Subaru had forgotten to even breathe at the sight of those eyes gazing back at him.
"This reaction is more or less what I expected, but having someone look at me with such surprise isn't exactly a pleasant feeling. For what it's worth, I'm female... well, it's hard to say whether spirits have a distinction between male and female, so perhaps I lean more feminine in spirit?"
White fur and narrow, slitted black eyes. An androgynous voice and a painfully formal, roundabout way of speaking. The fact that this figure could be rendered in just two colors—white and black—certainly matched the image of that witch in his memories.
But even so— "What kind of sick joke is this? You're supposed to be
The
He had always thought he would never have the chance to see her face again.
"And now you show up dressed as a fox? Stop joking around. In the middle of all this danger, what are you scheming this time?"
"Now hold on. I'd appreciate it if you'd cool your head and listen instead of getting all worked up by yourself."
Snapping back from the initial shock, Subaru moved to close in on the white fox that called itself Echidna. But Anastasia, with the white fox still draped around her neck, stopped him with a reproachful voice as he stepped forward.
Subaru directed the same hostility toward Anastasia that he'd been aiming at the white fox.
"Don't tell me to cool down—that's an unreasonable ask. Have you been deceived by that thing too? Besides, she's supposed to be unable to leave the Sanctuary!"
"I don't know what you're on about, but I first met Echidna over ten years ago. I've kept her close ever since, practically without letting go, all the way to today. Doesn't what you're saying not quite add up, Natsuki-kun?"
Over ten years...?
A surge of anger rose in him—at the thought that she had been wandering through the open world, doing as she pleased, for that long.
After all, the only reason he'd believed Echidna couldn't leave that dream castle was because she herself had said so. If he'd been deceived from that point— "Have you been laughing behind the backs of all those people who knew nothing this entire time?"
"My, my... quite the deep-seated grudge you've got there. It looks like a troublesome misunderstanding to unravel, but it has at least clarified a few things."
"Seems like it. Just as Echidna said."
Contrasting Subaru, whose anger toward Echidna was only deepening, Anastasia and the white fox exchanged murmurs of understanding.
When Subaru furrowed his brow at this, the white fox shook its head with a strangely human gesture.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but you've been expressing your distrust of 'Echidna' quite often, and I'm afraid I have no idea what you're referring to. Or rather—the situation is more serious than that."
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple. I know nothing about any 'Echidna' besides myself. I'm aware that I'm an artificially created spirit, and I remember my name. But that's all I have. Beyond that, I have nothing—not a single thing that would let me infer anything about who I am."
"...Huh?"
Just when Subaru thought, what is she going to say now, the white fox spouted nonsense that didn't sound like Echidna at all. No—if the other party truly was Echidna, then everything she said could be a scheme to toy with him.
How could he believe that she, an artificial spirit who called herself "Echidna" and was contacting Subaru in this very moment, had no memories?
"My goodness, you look like you don't believe a word of it, Natsuki-kun."
"Of course I don't. Given that I know what kind of person Echidna was, this is the only natural response. And you too... oh right, you claim not to know anything."
"So you've made up your mind not to believe from the start. And here we are with limited time too. What a hassle."
Anastasia maintained her composed demeanor despite Subaru's overt wariness.
As someone who appeared to be allied with Echidna, Anastasia had become a target of heightened suspicion for Subaru. He felt bad about it, but he would need to reassess his trust in Julius and Ricardo as well. With his head and his limbs pulling in different directions, there was no room for wishful thinking.
"If you don't have any memories, then why did you reveal yourself to me? There's no reason for you to do that other than the certainty that I know 'Echidna.'"
By revealing her name and identity, she had already proven herself to be the "Echidna of the Tea Party." And if she was the Echidna of the Tea Party, she was a different person from the "Echidna of the Coffin" that Roswaal sought—which meant she was undoubtedly the Echidna that Subaru knew. There were countless things he wanted to ask. Even knowing that now was not the time for such conversation.
But even as Subaru's thoughts raced ahead, Anastasia let out a weary sigh.
"You probably haven't been listening to the broadcasts, so this is going to be complicated, isn't it. How tedious."
"Broadcasts? What do the
"—Because one of their demands is 'to hand over an artificial spirit.'"
The white fox answered Subaru's question bluntly.
Subaru's mind went blank for a moment before understanding quickly caught up.
Broadcasts, the Witch Cult's demands, artificial spirits. That meant— "No way..."
"It's an unwelcome demand, I'm sure, but they're demanding an artificial spirit—namely, either myself or the girl you're traveling with. So it stands to reason that I'd want to consult you about this, doesn't it?"
"How do you know
"I can only say—you just know when you see one. This isn't something I can explain with words. And on her end, she probably realized it too once she saw me moving and talking."
The white fox calmly and methodically addressed each question Subaru raised.
At the very least, Subaru hadn't received any mention of a fox fur collar from Beatrice, who should have encountered Anastasia at the inn. However, Beatrice had a habit of keeping things to herself, so it was possible she'd refrained from speaking about information she wasn't certain about.
Just as Subaru was pondering something he suspected Beatrice would call a boomerang if he told her—"Why do you insist on carrying everything alone?"— "I think it's perfectly understandable that the girl traveling with you didn't notice. I'm a rather defective spirit, you see. I can't even mimic a proper contract, and I can barely manage to defend myself with magic. In exchange, I'm quite confident in my ability to hide my presence. Though even that confidence has been shaken a bit by recent events."
"You can't form contracts... Then what about you and Anastasia—"
"The relationship between this girl and me isn't that of a spirit user and a spirit. It's fundamentally different from a contract between a spirit and a contractor... If you want to call it something, I'd say we're co-conspirators."
"I want to see how this child's story ends. That's why I've been clinging to her for years, never letting go, even offering myself as a confidant from time to time."
As the white fox smiled at its own words, Anastasia's fingers scratched gently at its throat. Their easy companionship made it clear that a considerable bond of trust existed between them.
"Why are you telling me all of this? That you can't fight, or whatever."
"If you want someone to trust you, it's only natural to share some of your own information, isn't it? Especially now, when the fate of the city hangs in the balance... At a time when a crucial role is being demanded of us, the last thing I want is to cause friction among allies over something foolish."
"I tried to get her to think it over a little more, but you know how she is—once she gets started, there's no stopping her. At the very least, I managed to get the others to step out."
The white fox was making claims that Subaru might have been willing to trust if only she hadn't called herself Echidna, and Anastasia was supplementing those claims. Having heard this much, Subaru finally realized that Anastasia's cold demeanor earlier had been nothing more than an act—designed to create the right conditions for a one-on-one conversation with Subaru.
To draw Subaru's attention to herself and send Julius and Garfiel away.
"Following the Witch Cult's demands is completely out of the question. But if Natsuki-kun and I just tell everyone to refuse without explanation, no one else will even understand what an 'artificial spirit' is. Even if we want to refuse, we can't convince anyone without giving them the full picture."
"I agree that we can't just cave to a terrorist's demands. ...But I still haven't cleared my doubts about the fox being Echidna."
"You're so hung up on the name. Was the 'Echidna' you knew really that terrible a person? I'd rather my girl not be compared to her."
"If she were a completely different person, I'd apologize. But the way she talks, the timing—it's all too much like the real Echidna. There's nothing I can point to as proof against it. And besides..."
"And besides?"
Subaru hesitated, wondering whether he should tell Anastasia, who cocked her head at him.
Subaru himself didn't fully understand what an "artificial spirit" concretely was. All he knew was that Beatrice and
And naturally, if the white fox before him was also an artificial spirit, it stood to reason that she too had been created by the Witch Echidna's hand.
Driven by a desire for eternal life, Echidna had devised a mechanism for creating duplicates.
Now, there was room to doubt how much of that claim was actually true, but if it were factual, then the conclusion that one could become a spirit was a reasonable one.
To shed one's physical body and be freed from the very concept of a lifespan—if such a transformation could elevate one's very existence, it would surely satisfy the Witch's greed to know all things.
Thus, he had no doubt that this white fox was an "artificial spirit claiming to be Echidna." The only question was whether her claim of having lost her memories was true or false.
Anastasia had said their relationship spanned over ten years. But that alone wasn't enough reason to trust her. It wouldn't be strange at all if this had been a plan prepared over those ten-plus years.
All to bring Subaru down at this very moment— "My, my. It seems like you've been terribly mistreated in the past."
"To be this deeply distrusted... I'm almost tempted to learn more about this other Echidna of yours. But let's set that aside for now. If you can't trust me, that's perfectly fine—you're welcome to dismiss everything I've said. Ana, I'll leave the explanation to you."
The white fox spoke in a resigned tone to the silent, suspicious Subaru. Anastasia, prompted by the fox, shrugged her shoulders and clapped her hands together to reset the mood.
"Alright, alright. Let's shelve that suspicion for now. What matters is the Witch Cult's demands—that takes priority. They've also issued three other demands."
"Three more... so four in total?"
"That's right. Since they've returned City Hall to us... well, the remaining ones equal the number of control towers. They were all outrageous, but don't get angry—just listen."
Being told they were outrageous demands changed nothing at this point.
His impression of the Witch Cult was already so abysmal that paving the floor beneath rock bottom with more rock bottom still wouldn't cover it. No matter what they said next, his opinion couldn't possibly sink any lower.
Subaru silently urged her to continue. Anastasia stroked the white fox's tail with her hand, then lightly moistened her lips with her tongue.
"First, one of the demands is to hand over an 'artificial spirit.' This is the demand from 'Gluttony.'"
"Gluttony...!"
"I'm sure you have a lot of thoughts on that, but we'll get to it later. Next is the demand from 'Wrath.' —The retrieval of the 'Book of Wisdom' that was brought into this city."
"—!?"
Once again blindsided by something beyond his expectations, Subaru's eyes went wide.
At Subaru's reaction, Anastasia narrowed her light-blue eyes slightly.
"Judging by that face, it sounds like a familiar term to you, Natsuki-kun."
"............"
"No, that's good. This has been another sticking point for us. I didn't know much about it, and Echidna said she didn't know either. Naturally, Julius and the others were in the same boat."
"...Does that fox really not know about it? It's the Book of Wisdom."
Anastasia smiled, as though finding a life raft while struggling with an unfamiliar demand. Of course, behind that smile, there was nothing so innocent welling up.
But her puzzled expression at Subaru's next question was genuine.
"No, I don't know. That's the truth too. ...Judging by this, it seems the 'Book of Wisdom' or whatever it's called is connected to the Echidna you know."
"Yeah. That's right."
"Well, at this point, pretending I don't know anything isn't going to work, is it? Who exactly is this Echidna that Natsuki-kun knows? She's connected to the Witch Cult, isn't she?"
It was almost as if they were feigning ignorance—Subaru felt that despite being so close to the matter, Anastasia and the white fox were remarkably out of the loop.
However, there was no helping that they thought this way.
If he believed the white fox's claims, then the name "Echidna" was simply her individual name. Only Subaru knew that the creator of the artificial spirits was Echidna—and more importantly, aside from the "Witch of Envy," none of the witches' names were even remembered by the general public.
Only those in
"Echidna is the name of a witch from the distant past. There were witches other than the 'Witch of Envy' in ages gone by. She was one of them—long dead by now. But I've had the experience of meeting her when she was reduced to nothing but a soul. That's why I'm on guard."
"Natsuki-kun, do you have a fever or something? What you're saying sounds like quite a story."
"I'm neither half-asleep nor out of my mind. That's the kind of mysterious bunch witches are. They can create spirits artificially, so something like that isn't out of the question."
"I see. ...And that Echidna is the one who gave birth to this me, so to speak."
Reading between the lines of Subaru's frustrated response, the white fox caught what he'd been dancing around. It wasn't that Subaru had been hiding anything, but his failure to state it plainly had left a faint sense of guilt.
Whether it was written on Subaru's face or not, the white fox chuckled with a soft rumble in its throat.
"To stumble upon the secret of one's own birth in such an unexpected place—that too is one of life's pleasures. If the opportunity ever arises, I'd very much like to hear the details."
"...You actually know less about being a spirit than I expected. Even our Beatrice knows a bit more. Actually, Beatrice never even mentioned your existence to me. How did you come to be born?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know that either. I don't even know the circumstances of my own birth, let alone any sense of purpose. I've simply been following this child who caught my interest, nothing more."
At Subaru's question, the white fox looked toward Anastasia. Anastasia tilted her head slightly in response, then slowly turned her gaze on Subaru.
"I'm curious about the connection between Echidna and the witches too. That can't be unrelated to the Witch Cult either. But I'd like to bring the conversation back to the 'Book of Wisdom'..."
"The Book of Wisdom is said to be a prototype of the Gospels the Witch Cult possesses... the complete version that preceded them. It's a prophetic book in which the future is recorded, with a mechanism similar to the Dragon History Stone."
"The Dragon History Stone, huh... In that case, it sounds plausible. Is it possibly a book made by the witch's own hands?"
"That's what she said herself. But the two copies that existed should have burned. I've never heard of—nor do I know of—any other copies."
Beatrice and Roswaal had each received a Book of Wisdom from Echidna. It was confirmed that both copies had burned during the incident a year ago.
Beatrice's Book of Wisdom had turned to ashes along with the burning Forbidden Library, and the one Roswaal had possessed was burned by
Since both had been destroyed, no Book of Wisdom should still exist.
"But that's only what you heard from the mouth of the Witch Echidna, isn't it? Doesn't that come with a caveat?"
"...You're right."
Anastasia cut through Subaru's confident assertion in a single stroke.
Subaru could only offer a half-hearted response, because even he recognized how thin the basis for that claim was. Still, it didn't feel as though Echidna had been lying back then.
This was something only Subaru, who had directly spoken with the Witch, could truly understand.
"......"
"You don't trust that person. Yet you trust what that person told you. For you, that must be a remarkably troublesome relationship."
"Even I think so. You're right. I don't intend to believe in her, yet I believe her on this—that's a contradiction."
Everything Echidna had done was a performance designed to make Subaru her puppet.
However, not everything had been coated in lies and deception. Was it because Subaru wanted to believe that? Or was his heart still being swayed by that Witch?
"Putting your feelings aside, Natsuki-kun, that leaves three possibilities regarding the Book of Wisdom. First: the Witch was a liar, and there are other copies out there."
"Second: the Witch Cult goons don't know the Book of Wisdom burned, and they're making noise over nothing... Right? But what's the third?"
"If there's a possibility the Book of Wisdom still exists without the Witch lying, there's only one reason—it didn't burn completely. A remnant survived, didn't it?"
"...What."
The possibility that the Book of Wisdom had partially survived was something he had never considered.
Anastasia shook her raised finger at the speechless Subaru.
"I don't know the original, but it's a book made by a witch, right? What if it's fire-resistant—or better yet, what if it can restore itself? You can't say that's impossible, can you?"
"S-Sure, I can't rule it out entirely. I can't. But even so, assuming it was restored—what good would it do? Who has it?"
"Someone who saw the book burn and recovered it, perhaps... But that might be stretching it. I think the second possibility is the most likely, personally. Either way, we have no intention of complying with their demands."
Subaru covered his mouth with his hand, deep in thought as Anastasia laid out the possibilities.
When the Book of Wisdom burned—who would have been in a position to pick it up? The one in the Forbidden Library was out of the question. The mansion had burned down, and the Forbidden Library was swallowed by the destruction.
But what about Roswaal's copy? He'd heard the result was that Ram had burned it with magic, and afterward, the ashes should have been scattered somewhere in the snow-covered Sanctuary by Emilia's magic.
What if it had partially survived? And what if the book truly had the power to restore itself? Then someone possessing it wouldn't be out of the question. Wouldn't be out of the question, but— "If anyone brought it here, it would have to be one of my people. But there'd be no reason for them to hide it. There's no Book of Wisdom in this city."
"I see. Then it's fine. I was just getting worked up over a book I barely know anything about."
It was an opinion that fell far short of certainty—more an expression of what he wanted to believe than what he did believe.
However, Anastasia didn't press the point and didn't try to drag out the conversation about the Book of Wisdom. Instead— "Then let's move on to the next demands. The demands from 'Greed' and 'Lust' are more straightforward—in a way, there's less to discuss, since the answer is obvious..."
"Those two, huh... Well, Gluttony and Wrath are bad enough, but what do they want?"
His impression of both Capella of "Lust" and Regulus of "Greed" was nothing short of abysmal.
His resentment toward Capella was fresh from their most recent encounter, while the fact that Regulus had taken Emilia away gnawed at him constantly. The transformation of his right foot, and the complete lack of any news about Emilia—it all constricted his chest.
"I... would rather you didn't get too angry about this..."
"It depends on what they said."
Subaru answered immediately to Anastasia's anxious preamble.
Anastasia let out a resigned sigh at his answer, murmuring, "Yeah, I figured..."
"The demand from 'Lust' was different from the others—it was pure harassment. Let's see... 'Deliver twenty couples of mutually devoted men and women to the control tower. —They will absolutely not be harmed.' Something like that."
"There's a limit to how shamelessly they can lie. 'They will not be harmed'—my foot! Has she forgotten she turned people into flies and dragons?!"
Subaru's fury erupted at Capella's unwaveringly malicious demand.
Twenty couples of devoted lovers—to even imagine what that grotesque monster, who proclaimed the ugliness of love, would do to such couples was revolting.
"In the eyes of a Sin Archbishop, having your appearance altered probably wouldn't count as harm. I can just picture them dismissing it with 'We didn't lay a scratch on them.' And as for the demand from 'Greed'..."
"......"
Subaru waited in silence, anger still burning in his eyes.
At this, Anastasia faltered somewhat, unable to bring herself to speak the main point.
Just then— "The person speaking for Greed made this demand: 'Hold a wedding between myself and my silver-haired bride. Do not interfere with any of the preparations for the ceremony.'"
"Echidna..."
"Ana was having trouble getting the words out. My apologies for jumping ahead."
The white fox, draped around her neck, spoke up in Anastasia's stead since she couldn't bring herself to say it.
This tender exchange between two people who cared for each other didn't register with Subaru at all.
—Hold a wedding with a silver-haired bride.
Regulus of "Greed"—there was no need to even consider whom he meant by the bride at his wedding.
"That bastard's lost his damn mind!"
And so, Subaru's explosion of rage was entirely justified, the fury rising from his chest and spilling straight from his tongue.
Anastasia grimaced, and the white fox's fur bristled. Such was the intensity—Subaru's anger was pure and direct.
The image of the white-haired man surfaced in his mind.
The villain who had kidnapped Emilia, who declared that a person's worth was entirely in their appearance, who possessed overwhelming power and was nothing but infuriatingly detestable.
What kind of absurd nonsense was this man—who was nothing but a conceited fool with overwhelming power—spouting?
"Beatrice, the Book of Wisdom, Emilia—I won't let them lay a finger on any of them! Not a single one! The nerve of those bastards—know your place!"
"...I knew you'd react like that, but hearing it was even more satisfying than I expected."
Seeing Subaru raise his voice in passionate fury, Anastasia actually laughed with something close to enjoyment.
But that smile didn't come from any bright emotion. Rather, it came from a different kind of passion, one that simmered just beneath the surface—the same kind that burned in Subaru himself.
"Whether it's about the artificial spirit or not, I can't hand Echidna over—that much we agree on. But beyond that, we absolutely cannot afford to be outmatched by them mentally. Crusch and Emilia—I'm the one who invited them to this city. To see them hurt like this, to have our faces rubbed in the dirt and just take it silently—there's no way I can do that."
"You're rather combative, Ana."
"I just know where the fight is. I know we can't run. We need to root out every last one of those Witch Cult bastards and demand compensation for the damages."
Ineptitude, reputation, cost-benefit analysis.
Wrapped in a veneer of all manner of practical considerations, Anastasia had no intention of easing her fighting spirit in the slightest.
One could have dismissed it as big talk—made possible only because she hadn't experienced the terror of the Sin Archbishops firsthand, in a situation where even Julius, Garfiel, Wilhelm, and
But Subaru didn't take that route.
There was no point in making remarks that would break an ally's morale in a situation like this. If anything, the fact that she was burning with a desire for retribution right now was something he could rely on.
"Everyone's been knocked down. But if we give up after losing the initiative and having our counter blocked, and just call the board finished—who's going to accept that? Save your excuses for the afterlife."
"......"
"As long as you're alive, there's always now and the next move. Don't throw your life away—that'd just be pitiful."
On her gentle features, Anastasia wore a ferocious grin as she made her proclamation.
The demonic aura that erupted from her small frame was enough to make one forget she wasn't someone who belonged on a battlefield. No—she was a seasoned warrior.
In the arena where her profession was waged, she was a veteran of a hundred battles.
"If it's the 'Lust' Archbishop herself, there's a very real chance she can restore Crusch and all the others who were transformed. We just need to catch her and get her in the right mood. You're not planning to let them keep your precious little princess, are you, Natsuki-kun?"
"Like hell I am! I'm going to make Emilia my bride. I'm going to kill Gluttony and get
"Both you and Natsuki-kun have a habit of trying to force the impossible through as if it were the most natural thing in the world. That, I think, is the biggest reason I find the two of you so endearing."
Subaru rallied to Anastasia's exhortation, and the white fox watched with a satisfied nod.
Setting aside the dark feelings he'd had upon waking and before this conversation, Subaru was carried along by Anastasia's fighting spirit.
So he'd lost the first and second rounds—so what?
There would be a next time. No one had died yet. He hadn't let anyone die.
He would win in the end—win and survive. If they achieved that, it would be their victory.
"Ricard's been searching the area for Joshua and the others. He should be back soon. When he is, let's hold a proper strategy meeting with everyone."
"We need to get a clear picture of the current state of the city and the status of the control towers too."
"No oversights. It seems like your gears are finally starting to turn."
A decision had been made about what needed to be done, and his heart had followed suit. That was all there was to it.
Tucking his chin in acknowledgment of Anastasia's words, Subaru turned his gaze outward from City Hall.
Through the window that offered a view of just one side of the city, he could see the towering control tower rising into the sky.
He couldn't tell which tower it was—north, south, east, or west.
But in one of those places was Emilia, Rem's memories, his enemies, and monsters.
—The battle to save the city, to save those precious to him, was still ongoing.