He heard a roar.
Compelled by hunger to extend his tongue to catch the blood dripping from his right hand, Subaru heard the roar in the distance. Rage, it was full of rage. Furious. Someone was enraged. Someone was furious. A voice of someone enraged to the point of madness.
――It didn't matter. For now, he just wanted to sate his hunger.
Chew, chew, chew, but it wasn't enough.
What was two fingers supposed to sate? And how much of this thirst could some dripping blood quench?
Not enough. Not enough. Not nearly enough.
Even if he devoured his entire right hand, then devoured his left hand as well, even if he devoured his whole body, it still wouldn't be enough. There was no limit to this hunger. He simply craved what he craved. And so――
[???: ――HNNGYAAAaa!!]
[Subaru: ――――WHAT THE F!?]
Laying sideways on the grass, the devastating strike came from directly above his head, sending his body bouncing up from the shockwave before slamming back into the ground. The sheer force warped the earth, leaving a crater in the small hill with Subaru in the center.
Then, the assailant, whose fist was still stuck to the back of Subaru's head, took a ragged breath, and,
[???: That's enough! Why does everyone always have to fight...? Resorting to violence is the worst...the worst...hg]
The voice, half in tears, descended from above, while, savoring the taste of mud, consciousness limped back into Subaru. At the same time, he felt a drop of water landing on the back of his head, guiding him to look up.
There was the vague outline of a young, blonde girl, slowly disappearing, and in tears.
――What just happened to him? Pushing himself off the ground, Subaru understood when he noticed that his right hand had been restored.
Quickly, he turned to the disappearing girl,
[Subaru: Th-thank you for healing me...!]
[Minerva: ...Hmpf]
The Witch turned her face away, sulking as she faded.
But, just before she vanished completely, Subaru caught a glimpse of a blush on her cheeks, and a smile which she didn't manage to hide.
Once the blonde girl―― the Witch of Wrath vanished from the scene, she was replaced by the graceless coffin once again,
[Daphne: Neru-Neru's such a meddler, gees… Say, did you learn anything at least? Diid you? Subaruu~un?]
Hearing these nonchalant words coming from inside the coffin, Subaru jumped to his feet and instantly scuttled away from the crater while shooting Daphne a look of caution.
Seeing this, Daphne gave her nose a snort,
[Daphne: Right~right, you should be careful… After all, eat or be eaten is the only relationship in this world…]
[Subaru: I don't wanna think of it as that kind of bloodthirsty place...! Anyway what just happened!? It was only for a short while, but... I actually went insane]
[Daphne: That was the maddening hunger… Extreme hunger can turn people into something worse than beasts. If you looked into my right eye too, it would've been even more interesting, you know?]
[Subaru: ...you're kidding]
A magical eye, or something of the sort.
Although Ram's clairvoyance would also count as an eye-power, her ability didn't really have much offensive potential, so Daphne's was definitely way scarier.
Perhaps it could be called the "Eye of Hunger" or the "Eye of Starvation". The moment Subaru looked into her left eye, he ate his own fingers for a hunger he wasn't even aware of.
He was so famished that he forgot the existence of pain, and everything in sight was food to sate his insatiable hunger. In other words――
[Subaru: Is that… how the Great Rabbit sees the world...?]
[Daphne: Those children were born when Daphne was reeaaaaally starving, so they took after me... they really understand what it feels like to want to eat each other, you know?]
[Subaru: How can you say that so lightly... don't you feel sad to have given birth to creatures like that? Since you're lecturing me all high and mighty, then you probably know what that hunger feels like. Having your own children... children… go through that...]
[Daphne: ――? But, even if Great Rabbit's belly goes hungry, it doesn't mean Daphne's belly has to go hungry too?]
[Subaru: ...I was an idiot for asking]
Like parallel lines. No matter how far they stretch, there was no way he could ever understand this Witch.
The Mabeasts she claimed to be her children, were really just emergency foods she could pick up and eat when she felt hungry.
Birthed from her own body and eaten by herself, it was the ultimate form of self-sufficiency.
[Subaru: If you don't bother anyone and go hole up in some other dimension to be self-sufficient there, I guess no one would be too hung up about that, huh]
[Daphne: Say, Subaruun, what is it that you actually want to ask Daphne? If all you want to do is take hits at Daphne, then I'm already getting hungry from staying awake so long… and would rather take a nap now…]
Turning her face away inside the coffin, all the strength drained from Daphne's body, as if ready to fall asleep.
He finally understood why she kept herself in her mobile coffin, all bound in restraints. Keeping her threat contained for the sake of the outside world―― was not the reason.
Instead, it was only to reduce the calories burned from the movements of her limbs so she wouldn't feel as hungry.
This may not be the case for her blindfolds, but that was probably to prevent her magic eyes from draining her stamina.
This girl's existence was complete entirely in herself.
A pure mass of "The Desire to Eat"―― all quite fitting for the name, "Witch of Gluttony".
[Subaru: Honestly, I'm pretty sure it's pointless to ask this, but.... how do I destroy the Great Rabbit?]
[Daphne: Eeeehhh~? You want to destroy Great Rabbit? But that child's so weak and easy to eat, and keeps on multiplying too. He's one of Daphne's greatest masterpieces, you know?]
[Subaru: Eat or be eaten… if you go by that kind of philosophy, then what about killing your enemies to stay alive? I was hoping you'd approve of a survival instinct besides appetite]
Subaru decided to strike from the same baseline as Daphne's own warped morality.
Honestly, he had already half given up on getting any information out of Daphne. After all, he couldn't seem to get her to say anything useful, and couldn't even see himself establishing a proper conversation with her.
At first glance, their game of conversational catch-ball may seem to be going smoothly, but the reality was that she was chewing up every ball Subaru was throwing, begging him to throw more, without ever tossing back anything of her own.
However,
[Daphne: Since I eat in order to live, I also have to permit killing in order to live... Uuu~unn, that's, nnn, that's also right, isn't it]
[Subaru: ――Eh? That worked?]
[Daphne: If Daphne thinks something is right, then Daphne will accept it. Subaruun too, what did you take Daphne for?]
"This is the Witchiest Witch I've ever seen," Subaru sincerely thought. But if he used that as his answer, there'd be no end to it, so he decided to keep it to himself.
Oblivious to that silence, Daphne pouted her lips with [Huu~uuuu],
[Daphne: If you want to destroy Great Rabbit-chan, Met-Met, Dona-Dona, and Milla-Milla can all do it easily]
[Subaru: Wait, whose nickname was that you just called? Dona-Dona... is Echidona, right? Met-Met… must be Sekhmet. But who's Milla-Milla?]
[Daphne: Carmilla... she's Lust. But she doesn't seem to want to meet you, Subaruun]
[Subaru: Even though it's somewhat depressing to hear that the one in charge of sexy things hates me… your suggestion is not gonna work. The Witches can't leave this place, so you guys can't help me]
[Daphne: ....Huuuuu, can't do it huh…?]
For Subaru, who's used to relying on others, such an offer would have been more than he could have hoped for. If they could go out and help him, they would be more than enough to deal with the Great Rabbit and Elsa, but,
[Subaru: Even if you could go outside...would you be satisfied with just destroying and eating the Great Rabbit and coming back here?]
[Daphne: Daphne's stomach has never been satisfied in my entire life, you know…]
[Subaru: So, even if there's a way to get you guys outside, I can't let you guys go]
Sticking out his tongue at Daphne's unsurprising reply, Subaru ruled out her proposal. Inside the coffin, Daphne made an [Uunnn~], and,
[Daphne: If that won't work, then you'll just have to do your best to eat all of them to the last one, I think. Those kids won't be able to multiply from zero...haa~ha...]
[Subaru: Nevermind eating… so we have to kill all of them, huh... and if we leave just one alive, the whole thing will revive… They move in a group, right? But are they always all together?]
[Daphne: Yeah… Even though there are many of them, their consciousness is singular. Like, one consciousness, shared by the whole group. They don't really have the intelligence to split up]
[Subaru: Is that...so. In that case, we shouldn't run into a problem where we leave some stragglers alive to multiply... and then find out "THERE WILL BE MORE PANIC AND HORROR" or whatever, right?]
It happens quite alot in horror movies where after exterminating the bloody monsters, you find out that some of them survived underground to reproduce and you wind up with a "THE PREDICAMENT IS NOT OVER!" ending.
But, at least, it seems the Rabbits aren't smart enough to pull a stunt like that.
[Subaru: Oh by the way… about how many rabbits are there on average? If they eat each other, then I'm thinking they must have some system for keeping their numbers in range, or…]
[Daphne: ...who knows? Would you be able to count the numbers of droplets in a fog, Subaruun…?]
[Subaru: It's that level...? No no, I already know I can't take your word for it. So I'll just go see for myself]
Just counting the number of rabbits that swarmed him, there must have been more than a hundred. But, considering how they devoured everyone in the Sanctuary, their number must be closer to the tens of thousands.
In order to kill them all, he'd have to think of a better way.
While Subaru sank into thought, Daphne gave a big yawn to indicate her boredom. And then, making quiet chewing motions in front of the silent Subaru,
[Daphne: Subaruun… if you're busy pondering, could Daphne disappear now? After all, I get hungrier when I exist…]
[Subaru: Preferring not to exist just so you could be less hungry is seriously a mind-blowing statement… But yeah, regardless of how we got here, that was a lot of help. Thanks. ――Also]
Throwing out those half-assed words of thanks, Subaru appended an "Also" at the end.
Seeing Daphne cast him a puzzled expression, he went on with the most scornful voice he could muster,
[Subaru: I'll annihilate that asshole Rabbit. And I've already killed your White Whale. I hope you don't mind, Mommy-sama]
[Daphne: ...]
[Subaru: Four hundred years, that's how long those bastards born from your good intentions preyed on the world outside. That's long enough. ――It's time I erase them without leaving a trace]
[Daphne: You are merely Human]
In front of Subaru's declaration of war, Daphne made a reaction which he had never seen before.
Stretching her lips wide, for the first time, her expression revealed something other than "Hunger".
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[Daphne: Try it if you can]
With her red tongue extended from a mouth lined with razor-sharp fangs, the Witch of Gluttony smiled.
A great gust of wind swept up, forcing Subaru to lift his arm to cover his eyes.
The abrupt wind made waves in the grassfields at his feet, sending green blades swirling and scattering into the air. Inadvertently following it with his gaze and letting his eyes be drawn up into the sky, when he looked back again,
[Subaru: Sorry for putting you through the trouble, Echidona]
[Echidona: I just knew it would turn out like that… that's why I tried to stop you]
[Subaru: It's not like it can be helped… She kinda released her bondage and flipped up her blindfold herself. You should actually praise me a bit for not touching her, you know]
[Echidona: Right. If you did touch Daphne, it wouldn't have ended so easily. Her left eye alone is not as much of a threat. But the horror of Daphne lies in her right eye, and it only truly begins once you've been "Eaten"]
Subaru couldn't help but recoil a bit at that terrifying statement.
Frankly, the part about "Not as much of a threat" was already enough to set off some alarms.
[Subaru: What's the point of showing me my opponent's STATS after the battle's already over? Gees. Although, I might want to hear it out in case I run into another monster with a similar setup…]
[Echidona: Monster, you say?]
Still not quite able to shake off his negative impression of Daphne, Subaru realized he might have misspoken when he heard Echidona's disappointed mutter.
To her, Daphne was someone she could call her friend. Although one must admit that only a Witch could be friends with someone like that, this was this and that was that. No matter how you look at it, to call a Witch a monster in front of another Witch was,
[Subaru: Ahh, I wasn't thinking just now. Sorry. Got carried away. I have absolutely no comment about that friend of yours. That's all I have to say]
[Echidona: Huhuhu, there's no need to be so considerate for a Witch's feelings. We are quite used to those words of ostracism]
[Subaru: ...I can't be so sure about what words to use for Daphne, but I don't think you're a monster. That much I should clarify, you know]
Hearing this, Echidona's eyes widened in surprise.
And, seeing her reaction, Subaru quickly looked away, chiding himself for his self-serving thoughts.
What he said just now was clearly to get on her good side. Of course, half of it was sincere, but that didn't change the fact that he was trying to avoid making a bad impression on the helpful Witch.
Then again, considerations of this caliber must surely have been seen through by this seasoned Witch.
[Echidona: No, it won't work! Even if you try to dupe me with those pleasing words, I won't let myself be duped! Want some more tea or cookies?]
[Subaru: Saying that while looking so cheerful isn't convincing at all! What's with your route being so easy? This is like desperate-lonely-girl-level!]
If she fell for such obvious flattery, then he'd have some serious worries about her future.
But, as much as he knew she didn't―― it still left an ache inside his chest.
[Subaru: I think I'll pass on the body fluids and the who-knows-what's-in-there cookies]
[Echidona: I didn't put my hair or anything in them?]
[Subaru: How can I not doubt every statement you make at this point!]
Subaru had already decided that he would never eat anything from here again.
Seeing Subaru shoot her a suspicious look, Echidona gave a wry smile. Then, she returned his gaze with her all-seeing eyes. Sometimes, for some reason, he just found those eyes really disconcerting.
[Subaru: I don't like that look that feels like it can see right through me]
[Echidona: If I could see through all of you just by looking, then I wouldn't mind staring at you until you are burned to a char... But anyway, are you aware of it, or not, I wonder?]
[Subaru: Aware or not of what?]
[Echidona: Well, in my narrow, clumsy imagination, what you went through just now should be considered a rather shocking experience to most humans. Surely, being compelled by hunger into eating your own body isn't a common occurrence?]
Listening to Echidona's understated delivery, Subaru was reminded of just how hideous his situation had been. Holding up his right hand, he confirmed that all five fingers were still there, all thanks to a certain Witch's hit-and-run healing.
While Subaru quietly thanked her in his mind, Echidona closed one of her eyes,
[Echidona: Minerva just ignored my calls and jumped out. When she catches sight of a wound, she'll charge out regardless of appearances... it's hard to live a long life with a personality like that. In fact, she was the first of us to be killed]
[Subaru: The end of the Witches... huh. I heard you were all eaten by the Witch of Envy, but is it alright for me to ask about that?]
[Echidona: To ask the dead about how they died, is that too crude a thing to do, I wonder? It is certainly unprecedented. And as for how I feel about it... hmm, let me see. I don't think I should relay that story. It involves the other five's reputations, after all]
Seeing Echidona unwilling to discuss the details of their deaths, Subaru could only accept that it can't be helped.
Subaru himself had died many times before, and knew full well that it was not a topic for lighthearted conversation. After all, "Death" is an awfully heavy thing.
[Subaru: In that sense, I guess you guys are some of the few people who could share that feeling with me]
[Echidona: ...no, I wouldn't be so sure. Indeed, we have died once, but I don't know if we could think of it the same way you do]
Just when he thought he had found some common ground, Subaru's words were rejected.
But, just as he was about to object to Echidona's curtness, all of that emotion evaporated when he noticed the grave expression on her face. She was looking directly at him, her brows furrowed with a tinge of sadness,
[Echidona: This is also related to the matter of awareness... have you noticed that your current state is crooked?]
[Subaru: Crooked...?]
[Echidona: It is no doubt a consequence of the special circumstances of "Return by Death". And so, while it pains me to recognize that as the reason, it pains me even more to see that you yourself are not aware of it]
[Subaru: I'm not sure I understand… So, what're you trying to tell...]
[Echidona: Do you think it's normal for someone who just ate their own fingers, even if they are healed, to carry on a casual conversation as though nothing had happened?]
[Subaru: ――――]
For a moment, Subaru stopped breathing.
With steady eyes, Echidona watched the frozen Subaru. And then, to that Subaru who had forgotten how to breathe,
[Echidona: You weren't entirely unaware, it seems]
[Subaru: ...It's a matter of how I look at it, I guess. Honestly, I'm aware that the way I'm thinking right now isn't normal. But for the sake of what's most important to me… I feel it's alright to cut off the rest of it]
[Echidona: The rest of it, such as?]
[Subaru: Well, my primary goal right now is to break through this deadlock. The problems at the Mansion, the problems at the Sanctuary, and most of all, the problems facing Emilia. I'm still as stuck as ever, and still have no idea where to begin, but...]
Breathing in through his nose, Subaru looked up to the sky.
Blue and vast, with white, drifting clouds, and a somehow soothing breeze. Letting it all soak into his sight, immersed in this scenery detached from the tedium of reality,
[Subaru: I've already decided that I'll use the hell out of everything I can get my hands on]
[Echidona: ...So you've accepted "Return by Death", then?]
[Subaru: It's not that I've accepted it… Only, I'm a bit short on tools to begin with, so it's just about all I have. ...Don't misunderstand though, I really don't like using it at all]
In front of Echidona, who must have already picked up on his thoughts, Subaru nonetheless tacked on this unnecessary clarification.
[Subaru: In order to reach that desired future, even if I have to pay with my life, I will do it. For now, I've at least been assured that I can keep Returning by Death for as long as I can keep my sanity. In that case, I'll just have to muster as much backbone as this boneless self can muster]
[Echidona: To pile on the "Deaths", in order to bring it within your reach. ――That is not a resolve any ordinary person would be capable of]
[Subaru: I've died too many times, I guess. ...Before I knew it, my head must've gotten messed up]
He wasn't making light of "Death". It was just that the accumulation of the experiences of "Death" in Subaru had strengthened his conviction into something irreversible, and terrifying. Without a doubt, Subaru now feared "Death" more than ever before.
But, in spite of this, Subaru nonetheless intended to make full use of "Death". It was as simple as that.
After piling on his deaths, and having witnessed the ends of worlds, what he found far more unbearable than his own death, were the deaths of the people close to him.
If it meant saving them from the inescapable fate of "Death", then he would expend as many of his replaceable "Lives" as necessary.
Swallow down all the pain, agony, and horror, and die in order to survive.
――That, was the basis of Natsuki Subaru's so-called crooked resolve.
[Subaru: If the only thing I have to sacrifice is my own heartbreaks, then I will gladly do it. "Return by Death" is just the perfect ability for this powerless brainless always-relying-on-others self, isn't it?]
[Echidona: ...]
[Subaru: I was hoping you'd console me with "Don't think so little of yourself!" or something!?]
[Echidona: Considering the obstacles that await you in every direction, I can't say it so lightly. In fact, if you wish to take control of this current situation, there is no way not to use it. Although personally, I would be quite displeased to have no choice but to rely on Envy]
The fact that Echidona refrained from offering easy consolations just meant that she was the type to be mindful of the circumstances.
Although it wasn't much for encouragement, he was still grateful for having someone to kick him awake like this.
After all, knowing that the road ahead will leave him full of wounds and scratches only made it all the more worth taking.
[Subaru: In the end, all I can do is spam Return by Death and keep going over my options, huh. I'd hate to imagine how many painful experiences I'm gonna be facing up ahead]
[Echidona: ...]
[Subaru: One of the mysteries I gotta solve though, is what kind of experiments were you running in this Experimental Grounds of the Sanctuary... you probably don't feel like telling me, do you?]
[Echidona: ....No, I don't. I already told you before. I wouldn't want you to despise me]
Echidona shook her head at Subaru's question, and denied his request.
Receiving this reply, [I have no choice, then], Subaru went on with a click of his neck,
[Subaru: If you won't tell me, then there's no other choice. I'll just have to go ahead and rip open all the secrets you wanted to hide. You won't try to stop me, will you?]
[Echidona: ...If you want to rip it open, there's nothing I can do. If you want to overpower my secrets you despise so much and forcibly expose them under the sun, then my only choice is to silently endure it]
[Subaru: You're making it sound like I'm planning to do something awful can you not please say it like that!?]
Echidona's cheeks blushed and quickly looked away from Subaru.
He seriously wasn't sure if she was doing that on purpose or if that just happened to be her personality. Just from what he had seen over the course of the tea party, she really might actually be that airheaded… Witches are scary.
Then, just when he was about to resume the conversation,
[Subaru: Nnh――]
Suddenly, still seated in his chair, a dizziness struck him. Something almost like the dazzled feeling from standing up too fast continued to sway Subaru's consciousness. That is,
[Echidona: It seems your body is close to waking up]
[Subaru: The tea party is coming to an end, huh... it's been pretty meaningful, I guess]
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[Echidona: Well, that's because you surprised me last time, telling me there was nothing you wanted to ask. This time, I wonder if I've lived up to my reputation as the Witch of Greed?]
With all the discussing, teaching and chatting, this tea party must have been a great satisfaction for this Witch. Subaru was somewhat reluctant to leave, seeing her unbridled joy and her visible regret to see him go, but he quickly shook his head and severed that sentiment.
It was strange how this Witch managed to pull on his heartstrings, but it wouldn't be good to become too attached to her. She was a Witch, and more than that, she was dead. Though it's unclear which part was actually worse here.
[Subaru: What should I do when I want to come back here?]
[Echidona: You mean how to be invited to the tea party? Oh no no no, we mustn't, you mustn't become too dependent on me. It's true that you have no one you could confess your Return by Death to in the outside world, and I know how much you long for me as the only person you could open your heart to, but I am dead and you are living... no, it can never be, between us]
[Subaru: When you wriggle around looking strangely happy while saying that it's not convincing at all!]
What was he supposed to do when Echidona suddenly behaves like an overenthusiastic eel-restaurant owner who saw his first customer in years?
Seeing the way Echidona was looking at him with her hand on her cheek, Subaru wasn't sure just how to react. Then, with [Huhuhhu], she placed her hand over her lips, smiling,
[Echidona: Don't look so troubled. I am a girl, after all, and sometimes I want to have lighthearted conversations like this too. That is all. I am still well aware of the gap between Witch and Human]
[Subaru: ...Echidona]
[Echidona: The condition to being invited to the tea party is to scream from the depths of your heart, "I want to know", inside my Tomb. The first time, you are invited no questions asked, but the second time onwards will not be so simple. The third time... might be quite difficult, I think. Merely superficial screams won't be able to reach me]
Hearing her quickly explain this, Subaru recalled what had happened immediately before being invited.
He had just Returned by Death after being eaten alive by the rabbits. His body was drowning in the lingering agony of death, and his consciousness was endlessly screaming "What had happened?"
That was when he heard Echidona's invitation. But next time, things would have to be even more desperate than that.
[Subaru: I really… would rather not...]
[Echidona: Precisely. So… this may very well be the last time we meet. Though of course, this would not be the last if you challenge the Trials again]
Same as in the first Trial, it seems she would be waiting for him in the second and the third Trials as well. As long as Subaru challenges the Trials in Emilia's place, their reunion will be assured.
In other words,
[Subaru: I'll see you at the next Trial, then? Guess there won't be any tea there]
[Echidona: If you really want a drink, I wouldn't mind brewing you some on the scene...]
[Subaru: No no, I get the feeling that if I see the manufacturing process I'll want to drink it even less]
Seeing him holding up his palms to say no, Echidona made her most dejected expression yet.
He didn't know why she wanted to push her body fluids on other people so much. Maybe she gets off on having a part of herself become a part of someone else, or some kind of fetish like that…The sin is deep.
[Subaru: Well, I guess I'll be disappearing soon... thanks for your hospitality, Echidona. Till we meet again...]
[Echidona: Before that, would you mind?]
Sensing that his body was fading, Subaru tried to say farewell to Echidona. But it was Echidona herself who stopped him.
She stood up from her seat, and, with her funerary dress swaying, she walked to Subaru's side,
[Echidona: You have joined me in my tea party, and acquired some portion of my knowledge... but, aren't you forgetting something?]
[Subaru: Forgetting something?]
[Echidona: My compensation, that is]
Echidona narrowed her eyes, and poked out her tongue at Subaru's tilted head.
Subaru's eyes widened at her words, repeating [compensation...] under his breath. And with, [Yes, compensation], Echidona nodded,
[Echidona: I charged a toll for our last meeting as well? Dealing with a Witch always comes with a price. The last payment was for last time, so what should I take this time, I wonder?]
[Subaru: C-can't you wait till I'm better off in life? I don't really have much cash on me, and the stuff you charge can be a little too rough on me you know]
[Echidona: Your skills for negotiating with Witches might be a little lacking]
Seeing Subaru pressed into the back of his chair, a sadistic smile emerged on Echidona's lovely face. She looked him up and down, wondering just what to take.
A Witch's compensation―― last time, it was forgetting Echidona's existence after returning to reality. If the same happened this time, then all the information he gained from the tea party, along with any hope of breakthrough, would be lost. Only, he wasn't sure what other price he would be able to afford,
[Echidona: Alright, I've decided]
What's going to happen? Subaru shriveled back, as Echidona leaned her body forward and placed her face up against his. While Subaru was busy being shaken by the closeness of her lips to his, she leaned down even further―― and reached into the inside of his jacket.
Her soft, white hair brushing against his skin smelled of the faint scent of flowers. Having no immunity to pretty girls, Subaru's brain froze like a brick.
But, not minding Subaru's mental issues, she touched him on his chest,
[Echidona: Then, I'll take this]
[Subaru: ...Oo, eh?]
Pulling her hand out of the confounded Subaru's chest―― Echidona's white fingers drew out a small handkerchief, fluttering in the wind.
White, with gold linings, on its back was an embroidery of the gray Great Spirit,
[Subaru: The handkerchief Petra gave me when I left for the Sanctuary....?]
[Echidona: You should thank the person who gave you this gift. It is imbued with only the pure and powerful emotion of concern for your safety. Every passing of the needle and thread instilled this magic into this object. I am quite fascinated indeed by the power residing here]
[Subaru: ...Petra…did that?]
[Echidona: Someone is very fond of you, it seems. While I must apologize to the child who offered you these thoughts, I will be taking this]
Echidona's cheeks softened at the embroidered Puck on the back, before stowing the handkerchief away into her chest. Then, leaving Subaru's side,
[Echidona: The price for the tea party has been paid. From the bottom of my heart, I look forward to your next visit]
In an almost joking gesture, Echidona picked up the edges of her dress and performed an impeccable curtsy.
Perhaps, she wanted to give him a lighthearted send-off―― noting that it wasn't like her at all, Subaru stood up from his chair,
[Subaru: Thank you for the treat… and for everything. ――Until we meet again]
In the same way, Subaru picked up the hems of his jersey and did a curtsy of his own, prompting a wry smile onto Echidona's face.
Then, as a white light enveloped the scene―― Subaru left the tea party.
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――The first thing Subaru felt as his consciousness returned from the tea party was the cold, hard floor, and the unpleasant taste of dirt in his mouth.
[Subaru: Uegh! Ghpphph! Does that have to happen every time now...!?]
Spitting out the foreign objects in his mouth, Subaru sat up and shook his head, pushing his mind to wake up.
First thing, was to confirm his body's condition, and recall what had happened before he woke. When he Returned by Death after being devoured by the Great Rabbit, he was immediately summoned to Echidona's tea party. There, he got mangled by Daphne's eye, proceeded to strengthen his resolve, and was at last saved by Petra's thoughts.
None of it was missing from his memories. And, relieved by this fact,
[Subaru: Looks like Echidona kept her word. The tea party didn't get erased from my memories this time]
This time, the white-haired Witch still remained vivid in his memories.
Even though she had no lack of Witch-iness, she did at least keep her promises. In fact, judging from their interactions so far, she might even be among one of the few people he could call an ally.
Though it was too bad there wouldn't be many opportunities he could rely on her help,
[Subaru: Can't say I got everything I needed this time... but at least it's something]
Placing his hand over his chest, Subaru thought back to the events of the tea party―― to his confession of his "Return by Death", and clenched down onto that feeling of salvation.
There, even though it was limited to Echidona and the other Witches, being able to say it out loud and share that burden was already more than he could have hoped for.
And having the chance to hear someone more knowledgeable about this Parallel World give her thoughts on "Return by Death" was just another one of the things he gained.
The Witch of Envy was the one who put everything into motion, and when the day comes when he will have to face her, he will be ready.
[Subaru: With that renewed feeling, Natsuki Subaru is reborn! So let me make good use of that Witch's power for now. No matter how many times it takes, I'll spend my life to do it]
If it could get him closer to the answer, he would ask for nothing more.
[Subaru: My sense of time must be off thanks to the tea party, but this is right after the first Trial, isn't it?]
The location of his Return by Death hadn't changed, that was what Echidona told him. Turning his head about to look over his surroundings, he was definitely inside the Tomb.
Having verified this, and deciding that he should start carrying Emilia out of this place, Subaru proceeded to search for her.
[Subaru: Considering this is immediately after Return by Death, and the third time at that, I better think about how to deal with Garfiel. ...Though I'm pretty sure he won't just try to kill me all of a sudden]
But still, Garfiel was prone to impulsive actions. And it'd be impossible to predict what he will do.
Thinking back to their last encounter and his subsequent death, even though the Great Rabbit was his immediate cause of death, recalling the scene of the slaughter of the villagers made a dark emotion boil within Subaru, beyond his control.
Repel the Great Rabbit, repel Elsa's attack, solve the Sanctuary's mysteries, and settle his debt with Garfiel.
Even if none of it had happened in this world, Subaru was not going to forgive him. One way or another, he will exact his revenge on Garfiel.
Brooding over these thoughts, Subaru's negative feelings towards Garfiel surged ever higher, seeping to the surface. But all these thoughts came to an abrupt end, when,
[Subaru: ...Where's Emilia?]
――She was nowhere to be found.
The sense of incongruity made Subaru furrow his brows, desperately trying to peer through the darkness of the Tomb. But he couldn't find Emilia's body anywhere in the narrow room where their Trials took place.
This had never happened before.
[Subaru: Immediately after my Trial, Emilia should still be in the middle of her's...]
Emilia, unable to pass her first Trial, should still be tangled by her past, suffering at Subaru's side.
And yet, she was not in the Tomb. The place and time he returned to was no doubt inside the Tomb immediately after his first Trial, but,
[Subaru: ...]
He had a bad feeling about this.
Emilia's absence meant deviating from all the conditions so far.
It shouldn't be possible, not unless Subaru had changed the future. But what could an unconscious Subaru have done to have this kind of influence?
Stirred by unease, Subaru ran out of the Trial room and into the corridor. Then, carrying his reverberating footsteps through the corridor, he came out of the Tomb.
Underneath the moonlight, stepping out of the Tomb, what Subaru saw was――
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