After finishing his conversation with Frederica, Subaru stood in the hallway on the third floor of the mansion, where Roswaal’s office was located.

The heaviness in his head could either be due to the accumulated fatigue or the anxiety about how to cope with the difficult questions waiting ahead.

“And on top of that, I have no choice but to face it head-on…”

Rubbing his neck with his fingers, Subaru grimaced at the meager cards he held.

He thought he had gathered far more information than last time, but whether it would directly relate to the issues ahead was still unclear at first glance.

He had to piece together unseen puzzle pieces and fit them into the picture he was assembling, leading to an overwhelming sense of uncertainty filling his chest.

“Subaru-sama. What will you do?”

The voice calling out to the motionless Subaru was Frederica, who was quietly waiting beside him.

After the discussion in the parlor, Frederica accompanied Subaru. He responded to her question with a vague nod.

“It’s been quite a while since Frederica returned, yet I haven’t even seen Beatrice once… right?”

“Yes. Originally, she didn’t show her face much, but it’s been an entire absence this time. It’s rather embarrassing.”

“Nah, in this case, she’s just taken the hide-and-seek too seriously. It’s only natural Frederica couldn’t find her.”

In reality, if he seriously intended to locate Beatrice, who had genuinely vanished to the other side via “Door Crossing,” he would have to try every door linked to the Forbidden Library. If that was confined to the mansion, it would still be manageable, but recalling the instances when it connected to Araham Village or the “Sanctuary…”

“It’s too wide a range to narrow down at all. It’s a cruel joke, but this is definitely a riddle where you can’t find the answer.”

“So, what will you do? Subaru-sama has something to discuss with Beatrice, right?”

“If she’s genuinely hiding, no one will find her. That much is true.”

Frederica frowned at Subaru’s repeated words. Noticing her questioning gaze, Subaru raised a finger and continued,

“The important part starts here. If she’s genuinely hiding, no one will find her, but if she’s not seriously hiding, that’s a different story.”

“Not seriously hiding, you say?”

“No one hides in hide-and-seek with the intent of not being found. Everyone hides with the hope of eventually being discovered. Moreover, there might even be a ‘tagger’ who actually wants to be found, which is the complicated nature of human emotions.”

Speaking, Subaru took a few steps and made a quick left turn. Right in front of him, adjacent to Roswaal’s office, was the resource room. It was a cramped room packed with paper materials, neatly organized once by a nearly lunatic Otto.

Placing his hand on the door of that room, Subaru felt a sense of ‘correctness’ as soon as he touched the doorknob.

“Strangely enough, the moment I open it… no, even the moment I think of opening it, I know whether it’s the right choice or not. Right now, I feel like that’s been communicated to me.”

“Subaru-sama…”

“So, let’s open it up.”

Ignoring Frederica’s worried voice, Subaru mimicked a sound effect while swinging the door wide open. Then came the sensation of the space warping beyond the door, the unique scent of ancient books that had spent a long time untouched wafting from the room.

The lackluster aroma of the paper materials intended for immediate disposal could never compare to the rich smell of paper and ink that only old books could possess.

“I don’t plan to be late coming back, but if it gets too dark, don’t forget to send Petra back to the village.”

Keeping his hand on the doorknob, Subaru spoke to the surprised Frederica.

Frederica blinked a few times at his call, then grasped the hem of her skirt and bowed.

“I will be waiting for your return. Please, go ahead.”

“Sounds good. It’s easy to start thinking I’m something important.”

With a maid dutifully sending him off, Subaru passed through the door into the room. As the door closed behind him with a creak, he felt as though he heard an impossible wind, twisting the space around him. The connection that should have been vanished, and the Forbidden Library became isolated once more.

And then—

“Finally, you’ve come, I suppose.”

A voice, entirely unwelcome, greeted Subaru. He instinctively broke into a wry smile, raising a small hand while saying,

“Hey, Beako. It’s been a while since I’ve seen your face, but you’re still as tiny as ever.”

“Your flippant remarks are irritating enough to hear for a lifetime, you know? Truly… utterly exasperating.”

Seated on the middle rung of a wooden step ladder, Beatrice cradled a black-bound book to her chest.

Seeing that, Subaru couldn’t help but think that she always seems to be in that spot. There were desks and chairs within the Forbidden Library, but the girl’s designated spot for welcoming guests was always there. For some reason, it pierced his heart, causing Subaru to grit his teeth.

“A sappy face is getting harder to see, I guess. It’s your freedom to be hurt or lost, but doing that in front of Betti is unpleasant, so stop it immediately.”

“Such arrogance. Sorry, but I have no reason to heed that request. I can’t confirm if something solid exists between us that would allow it.”

Implicitly, Subaru conveyed that he was aware of Beatrice’s circumstances from the previous loop. In response, Beatrice’s composed expression grew somewhat tense, softly mumbling, “Is that so…?”

“That’s fine. We both have cards to play, I believe.”

“Though mine has plenty of doubts about its effectiveness. I’ll be talking while supplementing it with a bit of imagination.”

“Feel free to do as you wish. Regardless…”

Suddenly, Beatrice’s tense expression softened unexpectedly.

As her stubborn-looking demeanor peeled away, what peeked out was a gentle smile with fragile gleaming eyes—Subaru instinctively choked on his words, falling silent.

And Beatrice then said,

“The long, long, long time of the contract is coming to an end. —By ending the ending, Betti will finally be freed from stagnation, I wonder?”

She spoke those words with an air of melancholy.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“By ending the ending… huh? That’s quite a poetic way to put it.”

Facing the fully prepared Beatrice, Subaru shrugged and shot a cautionary remark. Glancing at the black book the girl held—if Roswaal’s words were to be believed, it was one half of the only two completed “Gospels” existing in this world.

It brought information about the future, but to Subaru, it also seemed to function as a directive from the future dictating, “This is how the future should be.”

In fact, the Witch Cult’s Petelgeuse acted according to the descriptions of the incomplete Gospel, fervently trying to adhere to it. However, since the incomplete version did not outline the end of the future, that madman was ultimately defeated by Subaru’s hand.

“So, is that why you can pretend to understand everything because of that book?”

“…What about you? How much do you know about this book?”

“Roswaal spilled a bunch of details. I think I know the outline… It has a nature similar to the Witch Cult’s Gospel but is a superior version. There are only two copies left in the world, and you and Roswaal split them.”

“Roswaal’s quite the blabbermouth. Considering his objectives, it’s easy to imagine him joyfully sharing all that.”

Subaru frowned at Beatrice’s point-blank remark.

Her evaluation of Roswaal had always been terrible, but there had previously always been a certain familiarity due to their closeness. Yet, the current tone emitted no trace of that.

Deep down, Beatrice was speaking with genuine disgust toward Roswaal.

“I don’t quite get your relationship with Roswaal either. You both share this world’s only two copies of the book yet are bound by a contract that has you living in his house.”

“Please be clear about what you mean.”

“Fine, I’ll put it plainly. The ambiguity of your position is far too much.”

Beatrice narrowed her eyes. The dissonance she emitted clashed intriguingly with her adorable visage as Subaru felt an odd sensation.

As he delved into the main topic, the atmosphere around Beatrice changed drastically.

“I have some vague understanding of Roswaal’s position now. He comes from a lineage that made a contract with the Witch of Greed, and he has continued that stance ever since. He manages the ‘Sanctuary’ as a result, and while the reasons he aims for Emilia’s victory in the Royal Selection remain ambiguous…”

“………”

“However, I can’t seem to identify your role in that. Roswaal has the stance of the Witch of Greed. You could say, he’s an apostle of Greed.”

Not calling her simply the Witch of Greed, but by a specific name like Echidna hints that Roswaal harbors an extraordinary obsession with Echidna.

Just as Roswaal’s position could be seen similarly to Subaru’s as an apostle of Greed. Though Subaru was put in that position by Echidna’s whim and Roswaal likely inherited it similarly.

“As for the Gospel… I can’t say if the one owned by the Witch Cult and the completed versions you and Roswaal hold share the same roots. I assume the creators are different. And I have no clue who made the Witch Cult’s Gospel, but I can guess who created the completed versions.”

“…Who, I wonder?”

“—Echidna.”

The moment Subaru spoke that name, he could see Beatrice gasp for breath.

And he could also sense that the name held substantial weight for her.

Inside Echidna’s Dream Castle, Subaru had seen the artifact called the “Book of Wisdom,” which Echidna possessed and was said to be comparable to omniscience.

While the essence of the Book of Wisdom differed from the Gospels, they aligned in terms of being a magical book beyond human understanding. Now, if he tied that back to the “Sanctuary,” where those related were gathered, an answer seemed to present itself.

“The Gospels that you and Roswaal possess were created by Echidna. Roswaal’s was likely one passed down in the Meisters family for generations. So, how did you obtain the Gospel you’re holding?”

“………”

“I have a question here regarding your Door Crossing.”

Lifting a finger, Subaru changed the subject with a forceful demeanor.

Beatrice blinked at Subaru’s sudden shift, bracing herself for whatever he was about to say.

He threw his question at her.

“—What is the range of effects for your Door Crossing? In this case, what’s the selection range for the target?”

“…I don’t understand what you’re trying to do by asking that.”

“If my speculation holds true, then it means my assumptions will be validated.”

With his arms crossed, Subaru sat confidently, observing Beatrice as she hesitated, her lips quivering. It was as if she had resigned herself and closed her eyes, mumbling,

“Betty’s Door Crossing connects spaces within the same building, or nearby familiar places. The distance… doesn’t usually stretch to far-off places, I think.”

“Could it be that there’s another condition attached?”

“Do you think there’s a reason for Betty to just openly state that?”

“Then I’ll guess it. —Even at a distance, as long as it’s a place connected deeply to you, you can make the Door Crossing connect there. How about that?”

“――――”

Beatrice gasped, her eyes widening.

That reaction substantiated Subaru’s suspicions running in his mind.

“In a moment of distraction, if one performs Door Crossing, what criteria will determine the connection?”

“…Maybe.”

“In urgent situations, instinctive actions or words come forth. For something like Door Crossing, if there’s a place that holds a strong emotional connection, it wouldn’t be strange for that to come to mind.”

“…Could it be?”

“Receiving the Gospel created by Echidna, you connect the ‘Sanctuary’ to the library through Door Crossing. —That implies.”

“—I really want you to stop!”

The girl standing on the step ladder trembled, looking at Subaru with a pleading expression. Beatrice bit her lip tightly, moisture welling in her eyes.

At that moment, Subaru felt certain he had invaded an area she didn’t want him to touch with his dirty hands.

As a painful longing surged within him, he shook his head.

“No, I won’t stop. I know that the library connects to a certain location in the ‘Sanctuary’ through Door Crossing. And the reason that happens is the very answer you’ve desperately denied just now.”

“……….”

“Beatrice, you’re a part of the ‘Sanctuary,’ aren’t you? What’s your relationship with Echidna?”

Even aware that he was trampling into her personal territory, Subaru pressed on, driving Beatrice into a corner with his questioning.

He had been sent into the ‘Sanctuary’ where the immortality experiment facility was located via Door Crossing.

If a space opened unexpectedly and it led there, it meant that was a place with a strong emotional connection for Beatrice.

As a spirit, she had a vivid memory of the facility where Ryuzu Meier’s replication was conducted. Considering the fact that she had received the Gospel from Echidna—

“Beatrice… which spirit did you form a contract with?”

“――――!”

“I’ve asked Pack once about the principles of spirit contracts. While skipping the finer details, it comes down to the fact that there are equal conditions established between the contractor and the spirit. You once said you were bound by contract to protect the library. Who did you make that contract with?”

“………Ah.”

“I had always assumed the contract was made with Roswaal. Given that you’re here in this mansion, of course, it seemed natural, but… now I’m starting to wonder a bit.”

Throughout the barrage of questions, Beatrice struggled to respond, her trembling lips only able to produce weak sighs.

Her small body shrank even further, clutching the weight of the Gospel in her arms, seeking something to rely on. She exuded a posture of unbearable fragility.

Even while witnessing it, knowing it was there, Subaru still spoke.

“—You are the spirit contracted with Echidna, aren’t you?”

—That was the beginning of the end of the end.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—The moment he posed the question, Beatrice crumbled like a marionette with its strings cut.

“Bea—!?”

The girl fell onto her knees on the floor. With a hard thud and the sound of paper scattering, the contents of the Gospel fell from her hands and spread across the floor.

The book she always carried, opened countless times, and fingered repeatedly had reached its limit for durability. The impact of the fall caused its spine and pages to separate, scattering across the floor like white carpet.

“The Gospel… huh?”

Seeing several pages fly to his feet, Subaru bent down and instinctively picked one up. A memory of the Gospel Petelgeuse possessed flashed through his mind. That book, filled with fine characters, had seemed to writhe, as though the owner’s madness leaked into its words.

Yet as he faced the page he picked up, that recollection faded away. Because—

“What… huh? Blank…?”

The pages Subaru gathered had nothing written on either the front or back.

Panicking, he grabbed another page lying at his feet, but it, too, was devoid of any inscriptions. He considered that perhaps some blank pages simply flew out of the latter half, but—

“No way, that’s ridiculous.”

Staying crouched, Subaru glanced around the scattered pages surrounding Beatrice, and he realized.

None of the pages surrounding her had writings on them.

Among the hundreds of pages scattered, what were the chances they all displayed blank sides?

“Even though it’s a Gospel… nothing’s written on any of it?”

It was more logical to believe in the miracle where every page displayed its blank face rather than the idea that all pages had been utterly void of content.

Following that rational thought, he was assaulted by an irrational reality.

“How could the only two completed versions not write about the future? Is there some trick where only the owner can read the text? Does Petelgeuse’s Gospel provide no insight?”

When discussing the complete versus the incomplete, the Gospel to reference was that incomplete one. That had been readable to anyone, and now that the owner was lost, Subaru was in possession of it. Fortunately, it hadn’t gained new writings after Petelgeuse’s death so far.

Therefore, Subaru thought that regardless of who owned the Gospel, it should clearly be visible to anyone.

“It’s been years… already.”

“—Huh?”

“That Gospel hasn’t shown Betti any future for many years… now.”

Beatrice, seated on the floor, lowered her head as she murmured.

Confused and filled with the urge to ask what that meant, Subaru controlled the urge, patiently waiting for Beatrice to continue.

With her eyes cast down, Beatrice pressed her hand against the scattered pages, crumpling them with a grip. Her fingers trembled, and even her voice seemed laced with tears.

“The role given to Betti is the maintenance of the repository of knowledge. Until the time of reunion that will eventually come, to keep this place safe… perhaps.”

“The repository of knowledge… this place, is it?”

Standing up, Subaru surveyed the rows of bookshelves that filled the room. The numerous books inserted there had been thought to contain the texts owned by the Meisters family.

“Are all these books here, Echidna’s books?”

“She was quite fond of collecting knowledge…”

“That makes sense if she goes so far as to claim herself a witch.”

She had boldly proclaimed her desire to know everything in the world, and indeed it was a greedy thing to say. The vast collection of books on the shelves was the fruit of her quest for knowledge.

Beatrice was the librarian tasked with preserving that reservoir of Echidna’s knowledge.

“From the way you speak… it seems you entered the graveyard.”

“Yeah, I went in. It was horrific, and it was painful, but… looking back now, I think it was a good thing. Echidna is a double-edged sword when acting as a consultant.”

While a valuable confidante to confess his “Return by Death” to, doing so brought forth the “Witch of Envy.” It resulted in a pattern necessitating death, which he honestly wished to avoid. If required, he would reiterate that.

“Earlier, you said that the Gospel hadn’t taught you about the future in years…”

“That’s the truth.”

“I don’t doubt it. No, maybe I do doubt it. Because, think about it, right? Otherwise, you would… have nothing written in the Gospel.”

—That would mean she had helped him numerous times.

During the loop where separation occurred between Subaru and Beatrice, realizing the existence of Beatrice’s Gospel had brought a considerable shock.

It meant that all of Beatrice’s past actions and thoughts reflected what was inscribed within that Gospel, leading one to feel there was no room for her own thoughts or feelings to intrude.

Thus, despite standing before a crumpled girl, Subaru felt a sense of clarity and relief surging through him.

Knowing that Beatrice’s actions thus far were reflected in her heart brought Subaru comfort. Whatever led him to feel such relief from her was unclear.

He simply thought, at a fundamental level, that he wanted her to direct favorable feelings toward him. What led Subaru to think so about her was shrouded in mystery.

“Why did you… help me back then? Wasn’t it something not written in the Gospel? You could have just left me alone.”

It was a convoluted and ugly way of phrasing the question, even if he understood that.

While it might seem he was placing the answer in Beatrice’s hands, Subaru was well aware of his own desires. Understanding yet resentful of his cowardice for choosing these words.

What he truly wished to ask Beatrice was a simple question.

—You’re on my side, aren’t you?

“Betty… helped you… you… cooperate because…”

“Yeah. You’ve assisted me in various situations. From the Juggernaut’s curse, to treating me when I was on the verge of death. You taught me the truth when I should have died from the curse.”

In other situations, Subaru had been saved by Beatrice countless times.

During the loop centering around that mansion, after being killed by Rem, he had been rendered unable to trust any of the mansion’s residents, but only Beatrice and Emilia had extended their hands to him.

He had not forgotten the time when Beatrice protected him, back then, in the middle of that void of despair and fear. It was a tangible bond that continued to exist solely within Subaru, remaining unforgettable.

Therefore,

“You…”

“—In the end, I did say this.”

Casting everything aside, would Beatrice finally become Subaru’s ally?

Someone Subaru could put full faith in—after losing Rem and not being able to show his weaknesses to Emilia, it felt like Beatrice could fill that role for him.

That was, in a way, an extremely selfish wish.

And then,

“Eventually, a certain person will visit Betty’s library. Until then, my role is to keep this library safe.”

“…That person?”

“I wonder if I was told. Until that person comes, that is Betty’s duty to protect the Forbidden Library. Whether you are ‘that person,’ Betty cannot know.”

As Subaru looked at Beatrice with intense expression, her ominous tone drained the color from his face, and he furrowed his brow in unease.

He couldn’t decipher what Beatrice was trying to convey. He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand, but—

It felt as though he shouldn’t let her speak any further.

“Beatrice can’t tell. Whether you are ‘that person’… But…”

“Wait, Beatrice. Both you and I seem to be getting worked up. Let’s calm down and—”

“Whether you’re ‘that person,’ or not… I think that’s fine, you know?”

Beatrice looked up from her averted gaze.

Her two curls swayed with her movement. Wandering, hesitantly, reflecting both her heart and Subaru’s.

A tightening unease gripped his heart. The unease persisted without granting him relief.

“Even if you’re not ‘that person,’ it doesn’t matter to me anymore. So…”

“Bea—”

“I want you to kill Betty and finish this contract. End the ending of the end, and free Betty, please.”

Beatrice’s eyes glistened with tears, her lips forming a powerless smile.

“Become… ‘that person’—”