――There was one woman.

　The woman was emotional. She was always crying. Sensitive to pain, she continued to weep.

　The reason for her lamentation was simple; she could not forgive her own helplessness.

　Around the woman, battles, strife, and competition were always overflowing.

　No matter how many times she raised her voice, no matter how much she clung to others, her sorrow would never cease, regardless of her tears or screams. Thus, the woman cursed her fate.

　Cursing fate, she eventually realized that no matter how much she cried, it was in vain.

　What the woman next desired was only pure strength.

　Longing for the power to overwhelm others and sweep everything away, she pushed herself to her limits, suffering, striving to attain as much power as possible, pursuing supreme strength.

　What she needed was not a power to inflict harm, nor a power to steal.

　She sought an overwhelming strength that no one could catch up to. She believed that would end the fighting.

　The weeping woman wanted the power to stop crying.

　A battle where strength clashed cannot be ceased in her powerlessness.

　Her voice could not reach others. Her wishes would not come true. Her laments were brushed aside, and sorrow began to overshadow the sky.

　Why could others remain unfazed? Why could they injure others? Why could they continue living after being hurt? Why, why, why could they not see another path?

　”The children are crying. The elderly are crying. Men are crying. Women are crying. Everyone is crying. Yet, why—!!”

　To stop it, she desperately sought power.

　She honed herself, enduring any pain, and persevered with a steel will.

　Eventually, the woman reached it. The unparalleled power, an overwhelming state where no one could approach.

　Standing on the battlefield, the woman shouted loudly to stop the fighting.

　She suppressed all strength with power, crushed every lament with power, and smashed down all malice with power, racing only to stop the flowing tears.

　She punched those who wielded swords, kicked those who relied on magic, shattered those who bared their fangs, and crushed all those who sought battle.

　However, the more the woman resisted, the stronger she became, the more swords, magic, and fangs multiplied.

　It was like a spiral, a spiral of conflict.

　No one had an answer to sustain themselves other than opposing strength with strength.

　So no one knew there was a path other than fighting and winning.

　”Why—!!”

　Even the self that thought this was ultimately resorting to violence.

　Lowering her bloodied fists, gazing up at the heavens still smeared with the blood of others, the woman wailed.

　The fighting never ceases. All efforts and struggles are futile, and the tears of both sides will never stop.

　As despair finally settled in the heart of the woman, who had run without stopping, tears flowed down. They overflowed.

　It was not the hot tears that had streamed endlessly but the cold tears of powerlessness and disappointment.

　However, at the same time, another emotion surged.

　It darkly stained her heart, so much so that her vision turned bright red, and her head white with passion.

　She would learn the identity of that emotion while crying.

　She would come to know its name, the beginning of that emotion, and she would understand.

　She had not been crying out of sadness all along.

　She had merely been consumed by rage.

　The name of that emotion was anger—and no, people call it “Wrath.”

　Against a world that forces tears, against people who do not cease fighting, against the irrationality of life that will eventually end.

　――Let me deal a heavy blow.

　At some point, the woman stood up, brushed off the dirt from her knees, and began to run again.

　Diving right into the midst of those still fighting, she punched them square in the face and shouted.

　”Stop fighting. Look to the sky. Listen to the wind. Smell the flowers. Live with your family and loved ones.”

　For the first time, chaos stirred on the battlefield at the woman’s voice.

　Fists that could split the earth, kicks that could make the sky pound—these all allowed people to live.

　Wounds healed, screams ceased, knees buckled with warmth, and the meaning of fighting became void.

　Life returned to the ordinary, and the cries vanished from the battlefield.

　The tears of the people stopped. They gave thanks to the woman. They raised their voices, waved their hands, and laughed.

　Yet at that moment, the woman’s figure was nowhere to be found.

　It was only natural.

　The woman still had things to do. There was no time to look back or reason to stop.

　She sought a world where no one cried, where there was no conflict, and where nothing was taken.

　Running, running, continuing to run, the woman kept throwing her punches.

　Until all tears finally ceased. Until the hot droplets that moist her cheeks would stop.

　――The “Witch of Wrath” burned with anger towards sadness, and kept running and running.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

「――――」

　Once again, Subaru returned to reality after discovering another book of the deceased.

　What flowed in from the opened book was only a small part of the battlefield where the person recorded in the book had raced through and the beliefs they had upheld in life.

　Even knowing that――,

「…It’s heavy」

　A feeling as if shapeless lead was accumulating inside his chest weighed down on him.

　A human’s life, regardless of who they are, is one second is one second, one minute is one minute, one year is one year. There is no measuring stick for the density of that life, and thus, time flows equally always.

　Such a long accumulation of time cannot be conveyed through mere sentences inscribed on thin paper, nor through the transference of memory using specialized techniques.

　Still, even if it is merely the surface, Subaru needed to endure so as not to be dragged in by the consciousness flowing in.

　Because human footprints are that immense and heavy.

「Subaru, are you okay?」

「…Yeah, I’m fine. Just, felt a bit lightheaded.」

「That’s not being fine…」

　As Subaru closed the book and returned it to the shelf, Emilia watched him with concern. Winking one eye at her gaze, he pointed at the book he just put back.

「I found another witch’s book. This one’s from one of the better ones among witches, though still a bit odd.」

「Odd one… Sekhmet?」

「That one’s definitely a weirdo. Wait, you know about Sekhmet?」

　Emilia must have encountered Echidna during the tea party at the “Sanctuary,” but he hadn’t heard whether she had connections with other witches, and had thought maybe Echidna hadn’t introduced the other five to her. Thus, it was surprising for Subaru to hear Sekhmet’s name come from Emilia.

　The “Witch of Sloth,” Sekhmet, who had unkempt red-purple hair, was a self-indulgent woman but was surprisingly one of the more sensible witches despite her behavior.

「If you know Sekhmet, what about the other witches? Like Minerva from this book?」

「Um, sorry. I’ve only met Echidna and Sekhmet in the graveyard. I haven’t spoken much with Sekhmet either.」

「I see. Not that it matters. Even if I did happen to know someone, I wouldn’t really want to see them.」

　Seeing Emilia sulking, Subaru let out a wry smile and lightly tapped the side of the bookshelf.

　The bookshelf encasing the memories of the deceased was made of a mysterious material, whether wood or iron, and didn’t budge even under Subaru’s touch.

　Currently, the group vandalizing the third-layer “Taygeta” was aware that the countless books housed in the shelf awakened the memories of the deceased and were diligently continuing their search.

　But what were they searching for? That was quite simple.

「That said, where on earth are the stairs leading to the upper floors?」

「As of now, we have zero clues…」

　Both Emilia, furrowing her brow, and Subaru, tilting his head in the opposite direction, sighed.

　What had everyone gathered here puzzled over was not the next question to be posed after surpassing the third-layer “Taygeta’s” “Trial,” but rather the location of the stairs to challenge the second-layer at all.

　The white space that the Monolith had deployed disappeared, and the grand library of “Taygeta” had opened.

　Thanks to that, they arrived at a space where one could touch the memories of the deceased, which could entice people but—

「Honestly, it has very little to do with us right now.」

　The information they desired, drawn from the memories of the deceased that matched a face and name, and actively choosing that was going to take a vast amount of time and luck.

　Neither of which could currently be expected. Of course, Subaru had no confidence even in saying that luck was on his side.

「So I figure the information we seek should be above us.」

「Yet we can’t go up. I even tried jumping on top of the shelves, but it didn’t work.」

「Emilia-tan, you’re pretty bold…」

　Pointing at the ceiling, Emilia recollected how she had just demonstrated her earlier attempt.

　In her frustration in searching for stairs going up, she jumped onto the tallest shelf, the outer edge of the circular bookshelves, given that the structure of the “Taygeta” library sloped up from the center. However, even then she couldn’t reach the ceiling.

　Incidentally, when she jumped on top of the shelf, Emilia’s short skirt had swayed rather boldly, yet for some reason, it moved in such a way that the inside was not visible.

　In response to Subaru’s indirect remark about that, Emilia touched the hem of her skirt.

「Pack taught me. Umm, it was a rather ladylike self-defense technique… right? So I always keep that in mind.」

「I’ve got mixed feelings about whether to praise or blame Pack for that. …Well, anyway.」

　It was clear that forcing their way to the upper floors physically was not going to work, as Emilia had already failed at it.

　In other words, the stairs would require some kind of gimmick or method to appear—just like the appearance of the library gates. It seemed that getting to the upper floors took quite a bit of effort.

　If the architect, Flugel, had thought that through, it was rather malicious.

「I wish I could see that person’s face… Though frankly, their own appearance is also a mystery.」

「――Subaru, may I have a word?」

　Subaru was approached from behind by a voice just as he grumbled in annoyance. It was Julius, who had been rummaging through the opposite side of the library. Seeing him walk over with Anastasia next to him, Subaru raised a hand.

「Hey, did you find something?」

「Unfortunately, there’s been no harvest. Since the first volume, I haven’t been able to unearth a book with a familiar name. It seems you’re in the same boat.」

「Not quite. Subaru was proudly wandering after finding another volume. Right, Subaru?」

「Well, since Emilia-tan is bragging, that’s correct.」

「I see. Keep caring for yourself.」

　Julius lightly touched the slightly bruised temple of Subaru and nodded. While those two exchanged semantics, Emilia joined in, saying,

「But, Julius and the others haven’t found the stairs either. Honestly, this is so super problematic.」

「I sympathize with Lady Emilia’s heart… However, if this library truly records the names of every deceased person from the past to the present, it is quite a task for just the four of us. It would require much more manpower, to the point where a nation should rally.」

　When citing the lack of personnel, Julius proposed that with a serious demeanor.

　Subaru held no particular opposition to Julius’ statement. The Augria Sand Dunes had already been conquered, so merely reaching the watchtower required passing through the beast’s den. That alone would certainly still pose a great adventure—

「Compared to before, the road to the tower has been opened almost completely. Considering the value of making effective use of this enigmatic library, there’s merit in reporting to the kingdom.」

「The historical value is certainly immense. …Your beloved history-related moths should significantly be satiated here.」

「That’s merely a secondary element.」

　Quickly retorting to Subaru’s interjection, Julius fell silent after a moment. However, he soon sighed, closed his eyes, and said,

「To say I’m not at all looking forward to that would be a lie. I apologize for that. I have my own selfish desires.」

「Hey, don’t be so gloomy. What’s wrong with acting out of self-interest? If that’s going to lead to some grand reflection, what about me, who always acts with a zero percent ulterior motive?」

　Essentially, Subaru always expected returns and didn’t believe he could move on pure mission. It was always about his own benefit; that was Subaru’s doctrine and policy.

　And that was precisely why he couldn’t approach the splendid knightly imagery of Reinhardt or Julius.

「There’s no need to consciously try to distance yourself from it. After all, as far as my memories go, the reason Anastasia wants to be the king was pretty selfish, wasn’t it? Am I wrong?」

「Nuh-uh, that’s not wrong. For me, I want to be king so I can satisfy my desires. That’s all. Anyway, it ends up benefiting those around me.」

　Anastasia laughed, not taking offense at Subaru’s rude or blunt remarks. Then she touched her fur collar and stroked it, saying,

「But still, it’s interesting that someone like Julius and I are becoming a master and servant. I find that quite curious, but what do you think, Emilia?」

「Personally, I’m grateful that our other groups aren’t aligning because that keeps us from splitting up over musical differences… Ouch! Emilia-tan, that hurts!」

「Don’t say mean things. —I don’t properly understand about Anastasia and the others compared to before, so I can’t make careless comments. But regardless of how noble the other person is, I’ll do my best my own way, together with my knights.」

　While clutching Subaru’s sleeve with the phrase “my knights,” Emilia puffed her chest with pride. Her profile filled Subaru’s heart, and he let out a long breath from his nose.

「I might be pathetic, but I won’t lose.」

「Pathetic is a term we rarely hear these days… Ouch! Ouch!」

　Just as he made a joke, Subaru got pinched by Emilia. The two’s playful banter seemed to leave Julius and Anastasia drained of any poisoned atmosphere.

　Especially Julius, who no longer had the introspective demeanor he carried just before now, said,

「…Sometimes, I truly become fearful of you both. I can’t discern how much is serious and how much is not.」

「I may be an exception, but Emilia-tan is mostly serious and earnest. That’s what makes her cute, right?」

「I’ll keep that in mind.」

　So as Julius tilted his chin, their digression finally came to a stop. Instead, it was Anastasia who pulled the conversation back to the main topic by clapping her hands.

「So then, let’s return to the aforementioned discussion… since we’re short of manpower, it might be better to bring someone in from outside, right?」

「Yes, that’s correct. For now, the majority of our concerns regarding the dunes have lessened, and we could potentially allow a large-scale investigative team into the tower. Not just limited to the upper floors, if we could make some discovery within this library…」

「That being said, I really feel quite nervous.」

「Nervous, you say?」

　Cutting off the earnest Julius, Anastasia gently shook her head. Seeing her knight furrow his brow at her answer, Anastasia raised a finger and said,

「When more people come in, I welcome that, too. Just even roaming through this library is tough. Especially since I’m short, just looking at the shelves hurts my neck.」

　She tapped on her nape as she said, “But,” and continued,

「But I seriously doubt if that many can enter the tower.」

「――――」

「The essence of commerce is to think from the other’s perspective. Well, that basic principle applies beyond commerce and is useful in any kind of situation. So let’s think accordingly.」

「Think from the other’s perspective? But who the heck are you talking about?」

「The person who built this tower, prepared the “Trial,” and placed Shaula here… The feelings of that person. Thinking from their perspective should shed some light, right?」

「Are you saying they have a bent character?」

「I believe they are very twisted.」

　Subaru curled his lips, his sentiment mirroring Anastasia’s nodding agreement.

　Her words seemed almost factual.

　If indeed someone malicious was attempting to increase this tower’s difficulty…

「Shaula! I have a question for you. Get over here.」

「Master? Yes, yes, I’m coming right away!!」

　Calling out loudly to Shaula on the other side of the bookshelf, the eager reply came, and immediately, a figure leaped high into view. It was Shaula.

　With both arms outstretched, her long ponytail swayed as she rushed towards Subaru’s chest with a beaming smile and—

「Master!」

「Whoops!」

「Nghh!」

　With her excessive momentum, Subaru managed to barely sidestep the impending embrace using exquisite bodily movement.

　In an instant, Shaula who couldn’t halt barreled into the ground, landing on her hands and feet as she glared at him resentfully.

「Ugh, Master, you’re so mean!」

「No, I didn’t avoid that because of you, but your momentum was ridiculous, so it was reflexive.」

「So if I came up slowly, would you hug me?!」

「Eh? No way!」

「Why not?! What about me is so unsatisfactory?! I’m so glamorous! I’m such a b*tch!」

「A b*tch, you say? Well, that’s why.」

　Shaula, sulking with clear discontent over Subaru’s responses, suddenly, from her position of pouting, two girls walked over.

　Beatrice and Meily, though they seemed an unlikely pair, was indeed rare.

　It was as if Subaru’s thoughts were on display, for Beatrice noticed and shifted slightly away from Meily.

　Though Petra also looked similar to Beatrice in age (visually), she treated Petra differently compared to Meily, who was originally sent as some kind of assassin and got involved with the Forbidden Library and the mansion burning down.

「If you keep being shy like that, you’ll never make any friends.」

「What are you suddenly saying? Besides, Shaula took over halfway, so I couldn’t even have a proper conversation.」

「Ah, my bad for cutting into your conversation. Did you find anything?」

「…Not particularly. And when I think it over, it might not have even been worth talking about. Yeah, it was probably nothing.」

「――?」

　Beatrice turned away, coldly dismissing Subaru’s question with an indifferent pout.

　Feeling a bit alienated by her slightly stubborn demeanor, Subaru thought it would be quicker to concern himself with Shaula, who was recovering from her earlier tumble.

　Having once been sprawled out on the ground, Shaula stood back up using only her abs, stretching, and said,

「Well, my Master being mean isn’t the start of something new. Let’s pull ourselves together. My remarkable ability to bounce back is my charm.」

「That’s definitely something helpful. By the way, Shaula, may I ask you something?」

「What is it? I don’t easily get charmed by people who aren’t my Master!」

「Though you are indeed a charming woman, I’d rather not ask you out to lunch just yet. —I’d like to confirm a few things regarding the circumstances surrounding this tower instead.」

　In making a declaration of being uncharacteristically resistant to the advances of a b*tch, Julius elegantly redirected the conversation. Shaula seemed momentarily taken aback by that response, then promptly replied,

「Oh, sure!」

「Thank you. Then first off… do you know where the stairs to the second layer are?」

「The stairs to the second layer, huh? Well… I dunno! I’ve never been above the third layer! No clue!」

「That’s quite a shocking statement.」

　If her self-reporting was to be believed, Shaula was supposed to have spent around four hundred years in the watchtower.

　If she had been entirely focused on watching over the dunes without even taking time to explore her own watchtower during that period, that was indeed an excessive loyalty without question.

　To be honest, it was a mixed bag being thought of as a “master” by Subaru.

「Julius, could I ask something?」

　At that point, it was Anastasia’s turn to direct a question at Shaula. As the knight proceeded, Anastasia reflected her azure gaze back at Shaula.

「You are the guardian of the Great Library of Pleiades, right? Not just this watchtower?」

「Exactly!」

「I see. Then my assumption would be… maybe four? No, five, I think?」

　Raising her right hand, five fingers stood tall as Anastasia made her claim. Seeing the gesture and statement, Shaula blinked in confusion, unable to interpret the intent behind.

　But,

「—The five hidden rules that Shaula is following to protect the tower. Aren’t they five?」

「――――」

　Anastasia’s gentle smile caused Shaula to gasp in horror for the first time.

　Her widened eyes and startled shoulders blinked remarkably, confirming that Anastasia’s suspicions were, in fact, true.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

「Anyway, I wasn’t really keeping secrets. I just didn’t say anything because no one asked. I want that to be noted.」

「Just get to the point. Tell us everything.」

　After being uncovered by Anastasia, Shaula stammered in panic, only to be cut off by Subaru bending down on urgency.

　In response to his firm approach, Shaula pressed her fingertips together nervously.

「Just as a premise, if you all tried to secretly leave this tower, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.」

「That escalated quickly?!」

「It’s not like I want to do it! Just a hypothetical! It’s that, this is something I cannot defy!」

　After an unexpected declaration of opposition, Subaru widened his eyes, but Shaula flimsy shook her head instead. Crouching down, she hugged her knees, compressing her ample bosom against them.

「Me? Kill my Master? That’s impossible! I’d be the one to die instead. It’s just too hard…」

「If it’s that troublesome, just refuse… You’re not about to say something like ‘contract,’ are you?」

　Having a gloomy sensation run through him, Subaru ventured to utter that word to Shaula.

　From the very beginning, if he had just considered Shaula’s identity, it would probably have occurred to him. Being in the watchtower for over four hundred years, the guardian of the sealed shrine for witches instead of the “Sage.”

　Being assigned such a long-lasting role, she must have gone through centuries obediently following orders, —one’s lifespan and essence does not measure as a normal human’s.

「Are you a spirit, just like Beatrice?」

　Bound for four hundred years, Beatrice had bemoaned her time confined to the Forbidden Library due to nonsensical circumstances.

　If Shaula too had been waiting for centuries, taking down anyone approaching the watchtower while looking for someone who could meet her conditions, then she might be the same kind of being as Beatrice!

「That’s not the case! I can’t be lumped together with spirits or those airy types! No way! Hard pass! …Eek, everyone’s suddenly looking scary!」

「You’ve got about eight people here closely tied to spirits!」

　After all, including immature humans, there were three spirit users, and amongst them was also a girl who was a spirit herself, with a person currently being possessed by an unofficial spirit. The only ones unrelated might be the demon sisters waiting downstairs and Meily, who was gazing mischievously at Shaula for some reason.

　Shaula’s statements weren’t particularly agreeable to that group.

　But,

「If that’s the case, what are you? If you’re not a spirit, then there’s no need to go so far in preserving the contract.」

「What are you talking about, Subaru? Whether I’m a spirit or not, if a promise is made, it must be kept! Promises are important! Now repeat after me!」

「No, I might be in the wrong, but that’s just the way words work…」

「Promises are important! Say it!」

「Promises are important, promises are important, promises are important.」

　Receiving an unexpected reprimand from Emilia, Subaru repeated those words three times to gain her forgiveness.

　Anyway, aside from this humorous exchange between Subaru and Emilia, Shaula’s obstinate stance remained quite perplexing beyond comprehension.

　It felt implausible that she was just stubbornly committed to something out of duty.

「What’s currently important is what you’ve been commanded to do. Your tendency to stray from the topic is your terrible habit. You should be mindful of that.」

「As if I’m at fault for everything… Fine! I’ll take responsibility! I’ll take the blame! Just spit it out!」

「Ah, you’re throwing a tantrum! But that’s why you’re my Master! Just spill!」

　As Subaru emotionally pressed her, Shaula clapped her hands in delight. And then, with a more formal demeanor, she began with,

「So, what I am commanded is simple enough. First, all challengers of the Great Library of Pleiades will definitely not be allowed to leave.」

「That’s an immediate dead-end!」

「Don’t worry! There’s a proper exit! But you’ve got to finish the trial in the Great Library and reach the first floor of “Maia,” and then you’ll be all right! All clear!」

　With a thumbs-up and an earnest thumbs-up, Shaula reinforced her agenda.

「By the way, if you break this condition, I will turn into a bloodthirsty killing machine, and all promises with my Master will be void! I’ll take you down!」

「You put a high priority on that over my promises. That hurts!」

「Wow, successfully hurting my Master must mean my skills have improved! This is evolution for sure! The culmination of four hundred years!」

「That’s irony!」

「Me too!」

　They engaged in a sharp retort, and then Shaula raised two fingers, rhythmically waving them as she said, “Next up!”

「I’m tired of this, so let’s speed up. One, exiting without finishing the trial is prohibited. Two, violating the trial’s rules is prohibited. Three, disrespecting the library is prohibited. Four, acts of destruction against the tower itself are prohibited. Five… uh, five is… uh, none!」

「Four rules total… but—」

　The way Shaula’s words trailed off as if fragmentary caused Emilia to turn her head thoughtfully back towards Subaru and the others. Her concerns and anxiety were shared by Subaru as he nodded.

　While Shaula’s assertions generally fell within what could be easily managed, there seemed to be several points of concern. The most significant aspect being—

「The rule about prohibiting violation of the trial’s rules seems particularly concerning.」

「It suggests there are rules hidden from us.」

　Subaru pondered with his hand on his chin, and Julius appeared to share the same opinion.

　Regarding the “Trial” of the third layer “Taygeta,” at least with regard to the problems presented by the Monolith, Subaru and the others had yet to receive pointers about noteworthy rules.

　At most, they suffered disqualification the moment they touched the wrong Monolith—

「Rules, stipulations… just that sounds like a dreadful prospect.」

「…During the trial in the graveyard, failing would prevent another attempt until the next day. It seems somewhat similar to having a redo of the earlier “trial,” but perhaps…」

　There Emilia paused her words, biting her lip as if hesitating. Her trembling purplish-blue eyes glanced timidly towards Subaru, who nodded in response.

「If you thought of something, please share; I would never mock you for it.」

「Okay, understood. Well, Subaru and Anastasia were also saying, but the person who built this tower seems really cruel… right?」

「Your choice of words is lovely, but yes. What of it?」

　After a recent exchange that felt like a repeat, Emilia finally added,

「About the location of the stairs, perhaps—」

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

「Honestly, that guy who built this tower is the absolute worst!!」

　Standing before the long, high stairs leading to the second layer “Electra,” Subaru unleashed an outpour of pent-up frustration.

　The hidden location of the stairs to the second layer, as Emilia had surmised—

「It might appear in the fourth layer or fifth layer, places we haven’t yet seen!」

　A mixed bag of emotions swept over Subaru, feeling both elated and complicated by Emilia’s words.

　Her guess hit right on the mark, as the stairs leading to the second layer had indeed appeared adjacent to the green room where Ram and Rem were waiting on the fourth layer—the empty space right next to it.

“`

 

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