[Theta: The memories are fragmentary, but I did my best to sort out the chronology. I think… that would be more or less how it happened...]
[Subaru: ...]
Subaru met Theta's uncertain words with silence.
For he could only choose silence. The information-load was far too heavy, and he needed to organize it before he could come up with anything to say.
The founding of the Sanctuary, and the era in which the girl named Lewes Meyer still lived―― would have been 400 years ago, when beings called "Witches" roamed free:
And when the "Witch of Greed", Echidona, still walked this earth.
[Subaru: Honestly, I can't imagine a time when Echidona was just wandering around the place like a normal person]
[Theta: The Witch-sama's presence must feel distant to you, Su-bo, because you have never lived through that era. But actually, even for me, I can't say I truly knew her despite feeling like I've spent all that time around her]
[Subaru: Well, if I can talk about stories I've just heard like I've actually lived through them, that'd be the first sign I'm going senile, you know. But anyway... did Echidona visit the Sanctuary often?]
[Theta: Those aren't my real memories, but, judging from the scenes I witnessed and the conversations we had, her visits must've been rather frequent]
Unlike Theta, who had seen those memories, all of it still lacked a sense of reality for Subaru who was merely hearing about them second-hand.
And if there was one thing in Theta's story that was bothering him, it would be――
[Subaru: Beatrice and Roswaal… were in the Sanctuary 400 years ago...?]
[Theta: Beatrice-sama, as I said, was like Echidona-sama's daughter. And as for Ros-bo, the Ros-bo in my story was the founder of the House of Mathers... the first-generation Roswaal who had set the rise of the House of Mathers in motion. The name Roswaal was just inherited down the line]
[Subaru: ...Was he close with Beako?]
[Theta: From what I could tell, he had a charming relationship with her]
While listening to Theta's account, Subaru's thoughts turned to Beatrice.
Perhaps that girl hadn't changed a bit in all of four hundred years, and had always been curt and dishonest with her feelings. Even now, four hundred years later, that attitude remained the same.
Never allowing anyone to peek into her world, she continued to hide everything inside that little body of hers.
Thinking of that girl lingering alone in the Forbidden Library, a keen pain sliced across Subaru's chest.
Pressing a hand to his breast to hold back that pain, Subaru shook his head.
[Subaru: I'm surprised Echidona would bring Beatrice along with her. Judging from our conversations, I didn't think she felt any kind of maternal love for Beatrice]
[Theta: I've never had a chance to meet the Witch-sama myself. But from what I've seen of Lewes Meyer's memories, I feel that there's a sense of humanity to the great Witch-sama]
[Subaru: Somehow, I kinda agree with you there]
It was indeed quite different from Subaru's impression of Echidona. Yet, four hundred years and life and death stood between then and now.
Maybe it wouldn't be too strange if her perspective on life had changed during her time in that Citadel of Dreams.
[Subaru: I thought our break up was pretty final… but I'm still placing my hopes in her, huh...]
Once again, he was reminded of his own hopelessness.
This was different from Rem and Ram. Echidona understood Subaru's feelings and hopes and knowingly trampled over them all the same. There can be no future in which he'd take her hand now.
[Subaru: Anyway, your stories so far have just been charming reminiscences of the past. That doesn't sound like the kind of terrible secret you'd go out of your way to hide from everyone]
[Theta: ――――]
[Subaru: So, please tell me what came next. What on earth happened in that seemingly idyllic Sanctuary?]
Subaru lowered his voice, asking, as Theta brought her already-cold tea to her lips.
She mumbled [Tastes terrible...] under her breath, and,
[Theta: What happened, is it...?]
[Subaru: ――――]
[Theta: What happened was collapse and ruin. And then, I learned the true reason the Sanctuary was created]
[Subaru: The true… reason...?]
Subaru unwitting swallowed his breath at those words, while Theta merely nodded.
And, as if once again opening the lid on her memories, she narrowed her eyes.
[Theta: Both the great Witch-sama and the first Roswaal were inside the Sanctuary at the time. Something ominous and strange was approaching, and not just myself, but everyone inside the Sanctuary had sensed this]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
――The air hung taut and heavy, giving Lewes the illusion that her throat was parched.
[Roswaal: We have to get out of this place, now. The preparations aren't ready. ――If that thing finds the Sanctuary's location, all our plans will be for naught]
[Echidona: ――――]
[Roswaal: Sensei! We're wasting valuable time here! That thing... that thing'll be here any moment!]
Anxiously slamming his hand on the table in the little cabin, the slender-faced youth shouted.
An urgent apprehension was carved into that usually temperate and graceful youth's expression.
Hearing his plea, the Witch Echidona quietly closed her eyes and folded her arms. Faced with her silence, the youth lunged forward, waving his arms to reiterate his petition.
[Roswaal: There's no time to hesitate! That thing's power is overwhelming! I'm still not strong enough to protect you, Sensei...! If you ask me to be your shield, I will gladly be your shield. But when we have no means of fighting against that thing, even if I defend you with my life, it'd be completely futile...]
[Echidona: There is a way. ――To a certain extent, I had prepared for this]
Cutting off the youth―― Roswaal's words, Echidona opened her eyes, staring at the grains of the wooden tabletop.
Hearing this, [Gh...] Roswaal spilled an astounded sigh while Echidona quietly shook her head.
[Echidona: Judging by my repeated inspections of the Sanctuary, I believe the conditions are in place for the Barrier to hold with a high probability of success]
[Roswaal: Th, then...!]
[Echidona: ――But we're missing the Nexus to activate the Barrier]
[Roswaal: ――――]
For a moment, a flash of hope brightened Roswaal's expression before it was extinguished by Echidona's pained voice once more.
[Echidona: The Barrier cannot activate without the Nexus. And without the Barrier, we cannot repel that thing from this place. If we can't secure a safe haven, we'll be annihilated as soon as we are found]
[Roswaal: We spent all this time preparing the Sanctuary... we've come so far, and yet... with just one step away!]
Overwhelmed with vexation, Roswaal slammed his fist on the table.
The legs of the old table creaked as blood seeped from Roswaal's hand.
Silence descended on the small cabin.
Time slowed to a standstill as a viscous, heavy atmosphere permeated the room.
And it was there, that a girl timidly raised her hand.
[Lewes: Um, would I be any good... as the Barrier's Nexus?]
[Echidona: ――――]
[Lewes: I heard before that this is possible. That I meet the conditions for your Barrier, Echidona-sama. ...And that was why you've been paying special attention to me]
[Echidona: ――Did Beatrice tell you this?]
[Lewes: Yes]
Lewes Meyer nodded in quiet determination with her long, pink hair flowing.
The girl's face was tense with resolve as she stared straight at the expressionless Echidona.
[Lewes: Beatrice-sama said that you've already confirmed that I'm a perfect match. All the mana extraction over these past few months were precisely for this purpose, weren't they?]
After a brief silence, Echidona drew in her chin and nodded to Lewes' question.
[Echidona: Indeed, you are very suitable for the Barrier's construction. It'd be possible to maintain the Barrier if we keep you inside the Sanctuary. That much is well established. With just a little more time to adapt the Sanctuary's lands to your mana, it would've been possible]
[Lewes: In other words, it isn't possible now?]
[Roswaal: It's not just a simple Barrier. This Barrier has to be indestructible. We need to proceed with the utmost caution and discretion. Years of effort have gone into gathering half-bloods inside the Sanctuary to provide the conditions for the Barrier. And you… were the decisive lynchpin of this plan. But...]
Trailing off there, Roswaal ruefully gritted his teeth.
Though Lewes didn't know the details, she could tell that even this ingenious duo of Echidona and Roswaal were helpless in the face of such obstacles.
Is there really nothing they can do?
――There has to be something: that was what Lewes' brief life-experience told her.
[Lewes: Isn't there something more drastic we can try?]
[Echidona: ――――]
[Lewes: ...You saved me, Echidona-sama and Roswaal-sama. Coming to this land, I was given a life where I wouldn't have to be afraid of being persecuted or shunned, and I was happy. If I could do anything to repay you for the time I was given, I'm certain that's my life's purpose]
Little by little, she spilled the contents of her heart.
Watching Lewes squeeze her little white hands even whiter as she spoke, Echidona's black irises froze, losing all of their warmth. Instead, it was Roswaal, standing beside her, who found himself beset by a torrent of complex emotions.
[Roswaal: S-Sensei...]
It wasn't a call asking Echidona for her decision. Rather, it was a call filled with a slightly different nuance.
Whatever it may have been, it was like the pulling of a trigger:
[Echidona: ――If we crystallize your Od and make it the Nexus of the Sanctuary, we can drastically shorten the process for the land to adapt to your mana. And the Barrier will be complete]
[Lewes: If we do this, will the Sanctuary be saved?]
[Echidona: It'll give us a chance to survive the violence of the impending threat. If that could buy us some time, I should be able to devise some countermeasures]
[Lewes: ――――]
Echidona did not give a consolatory answer. She neither made any wishful predictions, nor offered any words of comfort.
But if Echidona judged that it can be, then it certainly can be done.
In other words, by offering her life here, she would be able to protect this place. By sacrificing herself as the repayment of her debt, they will certainly succeed.
[Lewes: ...When do we start?]
[Echidona: ――I'd like to start preparing immediately, if possible. I will ready the anchor for the crystallization process and assemble the spell. As for delaying the approaching threat...]
[Roswaal: Leave that to me. I will do everything in my power to stall it. ...And, Lewes-kun]
Roswaal lifted his face, lined with tragic resolve. Not a hint of weakness or hesitation remained on his expression. He merely stared into Lewes' determined eyes, and,
[Roswaal: I'm sorry. Please help Sensei and do what I cannot do for her]
[Lewes: Don't be, Roswaal-sama, you've already given me a life of irreplaceable happiness. For that, I have only gratitude, so how can I resent you?]
Holding her hand to her chest, Lewes shook her head.
Roswaal drew in a small breath, and, sighing, he looked to Echidona.
[Roswaal: I'll be off. Please make the preparations... and call Beatrice here, Sensei]
[Echidona: ...Maybe it'd be better if Beatrice doesn't know about this?]
[Roswaal: If we don't call her here now, she will resent us for the rest of her life, Sensei. ...Although, she probably still will even if we do call her]
[Echidona: Is that right. ...I see. I'll call her in a moment]
Seeing Echidona's nod, Roswaal headed out of the cabin. On the way, he placed his hand on Lewes' shoulder and gave a single, firm squeeze.
The dull pain from his grip conveyed all of Roswaal regrets and reluctance. And, sensing this, Lewes shut her eyes.
[Lewes: ...Beatrice-sama]
She softly whispered.
As the thought of that girl who wasn't here tenderly tormented Lewes' heart.
Again, the scene changed.
[Lewes: ――――]
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――Witnessing such overwhelming power, an emotion more terrifying than imminent death budded in Lewes' chest.
[Roswaal: ――Kkh, phu]
Accompanied by excruciating coughs, clots of blood came spraying from Roswaal's lips as his body flew parallel to the ground.
Watching him land on his shoulder, sweeping up dust clouds as he tumbled, Lewes could only stand there, forgetting to breathe.
Wielding six-colored magic, Roswaal A. Mathers had reached the highest level of the arcane arts in only his mid-teens.
He could scour the earth with devastating flames, cut into stone cliffs with blades of wind, birth water to force back the flow of great rivers, and command soil and stone to raise castles from the ground.
Yet even with his immense powers, he stood no chance against this overwhelming existence.
[??? ...Still want to keep going?]
A youth with auburn hair and sluggish bearing walked towards him, shaking his head.
He seemed about the same age as Roswaal. His blackish-auburn bangs reached down to his eyebrows, and one might even mistake his attractive features for a woman's. His black eyes were squinting as if sleepy, and a white shirt with black pants formed his simple attire.
――With every step he took, he'd playfully kick a pebble, each one shooting towards Roswaal sending blood spraying from his body. Then another. And another.
[Roswwal: Kh! Gha! Pfu!]
[???: Annoying. Meddlesome. Dismal. Irritating. Wretched. Depressing]
The youth gloomily grumbled, but with every mutter and every step forward, Roswaal's cries intensified while the sound of bones cracking could be heard even in the distance.
Roswaal's body, collapsed on the ground, looked as if it was being crushed into the earth by the air itself. In fact, his limbs were already half buried in the ground, their flesh rupturing as his bloodshot eyes overflowed with crimson tears.
[???: Can you stop already? You've tried. You can't win against me, but you've tried and tried. Trying is enough, isn't it? ...No matter how hard you try, it's pointless]
[Roswaal: Wh… at are y… blathering about... I'll definitely... stop you here... Kha! Aagh! Ghaaaagh!!]
[???: Hhha... my head's killing me. Makes me want to retch. It's really depressing]
Hearing Roswaal reject his call to surrender, the youth bent his knees and squatted down. Expelling a deep sigh, he touched the ground as if caressing it. And, with the motion of the youth's fingertips, Roswaal's limbs creaked to the sound of tearing flesh and harrowing shrieks.
[???: I didn't want this. I was trying to avoid this. I never tried to avoid anything so badly in my life. It's just the worst, the worst, the worst of the worst of the worst. ――Truly, depressing]
[Roswaal: Kh, aa――agh!]
At the end of the youth's contagiously despairing speech, with the utterance of that decisive word, Roswaal's body caved under the unbearable pressure.
The center of his body was flattened, sending profuse blood gushing from his mouth as if he was going to cough out his organs. Roswaal's eyes rolled white to the convulsion of his limbs. The young wizard's life now hung by a thread as the price for fighting on to the end.
[???: Aa~, aa~, a~~ah? What is this? Wha~~t is this? Look at this. Just look at this. Ah~~, I really didn't want to do this. I feel sick. I feel dismal. My head feels heavy. How depressing. Depressing, depressing, depress depress depress depress depress depressing――]
Roswaal was no longer screaming, and all that remained was the sound of dripping blood. Taking a languid glance at Roswaal's mangled body, the youth went on gloomily grumbling.
All the while, Lewes, watching Roswaal's gruesome end and the uncanny youth who had brought it about―― only now remembered to breathe.
[Lewes: ――hha]
Her lungs, strained to their limits, scrambled to pump oxygen to her brain. After replenishing her body's oxygen by drawing a single breath, she forced herself to fall silent once more, afraid that even the slightest disturbance in the air might elicit the youth's attention.
Despite watching her benefactor being cruelly mutilated before her eyes, she chose self-preservation over revenge, even though she had no idea why was she so attached to her worthless life.
[???: Oh~~? Is there maybe someone there?]
[Lewes: ――hk!]
As if proving Lewes' worries, the youth tilted his head and looked in her direction.
A short distance away from the battle, on the other side of the village square, Lewes was watching from a small cabin, peeking through a knot in one of the boards of the wooden wall.
She shuddered at the thought that the youth might've seen her behind such a small gap so far away. The knot was no bigger than the forehead of a cat. There was no way he could have noticed her.
Yet, the youth was walking over without the slightest hint of uncertainty.
[???: I~~'m not a quarrelsome person. I don't think any go~~od is going to come from killing everyone. ...If you could save me the trouble, I'd really appreciate it]
[Lewes: ...gh]
[???: H~~mm. Well, it should be this direction... should I just demolish the whole thing? Ugh, I really just want to drop everything and go home. So nauseating. So dismal. So depressing]
The youth reached his hand towards the cabin and pronounced this lurid death-sentence.
A chill instantly crawled up Lewes' spine as a piercing pain wracked through her head like her skull was being stabbed by needles. Tears swelled in the corners of her eyes as she desperately held back the unbearable shriek stuck in her throat.
At this rate, an invisible weight would crush every bone in Lewes' little body――
[Roswaal: AL... GOA!!]
Literally spewing blood as he roared, the entire village square was washed red by erupting flames.
Feeling its heat roasting her face despite being some distance away, Lewes watched the searing flames charge from Roswaal's palm straight for the youth's back.
[???: ――――]
Even this youth was compelled to turn around as he sensed the overwhelming wave of heat. But what he saw as he turned was an inferno far beyond the realm of human understanding.
Without offering the slightest resistance, the youth's body was swallowed by the rush of blinding flames――
[???: I hate sweating. ――It's depressing]
――Or it would've been, if the youth hadn't shot down the converging true-red mana just an instant before he could be engulfed.
The sweltering fireball that should have incinerated the youth was wiped from the world without even a fiery burst to mark its demise, merely shrinking into a small red orb and rolling onto the ground.
[Roswaal: A… u… hg...]
[???: It's still not gone, just how much power did you put into this? Don't keep making me use my powers. The more I do, the more I feel like I want to die]
The youth grumbled and tightly clenched his outstretched hand. As if obeying his gesture, the condensed red orb on the ground collapsed into itself.
And, with a loud crack ringing through the broiling air, its energy dissipated into nothing.
Even the highest class of fire magic, Al-Goa, did not damage him.
Roswaal, who had returned from the precipice of death for that final strike, fell speechless at this outcome. His desperate struggle was, as anyone could see, futile.
And Lewes, who had just narrowly escaped with her life, keenly understood that all this had accomplished was briefly postpone Roswaal's and her own inevitable death.
[Roswaal: You… demon... no… Warlock...!]
[???: I hate that name, it's dismal. You think I'm li~~ke this because I enjoy it?]
[Roswaal: No matter how distorted your life is... or how limited your choices are... you are still the one who chose them. So don't play the victim here... Hector of Melancholy!]
[Hector: Ouch, the truth hurts, you know. I ho~~nestly don't know what to do with you]
Walking to the fallen Roswaal's side, the youth crouched down and reached his hand towards Roswaal's head.
Without touching him, he had already dealt this overwhelming damage. But if his fingertip were to touch him now, the invisible devastation would cause Roswaal's physical integrity to collapse.
[Roswaal: Gh... ul...]
[Hector: You're too late, you won't make it, and I won't let you]
Watching Roswaal concentrate his mana preparing to cast another spell, the youth callously pronounced.
Then, his morbid fingertip made contact, sending irrevocable death into Roswaal's dying body.
[Roswaal: ――Ul, ghh]
[Hector: Bones, crushed. Organs, squashed. Heart, shattered. Ho~~w do you li~~ke it?]
With that brief groan, Roswaal relinquished his final sigh.
Looking down at the completely motionless Roswaal, the youth patted his knees and stood up. Then, he turned around, directly facing the petrified Lewes.
And this time, without a warning, he held out his palm and released the invisible weight.
[Lewes: ――gh]
The cabin didn't even withstand it for a second.
The immense pressure from above easily overwhelmed the little cabin's capacity to resist. If Lewes hadn't made her timely plunge to the ground, she would've been crushed to the ground with every joint in her body bending in a direction it was never meant to be bent.
[Hector: No resistance… so it's not Echidona, then? If it i~~sn't her… whatever]
[Lewes: ――a, hhg]
[Hector: Be crushed and drown in the dirt. Save me the trouble of digging your grave――]
Lewes felt the illusion of invisible hands pulling her up by her skin, peeling her off of the ground. And just when she thought that this youth's distant utterance would be the last words she ever heard in this life, the pressure abruptly dissipated.
Roughly panting with profuse tears and saliva drenching her face, Lewes looked up, confused. And there, she saw, at the other end of her vision,
[Echidona: Guess I can't exactly say I made it just in time]
[Hector: No~~pe. Your disciple did his best to stall me and buy you time, though. Thanks to him, I got totally thrown off my rhythm, and that really ruined my mood]
[Echidona: Sounds like you haven't changed at all. You're just the same as when we last parted]
[Hector: Your know-it-all airs haven't changed either, I see. Why do you insist on such an unado~~rable attitude? You were really cute once]
The youth shook his head, lamenting. Directly in front of him, standing between the youth and Lewes, was a lady of white dressed all in black―― Echidona.
The Witch looked down at the fallen Roswaal and slightly narrowed her eyes.
[Echidona: This sight pains me more than I expected… As much as I hate to let anything interfere with my objectivity towards results]
[Hector: He'd be disappointed if you didn't show some emo~~tions for him. Not that I care. But if you want to cry, I can give you some time. Even I am not that cruel]
[Echidona: Where did you get the gall to say such things?]
Their barbed exchange suggested that they knew each other, but their relationship was clearly not an amicable one.
They steadily gauged their distance as they faced each other. Lewes did not doubt Echidona's strength, but she had equally believed in Roswaal, and he was easily crushed in the face of that overwhelming power.
As such, having Echidona's backing in itself wasn't necessarily reassuring.
[????: ――How long do you plan to keep lying there in that graceless position, I suppose?]
[Lewes: ...huh?]
Suddenly hearing this, Lewes looked up from the ground when a hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her up. Dragged by that force, Lewes squeaked as she turned around.
Behind her, was an adorable girl wearing her familiar, sour expression.
[Lewes: Bea… trice-sama...]
[Beatrice: This isn't the time to be stammering in surprise. Let's get out of here quickly while Mother is buying us time, I suppose]
[Lewes: B-but... Roswaal-sama and Echidona-sama ordered me to wait here]
[Beatrice: It's thanks to that Roswaal's bungling that that guy sniffed you out. Enough, just follow Betty, I suppose. Mother was the one who instructed me to fetch you]
[Lewes: Echidona-sama...]
Beatrice's brows furrowed in irritation, but her expression remained tense. Even her usual haughty confidence seemed diminished in front of this inexplicable youth.
Nevertheless, she was still infinitely stronger than Lewes, who was even now curling into a little trembling ball.
[Beatrice: The preparations are in place. That's what Mother said, I suppose. She said you'd understand if I told you that]
[Lewes: ――I… understand]
Lewes held her breath and nodded at Echidona's message. Beatrice narrowed her eyes, puzzled by Lewes' reaction, but had no mind to probe into it.
A torrent of mana was peaking behind them. The clash between Echidona and the youth was only a matter of time. No one could predict how this battle would go. And the only means to secure certain victory rested in Lewes' choice.
[Lewes: Let's go. Beatrice-sama, where are the preparations set?]
[Beatrice: ...It's inside an old, decaying stone room, I suppose. I moved it there as Mother instructed me to. Even with Betty's Door Crossing, it was no easy task, you know]
Sticking an extra boast at the end, Beatrice led Lewes by the hand as they moved out.
Following behind Beatrice's bouncing pigtails, Lewes took one last look at Echidona and bowed her head to the Witch's back.
――Surely, they would never speak again.
The crystal was blue and transparent, so beautiful that Lewes trembled.
[Beatrice: Even if you think it's pretty, just don't touch it like an idiot. You'll be swallowed up if you do and become a part of the crystal, I suppose]
Momentarily forgetting where they were, Lewes spilled an amazed sigh. Next to her, Beatrice crossed her arms at Lewes' out-of-place demeanor and gave this warning.
Suddenly called back from her daze, Lewes quickly pulled back her fingers and apologized with [Ah, s-sorry].
[Beatrice: Not like there's anything to apologize for. ...So, what do we do now, I suppose? Betty was only told to move the crystal and bring you here. Mother didn't say anything beyond that]
[Lewes: Beatrice-sama, how did you get this crystal here...?]
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[Beatrice: For Betty, moving something without touching it is nothing at all, I suppose. Mother herself has praised the precision and range of my Door Crossing, you know]
Beatrice's expression was dispassionate as always, but, sensing the hint of pride within it, Lewes softened her cheeks.
She had already grown accustomed to talking to Beatrice like this. In the beginning, she'd always take Beatrice at her word and feel like she wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere.
But over the time they've spent together, Lewes learned that this seemingly-imperious girl was actually surprisingly easy to get along with, and in fact, she was every bit the adorable girl she appeared to be, and someone she could smile and laugh with.
How nice it would be if she could just keep talking with Beatrice like this.
If only she could forget all about the calamity befalling the Sanctuary and the fate awaiting her―― but that would be impossible.
[Beatrice: ...? Your smile is incredibly unpleasant right now, you know]
Beatrice pointed out, perhaps sensing the sadness that had slipped onto Lewes' face.
The fact that Beatrice could tell that her smile was different from usual was evidence that she'd been paying attention to her. As soon as Lewes realized this, tears popped out of the corners of her eyes.
Beatrice's eyes widened, and Lewes frantically wiped the tears off with her sleeve,
[Lewes: S-sorry... A little… sand got into my eye...]
[Beatrice: N-not that I care, I suppose. ――With things as they are, Betty can see this is not the place to be saying "don't worry" or anything]
Although Beatrice had misunderstood her, they were words of compassion all the same.
Lewes felt a warmth swell in the depths of her chest. Such was the strength Beatrice had given her, and it felt so grand that she could burst.
[Lewes: Beatrice-sama]
[Beatrice: What is it, I suppose. If you're going to take a while, Betty will go help Mother. And that bastard Roswaal seems to be on the verge of death right now. Guess if I don't help him, he's...]
[Lewes: Thank you, for always taking care of me. But―― this is goodbye]
[Beatrice: ――huh?]
Listening to those vague words, Beatrice blinked her eyes, confused.
Inside the cold stone chamber, the two girls―― Beatrice and Lewes stared at each other.
Beatrice blinked over and over, intently gazing back at Lewes. Beatrice's gaze was intense but warm, and Lewes did not look away.
[Beatrice: Goodbye? What do you mean, I suppose? Are you going to run away?]
[Lewes: No, that's not it. If I do run away and live, maybe someday I could still see you again. But this will be our final farewell. We'll probably never have another chance to talk to each other again]
[Beatrice: ...]
Beatrice pursed her lips and peered deep into Lewes' eyes, searching for her true intentions.
For the first time seeing Beatrice confused, Lewes quietly chose her words.
[Lewes: Echidona-sama's preparations were for the Barrier that will cover the Sanctuary. It should have needed more time for the Barrier to take root in the Sanctuary's soil... but right now, we don't have enough time for that]
[Beatrice: Not enough time... then the Barrier can't be completed? Isn't that Barrier the only way to drive that guy off, I suppose?]
[Lewes: That's right. I've seen with my own eyes how dangerous that man is. He's beyond dangerous. I know that's why Echidona-sama is risking everything in order to defeat him. And I think Roswaal-sama sacrificed himself because he knew it was the only way to save Echidona-sama]
Such was that youth's overwhelming power.
Lewes didn't know how the Barrier's activation would help Echidona, or whether it'd be able to wipe out that monster's existence.
But there was one thing Echidona had assured her.
[Lewes: Echidona-sama promised me that if the Barrier is activated, we'll be able to protect the Sanctuary. ...And so, I'm willing to give my life for that]
[Beatrice: D-don't say such stupid things. Even if you give up your life... without any background in magic, what could you possibly...]
Beatrice's eyes filled with panic as she hurriedly blurted out. But, clever as she was, she had already reached the answer to her own question halfway through her sentence.
Her eyes shot open in shock as she turned to the blue crystal looming beside them,
[Beatrice: If you bind yourself with the core of this crystal.... with your Od as its nucleus, spreading the Barrier over the Sanctuary... it'll no longer be necessary to acclimatize the soil...]
[Lewes: Yes. That's what Echidona-sama said]
It was the same conclusion that Echidona and Roswaal had reached before the attack.
Beatrice only stood there without a word. Lewes circled around her until she was in front of Beatrice's view, and smiled.
[Lewes: You've confirmed my affinity to the Sanctuary's mana yourself... Beatrice-sama]
[Beatrice: ――――hk!]
Beatrice's face sprang up at Lewes' words.
She bit into her peach-colored lip until blood seeped from her flesh,
[Beatrice: N...no. Betty... Betty didn't... wait, that's not, just wait, I suppose. Just wait here. B-Betty'll go speak to Mother, I suppose. Mother might act like that, but she absolutely coddles Betty, she'll listen if I...]
[Lewes: There's no time for that right now. We have to decide this very moment]
[Beatrice: In that case, Betty will go help Mother straight away. If Mother and Betty team up, we can easily dispose of that guy, I suppose. Roswaal too, once I heal him it'll be three of us...]
Beatrice shook her head in childish denial, but her words trailed off towards the end.
Even she herself realized how unconvincing her words were.
Beatrice was indeed amazing. Lewes was genuinely in awe of how this girl around her age could have reached such heights in magic, never slacking in her daily studies.
She could juggle her doting over her mother, her quarrels with Roswaal, her magic practice, and do laundry and sew and cook with Lewes, all without a hitch.
This same Beatrice would understand the extent of her own abilities, as well as the unbridgeable gap between the enemy and herself.
She could not place her mother's life in danger for such a callous boast.
[Beatrice: ――Or, we could use Betty's Door Crossing to get everyone away from here]
[Lewes: ...]
[Beatrice: Right? That'll be enough, I suppose. It'll be a little hard, but Betty can definitely pull it off. While Mother holds him off, we'll gather up everyone in the Sanctuary and escape to Mother's Mansion together, I suppose. We'll pick up Roswaal when we get the chance and close the door once Mother's through, then we'll have slipped away right under that guy's nose. ...Yeah, that's what we should do]
[Lewes: And once we've slipped away, won't we live in fear of being pursued by that person for the rest of our lives? If we abandon this place where people who'd been ostracised by all the world could finally live in safety and peace... and go somewhere new, how long will it be before we can live happily like this again?]
Lewes shook her head at Beatrice's plan, her words gentle but stern.
Seeing the wounded look spreading across Beatrice's face, an intense pain ran through Lewes' chest.
But she must trample over this girl's considerations and force her own way through.
Even if this cruel and selfish decision meant betraying the days they've spent together
――As well as betraying all the memories they've shared.
[Lewes: Beatrice-sama. I love the Sanctuary. I'm truly glad I was able to live here. And I love seeing the smiles on the faces of everyone who lives here. So I don't want all of this to disappear]
[Beatrice: ――――]
[Lewes: I had a wonderful time here. So wonderful that I wondered if someone like myself, with tainted blood flowing through my veins, truly deserved this. And so, I'm already satisfied]
[Beatrice: It's not like that, I suppose... N-no matter what you think this place is, the real purpose of this place isn't what you think at all...]
[Lewes: Yes. I know]
[Beatrice: ――――h]
Lewes nodded, as Beatrice suddenly looked as if she regretted saying what she did.
Lewes knew the true purpose of the Sanctuary.
At least, she knew it wasn't out of kindness that Echidona and Roswaal had gathered these persecuted people here.
This paradise where ostracised and despised people could live with their heads held high―― did not exist for their sake, but, deep down, everyone still wanted to believe it.
And now, it was no longer possible to see only the bright facade of this place. She understood this, as much as it pained her.
[Lewes: The true purpose of this place is to deal with the person pursuing Echidona-sama, isn't it?]
[Beatrice: ...]
[Lewes: That is why this place exists, and why we were brought here, I understand that now]
[Beatrice: So... if you already know, then why…]
Unable to understand, Beatrice shook her head.
In front of Beatrice's pleading gaze, Lewes' lips softened.
[Lewes: I don't mind. In the beginning, that might've been all it was. But those happy days we've spent here weren't just a part of Echidona-sama's plans. The time I spent here, and all the conversations we've had, none of that was a part of some plan]
[Beatrice: ――――]
[Lewes: What's important isn't how it began. It's how it ends, and what we felt along the way]
[Beatrice: ――――]
[Lewes: I was truly happy here. So I will do anything to protect this happiness. Please let me express my gratitude for everything you've done for me, Beatrice-sama]
A distant boom echoed through the stone chamber.
The ground shook and the atmosphere trembled in the wake of the clashes between Echidona and the youth in the center of the Sanctuary.
The fact that it was steadily approaching made it clear that Echidona was not winning.
[Lewes: ――――]
Closing her eyes, Lewes quietly confirmed her resolve. In front of her, Beatrice's shoulders heaved up and down as she wracked her brain for something to say.
Some magical words that would dissuade Lewes from her intention, overturn her decision, and change her mind.
But no such convenient magic existed in this world.
[Lewes: Beatrice-sama]
[Beatrice: ...What is it, I suppose]
[Lewes: Please take care not to eat too many sweets]
[Beatrice: ――――]
During tea-time, Beatrice would be constantly shoving sweets into her mouth. It'd be a shame if her adorable looks were ruined because she got fat. And she'd have to take care of her teeth as well.
Although she rarely showed it, she is really adorable when she smiles.
Turning around, Lewes wordlessly approached the blue crystal.
The crystal was giving off a deep, alluring glow. If she touches it, she really would be swallowed by that light.
Would it hurt, and would she suffer?
Despite being prepared for the end, she had no idea in what form it would come.
Simply put, it was an emotion known as fear.
Once she is swallowed by this light, she will make this place a true "Sanctuary".
If there could be a place in this world where everyone could live in happiness and peace:
If Echidona and Beatrice could continue to watch over this Sanctuary for her,
[Lewes: ――――]
Suddenly, she felt tug on her sleeve.
Lewes turned around and saw Beatrice standing right beside her.
She was gazing at Lewes with an expression she had never seen from her before, and her fingertips were clinging to her sleeve.
The strength in those clinging fingers was weak, and not even Beatrice knew what she was trying to do with this touch. She had merely reached out without thinking, and, for a girl who would never be honest with her emotions, perhaps this was the only way to express her true feelings,
[Lewes: ――――]
Gently, Lewes picked off the fingers holding onto her sleeve.
Feeling the warmth passing between their touching fingertips, Lewes smiled at the end.
And,
[Lewes: Thank you. ――Goodbye, Betty]
――With those final words, Lewes' consciousness was swallowed into the blue light.
And vanished.
-=