——Still seated at her desk in the center of the classroom, the white-haired girl tilted her head.
Meeting her gaze, Subaru confirmed at a glance that there were no other figures in the room. He stuck half his body out into the hallway, checked both ends of the corridor — and once again accepted that there wasn't a soul in sight before scratching his head and letting out a sigh.
"Well, there's something I want to get off my chest first."
"Mm, by all means. What are you thinking, what are you pondering, what will you have to say to me — I'm very interested to know."
"You know, that uniform looks good on you."
Pointing at the
Rising from her seat and pinching the hem of her gray skirt, the girl — Echidna — spun around on the spot. Her shoulder-length white hair swayed with the movement, and her excited demeanor made her look like nothing more than a girl her age.
Gray skirt, navy blazer. The red ribbon adorning her chest marked her as the same age as Subaru, and the contrast against the white shirt beneath was sharp and dazzling.
If he had any complaints at all— "I prefer long skirts over short ones. The longer it takes to lift, the more it fires up the imagination."
"I see. Then next time, I'll make sure to wear a longer skirt so I can live up to your expectations even when you lift it."
"There won't be a next time! And it's not like everyone wears uniforms because I'm crazy about them. This is just the dress code here. The Royal Guards wear them too, you know."
Echidna covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled. Her attitude suggested she was taking his excuses half-seriously at best, and pressing further wouldn't yield the answer he wanted.
Shrugging, Subaru pulled out the chair at his seat — the second row from the back, by the window, stuck at an awkward middle position — and dropped himself heavily into it.
The feel of the hard wooden chair. The alphabet carved into the desk's edge by a previous occupant. The creak of the desk legs when he leaned on it as if to sleep. The rusted contents of the drawer. Every last one of them was a fragment of the daily life he'd been so far removed from.
"I was expecting you to be a bit more surprised, honestly."
"If you were going to go through the trouble of hiding it, you should've put more effort into the background. On the way here, not a single person on the commute route — that's not exactly a normal situation."
Even taking into account that it was a weekday afternoon, the path Subaru had walked was utterly devoid of human presence. It was as though everything he didn't need to know had been snipped away from the world.
"A world that was way too convenient for me. I can only say 'serves you right' that you didn't get to see what you were hoping for."
"Oh no, that was its own charm. For me, happiness lies in trying something and obtaining a result. The nature of that result is largely irrelevant at this stage. Of course, when you factor in whether it connects to anything afterward, the conversation changes a bit."
Despite having her expectations subverted, Echidna waved her raised hand back and forth — not in sour grapes, but with genuine ease. Seeing that there wasn't a trace of negativity behind it, Subaru bit back the urge to click his tongue inwardly, then— "So what is this world? I'm pretty sure I entered your tomb while some kind of 'Trial' was underway, and then…"
"Someone with the qualifications entered. Naturally, that just means the Trial has begun for you as well. Didn't they tell you? First, you must face your past."
Confirming Subaru's speculation, Echidna clasped her hands behind her back and slowly walked toward him. The beautiful girl's hair swayed in the breeze, and in the classroom where a cool wind flowed freely, she blended into her uniformed appearance without a shred of incongruity.
Each of her casual gestures felt like a trap designed to ensnare his heart, so Subaru consciously averted his gaze. Then— "Everyone carries regret. If you live day to day, there is no such thing as a being without regrets. Today, you regret yesterday; yesterday, you regretted the day before; and tomorrow, you will surely regret today. — Humans have the function of regret."
"Don't be so pessimistic. Isn't converting that regret into self-reflection, using yesterday's reflection to get through today, and using today's reflection as tomorrow's breakthrough — isn't that a human function too?"
"— Precisely!"
With a dry clap, Echidna brought her face close, and Subaru involuntarily recoiled. But she paid him no mind, leaning further in to follow his retreating face until her black eyes were close enough to feel her breath— "Merely a play on words, at the end of the day — just a slight difference in perspective. But whether you view the past pessimistically or optimistically, the way you arrive at an answer changes drastically. Most beings view the past pessimistically, looking back only at the unpleasant memories they carry, and in doing so, deny the path they've walked. And then, unwilling to face what they've denied, they seal it away and pretend it never happened."
"Hey, your face is… way too close…"
"It can't be helped. The you of yesterday is absolutely more ignorant than the you of today. The you of today has absolutely less knowledge than the you of tomorrow. Even a single memory, a single difference in total knowledge — the past is inferior to the present and the future. That is simply a fact!"
Oblivious to the overwhelmed Subaru, Echidna's impassioned rhetoric continued. She then abruptly pulled back, slammed both hands on the desk with all her might— "Therefore, when confronting the past — or when encountering a past that should be confronted — people waver, stumble, lament, suffer, grieve, despair, and from there, arrive at an answer. If that is the answer they arrive at, then I shall affirm it, regardless of what it may be. Whether they turned their back to arrive at it, or stretched their hand forward to grasp it — it is proof nonetheless that they have overcome the past."
"So that's the purpose of this Trial?"
"Indeed. To face one's own past and produce some kind of answer regarding it. If you simply fear producing an answer, resist it, and bury your head in the sand, you will never surpass the Trial. But if you can affirm or fully deny your past, then I shall send you off with my praise. That is the first Trial."
Subaru nodded in understanding, and then Echidna seemed to snap back to herself, faintly reddening her cheeks as she gave a small cough— "I-I got a little carried away there. Sorry you had to see that."
"Don't worry about it. If your breath had been bad, that'd be one thing, but fortunately it was citrus-scented. More than that…"
Savoring the rare sight of a bashful Echidna, Subaru pulled his chair forward and leaned in— "If what you said is the condition for overcoming the Trial, then I can safely say I've already cleared it, right?"
"I watched the whole thing from start to finish… and I believe I've obtained sufficient results."
Placing a hand on her chest, Echidna drew in a deep breath as though savoring the fragrance of fine black tea, then spoke with an expression of profound satisfaction— "You gave an answer to both the symbol of your past trauma and the vessel of your past guilt. I wish to send you off with my praise for that."
"The whole thing… so that means you saw me bawling my eyes out with snot dripping down my face too!?"
"I'm sorry, but I have to admit even I felt my eyes glistening at that moment."
"Shut up!! Don't tell anyone, it's embarrassing!"
Learning that his tearful farewell with his father, those raw, unguarded moments, had been witnessed — that was anything but pleasant. Above all, it felt like an insult to the emotions Subaru and Kenichi had shared in that instant.
Whether Echidna understood his feelings or not, she maintained her cheerful demeanor and continued to giggle— "The only pity is that I wasn't able to savor more deeply the turmoil you experienced through facing your past."
"Huh?"
"I do love it when an answer is reached, but I also believe that the journey of struggling toward that answer holds its own reverence. I was looking forward to watching you wrestle and agonize before finally arriving at your answer…"
She glanced sideways at Subaru, narrowing her eyes as though peering into the depths of those black pupils— "Unfortunately, it seems this Trial was a bit late to the party for me to enjoy that. By the time I could have, you'd already given your answer to the negative emotions you held inside against your past."
"Oh… so that's how it is. In that case, my condolences."
Understanding why Echidna was disappointed, Subaru exhaled deeply through his nose.
It seemed what she'd wanted from the Trial was for Subaru to reunite with his parents — the origin of his past trauma — and through the days and time spent with them, become aware of his weakness, wrestle with it, arrive at an answer of whether to flee or face it, and from there, settle things before arriving here.
But by the time that could happen, Subaru had already— "There was a girl who called a hopelessly useless me a hero. Without even needing to face my past, I'd already accepted how worthless I was."
"In a different form from resignation, though. For me, having my expectations subverted isn't exactly enjoyable. If you meet that girl out there, tell her the Witch had some choice words of resentment."
Sububar was about to quip that it was a creepy threat, but then he suddenly noticed something — a remark from Echidna that didn't quite add up.
"Wait, you said earlier you reconstructed things based on my memories… If you peeked inside my head, wouldn't you know about the girl who said that too?"
Or perhaps it was less realization and more desperation. Even if she'd peeked into his mind, maybe — just maybe — there was someone who could still know about
What came back was a kind of pride as a Witch that Subaru couldn't quite comprehend — Echidna's conviction, one might call it. A theory that bordered on brazen thievery, but since she'd put it that way, Subaru had nothing to retort. Still— "You only extracted what was needed for the Trial… then why did you extract this uniform…"
"That was obviously necessary information for reconstructing this building called a school. I had no expectation whatsoever of extracting it wondering 'What would girls in another world dress like, and would it suit me?'"
"Are you, like, the world's biggest genius idiot or something?"
Sububar sighed at the self-incriminating Echidna and shook his head.
It seemed he wouldn't be getting the answers he'd hoped for from her. And he'd also gained a certain certainty. Which was— "I don't even need to ask, but… this world is…"
"Yes, that's right. This is a fictitious world reconstructed with absolute fidelity based on your memories. So naturally — your real parents have no idea where you are or what you're doing, and are probably worried sick about their missing son."
"————"
"You may have been given some information you didn't know before… but did you truly not know? Have you never once laid eyes on a letter sent by a mutual acquaintance of your father and mother? Have you never once met an old man who knew your father in his youth? Have you never once imagined a father who differed from what you believed him to be?"
Echidna pressed forward with her words. She then continued with "Or perhaps"— "Did you really believe you could keep hidden what you wanted others to know? Were you truly confident you could seal away the truth — that you wanted to be understood, that it would ease your burden — without letting it leak through the cracks of daily life? And can you honestly say you weren't seeking that selfish desire to be loved still, from a fictional father, a fictional mother?"
Leaning her face close to the silent Echidna whispered with a voice like silk, tickling his heart with its eerie allure. And at the distance where breath could be felt— "Isn't it just too perfect, too convenient — don't you think?"
"————"
Echidna smiled gracefully, gently probing Subaru's heart with soft fingertips.
Unlike the smile that had seemed age-appropriate until now, this one was thoroughly sinister — the very embodiment of the 'Witch' spoken of in legends.
His brain ravaged by her penetrating words, Subaru squeezed his eyes shut. Behind his closed lids, the last images of his father and mother surfaced— "Don't drag my parents through the mud just because things didn't go your way, Witch."
"…What?"
"I already told them everything. My dad and my mom — they accepted it all. I said everything I'd never been able to say, and they told me to keep going. They told me 'Come back safely.' That's what they said."
Standing from his chair, bracing his hands on the desk, Subaru pressed his forehead against Echidna's, who had leaned in close. Watching the Witch's black eyes widen in surprise, Subaru— "Those voices, those smiles — every last one of them blew my imagination to pieces. My parents aren't the kind of people who fit inside my imagination. Don't underestimate them."
"————"
"I told my dad and my mom everything. And I came back after settling things. — Your words aren't going to sway me one bit."
Pushing her back with his forehead, Subaru made the Witch recoil before settling back into his chair. He crossed his legs roughly, huffing as he looked up at Echidna.
Echidna stared at him, dumbfounded— "My, my… You won't even show me the slightest sign of worrying over whether your answer was right or wrong. What a witch-defying human you are. Truly, you're magnificent."
"I get flustered when I'm praised. And to be honest, I'm the type who grows when praised, so I might actually improve."
"Incorrigible… Ah, but it's enough. More than enough, really. To have arrived at such an unshakable answer that I can't even rattle you — that is a joyous thing."
Echidna smiled with a hint of resignation, turned the chair from the seat in front of Subaru toward her, and sat down— "The Trial is truly over now. You've managed to escape the Witch's clutches. In celebration of that — if there's anything you'd like to ask before you go, I suppose I can answer."
"Sure, then let me ask one thing."
"Mm, go ahead."
Nodding Echidna, Subaru pointed a finger straight at her— "You said you had nothing to do with the Trial, didn't you. …How is that true?! You're not just 'somewhat involved' — you're the mastermind! What do you mean 'I had no part in it' — what face did you use to spout that lie?!"
"Taking a Witch's words at face value — that's a level of defenselessness and carelessness beyond belief. I told you at our farewell, didn't I? That I'm a bad Witch."
"Oh, right. Well, since a bad Witch's words can't be trusted, I don't have anything I want to ask. …So does this seal the
"Changing your tune like that at the end — you're nothing if not resourceful. Regrettably, it's not so simple that a single Trial finishes things. There are three Trials in total. Having cleared the first one, I imagine the remaining ones won't be too difficult."
Brushing off Subaru's indignation, Echidna held up three fingers and answered matter-of-factly. Subaru murmured "Three, huh…" to himself, then— "Either way, the Sanctuary's seal has to come off. It should open once I clear the Trials, right? You can guarantee that, yes?"
"That's precisely why I granted the qualifications. Of course. Whether it's you or any other qualified half-blood, if you overcome the Trials, I shall celebrate by releasing the Sanctuary. In exchange, I expect you to show me how you tackle the remaining two. I look forward to the answers you arrive at."
Seeing Echidna's affirmative nod, Subaru replied "Got it" and stood up.
He had no more questions for her. In this fictional place, there was nothing left to gain by lingering. Nostalgia tugged at the back of his mind, but he'd already said goodbye to the thing he'd been most attached to — even if it was nothing more than an illusion, as the Witch had said.
"Hey, Echidna."
"What is it? Could it be you want one last punch before we part? I'm certainly aware I've done enough to warrant it, and if that's your wish, I wouldn't mind indulging you. Though I am a girl, after all… so I'd appreciate it if you kept it to the face—"
"Thanks."
"————"
Echidna, who had been rambling through an unnecessarily lengthy disclaimer, was struck speechless by Subaru's words.
For the first time, feeling a certain satisfaction in her reaction, Subaru— "Even if it wasn't real, even if it never reached the real them, I was able to say what I wanted to say to them — and that's thanks to you. Even if it was all the result of your gutter-level curiosity, I got to see the people I thought I'd never see again, and I got to say my goodbyes."
To those two people — his parents — who had surely only ever been disappointed by his small, pathetic, sorry figure, he'd finally been able to show them something a little more upright, a little more composed, a little more proud.
"That much, at least — I'm grateful for. So, thank you."
"…I find you incomprehensible, and utterly fascinating. Frighteningly so."
Not a joke, not a lie — Echidna's eyes held genuine wariness. Meeting that gaze with a smirk, Subaru— "A nobody like me, and the great Witch is acting all timid. Well, whatever. So where's the exit?"
"No difficulty there. The world is already beginning to collapse. Apart from this building, nothing else was properly constructed. — Once you step outside, you'll find yourself right back in the original tomb."
"Well, that's awfully convenient. — Then, see you after the next Trial."
Waving, Subaru stood from his chair and headed for the classroom door. Feeling Echidna's gaze on his back, he didn't look back as he walked away.
The world outside the window, where blue sky should have stretched, was beginning to blur in the distance. The fictitious world had finished its role and was vanishing wherever it pleased.
The father who had pushed Subaru's back, the mother who had sent him off — they too would disappear along with this world. Vanish completely, gone from everywhere.
"…The things that mattered — they already taught me everything I needed."
Emotions surged in his chest. Feeling the heat building behind his eyes, Subaru once wiped his lids hard against his sleeve. When he raised his head, there was no trace of tears left in his eyes.
Simply facing straight ahead, Subaru's feet carried him toward the exit of a world drawing to its close.
Ahead, the world was growing whiter by degrees, receding, and then —.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "He's gone, I see. My my, he was more tenacious than I expected."
— The classroom after Subaru's departure.
In a room now filled with nothing but empty desks and chairs, the abandoned Echidna ran a hand through her bangs, cheerfully leaning her weight against a desk alone.
Pitter-patter — the collapse of the world had begun.
The world reconstructed from memories, now bereft of the one it relied on, was returning to the dust of fiction. Feeling the disintegration against her skin, Echidna's consciousness was nonetheless directed not at her fading feet or the thinning air.
Her awareness was fixed on a single point — before the blackboard, where the lectern stood. And there— "So this is the one who has captured your fancy."
"———my that person my that person my that person my that person"
"Locking yourself in your own castle, and on the rare occasion you can meet, too terrified to even let them remember. With such behavior, I'm amazed you can be so insistent. I simply don't understand."