Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

Shocked, Subaru instinctively stomped his feet, his eyes widening as the blonde girl glared at him.

　Her blue eyes were filled with incredible rage, and her beautiful features were flushed crimson - it was the witch, Minerva.

　After piercing the stiffened Subaru with a strong gaze, she turned to Echidna, who was standing in front of him, without losing her balance,

"I repeat, I call a halt. I will not accept this contract."

"...Hmm. I guess I should say this is an unexpected development."

　An emotion that was too familiar to be called hostility, too brutal to be called anger. As she poured it out on Echidna with all her heart, Minerva crossed her arms in the crater she had made with her fist, biting her lip as her ample chest bounced.

"A witch's contract—you're not one to not understand what that means. And yet you still managed to interrupt… does that mean you also want to make a contract with him? Maybe that's why you're jealous?"

"Can't you see when you see how angry I am that it's not for any peaceful reason? I'm furious. I'm indignant. I'm raging."

　Echidna's words, which sounded like an attempt to brush her aside with a flippant remark, made Minerva's face turn an even deeper shade of red. Her growing emotions brought tears to her eyes, and her innocent profile gave off the stubbornness of a child.

　Her voluptuous body and her childlike profile were completely out of balance - and right now Subaru could only accept her existence as a shock.

　Because,

"Why are you here?"

"What? You mean I can't be here like this?"

"No, it's not. It's not like that... I mean, Echidna's there."

　Pointing at Echidna, Subaru spoke to Minerva, who was puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. Minerva tilted her head, still unable to comprehend, but Echidna seemed to understand what Subaru was trying to say, as she lightly clapped her hands and nodded,

"Ah, I understand what you're wondering about. I'm here right now, and yet another witch has appeared, so I can't help but find it strange."

"That's right. After all, up until now, whenever I've met other witches it's been one-on-one… it's always been an agreement for me to appear here in place of Echidna. But…"

"I never said we couldn't go out together. That's just the way this wicked witch does things, playing pranks for no reason."

　Minerva easily dismissed Subaru's rebuttal, smacking her shoulders in anger. Subaru muttered "No way" to himself in response and looked at Echidna. However, Echidna showed no particular sign of rejecting Subaru's gaze or Minerva's words.

"Please don't get me wrong. Summoning other witches here is a big burden and risk for me. In some cases, there is a possibility that the other witches may take control of the situation, and even if that isn't the case, it takes a lot of effort to create powerful beings like them."

"But still... no, but you..."

"I have never lied. I can assure you of that."

　Echidna cuts through Subaru's halting words with one sharp word.

　It was a fact. Looking back at his memories, Echidna had never said anything about this current phenomenon that could be conclusively said to be a lie.

　Subaru had simply assumed that this was the case, faced with the phenomena and facts presented to him.

　So, in the extreme, Echidna hadn't accomplished anything by deceiving Subaru.

"I found out that other witches could be manifested so easily, and I didn't want you to be taken by another witch."

"Huh?"

"You're a guest I haven't seen in a really long time. I've rarely felt so excited talking to you, either in life or since your death. Would you call it shameful for me to want to monopolise your existence, at least for this moment?"

"――――"

"I've said it many times before, but I do like you. That's why, by bringing out a witch who is more attractive than me, or perhaps more cooperative, I wanted to avoid my interest in you shifting to another witch. —You can laugh at me about that."

　It's because of a terrible, ugly desire to possess others――Echidna explained the circumstances behind her secret.

　Listening wordlessly to Echidna's excuses, Subaru wondered what it was about him that earned her such obsession.

　The same goes for the "Witch of Envy." Why was Echidna so keen on Subaru?

"What makes you think you're being persuaded so easily?"

"--What!?"

　As Subaru was deep in thought, a soft fist struck him from behind on the head.

　He clutched his head and turned around to see Minerva standing right behind him. She took Subaru's hand that was on his head and, in one smooth motion, twisted his joints and pulled him to the ground.

"O-Ah! Wait, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts... doesn't it?"

"When I directly touch a living thing, no matter what action I take, it becomes a medical treatment. If I hit them with all my strength, the wound will close up, if I take them to the ground with the intention of choking them, their chronic illness will be cured, and if I continue with my joint locks, my stiff shoulders will be relieved!"

"Wh-well that's why my body is creaking all over...no, it's not that."

　As Subaru experienced the true essence of the ``Witch of Wrath'' with his own body, he looked up at Minerva, who was frantically twisting her neck and perfecting her joint locks.

　Even though my bones were creaking and bending in a direction that caused pain, instead of pain I felt a warmth spreading throughout my whole body, which caused an incredible sense of discomfort. A witch who exercised a mysterious power over the human body that turned all actions into positive factors - I had never had a negative impression of her before, but

"What on earth is this about...?"

"If we don't do this, you'll end up being easily persuaded by Echidna and signing the contract. Your rash decisions and thoughtless attitude really piss me off!"

"You say it's just a sweet lip. I thought I had properly explained the benefits of signing a contract with you and reached a mutual agreement…"

"I don't like that attitude of, 'I've fulfilled my responsibility to explain everything'. I did explain the benefits. But I didn't say anything about the disadvantages that would come with signing the contract!"

　Minerva swung her leg down, giving in to her rage. Subaru was pulled down, right at her heel's position, and she felt her heel being pinned against his buttocks, and experienced the mysterious phenomenon of the ground caving in as the impact was transmitted through her buttocks.

　While feeling as if the blow to his rear had helped him to have a bowel movement, Subaru realised the meaning of Minerva's words and was shocked.

　--The fact that he hadn't mentioned the drawbacks during his conversation with Echidna. He realized how careless he had been in not even realizing that.

"No, but... even if it's a demerit... it's not something that big of a deal."

"You think that couldn't happen? You're underestimating the contract. Especially when the other party is a witch - the "Witch of Greed," who among the seven witches bearing the names of the deadly sins, is the one who has made the most contracts, has come into contact with the most people, and has interfered with history the most."

"But all of those were glories from your past life… it's true that they weren't all honors. It's also true that by making a contract with me, not all existences were saved."

　Minerva confronts Subaru with a fact he didn't know. Echidna then adds to what he said, insisting that she meant no harm to Subaru.

　Listening to the arguments of both sides, Subaru was caught in the middle and his head was in complete confusion.

　I don't know which statement to believe.

　Subaru had met Echidna many times since he'd first encountered the Trials at the Tomb, and she'd helped him rack his brains over the troubles he'd been carrying, so much so that he'd come to think of her as a kind of comrade-in-arms.

　That was why, when she proposed forming a cooperative relationship through a contract, Subaru felt half at ease and even agreed.

　On the other hand, Minerva's interactions with Echidna were shorter than hers, and the amount of time they spent together was short, and even the words they exchanged was shorter. However, she was a person of compassion who treated Subaru when he was in a critical situation with the healing power unleashed from her powerful arms, and who went above and beyond like a typhoon, without even asking for a word of thanks.

　Minerva had no reason to frame Subaru, and the fact that she had made the effort to appear and intervene like this was something to be considered.

　Actually, before I started worrying like this, there was something I should have questioned.

　it is--.

"Echidna. If we make a contract, there must be a price to be paid."

"...Yes, that's right. That's necessary for the contract. Just as I will provide you with knowledge in response to your request, you must provide me with payment in response to my request."

"That's right. That's right. --Then, what do you want from me? If I make a contract with you, what do I need to give you?"

　In the future, when Subaru hits a dead end, when he is completely at a loss as to what to do, what will he have to pay to have Echidna lend him her strength?

　At Subaru's question, Echidna relaxed her cheeks.

"There's no need to be so wary. What I'm asking of you isn't that difficult. In fact, you could even say I'm being conscientious in that I won't ask for anything tangible or intangible in return."

"--What do you want?"

Subaru: "It's simple. ——I want you to let me continue to taste what you feel, what you think, what remains in your heart, what you know, what you do, what is born from you, the fruit of the 'unknown' that derives from your existence."

　Echidna blushed and spoke with an expression like that of a girl in love.

　The fruit of the ``unknown''――Subaru frowned at that poetic phrase.

"What, that is. So you want me to extract my emotions, memories, and memories and things like that and give them to you? If so..."

"Didn't I tell you? It's not that disturbing. I just want to have a special seat at the sights you see, the melodies you hear, and the stories you weave. I just want to feel it. I want to be in a position to know the 'unknown' that you give birth to. Just that will be enough to satisfy me."

　As if to dispel Subaru's concerns, Echidna made clear what she wanted.

　Just to see the path Subaru walks. To see the scenery along the way. To know what Subaru feels, what he learns, and the results of his actions.

　The witch who is the embodiment of the desire for knowledge and bears the title of ``Greed'' seeks only that.

"You're not lying, are you?"

"Lying about a contract is out of the question. For the sake of who I am, I swear I will never go against this promise. I'll even bet my life on it."

　Placing her hand on her chest, Echidna finished with a flippant attitude, "Although, I'm already dead, after all."

　Subaru felt that her attitude and words were no lie. Or perhaps, he just wanted to believe that.

"Minerva. Echidna said so. Then I should..."

"I, I, I didn't, tell you everything... really, I didn't, tell you everything, okay?"

　Just as Subaru was about to demand that Minerva release him from her grip, he heard another voice call out to him. It was a voice he had heard only a few minutes ago - and one that Subaru never found pleasant.

"Carmilla... the 'Witch of Lust'!"

"Don't look at me with such frightening eyes. I told you I didn't do anything, that's so mean..."

"I was born with a mean look in my eyes. I don't have a particularly tough look on my face."

　Subaru was pulled to the ground, with Echidna standing in front of him. The three of them were lined up in a straight line with Minerva behind them, and a short distance away, sitting on the grass was a red-haired girl - Carmilla.

　She timidly hides her face from Subaru's gaze, glancing here and there. Her attitude is as irritating as ever, but by consciously distracting himself from her presence, he avoids being "captivated to the point of putting his life in danger."

　Based on that, I asked more questions.

"More importantly, what did you say just now? I have no complaints about another witch showing up now, but what happened..."

"Eh, Echidna-chan... you have a lot of things you're hiding, you know...? I'm not lying, but... there are a lot of things you're hiding..."

"You're hiding something...?"

　Subaru looked at Echidna as if clinging to her, pondering the meaning of Carmilla's words. Meanwhile, Echidna, looking towards Carmilla who had suddenly appeared, closed one eye,

"He suddenly appears and does a string of disgraceful things. And why did you even bother to draw his attention to anything? Unlike Minerva, you have no reason to take his side. You probably even disliked him."

"Mi-Minerva-chan, there's a-a-reason? I didn't do it properly. But, Echidna-chan, you-you lied to me, didn't you?"

　Camilla, sitting opposite Echidna, lowered her eyes and replied in a staccato, weak voice to Echidna's orderly words. However, despite the weakness of her voice, there was no sign of any weak-kneed compromise in what she said.

　Camilla's eyes wandered restlessly, glancing at Echidna again and again.

"I, I don't, like this girl, but, I won't, you know, be on Echidna's side, who deceived me? I, I, will never, ever forgive someone who deceives me, or who hates me, or who does things I don't like."

　--That last word was the only one that sounded unusually clear and distinct.

　For that very reason, it took Subaru a moment to process the fact that it had come from the girl beside him.

　That one word was a stark departure from the girl's previous mood.

　just,

"――――"

　Carmilla gazed at Echidna silently, but without looking away.

　A swirl of emotions that are difficult to put into words dwells in his eyes - hostility towards him, and a dark, resentful spirit that will never forgive those who show similar feelings towards him.

　A mass of narcissism - that sentence suddenly crossed my mind.

"Even though it was a necessary measure, it was a mistake to go against Carmilla's wishes. Making you my enemy would only cause more trouble than anything."

"You're all on my side... so it would be terrible if I disliked you, you know? Even if you apologize, I won't forgive you..."

　Timidity and belligerence are not the same thing.

　Camilla is a shy and timid person, and is unable to properly communicate with others - but that has nothing to do with her ability to resist hostility.

"What have you guys been talking about for a while now?!"

　And then, caught in the tense atmosphere between the witches, Subaru, whose freedom of speech had been restricted up until then, suddenly spoke up.

　Feeling the three pairs of witches' gazes falling on him, Subaru turned his head with all his might,

"Stop talking and ignoring me! It's my choice! Tell me so I can understand! What are you hiding, Echidna!? What do you two know that make you try to stop me!"

Subaru: "Even if your heart is weak, it's too soft to stop thinking and immediately grab that outstretched hand… I think it's your careful preparation that led you to do that!"

"That's a bad ask. It could lead to him misunderstanding something. If we make a contract, I will work with him to bring him to the best place he desires. What I want is for him to see, hear, hear, and know what he wants in the process. I haven't said anything wrong."

　Subaru shouted angrily, and Minerva's voice trembled with rage, not to be outdone. Echidna remained calm despite the clumsy words of the two.

　Subaru too was beginning to feel uneasy at the cold tone of Echidna's voice. Moving beyond the feverish situation he had been in up until now, he once again examined Echidna's words, her attitude, and the reason why the two witches were trying to stop him.

　What's strange? There's nothing strange being said. The two witches acknowledge that they're not being lied to. So, where is the problem?

"I will repeat that, Natsuki Subaru. If you choose me, and make a contract with me――I will definitely take you to where you wish to go."

"---It's a promise that will always be followed by the phrase 'in the end', haa."

　Extending her hand towards me, Echidna spoke decisively in a listless voice.

　Looking up, opposite Camilla was a ghost with reddish purple hair - sitting on the ground, buried in her own long, long hair, the "Witch of Sloth" had materialized.

　Subaru is no longer surprised by the increase in witches. However, what he picked up was,

"And lastly...?"

"Echidna, huh. She will definitely fulfill the contract, hah. However, the fact that she fulfilled the contract will be the only thing, huh. As long as she strictly follows the process, hah. She can do whatever she wants, huh."

"Whatever you do――"

　Sekhmet's words, spoken under her breath, combined with the discomfort she had felt earlier, and a hypothesis occurred to Subaru.

　However, that hypothesis was completely unacceptable, and Subaru, with his face stiffened in shock, looked at Echidna, who was glaring at the attitude of the three witches, and said.

"Echidna, if we make a contract... you said that you would definitely take me to the best possible future, right?"

"Yes, I said so. It's true. Without a doubt, I will fulfill that contract. With my knowledge and your characteristics, it will definitely be accomplished."

　Yes, that must be how a contract should be properly executed.

　Echidna's words were no lie. If Subaru cooperated with her, he would definitely be able to save everything and reach the future. However,

"With your help, I can reach the best possible future - via the best path?"

"――――"

"Are you really going to put all your effort into helping me get to where I want to be?"

"――――"

"Why are you silent? Answer me, Echidna... No, the "Witch of Greed"!"

　Raising his head, Subaru cleared his throat.

　He was still on the ground, his joints still twisted, but Subaru paid no attention to that and continued glaring at Echidna with complete concentration.

　And then, as Echidna was being stared at with that sharp gaze, she suddenly let out a small sigh,

Subaru: "--If it leads to the best possible future, I will tolerate the sacrifices that come along the way. Wasn't that what you were prepared for, Natsuki Subaru?"

"----!"

　It was a reply that neither directly affirmed nor denied Subaru's question.

　However, Subaru realizes.

　Echidna's words just now were in no way intended to clear up her earlier doubts.

　On the contrary, she spread her arms wide, as if to make her point known.

"Your ability, "Return by Death," is an incredible power. You do not truly understand its usefulness. Not accepting an end you do not wish for, being able to start over and over again, reaching out into the future as many times as you want - that is close to the ultimate ideal for a researcher. Because, isn't that right? Essentially, once the outcome of something has been reached, it cannot be changed. In the process leading up to that result, various hypotheses can be made about what that outcome will be. If you take this approach, or try these conditions, various hypotheses and verifications are possible. However, when it comes to actually conducting an experiment to produce that result, the outcome, the hypotheses that can be tested, and the verifications that can be performed must all be concentrated into one. It is truly impossible to create the exact same conditions in the truest sense. No matter how well you prepare the conditions, you can never create the exact same conditions as at that time. What kind of result would have been obtained if you had done it differently back then - that is merely a dream that lies beyond the ideal, something that we researchers can never reach. As someone who possesses the "Memories of the World," I cannot find the answer to that question in " There are certainly ways to "know", yes. But I don't approve of using them. I want to "know", not "want to know". It creates terrible contradictions, and to me it's an abhorrent object. I'm getting off topic, so let's get back to the main topic... yes, for people like us, who only have one means of observation and can only accept one possible result, you are an existence that we desire so much for your authority. The ultimate authority to be able to "verify differently" under "same conditions", and to see "different results" from the "original result" - how could you not desire this? With this in front of you, how could you not try everything? Of course, I have no intention of forcing you to do so. In the end, you are the one who is seeking your purpose. In order to achieve this, you should make full use of "Return by Death." I, too, will do my best to help you reach the future you desire. And in the process, I would like you to make a great contribution to satisfying my own curiosity, if possible. There should be no punishment for hoping for this much. You can see the answer. I can satisfy my curiosity. Our interests are aligned. I don't know the answer either, so there's no way I could purposely lead you to the wrong choice and then lead you to a tragic ending. In the sense that we don't have the right answer to the problems we face from the start, we are equals. In the sense that we both worry about the same problems, struggle, and try to find an answer, I would say that we are comrades. I can state this clearly and without shame. In the sense that there are more means of verification, I think very fondly of you, so I promise that I will never do anything to treat you with disdain. Of course, there will naturally be situations where you are faced with an unanswered problem that you cannot easily overcome even with my help. I can lend you my knowledge, but I can never interfere with reality. If the obstacle you are facing is a problem that requires physical strength, I cannot help you. You may break your mind and body again and again, or hundreds or thousands of times. Even if that happens, I sincerely want to take care of your heart. I cannot say for sure that there is not even a trace of curiosity mixed in there, that I do not want to lose you as a useful existence. However, it is also true that I like you and want to help you. So I don't want you to think badly of me. I know I've said it many times before, but you can be proud that I am useful to your goals. Just as I am thinking of using you in a way to satisfy my curiosity and other desires, you can also use me for your goal of "reaching the best possible future". I would be happy to be treated as a convenient woman by you in this way. If that's what motivates you, then I will gladly offer myself to you. Whether or not you want this body, with its poor condition and that of a dead person, is another matter. Oops, I wonder if saying this would be bad for the people you love. The people you love - the silver half-elf and the blue-haired demon girl. Yes, they are the girls that you have sworn in your heart and shown through your actions that you will definitely rescue and protect. The two of them. I won't express my thoughts on your state of mind that has such strong feelings, but I will state that the wall standing before you is unimaginably high. In the current situation, there are so many obstacles that you already know are beyond your control. Your determination to overcome them alone is precious, and also very tragic. I am not lying when I say that I want to help you on your path, and I hope that I can. And you should make use of my feelings. You must use everything you have, everything you can use, to do that much to help the people you have bonded with. That is the promise you made to yourself, and the belief that it is necessary, on the path of pain. So I ask you, I think of you, I think of you. Ironically, the path you walked, having given up your own life, has now been proven in the form of a second "Trial". Or perhaps that "Trial" was so necessary that it even gave the illusion of being there to make you understand the path you had walked up until now. It is true that it was an unnecessary sight, the kind that would wear you down with your awareness. But between not knowing and knowing, I would rather value the latter, no matter how tragic the truth. You have had to offer up your life as the price for "Return by Death" and draw the future to you. It was necessary for you to keep in mind that the things you had to sacrifice for that, the world, "might" be like this. Eventually, you will no longer feel sentimental about paying with your life, and you will no longer be able to feel any human emotion. Your sense of purpose will become weaker, and even the "death" of loved ones will not move you, and you will sink into days of indifference, emotionlessness, and listlessness, and even if you reach the best possible future, you will arrive there without it - this was necessary to avoid reaching a future where you will only be left with a sense of futility. Yes, nothing in this world is a waste, everything is a necessary journey, a necessary piece of the puzzle. There were "trials" in order to understand this. If you need to give a plausible meaning to the reason why you are standing still like this, and to come to terms with it, then think of it this way. And I will affirm your thoughts. If I can give you the strength you need to move forward with words, then I will say whatever words I can. Whether they are comforting, encouraging, whispering words of love, or stirring up hatred, they will give you strength.If that's the case, I can use it without hesitation. You may dislike it, but you will definitely need the power of someone like me on your journey from now on. If you are going to walk a lonely path where you will inevitably get hurt, you will definitely need someone who will walk with you without turning away from that path. And if it's me, not anyone else, who can play that role, then I can walk with you without any problems. Let's repeat, let's repeat, let's tell it again and again so that it reaches you. --You must need me. And I need you. I need your existence. My curiosity will never be satisfied without you. Only your existence can satisfy me. You will surely satisfy me, my never-satisfied "greed". Your existence is now indispensable to me, to me who lives in this closed world. If you want to be someone's hope and use your power to open up the world, can't you, a pathetic existence like me, get a share of it? If you show me your kindness, I will not hesitate to offer my body, knowledge, and soul. So please. Please believe me. I have not tried to tell you my true feelings until now because I was never trying to deceive you or hide anything. I was just waiting for the right time. If I had appealed to you with a fragment of my true feelings at this moment, you would surely have left me. For me, that would be an unbearable loss. Of course, it should be called a loss for you as well, in the sense that it pushes away the future you desire. Eventually, due to the characteristics of ``Return by Death,'' you will surely reach the future you desire. However, it is better for you to pay a small price for that future. I, if I were you, can reduce that. Please don't misunderstand me as a cruel person who neglects minor goals for the sake of a larger goal, thinking that it's fine to reach the final result I want. I admit that I am not able to control my desires to the extent that I can say with certainty that I would never do something like that, where I am tempted and realize the elements necessary for the best path but don't say anything because I want to see the outcome in such a case. However, I will not lie. If I were to do something that would violate that trust, I would never hide it. I will definitely tell you. And I will do my best for you as many times as possible to repay the trust I have lost. No matter what happens, I will definitely send you to the best future you want. Absolutely, absolutely. So, please accept that I am a necessary means to that end and choose me. The demands I want from you and the demands I make of you are as stated in the contract. The rest is a matter of how far you are willing to go for the desires you want. I have just stated my resolve. Now, I want to hear your resolve. You are the one who has made a contract with me, gotten my cooperation, and then I want you to prove to me that you have the mettle to definitely reach the future. Only then can you proudly say that you have overcome the second Trial. Proceed to the third Trial, overcome it, and liberate the Sanctuary. Considering the disaster that will befall the Sanctuary, your loved ones, and the people you care about in the future, this is truly a Trial that must be overcome. I want you to tell me that you have the strength and resolve to overcome it. And then, take me and use my knowledge to obtain what lies beyond. That is all I want from you, what I ask of you, and what I can offer you in return. I intend to tell you everything sincerely and honestly. With that in mind, what decision will you make? I want you to tell me about it. It's to satisfy part of the curiosity of my existence, you know."I want you to prove to me that you have the mettle to reach the future. Only then can you proudly say that you have overcome the second Trial. Proceed to the third Trial, overcome it, and liberate the Sanctuary. Considering the disaster that will befall the Sanctuary, your loved ones, and the people you care about in the future, this is truly a Trial that must be overcome. I want you to tell me that you have the strength and resolve to overcome it. And then, take me, use my knowledge, and obtain what lies beyond. That is all I want from you, what I ask of you, and what I can offer you in return. I intend to have sincerely and honestly told you everything. What decision will you make based on that? I want you to tell me. This is also to satisfy a part of my curiosity as an existence."I want you to prove to me that you have the mettle to reach the future. Only then can you proudly say that you have overcome the second Trial. Proceed to the third Trial, overcome it, and liberate the Sanctuary. Considering the disaster that will befall the Sanctuary, your loved ones, and the people you care about in the future, this is truly a Trial that must be overcome. I want you to tell me that you have the strength and resolve to overcome it. And then, take me, use my knowledge, and obtain what lies beyond. That is all I want from you, what I ask of you, and what I can offer you in return. I intend to have sincerely and honestly told you everything. What decision will you make based on that? I want you to tell me. This is also to satisfy a part of my curiosity as an existence."

　--Echidna then smiled cutely.

　Her white, snow-like hair swaying, her cheeks flushed faintly with passion, she looked up, watching Subaru as if waiting for his answer.

　Her trembling eyelashes were frightened of a reaction, and her fingertips, pressed against her chest, were moving busily as if she was feeling extremely anxious. Her lips repeatedly tried to form words but hesitated, and she only managed to moisten them with the tip of her tongue.

　He looked up and his eyes met with Minerva, who was restraining Subaru.

　Minerva exchanged looks with Subaru, then let out a small sigh. She then released Subaru's arms, which up until then hadn't tried to release. Freeing himself from the restraints around his shoulders, Subaru turned his arms and stood up.

　Just as Minerva had said, the tension in her shoulders had disappeared. On the contrary, she felt as if the slight tension in her lower back and other parts of her body had also disappeared. The power of the ``Witch of Wrath'' had a frightening healing effect.

"――――"

　Subaru rotated each part of his body, checking the sensations as he cleared his head.

　He had just heard Echidna's true feelings, without any secrets.

"Echidna"

"What is it?"

"Are you... going to use me?"

　To be used, to be used. Those were the words Echidna had repeated many times in her words just now. In response, Echidna nodded without hesitation.

"I will. You can do the same for me. The contract is a kind of preventative measure to ensure that neither of us misunderstand each other. I will accept your criticism if you criticize my decision to use whatever means I have in order to not let you go."

Subaru: "It's not that I haven't thought about it. To put it in extreme terms, I understand that that's just how conflicts of interest are. Even if I expect that you will help me 100% with good intentions alone… I'm prepared to accept the reality that this might not be the case. But."

　In front of Echidna, Subaru covered his face with his hands and looked up.

"No matter what, that's not possible..."

"What is that?"

"All of your actions up until now seem pale to me now. All the kindness you've shown me up until now, the feelings I had as I began to believe that you might not be a bad person…all of it has faded."

　Everything that had been built up from their first meeting until this very moment collapsed with a loud noise.

　The tea party where we first met, the scene where we faced the "trial", and the times when I was hindered by reality and clung to her wisdom and words countless times. The times when I thought I would not regret making the contract.

　ーーAll of these things mercilessly mocked Natsuki Subaru's foolishness.

"Was that your intention from the beginning?"

"I don't really understand what the problem is with you. If it leads to the best outcome in the end, then you're willing to compromise on the path to get there――isn't that what you decided? You yourself affirmed that, and I also gave you a push for it..."

Subaru: "That's how I came to terms with it… well, I can't really come to terms with it, but wasn't it part of your plan to lead things in that direction… that's what I'm saying."

"Please don't get me wrong, that conclusion is ultimately yours. All I did was provide a small boost to the conclusion you came to. I don't approve of the idea of ​​placing the responsibility for the conclusion you came to with your own words on someone else. I don't approve, and I'm not such a softy that I would take that on."

　Echidna pouted her lips and protested with a sulky look on her face. The childishness of her expression, or should I say the incongruity, made Subaru feel even more uncomfortable than he had felt before.

　How should I put it―it's a mismatch of emotions.

　Echidna's way of expressing her emotions is not wrong. She gets angry when doubted, smiles when something makes her happy, and shows a pained expression when something sad happens. That is right, there is nothing wrong with it.

　Even so, we feel a sense of discomfort and distrust. The answer to this is...

"Your whole attitude is so insincere and superficial."

"――――"

Subaru: "Even when you're happy or angry, the way you express your emotions is childish and shallow. Even just now, far from getting enraged, you just looked sulky. It's not a matter of being generous or anything like that. Your attitude…your attitude up until now has been strange. I thought you were easy to get along with, someone who was easy to accept, but…"

"――――"

"Actually, that's not true. You - you're someone who can't understand other people's feelings."

　I remember Echidna's behavior up until now, and everything turns sepia.

　Once I realized that the attitudes I had found favorable were merely the result of shallow emotional expression, all of the interactions I had had up until then seemed to lose their luster.

　And even though she was being showered with such harsh words, Echidna's expression didn't change from the sulky one from before. It was as if she had no idea how to express any more discomfort than that.

"This is also a situation where it's okay to get angry."

"…I see, so this is where I should raise my voice and yell abuse at her. I see, I learned something. If there is a next time, I'll do it."

　Echidna's expression disappeared upon hearing Subaru's words.

　Expressionless――In all his experience of knowing Echidna, Subaru had never seen anything like it, it was the first time he had seen the 『Witch of Greed』.

　In front of the silent Subaru, Echidna raised her fingers and snapped them. With that, the hill that was supposed to have been destroyed was restored, and the shattered tables and blown-away chairs were reformed.

　Echidna sat down in one of the chairs and pointed to the one opposite,

"Why don't you sit down? I want to work out the details of the contract."

"...In this situation, do you think I'd still be positive about making a contract with you?"

"You mean, you're going to reject me over a small difference of opinion? What's the point of doing something like that? It's not wise to be swept away by momentary emotions and lose sight of the right choice. I recommend that you look at reality and choose rational thinking."

　Subaru closed his eyes and held his breath as Echidna's words froze his emotions.

　Echidna's words were correct. It couldn't be helped if people said that Subaru was the one throwing a tantrum. It made sense. And he wasn't lying.

　Echidna had simply been hiding her true intentions from Subaru. She had been keeping silent about Subaru's journey, and the benefits she would gain in the process.

　If he could make a contract with her, Subaru would probably be able to find the right path. And there was no doubt about the fact that Echidna would be more than willing to help him.

"There's just one thing I wanted to ask you if I ever met you."

"--Hmm, I wonder what it is."

"Once I hear the answer to that, I feel like I can make a choice."

　Echidna waited for Subaru to ask a question.

　Subaru brings up a question to her as a touchstone. It is one of the answers that Subaru has yet to find even a fragment of in the loop that began with this "Sanctuary", and it is a question that is by no means unrelated to her.

Subaru: "ーーYou know Beatrice, don't you, Echidna?"

"...Ah, I know. I was deeply involved in the process of her birth. What happened to her?"

　Echidna's innocent reply. An answer without any hidden meaning, full of doubt.

　Subaru closed his eyes and pictured in his mind a young girl with curls in her hair.

　For Subaru, the last image of the girl was the moment she was pierced from behind and disappeared.

　The long, long period of loneliness she had been carrying just before that, and the moment when she was confronted with the darkness that had arisen from it, have always remained a heavy lump in her heart.

　The expression on his face as he pushed Subaru away, protected him from the deadly blade, and then at the last moment - that expression is still burned into my memory.

"Beatrice has a contract and is waiting forever for 'that person' to arrive. Is that contract something she made with you? Are you the one who has tied her down to the mansion?"

"I don't recall specifying the location, but... I certainly was the one who promised to protect the Forbidden Archives and wait until I was picked up."

"If so, who is 'he'? What can we do to free him?"

　In the midst of her 400 years of solitude, Beatrice had been waiting for "someone" to exist.

　Not even Beatrice herself knows who that "someone" was. Subaru can't even find a clue.

　However, if she could hear the answer from Echidna herself, who had made a promise with that "someone"――

"Who on earth could it be?"

"--Huh?"

"No, I'm not joking or anything, I really mean it. Who do you think is this 'that person' Beatrice is waiting for?"

　Echidna responded to Subaru as if she had asked him a question she didn't know the answer to. Subaru was stunned by her attitude, and shook his head,

"Don't you also know who the person Beatrice is waiting for?"

"Yes, I don't know. I don't know who this 'person' Beatrice is waiting for."

"Wha-what? You were the one who told Beatrice to wait in the Forbidden Library, weren't you? And you don't know... can't that be?"

　Could it be that Echidna, who instructed Beatrice to wait in the Forbidden Library, and the one who set the deadline for "that person" to arrive were two different people?

　If that is the case, then the person who knows the answer is somewhere else...

"No, that's wrong."

"――――"

"I was the one who instructed Beatrice to wait for 'that person'. That's not wrong. What's wrong is something more fundamental."

"Fundamental, huh?"

Subaru: "For what reason did I make such a contract with Beatrice? You have misunderstood the matter. You think that I am having Beatrice guard the contents of the Forbidden Archive so that I can deliver them to 'that person', don't you?"

　I don't understand what Echidna is saying.

　It's a natural way of thinking. You're instructing someone to hand over something. Naturally, the true intent of the instruction is for that handover to take place.

　However, seeing Subaru thinking such an obvious thing, Echidna shook her head and said.

"That's not what I instructed Beatrice to do. I made a contract with her to wait for 'that person'… I am waiting to see who she chooses to be 'that person'."

"――――"

　--――.

　--――――.

　------------------.

　--------------------what?

"That child was born for a certain purpose. However, it became necessary to use her in a way that was different from that original purpose... That's why she was sent away from here, but at the same time, it was necessary to give her a purpose. It was necessary to give that empty child, with nothing in her, a purpose in life. So I made a contract with her."

"--That is it."

"The maintenance of the Forbidden Archive and the transfer of everything to 'that person' who will one day arrive. I didn't place any restrictions. To begin with, these conditions don't have correct answers. The child will be allowed to live as planned, and I will be able to see the answer to a different quest. That's very reasonable, isn't it?"

"――――"

"Of course, spending 400 years without making a choice is also a result. The same goes for not easily choosing 'that person' among the people you met in your daily life. Or even worrying about whether or not to break the contract and wishing for your own 'death' is also a result."

"What do you think about that?"

"--? I think it's wonderful, you know?"

　Echidna tilted her head unashamedly, as if she had been asked a simple question.

　That answer, her attitude, and the expression on the girl's face that came to Subaru's mind gave him the answer.

　I decided. I got it. I understood it clearly.

　--I was able to correct my misunderstanding about where I was and who the person I was facing was.

"Echidna... you're a witch."

"――――"

"A monster beyond human understanding, beyond comprehension."

"――――"

　Tell them the answer that you have in your heart.

　Pull back your hand and decide this time to whom you will reach out your hand.

"I... I can't take your hand. I've already decided which hand I'm going to take."

"――――"

Subaru: "There is a child who has had four hundred years of his life stolen by the words you so innocently and without malice bound him to. ーーI've decided. I'll take that child's hand. I can't go with you."

　Announce the breakup.

　She shook off the hand of the person she had once thought might walk with her.

　I looked up. I looked ahead.

　The image of the girl's expression at her final moments appeared behind Subaru's eyelids.

　ーーA girl whose face was contorted in tears, terrified of disappearing, of dying, yet who still had relief in her eyes at having protected Subaru.

　Subaru decided to take the hand of the girl who had mourned his 『death』.

"――――"

　Echidna narrowed her eyes.

　Thoughts flashed across his eyes, as he tried to say something in response to Subaru's decision.

　But before that, change came.

"---Here it comes."

"Nah, I, I, it has nothing to do with me, I guess."

"A troublesome person came to cause trouble in a troublesome place, huh?"

　The three witches who were watching from the sidelines each expressed their own feelings.

　And then I felt pressure from behind.

　Echidna, who had been looking at Subaru from the front, widened her eyes slightly. Subaru responded to her surprise and turned around to look at it.

"――――"

　There, covered in pitch black darkness from the neck up, stood the ``Witch of Jealousy.''