The confrontation with Garfiel was settled, the revelation of his shocking true age had come to light, and things had finally calmed down in front of the tomb.
Gathered around Garfiel, who had overcome the "Trial" of confronting the past and put an end to his grudge with the others, everyone had the opportunity to sit face to face and talk.
"Still… when you put it that way—ganging up on a middle-schooler and mobbing him—doesn't really paint a pretty picture, does it?"
"Look, I was surprised by Garfiel's real age too, but there's no need to look at it that way. The only thing that's changed is that the opponent we couldn't take down without everyone working together turned out to be fourteen. It doesn't really affect the substance of anything."
"That's right. Garf may have been fourteen, but he was way more than just a snot-nosed brat—his power was no laughing matter, and there's no reason to feel guilty about how
"Oi, the lot of ya—quit saying 'ganged up' over and over! Fine then, wanna go again, huh? I'll take any of ya on, anytime!"
Subaru, Otto, and Ram exchanged glances and nodded, while Garfiel spat in outrage.
Honestly, looking back at his behavior and actions up to now—and seeing him like this, stubbornly raising his voice—the fact that he was only fourteen did fit surprisingly well.
If anything, the fact that they had treated him as a peer this whole time had actually been adding an extra layer of bias to the situation.
"Wait, so when you went into the tomb before and took the 'Trial,' how old were you then? Does that mean you've been nursing that grudge since you were a toddler?"
"I don't remember the exact age… but probably three or four. I don't really remember much of anything besides the 'Trial' itself from back then."
"That makes sense. Three or four years old… wasn't that around the time I still thought the world was hell?"
"Now you're the one getting heavy all of a sudden—cut it out. I don't wanna dig into that."
Otto let out a shadowed smile at Garfiel's confession. Otto had his own bag of issues, no doubt, but digging into all of that right now would be way past anyone's capacity. Subaru's hands were already overflowing with luggage he couldn't carry, propping it up with his head and knees just to keep from collapsing.
"So, is it okay if I ask for the details?"
Once the light banter had wound down,
"What d'ya mean, 'the details'? What I saw and how I got through it are probably nothing like yours, right? I don't think I can tell you anything worth referencing."
"No, I know that. My 'Trial' is mine alone. Asking Garfiel about it wouldn't help me."
"…? Then what the hell did you wanna ask?"
"After getting through the 'Trial' inside… no, after overcoming the past—do you think you've changed? Can you accept who you've become?"
"…………"
At Emilia's question, Garfiel narrowed his eyes and fell silent. The air grew taut, and the watching group held their breath, waiting for his answer.
A brief silence. Garfiel touched the tip of his nose, then traced the white scar on his forehead with his finger. Running his finger along the wound that ran vertically down his forehead, he finally said: "Whether I should call it 'changing' or 'getting back'… even I'm not entirely sure, but—"
"Mm."
"That scar on my forehead—I put it there myself. To erase bad memories."
He flicked his own forehead, then turned his gaze to the side—toward Ram, who sat beside him, watching. At Garfiel's words, Ram's pale red eyes fluttered.
"Garf."
"Shut up, don't say anything. You'll make me look pathetic. Hiding my ugly memories by pinning the reason on someone else and calling it good… Finding out later that you knew all along and played along makes it feel even worse."
Ram watched Garfiel's muttering with an expression that was somewhere between exasperation and resignation. The true meaning behind that exchange didn't fully reach even Subaru, but he could dimly tell it was something that existed between those two alone.
That warm, certain bond between Garfiel and Ram—the kind that felt like family.
"Anyway—whether I went back or moved forward, I'm not planning on staying the same as before. You lot changed me, like it or not. And now I'm gonna see what kind of changes you make next—not just with your mouths."
"Yeah. I'm glad to hear that. …I'll do my best to live up to that expectation."
Emilia showed her determination with a smile, even as Garfiel's face twisted slightly.
Subaru suddenly realized that when it came to their mental and emotional makeup, these two were actually the same age. Both fourteen. A boy and girl in the sensitive years of adolescence, and the future of this place was being entrusted to them.
Subaru himself was seventeen, just shy of eighteen, so he had no room to talk—but still, it really did feel like something out of a manga or anime.
"We shouldn't stay too long. The longer we wait, the weaker our resolve gets."
Saying this, Emilia stood and brushed the grass from her waist. She took a deep breath, her eyes burning with a fierce light, and fixed her gaze on the tomb—the chamber of the "Trial."
"Ready?"
"Yeah, I'm ready. …After Garfiel, I'll follow—and then I'll surpass him."
"You think you can?"
"I will. I've decided I'm not going to be afraid of changing anymore."
At Subaru's question, at Garfiel's challenge, Emilia nodded firmly to both.
Subaru rose as well and took his place beside Emilia as she stepped forward toward the tomb. Even if he couldn't stay by her side inside, holding her hand—he would stay beside her until the moment she departed.
"Emilia-sama."
Ram's voice came from behind as Emilia walked. Emilia stopped and turned. Ram bowed before her, pinching the hem of her skirt, her movements solemn—as though a servant were paying proper respect to her superior.
"As if there's any doubt about it. Emilia-tan is clearly on the master's side."
"Quit muttering, Subaru. This isn't the time for that—have some propriety."
Ram rebuked Subaru with a stern voice. Then, composing herself before Emilia, who was looking at her with wide eyes, she bowed again.
"Please forgive my presumption. Ram… in truth, I believed that Emilia-sama would not be able to stand up."
"…Yeah. I'm sorry for being so pathetic."
"Yes, you were pathetic. It was hard to watch."
"Now, now—"
Ram seized the opportunity to pile on the criticism while Emilia was apologizing. Subaru gritted his teeth, thinking about how much courage it had taken for him to tell Emilia those same things inside the tomb—while Ram breezily over the hurdle he had struggled so hard to clear. Still, he watched the destination of her words.
"However, Emilia-sama did stand up and chose to take on the challenge. Whether that was driven by fighting spirit or was a form of escape in truth—it doesn't particularly matter."
"…………"
"Ram had decided. Whether or not Emilia-sama would show herself to face the 'Trial'—that was where Ram would leave her problem. If you were to retreat into resignation, then Ram would simply accept the flow of the world as well. But if you were to fight against it—"
Ram glanced briefly toward Subaru.
What role did Subaru play in the words she had just left hanging? Perhaps that was the answer to why she had sided with them against Garfiel this time.
"Go safely, Emilia-sama. I will be here, awaiting your return."
Ram's solemn bow was the picture of the perfect maid seeing off her mistress. Her words seemed to fill Emilia with strength, and Emilia looked at her with a bright, radiant expression.
Seeing Emilia like that, Subaru crossed his arms and nodded. Then: "So, Otto—anything you want to say?"
"You've put me in an incredibly awkward position here! Do I really have to say something at a time like this!? What do you think!?"
Otto had clearly been preparing the words he wanted to say, but it seemed he hadn't planned anything more powerful than what Ram had just delivered. Considering the mood of the room, he probably thought it would be better to just let it end cleanly— "Yes. Go ahead."
"——!"
Oblivious to Otto's internal anguish, Emilia was fully prepared to be encouraged, having taken his silence as a cue. She didn't notice his flustered state and waited for his words with a tense expression.
Faced with Emilia's guileless demeanor, Otto finally conceded, pressing his hand to his forehead.
"So, uh, Emilia-sama."
"Yes?"
"Actually, this whole commotion has cost me quite a bit in damages. I mean, of course, I had already factored in the cost itself as a sort of forward investment, but…."
"Hmm?"
The conversation had turned to money, and Emilia, who was not particularly sharp with numbers, wore a confused expression. Otto bit his lip at the furrowed beauty of her brow, then raised a finger.
"In short! I took on these losses because I'm betting on Emilia-sama to grow big and strong! So you'd better succeed, because I need to get my wager back!"
"…I don't think I'm going to grow any taller. I suppose I'll put on weight if I eat enough, though."
"Don't use such roundabout phrasing with our sheltered angel. And besides, Emilia-tan's current figure is the golden ratio, so just stay the way you are. You're at your most lovely right now."
From the tips of her hair to her toes, Emilia felt she was in the best shape right now. Of course, she intended to love Subaru no matter how much he gained or lost.
Anyway, setting aside Subaru's musings—Otto flailed his arms and legs, looking utterly exasperated that his meaning hadn't come across.
"…Please come back safely. I'm rooting for you."
"Yeah, I understand. Otto, thank you for everything you've helped with."
Emilia answered with a strong nod, and Otto let his shoulders drop. Seeing Garfiel nudge Otto consolingly, Subaru and Emilia then turned back toward the tomb.
Night had already fallen over the
Emilia took several deep breaths to steel her resolve one last time. Watching her from the side, Subaru agonized over what words would be best to send her off with—when: "Hey, Subaru."
"Hmm?"
"It's about… what happened inside the tomb."
Was she anxious about the "Trial"? Subaru waited for her to continue. But Emilia kept glancing at him with a worried expression, struggling to find the next words. Her cheeks were, for some reason, slightly flushed.
"Emilia?"
"I-I said, it's about what happened in the tomb—"
"What happened inside… oh, you mean not what's about to happen, but what happened before?"
"Of course I do. Honestly."
She puffed out her cheeks as if to say "obviously," but Subaru felt it was unfair to be blamed after the way things had unfolded. Who would have guessed that Emilia, about to face the "Trial" inside, would be worried about the past rather than the future? Future or past—considering that the "Trial" waiting inside was itself the "past," the whole concept of time was getting muddied.
And though the momentum of subsequent events had made him forget, now that he thought about it, what Subaru had done inside the tomb was the kind of thing that should make his face burn with embarrassment. He had argued with Emilia, spouted insults, violently shoved his love in her face, and stolen her kiss in a frenzied grab—even if it was the explosion of pent-up frustration from his fifth loop, it was no excuse.
That was probably what Emilia was concerned about. Seeing her fair skin flushed with color was pleasant, but Subaru had no composure left to enjoy it.
"In there, Subaru, you and I… you know, right?"
"Ah… yeah."
"So, I think it's going to be a big deal. But since it's important… once the 'Trial' and everything else is all settled, let's talk about it properly, okay?"
Though Subaru's mind was already a complete mess, he nodded without hesitation. It was a first for both of them, and they had hashed out their feelings for each other, but there was a mountain of things they still needed to work through. And on Subaru's side, there was the problem of "
Still— "Oh, you can afford to think about the future? You're surprisingly composed, Emilia-tan."
"Am I composed? I'm not sure. It might just be a bluff."
"But being able to bluff means you're not at your limit. It'll definitely work out. I'd bet on it."
Subaru grinned and gave a thumbs up, but Emilia tilted her head in puzzlement.
"Betting? On what?"
"On a date between me and Emilia-tan."
"And if you win, what happens? If I win, what happens?"
"If I win, I get to go on a date with Emilia-tan. If Emilia-tan wins, she gets to go on a date with me."
At Subaru's casual pickup line, Emilia burst out laughing, and they shared a brief moment of laughter together. It seemed that there really was no tension or anxiety left in Emilia.
"I'll bet on me overcoming the 'Trial.'"
"Then I'll bet on Emilia overcoming the 'Trial.'"
"What if we both win?"
"Two dates."
"Sure, sure."
As always, Emilia brushed off Subaru's smooth talk with a wave. She stepped forward smoothly, her silver hair catching the wind and glimmering in the starlight. Subaru raised his hand.
"Take care. Watch out for carriages and men."
"Don't be stupid."
With a wry smile, Subaru watched Emilia disappear into the tomb. The lightless stone corridor swallowed her whole, hiding her in darkness and snatching her from his sight.
There was nothing more Subaru could do for Emilia now. Everything that remained was a problem she had to break through on her own.
"Don't make that worried face, Chief. A man shouldn't flinch."
"That unique way you talk of yours—when I think of it as a middle-schooler thing, it's surprisingly easy to accept. I had a phase like that too, back in the day."
Garfiel sidled up and chided the restless Subaru, who shrugged. Then, as if remembering something, Garfiel slapped his palm.
"Oh yeah, Chief. That thing you did—when we were fighting, you knocked me flat. What was that?"
"Invisible Providence?"
"Invisi—what'd you say?"
"Invisible Providence. 'The Will of the Invisible God.' Cool, right?"
"Oh, that's extremely cool."
Garfiel was fired up by Subaru's explanation. The old name of "the invisible hand" had too much of a stigma to it, so Subaru wanted to stick with Invisible Providence going forward. Still, Garfiel was after more than just the name.
"It's not magic… right? Something about it felt different. I can't quite put my finger on it."
"If I had to broadly categorize it—even I don't know exactly what it is. But I'm sure it's something beyond the pale. Even if you tried to copy it, you couldn't."
"I wouldn't want to. Punching someone from where they can't see is cowardly."
"Cow—cowardly, you…!"
Subaru was indignant—he thought they had bonded over how awesome the ability was, only for Garfiel to pull the rug out from under him.
Garfiel replied with a grinning "Sorry, sorry," clearly not sorry at all, and didn't push the topic further. He had probably intuited it. That this power, born beyond the rules of the world, was not something a human should tread into.
"…Still, what kind of karma is this, anyway?"
Invisible Providence—this was, without doubt, Petelgeuse's "Invisible Hand." The power differed, and only one arm could be manifested, but the sensation was unmistakably the same.
Why had Subaru been saddled with the same terrible power as that madman? The answer likely had something to do with what
Witch Factor—it didn't sound like anything good, but Subaru vaguely remembered Petelgeuse using the same term. And this wasn't even the first time Subaru had used something like the Invisible Hand. In a previous loop, he had also used it unconsciously to dodge Garfiel's charge when he had transformed into the great tiger.
In other words, the Witch Factor was steadily putting down roots inside Subaru.
He was already aware that he could no longer use Shamak. The gate—the source of his magic—had been worn out from repeated abuse, its function now completely gone. The magical connection he had once had with the world, which had never truly existed to begin with, was now something he could no longer feel at all.
The irony was that what had appeared in place of that beloved magical power was a power beyond all rules.
Still, even so— "Having something like a trump card beat coming up completely empty-handed, I guess. The uses are… kind of there, kind of not."
In any case, nothing had changed about how few means of fighting he had. He'd twist his clever little head, borrow help from those around him, and carve a path through death to survival.
The height of the wall Subaru had to face in this world remained as towering as ever.
"Ah, yeah—one more thing, Chief."
"What is it. Also, I'm still not used to that 'Chief' thing."
"Give it time, you'll get used to it. More importantly, there's something I gotta apologize for."
Subaru didn't accept the name change, but Garfiel looked up at him with an unusually earnest expression. Just like Emilia before, it seemed the words kept on coming.
Subaru shrugged and prompted him to continue. Garfiel touched the scar on his forehead.
"I went inside the tomb, right? So I entered the 'Trial' chamber."
"Oh, yeah, you did."
"And that's where I saw it. —Chief, your, uh… your desperate handiwork."
At Garfiel's reluctant words, Subaru furrowed his brow for an instant—then realized what he was referring to, and his eyes went wide.
The stunned Subaru's ears flushed bright red.
He'd seen it. He'd seen it, he'd seen it, he'd SEEN it!
"I-I didn't mean to! But seriously, I never expected to see that kind of thing…"
"Sh-shut up! Forget it! Oh, damn it—I forgot! Because… because I never imagined you'd end up going into the tomb! So obviously that kind of thing would… ugh, damn it!"
Subaru clutched his head and shook it vigorously. Garfiel looked at him with pity, and Subaru now found that face more irritating than when they had been punching each other.
"Forget it! I'm not asking for any more than that! Done! Conversation over! Final answer!"
"…Yeah, got it. But—I gotta say, when I saw that, I thought: the Chief really is a bottomless idiot, but… I'm glad you didn't die."
"I said it's over! Don't you understand the word 'done,' you brat!? Oh wait—you are a brat."
Being called a brat didn't change the fact that Garfiel held the upper hand, having seen Subaru's most embarrassing moment. Subaru's shouted retort—more of a sore loser's cry—was met with a laugh as Garfiel turned and descended the tomb's stairs.
Subaru watched his retreating back heading down to the others waiting in the square. He prayed for Emilia's good fortune, and wished that she would never find out about his little "cheer."
Those kinds of things were best left unseen by their target—otherwise, they lost their power.
—— And Subaru's prayer, naturally, went unheeded.
"I made it."
Emerging from the stone corridor and arriving at the small chamber where the "Trial" took place, Emilia pressed forward through the dim, humid air, relying on the faintly luminous walls, and fixed her gaze on the door at the far end. The sealed stone door would open once the "Trial" was overcome—Garfiel had come back without going through it. If he hadn't, then she would.
"I have to keep going, all the way to the back."
She didn't know what awaited her inside. But the Witch had told her that the "Trial" didn't end with just one—there were multiple.
As she recalled the Witch who presided over the "Trials," a bittersweet ache spread through Emilia's chest. That was because the White Witch had, toward Emilia— "Hmm?"
Lost in thought, Emilia's gaze wandered aimlessly until she noticed something odd about the chamber.
During her vigil in the corridor—hugging her knees and waiting for nightfall—she had stayed in the middle of the passage and never ventured into this small room. So this was her first time seeing the chamber up close since two days ago, having skipped an entire day.
It had only been two days, but something had changed in that time.
As Emilia considered what that change might be, she arrived at the answer.
"This is…"
She confirmed what her fingertips had touched and let the words slip out.
Her purple eyes, just beginning to adjust to the dark, clearly traced the transformation in the gloom.
It was— "…Subaru, you idiot."
Without thinking, Emilia's lips curved into a smile as she said it. Of course—when she saw this, how could she think anything else, how could she say anything but that?
"You really are an idiot."
Despite the words, Emilia's expression was soft and brimming with tenderness. The wall her fingers had touched—the entire surface of the chamber wall—bore the transformation.
Carved into it were pictures and text, gouged into the stone in large, irregular shapes.
The big cats that were drawn were unmistakably
The sloppy letters, written like a child scrawling in every direction, were without doubt proof that the boy had tried his hardest for Emilia's sake.
*You can do it—you're the one who can.* *Puck and I are rooting for you—you'll be fine.* *My favorite girl is amazing! So have confidence!* *When this is over, let's go on a date—a date!* *Let's do this, Emilia.* *Nobody expects anything from us. Is there a better situation to turn on its head than this?* *I love you, so I believe in you!* "Idiot… idiot, idiot, idiot… Subaru, you hopeless dummy."
She was about to face the "Trial." Painful, agonizing memories were waiting for her. And here he was, pretending to cheer her on while trying to make her cry—what a terrible person.
Now she understood. She understood something.
Emilia had come here two days ago. The pictures, the text—he only had one day to carve them. Subaru had had time to spare, had stepped away from Emilia's side, and during that time had done this without ever boasting about it. That window of time was all he'd had.
"—Yeah. That's right. Let's do this, Subaru."
Tenderly, Emilia traced the carved words with her fingertips, answering the message he had left.
The next instant, she felt consciousness being pulled toward drowsiness, and the world's outlines began to blur.
The "Trial" was coming. The past she had so feared was arriving.
—And yet, Emilia's lips held a smile.
—— "He broke his promise, wrote a love letter, and then someone else saw it before the intended recipient… I'm done for…"
"Oh, come on…"
Surrounding Subaru, who was still reeling from the shock, Garfiel and the others each wore their own expressions of exasperation.
That said, all they could do now was wait here for Emilia to emerge. "Trusting and waiting" sounded noble enough, but for those on the waiting side—unable to do anything else—it was its own kind of trial.
"When Garfiel went in, it took about an hour. So Emilia'll probably take around the same—"
"In the case of success, yes indeed! Ow! And hey—!"
Otto, who had chimed in without thinking, was punished for his slip of the tongue with Ram's elbow. Seeing Otto get knocked sideways, Garfiel's cheeks twisted with jealousy, and he gave Otto a flick to the forehead.
Otto rolled across the ground, but no one acknowledged it.
"Oh, right—I wanted to ask Ryuzu-san and Garfiel something."
"You want to ask me and old Garpop something?"
Ryuzu, sitting uncomfortably nearby, raised her head at Subaru's words.
She had gone missing that morning and had ended up helping Subaru's plan to defeat Garfiel. She still seemed unsure about how to interact with him, and the conversation between grandmother and grandson had been somewhat stilted ever since.
Of course, it was mostly Ryuzu who felt awkward. As for Garfiel—he showed no ill will toward her whatsoever, having left the past behind.
"Yeah. Something I want to ask. Though I'm not sure the current Ryuzu-san would know the answer."
"The current one"—meaning θ.
Ryuzu was the collective representative of the Sanctuary, composed of four integrated entities: α, β, θ, and Σ. With Garfiel's problem solved, it seemed that Ryuzu's internal conflict over whether to support the Sanctuary's liberation had been resolved along with it. But Subaru needed confirmation.
More importantly, there were still questions that didn't quite add up.
"Garfiel, you're in favor of liberating the Sanctuary now, right?"
"Chief, 'in favor' isn't quite right. I lost to you lot. So I'm not gonna interfere with your plan to liberate the Sanctuary. And moving forward in a way that doesn't cause suffering for everyone affected by the changes that'll follow—that's where I stand now."
"Yeah, that stance."
"Huh?"
Subaru raised a finger, putting a stop to Garfiel's explanation. Garfiel looked puzzled, and so did the others listening in. Was nobody else disturbed by his statement? Subaru was starting to worry.
"When we first came to this Sanctuary, you were basically neutral—neither for nor against—and you were saying pretty much the same thing back then, weren't you?"
"…Back then, I just didn't want you lot to get suspicious. If I showed which side I leaned toward too early, you'd have kept your guard up."
"But your guard came out pretty quickly after that. We screwed something up—or maybe we really did step on a tiger's tail—but what was that change in attitude about?"
It was a genuine mystery.
On at least the first day Emilia took the "Trial"—before and after it—Garfiel had been outwardly friendly with them. It was always after the "Trial" failed that he revealed his hostility, citing the miasma of the Witch emanating from Subaru's body.
But it had already been proven that Garfiel's nose couldn't actually detect the Witch's miasma. Someone else had pointed it out to him, and Garfiel had chosen to declare hostility based on that.
And the one who told Garfiel about the miasma and pushed him toward hostility— "I figured it was Ryuzu-san, who opposed the liberation of the Sanctuary."
"…………"
Ryuzu said nothing. Subaru looked down at her and raised a finger on his crossed arm.
The Ryuzu present here was θ—the one who, by Subaru's understanding, should have been the sole clone opposed to the Sanctuary's liberation. Since α and β were pro-liberation and θ had been neutral, θ was the one who, during the "Trial," had learned the past of the real Ryuzu Meyer and come to view the Sanctuary's liberation as dangerous. If his theory was right, it could only have been θ who influenced Garfiel's change of heart.
Hearing Subaru's reasoning, Garfiel gave a troubled nod.
"Chief's right. Gran told me—"
"That's Subaru-sama's misunderstanding. I never told Garf-chan such a—"
Their voices overlapped, but they were about to say contradictory things.
Frowning in confusion, Subaru watched as Garfiel and Ryuzu looked at each other. Garfiel opened and closed his mouth, then pointed at Ryuzu, who looked stunned.
"What the—what are you saying? You told me—on that first night, when that girl took the 'Trial'—you said the Chief smelled like the Witch. That the half-devil girl and him together were the Witch's messengers… and that's why—"
"You said that to me? …No, I admit I noticed the miasma surrounding Subaru-sama, and I do have thoughts about Emilia-sama's origins—but that's a separate matter from what you're describing. I was trying to make my judgment based on Roswaal-sama's script—"
"Wait! Stop! Hold on! Ryuzu-san—you just said you didn't know about it!"
Garfiel's words were flatly denied by Ryuzu. Garfiel looked as if he couldn't believe it, but since Ryuzu herself had said so, it was a fact. The residents of this Sanctuary were bound by a contract that prevented them from lying within its walls.
"As long as she doesn't recognize it as a lie herself—at the very least, if Ryuzu-san states 'I didn't do that,' it doesn't count as lying."
"But I'm sure she—!"
"I'm not doubting you. …But I'm accepting the fact that you are capable of lying. Ryuzu-san—your statement just now represents the collective will of all of you, correct?"
At Subaru's confirming question, Ryuzu nodded, her face pale. If she affirmed this, it meant that regardless of whether it was α, β, θ, or Σ—none of them had been the one to push Garfiel toward his change of heart.
But Garfiel insisted it was Ryuzu.
"————"
Subaru raised his head and looked Garfiel in the face. The boy gritted his teeth and shook his head. There was no trace of deception in his expression—he was the type who wasn't cut out for lying in the first place. Now that the veneer of "the Sanctuary's Barrier" had been stripped away, it was more obvious than ever.
"Ram."
"I'm telling you now—there is no magic that can alter one's appearance. Not even Roswaal-sama could do such a thing."
"Then what do you make of this?"
Ram had no answer to Subaru's question. She didn't understand this contradiction either. But Subaru was half-convinced this was "one of Roswaal's schemes." More than that—he had no other options.
"I really want to wait here for Emilia to come out…"
It had only been ten minutes since Emilia entered the tomb. Subaru wanted to be the first to greet her when she emerged from the "Trial," arms wide open. He wanted to celebrate.
But— "Let's go confront Roswaal. We need to find out what that bastard is doing now that he won't die."
—— Whether waking up in the world of dreams could properly be called a "return to consciousness," Emilia wasn't sure.
The stone chamber she had been in moments ago was gone. Freed from the Trial, Emilia found herself back in a forest that felt like home. Tall trees surrounded her, and she felt a cool breeze and warm earth beneath her boots.
Memories flashed before her eyes—the white snow-covered forest that the Trial's passage of time would reveal.
That scene had not yet begun.
No snow fell in this forest. Its greenery welcomed Emilia's consciousness-only form with gentle warmth.
And then— "My, my. You've been quite popular these past few days, haven't you?"
As Emilia crouched, testing her surroundings, the voice reached her. Through Emilia's visit, the dream world took shape. And there—seemingly belonging there as naturally as if it had always been—stood a figure in the shade of a tree, in a landscape of memories that shouldn't have existed beforehand.
Clad entirely in black from head to toe, with snow-white hair and skin—a girl as pale as scattered snow.
A witch of exquisite beauty, exploring the concept of elegance with no more than two colors.
The one who governed the Trials and showed Emilia her past—the master of the tomb. The Witch of Greed, Echidna.
The Witch pushed herself up against the tree trunk she had been leaning on and tilted her head at Emilia.
Emilia met her gaze head-on and drew a breath.
"Truly, quite popular. Among those guests, some are worth welcoming—and some are unwelcome visitors who should never have come."
"…………"
"After making such an utter fool of yourself, you still have the audacity to show your face here. Even I am impressed by that shamelessness and tenacity."
The Witch staring at Emilia hurled words laced with malice and contempt. Those cold, frozen black eyes were nothing like the black eyes that had always gazed at Emilia with warmth. Having endured so much irrational malice throughout her life, Emilia knew the difference.
This was malice of a completely different order from what she had faced before.
The malice directed at her before had been aimed at an idol—the "Silver-Haired Half-Elf"—a symbol without substance. But the malice the Witch aimed at Emilia was different. It was directed not at the "Silver-Haired Half-Elf" but at Emilia herself—absolute, unyielding hostility.
"Go on—break down and weep, then crawl to whichever man will hold you. That's all you've ever been good for. You filth, polluting my world over and over again. You shameless degenerate who loves herself by exploiting his forgiveness time and time again. —Well? What have you to say, daughter of the Witch?"
"…………"
In the days leading up to this, Emilia's heart had been ground down by these verbal assaults. It wasn't that she had bent her knees and given up on the Trial because of this malice—but it was undeniable that it had eroded her resistance to the past.
The Witch did not want Emilia to take the Trial. The Witch did not expect Emilia to overcome it.
*No one expects anything from us. Is there a better situation to turn on its head than this?* So it really was exactly as Subaru had said.
And so Emilia raised her hand and pointed her finger at the sky—just as
"My name is just Emilia. The Witch of Ice, born in the
When Emilia declared her name, the Witch sneered. Taking pleasure in that reaction, Emilia thrust her skyward-pointing finger at the Witch.
"I'm not going to submit to the malice of a fellow Witch. I'm a troublesome woman, after all."