--A white-haired girl was sitting in the middle of the classroom, tilting her head to the side.
Receiving her gaze, Subaru quickly confirmed that there was no one else in the room. He stepped half his body out into the hallway and checked both ends of the hallway again - once he had accepted the complete lack of people, he scratched his head and sighed.
"First, there's something I want to tell you."
"Yes, let's hear it. What are you thinking, what are you thinking, and what will you tell us? I'm very interested in that."
"That uniform suits you."
Subaru pointed at the witch, whose eyes were shining with curiosity, and commented. Hearing this, the witch looked puzzled for a moment, then burst out laughing uncontrollably.
"Haha, thank you. If you think so, it was worth it for me to recreate it from your memory. It's the outfit that's most vivid in your memory, and the one you've seen the most times. Maybe it's your favorite?"
The girl, Echidna, stood up from her seat, grabbed the edge of her grey skirt and spun around on the spot. Her shoulder-length white hair swayed in response to her movement, and her excited appearance made her look like a girl her age.
She wore a grey skirt and a dark blue blazer. The red ribbon decorating her chest indicated that she was in the same year as Subaru, and the contrast with the white shirt she was wearing underneath was vivid and dazzling.
But if you have any dissatisfaction,
"I prefer long skirts to short ones. The longer you can look at them, the more your imagination is stimulated."
"I see. Then next time, I'll make sure to wear a long skirt so that I can live up to your expectations even if you flip me over."
"There's no opportunity for that! Also, it's not like everyone wears the uniforms because I like them. It's the rule here to dress like that. It's the same for the Royal Guard knights."
Echidna chuckled, her hand over her mouth, and it seemed as though she was only taking Subaru's excuses with half a grain of salt, and even if she asked for more, it didn't look like she was going to get the answer she wanted.
Shrugging, Subaru pulled out his chair, which was located at the back of the classroom - the second from the back by the window, in an awkward position, and sat down heavily.
The feel of the hard wooden chair. Alphabet carved into the edge of the desk by a previous user. The desk legs that creaked when he put his weight on them to sleep. The inside of a rusty drawer. All of these were fragments of the everyday life that Subaru had grown quite distant from.
"I thought you'd be more surprised."
"If you really wanted to hide it, you should have put a bit more effort into the background. It's not often that there's not a single soul on the way here, or on the way to school."
Even taking into consideration that it was a weekday afternoon, there were hardly any people along the path Subaru walked, as if everything in the world had been cut out except for what Subaru needed.
"It was a world that was too convenient for me. But I can only say that it serves you right that you didn't get to be what you wanted."
"No no, that's fun too. Trying something and getting results is what makes me happy. The outcome doesn't really matter at this point. Of course, if you take into account whether it leads to something later on, then the story is a little different."
Echidna, whose plan should have been foiled, said this without any sour grapes as she shook her raised hand from side to side. Seeing that there was no trace of any genuine negativity in her voice, Subaru tried to hold back the urge to click his tongue in his mind,
"So, what is this world? I remember that I entered your tomb during the "Trial" or whatever it was, and then..."
"You have qualified and entered. Naturally, the 'Trial' has just begun for you as well. Didn't you hear? First, face your past."
Confirming Subaru's imagination, Echidna clasped her hands behind her back and walked slowly towards him. The beautiful girl's hair swayed in the wind, and in the classroom with the refreshing cool breeze blowing in, she blended in seamlessly in her uniform.
Subaru felt as if each of her casual actions were a trap to entangle his heart, so he consciously averted his gaze from her.
"Everyone has regrets about the past. If you live each day, there is no one who doesn't have regrets. Today you regret yesterday, and yesterday you regret something even further back, and tomorrow you will surely regret today. --Humans have the ability to regret."
"Don't think so pessimistically. Isn't it part of the human function to turn that regret into reflection, to use yesterday's reflection to make today work, and to use today's reflection as a breakthrough for tomorrow?"
"--that's right!"
Subaru instinctively leans back as Echidna claps her hands, drawing her face closer. However, she doesn't care and leans forward to follow Subaru's retreating face, drawing her black eyes close enough for him to breathe,
"It's just a game of words, a slight difference in thinking. But the answer is very different depending on whether you are pessimistic or optimistic about the past. Most people are pessimistic about the past, looking back on only the bad memories they remember, and denying the path they have walked. And they hate to see those things that they have denied, so they put a lid on it and pretend they never happened."
"Hey, your face is...too close..."
"It can't be helped. The me of yesterday was absolutely more ignorant than the me of today. The me of today knows absolutely less than the me of tomorrow. Even in terms of the total amount of knowledge, even the number of memories, the past is inferior to the present and the future. That's a fact!"
Echidna continued her passionate speech without noticing that Subaru was intimidated. Then she suddenly pulled away and slammed the desk with both hands,
"Therefore, when one faces the past, or encounters a past that one must face, one becomes lost, confused, lamented, suffered, grieved, and despaired, and then one arrives at an answer. If that answer is arrived at after that, then I will affirm it, whatever the answer may be. Whether it is an answer arrived at by turning one's back, or an answer obtained by reaching out forward, there is no doubt that it is proof that one has overcome the past."
"Is that the purpose of this Trial?"
"Exactly. You have to face your past and come up with some kind of answer to that past. If you are afraid of coming up with an answer, are reluctant to do so, and just keep scratching your head, you will never be able to overcome the 'Trial'. However, if you can either affirm or completely deny your past, then I will send you off with admiration. That is the first 'Trial'."
Subaru nodded in understanding, and then Echidna suddenly seemed to come to her senses, her cheeks turning slightly red as she cleared her throat lightly, and,
"I, I got a little excited. I'm sorry for showing you such an unsightly side of me."
"I don't really mind. If my breath stinks, then it would be a different story, but luckily it was citrus. Anyway..."
Feeling moved at seeing something unusual in the embarrassed Echidna, Subaru pulled his chair over and leaned forward to sit,
"If what you said is the condition for overcoming the 'Trial', then can I say that I have overcome the 'Trial'?"
"I was able to see the whole thing... and I think we got a good enough result."
Placing her hand over her chest, Echidna took a deep breath, as if savoring the rich aroma of the black tea, and with a look of great satisfaction on her face,
"You have provided an answer to both the symbol of past trauma and the object of past guilt. For that, I would like to send you off with praise."
"The whole story... so, did you also see me crying with a runny nose?!"
"When you said 'I'm sorry' my eyes started to water too."
"Shut up! Don't tell anyone, it's embarrassing!"
It would be no fun if the scene where he separated from his father and showed so much emotion was played out in a gimmick. Above all, it would be an insult to the feelings of Subaru and Kenichi at that moment.
Whether she understood our feelings or not, Echidna continued to giggle and maintain her cheerful demeanor.
"My only regret is that I wasn't able to experience more of the anguish you felt as you faced your past."
"Huh?"
"I like to find an answer, but I think there's a praise of knowledge in the process of struggling to find that answer. I was looking forward to seeing you struggle and find the answer after all that…"
She glanced at Subaru from the side, narrowing her eyes as if peering deep into his dark eyes,
"Unfortunately, it seems that this 'trial' started a little too late for you to enjoy it. It seems that it occurred after you had come to an answer for the negative feelings you had about your past."
"Ah... I see. If that's the case, then I'm sorry for your loss."
Understanding the reason for Echidna's disappointment, Subaru let out a deep breath.
Her desired way of facing the "Trials" was for Subaru to reunite with his parents, the origins of his past trauma, and become aware of his weaknesses as he spends his days and time with them, agonize over it, come to an answer as to whether to run away or face it, and then come to a conclusion and come here.
But to do that, Subaru already had
"Someone called me a hero, even though I was hopelessly useless. I didn't have to face my past at this point, I just accepted my own worthlessness."
"In a different form to resignation, you see. As long as I'm not happy that my expectations have been thwarted, then I'll be happy. If you meet that girl outside, I want you to tell her that the witch was complaining about her."
Subaru was about to joke that that wasn't a terrifying threat when he suddenly noticed something Echidna had said that didn't make sense.
"You said earlier that you were recreating it based on my memories… but if you've looked inside my head, don't you know that's who you said that to?"
Or perhaps, rather than noticing something, she was clinging to it. Even if it was just because she had seen inside Subaru's head, perhaps there was someone who could learn about Rem, who had been lost from that world, her appearance, the existence of that adorable girl. However,
"I know it's bad that people have high expectations of me, but even I, who am greedy, can draw the line between what is right and wrong. I've absorbed the information necessary for this Trial, but everything else is untouched. What's so interesting about just extracting and stealing knowledge? I have no intention of throwing away the enjoyment of listening to you tell me stories."
What came back was a kind of witch pride that Subaru could not understand.
Echidna's beliefs, or perhaps it was just her audacious theory, but when she retorted like that, Subaru had no words to say. However,
"You've only extracted the parts necessary for this Trial... then why did you extract the uniform..."
"Of course, I only extracted that information because it was necessary to recreate this school building. I never extracted it in the hope of discovering the unknown scenery of another world, wondering what the girls living there were dressed like, or wondering if it would suit me."
"Are you, by any chance, a smart idiot?"
Subaru sighed at Echidna's terse response and shook his head.
Indeed, it seems that I won't get the answer I'm hoping for from her. And I've become certain of it. That is,
"There's no need to ask, but this world is..."
"Yes, that's right. This is a fictional world that has been recreated as faithfully as possible based on your memories. So of course—your real parents are probably worried about their missing son, with no idea where you are or what you're doing."
"――――"
"I may have brought some information that you didn't know… but were you really unaware of it? Can you be certain that you have never seen the letter sent by a mutual acquaintance of your father and mother? Have you never met an old person who knew your father from his childhood? Have you really never imagined your father to be different from the one you had in mind?"
Echidna continued speaking in rapid succession. "Alternatively," she continued,
"Did you really think that you were able to hide the inner thoughts that you thought no one knew? Did you have the confidence somewhere that you were able to tightly seal away your true feelings, that you wanted people to know and make your feelings easier for you, without letting them leak out from every corner of your daily life? But even so, can you be certain that you didn't have the selfish desire to be loved by your fictional father and mother?"
Echidna leans closer to the silent Subaru, and finally her whispering voice tickles his heart. Then, close enough to feel his breath on her,
"That seems too ideal, too convenient -- don't you think?"
"――――"
Echidna smiled sweetly as she gently dug into Subaru's heart with her soft fingertips.
Unlike her previous smile, which had seemed somehow appropriate for her age, this smile was endlessly sinister, and seemed the very image of a ``witch'' in the legends.
Her words penetrated his mind, and Subaru closed his eyes tightly. Behind his closed eyelids, the last images of his father and mother that he had seen appeared in that pitch black world――
"Don't go insulting my parents just to get revenge for something that didn't work out, witch."
"...what?"
"I told them all my answers. My mom and dad accepted them. I told them all the things I hadn't been able to say, and they told me to do my best. They told me to take care of myself."
Subaru stood up from his chair, put his hands on the desk, and butted his forehead against Echidna, who had leaned in close. Seeing the witch's black eyes widen in shock,
Subaru: "That voice, that smile, everything, everything, it was way beyond what I could have imagined. ーーMy parents are not something that can be contained in my imagination. Don't underestimate them."
"――――"
"I told my mom and dad everything. And then I came back after settling things. I won't be fooled by your words."
Subaru pushed the Witch back with the blow of his forehead, then slumped back in his chair. He crossed his legs roughly and leaned back, looking up at Echidna.
Echidna looked taken aback by Subaru's attitude,
"Seriously... You're such a pain to make the witch cry, not even showing any signs of worrying about whether the answer you came up with is right or wrong. Truly, you're amazing."
"I get embarrassed when I'm praised. What's more, I'm the kind of kid who grows when praised, so I'll grow even more."
"You're still talking... alas, but that's enough. More than enough. I'm pleased that we have such a firm answer that it won't be shaken."
Echidna shook her head in resignation and smiled, then turned the chair in front of Subaru towards her and sat down,
"The 'Trial' is truly over. You narrowly escaped the witch's clutches. I commend you for that… before I go back, I'd like to ask you anything you wish to know."
"I see, then I'll have one for now."
"Yeah, just say it."
Echidna nodded. Subaru pointed his finger straight at her,
"You said you had nothing to do with the Trials, right? …How so?! It's not like you were heavily involved, you're the ringleader. What do you mean you weren't involved? How dare you tell me such a hundred lies!"
"I think it would be extremely careless and unguarded to take a witch's words at face value. I told you when we parted ways that I'm a wicked witch."
"Oh, I see. Then I have no interest in hearing anything that wicked witch has to say. Will this break the seal on the Sanctuary?"
"I think it's really good that you changed your mind in the second half, and didn't care about appearances. Unfortunately, this won't be the end of the Trials. There are three Trials in total. If you've overcome this first Trial, then I don't think the next one will be that difficult."
Echidna brushed off Subaru's infuriated energy and replied nonchalantly with three fingers held up. Subaru responded by muttering to himself, "Three, huh...?"
"In any case, the seal on the Sanctuary needs to be broken. It can be broken even if I clear the Trials. I can guarantee that, right?"
"That's why I gave you the qualifications. Of course. Whether it's you or any of the other half-humans who qualify, if you overcome the 'Trial' I will bless you with the release of the 'Sanctuary'. In return, how do you overcome the remaining two 'Trials'? I look forward to seeing your answer."
Seeing Echidna nod in affirmation, Subaru replied, "Is that so?" and stood up.
That was the last thing I wanted to ask her. There was nothing to be gained by staying longer in this fictional world. Although the nostalgic feeling was still lingering behind me, I had finished saying goodbye to the thing I most regret.
Even if, as the witch had said, it was only temporary.
"Hey, Echidna."
"What is it? Perhaps you want me to give you one last punch? Well, I am aware that I deserved it. If that's what you want, I'm not saying I won't accept it. However, I am a girl after all. If possible, I'd prefer you avoid hitting my face..."
"Thanks."
"――――"
Echidna, who had been giving a lengthy and pointless explanation, was left speechless by Subaru's words.
Seeing her attitude, Subaru felt something good for the first time,
"Even if it wasn't real, even if the real them didn't understand, it's thanks to you that I was able to say what I wanted to say to them. Even if it was the result of your damn vulgar curiosity, I was able to meet people I thought I'd never see again, and say goodbye to them."
To the two of them who had always been discouraged by their helpless, small and pathetic appearance, he was able to look a little better, become a little more decent, and be a little prouder.
"For that alone, I am grateful. So thank you."
"...I find you so intriguing, so incomprehensible to a person like me. It's almost frightening."
Echidna looked at him with eyes that were neither a joke nor a lie, and even a genuine threat. Subaru gave her a smile, twisting the corners of his mouth, and said,
"The witch must be pretty weak-willed, catching a tiny guy like me. Anyway, where's the exit?"
"It's not difficult. The disappearance of this world has already begun. Nothing has been constructed properly apart from this building. If you leave the building, you should find yourself back in the original tomb."
"That's quite convenient. Well, see you after the next Trial."
Waving his hand, Subaru stood up and headed for the classroom exit. Feeling Echidna's gaze on his back, he walked out without looking back.
The world outside the window, where the blue sky should have spread, is starting to blur in the distance. The fictional world has completed its role and is disappearing into thin air.
His father, who had given him the push he needed, and his mother, who had seen him off, would also disappear along with the disappearance of this world. They would no longer be there, anywhere.
"...I've already learned all the important things."
Emotions welled up in his chest. Feeling a heat in the depths of his eyes, Subaru rubbed his eyelids hard with his sleeve. He then looked up, and there was no trace of tears in his eyes anymore.
Subaru just looked straight ahead, his feet heading towards the exit of this world that was ending.
As we head towards it, the world gradually turns white, becomes more distant, and then...
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"---He's gone, huh? My goodness, he's a lot tougher than I thought."
--The classroom after Subaru had left.
Echidna was left behind in a room filled with empty desks and chairs, her hands thrust into her bangs and happily leaning her weight against the desk.
Little by little, the world begins to collapse.
The world she had recreated based on her memories was now without anyone to rely on, and was turning back into fictional dust. Echidna could feel the world disappearing, but her consciousness was not directed at the air or the ground beneath her feet, which looked as if they were about to disappear at any moment.
Her attention was focused on one thing - in front of the blackboard, on the teacher's desk.
"I suppose that's what you'd expect from someone you care about."
"--To my that one to ...."
"You lock yourself away in your castle, and even when you do occasionally meet, you become scared and forget about me. How can you make such a bold claim when you're in such a poor state? I don't understand it."
"Extra thing, extra thing, extra thing, extra thing, extra thing, extra thing, extra thing, blow in, blow in, blow in, blow in, blow in, don't talk, don't talk, don't talk, don't talk, don't touch, don't touch, don't touch, don't touch, don't touch, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, I love you ...
The words that were spoken were completely aberrant, and Echidna frowned in disgust.
Right in front of her, in front of the desk, a single figure appeared - the shadow of a woman. She was wearing a jet black dress and had long, dancing silver hair. However, from the chest up, her face was completely covered by an ominous black shadow that could be called a curse, making it impossible to see her face.
However, given the words he speaks and the madness he exudes, it is horrifying to even imagine it.
After Subaru left the room, Echidna accepted the sudden presence as if it were the natural thing to do. It was as if she had known it would appear here.
"That's only natural, I suppose. I stepped right into the heart of the man I was so devoted to. I had intended not to invade your territory, but still… can't we all just be inviolable?"
"A single fingertip, a single layer of skin, a single cuticle of a nail, a single hair, a single grain of sweat, a single drop of saliva, a single word, a single breath, even a single fragment of emotion, all of it ..."
"So you're yours. Really, when I'm in front of you, I want to give up the name of 'Greed' too. I can't imagine going that far for one person."
"I love you, I ...
Therefore, 『Jealousy』 would never forgive Echidna for touching such a taboo.
The shadow took a step forward. With just that, the space she had been in was swallowed up and disappeared into the shadow. The front of the classroom, the wall where the blackboard was installed, and the third row of seats were all pulled into the witch's shadow and devoured.
Echidna managed to jump backwards and avoid damage, but as if chasing her, the shadow took the shape of an arm and stretched out, aiming for her neck. Faced with the fangs of the writhing jet-black snake, Echidna let out a sigh, and,
"I would be left with too many regrets if I were to be wiped out here, so I'll take a slightly sneaky approach--"
As Echidna said this and lowered herself slightly, the shadow that was supposed to be aiming for her throat was hit by the impact and sent flying.
The shadow's steps halted at the sight. In front of the shadow, with both hands hanging down, stood in the place where Echidna should have been.
"If you call me out so often, huh. I can't get any sleep, huh."
Sighing listlessly, sitting on the ground was a woman with purplish hair - a manifestation of Sekhmet, the "Witch of Sloth."
Kage confirms this, but decides not to change his mind and steps forward. However,
"Ha, what a waste."
The upper half of the shadow's body was thrown back as if by a tremendous impact.
The power of the blow caused the shadow to retreat, half of its body sinking into the darkness it had created. As a result, the shadow raised its head and raised its right arm, pointing it at Sekhmet.
Immediately, from the shadow that had engulfed half the classroom, black demonic hands were fired all at once, covering the entire field of vision. From all sides, the black shadows of death blocked everything―― but even those,
"I'm not telling you it's useless, haha."
All of the swirling black demonic hands vanished in an instant, and the aftermath, which never stopped, continued to strike the shadow's entire body. The shadow's body, vibrating from the impact, was pinned to the wall, and Sekhmet, looking up at it with a disinterested face, sat on the floor with her legs crossed, not moving a muscle.
But even so, Sekhmet's attacks continued to pound into the shadow's entire body, gradually beginning to shatter its dazed flesh.
Sekhmet looked at the sound of the impact and the writhing shadow, roughly scratching her hair.
"With most of your powers sealed away, haha. And on top of that, you're in a castle built by the evil Echidna, haha. With your natural strength being inferior, haha, there's no way you can defeat me, haha."
Sekhmet stifled a yawn. The blow stopped, and the defeated shadow collapsed to its knees - and then, an impact from above mercilessly slammed it into the ground.
Jealousy, sinking into the black shadow and disappearing, looked up at Sekhmet.
"Why why why why why why why me and me and me and me and his ...
"Hmm. --It's too much hassle to even answer."
With a harsh slam, Sekhmet shook her raised hand slightly.
At that moment, half of the school building collapsed from the impact, and the crumbling earth and rubble swallowed up the shadow of 『Jealousy』, sucking it into the depths of the earth.
The world has already begun to disappear, and if you fall that far into the depths there is no way to return.
"Why would I have to go through life even if it meant dying, huh? Do I have to deal with that again, huh?"
The world has been hastened to collapse by her own actions. In a corner of a classroom that is being lost, the "Witch of Sloth" slides her buttocks into a corner, trying to find a better place amid the crumbling world.
She leaned her back against the wall, feeling herself being pulled back by the ending of the world and the end of her role, and finally looked up at the sun outside the shattered window.
"It's hard to control things, huh. Witches and those bewitched by witches, huh."
Immediately after that melancholy sigh was let out, the world and its light disappeared.