories after a Return by Death and only knew of the events in the current instance of a loop. He would be able neither to reflect upon nor improve on his prior efforts. It made perfect sense why she kept failing. If this was a trap Echidna had set up, it was the worst kind possible, but " She's not the type to watch and laugh as you challenge an absolutely insurmountable wall, is she?" Echidna's rotten personality was an established fact, but he trusted in the fact that there was a certain aesthetic to her wickedness. That Witch would never establish a Trial that could not be overcome. In that, the malicious Witch no doubt put on airs of godhood. Then again, there she was, resting in a world of dreams even after death. Maybe her power really did rival those of a god. "Even if you are some deity, I'm not praying to you. If I'm gonna pray, I'll pray to my own goddesses." But at the moment, both of Subaru's goddesses had their hands full. That left Subaru to put his meager brain to use in both their steads. "If Emilia has no means to search her own memories, then..." Laying the audibly sleeping Emilia upon the bed, Subaru looked inward in search of an answer. Had something in the past broken Emilia's spirit when she took the Trial? The question made him recall the completely similar thoughts he'd had toward a different individual a scant few hours before. Garfiel was haunted in the same way Emilia was. If there was a difference, it was that Subaru couldn't ask someone who had the means to know his past " Wait." Having thought it through that far, Subaru's brain came to a halt. Subaru had contacted Ryuzu in order to learn of Garfiel's past. It had resulted in a failure that took a wholly unexpected form, but the idea itself continued to have merit. And since he was facing a similar situation in Emilia's case, couldn't he try to adopt the same approach there as well? "Even if Emilia herself doesn't remember...if I ask someone who does know..." There were precious few who could possibly know what had happened in the Great Elior Forest. The first was Roswaal, but their hostile relationship made getting an answer out of him rather difficult. Even where Ram was concerned, he couldn't expect her to know all the fine details. Given her position, just approaching her was difficult. But there was one person or rather, one creature who did. He was a being who had been right by Emilia's side and whom she considered the same as family...a being who had spent a very long time with her. " Puck." Surely, Puck Emilia's contracted spirit, professed as her only family, that little cat who'd been present when Emilia awoke from the ice would know the circumstances. The problem was that, at present, there was no way to contact the spirit since several days before traveling to the Sanctuary, Puck had neither shown himself nor answered Emilia's calls. Puck's absence weighed heavily on Emilia's mind. Even setting that aside, it was necessary for Subaru to speak with Puck personally. "Think, think, thinkthinkthinkthink. Think, damn it..." Covering his face with his palms, Subaru desperately searched for a way. He wasn't responding to Emilia's call. It was meaningless to attempt to set Puck in motion through any normal means as a spirit mage. Therefore, he needed some other way to forcibly wake up Puck. He dug through all his memories of Puck to date. They included his first meeting with Emilia in the capital, their reunion and fighting side by side at the Loot Cellar, the repeated exchanges of words between them during the mansion loop, and the times, after the start of the royal selection, when Puck had even taken his life " How many times was it that you killed me?" Murmuring to himself alone, he was referring to fact that Puck had been the cause of Return by Death more than once. Subaru was not rekindling his grudge; he was purely confirming to himself what had happened, and how deeply their fates were connected. Three times, an angry Puck had taken Subaru's life. And in each of those cases *** Subaru's breath caught, arriving at the possibility as he looked down at Emilia's sleeping face. Emilia was peacefully sleeping, too deeply to dream. There was nothing more Subaru could offer her than that tiny measure of peace. Or so he had thought. "Sorry, Emilia." With that brief apology to her sleeping face, Subaru drew close to Emilia. Then he put both hands on her slender neck. Feeling her smooth skin on his fingertips, Subaru felt like he couldn't breathe. His heartbeats were so noisy. Sensing the fierce flow of blood with his eardrums, Subaru followed where that possibility led. If Subaru's expectations were correct, this would summon Puck. All he had to do was put strength into his fingers " As if I ever could." Immediately after, Subaru seemed to be enduring pain as he wrung out his voice. The sensation was real. Feeling the sharp sting of clamping his molars together, Subaru breathed raggedly as he backed off. The palms of both of Subaru's hands were covered in white frost. His hands burned like they had been immersed in a bucket of hot water; but in reality, the effect was the polar opposite. This was not agony from an excess of heat, but a biting ache from overwhelming cold. And the one who had made it happen was "You knew what I was aiming for so you didn't need to go that far, damn it...!" " Hmm, I wonder. There's no guarantee that a certain mix of love and hate wouldn't result in harm to Lia, is there? And your love runs deep, Subaru." "Hey, how did you know about my day care teacher's reply to the love letter I wrote her in kindergarten..." "Ehhh...it really is scary to leave Lia by your side. Should I erase you, maybe?" "Don't casually use the word erase, geez. Besides " Waving both his aching hands, Subaru trained his gaze directly before him in resentment. His gaze arrived at Emilia's neck or rather, at the green crystal hanging from it. The crystal was giving off a faint, pale light. The voice reaching Subaru was most certainly coming from it. Though, just as before, there was no tangible sight of him, for he had not materialized. "Emilia-tan's all sad that the family pet ran away from home." "Rather than leave, I have been right here the entire time, though. But, mm, yes, I should say this." Replying glibly to Subaru's biting sarcasm, the crystal or rather, Puck would have probably been floating there with a big smile if he had taken physical form. In this strange atmosphere, he spoke: "You have done well to call out to me. I am happy, Subaru." CHAPTER 4 *** 1 The first thing she felt when she awoke with her right hand empty was loneliness. As she woke up, her head feeling blood-deprived, she had a hazy thought. Before she slept, and even while she slept, she felt like someone had been holding her hand. Realizing this was an extremely selfish sentiment to have, she rose. "...What a terrible girl I am. That's incredibly selfish of me." Her face reddened from shame and self-derision, the girl Emilia curled up in the center of the bed as she let those words slip. The sensation on her palm was that of the boy who had spent time together with her until she slept. Just how self-centered was she to feel lonely because that sensation was gone when she awoke? He'd stayed close to her all that time, yet she was still trying to cling to him. This, right after speaking of such lofty ideals the night before to Subaru. She was always relying on him. She was truly relieved when he'd asked about what really happened in her past, wasn't she? Once again, she harbored the selfish hope that Subaru that someone would come save her while she did nothing. *** Pursing her lips at the weakness of her own heart, Emilia subconsciously touched the crystal on her neck. That faint sensation was connected to the spirit that had been at her side for all that time the part of her family whose face she hadn't seen in these last several days. That moment, she thought very strongly, I want to hear his voice. "Maybe it was a dream... I thought I heard Subaru speaking at my bedside like he was talking to Puck..." If her weak self really had hallucinated what she'd heard, her ears were being terribly convenient. It was not as if her ears, a little longer than those of others, were somehow deprived of the blood coursing through her body. It was just that she thought "...Why can't I remember properly?" " You mustn't blame yourself too much, Lia. I am partly responsible for this." "Eh...?" She suddenly someone speak, not with her eardrums, but through the echo of telepathy directly to her mind. Even though there was no audible voice to accompany it, Emilia immediately knew who it must have been. "Puck...?!" Emilia practically shot up as she placed the crystal upon her palm. Within Emilia's field of vision, a faint green light grew, taking form little by little, its power manifesting into a tangible shape. "Hmm, this is a little smaller than usual? Well, I'm pretty like this anyway, aren't I?" Speaking in high spirits, a gray-colored cat twirled around on top of Emilia's palm with a long tail, round eyes, and a pink nose, this was the adorable spirit, Puck. "Puck...ahh, Puck...!" "Heya, Lia. It's been a while, huh. I forced myself out so we could have a little family discussion." "Family...discussion..." Their reunion after several days spawned joy, surprise, and a little bit of anger in Emilia's heart. But though she yearned for an explanation, the teary-eyed Emilia immediately realized something was wrong. The Puck on her palm was smaller than his usual size, and moreover, his existence seemed ever so fragile. "...Tee-hee-hee. Seems I'll hit my limit faster than I expected. Well, I willingly broke the pact, so it can't be helped that my perks as a spirit got yanked back." "Broke the pact...? Wh-what are you saying? ...No, never mind that. More importantly, where have you been until now...and after that..." " Then, as now, I've always been by your side, Lia. I couldn't speak because of my own personal circumstances and your own issues, Lia. But from here, I..." Putting his paws on his head, Puck's blushing smile went away. His innocent, adorable face turned serious, sending a distressing chill down Emilia's spine. This was a face she had not seen once from Puck in all that no, she had seen it before. This was the face he had shown when Emilia, frozen in ice, awoke. It was the face he had shown Emilia right before her life came under threat, and when the pair formed their pact. And for Puck to show Emilia that face in that moment "Eh...what, eh...? Wait a minute..." Emilia's voice stiffened out of shock. Beneath Puck's feet, the crystal upon which Puck's tail rested had a crack running down it. This crevice was slowly, but inexorably, expanding. "Oh, oh no! This is terrible, Puck! The stone, the icon...at this rate!" "I'm sorry, Lia. I really want to properly explain, but I don't have time. That's something I truly regret, but I'm entrusting you to...the child who holds you most precious after me." "What are you talking about...?

Such a person...! Such a person doesn't...!" Even as she shook her head in denial, the crystal's destruction would not relent. Accordingly, little by little, Puck's entire form grew indistinct. The way he was vanishing didn't come off as a prank. Puck really was vanishing, so very suddenly, and his bond with Emilia went with him. She didn't know what had happened, or what was happening. Nor, with acceptance on Puck's face, did Emilia understand just how she looked to those black eyes that moment. " Lia. The pact between you and I is rescinded. I'm really sorry it's so one-sided." *** Emilia was overcome as a fear she had never even imagined turned into reality. To be separated from Puck, for a day to come when the pact would end, was something Emilia had never thought of. After all, Emilia and Puck had made a promise. "If I'm gone, the lid covering your memories will come off. I'm sure that will cause you a great deal of sadness, Lia. You might cry even more than you are right now." She didn't understand the meaning of Puck's words. Puck softly floated up from Emilia's palm. Swaying his long tail, he hovered at the tip of Emilia's nose. His little, white paws touched her cheek. It was as if he was gently trying to wipe away one of the teardrops coursing from the corner of her eye. If she was going to lose this much warmth, even the frozen forest of her homeland was " Emilia. I reaaally love you." " No!!" As she tried to stop their bonds from fading away, she thought the unthinkable when a voice echoed in the back of her mind. The voice came from "someone" speaking to Emilia from her indistinct memories. She was being made to choose. That instant, she was being forced to choose between the warmth before her eyes and the cold past sealed within the ice. And the right to choose rested in Emilia's hand. That moment, if she reached out her hand, Puck would " Yeah. This is for the best, Lia." Her arm would not move. Her shaking fingers would not reach Puck, even as he wiped the tear from her cheek. She could not prioritize the warmth of that instant if it meant ignoring the voice that tied her to the past. She had spent time together with Puck in the forest, watching over her neighbors, who had been frozen into ice statues, day after day. In all that time and in all the days that had come since then, he never made Emilia face her memories of the past. This was the moment those days came to an end. "Lia. In this whole world, you're the one I love the most." *** They were the words with which, in the past, he had conveyed his affection, and so, too, his love. Instantly, the little cat's contours became a phosphorescent green, scattering as he seemed to melt into thin air. The crystal on her palm was split into two. Already, it had completely lost its light. There was no room for doubt. The crystal had split, Puck was gone, and the pact between them had been undone. She felt no connection. The connection that she could always feel was gone, almost as if it were a dream. "...But it's not a dream." Training her fingers upon her own cheek, Emilia pinched herself. It hurt. She didn't wake up. She had been left behind in a silent room. "...i...ar." She released her cheek, her fingers covering her own face. She raised her head toward the heavens, almost so none might see it. But such concern was unnecessary. There was no one by her side. Only her quivering voice filled the air. "Puck... Daddy, you liar...!" 2 The first thing he felt when he awoke was irritation toward the hollow, empty feeling inside his chest. "...Tch." Clicking his tongue, he sat up, violently clawing at the short, blond hair on his head. He was not the sort to wake up badly. But the nightmare had been bad. This, and everything else, was doubtlessly the fault of those uninvited guests who had disturbed the peace of the Sanctuary. "Young Gar, are you awake?" Then, as he sat cross-legged on the bedding with a curled back and a foul mood, a familiar voice addressed him. When he turned, she was visible at the back of the small, crude cabin and was wearing a white poncho Shima, his grandmother. Garfiel, his cheeks twisting at the sight of her, slowly rose from the bed. "Sorry, dozed off there. Nothin' happened while I was asleep?" "You worry too much over a few short hours. You'll lose your hair at an early age at this rate." "...I ain't the type to strain or get too tense or nothin', but this is rattlin' even me, old hag. I mean, I heard straight from ya that the guy with the stupid smile on his face is drippin' with miasma." Garfiel replied to his grandmother's teasing tone with a dead serious voice. Lowering the corners of her eyebrows at the sight, Shima said in an apologetic tone, "Sorry." It was Shima who could literally smell the miasma coming off of Subaru Natsuki the miasma that came from interacting with the Witch. Shima had been concealed in the woods, performing her duty as one of the "Eyes" of the Sanctuary. Unlike other replicas, she possessed individuality just like Ryuzu and met with Garfiel regularly. He had first heard that someone tainted with powerful miasma was mixed in with Emilia's party on the first night of the Trial following their arrival. Ever since, Garfiel's eyes bore a glint of wariness and enmity toward Subaru and those with him. No matter who it was, he would not forgive anyone who brought calamity to those Sanctuary. "...However. I have spoken of it already, but that boy...Young Su does not appear to bear any relation to the Witch. Besides, from what I have heard, there are much larger concerns." "Much larger concerns...the princess, then? Ya heard somethin'?" Shima's assertion made Garfiel twist his neck and look outside the window up into the darkened, nighttime sky. Properly speaking, Garfiel had no time to be catching a nap at a time like this. With Emilia having entered the Sanctuary, he was supposed to be one of the observers for her Trial at the tomb each night. But there would be no such Trial that night. The schedule had suddenly been changed. And the reason for that was " So the spirit mage lost her spirit. No good to us while she's in a panic, huh?" Garfiel clacked his fangs, sighing deeply at the reason behind why the challenge of the tomb was being put off. "Do not say that. You should have compassion where someone's mental foundation is concerned... Young Gar, you would cry like a baby if I were gone, would you not?" "I would not!! I'm not a little kid. I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't, but..." I ran my mouth without thinking, thought Garfiel, lowering his eyes. He did not care for the gentle eyes with which Shima gazed toward him. "Hah!" he snorted, standing fully. "Young Gar?" "Nothing's gonna happen tonight. Me, I'm gonna go check things out. Get some sleep, you old bag o' bones. Stay-up-late Rudy came to regret his short legs and all." "And yet, it seems to me it is you who should not be up late, Young Gar." Shima saw Garfiel off with a pained smile as he left the cabin. He hated being treated like a child, but his grandmother only Shima and Ryuzu was special. In terms of outward appearance, they were peas from the same pod, and they behaved nearly identically. Even so, Garfiel firmly separated Shima from Ryuzu as an altogether different person. He considered the empty replicas to be different beings as well. As an Apostle of Greed, he had the right to issue commands to the replicas. He felt no pangs of guilt from employing that right to make the replicas do as he told them. They looked the same, but they were different. He considered Ryuzu and Shima to be his grandmother while the other replicas were nothing more than dolls. This was a firmly held thought inside Garfiel. He told himself that one's true nature was on the inside. He told himself that this was the truth. That was why, when he spotted Ram leisurely loitering in the middle of the night, Garfiel's heart beat fast. As far as Garfiel knew, it was she who had the most beautiful core of all. "Heya, Ram. It's dangerous goin' for a nighttime stroll at an hour like this." " I suppose so. There are many dangerous nocturnal beasts roaming about, such as Barusu or Garf." "What a sharp-tongued girl. That's good about you, but..." When Garfiel called out to her, Ram, enveloped by the moonlight, turned around and narrowed her eyes. The place they met was the path leading from Shima's cabin, which was concealed in the forest, back to the settlement. Normally, there ought to have been no reason for her to be in the area, so of course, it was unnatural for him to run into Ram here. "Out for a stroll. After all, Barusu should be right at Lady Emilia's side right about now." "...All right to leave her to him...? Isn't takin' care of her part of yer job, Ram?" "A job consisting only of holding her hand on a night of worry is something even Barusu can handle. Besides, he wants to do it, so I pushed the responsibility onto him. Win-win. Is there a problem?" With her facial features composed, Ram boldly shrugged her shoulders. Unable to summon a retort to her gesture, Garfiel copied her and shrugged his shoulders, too. Emilia had lost her spirit, the center of her mental support. Staying by her side was the black-haired boy with the Witch's miasma hovering about him. It certainly did not give him a good impression of either, but... "...Looks like this ain't gonna work out, huh..." Judging from the abandoned Trial and from her state the night before, Garfiel didn't think Emilia could overcome the Trial. He sympathized with the sight of her breaking into tears, crushed by her past. Of course she had failed. The past was something you regretted, but could not change. There was no way to win against regret. "Ram, do you have any regrets?" "Why, all of a sudden?" Abruptly, Garfiel put into words something heavy that rested inside him. That hateful Trial was a collection of malice that made you vividly relive the regrets that haunted your heart. But would that even work on someone who had no regrets? Maybe it wouldn't work on R "Of course, even I have my regrets." " ! Y-you regret something...? Wh-what do you regret...?" "I regret having to stand here answering Garf's trivial questions. In addition, my shoes have become dirty from entering the forest. This, too, I regret." Letting out a sigh, Ram patted her chest as she lamented such things. This left Garfiel gawking at her, but he soon accepted a fact she really didn't have any meaningful regrets. Her lack of regrets made Ram pretty. This, her typical strength, was what charmed him. "Something is missing. I am unsure of just what, but perhaps that would constitute a qualm." "Ahh?" "Nothing at all. More importantly, walk me back. Or do you intend to make me travel this path at night alone?" Declining to touch upon what he had heard her murmur, Ram immediately began walking toward the settlement. It was extremely self-centered behavior, but Garfiel walked after her without a single word of complaint. Along the way, for a single moment, his thoughts lingered on Shima, left back at the cabin. But Ram's unhesitant gait spurred him onward. There was nothing going on that night. He was certain this quiet night

over the Sanctuary would continue, unchanged. 3 "Emilia...are you really all right? It might be better to let all the hard stuff..." "Mm-hmm, it's fine. Really...really, I'm all right." With Subaru gloomily sitting in a chair at her bedside, Emilia shook her head. She smiled to try to put him at ease, but her trembling lips failed her. The sight made Subaru's face cloud over even more. It had been half a day since the crystal had cracked and Puck had vanished, his pact vanishing with him. When she touched her neck, her attachment to the cracked crystal remained. Though it had completely lost its warmth, and her fingertips only drove the loss home, she could not part with it even so. "I'm sorry... I keep apologizing like that, don't I. But I'm sorry... Even though I really have to take the Trial tonight, too..." She ought to have hardened her resolve, determined to make up for the prior night's failure at the Trial. Of course, being unable to make up for that, or even challenge it whatsoever, was disheartening to her. However, as Emilia apologized, Subaru said "It's all right," gently smiling at her. "No big deal! It's not like any of this is your fault, Emilia. The fault's with the guy who decided..." *** "A-anyway. You need to take it easy on yourself. If there's anything I can do...my hands aren't very big, but I'll lend you anything I can." Hesitant to touch her wounds that was how Subaru showed his consideration. Accepting this, Emilia sat on the bed as she lowered her eyes, making a little "Mm-hmm" in her throat. It had been several hours since Emilia had lost her pact with Puck and was left alone before Subaru realized something was wrong and during that time, over and over, Emilia had gone over her conversation with Puck before he had vanished. It's been a while, he had said, yet the final conversation exchanged between them had not lasted all that long. Even so, the anguish of remembering the moment of their parting ways throbbed in her chest time and time again. That was not all, for the memories she had touched upon displayed scenes unfamiliar to her. She heard a voice. A gentle voice, a soft voice, a voice full of love was calling Emilia's name. This was " Emilia? You really are tired, aren't you?" Leaning forward, peering into her face, Subaru spoke, his voice echoing alongside the voice in her memories. "Emilia?" Subaru's voice was a little surprised. That was because Emilia had suddenly held onto his hand. Numerous times, Subaru had been the one to hold hers, but the opposite was rare. And right that moment, it was the other way around for once because Emilia wanted to be sure. Not about Subaru. Emilia wanted to be sure about herself. "I'm sure...in the morning... I want to think that by morning...I'll be all right." "Y-yeah. That's, mm-hmm, I get it. So..." "Hold my hand. Would you stay here until morning? If you do that, I'm sure I'll..." Entwining her fingers with Subaru's, Emilia infused the sensation with that prayer. It was a different sensation than the last time she had touched Puck's paw. But she felt like there was something there between them. "Please, Subaru. I'm sorry. I'm sorry... Please." "If that's what you want, granting your wish is easy. You don't need to apologize over and over." Drawing his chair close to the bed, Subaru smiled as he continued holding Emilia's hand. With his other hand, he stroked her head, making Emilia close her eyes from the ticklish feeling. "Morning...if it's till morning, okay. I believe in you." To those gentle words, Emilia closed her eyes, the sensation on her palm calming her heart. Instantly, she finally felt sleepy. For what she would surely see from that point on was her past. Before dreaming of her past, she wanted that feeling on her palm from that moment to be the last thing she remembered. 4 She truly looked small as she walked amid the snow. Her feet caught on the snow, and she tumbled forward, landing flat on her face. She was clumsy, with a look on her face like she was seeing snow for the first time. In fact, it was. That was the first time she had seen snow. It was beautiful enough to make anyone tremble, yet so fragile that it crumbled to the touch, and cold enough to elicit tears. Emilia understood that this scene from her dream was a fragment of her memories of the past. Puck had said the lid on top of her memories would be lifted the instant their pact was no more. Indeed, but a few scant hours later, Emilia was visited not only by pain, but by countless scenes unknown to her. There was a humid, green forest with smiling people and girls with hair as silver as Emilia's, and those girls had happy conversations with men unfamiliar to her. Her homeland was daubed white those were the moments of time within the dream. "Emilia!" Amid the dream, amid the snow, amid the past clawing at her heart, the young Emilia heard a voice call her name. A woman with silver hair and violet eyes practically leaped through the air as she raced over. Besides these features, the same as Emilia's, she had short hair and almond-shaped eyes. The sight made her heart powerfully, audibly creak. "I'm sorry, Emilia. I'm sorry. I never taught you any of the important things. I hid everything from you... I just wanted our princess to be happy...please forgive us...forgive me..." The woman embraced the young Emilia tightly, pleading to her in an earnest voice. "I love you. I wanted to protect you. I spoke white lies so that no one would hate you." She desperately pleaded, but the young Emilia of the past shook her head from side to side. She rejected the desperate plea. The woman loved her and wanted to protect her. Yet she had spoken lies, to avert hatred. Emilia hated lies. She detested lies. Lies brought nothing but sadness. Lies left Emilia alone. Lies ruined anything and everything. That was why she hated lies. " Emilia. I really love you." This, too, was a lie. All of it was a lie. Lie. Lie. It was a lie. It was a lie. Not that she wanted to believe that everything had been a lie... "Mommy Fortuna, you liar." Opening her eyes, Emilia spoke those words to the lovely woman seared into her memories. "Puck, you liar." Touching the split crystal with her left hand, Emilia spoke those words to the spirit who had rescinded the pact made with Emilia. And then " Subaru, you liar." Staring at her empty right hand, Emilia spoke toward the boy who had made a promise to her before she slept. She spoke to the boy not there. "...Liar." There was a moon outside the window, tracing a half-crescent. It was still in the sky, with the promised morning far-off. 5 It was when Garfiel visited Shima's cabin in the morning on a whim that he realized something was wrong. The great number of human outsiders currently present made the Sanctuary's situation different from the norm. Because of that, despite Shima being little indisposed due to her secluded life in the forest, he figured he ought to have another word with her at least. "Old hag? Hey, where the hell'd you go?" When he looked around the cabin interior, Garfiel twisted his neck, for Shima was absent. It was very early in the morning, but the bedding had already lost its warmth; there was no mistaking that she had left at quite an early hour. Since going out on a stroll at a rather odd hour ran a high risk of strangers spotting her, Garfiel was internally conflicted. He didn't want to restrict his grandmother's movements. He didn't want to, but "...Right now, there's Roswaal and the miasma bastard here..." Touching the white scar on his forehead, Garfiel twisted his cheeks. Touching his scar when he was thinking about something was akin to a force of habit. He'd borne the scar ever since the moment he entered the tomb in his youth. He behaved like an idiot who did not know fear, but that memory was of the single most foolish thing he'd done. Haunted by the presence of the scar, he touched it to make himself remember to regret and reflect. Hence, it had become a habit. "A stroll, huh? Days sure get long when ya get old. Maybe I should pour some tea 'n' wait..." Spotting the teacup placed on the table, Garfiel felt a sense of thirst rising in his throat. Where are those tea leaves, he thought, but something struck him as wrong. There were two teacups on the table. Garfiel hadn't had any tea when he'd been there the night before. *** The sense that something was wrong made Garfiel put his nose to work, practically shooting out the cabin as he rushed outside. There were no footprints remaining on the forest floor. There was virtually no trace of Shima's replica scent, either. If it was nothing, fine. But if it was something Almost flying as he raced through the forest, Garfiel made a beeline back toward the settlement. There were two potential destinations: the Cathedral, to which the outsiders had been exiled, or perhaps "Tch! Like there's any doubt!" Garfiel clacked his fangs as his feet carried him straight toward the back of the settlement. Then, just as his destination was coming into sight, Garfiel raised his voice in a "Hey!" " ! Garfiel?!" With a pale face, it was none other than Subaru who turned around. There were two others at his side: Ram, and that third-rate guy whose name he didn't remember. The trio was standing in front of an empty house the house currently being used as Emilia's place to rest. "The hell are all of ya doin' out..." "Hey, do you know where the heck Emilia is?!" " The...hell?" Garfiel, all worked up trying to find Shima, was about to ask if they had any idea where she was when Subaru's words took him by surprise. This instantly left him at a loss. Garfiel's reaction brought an irritated look over Subaru's face. "What gives? Do you know where...you didn't abduct her, did you?" "Don't talk stupid. Why'd I go abductin' the princess? What's goin' on?" " Lady Emilia has gone missing. It happened this morning, right under our noses." In place of the uneasy-looking Subaru, it was Ram who laid bare the circumstances. But the explanation did not induce Garfiel to close his mouth. Emilia was missing. That made two people missing. "It seems Mr. Natsuki was holding her hand during the night. When morning came, Mr. Natsuki apparently went to switch with Miss Ram so that she might get a change of clothes..." "...Well, that's your mistake, ain't it?" When Third-Rate added more detail, Garfiel let that comment slip. Subaru hung his head with a pathetic look on his face. To be blunt, Garfiel had suspected it might all be some kind of scheme, but he didn't think Subaru being shaken by Emilia's absence was a ruse. Who could put on an act with a face that pathetic? If that was so, Shima and Emilia both being missing made this an emergency situation. *** No choice, thought Garfiel as he took the blue crystal in his loincloth into his hand. He didn't want to employ his rights as an Apostle of Greed, but if there was ever a time to use the replicas' power, this was it. He just needed to mentally order them. Order them to search for Shima, and next, Emilia... For one second, he was tempted to order Shima to come to his side, but Garfiel forced the notion back down, throwing that option away. He didn't use his rights on Ryuzu or Shima.

That was the moral code Garfiel had to protect at all costs. "...So what, you lookin' for her with other people?" "We only just found out! We're gonna ask the people from Earlham Village to..." "You do whatever ya want. Me, I'll do it my way. Ram!" If they had their own ideas, he wouldn't object. When Garfiel called her name, Ram nodded deeply, seemingly guessing what he had in mind. Surely she could make use of everyone in the Sanctuary, native and stranger alike. Garfiel would leave the matter of Emilia in their hands, for he had to search for Shima himself. He would not divulge Shima's existence to Ram or the others. It was a secret of the Sanctuary, after all. "If ya find somethin' out, lemme know! And don't do anythin' stupid, ya hear?!" Driving that one thing home, Garfiel kicked the ground, leaving Ram and the others behind. Activating his explosive leaping strength, he made a full turn, this time racing back to the forest in one go. He'd rendezvous with a number of the replicas, leading them in an organized search. As he resolved upon this " Damn it all! What the hell's goin' on here?!" He couldn't get the others to search for Shima. Even the residents of the Sanctuary did not know of her existence. Ryuzu was the exception, but Ryuzu and Shima...he thought it would be cruel to make his two grandmothers meet each other. He hadn't heard the particulars of the situation. But the gist was that Shima had once been Ryuzu but had stopped being Ryuzu somewhere along the line. Given the sad way she talked it, he didn't need to hear anymore. All Garfiel needed to do was keep it to himself. That would protect the secret. In that moment, it was for that sake, for the sake of secrets, for the sake of the Sanctuary, that Garfiel ran. 6 "This is..." Wiping the sweat on his brow, Garfiel grimaced at the disagreeable scent. Garfiel did not like this place. Better put, he hated it. The pungent scent hovering in its environs was akin to a mortal enemy to his sensitive nose, but the largest reason was the purpose of the facility's existence. The Ryuzu Meyer replication facility. That was the white building's role. "Why would the old hag come here...? She hates this place as much as I do, damn it." Muttering curses as he entered the building, Garfiel squinted in its dimly lit interior. Garfiel had met with the replicas at Shima's cabin to receive their reports as Eyes. The replicas lurking in every corner of the forest bore the duty of being Eyes, observing the Sanctuary to find intruders from the outside or anomalies that might occur within. When he made proactive use of his rights as an Apostle of Greed, it was usually for that. Ryuzu and Shima laughed it off, but in actuality, the Eyes had been very useful. On the first day that Subaru and the others had visited the Sanctuary, it was thanks to them that he'd been able to capture the group so quickly after they'd crossed the barrier. Finding out that Shima was at the facility right then was another result of their work. The Eyes had not spotted Shima. But that meant by implication that Shima had gone to a place where no replica was on duty. That strongly pointed to the facility and its surroundings. Of course, he'd made the replicas continue the search, but " It's open. So this is the place." Having arrived at the spacious room in the back of the facility, Garfiel clicked his tongue in certainty. At the tip of his gaze was where a white wall ought to have been but the entrance to the hidden room behind it was wide open. Garfiel pretty much dragged himself there only once in several months to a year's time to pick up a new replica created from the device within the chamber. And only those with the same status as Garfiel bore could enter that place. For the conditions to enter were twofold: to bear a crystal and to be an Apostle of Greed. Garfiel knew of only one person beyond himself who could possibly fit those two conditions. "Old hag! Are ya here?! Can ya hear my voice?!" Shouting loudly, Garfiel advanced to the back of the chamber with ragged-sounding footsteps. He was halfway certain. He was being lured there. Some kidnapper had brought Shima into the facility, lying in wait as he came searching for her. Knowing that much, he ought to have been cautious, but Garfiel was nothing if not bold and impetuous. If it was a trap, he'd crush it underfoot; if a scheme, he'd clamp his jaws and shatter it. His conclusion was plain and simple. "Old hag! Old hag !!" Surely, there was no reason to inflict harm upon her. He could surmise no reason to do so. At the very least, she'd served the other party tea. Even if the opponent was some strategist with a devilish mind at work *** Hearing no reply, Garfiel set foot into the chamber, resting his eyes upon the so-called magic crystal. In its blue light, there was a girl hugging her knees sealed within. This was the girl from which all the replicas originated Ryuzu Meyer. Garfiel felt bad about the presence of the girl, one he took for granted, which he could call neither materials nor a corpse. He felt himself reflected in that presence: already ended, yet continuing to exist. Perhaps it was because her existence jabbed deeply into his chest that he was slow to respond to the footsteps behind him. "Who ?!" Turning around and raising his voice, he immediately scolded himself for the stupid question. There was only one sort of person who would show up at that time and place. In other words, the presence belonged to Subaru Natsuki " I am terribly sorry I cannot live up to your expectations." *** The whisper in his ear and the pat on his shoulder sent Garfiel into shock. In other words, this was proof he had been approached from the opposite direction of the footsteps he had heard. And the one who had done this was "The host of the banquet is absent. May I serve you in his place?" Speaking these words, the gentleman with delicate features bowed, touching his hat to his chest. He remembered his face. His face was all he remembered. He did not remember his name. That was why Garfiel called him Third-Rate. "Why are you...where is that bastard...?" His surprise over the young man's emergence undiminished, Garfiel searched the room for any sight of Subaru. The young man was unexpected, but he could guess who'd set this up. Of course, the uproar over Emilia's absence was a pack of lies, too; the shaken look on his face, and all the rest, was purely the product of acting "Actually, this circumstance truly was unexpected." " Huh?" "It truly was our blunder to let Lady Emilia slip out while our eyes were turned. To be blunt, I am tempted to wonder if even my fortune is so poor. However..." Cutting off his words at that point, the young man returned the hat in his hand back to his head. After that, he rubbed his own nose with his finger, making what seemed like a blushy smile. "My friend asked me to, you see. Knowing full well 'tis a minor role, I shall play it to the fullest regardless." 7 Dragging her feet, she walked toward the pale glow with darkness hovering all around it. The exhaustion of her willpower robbed her of endurance as well. Even though she was moving but a short distance, her body felt heavy. Even so, the girl Emilia was unwilling to halt, forcing herself to move forward. Puck's prediction had been correct. The lid on her memories had been lifted, and recollections came back to her one after another. She didn't know what connected the two. She did not know why Puck's absence was related to her memories. Was it Puck who had sealed her memories? If so, why would Puck " Mommy Fortuna." Instead of that doubt, what she put on her lips was the name of the woman who had been like a mother to her and was strongly carved into her memories. She was not her birth mother. She was sure she'd heard that from the woman herself. Those memories, too, would surely come back to her in short order. Her memories of Fortuna were gentle, warm, and strong to Emilia, she was the ideal woman. The mother who should have been turned into a statue of ice was somewhere in the frozen forest that very moment. "Ugh...hkk..." The memory of the sin she could never undo throbbed. A sob trickled out from Emilia's lips. Not everything had come back to her yet. And yet, a feeling of guilt welled up from deep inside her chest. Even without her memories, surely her body, her blood, and her soul remembered. It had always been like that. Always. Desperately, earnestly, with all her strength, she didn't intend to hold back in the slightest, yet Emilia's hands could not even glance across the surface of that which she truly wished to reach. That was probably why Puck, why Subaru, why Fortuna had slipped through her fingers "That's why I..." Even as she sobbed and cried tiny tears, Emilia pressed on. At the speed of a crawl, she headed for a particular place in the dense sea of green. She did this because in her present state, that was the final stronghold in which Emilia could place her trust. "...Liar." There was no one to hear the word of blame that fell from her slender lips. Nor was there anyone who clearly understood who the word was for. 8 " Ya ain't got what it takes for this role, Third-Rate." Immediately after recovering from the initial shock, Garfiel seemed to chew on the words before spitting them out. The tone of his voice was intimidating. The young man on the receiving end of it made a pathetic-looking face. "...Well, I imagined you might say as much. I, too, believe I am behaving rather recklessly in courting this circumstance. Truly, I had intended to settle this with dialogue between us." "Dialogue, ya say?" "Yes. Ryuzu...no, Shima should have been here. At Mr. Natsuki's initiative, we wished to have Miss Shima in attendance while we were to speak with you... However..." Scratching his cheek, the young man let a weary sigh trickle out. "The incident with Lady Emilia has completely thrown off my plans. Having said that, I have already engaged in wicked deeds all over, so I must adjust appropriately to changing circumstances..." "...What of the old hag?" "As I could not read the situation, I had her distance herself. There is no one here save you and I." "That so." He'd asked what he wanted to. If neither Shima nor Subaru, who had hatched the scheme, were present in this place, he was done here. Coming to this conclusion, Garfiel glared at the young man. However "That bastaaard...playin' his little games...!" Putting his fierce, seething emotions onto his tongue, Garfiel raggedly vented his rage toward Subaru. Since the beginning. Yes, from the very beginning, Garfiel couldn't stand Subaru. With sharp eyes in contrast to the soft look of his face, he always behaved flippantly and frivolously. Yet, in spite of that, from time to time, he had a look in his eyes like someone who'd gone through crises that Garfiel could not even imagine. That gaze of his, as if he was staring off into some place far away, struck Garfiel the same as that of the man he liked least in the entire world. Of course it had annoyed him. If he'd used his own hands to pinch and crush him sooner, none of this would have happened. "I am

inclined to thank you for not being quite that rash." "What the hell did you stay behind for? The guy in question ain't here so there's no talk to be had." "You have a point. And yet, right now...I wish to buy time for a man and a woman to have a moment with each other." The young man raised a finger to his lips, winking with one eye. The gesture brought a questioning look over Garfiel's face. But as soon as he understood the meaning of his words, and just which man and which woman he meant, the impact ran through him. *** That instant, what shot through Garfiel was intuition beyond anything he could explain. Hence, Garfiel, a man who judged things in accordance with his instincts, was certain it was fact. That moment, Subaru was searching for the supposedly missing Emilia so that he might meet with her. Meet her, and do what? What could that man, qualified to be an Apostle of Greed, do "Oh my! I cannot let you go as you please. I told you, did I not? However minor, I have a role I must play." *** "I feel obligated to warn you, I may not be much for direct combat, but I have a bounty of tricks up my sleeve. For instance, employing water and wind magic to cast the sound of my footsteps into the distance..." "Yeah? Here's what I gotta say, Third-Rate." When Garfiel turned, seemingly intent on leaving the hidden chamber, the young man stood to bar his path. And as that young man attempted to recite some list, Garfiel said it in one, brief sentence and one alone. "Ya ain't got what it takes for this role." " Guh, ugh!" The blow to his solar plexus elicited a trickling moan from the young man as he proceeded to crumple. He swooned, spewing the contents of his stomach. The punch had avoided his vitals. That was Garfiel's show of mercy and restraint. "That's payback for the little trick with the footsteps earlier. See ya." Leaving the fallen young man those words, Garfiel hurried, racing out of the facility. He had to return to the Sanctuary. No, it wasn't the Sanctuary he needed to head for: It was the tomb. He knew intuitively. Garfiel trusted his intuition that letting Subaru and Emilia meet, and giving them time to exchange words, would bring a bad situation forth. Besides, Garfiel sympathized with Emilia. He pitied her. His memory of Emilia looking heartbroken, the cruelty of the Trial pounded into her, was still fresh. Garfiel had tasted the same fear himself long ago. They were similar. Even setting aside the blood that flowed through their veins, of course he'd harbor empathy for her. That was why Garfiel thought he shouldn't let Subaru meet Emilia. It had nothing to do with their fondness and attraction for each other. If you challenged the past, you got hurt. He'd put a stop to that. "The replicas...!" Garfiel thought that, in the time between leaving the temple and returning to the settlement, he ought to give urgent commands for the replicas to search for Subaru and Emilia. Shima weighed on his mind, but at this moment in time, the other two came first. In particular, he needed to mercilessly twist Subaru to the ground by force, even if he needed to use the replicas to do it. With that thought, he rummaged through his pocket and it was then that Garfiel realized that the crystal wasn't there. *** The instant he realized it, the blood drained from his face. He kicked a tree to kill the momentum of his sprint. He searched inside his loincloth once more. However, the crystal was not there, either. There was no way he'd have dropped something so precious. After all, to Garfiel, it was part of a memory he could not afford to lose " ! That...third-rate bastard!" Garfiel howled as his guess set his thought process ablaze. In the hidden chamber, he'd deliberately thrown the sound of his footsteps with the aim of getting close. The various exaggerated gestures were all distractions so that Garfiel would not notice Third-Rate pickpocketing his crystal. Garfiel hesitated for a moment. But then he immediately cast it aside, turning back toward the facility. It was not that he was afraid of being unable to give commands to the replicas. In the end, the crystal was a tool; all he needed to make a new one was to break a piece off of the magic crystal sealing Ryuzu Meyer within. Objectively speaking, there was no reason to be nervous. But to Garfiel, it was not so. To Garfiel, and to one other "Third-Raaate !!" He returned to the facility with enough force to break through a solid wall. But there was no sign of the man he had punched in the gut, the man who ought to have been lying there. He realized that the swooning had been an act as well. He'd been had. Garfiel had been completely, utterly ensnared and was still being toyed with that very instant...! *** He raced out of the facility, whipping his head all around. His nose wasn't working. It was useless. The foul odor of the place violated his nostrils, rendering them unusable. He squinted, acting like a beast in search of even the slightest change around him. Casting all dignity aside, he went down on all fours and crawled. Footprints. Footprints from leather boots. These he followed. Ferociously breaking through the forest, he trampled all manner of foliage, eyes bloodshot as he pursued traces of leather. Finally "I found ya!! Don't ya dare think about gettin' away from me!!" Leaping, Garfiel twisted in midair, throwing up dust as he landed. His eyes were trained upon a gap in the trees standing straight before him. He'd caught sight of the young man in question. From the nimble way he fled, the earlier punch had taken little out of him. "You con artist...!" "Calling me a con artist is quite offensive...er, no, perhaps I should puff my chest out in pride at my opponent claiming he was deceived, for such are my long-cherished goals as a merchant..." Spinning worthless words, the young man calmly stood in defiance of the angry Garfiel. Garfiel straight-out admired his nerve. He admired it and, while admiring it, would crush it with his fangs. "Give back the stone. That's my stone. I know that you stole it, you thieving bastard...!" "Third-rate, and now thief...it is truly difficult to be appraised in line with my own ideals. I understand how Mr. Natsuki and Lady Emilia feel." "I ain't askin' about that! And I got no intention of playin' along so ya can buy time!!" When the young man murmured disconcertedly, Garfiel glared at him, unreservedly yelling in anger. He understood. He finally understood. These were enemies, and mortal enemies at that. The more the young man before his eyes, and Subaru, made Garfiel talk, the more these mortal enemies backed him into a corner. Just as he entrusted his life to fang and claw, they entrusted theirs to words, tongues, and schemes. That was why he had to settle the conflict right then, right there. *** The sharpness of the glint in Garfiel's eyes increased as he paid conscious attention to the young man's each and every word and action. In the earlier battle, all his gestures had been a trap. He could not lower his guard, not relenting for even one moment, one second. "Finally...you are looking at me, Garfiel." Seeing right through his hostility-filled eyes, the young man laughed. Shudder went Garfiel, feeling a chill run up his spine. Why was this man laughing? "Third-rate, thief, all that is fine. People like me do not even enter the vision of people like you. You are prejudiced toward opponents such as Mr. Natsuki and I. That is why you never paid me any heed." He had no objection to the rambling words the young man spoke. It was all fact. Garfiel had never considered the young man someone he should pay the slightest heed to, let alone be wary of him as a potential foe. And look where it got him. He'd been led by the nose, extensively toyed with, and reduced to his current state. That was why, that moment, he was being so wary, absolutely not turning his eyes away for a single instant "A merchant reads his chances for victory, acting several moves ahead. I am no exception." "Huh...?" "Last night, it was Mr. Natsuki who spoke with Miss Shima over tea. I do not know what occurred in the immediate aftermath, nor does Mr. Natsuki know of my actions, I am sure." Shaking his head side to side, Otto backed up bit by bit. Seeing this, Garfiel realized he had once again been slow to decide due to indignation at what he was being told. He needed to ignore the words. The man before him was his enemy. Whatever the scheme, he simply needed to make his enemy submit. "I'll deal with ya here and now. And next..." "Yes. That." One instant, he made that assertion, stepping forward in pursuit of the young man the next, he was assaulted by a floating feeling. His right foot plunged through the ground he'd stepped on, causing him to lose his balance. Instantly, he stretched a hand to a nearby tree. Tree trunk and all, Garfiel was swallowed up by a frighteningly large cave-in. "Uooaaaa ?!" He made an anguished cry as the blow of the fall came immediately. He fixed his posture, glaring immediately upward. The depth of the hole was several yards; going back was trivial. But in that case, why had he made a hole like that? What was this hole, at a size and depth completely beyond human strength to dig, doing here? As he had the thought, he squinted at the hole. It was then that Garfiel realized that something was off: not with the top, nor the bottom, but with the earthen walls. They contained countless points of light; these were countless winged insects enshrouded by phosphorescent light "Since long ago, I have had few human friends. Instead, I get along quite well with my friends beyond humans." Garfiel was taken aback by the voice coming down at him from overhead. He could not instantly comprehend the meaning of those words. But his instincts rang an alarm bell warning him of danger. And once again, even that very instant, Garfiel was listening to his enemy's words. Accordingly, the next moment, his just rewards blew up in his face. "Now, the forest itself is your enemy. First, have a taste of the Zodda bugs' warm welcome!" Drowning out his sentence was the sound of wings, raging like a gale inside the hole. Garfiel raised an angry yell in response. Yell and roar. The reverberations echoed. And so the Battle of the Lost Woods of Cremaldi commenced. 9 When it felt like he heard a roar far off in the distance, Subaru's breath caught. For an instant, he looked back; the urge to run there and confirm the situation raced through him. But he somehow managed to resist. The die had already been cast. Garfiel had to have realized by then that Subaru was involved in Shima's disappearance. It was not difficult to imagine his anger over the number of covert activities and dirty tricks, which must have been driving him mad. He'd truly have liked to settle things nice and properly at the discussion table beforehand, but that was no longer possible. "Counting on you, Otto. Just don't do anything really crazy..." Fully expecting Garfiel to be in an agitated state, it was Otto who had volunteered to take responsibility for explaining things. At the replication facility, Otto had made arrangements to await Garfiel's arrival. Surely, Otto would be able to soothe his anger. In contrast to that thought, Subaru was fiercely uneasy as well. "After all,

that Otto bastard is a total idiot with surprising disregard for his own life..." He was worried about the fact that Otto often risked his life for the sake of others. He'd said if he came into contact with Garfiel, he'd tell him everything and let himself be taken prisoner. But with the plan already thrown well off track, it was crucial for both of them to adjust to the changing circumstances thereafter. "Don't make me pay for the incense at your funeral, Otto." Even if it came to that, Subaru wouldn't be sending any money. It'd get sent to him and Otto both. He didn't want it to come to that. And partly so that it never would " Right now, I need to fulfill my role." Spitting out words of resolve, Subaru stood boldly before his destination. The entrance before him was open, dark, and filled with cold air. The instant Subaru stepped inside, his entire body felt languid, and he was seized by the alien sense that his blood was flowing backward. "Nggh..." Putting a hand to his mouth, Subaru forced himself to ignore the rising sense of nausea within him as he advanced further still. His eardrums were violated by the hard echoes of shoes, sounds of his own making. The air licked at his eyeballs. Subaru put his hand to the wall, heading within as he struggled against the sense that the very world was rejecting him. Fortunately, he'd kept his stomach empty in preparation for this. He became accustomed to the feeling of his innards being wrung and forced the sensation down with willpower, lightly closing and opening his eyes as he crept forward at a turtle's pace. And then " Ahh, I'm so glad. Finally found you." After passing through a corridor that seemed to stretch for all eternity, Subaru let his shoulders drop in relief. Before his eyes, leaning against a weathered wall, there was a girl clutching her knees in the dry corridor. When the girl noticed Subaru, she opened her violet eyes in a daze. "Suba...ru...?" Even though it was a faltering voice, he was satisfied knowing she had called his name. After that, Subaru sat as well, right by the cowering girl's side. "All right, Emilia-tan. Let's talk, okay?" CHAPTER 5 *** 1 To the young Otto Suwen, the world was a cradle straight out of hell. "xxxxxxx" "" "***! **** !!" Unceasingly, twenty-four hours a day, Otto continued to hear incomprehensible voices. Sometimes, they were weeping aloud; sometimes, they were crazed with anger; sometimes, they sounded like songs; sometimes, they sounded like death cries. Little by little, the voices forced Otto to be their audience. No matter where he was in the world, the voices would not release the young Otto from their grip. How did everyone else live while taking such a noisy world for granted? Such was the question Otto lived with in that hell, where he could not even hear the voices of the people next to him as he pleased. When his parents picked him up, he could not hear whatever it is they said along with their smiles. No matter how deep the affection in their words, their voices were swallowed up by background noise, never reaching Otto's comprehension. The reason Otto had grown up without a smile, without anger, without tears, and with virtually nothing worthy of calling an emotion was because to Otto, everything happening on the outside sounded like the exact same thing. His parents struggled to understand their son's abnormality. They had him assessed by various healers, who strove mightily to ascertain the cause. But Otto's abnormality was a listening deficiency because he was hearing too much something utterly incomprehensible to those who did not possess his blessing. Hence, it was only natural that his parents' love shifted away from Otto and onto his older and younger brothers. Unlike Otto, his two siblings grew up without difficulty, thriving as they were raised with love for three. He did not resent his parents or his siblings for this. One might say that he did not have enough concern for others to resent them, but even he was able to understand that his family had tried their best. Even if he could not understand it in words, he was grateful particularly to his older brother. If voices could not reach, perhaps he could express his thoughts through writing? Realizing this, it was his older brother who began trying to read aloud to Otto. Taught by his brother, Otto began to learn the written word. However, learning proved exceptionally difficult. After all, he could not use sound to comprehend the meaning of words. Even though Otto came to understand what individual words meant, it took ten times longer for him to learn than for a normal child as he spent day after day facing a desk. Fortunately, this did not seem like suffering to him. Ironically, it was not because Otto was desensitized to hard work; to the young Otto, unable to live a normal life, study was a way to kill time. " Thank you for everything." Otto remembered the day when his parents broke down in tears at the page upon which he'd written his clumsy words of gratitude. He couldn't claim to have understood the emotion of gratitude. It was just that he was aware he was being treated in a way he ought to be grateful for, so it was his youthful judgment to put together an obligatory display of gratitude. And yet, his parents were brought to tears, their hearts shaken. What was this? Why were these two people crying? What was it they were feeling? When he raised his voice and cried, it might well have been the first time he had cried since birth. If so, to Otto, it was the cry of his second birth. "Berukubikinodomesaesere" "NRTMKMEEIAA" "mi mi mu me mi " It was soon after that he discovered that the hellish, incomprehensible chorus did have a rhyme and rhythm. By the time Otto became able to separate the countless noises he heard unceasingly and could completely able to isolate human words from the rest at will, Otto had greeted his eighth year of age. Otto's life was still behind that of others of his age group, but his growth after conquering his blessing dazzled the eyes; he greedily absorbed all kinds of things like how parched sand absorbed water. He soon caught up to the rest of his age group nay, the youthful Otto displayed talent beyond that. And he became isolated from that age group, grandly failing at human relations. "Why does everyone take living in a difficult world like this for granted?" He'd already made up for his supposedly lagging education. However, his problem was now human relations Otto, who lagged behind his age group in terms of growth as a person, made a string of blunders that should have played out in early childhood. And the biggest problem of all was indeed the blessing that had shadowed Otto since birth. "There was a big light." "I came, I saw, I won." "Hey, a monster's coming." When he reached ten years of age, Otto realized there was a change in the voices he was consciously filtering. Noises that had once been meaningless had changed into something that did hold meaning. And as he verified the change in the voices more and more, Otto learned he bore a blessing, and so, too, he learned the true nature of the hell of his youth. Having discovered the existence of his blessing, Otto immediately spoke to his older brother about this power. When anything happened, his older brother, who had taught words to the young Otto, had become the one he could most rely on for guidance. "Mm, I see. Mm...well, you see. Otto, this power, mm, it's amazing. Because I think it's amazing...you, ah, see. You really need to stop speaking to Zodda bugs where people can see." When Otto revealed his blessing, his older brother's face went pale as he earnestly spoke those words of advice. I see went Otto, greatly appreciative. A blessing was a boon from the world, but there were people in this world that might use such a power for evil purposes. As expected of his older brother, his words of advice, spoken to protect him from such malice in the world, were right on target. It was three days later when Otto's blessing was exposed to those around him, making him hated by all others his age. The trigger was his little brother seeing him secretly conversing with the family land dragon. Seeing no other option, Otto spoke to his younger brother about the blessing, whereupon his brother carelessly let word slip to a friend of his. Boys and girls gathered around. To prove that his younger brother was not a liar, Otto had no option but to prove that the blessing's power was real. To illustrate this, he called over every Zodda bug in the city. In a single instant, the name of the Zodda bug bastard who could not read the mood spread far and wide. Thereafter, Otto concealed his blessing, determined never to make use of it again. Over the course of several years, he covered up his foul reputation, succeeding at erasing the abominable darkness in his past by the time he reached the tender age of fourteen. And during the wet season of his fifteenth year, Otto made an enemy of the daughter of a powerful figure in his city and was exiled from his homeland. The extremely short version of the circumstances was this: He had become entangled in a love-hate drama between a man and a woman. On the night of a birthday party for the girl in question, her lover hurled angry shouts into Otto's house over her being with another man along with insults of You Zodda bug bastard!! Accused of a crime he did not remember committing, with his dark past dredged up at that, Otto lost his presence of mind. Accordingly, Otto released the seal, seeking the cooperation of the living creatures in the city so that he might clear himself of suspicion. And having established that on the night in question, the aforementioned girl had actually fooled around with seven other men, he stated loud and clear to the poor man, It seems you were the eighth! On top of being punched by the man, he was targeted by an assassin hired by the girl for his exposing her relations with the opposite sex. Otto finally abandoned his homeland, and his father used his connections to get a merchant who was a friend of his to hire Otto. After training under that man, he was sixteen when he set off as a traveling merchant this marked the start of Otto Suwen standing as his own man. His subsequent journey as a traveling merchant was truly a chronicle of one hardship after another. It seemed Otto was born under a star with a great love of calamity and misfortune. If he hauled fruit, foul weather would come calling; if he took a shortcut through the mountains, bandits would attack him; if he camped with other traveling merchants, he and he alone would suffer insect stings all over his body. Even as such days of misfortune befell him, Otto had managed to live on without going bankrupt because he was blessed with mercantile talent as great as his luck was poor. Even when making great gambles, he rarely lost, and while maintaining that noxious balance, four years as a merchant passed in the blink of an eye. "Lad, go get some sleep already." Such were the nighttime exchanges Otto had with his Fulfew, his beloved dragon and only traveling companion. It had been five years since he had been exiled from home. Fulfew's presence loomed large in keeping Otto from returning home with a broken heart. Since it was the land dragon, Fulfew, who had been the trigger for his blessing

being exposed to his little brother, they had, in truth, been a pair for the last ten years. "If you don't, it'll hold you back. You have a large deal to make tomorrow, yes?" Fulfew's considerate words made Otto nod with a smile. Otto was certain the big job waiting for him the next day would turn his fortunes as a merchant around. And so, the momentous day came. He'd been completely had and laden with a vast debt to boot. The oil he'd hoarded became unsellable; in contrast, the metal wares he'd relinquished had precipitously climbed in value. Having misread the market trends, Otto knew his life as a merchant had fallen into grave peril. If he did not turn things around in a single blow, he would inevitably have to let Fulfew go. Not only that it was even possible he would be forced to return to his birth family in tears. To Otto, that was something that had to be averted at all costs. Otto loved his birth family. He was aware of their love for him. And so, too, was he aware that his younger self had brought his birth family trouble over and over. In that span of a decade and a half, Otto had already caused his family an entire lifetime's worth of trouble. He needed to use the remainder of his life to make up for those fifteen years. He would properly pay his debts in full. After all, Otto Suwen was a merchant's son. When an acquaintance told him of a lucrative offer, Otto immediately raced toward it. The contract was not to secure merchandise, but to use his dragon carriage as transport. Otto hastened to arrive before anyone else. "Lad, stop this already," said Fulfew, but he would not listen, employing his blessing to make a beeline to his destination. And then "My, my, my...where are you going in ssssuch a hurry?" And then, he landed in quite a mess. Captured by a group with strange looks in their eyes, Otto firmly believed that his misfortune had reached its zenith. Separated from Fulfew, Otto was rolled up in a mat in a cold cave, despairing amid its tranquility. Despair. Yes, he despaired. For the first time in his life, Otto despaired. After all, at the time, the power of Otto's blessing had completely abandoned him. He rested his hopes on his blessing, seeking the aid of living creatures in the forest and the cave so that he might search for a way to escape, intending to use that nostalgic hell to find a way out. But in that place, he could not hear a single word of the hellish chorus he had found so irritating. It was an overwhelming quiet of a sort he had never before tasted. In that silence, Otto, resigned to hell, found out what hell truly was. It was then that he understood that true silence was the sound made by the footsteps of impending death. This is the end, he thought. Strength drained from his limbs, and light vanished from his eyes. Without having accomplished a single thing, he would pathetically meet his end in a cold cave. And then, that despair suddenly came to an end. "The hell? Thought them Witch Cultists were indiscriminate! They playin' around or somethin'?!" A great voice echoed through the cave, bringing Otto, on the edge of oblivion, back to reality. Lifting his face, he called out for aid with a raspy voice. The one who heard this and emerged was a large-framed dog-man who spoke in the Kararagi dialect. "Bro, ya got some good luck! If we hadn't come 'ere, those guys would've killed ya for sure! Ya better give our boy general a big ol' thanks!" "B-boy general...?" "Our commandin' officer's still a kid, so boy general! And your savior, bro!" "R-right...u-understood. Thank you very much. Then, I must also offer my..." Thanks to that person, Otto was about to say, but when he lifted his face, he realized. The dog-man before his eyes had a look of surprise trained toward Otto. Without Otto understanding what the reaction meant, the dog-man pulled a white hand towel from his pocket and tossed it over. "Hey, if ya gonna cry, cry where people can't see. A man can't be cryin' in front of people." "Er, erm...c-cry?" "Tears are what ya use to clean yer heart! They say that in Kararagi a lot. Gah-ha-ha-ha-hah!" That was all the dog-man said before turning his back to Otto out of consideration. Clueless, Otto touched the towel he had received to his own face it was then that he finally became aware of his tears. His tears were trickling, falling out. The instant he became aware of that, their force began to increase all at once. "Ah, da...wh-what why is...why is...!" Otto pressed the hand towel to his face, desperately resisting the ceaseless torrent of tears. He did not know why they poured out. No, this was untrue. He actually knew. "I-I'm glad to...b-be alive...!" He still hadn't accomplished anything. Otto had nearly met his end without even having found meaning to his birth. Surviving like that had made him able to appreciate that. Otto felt that, as his tears flowed, his life was being reborn. He had cried for the first time on the day he was born into the world. He had cried for the second time on the day he learned the love his family had for him, discovering his own heart. And on that day, he cried for the third time, for his brush with despair and death had taught him the meaning of the goal called living. On that day, Otto Suwen cried for the first time all over again. 2 " Not that he really asked me to buy time for him like this." Otto made a pained smile as he kicked the surface of the ground, exerting himself in physical labor for which he was not suited. He would have liked to forget the unsightly memories of him bawling his eyes out, but unfortunately, his memories of crying were all precious to him, so he could not forget them if he tried. At the time, the beast man named Ricardo, who had saved him, had kept Otto's bawling secret, not telling a soul. That debt was one he had to repay someday in full. And "A debt must always be repaid. I am a merchant, after all." So, too, the debt to the boy general who had saved his life. Otto Suwen had a debt he had to repay to Subaru Natsuki as well. He would make up for that obligation by wagering the life that Subaru had saved. As a merchant, seeking to repay all his debts was only natural. And more importantly " It's for my friend, after all!!" As a merchant, and as a single human being, Otto wanted to step forward then and there and add himself to the ranks of men. Accordingly, Otto Suwen, on his own initiative, had challenged a battlefield upon which his chances of victory seemed slim. He'd made the gamble by ignoring the odds and piled up every chip he had, including his own life, to bring about Subaru Natsuki's victory. With his mercantile spirit, Otto would prove his friendship true. *** In the distance, from the direction of the trap he had left behind, he heard an angry, bestial roar reverberate through the sky. With that as the prompt, Otto continued to run as he unleashed his own blessing devoting himself to that familiar hell to wring out the entirety of his power. 3 "Something incredible is coming." I understand. Yes, I do understand. "Behind, incredible, coming, right now." I told you, I understand! This is exactly as I predicted and expected. "You'll die. You'll die, mm. Poor thing." I'm begging you, would you please stop with the pessimism already?! With his blessing of language unleashed, countless voices flew into Otto's ears as he raced through the forest. To take the voices of the various sentient creatures within the forest birds, insects, small animals and separate them from the voices directed toward him, while carefully discriminating between each one, was a punishing act that whittled away at the soul. The time Otto spent with his blessing perfectly lined up with the twenty years of his own life. But even in those twenty years, never once had he attempted something so reckless. The quantity of voices Otto's eardrums picked up from within the forest's expanses was...vast. Countless living creatures existed in the sky, in the trees, in the soil, in the rocks. He heard all their voices. The problem was that he could not simply listen to the great throng of voices and nothing more. The blessing of language compelled Otto to understand them. In other words, Otto's brain was working to process and interpret all the voices of living creatures coursing through it. This, too, was beyond its limit "Bhh...!" A sharp pain ran through Otto's head. He immediately leaned against a tree that was standing right beside him. When he wiped the sweat off his brow, he found there was blood upon his sleeve. A nosebleed. The oozing nosebleed might have been from pushing his brain beyond its capacity. Come to think of it, the ringing in his ears was continuing at a vociferous rate. "Ahh, I didn't know. So this is what happens when I keep on using my blessing like this. So this is what they mean by being difficult to use...not being convenient really places the user in a bind, doesn't it." In the brief span of time since the preceding night, he'd continued using his blessing virtually without cease. He'd conversed with the creatures of the forest, implored them for aid, set traps, and formed plans with all his strength, enough to make him heave blood. Gruffly wiping his nosebleed, Otto let his grumbles trickle out as he set off running once more. His gait was unreliable. But he could not stop using his blessing. Without his blessing to create not sea of people, but a sea of creatures, his chase scene would not continue for long. Relying on the eyes and the voices of creatures within the forest, he could do nothing except buy time. "Mr. Natsuki...this will let you speak with Lady Emilia, won't it...?" He was buying time so that Subaru could exchange words with Emilia, whose whereabouts were unknown. Everything that Otto desperately endured, from his splitting headache to the alarming nosebleed, was for this sake. This action of his was linked to victory no, victory did not loom large among his motives. In the end, he wanted to give Subaru time to meet Emilia face-to-face. That motive was strong in him. He was not worried that Subaru would not find Emilia. He probably would find her. Whatever he would do after finding her was up to him. All Otto could do was help. Why was he taking Subaru's side to this extent, he pondered? Perhaps it was due to the distraction of the headache and the ringing in his ears that this question wedged itself into Otto's thoughts. It was indeed fact that he wanted to cooperate with Subaru so that he might repay his debt to the savior of his life. Nor was it a lie that he was doing this for the sake of his friend Subaru, lending his own power as a friend. However, he wondered: Was he such an earnest human being to ignore profit and loss, seeking nothing more as he labored out of care for others alone? "...Ahh, I see." Otto suddenly smiled, feeling like a path had opened amid his worries. He realized it. He realized just why he was desperately taking Subaru's side like that. "Incomprehensible suffering...that's something I understand better than anyone, isn't it?" The blessing of language, which made him hear voices others could not, had forced Otto on a lonely path. The blessing had made Otto

temporarily distance himself from his family's love, created a chasm between him and many friends, and had landed him in predicaments others could not comprehend. He bore the suffering of not being able to convey to others words known only to him. He had become resigned to this, which eventually coalesced into despair he felt toward himself. This was the same anguish Subaru had harbored before revealing his troubles to Otto. That was why Otto trusted in Subaru, and why it was both the sight of him and his past self that had sent him running. That moment, he understood. He finally understood. It wasn't complicated. Otto did not want to save just Subaru Natsuki. Otto wanted to save his past self. He wanted to save Otto Suwen. "Found ya...!!" *** The instant he realized the other true intention inside himself, an impact sent Otto flying. He'd sustained the blunt attack while his headache had set his ability to concentrate awry. He fell down face-first onto soft soil. "Bah, ptoo! Is this as far as I...nghh!" "Won't let ya! Won't let ya do anythin' ever again!!" He was spitting out a fallen leaf and trying to get up when claws dug into his flank. His breath caught, and he let out an anguished cry as the contents of his lungs were wrung out of him. Otto tumbled onto the surface of the ground, faceup. His limbs were sprawled as he gazed up at the sky. He felt the rays of the sun through the gaps in the forest canopy whereupon Garfiel's sour, upside-down face thrust into Otto's field of vision. Garfiel pushed up his soil-stained forelocks, scratching his nose with his finger. "...Man, ya really laid into me with all those lil' tricks. Nose wouldn't work, bugs made my eyes not work, hid yer sound with all the bugs yappin'...was rough. But it's all over now." "I I wonder about that...the match is not yet deci mnff!" "I told ya, I ain't lettin' ya do anythin'. Takin' ya too lightly is how I got into this mess." Not even letting him air sour grapes, Garfiel put his foot on the fallen Otto's stomach. He proceeded to put strength into that foot; this strength, which was completely at odds with his small frame, made Otto's entire body cry out. The creaking of his bones made Otto himself cry out in agony as his limbs flailed against the ground. "Gu, ugh, gahh...!" "I don't wanna be rough with ya. I ain't got no time. Gimme my stone back now. This is enough, ain't it?" Increasing the strain bit by bit, Garfiel was trying to seize the stone back from him. Otto was in agony, froth bubbling from the corner of his mouth, rummaging in his side pocket and grasping hold of the crystal he had pickpocketed. Who was strongest was so clear, it was laughable. As living beings, they stood on different platforms. After such terrible pain, what was wrong with acknowledging defeat? He'd fought hard enough to buy time. If he only returned the stone "Hhah!" "...Why are you laughing, damn it?" Garfiel grimaced as Otto, who was being stepped on with his face marred by a nosebleed, suddenly laughed. He'd seen that creeped-out reaction when he was a little boy. Otto concurred with the eyes viewing him as a foreign entity. What was wrong with him? He had spent so much time in a cold cave in so much despair that he'd wanted to die. It had only been several days since then, and here he was cheerfully placing his own life into peril. "It would be a waste to give up here... For at long last, I have a thrilling role to play..." Garfiel immediately realized that the exchange at the facility was the cause behind Otto's words. Otto was paying him back for saying he didn't have what it took. "Why you little...!" It was just as Subaru had said. He found it amusing to do things people firmly thought he could not. It was the mark of a bad personality, but there was no mistake: It felt so good, it hurt. When Otto laughed, deeply appreciating what a bad friend he was, the air Garfiel gave off completely changed. The coarse anger in his jade eyes was stripped away. In its place rested polished, refined hostility. This was proof that Garfiel had acknowledged Otto as his foe. It was proof that Garfiel regarded Otto as someone he had to take down without delay. "...May I say one last thing?" When Garfiel removed the foot on his belly, straightening his posture in a display of respect, Otto addressed him. Receiving his words, Garfiel went "Ahh?" and quietly scratched his head. So Garfiel had enough mercy in him to listen to Otto's last words. Had he been savage to the core, he would have simply finished Otto off. Garfiel was a warrior. Hence, he'd fallen for it, giving Otto enough time to lay one final trap. "I may have induced you to...but you have disturbed these woods quite a bit on your way here, Garfiel." " The hell?" "The residents whose homes you have disturbed say this. You must be punished." He touched a hand to his belly as he sat up. Then, as Otto spoke, the air around him was enveloped by light. This was an accumulation of mana so vast that it became visible to the naked eye. Those cooperating with Otto had allotted him the building blocks of magical energy all for the sake of a single, grand blow. Garfiel realized that something was wrong. He bared his fangs. He moved. But it was too late. " Al Dona." Otto chanted, relaying the mana filling the forest through his own Gate, causing it to interfere with the world around him. The explosively welling magical energy sank into the earth, creating a flow of sediment with enough intensity to pulverize the trees. This incredible force danced toward Garfiel, who was standing atop the ground, smashing him all at once with the violence of its sheer mass. "Gaaghhhhh !!" His howl echoed into the sky until even this was swallowed by the wave of sediment and crushed. As a result of employing magic that should have been beyond his reach in this lifetime, Otto was out of breath. This. It was this that was his final trap, triggered by the ace up Otto's sleeve. Having been in contact with the living creatures in the forest for an entire day, alongside ascertaining where Shima had holed up, he'd laid numerous traps all laying the groundwork for this final, great magic. He had not immersed himself in the blessing of language to merely to use it as a tool for his escape. Nor did he use it only as a trap, revealing his hand to put his opponent off guard. He had combined tool and trap to create a weapon. Garfiel had swallowed Otto's scheme hook, line and sinker. Scorned as small fry, Otto gained his recognition with a layer of traps, only to use Garfiel's acknowledgment of him as a warrior itself to create an opening for his true attack at the very end. All of it had gone according to Otto's plan. In other words, this time, it truly meant that " All out of schemes now, ain't ya?" "Give me a break, would you..." When the torrent of earth abated, a cloud of soil erupted. Clawing his way out of the dense curtain of dirt and trampling the disturbed ground of the forest was Garfiel, messy but quite intact. Seeing Garfiel like that caused Otto to sigh in grudging respect. "T' be honest, I'm surprised." "That I resisted you with little regards as to the means?" "Not that. Even after ya did all that, I didn't think ya were serious. Not only that, I looked down on ya and assumed you'd just give up. Forgive me. That's bad o' me to do to a man." Otto greeted the meek look on Garfiel's face with a shake of his head. No apologies were necessary. What he wanted to hear was Darn it. However, even when Otto was committed to fulfilling his role with his entire body and soul, it was not enough to overcome Garfiel's raw strength. He had no moves left. Otto's defiance had come to an end. "I did everything I could...didn't I...?" So he murmured. He'd played every card he had. He felt it in his bones. That he could not reach all the way even so could not be helped. Not anymore. That was why "See ya. It'll be all over by the time ya wake up. " "Let us hereby put my solitary battle to rest, shall we...?" When Otto drew in his breath and murmured, Garfiel snapped his eyes wide. The statement did not sound like it came from a man throwing away victory or bearing any sense of defeat "Don't tell me that..." There's still something more, thought Garfiel, aghast as he searched the surrounding area for any presence. Every hair on his body was standing up, his wariness plain as his eyes roamed the area. There was no presence on any side around him. Just paranoia... Rather than lazily dismissing it as such, Garfiel looked up. And there *** Garfiel bared his fangs, moving as if to howl at the approaching figure. But his reaction instantly slowed. Shock left his howl stuck in his throat and even impeded his actions thereafter. He bellowed. Not enmity, not bloodlust but a name. "Why are you here?! Raaaaam !!" " El Fulla!" The chant from the girl descending from the treetops Ram overlapped with Garfiel's cry. The next instant, an explosive blade of wind mercilessly slammed onto Garfiel. 4 The chant rewrote the world around it, weaving wind into a blade that bore down upon its intended prey before it exploded. The invisible blade of wind raged up and down, left and right as it pleased, grandly slicing through forest, earth, and flesh. It was a decisive, well-aimed blow that would inflict a mortal wound on anyone it struck. However "Ain't no way !!" The howling Garfiel slammed his foot down, his heel pulling up a block of the forest floor. This became a wall, dulling the wind blade's advance as it bore in on Garfiel. Of course, this was not enough to completely fend off magic of such force, but it created a momentary opening sufficient for him to evade it. Leaping powerfully behind him, Garfiel distanced himself from the impact point of the wind. Seeing this as she landed upon the ground, the girl Ram made a small hmph through her nose, glancing sidelong at him. It was then that Otto, driven into a beat-up state as a result of his valiant fighting, wilted. "I expected as much, but such a pathetic sight is unfit for my eyes." "Even for you, that is a little too harsh a thing to say to someone fighting to the brink of death..." "The brink of death? Even though Garf has the blessing of earth spirit, you chose an earth-element Dona spell as your trump card? ...That is no good." "Never before have I seen a maid as little comforting as you!" Ignoring Otto's laments, Ram kept her attention to the front, the tip of her wand never wavering. There, as he glared at the pair's exchange, Garfiel was crinkling his nose and keeping his guard up. He audibly clacked his sharp fangs together, staring at Ram in anger. "I'll come right out and ask, Ram. Why are you takin' their side, ahh?" "Is there something strange about that?" "Don't ya get it? Goin' with them means turning yer back on what that Roswaal bastard wants. At the very least...the bastard has no intention of lettin' the princess take the Trial." "You have grown quite impertinent, speaking to Ram of what Master Roswaal thinks. Surely, you have known me long enough to know? Ram never lends her ears to such attempts at persuasion."

Puffing out her chest, Ram proudly proclaimed her own obstinacy. "I know you were a hardhead to the bitter end. That's what I love about ya. That's why I can't understand it. You're that bastard Roswaal's maid, ain't ya?" "Of course. That is why I shall exhaust all efforts for my master's desire. However, I will do it in my own way." Ram had no intention of cordially replying to Garfiel's question. She sighed heavily, turning her gaze toward Otto and leaning against a tree as he stood. "So weak in the knees. Do you intend to make a woman fight by her lonesome?" "Y-you're a slave-driver! Terrifying! ...Is this person's younger sister, the sleeping girl, truly so kind? I am tempted to think Mr. Natsuki has lied to me..." "Such a noisy complainer." His body was wobbly; his nosebleed had finally stopped. Of course, he was in no condition to stand, let alone meaningfully participate in battle. Even so, Otto stood, which Ram considered only natural. Garfiel clicked his tongue in annoyance at the pair's attitude. "Don't get carried away, ya hear?! What are ya tryin' so hard to slow me down for? What's he plannin' to do while you keep me here?! And more importantly...that bastard got enough value for ya to trust him?!" "Mr. Natsuki's value? Ah, if we are discussing whether he has worth, the answer would be no, I suppose." "...Huh?" Garfiel was dumbfounded at the unexpected reply. But when Otto scratched his now hatless head, he brushed his hair off his forehead as he made a rather smug smile. "I am saying, at this time, Mr. Natsuki does not hold all that much value. But I am a merchant. I think of this as an investment. Ensuring the future of one's investment is not ruined, brushing the insects aside and pruning the flowers, eagerly awaiting how they shall bloom that is how I feel at the moment." He is truly a time-consuming person, Otto seemed to say, his shoulders sinking as he gave off an air of fatigue from the bottom of his heart. Otto's words brought an audible snort out of Ram. "Hah! To be honest, Ram cannot understand why he expects so much of Barusu, either. Barusu is weak, useless, and his talent is insufficient even for pouring a single cup of tea. My opinion is the same as yours, Garf." "That is going too far......though, on second thought, perhaps not..." "But when he is most needed, Barusu is a man with oddly good timing." Ignoring Otto's nervous attempt of support, Ram maintained a casual tone as she made that firm declaration. Her words made Otto widen his eyes, and Garfiel grimace. "It's timing. A man who's there when you need him. That is Barusu." Even though, in normal times, he was a useless man with seemingly no redeeming features whatsoever, the human being named Subaru Natsuki was a man who was mysteriously at exactly the time and place you wanted him. There was nothing attractive about him, and he was without a single shred of charm as a member of the opposite sex. Ram didn't understand what part of him was any good; indeed, she found him irritating. When was it that...? At the moment, it didn't matter. Either way, that was all there was to the man called Subaru Natsuki. That was why, once more, Ram did as he'd asked. When Otto had revealed Subaru's plan to her the night before, she made the decision to trust him. "Barusu's good timing is reason enough to believe in him. If Barusu sees an opportunity and has taken action in order to seize it, then it must be the one and only chance to obtain victory." "...After all that, it seems you trust Mr. Natsuki as well, Miss Ram." "That is Lady Ram to you." "Are you hiding a blush with incredible aggression?!" Not caring for the grin that had appeared on the face of the man standing beside her, Ram shot a scolding gaze at Otto to silence him. But their views were one and the same. They had formed a pair, comrades in the common pursuit of Subaru's aim. They had mutually agreed to keep quiet to Subaru about their fight to buy him time. Many would say they had already bought sufficient time, but " Ya don't intend to move aside, do ya?" *** When Garfiel posed his question, Ram and Otto replied to it without a word. Otto brushed off his knees. Ram made sure her wand rested comfortably in her hand. With neither lowering their guard, Garfiel shook his head from side to side. The hard clattering of his fangs was the only thing echoing through the forest. Then, gloom fell over Garfiel's face. " Enough." He wove that single word with a raspy voice. Otto and Ram simultaneously knit their brows. In front of the pair, Garfiel seemed to hug both his shoulders as he balled up his body and howled. *** The bestial roar, which seemed to echo across the entirety of the Sanctuary, made the very air shudder. *** The sudden appearance of a fiendish beast, its entire body covered in golden fur, struck Otto with the force of a gale. But his body did not tremble. Nor did he shudder. Perhaps he was simply all out of fear. Moreover, right beside him, he saw a pleasant smile come over the face of Ram a girl smaller in size than he. "Garf's easy-to-understand decision is mistaken. In this match, victory belongs to us." You Serious...? internally retorted Otto, forgetting his usual formal manner of speech. At that very Otto's side, Ram lightly hopped from heel to heel, repeating the warm-up exercise several times over. After that, she walked straight ahead toward the enormous beast, her gait looking as if she was out on a pleasant stroll. "Wait a ! Miss Ram?!" Her bold action made Otto's eyes bulge. However, Ram did not cease her feet as she moved in front of the ferocious tiger. Garfiel, transformed into a fiendish beast, had no glint of reason left within his eyes. To the beast, she was not a lovely girl standing before him, but a weak, fragile being a walking mass of soft flesh. The beast reacted accordingly, smashing its upraised claw onto the small, pathetic figure. That instant "Too weak, Garf. Who do you think you are facing?" As Ram crouched, evading the bestial claw, she spoke words of pity as she slammed her fist into the beast's wide-open lower jaw. It was a slender, delicate girl's fist and with this, she sent the ferocious creature flying high into the air with all the force of a cannonball. *** "I wonder, have you won against Ram in a fistfight even once?" The beast turned over in midair, landing upon the ground. The beast understood that the girl was not helpless prey. Raging wildly, it leaped, four limbs lashing out...only to sustain another punch to the face, crashing to the ground once more. "No way." The astonishing scene left Otto unwittingly gaping. Even to an amateur's eyes, Ram clearly had the upper hand, using their difference in physical stature to circle into her opponent's blind spots; the terrifying beast was waving its burly arms without the slightest technique, hitting nothing but air as the one-sided pounding continued. "It...it's working! With this, Garfiel can be...!" Never mind buying time did this development not bring outright victory within sight? As if to bolster that glimmer, Ram plunged her fist into the side of the tiger's face. Snapping back from the sheer force, the beast kicked up a cloud of dirt as it was sent flying in spectacular fashion. And then " Pff." Along with a moan of being able to endure no more, a ferocious torrent of blood scattered into the air from Ram's forehead. Her limit, which had been reached far too soon, made Ram grit her teeth, halting her steps there. With her horn long broken, she knew making her blood awaken would instantly bring her to the brink. Even so, having waited for the conditions for a short, decisive battle to align, she'd intended to win nonetheless. " You've grown strong, Garf." Haltingly, Ram murmured, her voice flowing with emotion that she rarely let others hear. Still smiling softly, Ram leaped in and drove a knee into the great tiger's torso. She bounced off hard; the damage to her kneecap was severe. She'd already run dry of the mana she'd used for physical enhancement; now, her body was only as strong as her petite appearance suggested. She relied on intuition and talent to evade the countless claw swipes coming her way as she leaped backward. " Ngh, phew." She took a deep breath and coughed. The next moment, the clot of blood made a sound as it fell to the ground. As if that had been all the strength her body had left, her posture crumbled as she went down on one knee. This time, the ferocious tiger did not let the opportunity slip. Opening its maw wide, fangs bared, it leaped to the front. And then *** Otto, his fist clenching the crystal, let up a ferocious roar unthinkable from his slender throat. It was the same roar a fiendish beast erupted with at the moment it began to consume its prey. This was the power of Otto's blessing, which Ram had heard of beforehand. The power of his blessing allowed him to converse with any creature; with it, Otto was using bestial words to speak to the beast that had lost its mind. Ram did not know what meaning the roar held. For but a single moment, there was hesitance in the ferocious tiger's movements, with that slight pause giving Ram just enough opportunity to evade the blow. The great exploit made Otto smile in admiration of his own achievem "Er, whoaaaa ?!" Faced with the fiendish beast's charge, Otto was sent flying by the fierce collision. He spun as he plunged into thorn bushes, vanishing from sight. At that point, whether he survived or perished was completely up to Otto's resilience. Ram expended no thought on the results of his decision or action, for she had judged that this was the best way to repay Otto for what he had done. And Ram used the time provided by Otto's honorable death to draw her wand once more. The tip of that wand glowed with an aura from the mana she had poured into it even at the height of the fistfight. *** The ferocious tiger realized it might too late. It charged toward Ram. Too slow. " Al Fulla." Incredible light gushed forth. Bathed in wind, the fiendish beast opened its great maw, its roar echoing through the sky. And so, the Battle of the Lost Woods of Cremaldi came to its conclusion. CHAPTER 6 *** When he found Emilia, cowering and clutching her knees, Subaru felt relief, which seemed out of place. Having found Emilia was the first part of it. That Emilia was here was the second. As he had firmly believed she could be nowhere else, her being here had fulfilled both his wishes. "Though, I have to say, you really thought about this, Emilia-tan." *** "Sure, here's a place you can hole up without anyone finding you...especially since the people who can enter are limited in the first place, and none of the ones who could were likely to do it." At the very least, besides Emilia, there were three candidates to enter this place Echidna's tomb. One rejected the Trial with every hair on his body, one had lost her role as the price for going against her creator, and the last had been stripped of his qualifications after earning the Witch's ire. Beyond those three, the others possessing qualifications were forbidden to enter under the terms of the pact they upheld. Truly, it was the perfect place for Emilia to hide in. Emilia hung her head at Subaru's words of

praise. Then, with her head still lowered... "Subaru...why are you here?" "If you have to ask why, that's a tough one. Probably because I'm always thinking of Emilia-tan, so I'm the one with the best grasp of Emilia-tan's feelings?" Though, if that was truly the case, none of this would have happened to begin with. Emilia wouldn't have passed the night with enough worry to wind up so backed into a corner that she was cowering in a place like this. And this time, too, Emilia replied "No" to Subaru's answer, shaking her head. "That's not what I... Subaru, I don't mean the reason you're here... Subaru, you're in a place people without qualifications can't enter, you know?" "Oh, you mean why my body didn't get thrown back like Roswaal's? Fact is, even without being thrown back, I had to put up with a lot. It wasn't bad enough to make me collapse, thanks to my Gate being so puny. I suppose I should be grateful that I have no talent for magic." "Is that how it is..." When Subaru replied that he'd put up with a lot, Emilia's eyes became filled with gloom. Tilting her head as she rested her chin in the gap between her knees, Emilia turned her gaze toward Subaru. Her gaze bore the colors of uncertainty and resignation an un-Emilia emotion he had never before seen on her. "...I half believed and half hoped that you'd be here, Emilia-tan." "Half, half..." "Since I ran around here, there, and everywhere and couldn't find you, I had to turn my thinking on its head...not where, but why. Then, after I figured you were probably here, I'm relieved I actually found you." "...You were relieved?" "Hm?" As Subaru smiled to try and put her at ease, Emilia posed that brief question. Her voice was quiet, ready to vanish at any moment. When Subaru raised his eyebrows, Emilia stared straight at him. "You're saying that finding me here makes you relieved? That's all? ...You're not angry?" "What, Emilia-tan? Don't tell me you were scared you'd made me angry?" Emilia's meek, trembling voice made Subaru loosen his lips without thinking. Having set off without telling anyone where she was going, she was scared of being scolded the instant she was found, just like some little kid. "I'm not angry at all. I was nervous, and to be honest, it didn't exactly make me comfortable, but I'm not angry. I'm just really glad about everything, finding you here included, I'm just really glad." "...That so?" Subaru had exhausted all the reassuring words at his disposal, trying to loosen Emilia's tense heart. "You're...not angry." And yet, there was no relief infused into Emilia's murmur. "Emilia?" "You're not angry with me. You won't even get angry." Her small, raspy voice was trembling. When Subaru, suspecting something, drew his eyebrows together, he had already realized too late. Emilia was looking down, biting her lip, her eyes wide open. It was as if she was trying to keep the tears filling her eyes from coursing... "Why won't you get angry with me?" "Ah " "I did something selfish, didn't I? I bothered you, didn't I? I left without saying anything, so you worried... I made you unsure if I'd run away...that's what I did. That's what I did, right? It's natural to be angry, isn't it? Subaru, even you must be..." When Subaru tried to interrupt by calling out her name, Emilia poured out her emotions with a rapid flood of words. Emilia was asserting her own selfishness, apparently to draw blame to herself. Overwhelmed by the sheer force of her negativity, Subaru came to realize the error in his thinking. Emilia hadn't been afraid of angering Subaru. Emilia was afraid he would not blame her for her actions. After all, that meant "Why won't you get angry...? Are you not angry because you d-didn't expect anything in the first place? You being kind to me when I fail like this means...my failing didn't disappoint you at all? Isn't it because you...thought I wouldn't do well?" Perhaps, just perhaps, this was an insecurity that had always rested at the bottom of Emilia's heart, one she had never before put into words. Over and over, Subaru had greeted Emilia with warmth when she failed in her challenge of the Trial, crushed by her own, cowardly heart. As he did so, he had both aided Emilia and instilled anxiety within her. She was despondent over betraying his expectations. But Subaru had never showed that to Emilia, not even once. As the failures added up, continuing to gently console her might have saved her heart temporarily, but only by searing ever-greater anxiety upon it. All that time, Emilia had been frightened of Subaru and Puck's kindness. "You're wrong, Emilia. That's not how I think of you." Subaru earnestly tried to reach out to the great ripple arising in Emilia's heart. If he let go of her heart there, it would be lost for good; he would never be able to capture it again. "It's not because I think that way that I'm not angry with you..." "Then...! Then why...why didn't you...keep your promise?" She instantly raised her voice. The word promise held him in its snare. When Subaru, who was hit right where it hurt, was cowed into silence, Emilia shook her head in rejection. He could offer no response. It was a fact that Subaru had let go of Emilia's hand the night before. "I asked you to hold my hand until morning...! Subaru, you promised ...! Why did you let go of my hand? Why didn't you keep your promise...?" Her tearful voice strictly levied blame on him for not keeping his word. He could have listed reasons if he wanted. To liberate the Sanctuary. To learn more about Garfiel. But those words were thin, light. Besides, it wasn't just that. Subaru's reasons for breaking his promise, for leaving Emilia's side, were not limited to those things. "Subaru...Puck...you all break your promises and go off somewhere else. You go off somewhere and leave me behind...liars. Subaru, you liar. Puck, you liar. Liar, liar...!" Face lowered and tears flowing, Emilia bumped her head against Subaru's shoulders, her hands powerlessly pounding his chest. There was virtually no force behind them. And yet, the pain felt like it was enough to tear his body asunder. That was probably the same pain Subaru's insensitivity had caused Emilia. "I I told you before how important promises are to me...! How to spirit mages, to me, promises are so important... That's why I wanted you to keep them... Subaru, you apologized for not keeping them before...so why did you break your promise again..." "Emilia..." "You mustn't break promises...you mustn't lie. You have to keep your promises... I mean, if you don't...if I'd only kept mine, I... Mother and Geuse wouldn't have..." Her face still pressed into Subaru's shoulder, Emilia slammed emotions into Subaru that had nowhere else to go. Her upsurge of sadness and anger over his betrayal had sliced her thought process into thousands of tiny pieces. "You mustn't lie...you mustn't...!" The grief-filled voice that spilled out tore at Subaru like a claw to his heart. Promise that was a word that had passed between Subaru and Emilia, bearing different meaning to each. He'd hurt her before by taking their promises too lightly, and the memories of that were still fresh. And yet, once again, the word promise held no gentle echo but instead a crippling weight that bound them both, enough to make Emilia bury her head between her clenched knees and continue crying even that very moment. With every second that passed, seeing her like that carved feelings of guilt into Subaru's heart. As he listened to her sobbing voice, he desperately pondered what he should say. Was it right to apologize? Was it right to act as if he understood? Should he earnestly console her? The thoughts went round and round inside his head, but try as he might, he could not grasp which answer was correct. What should he ought he did he need to do? What he needed most How could Subaru best convey how he felt? Subaru thought and thought, searching for the best words he knew, the ones that could reach the heart most "Emilia. I love you." What he voiced was a confession that was clashed enormously with the time and place. "...Eh?" Subaru's confession made Emilia lift up her face, as if wondering if she had misheard him. She beheld Subaru with her violet eyes, which were dotted by tears even then. He saw himself distorted by the droplets and yet, he held something strong within him that absolutely would not waver. For then and there, he bore no uncertainty whatsoever about the words he needed to convey. "You're trying to take the same Trial over and over, night after night. I don't know what past you're seeing, but the past isn't something to squirm about forever." "...Agh, gah." "And instead you're all like I'll try my best, I have to do it, all stubborn and everything. If you cleared it, that'd be one thing, but the result was that you failed after running your mouth, wasn't it?" "S-Subaru..." "In the end, with your pet and your guardian gone, you can't even walk properly by yourself. So what, you're gonna drown your worries in tears, abandon your duties, and go to sleep? I can't watch you like this." The abuse Subaru seemingly spat out made Emilia open her eyes wide and still. Her surprise was such that he could see few tears left in her moist eyes; she trembled weakly, her lips unable to speak even a single word. Without doubt, never had Subaru hurt Emilia's heart more than he did that moment. This was the malice and disgust that Subaru Natsuki had never once turned toward Emilia to date. Receiving this, Emilia's expression slowly dried up as a smile came over her. "That's...right. E-even Subaru...thinks about me that way. It's only n-natural..." *** "I've done...terrible things, even though I was told better, haven't I? Ever since I came here...no, since long before...I've caused nothing but trouble...that's why I..." Without a word, Subaru accepted the trembling Emilia's self-deprecation. Emilia's throat contracted, seemingly swallowing down her sobs, yet a pain-filled smile remained upon her even so. "That's why it's natural to...abandon me...Puck and Subaru both..." " Got that right. After failing this many times, I still don't see any sign of improvement. It's only normal to think that this is less I'll manage somehow and more Who cares what happens." At the end of her self-denunciation, Emilia tried to conclude that she was hopeless. With bitter words, Subaru was in full agreement, stealing the conclusion from right under her. And then " But." One step before coming to that exact conclusion, Subaru cut off his words. Emilia lifted her face. Subaru understood the emotions hovering in her eyes so much that it hurt. He understood, for this was the same despair he had once harbored toward himself. That was why "Emilia. I love you." Subaru would not let Emilia escape, using the same words that had once cast an inescapable curse upon him. *** Subaru made his confession, staring into her eyes, bordered with long eyelashes, which shuddered from the impact. "I love you. I love you I love you I love you. I'm hopelessly in love with you." "Why are you...all of a sudden...?" "I love your super-pretty silver hair, I love those purple eyes that are like glistening gemstones, I love that voice that makes you feel good just from hearing it, I love those long, slender limbs, the white skin, the height difference and stuff is so ideal I can't stand it, I mean, just being with you makes my heart beat like crazy, and it's really bad." "Agh, aah..." "I love the fact that you're a little ditzy, it's cute how you try so hard at everything, I

really respect how you're so frantic to help other people, I think how you put others before yourself is adorable, and I want to see all your emotions right by your side, forever." "A-at a time like this...stop messing around!" The words seemed to slide out of his mouth as his feelings for Emilia poured out. Subaru passionately confessed, but Emilia loudly and angrily shouted back. "Why are you saying this all of a sudden?! This isn't what we were talking about! S-Subaru, even you think I'm no good! You can't watch someone like me...that's why!" "Yeah, I suppose so. By rights, seeing you failing and giving up like this would make anyone's love run out. Normally, even I'd abandon you, turn tail, and run. And if you weren't Emilia, I would." "Why?!" Even as Subaru concurred that the results were hopeless, he denied the most important part at its root. As if to say it settled nothing, it was unforgivable, Emilia rose her eyebrows anger. "Even though you know I'm no good and unsalvageable...why do you forgive me despite that?!" "If you're looking for an answer, I'll say it as many times as you want. Because I love you!" When Emilia pressed close with a tearful voice, Subaru once again raised his own, their foreheads close enough to touch. Overwhelmed, Emilia recoiled, but this time, it was Subaru who closed the distance. With the two close enough to breathe each other's breaths, black eyes mingled with violet as he threw his words at her. "I love you. That's why no matter how sorry you look, I only feel like I've discovered a new side to you. The way you keep trying even when you don't stand a chance makes me wanna cheer you on, and no matter how much you get disgusted with yourself, I will never hate you." Subaru absolutely would not allow Emilia's wavering eyes to escape. "Even if you hate yourself for your own shortcomings, even if you worry that the people around you can't help but hate you...I'll keep expecting things from you, and I'll never use your weakness as a reason to hate you, or ever abandon you. Never." He understood how Emilia felt. But he also knew how to take her hand and pull her out of it. For once, someone had refused to abandon him, even when Subaru tried to abandon himself. "My love for you runs deeper than you'll ever know. All of you is like a shining light to me. Of course, parts of you are no good. You're not an angel or a goddess; you're just a normal girl...you'll cry when things are tough, and you'll feel like running away when things happen that you don't like. I get all that." But. But even so. "But even with those weak parts, even with the parts I said terrible things about, I love all of you, Emilia. That's why...even now, I'm not disappointed in you." " ! That's! That's so self-serving, isn't it?!" Emilia stubbornly refused to listen to the myriad claims that feel from Subaru's lips. Unable to push her confusion aside, she kept on tossing out words of denial, and therein lay his hope. "After saying I'm no good in a way like that, you say you love me even so...that's unbelievable! Why do you believe in me like that, Subaru...? I don't understand it at all!" "You're wrong! You've got this wrong from head to toe. It's not I love you 'cause I believe something. It's not like that. I love you. That's why I believe in you!" "Love alone isn't a reason to believe in someone!" "! If love wasn't enough for me to believe in you, then why else would I go through such horrible shit just to save a troublesome girl like you!!" Their voices loudened as their mutual feelings clashed. When Subaru put his hand against the wall and rose to his feet, Emilia did the same, standing so that she might face him. At a range close enough to butt foreheads, both had furrowed eyebrows as Subaru and Emilia vented their feelings at each other. Never before had the pair launched spittle, faces red, as they exchanged ragged words that all amounted to You're wrong! "I love you! I love you enough to make my head go nuts, enough to be happy to die for you! That's why I'm putting up with the pain and suffering, standing in front of you even though I wanna hurl right now!" "That's...! I never asked you to! I never asked you to say all those selfish things... Subaru, you're not thinking of my feelings at all, are you?! This is how you...take the brunt of everything, always getting hurt because of me...you don't understand anything about how that makes me feel!" "Like I could, like I've even thought about it! What I think of all the time is just ways to look good in front of you! I think about what I should do that'll make you think the best of me, what I should do that'll let me see your happiest face ...it's hard work, damn it. Put on a cute face like I want a little more often, would you?!" "Don't talk about me like I'm some sort of doll! If you're thinking of my happiness...wh-why do you break your promises?! I asked you to keep them and everything! Why? Why won't you?! You actually hate me, don't you?!" "I love you!!" "Liarrr!!" Subaru's desperate attempts to slam how he truly felt into her overlapped with Emilia's loud voice. Just how much had he once told himself to put off conveying his feelings to her? Just how many obstacles had Subaru overcome so that he could tell her the words that would convey them? He piled on his confessions of love so much that they must have come off as cheap, empty words. But to Subaru, they were his true feelings, a confession that came once in a lifetime with his entire body and spirit the real deal infused with all of his being. "I'm not lying! I love you! What do you think about me anyway?! You always act like you know it all! How much do you think you've shaken my heart, stringing me along with that cute face of yours like I've got a chance?! Stop toying with me!" "I-I'm not toying with you! All I did was act normally. Don't say weird things about it! Even though I have so much to consider right now, you're asking me how I feel about you... I can't think about that, Subaru! Stop it! Don't make this hard for me!" "Who's making this hard for who?! You're making it hard for me!!" "You're the one making it hard for me, Subaru!!" Like little children having a tantrum, both were reduced to emotional arguments without a shred of logic between them. With irreconcilable force, Subaru and Emilia slammed their fierce emotions into each other with loud voices. Inside the tomb, purportedly a place of tranquility for many years, the pair's irrational arguments continued to echo without pause. "I don't know how many times I've said it! Subaru, you're a liar! You break your promises, but you come to me with a calm look on your face... Y-you thought I wouldn't notice, didn't you?! I've been watching you! I've been watching to see if you keep your promises with me, Subaru!" "That's a bad personality right there! Testing people like that... What are you, a Witch?!" "A liar who breaks his promises has no right to talk!" "This and my breaking promises are two different things!" The unconcerned way Subaru changed the subject left Emilia so angry, her words caught in her throat. She was so seized by emotion that she couldn't give voice to her thoughts. She made ragged breaths. Breathing in and out multiple times, Emilia's eyes were in tears as she asked him. "Why...why did you break your promise...?" "...I feel bad about breaking my word. I really wanted to keep holding your hand and stay with you until morning. That's the truth." "That's not what I asked. Why did you break your promise?" "...I can't tell you." Clenching his teeth, Subaru responded to Emilia's question with a low, anguished groan and a shake of his head. Subaru refusing to give her an answer at this point made Emilia cover her face with her hands. "You won't keep your promises. You won't even tell me why you broke them... What do you want me to do now? If you have something to tell me...just come out and say it! If you don't, Subaru, even I can't believe you...!" "Emilia." "If you'd only kept your promise and stayed with me until morning, I'd probably believe you, Subaru! I'd believe you and probably have given you everything! Instead, you broke your promise..." Her face disheveled, Emilia embraced her own, slender shoulders. Anxiety and fear rested in her quavering, violet eyes, for Emilia was speaking not to Subaru, but herself. "After Puck was gone, my memories...they're coming back, little by little. Inside me, scenes I don't know and conversations I don't remember are gushing up one after another." *** "All these things I didn't know until now, things that by rights I should have remembered...just how much have I forgotten? I forgot them and then acted like they never happened...!" These were the memories Puck had called back in exchange for his pact with Emilia: the true memories kept under a lid that she had turned her back upon long ago. The lid had been removed, and scenes of a past she did not wish to remember had been restored. However, to Emilia, this came with the fear that she would no longer be able to be certain what was her true nature. "When all those memories come back...what will I do then? Is who I am right now really me? I forgot so many precious things, I forgot about Mommy...is who I am right now wrong?" Nature dictated that everyone accumulated memories over the course of their lives, binding each person to others around them. If that was so, was a life underpinned by false memories not wrong in every respect? If the point of origin was wrong, did that not make the path walked and the destination reached all wrong as well ? What's important is not where you start, or what happens midway, but how it ends. Suddenly, a voice reverberated in the back of his mind. The distant voice, one that was very familiar to Subaru, was the voice of someone who was very close to him yet would never meet again. When they were parting, at the very, very end, in the name of homework, she had given Subaru a gentle present. Yeah, you're right, Mom. However it started, whatever path one walked, who had the right to decide what was right or wrong until the very, very end? "Emilia, no matter what memories you remember, nothing's gonna change. I love you. I'll always love you." " ! I can't...believe you. Subaru, the version of me you say you love...m-might not be here anymore. You can't...say something like..." "I can. No matter what happens, you're not going anywhere. I...love you." "...Those are...the words of a liar. Coming from someone...who can't even make me believe him..." " Then...I'll make you believe." With trembling eyes and a trembling voice, Emilia rejected Subaru. Words weren't getting through. His demeanor couldn't convince her. But words weren't the only way to convey feelings. That was why "Suba..." "If you don't like it, dodge." They were at a distance close enough to breathe each other's no, there was not even a breath's distance between the pair. Reaching his hand to Emilia's shoulder, Subaru brought his face close to her. When Emilia saw Subaru approach, bewilderment rose into her eyes as her body went rigid. For one second, he waited. It was the only chance

he gave her to throw him off. *** But Emilia closed her eyes. Whether this was surrender or the product of hesitation, Subaru knew not. " Mm." Their respective breaths became one. Emilia's breathing caught as Subaru knit his brows in pain. For the tiny sound that resounded was that of the pair's teeth forcefully bumping against each other. The first thing they tasted was a faint, throbbing pain. However, the powerful heat that followed erased it even from the most remote corners of their heads. Her lips were so soft. It was a kiss where they simply touched. To Emilia, it was her first. To Subaru, it was the second time he had kissed her. It was not like the first time, which carried the cold taste of death. The second kiss...bore the hot taste of life. " Ah." "I love you." When their lips mutually pulled apart, blood rushed to Emilia's cheeks as Subaru unhesitatingly spoke those words. "No matter how sorry you look, no matter how we argue like this, I'll still love you the same way, Emilia. No matter what happens, that'll never change. It'll probably make me love you even more than before. That's why I'll believe in you, forever. And if you have to ask why... "Because you love me..." In a daze, Emilia finished Subaru's sentence as she touched her own lips. She stroked her soft lips with her fingers, as if the touch of what had been there yet lingered. White tears coursed down her cheeks. "It's natural to be anxious when memories you don't know about come gushing out. I understand why you'd feel scared that a version of you that you never knew is coming out. But it won't erase the path you've walked. You'll be all right, Emilia." "How can you talk...like that...?" "Because it's not important where you start, but where you end. The woman I respect most in the world said that." Normally the worst guesser that could be found around the globe, his mother had taught him the most important thing he would ever learn. It wasn't that he truly understood the answer to her homework assignment, but she'd made him want to understand. At the very least, he wanted to show Emilia his good side when anxiety was making her stand still. "It's all right, Emilia. No matter what you remember, I'm on your side. Whether you forget or remember, it's all fine. If you're still scared even so, we'll find it." "Find...find what...?" "Just like I sent you my feelings of love full speed, I'll send your worries packing full speed, too. That's how we'll find your precious feelings." Emilia did not fear any choice that hurt her for the sake of others. Through these, she prioritized the people around her, a stance that was noble and beautiful and that Subaru deeply respected. But though the words It's for someone else's sake were gentle, they were also sad...because how she felt for someone whose face she couldn't see did not even come close to how she felt about those she could see. "All that said, I was kinda hoping you'd turn some of those precious feelings my way..." "My...precious feelings." Perhaps Subaru's words had not really sunk in as Emilia touched her hand to her breast. Her fingertips were touching the crystal where Puck had once been, cracked with its light long lost. It was a vestige of a bond that should have been there. However, Emilia grasped it firmly nonetheless. "If I get all my memories back...will my precious feelings be among them?" "Yeah. I'm sure they will. Along with a reason to keep on walking." " Mm." He wouldn't call it half trust and half doubt, but Emilia certainly didn't agree completely as she nodded. Seeing Emilia like that, Subaru closed his eyes and turned his face skyward. He felt like the words that had previously saved him the same way had been...gentler. He felt like he was saved by words that were gentler. Harsher. Stronger. Can I really be there for Emilia like that? *** Asking that out loud would have been too uncool, though, so he didn't actually say it. He exhaled, exhausted. Then, the very instant he forgot about it, the tomb's rejection slammed directly into Subaru's spirit. Putting his hand to a wall without thinking, he barely managed to avoid tumbling to the floor. "Subaru! A-are you all right?" "It's nothin'...well, that's what I wanna say, but it's definitely somethin'. It's pretty bad right now. For the time being, if we're gonna continue this lover's quarrel, I'd like to do it outside." "Goodness...as if I have any intention of that." When Subaru, blue in the face, tried to put on a strong front, Emilia faintly smiled. It was a strength bereft of strength, but the sight of Emilia returning to normal was a sign to Subaru that she had become more positive, if only ever so slightly. She was still anxious, and answers were yet to come. Even so, she smiled. *** When the wobbly Subaru rested his weight against the wall as he walked down the passage, Emilia hesitated to lend him a supporting hand. Perhaps this was an aftereffect of having earlier touched each other's lips. Thinking back, the sheer boldness of it made his face run hot. But for that one moment, he set a number of such deep sentiments aside. *** At the end of the passage, orange-colored sunlight was entering at an angle. And there " Heya. Sorry we kept you waiting." "Tch." When Subaru spoke those words, there, raising a hand " Not like I was waitin' for you." and clicking his tongue in annoyance, was Garfiel, waiting for the pair, his entire body drenched in red by blood and the setting sun. CHAPTER 7 *** 1 Garfiel stood in front of the tomb with wounds all over. His entire body was smeared red with blood, and his shoulders rose and fell with ragged breaths. His head and body showed traces of blunt trauma all over, and only his loincloth remained upon his honed physique, leaving him close to naked. Without even shoes on his feet, he stood barefoot and still before them as Subaru lowered his hand. "...That's a pretty primitive style to go with. Took a bit too much of a liking to war paint?" "Never mind 'bout that. Only place that'll get ya is rollin' on the ground." When Subaru shot the breeze with him, Garfiel snorted through his nose and gave him a sour look. Jokes aside, the fact remained that Subaru was surprised to see Garfiel wounded. He'd expected Garfiel to show up at the tomb, but being covered in injuries was beyond his expectations. And the cause was "That stupid bastard Otto. I told him not to do anything crazy..." "I underestimated 'im. I never thought he'd put up that much of a fight. On top of that, he sweet-talked Ram...that's how I ended up like this!" "Ram, with Otto?" Garfiel twisted his cheeks in disgust as he nodded and confirmed what Subaru had guessed. If his words were to be trusted, the wounds carved into his body were the results of Otto and Ram's exploits. Just how hard had those two noncombatants fought him? They'd probably done it simply to buy time. They'd made time for Subaru and Emilia to talk. That was what the pair had fought so hard for. "But if you two die, it doesn't mean anything..." Subaru imagined the worst possibility as cold sweat trickled down his brow. Given the state Garfiel was in, it would not be strange if the difficult battle of which he spoke had resulted in him putting an end to their hard fighting with his claws. This, Subaru feared deeply. " Subaru." When Subaru clenched his fist and bit his lip, a voice like a silver bell called out to him. When he looked, Emilia, standing right beside him, was touching his shoulder, her concern-infused gaze peering into his black eyes. Those eyes of hers had not yet come to terms with the emotions inside her. Emilia couldn't have had any way of knowing what the situation meant. Of course it would throw her for a big loop. Even so, Emilia was more concerned than doubtful, putting her consideration for Subaru first. "...Sorry I looked pathetic. Now that I've remembered who's standing beside me, I'm all fired up." "Mm, I understand. Don't do anything rash." Replying to her gentle words with a nod, Subaru once more looked at Garfiel, who was standing on the grassy field in front of the tomb. With the stone steps between them, Subaru looked down at Garfiel as the latter crinkled his nose. "Garfiel, what happened to Ram and Otto?" "Ya don't think...me bein' here is answer enough?" "Unfortunately, I'm considered a poor guesser. I'd like to hear it straight from your own mouth." Garfiel clacked his sharp fangs, his fierce response making Subaru grimace. The two exchanged sharp gazes. Garfiel made a low growl in his throat. "It don't matter what y'all are plannin'. I'll cut off whatever stupid things ya want right here." It was not a reply to his question, but rather, he was making plain that he had no intention of giving a straight answer. In its stead, Garfiel was referring to the real reason he was baring his fangs toward the pair. If the man named Garfiel was the man Ryuzu and Shima said he was, then "You didn't kill them, did you?" "I said that's got nothin' t' do with this! Livin' or dyin'...livin' or dyin' has nothin' to do with it. If I smash the entrance to the tomb and end it all right here..." Irritated, Garfiel put a hand to his forehead and spat out his words. His blunt, violent conclusion was the optimal method of putting an end to the Trial for good. But to Subaru, it sounded like nothing more than an excuse. Garfiel was searching for an excuse not to have to kill Ram or Otto, or Subaru, either. "If you do that, the Sanctuary will be a closed, fenced garden for eternity. You all right with that...?" " It's fine. Every other option's worse." Brushing Subaru's words aside, Garfiel put a foot against the tomb's stone steps. His advance, seemingly to cast aside all doubt, made Subaru feel he could see the gap between the determination and anxiety inside Garfiel's stubborn mind. His body bloodied, covered in wounds, Garfiel was determined to destroy the tomb, seeking nothing beyond a definite conclusion. But "...What do ya think ya doin', ahh?" Halfway up the stone steps, Garfiel halted as his pupils narrowed. His feline gaze, reminiscent of a beast's, shot right through Emilia, the one standing before him to bar his passage. To Garfiel, Emilia's strength as a combatant was unknown; and so, seemingly by nature, he strongly clacked his fangs and gave off a wary growl. "Outta my way. I'll get rid o' what's worryin' ya with my own bare hands. Once I do that..." "Garfiel. What are you so afraid of?" Pheeew went Garfiel, Emilia's assertion leaving him short of breath. For a second, he was taken aback; however, Garfiel immediately reddened with anger. His fangs were shaking. "Me, afraid...?" "You're afraid, aren't you? That's why you're speaking so loudly, stretching your arms as far as you can, stomping the ground with your feet... You're pushing yourself, aren't you?" "What are you ?! You! Don't know nothin' about me...!" "I do know. I mean, I've lived in fear of so many things for all this time." Because she was weak, because she was afraid, she knew. Putting a hand to her own breast, Emilia touched the broken crystal to make sure it was still there. Her violet eyes did not conceal her sorrow for the past, even as she pleaded to Garfiel, his eyes wide open. "Up to today, I've lived in fear. When Puck was with

me, I put all the bad things onto him, relied on him, and forgot... I think I understand a little now that I finally remember them." "Shaddap." "Right now, I only just started remembering everything I wanted to forget. I don't really know what it is I really need to do. But there's something there. I have to find out what that something is. Most likely, to me, it's something to be found inside the tomb...that's why I cannot move aside. But." "Shut up. Get lost. I...I'm not listenin' to any of this." "But you've already found that something for yourself, haven't you?" When she posed the question, Garfiel's endurance was already nearing its limit. An emotion beyond anger rested in his two eyes; it seemed like Garfiel was ready to train his claws on Emilia. But " Everything you do is half-hearted, Garfiel." With Emilia's assertions stabbing him, Garfiel was left with violence as his only resort. Subaru slowly shook his head from side to side at the immaturity and shortsightedness of his actions. Subaru meant for Garfiel to turn the brunt of his anger toward him. No, such intent was not necessary. There was no plan or calculation involved. It was something Subaru wanted to say, something he needed to say; and so, he did. "If I can't do it, no one can. That's how I think, and there's no mistaking he's someone like that, too. Just how much of a conceited brat are you?" *** "Certainly, it's just like you said. Emilia's failing at the Trial over and over. I can't deny she's all crying and sobbing over being made to see a past she doesn't want to. It was hard to watch her lose herself after Puck was gone. I can't even say with a straight face she's bounced back yet." Standing right beside Emilia, Subaru motioned to her with his chin, mercilessly critiquing her disgraceful behavior. It was a sudden topic, one that put a suspicious look on Garfiel's face, but Emilia received it with dignity. The assessment was certainly not one that was pleasant on the ears, but it was correct nonetheless. She would stand, face her own shame, and take it head-on, for that was what she thought would make Subaru proud of her "If she challenges the Trial right now, the results might not change. She might fail again, too, coming back in tears once more." "If ya know that already, why make her do it over an'...?" "But Emilia will challenge it, as many times as it takes. Unlike you, who lost and ran." She had recoiled from her past. She feared the Trial. Her legs cowered from it over and over. But he could not lie to his own heart. He believed that whatever it was Emilia wished for, it was not a wish beyond her reach. "That's just you glossin' things over with words o' hope, makin' the girl ya love see Hell over and over...!" Declaring thus, Garfiel's teeth creaked, and he chipped a fang. Heedless, he howled. "Who the hell can win against yer own regrets?! The Trial was set up by a foul-minded Witch to teach people that! Don't ya get it?!" "...Regrets are hard, painful things. I think they're pathetic things you can't face, either." "Ahh?!" "The pain of looking at the past is real. But that said, I intend to swallow it all down. Just like you said, the Witch has a foul personality. I'll never forget my grudge for her betraying my trust." Even though it was a fraudulent farewell, with his parents fabricated from nothing but his memories in an illusionary world... Subaru had faced the greatest regret inside himself; from it, he had gained one farewell, and one answer. His grudge toward the Witch who had granted him this would never fade. But these feelings, too, were real. "I'm grateful to the Witch. I'm glad I faced my past. I ran, and I ran, and I kept running from it...but I'm glad I couldn't run from it." Neither Emilia nor Garfiel could comprehend Subaru's gratitude toward the Witch. Perhaps they took his words as wild delusions. It was fine even so. For at the very least, inside Subaru, his stance toward the past was set. And "Garfiel. Do you hate your mother who left you behind?" "Wha...?!" Subaru's question caused the color of Garfiel's face to change dramatically. From red with anger, it turned pale with shock, and finally, when it lost all color, he closed his eyes. "From the old hag...? Damn you, buttin' into other people's pasts...!" "Sorry. Even though we take off our shoes when entering someone's house, we keep them on when stepping into someone's heart. It's a Natsuki family tradition." There were the words of the Witch, the words of his biological sister, the words of his grandmother, and the words of yet another grandmother. The night before, Subaru had heard straight from the lips of Shima, who held Garfiel dear to her, confirming that Arma's speculation was correct. The past Garfiel saw had indeed been the moment he and his mother parted. He openly confessed to trampling all over Garfiel's heart in order to learn more. "I have some notion of what past you saw. Frederica and your mother left you both in the Sanctuary and went out into the world. So you saw that, and then what?" He told him of what he'd heard from Shima. However, he left the conclusion blank as he tossed the question. The question Subaru posed made Garfiel shake his head, repulsed. Subaru heard his fangs clattering nonstop. This was no act of intimidation, but simple shaking from fear. Seeing this, Subaru took a step forward, not allowing any escape as he redoubled his question. "Frederica left the Sanctuary. She believed you'd open the Sanctuary someday, so she left to make a place in the outside world for the people here. So what have you been doing on the inside?" Garfiel had rejected the warmth of the hand his sister had offered him, continuing to cower within the Sanctuary instead. Feelings of guilt sprung up for digging into the scars on another person's chest. Subaru forced down the feeling, pressing Garfiel for the truth, his fingers digging into the wounds, drawing blood in the process. "Was it that your mother abandoned you, so you hated your mother, so you hated the world that had stolen your mother from you, so you stayed shut inside the Sanctuary? Here, because you didn't want to get hurt!" "That ain't...! What do you know...? Don't flap yer damn lips like ya understand!" "That's right! All I'm saying is my own arbitrary guess, flapping my lips like I know what I'm talking about. Only you know what you really think. I'm not your family, so I'm not gonna know unless you come out and say it!" When Garfiel retorted on reflex, Subaru harshly scolded him, pummeling him with words. "If you don't say it, we won't know! If it's not in words, no one'll get it!" *** "If you hate your mother for abandoning you, go outside and get revenge or whatever right this minute! Don't pin this on us people on the inside! That's what it is, isn't it? You're just lashing out?!" Garfiel's expression contorted. He went down the stone steps, as if trying to put distance between them. There was no escape. Grasping Garfiel's arm, Subaru brought his face close enough to take a bite out of him. At breathing distance, he glared into that sad, blood-smeared face and asked. And kept asking. "You hate your family. If you didn't, you wouldn't be..." "No!! Me...I...!" In Ryuzu's words, the truth about Shima, Echidna's advice, Roswaal's and Frederica's behavior, the soft gaze Ram sent Garfiel's way there, Subaru had found a different answer. There was a basis for Garfiel's actions. This basis was hatred toward his mother and fear of the outside world. He raised that conclusion aloft. He raised it, so that Garfiel's objection might strike it down. Even that very moment, he was not killing Subaru or Emilia but trying to destroy the tomb in order to prevent the liberation of the Sanctuary. He wanted to keep Emilia from taking the Trial, because his fear of the Sanctuary being liberated was exceeded by his inability to watch Emilia being tormented by her past. If there was a basis for Garfiel's actions, it was not hatred or estrangement toward his past. "What is it you really think?! Tell me, damn it!!" "Me...I...want Mom to...!" Swallowing his breath, Garfiel turned his face to the sky, his fangs quivering and voice tearful as he spoke: " I wanted her to be happy...!!" 2 "We were in the way, right?! Sis and I, we were in the way of her being happy, right?!" They poured out the feelings that had been resting inside Garfiel for ten years. "I got it, of course I did! She abandoned Sis and me. Isn't that right?! We were kids she never wanted, and half-bloods at that. Of course we were in the way of a better life on the outside! What's strange about abandoning us...she wasn't wrong about anythin'...!" Unable to hide the trembling in his voice, he tried to at least conceal the trembling in his eyes, covering his face with his hands. "Of course she abandoned us. That's why I don't hate Mom for it... Of course she did. Sis and I were in the way, so she went outside to be happy!!" On that day, when he was still very young, Garfiel watched his mother leave them in the Sanctuary. And then, when he challenged the Trial, Garfiel saw his mother abandon them once more. Garfiel had been abandoned by his mother twice. Who could blame him for the cracks in his young heart? But what truly left Garfiel feeling helpless was not the sight of his own mother abandoning him. "But I saw. When I went into the tomb without telling Grandma, I saw...Mom, who left us...right after she left, she got caught up in a landslide, and then...!" *** "Sis doesn't know... Sis still believes Mom's living somewhere far away... But that's not really true! Right after abandoning us, Mom...died!!" In a tearful-sounding voice, Garfiel proclaimed the fragmentary truth he had seen with his own eyes. That cruel truth slammed into Subaru, who already knew, and Emilia, who did not. "She died...she never got to be happy..." Garfiel kept his face covered with his palms, sobbing raggedly as he continued: "Why? Didn't she go to the outside world so she could be happy?" Subaru gave no reply. "Didn't she leave us so she could go off and be happy?" Emilia gave no reply. "If she abandoned us, only to die right away without ever being happy, then..." Garfiel kept tossing unanswerable questions to a pair unable to answer them. This was likely a question that Garfiel had kept asking, echoing at the bottom of his heart "What should we do with the loneliness and sadness from her abandoning us...?" In those ten years, he had continued searching for the answer to that, finding none. "I wanted Mom to be happy...!" He put his strength into that tearful voice. Removing his hands from his face, Garfiel made his fangs creak. Clenching his teeth enough that it seemed they might split, blood dripped from his tattered lips as he howled. "This sadness! The loneliness from being abandoned! I wanted to believe that if they made her happy, there was meaning to them! I wanted to make Mom hate me...!!" His feelings for his mother had nowhere left to go. Garfiel had shut his heart inside the Sanctuary. With nothing left to slam them against, his ferocious emotions had kept on burning like a flame, consuming his soul as its fuel. Amid the flames of his smoldering heart, Garfiel vowed to himself. " I ain't lettin' anyone leave anymore." His voice

was shaking. There was anger, sadness, and the vestiges of fierce emotions forming a fire that continued blazing that very moment. "Just changin' doesn't mean you can be happy. There's lots of people around who can't do anything like that! What are they supposed to do?! Should they just become sacrifices and take on all the sadness so others can be happy? Are they all supposed to become changed like me and Sis?!" Garfiel spread both arms wide, hoisting the Sanctuary, isolated from the outside world, onto his own shoulders. "Me, I'll protect." Powerfully pressing down with both feet, Garfiel stopped howling, calmly stating his words. "I'll protect. I'll protect everything as far as my hands can reach. Protect, protect, I'll protect them... I won't lose anyone else... I won't let anyone go through what Mom had to..." It was not anger that made Garfiel's heart tremble. It was not sadness. Ten years' worth of resolve, ten years' worth of determination, ten years' worth of desires: It was these that infused Garfiel's shout. "I'll be the barrier!! A real barrier that separates inside from out!!" "Garfiel!!" "That's why! I'll! Protect everyone in the Sanctuary! Protect Grandma! I'm the only one who can do it! I'm the only one who knows! I'm the only one who has to know!!" Spitting blood as he raised a mighty shout, Garfiel made a great leap backward. Abandoning climbing the stone stairs, Garfiel landed on all fours in the middle of the grassy field. With a shudder, every hair on his body stood up. Subaru understood what he intended to do like it was the back of his own hand. " Subaru." "It's all right, Emilia." When Emilia addressed him, Subaru nodded, heading down the stone stairs on his own, turning toward the grassy field. In that grassy field, dyed in the color of the setting sun, Subaru faced off against the gradually transforming Garfiel. "You ignorant, blockheaded bastard." Garfiel could no longer be stopped with words. So that only left one thing to do. "I'll put you on your back and drive it into you. That you're a kind and really stupid jerk!!" " Oooooo!!" A howling voice accompanied the ground cratering as Garfiel, on all fours, transformed. His bones audibly creaked as his body swelled, and he bared his fangs as golden fur appeared all across his skin. Having turned into a ferocious, mindless beast for the purpose of killing Subaru Natsuki, Garfiel roared. "Gaaaaaaa !!" This was a decision to kill. Garfiel deemed he had no choice but to kill Subaru. Subaru could not be stopped short of killing him. The last ten years had left Garfiel unable to sheathe his fangs. Hence, Garfiel transformed as a last resort, for the sake of taking a life. Turning into a mindless beast so that he would not avert his eyes at the critical moment. "But that's your mistake, Garfiel." Not wanting to slay his foe, to thrust his claws through his opponent, was kindness. The decision to use his body to protect the hearts of those around him, to protect the Sanctuary, was kindness. But making excuses for supposedly unclouded wishes and feelings in order to kill someone who couldn't be left alive, averting his eyes to his own actions, and going as far as to stop thinking at all that was not kindness. It was weakness. And Subaru Natsuki did not hesitate to take advantage of that weakness. "I'm counting on you, body of mine. Don't break down on me when we're inside the ring!" The transfigured Garfiel bent all four limbs, widening his fangs as if to bite Subaru with them. Instantly, Subaru pictured a gate above his navel that was connected to the very center of his body and chanted. " Shamaaaaaaak!!" Just before the great tiger leaped forth, Subaru shouted with all his spirit, and the world shouted back. An incomprehensible darkness explosively spewed forth, swallowing the fiendish beast, who was extending his sharp claws whole. Those claws, which should surely have shaved away Subaru's life, never reached their target; the fiendish beast's bloodlust was erased somewhere in that abyss. The next moment " Ah." Subaru realized that a fateful impact had destroyed something in the deepest part of his body. He'd abused the Gate he'd been told not to use. He'd used the magic that he'd been forbidden from using. He'd gone against the warnings of his personal healer, the greatest healer in the kingdom. The cost of betraying those words might have been to never be able to use magic again. The Gate that had been at Subaru's core collapsed. Violently, chaotically, oblivion clawed at his mind. "Thanks." The cord he had relied on so many times to date had been cut. To this feeling of losing something he could never regain, Subaru spoke words of parting. The magic he had relied upon several times over had finally had enough of him. It could not be helped. But he was grateful nonetheless. With gratitude in his chest, he took a powerful step forward. *** His goal of landing a single blow had been met. The darkness magic he activated did not even cover the whole of the beast. Subaru had no talent for magic. This was all he could do with the final spell cast under his own power in his lifetime. Thanks to that, he made a beeline toward the beast's wide-open right shoulder " Come step onto my turf, Garfiel." With all his strength, Subaru pounded the blue crystal he gripped in his hand into that right shoulder, which was as thick as a log. Light gushed forth. " Gnn!" Incredible particles of light surged forth. Subaru felt something akin to wind pressure as he fell backward. Landing on his butt, he backed away. Before his eyes, the fiendish beast, who had been swallowed by the black cloud, had yet to comprehend what had occurred. But the light-emitting crystal was consuming all the mana around it, turning the impenetrable darkness enveloping the fiendish beast into its own fuel. And with that crystal pressed into him, Garfiel himself was no exception. "Wha ?" Freed from the incomprehension slammed into him, he was assaulted the next moment by chagrin. When the black cloud lifted and the light gradually abated, what was there was no great, ferocious tiger. His transformation undone, Garfiel had returned to his human physique, both in size and internal bone structure. Having regained his human form, Garfiel wore the most incredulous expression of all. Lifting up both hands, he stared at the bestial fur shedding and falling from his white fingers, seeing for himself with his own jade eyes. "Wh-what...why did I turn back...huuuh?" Patting his own body as he searched for the cause, Garfiel noticed the crystal in his shoulder. It was a crystal that marked one as an Apostle one Garfiel knew well. The blue crystal from Frederica that Subaru had carried seemed stuck, unwilling to leave Garfiel's body. "This is...Sis's stone...but why is it...drainin' my strength like...? What trick did ya put into this stone...?" "Who's to say? Maybe there's a very hungry kitty inside it?" Perhaps transformation had taken much of his endurance; Garfiel was out of breath as he clawed at his shoulder. But the crystal rejected his fingers, biting into his flesh and showing no sign of coming off. " This is all the help I can give you." As light faded from the stone the blue crystal he felt like he heard a laugh coming from it. Having kept silent, the incomplete communication had made him keep worrying all that time, but... "If you're gonna be quiet, keep quiet, you noisy, glimmering jerk..." With that listless comment, Subaru saw with his own eyes that the assist from the crystal his trump card had worked. " Watch this, Emilia." Slowly standing up, Subaru took a deep breath, then spoke to the presence he felt at his back. Behind him, atop the stone steps, Emilia was watching over the pair's fight. It probably looked like a fight that Subaru had no hope of winning. There was no mistaking that in her head, she wanted to stop this. Even so, she didn't; Emilia, who had so angrily tried to stop Subaru from engaging in repeated fights out of unsightly stubbornness. Subaru, too, knew there was something that he could not quite call trust. There was no need to put a label on that something; at the very least, not then, at that instant. "Look at me, Garfiel." "Ahh...?" "If you wanna stop me, stop me with your own hands. Don't chicken out and rely on your blood, you coward. How long are you gonna treat me like an idiot?" He stepped forward, bringing him to stand and face Garfiel, who was rooted to his spot. They were both within arm's reach. Garfiel was in a state of exhaustion; Subaru was in tip-top shape. It made for a pathetic tale, but at that time, in that moment, Subaru could stand on the same ground on equal terms "No matter what you say, we're heading to the outside world. If you want to stop us, stop me first. Emilia will challenge the tomb. The Sanctuary will open...whether you want it or not." "Don't decide all that shit on your own! Who asked ya to?! Who gave ya permission?! This place this place should stay as it is, never changing!!" "Of course it can't stay like this, always the same, stopped and never changing. Someone ought to have said it centuries ago before it turned out this way." "There's people who! Who want it to never change, damn it!!" "If you could stay here and protect this place forever, that'd be one thing, but..." Someday, the time and the era would leave Garfiel behind. It was inevitable that this never-changing Sanctuary would one day be forced to change. "A day when you drive all of us together into the same corner, when you can't do anything about it by yourself, is definitely coming. It might be tomorrow. It might even be today." Cutting off his words, Subaru raised his arms, adopting a fighting pose. Talking wasn't going cut it. After the pushing in the crystal part, his plan was pretty much blank to begin with. Knowing that each other's words would settle nothing, his means were reduced to one. When the opinions of two men differed like that, the only way left was to fight until their souls were spent. "I'm gonna knock you on your ass, Garfiel. Respect the power of numbers." "Ain't ya got a different way of sayin' that?!" Garfiel howled at Subaru's line, their fists both unleashed simultaneously and landing in each other's face. Letting out anguished groans from the sharp pain, the pair backed heavily away from each other. Setting Subaru's fist aside, Garfiel's blow was tragically weakened. The crystal embedded in his shoulder was absorbing his mana even then; thanks to its aid, they were able to have a good, honest fistfight. If not for Otto, for Ram, for the crystal for Puck Subaru could not have climbed onto that stage. "He-he, thanks to them I'm managing to make this a fi bwah!" He took a direct hit to the wide-open side of his face. His vision swooned, which he put a stop to with a stomp. In return, he kicked upward into his opponent's gut, sending a straight punch right into his opponent's lowered face. He was hit back. The hard blow made his eyes spin, and nosebleeds oozed from Subaru and Garfiel both. Both their faces marred with blood, the objectively awful and clumsy brawl continued. Each and every blow was weak, but they reverberated in each other's core because of the feelings infused in their fists. Subaru was physically exhausted; Garfiel was exhausted in both body and spirit. Thus, the damage spread further. "E...nough of...this!!" When both sides were depleted in strength, what separated victory from defeat in a fight was skill. Evading Subaru's attack, Garfiel spun his body, plunging an elbow strike into the pit

of Subaru's stomach. When Subaru moaned in agony, his movements coming to a halt, Garfiel delivered a hard chop to the back of his head, and when Subaru fell down, Garfiel kneed him in the face. Subaru's vision ferociously shook. He proceeded to move backward and not fall. "You still...! Just sleep already! Give up, and I'll end this!!" "Don't make me look uncool in front of my girl...not giving up makes me look way better than giving up, damn it. If you're a man, let me look cool, you stupid jerk." Garfiel probably hadn't been able to look good in front of Ram, the girl he longed for, not even once. Snorting out the blood blocking his nose, Subaru put a smile on his awful-looking face. His expression made Garfiel swallow his breath, from which Subaru understood how creepy he must have looked. *** Subaru felt like praising Garfiel's strength. You've done well coming this far. Simultaneously, Subaru felt sadness about his strength. Why did you push it this far? There was a future coming that Garfiel could not change, no matter how stubbornly or valiantly he fought. Perhaps by telling him about the future assault on the Sanctuary, Subaru might have been able to move Garfiel off that spot. But that would not settle the issue within him. Even if his body moved for a time, his heart would remain in the same place. Garfiel would ignore all those watching over him, all those extending a hand toward him, and continue to cower, grieving for his dead mother. "Take a good look, Garfiel. There's no wall here for you to be afraid of." "There is a wall! There is for me! An absolute wall, separating inside from outside for me! For me, Grandma, and all the others! We're standing still! We're shut in! It's over for us!" "Don't you dare go and say it's over...don't you dare lose hope!" In anger, Garfiel lamented that by giving up, his own future was closed, finished. Something burned inside Subaru's chest. Amid that war of fists, amid that war of words, nothing made sense anymore. Something was wriggling around inside his belly. His Gate was dead. He could use magic no more. Then what, in the deepest part of his body, was beginning to assert its existence that very moment? "No matter when! No matter the time! If you wanna do something! If you wanna change! When you think it, that's your starting line, damn it!!" When you're frustrated, with nothing left, immersed in resignation, stopping your feet, clutching your knees, and cowering... When you're despondent toward yourself, disappointed with others, despairing from feelings of loneliness by being abandoned by those precious to you... "When someone says Lift up your face and walk forward again, who the hell replies Why don't you just give up?!" Give up, go off and die, cower somewhere. Garbage. All of it was worthless nonsense. If you're clutching your knees and someone has the courage to speak to you, respond, would you? Hang in there. Do it. You may not know how or why, but if you stand and run, you'll get somewhere. The inside of his chest was hot. "Isn't that right, Garfiel...?!" He called out the name of the small-looking man before him, eyes swaying weakly. The inside of his belly burned. "Isn't that right, Emilia...?!" He called out the name of the girl watching them from behind, the one who was sandwiched between weakness and the threshold of something yet unknown. Something from the back of Subaru's eyes flooded out. "Hey isn't that so, Rem?!!" He called out the name of the one who'd made him lift his face, open his mouth, open his eyes wide, and stand tall. The one who had taught him that even when your feet were stopped in surrender, that didn't mean it was over. Subaru Natsuki desperately wished for the power she had given him then to somehow reach all the others. *** A power that was not Subaru's wriggled inside his body, making its first cry of birth. As if to bless its arrival, as if to celebrate its birth... "Damn it all...! I I !!" Once more, Garfiel swung his claw upward. It was no longer with words, but with actions that Garfiel denied all that Subaru claimed. Lacking anything else to say, unable to give up on his feelings, Garfiel had no other option. Having closed his eyes to so many things and averted his eyes from the future, he could not face Subaru; hence, he had not noticed. That where he leaped, invisible hands were waiting. "This new move sure gives off a bad impression." The world moved in slow motion. Subaru could clearly see Garfiel leaping at him. His hostility had grown to its limit. And yet, his face was in tears, like a child throwing a tantrum. He aimed at the tip of Garfiel's chin. That's enough, he knew not with words, but with his heart. And then he pounded that spot with all his strength. *** The power he released exulted with joy, striking the unwary Garfiel directly below its unseen form. The invisible blow took the form of a fist, smashing into Garfiel's face and driving him toward the sky. "Gu, oh...!" The moment after seeing it through, Subaru, too, went down on one knee. He violently retched from the sense that he had shed something from inside him, with agony as if his very soul had been whittled. Not a single drop of spit or blood came out. That one blow had truly taken everything out of him. This time, even that stubborn Garfiel "Hey, hey, you gotta be kidding me..." He was sure he saw Garfiel fly skyward, with nothing to break his fall as he was slammed into the ground. Covered in wounds that were mostly there before clashing with Subaru, he'd endured a string of battles without any rest. On top of that, there was a spirit in his right shoulder sucking his mana right out of him. How did he explain this? "Just how tough are you...?" "Don't...look down...on me...me, I h-haven't broken...yet..." His fuzzy head was swaying, but even so, Garfiel was standing on his own two feet. His gaze was unfocused. But he stood out of pure tenacity, rejecting Subaru's final push. "Hah. Well, this sucks... Having come this far, I've got to face facts." Subaru had exhausted all his schemes, played his one trump card, and even used a hidden trick that had suddenly sprouted up. Even with Otto and Ram's valiant fighting, Puck's assistance, and all the rest, he had still been unable to defeat Garfiel. Garfiel was strong. Even when he was weak, he was strong. This Subaru acknowledged from the bottom of his heart. That was why "Now, no one else'll...!" With wobbly footsteps, Garfiel walked forward as Subaru rested on his knees. Garfiel was at his limit, but so was Subaru. His consciousness probably could not sustain even one blow, no matter how little strength was behind it. Accordingly, Garfiel poured his entire nervous system into his claws, intent on beating Subaru with them. That was why Garfiel never noticed the approaching sound or the shaking of the ground. The final blow that would drive Garfiel to defeat. "This...is the...end for...yaaaah?!" *** His announcement of the final blow was blotted out by the piercing neigh of a slender and tall land dragon. Shaking the ground, the charging, jet-black land dragon heartily slammed into Garfiel, sending him hurtling into the air. " Goeh?!" The blow, which carried his entire body away, made Garfiel's eyes roll back, his body thrust away as if he weighed no more than a pebble. He bounced on the ground twice, then a third time, ending in a sprawl. This time, he did not move a muscle. Upon seeing this, the leading actress who had delivered the final blow looked toward the sky, letting out a roar. "How about that, Garfiel...?" Standing beside Patlash, loudly taking pride in her victory, Subaru spoke to Garfiel, who was prone upon the ground, in a voice so raspy, he couldn't even tell if it was really him that was talking. Both had used up all their strength and played every card they had in their hands. What was the decisive thing that separated victory from defeat? It was simple. The powerful Garfiel had fought alone. The weak Subaru had not. "Like I said the power of numbers." "There's...other ways of...sayin' that, damn it...!" The immobile Garfiel resentfully responded to Subaru's words. His voice made Subaru lightly scratch his cheek. "Then everyone's feelings bundled together to form bonds of victory." "Haa...so this is, like, none can lift the quain stone alone...ngh." Leaving those words behind, Garfiel finally fell silent. Watching this, Subaru waited several seconds. Certain of victory this time, Subaru turned his head upward. "Finally, one of those sayings made sense..." Those satisfied words slipped out as he collapsed, bringing his torso to the ground, and his consciousness along with it. 3 Loudly, the land dragon's neighing voice echoed across the Sanctuary' sky, announcing that the battle was decided. For once, Patlash, the one who had delivered the final blow unto Garfiel, held a triumphant look on her noble face, jubilant from her feeling of achievement at having redeemed herself for past humiliation. To Patlash, Garfiel was a mortal foe who had inflicted a mortifying defeat upon her. On the initial day of their arrival in the Sanctuary, Patlash, who was pulling the carriage, fought Garfiel, who had come to capture the intruders that had crossed the barrier. Though she did her best to protect Subaru, she had lost. Patlash, eagerly awaiting her chance to avenge herself, had splendidly achieved her aim. *** Having witnessed Patlash's joy at restoring her honor, Emilia let out a deep sigh. It had been a battle so fierce that she had genuinely forgotten to breathe. Just as Subaru had asked her to, Emilia had continued watching that grand battle until its conclusion. The sight of the two clashing had no doubt made her want to rush over and stop them many times over. But over the course of that, Subaru's voice and gaze had held Emilia's weak heart in check. It was a scene where she was permitted neither to lend a hand nor speak. It was torture. It was a terrible thing to endure. Yet, it was a scene where the one thing she could not do was to avert her eyes. The scene, the pair's argument, and the pair's clash made something burn inside her chest. Subaru had been so stubborn. Garfiel had cried in such a tearful voice. Two men smelling of mud as they pounded each other to settle their dispute Emilia did not understand even a fragment of what drove them. Even so, something that was hot, ebbing, and flowing inside her chest probably served as answer enough. "Er, oh no! Subaru's going to die if I don't heal him!!" Snapping back to her senses, Emilia practically flew down the stone steps, seemingly gliding as she raced to Subaru's side. Standing beside Subaru, Patlash gave Emilia an almost wary glare. "Ah, you don't need to make a worried face like that; it's all right. Without Puck, my control is a little shaky, but I can borrow the power of minor spirits for something like simple healing, so..." As she said this, the minor spirits of which Emilia spoke gave off a pale glow as they lent her their strength. Soft light enveloped Subaru and Garfiel and began to slowly heal their wounds. Subaru's pained expression softened bit by tiny bit. Making a thin smile at the sight, Emilia gently brought his head onto her lap. Somehow, lending Subaru her lap like this had become a very familiar development, even though she would have much preferred fewer opportunities to give an injured Subaru her lap pillow. "When you wake up, there are so many things

I really need to ask you, so..." But perhaps the things she wanted to say to him numbered more just then. As she murmured, Emilia gently combed through Subaru's hair as he slept with the face of a child. Subaru grimaced for a moment. Then his lips truly slackened. It was soon after that Otto met up with them, carrying Ram upon his back. CHAPTER 8 *** 1 Deep inside the being known as himself, something set down roots, asserting its own existence. Subaru did not even know if the heat it bore was hot or cold. Yet, the strange feeling of something black and stagnant circulating in Subaru Natsuki from corner to corner gave him some idea as to what it was. Therefore, he asked not why or how, or even what for. There was no reason to ponder such things. That left only one matter for him to worry about. Invisible Blow. Unseen Palms. Blindside Impact. Each sounded atrociously derivative. They weren't stylish at all. These were arms that none save Subaru could ever see, and none save Subaru might ever control. Accordingly "A divine will unseen by the eye...therefore, I dub thee Invisible Providence..." "...Er, what did you, say just now?" When Subaru weakly opened his eyes, murmuring with his mind still vague, a questioning voice called out to him. Leaping into his vision, her eyes open wide, was a beautiful, upside-down face not an angel's, but Emilia's. Slowly comprehending this, Subaru blinked several times, realizing he had awoken from a dream. Simultaneously, he took in the sight of Emilia before his eyes and the soft sensation under his head. "Ahh... Emilia-tan's giving me a lap pillow again..." "Mm, that's right. How many times have I given Subaru a lap pillow by now?" "I'm a little hazy, but this is the third time, maybe? It's a reward for getting over the first big hurdle, so..." "Yes, yes." Emilia let Subaru's playful words of savoring his reward glide over her in her familiar manner. From there, Subaru accessed his memory from just prior to losing consciousness, recalling he had been punched extensively. "Hey, Emilia-tan. How's my face? It's not in a state you'd never want to look at again, is it?" "Ahh, it's fine. It's not that weird." "And she's not even trying to be mean!" Subaru gazed at Emilia's mystified expression as he lightly tried to move his own limbs. Somehow, he managed to budge them. His bones creaked, and he was bruised all over his body, but he didn't mind it enough to complain. "Ah, goodness, don't be rash. It's no good unless you rest." "I really don't want to leave the paradise that is Emilia-tan's lap, either...but I have to go searching quick. Otto and Ram could be out there dying in the woods." From his restored memories, Subaru recalled that it was Otto who had driven Garfiel into a corner. According to Garfiel, Ram had assisted him, but he remained concerned for the pair's safety. Judging from Garfiel's personality, he shouldn't have actually taken their lives, but "Before they expire in the forest, I've gotta save Ram at least..." "Stop imagining us expiring and worry about me a little more, would you?!" "I-I'd recognize that fierce comeback anywhere..." When Subaru tried to put life into his wobbly body and sit up, he widened his eyes hearing the voice immediately beside him. When he shifted his gaze from Emilia to the direction of the voice, a filthy-looking young man sitting on the tomb's stone steps entered his vision. Though marred by soil, mud, and blood, the sight was, beyond any doubt, Otto Suwen. Seeing Subaru's gaze, he raised his clasped hands, his lips loosening into a leer. "This applies a fair bit to me, but it seems you went through quite a terrible time as well, Mr. Natsuki. But..." "Why, you !" "Gyaah ?!" As Otto exuded a casual air, Subaru leaped at him, delivering a headbutt. Taking the blow in the gut, Otto fell at Subaru's feet as he raised an anguished moan. "Wh-what is this all of a sudden?! I was praising our shared experience in a hard fought battle just now!" "Shut up, you stupid moron! Don't go acting all cool! You freelancing almost blew up the whole plan! But without your assist, I wouldn't have been able to nail Garfiel, either, so it's not like I don't feel grateful, okay?!" "I don't even know what you're saying anymore!" Though relieved he was safe, and grateful for his aid, Subaru's blushy, contradictory expression of that gratitude left Otto shouting in a loud voice. That truly Otto-like reaction made Subaru pat his chest with relief. "Either way, glad you're safe. If you died, I figured you'd turn into a ghost and haunt me at my bedside... Is Ram all right, too?" "Yes, though my liver went cold when I awoke and found Ram lying on the ground. I was quite relieved to find her state was not as bad as it looked. If anything, the poison she spewed after I carried her on my back was worse." "She talks super-strict to anyone but the people closest to her... How'd you convince her anyway?" "One of the conditions for her cooperation was that I would not to speak about it to you, Mr. Natsuki." Covering his mouth with both hands, Otto's demeanor made it clear he had no intention of explaining further. To be blunt, it was probably futile to try and make Otto spill the beans, not that he had a chance even if he wanted to. Surely, such a sensible human being wouldn't be foolish enough to risk his life to go along with Subaru's crazy demands. "Damn it." "Ow! What did you punch me for just now?!" "He's hiding his embarrassment, Otto. That's all." Emilia smiled as she joined Subaru and Otto's exchange. Then Subaru saw Patlash, who, at some point, had come to Emilia's side. When the land dragon brought her nose close, Emilia gently stroked it with her white fingers. The interaction was most unexpected. "My Emilia-tan and my Patlash are getting along so well...what a nice scene." "Don't say stupid things. This girl has been worried for you this entire time, Subaru." "Mm, I get that." Subaru smiled wryly at Emilia's scolding, walking close to Patlash on his own two feet. Then he reached a hand out to her black scales to give her some gratitude-infused petting. However "Gwah?! Wh-why?!" When a blow from her tail made him pull his hand back, Subaru objected to Patlash with teary eyes. But rather than relent, Patlash glared back at him with reproach in her yellow eyes. She even raised a sour growl that made Subaru cringe. "Shall I interpret?" "Nah, even I don't need you to interpret this..." When Otto offered some consideration from behind, Subaru shook his head, letting out a small sigh. " Don't make me worry like that, right?" "Also, addendums with a sense of Don't get cocky, There won't be a next time, and Become mine already with a fair hint of anger." "That's some serious heroine power at work. Jumping into the race to be my leading girl?" With a content face, Subaru extended his hand once more. This time, when he did so, Patlash accepted Subaru's hand, acting as if it couldn't be helped as she took it as an apology. Otto and Patlash in the Sanctuary, these two had done nothing but save him. Just like usual, he had to borrow the strength of many in order to overcome a mountain that his strength was insufficient to overcome himself. Would a day truly come when he could pay it all back? "Now that I'm thinking of the mountain I'm indebted to you all for breaking past, where's Garfiel?" "Ah, Garfiel is over there. I think it's best not to get in the way, though." "Whaddaya mean, get in the way?" As Subaru inclined his head, Emilia touched a finger to her lips. "You see...right now, Ram is looking after him, so..." 2 "Garf, are you awake?" The first thing he saw when he awoke was a girl's lovely face. He felt conflicted. It was the first thing he'd wanted to see, and also, it wasn't. The fact that his chest was faintly beating louder made Garfiel avert his eyes as he cleared his throat a single time. "Yeah...I'm awake. Dah?!" "Then move already. My legs are getting numb." Instantly, Garfiel was thrust from a soft sensation down onto the grassy soil. When he shot her a resentful glare, Ram, sitting her hip on the grassy field as she brushed off her thigh, went "What?" as she made a sour face. One would never think it was the demeanor of a girl who'd lent the unconscious Garfiel her knees up until moments ago. "Just like usual, a girl without one shred o' kindness..." "Ram believes that kindness is something one must give to a person worthy of receiving it. If Ram fails to give any, Ram did not believe that it was appropriate." "...I ain't worth it, huh?" "From that sentence, it is obvious you prefer I had said something else. This is why you and Barusu are both hopeless. You must be smoother than that if you wish to hear a girl's true thoughts." "Ow!" As he lowered his eyes, Ram flicked a finger off his forehead. The blow was inflicted upon the scar on his brow, which he had a habit of touching. Rubbing that white scar, Garfiel rested his eyes on the sight of Ram in her filthy clothes. It was none other than he who had made them that way, yet Ram was exerting herself for him nonetheless. "Ram, ain't no scars left on yer body? If there are, be my bride and I'll..." "I shall not. Take responsibility for my scars some other way. In the first place, you had a lot of cheek to do that, Garfiel. How you dare leave an injured Ram behind back there." *** Ram's harsh, overbearing gaze cowed Garfiel into silence. The anger in her eyes also held criticism for the end of their battle. Having knocked Ram to the ground and thrust Otto into a thicket, Garfiel, out of weakness, had not sought to settle things with their deaths. He'd hesitated against someone he cared for. There was that. But Garfiel hadn't been serious against Otto, who he didn't care for, or even Subaru. Because he lacked the most important thing for a warrior: courage. That was why he'd tried to rely on his blood, turning into a mindless beast to avert his eyes from the consequences. His hypocrisy, for relying only at times like that on the blood he normally detested and cursed, made him sick. How could Garfiel protect the Sanctuary with one deceit piled upon another "Garf...you're an idiot, so thinking about it is useless." "...Wha?" "I am not saying to turn into a beast and abandon all logic. I am saying that transforming makes you even stupider than when you try to think. It is far better to fight thinking of nothing with a completely empty head." As Garfiel sat cross-legged on the ground, the irritated Ram's assertion made his eyes bulge in astonishment. It was better to say that Ram, the victor, was gazing down upon Garfiel, the vanquished. He didn't mind her talking like that, but was it really necessary to speak to Garfiel about things that might lie ahead? After all, he was the vanquished. A suitable punishment was sure to be forthcoming. "Watch out next time. After all, you will be fighting for Ram and Emilia hereafter." " Whaa?!" At a juncture where he expected her to pass judgment on him, Ram's words shook him to his core. Garfiel's face reddened. He clacked his sharp fangs as he digested the statement. "Stop messin' with me! After doin' all this, bein' your enemy, stompin' all over what you people think...you're sayin'

you'd forgive me and take me as one of yer own?!" "Don't be absurd. I'm saying you need to work for it because we don't forgive you. You cannot beg for forgiveness without offering something in return, can you? Ram won, and Garf lost. Be a good boy and do as I say." "This is so messed up!!" Hopping to his feet, Garfiel stomped his heel against the ground. Instantly, his body wobbled, but his wounds were largely healed. He tightly clenched a fist. "I accept that I lost! But acceptin' and yieldin' are two different things! Me, I'm in fightin' shape even now! If ya wanna do things I don't want, ya shoulda just killed me! If ya wanna pick up where we left off right..." "Enough whimpering!" It should have been an angry, awe-inspiring shout, but one rebuke from Ram laid Garfiel's efforts to waste. Her pink eyes looked upward. The raw intimidation in them made Garfiel draw in his breath. "You lost, didn't you, Loser Cat Garf? Just how long do you intend to dawdle and look pathetic in front of the girl you like? The instant you lost, you went from blaming others to blaming yourself, pointing your fangs inside instead of outside. That's all, isn't it? So, so stupid." "Uh, um..." The barrage of words hit the bull's-eye so accurately, Garfiel's words caught in his throat. "...J-just because I lost, what, I should make some stupid smile and line up on your side? There's no way I can do that! I accept I lost, but I ain't acceptin' I was wrong!" This was neither desperation nor an attempt to wiggle out. It was how Garfiel truly felt. "Yeah, that's right, I accept I lost... Losing 'cause of numbers ain't no excuse. But me, I don't think I was wrong. This feels half-done." He could not betray himself from up to that moment. It was impossible for him to submit to Ram and the others, even for pretense's sake. "If you do not wish to stay half-done, prove that you are not standing still." "...What did you say?" As Garfiel breathed raggedly, Ram spoke those words in a quiet voice. Unable to grasp what they were meant to convey, Garfiel knit his brows and the next moment, his eyes widened and froze. Sitting on the grassy field, Ram lifted up a hand, turning its white fingers toward him. When he realized what those fingers were showing him, Garfiel's heart froze solid. "I can largely imagine what Barusu would say. Also, you do not need to be afraid, Garf. So you should go see with your own eyes." "The tomb's Trial..." The instant he put the words to his tongue, Garfiel's back was drenched with cold sweat. His breaths quickened, and his heartbeats became ragged. He heard his youthful self's sad crying ringing in his ears. "Garf, can you change? Or will you remain a cowering, unmoving little boy?" "Cut that out. The way ya said that makes even me wanna deny it..." Garfiel rang out in protest at Ram's words. Tensely, he realized he had not firmly told her I won't go, remaining in the chasm between the two choices: I'll go and I won't. He was being completely taken for a ride. By Ram. By Subaru Natsuki. Even though he remembered that fear, a part of him did want to make sure. His body was stiff with fright, his body was letting out wails of rejection, and his soul howled fiercely. Even as he spat blood, Subaru had stood before Garfiel and shouted what he believed namely, that he needed to find out if he could win against himself on that day of his childhood or not. "Your face says your resolve is set." He realized that the trembling of his fangs and the cold sweat over his entire body had eased. When Garfiel turned around, Ram was brushing leaves from her hip as she stood up beside him. Gazing at her face, Garfiel suddenly had a thought. Deep down, he felt that Ram didn't regard getting Garfiel on her side as all that important. Why, then, had Ram cooperated with Subaru and the others and scolded him then and there? Wasn't Ram simply putting her foot on her childhood friend's back to give him a push? If that was true, the woman he loved was quite a woman indeed. "Well, it'll be fine, Garf." Garfiel was pressed into silence. Taking that silence as unease, Ram, for once, spoke with a warm tone of voice as she peered at Garfiel, giving his bare shoulder a light pat. "If you see something scary enough to make you cry, Ram will console you. A favor to an old acquaintance." 3 When he entered the tomb for the first time in ten years, the air was as stagnant as the last time. Passing through the cramped, stonework corridor and walking amid a cool wind, Garfiel grimaced at the scent of settled dust in his nostrils as he advanced toward the back to the sound of his own bare feet. "Don't wanna stay long in this place." Garfiel murmured as, within his chest, the sound of his heartbeats gradually sped up. Go to the back, and the Trial was there. As a half-blood, Garfiel held the qualification to challenge it; as night came, the tomb's lighting came on, as if to welcome its challenger. Go to the back, and the Trial was there. So, too, the past that had inflicted an indelible wound on him in his childhood. Go to the back, and the Trial was there. Would touching it one more time change anything? "...Pathetic. That's what I came all this way here to find out, damn it." Dwelling on that sound logic, he scorned the timidity of his own heart. He'd been angrily yelled at by Ram, beaten to a pulp, and treated as a tiny fool before yielding like a little girl. He hadn't wanted to realize or understand just how cowardly he truly was. Then and there, it was within his power to destroy the tomb's corridor, rendering everything else moot. The recuperative power of the blessing of earth spirit was extraordinary. Already, he had regained enough strength to destroy the tomb. Ram and the others waiting outside had no means of stopping him. He could spoil the results of such an agonizing battle, rendering it all for naught. Hadn't she and the others realized that much? "Damn it all." Of course they had. Setting aside Emilia, who knew too little about doubting people, and Otto, who was short of a few important components, there was no way the highly observant Ram or the very calculating Subaru would fail to see that possibility. In other words, they firmly believed that Garfiel would not destroy the tomb. Perhaps they thought he was too chicken to do it. Or perhaps, they trusted him. The answer to that question, too, likely lay beyond the moment he overcame the Trial. *** In all bluntness, Garfiel had kept inside the Sanctuary, worrying about everything with his woefully insufficient head. In only a few days, ten years of that had been turned on its head. He never dreamed his own feet would carry him to the tomb's stone room once more. "...Ahh?" He arrived at the innermost chamber, a stonework room enveloped by a faint, blue light. Having visited this place after ten years, Garfiel crossed his arms, sensing that something was off. Something gave off some kind of strange impression. A difference in the stone room entered his keen nocturnal vision. Garfiel squinted his eyes at this " First, face your past." That instant, his vision swayed, and something indistinct covered his thoughts. The past was coming 4 One might call it a mysterious feeling to awaken within a dream. *** Crinkling his nose, Garfiel slowly stood up and surveyed his surroundings. What flew into his vision was a most familiar forest but compared with the scenery Garfiel knew, this forest was over ten years "younger." Garfiel, who was in contact with the forest on a daily basis, knew as much. This was the past. The Trial had begun, and he was in the Sanctuary of ten years past. "No doubtin' it now, huh..." Clenching a fist, Garfiel let the words trickle out as he made a bitter face. It was obvious that this was the past. It was expressed more eloquently than any words, more obviously than seeing how the trees were young again and it was thanks to the scene spread immediately before Garfiel's eyes. It was a scene of three women exchanging words in a place close to the Sanctuary's barrier. One had youthful features with long, pink hair Ryuzu. Another was ten years of age, give or take, and she was a girl with delicate, silky, beautiful golden hair his older sister, Frederica. And standing facing the two of them was a woman with golden hair in a triple braid, her eyes downcast with a gentle look on her face. She was holding a young child against her chest. " M-Mom." The sight of his mother and Garfiel's younger self made a weak voice trickle out of his throat. However, the tiny voice with which he called his mother did not reach, failing to affect the scene in any way. Of course it didn't. No one could change or interfere with the past. *** As Garfiel trembled and stood rooted to the spot, his mother and Ryuzu exchanged words. And yet, the contents of the words and the reactions to those words nothing reached Garfiel at all. Ryuzu's sense of loneliness, Frederica's feelings as she held back tears, the thoughts of their weakly smiling, seemingly conflicted mother, or even his innocently smiling, idiotic younger self none of it was conveyed to him, for this was Garfiel's memory of the time. The conversation could not be replayed, because the young Garfiel had no memory of it. The silent projection repeated itself over and over, as if to rub in that he was powerless and far too late. "...Either way, no doubtin' it was a stupid argument in the first place." Considering what happened afterward, he could guess what they were talking about. His mother was trying to abandon the forest to go to the outside world, and Ryuzu and Frederica were trying to stop her. Garfiel was the only one with a blissfully ignorant look, thinking only of his happiness at being embraced by his mother. Youth was his excuse for not realizing he was watching his mother go off to her death " !! You shitty brat!!" Seeing the smile on his younger self's face, Garfiel angrily thrust his claws forward. He wanted to rip the guy to shreds his past self that was ignorant and powerless to do anything but watch. And yet, his claws passed right through the young child, and right through the arms of the mother who held him. He stomped the ground, trying to send it flying as if to kill off his past. The blessing did not activate. He could not interfere with the past. That was the absolute rule of the Trial. "Then...then why?! Why show me this scene, damn it?!!" What Trial? What past? What Witch of Greed testing ground? Nothing changed. Nothing could change. His mother was dead. He was weak, able to save nothing. Nothing. Was that just how it was? Was this all there was to the world? Was the Trial there to teach him that? *** He went down on one knee. The actresses playing out the tragedy of the past did not notice Garfiel kneeling. He'd come to gaze directly at his never-ending regrets, digging into his wound from ten years prior and making it bleed. Was this fine? Was this to be the conclusion of his challenging the Trial after being kicked around by the girl he yearned for? "No..." He clenched his teeth so much that they creaked. Glaring at the soil, Garfiel's

desires trickled out from his lips. No. No. No, no, no. He would not have it end like this. After all, Garfiel had hoped that something would change, that something would change him. He knew it was convenient talk, but Garfiel had hoped. Having held for ten years that never changing was right, he'd hoped for a change, for turning over a new leaf. After all, a powerless man had shouted it to him. A man strong enough to defeat even him had shouted. The past. The barrier. The Sanctuary. His family. Just like them, he stood still, never changing. Yet, even though he stood still, never changing, it wasn't over. The guy said it, didn't he? If he wished I want to start, he was free to start again. "Then...!" " You are leaving no matter what?" Abruptly, as Garfiel leaned down, a familiar voice struck his ears. However, by rights, it was a voice he should not have heard. It was a voice from the past, one that surely could not reach him. "Yes, I shall go. Though, it shall cause you a great deal of trouble, Lady Ryuzu..." "I do not particularly mind. The issue is how these children feel." Words were exchanged between family he was used to hearing from, and family he was not. Ryuzu wore a grudging look as his mother spoke to her. For as long as he could remember, it was the first time he had heard his mother's voice. Drawing in his breath, Garfiel's thoughts were stolen what was unfolding. Gazing lovingly at the Garfiel in her arms, his mother gently rocked his body. Gazing up at that same mother, Frederica grasped the hem of her skirt and wrung out her voice. "M-Mother...I I..." "I am sorry, Fuu. I'm sure I will make you worry a great deal, too." "That's fine. I am all right...but I feel sorry for Garf." "I want to go together, but your Mommy is a klutz, so I am sure it would be very hard for Gar. Fuu, though you are Mommy's child, you are very responsible, so please." Lonely as she felt, Frederica was dutifully seeing their mother off. For the first time, Garfiel learned that his older sister had agreed with his mother leaving the Sanctuary. For her part, Ryuzu embraced the trembling Frederica's shoulders, respecting her will. "Give these to both of them. One to Fuu and one to Gar." Their mother took off the two necklaces that hung from her own neck. Both of them had blue, inlaid crystals hanging from them. It had nothing to do with qualifications as an Apostle or anything of the sort. She simply wore them because they were pretty. And because she loved pretty things, she handed them to her adorable son and daughter as gifts. That was all it was. That was all it took for Garfiel to never, ever let go of his stone. "Gar, your mommy is heading out now." As she addressed him, Garfiel's mother lifted up the necklace and smiled toward him. His mother's resolve unbeknownst to him, the little child innocently smiled. His mother gently kissed him on his forehead. She'd kissed him on the same part of his forehead where his scar now was. "I'm sure I will bring your father back. Wait for me until then, yes?" *** Her eyes were filled with kindness and love, her words overflowing with sympathy. Then, finally, she handed the young Garfiel over to Ryuzu. Firmly embracing Garfiel's body, Ryuzu nodded and smiled to his mother. From there, his mother and Frederica embraced each other; she kissed her beloved daughter's forehead in the same manner she had her son's. Garfiel slumped to the ground, gazing at that in a daze. What was happening? What was this scene? Whose memory was this? The Trial of the past he'd seen ten years prior, when he knew nothing about anything, was more irredeemable than this, wasn't it? It was a memory of despair that bit into his very flesh, wasn't it? After all, his own mother had abandoned him and his older sister, leaving in search of her own happiness, hadn't she? She cast away the lives that inconvenienced hers, walking toward a life of her own. Now everything, everything, had turned on its head, wasn't it? "Mother loved us. She loved me, and she loved you." Reflexively, Garfiel lifted his face toward the voice that was directed toward him just then. It was his young older sister who had spoken to the kneeling Garfiel. Staring at him with the same jade eyes as his, the past that Garfiel could supposedly never interfere with was staring right through him. The world had come to a halt; so, too, his mother, Ryuzu, and his younger self. That left only his older sister, and the current him. In that stopped world, his older sister inclined her head, posing Garfiel a question. "Mother left the Sanctuary for the sake of her family. Are you dissatisfied with this?" "D-don't mess with me like this! What's up with telling me she loved me?! What are you tryin' to do to...?" "I suppose this would be easier on you if she did not love you." The young Frederica spoke to Garfiel, whose voice was caught, as if pitying him. The difference in their heights was literally that of an adult compared with a child. And yet, regardless of his sister's physical height, she mercilessly showered words unto her troublesome younger brother. "If you think love goes only one way, you can justify your own scars." "You're wrong...!" "If you come to know you both love and are loved...that leaves you unable to justify your choice to remain in the Sanctuary, does it not?" "No!! No, no!! You...you don't even know nothin' about...what happened to Mom next!" " How could I not know?" Garfiel, shouting as he gave in to anger, instantly lost his voice as if impaled by ice. Frederica hardened her young cheeks, her expression holding back tears as she stared at Garfiel. What was his big sister telling him that moment? Was she saying she knew? "Of course I would know. If Mother was visited by misfortune immediately after distancing herself from the Sanctuary...of course I would not fail to hear of it." "Then...then why...?!" "Surely, you understand why I would not tell you that at such a young age? Garf. You are not a child anymore, so..." Frederica knew what had happened to his mother. Ryuzu and the other residents likely knew as well. Only the young Garfiel, persistent in his youthful ways, did not know. If he had not seen it in the tomb's Trial, he likely still would not know, even to that very moment "Really, you remembered that Mother loved you, didn't you?" Garfiel had become obstinate in order to trample many feelings underfoot. "Your forehead wound you did that to yourself so you could forget Mother's kiss, to act like it never happened, didn't you?" The white scar on his forehead a wound he did not have when his mother held his younger self. The wound had happened in the immediate aftermath of his first Trial. Knowing his mother had died, Garfiel fell into a panic, bashing his head against both wall and floor to carve an indelible wound. His wound was his proof of innocence. It allowed him to forget and distort his mother's feelings, and so feel sorry for himself. " The past...is ending, isn't it?" Frederica murmured. Before he realized it, the contours of the world of the past were growing indistinct, gradually losing their shape. The past was ending. Did the end of his visit to the Trial mean some kind of results had been achieved? "Wait. Please, wait..." But that moment, it was all the same to him. All he wished from the vanishing, collapsing world was for his slowly fading mother, Ryuzu, and his young older sister not to go. "What...should I do?" "Goodness...must you rely on a tiny older sister like me to arrive at an answer?" "I know it's pathetic! But, Sis, you're the only one I can count on. Hey, tell me... Sis, why'd you go outside? Should I go outside, t..." "Garf, what do you want to do?" Frederica interrupted her pathetic younger brother, who wanted to hold her hand. For a second, Garfiel was at a loss for words. He wasn't talking about what he wanted to do. That moment, he wanted to hear a response, a compass needle pointing to what he should want to do. "Garf, what do you want to do?" As her younger brother prevaricated, the older sister gave him an exasperated, benevolent smile, repeating the same question. That was why Garfiel drew in his breath, and... "I want to be wanted." "Who do you want to want you?" "I want...I want to be wanted by people who need me." "Why do you think that way?" "Because they...they helped me remember." His older sister did not speak the words Remember what? But her jade eyes, the same as his, posed the question more eloquently than any words could. " That my mother loved me." The next instant, the world of dreams faded into white. The past, and his family, receded, vanishing into the ether. 5 A mere hour had passed since they had seen Garfiel off to challenge the Trial. During that time, Subaru and the others remained seated in front of the tomb, tensely continuing to await his return. "If he breaks his promise and destroys the tomb, I am not sure what we are going to...gyafnn!" As Otto made that statement, intending to ease the tension but failing to read the mood, Ram bluntly sent him flying with her shoe. Fortunately, the luckless Otto's worries ended then and there. "...Young Gar!" The loud shout came from Shima who was there as part of Team Ryuzu, watching over the tomb. After the battle with Garfiel concluded, Subaru used the time spent waiting to give a shout out via the crystal, getting the group to meet back together there. That same Shima had rendezvoused with Ryuzu Derma, the current Ryuzu. Emilia, unfamiliar with the circumstances, was surprised to see two Ryuzus in one place. To wit... "So is Miss Shima Miss Ryuzu's older sister or younger sister?" That being her level of comprehension of the matter, a detailed explanation would have to wait until after various things were settled. Either way, Shima's voice made everyone present look at the tomb. There, at its entrance, stood Garfiel Tinzel, having returned by coming through the corridor. "He's..." Garfiel, eyes narrowed as he bathed in the wind of the Sanctuary, showed no sign of being flustered. To Subaru, his face gave off the impression of someone who'd cast some kind of burden aside. "Hah!" With his face remaining like that, Garfiel leaped from the top of the stone steps toward the grassy field. Then, he landed in front of Subaru and the others no, in front of his two grandmothers, Ryuzu and Shima. Standing up, Garfiel looked from one to the other. One was a grandmother he had spent a great deal of time with; the other was a grandmother he considered the savior of his life. "Y-Young Gar. I...we, ah..." "Don't make faces that don't suit ya, old hags... Sorry to make ya worry." "Young Gar." "Still, I gotta say, I'm used to different old hags with the same face standin' next to the others, but I sure ain't used to the same two old hags standin' next to each other." As the grandmothers stood side by side, Garfiel spoke quite bluntly as he simultaneously put his hands on both their heads. His hands made both Ryuzu and Shima go stiff. However, with faces ready to break into tears, they accepted his hands nonetheless. Their family relationship was a complicated one. That was particularly true because the "First Four," all the Ryuzus, were one and the same grandmother from Garfiel's

perspective. It was a difficult issue with no easy answer. But in the moment that he watched the three of them, Subaru thought, Might not need to worry about them after all. "Garf, how was it?" Gazing at the exchange between that family, Ram clutched her own elbows as she posed Garfiel that question. In the end, it was Ram who'd given his back the final push toward the Trial. Her words brought a tiny growl out of Garfiel. "Way my eyes see it, ain't no results to celebrate. Felt more like, wha, that's it?" "That sounds like an impression from a proud middle school shoplifter... But you did it?" " Far as I'm concerned, it's a clean break." Responding to Subaru thus, Garfiel made a deep exhale from his nostrils. Those words made everyone present draw in their breaths for a moment, but different deep sentiments immediately poured out. In other words, inside the Trial, Garfiel had come to terms with his own past. This was proof not only that he had passed the Trial, but that the Sanctuary was one step closer to liberation. "So how about you take that momentum into the two Trials left..." "Don't mess with me. And that ain't my role, is it?" "Yes, that's right. What comes after is my job. I won't have anyone go and snatch it away." Clicking his tongue, Garfiel gave Emilia a nod of his chin. Accepting this, Emilia puffed out her chest at the torch passing to her. The firmness of her enthusiasm made Subaru slacken his cheeks. Then, to that very Subaru, Garfiel went "Ahh" toward him, awkwardly scratching his cheek. "Besides that...the hell is this?" "Is what? This touchy-feely stuff doesn't suit your character at all. You're clearly a zero ingenuity, muscle-brain type, so just be a barbarian about it." "Hey, I know ya makin' fun of me with that. Ya askin' fer...nah, that ain't what I wanna say." He began to lose his temper, but Garfiel lowered his arm without doing a thing. Subaru tilted his head at the atypical action. In his stead, all by herself, Ram made a little smile with an air of exasperation. "Garf." Then she gave Garfiel a gentle little poke in the vicinity of his hip. In the face of Ram's lethal attack, Garfiel exhaled in apparent surrender. "Me, I probably...accepted what was in the Trial 'cause of you. Thanks." "...Did you just say thanks?" "I ain't sayin' it twice! Just, it made me remember somethin' important. That's why...aw, crap!" Perhaps both his anger and embarrassment had risen during the time he spoke, for Garfiel bared his fangs. Then he thrust a finger toward Subaru with so much force, it seemed he might bite Subaru's head off. "Listen here, 'kay? Yeah, I lost! The Trial's results changed, too! But that sure don't mean everything comin' out of ya is right! The proof is in what happens from here, or else! If you open this place up and bad stuff happens to the old hags, no mercy!!" "R-right. Of course, that's what we..." "I'm sayin', I'll watch with my own eyes whether ya jerks are all talk! I'm seein' this through to the bitter end, ya hear?! So ya better get this done right, General!!" *** Roughly shoving Subaru's shoulder away, Garfiel cut off his words and twisted his cheeks into a smile. His demeanor and the unexpected manner of address left Subaru taken aback. During that time, Garfiel instantly turned his back to Subaru, turning his feet toward his two grandmothers. "Just now, Garfiel made a really red face." Having witnessed the same thing, Emilia spoke to Subaru, her voice infused with a giggle. If Emilia saw it, too, it was no hallucination. Of course, he hadn't heard the statement incorrectly, either. "General...? The commander in chief here is Emilia-tan, not me..." "You're the one who smacked Garfiel down. It was a clash between men, right? Because he acknowledges that, you're Garfiel's general, Subaru. General that's so amazing." Emilia's honest, not-sarcastic-whatsoever praise made Subaru wryly twist his lips. As Subaru bore a conflicted look, Ram came right beside him, shrugging her shoulders. "Just give in. He is in such high spirits, it cannot be helped. Let him do as he pleases." "Incidentally, I'm waaaay weaker, so it's not like I set out to be some kind of accidental main charac " "It feels more like you have made a brother. You are the elder, so be magnanimous." "Well, if it's like that, it is what it is......wait." Subaru raised a stop sign with his hands, having heard one portion of the statement he could not let pass. Gazing at the back of Garfiel's head with exasperation and affection in her eyes, Ram went "What?" and turned back toward Subaru. "What did you say just now?" "Which part?" "The part where you said Garfiel's younger than I am?" "Ahh," went Ram, nodding as she seemed to grasp Subaru's question. "This year, Garf finally turned fourteen." *** This information, which was opposite Subaru's expectations, left him aghast. Incredibly disturbed, he closed his eyes, turning his face up to the sky. He recalled a number of incidents. How Garfiel called him General, a variety of his statements and actions to date, and how Garfiel advocated himself as the World's Strongest Man all these began to sink in. And as they did, Subaru shouted: " That makes him a delusional eighth grader!!" 6 "...Staying here too long will only dull your resolve, won't it?" With Garfiel having come to terms with his internal conflict and Subaru having felt the impactful blow of his actual age, things had calmed down a notch whereupon Emilia, brushing off grass as she stood up, retightened that relaxed atmosphere with a single sentence. As Emilia gazed at the tomb with a sober visage, Subaru posed a question. "Going, huh?" "Yes, I'll go... Just watch. I'll do as Garfiel did, then go farther." "Sure you can do it...?" "I'll do it...because I'm not afraid of changing anymore." Her forceful reply was made possible from having experienced her argument with Subaru at the tomb. Garfiel clacked his fangs at the reply; Subaru's chest burned with pride. Then, as she began walking toward the tomb, Subaru lined up right by her side, heading as far as the entrance with her. He could not go inside and hold her hand from beside her. Therefore, he at least wanted to be with her until she set off. "Hey, Subaru. About what happened inside the tomb..." Abruptly, as they walked shoulder to shoulder, Emilia broached the subject like thus. Subaru imagined it was something related to the Trial. Thinking this, he waited for the words that might follow, but it was difficult to read what they might be. Emilia made little glances as she looked at Subaru uneasily. For some reason, her cheeks were faintly red. "Emilia?" "I I mean, what happened inside the tomb! Y-you know, that..." "That...? Ah, er, um." Emilia's slightly anger-tinged words made Subaru's face redden as he recalled the preceding events. The grand developments that followed had washed away the initial momentum, but now that he thought back to that moment, he'd incredibly brash enough to spontaneously set him on fire from the facedown. He came to belatedly realize that having stolen her lips, practically biting them in the process, was a pretty big deal. "Inside, er...Subaru, you and I...you know?" "A-ahh...yeah, we, ah, we did." "I mean, I think it'll be really rough from here. But this is important, so...when the Trial and a lot of other things are taken care of, we'll have a nice, long talk, okay?" Subaru nodded to Emilia's proposal, the motion making his head rattle from the already precarious state inside it. To Subaru, this was his first experience; to Emilia, it was probably her first experience, too. Having mutually slammed their feelings into each other, they had a mountain of things they needed to discuss. "But you're pretty confident if you're talking about having a conversation after all this, Emilia-tan." "Is this confidence? I wonder. It might be just bluff and bluster, you know?" "But that means you ain't ready to blow it, right? I'm sure it'll go well. I'm willing to bet on it." When Subaru raised up his thumb and flashed a grin, Emilia tilted her head, looking mystified. "Bet? Bet what?" "Dating rights! If I win, I get a date with Emilia-tan, and if you win, you get a date with me." "Yes, yes, whatever you say." Just like usual, Emilia elegantly parried Subaru's advances. By the time they finished bantering, the two reached the entrance to the tomb. The place of the Trial welcomed its challenger. The dimly lit corridor, which was filled by a pale light, invited Emilia within. If she continued forward, the Trial of the past awaited her. Despite this, Emilia smiled at Subaru, not tense at all. "Well, I'm heading out for a bit." "Come back soon. Watch out for carriages and strange men." "Don't say foolish things." She shared a wry smile and after that, a lovely smile. Leaving this behind her, Emilia went into the tomb, vanishing from sight. The faint light that wrapped around the tomb did not reach the back of the corridor. Watching her back as she boldly strode away, Subaru brought his hands together once, going down on one knee as if to pray. From there, Subaru could do nothing. The rest was Emilia's battle alone. "Now Giltirau takes one step... Gonna look less of a man with a worried face like that, General." "Huh, it's easier to absorb those peculiar sayings when I know they're coming from an eighth grader. I had a phase like you, quoting all sorts of sayings from important people." As Subaru saw Emilia off, Garfiel came to the stone steps below. He stood beside Subaru, hesitating only slightly before chiming in. "Hey, ah, General, I gotta apologize to ya for just a teeny tiny bit." "Well, isn't that admirable of you? You can talk to your general about anything. It's embarrassing if you put it that way." The lack of defiance made Subaru scratch his cheek in a blushy manner. Then, Garfiel let out a heavy sigh. "Well, I went inside, okay? So I was in the back there, too..." "Ahh, so you were." "That's why I saw. The, uh, product of all the general's hard work." Garfiel prevaricated, finding it hard to put it into words. Subaru, not grasping what he was trying to say, made a questioning look. But he immediately realized it. He had a guess. His face turned deep red. He saw it! He saw it, he saw it! He saw it!! "N-nooooo...! I forgooot! I mean, I mean... I didn't expect you'd actually go into the tomb yourself...s-so, if you went in, you...aaaahhh!" Covering his face with both hands, Subaru squirmed as he fell on the spot. Shame. Shame strong enough to want to die. Few were the souls who could live with so much shame. That moment, he detested Garfiel, perhaps hating him more than when they'd come to deadly blows. "You glarin' at me like that puts me in a bind! ...But...my bad for seein' it. General, you're a huge stupid bastard, but I'm glad you're the general I lost to!" "Shaddap, forget you saw it! You can just pretend you didn't see it, damn it! You're not a little kid...wait, you are a little kid! Damn it all!!" When he tried to call Garfiel a brat, Subaru immediately realized it was he who was at an overwhelming disadvantage, what with his soft spot in his opponent's grip. The resentful shout sent Garfiel bursting into laughter, slapping his knees. As he rested, exposed to lukewarm gazes, Subaru prayed for Emilia's good fortune, simultaneously praying that she would not notice the "graffiti" he had left behind. Now that someone else had seen them, those little love letters had become quite a farce. 7

And of course, Subaru's second prayer went unanswered. "...Subaru, you...idiot." Tense as she passed through the corridor, Emilia entered the stone room where the Trial was undertaken. She traced the faintly glowing stone walls with her finger as words trickled out of her in a giggly tone. After being so frightened, Emilia had fought her fear, challenging the tomb with resolve and determination in her breast. And yet, when Emilia arrived at the stone room in question, she was greeted by an unexpected sight. "...I mean, this really is stupid." In contrast to her words, Emilia's expression softened, filling with affection. Who could blame her? Anyone seeing it would surely have the same thought. The walls Emilia traced with her fingers had marks on them that they should not have had. Every single one of the four walls of that cramped, stonework room was buried in many, many markings. The shadows from the glow gave those marks tangible shape. Emilia touched her hand to them as her chest grew hot. Carved into them were pictures, characters. Emilia was surrounded by many words, many feelings. The pictures were the adorable Pucks that Subaru had drawn many times before. The drawings of Puck had various expressions on them, and surrounding these were writings in I-script, as if they were written by little children. "Hang in there, you can do it." "Puck and I are both cheering you on." "Once this is done, let's go on a date." "I'm counting on you, Emilia." "I love you. That's why I believe in you." "Idiot...idiot, idiot, idiot... Subaru, you...dunderhead." Even though she had to challenge the Trial, even though painful, sad memories surely awaited her, his efforts to cheer her up nearly had her in tears. What a terrible person he was. Something dawned on her. That moment, she understood. Since Emilia had come to this place two days prior, the only chance to engrave these characters and images was the night before. Subaru had taken the time. Subaru had distanced himself from Emilia's side during that time. And what he'd done during that time was the one thing which Subaru absolutely would not speak to her about. What a very stupid thing to break a promise for. " I am absolutely, absolutely not forgiving you until you apologize for this, you know." Adoringly touching the characters, she voiced her thoughts for the boy who had carved them. The next moment, she felt like her consciousness was being lulled to sleep and sensed the world's contours growing vague. The Trial was coming. The past she had feared so much was coming. And yet, a smile remained on Emilia's lips. 8 Emilia did not understand if the experience of being invited to her past ought to be called a dream. Dreamlike might have been appropriate to describe sinking into the familiar forest in the innermost part of her memories and stepping into it with her own feet. Surrounded by tall trees, she felt the tranquil breeze and the warm soil beneath her soles as she breathed in deeply. This place, inside the Trial, was not the snowy landscape dotted by white-laden trees that loomed large in her memories. This place had not yet reached that point. That said, it was undoubtedly on the path that would arrive at the snowy landscape Emilia so deeply regretted. And then " My, there has been a flood of guests of late." *** Without a word, Emilia turned her gaze toward the person who had abruptly spoken so glibly. Deep in the forest reproduced from Emilia's memories, which was filled with the green scenery just as she remembered, one figure decidedly not from her past stood askew in the shadow of a tree. Leaning upon the trunk, the white-haired woman casually studied Emilia. There, clad in black clothing and bearing a face beautiful enough to bewitch any onlooker, stood Echidna, the Witch of Greed. When Emilia noticed the Witch's gaze, the latter smiled charmingly at her, slowly stepping out of the tree's shade and walking over. "Truly, a flood of guests. Both guests who ought to be welcomed and guests who surely were not invited." As she walked over, Echidna turned a casual voice and a frigid gaze toward Emilia. This was no sarcasm; they were pure, unadulterated feelings of disgust and scorn. "It's quite something for you to crawl back here after putting on such a shameful display. Even I am shocked at your audacity and refusal to quit." Her frigid black eyes both resembled those of the one closest to Emilia, and yet did not. This malice was directed not toward half-elves, but toward Emilia personally. It was raw hostility. "No matter how dejected and teary you are, you get to curry favor with a man who'll console you and forgive you. You defile my personal world over and over. Selfish in the extreme you are a loose woman, shameless and immoral. What do you have to say about that, Witch's daughter?" The sheer ferocity of her words would have torn the old Emilia's heart apart, utterly smashing it to pieces. Without mercy, without hesitation, the Witch hurled insults to whittle down Emilia's spirit. It was not the only reason she'd been broken by the Trial before, but her challenge began there. The Witch neither wanted Emilia to challenge the Trial, nor to overcome it. The Witch did not expect Emilia to overcome the Trial whatsoever. Ahh, I see. Here, I have to do that thing Subaru told me to. Now she understood. It really was exactly like Subaru had told her. When throwing down the gauntlet, when forcing courage to well up from deep in her heart, she needed to be like Subaru Natsuki. " My name is Emilia...just Emilia. The Freezing Witch who hails from the Great Elior Forest." Emilia could tell that naming herself rubbed the Witch the wrong way. Privately satisfied with that reaction, Emilia jabbed a finger toward the Witch, seemingly shooting right through her into the sky. "Another Witch's malice will not affect me. I am a troublesome woman like that." CHAPTER 1 *** 1 Memories came rushing back. The beginning felt far, far away. " I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." A sobbing voice was apologizing. Tormented by sorrow, the voice begged for forgiveness out of an unendurable sense of guilt. "Why?" she recalled asking the voice. " Because I left you all alone." "You did?" " Because all this time, I couldn't find you." "But I'm right here?" She wanted to tell that tearful, grieving voice something. She wanted to explain there was no reason to say sorry or be so upset. That's why, in place of those things, there is something I want you to tell me. "What's...your name?" "My name is..." In the past, she had seen this dream over and over. The end of the dream was swallowed up by light; it was a dream she'd had over and over, time and time again, never hearing what came next To her, knowing how that dream ended and finding her family was the beginning of everything. But the memories that reappeared went even further into the past than those frozen bonds. Bit by bit, bit by bit, she retraced her steps, deeper and deeper into her past, which had been sealed away 2 Surrounded by tall trees, Emilia calmly advanced down an almost nonexistent path, carrying an unshakable sense that she'd been here before. Stepping across the carpet of grass, she took care to avoid the flowers hidden in the shadows of the trees as she pressed forward. Feeling the hard soil through the soles of her shoes, Emilia tilted her head in confusion. It was a mystifying feeling. After all, this was the inside of a dream, an imaginary world based on the recollections of a homeland that slept in Emilia's memories. "But I can smell the wind here and feel the soil... Somehow, it's really mysterious, huh?" *** "Echidna? Hey, are you listening? ...Ah!" Wondering why there was no reply, Emilia looked back to check on the woman. Turning around, she saw a beautiful Witch with voluminous white hair, lagging behind as she struggled to traverse the woods. As the Witch placed a hand on a tree, dragging the hem of her too-long skirt, Emilia rushed toward her. "I'm sorry, are you all right? Did I walk a little too fast?" "Do you really think such a transparent display of sympathy would change my opinion of you? How utterly naive." The Witch Echidna lifted her face in response, brushing back her snow-white hair as she offered a blunt rebuke. Emilia puffed up her cheeks, annoyed by the snide attitude. "Hey, is that how you talk to someone who's just worried about you? If your shoes aren't good for walking here, it might be better to go barefoot. The forest grass is soft, so you should be fine." "...Could you be any more mistaken? Your concern is completely unnecessary. I merely entered the dream a tad too deeply. Adjusting it should only take a moment like so." "Wow." Emilia had removed her shoes as a helpful demonstration, but Echidna simply flashed a cold smile. The Witch touched a nearby tree to show how her hand could now pass right through its thick trunk. In a similar fashion, her feet phased through the grassy ground that had given her such trouble earlier. Emilia's eyes went wide at this apparent violation of the laws of nature. "Concerning your earlier, uncouth questions, referring to this as a dream world is nothing more than a figure of speech. To be precise, this is a dimension more accurately described as an alternate plane of existence that resides solely within the mind, replaying the memories of the person undertaking the Trial. Since it reproduces your experiences, is it not natural for this place to have color, shape, and taste?" "I don't really get it, but...does that mean if I go on a rampage, the forest will get messed up real bad?" "That is truly a thought befitting an uncivilized Witch. However, what you are imagining is impossible. Right now, you are a being half a step removed from this world, meaning you are unable to interfere on a level sufficient enough to affect it. Nor can you make contact with the people within the memory. Though, I suppose if you could, it would be a Trial in a different sense." "Hmm... And what sense would that be?" "Instead of asking endless questions, why not try using your own head for a change? Or perhaps that is too much to ask of you, a spoiled child used to getting whatever you desire." Echidna snorted in a scornful manner as she phased out her presence more and slipped effortlessly through the forest. Even though she was being mocked for her ignorance, Emilia chided herself, because the Witch's words rang true. If she did nothing but ask questions, it was a sign she couldn't help but depend on others. She needed to do more thinking for herself "I thought about it, but I still don't understand. Could you tell me the answer?" *** "What's wrong? Does your stomach hurt?" "What a repulsive attitude... Besides him and my friends, you are probably the only one able to rouse my emotions to this extent, though they are distinctly feelings of displeasure." "So even you have friends, Echidna. That's so nice," murmured Emilia, full of envy, causing Echidna to click her tongue in irritation. It didn't seem like she took that as a compliment. " The regrets that might surface in the Trial are myriad, so numerous that attempting to classify them would be absurd." "Huh? Oh right, got it." "There are moments in life that become seeds of regret and take root in a person's heart. At the same time, they can be the bedrock of a relationship. The way to confront lingering regrets will change depending on such circumstances. There are some pasts that cannot be overcome without making connections

and talking things over with another." "...I see... So that's how it is." Emilia took Echidna's explanation to heart. It made sense that regrets couldn't be easily summed up in a nice, simple package. For instance, if someone's regret stemmed from a past argument, remaining on bad terms with whomever they argued with could become a source of agony. Even if people went through the same phenomenon, how they overcame their pasts varied depending on the individual. "Mm, thank you...for the explanation...and for answering my question even though you hate me." "The last thing I want is for you to mistake me for some kind of really good person, as you would put it. Nothing I have ever known before could come close to such humiliation. Answering your question is simply in my nature." "Yeah, yeah." Echidna was being thorny and standoffish, but the fact that she replied at all meant Emilia didn't find it particularly hard to get along with her. Even if she hated Emilia, Emilia didn't hate Echidna. After all, Emilia hardly knew the Witch well enough to have such strong feelings one way or another. This incompatible pair advanced deeper and deeper into the forest that resided in Emilia's memories of her homeland. Emilia was certain that whatever lay ahead was linked to the regrets she continued to harbor. "Do you remember that your previous Trial ended in a pathetic, agonizing defeat?" "I remember I was so useless that I can't even deny what you said." Refusing to walk side by side with Emilia, Echidna disparaged her from behind. This was the second time Emilia was challenging the Trial, but her previous attempt had failed so spectacularly that she had just wanted to hide her face in shame. The worst part was she couldn't even remember what exactly had gone wrong. Emilia couldn't actually remember what she had seen in the previous Trial. "I probably sealed away the memories I don't want to see. That must be why I can't remember them on my own. Even now...I'm still not ready to see them." "So if you fail again, then it's just inevitable? What a cowardly thing to say." "No, that's not what I meant. This...is where I start getting myself ready." Shaking her head in response to Echidna's condemnation, Emilia firmly refuted the claim that she was looking for an excuse. Those words made the Witch knit her brow. Right around the same time, the underbrush fell away as they slipped out of the woods they had been walking through for so long. Coming within view was a massive tree, larger than anything else in the Great Elior Forest " It's more than just an oversize tree, right? There's a door at the roots. Is something inside the hollow of the trunk?" Setting her gaze upon that giant tree, Echidna astutely noticed there was something peculiar at the center of the tree's roots, which rose out of the ground. The hollow at the center of the giant tree was about as large as a decent-size room. The door at the entrance was firmly closed. It had a bolt on it, which could be used to keep it firmly shut from the outside. "It seems as though someone really wants to keep whatever's inside locked away." "...Echidna...do you know something?" "Such a vague question is nothing but a bother. What could you possibly be referring to?" Emilia stared at her with upturned eyes, but Echidna simply shrugged, her face professing ignorance. Did she really have no idea, or did she know what was going on here after all? Probably the latter, thought Emilia. "This is the Princess Room it's where they always made me play when I was very young." The moment she described the place aloud, vivid memories resurfaced. This was a special place where Emilia, who was treated like a princess in this forest, could play by herself in safety. She had been brought here many, many times and spent so, so much time here alone. "Oh, that's right; I can't touch the door. Can I just pass right through it?" "Yes, because of how the world perceives you. Of course, a person lacking flexibility in her thinking might..." "Wow, it's true. I passed right through... Coming, Echidna?" *** Echidna narrowed her eyes in silence at the sight of Emilia phasing halfway through the door. The Witch seemed dour, but it also seemed she had no intention of explaining why. Deciding to move on, Emilia crept through the door ahead of her. As she entered the interior, she spotted the tree's occupants in the thin, diaphanous light. "Ah..." Before her were an adult and a child staring at each other, engaged in conversation. The instant she caught sight of their violet eyes, Emilia made a slight sound in her throat. The young girl turned toward the entrance had long silver-colored hair and round violet eyes. Recognizing that face from her memories, Emilia instantly grasped that this was her own past self. Emilia had long since stopped looking into mirrors. Her mental image of herself had never changed in all that time, even to the present day. "I presume that child is you. Even though she knows nothing of what's to come, her carefree face still makes me want to sigh." "Don't start complaining about my younger self, too. Besides, right now, there's someone else..." More important than Echidna's insults more important than running into her young self was the other person who was in the room. *** Drawing in her breath, Emilia finally circled around the figure. Then she looked squarely at the person speaking to her younger self at an elf with an elegant appearance and ears a little longer than a human being's. Just like Emilia, the woman had silver-colored hair and violet eyes. However, she'd cut her glistening silver hair short for convenience, and her beautiful, gemstone eyes were almond-shaped and sharp. Even though the woman always described herself as grotesque, Emilia really liked the way she looked. She was gallant and awe-inspiring. Emilia's memories of her were so striking that it almost hurt. After all, this person was " My mother, Fortuna." This was the woman who had lived with Emilia in the Great Elior Forest as her surrogate mother. At the very least, to Emilia, she was family as much as any real mother could be. *** That instant, a memory that had been resting in the depths of oblivion gently floated to the surface. It was a memory of what she and her mother had been speaking about in the Princess Room at that time. 3 " Emilia, I have something very important I need to do right now, so behave yourself in here, okay?" Yes, young Emilia was enormously upset over being cooped up in that Princess Room. From time to time, the adults of the elven settlement in the Great Elior Forest would set out to take care of some important business, leaving Emilia behind. The same grown-ups who normally doted on Emilia were absolutely unwilling to compromise on this every time it came up. It was important to uphold your word, respect others, and honor that which had been decided. These were the precepts that Emilia had been taught by her mother figure, Fortuna. Mother figure was a rather roundabout turn of phrase, but it was none other than Fortuna herself who always described their relationship that way, persistently insisting she was nothing more than a replacement. "I'm the younger sister of your father, Emilia. My brother...your father, and your mother are very busy, so they can't be together with you right now. That's why they trusted me to take good care of you." That was how Fortuna had first explained it. The initial impact Emilia felt at the time was difficult to forget. But it wasn't because she felt hurt or abandoned. In fact, it was the exact opposite she was ecstatic. Whatever the facts, Fortuna was Emilia's mother as far as she was concerned. And yet, she supposedly had another mother. Most people lived with one father and just one mother. Emilia had two it surprised her that something so happy could happen. "You get your silver hair from my brother, huh. It seems this eye color of ours runs in the family as well... But that gentle face comes from your mother. Everyone on my side of the family has a foul look in their eyes." "...But I really like your eyes." Fortuna's eyes were as sharp as a beast's fang. From time to time, Emilia pushed her over the edge by breaking one rule or another, and those eyes would become even fiercer. Whenever that happened, Emilia trembled with fear. Those stormy moments aside, Emilia thought Fortuna was an ideal mother. She found even that piercing gaze lovely and heartwarming. As a mother, Fortuna was strict but gentle. Even her strictness had a soft touch to it. "I have plenty I really regret. I should have been kinder to a lot of people. If only I'd thought that way sooner, I probably wouldn't have relied on my brother to the very end." When she emphasized the word really by force of habit, a very lonely expression crossed Fortuna's face. It was because this impression stayed with Emilia so very strongly that she deliberately mimicked her mother's mannerisms years later. She chose to use them not when she was sad but when she was happy and when she was smiling. Not wanting her mother, who she loved so much, to bear burdens like sadness and loneliness, Emilia carried a childish hope that associating Fortuna's favorite phrase with good memories would help paint over all the bad ones. "Grrr... Boooring." Returning to the earlier scene, young Emilia had been left behind all alone in the Princess Room. The adults adored Emilia as if she were an exquisite butterfly or a flower. They spared little expense in their attempts to keep her entertained, filling the Princess Room with picture books, dolls, and a variety of drawing materials. Even so, boredom was boredom Emilia was not fond of spending time in this room. "And Mom is the one always telling me it's wrong to lie and hide things, isn't she?" Adults weren't fair. They would teach children one rule, and then using this or that excuse, they would turn around and immediately break it themselves. She wanted to go and see what game they were playing and join in if she could. But what would put a stop to the wish in Emilia's thoughts was that her mother always came back for her when she waited like a good girl. Still... "I want to go outside..." Her muted words were not meant for any other person; she was merely muttering her wish aloud. But the desire Emilia had murmured reached not the adults but something else instead. *** In the corner of the room, a pale glow abruptly floated upward. It was a flickering, fleeting, faint light, and Emilia gaped at its sudden appearance. As the phosphorescent glow stole Emilia's gaze, it cut across the room, sinking into the wall as it vanished. "No fair! Wait! Wait!" Youthful jealousy won over surprise. Pattering toward the corner of the room, Emilia gingerly touched the wall that had absorbed the light. She felt a little uneasy, but her inquisitiveness handily won out. "Ah!" Emilia discovered a little hole in the wall that her arm could easily slip into. There was no mistaking that this was how the light had slipped outside. It seemed like if she tried hard enough, she could widen that hole, which was a gap created by the tree roots entwined together at that spot. "Ngh " With her arm still thrust into the hole, Emilia suddenly entertained a rather large worry. The entrance to the Princess Room had been bolted shut and would absolutely not open until Fortuna returned. In other words, to Emilia, this hole could become her escape route to freedom. However, her

mother had told her to wait in the room no matter what. Her heart ferociously swung between her personal curiosity and her mother's admonition. "...Well, Mom and the other grown-ups are doing something secret, too, so that makes us even." In the end, with this one final excuse, Emilia inserted her body into the gap between the tree roots. She was small, but the gap was even smaller. Forcing herself into the tiny space, she got her face and clothes dirty with mud as she somehow managed to crawl her way outside the hollow of the tree. " Ah." As Emilia felt the wind on her cheek, her eyes glimmered with an odd sense of achievement. Even though she'd just broken a rule, she wanted to go straight to Fortuna that very moment and brag, saying, Eh-heh-heh, I did it! Of course, if she did that, the scolding she'd get would be akin to a firestorm, so Emilia stopped herself just short of rushing out. It was a close call. With a light step, Emilia broke into a happy run, leaving the Princess Room in the dust. To Emilia, this forest was her backyard. Somehow, she simply knew where Fortuna and the other adults were located. In no time at all, Emilia found the adults, who had gathered in a forest glade. Mixed in with the adults was Archi, the next youngest after Emilia. The elven boy, who was much like an older brother to Emilia, was just as guilty as the adults for leaving Emilia out despite being a kid himself. It was practically unforgiveable. But what caught her attention even more than the traitorous Archi was the group of individuals in the clearing wearing black clothing they were guests unfamiliar to Emilia. "I'll be sneaky..." Aware she was doing something bad, Emilia opted to hide and peek from behind cover. To avoid being seen by anyone in the clearing, Emilia selected a large tree, nimbly leaping up and climbing its branches. Tree-climbing was her specialty, something that constantly worried Archi and the others. " You always, always do so much to take care of us like this." Emilia heard a voice at virtually the same moment she lay upon a large tree branch. From her vantage point, she could see all the elves from the settlement had gathered in the glade. Excluding Emilia, the population was around fifty people total. In contrast, the people in black numbered fewer, at around twenty. The representatives from each respective side were discussing something right in the center of the glade. The elven representative, Fortuna, seemed like she was trying to hide something. Having spoken up first, she continued keeping a firm grip on the conversation thereafter. "These are things that are difficult to obtain in the forest, so everyone is grateful." "We happily accept your kind words. Indeed, it pains me to say that this is the only way in which we can provide any support. Lady Fortuna, we always place such a burden upon you." "That goes for both of us, Geuse." With but the tiniest flutter of her long ears, Emilia strained to pick up the pieces of the conversation flitting between Fortuna and the other speaker. Even though she could hear them, she did not really understand the meaning of their words, but somehow, she detected affection in her mother's pained smile. Her mother's affection was for the tall man in the black robe, whom she called Geuse. The robe was a loose fit, but Emilia could instantly tell that his physique was supple and honed. Elves were often slender, so this was very new to her. Under his coiffed green hair was a watchful face, but his downcast eyes professed the deep humility he held while addressing Fortuna. The sight made Emilia proud. Her mother was incredible enough to make such a large man curry her favor. "Also, as I must confirm each time...is the seal intact?" Emilia had puffed her chest in a strange sense of pride, but the man's next words blew that all away. She could sense the weighty, complex emotions brimming in the man's voice. "I'd like to joke that you worry too much, but I don't really feel like laughing. It's all right, though; the seal is holding firm with no change whatsoever. No matter what happens, I can't let it be lifted for even a moment I would never be able to look my brother or sister in the eye otherwise." "About your older brother and his spouse..." "It's fine. I understand. It's just...I will absolutely never forget the weight of the responsibility entrusted to me. I don't intend to ever abandon it, nor fulfill it half-heartedly. The same goes for you, right?" "I... This is the only thing I have. My sense of duty and responsibility surely differs from yours, Lady Fortuna. Compulsion, lingering regrets... I cling to them almost obsessively. That is all." When Geuse flashed an empty smile, Fortuna lowered her eyes, her expression pained. Behind the pair, the other adults were working to unload some baggage from the wagons that the black robes had apparently brought with them. From a distance, the cargo appeared to be clothing, foodstuffs, books, and so forth. Everything that was hard to find in a forest. "Thanks to the blessings of the spirits, the changing of the seasons has little effect upon this forest, but even so, getting clothes and books is a really big help. We're grateful as always." "By rights, your people deserve far better than this. It is not proper that you have been forced to live in such an inconvenient place like this." "Come on don't talk like that. We love the forest, you know." Fortuna softly smiled as she spoke those words with a joking tone. Her kind expression carved a thin smile onto Geuse's lips. For a while, a gentle atmosphere seemed to surround the pair " Lady Fortuna, the unloading is complete. I would like to thank all the disciples." "Yes, thank you, Archi." The one who offered the report was a youth who had his golden hair tied back in a triple braid. Bowing once to Fortuna, this young elf, who was clad in a white garment, turned to face Geuse. "Lord Archbishop, on behalf of everyone in the forest, you have our thanks for always supporting us." "This is the least I could do. I see that you have become a bit more reliable, Master Archi." "The next Guardian cannot let himself be treated as a child forever." Their exchange contained respect but also envy. The pair didn't seem very friendly, considering how distantly they addressed each other. "Do remain in good health, for the sake of the forest, the seal, yourself, and your family as well." Using these words as Archi's send-off, Geuse reluctantly gave the glade one final glance and bowed. Those dressed in black followed suit. Then Archi, Fortuna, and all the other adults touched a hand to their chests and closed their eyes, an elven gesture that conveyed their respect. At the end of that exchange, the black-clothed visitors began to lead the wagons out of the glade "Right, one last thing is Lady Emilia in good health?" *** Geuse, on the verge of leaving, paused to ask a question that practically brought Emilia's heart to a stop. She'd never imagined her name would suddenly appear at a time like this. She hurriedly covered her mouth, holding back a yelp. "Don't worry. Emilia is a lively kid, and she's growing up to be a really good girl. Such a good girl is almost wasted on us... But I'm sorry. I cannot allow her to meet you yet." "It is fine. I wish for nothing more. If Lady Emilia is being raised well, that is enough. A sinner such as I cannot hope for anything greater than this." This was not merely a show of humility. It was obvious the man's voice carried a deep sense of shame and self-reproach toward himself. As Geuse lowered his eyes, Fortuna did not offer any cheap words of consolation. He nodded, as if her silence was a form of salvation. " Lord Archbishop Romanée-Conti, are you ready?" Addressed by a single man at the very end of the train of departing wagons, Geuse warmly spread his arms wide. "Yes, this is sufficient. Now, let us grave sinners depart. Lady Fortuna, I shall see you again soon." "...Even if no one else says it, we are grateful to all of you. I really mean it." "Surely, it is for those words alone that I have given myself over to a century of anguish." Leaving after one last pleasant smile, Geuse set off from the glade. Watching them go until they were no longer in sight, Fortuna closed her eyes but once, exhaling deeply. "Lady Fortuna, are you tired? If this is hard on you, we can handle the rest from..." "...How cheeky of you. Don't go treating me like an old woman just yet. I may be older than someone like you, who's young through and through, but I'm still very much in my prime." "I I wouldn't dare! It's simply that the role of Guardian must be very arduous..." Archi flew into a panic, his face going pale at the thought that his attempt to be considerate might have been misunderstood. However, once Fortuna burst into laughter, even the young boy realized she was just making fun of him. "No matter how capable you are, you're so gullible that I'm worried you might not cut it as Guardian. You have to be really dependable if I'm going to entrust my precious treasure to you." "P-please do not joke about that, Lady Fortuna..." "Yes, yes, sorry. But can I take you up on your offer and leave this to you? I'm rather certain I have a very bored princess who I need to let out soon." *** The various questions Emilia had been mulling over up to that point were all blown away by Fortuna's words. Emilia almost tumbled down as she leaped from the tree, hurrying back to the Princess Room. Somehow, she used the same gap she'd escaped from to roll her way into the room. All good, she thought as she rose, but she immediately despaired when she realized her entire outfit was all muddy, like that of a child who'd been playing outside. "What should I do, what should I do, what should I do...?!" Initially, she thought she might be forgiven if she apologized. However, now that she'd eavesdropped on the conversation in the glade, she no longer thought it was possible. She was almost certain Fortuna hadn't wanted her to hear that conversation. If Fortuna came to hate her, Emilia would be ruined. It would be the end of the world. If she didn't at least hide the scrapes on her body, Fortuna would realize right away. She was afraid of even sinking into the bath with all these scratches. "Eh...?" If I don't do something soon... Her mind was racing, but then Emilia saw something that interrupted her frantic thoughts; the pale, phosphorescent glow had come once more. This was the same light that had masterminded Emilia's escape plan. Emilia was perplexed when it flickered and swayed as it moved closer. Then the light's luminosity gradually grew stronger " Amazing." When Emilia touched the pale light, she felt warm as the scrapes on her body were healed. In several seconds, the marks were gone without a trace. Now, if she could only do something about the muddy clothes, she'd be all right. Turning over a pot filled with ink for drawing, she thoroughly marred the clothes she wore, staining them black. Her clothes were so dirty that even a wash wouldn't clean them completely; if she smeared her clothes so that the mud was no longer obvious, then " Emilia, are you awake?" "Myauh! I-I'm awake! I'm awake, Mom! B-but..." "Hmm? Why are you in such a hurry...?

Huh?" The bolt opened audibly outside, after which Fortuna poked her head in through the open door. Fortuna had a gentle smile on her face, but she grimaced the moment she entered the room. "It really smells of ink in here... What happened?" "Errr...I-I'm sorry! I spilled the pot for drawing all over the place..." "This is a mess, all right..." Fortuna put a hand to her forehead at the inky scent filling the room and the spilled pot, which had rolled onto its side. However, though first seemingly at a loss, she eventually smiled at Emilia. "Well, there's no use crying about it now. We need to get you out of that outfit and wash the ink off you. As for a change of clothes...ahhh, here we are. If I didn't find any, I'd have to take a naked Emilia back home with me." "Um, Mom, I..." "Oh, you're such a worrywart, Emilia. You don't have to be so scared. It's not like you did it on purpose, so of course I'm not angry with you. More importantly, you're not hurt, are you?" Walking over, Fortuna stripped away all the dirty clothes off Emilia. Then, after confirming her daughter had no noticeable injuries, the mother embraced her beloved daughter. "Mom?" "Mm, it's nothing. It's just, I really...wanted to see you, Emilia." Fortuna continued to embrace Emilia like that as she brought her cheek close. Normally, Fortuna never said such things that would make herself blush, which Emilia found so rare; she thought her mother seemed very forlorn. Hence "...How cheeky." Fortuna opened her eyes a crack and murmured as Emilia, who was in her embrace, stroked her short silver hair. However, she did not tell her to stop. The mother quietly accepted the feeling of her daughter's palm stroking her. Gently, gently, Emilia continued stroking the head of her beloved mother. "Hey, Emilia." "...Mm?" " I love you." There were many things she wanted to ask, many things she wanted to know. But at that moment, the young Emilia thought hearing that one phrase from her mother was plenty. 4 "I imagine your memories and the emotional scenes that had been locked away at the bottom of your heart are starting to overlap with each other little by little, yes?" It was Echidna who spoke in this manner as she gazed at the mother-and-daughter pair embracing each other in the center of the Princess Room. There was no malice in this simple question. Emilia thought it was rather unexpected. "I'm so surprised. I thought for sure you'd say much pricklier things about my younger self and my mother." "...Even if one thinks such things, 'tis not recommended to actually convey them to others. As it is, my already low opinion of you is about to plunge even further." "Ah, that's all right. Don't worry. I wouldn't say anything like this to anyone but you, Echidna." "...For better or worse, you seem to be gradually getting influenced ever more strongly by him." "Really? Thank you." Echidna was twisting her lips in disgust. But understanding the him she indicated meant Subaru Natsuki, Emilia puffed her chest out just a tiny bit. " Then again, your impudence seems more an issue of your nature than anything you might have picked up from that boy. I have become quite sure of this after watching the actions your younger self was so proud of." "That's... I kind of can't excuse the way I behaved, either, but..." Echidna's assertion made Emilia reflect on her younger self with the benefit of hindsight. She'd broken a rule, slipped out of the room, eavesdropped on a conversation between adults, and had even contrived a trick to cover up the deed. "The vulgarity of your character has such incredibly deep roots. Even with a fine mother showering you with love, you were incorrigible." "...Thank you for half of that." She was glad to hear Fortuna being praised as a good mother. Yes, Mom was splendid. Emilia revered her, simultaneously recalling those feelings of love while despairing over her own obvious shortcomings. And those weren't the only things she remembered. "Geuse and Fairy..." Lowering her eyes, Emilia murmured the two names that had played such key roles in her past. One was the green-haired man in the glade, Geuse. The other one was "The lesser spirit of healing that taught you about the gap in the wall... How ironic that you called it a fairy." Echidna's teasing statement also seemed to express pity that she called the lesser spirit a fairy. That was a term for an evil spirit. No spirit would be pleased to be referred to as a detestable, abominable fairy. Even so, Emilia had a reason why she referred to the lesser spirit that way. "There was a story about that in a book I read in this room. The book said fairies weren't bad but were actually good. I can't remember the details, though." She was sure she remembered a book conveying a fairy tale from another land. At present, she could remember neither the title nor the contents of the tome, but it had left a strong impression of fairies as being gentle, reliable creatures. "So you have remembered your mother, an acquaintance, and this fairy. Is this the past you wished to see?" "No, not yet. There's still... I haven't remembered enough yet." Shaking her head, Emilia replied to Echidna's question as she left the cavity under the giant tree. She was walking not to a scene that lived in her memories but deeper into the forest, to a path barred by countless trees. There rested something that she had to remember. Ahead lay "What's there?" " The seal." 5 The first time the young Emilia became aware of the seal was after one of her now-numerous and dramatic escapes. "There we go! Yay! It worked this time, too!" Hmm-hmm, Emilia went, puffing out her chest, her hair full of leaves as she spoke with satisfaction. The place was the Princess Room or rather, outside it, right where she exited her lifeline to freedom. This was yet another day when she'd been left behind in the room, but she'd deftly escaped while Fortuna's attention was occupied. The impact from falling from the hole was softened by the leaves that had accumulated underneath, and Emilia had completed yet another customary and felonious escape. "Lately, Archi's really been a worrywart, so I've got to be careful." Warily surveying her surroundings, Emilia exercised prudence in confirming that Archi, her watcher, was not around. The traitor, Archi, who was in league with the adults, occupied a position much like Emilia's overseer. It was fun playing with him, but these were two different stories. I absolutely can't let my guard down, she thought, clenching her fists tightly. "Okay, come out, Fairy." Confirming the enemy's absence, Emilia called out to the phosphorescent glow floating overhead. Ever since their initial encounter, Emilia and the glow had become the best of friends; at that point, Emilia fondly referred to it as Fairy. With the fairy's cooperation, Emilia felt like the ruler of the forest. She could peek at conversations between adults, eat people's snacks without permission, and shuffle the ornaments in other people's houses, making her a grand criminal indeed. "I wonder if Geuse and the others are coming today, too..." Emilia hammered out her plan of action from that point forward as she plucked leaves off her head. Thanks to her repeated crimes, Emilia had ascertained she was always left behind in the Princess Room when Geuse and the others visited the forest. Each time, Geuse and his people came with a train of wagons carrying foodstuffs and clothing. Everyone assembled at the glade to receive those things. "I thought Mom and the others were hiding something a lot more fun and exciting." Now that she knew their secret, it held much less appeal for Emilia, leaving her bored. Even so, she frequently went to eavesdrop because from time to time, Emilia's name, as well as terms that seemed related to her parents, cropped up during the conversations between Fortuna and Geuse. Fortuna didn't talk much about Emilia's real parents. She hesitated to bring them up. That was why her conversations with Geuse were a golden opportunity for Emilia to discover more about them. "Not that they talk about it much, but... Up! We! Go!" Her scheme kept missing the mark, but she remained undaunted, climbing the tree and taking her usual position once more. Below her was the now familiar scene of the adults in the glade. Fortuna and Geuse were there, too. At a distance, the pair seemed engaged in pleasant chat, but she felt Fortuna's expression looked particularly relaxed. "Lately, Emilia has been really energetic. She always comes back with mud on her clothes. I wash them and wash them day after day, but I just can't seem to catch up." "If she is in good health, all is well and good. I have brought as many changes of clothes as I could. Beyond the forest, the winter season is finally ending, so many of these garments may prove unnecessary." "I'm sorry; even though we rely on you for so much already, I always seem to ask for more... Are there clothes for adults, too?" "Yes, of course. Surely, there are some that suit you nicely as well, Lady Fortuna." Right in the middle of their discussion about Emilia, Geuse replied to her question with a soft expression that made Fortuna go rigid, as if he had slipped through a gap in her armor. After that, she seemed rather blushy as she glared at Geuse with upturned eyes. "...Goodness. We've known each other this long, but I never realized you were the sort to make those kinds of jokes." " ? I merely intended to speak my mind. Did I say something odd?" "...I know you are a man without guile. That makes it even worse, you know." As Geuse cocked his head in confusion, Fortuna averted her eyes with an exasperated air. The gesture brought a look of consternation to Geuse's face, whereupon he gently reached his hand out toward Fortuna's forehead. His palm touched her brow. "...Geuse, what are you doing?" "No, ah, come to mention it, once quite some time ago, Lady Fortuna, you were speaking sourly to me when you had a fever... It seems you do not at the moment." "How many decades ago was that? Goodness, you really do treat me like such a child." Fortuna pouted at his misplaced concern. However, the corners of her lips were smiling, making it obvious that she did not find their exchange unpleasant. No, far from it Fortuna was clearly enjoying her time with Geuse. "...Muu." Somehow, Emilia did not find the sight of her mother like that very amusing at all. The impression she had of Fortuna was that she was sharp-eyed, gallant, and strict to others. Her gentle, caring face was supposed to be her beloved daughter Emilia's exclusive privilege. "Hmph, stupid Geuse. And Archi's stupid, too." She took out her anger on the acquaintance who had never met her and on the boy helping unpack the cargo. Then Emilia decided in her heart that if this day, too, proved fruitless, she would let Geuse have a taste of her wrath. I'll clog up the wagon wheels with cloth and spill oil all over them, thought Emilia, tracing out the ingenious, devilish revenge plot in her mind. But her machinations ended before they even began. " So is the seal still in place?" Lowering the volume of his voice, Geuse raised what Emilia now recognized as a customary question. She'd become so used to this exchange that Fortuna's reply came as no surprise. "Same as always. You really do make sure to check each and every time, don't you?" "Such is my duty... Besides, though I do not wish to impart unnecessary concern, this time, there is some kind of

suspicious air outside the forest. Perhaps it is needless anxiety on my part, but do keep this in mind." "...Understood. I, the Guardian, will keep watch over everything here, seal and Key included. Please take care of the outside." "I leave it in your hands for Lady Emilia's sake and for those two as well." As Geuse bent his hips, Fortuna nodded back with a serious look on her face. "...Seal." As the pair's conversation made her ears tremble, Emilia murmured a single word to herself. The word seal came out without fail at the end of Fortuna and Geuse's conversations. Up until then, she had little interest in the word. But this day was different. The seal and Emilia had been mentioned in the same breath. Besides, she was also curious about the words Geuse had spoken at the end. Maybe, just maybe, those two referred to Emilia's father and mother? "Seal..." Uttering the word once more, Emilia returned to the Princess Room. Tumbling into the cavity, Emilia moved with great haste, busily creating evidence that she'd been spending time in that room. In a short while, she made a drawing, changed the clothes on the dolls, and helped herself to a variety of snacks. With that job finished, she was just wiping the sweat off her brow when she heard Fortuna's voice calling to her from outside. "Emilia, sorry for the wait. Have you been a good girl today, too?" "Ugh... I-I've been a good girl? I was good. Mm, yes, I was a good girl." *** "Wh-what is it, Mom? Don't look at me like that; I haven't done anything. I ate snacks, I drew pictures, and I played with my dolls, too. I really haven't been outside or anything." "...I see. That's good, then..." It seemed like Emilia's acting ability had all but fooled Fortuna's eyes. A sense of guilt weighed upon Emilia, but she powered through, telling herself she could not falter there. What she'd overheard in the glade today absolutely needed to stay secret. In particular, the seal was very important. Emilia was sure she remembered that a seal meant a hidden place of some sort. And maybe, just maybe, could her own parents be hidden away in that seal? And if it was somewhere in the Great Elior Forest, then " Please, 'kay?" Closing one eye, Emilia coaxed the phosphorescent glow she had befriended to search the forest for her. Even at this point, the young girl's exceptional beauty had begun to sprout by the time she'd grown up, she would be able to charm people with her smile alone. Her adorable coaxing had employed but a small fraction of this. 6 Something seemed to be guiding Emilia's feet as she and Echidna advanced deeper into the forest. Strangely, she did not feel lost. For some reason, she simply knew where she needed to go, and she pressed on with a sense of certainty. She made full use of being disconnected from the world, walking straight through an awful path that was better described as a dense thicket. The muddy ground, the large, tightly packed trees after overcoming these obstacles, Emilia beheld a scene of white. It was not snow here, the trees, from leaf and branch to root, were pure white. Both the sacred forest and the elven settlement were protected by numerous lesser spirits yet, even within the Great Elior Forest, the anomalous air filling this place was conspicuous. It was solemn, holy, a space exempt from the laws of the world. And at the center of this space was " A door. A curious sight indeed." Right in the center of this space, ringed by pure-white trees, stood a "door," which seemed to stand out from the rest of the forest. The door was not strange in its outward appearance; it was how the door stood. The double door was standing all on its own, right in the middle of this space. Though it was a door, it was not attached to any building, its appearance unchanged even if one circled behind it. "This is the seal." As Echidna questioningly set her gaze upon the door, Emilia spoke to her. The seal this was the holy secret hidden in the depths of the Great Elior Forest. Fortuna and the residents of the settlement were protecting it, and Geuse never forgot to check that it was safe. It was the same in Emilia's memories and in the world reproduced from her present memories. There was no mistake. It was a door connected to nothing, a door with no way of opening it, a door called a seal "But if this is the seal, what...?" " It seems the answer has arrived." Emilia placed her hand to her forehead as a wave of nausea hit her. More memories oozed out of her, like they were gnawing at old wounds. Echidna quietly let a soft sigh trickle out as she stood behind Emilia. Emilia turned around. Ahead of her, a faint, phosphorescent glow leisurely floated by, and past it "This is the seal?" She beheld the sight of her younger self, tilting her head with an innocent face as she gazed upon the door. 7 Young Emilia blinked her wide-open eyes repeatedly at the mysterious door standing right before her. She'd finally ascertained the location of the seal that Fortuna and the others had been hiding. Even together with Fairy, it had been quite an ordeal to haphazardly search a large forest. But "Thanks to everyone, we cracked the case. Yay!" Emilia grinned broadly at the phosphorescent lights twirling around her. There were more than before, but they weren't so numerous that she couldn't count them on her fingers. Through tenacious negotiations with the countless fairies scattered throughout the forest, she had gathered these fellows under her banner, building up a rather large host. "Why isn't it falling down with a fwomp?" The seal, which had been successfully located with the fairies' cooperation, wouldn't budge no matter how much she pushed or pulled. To the naked eye, the door appeared to be made of wood, but it felt cold, almost icelike to the touch. Rubbing the surface produced a pleasantly smooth sensation that was like stroking a polished gemstone; she thought that each and every thing about its existence was mysterious. There was a lock right in the center of the closed door, looking old and bearing a keyhole around the size of Emilia's palm. She wondered whose pocket could contain such a large key. The keeper must be a large person indeed. "I don't really get any of it...but we sure did find it. Clap, clap, clap." Hoping in her heart that her parents were hidden within the seal, she'd just gotten her first tangible lead. However, after satisfying her curiosity once, she was absolutely not content with stopping here. She'd expose what everyone was hiding by working with the fairies. There was still much to be done. "Hmph. It's Mom and everyone else's fault. Geuse's fault, too." Thinking of the tall man dressed in the black habit and not currently present, Emilia stuck out her tongue. He was an enemy who'd seen a side of Emilia's precious mother that she didn't show to anyone else without Emilia's permission, to boot. Girding herself for an inevitable showdown, Emilia devoted herself fully to crafting a plan to defeat Geuse. "I'll surprise Geuse with Fairy and, while he's in a big panic, stomp on his foot. I'll stomp on both his feet, and with my heels, too! ...That seems like it would hurt a lot, so I'll keep it to just his toes." Even in her most heartless scheme, she didn't neglect to add some measure of kindness. Anyone who insisted on fighting a cold-blooded battle who cared little for blood or tears would eventually lose the trust of their allies. She needed to treasure her bonds with the fairies. "Okay, let's head home. For today's masterpiece, I feel like doing a red sky and a snow-white forest!" Having achieved her latest objective, Emilia raced down the path home in a patter together with the fairies. It was a fairly treacherous path, but the nimble Emilia hopped right over any obstacles. Really, Fortuna had told her she was forbidden from entering that area. That was what kept her from discovering the seal for so long. Mom is too shrewd. "But we got one up on her, didn't we...? What's wrong?" In the middle of treading down a poor and unfamiliar path, Emilia abruptly halted her feet as the fairies signaled her. They were blinking in and out in an irregular pattern, darting across her field of vision before drifting into a thicket off to the side. "Mm? Mmmm? This...this smells like an adventure!" The fairies' state reminded Emilia of when she'd first met them in the Princess Room. That had laid the foundation for Emilia's strong relationship with them. This time probably held some kind of meaning, too. "Yahoo!" Chasing after the fairies, Emilia energetically leaped into the underbrush. Pushing her way through the tall grass, she resolutely advanced along an animal trail, her silver hair getting snagged by branches several times along the way. And then "This is quite worrisome... She has strayed from the promised hour." " Ah!" Just when she was coming out of the thicket, she happened upon a black back standing in the forest. Letting out a voice of surprise, Emilia hurriedly covered her mouth and hid in the thicket. But it was too late. "Oh my? To whom does this adorable rump belong to?" A familiar voice addressed Emilia as she hid in the thicket with her butt in plain sight. The voice made Emilia twitch and tremble. He did not know her, but she knew him, the accursed villain. "I I request gentle treatment as your prisoner..." Resigning herself that there was no fooling him, Emilia spoke words of surrender that she barely understood. As she raised a white flag, a smile came over the man over Geuse. "My, my, a rather adorable young lady has come to vi... Eh?" The child's adorable resistance put a relaxed expression on him, but in the next instant, that expression froze over. Cutting off his words in shock, his tranquil face stiffened and went rigid. Seeing Geuse's eyes wide-open startled Emilia, too; the pair faced off as a wave of complex emotions sloshed between them. "Y-young lady... No, you could not be..." Geuse's voice trembled as he shook his head, seemingly in disbelief at what he was seeing. Looking up nervously, Emilia felt concern plucking at her tiny chest. The man she saw was frail and forlorn, like a child who'd lost his way but been found by a parent, like a traveler always walking in darkness who had found the light, with an expression that was a mixture of fear and expectation. Someone had to speak to him. Someone had to hold his hand. The instant she thought that, Emilia completely forgot all about the grudge she'd harbored for so long. " Geuse, are you all right?" " ?! Ah, aah, ah, aaaah...!" When she spoke to him, Geuse's expression, Geuse's emotions, broke down. Feeling struck by Emilia's gaze as if it were a thunderbolt, Geuse fell to his knees on the spot, his back trembling. A flood of tears coursed from Geuse's eyes as he gazed at Emilia with rapt attention. Geuse, the first large adult she had ever seen cry, drew his body back and shook his head toward Emilia. As if it was a prayer. As if it was a plea. As if simply giving thanks. "All right... Yes, yes! I am indeed all right. There is no problem. After all, I... I, now, just now, have never known a greater sense of salvation than this...!" "Really...? If that's true, then why are you crying?" "I am not...weeping out of sadness... My tears are from joy, from jubilation, from happiness... They are tears of warmth because I cannot contain such happiness.

This is for no other reason than...how y-you...how your people have saved me... That's why I !" Listening to Geuse's weeping voice, Emilia held his hand. It felt like the natural thing to do. The touch of his fingers conveyed his emotions to her. Emilia firmly clenched his hand in return. She dearly wished her own feelings might reach him as well. As Geuse sobbed over and over, what he had described as tears of happiness flowed without end. "Crying because you're happy..." As Geuse continued to weep, Emilia somehow understood. Emilia herself sometimes spent nights feeling lonely and unable to sleep. Whenever that happened, she crept into Fortuna's bed, resting easy in the warmth of her mother's embrace. Inside her mother's arms, Emilia was freed of worry, and somehow, she often felt like crying. Geuse might have been experiencing similar feelings to what Emilia had at such times. Emilia wondered if she could grant him happiness the way her mother had done for her. "It's all right, Geuse. It's all right. It's okay." Consoling him, Emilia stroked Geuse's head with her free hand. When Geuse went rigid at the first touch, Emilia embraced his head against her tiny chest. The tremors of his sobs shot straight to her heart; it felt like she could feel the warmth of his body reaching deep inside her. Despite her grand plan to stomp on his feet, this was how they ended up together. What a helpless person. What a weak foe. Of course she couldn't do anything mean to someone who was crying. She had no choice but to help him feel better, so surely, Mom would forgive her, too. "It must be lonely, crying by yourself." When Geuse was finished, they went to where her mother was, hand in hand. Now she had to tell Mom. She had to tell her about meeting Geuse, about heading off to play deep in the forest, and that even though he was an adult, Geuse had cried his eyes out. She had to, now that the pair had shared their secrets and were no longer enemies but something akin to friends. 8 *** For an instant, the torrent of resurrected memories made Emilia feel incredibly dizzy. She blinked several times over and got her breathing back under control. The impact had left her heart thumping hard against her chest. By reliving memories as seen through her younger self's eyes, Emilia had regained her precious past. "I can't believe I forgot so many things that'd happened..." Emilia found no joy in those gaps getting filled. Rather, she felt remorse as she realized just how much she had taken for granted. They were warm, precious memories enough that she felt deep and sharp regret for having forgotten them in the first place. The time she'd spent together with Mom; how Archi and everyone in the village had been so kind to her; Fairy, who had helped her with the seal and the Princess Room; and that she'd met Geuse, the man she was not supposed to meet, then befriended him they were all precious and forgotten memories. "But...I probably wouldn't have been able to accept it all until very recently." The journey toward those lost memories was linked to the regret that ate away at Emilia's heart. If she'd come unprepared to face her past, she probably would have never recovered. It was because Puck understood this that he had used their pact as a reason to bottle up Emilia's memories. In that state, even if she was to meet someone she should have remembered in some kind of tangible way, then surely, the sealed memories would have prevented her from understanding. Instead, there would only be pain and sorrow. All to protect Emilia's heart from her own memories. But with that pact broken, the lid on her memories had been lifted, and the path to her sealed past had been cleared. By revisiting her memories, Emilia was finally ready to challenge her past the origin of the regrets she'd been unable to face until now. She had what she needed to confront these regrets that remained unconquered. Last time, she'd been unable to do anything in the Trial except break down and cry. But now " I'm scared, but I won't cower." "Could you keep your decisions from sounding like they come from the disagreeable, weepy, clinging to a man whom I substitute as a father figure woman you are?" When Emilia voiced her feelings toward the Trial, Echidna, standing behind her, simply poured on scorn. Emilia responded to the sarcasm infused into those words by boldly puffing out her chest. "I'm sure Subaru will forgive me for that...but I don't want him to lose faith in me, nor do I want to lose faith in myself. I'm weak, but I don't want to dig in my heels and stay that way." Besides "I don't want to turn all the words Subaru wrote for me into lies." He'd carved numerous cheers and countless feelings into the stone walls of the tomb for her sake, as she was challenging the Trial. It was receiving these words, and being sent off by them, that had brought Emilia that far. "I trust Subaru. That's why I want to be a girl who will not bring shame to those feelings." " Do as you please. All I'm doing here is gloating over your anguish." No matter how much malice Echidna might pile on, Emilia's current mindset could not be swayed with words. Perhaps realizing as much from the exchanges between them on their shared journey through her memories, Echidna lowered her shoulders and withdrew her poison. Emilia understood what the Witch's demeanor meant. "The preliminaries are over, aren't they?" "Indeed, they are The opening skirmishes are over. This time, the Trial that broke you will truly begin." Echidna's words made Emilia nod and instantly, the scenery around them changed. After the meeting with Geuse, the pair left the sealed woods using a forest trail, making their way hand in hand to a surprised Fortuna, whereupon she flew into a conflagration-like rage at both of them. Then the three of them walked to the forest settlement side by side. Such was the scene. It was as if this scene had waited for Emilia to fill the blanks in her memory no, it was exactly that. Her memories, her homeland, and Fortuna and Geuse had surely been waiting for her...to watch gently over them all, the same way they had watched over young Emilia back then. They'd been there to welcome Emilia tenderly upon her return to the homeland in her memories. "That's why " Emilia had to accept in full the Trial that yet awaited. " Please wait, Lady Emilia. Running around like that is dangerous...!" "It's not dangerous, not one little bit. You're the one who keeps falling and scraping his knees, Geuse." "No matter how injured I may become, I care not. Lady Emilia's body comes first. If your jewellike skin was to be damaged, even if I died, it would not be death enough!" "Geuse, somehow, that way of speaking sounds really indecent." Emilia was jumping around the woodland trail recklessly, while making fun of Geuse like he was a very frail child stumbling around sights that brought a pained smile over Fortuna as she pointed out how strange he sounded. Geuse hastily shook his head. "N-no, no. I was not even thinking such insolence! I am purely concerned for Lady Emilia... Ahhh, Lady Emilia! You must not go that way!" "Well, I wanna! Come and catch me if you can !" As Geuse frantically switched from trying to defend himself to being overprotective, Emilia leaped into a thicket in high spirits. Seeing Geuse at his wits' end made Fortuna burst into laughter. "My, my, I knew it. That girl's mischief is a handful even for us." "It is good that she is energetic. However, I would prefer if she avoids danger as much as possible... If she could live healthily inside the house, bathed in the light of the sun, she can leap around, then, without concern of breaking anything..." "Geuse...that's a really strict way to live..." "Mnhhh... Is is that so? But if it is for Lady Emilia's sake, I I...!" Trapped between parental love and concern, Geuse gravely clutched his head. Seeing his reaction deepened Fortuna's troubled smile, but it was parental love and envy that rested in her narrowed eyes. It was as if that very instant, the scene made her feel a sense of happiness that should not be possible. "Sheesh!! Mom, Geuse! Why won't you chase after me?!" It was then that Emilia returned, tumbling out of the thicket as she reached the limits of her patience. Emilia's young cheeks were red and puffed up as she accused the two lazy adults one after the other. "This isn't the time, okay?! We were in the middle of a chase!" "Ahhh, I am very sorry! I shall regret this blunder for the rest of my days...!" "Geuse, you mustn't spoil her like that... Emilia, come over here for a moment." "Whaaat, Mom...? Sheesh, Mom's such a softie... Grrr!" Despite Emilia's angry face, she walked over when Fortuna beckoned her by hand. Then, just as she came close, Fortuna easily scooped her up. "Awww, too bad. Emilia's been caught by Mom." "Ah, no fair! You can't do that, Mom! This doesn't count! You cheated! You should think about what you did!" "Oh my, if you've thought that far, maybe you should also take some time to think on what I told you, hmm? I wonder, why are Mom and Geuse chasing little Emilia?" "Fwah!" This poke at her sore spot made Emilia cover her mouth with her hands. "Y-you're wrong, Mom. Fairy wanted to go outside, and then..." "Your mother hates girls who blame fairies for the things they do. Understand, Emilia?" Fortuna spoke to her daughter in her arms with eyes both gentle and strict. Emilia, squirming under those words and that gaze, hung her head. "I'm sorry, Mom. Since I became friends with Geuse, I wanted to tell you about it...and also that Geuse is a big crybaby so someone has to help him." "Those feelings are really important. That's very good of you, Emilia. But in the first place, you became friends with Geuse because you went somewhere I made you promise not to go to, didn't you?" "Y-yes...I did..." "And that was really naughty, Emilia." Fortuna lowered Emilia, whose eyes were still focusing on the ground, before cupping her daughter's cheeks with both hands. She brought Emilia's face up to meet her own; their violet eyes reflected in each other's. "You mustn't break your promises. Keeping them is very important. A promise is an expression of trust, so you mustn't break them and betray the feelings of trust someone placed in you." To Emilia, who was nearly in tears, Fortuna spoke gravely yet gently. "Emilia, I want you to promise Mom right now. Promise you'll always keep your promises." "Yeah... Yes, I will keep them. I'm sorry, Mom." "Good. Then everything's fine." After hearing Emilia's teary-eyed vow, Fortuna embraced her beloved daughter in both arms. Squeezing her daughter close and tight, she stroked Emilia's hair as teary sobs escaped from the girl. "So, Geuse, are you all right?" "I I am...so overwhelmed by this d-dazzling sight, I cannot restrain my t-tears...!" As Fortuna regarded him with an exasperated face, Geuse squatted in the shadow of a tree, using his sleeve to hide his own weeping. He seemed to have been deeply moved at seeing the exchange between mother and daughter up close. She really couldn't refute Emilia's appraisal of him as a crybaby. Setting this aside for the moment, Fortuna turned her head back toward Emilia. "Besides all that, Emilia. You spoke of a fairy..." "Ah, yeah. The fairies have been helping me since a while back... Come on out." Not realizing that Fortuna was concerned about her having invisible friends, Emilia gently called

out to them. That very moment, countless lights flooded in all around Emilia, causing Fortuna and Geuse to gaze in wonder. "It can't be... Lesser spirits...? And in such numbers..." "I am most surprised that she is served by so many lesser spirits at such a young age. It would seem Lady Emilia is a naturally talented spirit mage." "Spi...rit? Spirit...mage?" The pair's reaction and the unfamiliar terms made Emilia blink hard and tilt her head in apparent confusion. Geuse nodded deeply at Emilia. "Lady Emilia, the beings you call fairies are actually lesser spirits. They exist everywhere throughout the world. A spirit mage is one who can convey their heart to them, borrowing the spirits' power through forming a pact." "And I can become one?" "If you grow up healthy and remain beloved by the spirits like this, Lady Emilia, then surely..." Geuse's words made Emilia's face visibly brighten. If a spirit mage means someone who gets along nicely with the fairies, then I wanna be one, thought Emilia with a spring in her chest. "Hold on, Geuse. You mustn't put strange notions into her head. Just because she can commune with lesser spirits doesn't mean she can be a spirit mage... It isn't something this girl needs." "Lady Fortuna, Lady Emilia shall not remain young forever, either. The time will come when she cannot stay confined to the hollow of a great tree. There will surely be times when she cannot be kept from standing alongside Lady Fortuna and everyone else. When that time comes, the spirits shall lend Lady Emilia their strength." "But I don't want to subject my sweet Emilia to something that could be so dangerous..." The issue of Emilia's education had shifted into an argument between the pair. Upon seeing this, Emilia swiftly circled behind Geuse and stuck her tongue out at Fortuna. "I'm on Geuse's side today! I'm definitely gonna become whatever a spirit mage is!" "Now look you've gotten her all worked up about this. Geuse, how are you going to take responsibility?" "Ah. What should...? Um...well, this has gotten rather serious..." Emilia was headstrong; meanwhile, Fortuna was wiping her hands of the whole thing. Caught between the pair, Geuse seemed overwhelmed, a sight that made Emilia go "hmm?" as she narrowed her eyes. "Somehow, Mom and Geuse seem like a mom and dad..." "Wha ?!" When Emilia spoke those words with a guileless face, her statement made Fortuna's face flush beet red. Nervously waving a hand, the woman then stroked Emilia's head seemingly at random. "N-now, just a minute, Emilia, don't say strange things like that. Geuse and I have known each other a long time already, that's all. We don't have a relationship that could be described in those words, all right?" "That's correct, Lady Emilia. Lady Fortuna and I have both lived long...... To one as long-lived as I, even Lady Fortuna is like a little child to me." "Hmph..." Geuse gently covered for the rapidly speaking Fortuna. However, Emilia could tell that for some reason, his words had put Fortuna in a sour mood. Geuse didn't notice. "No matter how you slice it, little child is excessive. Do you even know how old I am right now?" "Er, ah, it was a figure of speech. Of course I have a firm and accurate grasp of your age, and Lady Fortuna has grown too tall and beautiful to be called a young child, but..." "Hmmmm... Very well, then. I forgive you. But you should really reflect on it." "Haaa..." As Geuse inclined his head, Fortuna folded her arms and pressed him to reflect on his actions. But Emilia realized that Fortuna had brightened again. Geuse really wasn't keeping up. And still wearing a face that showed no clear understanding, Geuse nodded Emilia's way. "The topic strayed somewhat, but Lady Fortuna and I have been acquaintances for quite a long time now. Indeed, ever since the time Lady Emilia's father and mother were in good health..." " Geuse!" "...I am so sorry." When Geuse tried to return to a gentler topic, the color of Fortuna's face changed as she scolded him. The peaceful exchange from just before had vanished. Geuse's expression became pained in reaction to his own slip of the tongue. "Father and Mother...?" "I'm sorry, Emilia. We'll speak about that another time... More importantly, it's time for you to return to your room. You haven't finished reflecting on your behavior, after all." "Another time... Will you really, though?" Emilia puffed up her cheeks, making plain her dissatisfaction at the conversation ending partway. However, Fortuna pressed a finger to one of Emilia's cheeks, making the air leak out with a puu. "Be a good girl and wait patiently, 'kay? You'll have other chances to meet Geuse again. I'll...make sure of it..." "Really, really? You promise? You will, right?" "Oh, this girl. I wonder where she learned how to quibble like this?" It was only just moments ago that she'd been told how important it was to keep your promises. When her beloved daughter brought it back up, Fortuna reluctantly flashed a troubled smile, embracing Emilia. "Yes, it's a promise. It's a really important promise between Mom and Emilia." "...Mm. All right. I'll go back to my room, then." Promises were important. That's why Emilia nodded, trusting in Fortuna's promise. When she was released, Emilia then raced over to Geuse. As Geuse watched her, Emilia extended a hand, smiling. "See you later, Geuse. You mustn't cry so much, so......promise until we meet next?" " Yes. We shall most certainly meet again. I look forward to it." Taking the tiny hand extended to him, Geuse made a small smile as the two exchanged a handshake. Their hands, exchanging the warmth of their palms, served as a greeting upon their parting. Just as Emilia was about to proceed back to the Princess Room " It seems he has come." This was no voice from the past. It was a voice from the present, calling out to Emilia from behind. It was the voice of the Witch, the only person experiencing time in the same way as Emilia was in that world of the past. The murmur from Echidna, who had watched events in silence up to that point, drew Emilia's attention, too. Then she immediately realized what Echidna's words meant. There was a boy who seemed the epitome of the color white. He had white hair that was neither long nor short and white-colored skin lacking even a hint of a tan. He was clad in attire that was pure white, with not a single other color upon it; he felt sickly, as if he avoided all external interference from color itself. His face was modestly handsome, but it was average with no eye-catching features. His appearance overall seemed extremely lacking in any kind of individuality; he gave off the impression that he would immediately be forgotten as soon as he melted into any crowd. But that impression was itself firm proof that he was an anomalous being. "...Who are you?!" Both Fortuna and Geuse instantly noticed his strange presence. Fortuna immediately pulled Emilia close, extremely wary of the boy who had appeared without warning. Sensing this, the boy slipped out of the forest with a calm gait, stroking his own white hair. "When you wish to ask someone's name, is it not polite to first state yours?" The reply made Fortuna's emotions chill over all at once, amplifying her wariness even more. However, the boy lowered his shoulders, regarding with exasperation the wind of enmity blowing toward him. "My reply just now was nothing short of clichéd, but that said, I think anyone can appreciate the temptation to react that way in this kind of situation. Even though we are meeting each other for the first time and we stand on completely equal ground, why must you arbitrarily look down upon me and demand my name like this? Do you even realize the fact that you have subconsciously, inconsiderately, carelessly, and one-sidedly classified me as inferior?" "...For a man, you certainly like long-winded speeches." "Stating for a man is nothing less than comparing me with the men you know simply based upon my outward appearance alone. In the first place, the creatures known as men are innumerable throughout the world, so by what standard can you judge me? That attitude... I just can't let it go. It is excessively lacking in manners. It flies in the face of my individuality, my rights." In contrast to Fortuna's concise sentences, the madness in the boy's rambling gradually increased as he spoke. Sensing danger from his words, his actions, and more importantly, his attitude, Fortuna put Emilia behind her and shielded her, sternly glaring at the boy as she shouted in anger. "Enough with your self-centered babbling! Who are you?!" Lending no ear to the boy's words, Fortuna asked him for his name once more. These words brought a change in the boy's expression. His face blanched at the interruption in the conversation, yet his cheeks, so unenthusiastic before, slowly drew back in a gloomy smile Then, addressing the Emilias frozen in both past and present, he spoke. "I am a member of the Witch Cult, the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins who has been entrusted with Greed Regulus Corneas." CHAPTER 2 *** 1 Let us go back in time a trifle, to the place outside the tomb where Emilia was currently holed up. On the grassy clearing in front of the entrance, the group that had seen her off as she went to face the Trial was currently awaiting her safe return, but "l broke a promise to write my love out, but it got seen by someone else first... I'm done for..." "No matter how ya cut it, you're bein' way too far in the dumps. Man up already, geez. Gotta get it together." A half-naked Garfiel sighed at Subaru, who was cowering as if the very world were coming to an end. As the victim, Subaru had plenty he wanted to say toward the culprit's undaunted attitude, but the ultimate cause was Subaru's own lack of caution. His only option was to endure the shame of it. To cheer Emilia on and bolster her determination to take the Trial at the tomb, Subaru had spent the previous night carving all his thoughts, great and small, into the stone room's walls. There, he wrote down everything that could be expressed with words and then kept going even when words would never be enough to relay everything he wanted to say. "But I never thought Garfiel would head in to settle his stuff first..." "Goodness, for someone who normally tries to sweet-talk her all the time in broad daylight, what is this embarrassment over putting your feelings in text? Mr. Natsuki, is your sense of shame not rather misplaced?" "Usually, I'm mentally prepared for her to brush it all off, so when she actually does that, I'm fine! But this time, I was serious! And this is literally a love letter I wrote in the deep of night...the most embarrassing kind of all!" When Subaru ruefully covered his red face with both hands, Otto lowered his shoulders with a weary look. It was not uncommon for people to get oddly excited in the middle of the night and use words that would ordinarily never come to mind. It was an established cliché to spend the next morning looking back upon it with groans of agony. "Don't worry 'bout it, General. It's not like ya did anythin' weird. If anythin', it makes me wanna do somethin' like that. Love for the Lingdon man is first come, first served and all." "Whether you intend it or not, hearing that from the culprit only makes it worse!" Without malice, Garfiel's words indicated he wanted to launch his own romantic campaign for the one he cared about Ram. Of course that would likely end with his feelings bouncing off the iron walls Ram

had put up around her heart. It was with such exchanges that Subaru and the others awaited the end of the Trial. With good cheer and resolve buoying her, Emilia had entered the tomb. Though the Trial had broken her heart once already and reduced her to tears, they believed she would surely overcome it this time. "When it was Garfiel, it took around an hour. Wonder if it'll take the same time." "In the case of success, I would imagine so... Ow?! And ow again?!" " Read the mood a little, would you?" Just as Subaru drove an elbow into the insensitive Otto, Ram had also come over to pile onto the poor man. Ram flicked Otto's forehead, coldly narrowing her eyes. "You are so dense when it comes to understanding others... Are you really a merchant?" "The way you said that hurts more than anything else..." After a taste of those sharp words, Otto was stunned from both mental and physical pain. "Incidentally," started Ram, glancing at his pathetic face before turning back toward Subaru, "Lady Ryuzu...or rather, Miss Shima, because that is what she herself wishes to be called, wanted to speak with you, Barusu. It would seem she wishes to continue last night's conversation." "Last night's conversation, huh...?" As he listened to Ram, Subaru folded his arms and furrowed his brow. Then Garfiel's jade eyes opened wide as a thought occurred to him in the middle of the conversation. "Come to think of it...I never got a chance to ask about the details. What 'n' how much did General and Grandm...the old hag end up talking about last night?" "Whether you correct yourself or not, everyone can still tell you're one hell of a granny's boy... Mostly, I asked about what you were like before going into the tomb. You were on my mind a lot yesterday." "...That so...?" Garfiel turned away with an awkward look on his face. Though he'd tried to cut ties with his past after overcoming the Trial, that didn't wipe away the days of continued regrets. It couldn't be anything but awkward. "Anyway, my hands were full with planning yesterday on how I should go after you. That's why I got Shima to promise me to save the important conversation until after I give Garfiel his spanking." "The now-spanked Garf seems dissatisfied, but what is it you postponed exactly?" "That's..." " An unavoidable conversation if this Sanctuary is to be liberated." The one who picked up where Subaru trailed off was Shima, speaking in a low voice. Her spitting image no, one of the Ryuzus she herself was born as was lending her a shoulder as she approached. Her expression was hard, and her labored breathing sounded quite weary. "I believe you were told, Young Su. Just like spirits, our bodies are constantly depleting." "...Ahhh, I see. Ryuzu has three people to swap places with, but Shima's been kicked out of the rotation, so there's no substitute for her. That's why she's this tired, huh..." "Normally, sleeping and rising at a set schedule keeps me from deteriorating too much...but I have little confidence I can last until Lady Emilia returns. As such, we should speak while we can." Even while leaning on Ryuzu's shoulders, Shima lifted her face and nodded toward Subaru with determination. "Wait. Ya don't need to do anythin' reckless. Just have a healthy old hag take the old hag's place and " "It's impossible to tell who you're talking about, so let's call them Granny Shi and Granny Ryu from now on. Besides, we can't swap them around like that. This is something we can only hear from Shima's lips." Garfiel seemed to snap out of familial concern that Shima was forcing herself to speak. Subaru wanted to respect his opinion, too, since it was sensible. But he could not say that here. What Shima wanted to talk about was the Sanctuary's past. These were things that only Shima and the people directly related to the Sanctuary's creation could know, and that was because " Only I, who entered the tomb and took the Trial, can speak of this." "Ah..." Bewildered by that fact, Garfiel let out a breath of realization. Previously, when young Garfiel had gone into the tomb, it was none other than Shima who had gone in after to bring him back. As a result, Shima had seen the past there. Namely "The memories of the ancestor of all us replicas... Ryuzu Meyer." she'd seen the girl who was hidden in the replication facility in the forest, continuing to sleep within a crystal. She was Ryuzu Meyer, the original upon which Shima and the other replicas were based. In the tomb, Shima, the replica, had experienced the memories of Ryuzu Meyer while she still lived. Consequently, the story she would share was about the regrets Ryuzu Meyer harbored about her past, memories related to the creation of the Sanctuary itself "They concern the cherished hope harbored by Young Ros's family, the Matherses; the existence and objective of Her Lady the Witch, who created the Sanctuary and they concern her daughter, Ryuzu Meyer's one and only friend." "The Witch's daughter...?" The implications of what Ryuzu had shared made Subaru alone raise his eyebrows, for he was the only one who sensed a special meaning behind her words. Neither Garfiel nor Ryuzu, nor Ram nor Otto, understood; only Subaru had a suspicion that turned out to be true, a reference toward which, like it or not, he felt a longing aching in his heart. While Subaru was still reeling from his most recent realization, Shima softened her voice, speaking as if telling a fairy tale to a child. "It all began here, before this place was called the Sanctuary." Her eyes held distant hope as she began to speak of memories that would surely arrive at regret and yet, her gaze was filled with a longing, tender love. 2 " What is it, I wonder? Even if you gaze at me with such eyes, I shall grant you nothing." The unfamiliar memories began with a glare from a girl in a sour mood. The girl had an adorable face. She had creamy hair, as if light had been dissolved, and her skin was so white, you could almost see right through her. Her round eyes were a pale blue; if her appearance exemplified one word, it was lovely. Her hair was parted in two large, long twirls, and the flaring dress she wore made her look like a princess out of a picture book. As a matter of fact, the position she occupied was not that far off in terms of esteem. When this girl turned such keen eyes toward her, Ryuzu wilted completely. Though it was presumptuous to even compare the two, the girl before her eyes was far classier than she. Ryuzu was deficient in appearance and attire both, and their apparent ages being similar only invited greater embarrassment. "Hmph. Silent again. Are you a boring, cowardly girl, I wonder?" The girl gave a snort of dissatisfaction to Ryuzu, who was squirming with her face cast downward. This sour demeanor clashed with her adorable appearance, but her words still thrust into Ryuzu's heart like needles. It was not the abuse that pained her but the disappointment. Ryuzu could hardly breathe. "Beatrice, what is with that attitude? Did I teach you to behave like that?" The gentle tone of his voice made the girl's expression stiffen. Aah, went Ryuzu as she let go of the breath she was holding. Someone had called out from behind the girl, which was to say, directly in front of Ryuzu. Coming out of a hut in the back of the settlement was a woman who exuded a pure-white aura. She had long, glossy, naturally white hair and skin that seemed untouched by light. Only her eyes, lips, and the long-hemmed dress she wore barely managed to add color to her, yet she possessed beauty requiring nothing more than that. "Lady Echidna." Ryuzu hastily bowed her head as she spoke the name of her patron Witch Echidna. Glancing at Ryuzu, the girl named Beatrice turned around in great haste. "Ah, er...y-you're wrong, Mom! Betty didn't do anything... But this girl, she !" "If you are guilty of nothing, there is no need to be all flustered. You need only accurately convey the facts. If you truly did nothing wrong, it would not be necessary to hesitate, would it? Am I mistaken?" "Perhaps that's true..." Echidna was not emotional, but she was quiet, firm, and strict. Ryuzu would have interpreted this as being hard on her daughter at first, but the pouty look on Beatrice's face made her believe otherwise. "Betty was quietly waiting outside, just like you asked, Mom. And then this girl was watching Betty from afar...so Betty called her over, wondering if she had any business with Betty." "I see. So, you there, what do you have to say?" "Eh...! Um, er, yes, I have no excuse. I behaved most rudely..." Beatrice's childish explanation was the truth. When Ryuzu saw Beatrice at the edge of the settlement, she stared at the girl in a daze. Beatrice took issue with that, which was what led to the current situation. "I was smitten with the sight of Lady Beatrice in the twilight... I am sorry." "Smitten, is it...? Beatrice, do you acknowledge Ryuzu's version of the story?" "Ummmm..." "It would not be proper to tell you, a child, to behave more like an adult, but your attitude is lacking in tolerance. You are indeed special, but that is not for the sake of looking down upon others. I seem to be saying this a lot." Upon receiving Ryuzu's reply, Echidna sent some sort of stern admonition Beatrice's way. Though Beatrice seemed quite crestfallen, Ryuzu was in too great a panic to notice. She'd never thought that the great Witch Lady Echidna would personally remember her name. Ryuzu lived in a tiny village, but her existence was the tiniest of all. As an apostle, she felt the joy of having the Witch of Greed herself remembering her name send a tremor running through her heart. "I shall leave things to Geuse from here. I am sure he will work hard to give you proper guidance." "...Betty does not like Geuse very much." "Considering his role, being disliked by you is exactly the appraisal I wished and hoped for." Smiling at Beatrice's disgusted face, Echidna then turned to Ryuzu. This made Ryuzu's heart leap. She always let opportunities to speak slip and kept finding some suitable reason to distance herself from such places out of hesitation, so Echidna paying any attention to her once again was a surprise. "That must have come as quite a shock for you, yes, Ryuzu? This girl, Beatrice, is my... She is like a daughter to me. As you can see, she has yet to learn proper manners, I am embarrassed to say." "I am not like a daughter I am your daughter!" "Well, it is something like that. I believe I shall be coming here with her more frequently hereafter. Both of you will likely see each other more often, so I would like the two of you to get along nicely." "Y-yes. Leave it to me, Lady Echidna...!" Honored to receive a request from the Witch, Ryuzu nodded, her eyes sparkling with delight. Ryuzu's acceptance elicited a satisfied nod from Echidna. From behind, Beatrice murmured ruefully in a tiny voice. "...Is Betty not completely fine even when all alone, I wonder?" 3 "You there, girl. I am sorry; Lady Echidna was supposed to be here, but I do not see her anywhere." "Yes?" Ryuzu was carrying a laundry basket when the inquirer called out, bringing her feet to a halt. When she slowly turned around, she set eyes on the one who had called her to a stop. "Wah!" she went, eyes bulging. Out of surprise, she unwittingly slackened the strength in her arms, and she

almost dropped the laundry basket then and there. "There you go." "Whoa... Aah, I-I'm very sorry!" Ryuzu bowed her head to the boy, who had closed the distance with one long-legged stride and put his hand under the laundry basket. Flashing a troubled smile at the sight, the youth with blue-colored hair shook his head. "Think nothing of it. I am sorry for speaking to you in the middle of your work. It was inconsiderate." "Not at all...! You are too kind, Master Mathers!" "One must not forget to be kind to ladies, regardless of our respective positions... If I may ask one thing of you, I do not particularly like being called by my family name. Could you address me as Roswaal?" After speaking to the apologetic Ryuzu, the boy Roswaal gave her a wink. His age was around four years greater than Ryuzu's twelve, and his height was a full head taller. Even so, it seemed like he still had room to grow, and his melodic voice was well on its way to that of an adult. The boy possessed a wicked charm possible only during the brief period between being a boy and an adult, and he was brimming with natural elegance. At that young age, he was also the current head of the Mathers family, which governed multiple domains, and the learned man who administered the forest settlement together with Echidna, making him Ryuzu's supervisor. To Ryuzu and the other residents, he was someone to whom respect ought to be paid on par with Echidna the Witch. "So, erm, as for Lady Echidna...I have yet to see her today. Beatrice does not seem to have come to her usual place, either." "I see; their arrival may well have been delayed. Setting Lady Echidna aside, I find it difficult to believe Beatrice would not have come here to meet you." "Errr... Beatrice only comes to speak to me once in a while..." "You say once in a while only because that is what Beatrice insists on calling it, no?" Echidna threaded gaps in her busy schedule to visit this land, with Beatrice accompanying her. Somehow, they'd had numerous opportunities to come into contact and see each other's faces during the time before Echidna finished her business. Pfft, went Roswaal, barely containing his laughter over Ryuzu's reply. "Beatrice is not an honest girl, you see. It is good that you do not think of her as difficult to deal with..." "Perish the thought. She treats even someone like me extremely well. In fact, I am always making Lady Beatrice angry...enough that I was worried that she might come to hate me." "Then you have nothing to be concerned about. Beatrice's 'hate' carries no credibility whatsoever. If she genuinely hated you, she would not create all these excuses to spend time with you." Faced with Roswaal's toothy grin, Ryuzu half believed him and half not. Beatrice often puffed her cheeks up at Ryuzu, voicing voluminous complaints about anything and everything all the while. This was far softer than what Ryuzu knew as rejection, but in contrast, Ryuzu thought Beatrice had made unmistakable displays of hate. "I hope that at some point, you might pick up on that girl's true feelings as well." Seeing that Ryuzu had been pressed into silence, Roswaal murmured a comment, somehow sounding forlorn as he did. His smile became ever so slightly pained, and this caused Ryuzu's chest to tighten. However, quicker than she could apologize over it, Roswaal's expression became one of realization. "Teacher! I heard that you were here today, so I flew right over!" Roswaal's eyes brightened and glimmered, his face like that of a child as he broke out into a run. With his grown-up impression thoroughly erased, the boy raced toward Echidna, the Witch in question, who sighed at the sight. "Roswaal... I do not recall permitting you to address me as Teacher." "This is not a day I may call you anything less. I have gained a complete comprehension of the homework you spoke of previously, Teacher. By focusing mana of the four colors at a uniform rate, one makes them into magical energy without elemental attributes. At that point, by adding the remaining two colors, one arrives at a rainbow-colored attribute how is that?" "I am certain I assigned only the four colors as homework. So you have arrived at six colors through self-study? What terrifying learning speed and desire to grow...or more accurately, obsessiveness? Goodness, you have surprised me." Echidna was praising him, a fact that made Ryuzu's eyes bulge. Echidna was a Witch through and through; something exceeding Echidna's imagination was far beyond Ryuzu's own. Hence, she could not help but smile at Roswaal's proud look over such an accomplishment. Even to Ryuzu's eyes, it was plain that Roswaal was very fond of Echidna. Even Echidna seemed overwhelmed by the love and respect her self-described apprentice showered onto her. "And just what are you standing around in a daze for, I wonder? As always, you are quite a lax girl." "Ah... Lady Beatrice..." While Ryuzu gazed upon teacher and student, Beatrice peered in from the side. Beatrice folded her arms, snorting at Ryuzu's surprise with the grimacing face that Ryuzu was accustomed to. Ryuzu was so used to this scowl that she didn't even apologize for causing it. "Do Mom and Roswaal have something to discuss, I wonder? The two of them no longer have time to mind the likes of you. Also, that laundry basket is annoying, so shouldn't you return to work promptly, I wonder?" "Y-yes, I shall do just that. Then if you will excuse me." Cringing and bowing her head to the acrimonious Beatrice, Ryuzu departed in a hurry. Roswaal may have said Beatrice did not truly hate her, but Ryuzu found it a little hard to believe. Then she had a sudden realization. "Um, Lady Beatrice?" "I'm not here for any particular reason. Merely killing time, I wonder?" When Ryuzu resumed carrying the laundry basket, Beatrice followed right behind her. She responded to Ryuzu's obvious confusion with a composed look on her face, and when Ryuzu resumed walking, Beatrice indeed followed suit. Ryuzu thought about it a little. Then she decided to firmly believe in Roswaal's words. "Lady Beatrice, if you like, could you assist me in folding up the laundry?" "...Hah?" Beatrice was taken aback by Ryuzu's gracious proposal that she assist in doing the chores. Her reaction made Ryuzu regret having relied upon Roswaal. " If it is too much for your hands alone, then there's no other choice. Betty shall assist you." "Eh?" "Should Betty say it again, I wonder? Now, move already. Are you going to just stand around all day, I wonder?" Beatrice overtook Ryuzu, who had unwittingly frozen in place, rushing right past her. The instant Beatrice passed by, Ryuzu saw her expression was half-exasperated and half another entirely different emotion. " Ah." Flushing, Ryuzu felt the inside of her chest heat and something well up in her eyes. Somehow holding that emotion back, Ryuzu broke into a little run, coming up alongside Beatrice and peering at her face. "Um! ...If it is all right with you, could I leave the laundry with you for a brief moment?" "Don't get too full of yourself I could for a little while, I suppose." With these words, Beatrice extended her hands toward the laundry with a reluctant look on her face. 4 The days passed peacefully. Various things had happened to Ryuzu before arriving in this land, both good and bad. The good had been somewhat outweighed by the bad, but it was by resiliently carrying on that she had lived to this day. There were others who came from similar backgrounds, and they were kind, taking care to keep young, frail Ryuzu out of harm's way. Once, when their homelands came up in conversation, and Ryuzu said she did not have any good memories of her own, someone responded with, Same here, and laughed. After that, they continued with, Let's make this everyone's homeland. She didn't remember the speaker. But Ryuzu had always remembered those words since. Recently, Echidna visited the settlement with ever-increasing frequency. Everyone was fond of the Witch, for she was the savior not only of Ryuzu but everyone in the settlement. No one could thank Her Lady enough for the salvation of being granted a homeland. Inconveniences in their day-to-day life were swept away, their needs were well met, and she asked for nothing in return for all she did for them. It was but once, when Echidna had replied with Pay it no mind to everyone's thanks that Ryuzu saw her making a little smile. From that faint smile, Ryuzu felt she understood why Echidna went to such great efforts: so that she could continue to smile just like that. Whenever Echidna visited, her daughter, Beatrice, would invariably come along with her. Echidna, surrounded by a large throng of people when she came to the settlement, always ordered Beatrice to act freely. In the majority of cases, Beatrice spent her free time close to Ryuzu. Child or not, being a member of the settlement meant Ryuzu had a lot of work to do. On occasion, Beatrice would grudgingly aid her with laundry and sewing. She grumpily complained she was not particularly skilled in doing laundry, but she concentrated on the work even more than Ryuzu did. When not helping with Ryuzu's work, Ryuzu often saw her pounding away at her magic lessons. Beatrice was clutching a book too large for her small frame and honing her mana through trial and error, in all sorts of ways. To Ryuzu, who lacked any connection to magic and was unable to even read, it seemed like anguish beyond her comprehension. It was at those times that Roswaal, who came to meet with Echidna, would inevitably interrupt, invariably angering Beatrice and igniting her temper. Roswaal, who was normally dedicated to behaving in a most aristocratic manner, acted his own age only when he interacted with Echidna and Beatrice. Suffering Roswaal's teasing, it was common to see Beatrice go red in the face as she launched her counterattacks. Whenever Ryuzu caught a glimpse of the pair's magical duels, she always smiled at the sight of them fighting like siblings. From time to time, Echidna would happen upon their quarrels, making both Roswaal's and Beatrice's faces go pale, a sight that made everyone in the settlement laugh. Echidna, Roswaal, Ryuzu, even Beatrice everyone laughed a little. For Ryuzu Meyer, these days in her new homeland were happy, happy, happy times indeed. 5 "These are fragments of the memories I have gathered together... I had meant to organize them in chronological order in my own way, but I have found that telling a story from the memories of another person even when they belong to the person closest to me above all others is still quite a difficult thing." Shima was carefully choosing her words and memories as she spoke of Ryuzu Meyer's past. Perhaps she was accustomed to drawing on memories, for her relaxed tale flowed smoothly. From her pause in that tale of the past, the cast around Ryuzu Meyer seemed to be complete for the moment. However " Perhaps I should say Lady Beatrice has not changed at all?" "My opinion about that's the same as yours...but there's something...before that... Way before that." Beatrice Subaru had received a shock just from discovering that she appeared in Ryuzu Meyer's memories. But at the same time, it wasn't difficult to come to terms with. He'd known to begin with that Beatrice was Echidna's contracted spirit from four centuries prior. Echidna had worked with Roswaal's ancestor to build the Sanctuary and ordered Beatrice to stand watch over the archive of forbidden books at Roswaal's mansion and await That Person after Echidna's own death. As a consequence, he could accept that Beatrice had entered and left the Sanctuary prior to that time. "This Lady Beatrice... Certainly, she would be the

one at the marquis's mansion, of whom I have heard nothing but her name? I have not yet had the opportunity to meet her..." "Yeah, that Beatrice. So she really is connected to the Sanctuary... Plus, she transported me to the Sanctuary back then..." Nodding after Otto checked with him, Subaru mulled over a memory from a previous iteration of the loop. The last time around, when he'd gone to rescue the mansion, Subaru had been unable to save a single person from Elsa's vile blade, going right down to letting Beatrice die before his very eyes. And when it was Subaru's turn to have Elsa rob him of his life Beatrice had transferred Subaru to the Sanctuary. "Even if she was using the Passage, it bothered me when I tried to figure out how she could spirit me all the way to the Sanctuary. If the Passage can only send people flying to places familiar to you, then to her, the Sanctuary has to be..." For Beatrice, it was surely a place filled with memories. Perhaps it was essentially her homeland. That was how, in that emergency situation, Beatrice had enabled Subaru's escape to the Sanctuary. " I dunno about the little shrimp, but I'm payin' more attention to the Witch. I knew this was the testing grounds of the Witch of Greed, but I never had a chance to hear about the Witch herself." "Wait, what? Garfiel, you've never met the Witch?" "Er, I hate to put it this bluntly, but is your question not rather unusual, Mr. Natsuki?" Otto was dubious about Subaru's reaction, but Garfiel's murmur from a moment before wasn't something Subaru could let go. The tomb was Echidna's resting place, and Garfiel held the qualifications to challenge the Trial within as an Apostle of Greed. Subaru had assumed those weren't qualifications anyone could obtain without meeting Echidna first. "But from the way you put it just now, Echidna never came out during your Trial, right? So how did you figure that you'd overcome the Trial?" "General, the way ya put that makes it sound like you met the Witch... As for me, I settled it, that's all. I didn't meet the Witch. Won't talk about what happened inside no more." Garfiel avoided speaking clearly about the contents of his Trial while answering the question relating to the Witch. When Subaru nodded in response, Ram abruptly posed a question. " In other words, Barusu has met the Witch of Greed?" Slowly narrowing her pink eyes, she quietly stared at Subaru. "...Happened on the first day, when I went into the tomb to bring Emilia back. I asked her about Ryuzu and...some other stuff." *** "Hey, what gives?" Without revealing the details of his own Trial, Subaru explained his fleeting encounter with the Witch. Subaru was dubious about Ram's silence over the contents thereof, but she immediately gave a brief exhale. "I see. I simply thought, it all makes sense now. For someone who had come to the Sanctuary for the first time, you have made very deft arrangements, Barusu. If anything, I am relieved to know that it is not through Barusu's proper talents." "Wait, is there something wrong with me being a capable man...?" "Ha! Barusu, a capable man? Do not say that even in your sleep. It is disturbing." "Do you have to go that far?!" As Ram snorted, Subaru's voice went shrill. But oddly, he could not wipe away his suspicions toward Ram's demeanor. He felt like he had a little bone stuck in the back of his throat. "Let us return to the topic at hand. This is how I understood it, but it seems there was indeed a Witch in this Sanctuary. I shudder at the thought of a time when a Witch's presence was taken for granted." Otto sought to put the conversation back on track but ended up hugging his own shoulders as he involuntarily shivered. "The era in which Her Lady the Witch existed was certainly long ago. Perhaps that is why you know not of it. In fact, even for me, these are memories from another, not anything I know directly myself." "Hearing that from someone with the same face as mine makes me feel like I've gone senile..." "This just sounds like bad clone humor... So I take it that Echidna came here from time to time? And Beatrice came with her?" Subaru interrupted Shima and Ryuzu's low-tension exchange with a question. Shima nodded deeply in response. "A great many of Ryuzu Meyer's memories are of Lady Beatrice. Just as I have told you, they seem to have gotten along very pleasantly together." Shima's memories, which accompanied a slight softening of her expression, contained within them a version of Beatrice that Subaru knew. That girl's personality, unable to deal honestly with others, had remained unchanging since four hundred years prior. Hence, she had obstinately refrained from showing others her true thoughts, keeping various feelings stuffed inside her tiny body. Subaru felt sadness welling up in his chest as he thought back to Beatrice, clinging to her pact and the archive of forbidden books. "To be honest, I'm surprised that Echidna walked around with Beatrice alongside her. So far as I know, you wouldn't think she had one shred of love for Beatrice as if she was family." "I wonder just what conversations Young Su has had with Her Lady the Witch to make him go that far..." "I, too, concur with our opinion. In the memories I have seen, I do not think of Her Lady the Witch as lacking in humanity as Young Su suggests...toward her daughter, her apprentice, and Ryuzu Meyer as well." "That's... I agree with you on that." Subaru could say it didn't match with the Echidna he knew, but that was as far as it went. It had been four centuries since her death; perhaps a period so long brought tremendous changes even to the mind of a Witch possessing such great power. Perhaps that had resulted in a twisting of the Witch's personality, rotting her core nature. " Please continue your story. Up till now, you've only spoken of heartwarming memories of the past. But all of us know that a Trial doesn't end with just that." Subaru's words made everyone present nod with various feelings in their chests. "Life in the Sanctuary, peaceful on the surface, continued like that... So what happened?" "What happened, you ask...?" All by herself, Shima, the teller of the tale, lowered her gaze, murmuring with a weary voice. Then she slowly surveyed the faces of all present. "Ruin is what happened. And the true reason for the Sanctuary's existence came to pass." "The real reason this place exists...?" The energy she gave off was far from gentle, and Subaru could feel it from the cold sweat on his brow. After watching that sweat form a droplet, which then fell from his chin, Shima closed her eyes, peering under the lid of her memories once more "That day also, Her Lady the Witch, Lady Beatrice, and Young Ros's ancestor were in the Sanctuary. The settlement was the same as always...and I thought those days would continue onward, peaceful and unchanging forever." 6 "Truly, how can Roswaal be such an annoying person, I wonder? He is almost impossible to forgive." Clutching her knees and red-faced as she made an adorable huff, Beatrice murmured with a whiff of anger. Seeing the girl in the dress sitting on a stump and hearing her words, Ryuzu formed a vaguely pained smile. "Does that face of yours irk me, I wonder? If you have something to say, come right out and say it." "...Is it not because Lady Beatrice played a prank upon me in the first place that Master Roswaal had an excuse to take revenge?" "C-could you not refer to it as a prank, I wonder? That was a more, yes, a more refined thing than that." Once Ryuzu pointed out the source of the conflict, Beatrice clumsily tried to justify her actions. Since she was honest to the bone, the girl was terrible at coming up with excuses. Though Ryuzu thought that, too, was cute, the prank the adorable girl had played on Ryuzu made it something she could not simply dismiss with a laugh. After all, she'd twisted space, trapping her in a meandering, looping corridor. "Opening door after door only to find the same room each time was a rather terrifying experience for me." "...Was it using but a trifle of Dark magic, I wonder? There is no reason to be so sore about it." " I see. In that case, Beatrice cannot be sore whatsoever over my using countermagic to return the favor in kind. Good to know." "Nghhh...!" Beatrice, taken by surprise by the voice coming from behind, found her own caught in her throat. When she looked, Roswaal was there smiling as he stood behind the stump upon which both girls sat side by side. Beatrice's rueful expression got him to nod with an especially satisfied expression. "What a fine face you're making, Beatrice. After Teacher's reaction, I like that look the most." "What an impudent manner of speaking!! You are nothing more than someone blessed with a wealthy family and a smidgeon of talent, fortunate to have access to the greatest teacher in the world! Do not get carried away!" "Lady Beatrice, I believe you are only praising him..." Beatrice flared up, but she lacked the talent to get the better of someone who was an expert at teasing, such as Roswaal. Just like with their magic duels, Roswaal always seemed to have the upper hand. Hence, the exchanges between the pair, which flew right over Ryuzu's head, had become a daily fact of life. "Ryuzu, do tell me if Beatrice troubles you in some way again. I shall immediately chastise her and give her butt a good spanking." "Ha! Would this girl depend upon you in the slightest, I wonder?! Go on, you tell him." "Thank you very much, Master Roswaal. I shall surely report to you if anything happens." "Like what, I wonder?!" Seeing Beatrice's shoulders droop and a betrayed look appear on her face, Ryuzu's expression softened. Roswaal nodded, looking like he was fully aware that Ryuzu would report no such thing. After that, he pensively inclined his head to the side. "All that said, I am sorry to have interrupted your reading. Allow me to apologize in Beatrice's place." "No, that is too gracious of you. Besides, I hesitate to call it reading just yet." Shaking her head at Roswaal and his apology, Ryuzu stroked the pages of the book on her lap. This was one of the books Echidna had provided for the residents of the settlement who were unable to read but wanted to learn. She had yet to have a firm comprehension of I-script, but she was right in the middle of learning that bit by bit. "Hmm... Can reading books be anything but good, I wonder? Reading leads to a more bountiful life." "Beatrice has truly taken the words straight out of Teacher's mouth Actually, Beatrice, since you're already with her often, how about becoming Ryuzu's teacher?" "You mean Betty would be this girl's...?" For an instant, Roswaal's suggestion made Beatrice widen her eyes, reacting as if he was teasing her. But Ryuzu was more surprised than Beatrice. "Th-that is simply ! I could not impose such trouble on Lady Beatrice, who is very busy..." " Is it a real problem, I wonder? This much is child's play." Perhaps out of her sense of rivalry toward Roswaal, Beatrice crossed her arms and accepted the role of Ryuzu's teacher. When Ryuzu was agape at her reply, Beatrice asked, adding a snort at the end, "What, I wonder? If you do not like it, Betty has no intention of forcing it upon you. It is not as if Betty is particularly enthusiastic about " "No, if Lady Beatrice will teach me, I would

be very happy." Beatrice had been the impetus behind Ryuzu wanting to study how to read in the first place. Having fallen in love with the sight of her always carrying around that large book, Ryuzu came to hold an interest in reading all her own. If she could ask Beatrice to teach her, that would be a great honor. "I-if you insist, what choice is there, I wonder? You are a truly fortunate girl." Instantly, Beatrice averted her face, blushing happily as she responded to Ryuzu's plea. Toying with her extravagantly curled hair, Beatrice seemed set to continue rambling "Lady Beatrice?" "...Is Mother calling, I wonder?" Abruptly, the nature of Beatrice's expression underwent a great change as she hopped down from the stump. Glancing at the perplexed Ryuzu out of the corner of her eye, she proceeded to motion her hand toward a house close by. "Roswaal, Mother is calling for you as well. Is this an emergency situation, I wonder?" "I understand. You do as Teacher instructs. I shall..." With that exchange of few words, Beatrice smoothly glided through the open doorway. But she was not seen on the other side of the door; she had surely crossed over to a distant place the moment she passed the portal's threshold. " The circumstances have changed somewhat. For the moment, come with me to where Teacher is." The look on Roswaal's face allowed no second-guessing. Without a word, Ryuzu could not help but obey. She felt as if she sensed some kind of disquieting wind at the horizon of the cloudless sky. 7 The atmosphere had grown heavy and strained. Ryuzu felt like her own blood was drying up. "We should flee from here immediately. We are not prepared yet; if he appears in this place here and now, the project will be ruined. Rebuilding will become impossible." *** "Teacher! The time we are spending here is precious! He...he has already come this far!" In the hut, Roswaal pounded the table, his voice ragged. The boy normally placed such an emphasis on behaving with composure, but in this moment, he sounded stressed, nervous, and frayed. Echidna the Witch closed her eyes, not responding to his pleas. Seeing his teacher pressed into silence made Roswaal beg even more earnestly, his voice high-pitched, that they should evacuate. "We must not hesitate. His power is too overwhelming! I cannot be of service to Teacher just yet. If you tell me to be your shield, I shall gladly be your shield. However, without countermeasures planned, we cannot..." "It is not that I lack for methods. To a certain extent, the Sanctuary already meets my expectations." "Eh...?" Opening her eyes, Echidna glared at the grainy table. Judging from his expression, Roswaal was flabbergasted by her words, causing Echidna to sigh at her apprentice's surprise. "The theoretical structure is complete. Sufficient amounts of the necessary blood that's requisite for the barrier should already have been assembled at the Cathedral." "Th-then...!" " However, there is not yet a sufficient 'core' with which to activate the barrier." Roswaal was on the verge of seizing a new hope, but Echidna's chagrin-tinged words made him draw in his breath. "Without the all-important core, the barrier cannot be activated. Without the barrier, it is impossible to repel him. If we cannot maintain a complete security net, he will surely destroy us." Roswaal, ruefully hanging his head, pounded the table with his strongest fist up to that point. The legs of the old table creaked, and Roswaal's torn fist oozed with blood. Silence filled the interior of the cabin. The passage of time slowed, and the weight of the air could be felt on one's skin. It was then, as if to defy that gloomy atmosphere, that one timid girl Ryuzu raised her hand. "Regarding that insufficient core...might I be of service?" "Ryuzu...?!" As Roswaal gaped, Ryuzu slowly shook her head and looked at Echidna. "I heard of this some time ago. Namely, that I meet the conditions for the core of the barrier that Lady Echidna is building...and that this is why you set eyes upon me." " From Beatrice, perhaps?" "Yes." With quiet resolve resting within her, Ryuzu nodded in response to Echidna's question without fear. Her bold demeanor made Echidna the Witch open her eyes wide. Ryuzu recalled when Echidna had been surprised by Roswaal. She took a small measure of pride at having been able to do the same. "According to Lady Beatrice, Lady Echidna had told her that I am extremely suitable for meeting these conditions. Also, I heard that Lady Beatrice has taken samples of my mana several times during these last months for this purpose." "If that is what Beatrice told you, then I suppose it must be so." With an ever so slightly hostile manner of speech, Echidna sincerely inspected Ryuzu before continuing. "Certainly, the possibility you could function as a core for the barrier is high. With you as the core, the establishment of the Sanctuary is theoretically complete. However, that would have to wait until after your mana becomes more accustomed to this land." "So it cannot yet be done right now?" "This is no ordinary barrier. This barrier must not be broken. For that sake, I have moved things forward meticulously. Over the course of years, I have gathered people with both human and demi-human blood in this land, establishing the scale requisite for this barrier. You could become the final push. But..." Breaking off his words, Roswaal gnashed his teeth. Ryuzu did not understand such difficult language. But if it was so difficult that even Echidna and Roswaal collaborating had not brought success, the wall that blocked their path was stern indeed. However, though Ryuzu did not understand these complexities, there was one thing she did comprehend. "The two of you surely have some way of overcoming this, do you not?" Sensing their breaths catch, Ryuzu felt encouraged to go on. "...I was saved by Lady Echidna and Master Roswaal. I have been happy coming to this land and having the chance to live without being shunned or despised. If there is a way to repay you for such precious time, I believe it will grant meaning to my life." Bit by bit, Ryuzu put the feelings welling up inside her into words. Echidna coolly peered at her with her black eyes as Ryuzu clenched her fists so tightly that her hands turned white. In her stead, the expression on Roswaal, standing beside the Witch, ran thick with anguish. "T-Teacher..." Roswaal called out to Echidna, seemingly gasping for air. This was not an address out of trust for his teacher's judgment. It was an address carrying the implication, You cannot mean... But Echidna did not give her apprentice his desired reply. She kept her black eyes trained upon Ryuzu. " We will build the Sanctuary's core by placing your Odo into a catalyst. By doing this, the time you will require to acclimate to the soil's mana shall be shortened, allowing us to render the barrier functional." "If this is done, this land...this Sanctuary can be saved?" "That would depend on the definition of salvation. However, it would surely become possible to fend off the menace closing in on us at this very moment. Per my original aim, with a long enough reprieve, we can refine our countermeasures as well." Echidna's reply was not to put her mind at ease. The Witch did not deal in optimistic assessments or sugarcoating of any kind. If Echidna declared she could do it, she could make it a reality. In other words, Ryuzu could repay the favor shown to her at the cost of her own life. "...When can you begin?" " We can begin right away. A facility has been prepared to accept the core. What remains is the purification of the magic crystal that will become the catalyst and readying the ritual linked to the blood of the residents gathered at the Cathedral. The problem is buying time against the menace..." "That...is my duty. Isn't that right, Teacher? I shall strive to give everything until my dying breath... Ryuzu." Concealing the grief deep within his eyes, Roswaal turned toward Ryuzu. There was no hint of frailty in the youth's expression only respect for Ryuzu, whose resolve was as firm as his own. "I am sorry. I lack the power to save Teacher all on my own." "Not at all. To me, Master Roswaal, you, too, are my benefactor, granting me time I would not replace for anything. I am grateful for this. There is nothing to resent you for whatsoever." Placing a hand over her meager breasts, Ryuzu slowly shook her head side to side. Roswaal exhaled at her reply, whereupon he shifted his gaze toward Echidna. "I will depart immediately. Teacher, take care of preparing the barrier...and please summon Beatrice back." "...Would it not be better if Beatrice does not know?" "If you do not call Beatrice now, that girl will resent you and me both for the rest of her life... Albeit, perhaps it will be so even if you do summon her." "I see... Understood. I shall call her shortly." Seeing Echidna nod, Roswaal headed toward the entrance to the cabin. Midway, he placed a hand on Ryuzu's shoulder, putting substantial strength into it for only a moment. The trembling of his fingers was more proof than anything that Roswaal would miss Ryuzu's presence. "...Lady Beatrice." Closing her eyes, Ryuzu murmured the name of a little girl. As Ryuzu thought of that obstinate girl who was not present, her heart ached terribly. 8 Once more, the scene flipped upside down. "Ga, hu...!" With an anguished cry, the young man coughed up a clump of blood as he flew parallel to the ground. The sight of him ferociously kicking up a cloud of dust as he rolled made Ryuzu unable to do anything but gape, forgetting even to breathe. Overwhelming. It was truly an overwhelming spectacle. At the young age of sixteen, he wielded the six colors of magic, attaining the excellence of what was essentially the highest sorcery mankind was capable of reaching. He had gained a Witch as a teacher, yet he had not lost his drive to improve further still. He was a true genius there was no more suitable word in that world than genius to describe Roswaal A. Mathers. It was this Roswaal who lay upon the ground, out of breath and spewing bloody froth. Could one call such a spectacle anything but a nightmare? Was there any option but to be aghast? "...You still want more?" Gloomily, a languid-seeming man peered down at Roswaal as he spoke those words. His age was twenty, more or less. His hair, colored a charred brown, was tied in the back, and the unhealthy-looking bags under his eyes were those of a sickly individual. The color of his face was poor, and his posture was crooked. He gave off the impression of one wholly divorced from the word vitality, seeming so lethargic that he barely managed to put on clothes and walk around. However, that outfit was the only thing striking and eccentric about him. He was clad in clothing reminiscent of a jester's, yet his posture contained not even the slightest shred of cheer. As the man walked forward, he kicked Roswaal as if amusing himself with a pebble, blood spattering up as Roswaal was sent flying in agony. "Gahhh! Guhhh! Goah...!" "Shut up. You're annoying me. Depressing. Irritating. Pathetic. Dismal." Seemingly grumbling to himself, the man murmured, apparently without any intention of actually speaking to others. However, with each word, each step, the damage to Roswaal's flesh increased. His bones creaked, his flesh exploded, and Roswaal's body crumpled, seemingly being crushed by the air as bloody tears spilled out from him. "Well done. Very well done. You've tried very hard. You didn't beat me, but you tried very, very hard. The fact that you tried so hard is good, right? ...It's useless to

try anymore, you know." "What nonsense are you...? If I do not stop you here...gu, ah! Aaaaagh!!" "That stuff weighs down your spirit the most. It makes your chest go bad. Makes your mood all gloomy." When Roswaal would not obey his words to give in, the man bent a knee with an attitude of disgust. Letting out a sigh, seemingly in a dismal mood, the man poked a finger against Roswaal's chest. The next moment, Roswaal let up a scream as his limbs crumpled and twisted, his blood and flesh ruined. "I really hate this. It really gets me down. Me doing twisted stuff like this is really the worst. It's dismal. It's lame. It's disheartening. It's dreary. It's withering. It's the worst. Worst of the worst of the worst so depressing." "Ah " As Roswaal listened to those melancholic words that seemed to seep into his heart, the final murmured word seemed to land a decisive blow. Unable to withstand the additional pressure, Roswaal's torso was "crushed." He coughed up a great quantity of blood, enough to convince anyone his torso had been pulped right at its center, his internal organs pushed up through his mouth. The whites of his eyes were bared, his limbs convulsed, and Roswaal fell silent. "Ahhh, ahhh, aaah, what. What, what. What's with thiiiis. I really hate this, my chest feels bad. My mood's sinking. My head's heavy. It's depressing. Depressing, depressing, depressingdepressingdepressingdepressing " As Roswaal sank into a sea of blood, not moving a muscle, the man continued to vent gloomily. Roswaal's grand demise and the unorthodox man who had inflicted it unable to do anything but watch the scene to its conclusion, Ryuzu, who had forgotten even to breathe, belatedly remembered how to do so at that late moment "Ahhh...? My heart is heavy, but it seems like there's someone over there?" *** The instant a slight bit of air passed into her lungs, the man's attention turned in her direction. That fact left Ryuzu astonished. Ryuzu had been peeking at the battle from a cabin some distance away. The man had noticed her from her gaze through a gap in the crude wall and the slightest of breaths she had taken. "Hey, you know, I'm noooot doin' all this 'cause I want to. Taking lives pains my heart. Hearing shrieks ruins my mood. Being cursed by other people means a dreary life... Would you save me some time?" "Eep." "...Depressing." With Ryuzu unable to move, unable to speak, the man turned a palm toward the cabin where she was frozen in place. She did not understand the principles behind it, but Ryuzu took this as the man serving her a death sentence. Roswaal had been crushed by some kind of incomprehensible power. And now Ryuzu's body would be contorted by this same "Al...goaaaaa!!" There came a roar that literally spat flecks of blood as it summoned explosive flames, dyeing the world crimson. An enormous amount of heat emerged from the fallen Roswaal's raised hand. The mysterious man was assaulted by flames that seemed intent on reducing him to ashes. This was scarlet hellfire spawned from a plane of scorching heat. The tall, thin man, a menace beyond human comprehension, was suddenly assaulted from behind, his very soul burned to a "Breaking a sweat is so depressing." Murmuring melancholically, the man pounded the hellish flames into the ground before they arrived. The incandescent red sphere should have scorched the man to ash, searing him out of the world altogether. Yet, it had failed to singe even a single strand of the man's hair, turning into a tiny red clump that tumbled onto the ground. "I'm rather surprised that you haven't vanished yet. Having to use my power is so depressing, I just want to die." When the grumbling man clenched his upraised hand, the gesture caused the sphere that had fallen to the ground to burst apart. The sound of scalding heat scorching the air echoed but once then it dissipated, its mana completely exhausted. It was magic that Roswaal, on death's door, had cast with the whole of his body and spirit, hoping for a miraculous turnaround. He'd wrung his dying breaths, and all he'd accomplished was making the strange man break a sweat. The only matter that remained was whose death Roswaal's or Ryuzu's would precede the other's by a few scant seconds. "Damn you, Devil of Melancholy !" "What a terrible nickname. It dampens my spirits. Do you think I ended up this way by choice, hmm?" "Even if your life has been twisted or corrupted somehow...you became your current self through the choices you made, no matter how limited they were. Don't try to pass yourself off as a victim...Devil of Melancholy, Hector!" "A sound argument. My ears hurt. It makes me feel bad. Hmm. Truly, I do not get along well with you. That's why " Cutting off his own words, the man Hector turned his palm toward Roswaal. " Rgh, ghh!" "Your bones are clattering. Your internal organs are squishing. Your heart's cracking. What are you gonna do now, hmm?" The instant Hector spoke in a low voice, an anguished cry resounded. It was the cry of Roswaal's impending death. This time, Roswaal truly ceased to move. Hector paid him but a glance before languidly turning back around. He looked toward the cabin Ryuzu was in and without warning, it was crushed under the strain. " Uuugh, aah?!" She was not able to endure it for even a single second. She was smashed from above by a force that was far greater than her own mass. By some miracle, she fell forward as she collapsed to the floor; had her posture been even slightly different, her joints would have surely been bent backward and snapped. However, that miracle achieved nothing beyond mitigating some of the agony prior to her death. "If she isn't resisting, she's not Echidna. And if she's not Echidna, who cares about her, hmm?" " Wha?" Her entire body enveloped by some inescapable strain, she felt as if she were being crushed by the air. Right after she thought Hector's distant voice would be the last thing she knew in this world, that strain suddenly vanished. Her breaths were ragged. Her face was marred by tears and drool. Ryuzu wheezed as she lifted up her face. "Given the situation, it is most difficult to say I've arrived on time." There, behind the collapsed cabin, stood a white-haired Witch. Somehow, someway, the Witch had caused the summoned force to vanish. The sight of this made Hector raise his eyebrows. "...No, you came just in time. Your apprentice slowed me down, gallantly delaying me as a result, you see. Thanks to that, not a single thing has gone according to schedule. It dampens my mood. Really, it does." "That style of speech... You have not changed at all. You're exactly the same as you were when we parted ways." "Your manner of talking is the same as always, too. How did you end up with such an uncute way of speaking, I wonder? Even though you were so cute back then..." Echidna removed her gaze from the lamenting Hector, looking at Roswaal, who lay motionless, jumbled in a pool of blood. Echidna narrowed her eyes slightly at the sight of her apprentice having fulfilled his duty to the bitter end. "...My chest hurts more than I expected. I cannot remain objective in regards to this result..." "In a case like this, remaining composed and without emotion would be far creepier, would it not? If you want to cry, take at least enough time to do so. I am not that heartless." "You are the very one who harmed him so. How dare you speak such words?" Their exchange was barbed. This pair of apparent acquaintances most certainly did not have a friendly relationship. In contrast to Echidna, who kept her distance, Hector behaved how he normally would. There was no room to doubt Echidna's might, but Hector was also a being who exceeded all bounds of sense. Ryuzu could not even conceive of another getting the better of him in battle. " Just how long are you going to lay there pathetically like that?" "...Eh?" Suddenly seized by the collar, Ryuzu, who had been prone, found herself hauled upward. Surprised by this turn of events, she noticed by her side was a familiar girl, looking down on her with a sour face. "Lady...Beatrice..." "This isn't the time to lay about in a daze. All you are doing here is slowing others down... Would you leave with haste while Mother is buying time for you, I wonder?" "B-but...Master Roswaal and Lady Echidna told me to wait here." "...That Roswaal is now a mess on the floor. Look here, will Betty go with you, I wonder? This is doing as Mother told her the one method through which this situation can be turned around." Unsurprisingly, even Beatrice could not maintain her cool at the sight of Roswaal fallen and the presence of that unfathomable Devil. She was putting excessive strength into her cheeks, her expression one of scolding as she looked toward Ryuzu. Even so, Beatrice was far stronger compared with her, who was able only to shrink and cower. "The preparations are complete. Did Mother inform you of this, I wonder? Even you would fully understand, she said." " I understand." Receiving Echidna's verbal message, Ryuzu's breath caught as she nodded. In contrast, Beatrice did not look like she understood the true meaning of those words, but this was not a place where Ryuzu had the luxury of explaining. Behind the pair, the air grew strained as the excited mana within eagerly transformed into power. Hostilities had already commenced; a battle had begun between supernatural entities beyond the ken of normal human beings. To reel victory in from that battle, which was beyond the realm of human comprehension, they had to leave. "Let us go, Lady Beatrice. Where have the preparations been made?" "...In the forest, at a building that's emitting a disgusting scent. All Mother said to do was to take you there, through the bothersome means of Betty's Passage, I wonder?" Even as her implicit dissatisfaction over this slipshod explanation oozed out of her, Beatrice led Ryuzu away from the battlefield by hand. As Witch confronted Devil, they needed to make it to their destination before they were enveloped by the pair's mutual battle. *** One final time, Ryuzu bowed her head toward Echidna's back. The Witch paid no heed to Ryuzu. But she had to do it anyway. After all, no opportunity to exchange words with her, or to convey her thanks, would ever come again. 9 The crystal was blue, transparent, and so beautiful that it made Ryuzu tremble. "Do not become so charmed that you touch it by accident. Would you become part of the crystal, I wonder?" Beatrice was warning Ryuzu not to be so enraptured, so enthralled by the crystal that she would do something rash. The magic crystal held such magical energy as to ensnare the mind, enough to instill one with the desire to do something that would be considered rash. Coming back to her senses, Ryuzu hurriedly went "I'm sorry!" and bowed her head. To be entranced by a magic crystal at a time like this... "It contains such a great amount of mana that it is no wonder for you to be intoxicated by it... Now, what do we do from here? All I heard from Mother was to bring you here." "Even so, Lady Beatrice, you faithfully did as Lady Echidna told you." "Is that not par for the course, I wonder? To Betty, Mother is absolute... You and the residents here are blessed to have her. Once we safely resolve all this, will you work diligently to repay her, I wonder?" Beatrice responded to Ryuzu's words with a snort and what came off as a rather haughty attitude. Ryuzu looked back fondly upon the time she took such statements at

face value, rendering her deeply apologetic. Albeit, by that time, she understood this was a form of the girl's difficult-to-discern gentleness and an expression of her deep affection. It would have been so wonderful to continue spending time with Beatrice like that. " Right now, you are smiling with a rather disconcerting look on your face." The sharp-eyed-as-ever Beatrice pointed out the deeply sentimental face Ryuzu had shown her. But Beatrice had known Ryuzu long enough to recognize that this differed from her usual smile. The instant Ryuzu realized this, tears filled the corners of her eyes. "I I am very sorry...! I have a little dust in my eyes..." " Worry not. Do you not realize that even Betty understands you would be anxious in such a situation, I wonder? You really should keep quiet and stay right here." Showing concern for the tearful Ryuzu, Beatrice shifted her attention beyond the facility, toward where Echidna and Roswaal had been left behind. Then she nodded to Ryuzu several times over. "Once Betty takes Mother's side, will all be as it was, I wonder? That jerk Roswaal is on the brink of death, so I must save him quickly as well. Then after tomorrow, once more, we can..." At a slightly rapid pace, Beatrice presented Ryuzu with a list of all the reassuring things she could think of. For but a single moment, this honest display of sympathy took Ryuzu aback in a way that was very out of place. Immediately, the inside of her chest ran hot. Her words had provided strength. In that moment, Ryuzu was proud of Beatrice for that. That was why "Lady Beatrice, thank you for looking after me for such a terribly great length of time This is farewell." she rejected that solace, deciding to step barefoot toward an ordeal of thorns. " Eh?" Beatrice's voice was weak as she blinked, not understanding. Ryuzu looked back as Beatrice stared straight at her in astonishment. Hesitation and pain were welling in Beatrice's round eyes. But Ryuzu, knowing the girl's kindness, did not falter. Up until that point, Ryuzu had immediately apologized for whatever might have displeased Beatrice. But this time alone, she absolutely could not. "What do you mean, farewell...? Do you mean you're running away?" "No, you are mistaken. If I ran away, I might hope to be reunited with Lady Beatrice again someday. However, this is farewell for life... I shall never be able to speak to Lady Beatrice again." Tightly pursing her lips, Beatrice gazed deeply into Ryuzu's eyes in search of her true intentions. This was the first time Beatrice had allowed Ryuzu to see her so desperate. Ryuzu quietly chose her words. She chose them from among all the words within her, for this was the single most important moment of her life. "This facility...was designed to deploy a barrier over the forest. Eventually, I was meant to become the core of that barrier...but now, there is insufficient time for the original plan." "Time for the barrier...and that man is in the way? Then we need to..." "He cannot be beaten merely through fighting. That conclusion was the reason for creating the Sanctuary in the first place. I imagine the reason Master Roswaal was so devoted was because he understood that if he was not, Lady Echidna could not be saved." That was how overwhelming a being the Devil of Melancholy was. Not even Ryuzu understood what effect activating the barrier might have against that Devil. But it was the one and only firm promise Echidna had ever made to Ryuzu. "If the barrier is activated, this place will become a Sanctuary. It will be protected. Lady Echidna promised this to me... Therefore, I will offer up my body for its sake." "A-are you not speaking stupidity, I wonder?! Offering up your body... What are you saying you can do?! You know nothing of magic! You know...aaa..." With a loud voice and a rapid mouth, Beatrice closed the distance to Ryuzu. But in the middle of her own words, the clever girl arrived at the answer to the question that came from her own lips. Aghast, Beatrice looked up at the blue magic crystal right beside them. "With this crystal as the catalyst, you would make your Odo the core of the barrier...? If you do that, you can overwrite the mana of the soil without any delay in time and make this forest a Sanctuary..." "Yes. That is what Lady Echidna said." That was the conclusion Echidna and Roswaal had agreed upon prior to the Devil launching his assault. Beatrice stood still, already at a loss for words. She had transported the magic crystal herself. And she knew full well Ryuzu's suitability to serve as the core of the Sanctuary " By your reaction, you have guaranteed this is how it will turn out as well, Lady Beatrice." "You are wro...! Betty... Betty had no such intention..." Voice trembling, Beatrice lifted her face as if she'd been slapped, unable to mend her composure. "I did not do that with Mother with the intention of... Wait, no, will you wait, I wonder? Wait. C-can Betty make a personal appeal to Mother, I wonder? Mother is soft on Betty; she will surely listen..." "There is no time for that. A decision is required this very instant." "Then Betty has decided to go to Mother's aid this very instant! If Mother and Betty are together, will someone like that go down in one hit, I wonder?! Betty will heal Roswaal swiftly, too, and then..." Beatrice shook her head in denial, but her words trailed off at the end. She herself knew more than anyone how unconvincing her agonized declaration sounded. Beatrice was incredible. Ryuzu respected her from the bottom of her heart. Ryuzu had always been watching her. She knew that the girl adored her mother, that her quarreling relationship with Roswaal was like one between siblings, and that she nonchalantly sent a great deal of attention Ryuzu's way. She studied magic with the utmost earnestness, undaunted despite all Roswaal's teasing. She loved her mother, Echidna, so much, and the smile she let Ryuzu see from time to time was adorable. " If Betty uses Passage so that everyone escapes from here, all will be well." *** "Right? Shall I do so, I wonder? Such a crowd is troublesome for Betty, but Betty can make do. Pick up Roswaal when there is an opening, bring Mother along, too... Hey, and then !" "And after fleeing in that manner, live in fear of that man pursuing us again? Thanks to Lady Echidna and Master Roswaal, we have finally obtained a place of peace... If we abandon this, I can't help but wonder how long will it take to build a new Sanctuary?" When Beatrice desperately tried to wring out a substitute plan, Ryuzu responded with words that were gentle but harsh. When she saw a hurt look spread across the girl's face, a bitter sentiment ran through Ryuzu's chest as well. Beatrice was simply being kind. Ryuzu was trampling her kindness underfoot as she asserted her own opinion. She was betraying all the things they had done together, all the feelings they shared together, day after day. How cruel, how selfish, how ungrateful an act was this? "Lady Beatrice. I love this place. I truly believe it was wonderful to have been allowed to live here. I love very much the smiling faces of everyone who lives here. This place must not be lost." *** "I have had my fill of warm memories. I, an unwanted, taboo child, was taken in and given happiness that I did nothing to deserve... Therefore, I am satisfied." "Can that even be possible, I wonder...? N-no matter what you think of it, the true meaning of this place was never for your sakes...!" "Yes. I understand." Interrupting Beatrice's words, Ryuzu nodded deeply, for that was something she already knew. She understood the true purpose of the Sanctuary. "This place is a place for Lady Echidna to deal with the man who pursues her." Of course, even she understood that Echidna and Roswaal had not searched for her and others of mixed blood out of the goodness of their hearts...even though it had nonetheless granted them a new homeland and a new hope. "Right now, I understand this is what this place, what I am for." "Then...if you understand, then why ...?" Unable to comprehend, Beatrice weakly shook her head side to side. Faced with Beatrice's imploring gaze, Ryuzu made a bright, cheerful smile. "It is fine. Perhaps that was how this place began, but all the time we have spent here surely changed things. Living here, being able to speak with Lady Beatrice, being with everyone...these are all choices that I made." Until she had arrived at the Sanctuary, she had lived a life without ever having decided anything for herself. Cruelly treated as a half-demon by the world, Ryuzu had gone through innumerable bitter experiences despite her young age. However, this place was different. Here, for the first time, Ryuzu had chosen how to live her life. The gracious encounters she had experienced, the days she had spent resolved to make new friends they were all decisions she had made herself. So, too, was getting as close as possible to the girl clutching her book and trying to be just like her. So, too, was learning from that girl to better the imitation, tracing out a future where she would ask the girl to teach her even more things. "I am not losing anything. I carry everything right here with me." Even if she would never see the future she'd planned out, Ryuzu still treasured its happiness, its warmth. "I have lived happily here. That is why I must go. I will protect that happiness. Lady Beatrice, I thank you very much for the compassion you have shown me many times over and many times today." Far away, roars from beyond the building echoed. The ground trembled, an aftershock of the battle between superhuman beings shaking the very atmosphere itself. The change was gradual, but the roars were without question drawing nearer, as if fate itself was demanding that the pair come to a true decision. For a single moment, Ryuzu closed her eyes. She deftly concealed the faint unease within her. Directly in front of her, Beatrice put her head to work, desperately searching for words...for the magic words that would make Ryuzu's will yield, Ryuzu's feelings waver, and make Ryuzu go back on her view. Such convenient magic existed nowhere in the world. "Lady Beatrice." When her name was called, Beatrice lifted her face, seemingly clinging to the faintest of hopes. She anticipated Ryuzu herself weaving the magic words that had not come to Beatrice herself. But "Make sure you do not eat too many sweets." in place of magic words, Ryuzu made a final request to Beatrice. After all, when they had tea together, Beatrice was a girl who simply could not keep her hands off the sweets. She was too cute to have it go to waste by getting fat. Ryuzu wanted her teeth to stay pretty, too. Not that Beatrice let others see it much, but when she smiled, she was truly an adorable girl. Turning back, Ryuzu looked at the deep, glimmering, seemingly bewitching magic crystal. All she had to do...was to touch it. Surely, there would be neither pain nor suffering. Though she resigned herself to her end, she did not know how it would come. Ryuzu thought she was pathetic for finding that just a tiny bit scary. When she was swallowed up by that light, she could make the Sanctuary real. *** Abruptly, she felt a tug on her sleeve. When she looked back, she saw that it was Beatrice there. With a face Ryuzu was seeing for the first time, she was grasping Ryuzu's sleeve with unsteady fingertips. Even Beatrice probably didn't understand why she

wanted to hold her back. But even without an explanation, Ryuzu saw the earnestness residing in Beatrice's round eyes. "I I...promised to...teach you how to read..." The fact that at the very, very end, the future traced in both their thoughts was one and the same gave Ryuzu's courage the final push it needed. Gently, Ryuzu removed Beatrice's fingers from her sleeve. At the end, with their touching fingertips conveying each other's warmth, Ryuzu smiled like a flower in bloom. She was afraid of nothing Beatrice had blown all trace of it away. "Thank you Good-bye, Betty." Having shared her affection with the one she had loved most in her life, Ryuzu's consciousness was enveloped by blue light. 10 " These are all the memories of Ryuzu Meyer that I saw within the tomb." Shima bowed her head deeply, concluding what was a brief, but seemingly lengthy, tale of the past. Subaru and the others, listening to the end with rapt faces, had no comments about Shima's gesture. She must have endured anguish for many long years over what she had spoken about: the origin of the Sanctuary and the weight of the hidden truth about Ryuzu Meyer, the girl who was her ancestor. "The memories end there. I have no way of knowing what happened thereafter. But from the fact that the Sanctuary continues to exist, Ryuzu Meyer's decision does not seem to have been in vain." "However, this is...far too different from the existence of the Sanctuary as I know it..." Most shaken of all of them was Ryuzu, who had been born in the same way as Shima. Occupying the same position, yet unaware of what knowledge her kin had kept locked away, the shock she felt from learning the truth was incalculable. Though not on the same level as her, Subaru could not help but be surprised by the truth, either. "Young Su and others know where the magic crystal as well as Ryuzu Meyer ended up." "Yeah, it's right there in the replication facility... But the purpose of the facility, including the crystal, is completely different from what I'd heard. Echidna didn't say one word about the barrier, either..." During his encounters with Echidna in her castle of dreams, she had never broached the purpose of the barrier. Once, Echidna had falsely claimed that the Trial was unrelated to her, but his view had made an about-face. To avoid being caught by any more lies, Subaru decided that for investigating the Sanctuary's creation and the nature of the barrier, he would check not with Echidna but instead with "Where did Shima...or rather, the Ryuzus hear about Echidna's objective?" Echidna's objective was immortality by transferring her memory to one of the replicas, she could establish a false eternal life. Then some kind of failure had occurred; only the construction of the replicas and would-be vessels remained, and even to the present day, their numbers continued to increase. That had been the story. "I... We are the initial replicas assigned the duty of administrator. Intelligence...and the objective...were in our heads from the beginning. That is why we never once thought to question..." "At first, I swallowed that hook, line and sinker myself. As a result, my thoughts and actions lost their normal functionality, and thus, I was removed from the Ryuzus' duty of administrator." Shima nodded to the bewildered Ryuzu, having overcome that very same shock some ten years prior. It was clear Ryuzu had not taken it all in yet. However, Shima had no time. They could not afford to wait for Ryuzu to regain her bearings. "I'm sorry, Ryuzu, but let's move the conversation forward. I'm not surprised that Echidna hid her real goal. That's very normal of her. So about that hidden objective..." "Mr. Natsuki, this has been on my mind from time to time, but you speak most recklessly about Witches, don't you...?" "That's because I have a grudge against 'em. So who is this Melancholy who came out in the story?" Subaru pressed about the term Melancholy, which had played such a prominent, conspicuous role. If it was just something Subaru didn't know out of ignorance, just like the seven Witches bearing the names of the Seven Deadly Sins, then fine. But if not "This is the first time Ram has heard of this Melancholy as well. Even concerning the Witch of Greed, I know little but the name... However, I have not heard a single thing of this Melancholy." "I dunno of it, either... If it ain't Granny Shi gettin' senile, what gives?" Faced with Subaru's question, Ram and Garfiel respectively shook their heads side to side. When Subaru looked, Otto was also shrugging, wholly at a loss, his state of confusion over the circumstances only deepening. But Subaru had a single idea that came to mind, though it was not one he particularly wanted to believe. "The Seven Deadly Sins are Pride, Jealousy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust...but I've heard that in the past, it was different, and there were other Deadly Sins included with the ones currently recognized." "Where did you...? I suppose it is futile to ask... So what were these other Deadly Sins?" "I'm...pretty sure they were Melancholy and Vanity, I think." Stripped out of the Seven Deadly Sins, Melancholy and Vanity could be called the "old" Deadly Sins. If this was related to the Melancholy that was connected to the Sanctuary's past, then a Vanity might also exist. "However, this is not only vexing but a terrible thing indeed." At that point, no one present had any room to doubt Subaru's information, which came from uncertain origins. "Is that not so?" said Otto, at the top of the list of believers, surveying the various faces of those present. "Just by existing, the Witches of the Seven Deadly Sins left their mark upon history. And yet, there are Deadly Sins unrecorded in history? Furthermore, just from hearing of them, they seem to be brutal beings indeed. Something is definitely strange." "In the first place, even the purpose behind the Sanctuary's creation was hidden from Lady Ryuzu. In other words, the existence of Melancholy was deliberately erased. We do not know for what purpose, but..." "Having people with good heads on their shoulders really speeds up the conversation..." Sighing in admiration at the speed of Otto's and Ram's respective thought processes, Subaru then looked at Shima. From the group's conclusion and everything Subaru knew based on the current state of the Sanctuary, the story of what had occurred in the Sanctuary was " The whole thing is fake. The duty assigned to Ryuzu, the process to give birth to replicas it was all camouflage to cover up the countermeasures Echidna made to deal with Melancholy, huh?" " It would seem that Melancholy's existence was something she had to go through such lengths to conceal." " ! Granny!" Subaru announced his final conclusion and when Ram agreed, Ryuzu blanched and wobbled. Instantly, Garfiel supported her by her shoulders, gently sitting his grandmother down on the tomb's stone steps. "Sorry, poor way to say it. But I'm not sure how I should put it..." "No, it is fine. I have come to the same conclusion as you, Young Su... I am merely a little tired." Lowering her eyes, Ryuzu spoke in a heavy voice. One could hardly blame her. Nor was there any reason to make her push herself. The duty she had continued believing in for her entire lifetime had been exposed as a complete fraud. Neither Subaru nor anyone else could imagine how bitter it was to know that. "Do you think it was all futile, Lady Ryuzu?" "Ram...?" Amid that silence, Ram tossed her voice toward Ryuzu as the latter hung her head. Ram crossed her arms, glancing at Garfiel, who was right beside Ryuzu, with her usual penetrating gaze. "I am guessing you feel dejected from knowing that the duty you long believed in was a false one. However, Lady Ryuzu, was the time you spent in the Sanctuary that of duty alone?" *** "No matter how it may have begun, surely, it was not duty alone that spurred you on. At the very least, that's how it was for Ram." It was a barbed way to console someone and a scolding way to be soft. It was very in character for Ram. Ryuzu's lips trembled slightly as she digested those words. Then she used her slender hand to grip Garfiel's. Without a word, Garfiel held her hand in return. That was plenty. It was just as Ram had said. However it may have begun, false that it might have been, that did not need taint everything that happened thereafter. Ryuzu had firmly taken those words to heart. And the more he thought about it, the more Subaru felt emotions of painful longing claw at his chest. " Beatrice lost a friend, didn't she?" Because Ryuzu Meyer was so timid and Beatrice was so obstinate, neither had made plain the friendship the pair felt for each other until the absolute, final moment. The tender love Ryuzu Meyer had left behind when she was enveloped by the magic crystal had probably eaten away at Beatrice's heart like a curse, continuing to throb with the pain of a wound that would not heal. He finally understood why Beatrice had rejected Subaru and why it was her true and honest wish to be allowed to die. The wound in Beatrice's heart from having lost her one and only friend had remained a scar ever since. The hope she had clung to afterward, of meeting That Person just as her mother had commanded, had gone unfulfilled, and time had worn away her soul. The four hundred years Beatrice had spent was a blank, with her empty hand still extended toward what she had lost. "...Ryuzu, has Beatrice ever met you or the others?" "No, she has not. Lady Beatrice has not set foot upon this land ever since we replicas have been born. I, too, have always wondered: Is she not someone we should meet?" So spoke Shima, acting as a representative for the replicas. Subaru partially concurred with her opinion. In the end, replicas were different from the original, and even if Beatrice met Ryuzu and the others, it would not be a reunion with Ryuzu Meyer. Her wound would only widen. But. "That was Ryuzu Meyer's final wish, right? That this place would become a Sanctuary, where everyone can smile...and she wanted Beatrice to be part of that." "I suppose so. That was not what happened, but..." "Certainly, four hundred years is a bit overdue...but it's not too late, either." Beatrice's wound hadn't healed because for her, time had remained stopped. No matter how small the wound, it would not heal if time did not advance. That was why " This time, I'll smash her stopped time apart." Subaru clenched his fist, thrusting it out as he spoke with firm resolve. A fire had been lit inside his chest. In the back of his eyes, he saw the light. Ahead of his arm was a girl he wanted to reach. "...I have been ever fearful that lifting the barrier might trample upon the wishes of our ancestor Ryuzu Meyer." Hearing Subaru's declaration, Shima slowly shook her head as she spoke. The sway of her long light-pink hair came off to him as a tangible display of the unease inside her. "With the passage of time, eras change as well. There was a time when our brethren, once called Cursebloods, were driven to this place...but those of mixed blood have been treated better of late. I was deceiving myself, using my ancestor's wish as an excuse." "...I understand why you're worried. This isn't completely separate from the issue of blood, but there's still discrimination based on outside appearance here and there. Even if you go outside the forest, you might have some bitter experiences. But." Arising in the back of Subaru's mind was the sight of the royal

selection candidates assembled in the palace. In that court, Emilia had put her own will into words, facing and enduring the malice directed toward her head-on. Her ideals had begun to blaze a path to the world Ryuzu Meyer wished for. At the very least, that was what Subaru believed. And he believed Emilia would succeed. "When Emilia brings that about, the finished Sanctuary will begin again. When everything is set right, anyone will be able to call the whole world a Sanctuary." Emilia would spare no effort for that sake. He couldn't speak firmly for all the other candidates, but he figured at least half of them were the sort of people to work for the greater good. It was Subaru's role to support her from close by until someday, her ideals were extolled far and wide. "A fantastic tale that is comfortable to the ear... They are fine-sounding words and nothing more." "But me, I'm all in!" When Shima loosened her lips, making that listless murmur, Garfiel vigorously pounded his chest. Smiling with a show of his sharp fangs, Garfiel nodded to Subaru, his face clear of all doubt. "Don't let it end with just words, General... Even if ya have to give the Princess...Lady Emilia a good kick in the butt!" "I won't treat Emilia-tan's cute butt roughly like that. But I get you." Shima seemed dazzled by the enthusiastic exchange between Garfiel and Subaru. "The whole world beyond this Sanctuary...will become a Sanctuary itself, you say?" "When that time comes, it'll be a crying shame to stay cooped up in here. As for the people giving off those disbelieving looks, you can bet I'll be right there with a smug look on my face telling them I was the first guy on board." "Fu, kuku. I see... No doubt you will." Shima humored Subaru's comedic manner of speaking with a smile. Judging from Shima's expression, it seemed as if she had set down a heavy, long-carried burden no, that was indeed fact. She had finally laid it to rest. And in setting down the heavy burden she had always carried alone, she could begin walking forward anew. "Looks like we'll all be walking side by side going forward... Er, Shima?" "...Oh, I have hit my operating time limit, nothing more. I've worked a little too hard for someone my age." Wobbly, Shima made a flippant reply as Ram supported her frail frame. From Shima's words and the sleepy way she hung her head, Subaru could tell she had certainly reached her limits. She'd reached the limit of a replica, relying on a faint supply of mana and being able to be active only at certain times. Talk of the past was over. They would let Shima sleep, her duty fulfilled. The rest had been entrusted to Subaru and the others. "Sorry to push you so much. But you told us the things I wanted to ask and more. Thank you." " It's in your hands, Young Su." When Subaru thanked her, Shima offered only a vague reply. After that, she placed her weight on Ram as her consciousness gently let go. The next time she would awaken was likely the next day, after everything had been decided. "Yeah, those hopes from four hundred years ago are in my hands now... And they're really heavy..." They were not something he could entrust to another and of course not something he could drop at his feet. He carried them in both arms, and if even that was insufficient, he'd beg and borrow other people's hands. "Either way, I want to let Shima rest... Ram, can I leave this to you?" "Garf's run-down shack...or rather, Lady Shima's hideaway is closest." "Hey, if you're headed there, then I can go with..." "Ahhh, please wait. Garfiel, it is too soon for you to push yourself. If you wish for Miss Ram to have an escort, let us ask Miss Ryuzu to do so." "Ahnnn?" As Ram embraced Shima, Garfiel tried to volunteer his assistance when Otto stopped him. That action made Garfiel growl, but Ram went, "I suppose so," casually agreeing. "If crude, rude Garf comes and interferes with Lady Shima's rest, we would be putting the cart before the dragon. I would have a guilty conscience if I left insensitive, inconsiderate men at her side instead of Lady Ryuzu." "Yes, preci... Huh?! When you said men just now, did you include me as well?!" Ignoring Otto's shout of disagreement, Ram took Shima and Ryuzu with her and left. As these three people with similarly colored hair departed, Otto went, "Hmm," cocking his head pensively. "I imagine it is likely that Ram still suspects us." "Well, Ram's intuition is real sharp, so it's completely possible. But the fact that she let us go means...no, the fact that she cooperated with us in the first place means she's on our side, I'm pretty sure?" Nodding deeply at Otto's comment, Subaru bowed his head toward Ram's already vanished back. He couldn't hold a candle to her. "Hey, don't go leavin' me in the dark! What gives? Explain already. If ya let stuff like this go, it's just like Morglello's Ten and One, damn it!" It was there that Garfiel, completely unable to keep up with the conversation, howled in a loud voice. "About that," said Subaru to the angry Garfiel, "you getting ticked off puts us in a bind, which is exactly why I wanted to keep that wild card Ram out of this. It doesn't feel like that meant all that much, though... She's probably hiding how run-down she is, too." "Keep Ram out of this? Hey now, I still don't understand what the heck you're talkin' about..." " From this point, we shall be intruding upon Marquis Mathers's abode, you see. With Garfiel's two hands, and two people who are deadweight, I am sure we can manage somehow." As Garfiel fell silent while struggling to decide how he should react, Otto winked at him. Glancing toward the pair, Subaru kept thinking about the tomb and Emilia's Trial. "Really gotta get back here before Emilia-tan comes all chest out and proud..." CHAPTER 3 *** 1 The tale now returns to the forest of a hundred years past, the time of the Trial that was being visited by a single girl. "I am a member of the Witch Cult, the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins who has been entrusted with Greed Regulus Corneas." The way the boy introduced himself with a laugh was the quintessence of an anomaly. At a glance, the boy had assumed no discernible stance, instead looking full of openings. His eyes were filled with composure and conceit that would be nonexistent in a wary person. His face projected that he could not even conceive of the slightest harm being done to him. In peaceful times, or if he was inside a formidable fortress, there would be no problem with that whatsoever. However, the boy was an uninvited guest, and right in front of him was Fortuna, her enmity high and a grave look in her eyes. To maintain that posture even under such conditions blew right past composure into the surreal. But the man Regulus was anomalous in having forced others to accept his existence. And Emilia also remembered the title this man bore. "An Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins from the Witch Cult...that's like the people who attacked the mansion and Earlham Village...!" She'd heard that Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins was a title granted to the leaders commanding the Witch Cult the group that had turned its enmity toward Roswaal Manor and Earlham Village, and thus, the trigger for the villagers taking refuge in the Sanctuary. The other thing she'd learned was that one of those Archbishops had been personally after Emilia and that another was a bitter foe responsible for Rem's unnaturally long sleep. "Why is a person like that in this forest...?" " Archbishop Regulus Corneas! Why are you here?!" It was Geuse, standing in the forest of the past, who shouted in a shrill voice the question Emilia also desperately wanted to ask. His expression was grave, as if he were a wholly different person than the one who had shown such benevolent love toward the young Emilia and Fortuna. "I was promised that no one save me would involve themselves with this forest and this incident!" "Promised? That's an arrangement you arbitrarily declared and started with an arbitrary decision, right? Quite a conceited little spirit, aren't you, trying to push that onto other people and make them obey it. There are limits involving other people's wills and thoughts, so would you stop intruding upon my mind and body already?" "That is not an answer! If you do not like the arrangement, then you should have raised the issue at the church! Yet, you showed your face here! To start with, who told you about this pla...?" The angered Geuse and the sour Regulus seemed to be mutual acquaintances of some sort. But there was not a single shred of affection between them, nor did their conversation hold any hope of compromise. However " That is because I instructed him to do so." Abruptly, the gentle, bell-like voice of a woman interrupted the heated exchange. A look of fright appeared in Geuse's eyes, and Fortuna's were filled with anger. Inside her mother's arms, young Emilia's teary eyes became clouded, and Regulus's lips curled into a vile, malevolent smile. And as she viewed the past, Emilia gasped in shock; Echidna merely gaped. Slipping through gaps between the trees of the forest, the sight of a single girl appeared at that place. The girl came to a halt, lining up side by side with Regulus to face off against Emilia and the others. She was a girl with inhuman, terrifying beauty, enough to make those who set eyes upon her unable to stop themselves from trembling. Her long, seemingly transparent platinum hair gave off a soft glow like sunlight personified, creating a waterfall of light that traveled from her slender shoulders down her back. Her eyes, rimmed with long eyelashes, were deep blue, almost like they were trapping the world within. Altogether, her facial features were excessively lovely and seemed like the ideal image of "beauty" harbored by human beings. Her small body seemed so delicate that the thought of carrying her felt precarious. She was clad in but a single sheet of fabric, yet the very idea that anything was permitted to touch her bare flesh seemed unreal. If, truly for instance, it was possible to kill through beauty alone, it was such "beauty" she possessed. "What is the matter, Archbishop Romanée-Conti?" The girl with looks that could kill inclined her head, posing that simple question. Her tone, the casual glance, the mere fact this girl had made time for him these things had the potential to give a normal man such an overwhelming feeling of happiness that it wouldn't be strange if his heart simply stopped. Anyone could understand with one glance this was a dangerous being who could not be allowed to exist in that world. "Why...why are you here...Regulus Corneas?! Why have you brought her?!!" Geuse gritted his teeth, seemingly to reject the difficult-to-resist urges welling up within him. This blood-tinged rejection made Regulus snort with a thoroughly exasperated look on his face. "Are you saying I brought her here? Now, just hold on a minute; I resent people who arbitrarily decide those kinds of things. You know I despise coercing someone more than anything else, right? Her accompanying me is of her own volition. Do you have a grudge against me to make anything and everything my fault?" "Archbishop Corneas, our friend seems confused. Do not be too hard on him." It would not have been strange for such a statement of rebuke to set off Regulus's temper. In spite of this, Regulus respectfully bowed, and the corners of his lips curled in enjoyment. Written or spoken words were no

longer sufficient to describe the abnormality of the vile man. "This is... Is this not too cruel even for you, Lady Pandora...?!" Geuse's voice, nearly out of breath, made the girl break into a thin smile. The girl's charming smile encouraged a feeling of happiness that rivaled all the blessed things in the world. The forbearance of the girl named Pandora, forgiving all that surrounded her, was a boon to the world. She spread her slender hands, as if her dainty arms could embrace anything and everything. "Now, bring the Key and the seal here so that the Witch Cult's greatest desire may be fulfilled at last." "Pandoraaaaaa !!" The girl's gentle declaration overlapped with Fortuna's harsh cry. Shielding young Emilia behind her back, Fortuna howled as she summoned blue lights around her. These bright points transformed into long stakes of ice, in such great numbers that they filled Emilia's vision, their sharp tips aimed toward Pandora. "Oh my." "I'll make it up to Brother by turning you into a pincushion!!" As Pandora casually stood there, Fortuna mercilessly launched a magical barrage at her. The ice stakes, each as thick as an adult's arm, bore down on Pandora with incredible force. The sharp tips impaled the astounded girl's face; fragments of shattered ice daubed the forest white. "With this, you will be no more !!" Furiously contorting her beautiful face, Fortuna cruelly brought the glimmering scene to an emphatic end. The forest sky parted, and a giant mass of ice fell, directly striking Pandora. The cold gravestone smashed into the earth. The spectacle left young Emilia, and the Emilia of the present, unable to make a sound. Even borrowing Puck's power, could Emilia employ magic to rival what her mother had just done? She hadn't intended to underestimate Fortuna, yet her combat ability was far above her expectations, shocking her. But " Now, hold on. Right now, you're not even paying attention to me, are you? Yet, the fact is that despite this, you attempted to involve me in your attack regardless... What's with that? That's trampling on my life, my existence, my rights, and my very humanity, is it not?" They heard deeply resentful lines emanating from within the white haze. The next moment, the fallen glacier broke apart. The sight of Regulus standing leisurely in the middle of that surreal scene of glimmering ice fragments was terrifyingly abnormal. And Pandora, standing behind him unharmed, was similarly disconcerting. Though Regulus lightly brushed off his jacket, not only was he unharmed, but his clothes were not marred in the slightest in spite of the tremendous attack. All Pandora did was fix her hair, askew from the wind. Regulus had likely stepped in front of Pandora to shield her, but the phenomenon was not a matter of defensive ability alone. Emilia couldn't even begin to grasp what had happened. "So that is the Greed of this age. When I consider this encounter is normally impossible, it is deeply interesting indeed." "...Echidna, do you know what happened just now?" Emilia posed the question to Echidna as the latter departed from the shade of the trees, shifting to a location from which it was easier to observe the battle. Echidna lifted the corners of her lips as she frowned at Emilia, who'd moved right beside her like it was the natural thing to do, but she immediately sighed and spoke. "I can hazard a guess, but I am far from certain. I would have liked to observe the situation a little longer before speculating about his Authority...but it would seem the circumstances will not permit it They are on the move." Emilia felt vexed by how authoritatively Echidna seemed on everything they were watching but decided to focus her attention on the past. Fortuna gritted her teeth at her initial attack being fended off. Geuse stretched an arm before her. "Lady Fortuna! Please take Lady Emilia and retreat from this place! At present, we are entirely too powerless against Regulus Corneas!" "No...! Are you telling me to back off with that woman in front of me?!" "Please think of the situation! Who are you protecting right now?!!" "Urk...!" Geuse scolded Fortuna for her aggressive position. His comment made her open her eyes wide; Fortuna remembered that her beloved daughter, right behind her, was clinging to her clothes. "M-Mom..." "Emilia..." As Fortuna picked young Emilia up into her arms, Geuse spoke with a calm voice. "Please withdraw. And immediately seek aid from the settlement. I and the believers who came with me share a common wish. They will surely be of aid to you." "But if we do that, what will become of you?" " Rest at ease. I do not intend to simply stay behind without a plan." Countering Fortuna's morose gaze, Geuse responded with a smile, even while tension oozed from every pore he had. In response to that proudly smiling face, Fortuna closed her eyes tight, as if severing all reluctance asunder. "I will come back to save you I will." With young Emilia in her arms, Fortuna raced into the forest, leaving those words behind. Writhing within her mother's arms, young Emilia desperately shouted toward the fast-receding Geuse. "Geuse !!" That youthful, tender love brought a peaceful smile to Geuse's face as he raised his hand. From there, Emilia receded deeper into the forest, from where she could see Geuse's slender figure no more. In spite of that, the scene, which Emilia surely had no memory of, continued on. This threw her into confusion. "Geuse got separated from us... What's going to happen to the Trial now?!" "Naturally, it will continue. This is a past you did not set eyes upon, but the book of knowledge is working to adjust the course of this replicated world. Considering this is a Trial, however, you should pursue your own self. What will you do?" Replying to Emilia's question, Echidna unexpectedly stated she should go after Fortuna. That option tempted Emilia's heart. Of course, Emilia's objective was to break past the Trial. She had no room to doubt that she should pursue her own past for that sake. However, this was where Geuse had fought so boldly, a battle for which he had put everything on the line so that Fortuna, and moreover, young Emilia could escape. Besides "Heh, you're staying?" "Echidna, from how you spoke just now...it feels like you are saying there isn't a particular reason to do so." *** "Perhaps I'm overthinking this, but it's almost as if you want me to go that way..." " You are free to think as you please. Besides, even as you linger, events are already in motion." Echidna took a step back, putting some distance between them without replying to Emilia's question. This was so that she might occupy a position with a commanding view of the battleground that the space had become. And as Geuse stood still in the battlefield that spread before the Witch's eyes, the fiendish, white-haired man uttered a mocking laugh. "Hmm, putting on a decent show, aren't you? But you know, who are you rejecting in allowing them to escape? Any way you think of it, my business is with them, not you. In other words, your interference is a violation of my actions, of my rights." "Put it however you please, Regulus Corneas. I shall wager my very existence. I will not allow you to advance any farther toward them!" "Don't say that. You might have been one of the founders of the Witch Cult, and you may have your seat because of a few past services you contributed, but if the question of who deserves it more was to come up now, that seat would be mine! Do you think you can beat me if you try hard enough? What kind of head do you have on those shoulders?" "That...I will show you from this moment forward." To Regulus, who was whipping himself into a frenzy with self-serving logic, Geuse gave a simple, quiet reply. "No... Geuse, what are you...?!" Geuse put his hand into his habit. Recognizing that his expression was that of a man resigned to death, Emilia instantly reached a hand out toward the past. But she had no way to interfere with a tale recounting a past already long over. The hand that had once held hers slipped away. Her outstretched hand stood untouched, unable to halt his determination. "Hey, don't tell me that you...!" Geuse had taken out of his habit a small black box. Setting eyes upon that little box, Regulus momentarily knit his brow, but he immediately gazed in astonishment as he realized just what it was. Geuse shot Regulus, all his initial composure fallen away, a look of determination. "Surely, you feel it? After all, this is something you, too, once held in your hands." "I can tell what it is. It is because I can tell that I have no words for the level of your stupidity. Did you convince yourself that this is your trump card? I wonder why you don't get it......given that you are the one who said, who decided, that you aren't qualified to have that!" "Certainly, I lack compatibility. Accordingly, I have always simply carried this on my person, protecting what I was entrusted with. However, doing so was for the sake of a time like this." Unlike the aura of indignation Regulus had borne up to that time, Geuse was composed as he shook his head side to side. It was as if black, stagnant anger and determination like a blue flame were smashing together inside him " Archbishop Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti." Pandora, having not moved a step from her initial location, smiled as she spoke to Geuse. That was his name. Addressed as such, he lifted his head. Pandora spoke gently to Geuse. "I bid you a pleasant journey." They were words of blessing, filled not with malice, not with enmity, not with ulterior motives but with goodwill. That strange dissonance was why Emilia could not stop shuddering from the ring of those words. It was the same for Geuse. With an expression revealing the pain he tasted as Pandora's blessing sliced into his heart like a blade, Geuse opened the black box in his palm There was a wriggling black something within the little box. " Master Flugel. Please forgive me." Speaking this, Geuse pressed that black something against his chest, tiny box and all. Instantly, the mysterious murk scattered as if water had splashed on Geuse's chest, explosively increasing in volume until it enveloped Geuse's entire body. The sight of Geuse seemingly engulfed by a slimy living creature made Emilia raise an incoherent cry. Something was mercilessly blotting out Geuse's very existence. "Fool." For the first time, Regulus spat out but a single, brief word of disparagement. At the tip of his reproachful glare, Geuse raised both arms to the heavens, screaming from his open mouth as something swallowed him whole. It was as if his existence were being clawed away, giving way to agony, delight, and indescribable feelings that were neither. Abruptly and eerily, the sound of out-of-place clapping mixed with that of the scream. "Marvelous." With a murmur of admiration, Pandora's eyes were moist, like those of a maiden in love. Staring at Geuse, gasping as his very existence fell into chaos, she surreptitiously let out a heated, excited breath. "Lady Pandora?" It was not only Emilia and Echidna who found this abnormal. Even Regulus seemed to feel the same. The white-haired young man shot her a questioning look, to which Pandora responded by interrupting her applause, pointing at Geuse. "Archbishop Regulus Corneas." "Yes?" "He's coming." The next moment, Regulus found his body suddenly inverted as he was hurled high into the sky. "Huh ?" It was as if some angry child had grasped a doll by its feet before hurling it with all the force a child could muster. Sent flying, Regulus made it clear on his face he had no idea what had transpired as

he flew past the tops of the trees, instantly reaching a zenith, and from there on, he precipitously fell toward the ground. Cast down as if his feet were still in a child's grasp, there was nothing Regulus could do as he was slammed headfirst into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of smoke. With a roar and a tremor, the ground exploded, and one tree fell after another, caught up in Regulus's point of impact. The man was crushed under the additional impact of the great trees, and silence befell the boisterous forest. " Ah." Emilia lost her voice as she desperately tried to piece back together the string of scenes that had just happened. She hadn't seen any of it. But there was a single thing she did understand. "It is aaaas...I told you." She saw the front of the man in the black habit kneeling on the ground, tears of blood flowing from his eyes. Glaring at the cloud of dust kicked up between the gaps in the trees, that single man raggedly coughing at the victory he had won in exchange for all his resolve rose to his feet, pulling away from the agony of the black something eating away at him. His breaths were shallow, his legs unsteady. However, his soul burned hot from the flames of unyielding determination. "Here lies hope...and the great, unforgettable debt of gratitude I owe to the people of this place..." Mixed with his blood-tinged coughs was a sense of solemn duty that seemed to claw at his mind even as he spoke. Over many years, his feelings must have grown and grown; just how deep they ran, none could see. None save the man himself, who gave himself over completely in service of that wish so that he might not forget what was dearest to him for even a single moment. "Those days, that bond, that wish...these, they gave, granted unto me. No matter how much time passes, I shall forget nothing... That is why, this moment, if I am still fit enough to cough blood..." Tears of blood flowed freely. His blood and flesh were at their limits, and the man heaved up a clump of blood as he stubbornly clung to blessings beyond his reach. His eye sockets were vivid crimson. Drenched in blood, his pupils were unfocused; even as he gazed straight ahead, it was doubtful whether he truly saw the world as it was. "Just what do you see with those scarlet-hued eyes, Archbishop Romanée-Conti?" " Love." It was none other than Pandora, standing at the receiving end of that gaze, who gathered astutely that his crimson eyes were not looking at her. When she paid no heed to this and posed her question, the man replied without hesitation. Ironically, it was an exchange between two people who had been brought to the same place, two people who could absolutely not accept the other's way of thinking. "In this world, at this moment, it is likely me who loves you most." Enraptured, Pandora made her confession with heated breath. Those words made the man close his eyes but once, whereupon the man bared his fangs toward the woman who dared to act like she understood him most in the world. Geuse no, this man's name was Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti. "You will not go after them. You...shall...not...pass!!" 2 Crying tears of blood and having let a black something take up residence inside him, Geuse howled. That ghastly sight combined with the solemn determination beyond anything she'd imagined sent a chill running up Emilia's spine. Though Geuse had absorbed that something mere moments before, he had by no means tamed it. He'd merely allowed it to violate his being from the inside rather than the outside. "Geuse...what ? What have you done? What did you...?" What had he taken inside him? What was the power he had used to bury Regulus with a single blow? It was as if something had happened that she could not see, and yet, Emilia had a feeling of déjà vu nonetheless. Somehow, it resembled the blow with which Subaru had settled his duel with Garfiel. "You have splendidly proven your resolve, Archbishop Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti." However, Emilia's thoughts were interrupted by a bell-like voice. Watching Geuse as he panted and literally coughed up blood, Pandora remained aloof as she voiced her praise. She hadn't even batted an eye at the death of Regulus, who'd stood right at her side; her natural beauty had not been blemished in the slightest. "You, without qualified flesh, have done well to accept the Witch Factor into you. In the name of the Witch of Vanity, I hereby honor your resolve and resolute will by granting thee the seat of Sloth." "Did you think I desiiired such a seat? This moment, I desire but a single thing without a shred of doubt...tranquility for that mother and daughter !!" Thinking of Fortuna and Emilia, who had departed from the battlefield, Geuse poured the blood of his heart and his very life into his resolve to give the pair a chance to escape, thrusting both his arms toward Pandora. "Love. Such a marvelous thing..." "It contains warmth that your falsehoods will never attain!" When Pandora murmured with an expression of ecstasy, Geuse yelled as he turned his thoughts toward offense. The next moment, Emilia could sense an abnormal pressure materializing from thin air, but she could not see anything. Nothing had happened. Nothing could have happened. And yet "The forest is being torn away...?!" A wave of destruction spread, almost as if giant, transparent serpents were writhing all around Petelgeuse. Trees were mowed down, the earth was split, and clumps of dirt, flowers, and grass were scattered all about. In accordance with Geuse's will, this gradually transformed from indiscriminate destruction into destruction of a more targeted kind. The forest's collapse, as if some giant were trampling upon it, thrust forward in a straight line toward Pandora, who was standing still. Accordingly, the destruction would proceed to transform Pandora's little body into a cloud of blood "Now, just a minute." *** "I came here. I am here. What is with this line of thinking, advancing the conversation while ignoring me? I think it's time even someone as generous and unselfish as me should get a little...angry." Just before the invisible blow was to reach Pandora, a white figure intercepted the strike. The next moment, there was an explosion. The air rebounded, and the aftershock seemed to reshape the forest's very topography. In spite of this, the young man bearing the brunt of that might from the front the supposedly dead Regulus made no move to retreat. His body displayed no wounds from events prior or even a single blemish. "You're kidding..." Emilia could force herself to accept the fact that he had shrugged off Fortuna's initial blow without a scratch. If the gap in strength between two fighters was far enough apart, perhaps fending off ferocious, lethal attacks was indeed possible. But Geuse's invisible attack was another matter entirely. Emilia had most certainly seen Regulus being slammed into the ground, unable to do a thing about it Why wasn't he wounded? He wasn't even dirty. Regulus had some kind of trick that kept attacks no, something preventing everyone from affecting him at all. "Regulus Corneas...!!" "How unpleasant. You, the one who refuses to acknowledge the Witch Factor, ignored its cost and forced it into yourself, yes? Is this not showing contempt for we who rightly hold our seats? Does this not wound my tiny yet unshakable self-esteem?" "You may say it is futile, but I !" As Regulus spoke provocatively, his head violently snapped back from some invisible blow. But when Regulus returned his twisted neck to its previous position, once again his face showed no trace of the strike. The vile man merely grimaced in open displeasure, standing defenseless as he continued to be showered by Geuse's attacks. Standing still and unguarded, he made no attempt to defend himself, yet even as his entire body sustained blow after blow, Regulus did not fall. The power Geuse had wagered some undefined thing to obtain was ineffective, yet he showed no sign of being daunted, either. Even if Geuse could not advance, he could slow his opponent down. He continued launching his attacks so as to pin Regulus in place. " This is going nowhere. During this time of stalemate, there seem to be developments where 'you' have gone." The battle consisted of Geuse's valiant onslaught and Regulus's ruthless rebuff as Emilia observed the fighting, Echidna spoke to her from behind. Her emotionless statement made Emilia raise her refined eyebrows and grit her teeth. "Are you telling me to leave this place? Even though Geuse is fighting with everything he's got?!" "There is room for me to argue that the strength of one's feelings bears no effect upon the results, but unfortunately, I have no intention of debating that with you. I have little interest in bullying the weak, and I find your voice extremely unpleasant." "Then why don't you just shut up and watch?! I...!" She wanted to remain in that place and watch over Geuse. *** When she tried to speak those words, Emilia froze, stopped by none other than her own heart. Instantly reaching her hand up, she touched the cracked crystal at her neck. The sensation reminded Emilia of her objective. Emilia had come to challenge the Trial and to come to terms with her regrets about the past. Perhaps this moment was her one and only chance to watch Geuse's battle until its conclusion. But she would be betraying both Subaru, who had seen her off at the tomb's entrance, and Geuse, who was sacrificing everything to let young Emilia and Fortuna escape. There was a past beyond Geuse's valiant struggle, a true past that Emilia had forgotten. " Surely, even your deficient mind can understand which course is wiser." "...I think you were right after all. Let's go after Mom and me. Geuse is..." "This is a battle between two Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins. The scales shall not be so easily tipped. That said, if the remaining person became involved, that would be a different story...but it is inconceivable that she would join in." Emilia had lingering regrets as Geuse's one-sided offensive against Regulus increased in ferocity before her eyes. His tears of blood continued, and blood also flowed out from Geuse's nostrils and the corner of his mouth. The more that something infringed on the inside of his body, the more the force and the accuracy of the invisible destruction rose by leaps and bounds. But in contrast, Regulus's inexplicable defensive might was unwavering. It was a total stalemate. "Haaa..." Then just as Echidna had pointed out, she noticed how enraptured Pandora was while watching the fighting continue; she did not show even a smidgeon of intent to join in the battle. The abnormality of the scene made Emilia feel a shudder. "Echidna?" " . Let us switch locations and go after you and your mother. They were fleeing into the forest, yes?" For a moment, something else seemed to have captured Echidna's attention. However, it was truly momentary. When addressed, her consciousness switched back, and Echidna snapped her fingers right before Emilia's eyes. The next instant, Emilia's vision swam, and the scene shifted. Then, as they were split off from the battlefield of such fierce combat, the first thing that reached Emilia was "No! Mom, no! Please don't leave me!!" Hearing the high-pitched, tearful voice of a child, Emilia reflexively turned around. Right before her, Emilia saw a familiar, great tree and in front of the door that led to the Princess Room, Fortuna was trying to get the sobbing young Emilia to listen to her. "I'm begging you, do as I say, Emilia. It's all right; very soon...yes, very soon, everything will be over, and I'll come back for you. So please, just for a little while, stay here and hide." "No! Absolutely not! Mom, you

have the same face as Geuse! Why do you look like you're not coming back?! Wh-what are you going to...leave me here for...?!?" Using the entirety of her tiny being, Emilia desperately clung to her mother so she wouldn't slip away. Considering that she was a young child, shrugging her off should have been a simple thing. Even so, Fortuna could not bring herself to be callous to her own daughter. The reason why was right there, filling the woman's eyes. Fortuna was Emilia's mother. That was why she could not simply cast aside her tearful daughter's hand. "Don't leave me! Let me go with you! I won't lie anymore! I won't break any more promises!! I'll be a good girl! I'll be a good girl, so...please don't leave me...!" "Emilia... Emilia, Emilia, Emilia...!" Wanting to stay with her mother no matter what it took, Emilia offered up everything she could think of. Her voice made Fortuna spontaneously hold her daughter tight. Had she not done so, Emilia would have seen the state her face was in. Her daughter would have seen her mother sobbing a flood of tears. "Mom..." And so with clear eyes, the Emilia of the present beheld the scene that young Emilia could not. To Emilia, Fortuna was eternally admirable, imposing, strong... Her mother was someone she revered, and she'd believed without a doubt that there was not a single weak bone in her body. She'd never imagined seeing Fortuna this hurt, this stricken by nigh unendurable grief as hot tears flowed freely. Through the prism of the past, her mother's crying tore open Emilia's heart. Though she instantly brought both her hands to her face, she could not stop her own tears. Seeing that scene, witnessing her mother's face from the present, Emilia keenly understood. She had never doubted it, but in that moment, she gained renewed conviction. "Mom...you're my real mother..." It didn't matter any longer who'd actually given birth to her. No matter how much Fortuna had claimed to be nothing but a stand-in for her mother and however much she asked Emilia to not forget her real mother, this would never change. Even though she treasured and respected Fortuna so much, those words alone, she could never accept. "Mom...I love you...!" " Lady Fortuna! And Emilia, too!" Fortuna was still unable to peel Emilia off her when a voice called to her from behind. The voice made Fortuna vigorously wipe her tears away and rise to see who was there. It was Archi, the young man with swaying triple braids. Nervousness rested in his green eyes, but the sight of Fortuna and Emilia together made him say, "I'm so glad," visibly relieved. "Archi! The forest... Is everyone in the settlement safe?!" " . No, I am sad to say. Those who came with Lord Archbishop are engaged in combat with a group of men!" No doubt Archi noticed the traces of Fortuna's tears, but he did not press the issue, prioritizing his report. Hearing the details made Fortuna lower her eyes, which conveyed her worries to Emilia as well. In an attempt to comfort the young girl, Archi reassured her. "Emilia, there is no need to be so afraid. It's all right. Believe in me and everyone in the settlement. Plus your mother is a very strong and scary person." "O-okay..." "Archi, scary is excessive. Goodness..." As Archi smiled at Emilia, his words made Fortuna indignantly cross her arms. Having regained a portion of her usual composure, Fortuna exhaled sharply at Archi's show of consideration. "I suppose that even if I return Emilia to her room, it won't keep her hidden for long..." "It pains me to say it, but if she is in this forest, they will eventually find her. Their objective..." " Is the seal, I imagine. I don't know how they heard of it, but even that woman came crawling out..." Fortuna's anger toward the assailants in particular, Pandora was incredible. Something must have happened between them to cause Fortuna to lose her calm like that. Even if that was not the case, combat was breaking out in every corner of the forest. Emilia's homeland had already been turned into a battlefield. "Fine. At any rate, I'm heading out. I have the greatest fighting ability of anyone in the forest, so this is not the time to dawdle in a place like this." "No! We will fight! Lady Fortuna, please take Emilia out of the forest!" "If we run from here, what then? All that will accomplish is allowing this peaceful land to be stolen. If we lose, it means the seal will fall into their hands. This time, the world will be destroyed!" When Archi tried to get her to reconsider, Fortuna silenced him with an even stronger tone of voice. After that, seemingly embarrassed by her angry retort, he added, "I am sorry." "You resent me, don't you? You should never have been caught up in all this. All because you took Emilia and me in... This is a hardship you never needed." " !! No one There isn't a single person among us who thinks that way!!" "Archi..." Archi met Fortuna's regretful voice with a fierce retort, as if that was the only thing he could not allow her to say. Archi was indignant, his face red up to the tips of his long, pointy ears, a trait distinctive of the elves. "Please stop treating us like strangers! It's true that compared to our long life spans, the time we spent here may seem as brief as the blink of an eye! But but even so, have you forgotten the time we have spent together in this forest?!" *** "Who could think of you...of family as unwanted?! You, your older brother, and... Do not make us out to be ingrates who would forget the debt of gratitude we owe to Emilia's mother!" Archi's emotions exploded, his voice tearful and pleading. The young elf, still a boy at heart, went down on his knees, sniffing as he gazed at Fortuna. His face left Fortuna wide-eyed. "I'm sorry I came very close to once again rejecting my family." "Lady Fortuna... I I said too much..." "No, you helped me remember something very important. I have always disappointed those who love me. Even though I have regretted it many times, I forget again soon after. That's why..." Shaking her head to the kneeling Archi, Fortuna slowly went down on one knee before Emilia. "Emilia, listen carefully. Mom has a duty to protect everyone. It's very important. That's why I'll be away, just for a tiny bit." "N...no, Mom. I I...!" "Please. Do as I say, just for a little while. I want you to go with Archi and head outside the forest. This forest...is really dangerous, so please." Fortuna spoke to Emilia, who shook her head with teary eyes, then looked back to Archi. Seeing the resolve resting in those violet eyes, Archi felt his slender body stiffen. "L-Lady Fortuna... I !" "Archi...it is a little soon, but I entrust the duty of Guardian to you. Please take Emilia with you out of the forest. It is a difficult world to live in, but surely, there is hope. I know there is. So..." "Please don't speak as if this is the end! I'll stand with you and everyone until the very..." "Take care of Emilia. For my brother, my sister-in-law, and me, she's our precious, irreplaceable daughter." Fortuna spoke in a frail, fleeting voice, so removed from her usual strong and sublime self. Hearing Fortuna, both as a mother and as a woman, brought Archi to tears. He sobbed, covering his face with both hands. "That's low...! You know that if you say it that way, there's no way I can refuse... I I want to fight with everyone, too...! Yet...!" "I'm sorry, forcing so many burdens onto you children like this. Forgive us for being so unfair." Placing a hand on the crying young man's shoulder, Fortuna painfully asked for his forgiveness. Archi said nothing, but his unceasing tears were proof that he had already accepted her request. "Emilia." "No!! Mom, I wanna be with you! Please! Pretty please! I'm asking nicely! Please let me be with you!! I don't want... I don't want to be alone!!" "You're not alone at all. Listen to me." Weeping and wailing, Emilia covered her ears, trying to block out her mother's parting words. Seeing this made the Emilia of the present want to go and pinch her younger self on the cheeks. It was not that she wanted to scold her unwillingness to listen. It was because she wanted to convey that all the words Fortuna was saying, every word and every phrase, were things the girl absolutely had to remember. "Emilia." Fortuna bent down low, gently embracing Emilia and pulling her close. She grabbed Emilia's arms, though the girl was desperately trying to cover her own ears, and nestled her head in her daughter's silver hair. Then she brought their faces close, rubbing cheek to cheek with a gentle touch, as if she was taking care to not damage a thing more precious than anything else in all of existence. "Mom is always by your side. When you close your eyes, I'll be there, inside your memories. When you hug yourself, I'll be the warmth inside your chest. When you call, I will be the echo under the sky. Mom is with you. Always, always, forever and ever, together." "Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar... Mom, you liar...!" "Emilia I promise." Emilia refused all her mother's reassurances, but that last word made her breath catch. Her smiling mother offered a palm right in front of her, seemingly drawing in Emilia's palm until they finally touched. "Mom and Emilia will always be together. I promise you." "W-we'll really...be together...?" "Yes, really. Emilia... Lia, Mom really loves you, more than anyone in this world." The gentle voice with which she called her Lia made Emilia, and Emilia's emotions, fall apart. Sobs spilled out, and the two Emilias, past and present, collapsed into tears on the spot. "Mom... I I love you, too... I love... I love...!!" "I love you. I love you, Mom. I really love you so much..." Present and past, the two Emilias' emotions overlapped, desperately trying to return those feelings of love. They strained their voices as much as their bodies would let them, as if they knew that if they failed to pour it all out now, if they didn't share with their mother everything they felt, they would never have another chance. " Lia, I love you." Fortuna gently touched her hot lips to her daughter's cheek, eyelid, and brow. They touched. They embraced. At that late stage, Fortuna did so to display her motherly love this was the only moment Fortuna allowed herself to be Emilia's mother. "...Archi, please." " Yes. I understand." Having expressed her undying love to her beloved daughter with all her being, Fortuna stood up and addressed Archi. The tearful young man accepted Emilia from Fortuna, firmly holding that tiny body in his arms as he deeply bowed his head. "You will probably get away safely..." "Yes......I understand! Emilia...this girl will absolutely not be harmed by anyone!" As Archi shouted it like a vow, Fortuna relaxed, her relief visible on her face. After that, she pointed in the direction that led outside the forest. "Please. Go." Archi, who no longer had words left to speak, broke into a run in the direction Fortuna pointed. Held tight by the young man racing through the woods, Emilia looked back over his shoulder one last time She looked at her receding mother, raising an incoherent voice. That voice made the sharp look in Fortuna's eyes truly soften gently. " I love you, Emilia." 3 Held by Archi, Emilia desperately gazed in the direction of her mother, who was no longer in view. Perhaps if she kept staring over there, the sight of her unseen mother might pop out somewhere without warning. Perhaps her mother was

chasing after her. Those were the hopes she clung to. "Emilia...!" The little girl's earnest hopes reached even Archi as he clutched her tiny body. What could anyone say to a little girl who'd been separated from her beloved mother? No one had a good answer to that. "Why...why...?! Why did it end up like...this...? I-is it because I broke my promise...because I left the room...?" "No. You're wrong, Emilia. Emilia, it's not your fault! It's not Lady Fortuna's fault; it's not anyone's fault! There's no reason for you to blame yourself!" "Then why...? Why are they leaving me...? Mom, Geuse... Is is it because they hate me...because I did all kinds of bad things...?" The all-too-sudden separation had pushed young Emilia's heart right up to the breaking point. She looked back on her own actions, trying to find some way she was responsible, the reason why everything had gone so badly. She'd broken her promises. She'd left a room she wasn't supposed to leave any number of times. She'd gone to a place deep in the forest she was forbidden from going, discovered a seal she wasn't supposed to know She couldn't help but think all these things put together had brought this about. "Would it be better if I'd been alone...alone locked in that room the whole time? If I'd done that, could I have been with everyone...not losing anyone...?" "Emilia...!" "Was I a bad girl...? Is that why everyone hates me...why I'll be alone?" "You're wrong... You're wrong, Emilia. No one No one hates you at all. This world doesn't exist to make you suffer. This world, and everyone in it, is here to make you happy...!" The girl's tears kept falling as Archi desperately tried to get through to her. Part of it was because he wanted Emilia to stop crying. More than that, it was also what he so dearly wanted to believe in. It wasn't just Fortuna or Geuse. Everyone related to Emilia in the past loved her, protected her, and would do anything to help her. "You, youngster there !" As Archi sprinted through the forest, there was a sharp voice as someone leaped out onto the path. Archi immediately shot a wary look toward the individual in a black habit who had slipped through a gap in the trees. But the other party greeted him by lifting both hands up. "Wait! I am one of Lord Archbishop Romanée-Conti's 'fingers'!" "The Lord Archbishop's..." "Yes, be at ease. You are safe he... Wait, could that be...?!" The man in the habit identified himself, bringing Archi some measure of relief. It wasn't long before the man noticed him carrying Emilia in his arms and reacted with shock. Archi solemnly nodded at him. "Lady Fortuna entrusted her to me. She is assisting the others in battle. It shouldn't be long before she sweeps the forest clean of enemies ..." "...It pains me to say this, but that will be somewhat difficult." The man made a bitter face, which caused Archi to go, "Eh?" "We have confirmed the presence of one of the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins: Greed, head of the radical faction. The Lord Archbishop has engaged him in combat, but the situation cannot be resolved by simply driving him off." "An Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins...but what problem is there beyond him?" "The demon beast Black Serpent has been released into the forest." "Th-the Black Serpent ?!" The man's words rocked Archi. He gazed back toward the forest with a look of disbelief. "That's crazy it's not possible! The Black Serpent is a pure calamity, even more than the White Whale and the Great Rabbit a natural disaster that obeys no one. The timing of its arrival, right as this attack is going on that's..." "A being...a Witch, who can make that possible, has come to this forest." "Witch? Witch, you say? That's even crazier talk! The witches besides the Witch of Jealousy are long destroyed, and the Witch of Jealousy should herself be sealed in the sands of a far-off..." "There was a hidden Witch Her name is Pandora. She is a part of the Witch Cult, the world's forbidden Witch." The man spoke as if he were wringing out every word, leaving Archi agape, like a bucket of water had roused him from his sleep. An Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins, and even a Witch he had never heard of before, had arrived and what kept Archi's heart from crumbling into despair was the small heartbeat he could feel through his own chest. He'd been entrusted with something. Archi could not back away from it. "...Lady Fortuna entrusted me with Emilia so that she might escape. Whatever happens to our homeland, I must at least protect this girl...protect our hope!" "...I shall accompany you. Old as I might be, I am still part of the Romanée-Conti family." The man was roused by Archi's words and he bowed deeply to the young elf who literally nestled his bundle of hope against his breast. With a flutter of his habit sleeve, the aged man leaned forward and impressively kicked off the ground. Then he trained his eyes toward the path leading out of the forest, intending to guide them " No!" The instant they broke into a run, the man suddenly shouted, and the urgency in his voice made Archi immediately stop. As Archi opened his eyes wide, wondering what was going on, the man stood, both arms spread wide. "What a blunder... To think it would come so quickly..." "What has...? Wha, huh?!" The man murmured in anguish, bewildering Archi a moment later, the man's arms fell from their shoulders. Like a doll with bad stitching, his outstretched limbs detached completely, just like that. No blood spewed from the fallen arms or from where they had been severed. In fact, the arms were shriveled in an unnatural way that had nothing to do with age, rotting like tree roots starved of water. "The Black Serpent's vicious tongue...! Please flee!" "But!" "It is too late for me..." Forcefully shouting for Archi to run, the man looked back, his face rapidly losing all color. Red and black spots came over his neck, which poked out of his habit, and his face was collapsing to the point where it seemed his eyeballs might fall out. "Bu, bubu...aaa, bu...!" Moaning in anguish, the armless man collapsed onto the ground, his upper torso writhing. Black blood gushed out of his eye sockets, nostrils, earlobes, and more places, until finally, he stopped moving at all. The man's final moments left Archi, let alone young Emilia, in a panic. "The crucible of disease...the plague-bearing demon beast the Black Serpent...!!" In a raspy voice, Archi covered young Emilia's eyes as he invoked the name of the enemy that had slain their companion. Of course, it did not react to his voice. However, in the gaps between Archi's and Emilia's ragged breathing, a distinct sound echoed, like a gigantic creature licking its lips. It felt like a hunter, waiting for its prey's fear to heighten before it " Sh-shit!!" Realizing the approaching danger, Archi yelled a curse and fled. He did not know which way to run. This was the enemy's hunting ground. They'd been herded into it unawares. He'd put as much distance as he could between him and the man's corpse. If possible, he'd leave the forest entirely. Focusing only on the rigid presence of Emilia pressing against his chest, Archi desperately fled from the menace. Flee, flee, the young elf continued to flee, resisting with all his might "Ah " While getting ready to launch himself forward, he felt a scalding heat run up his right ankle. The instant he realized he'd been licked, his willpower crumbled. The wicked tongue was slithering up his bare flesh. The illness it caused spread across his skin, manifesting as reddish-black burn scars. The instant he saw what was taking place, Archi turned a palm toward his own right leg. "...Fulla!" Without hesitation, he used a blade of wind to send his diseased right leg flying off from the knee. Needing support to remain upright, he angled his falling body against a tree. Archi, breaking out in a thick sweat at the excruciating pain of losing his leg, gritted his teeth, enduring the sensation of his brain catching on fire as he continued to chant. "Hyuma...!" With the sound of air cracking, he froze the stump of his own severed leg. White steam rose from his wound, and Archi raised up a renewed scream over his extremely crude method of stopping the bleeding. It had been a bold, drastic decision. The speed and the means he employed proved the depth of his resolve and his skill and then there was the fact that he had not let go of Emilia once during that entire process. "Archi...?" With her face firmly pressed against his arm, Emilia could not see what had happened. Archi forced a smile onto his face, sitting up as he downplayed the greatest agony he had ever experienced. "It's nothing... It's all right... It's all right, so...!" His words fragmented, Archi lied to Emilia that nothing had happened. His actions were worthy of respect and yet, cruel fate would greet his determination, no matter how incredible, with scorn. The remaining part of his frozen right leg was losing color above the knee, desiccated like a baked stone. It was as if the very earth was drying up. The remainder of Archi's right leg had begun dying; the disease would not stop there. "...Emilia. Um, you see the white flowers on the other side of those two trees?" "...Y-yeah." Released by Archi, who sat with his back against a large tree, Emilia put both her feet on the ground and looked in the direction he pointed. Gazing at the pair of trees and the white flowers beyond, she nodded. "Can you run in the direction of the flowers? Past the flowers...straight ahead..." "R-run... I can run. But..." "Then run..." Staring at the white flowers, young Emilia caught her breath as Archi spoke those words to her. They were brief words with which to send her off. Even as hesitance hovered in her eyes, it dawned on her that Archi's state was nothing like normal as she looked between him and the flowers over and over. If she ran, she would be alone. Once again, someone would disappear from her life. "It's all right, Emilia. You won't...be alone..." "Archi..." "Now, run. No matter what you hear, don't turn back... Run!" Archi's sharp voice made Emilia jump. She took one step forward, then broke into a run. She forced herself to not look back because Archi said not to. Archi's voice, Fortuna's voice, Geuse's voice all reverberated in the little girl's mind. She wanted to believe that if she did as she was told, everything would go back to how it used to be. "That's right. There you go. Run, run...just like how you always ran around and gave us so much trouble..." Archi spoke those words through a thin smile, staring at the back of the girl who was already hard to see in the distance as he stripped off the sleeves of his tunic. The shriveling corruption had already reached his lower chest. He no longer felt like he could move either leg. His flesh had lost its color, its texture becoming like stone, thoroughly reminiscent of some kind of repulsive demon beast. He heard a sound. Sss, sss. It was the sound of a demon beast licking its lips after spotting its prey right before it. It came as if to steal away the escaping girl, the forest's hope, and to rob all meaning from the tiny, remaining flicker of Archi's ending life. "As if...anyone would let you pass..." Eyes burning with the will to fight on, Archi ignored his immobile legs, using the strength of his arms alone to sit himself up. The ominous sound stopped...as if the beast was taking

renewed interest, captivated by the prey it had presumed stricken down. It was because he sensed his own impending death that he'd sent the girl as far as possible away from her own. "Lady Fortuna...that girl...will probably be all right." Sss, sss, was the sound that heralded the approach of the end. Hearing this sound, knowing that it represented nothing less than the greatest peril to his life, Archi proudly smiled. *** Exhausted as that smile might have been, it never faded. 4 The forest had already changed so dramatically that it seemed to have forgotten its original form. It was a land in a mournful state, as if some angry, rampaging, giant serpent had violated the earth in its passing. Numerous trees had been mowed down; many rested upon their sides, snapped at the roots. A number of great holes with no visible bottom pockmarked the surface of the ground. If someone claimed that this was the aftermath of some unnatural being purging the surface world, the overwhelming destruction would have convinced many of the preposterous explanation. A single man the one who had wrought the shocking spectacle stood at the center of the destruction. His face marred by fresh blood, out of breath but his spirit undiminished, he was the great sinner who had embraced inside him a Deadly Sin that suited his body not, gaining power at the cost of whittling away his own life Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti. With sheer force of will, the man named Geuse forced down that unnatural power as he stood. The Authority one perhaps ought to call invisible arms had given Geuse the means to defy an Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins " You know, it really is time for you to acknowledge this is useless." Even having obtained power at such great cost, his target Regulus was completely unharmed and even scornfully laughing at him. Standing amid a hovering cloud of dust and unnatural destruction, Regulus seemed bored. The sight of him unaffected by any of it was so warped that it was as if someone had put a sticker onto a finished painting. "Even after doing...this much...!" "It's time to face up and realize it already, yeah? We're different. You and I are actors meant for different stages. It's not an issue of whether you can beat me. No one can beat me. No one can hurt me. Sword Saint or dragon, it's all useless. All of it, every last bit...useless." Speaking bluntly to Geuse, who was coughing up blood, Regulus nonchalantly waved an arm. The gesture, as if shooing a fly, instantly put Geuse on guard, offering his flesh to the black power wriggling inside him. He prepared to deal with it, come what may then his right arm was sent flying. "Wha...?!" "I'm bored stiff of seeing that reaction, too. I went through the trouble of giving you time to spend with your wife and all. I wanted at least some kind of reward for that, but it looks like I got my hopes up for nothing." "Ngh...what are...? Guh, agh! Whoaaa!!" Pressing down on the remains of his severed arm, Geuse tumbled spectacularly. Upon closer inspection, he had also been wounded in both his legs, where ugly gouges marred his thighs as if beasts had hungrily torn the flesh off them. He endured the pain, blood frothing at his lips all the while. The pitiful sight made Regulus grimace. "In the end, see, this is all your resolve and determination and all that stuff amounts to. But don't mind that too much. It's not you; it's everyone. No one can hold more than their own two hands can carry. You have to live within your means. That's normal. You understand, right?" "Gah, aah, aah..." "Really, I hate all this. Maybe you think I like hurting other people out of some kind of sadistic hobby, but you would be mistaken, and I would take great insult at that mischaracterization. I'm not doing this because I particularly want to. It only seems like I'm bullying you because you're weak. I don't have any desire to do things like this any longer. For good or ill, I, a satisfied man, do not want to interfere with anyone else. I am content, without want. You need to accept that." The force of the bleeding had weakened, and Geuse's voice had grown too meager for yelling. His raspy, ragged breaths and the spasms of his body invited pity, like an insect on the verge of expiring. With Geuse thus on the brink of death, Regulus looked down at him, speaking without malice or enmity or anything else. He felt there was no need for personal emotions to come into play when he was merely listing off facts. To Regulus Corneas, Geuse's desperate actions were the same as a breeze no, such a gentle wind would have at least rustled his forelocks. Accordingly, his actions did not even amount to that. As she stood in the destroyed forest, Pandora showed no more sign of change than Regulus did. The very embodiment of beauty, her lovely visage, let alone the white cloth that enveloped her small, slender torso, remained utterly unaffected. "Among the masses, not everyone can think like you, and certainly not everyone will reach the same lofty realm. You are more special than others. You should be content that you are so. Your completed form is marvelous. And they, the incomplete, are marvelous in their own way." "I do not seek your praise, nor do I endorse your opinion that they are marvelous or anything of the sort. At any rate, neither I nor the Black Serpent needed to show up, Lady Pandora. You could have handled this much all by yourself." Showing no sign of joy over her words of praise, Regulus indicated the forest with both hands as he spoke to Pandora. She gracefully acknowledged his words with a nod. "Yes, that might well be the case. However, I needed to see with my own eyes just how earnestly people strive for their revered goals and just how lovely they can be while doing so." "The gist is, you wanted to see the desperate faces of people backed into a corner, didn't you? Ha-ha-ha, if that's all, you should just put it simply so people can understand. Making a needless excuse feels like it only wastes my time." "I find that way of taking it to be quite adorable." As a smile that could charm the heart came over Pandora, Regulus replied with a wicked smile of his own. From there, he turned his eyes toward the collapsed Geuse, walking over to inflict the final blow. "Well, even if this body dies, it's not like you don't have spares. Dragging what's inside you and keeping a grip on the scruff of your neck will make dealing with you easier. For someone who made me use up all this time, you really are a talentless hack." As he spoke, Regulus lifted his foot over Geuse's head. It was clear he would squash Geuse's head like an overripe melon Just before that, a voice interrupted. "Al Hyuma!!" In accordance with the chant, the world accepted the transformation of mana; with a cracking sound, it became destruction made manifest. The sound of the atmosphere crackling made Regulus lift his head, scowling in disgust. "If it's not one thing, then it's another...!" Regulus clicked his tongue The next moment, a mighty spear of ice sufficient to blot out the sky slammed into his face, and the resulting quake, having nowhere else to go, became a ferocious shock wave that enveloped Regulus, completely crushing his slender frame. There were blasts of wind and tremors of the earth, repeating so much as to completely lose count. Fragments of shattered ice scattered all across the ground, changing the scenery to the point that one would doubt it was ever a forest to begin with. Light reflected off the glimmering ice, and in that chaotic, luminous world a silver-haired woman stood at the fallen man's side. "Geuse! Geuse, hold on! What did they...? Ahhh, what should I do...?!" "Lady Fortuna, is that you...?" Responding to that voice, light returned to Geuse's eyes, though he was barely breathing. It was unmistakable that his life was in peril even so, but as Geuse barely kept his consciousness tethered, Fortuna nodded to him several times. "Yes, yes, that's right, it's me. Geuse, to see you like this..." "It iiiis fine... A body of flesh must someday perish... The finger who entruuusted this body to me surely understood as much... More importantly, is Lady Emilia...?" "I left her to Archi...the next Guardian, so she could have a chance to escape outside. I'm sure they're all right, thanks to you." "Iiis that so...? That iiis very...good." " It's not remotely good whatsoever!!" As Geuse relaxed his blood-ridden face in relief, his words made Regulus cry out with an angry voice. Blasting apart the ice-covered soil, Regulus brushed away white mist with both arms, his expression indignant. He plucked at his head, enmity resting in his eyes like nothing before. "Who do you think you are, coming back and pulling that out of the blue? I was about to stomp and crush his head just now! With what right, with whose permission, do you dare! Interfere! With me...me me me me me me me me me me ME?!!" In a fit of rage, Regulus squatted and plunged both his arms into the ground. He proceeded to swing them upward, tossing soft soil toward Fortuna and Geuse. His demeanor was truly like that of a child, throwing a tantrum and scattering earth about "No! That debris... You must evade all of it...!" "Eh?" Fortuna was ignoring the shower of dirt and trying to refine her mana for a counterattack when Geuse pushed her down. The action he chose over counterattack, over defense, was to push her straight to the ground without even breaking her fall Fortuna raised her voice, questioning Geuse's decision...and then she saw. The sand and pebbles Regulus threw had opened "countless holes" in the surface of the ground. These were literally countless holes. Almost like the marks raindrops left upon parched soil, the dirt Regulus had thrown gouged the ground with such penetrating power that she could not see where they bottomed out. The might of the attack was obvious from one glance at the fallen trees caught in its area of effect. They had been turned into wood chips from the countless, tiny holes punched into them; a human body subjected to the same would have surely turned to bloody mist. It was nigh unbelievable destructive power, and most frightening of all was "Hey now! What did you go dodging it for?! Just soak it up and turn into mincemeat! That goes for the talentless hack Petelgeuse and that woman over there, too! I would've been fine adding you as my seventy-ninth wife, so what's with this stupid behavior, huh? Huh?!" Whining loudly, Regulus thrust his arms into the ground's surface once more He could do this consecutively. He was a being who could not be harmed by some of the deadliest spells in existence yet could kill by scattering some dirt and pebbles. In spite of this, his mental state was as immature as an infant's, destructively egotistical beyond anyone's reach. This dangerous being, like a badly raised child who was liable to bite anyone depending on his mood, had been granted power on par with a dragon that was how Fortuna appraised the vile man before her. "If you don't like me taking one limb off, I'll take all four! I'll make you regret making a fool out of me...out of Greed!!" " Please wait, Archbishop Corneas." "Aah?" Just when Regulus was about to resume his attacks, the platinum-haired beauty urged him to wait. Still squatting, Regulus looked back at Pandora. His eyes were still thickly colored with anger, and it seemed even his ally, Pandora, was in danger

of winding up on the receiving end. With that dangerous look still in his eyes, Regulus spoke to Pandora, his lips trembling. "...What is it, Lady Pandora? Right now, I am in the middle of punishing the louts infringing upon my rights. What do you want from me? Whatever you intend, watch your words and answer me right now...!" "Please restrain your anger, Archbishop Corneas. I will not permit you to kill him, or her, in this place. Do you not feel anything when you gaze upon them?" *** Pandora's words were unexpected to Fortuna and Geuse alike. It was unthinkable that she, an enemy to both of them, would plead with Regulus to spare their lives. Yet, in response to her words, Regulus, who had given himself over to rage, stopped moving. Then he looked at Fortuna and Geuse, finally turning back to Pandora. "Did you just...order me to restrain my anger?" His tone was quiet, sounding emotionless to the ear. However, that calm crumbled a moment later. " You've got some nerve butting in where you're not wanted, woman!!!" In that situation, where everyone was trying to have their own way, Regulus's short temper hit its limit and exploded in the worst way possible. Though they had been both on the same side, though he had paid respect to his superior, Regulus hurled sand toward Pandora without hesitation, seemingly having forgotten their relationship entirely. The might of the earthen shrapnel was immense. The dirt he scattered ravaged any part of the forest that was in its line of fire with overwhelming force, bearing down upon the beautiful girl and this girl, a goddess of beauty, a living masterpiece, was cruelly transformed into a cloud of blood. " You're kidding me." Defenseless and showered by the soil, Pandora was flayed apart, leaving Fortuna agape. It was a natural reaction. Her reviled opponent had died a dog's death at the hands of a former comrade. Her supernatural nature was rendered meaningless, the girl's dead flesh fated to be eaten amid a ravaged forest. "This is what happens when someone gives me lip. Why can't people just treat me with the consideration anyone else is due? Don't get in my way. Don't interrupt when I'm talking. Don't object to what I do. Is that so hard to ask? Hey, you two over there...what do you think?" Having murdered Pandora, though the madness residing in his eyes remained unexhausted, Regulus turned back toward the other two. There was no room to appreciate that the number of their enemies had been reduced by one. Even if they no longer faced two mighty foes, they could not overcome their predicament without some means of dealing with their seemingly impervious enemy. Twice, Regulus had endured Fortuna's surprise attacks unharmed. She hated to admit it, but she could not defeat him nor could Geuse, and any further attempt to do so would put his life at risk. "Let us buy time so that Emilia might escape..." "In that case... Lady Fortuna...leave this to me..." Geuse had arrived at the same conclusion as Fortuna yet continued onward to a different choice for bringing that outcome about. "No matter how much blood I must shed...until this flesh of mine yields, I...I will buy time...so please, Lady Fortuna, escape..." "Don't say stupid things." To Geuse, who lay within her arms and had resolved to be a stone to cast away, Fortuna spoke in a gentle voice, her cheeks softening. Despite the situation, she found the fact that she could smile even so somewhat mysterious and something to be proud of. "Are you saying to leave you here and run? If I was going to do that, I'd never have come back. I even parted ways with Emilia to return. How can you tell me to run now?" "But...why iiis it, then, you have returned...? I am..." " To not let you die...and if you must die, to be at your side." With Fortuna's violet eyes staring at him, Geuse's eyes, misty with blood, opened wide. Fortuna held Geuse, who was lighter from the loss of one arm and so much blood, pressing him close to her as she spoke. "What awaits me in a world without you, in a forest where you will never come? I am too weak to live long in a world that doesn't have you in it." "You, weak...?" "I am weak. All I did was put up a brave front for you and Emilia." Fortuna lifted Geuse up, looking at him with a face that somehow seemed freed of all burdens. Trembling, Geuse leaned on her arm for support, the two embracing each other as they faced forward. Gazing at the pair, Regulus clicked his tongue, disgusted from the bottom of his heart. "Not only do you ignore my question for a prolonged period of time, but now you've gotten yourselves all worked up? Makes me wonder what in the world could you be thinking? What's the meaning of this? I've already shown you the superiority of my power, explained everything in easy-to-understand ways, so why are you going We can do it over and over? What the hell are you thinking?!" "What a tiresome and noisy man. Get a clue already. For us, there is only one answer." "Yeeees, I suppose so..." Fortuna and Geuse exchanged glances, their voices in tandem as they spoke to the indignant Regulus. "" Who knows and who cares, moron?"" Their voices overlapped, and Fortuna stuck up her middle finger for good measure. Uttering those biting words together, Fortuna and Geuse gathered their power in their taunt, making Regulus's face red with rage. "Fine with me! I'll make both of you indistinguishable puddles of blood and use you to fertilize this filthy forest " " I told you to wait, did I not, Archbishop Corneas?" For her own convenience, Pandora impeded Regulus for the third time Dancing softly in the sky, she pressed her slender hand down upon Regulus's head, forcing the disturbing man's body to sink without any apparent resistance from the ground. In an instant, he was buried from the tips of his toes to the crown of his head. As Pandora landed right beside him, Regulus stared up at her from directly below. "Over and over again... What does it take to kill you...?!" "I forgive your violent actions, your violent deeds, all these things. You have already fulfilled the purpose for which I brought you here. It is fine for you to go now." "After calling me here, you tell me to go now that you're satisfied? Just how much do you think you can make a fool out of me...?" "Is it that unacceptable? Then I shall take care of it. Archbishop Corneas cannot possibly be here. He is spending time at his mansion, surrounded by his wives." "Wa " The instant she made that one-sided argument, Regulus tried to shout something as he suddenly vanished from sight. It wasn't that he sank deeper into the ground. His very presence had truly, suddenly disappeared. As a matter of fact, the place where he had assuredly been bore no trace of burial at all. It was as if, when Pandora said, ...cannot possibly be here, the very world had affirmed her words. "At my request, the boisterous one has departed the stage. Now we can take our time to chat, yes?" "...Before that, may I ask one thing? You should be dead and in pieces, yes?" Fortuna posed that question to Pandora, who was smiling gracefully and standing there like it was the most natural thing. Surely, that smile, along with that graceful body, had been turned into fragments of bloody flesh and scattered around the forest in its entirety. And yet, the tragic state Fortuna was certain she'd witnessed was gone, and the dead had unnaturally come back to life. To Fortuna, who was unable to conceal her shock at that fact, Pandora tilted her head. "Perhaps...you are 'mistaken' about something?" *** Pandora's words, spoken without malice, sent a deep shudder through Fortuna. Though it should not have been so, the world had changed out of respect for Pandora's opinion. The scene Fortuna herself had seen with her own eyes had been denied, and history had been supernaturally rewritten with a scene she had no recollection of seeing. A corpse had been erased, and Pandora had returned to life. Regulus had vanished, along with all traces of his presence. Moreover, the consequences did not end at Pandora being safe and sound, with the hole Regulus had been in now buried. When she first realized the effects, Fortuna nearly let out an unwitting yelp. Opening her eyes wide, Fortuna moved her trembling fingers toward Geuse, who was assuredly on the brink of death His torn-off arm and the grave wounds to his legs had been healed and restored. "It is a simple matter. If Archbishop Corneas was never here, it follows that all the results of Archbishop Corneas's actions would also vanish. Although, you may consider the healing of your wounds a gesture of goodwill on my part..." "G-Geuse, that arm..." "There's nothing amiss. My body...is sound, aside from what resides inside it." "I have not gone so far as to overwrite the fact that you incorporated the Witch Factor into yourself. I wish to praise your actions and the actions of the woman who returned for your sake. Please think of this as a kindness from me." Geuse was bewildered by Pandora's elegant smile even as he acknowledged that his own body had been healed. Fortuna heard the words from a distance as she felt the ground crumble under her own feet. Pandora, her hated foe, was not an opponent Fortuna could take on. Everything that had happened in the forest that day had far exceeded Fortuna's puny imagination. Or perhaps, at that rate, everything that had happened would simply vanish into thin "Lady Fortuna, please get ahold of yourself!" " ! Geuse!" As Fortuna wavered, Geuse used his restored right hand to pinch her cheek. Fortuna was surprised by the pain as Geuse grasped both her shoulders and continued. "I am sure you have doubts. I am sure you are bewildered. However, these are thiiiings we must leave for another time. Right now, what is important...is that we do what we can for Lady Emilia's sake!" Little by little, his desperate plea restored Fortuna's waning vigor. Yes. It was just as Geuse had said. She was afraid, not knowing what this incomprehensible foe might do. But surely, she already knew the most frightening thing of all. If this woman's objectives involved her own precious, beloved daughter... "Whatever happened, I don't care. Right now !" "Iiiit falls to the two of us to strike her down! If she iiiis defeated, the militants assaulting the forest will surely retreat! We wiiiill save Lady Emilia!" Geuse's words, and her feelings for her beloved daughter, made Fortuna's internal hate grow white-hot. Before, she'd resigned herself to never seeing Emilia ever again. Up until a moment before, she'd intended to see that resolve through. But now, her hopes and her ideals resounded powerfully in her chest. She'd save Emilia. She'd return home to Emilia. She would be together with Geuse and Emilia again " O ancient, mystic ice, so cold and white even time shudders, ice so great the soul sleeps eternal." The mana she had gathered up to strike down Regulus whirled about, seeking a place to explode. She gave that latent energy form, purpose, duty; it took shape, ready to freeze the world. The sky, the very air moaned, giving birth to spears of ice so enormous, a giant might have wielded them. The tips of these spears, exceeding ten in number, pointed toward their foe, like a bouquet of flowers inviting the opponent to split asunder and rest in an eternal, icy grave. "My life, my duty, my love... For all their sakes, I...!" At Fortuna's side, Geuse embraced his own shoulders with both hands as

he spun those words of bloody resolve. Power raged under his tattered habit, and his healed body began falling into ruin once more. Blood gushed, bones cracked, and life dissolved. Seeing the pair's resolve, Pandora merely spread her arms wide, her cheeks flushed. "Now, come Let me taste the embrace of your tenacity until the bitter end." Intending to rip that smile off her face, the pair's power made the world tremble. And then 5 She had already gone well past the white flowers Archi had pointed out. And yet, her legs did not cease. She was told not to stop running, so she kept doing as she was told. Her breath leaped. Emilia earnestly stretched her tiny gait as far as it would go as she ran through the forest. "Uu...uuuu!" She shook her head. Tears were flowing. She desperately held back the sob that was threatening to leak out from the corner of her mouth. What was going on and why was all this happening now? Everyone probably knew something that she did not. She didn't know anything about what she should do. Was there really nothing she could do? Who was the one bullying Fortuna, Geuse, and Archi? What did she need to do to get those people back? What were they after ? "Se...al..." Back where she'd gotten separated from Geuse, the frightfully beautiful girl had said that word. Hadn't Fortuna and Archi both mentioned the same seal? *** She'd been told to keep running, but then she stopped. Even if she looked back, she'd long left behind the place where Archi was. She could not see him. Nor Fortuna. Nor Geuse. "But...if if I don't do...s-something..." If the seal was connected to the people who had come into the forest, Emilia knew where she should go. If everyone was being hurt because of a thing like that If they wanted such a thing, why not just give it to them? She didn't know how to open the door. She didn't understand what meaning the seal held. She didn't know if it would change anything for the better. But the term seal was plenty. Wanting to believe she could do something was not what drove the little girl to action. It was hope the hope that by going there, then surely, something would change that pressed against the girl's back. "If I go to that place... Ahhh, but..." Thus deciding, Emilia tried to dash off but hesitated before taking the first step. She'd done too much running around blindly. Already, this forest, the forest that Emilia had grown up in, was not the forest Emilia knew. She'd lost track not only of where the seal was but also the settlement and the locations of her mother and Geuse. "Uh, hu...!" Confronted with her pathetic powerlessness, young Emilia could restrain her sobs no more. Even though she had something she needed to do, she lacked the power to do it. Her mother was not there to rescue her in her time of need. She needed to do something for that very mother, and yet... It was then that Emilia's wholehearted, earnest feelings set into motion the being watching over her young, valiant spirit. As Emilia wiped her flooding tears with a hand, her eyes widened as a faint light abruptly passed before them. When she lifted her face, she saw that her body was surrounded by countless glowing lights. "Fairy...?" Emilia called out to the fairies, the supernatural beings that Fortuna and Geuse had termed lesser spirits. They did not possess words, yet they responded to Emilia's will, gently moving deeper into the forest After a slight delay, Emilia grasped the intent of the phosphorescent lights, which were blinking seemingly to guide her. "You'll tell me where...?" There was no reply. The lesser spirits only formed a trail of light leading deeper into the forest. "If I go that way, I'll get to the seal? I'll be able to save Mom and everyone...?" The trail of light grew brighter. Emilia wiped her tears away with all her might. She couldn't stay there sobbing forever. She had her mother and Geuse and all kinds of other people to save, and when she'd broken down crying, the fairies had come to help her. How could she keep hanging her head? "Yeah... Yeah, yeah!" Nodding with a mix of thanks and determination, Emilia broke into a run, following the belt of light. She earnestly followed the brilliant path that was created by the phosphorescent glows, believing it was the sole hope she could cling to. Leaping over holes and climbing over inclines, she made herself smaller as she raced through the gaps between tightly packed trees. There were many paths where the lesser spirits could pass but Emilia could not. She tripped, branches scraping her cheek, and she fell, spitting out the dirt in her teeth as she rose once more. "Huu, huu...!" Her lungs hurt. Fluid dripped from her nose. She wiped off her teary and muddy face, getting angry at her scuffed knees as she ran. With insufficient oxygen, Emilia found her vision wavering, and her consciousness was like a daydream as memories resurfaced. Emilia remembered all the time she had spent in that forest, in that settlement, loved as she was. She remembered Fortuna's love. She remembered days when she'd been scolded. Emilia also remembered crying and apologizing and Fortuna spending the whole night holding Emilia in her arms, continuing to stroke her head until morning, seemingly so that she would not wake alone. Fortuna had not spoiled her and had been strict, but she had also given her such precious things. Even though she had a habit of saying she was not Emilia's real mother, Fortuna was Emilia's mother, her first and most important mother. She remembered how Archi and everyone else in the settlement were kind to them. She understood there was just the tiniest bit of distance between them. She knew they were hesitant, now knowing exactly how to approach her. But everyone had always been gentle to her, and they had absolutely never hurt Emilia or Fortuna. Even the Princess Room was something everyone had worked hard to improve so Emilia would have an easier time. It was difficult being in that place, but she'd liked it anyway. She remembered hating Geuse so much. He was related to the things the adults were hiding, and he'd gone and drawn out the smiling face that was for Emilia alone, so she thought she could never forgive him. Yet, when they'd met by chance, he'd cried the moment he set eyes on Emilia. He cried and cried, crying out of happiness, and so Emilia forgave him. After all, those were kind tears. Remembering how Fortuna had put her at ease when Fortuna was hugging her, she'd stroked Geuse's head. She wanted to be at his side so that the crybaby wouldn't be lonely. She'd thought he was so helpless. She'd thought she just couldn't abandon him. She remembered she loved everyone so much. Fortuna. Geuse. Archi. Everyone. They were Emilia's precious, precious people. "I can...still save everyone...!" She wanted to sleep in the same bed with Fortuna again. Next time, she wanted to invite Archi and everyone to the Princess Room. Next time, she wanted to stomp on that impertinent crybaby Geuse's foot with all her strength. She wanted to meet everyone again. "I'll be a good girl, so..." Her vision hazy with tears, she slipped beyond the usual branches and trees of the familiar forest, her feet halting where the forest turned white. Her breath was ragged and her face was red when she finally reached the seal she'd been seeking " Welcome. I have been waiting for you." The girl with platinum hair stood waiting before the seal, spreading her arms wide, seemingly to welcome her arrival. CHAPTER 4 *** 1 In that phantasmal scene, with everything dyed pure white, a beautiful girl stood, wearing nothing but a single piece of cloth. It looked as if an artist had exchanged not only his own soul but that of many others, making a deal with some devil to attain the pinnacle of painting for the very first time. "I am so glad that I found you. I've located the seal at long last, but I had no idea where the Key might be. But I have managed to find you, so I am deeply relieved." "Why...are you here...?" The smile the girl Pandora wore on her beautiful visage was like a fragrance that toyed with life itself. Posing a question to the girl with such an obviously abnormal presence made Emilia's voice tremble. In response, Pandora brought her palms together before her, smiling broadly like someone about to reveal a secret as some sort of grand finale. "Tee-hee, surprised, aren't you? It's quite simple, actually. This seal is our goal. We came to look for it... Therefore, my being here was inevitable." The reply Pandora gave was not the answer Emilia sought. Emilia was trying to ask how Pandora could be here. The last time Emilia had seen her, Geuse had been keeping the strange white figure and her from going anywhere "Why...are you here...?" " ? Ahhh, I am sorry. I gave a rather odd reply, didn't I? What you want to know concerns Archbishop Romanée-Conti and your mother, doesn't it?" *** Pandora's belated comprehension made Emilia audibly clench her teeth. A proper answer for a proper question. She wanted to ask. She wanted to know. But at the same time, she didn't. After all, if Pandora was there, what had happened to Geuse? "Please rest easy." To young Emilia's distress, Pandora spoke that one phrase as a preamble, her charming smile deepening. Her expression flooded with what seemed like simple consideration, wanting to wipe that gloom from Emilia's face. "The Archbishop Romanée-Conti and your mother you are so concerned about are both quite safe and sound." "R-really...?" "Yes, really my believers and I have tried to avoid hurting everyone as much as possible. Just as I told you earlier, this seal is our goal. It is not necessary to sacrifice anyone for it." Pandora's deluge of words, spoken in the kindest possible way, softly melted Emilia's unease and tension away. Relief slowly permeated her chest. If she could believe Pandora, Fortuna and Geuse were safe, and perhaps things for everyone in the forest had not gone as terribly as she had imagined. If that was true "Once you finish with the seal, you'll leave...?" *** "O-once you're done dealing with the s-seal, you'll leave the forest? You'll leave without doing anything horrible to everyone?" " Yes, of course. It is not my desire that there be unnecessary casualties." Responding to Emilia's clumsy plea, Pandora made a promise, deeply bowing her head. After that, Pandora pointed to the sealed door, causing the teary Emilia to cock her head. "Therefore, would you kindly hand over the Key? Once I am finished with my business, I will immediately withdraw from this forest." "K-Key...?" "Yes, the Key. This seal takes the shape of a door because it cannot be opened without the Key. And surely, that Key is in your possession." "I don't know anything about that..." When Pandora made that firm assertion, the clueless Emilia shook her head in denial. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember any such thing. Emilia did not recall ever carrying something like a key, and in the first place, the seal itself had been kept secret from Emilia. She couldn't think of any possible way for her to have this Key to a seal she didn't even know about until just recently. And yet "I cannot call hiding it from me very wise." "Y-you're wrong...!! I really I really don't know! I don't have anything like a key! No one gave me a key! I can't open this seal!" "Is that so? Well, I will have to rummage through every corner of the forest to search for

the Key, then." Seemingly disappointed in Emilia's reply, Pandora lowered her eyes, looking very sad. Her words and gesture made Emilia's body tremble. Pandora seemed genuinely sympathetic toward Emilia. But no matter how she felt, she undoubtedly intended to "rummage through" the forest, and its people, until she got what she wanted. Instinctively understanding that Pandora was fully capable of following through, Emilia desperately tried to think of something. "I-I'll open it! I'll open it!!" "Ohhh, really? I'm so glad. You really do have the Key, don't you?" When Emilia raised her voice, fear racing through her, Pandora's expression brightened like the sunrise. Not noticing how the abrupt change frightened the little girl, Pandora continued. "But of course you do. You must have the Key After all, whatever you may look like, you are still a Witch's daughter." "Witch...?" "Now, please take care of the seal. If you open this door, I will depart, immediately at that." Pandora's face was filled with joy, looking like she could barely contain her impatience as she yielded the stage to Emilia. Even as Pandora's words set her mind astir, Emilia approached the door in her stead. Firmly closed and so tall that she had to crane her neck to see it all, the door felt very weighty and oppressive. *** She already said she would open it, and here she stood before the door. However, she had no idea how to open it. The one time she investigated the seal, Emilia had tried getting past it. No matter how much she pushed or pulled or even climbed over it, the door never budged. That wouldn't change now. The door, as cold as ice, silently and emotionlessly rejected Emilia's tiny palm. "Ha! ...Haaa...ha!... Ah." Her heart rate quickened abnormally, and she could hear the noisy sound of blood flowing in her head. The inside of her chest grew hot, and the depths of her belly grew cold. Her leaping heart threatened to jump right out of her mouth, and yet, the tips of her fingers felt heavy, as if packed with lead. Though she willed them to move with all her might, they would not. If she didn't open this door, something terrible would happen to everyone, she was sure of it. As fear and despair made her mind a blank, Emilia's consciousness moved further and further away " Think of yourself as the Key." When Emilia sought something to cling to, that voice smoothly slid into Emilia's earlobes. I am...the Key. Doing as the voice commanded, Emilia's mind settled on a single answer. That instant, Emilia felt something heavy in the palm of the hand she used to touch the door. She looked at her hand. There, she saw an old, large silver key that had appeared at some point unknown to her. "Can you see it? If so, you are indeed the Key." Standing right beside Emilia, Pandora spoke in what seemed a whisper. Her words brought a sound out of Emilia's throat, but she realized the girl could not see the Key herself. "You don't see this...?" " . No, I do not. This Key cannot be entrusted to anyone who does not possess the proper qualifications. There are likely only two people in the world who may hold this Key." When Pandora murmured with a look of envy, Emilia saw something resembling emotion in her for the first time. But the impression the girl gave off that moment was meaningless. Lifting her face, Emilia turned back toward the door. Surely, the key in her palm would match the keyhole of the lock in the center of the door. It was something Emilia understood without having to try and see. Mysteriously, her hand felt accustomed to the key. It was as natural, as obvious as a key she might use to enter her own bedroom. "Now, open it. Do this, and your wish shall be granted." When Pandora's voice came to her from...somewhere, Emilia took a single step forward. If she put the key in the keyhole and willed it to "open," then open it would. That was all it would take for the seal to be released from its long, long, truly so very long duty. If she did that, Geuse, Fortuna, and everyone else in the forest would surely be saved...and yet Emilia I promise. As she was about to touch the seal, the words whispered by her mother upon their parting echoed in Emilia's head. They were words exchanged in a promise unrelated to that seal. However, Emilia remembered. She remembered her mother had promised to protect her. She knew nothing about the seal. She'd made a prior promise never to go to this place. Emilia did not know about this place, and she was not supposed to know. She was not supposed to have anything to do with it at all. She and Fortuna had made a promise. And she had to put keeping her promises above everything else. A promise was a creation of trust and she couldn't betray those feelings. If she became a bad girl, no one would forgive Emilia anymore. She would become unforgivable. That was why opening the seal would mean breaking a promise. "I I can't open it..." " Why?" When Emilia reluctantly shook her head, Pandora spoke briefly, her voice hard for the first time. Not noticing the change in her tone of voice, Emilia shook her head even more reluctantly. "I...I made a promise. I don't know anything about the seal. I mustn't open it." "Is that so? Promises are important, aren't they? I think your attempt to uphold yours is very righteous and commendable. However, such things have a time and place." Gently, Pandora hugged Emilia from behind. Embraced by those slender, gorgeous arms, Emilia trembled from the warmth of someone who was not her mother. "You made that promise with your mother, didn't you? Your mother is a most commendable person. She raised you to be proper and good. Such aspirations should be treasured." "Th-then..." "But sometimes, the time comes when you must decide to break a promise. Perhaps it is cruel to ask that of a child so young. However, fate does not take personal circumstance into account. What fate loves most is the struggle against the tides and embracing hope, come what may. What kind of hope do you seek?" "What kind...?" As Emilia spoke in a broken voice, Pandora went, "Yes," smiling like a benevolent mother as she nodded. "One choice would be the hope that you can keep the promise between you and your mother, not opening the seal and thus antagonizing us, but then overcome these tribulations in spite of that." Pandora lifted up her right hand to indicate that invisible hope. "And the other is the hope that by defying your mother's promise and opening the seal, we can both fulfill our objectives and harmoniously bring this entire affair to an end." Lifting up her left hand, Pandora similarly presented to Emilia another invisible hope. *** Presented with these two options, Emilia stiffened, unable to raise her voice. Her throat seemed so frozen that she couldn't even tell how to breathe. If she said something rash, would Pandora snatch back both hands that very instant? Would Emilia lose both options without coming close to touching either one? "What kind of hope shall you choose? Your fate depends upon it." The hope on the right. The hope on the left. Choosing the hope that upheld her promise. Choosing the hope that broke her promise. The sweet, enchanting voice was dissolving her brain. The gentle tone of voice with which Pandora argued her case seduced Emilia's spirit. That moment, she could not hear her own heartbeats, which had been so noisy before. All sound had vanished from the world. Even color had been erased, leaving Emilia lost and alone. Unable to hear even her own beating heart, what remained was her brain no, her consciousness alone. She couldn't choose. She couldn't choose. She couldn't choose couldn't choose couldn't couldn'tcouldn'tcouldn'tcouldn't. Which was the right choice? What should she do to rescue everyone? What did she need to do to help? She wanted someone, anyone to tell her. Hope, salvation, her mother's teachings " Ah." " So you've made your choice. This is your decision, isn't it?" Amid her white-hot thoughts and her hollow, nebula-like vision, she heard Pandora's voice. Looking down at the hand the child's palm had reached, Pandora cast her eyes, rimmed by long eyelashes, downward. Emilia had touched Pandora's right hand. She had chosen the hope that did not break her promise, that did not open the seal, that saved no one. "I...made a promise with Mom. I have to keep my promises... I have to, so... Mooom..." "You believed the words of the mother who raised you until the very end. At the end of your struggle, this is the answer you arrived at, the conclusion reached by your soul. I respect that." As a steady flood of tears flowed from Emilia, Pandora nodded in what seemed like acceptance. Then she gently brushed away Emilia's hand, which touched her own right hand, gazing at the young girl with apparent affection. If Pandora wanted to, she could force Emilia, the key holder, to open the door. That she showed no intent of doing so must have meant there was some kind of tangible goodness inside Pandora. If so, then " However, please respect the decision I made to teach you the means to open this door." It was an expression of her false benevolence. She had no qualms about completely ravaging anything that she didn't find valuable or worthy of respect. " Eh?" In a daze, Emilia let her voice trickle out toward the smiling Pandora. She saw that Pandora was looking not at her but at the woods behind her. From the grove of white trees, a single figure leaped, charging toward them " Pandoraaa!!" Howling with every fiber of her bloodied body was a woman with short silver hair Fortuna. Just how ferocious had her battles been after returning to the forest? Fortuna appeared there, wounded all over, yet the glint of fierceness in her eyes was undiminished as she unleashed tremendous magical power to impale Pandora. It sounded like the air cracked as long, massive spears of ice materialized in the area around Fortuna. Their aim was true, and with speed greater than an arrow, they streaked toward Pandora all at once. "Take this !!" "Launching an attack without looking around first is quite dangerous." Speaking calmly, Pandora stepped forward as if to shield Emilia. A moment later, a spear of ice pierced her chest, the next ones going through her hips, her arms, and her legs, shooting through one after another, with the final missile sending her head flying. " Aaaah!" Watching that cruel death unfold right before her eyes, Emilia let out a high-pitched shriek. Having lost its head, Pandora's corpse fell backward, knocking Emilia down with it. The surreal experience of being pinned under a headless corpse made Emilia scream long and hard. "...Emilia?" With that scream bringing her back to her senses, Fortuna was dumbfounded as she called out the name of her beloved daughter. Her violet eyes showed less a feeling of accomplishment from having felled her mortal foe and more surprise at finding Emilia somewhere she ought not be. Fortuna raced to Emilia's side. "Why are you here, Emilia...? You should have left the forest..." "Is it not cruel to ask why? This girl was thinking of you, her mother, as she sped here with no thought other than wanting to save you. If a mother cannot respect and praise the purity of such thoughts, what will the world come to?" *** As Fortuna wavered, Pandora, right beside her, arched her brows in visible reproach. Both sets of violet eyes opened wide Fortuna reacting to Pandora's elusiveness and Emilia because the corpse, supposedly having just died a terrible death, vanished before her very eyes. "And when you

make the same faces, you really do look alike. That's a mother and daughter for you." " ! I'm not Emilia's mother! It's my sister-in-law whom Emilia resembles!" "Ahhh, her. How so very rude of me." Fortuna unleashed an angry cry, and right as Pandora was in the middle of apologizing for it, a sword of ice mercilessly slashed her apart. Her torso was cut in half by a diagonal slice, and fresh blood spilled out as Pandora collapsed backward onto the ground. "Then I suppose that makes you the mother who raised her. If so, you should be proud of yourself. Your daughter possesses a heart most worthy of praise. I am sure that her real parents would be overjoyed." "Don't speak of my brother and sister-in-law with your filthy mouth!!" The fallen corpse vanished, and Pandora stood at Fortuna's side as if it was the most natural thing. Fortuna lopped her neck off with her sword of ice, skewering her torso and shattering it into fragments. The next moment, when Pandora revived behind her, Fortuna closed the distance and impaled her, and when the beautiful visage appeared again farther away, she hurled the sword toward her. The second the tip of the sword caught her slender body, Pandora became a statue of ice, cracking and falling apart an instant later. "Are you not tired of always rejecting conversation with violence like this? I've been waiting for a moment of calm to have a proper conversation, so how about we start over?" " !! I told you not to run your mouth!" Glancing at the shattered ice statue, Pandora patted Fortuna on the shoulder. As a shudder went through her from the nightmarish sight, Fortuna slammed an open palm into the side of Pandora's face " Agh!" "Emilia?!" Emilia, knocked flying by her mother, skidded across the ground's surface, unable to break her fall. Fortuna, going pale at having inadvertently struck her own daughter, hurriedly raced over to her side. "No!! Emilia, I'm so sorry! Oh no! I didn't mean to...!" "It hurts that much to be struck. I'm sure your own heart feels pain at least equal to that. Now do you understand just how callous your behavior is?" When Fortuna picked up Pandora, she yelped loudly and thrust the girl away. When she stood up and looked, she saw Emilia standing right by the seal, same as before. There was no sign that her cheek had been slapped. "Are you relieved to know nothing happened to her? Could you not share just a little of that sentiment with an opponent you detest? I am not telling you to love everyone as if they were your own daughter. I am merely asking that you be slightly more considerate. You should keep at least a tiny bit of this in mind." "What stupidity are you...? Who?! Who would listen to a single thing you say...?!" " Then how about this? Convince your daughter with your very own mouth. I have confirmed that the girl possesses the Key, but she refuses to open the door even so to uphold a promise made with none other than you." The negotiation she'd conducted with Emilia made Fortuna's breath catch. Emilia, trembling under her gaze, hardened her own cheeks, desperately turning her tear-clouded eyes toward her mother. "If you rescind that promise, there will be no chains left to bind her obstinate heart. All I require is for the seal to be lifted. Once it's done, I promise to distance myself from this forest without doing anything else. Promise... Such a wonderful word, yes?" She had no apparent intent to ridicule; no doubt these were her true thoughts. There was no malice in Pandora's affection- and envy-filled words. It was that very lack of malice that made them so powerfully, wickedly sarcastic. Within Fortuna's vision, Emilia clenched both her hands, awaiting her mother's words. Her hands were bulging from grasping something because she held the Key that could unlock the seal. If Fortuna spoke a single word, Emilia would open the sealed door. If that action would save the forest, her young heart was determined to offer everything for it " I'm sorry, Emilia. I'm sorry I made you go through all this." Fortuna walked toward the door nay, to her daughter, embracing Emilia tightly as she spoke. From this hug, she could tell that the young girl was shaking. Parent and child rubbed their silver hair against each other's cheek, sharing warmth as if to confirm the other's presence. "Emilia, I'm truly and very... You came here alone? What about Archi?" "Archi...told me to run as far as the white flowers... That's why...I ran..." *** Hearing from Emilia what Archi had told her, Fortuna realized that the young elf's life had reached its end. The unfortunate end of the young man who had told them that they were family filled Fortuna's chest with sadness. However, Fortuna did not show a tearful face to the daughter she embraced. Just how many lives had the minion of that vicious Witch stolen around the forest...? Even so, Fortuna was proud of the decision her daughter had made. "Emilia, Emilia...you did well to keep your promise. Good girl. Good girl." "Mom...! Mom, I I !" "Emilia...you are my pride. You are my treasure..." As her daughter nestled close, Fortuna gently embraced her. Pandora's face grew hot, seemingly entranced by the sight. Her expression was as if she wanted to monopolize the world's most beautiful scenes all for herself. "I have had my fill of beautiful love between parent and child. To love and be loved is marvelous indeed..." "I don't feel very warm and fuzzy hearing that from you I won't break the seal. I won't hand over this girl. My reply is the same as Emilia's. Turn into an ice statue and wither here, would you?" "Do you not think such a cruel statement is bad for your daughter's education?" "Nothing can be worse for her education than having a conversation with someone like you." Rejecting Pandora's very existence, Fortuna channeled the mana around her once more. Sensing that renewed hostility and increasing magical power, Pandora pursed her lips with a forlorn expression. The next moment. "After sooo long, I have finally caught up with you !" His voice was tinged with madness, yet the man held on to an even greater sense of duty as he rushed onto the battlefield. Leaping over the tall, pure-white trees was a man wearing a habit Geuse passing through the sky high, fast, and with enough force that one might think a giant had hurled him. "Geuse!" "Lady Fortunaaa!" Fortuna and Geuse called out each other's names, and that was all it took to link their wills together. With Pandora standing by the sealed door, Fortuna and Geuse were in the perfect position to conduct a pincer, unleashing maximum firepower from front and rear. Fortuna gripped Emilia's trembling right hand with her left. Emilia stared up at the side of her mother's face. As she gazed straight ahead, ready to boldly confront her opponent, she was beautiful enough to make one tremble. "Al Hyuma !!" "Unseen Haaands !!!" The unparalleled destruction woven by Fortuna combined with the maximum amount of heresy Geuse could derive from the power of the Witch Factor. As such incredibly devastating power swelled, the sky of the Great Elior Forest cried out in agony " Mom?" An invisible hand pierced Fortuna's chest, bathing Emilia's entire body in her mother's fresh blood. 2 Emilia felt the hand holding her own grow limp as Fortuna's body collapsed before her eyes. "With thiiiiis it is over!!" Howling, Geuse landed as he waved around his blood-soaked hand. Seemingly pulled by his gesture, Fortuna's body traced a similar arc as it danced in the air. Strength drained from Fortuna's limbs as she was cast away like a doll and tumbled across the ground Blood poured ceaselessly out of her body. "I felt that striiike her... After sooo many tries, thiiis time..." His breathing ragged, Geuse murmured as he knelt on the spot. Emilia did not hear his voice, nor did she see the state he was in. Emilia saw Fortuna alone. *** With a wobbly gait, she headed toward where Fortuna had fallen. Holes had opened in Fortuna's body from both sides, chest and back, and a great deal of blood flowed from her broken flesh. Even the spurts of blood began to grow weaker by the time Emilia knelt down in the pool of blood. Embracing her pale mother's head, she somehow brought it onto her own lap. Fortuna's pretty silver hair was speckled and drenched with blood as Emilia desperately tried to keep it unblemished, cleaning it with her fingers. However, as she did so, Emilia's own fingers were marred with blood; the more she touched, the less pretty Fortuna's hair became. "Lady Fortuna! Do not drop your guard! Be careful. I will check..." "Geuse...?" *** Incredibly wary, Geuse turned a palm toward Fortuna. Emilia sluggishly raised her head; Geuse's tense expression changed when he heard her voice. For an instant, he blinked, his face like that of one looking far in the distance. "Lady Emilia?" Geuse murmured, looking like he was noticing the sight of the little girl kneeling in a pool of blood for the very first time. Then he slowly shifted his gaze to the individual whose head rested upon Emilia's knees. His eyes opened wide. "...This...cannot be." Shocked by the scene before his eyes, Geuse could only mutter that single phrase. He looked to his side. Calmly standing beside Geuse was a woman with a beautiful visage, not a single blemish upon her. That beautiful figure, of the Witch named Pandora, flashed Geuse a smile. "It cannot be helped. You were merely 'mistaken' in what you saw." "Ah, aah... Aaaaaaaaaagh ?!" Understanding everything from that smile, Geuse plunged his fingernails into his own cheek as he screamed. The power of it stripped his nails, gouged his flesh, and stained the man's face crimson. "Absurd, absurd, absurdabsurdabsurdabsurd! What have I ? What iiis it I have done?! What have I...? Why, whywhywhywhywhywhy?! This... Then what have ? For what purpose have I been...aaa? Aah?! AAAAAAAH!!" Geuse had taken the Witch Factor into himself, using sheer willpower to keep an incompatible Deadly Sin in check. The most important part of him that kept this indomitable willpower going had snapped. Geuse could almost hear the sound of it breaking as everything that had been holding him together fell to pieces inside him. With the power he had gambled his life to obtain, he had himself destroyed the life he had made the gamble to protect. "I... For what purpose have I...?!" " All was for love." Having lost his mind to madness, a lament echoed through Geuse's despairing soul. With a quiet voice, Pandora replied to Geuse's mournful question. "You offered your own soul to save the one you love. That is something few people are capable of. For so very, very long, you supported the Witch Cult day after day for the sake of love. All your actions are the product of love. The path of love is marvelous indeed." "Love... Love, love...love, love... Love...!!" "Yes. There is nothing you need be afraid of, nothing you need regret. All was inevitable; the path of fate led you here. Having come this far, you must continue down this path 'Your love is not mistaken.'" "For love...!" Repeatedly jamming such sweet nothings into his ears, Geuse felt his mind well and truly shatter. Dropping to his knees, light fading from his eyes, he fell into oblivion, unable to move. Gazing at the sight of Geuse so stricken, Pandora smiled, quite satisfied with herself. "Emi...lia..." And at the same time Geuse's mind had been smashed, the fires of another life were going out. "Mom..." Hearing her name spoken by such a faint, fading voice, Emilia called out again in a daze. Embracing her mother with trembling arms, she found it heartbreaking how much lighter Fortuna's body had grown.

At some point, her blood must have flowed in such great quantities that it stopped coming out at all. If the bleeding had stopped, was her mother's wound all right, she wondered? Emilia's mind was so young; there was no way to protect it without holding on to some kind of hope. Anyone could see that Fortuna, no longer retaining any power to move, was on death's door. "...Bro...ther...I'm...sorry." "Mom." "I couldn't...protect anything...you told...me to..." She voiced her regrets, her tone like that of an apologizing child. With nothing left to bleed, the only thing that came out were Fortuna's tears. Feeling the heat of those tears with a touch of her finger, Emilia tried with all her might to gather them up. She did this thinking them the sum total of her mother's life force at that moment. "My sister...will be a-angry, huh...? She won't forgive me...for this...will she...?" As she listened to her mother's words, Emilia belatedly realized. The light had long faded from her mother's violet eyes. Those eyes could only shed tears; they could not see Emilia's face. She didn't realize Emilia was at her side. No matter how much she touched her, no matter how much she held her, nothing was getting through. To her mother, Fortuna, who was crying and begging for forgiveness like a little child, Emilia " Mom, I forgive you." *** "Mom has...Mom has always taken care of me... You loved me, every bit as much as Father and Mother..." *** "So there's nothing to be sorry for. There isn't. Emilia has always, always...always loved you so much, Mom. I love you so much. I love you, I love you... I love you...!" Her emotions were falling apart. Her voice lost all composure, and the teardrops she could no longer hold back fell onto Fortuna's face one after another. If teardrops truly carried the power of life, there was no doubt Emilia's tears brought about a miracle. "...Mom?" "Lia." A slowly rising hand touched Emilia's cheek. A hand that shouldn't have been able to move felt Emilia's cheek, stroked her ear, tickled her hair. She gently caressed Emilia like she was touching something unimaginably valuable, something impossibly fragile. But above all, she touched lovingly. Lovingly. Lovingly. "Such a crybaby." *** "I really love yo..." Her strength drained away. Her arm made a soft sound as it fell. In her lap, Emilia felt the body of Fortuna, who had reached up to stroke her face, grow lighter still. Even though her whole body losing energy should have made her heavier, Fortuna became tangibly lighter in Emilia's arms something that must never come out had left. Fortuna was no longer there... Even Emilia understood that. *** Her mother, Fortuna, was gone. Geuse's Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti's mind was broken. And Emilia was "Now then, are you prepared to choose the hope of lifting the seal?" Pandora walked over, addressing Emilia as she embraced Fortuna's remains. With a gentle face, Pandora quietly awaited her reply. Emilia lifted her head. "...Open the seal?" "Yes. Unfortunately, the mother with whom you made that promise has passed away. No longer do the fetters called a promise bind you. So how about it?" When Pandora presented that heinous argument like it was perfectly normal, Emilia understood everything. She understood for what purpose this demon, standing before her in the form of a person, had done such things. This demon had acted for no reason other than to make Emilia break her promise. For nothing more than that sake, she had caused Fortuna to die and Geuse's mind to break and had thoroughly trampled the forest underfoot. "Oh yes, I forgot something Come on out." As Emilia adopted an emotionless expression, Pandora made an inviting motion with her hand toward the air in front of Emilia. When she did so, faint, phosphorescent glows floated up all around Emilia, and these countless lights slowly moved toward Pandora, gathering as she beckoned. The lights added a surreal beauty to her already enchanting visage. They were fairies or rather, lesser spirits. They were the fairies that had led Emilia to the sealed door, showing her the way. Why had they gone over to Pandora...? "I was not convinced you would come here if left to your own devices, so I asked them to help, you see. They are such dependable children." When Pandora smiled, conveying her thanks to the lesser spirits, her words made the lights happily sway about. When had it all started? Emilia no longer knew. Wobbly, Emilia's own head swayed as she looked up at the sealed door. The door leisurely looked back down at Emilia, as if waiting expectantly for the moment it would be opened. She belatedly noticed the heavy sensation of the Key firmly in the palm of her hand. At some point, the Key had reappeared within it. "The Key... I'm so glad; it seems you still had it. You understand what to do, then?" With Pandora smiling in front of her, Emilia quietly trembled. She gently slid her mother's head from her lap, lightly resting it atop the grass. With a finger, she toyed with her mother's hair before carefully arranging Fortuna's beautiful face. Her hair was short, colored silver like Emilia's own. She gently removed the floral accessory from her mother's beautiful hair, replacing it with Emilia's own. Finally, she put her mother's floral accessory into her own hair. With that, she and her mother would be together...always. And then "Die." surging cold welled up to form seemingly innumerable blades, turning Pandora's flesh into bloody mist in a single instant. The gushing blood instantly froze. Vivid flowers of red ice bloomed in a chaotic pattern. A single pillar of ice stood at the epicenter, petals of fresh blood scattered all about. It was a sculpture of ice and death. "What a violent thing to have done to me. What has gotten into you all of a ?" "Die." Stakes of ice poured down, drilling into Pandora's limbs, and a spear of ice thrust out of the ground's surface, impaling her from her waist to the crown of her skull. Her frozen body, bathed in impacts from above and below, made a high-pitched sound as it shattered into tiny pieces. "Please calm yourself. Surely, we can understand each other if we only speak." "Die." Mighty blocks of ice closed in from left and right, crushing Pandora's body and cruelly transforming it into a pathetic lump of flesh. "You are a gentle girl deep in your heart. Doing this will only make your mother sad." "Die." A spinning blade of ice rose from below Pandora's feet and sliced her to ribbons, sending crimson lumps of ice flying. "You are betraying the numerous wishes placed in you...by your parents, Archbishop Romanée-Conti, and your mother, as well." "Die !!" A white cloud enveloped Pandora, transforming her body into an ice statue. A mighty sword of ice swung downward a moment later, not slicing but rather, smashing the statue, scattering it in chunks across the ground with tremendous force. Pandora was slain again and again in a tempest of bloodlust and countless, inexhaustible, violently creative means of destruction. And yet "How troublesome. It seems this has caused the opposite of the intended effect." "Die, die, die, die...!!" As she sobbed and wailed, Emilia poured icy destruction upon Pandora over and over. However, even as Pandora assuredly died each and every time, she instantly revived just as quickly. "D-die... Die..." Each time Emilia strained her young body to cast magic, she drew closer to her limit. She cast spells one after another even though her body couldn't support it, her face turning red as her lower half began to freeze over. She wasn't expelling it fast enough and the increasingly vast store of mana she had drawn into her body was beginning to go out of control. "Such an incredible amount of mana...and a Gate that can manage all this... It would seem a Witch's progeny cannot flee from fate Perhaps you were brought to this forest to make sure your blood continued to slumber." Emilia did not understand the meaning of Pandora's comment, but she shook her head to reject it all the same. Her right leg had completely frozen over; it was difficult for her to even stand straight. She went down to one knee. Her murderous violet eyes shot right through Pandora; the sight of bloodlust in one so young made Pandora lower her own gaze. "This is most unfortunate considering my greatest desire is right before me, but I shall leave it at this for today. Any more, and it seems I will only make you push yourself further." "Die, die, die, die...!" "We have accomplished much today: learning of your bloodline, confirming the existence of the Key, and the birth of a new Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins More importantly, taking the seal and leaving is more than sufficient... Oh my." Her arbitrary conclusion that left no room for discussion was the very epitome of conceit. But as Pandora put her spin on the situation, white crystals suddenly entered her field of vision. Snow. Emilia's absurd level of mana had gone berserk, warping the climate itself to the extreme and causing snow to fall. At first, it was a flake here, a flake there; however, the force and strength of the snowfall soon increased, growing powerful enough to be properly called a snowstorm. " From the looks of things, you are about to enter a rather long slumber." Looking up at the falling snow, Pandora then turned to Emilia, the cause of the dramatic shift in weather. Already, the frost had reached Emilia's hips; she was no longer able to move either arm. "Your power will cover this forest in ice that shall never melt. At some point, your mana shall reach its very limit, or perhaps it shall be offset by someone whose power rivals your own. Until then..." "Die, die...!" "Unfortunately, I shall not. When the snow melts and this icy winter comes to an end, we shall inevitably meet again. But I would feel very lonely if you were to hate me when that time comes." As Emilia spat curses, Pandora gently touched the young girl's forehead with a fingertip. Emilia's violet eyes seethed with hatred as Pandora smiled at her with an innocent face. "You will 'completely forget about my existence in your memories up to this day.'" " Ah." "Go ahead and fill the gap however you like. Ah, yes. You kept your promise with all your heart and soul. Carve this deeply into your heart. I would be pleased if you remain just as you are now." Frozen up to her chest, Emilia's head reeled, her unfocused gaze lingering on the world around her. Her eyes were spinning, drool spilled from the corner of her lips, and the inside of Emilia's head had been all stirred up. Randomly, unwittingly, the pages strewn over the wall of her memory rearranged themselves as they pleased, creating innumerable inconsistencies. The words that had been exchanged vanished into the distance, and she forgot the love she had been given, leaving only fear and a sense of guilt behind The important thing that did not vanish...was her promise. She absolutely did not forget she had upheld her promise. Nor had she forgotten she had to uphold her promise. She'd kept her promise. The promise had been kept. "I wonder just what colors shall greet your heart and what kind of smile you will show me the next time we meet? I look forward to the day when we shall see each other again." Even amid the ferocious snowstorm, Pandora's voice carried clearly as she walked forward, stroking her own platinum hair. Geuse, still in a daze as he knelt, was buried up to half his body. When Pandora whispered something into his ear, he stood up with an emotionless face. The pair, Pandora and Geuse, departed the snowy forest, walking side by

side. All Emilia could do was watch them go. Her body had continued to freeze, the ice already reaching a part of her face. Only in her eyes did Emilia's consciousness remain. Abruptly, Emilia realized she was gazing downward. There was an unnatural clump of snow on the ground right in front of her. It was as if someone was being embraced by this pure, snowy-white landscape. *** She could not move her mouth. She could no longer close her eyes. Her body, her heart was freezing over. And so, too, was Emilia's consciousness " om." The girl would proceed to sleep in never-melting ice for a span of a hundred years, until a spirit who sought her, who had received life for her sake alone, found her. Emilia continued to sleep within the ice, ever, ever alone. 3 Emilia stood still in front of her frozen young self. She'd watched everything to the end. *** Under the commanding view she'd had of her entire raging past, her memories had at some point melted away. Scenes she could not possibly have seen, events she could not possibly know, the last moments of her homeland she could never have witnessed, all of it Emilia remembered more than the memories she had lost. She remembered everything that had happened. Through this journey, which had filled the gaps in her memory, she had walked the path that led to her regrets. Just how sinful was the tranquility she gained by forgetting her regrets? She had seen for herself all of young Emilia's days, all she had forgotten in order to go on living up to this day. Fortuna's death, Geuse's madness, the reason her homeland had been encased in ice, everything "If you wish to blame yourself for the falsification of your memories, I believe you would be in error." Abruptly, as Emilia drifted in the chasm between memory and consciousness, a voice addressed her. It was the Witch standing beside her Echidna. She turned her cold eyes toward Emilia as the girl hugged her own knees. Just like Emilia, Echidna had witnessed these regrets from beginning to end. She gazed at Emilia's younger, frozen self. "You and your family faced off against the Witch of Vanity. Brandishing her flimsy, self-serving logic, she employed her power to 'rewrite' phenomena as she pleased. There is no question that it was the Authority of Vanity that caused your warped memories." "The Witch of Vanity..." "An exceedingly filthy Authority. Your younger self outstripped Pandora in simple terms of power, but that was due to her being particularly ill-matched against your strengths and nothing more." Apparently, Echidna looked down even upon Pandora. Perhaps Emilia ought to have said, As expected of a Witch. Echidna's barbed demeanor since coming into contact with Emilia was unchanged, but never before had Echidna replied so readily to one of Emilia's questions. "Can I ask you about Pandora?" "...I tend to be fond of conversing with others, but where you are concerned, I decline. I don't like the cheeky thought process behind such questions: It might be too much to ask, but I'll ask anyway and their ilk." "Is that how it is...? Well, thank you anyway." Hearing Emilia give thanks despite being insulted, Echidna twisted her lips in disgust. Emilia actually found Echidna's unchanging attitude incredibly comforting at the moment. That was how staggering Emilia's past had been. In a true sense, the restoration of her memories had turned her entire life upside down. She'd committed body and spirit to the royal selection to save everyone in the frozen forest, and yet... "I'm the one who made them all ice statues... Everyone who tried to save me..." Unable to respond to their feelings, she'd ended up shutting everyone under the snow, freezing them completely. Once freed from the ice, Emilia had spent her time in the forest without any memories of her regrets. She'd spent every day continuing to speak to the people who had become ice statues never realizing she was trying to atone for her own feelings of guilt. Now she understood why her memories had been sealed away. Even had Pandora not interfered with them, she might have wanted to forget them regardless in a moment of weakness. "You have remembered the past and seen your regrets to the end. However, the Trial is not yet finished." The memories that led to her regrets had finished playing out. Echidna made a comment as she stared at the silent world's snowy landscape. "The past has been revealed without difficulty. You challenged the Trial, and your journey to reach your worst, most terrible mistakes, which gave rise to your regrets, is at an end. Now you must provide your answer." "An answer to the Trial..." "The first Trial is to see if you can succeed in breaking from your greatest past regret. You can accept or deny your own past. Rejection is another choice. I respect whatever conclusion you may choose." Emilia deeply exhaled hearing Echidna's words, which somehow sounded rather passionate. By climbing onto the stage known as the Trial, Emilia had finally confronted the past she had wondered about so many times. Having lost her pact with Puck and reclaimed herself after he had indulged her for so long, Emilia had uncovered her own memories at long last and made it this far. "All that said, perhaps you are even more at a loss. After all, the starting point of your resolve has been tarnished. The sin that turned your mother, your friend, and your family into ice statues belongs to none other than you." Echidna's words sliced into Emilia like a blade. The frozen forest, her people who'd been turned into ice statues, the forest being corrupted by the plague-bearing demon beast, the loss of her mother, and the breaking of Geuse's mind Emilia had left the forest because she wanted to save everyone in the village to save her mother. And yet, the motivation for that decision had turned out to be a fairy tale that misled her starting from the first and most crucial step of her journey, leading to nothing but pain and disappointment What was left for such a girl to do? " I've been taught the answer to that already." When Emilia's heart flirted with self-doubt, there was one thing that gave her the strength to steady herself. Don't give up. Look forward. Raise your head high. Look straight at me. Over and over, time and time again, he'd told Emilia those things. He'd scolded Emilia for being weak, for giving up. Without any basis, he'd declared, You're the best. Their teeth had hurt when they'd clumsily butted together, but the heat of their tongues meeting had lit Emilia's heart on fire. "Mom loved me." *** "I wanted to help Mom...my mother, Fortuna. I wanted her to hold me again, to sleep with her in the same bed. Over and over, I told her I loved her so much." "Do you regret it, then?" The Witch posed a question without a defined subject, and the time had come for Emilia to choose her hope. Pandora had presented her with two hopes. At the time, had Emilia chosen to break her promise, would Fortuna and Geuse and everyone really be safe and sound? If it was possible to redo the past, then perhaps she could look at it with what-ifs and what-might-have-beens. Even so "I regret nothing." *** "I don't regret keeping my promise and not backing down. What I regret is that I didn't have enough power to do anything at the time. I regret not being clever enough and not trying hard enough. But I absolutely don't regret following Mom's instructions and refusing to do whatever Pandora told me." After all, hadn't Fortuna said it right at the very end? She'd said she was proud of Emilia for keeping her promise. She'd said Emilia was her treasure. Those words themselves were a treasure that would stay with Emilia forever. "You cannot save your mother. Does that not make your struggle meaningless?" "That isn't so. Mom... I couldn't save her. But I don't know if that's true for everyone else yet. The others might still be waiting even now, sleeping inside the ice. And I'm the only one who can save them and bring them out." "They've been ice statues for over a hundred years, and the forest was contaminated by the Black Serpent. Even if you manage to undo the freezing, what if their bodies have been eaten away by plague? What if nothing remains of the land of your ancestors?" "That's speculation, and horrible speculation at that. Everyone's waiting inside the ice to be rescued. If I don't wake them up as soon as possible, they'll definitely have a good reason to be angry with me. If they live well after that, I'll smile and be glad." "A foolish delusion." "No, it's a prediction of a happy future!" When Echidna tried to cut her off, Emilia stepped forward, firmly making her own declaration. Boldly facing the white-haired Witch, Emilia gestured toward the vast, snowy landscape with her hand. "I won't let anyone deny a possibility just because they haven't seen it yet! I won't accept that everything Mom left me will meet such a tragic end! I will make Mom's ideals a reality!" "Ideals? Just what is it you claim that your mother sought?" "Mom told me. Someday, we'd all leave the forest and live normal lives. A world where Geuse and his people could get along with all the villagers, where Subaru can tell me he loves me, where Geuse and Mom can walk side by side I'm sure it exists!" "And do you see the frozen villagers in that world? Villagers frozen by your very own hand!" "I'm so, so sorry about that. I'll apologize over, and over, and over until they forgive me! And if they do forgive me, I'll introduce the world to them then. I'll tell them there's no need to live in seclusion anymore. I'll tell them this is the world Mom talked about!" Drawing in her breath, Emilia shouted out the words brimming in her chest. At some point, the pair had begun to stand amid not a landscape of snow but a world of enveloping white light. The cold wind pricking their skin was gone; the scene dominated by so many regrets had faded away. Not noticing even that, Emilia puffed out her chest, speaking in a loud voice. "I'll preach her dream until my voice gives out and keep saying this until Mom up in the sky can hear me!" "I'm happy to be in the world Mom loved !" That instant, the world split open with a roar. Seeing cracks running across the white space, Emilia finally realized the scenery around her had changed. As she opened her eyes wide in surprise, Echidna, now standing right before her, breathed a deep sigh as she brought her hands together before her own chest. " I see. I understand now. I had thought I understood, but you are more of a pushy, insolent, conceited, and arbitrary proponent of hypocrisy than even I imagined." "I suppose I am. Is that bad?" "Not exactly. I do not particularly care, after all. It is merely that in those respects, you are exactly like your mother." As Echidna grimaced, furrowing her refined eyebrows, Emilia raised her own in surprise. "You know my mo... Not Mom, but my other mother?" "I know her, yes. It would be false to claim she isn't partly responsible for why I become so emotional when I interact with you. She always did have that Why is it always you...? jealousy about her..." Echidna turned away in a huff, the sight of which threw Emilia terribly off as she opened her eyes wide. Simultaneously, Emilia's vision became cloudy, and her consciousness felt heavy. Slowly, she felt heat passing into her limbs, and in her heart, she understood she was waking from

a vague, ambiguous dream. "With this, the Trial is at an end. However conceited your conclusion, there is no mistaking that you have come to terms with the past. Considering you've used your mother's sacrifice to bolster your resolve, do try to see your selfish, arbitrary wishes through." "Say whatever you like, Echidna. I'm used to your insults by now." Placing a hand on her hip, Emilia turned straight toward Echidna, who was venting hateful things until the bitter end. The boldness of her demeanor made Echidna wearily shake her head. "Two Trials remain. I would like to expect much pathetic anguish from you, but..." "Eh, wait! There's still more Trials to go? Two more? Three in total?" "It does amount to that, yes. Your surprise makes me want to gloat a little...but I must say, with considerable regret, that I do not think the remaining Trials will hold out for long against you." "Really?" "An irreverent attitude is self-doubt's greatest enemy. The Trial, meant to pick at what lies inside you, is particularly ill-suited against who you are now. In one sense, you have abandoned logic, after all." "Hey, you're kind of making it sound like I never use my brain, which is really rude." Echidna's lecture caused Emilia to puff up her cheeks in a show of clear dissatisfaction. However, there was no time for further exchanges. The Trial, and her opportunity to converse with the Witch, was reaching its end. Echidna was enveloped by light, and in that brilliance, Emilia's consciousness began to disperse as well. At the very end, as she dissolved in the light, a malicious smile came over the Witch of Greed. " I hate you." "I don't hate you all that much, though." Even without seeing, Emilia had some idea of what kind of face her reply had provoked. The Trial was over. 4 When she regained consciousness, Emilia made a small groan as she felt something hard pressed against her back. Apparently, the cold sensation was from a wall that her back was leaning against. Having lost consciousness against it, she seemed to have rested her weight there while traveling in the dream. Reaching a hand out, she touched the wall. The wall bore scars from the crude carvings upon it, and the very part she was touching had I Love You written in I-script. The nice coincidence brought a smile over her. That moment, she wanted to be greeted by Subaru's words more than anyone's. " I'm really grateful." Though there was no way for Subaru to hear it, Emilia quietly thanked him. The Trial was over. The forgotten past had returned to her, and she had set eyes upon her sealed regrets. It had no doubt been Subaru granting her courage over and over amid those scenes. She finally realized for herself just how much she had been protected by the feelings of others. In the past, it was Fortuna, Geuse, and Archi who had protected her heart. After, she had always relied upon Puck. In the present, Subaru, Ram, and Otto were the ones who supported her. Terrified of her sealed past, she could have been convinced she could rely only on herself, refusing to show any weakness only to spend all night sobbing, her frail heart crushed. It was thanks to everyone that it hadn't come to that In both past and present, Emilia was blessed. Emilia had never once been alone since that fateful moment. That was why. " I'm sorry, Mom." Her slightly loosened lips tensed, and a seemingly suppressed voice trickled out of Emilia. Her words of apology echoed in the dimly lit stonework room and were immediately followed by the sound of a nose sniffling. Tears poured out one after another, unceasing. She could not hold them back. She could endure it no more. In the tomb, with no concern about anyone seeing the tearful face she'd absolutely refused to show the Witch out of pure stubbornness, Emilia pressed her head against the wall with loving phrases carved into it, letting her emotions all come to the surface. "Mom... Mom...!" A flood of tears and a wave of nostalgia toward her gentler memories continued to spill out. They were tears that should have flowed before...a full century before. In that stone room, no one could see Emilia finally getting a chance to grieve for the mother she couldn't remember for so long. This way, when she left in plain sight, none need know of her crying face. She wouldn't have to show her weakness to the person who'd told her he loved her despite her weak faults. She cried, she cried, she wept... She sobbed. And then... As she mourned her mother's memory, her mother's love, all the things she was grateful her mother had given her... Emilia continued to cry, her face pressed against Love the entire while. 5 She wiped her tears and smacked her cheeks. Putting her disheveled hair in order, she diligently smoothed out the creases of her sleeves. She wondered if she wasn't making a shameful-looking face that moment. Puck, who was normally so fussy about Emilia's grooming, was no longer present. She could not feel the warmth from the cracked crystal at her neck, which had always been by her side. "...But I'll definitely find him myself, so..." No matter where he might be, there was no sign that the cat spirit had vanished from this world altogether. She was sure her contracted spirit, and her surrogate parent for all that time, was out there somewhere. "Plus, without Puck here, I really seem to be wasting excessive amounts of mana..." As she murmured, Emilia was getting dizzy from the vast quantity of mana welling from her entire body. Now that she had regained her memories, there was no room to doubt this was all her mana. Emilia's power was sufficient to single-handedly freeze the forest that had been her homeland. Puck had most likely put in a fair bit of effort from the shadows to keep Emilia unaware of that power. All of it had been to keep her from confronting the memories she subconsciously kept sealed. "Oh, Puck, you really are overprotective..." With a thin smile, Emilia lightly flicked the crystal with a finger. After that, she took a big, deep breath. Filling her chest with cold air, she thrust out all the weak feelings lurking inside her body. " Okay!! I'm all right now." Emilia made this powerful declaration, speaking it for her own benefit. Her chest hurt when she thought of Fortuna and Geuse. Even at that very moment, she felt like she might break into tears if her guard lowered even slightly. But she couldn't bawl her eyes out forever. Emilia had so many things she had to do. And surely, by doing these things, she would fulfill Fortuna's and Geuse's expectations, continuing onward to the future they had wished for. She touched the floral accessory adorning her hair. In her heart, she'd always remembered this was a most precious heirloom from her mother. Just as she'd wished back then, Fortuna had stayed with her always. "After this, there are two more Trials...but first." As she spoke, Emilia headed outside the stonework room for the time being. She didn't understand how to begin the second Trial, but she wanted to go to Subaru and the others waiting to hear from her outside. She'd made everyone worry so much, to the point of getting into a big argument with Subaru and finally making even Puck distance himself from her But she'd faced her past. The things she'd remembered about her past were far from completely kind. She didn't have a firm grasp on it just yet, but there was a good chance those memories had greatly shaken the foundations of her being. But for that moment, at least, she wanted to return and face the others with a simple sense of accomplishment. At the end of the stonework corridor, a breeze blew in from outside the tomb. The time was past evening, and the tomb glowed blue to welcome its challenger. Silver moonlight poured down from the sky. The moon's illumination was bright enough to make Emilia narrow her eyes. She slowly looked down onto the grassy clearing when " Welcome back, Lady Emilia." The fact that Ram, greeting her with polite formality, was standing all alone made Emilia blink and tilt her head in confusion. CHAPTER 5 *** 1 Let us rewind the tale once more. Having been told the true past of how the Sanctuary had come to be and the truth hidden behind that past, a group of individuals, who were now aware of everything, had fulfilled the conditions required to march onto the stage and ask a certain man his true intent. It was time to confront the schemes of Roswaal L. Mathers head-on. Their spirits high, Subaru and the others charged down the path from the tomb to the settlement with hasty steps. At their destination, the mastermind who had created the entire plot awaited them. "In terms o' wicked deeds, I think ya ain't half-bad yerself, General." "You make me sound so bad... Forget winning or losing; being cunning the way Roswaal is is definitely a bad idea. What if people started pelting me with eggs on my way home all the time?" "Just what kind of concern is that supposed to be? Throwing eggs at a person would be quite a waste." Even as they spoke oddly past one another, Subaru and company reviewed their situation and what they knew. In particular, sharing information with their newest companion, Garfiel, was an urgent priority. Since they could not leisurely take their time, the explanation was fairly rushed, inevitably making it confusing. "Actually, Garfiel, how much have you been cooperating with Roswaal anyway?" "Me and that bastard? ...No way in hell. We've talked about you and Lady Emilia for maybe a hot second, max. Also, haven't talked with 'im since the first day you 'n' the others arrived, General." "That's some pretty extreme dysfunction there... Ah, no, I get it, I get it... I just didn't think you'd hate the guy so much, even if he is your romantic rival..." "...Not like that's the only reason. Me, I just don't like the bastard." Averting his gaze, Garfiel murmured in a low voice. Garfiel and Roswaal had to have been acquainted for over a decade. Subaru couldn't understand the complexities of the feelings between them from an outside glance. But Subaru sighed hearing Garfiel's reply, which he felt confirmed his concern. Because if Garfiel's antagonism toward Subaru wasn't due to any direct orders from Roswaal... "He had the Ryuzus and Shima, then there's Ram obviously, even Emilia would count... Geez, just how many hooks did Roswaal have in you, Garfiel?" "His prior preparations put us at a complete disadvantage, and on top of that, he's made meticulous preparations to strike his foes down. Wouldn't the time to run be now?" "Sorry to disappoint, but this party's current policy is Safety First While We Let 'Em Have It." Subaru replied to Otto's appeal with a flippant remark of his own. Seeing that Garfiel was left perplexed by their exchange, Subaru elaborated. "In other words, the covert activities spearheaded by Roswaal, the mastermind behind the current situation, are no joke. It would've been simpler to take care of it if you'd simply made a deal with him to oppose liberating the Sanctuary, but..." "No way I'd strike any deal with him! Me, I tried to tear out your throat outta my own free will, General!" Howling as if ready to bite then and there, Garfiel gripped the crystal dangling from his own neck. This subconscious action seemed motivated by a need for physical reassurance of where exactly his will stood. Garfiel was most likely racked with worries of his own. Just like how Ryuzu had been bewildered by Shima's story about the Sanctuary's true role, the revelations served as the

starting point of Garfiel's defiance. Anguished, Garfiel was caught between Subaru and Otto as the latter glanced at the others' faces. "If we are to believe Garfiel's own statement, the marquis enjoys an advantageous position because of his astoundingly good fortune." "That's way scarier. If there's one stat the three of us are short on, it's luck." Subaru and Otto exchanged grim faces as the pair let out a sigh. Garfiel knit his brows, less out of surprise and more because he was feeling creeped out by their gloomy behavior. "Hey, why are you and Bro all calm about this, General? If you two are right, the bastard's the one completely controlling everythin' in the Sanctuary, right?" "So you really were keeping up. That's right. If it's like that, it's seriously bad." By using the people who had started on his side to begin with as much as he could and manipulating those who were not with crafty rhetoric, Roswaal had inextricably tied the events surrounding the Sanctuary and the mansion together. If Subaru had to name names, it was doubtlessly Subaru as well as Emilia who topped the list of pawns Roswaal had deftly led around by the nose. And he'd even woven into his strategy the wild card named Garfiel who'd caused Subaru to suffer time and time again just how much planning had Roswaal put into this scheme? The obsessiveness and tenacity to carry such a thing out truly was in the realm of a monster a devil. And Subaru and company were heading to the location of that very devil. Seeing Subaru and Otto bantering a bit right before they confronted that devil, it was quite natural that Garfiel felt confused. "In the first place, General, why'd we come all the way just to see the bastard...?" Suspicion rested in Garfiel as he voiced an entirely natural doubt that he had. However, unfortunately for him, there was no time for a reply. After all " We've arrived." Subaru's brief phrase brought all three pairs of feet to a halt. Straight before them stood a small stonework residence the temporary abode where Roswaal, the mastermind of the situation and the enemy they had to defeat, awaited them. "Not that we have an appointment..." Amid tension that could not be expunged with one flippant comment, the trio stepped inside the building. The air within the structure was dry. They could sense a person behind the door at the back of the building that was where Roswaal was. Standing before that door, Subaru hesitated for a single moment. And then " Come in, young Subaru. After all, I only finished preparaaations just now." *** The voice reaching them through the door caused all three of them to hold their breath. Looking over and seeing the tension in Otto's and Garfiel's eyes, Subaru checked with them with his gaze. "Preparations, the bastard says..." "I wonder what preparations he might mean at a time like this? ...Maybe to turn us all into bits of partly burned charcoal, perchance?" "Relax. When you turn to ash, I'll be cinders. I won't let you die alone." "That is impressively lacking in reassurance, I'll have you know!!" That single word, preparations, tugged at their minds. However, their opponent was not so crude as to launch an attack without bothering with words first. Oddly trusting Roswaal on that score, Subaru put his hand upon the door. And then "Ahhh, so that's what you meant." Now realizing Roswaal's intentions, Subaru let a sigh trickle out along with his comment. Upon hearing that sigh, his two companions belatedly peered into the room, each seeing the same thing as Subaru and reacting in turn. Garfiel clicked his tongue, and Otto's eyes widened in surprise. Now that Subaru thought of it, this was Otto's first time seeing such a view. "To think your feet would carry you to me at this very moment. Now then, what is it that briiings you here? Perhaps you have judged your prospects dire and come in search of peaceful terms?" Speaking with a jesting tone, Roswaal gazed upon Subaru and the others standing at the room's entrance. His face was daubed white, with suspicious-looking eyelines and reddened lips. It was the clown appearance that Subaru was accustomed to. Standing up from the bed, Roswaal hid his painful, bandaged body under his eccentric outfit, the tenor of his voice and his actions lending him an aloof air. He stood there as a devil who had no need to conceal his own obsession. The sight of him was so striking that Otto, who was seeing it for the first time, visibly shook. Glancing at that, Subaru slumped his shoulders in Roswaal's direction. "You were so worked up about us coming that you dressed your best to welcome us. I'm gonna blush." "Why, it is nothing that need conceeern you. After all, I have told you, have I not? That I would face you in a suitably prepared state once more." "Ah, you did, come to think of it." Roswaal certainly had said something to that effect as Subaru departed upon the conclusion of the conversation where he'd challenged the man to one final contest. Of course, Subaru never thought he would actually greet him with full makeup on. "In the first place, to me, putting on makeup is nothing less than preparing for battle. When girding myself for a contest I cannot afford to lose, makeup is a means of self-motivation, you seeee." "I see, so it's literally war paint to you...... Wait, for real? You're not saying that to pull my leg?" "Well, I shall leave to you whether to believe it or not. Preparing myself properly for battle and greeting you with this appearance...I believe this amply demonstraaates my resolve to you?" Subaru took Roswaal's low and deeply suggestive voice to mean that to him, it really was his equivalent of war paint. Just like Subaru was betting everything this time around, Roswaal was pouring all his strength into this battle. It was mutual understanding that made the two of them stand before each other as true competitors on the same stage. "Now, let us return to the first question, Subaru Why have you come here?" This was the first serious question Roswaal posed to Subaru upon his arrival to this room, but it was also what Garfiel had wanted to know earlier as well. Prompted for an answer, Subaru caught his breath. They had come here with one objective. Namely " I'm here to demand your surrender." 2 A demand for surrender meant nothing less than a formal acknowledgment of defeat. *** The single phrase spoken by Subaru left the air inside the room filled with silence. There was no surprise from Subaru or from Otto, who was there with a shared purpose. Accordingly, it was only Roswaal, whose gaze grew cold, and Garfiel, disquiet entering his own eyes, who reacted with uncertainty. "Whaddaya mean, demand your surrender...?" "It means what it sounds like. You wished to ask why Mr. Natsuki came to see the marquis? This is the answer." Garfiel made a feeble clack of his fangs as Otto replied to him with a calm voice. Following up, Subaru stared at Roswaal and picked up where Otto had left off. "That's how it is. I've taken to heart just how meticulous you are. To be honest, I've seriously thought I'm done for! all kinds of times. But I'm sure you of all people get it. The setup you created...is falling apart." "Certainly, it is. Certainly, it is juuuust as you say. The situation has most certainly changed. Those accompanying you are proof enough. With that said, what weighs upon my mind is..." Cutting off his words, Roswaal closed one eye as his gaze shifted behind Subaru. Naturally, he would look straight at Garfiel, the embodiment of the change in the situation, with his yellow eye yet, he did not. "You mean me?" Coming under Roswaal's attention for the very first time, Otto's face faintly stiffened. His words made Roswaal draw himself up, twisting his neck with a rare expression of simple confusion. "I have wondered this since you first entered, but...just who are you, and from whence do you haaaail?" "You're really something, Otto. Looks like you weren't included in his future-seeing book of prophecy, either." "I am not pleased whatsoever by that, and I cannot conceal my surprise at such utterly incomprehensible comments!" Otto genuinely flared up at Subaru for making a comment that was totally inappropriate for the mood. The original reason Otto had come with Subaru and Emilia was because Subaru had promised to introduce him to Roswaal. From there, he would no doubt negotiate over the value of his cargo of oil and discuss the nature of his contributions in defeating the Witch Cult. Given that starting position, it stood to reason that Otto would be angry that Roswaal didn't even know who he was. But "Such an individual's presence in this place cannot help but determine which way my contest with Subaru will sway. I see; in other words, he is 'that.'" "Yeah, I suppose. Otto is 'that.'" *** Roswaal was certain of something, and Subaru nodded in affirmation. It was only Otto, the subject at hand, who looked completely at a loss as to what topic he apparently stood at the very center of. Otto didn't understand. He was completely unawares. It was Otto's very existence that was " The first slip of the gears." Surely, Roswaal had painstakingly constructed his game board as if assembling a precise machine. Using all the wisdom and knowledge at his disposal, the devil had plotted out the movements of every pawn placed in advance so as to invariably drive Subaru to Return by Death, no matter what course the events might take. An unknown piece from outside had leaped onto his game board, which had been carefully arranged like a precise machine "The flow's been altered, all thanks to my friend, who's too insignificant to be recorded in your book of prophecy." "...Allow me to formally ask you for your name." Roswaal quietly asked for the name of the laborer who had created the distortion in his meticulously calculated machinations. Subaru took a step back and gave his friend a shove. The force made Otto advance a step. He took a single breath, after which he bowed to Roswaal. "My name is Otto Suwen. I am honored to have this opportunity to set eyes upon the noble marquis in person. Though I am nothing more than a humble traveling merchant, I hope to become your acquaintance." "I shall remember you, Otto Next time, I absolutely will not lose sight of you." After Otto invoked his own name, Subaru was the only one who gleaned the true meaning from Roswaal's reply. That was how keenly Subaru understood that the wariness Roswaal directed toward Otto was dead serious. "Oh man, Otto. Just like you planned, you left a serious impression on Roswaal!" "This is not exactly the way I hoped to be remembered by him!" He'd most certainly left an impression, but it would have been better to remain little-noticed and easily forgotten. Either way, Roswaal's internal wariness toward Otto had risen precipitously. At the same time, it had become considerably clearer how exactly the situation had changed and why they demanded his surrender. "Thanks to young Otto, you managed to regain your footing, making you inclined to challenge me to one final contest, I take it?" "That's how it is... But isn't this a little strange? Usually, it'd be the main heroine who has a scene to get me back on my feet. Won't it betray audience expectations if we have a male character telling me to hang in there instead?" "Even if you look at me with such reproachful eyes, I have no idea what you want from me!" "I'm kidding, kidding." As a matter of fact, if not for Otto, the entire faction would have collapsed by

this point. It was emotionally impossible for him to thank Otto for that up front, but his gratitude was genuine nonetheless. That, and *** It was faint, but Subaru caught a slight whiff of uneasiness in both of Roswaal's eyes. That was probably the unease from having an unknown element pointed out in what he'd been certain was a winning scenario. What had driven Roswaal to this was far from Otto's existence alone. This time, Roswaal shifted his gaze toward Garfiel, the individual truly embodying change. Seeing that his gaze did not alter the color on Garfiel's face, Roswaal opened his lips with a look of dejection. "I suppose I must say you have finally been well and properly tamed, Garfiel." Garfiel, who was disappointing him so, was standing behind Subaru and Otto. He'd taken a position that was prepared for any unforeseen circumstances, as he could shield the two simultaneously at any moment. This was what brought a sigh tinged with reproach out of Roswaal. "And so you, who have been so strongly set on tearing into outsiders, now find yourself gladly on young Subaru's siiiide. I am surprised you would have a change of heart so quickly You had protected what is precious in your heart for so very, very long, and yet, you discard even your love for your mother with such ease." Roswaal's words were a blade he used in an attempt to stir up what lay at the center of Garfiel's core. Like a surgical instrument for opening one's chest to extract the internal organs within, his wily words were meant to expose Garfiel's desire to all. These were the feelings of love toward his mother and enormous regrets toward the past that he'd continued to harbor for so long "Stop it, Roswaal. What the hell do you understand about Garfiel's feelings?" "Of course I understand nothing of them, nor do I wish to. Losing a fight and the cheap words you replied to him with were all it took to sway his feelings. What can I call them, then, save shallow?" As Roswaal piled insult upon insult, it was not Garfiel but Subaru who flew into a rage. Subaru had slammed into Garfiel, traded punches with him, and directly heard the cry of his heart. He would never let anyone dismiss them as light or cheap. "Hold on a sec, General." However, it was none other than Garfiel himself who halted the angry Subaru. Surely, it was Garfiel who was most hurt by Roswaal's words of scorn. Subaru tried to intercept them rather than let them wreak havoc on the boy's heart. But. "It's your words that are cheap as dirt, Roswaal." Crossing his arms like he was bored, Garfiel clacked his fangs and spat those words at Roswaal. His demeanor took Subaru by surprise. Noticing this reaction, Roswaal slightly raised an eyebrow. If Garfiel had been the person he was just a short while ago, such grave insults would have triggered a fit of rage. Yet, there he was, ignoring it as if brushing a warm breeze aside. "Me, I ain't denyin' I'm half-hearted about things. It's true I teamed up with the general just a few hours ago. Guess you saw that as a real quick change of heart." "First a change of heart and now defiance? The feelings you dwelled upon for so long to date... The time you devoted to your wish, day after day for ten long years, is by no means a brief span. I wonder, where have those feelings vanished to?" Shrugging at Garfiel's reply, Roswaal narrowed his eyes, growing ever colder. His handsome, differently colored eyes looked clouded by stagnant emotions that did not suit their beauty at all. With those emotions still hovering in his gaze, Roswaal continued his verbal attacks on Garfiel. "Desires do not simply vanish into thin air. If you truly loved her, your feelings would surely never change. Are your ten years of work something that can be changed with such ease?" The tone of Roswaal's voice, seemingly full of lament, grew hotter and darker still. "Just how much contact have you had with young Subaru over a mere few days? Have you and he amassed a bond to rival that love? Surely not. As if anything could rise as high or reach the same depth of your love for that is how it is when you put one thing above all else." His voice was quiet, yet heated all the same. What had begun as censure for having a change of heart had become a plea, an earnest wish; merely listening to it struck one's heart with sadness. To him, what was most precious to you was what you stripped away everything else for. Previously, Roswaal had said as much to Subaru. And this was the nature of Roswaal's love. To Roswaal, this was the only way to love something; he recognized no others. "...Or perhaps, you did not love her at all, Garfiel?" Hence, Roswaal attempted to deny Garfiel's change, which violated his life philosophy. He denied Garfiel, who had nurtured his love for ten years, yet determined his conclusion had been mistaken and required something new. "Do you not love your mother, your family? Is that why you can devote your heart to something else so easily? Rather than employ the strength you honed for so long, merely having your fangs broken was sufficient to bend the feelings you kept for a decade? If that is so, then the one who made your love a brittle, fleeting forgery is none other than yourself." With no change in his expression, it was with words alone that Roswaal castigated Garfiel for his change of heart. These words of blame, which seemed like they'd claw a wound into Garfiel's heart, made Subaru regret bringing him along for a single instant Yes. His regret lasted for only an instant. " Man, your words are so weak, Roswaal." Garfiel did not reply with emotion, though his demeanor was barbed. Somehow, there seemed to be pity in his gaze. "Like I care if ya wanna scold me. Just don't misunderstand me." "...Misunderstand?" "For me, it ain't like I follow the general just 'cause I lost a fight. Yeah, losing hit hard, but I ain't soft enough to flip sides from somethin' like that." Garfiel audibly tapped his forehead with a finger as he clacked his fangs. In contrast to Roswaal's quiet, smoldering zeal, Garfiel's tenacity was serene. "It's just like ya said, Roswaal. I was hung up on the past all these last ten years... I don't exactly remember tellin' ya all that, but at this point, I ain't gonna act surprised about ya knowin'." *** "I slammed against that past those ten years. The general...nah, Ram, was it? Ram said this to me. Go into the tomb, face your past......and that's why I'm standin' here now." Pointing to his own feet, Garfiel expressed the reason he stood in that position. "You confronted your past, Garfiel?" The declaration made nervousness come over Roswaal's two eyes once more. Just like when he'd acknowledged Otto's existence, Garfiel's words had disconcerted Roswaal. He was staring straight at the fact that Garfiel had willingly challenged the tomb to face his past once more. "Ya don't 'win' against your past. That's what I thought. That's why I ain't laughin' at you for bein' stuck, thinkin' the same way I did back then. What's there to laugh at?" *** "I don't have no intention of talkin' about what I saw inside or why I'm with the general. But I'm gonna tell you one thing, a big-ass reason why I'm with him and not with you." As if delivering payback for earlier, this time, it was Garfiel who sent a blade of words Roswaal's way. Then he flashed his fangs and declared his feelings to Roswaal, not as his rival in love but as an obstacle blocking his path. " Instead of someone tellin' me to stay weak as hell, of course I'd much rather stick with someone tellin' me he needs me 'cause I'm strong!" Garfiel's simple words were his reply to Roswaal's appeal. Having finished speaking, Garfiel snorted, brazenly crossing his arms. "...Wha?" "Nah, nothing. You've gotten dependable." When Garfiel growled in irritation, Subaru only shrugged and told him what he thought. There certainly had been a change in Garfiel's mental state. But this was not a change that had come easily; it was a distinct possibility he could be swayed by Roswaal's words of reproach. Accordingly "Roswaal." Turning toward Roswaal, who'd fallen into silence, Subaru pressed the attack in earnest. Otto was there. Garfiel was there. These two things alone had changed the situation. "Garfiel's seen his past. Him standing here as a result doesn't mean his feelings for his family these ten years have weakened at all. I'm sure the strength of his feelings hasn't changed. They didn't change, but he did. Is that so unbelievable?" Even if Garfiel's stance was no longer one of obstinate, continued obsession with the Sanctuary, it definitely didn't mean his feelings had weakened. Only Garfiel knew just how much he'd changed. But what was weak about Garfiel as he was now? What did he need to be shaken or to grieve about? "It's gotta be the same for you. I told you, Roswaal. I... We don't want to keep butting heads with you forever. If we just aim our ways of doing things in the same direction, we'll get where we want to go together. There's still time to pull back." At that moment, the game board Roswaal had carefully crafted was heavily crumbling away. With the plan shifting beyond his control, he could still stop being Garfiel, Subaru, and everyone else's enemy. He could still " Stop the assassins you sent to the mansion. Then we can hammer out everything else." Roswaal's scheme had crumbled, and the problems enveloping the Sanctuary and the mansion were beginning to reach their conclusion. If Roswaal accepted Subaru's demand for his surrender, they could bring everything to an end. Accordingly, believing there was value in trying regardless of the danger, Subaru had come here to make his play. It was Subaru's silver ray of hope. And Roswaal " I refuse, young Subaru." *** "I have not toiled for four hundred years only to be swayed by such a minor shift in circumstances." Bluntly, Roswaal shook his head side to side, rejecting Subaru's demand. With unmistakable anger residing in both his eyes, Roswaal declared that the war would go on. 3 The change in Roswaal's emotions made the air in the room heavy. Anger flared in both of Roswaal's eyes as he thrust Subaru's ultimatum aside. But a smile came over Roswaal's war-paint-dabbed expression, his antagonistic emotions giving rise to a brutal aura of dread. A vortex of vile emotions permeated the entirety of the room. At its center, Roswaal laughed scornfully at Subaru. "A demand for surrender, is it? Yes, I seeeee. Certainly, you cannot be faulted for misunderstanding a dramatic change as predetermining victory or defeat, I suppoooose." "You're saying I misunderstood something?" "Indeed I am. Just from bringing in a piece from beyond the game-board and removing Garfiel as an obstacle, you believe yourself to be in a superior position? Yet, as before, I have the upper hand." Touching a hand to his breast, Roswaal repudiated Subaru's assertion, declaring it completely off the mark. "Everything at present is as you spoke. And so long as that remains true, my advantage does not change. You have no means to stop me. This very moment, you hear the familiar footsteps of defeat drawing near, do you not?" *** Roswaal was implicitly referring to his own scheme of dispatching assassins to the mansion. He was claiming that so long as the attack on the mansion and the existence of the assassins remained, Subaru had no chance of victory. Not in the Sanctuary, not in the mansion, would Subaru lose anyone.