Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　The feud with Garfiel has been resolved, and his shocking real age has been revealed, bringing the matter to a close at the grave.

　Having overcome the "trial" of facing his past and putting an end to his grudges with Subaru and the others, everyone gathered around Garfiel and had a chance to talk face to face.

"However... if the showdown between men turns out to be a gang of guys beating up a middle-schooler, then it starts to look different. What do you think about that?"

"No, I was surprised at Garfiel's real age too, but there's no need to look at it so negatively. The fact that the person they had to beat together to defeat was actually 14 years old doesn't have any particular impact on the story."

"That's right. For a brat of only fourteen, Garf possessed powers that were no laughing matter, so there's no reason for him to be criticized for beating up Ram and the others."

「You guys are all whining and beating each other up! Fine, let's have a rematch! Huh? I'm your opponent anytime!」

　Subaru, Otto, and Ram looked at each other and nodded, while Garfiel spat.

　In fact, looking back at his words and actions up until now, and seeing him speak up like this and assert his own stubbornness, it was easy to accept the fact that he was 14 years old.

　Rather, it cannot be denied that the fact that we had previously treated him as someone of the same age has actually filtered our understanding of the situation.

"By the way, if that's the case, how old were you the last time you entered the tomb and underwent the Trial? That means you've been stubborn ever since then."

"I don't remember exactly, but... I think I was about three or four years old. Other than the Trials, there's nothing else I remember properly."

"That is probably true. Three or four years old... that was when I still thought the world was hell."

"Why are you suddenly talking about such serious things? Stop it. I don't want to dig deeper."

　Otto smiled gloomily as Garfiel reminisced.

　Otto is no doubt carrying a lot on his shoulders, but digging through it all now would be beyond his capacity. Even now, Subaru's arms are already filled with too much to bear, and he's even using his head and knees to support it.

"So, is it okay if I ask for more details?"

　After a brief exchange of light-hearted banter, Emilia, with a nervous look on her face, spoke up.

　Her gaze was directed at Garfiel, and her question was obviously about the "Trials of the Tomb." However, Garfiel snorted at this,

"Even if you say detailed story, I'm sure you and I have different views of the past and ways of overcoming it. I don't think I could give you any useful advice."

"No, I know that. My 'trials' are mine. Asking Garfiel won't do anything."

"--? Then what exactly do you want to ask?"

"After overcoming the 'trials' within... No, after overcoming your past, do you feel like you've changed? Are you able to accept the changed you?"

"..."

　In response to Emilia's question, Garfiel narrowed his eyes and fell silent.

　The atmosphere grew slightly tense, and Subaru and the others who were watching held their breath, waiting for an answer.

　There was a moment of silence. Garfiel touched the tip of his nose, then traced the white scar on his forehead with his finger. With a walking motion, he traced the vertical scar across his forehead, and then,

"I don't know for sure whether to call this a change or a regaining."

"Yeah"

"I gave that scar on my forehead to myself. To erase unpleasant memories."

　Flicking his forehead with his fingers, Garfiel turns his gaze to his side - to Ram, who is sitting next to him and looking at him. Ram blinks her pale crimson eyes at Garfiel's words,

"Gaaf"

"Shut up, don't say anything. I don't want to make myself miserable. You just had to find another person to cover up your unpleasant memories and be satisfied with that. If you find out later that the other person already knew and was just going along with it, it'll just make you feel even worse."

　Ram looked at the grumbling Garfiel with a somewhat helpless look.

　Subaru didn't understand the true meaning of their conversation, but he vaguely understood that it was something only the two of them understood.

　There is also a warm and strong bond between Garfiel and Ram, like that of family.

"Anyway, whether we've gone back or changed, I have no intention of staying the same as before. You've changed us all with your own hands. So, from now on, I want you to show me how you'll change... and that you're not just talking."

"Yeah. I'm glad to hear that. I'll do my best to meet those expectations as well."

　As Garfiel grimaces, Emilia smiles and shows her enthusiasm.

　All of a sudden, Subaru realizes that, mentally speaking, the two of them are in fact of the same age.

　Both of them are fourteen years old.

　The situation is such that the future of this place must be entrusted to boys and girls of impressionable adolescent age.

　Subaru was only 17 years old, about to turn 18, so he couldn't really be that big of a boss, but the situation was rather manga or anime-like.

"...If you stay here too long, your resolve will only weaken."

　As she spoke, Emilia stood up and brushed the grass off her waist.

　Taking a deep breath, Emilia's eyes lit up with intensity as she gazed towards the Tomb - the Chamber of Trials.

"Shall we go?"

"Yeah, I'll go... I'll follow Garfiel and then overtake him."

"Can you do that?"

"I'll do it. I've decided to change and not be afraid anymore."

　Emilia nodded to both Subaru's and Garfiel's questions.

　Subaru also stood up and walked next to Emilia as she walked towards the front of the tomb. Even though he couldn't hold her hand once inside, he decided to stay by her side until it was time to depart.

"Lady Emilia."

　Suddenly, Ram called out to Emilia from behind as she walked.

　Ram stopped and turned to face Emilia, who bowed before her. She picked up the edge of her skirt and bowed solemnly, like a servant showing respect to a superior.

Subaru: "Not at all. Without a doubt, Emilia-tan is on my master's side."

"Stop complaining, Barus. Now is not the time for that, understand."

　Subaru muttered, and Ram reprimanded him in a stern voice. Then, as Emilia looked at him with wide eyes, she bowed her head again as if to regain her composure,

「Please forgive my rudeness. In truth, Ram thought that Emilia-sama would not stand up.」

"...Yeah. I'm sorry for being so pathetic."

"Yes, it was disappointing and I couldn't bear to watch."

"hey hey"

　As Emilia apologizes, Ram takes advantage of the situation to criticize her.

　How much courage must it have taken for Subaru to tell Emilia that in the tomb? As he watches Ram easily overcome the hurdles that others had desperately tried to overcome, he grits his teeth and watches the conclusion of her words.

"But Lady Emilia decided to rise up and take on the challenge. Whether that was out of a spirit of defiance or if she was actually trying to avoid it is not really an issue."

"..."

「Ram had made up her mind. Whether or not Emilia-sama would show her determination to take on the Trials would be up to her. She would leave Ram's problems there. If you were to give up and retreat, then Ram would also go along with the flow of the world. However, if you resist――」

　Ram glanced over at Subaru.

　How does she relate to this divided place? Could that possibly be the answer to why she teamed up with Subaru and the others to fight Garfiel this time?

"Have a nice trip, Lady Emilia. I look forward to your safe return."

　Ram bowed solemnly, behaving like a perfect maid seeing off her master.

　Emilia nodded as if inspired by her words, her face beaming with joy.

　Seeing Emilia like that, Subaru crossed his arms and nodded,

"Given the current situation, would you like to say something, Otto?"

"The atmosphere has become really awkward, but is this really the right time for me to say anything? What do you think about that?!"

　Subaru turned to Otto, who had likely prepared something to say, but it seemed he hadn't prepared anything more powerful than what Ram had just said.

　Considering the flow of the situation, he seemed to think it would be best to end it neatly like this, but,

"here you are"

"--!"

　Unaware of Otto's anguish, Emilia was fully prepared to receive his words of encouragement. Not noticing his panicked state, Emilia waited nervously for his words.

　Seeing Emilia's innocent attitude, Otto finally gave up and put his hand to his forehead.

"Well, Emilia-sama."

"yes"

"The truth is, I ended up paying a fair amount of damages because of this whole incident. No, of course, this is an upfront investment, so the fact that I have to pay is a loss I had already factored in, but…"

"Um?"

　When the topic turned to money, Emilia, who isn't very good with numbers, looked confused.

　Seeing her beautiful face furrowing its brows, Otto bit his lip and raised his finger, "So you see!"

"I accepted this loss in anticipation of Emilia-sama becoming fat and big. Therefore, I need you to succeed so that I can recoup my bet!"

"...I don't think I'm going to grow any taller. But I think if I eat meat I'll gain weight."

"Don't use difficult language on my sheltered angel. Also, I think Emilia-tan's current style is the golden ratio, so keep it the way it is. You're the loveliest now."

　From head to toe, I think Emilia is in the best condition right now.

　Of course, I intend to love her no matter how much she gains or loses weight.

　In any case, leaving aside Subaru's feelings, Otto, with an indescribable expression on his face as he realized that his meaning had not been conveyed correctly, thrashed his arms and legs around, then,

"...Please come back safely. We're rooting for you."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for all your help, Otto-kun."

　Emilia responded with a vigorous nod to Otto, who had put it all together in an incredibly safe manner.

　Seeing Garfiel nudge Otto, whose shoulders were slumped, in an attempt to comfort him, Subaru and Emilia once again headed towards the tomb.

　Night had already fallen on the Sanctuary, and the Trial could be carried out without any problems.

　Emilia took one last deep breath, as if to steel herself. Glancing at her from the side, Subaru pondered over what words he should say to send her off. And then,

"Right, Subaru."

"yeah?"

"It was something that happened inside the tomb..."

　Are you feeling anxious about the Trials?

　Thinking this, Subaru waited for Emilia to continue, but Emilia, unable to form the next words, kept glancing at Subaru with an anxious look on her face.

　For some reason, her cheeks were slightly red.

"Emilia?"

"So, it's something that happens inside the tomb."

"What happened inside... Ah, you mean not what's to come, but what happened just now?"

"Yeah. Exactly."

　Of course not, Emilia puffed out her cheeks, but given the current situation, she couldn't accept being blamed.

　Who would have thought that Emilia, who was about to take on the "Trial" inside, would be concerned with the past rather than the future? Time becomes blurred when you think about the future and the past, and the "Trial" that awaits her inside is the "past".

　Moreover, he had forgotten about it in the midst of all the excitement and the dramatic events that followed, but thinking back on it now, what Subaru had done at the tomb was an act so terrible that it made him blush.

　He had argued with Emilia, hurled insults at her, violently declared his love for her, and then bit her lips—even if it was an explosion of pent-up resentment for the fifth time, that was no excuse.

　It was probably this incident that Emilia was worried about.

　It was pleasant to see the crimson rising from her pale skin, but Subaru too was in no position to spare, so this was not the time to be entranced.

"Inside, Subaru was with me… well, right?"

"Oh, yeah...yeah, that's right."

"So, um, I think it's going to be a big deal. But it's an important matter, so… I'll talk to you about it slowly after the 'Trials' and all the other things are over, okay?"

　Though he thought to himself that things were already going crazy inside his head, Subaru had no choice but to nod without hesitation to Emilia's suggestion.

　It was a first for Subaru, and surely a first for Emilia too. They had both confessed their feelings to each other, and there was a mountain of things they needed to sort out. Subaru also had the issue of Rem, which he had to deal with while making excuses.

　Even so,

"Ah, you have plenty of time to think about what will happen next, Emilia-chan."

"I guess he's relaxed, but I don't know. Maybe he's just putting up a bluff."

"But if you can put up a false bravado, it means you're not overwhelmed. I'm sure it will work out. I'll bet on it."

　Subaru gave a thumbs up and flashed his teeth, while Emilia tilted her head quizzically.

"Bet on what?"

"The right to date Emilia-tan and I."

"So, what happens if Subaru wins, and what happens if I win?"

"If I win, I get to go on a date with Emilia-tan, and if Emilia-tan wins, she gets to go on a date with me."

　Emilia bursts out laughing at Subaru's flippant remark, and the two share a brief moment of laughter.

　It seemed that Emilia really was not feeling any tension or anxiety.

"I'm betting that I will be able to overcome this Trial."

"Well then, I'll bet on Emilia being able to overcome the Trial."

"What if we both win?"

"Two dates."

"Yes, yes."

　As always, Emilia ignores Subaru's flirtations.

　Emilia stepped forward smoothly. Subaru raised his hand as he watched her silver hair flutter in the wind and sparkle in the starlight.

"Have a nice trip. Be careful of the car and the man."

"Don't be stupid."

　With a wry smile, Emilia disappears into the tomb.

　The stone passageway had no light source, and as it engulfed Emilia it immediately plunged her into darkness, snatching her away from Subaru's sight.

　With this, there was nothing more Subaru could do for Emilia.

　Everything else that follows is a problem that Emilia must overcome on her own.

"Don't look so worried, boss. You'll make the man stand down."

"Your unique way of speaking is hard to accept, considering you're a junior high schooler. There was a time when I was like you, too."

　Subaru was feeling uneasy after seeing Emilia off when Garfiel came up to him and scolded him. Subaru shrugged his shoulders at his words, and then Garfiel clapped his hands as if he had just remembered something.

"Now that I think of it, boss. What was that thing you did when you knocked me flying during the fight?"

"You mean Invisible Providence?"

"Y-yes... what?"

"It's Invisible Providence. 'The invisible will of God.' Cool, right?"

"Oh, that's so cool."

　Garfiel is intrigued by Subaru's words.

　As expected, the reputation of "Invisible Hand" is too bad, so from now on I'd like to go with Invisible Providence. In any case, I'm sure Garfiel doesn't just want to hear the name of the technique.

"Magic... it's different. It's just that the atmosphere was different."

"If I had to categorize it broadly, I wouldn't know what it is either. But it's definitely illegal. There's no way I could imitate it."

"He's not gonna die. Hitting someone when you can't see him is cowardly."

"That's cowardly, you bastard...!"

　Subaru thought they had come to understand the greatness of Invisible Providence, but he was outraged when the ladder was suddenly removed.

　Garfiel responded to Subaru's answer with an unrepentant "Sorry, sorry," and refused to dig any deeper into the matter. He had probably realised that this was outrageous territory, and that it was not something a human being should trespass into.

"...But still, what kind of karma is this?"

　Invisible Providence――This was, without a doubt, Betelgeuse's 『Invisible Hand』. The power was different, and he was only able to extend one arm, but the sensation was correct.

　Why did Subaru possess the same powers as that abominable madman? The answer must have something to do with the "Witch Factor" that Echidna had spoken of.

　Witch Factor, judging by the written form, doesn't sound like much, but he remembers that Betelgeuse had also used the same word. And the previous battle wasn't the first time Subaru had used something like the "invisible hand." He had the feeling that he had unconsciously used it once in the previous loop to avoid the charge of Garfiel, who had transformed into a great tiger.

　In other words, the Witch Factor is steadily taking root within Subaru.

　Subaru knew that he could no longer use Shamak. The Gate of Magic had been worn down by repeated abuse and had completely lost its function. The connection to the magical world that had never existed before was now completely unreachable.

　It is ironic that after losing the magical powers he longed for, the power of foreign law appeared in their place.

　But still――

"I guess it's better than having something resembling a trump card go to waste. I'm not sure if there's a way to use it..."

　Either way, the fact remains that they lack the means to fight.

　Using his clever brain and with help from those around him, he finds a way out of death.

　The height of the world's walls that Subaru must challenge remains as high as ever.

"Ah, that's right, boss."

"What? I'm not used to calling you 'boss'."

"You'll get used to it soon. Anyway, there's something I need to apologize for."

　Garfiel doesn't accept the change in how he's addressed, but he looks up at him with a noble attitude. Just like Emilia earlier, he has so many things he wants to say that Subaru laughs bitterly.

　I shrugged and encouraged Garfiel to continue, and he traced the scar on his forehead,

"I went inside, didn't I? So that's why I entered the chamber of the Trial."

"Oh, that's right."

"So I saw it. The general, that's it. The result of his desperate efforts."

　Subaru frowned for a moment at Garfiel's awkward words, but then he realized what he was implying and his eyes quickly widened.

　And, shocked, Subaru's ears turn bright red.

　I've been seen. I've been seen, ...!

"I-I didn't mean any harm, you know? But I never thought something like that would happen..."

"Uh, shut up! Forget it! Damn, damn it... I forgot! Because... because, I never imagined that you would end up entering the tomb! That's why it turned out like that... Ah, shit!"

　Subaru clutched his head and shook his heated face.

　Garfiel was looking at them with pitying eyes and he felt resentful towards him now. Perhaps his expression was even more hateful now than when they were fighting.

「Forget it! I don't want anything more! Okay, that's it! That's all!」

"Ah, I get it... But when I saw that, I thought the same thing. The general seems to be a bottomless idiot... but it's good that he didn't die."

"I told you it's over, you idiot!? Ah! It was a brat!"

　Even though he called him a brat, Garfiel had the upper hand because he had a hold on Subaru's weakness. He laughed at Subaru's sore loser cry, and then descended the stairs to the tomb.

　Following her back as she returned to the others waiting for her in the plaza, Subaru wished Emilia good luck, hoping that she would never notice the 『yell』 he had cast.

　That kind of thing just becomes plain if it doesn't reach the person in question first.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　And so, Subaru's prayers go unanswered.

"We're here..."

　Emilia passed through a stone passage and arrived at the small room where the Trial would take place.

　In the dark, humid air, Emilia walks, relying on the faintly glowing wall, and turns her gaze to the door at the back of the small room. The closed stone door is likely designed to open only when the Trial is overcome. Garfiel returned without going through it. So, what about her?

"We have to try our best and get to the back there."

　There's no telling what awaits you inside.

　However, the Witch had said that there would not be just one "Trial", but multiple.

　When Emilia thought of the witch who deployed the Trials, a painful feeling spread in her chest. This was because, what the White Witch had done to Emilia――

"Huh...?"

　Emilia was lost in thought, and as her eyes wandered aimlessly, she noticed something odd about the small room.

　While she had been inside the tomb, hugging her knees and waiting for night to come, Emilia had only gotten halfway up the corridor and had not yet set foot inside the small room. Therefore, it had been a day since the day before yesterday that Emilia had seen the state of this small room.

　It's only been two days, but something has changed in that time.

　And as she pondered what that something was, Emilia arrived at the answer to her discomfort.

"This is..."

　Emilia examines the wall her fingertips had been touching and murmurs.

　His amethyst eyes were beginning to get used to the darkness, and in the gloom the change was clearly outlined.

　it is--.

"...Subaru, you idiot."

　Emilia said this without thinking, with a smile in her voice.

　Because it is. When I see this, I can't help but think and say that.

"Really, you're an idiot."

　Contrary to the content of her words, the expression on Emilia's face as she speaks them is gentle and full of affection. A change occurs in the wall she touches, and in the wall in front of her, the entire wall of the small room.

　--It was carved into the wall. Pictures, letters, carved into the wall, large and distorted shapes.

　The big cat depicted is a picture of Pac, whose deformed form I have seen many times. Several pictures of Pac are carved into one side of the wall, and there are letters surrounding them.

　The messy, child-like writing was undoubtedly proof that the boy had tried his best for Emilia.

"Do your best, you can do it" "Puck and I are rooting for you, you'll be fine" "The girl I like is amazing! So have confidence in yourself!" "When this is over, let's go on a date, a date!" "Let's do it, Emilia" "No one has any expectations of us. Is there any other situation that's as fun to turn around as this?" "I love you, so I believe in you!"

"Idiot... idiot, idiot, idiot... Subaru, you idiot."

　She has to face the "trial" soon, and there are painful and difficult memories waiting for her, so pretending to cheer her on and trying to make her cry is terrible.

　I understand now.

　I realized something.

　It had been two days since Emilia last came here. She only had one day to carve these pictures and words.

　Subaru had been given time to leave Emilia's side, and what he had done during that time was something he stubbornly refused to talk about.

"--Yeah. That's right. Let's do it, Subaru."

　Touching the letters with her fingers lovingly, Emilia responded to the engraved words.

　The next moment, I felt my consciousness drift into a drowsy state and the contours of the world began to blur.

　"Trials" are coming.

　The past that I had feared so much was coming back.

　--And yet, a smile remained on Emilia's lips.

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"You broke your promise and wrote a love letter, and then someone else saw it first... It's all over..."

"That's an exaggeration..."

　Surrounding Subaru, who is having difficulty recovering from the shock, Garfiel and the others all look shocked.

　Even so, the group had no choice but to wait until Emilia showed up. It may sound good to say they had faith and were waiting, but it was also a trying time for those who were waiting, as they could do nothing else.

"It only took about an hour with Garfiel... so I guess it'll take about the same amount for Emilia."

「If it's successful, well... Ouch!? And then...?!」

　Otto insensitively butts in and is punished for his gaffe with an elbow from Ram. Seeing Otto being teased by Ram, Garfiel's cheeks contort with jealousy and he hits him on the head.

　Otto arches his back and rolls to the ground, but no one says anything.

"By the way, there was something I wanted to ask Garfiel and Lewes."

"Anything you'd like to ask me and Garbo?"

　Lewes, who had been standing there uncomfortably, raised her head at Subaru's words.

　Having disappeared since morning, Lewes has unintentionally cooperated with Subaru and his group in their plot to defeat Garfiel. She still seems unsure of how to interact with Garfiel, and the conversation between grandmother and grandson has been somewhat awkward for a while now.

　However, it is Lewes who is the one he is concerned about, and Garfiel does not seem to harbor any ill feelings towards her, including the fact that she has left her past behind.

"That's right. That's what I want to ask. Although, I'm not sure if I can ask you Lewes right now and understand what you're saying."

　By "now," I mean whether θ would understand if asked.

　Lewes is the representative of Sanctuary, an integrated existence of the four beings, Alpha, Beta, Theta, and Sigma. I'd like to think that along with the resolution of Garfiel's problem, Lewes's issues regarding whether or not to liberate Sanctuary have been resolved as well, but I need to confirm my intentions.

　Above all, there are still some points that don't make sense.

"Garfiel, you're now in favor of liberating the Sanctuary, right?"

"General, I'm not in favor of it. I lost to the generals. That's why I won't get in the way of their actions to liberate the 『Sanctuary』. As a result, I will act in a way that doesn't cause suffering to everyone in the changed 『Sanctuary』... that's my position now."

"Yes, that's the stance."

"Huh?"

　Subaru raised his finger to put a stop to Garfiel's argument.

　Garfiel had a puzzled look on his face, and the people around him were listening. Didn't anyone notice anything strange about what he was saying? Subaru was feeling uneasy.

"In the first place, when we first came to this 'Sanctuary', you were neither for nor against, you were neutral… you said something similar to what you're saying now, right?"

"...At that time, I thought that if the generals knew which side I was on, they would be wary of me."

"But they soon became wary. Maybe we made a mistake, or maybe we just stepped on the tiger's tail, but what was the reason for that change of heart?"

　It's really strange.

　At the very least, Garfiel had been outwardly friendly towards Subaru and the others until the first day that Emilia took the Trial.

　However, Garfiel always shows his hostility on the nights when Subaru fails the Trial. He declares his hostility due to the witch's miasma emanating from Subaru's body.

　However, it has already been proven that Garfiel's nose is in fact unable to detect the witch's miasma from Subaru's body. It is another person who notices the miasma surrounding Subaru, and Garfiel only chooses to become hostile after hearing this.

　And then he tells Garfiel about the miasma, turning him against him.

"I had assumed that you were Lewes, the one who was opposed to the liberation of the 'Sanctuary'."

"..."

　Looking down at the silent Lewes, Subaru raised his fingers on his crossed arms.

　The Lewes here was θ - in other words, according to Subaru's perception, he was the only replica of Lewes who was opposed to the liberation of the Sanctuary.

　As α and β were in favor and Σ was neutral, θ was the one who learned of the real Lewes Meyer's past during the Trials and saw the liberation of the Sanctuary as a danger. If this theory is to be supported, it's hard to imagine anyone other than θ prompting Garfiel to change his mind.

　Hearing Subaru's reasoning, Garfiel nodded with a sour look on his face.

"It's just as the general said. Granny told me to..."

"That's a misunderstanding, Su-bo. I would never say something like that to Gar-bo..."

　A chorus of voices tried to respond, but they all offered contradictory opinions.

　Subaru frowned in confusion as Garfiel and Lewes exchanged looks. Garfiel pointed at Lewes, who looked stunned and his mouth was opening and closing.

"W-what are you talking about? Didn't the old woman say it to me the first night that my sister took the Trial? She smelled a witch on the general, and that with my sister who's half-demon, those two must be the witch's servants... that's why, me."

"Such a thing, me...? No, it's true that I was aware of the miasma surrounding Su-bou, and I do have some thoughts about Emilia-sama's origins... but that's a different matter. I intend to follow the plot laid out by Rozu-bou before making a decision..."

"Wait! Wait, stop! Lewes just said that he doesn't know."

　Ryuzu denies Garfiel's words.

　Garfiel looked as if he found it hard to believe, but since Lewes' words came from Lewes' mouth, they were the truth.

　The residents of this ``Sanctuary'' have a contract that states they ``cannot lie'' while within the ``Sanctuary.''

"Apart from cases where the person himself doesn't recognize it as a lie, if Mr. Lewes at least categorically states that he "didn't do it," then it wouldn't be a lie."

"But I certainly am!"

"I'm not doubting you... I have to accept the fact that you can lie, Lewes-san. What you just said is your unanimous opinion, right?"

　Subaru asked, and Lewes nodded, her face pale.

　To affirm this would mean that regardless of Lewes's α, β, θ, or Σ, it was not Lewes who appealed to Garfiel to change his mind.

　However, Garfiel asserts that it was "Lewes" who caused his change of heart.

"――――"

　Subaru raised his head and looked at Garfiel.

　Garfiel clenched his teeth together, shaking his head from side to side, and there was no hint of deceit in his expression. To begin with, he was not suited to lying.

　Now that the veneer of the ``Barrier of Sanctuary'' that had been forming had been peeled away, this was even more noticeable.

"Ram"

"...I should tell you, there is no magic that can change one's appearance. Not even Roswaal-sama could do such a thing."

"So, what do you think this means?"

　Ram didn't reply to Subaru's question.

　Even she doesn't know the answer to this contradiction. However, Subaru is half convinced that this is a trap set by Roswaal. Or rather, he has no other choice.

"I'd like to wait here for Emilia to come out..."

　It had only been ten minutes since Emilia had entered the Tomb. Subaru wanted to be the first to welcome her with open arms as she emerged, having overcome the Trials. He wanted to congratulate her.

　But――

"Let's confront Roswaal. We need to find out what he's up to and why he's so refusing to give up."

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　--Emilia didn't know whether waking up from a dream world could be called an awakening of consciousness.

　The small stone room she had been in a moment ago. Released from the chamber of the Trial, Emilia's body was now in a nostalgic forest.

　Surrounded by tall trees, you can feel the cool breeze and the warm earth on the soles of your shoes.

　Numerous flashbacks of memories.

　As time passes during the "Trial", you will see the snowy scenery of a white forest.

　The spectacle hasn't even begun yet.

　No snow was falling in the forest, and the greenery was softly welcoming the return of Emilia, whose consciousness was still intact.

　and,

"Hello. We've had a lot of visitors these past few days."

　Holding her breath, as she checked where she was, the voice reached Emilia.

　With Emilia's arrival, the dream world takes shape. In a memory landscape that didn't even exist before, a person stands in the shade of a tree, as if it were natural for him to be there.

　The girl was dressed in all black from head to toe, with hair and skin as white as snow.

　A beautiful witch who seems to have explored beauty with the utmost clarity using just two colors.

　The one in charge of the Trials, and the owner of the tomb who shows Emilia her past - Echidna, the Witch of Greed.

　The Witch stood up, using the trunk of the tree she was leaning against as support, and tilted her head at Emilia.

　Emilia stared back at the witch from the front and gasped.

"Really, we welcome all kinds of guests. Welcome guests and unwelcome guests."

"..."

"How dare you come out with a brazen face after making such a disgrace out of yourself. Even I am amazed at your audacity and refusal to give up."

　Staring at Emilia, the Witch mercilessly attacks her with words mixed with malice and contempt.

　Those cold, frozen black eyes were nothing like the ones that always gazed upon Emilia with kindness. Emilia knew this because she had been the victim of so much unreasonable malice up until now.

　This was a malice on an entirely different level to the many malice Emilia knew.

　The malice Emilia had received up until now had been unjustified, directed at an idol with no substance: a silver-haired half-elf.

　However, the malice directed at her by this witch was different.

　This was absolute hostility directed not at the "silver-haired half-elf", but at "Emilia".

"You whore who, even when you cry after failure, is content to fawn on any man who will embrace you. You blasphemer who sullys my world again and again. You shameless immoral person who, again and again, loves the self that he forgives. --What do you say, Daughter of a Witch?"

"..."

　The verbal violence of these words had left Emilia emotionally distraught until recently.

　Although he didn't give up on the Trials by bowing to such malice, there is no doubt that this was the beginning of the wear and tear on his heart, weakening his ability to resist the past.

　The Witch does not wish for Emilia to undergo or overcome the Trial.

　The Witch does not expect Emilia to overcome the Trials.

"Nobody has any expectations of us. Is there any other situation that could be turned upside down and be as interesting as this?"

　I see, it's exactly as Subaru says.

　So Emilia raised her hand and pointed her finger towards the sky.

　Just like Natsuki Subaru does when it's time to make a defiant statement and summon up the courage inside his heart.

"My name is simply Emilia. I'm a frost witch born in the Great Elior Forest."

　When Emilia introduced herself, it was clear to see that the witch was displeased.

　Feeling pleased with this, Emilia pointed her finger at the Witch, reaching for the heavens.

"I won't succumb to the malice of a fellow witch. I'm a troublesome woman."