The smell was overwhelming, causing Mira to collapse to her knees. Echo explained, "Even if you feel like throwing up, you won't be able to, since we're inside a memory. Your real body might feel like it's throwing up, though."
"What kind of place is this? And why aren't you affected by it, Rena?" Mira asked, her voice strained.
"You can't see it because of the darkness, but I'm holding my nose to avoid the smell. I feel like throwing up too," Rena admitted.
Echo then turned to Centipede. "Care to explain where we are, master?"
Mira, surprised, asked, "He's here too?"
"This place…" Centipede began, "If you wait a moment, it will light up soon. Just listen to those noises outside."
Mira and Rena strained to hear, catching snippets of a conversation between a man and a woman. The man asked, "So, is this where the item is?"
"Yes," the woman replied. "It's in the basement. I'd prepare yourself for the smell, though."
The basement door creaked open, and light from outside began to seep in, illuminating the dark space.
The man entered with a lantern and descended into the basement. "What kind of item could cause such a foul odor?" he wondered aloud.
"Just go further in and you'll see," the woman instructed.
Once the man reached the basement floor, he moved his lantern around, searching for the item. Mira and Rena then saw something that made Mira scream.
The man turned to the woman, incredulous. "Oi oi, are you serious? You're telling me this child is the item you wanted to get rid of?"
In front of them was a malnourished child, about three or four years old, surrounded by a cluster of centipedes with red stripes running from their heads to their backs.
"Aren't those red-line centipedes?" the man asked. "One of the most venomous insects around?"
"That's right," the woman confirmed. "The boy seems to attract them and is immune to most poisons."
"You tested that?" the man inquired.
"The woman who gave him to me said they tried to kill him with various poisons, but he survived unscathed. He's covered in bite marks from the centipedes," the woman explained.
"So why not just leave the kid in the woods or something if you want to get rid of him?" the man asked.
"They said it would bring bad karma to their family if they did that," the woman replied. "I planned to leave him in the woods if no one bought him."
The man grumbled, "I was told I'd get something interesting for my money, but what am I supposed to do with this?"
"Not my problem," the woman said dismissively. "No refunds."
Scratching his head in frustration, the man muttered, "Damnit. I might as well make some use of him. Maybe as an errand boy or something. What's his name?"
"The woman who gave him to me said he didn't deserve the name he was given and left it at that," the woman answered.
The man thought for a moment. "I can't come up with anything decent, so let's call him Centipede since those creatures seem to like him so much. How am I supposed to get the kid away from these venomous creatures?"
"Good luck," the woman said, starting to leave.
"You fucking bitch! Can't you care at least a little about your customer's safety? Oi! I'm talking to you! Oi!" the man shouted as the woman walked away. "That bitch. Left me to fend for myself. Too bad for her. I'll see if there's anything else around before I deal with the kid."
The man turned to the child, who stared back with empty eyes. "Listen to me, boy. I'm your master now. My word is law, and you will never question me. Understand?"
The boy simply stared, unmoving.
"Don't tell me you can't even understand me," the man grumbled. "My wife left me, I was banned from being a formal swordmaster, and now this. Fuck it. Let's make the best of a bad situation."
Suddenly, Echo snapped her fingers, and the scene shifted to a bustling street where the young Centipede appeared to be in better condition. Mira asked, "Where are we now?"
"This place," Centipede replied. "If I recall, I'm waiting for my master. He should be…"
A kid older than the young Centipede approached him and asked, "Hey, kiddo. Are you waiting for someone?"
"Master… Inside… Told… Stay here," the young Centipede replied.
"I see. Want a skewer?" the older kid offered.
"Skewer?" the young Centipede repeated, puzzled.
The older kid handed him a skewer and said, "Here. My treat."
The young Centipede examined the skewer, then hesitantly took a bite.
"How does it taste?" the older kid asked.
"Taste?" the young Centipede echoed.
"Don't you know what that means? Do you enjoy eating it?" the older kid continued.
"Enjoy?" the young Centipede asked, confused.
The older kid sighed and asked, "How does it make you feel?"
The young Centipede closed his eyes, thinking deeply. After a moment, he said, "It… Pom pom… then… Whush stree… And then… Pack pack… and then… Mammoriona." He smiled slightly and added, "Like that."
The older kid smiled gently. "I see. So what's your name?"
The young Centipede hesitated, then said, "Master… when call… Boy."
"I see," the older kid said. "How old are you?"
The young Centipede thought hard, then declared loudly, "Wife left seven years ago!" This response caused people around them to look at him with pity.
The older kid accepted defeat, sat down beside him, and said, "Look, kid, I have a special intuition. It tells me you have something in you that could either bring prosperity or ruin. It's complicated, but if you're ever in trouble, find Lu Rack Lon. I'll make sure you're well taken care of, like family."
"What does family mean?" the young Centipede asked.
The older kid explained, "It's what happens when people care deeply for each other. They laugh, cry, and fight together. When someone from your family passes, it feels like a deep part of you is missing. Being part of a loving family can be a beautiful thing."
The older kid stood up, patted the young Centipede on the head, and said, "Think about these things with your loved ones. I'm sure they'll give you the answers you seek. But I have to go now, or my own family will get mad. See you later, kid."
As the older kid walked away, he called out, "Remember! If you need help, find Lu Rack Lon!" He waved goodbye, and the young Centipede awkwardly mimicked the gesture.
Soon, Centipede's master arrived and said, "Let's go."
The young Centipede followed, and Echo trailed behind, prompting the rest of the group to follow her. After a short walk, the young Centipede asked, "Master… are we… family?"
"No, we are not," the master replied. "Families are for fools."
The young Centipede continued, "Then… me and master… not loved ones?"
"Damn right," the master said. "Love is stupid. It always comes back to hurt you when you least expect it."
Echo stops, causing the group to halt as well. They overhear the master asking, "Where did you get that skewer? I don't remember lending you money or teaching you how to steal." Echo remarks, "That's this part over," and snaps her fingers. The scene shifts.
Now, they find themselves in a forest where the adult Centipede is dragging what appears to be the lifeless body of his master. He drops it on the ground, wipes the sweat from his forehead, and says, "Well, that's done. Just as you wished, master. There's no need to honor the body of a dead man since he won't be around to appreciate it. Now, let's move on."
The adult Centipede begins to walk away with a spring in his step but suddenly stops, speaking to himself, "Wait a minute. Am I forgetting something? What was it again? Hmmm… so many questions. I can't remember. Should I feel something, or… Nah, never mind. Let's just go."
After walking through the forest with his cheerful demeanor, the adult Centipede stops again and reflects, "What was the master's name, anyway?" He thinks deeply before concluding, "Nope. Can't remember." Then, pondering aloud, he adds, "He claimed to be a writer, so there might be books at home with his name. Yes, let's check for those." He starts to move again but then recalls, "Wait a minute. Didn't you forget that you can't read? Good point. Maybe Echo can read them for me. She seems smart, so let's—wait a minute. Didn't master teach you a lesson about literature? Right, the lesson was... to hell with literature! And what did he do afterward? Oh yes, he burned all his books. Those were some fun times."
The adult Centipede nods to himself with conviction. "Yes. Forget it. Remembering the name of a dead man is pointless, trying to do something about it is pointless, and feeling remorse for not knowing it is pointless. No remorse. No mourning. No sadness. Not worth it."
He starts walking away again. Centipede asks Echo, "Why are you showing me this? What's the point of revealing this side of me?" Echo replies, "You shouldn't interrupt a woman while she's cooking. Hmm, I'm picking up your speech style. I need to keep an eye on that." She snaps her fingers again.
A woman's voice declares, "I cannot save you." The scene shifts to an adult Centipede sitting in what appears to be an oasis in a desert with a dark-skinned woman with ashen hair.
The adult Centipede asks, "What does that have to do with you wanting to part ways?" The woman responds, "For more than a century, I've been trying to make you open your heart to me. I've made some progress, but it's still not enough to save you."
Adult Centipede questions, "Why is it so important for you to open my heart? We work well together as demons in mortal bodies. Why end things over something so trivial?" The woman explains, "We are different. I want to become something more than just a demon, but you resist change. You're stuck in a self-imposed limbo, endlessly searching without accepting what comes to you."
Still smiling, adult Centipede says, "I still don't see why we should part ways." The woman asks, "Would you mourn my death?" Centipede replies, "Of course not. It would be meaningless since no one benefits from it."
The woman says, "That's precisely why. I've tried to make you understand that mourning is not for the dead, but for yourself. I've tried to make you see me as family, but you always keep a distance." Adult Centipede moves closer and offers, "I can increase our physical closeness if you like." The woman pushes him away, saying, "That's not what I meant."
Confused, the adult Centipede asks, "What do you mean, then?" The woman explains, "I can't bear to remain as the demon lioness of bloody justice. I want to be something more, but staying with you prevents that. That's why we must part ways."
Adult Centipede falls silent. The woman's final words in this memory are, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Maybe in the next life."
The scene then shifts to a battlefield where the woman lies dying, her lower body missing, while the adult Centipede looks on with a smile. He says, "Well, look at that. Someone managed to beat you. I hope they have an interesting weapon for me."
The woman weakly says, "...fault." Centipede leans closer, asking, "What's that, my friend? Do you know where they went?" As she breathes her last breaths, she manages to say, "It's not your fault. It wasn't your venom that did this. So please…" She has no strength left to continue.
Adult Centipede continues to watch her with a smile until he says, "Stupid. You. Are. Stupid. Can't even give me simple directions. Whatever, you're not listening anymore, so why am I even talking?"
Suddenly, the adult Centipede summons a sword that will one day pierce his heart and stabs it into the woman's heart. The woman glows briefly and then vanishes. Adult Centipede leaves the battlefield.
With another snap of Echo's fingers, the group finds themselves in a snowy forest clearing. The memory Centipede is surrounded by dead wolves, presumably the result of an attack.
The memory Centipede notices four wolf puppies huddled together with one of the dead wolves. Intrigued, he moves one of them a short distance away. To his surprise, the wolf puppy returns to the dead wolf.
Confounded, the memory Centipede sits cross-legged and leans on his hands, staring at the puppies as time passes swiftly.
Two days later, a group of bandits arrives and observes the scene. One bandit asks, "Is that guy even alive?" Another bandit attempts to touch the memory Centipede, who says, "Don't touch me."
The bandit about to touch him responds, "So you're alive. That complicates things. Hand over your stuff, and we might let you live." The memory Centipede replies, "Do I look like I have anything worth taking?" A bandit comments, "If nothing else, we can take your clothes. Start stripping."
The memory Centipede says, "I'm busy right now. I'll let you live if you leave me alone." The bandits are momentarily speechless before bursting into laughter.
One bandit jeers, "This guy thinks he's in charge. What a joke." The laughter continues until one bandit tires of it and warns, "Last chance, dude. Hand everything over, or else."
The memory Centipede remains silent. A bandit draws a sword and lunges at him, but just as the attack is about to land, a sword appears, blocking it. The bandit, bewildered, exclaims, "What the…" before being sliced in two by the sword. The remaining bandits, panicked, are quickly cut down by the same sword.
After the bandits are dealt with, the sword transforms into a young girl with grayish-white hair and says, "I've taken care of all the troublemakers, master." The memory Centipede initially remains silent.
The sword asks, "Master?" The memory Centipede finally responds, "Oh, right. Sorry. Thanks for your help. What was your name again?" The sword replies, "It's Lua, master."
The memory Centipede says, "I see. I'll reward you with personal maintenance when I get around to it." Lua beams and says enthusiastically, "Yes! Thank you very much, master!" The memory Centipede replies, "You may leave." Lua agrees and vanishes like mist.
The memory Centipede keeps his gaze fixed on the wolf puppies, which are now covered by a thick layer of snow, while remaining unmoved for days.
An unseen force sweeps away the snow covering both the memory of Centipede and the wolf puppies. An elegant woman with long, fine black hair and striking pink eyes—an epitome of eastern beauty—appears beside him. Her voice, familiar to both Rena and Mira, says, "You're really fixated on those little ones."
The memory Centipede, without looking up, responds, "I don't have time for your antics, Hime. Leave."
Hime, undeterred, replies, "Even though most of the swords know you can live months without food, water, or sleep, the little ones are beginning to worry about your health."
"I'm in the middle of deep contemplation. I don't wish to be disturbed. Now leave," Centipede insists.
Hime pauses for a moment, then softly asks, "What is it about these creatures that holds your attention?"
"They cling to something that no longer serves them," Centipede says, his tone puzzled.
"They're mourning," Hime explains gently.
"But why aren't they trying to survive? They could have eaten the wolf they were so close to, yet they just lay there, doing nothing. The corpse had nothing left to offer them," Centipede replies, frustration edging his voice.
"Sometimes grief overwhelms even our most basic instincts, blinding us to the world," Hime says.
Centipede stares at the wolf puppies, then murmurs, "I don't understand. Why can't I understand?"
Hime offers, "Perhaps you'll understand when you open your heart to someone."
"How do I do that?" Centipede asks, almost to himself.
"I think you need to find someone to care for. Like a disciple," Hime suggests.
"A disciple, huh..." Centipede muses.
With a snap of Echo's fingers, the scene shifts to an eastern-style home. A green-haired boy, looking almost like a child, pours alcohol into a cup held by the memory Centipede. Initially, Centipede seems pleased, but as he sniffs the drink, his expression dampens, though he maintains a kind smile.
"Thanks for the treat, my little Hummingbird. Your master is very pleased," he says, then drinks deeply. The effects hit him immediately, and he remarks, "That's some strong stuff, my little Hummingbird."
Soon after, Centipede begins coughing up blood. Hummingbird stares at him, expressionless. After a moment, Centipede drinks the rest of the cup's contents, surprising Hummingbird.
"How are you still alive?! I know you're resistant to poison, but this is absurd!" Hummingbird exclaims.
Centipede simply extends his cup for more, prompting Hummingbird to shout, "Are you mocking me?!"
"No," Centipede replies calmly. "I'm just appreciating the gift my one and only disciple gave me, consequences be damned."
Furious, Hummingbird demands, "What about our mantra? What about not forsaking life?!"
Pouring more of the poisoned alcohol into his cup, Centipede responds, "I haven't forsaken life. I'm cherishing the gift my disciple gave me. What kind of master would I be if I didn't value my disciple's gift?"
Stunned, Hummingbird watches as Centipede coughs up more blood. "If my body isn't strong enough to survive this, then death has won fairly," Centipede says, a resigned smile on his face.
Hummingbird, his voice tinged with sadness, asks, "Aren't you supposed to be an evil demon? Why would you forgive my betrayal?"
Centipede, coughing, replies, "I see no betrayal here. Just a disciple giving their master a gift."
Hummingbird turns to leave, and as he opens the door, Centipede calls out cheerfully, "Next time, bring me something stronger!"
Out of sight, Hummingbird sheds a few tears before closing the door, never to return.
Centipede shouts after him, "Live on, my little Hummingbird! Show the world what you're made of, and don't be shy about liking cute and sweet things! You'll always be my little tomboy of a disciple!"
Centipede continues drinking the poisoned alcohol until he passes out, only to be awakened the next morning by a girl with long white hair and blue eyes, poking his cheek.
"Oi, Papa. You alive?" she asks in a cheeky tone.
"Matrix, huh? Looks like I'm still alive. How long was I out?" Centipede inquires.
"It's just the next morning, so you didn't miss much," Matrix replies.
Rising to a sitting position, Centipede pats Matrix on the head, saying, "Good girl. I'm fine now, but can I have some time alone?"
Matrix notices the gloomy smile on her papa's face and responds with a smug grin, "Got it. Matrix will fix everything once Papa's done," before shooing away the other swords gathered in the house.
Once alone, Centipede begins laughing in frustration. His laughter soon turns to rage, and he starts throwing things at the walls. Echo, Rena, and Mira follow as he storms out of the house, which is soon destroyed in his rampage.
"Why?! Why do they evade me?! Why can't I keep either of them, no matter how hard I try?!" Centipede shouts in anguish. "Why?! Every! Single! Time! Why?!"
After a while, he stops, breathing heavily. Matrix finds him amidst the rubble and says, "You really did a number on the place. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, so you better compensate me later. Just kidding. I know you had it rough, so it's a freebie this time."
Centipede continues staring at the ground. Matrix, with a somber tone, adds, "If I hadn't reconstructed some of your organs, you might have..."
Centipede places a hand on her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I knew what I was getting into when I created you. You just did what you were meant to do."
"But Papa, you're..." Matrix starts.
"It's alright," Centipede interrupts gently. "I'll leave the reconstruction to you."
As Matrix begins fixing the house, the real Centipede explains to Mira and Rena, "Her power allows her to reconstruct anything to its original state. If materials are missing, she uses mana to compensate. It means she can recreate bodies from just a strand of hair, even copy people, though she's limited to the physical realm."
"Why are you telling us this?" Mira asks.
Centipede continues, "It means, as long as a piece of me remains, Matrix can work independently to recreate my body and guide my soul into it, making me nearly impossible to kill."
Echo cuts in, "Are you going to get to the main point?"
Centipede nods. "With Echo's power, I can temporarily trap myself in a mindscape, preventing Meka, the sword that transfers souls, from moving my soul to another body. For Rena's sake, I can trick my psyche into allowing this death, to some degree."
"So, what you're saying is..." Rena begins.
The scene shifts back to Centipede's mindscape, filled with swords. "Yes," Centipede confirms. "Even though this happened by pure chance, from the bottom of my soul, I beg you..." He prostrates himself before Rena and Mira, his voice filled with sincerity. "Please, be the instruments of my death this one time, and allow me to face the dishonor that has evaded me for so long. I beg of you."
Thews's body lay surrounded by Rena, Mira, Ludwig, Echo, and Hime. As soon as Thews made a cut on Rena, he collapsed, and Rena and Mira found themselves back to normal, though now with the knowledge of the man named Centipede's past.
Echo asked, "So, what is your choice, Rena?" Rena opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Mira climbed on top of Thews and began slapping his face. Everyone was taken aback, and Ludwig exclaimed, "What are you doing, Your Highness?!"
Mira replied, "I felt like slapping him a little. What he asked us to do in that vision annoyed me." Rena, still processing everything, muttered, "The... vision..."
Mira continued slapping Thews a few more times before stopping, huffing in frustration. She then stood up and pointed at Rena. "I've decided. When I become an adult, he'll be my pet, and I'll appoint him as my personal knight."
Ludwig, exasperated, protested, "Your Highness! You can't just—"
Mira interrupted, "He can only be my pet if he lives. So, if anyone has an issue with it, feel free to challenge me."
Rena was about to respond when an unfamiliar male voice interrupted, "That's not how this is going to go, kiddo." Everyone tensed as they felt a powerful aura emanating from a white-haired man dressed in black rags.
"Who are you?! What is your business here?" Ludwig demanded.
The man sighed. "What a hassle. I expected some explaining on this trip, but not right from the start." Ludwig shouted again, "Identify yourself!"
Pointing at Thews, the man said, "I'm here to collect this child's soul if he dies. After all, I am Death from his original world." This revelation startled everyone except Echo, who remarked, "I'm surprised you made a personal appearance. I've never heard of you manifesting a body when collecting souls before."
Death replied, "This is personal. He's one of my instruments, bearing my blessing. Or curse, depending on who you ask."
Mira asked, "What does the blessing do?"
Death responded, "That's none of your concern. All you need to know is that I gave him something once."
Mira pressed on, "Are you responsible for the misery he's suffered until now?"
Death answered, "No comment."
Rena interjected, "So you're here to take the soul of the man once known as Centipede?"
Death replied, "Something like that."
"What do you mean by that?" Rena asked.
"No comment," Death repeated.
Mira, growing impatient, demanded, "You'd better give us some answers."
"Your Highness!" Ludwig exclaimed, trying to calm her.
Death said, "Look, the longer I stay here, the more entangled I become with this world's realities. The deal was that Miranda Altrenas and Rena Witsur would decide the fate of this child's soul with minimal input from me. Now that one of you has chosen to keep his soul here, all that's left is for the other to decide."
Rena asked, "You mean me? What happens if I choose to let you take him?"
"If it comes to that, it's up to me to decide as the third party. If you choose to keep his soul here, I won't have to make any decisions."
Mira then asked, "We've been told there's an afterlife, but in Centipede's memories, he believed there wasn't one in your world."
Death replied, "No comment."
Mira, frustrated, snapped, "What do you mean 'No comment'?"
"It's not for mortals to know the truth of death. This varies from world to world, but in my world, I've kept it ambiguous. I'm not obliged to disclose the policy of the ruler of death in this world."
Mira muttered, "You're really starting to annoy me, old man."
"The feeling is mutual," Death retorted.
Rena then asked, "What about the part of Centipede that was once Mathews? What of him?"
Death responded, "There's no difference."
Rena pressed, "What do you mean? Wasn't Mathews flooded with Centipede's memories, causing them to take over?"
Death sighed. "So that's how you see it? You three-dimensional beings are difficult. Lowering myself to your level is already a hassle, but then you ask questions that should be obvious to higher-dimensional beings. What makes a person, a person?"
Rena hesitated. "Their... environment and memories?"
Death continued, "That's the limit of your understanding. But to higher-dimensional beings, a person is... how do I explain this? A focal point of one strand of paths leading to that moment. A person exists only in one moment in time, one single instance. Two focal points may seem identical in different moments, but to beings like me, they can be vastly different."
Rena, confused, asked, "What are you talking about?"
Death elaborated, "Let me simplify it. What's a long span of time for you? A day? A year? Let's say fifty years. Picture yourself fifty years in the future, having chosen to kill this child. Now, imagine fifty years with this child in your life, influencing you and those around you."
Everyone tried to imagine those futures. Then Death asked, "Now, can you honestly say those two future selves are the same person?"
Rena responded, "I can't."
Mira added, "They're the potential outcomes of each choice. But what does that have to do with Thews and Centipede?"
Death explained, "The reincarnation sword used by this child doesn't alter the soul beyond allowing memories of past lives. This child has always been, is, and will always be the same child, no matter the world or time. The child remains the same, even if he's out of my jurisdiction here. He's still one of my own, retaining his old memories."
Rena asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Death concluded, "A person is just a moment in an endless sea of possibilities, but the soul remains constant. Whether he's Centipede, Mathews, or any other name, the soul endures. So, Rena Witsur, in the endless sea of possibilities, is or isn't this boy, Mathews Witsur, your brother? The boy you know, or the boy you would know in another reality?"
Rena's thoughts drifted back to a recent memory. Just a few days ago, Rena had passed a maid who was about to wake Thews, but Rena had offered to do it herself. She entered his room, opened the curtains, and let the sunlight stream in. Thews turned away, pulling the sheets tighter around him. "Wake up, Thews. It's time for breakfast," Rena had said.
"Just a couple more minutes," Thews mumbled.
Rena pulled the sheets off him, causing Thews to whine, "Cold. Cold. Cold." As Rena moved to pull him out of bed, Thews did something unexpected—he hugged her.
"Warm. Warm. Warm," Thews muttered, still half-asleep. Rena, momentarily flustered, regained her composure. "Thanks, but you still need to get up and get dressed."
To her surprise, Thews tightened his hug. Despite being only seven and barely trained, his grip was strong enough to hurt a little. "No matter how tight you hold me, I'm still making you come to breakfast properly dressed," Rena teased.
"I'll let go if you tell me you love me," Thews bargained.
Rena, half-heartedly, replied, "Yes, yes. Big sis Rena loves you very much."
Thews relaxed his grip, a note of sadness in his voice. "Thank you, big sis. That means a lot."
As he let go, Rena noticed Thews discreetly wiping away a tear. He smiled, as he always did, and said, "Since my big sis gave me a special treat, I might actually put some effort into this morning."
Absentmindedly, Rena had replied, "If that's what it takes, I'll let you hug me and say 'I love you' as many times as you need."
Thews had twitched in shock. "Oh, no, sis. You don't have to do all that for me. I'd get too pampered."
Rena smiled. "Then I'll pamper you a lot so you can actually put in some effort. Or are you saying you don't want your big sister's affection because you don't want to put in any effort?"
Thews had protested, "Slander! I never said that. I just meant... you shouldn't reward poor behavior. Yes! That's not good for someone as young as me."
Rena smiled gently and said, "Right, right. Now, dress up properly and let's go to breakfast. Show Mira some of your good sides every once in a while."
Thews looked puzzled and asked, "Who's Mira?"
Rena's mind snapped back to the present. She took a deep breath and said with conviction, "He… is my brother, no matter how you look at it. No one else."
Death nodded slightly. "So, now that you've found your answer…" He muttered under his breath, "And wasted my time…" before continuing aloud, "Which is it? Kill him now, let him get what he seeks, and let me take his soul to where it belongs, or let him live in this world as he is?"
Rena, her voice steady, declared, "I want him to stay with us. Because…"
Death cut her off, "Right, right. I don't care about your reasons, I just needed you two to make the choice. Now, while I'm at it…" He cleared his throat and announced, "I invoke the sacred rule of dibs on this particular branch of the timeline. Anyone who says otherwise is foolish—unless, of course, they use the sacred rule breaker 'Nuh-uh,' which would then render every version of you stupid in every timeline, reality, and moment where the sacred reverse card isn't placed on the table of infinity. Should the sacred reverse card be placed, then it's up to the council of yous and mes to decide the canonicity of this particular branch. This is what I declare as Death."
Death paused for a moment, then added, "And that's my job done. Keep my appearance here a secret from this child, and I'll owe you a favor in return. I also recommend keeping what happened here generally under wraps, but that's just a suggestion. This was Death, and I…"
"Wait just a moment!" Mira interrupted.
Death sighed. "What is it, future daughter-in-law? I don't want more realities of me than necessary, so I'll let you ask only one question. Speak."
Mira, flustered, said, "Daughter-in-law? That's not it. There's so much to unpack here, so…"
Death reiterated sharply, "Only. One. Question. Speak."
Suppressing her annoyance, Mira asked, "While there are many things I want to know, the most important is what kind of being you are exactly?"
Death replied, "A being that exists in a much higher dimension than your three-dimensional selves. Once this part of me returns to that dimension, I can see many different realities, be in many different realities, feel the emotions of every me in every reality, and render time irrelevant. Multiply that by a few more layers, and you'll get a close enough picture of what I am, can do, and will do. That's my answer. Now then, as a married man, I salute you, my child, for you'll have to deal with this headache much more than I will. Well, relatively speaking. You don't have to deal with many different versions of her, but I digress. Death out. Peace!" He ended with a peace sign before vanishing.
Left alone, the five remaining figures quickly decided on a plan. Hime and Echo would take Thews somewhere safe—his absence for several hours would be nothing unusual in the Witsur household and would likely be chalked up to him slacking off again. Meanwhile, Rena, Mira, and Ludwig would return to the house and inform Thias about the attack, carefully omitting Thews' involvement.
When Thews finally awoke, realizing he wasn't dead but rather being watched over by Echo and Hime, he understood that the two girls had made their decisions. He didn't ask any questions. Echo informed him that they had all agreed to keep his involvement a secret, and, quoting Rena, said, "To keep pestering Thews about being the embarrassment of the Witsur household."
A genuine smile spread across Thews' face, and he replied, "Since I'm the embarrassment, I might as well sleep for a couple more hours before I get hungry. I'll return home eventually… or Rena will come and find me."