“While it’s fragmented memories, I have somewhat organized the chronology in my own way. I think it probably follows this flow…”

“…………”

Subaru responded in silence to the content being laid out by Theta.

There was no choice but to remain silent. The amount of information presented was too vast, and he needed to sort through it before he could even begin to form words.

The establishment of the “Sanctuary,” the era in which Ryuzu Meier lived. In other words, it was about four hundred years ago, and it was natural that “Witches” existed in that place.

The presence of the “Witch of Greed,” Echidna.

“Honestly, I can’t imagine a time when Echidna was just wandering around normally.”

“For you, who doesn’t know that era, the existence of the Witch may seem far away. No, even for me, while I feel closer to it, it’s not like I know her directly.”

“Talking about something you heard as if it were your own experience gives off a first sign of aging, I feel. And so… was Echidna frequently visiting the ‘Sanctuary’?”

“It’s not really my true memories, you know. However, from what I could see of the scenery and the words exchanged, it seemed like it was fairly frequent.”

Unlike Subaru, who was merely hearing it secondhand, Theta had seen the memories and thus felt a different sense.

And of course, something else that caught Subaru’s attention from Theta’s earlier talk was—

“Beatrice and Roswaal were also in the ‘Sanctuary’ four hundred years ago…”

“Beatrice was, as I mentioned, as Echidna’s daughter. As for Roswaal, the Roswaal mentioned just now is the first head of the Meiastars family… he was the one who truly set the Meiastars family on the path to greatness. The name Roswaal is inherited through generations.”

“…Did Beatrice get along well with him?”

“From what I saw, they seemed to have a heartwarming relationship.”

What surfaced in Subaru’s mind through Theta’s narrative was the quintessentially nonchalant Beatrice.

That girl, unchanged for four hundred years, continued to maintain her blunt attitude towards others. Was that why she still acted that way even after all this time?

Never showing her true feelings to anyone, hiding all sorts of emotions in her small body.

Recalling the girl standing in the Forbidden Library, a sharp pang of emotion pierced Subaru’s heart.

Placing a hand on his chest, he shook his head while battling the sentiment.

“I’m surprised that Echidna used to carry around Beatrice. From the way she talks, it seems like she didn’t harbor any familial love towards her.”

“I haven’t met the Witch directly myself, so I can’t say for sure. However, from peeping into the memories of Ryuzu Meier, it felt like the Witch had a certain humanity to her.”

“I kind of feel the same way.”

While it could merely be dismissed as an inaccurate vision of Echidna that Subaru had come to know, he realized that it wouldn’t be strange at all if she had reached enlightenment about life after spending four hundred years, both in life and in death.

“Even though we had a decisive falling out, do I still want to have hope for her…?”

He himself thought it was an intolerable weakness.

This wasn’t the same as with Ram or Rem. Echidna trampled on Subaru’s emotions and hopes after understanding them completely. There was surely no future of holding hands and walking together after all this.

“So far, it just sounds like a heartwarming flashback. It doesn’t seem like anything dreadful enough to hide from everyone else would happen.”

“———”

“Please, tell me what happens next. What happens to the seemingly peaceful ‘Sanctuary’?”

With Subaru’s low-toned request, Theta sipped her now completely cold tea.

She murmured to herself, “It’s gross…”

“What will happen…?”

“———”

“Collapse. And then you’ll learn the true reason the ‘Sanctuary’ was created.”

“The true reason…?”

At those words, Subaru gasped, and Theta lowered her chin.

Then, with her eyelids half-closed, she began to slowly open the lid on her memories.

“At that time, the Witch and the first Roswaal were both present in the ‘Sanctuary’. There was a quite heavy atmosphere, and unlike usual, something unusual was going to happen that made not just me but everyone in the ‘Sanctuary’ feel uneasy.”

※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

—A heavy air was thickening, and Ryuzu felt a sensation of dryness in her throat.

“We need to escape from this place immediately. We’re not prepared yet. —If he discovers the location of the ‘Sanctuary’ now, it will mean the collapse of our plans.”

“———”

“Teacher! We don’t have time to waste! He… he is already close!”

The slender-faced boy pounding the table and raising his voice was in a state of panic.

The boy, who always maintained his composure and elegance, now bore an expression marked with urgent anxiety.

The Witch Echidna, who was quietly meditating with her hands clasped, heard the boy’s plea. Leaning in closer, he gestured with big gestures.

“There’s no time to hesitate! His power is overwhelming! I’m still unable to assist you, teacher…! If you ask me to be a shield, I would gladly become one. However, without a means to counter him, even volunteering as a shield would be a pointless death…”

“It’s not that there’s no way. —I have a certain measure of what we can do.”

Cutting off the boy—who was Roswaal—from talking, Echidna opened her eyes and glared at the tabletop.

When she spoke, Roswaal let out a sounding “Huh…” in a dazed manner, and Echidna quietly shook her head.

“I’ve visited the ‘Sanctuary’ numerous times and constructed theories. Regarding the conditions for the barrier, it should certainly work at a fairly high probability.”

“Then, then that means…!”

“—But, we don’t have enough ‘cores’ to activate the barrier.”

“———”

The expression of hope on Roswaal’s face choked at Echidna’s agonizing words.

“The barrier won’t activate without the ‘core’. Without the barrier, there’s no way to repel him from this spot. If we can’t secure a safe zone, we’ll eventually be found and destroyed.”

“So we spent careful time preparing the ‘Sanctuary’… and now, we’re right at the last step!”

Roswaal groaned in frustration and slammed his fist onto the table.

The old table’s leg creaked, and blood began to ooze from Roswaal’s hand.

Silence fell in the cabin.

Time seemed to slow, and a thick heaviness hung in the air.

In that atmosphere, a girl timidly raised her hand.

“Um, would I not be the ‘core’ for this barrier…?”

“———”

“I had heard of the possibility long ago. It matched the conditions to be the barrier constructed by you, Echidna. …That’s why I wondered if you were watching over me.”

“—From Beatrice, is it?”

“Yes.”

With a quiet determination, Ryuzu Meier pulled back her chin slightly.

While the girl’s cheeks tightened in resolve, she looked directly at Echidna, who was hiding her expression.

“Beatrice said that you, Echidna, were confirming my compatibility with the conditions. The mana extraction I underwent multiple times in these past months was likely related to that.”

After Ryuzu’s question, Echidna paused slightly before nodding.

“Indeed, the compatibility of your existence for constructing the barrier is high. If you remain within the ‘Sanctuary’, maintaining the barrier would indeed be possible. That theory can be constructed. If we take more time to assimilate the ‘Sanctuary’s’ soil with your mana, it should be achievable.”

“But right now, it can’t be done.”

“This isn’t just any barrier. This barrier cannot be broken. I’ve been proceeding with the utmost care. We’ve taken years to gather the half-humans and keep them inside the ‘Sanctuary’, and your existence is crucial to condition the barrier. However…”

Roswaal, who found his words cut off, showed a vexed expression.

While Ryuzu didn’t know the details, it seemed evident that even for smart people like Echidna and Roswaal, there were apparently insurmountable obstacles standing in the way of achieving their plan.

Isn’t there any way to truly do something?

—Ryuzu thought within her limited lifetime experience.

“Is there perhaps a definitive method available?”

“———”

“…I’ve been saved by you, Echidna and Roswaal. Since coming to this land, I’ve been able to lead a life where I am neither scorned nor shunned, and I was happy. If that’s all I could do to repay these kindnesses, then that’s the reason I believe I was born.”

As Ryuzu gradually revealed her feelings, they were grasped tighter by her white hands, causing Echidna’s black eyes to freeze over with diminishing warmth. Instead, tortured complex emotions began playing across Roswaal’s features as he stood beside Echidna.

“Te, Teacher…”

It was not a call urging Echidna to make a decision, but rather a tone filled with disbelief and implication.

Nevertheless, in any case, the trigger would undoubtedly be pulled.

“—If we crystallize your Odo and make it the ‘core’ of the ‘Sanctuary’, we can shorten the process of assimilating mana with the soil. The barrier would complete.”

“If we do that, will the ‘Sanctuary’ be saved?”

“We should be able to avoid the impending threat’s invasion. If we can buy time, we can devise countermeasures.”

“———”

Echidna’s response was not some mere comfort. She neither spoke of optimistic prospects nor offered any reassurances.

If Echidna judged that something could be done, then it was indeed possible.

In other words, there was a certain meaning in sacrificing her life for the sake of protecting this location. Her selfless dedication to repaying her debts would surely come to fruition.

“…When will we begin?”

“—If possible, I’d like to prepare right away. I’ll prepare the crystallizing medium on my end and then build the magical formula. For buying time against the threat…”

“That’s my role, isn’t it? I’ll do my utmost to assist… Ryuzu.”

Rising from his previously sorrowful demeanor, Roswaal looked up. His expression now bore no trace of fragility. He firmly met Ryuzu’s steady gaze.

“I’m sorry. My power isn’t enough to help the Teacher.”

“No, Roswaal, you too are an irreplaceable benefactor to me. I have no resentment for that.”

With her hand against her heart, Ryuzu shook her head.

Roswaal took a small breath, then exhaled, turning to Echidna.

“I’ll leave at once. Please prepare, and… call Beatrice.”

“…Is it better not to inform Beatrice?”

“If I don’t call Beatrice here right now, both I and the Teacher will forever be resented by that child. …Even calling her may lead to that, but.”

“I see… understood. I’ll summon her later.”

Seeing Echidna nod, Roswaal headed towards the cabin’s exit. Along the way, he placed a hand on Ryuzu’s shoulder, squeezing it with force just once.

Feeling that gentle grip, Ryuzu treasured that fact of Roswaal cherishing her existence and shut her eyes.

“…Beatrice.”

A softly murmured word.

Thinking of the girl who wasn’t here, Ryuzu’s heart twisted painfully.

※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

The scene transitioned once again.

“————”

—When Ryuzu confronted the overwhelming force, something more terrifying than preparing for death sprouted inside her.

“—Gu, fuh!”

With a groan, Roswaal’s body flew horizontally across the ground, spewing a mouthful of blood.

As he fell from his shoulder to the earth, rolling while kicking up a cloud of dust, Ryuzu could only watch in shock, forgetting to breathe.

Roswaal L. Meiastars, a mid-teen boy mastering six types of magic, reaching the pinnacle of sorcery human-kind could achieve.

With overwhelming magical power, he scorched the earth, sliced through rock walls with cutting winds, commanded torrents of water that could push back entire rivers, and shaped soil and stone into castles.

But confronting him stood an existence of overwhelming force that Roswaal couldn’t match.

“…Still going, huh?”

With a languid demeanor, the boy shook his dull brown hair as he stepped forward.

He appeared to be around the same age as Roswaal. His nearly black brown hair fell just enough to cover his eyebrows, with facial features so refined it could be mistaken for a woman. His eyes, lazily squinted in black, wore a simple outfit of a white shirt and black pants.

—With each step forward, as he idly kicked small pebbles, Roswaal’s body flailed, splattering blood everywhere.

“Guh! Guuh! Guuh!”

“You’re loud. Pain in the ass. Annoying. Dreadful. Depressing.”

With a low tone, the boy muttered those negative phrases. However, with each utterance, Roswaal’s groans intensified, and even from a distance, the sounds of bones cracking echoed through the air.

As Roswaal’s body lay on the ground, it began disappearing into the earth as if crushed by the air above. In fact, his limbs were nearly sunk into the ground, flesh torn apart, and blood flowed from Roswaal’s eyes like bloody tears.

“You can just stop, right? You did your best. You can’t win against yourself, but you tried hard. So isn’t that good enough? —Struggling is ultimately pointless anyway.”

“B-baka no koto wo… I won’t let you stop me… Why… Guh! Aah! Gaaah!!”

“Ugh… this is what gets my head heavy. Makes me feel sick. Mood’s shot.”

As Roswaal resisted surrendering, the boy knelt down before him.

With a deep sigh, the boy reached out and touched the ground, stroking it lightly. As his fingers hovered, Roswaal’s arms and legs twisted, and the sound of tearing flesh accompanied his scream.

“Man, I really can’t stand this. This feeling of going down so much is such a bummer. It’s been ages since feeling this way. The worst. The absolute worst.

“Gah—!”

The moment that detestable word left the boy’s mouth, Roswaal’s abdomen caved in as if unable to withstand the pressure.

His torso was crushed, and he vomited an amount of blood as if it was going to spew out from his mouth. Roswaal’s eyes rolled back as he thrashed his limbs, the consequence of not losing his fighting spirit until the very end resulted in his life being crushed out of him.

“Ah, ah, ah… What the hell? What’s this? Is this how it ends? I really didn’t want this. My chest is all bad. Feeling bleak. My head’s heavy. Depressed. Depressed, depressed, depressed, depressed, depressed, depressed, depressed, depressed, depressed, depressed—”

With each sound of dripping blood, Roswaal no longer made even a groan. The boy watched Roswaal’s battered body with a bored gaze, muttering his gloomy irritation.

As Roswaal faced his tragic end and the boy enacted it outside of human recognition, Ryuzu, so far removed from the chaos, suddenly remembered to breathe.

“——ah.”

Her lungs, squeezed to their limits, demanded oxygen from the brain and body. With a deep breath, she would again have to remain silent. Even the vibration from the atmosphere seemed frighteningly likely to stimulate the boy’s awareness.

Having watched her benefactor miserably crushed, she chose self-preservation, unable even to seek revenge. The baseness of her attachment to life felt utterly incomprehensible in this moment.

“Ah? Could there be someone over there?”

“——Right!”

The instant the boy’s gaze turned, tilting his head, it made direct eye contact with Ryuzu.

Looking on from a little distance in a cabin as the battle between Roswaal and the boy unfolded, Ryuzu had cautiously peeked at the scene through a crack in the wall.

When the boy made a remark as if he noticed that tiny gap, a chill ran up Ryuzu’s spine. There’s no way he could see me! That crevice was no larger than a cat’s forehead. There was no way he could possibly notice her.

Yet, with confident steps, the boy approached, saying:

“It’s not like I particularly want to do this. Even if I kill everyone, there’s no real benefit for me. …It’d save me trouble if you could just take care of it for me.”

“…Huh.”

“Fuh, well, I guess I’ll just wipe you out entirely. I really want to throw everything away and head home right now. My chest feels bad. Everything’s depressing. Dreaded.”

Pointing his palm toward Ryuzu’s hiding spot, the boy pronounced a death sentence with his ominous line.

In that instant, cold sweat made its way down Ryuzu’s spine, and she felt a sharp pain piercing her head as if a needle had been thrust into her skull. Tears welled in her eyes, and a helpless scream clogged her throat.

Then, without warning, as if under invisible pressure, Ryuzu’s small body was crushed down to the ground—

“Al… Goh!”

A roar that sounded as if blood was being spat out—nay, as if he were literally expelling blood—shot through the air, and a firestorm burst, painting the square red.

Even at a distance, the tremendous heat was overwhelming in an instant, aiming to scorch the boy from behind, using Roswaal’s outstretched palm as the starting point.

“———”

Even the boy was shaken, caught off guard by the overwhelming heat wave and started to turn back. But no matter how he turned to face that raging inferno, it was beyond the realm of human knowledge.

Without a means to act, his body was deluged in the crimson light.

“Sweaty and annoying. —So bothersome.”

As he whispered those words moments before, even the gathered crimson mana was dashed back against the ground.

The searing sphere that was supposed to burn the boy, eliminating every trace of him was now transformed into a small, round red mass rolling along the ground, without even a wisp left behind.

“Ah, ugh…”

“Still not gone? How much power do you put into it? Don’t make me exert myself that much. The harder I work, the more I want to die.”

As he muttered, the boy clenched his lifted palm tightly. Obeying that motion, the red sphere that had shrunk on the ground violently imploded.

The sound of air cracking from the sudden heat rang out, and after that, all energy scattered completely.

Even the ultimate magic of the flame that was Argoa couldn’t reach him.

Roswaal, who was supposed to aim for a comeback with his final stamina, was left aghast upon witnessing the outcome.

That last second, Ryuzu felt her death delayed just a little, but she was left painfully aware it had only been a temporary reprieve.

“You demon… no, you fiend!”

“What a nasty name. It really gets my mood down. Do you think I chose to become this way?”

“Regardless of how I was twisted or what my choices were, the fact that I chose to be here was your own doing. Don’t give me a victim’s face… ‘Depressing’ Hector!”

“It hurts my ears to hear. I’m really not good at handling you.”

Squatting down beside the downed Roswaal, the boy reached his palm toward his head.

Without touching, his overwhelming destruction remained present. If his fingertip merely made contact, Ryuzu could sense that Roswaal’s body would be crushed to nothing.

“Guh… Uru…”

“Slow, unfit, and I won’t let you escape.”

Before Roswaal could condense mana and cast magic, the boy calmly spoke.

Then, as the fingers of death reached Roswaal, certain death was unavoidably sent into his critically wounded body.

“—M-Muuuh”

“Bones rattle. Organs squished. Heart’s breaking. Just how’s all that working out for you?”

A short groan was Roswaal’s last scream.

Looking down at the fully motionless Roswaal, the boy brushed off his knees before rising. Then he turned to Ryuzu, who had been frozen in place.

Now without any warning, he pointed his palm in her direction, releasing the unseen weight.

“——!”

She couldn’t endure even a single second.

The pressure piled down from above, far surpassing her own weight. It was pure luck that she managed to crumple forward onto the ground; had her posture been different, she would have certainly been forced directly into the earth in a way that no joint could bend.

“If you can’t resist it, it’s not Echidna. If it’s not that girl, then I couldn’t care less.”

“——A, hi.”

“Just collapse and bury yourself in the dirt. It’ll save me the trouble of digging a grave.”

The sensation of her skin being pulled off unseen hands caused Ryuzu to feel as though she was about to be ripped from the earth. That faraway voice of the boy echoed, threatening to be her final words before, as if in a dream, the weight disappeared.

Panting heavily, her face smeared with tears and drool, Ryuzu lifted her gaze to see what had happened. And right before her eyes…

“It’s hard to say that you made it just in time.”

“Yeah, your disciple kept me occupied, and diligently bought time. Because of your efforts, nothing’s gone according to plan, and it’s downright spoiled my mood.”

“That way of speaking—you’re really unchanged. You’re just the same as you were when we parted.”

“You haven’t changed how you talk, either. Why did you start talking so annoyingly? You were so adorable back then.”

The boy shook his head as if lamenting. Standing directly in front of him, blocking the path between the boy and Ryuzu, was a white woman dressed in black—Echidna.

The witch cast a glance at the fallen Roswaal, her eyes slightly narrowing.

“Unexpectedly, what a painful spectacle this is. For me to not be able to remain objective in the face of the result I’ve borne is quite an embarrassing confusion.”

“If you process things blandly with emotion, it wouldn’t seem as tragic in this case. I don’t know. If you want to cry, I’ll give you time to do just that. It’s not like I’m that cold-hearted.”

“Which mouth do you speak from?”

Their exchanged words were pricking, and even though it was clear they were acquainted, it was readily apparent that their relationship was far from amicable.

Slowly measuring the distance, they stood off against each other. Ryuzu had no doubts about Echidna’s strength, but Roswaal, whom she believed in, had previously been easily crushed by overwhelming force.

Considering that, even her title couldn’t be assumed to provide any sense of security.

“——So how long do you intend to remain flopped around like that?”

“…Eh?”

Suddenly, there was a hand that pulled Ryuzu up from her prone state. Drawn by that strength, startled, Ryuzu turned around.

There stood a familiar adorably sullen girl.

“Beatrice….”

“Now’s not the time for making that kind of dazed voice. While Mother is stalling for time, we should quickly distance ourselves from here.”

“But… but Roswaal and Echidna told me to wait here.”

“That Roswaal’s slip-up let him catch our scent. Now hurry, come along with Beatrice. It’s Mother’s order to take you away.”

“Echidna’s…?”

Tightly furrowing her brow, Beatrice’s expression was noticeably tense. Even as someone who usually exuded confidence, she was unnerved by the intangible boy.

Nonetheless, she was far stronger than herself, who was shrinking back here.

“The preparations are complete. Mother said that. You claimed that you understood what that meant.”

“——Got it.”

Hearing the message from Echidna, Ryuzu took a quick breath and nodded. Beatrice narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her response, but there was no time to dwell on that.

The rushing tide of mana was growing behind them. An encounter between Echidna and that boy would be a matter of time. The unpredictable conclusion of that battle provided Ryuzu the utmost importance of her decision.

“Let’s go, Beatrice. Where’s the preparation?”

“…Inside that ancient stone chamber back there. Mother told me to bring it over, but even for Beatrice, getting through that door was a hassle.”

As Beatrice mentioned her achievements with a tinge of pride, she began to move, pulling Ryuzu along.

Chasing after Beatrice’s bouncing hair, Ryuzu stole one last glance back at Echidna, bowing her head in a farewell to the woman who seemed not to have noticed her.

—Surely, there wouldn’t be a second opportunity to exchange words.

※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

A crystal that was blue and translucent, trembled beautifully.

“Don’t be enchanted and carelessly touch it. If you touch it, you might get swallowed and become part of this crystal.”

In a state of distraction, Ryuzu involuntarily let out a heated breath. Beside her, Beatrice, arms crossed, warned her against acting foolishly.

If she carelessly reached out, Ryuzu was about to but then hurriedly drew her hand back, offering an apology, “Ah, I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, you know. …So, what comes next? Beatrice was only commanded to carry this crystal and bring you here.”

“How will you carry this crystal, Beatrice?”

“For someone like Beatrice, it’s easy to move something of this size without touching it. The precision and distance of my door crossing could make Mother praise me.”

With a usual composed look yet what seemed like a sense of pride, Ryuzu couldn’t help but smile.

She had grown quite accustomed to speaking with her. At the beginning, she used to take Beatrice’s statements at face value and felt horrified more times than she could count.

Over time, she understood that this seemingly arrogant girl wore her heart on her sleeve. Once she grasped that fact, they could share laughs while being as cute as they appeared.

If only they could carry on chatting freely like this forever…

Thoughts of the disasters looming over the ‘Sanctuary’ or the fate awaiting Ryuzu became things she could never forget—impossible as that may be.

“…? You’re smiling in a way that’s quite unpleasant.”

Ryuzu felt a hint of bittersweetness grow on her face as the perceptive Beatrice called it out.

Realizing that Beatrice could point out the difference in her smile from usual, tears welled up in Ryuzu’s eyes.

Beatrice opened her eyes wide. Ryuzu hurriedly wiped them away with her sleeve.

“I’m—I’m sorry… just a bit of dirt…”

“It’s not like I’m worried about it. —To tell you not to worry, it’s pretty challenging to see how dire the situation is, Beatrice knows.”

Though it was a misinterpretation, those words were undeniably compassionate.

A warmth blossomed in her heart, finding strength from Beatrice’s words. That feeling made her truly proud right now.

“Beatrice.”

“What is it? If your preparations are taking too long, Beatrice can go assist Mother. Roswaal was already in desperate straits, so even someone like him should be helped…”

“I’ve taken very good care of you. However—this is where we say goodbye.”

“—Eh?”

Beatrice, raising her voice in astonishment, blinked in confusion at the meaning of her words.

Within the chilly, stone chamber, the two girls—Beatrice and Ryuzu—faced one another.

Beatrice blinked repeatedly and glared at Ryuzu, who was steadfast in her gaze. A sharpness accompanied by warmth met Ryuzu’s resolve, and she stood unfaltering.

“What do you mean goodbye? As in, running away?”

“No, that’s not it. If I live on after escaping, there may be a chance to meet Beatrice again. However, this farewell will be one for this life. It’s unlikely we’ll have the chance to exchange words like this again.”

“…………”

Pressing her lips tightly, Beatrice peered deeply into Ryuzu’s eyes, trying to understand her true intention.

Facing Beatrice’s first look of confusion, Ryuzu carefully chose her words.

“The preparations that Echidna mentioned are for the purpose of reinforcing the barrier around the ‘Sanctuary’. Originally, it would have taken time to root the barrier into the earth of the ‘Sanctuary’… but with this situation, we’ve run out of time.”

“Insufficient time… You mean the barrier won’t be ready in time? That barrier was the means to keep that man at bay?”

“Exactly. I clearly saw how dangerous that man is. He is a threat. Echidna must have had ample reason to want to defeat him. Roswaal certainly understood that just to save Echidna, he must have gone to great lengths.”

That boy was overwhelmingly formidable, indeed.

The ultimate outcome of how the barrier would benefit Echidna and eradicate that existence remained unclear to Ryuzu.

However, there was one thing that Echidna had assured her.

“The barrier will be able to save the ‘Sanctuary’ once it’s activated, said Echidna. …Therefore, I shall offer my life for that purpose.”

“Y-You can’t be serious. How could you offer your life…? You have no magical talent, so how could you…?”

Eyes widening in urgency, Beatrice began to speak quickly. Yet, the intelligent girl stumbled upon the answer to her question along the way.

She opened her eyes in disbelief, staring at the blue crystal standing beside them.

“You’re going to bind your existence to this crystal’s core… and spread it as the central Odo throughout the ‘Sanctuary’… So, that means we don’t have to take all that time to fit into it…?”

“Yes. Echidna mentioned that as well.”

Before the impending invasion, the conclusion reached during the discussions with Echidna and Roswaal was to be acted upon.

Beatrice stood stunned, speechless. Ryuzu moved to position herself in Beatrice’s line of sight, offering her a smile.

“The affinity between my mana and the ‘Sanctuary’… that’s something Beatrice guaranteed.”

“———!”

Ryuzu’s words caused Beatrice to lift her head in shock.

She bit her pale lips, the color draining from her cheeks.

“N-no… Beatrice… Beatrice didn’t intend to let mother… No, wait, no! Hold on! Maybe I should go talk to mother directly! She is soft on Beatrice, so surely she’ll listen…”

“There’s no time for that now. The moment is now for action.”

“If so, Beatrice should rush to assist Mother right away! If Mother and Beatrice work together, then someone like that should be easily dealt with. Roswaal too can be swiftly healed, then the three of us could…”

Beatrice’s words trailed off as she shook her head in denial.

She herself recognized how implausible her own assertions were.

Indeed, Beatrice was wonderful. Ryuzu genuinely respected how someone her own age skillfully wielded magic and diligently honed their skills every day.

She observed Beatrice’s adoration of her mother while squabbling with Roswaal, noticing her efforts among household chores like laundry, sewing, and cooking.

Having spent such rich time together, Ryuzu knew that Beatrice had acknowledged the difference between their powers.

Beatrice could never make a decision that risked her mother’s life with such meaningless reassurances.

“—Beatrice, we should just use your door crossing to escape this place.”

“…………”

“Right? Is that the way to go? It will require some effort, but Beatrice can certainly manage that. While Mother buys time, we can gather everyone from the ‘Sanctuary’ and run to Mother’s residence. By looking for an opening to retrieve Roswaal, Mother and Beatrice can make it through the door, and then we’d be able to escape from that person. …Yes, that’s how we should proceed!”

“And then, after escaping, you’re saying we’d live in fear of being pursued by that man once more? How long will it take to build a new life where we can live here, free of scorn or scorned, just to arrive at the peace we have now?”

As Beatrice devised alternatives, Ryuzu calmly shook her head, her voice steady yet strict.

Seeing the color of hurt spread across Beatrice’s face made Ryuzu’s heart ache fiercely.

Beatrice genuinely cared about them, about Ryuzu. It was cruel to trample on the warmth of her feelings and assert her own stubbornness.

How terribly selfish and cruel it was to betray all of the days that led up to this point.

——To break the bonds built over the course of so many days, to breach the very thoughts they had cherished.

“Beatrice. I love the ‘Sanctuary.’ I truly believe it has been wonderful living here. I adore the smiles of everyone here. I don’t want to lose it.”

“———”

“I’ve already received plenty of warmth during my time. I think I’ve had happiness that doesn’t suit me, stained as I am with such filthy blood. So I’m satisfied now.”

“That can’t be true… No matter how you feel about it, the true meaning of this place isn’t as simple as you think… ”

“Yes. I understand.”

“———”

Seeing Beatrice’s realization of regret oozing through her lips, Ryuzu gave her a slight nod.

She understood the true meaning of this ‘Sanctuary.’

Echidna and Roswaal didn’t gather outcasts like themselves from various races solely out of goodwill.

Those that were scorned, belittled sought to live proudly in a paradise—a hope that wasn’t solely a thin, surface-level hope, yet it was a belief she wished to stay true to.

But at this moment, merely focusing on shimmering lights didn’t hold any meaning anymore—a melancholy acceptance mingled in her senses.

“This place was merely intended to serve a purpose against that man pursuing Echidna, correct?”

“…………”

“The truth is, we were merely pawns to fulfill that purpose.”

“Then… if you know that, then why…”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Beatrice couldn’t fathom the truth.

In response to the pleading gaze from Beatrice, Ryuzu smiled gently.

“It’s fine. The way it began might have been as such. However, not all of the time we spent here revolved around Echidna’s designs. Every moment I’ve spent here, all our conversations, none of them have been merely for that.”

“———”

“What matters isn’t how it started; it’s about how it ends and what we feel along the way.”

“———”

“The time I spent here was filled with happiness. That’s why I will go to protect that time. I will thank you all for your countless kindnesses, Beatrice.”

Faintly, the earth rumbled from deep within the stone chamber.

The earth trembled, and the atmosphere quaked as a rumble from the confrontation between Echidna and the boy echoed to them.

Faintly yet assuredly, it drew closer, proving that Echidna was at a disadvantage as she fought to keep it from drawing any nearer.

“———”

With closed eyes, Ryuzu solidified her quiet determination, while before her, Beatrice was desperately searching for words, gasping in agitation.

Words of magic that could defy Ryuzu’s will, words that could overturn her feelings and opinions.

But such convenient magic didn’t exist anywhere in this world.

“Beatrice.”

“…What is it?”

“Don’t eat too many sweets, alright?”

“———”

Having had trouble containing her urge to snack during tea time, she grew to worry that if her cuteness caused her to gain weight, it would be a waste. She wanted Beatrice’s teeth to remain clean too.

Though she showed it seldom, when she smiled, she was truly an adorable girl.

Turning back, Ryuzu quietly approached the blue crystal—the crystal that she longed to touch.

The depth of the crystal was dazzling, a captivating light that truly seemed to swallow you whole.

Would there be pain or suffering?

Even prepared for her end, she knew not how it would come.

To simply put it, that feeling could be described as fear.

She realized that when she was engulfed in this light, she could make this ‘Sanctuary’ a true one.

If within that true world, all could live together gentle-hearted and peacefully.

If that is the ‘Sanctuary,’ and if from now on, Echidna and Beatrice continued to watch over it…

“———”

Suddenly, she felt a tug on her sleeve.

When Ryuzu turned around, Beatrice stood right beside her.

She sported an expression that Ryuzu had never seen before, and with her unreliable fingertips, she held onto Ryuzu’s sleeve.

The power in her grasp was weak, as if she didn’t even know why she was pulling at it. Nevertheless, that instinctive reach suggested her true feelings; she simply couldn’t express herself…

“———”

Gently, Ryuzu pried Beatrice’s fingers off her sleeve.

As the heat from their fingers connected, she bestowed a final smile.

And then,

“Thank you. —Goodbye, Betty.”

——Finally, with those words, Ryuzu’s consciousness was swallowed by the blue light.

She vanished.

“`

 

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