“Sorry to bursts your bubble, but Garf is going in first.”

After finishing the discussion, Ram, who had returned with Garfiel, said this right off the bat.

Hearing that, Subaru’s eyes widened, and both Emilia and Otto looked similarly surprised.

“Garfiel is going to take on the ‘Trial’… are you serious?”

“I’m dead serious, okay? Right, Garf?”

Ram nodded in response to Subaru’s cautious inquiry, then looked up at Garfiel, who stood beside her.

Despite not having a massive height difference, Garfiel still had a slight edge over Ram. He was fiddling with his dry, blood-matted bangs, deliberately turning his face away as if to block out our conversation.

With a firm yank, Ram pulled on his ear without any mercy.

“Garf, are you listening? Ignoring us takes some serious guts, you know!”

“Ow! What the…? Hey, Ram!? Just now, my ear felt like it was about to rip off! It’s even bleeding!”

“It seems that the fact you’ve been beaten up by everyone hasn’t made you reflect much, huh? Just so you know, we still have Emilia here, who hasn’t even broken a sweat. Do you understand what might happen if you keep being defiant?”

“I-I don’t have any intentions of being that rough…”

We were all battered and bruised, all pushing our exhaustion to the brink—yet only Emilia, who hadn’t participated in the fighting, remained in perfect condition.

Even though we had just finished a battle with significance in avoiding involving her, Ram’s courage to immediately rely on Emilia’s strength felt terrifying.

“Look, I get it already. If we fought again right here, there’s no way I’d win against you. Thanks to the ‘Earth Spirit’s Blessing’, I’ve regained some strength, but it’s not enough for a proper fight.”

“That’s a relief to hear. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to keep brawling with you. Felt like I was going to die. That’s probably the second or third most dangerous situation I’ve been in this past month.”

“Just how many life-threatening situations have you been through, Natsuki-san? It’s honestly frightening.”

Subaru shivered at the thought of the fistfights with Garfiel. Otto, upon hearing Subaru’s comment, also trembled at the thought.

By the way, the second or third life-threatening experience among those moments—and when recalling the times he actually died, perhaps the real danger level didn’t feel quite right anymore.

“…So, I guess it’s the second or third for me?”

“Yeah, about that. If you go outside, you’ll find a lot more.”

“Hah! Like I would fall for your sweet talk. They say, ‘Behind every profitable story, there’s a deceptive plot.'”

Garfiel scoffed at Subaru’s provocation, brushing his fingers over the white scar on his forehead.

Then, he directed his sharp, golden gaze behind Subaru and the others—towards the graveyard that loomed ominously.

“Even if you lump together sweet talk and forceful actions, I still won’t believe you. I’ll see it with my own eyes and judge for myself.”

“What are you judging?”

At Garfiel’s lowered voice, Emilia quietly questioned him.

Garfiel turned his gaze to Emilia, and she met his intense gaze.

Perhaps for the first time in this ‘Sanctuary’, these two exchanged meaningful glances.

Receiving Garfiel’s fierce and violent gaze, Emilia still managed to hold her ground, her violet eyes not wavering.

What they saw reflected deep within each other’s eyes made them both loosen their lips in unison.

Garfiel ground his sharp canines, while Emilia instinctively reached toward her chest but then hesitated and stopped.

Seeing that, Garfiel reached for his right shoulder and—

“Ugh, it’s here…!”

With a dull noise, the blue crystal embedded in his right shoulder was forcefully pulled out.

For a moment, blood trickled down his shoulder, but he clenched his muscles, stopping the bleeding. He lightly wiped the extracted crystal and tossed it towards Emilia.

“W-what…?”

“Make sure you catch it. That thing belongs to you… or rather, to you.”

As Emilia instinctively caught the crystal, Garfiel gruffly said.

Emilia took in his words, and upon seeing the crystal’s faint blue light, she gasped. The crystal flickered as if to celebrate her reception.

From the side, Subaru crossed his arms, thinking that even without words, some things stayed the same.

“Thank you, Garfiel.”

“I just threw away something disgusting as far as I’m concerned. You don’t need to thank me.”

After Emilia expressed her gratitude, Garfiel casually gazed up at the sky.

Ahead, the sky dyed in orange would soon lead into night. When that happened, it would be time to prepare for the start of the ‘Trial’.

“I’ll confirm this. I’ll find out whether I’m wrong, or if you guys are wrong.”

He declared with determination, and Garfiel sharply turned around.

The direction his foot stepped toward was the graveyard—a nightmare place where the horrifying memories of his childhood awaited him.

Time passed, and he reflected on what he would see there.

“Hey, Garfiel.”

A calling voice suddenly halted Garfiel, who had steeled his resolve.

As he turned around with a click of his tongue, he found Subaru raising his hand to stop him.

“What is it?”

“Well, I’d prefer not to be a buzzkill, but… it seems there’s still a bit of time before you can enter the ‘Trial’…”

While effectively being a buzzkill, Subaru scratched his head, hesitating.

With a concerned expression, Subaru was nudged along by Garfiel’s impatient demeanor.

With a sigh, Subaru finally spoke.

“At least, change your clothes, will ya? There’s something really off about that tattered loincloth you’re wearing.”

The barbaric style feeling the wind on his bare groin.

In response to Subaru’s remark, a blue vein visibly pulsed on Garfiel’s forehead, as Ram let out an exasperated sigh.

“That’s a ridiculous situation.”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

As soon as Garfiel changed and stepped into the graveyard, he instantly sensed that the conditions for the ‘Trial’ had been met.

The air was damp within the stone-hewn space. A cold breeze blew through, and the musty odor pricked his nose, prompting Garfiel to grimace. For someone like him, who had a super-sensitive sense of smell, the stench of that closed space was an unbearable assault on his senses.

“I don’t want to stick around here…”

His murmur echoed throughout the passage, but no response came from anywhere.

As he repeatedly felt the ground’s hardness underfoot, his body pressed further into the depths of the graveyard.

Unbeknownst to him, his heartbeat quickened, but Garfiel noticed.

He was resolved to challenge the ‘Trial’, to witness its result. However, he couldn’t still his heart, feeling unease due to memories that stirred intense fear deep within him.

Always present was the thought that what might change from touching it again.

Even if he were to witness that scene again, what sort of transformation would come to him now? He had never once forgotten that memory.

A memory burned into his mind with vivid clarity.

Revisiting it now—what result could come other than reinforcing that memory?

“…It’s pathetic. I didn’t come all this way just to confirm that.”

Trying to convince himself with a rationalization, he reprimanded himself for wanting to escape. It was no wonder Ram yelled at him and looked down on him for it. He hadn’t wanted to acknowledge just how pitiful he was.

What if he was a man who would submit to this sorrow and weakness?

“——”

Halting his feet on the stone-paved passage, Garfiel became aware of the earth’s existence.

The sensation of power rising from beneath his feet was the warm wave of strength that the ‘Earth Spirit’s Blessing’ offered Garfiel.

Even if his battered, beaten, and exhausted body was in dire straits, merely being in contact with the earth allowed him to recover and regain strength.

It was still possible to fight at about 40% of his full capacity now, especially after resting for a bit.

Moreover, Subaru and Ram, who had sent him inside alone, would have no way to stop Garfiel if he decided to act destructively. All the hardships they endured to take him down would be rendered meaningless in a heartbeat. He could wipe that all away right then and there.

Were they really that simple-minded?

“Those bastards.”

That couldn’t be the case.

It was Emilia and Otto, who didn’t look like they ever doubted anyone. However, surely Subaru, who acted carefully, and Ram, who acted shrewdly—all would see through this.

Even if Garfiel regained his strength, they wouldn’t think he would destroy the graveyard.

Were they thinking he was cowardly, or were they fully trusting him?

Now Garfiel couldn’t tell which of those two was true.

That answer likely awaited him beyond the ‘Trial’.

“…Damn it.”

He spat that out contemptuously, resuming his walk.

He wasn’t great at thinking through complicated matters. Struggling to think was an inconvenient trait he had, whether in daily life or during battle. Yet he persistently did so, all because someone once told him to.

“Fight more thoughtfully, Garf. Then Ram will be pleased.”

“——A.”

He suddenly remembered who it was that told him to think and act carefully.

Thus he persistently, almost foolishly, continued to cling to that thought.

In that case, it would mean that he had been told by the very person who told him to give it thought that he should fight without thinking. It was absurdly ironic.

“How ridiculous.”

He suppressed a laugh that involuntarily tried to escape.

Just as he attempted to contain that laugh, he reached the end of the passage.

The passage culminated in a squared space—the room for the ‘Trial’.

A small chamber glowed faintly, shimmering with a ghostly pallor. Stepping inside with a face somewhere between tension and relaxation, Garfiel’s gaze landed on the stone door at the far end.

It was said to be the door that opened only after overcoming three ‘Trials’. He had never seen it open, so he didn’t really know if that was true, nor was he aware of what lay beyond.

If he just stood there, it seemed like the ‘Trial’ would begin, but—

“——Huh?”

With his arms crossed in idle anticipation, Garfiel suddenly raised an eyebrow.

His keen night vision caught a peculiarity in the small room.

He focused, straining to discern what it was, and—

“——First, confront your past.”

A voice echoed.

Suddenly, his vision wavered, and his consciousness was cloaked in something indistinct.

The past was arriving.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“I never thought you would return here again. I’m very happy about this.”

As Garfiel’s consciousness awakened, he found himself standing in the forest.

Turning his head, he looked around at the familiar woods—but it was a sight that seemed somewhat ‘younger’ compared to what he remembered. It was just a few years’ difference, but as someone who had been here every day, Garfiel could sense that change vividly.

This was the past.

And he was challenging the ‘Trial’, existing within that dream.

Accepting this smoothly, Garfiel checked the condition of his body.

Arms and legs, good. From the neck up, his eyes, nose, and ears were all fine too. When he opened his mouth and bit down, he could hear the high-pitched sound of his teeth clenching together.

No problems, no injuries. In fact, he felt as if the injuries he sustained before stepping into the graveyard had healed up.

“That’s because this is a place that draws in only the mind. If your psyche had sustained injuries that significantly affected you, they wouldn’t heal even within a dream. This is already proven—like, if a person were missing an arm in the real world, even pulled into this realm, they would still be missing that arm…”

“Stop rambling! Can’t you see I’m ignoring you?!”

“I know you are. But you still need to converse with me. I think it’d be nice if you appreciated my feelings about this reunion.”

The figure of a woman, with a doll-like smile, stood facing Garfiel.

Dressed from top to bottom in a mourning-style black dress, she had hair and skin as pale as snow. Her smile was alluring enough to charm any man, yet it was evident that her heart was entirely empty.

Her appearance hadn’t changed at all from his memories.

“My limbs have grown while you haven’t changed a bit, huh?”

“Unfortunately, I am a dead person. I linger on this world as just a soul. No matter how many years amass, I cannot gain the same passage of time as the living. Isn’t it emotional for me to say this? Quite unlike you.”

“Only someone who knows me well can say ‘Like you’. We’ve only met once in person a long time ago. I’m sure it wasn’t much of a conversation either.”

“From your perspective, what you saw of me might be true. But that doesn’t equate to whether I saw you the same amount of time.”

“—Tch.”

Garfiel knew better than to expect any kind of wisdom from a person like her.

He glared at the unfazed face of the witch, Echidna, who now nestled beside him as if she were supervising the ‘Trial’. This was hardly due to any sense of concern for Garfiel, who was feeling pain—this was merely a greedy curiosity of hers, wanting to observe all events that unfolded here.

Losing the energy to continue their conversation, Garfiel looked toward the woods.

If the spectacle of the past had already begun, it was merely a matter of time before the actors made their appearance.

He would give no thought to pleasing the witch who found joy in merely conversing.

“What a cold attitude.”

Echidna accepted Garfiel’s demeanor as though it pleased her, and she absentmindedly stroked her long white hair.

As he followed her subtle gestures, change came forth quickly.

“——”

Before the scenery he recognized, Garfiel gasped softly.

The boundary of the woods—meaning that it was the watershed, separating the interior and exterior of the ‘Sanctuary’.

Those trapped by the barrier experienced an odd sensation, causing their consciousness to waver and create discomfort even just from facing that boundary.

At such a boundary, four figures appeared.

One was Ryuzu, with long, faintly red hair that hadn’t changed a bit from now to then.

Another was Frederica, a girl who looked around ten, sporting silky, golden locks as fine as thread.

And standing across from Ryuzu and Frederica was a woman with sandy hair tied into a braid, her calm demeanor framed with the gentle curve of her eyes.

She carried an infant in her arms—a golden-haired child with an unkind expression.

“Ah… Mother…”

The moment Garfiel saw that woman and recognized the child she held, a weak voice slipped from his mouth.

However, no sound reached the ears of any among the four present.

—Naturally. Interfering with the past was something no one could do.

“Even if you reach out, you can’t touch. Even if you call, you won’t get a smile in return. I feel sorry for you, as I say this parenthetical remark…”

The witch’s sentiments were ones that could easily provoke a scream.

But as Garfiel gazed at the pained expression on his own face, he realized that the witch bore no genuine malicious intent. This scene wasn’t something crafted out of spite on her part.

This witch was a force of nature merely seeking to extract the regrets that one confronted in their heart while challenging the ‘Trial’—without concern for how it might unfold.

“——”

Before Garfiel, shaken, the four began conversing.

The content of their words, the tones of the voices, all was imperceptible to Garfiel.

Their mouths opened and sounds were threaded together.

However, as those sounds stirred the air to rattle against Garfiel’s eardrums, they gave no clear meaning.

Ryuzu wore a mournful expression, Frederica held back tears by biting her lip, the mother’s eyes fell in distress, while the Garfiel of his childhood looked innocently cheerful.

The painful scene lacked any sound because this was Garfiel’s memory.

Little Garfiel hadn’t retained the exchanges that transpired at that time, causing the words they spoke not to reach his ears.

Only the faint, subdued echoes remained within the peripheries of his memory.

Since it was recreating a scene from his memory, the imagery played out vividly, almost taunting him.

“What could they be discussing… Can you even guess?”

“Don’t you dare talk to me. —It’s definitely some dull squabbling.”

Looking ahead to what was to come, Garfiel could easily imagine the nature of their conversation.

The mother wishing to head outside, and Ryuzu and Frederica attempting to hold her back. Little Garfiel was unable to join the conversation, simply relishing being held by his mother.

“—Guh!”

Suddenly, an overwhelming impulse surged, and Garfiel took a step forward.

Before Echidna, who raised her eyebrows, Garfiel stomped firmly into the forest, approaching the four figures in no time. Yet, even standing close, they did not seem to notice him. He stepped forward bravely, positioning himself before his mother, eyes fixed directly upon her.

Little Garfiel, cradled and smiling innocently.

That was infuriating beyond measure. Without a clue about what was to happen next, he simply sat there grinning, not having the right to partake in the discussions meant to hold his mother back.

Just being there with a smile—how much regret would that sow? How much despair could it breed?

“Ah! Gah! Aah!!”

He raised his arms, clawing the air.

He longed to pierce the innocent face of that child with his claws, to replace the joy with despair. He wanted to show how foolish that choice was.

Yet, even as he brought his claws down, they passed harmlessly over the child’s face, even through the arms of the mother who held him.

As he firmly planted his feet on the ground, trying to unleash the fury born of that blessing, nothing happened. His arms grew weary, swept by the emotion of destruction, the mother’s apparition remained untouched, but nothing changed.

“Why! Why the hell! Why are you showing me this scene!!”

Raising arms that couldn’t reach, he slammed them down onto the ground.

Yet the emotions of destruction yielded no result in that recreated memory, and the past stood unwavering before him.

Unable to unleash his anger, unable to erase the past, trembling with rage, Garfiel turned to the witch and bared his fangs.

“It’s all the same! Nothing changes! I couldn’t hold my mother back, nor does it matter what happens to her afterwards! This is all the same! Is this enough for you!?”

“You can rampage as much as you want, but calling me the bad guy seems awfully selfish, don’t you think? The past unfolds as a ‘Trial’ sure enough, that much is the intended result of my design… But you knew this place was like that. Coming back here despite knowing that means it’s not me you should blame for not changing. It should be you.”

“It’s me…?”

“That’s right. The notion here hasn’t changed because you haven’t changed. If you cannot perceive the past differently, it’s because you refuse to accept change. You must accept that you change, or choose not to change at all to overcome this ‘Trial’. In fact, a boy who chose to change was able to overcome his past.”

Echidna voiced a successful example, leaving Garfiel dumbfounded.

It would’ve been easy to dismiss that as the witch’s lies. However, if, by chance, that wasn’t a lie—when he entertained that thought, Garfiel felt fear settling in.

Someone had emerged from the past, that successfully overcame it.

The ‘Sanctuary’ remained unyielding. Whomever had once overcome their past never made it past the subsequent ‘Trials’. Yet if they had overcome that past of theirs—

“No way… I won’t fall for this! The ‘Trial’s’ condition to challenge is mixed blood of subhumans! There’s no way someone with diluted blood like a half-breed could have entered the ‘Sanctuary’! That means there’s nobody else! The ones with the qualification to be in the ‘Sanctuary’—”

Nobody at all—he almost declared this emphatically until he hesitated at the final remark.

Almost falling into the witch’s provocation, Garfiel had nearly doubted his reasoning. Just then, he clutched onto the one factor denying its truth. Was he correct?

Garfiel’s rebuttal prompted the witch to smirk just slightly.

It wasn’t a welcome feeling that he busted her deception, nor did it imply he welcomed her rambling on about his theories.

Rather, she seemed to await something, intrigued.

“Whom could that person be?”

With her feigned innocence, Echidna posed such a question, and Garfiel realized.

He figured the witch was referring to someone.

“No way…!”

What he’d just uttered represented the requirements to challenge the graveyard.

However, exceptions existed.

It wasn’t explicitly articulated by the witch; it was merely Garfiel’s inference.

There was a possibility that, as the ‘Apostle of the Witch of Greed’, he could share the eligibility to take on the ‘Trial’.

And among that group of eligible beings, there was one individual Garfiel knew.

He had told Garfiel himself, right?

“—That he had gone through the ‘Trial’ and witnessed his past.”

“But he said he couldn’t overcome the past… he said he couldn’t overcome the ‘Trial’…!”

“Wasn’t that a way to avoid unnecessary friction? Maybe there were complications should anyone discover that he had succeeded in overcoming the ‘Trial’.”

“Shut up! I’m not going to talk to you! Don’t you dare interrupt me!”

The witch’s words swirled through Garfiel’s mind, causing confusion.

He was definitely assured that Natsuki Subaru had taken on the ‘Trial’. There was no doubt that he recognized the ‘Trial’ as those of the past.

He recalled how he was shaken when Subaru declared he couldn’t overcome it. In that moment, Garfiel was upset to realize Subaru had that qualification, which made him not pursue any further questions and end that conversation—yet—

“——”

Was Subaru’s expression back then that of a man crushed by unovercome past?

There had been regret etched on his face, but that was not the face of a man beset by inner demons. That wasn’t the face of a man grappling with an unresolved past. He’d watched a reflection of that face from the water’s surface every day.

And Garfiel, the one who took him down, wasn’t marked as someone who was termed as “a man trapped in the past.”

“He… overcame his past…? The past can be overcome…?”

“If by chance, outside, there might have been a moment where he spoke down to you with an air of superiority, that could only have occurred because he had some understanding of himself that enabled that.”

In the foggy haze of his mind, he recalled the moments when he exchanged blows with Subaru.

Both Subaru and Garfiel had been pushed to their limits, struggling to keep their consciousness. None of the words they had shouted were completely graspable. No, this was not a moment to surrender to hopelessness. He had to collect the loose threads of meaning here and pierce beyond his own understanding.

What had been uttered? What had been called out?

The past, halted moments, their unchanging nature, the barrier, this ‘Sanctuary’, family.

What would happen to those that had stopped?

Hadn’t he said that if you ever desired to start, then it was your freedom to simply begin anything?

“——Do you want to go through with this regardless?”

Suddenly, a familiar voice struck Garfiel’s ears.

However, that should not have been a voice to be heard here.

For this was neither the voice of something that existed in this realm, nor the voice of anything Garfiel could influence.

“Yes, I will. I’ll have to trouble Ryuzu, but I must go.”

“Don’t worry about that. The real trouble comes from what those kids feel.”

The exchanged words were things of his familiar family and the unusual family he’d never known.

Ryuzu’s face, riddled with concern opened up, while the one facing her—the mother’s face moved, and the sounds slipped through.

For the first time, Garfiel heard his mother’s voice, something already hidden away from his memory.

“——”

Gasping, Garfiel was entranced by the spectacle before him.

His mother gazed down lovingly at little Garfiel in her arms, gently swaying him as if to soothe him. Looking up at her was Frederica, clenching the hem of her skirt, seeking to speak softly.

“M-mother… I… I…”

“I’m sorry, Fuu-chan. I know I’m worrying you so much.”

“It’s fine. I’m okay. But… I’m worried about Garf…”

“If I take you with me, I’ll just end up causing trouble. Surely, Gar-chan will have a tough time. You’re my girl, yet you’re so steady—please keep it together.”

With a hint of loneliness, Frederica voiced a farewell to her departing mother.

For Garfiel, this was the first time he learned his sister approved his mother’s intention to leave the ‘Sanctuary’. Ryuzu also embraced the trembling Frederica, respecting their resolve.

“Garu-chan. I will be back soon.”

While calling out, his mother lifted Garfiel.

Held up high, he was blissfully oblivious of her decision. His mother pulled him into her embrace and bestowed a gentle kiss upon his brow.

This place, the same one where the white scar now resided.

“I’ll surely bring back your father. Please wait until then.”

“——!”

Her eyes radiated warmth and her words resonated with compassion.

To hold on tightly to an inseparable memory, his mother repeatedly showered kisses upon his forehead.

Finally, she handed the little Garfiel over to Ryuzu.

Holding tightly to Garfiel, they nodded to each other; her mother embraced Frederica next, pouring down a cascade of love with soft kisses for her daughter once more.

“——huh, Ah, aah… Aah…”

Garfiel had knelt before the vision, as if he were drawn down by some magnetic force.

He didn’t know what he was witnessing.

He was unfamiliar with this scene. This was a sight he had never seen before.

In those earlier years, when he clearly lacked understanding, he had fought against the past; what Garfiel saw had been a mournfully painful memory without any hope.

Though he had come to believe those heart-wrenching memories were precious, those days were now washed away. The bravado that had veiled the agony and misery was shaken, crumbled, and replaced with something entirely different.

“What is this memory?”

Hadn’t his mother abandoned him and his sister, pursuing only her own happiness? Hadn’t she cut them off from her life to walk her own path?

That was utterly reversed.

His mother had abandoned her children. That allowed Garfiel to shape what would become the existence of “Garfiel Tinsel.”

Yet when he grasped that this steadfast belief was misplaced, those strong defenses crumbled into fragile walls, causing Garfiel’s world to collapse from under him.

Before Garfiel’s failing posture, the farewell of his family in the past drew to a finale.

Bidding farewell with plenty of love, his mother touched Frederica and Garfiel one last time, and leaving everything to Ryuzu, she walked toward the exit of the woods with naught but her bag.

Along the way, she hesitated repeatedly. She turned back, waving her hand to Frederica. Garfiel, caught by Ryuzu’s grasp, waved too, and they responded with a wave of their own.

Yet more and more times, she would firm her resolve and stride forward. However, every few steps she looked back again and waved goodbye.

Doing this repeatedly, over and over, her mother exited the forest—

“—Huh?!”

As if to run after her mother, Garfiel rose only to have his vision distort suddenly.

The boundaries of the world blurred; Garfiel’s eyes were glistening with tears.

It wasn’t just due to the moisture that gathered; something even clearer was making this world mesh into uncertainty.

From the corners of his vision, surrounded by white light, the woods began to disappear.

It was as if the world were ending—at the unintended conclusion of a story unfolding, Garfiel turned and cried out to the witch, who stood behind him.

“Why! Why are you ending it here?! There are still essential bits left to see…!”

“Nope, it’s the end. There’s no reason to keep looking further. It wasn’t I who acknowledged the end of the dream—You did. Congratulations, Garfiel. You’ve rewritten your past.”

“What are you…!? Are you kidding me!? The most important part is still ahead!”

“Viewing what lies ahead is ineffective, and even if you had imagined what might happen next, it is clear you can’t take any part in that.”

“Aah—”

Was that the witch’s answer to his inability to change the past?

Blood drained from Garfiel’s face while his knees fell back against the earth.

He had grasped the true feelings of his mother.

But did it mean her fate would remain unchanged after she left this moment?

His mother departed ‘Sanctuary’ to look for his father. Yet her journey would wither instantly after it began. Along with her life.

—Was he merely falling deeper into memories of despair that left him unable to save them?

Had that desolation merely overwrought his unfathomable memories, recreating hope before being consumed by despair again? What then had he to change about himself?

“Mother loved both me and Garf…!”

The words that seemed to spring forth brought Garfiel’s face up.

He looked down on the kneeling version of himself as his young sister spoke those words, her gaze fixed on him, appearing there despite its impossibility.

“To save the family, mother left ‘Sanctuary’. Is there dissatisfaction with that?”

“How dare you! Just being loved doesn’t change anything! You’re just dangling unnecessary memories! I—!”

“It was easier to think you weren’t loved, right?”

His young sister Frederica cast Garfiel a scornful look as she made her point.

The height difference was akin to that between a child and an adult, yet, unbothered by stature, she faced him unyieldingly, as if to say she was merely a bothersome younger brother.

“If you believe it was one-sided affection, then you can justify yourself.”

“That’s not…!”

“If you find yourself loved and that you were reciprocated… realizing that makes it hard to justify that you chose not to head outside, to hermetically seal yourself away in ‘Sanctuary’.”

“That’s not true! You don’t understand what happened to her!”

“—You couldn’t possibly be unaware.”

Garfiel felt jolted, as if struck physically, at Frederica’s words.

What had she just said?

“You couldn’t possibly be oblivious. If Mother walked out of ‘Sanctuary’, and something unfortunate befell her soon after… then how could she possibly not have known?”

“W-Why…?!”

“Even you would understand that she couldn’t share that information with you. Garf, you’re not a little child anymore.”

Frederica knew what happened to their mother.

Furthermore, she also understood why she couldn’t share that horrifying truth with little Garfiel.

Whom could bear to share the cruel fate of a mother to a young boy?

Had he not glimpsed the ‘Trial’ within the graveyard, Garfiel would surely have remained ignorant. Had it not unfolded this way, many compassionate boundaries would have been crossed.

“You knew your mother loved you, deep down.”

“……”

“Therefore, it seems you tried to erase the place from which she kissed you, the place of your last connection through self-harm.”

Garfiel touched the white scar on his forehead.

This wound had never existed upon the forehead of his younger self.

That scar had been born directly after Garfiel took on the ‘Trial’ in the graveyard. In a state of confusion, Garfiel had slammed his head against the walls and ground so violently that he had etched an indelible mark into his flesh.

It was that very scar, and its origin was certainly what Frederica had spoken of.

“Well then, it seems the end is approaching.”

Frederica murmured softly.

Noticing it, the past faded almost entirely.

The woods had vanished, and Mother, along with Ryuzu’s silhouette, were nowhere to be seen. Even the figure of the watching witch was now absent, leaving only Garfiel and Frederica, both siblings stranded in this void.

“No matter how you hide it with scars, the past will not disappear. Nor will the fact that you were loved.”

“I… What should I do?”

With a feeble voice, Garfiel questioned Frederica.

“If Mother’s ending doesn’t change, then for me, the outside world remains a terrifying thing. Entering that world, I would have to bear others, including Grandmother and everyone else… I’m scared.”

“You can’t even rely on your little sister to find your answers?”

“I know it’s pitiful! But there was no one else I could lean on. Please, tell me… why did you go out into the world?”

“What does Garf want?”

Interrupting his words, Frederica tilted her head, looking at Garfiel.

For a moment, Garfiel fell silent, uncertain of what his desire even was. This wasn’t about what he wanted to know, but rather about what he should do or what he had to do.

“What does Garf want?”

The sister queried again, as if knowing he struggled.

So with a deep breath, Garfiel spoke.

“I want to do what those who need me need done.”

“Whose needs?”

“I wish to do what those who need me—what I mean to them.”

“Why do you believe that?”

“Because they reminded me…”

Fetching the support from those he adored, Garfiel resonated.

“—That Mother loved me.”

At that moment, suddenly the dream world shattered into innumerable pieces, and the past faded far away.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Garfiel, emerging from the graveyard, bore the expression of someone as if a weight had been lifted.

With arms crossed and bouncing his legs, Subaru waited for roughly an hour for the results.

Anxious, Subaru and the others exchanged glances in silence, refraining from testing the waters with words as they awaited the outcome.

“What if he actually broke the promise, demolishing the ruins?”

Otto, who seemed to be trying to ease the tension with a joke, ended up getting kicked by Ram in a humorous scene, yet the overall situation remained watchfully quiet.

“…Garbou.”

With an anxious expression, Ryuzu placed her hands together and frequently looked toward the graveyard where he had entered.

Ryuzu here was θ, and no matter which version of her it was, her concern for Garfiel remained unchanged.

Beating up Garfiel had been a joint effort for the three of them, and now that Garfiel had boldly entered despite it, both matters had certainly impressed Ryuzu in some way.

“……”

Emilia, who stood beside Subaru, was also anxiously watching the graveyard.

Although her worries were likely about Garfiel, she too was next in line to face the ‘Trial’ once he emerged.

Having witnessed the argument inside the graveyard and the subsequent fight between Subaru and Garfiel, she hadn’t yet discerned any growth from her experiences. However, the look of apprehension etched in her expression seemed more indicative of her deep concern for Garfiel, and it did not appear to reflect any disdain for the ‘Trial’ she was to face. This was not a bad sign at all.

“—Ah!”

Subaru summoned back to earth by Otto’s voice that pointed toward the graveyard.

Emilia prepared herself for some tense comment from them until she noticed something and realized it wasn’t their fault either.

“Garbou!”

Ryuzu leaped up and bolted toward the graveyard.

Following her gaze, Subaru noticed the silhouette of a figure emerging from the entrance to the graveyard.

Short blonde hair, a white scar on the forehead, sharp eyes, and fang-like white teeth.

A small, hunched physique contrasted with an aura filled with intimidation.

That was Garfiel Tinsel.

“See, I told you well… Wham!”

Otto was knocked over by Ram’s knee just at the moment Garfiel stepped forward.

However, Otto’s predicament was not the centerpiece of the attention; rather, Subaru and the others rushed to greet Garfiel as he returned from the ‘Trial’.

Leaping up the stone steps, Subaru dashed to Garfiel. Ryuzu, who had already arrived, stood before him, fumbling for the right words.

“G-Garbou. I… um…”

“Quit that stupid face, you old hag. Sorry for worrying you.”

“Garbou.”

With those blunt words, Garfiel patted Ryuzu’s small head.

Though it felt impolite given their relationship, in light of their sizes, it wouldn’t even come off as unusual. Besides, if Ryuzu didn’t take issue, pointing it out would seem rude.

“Garf. How did it go?”

After making her way from behind the others, Ram spoke up toward Garfiel.

It was she who’d directly urged him into the ‘Trial’. Knowing the underlying context, a rare shade of concern shimmered across her face.

Taking a moment to think about Ram’s question, Garfiel answered,

“I’d say I didn’t get too tangible results showing from it. But it certainly feels like, well, it is what it is.”

“That sounds like confessing to stealing something but still thinking it’s bragging that you did it.”

“—I meant to put a stop to the past.”

In response to Subaru, Garfiel exhaled deeply from his nose.

For a moment, everyone gasped, but soon another feeling of emotion arose.

It was clear Garfiel had faced the ‘Trial’ and set something of the past to rest.

This signified a step forward toward liberating the ‘Sanctuary’ and proved that the ‘Trial’ was not an insurmountable impossible dilemma.

“Then, you think you could just keep on this roll and face the rest of the ‘Trials’ too—”

“Shut up! I’ll only take this solitary ‘Trial’ to handle! The others aren’t up to me! Isn’t that right?”

“Of course. It’s my task to handle the rest, after all. Don’t mess with it.”

Garfiel and Emilia both negated Subaru’s enthusiasm.

Garfiel glared at Emilia, and she matched his stare head-on.

“You’re still as wicked as a witch. You’d better keep an eye out.”

“Huh? Are you advising me? Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Garfiel’s half-hearted encouragement and half-hearted sarcasm was lost on Emilia, who took only the encouragement and let the sarcasm slide by.

Subaru smiled faintly at Garfiel’s stunned expression, only for Garfiel’s glare to swing back toward him next.

With eyebrows raised, Garfiel scratched his own cheek,

“Uh, also…”

“What’s up? Don’t be all shy, that’s not your style! You’re not the type to hesitate or ponder!”

“I don’t really get what you’re saying, but I get that you’re mocking me. I’ll show you… Ah, well, never mind.”

Garfiel pointed accusingly at Subaru, only to lower his arms and behave as if something had made him uneasy.

A perplexed Garfiel drew a puzzled glance from Subaru. Yet Ram alone bore a smile, as if knowing exactly what was happening.

“Garf,” she gently prodded at the side of Garfiel’s waist.

After that gentle poke, Garfiel let out a sigh and seemed to have resigned to his fate, shaking his head.

“Having gotten through this ‘Trial’ was probably all thanks to you. Thanks.”

“…Did you just thank me?”

“I won’t say it twice! However, I managed to remember the things I wanted to recall. So it was worth entering… darn it!”

As he spoke, whether his embarrassment grew or the shame washed over him, Garfiel’s face turned bright red, and he pointed accusingly at a bewildered Subaru.

“Listen! It’s true I lost, and the outcome of this ‘Trial’ has changed. But, that doesn’t mean I’m raising a white flag, saying everyone has been right! I barked out ‘I’ll change this ‘Sanctuary’!’ You guys better behave yourselves after this too—don’t go making it a hellhole!”

“O-oh… of course…”

Under that inferno of an insistence, Subaru managed to stutter out a voice.

There was no absolute guarantee against Garfiel’s opinions, but he could only promise to work toward ensuring things would get better. That, he was certain of and wanted to declare.

“That’s why I’ll closely watch whether you guys are just blowing smoke. —Do it right, ‘General’!”

“——”

As Garfiel thumped Subaru on the shoulder, he locked eyes with him before saying those parting words.

Startlingly familiar as they were, they left Subaru shocked and stunned.

Meanwhile, with a sharp stride, Garfiel raced past Subaru and headed down the stone steps of the graveyard, leading Ryuzu, almost as if to avoid showing his face.

“Garfiel was seriously blushing so hard just now.”

As he dashed by, Emilia managed to stifle a smile.

The way she brought it up confirmed that it had not been a misheard moment.

“The General—this group’s leader is me, not Emilia.”

“After all, you defeated Garfiel. You’ve won recognition from a manly duel, so Garfiel’s General is technically YOU. Amazing, huh, General?”

Aside from Emilia’s naive smile and her comment, Subaru found himself at a loss for words.

As he looked at Garfiel fading into the distance while rambling about his embarrassment, Ram tackled him with a punch to the side.

“Just concede already. He’s flustered right now, and doesn’t know how to deal with it. Let him go.”

“Still, that’s… I’m not the big man here, this is juicy.”

“So what? You’re older than Garfiel, so cut him some slack. To him, you’re like a bro he never had.”

“Wait a sec…”

Subaru blinked at Ram’s words as he gazed at Garfiel’s retreating figure.

That Ram had just claimed Garfiel was younger sent a strange signal through his mind.

“What did you just say?”

Him—what did you mean?

“Garfiel is younger than you, you know.”

“How old?”

“This year, he turns fourteen.”

“Fourteen!? That… he’s a middle schooler!?”

Reeling from that information that fell outside of any expectations, Subaru’s voice cracked while astonishment washed over him.

Somehow this explanation felt as though all the dots connected. The fact that Garfiel also bore a childlike stubbornness now made all the sense in the world.

“A middle schooler in peak rebellion… That’s probably why it’s a struggle to handle him…”

Subaru sighed with a voice heavier than before as he murmured that.

“`

 

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