A distant voice echoes in the far-off.

I can’t tell whose voice it is or where it’s coming from.

Is it a man or a woman? Is it from above or below? I just can’t tell.

『――――』

It sounded like a roar.

It seemed like a lament.

It almost felt like an accusation.

It also had the tone of someone sobbing.

It was a voice.

A voice that rains down like a waterfall, rushes like a high tide, and grips you like a whirlpool without letting go.

As if to convey something long-held to someone I finally get to meet.

Caught in the deluge of voices, I lose sight of where I am.

My hands and feet, my head and behind, my chest and back—it’s all the same. Everything melts together, mingling and dissolving.

Eventually, even the existence of myself, which I could barely understand, gets swallowed up in the vast stream of voices, scattering my body.

I sensed the black sediment drinking in the world I could feel.

And as all the sediments tried to invade my physical body, I realized I was resigning myself to a slow end that I could not resist.

The threads entwined so tightly that they can never be unwound are refusing that erosion.

The threads insist, scattered about, saying they will never be stopped in their endeavor to cover everything, to drink everything.

Something writhing inside my body. It isn’t necessarily that one side is positive.

It’s simply sediment claiming the existence of a person’s body as a battlefield against each other.

And eventually, eventually――.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

『――――』

The first thing that jumped into my ears was someone’s angry shout.

Opening my eyes to that harsh, shrill sound, a white ceiling came into view. At the same time, I realized I was sprawled out on a hard floor.

『――You useless fool!』

My consciousness awakened, and I could now clearly capture the abusive words.

That voice was adorned with unbearable anger. Its emotional explosion was accompanied by action. A sharp slap echoed as flesh hit flesh.

『Stop it! What do you think will happen by blaming like that? No one person is to blame. You should know that!』

『Shut up! I don’t want to hear your excuses! The onlookers should stay quiet!』

A scuffle filled the air, and rage showed no signs of calming down.

From the echoes of the voices, I sensed it was a wide room, and the events were happening in the same space. I reached out my hand, and when my left hand touched the wall, I tried to support myself to sit up.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my skull like a nail, and my breath caught. My vision exploded like gunpowder in my eye, staining my consciousness a bright red.

As I struggled to sit up, the scuffle unfolded right before me.

In the middle of the room, three men and women were entangled. No, three men.

Felix, eyes brimming with tears, desperately tried to grab Wilhelm, while Julius tirelessly attempted to restrain him. That dry sound I heard earlier was, it seemed, Wilhelm being struck on the cheek. The old man, with a faint crimson mark on his cheek, helplessly lowered his gaze to meet Felix’s.

『…I have no way to apologize.』

『Make excuses! Tell me there was a reason, and that’s why it was unavoidable! Convince me! Apologies mean nothing!』

『Felix, that’s not the point. Even Wilhelm-sama is regretting it!』

『Regretting!? What good will regret do? Useless! Coward! Why… why is it like this for everyone…? Why is no one saving Crusch-sama…?』

Felix’s voice grew louder, stabbing at Wilhelm and Julius, and soon lost its direction, collapsing to his knees.

The two men couldn’t utter a single word in response to Felix’s tearful accusations. As they looked down at him, Felix began clawing at the floor with his white hands.

『What’s the point of ‘blue’…? At times like this, unable to fulfill a single duty means…! Useless… useless, useless, useless…!』

Tears spilled onto the floor as Felix’s tirade continued as if cursing.

But that anger directed toward someone around him would at least be better than realizing it was a frustration directed at himself, rendering everyone dumbfounded by his grief.

『――――』

Amidst Felix’s sobs, Julius’s sigh intertwined. Wilhelm remained silent, not uttering a word, and a gloomy atmosphere enveloped the three of them in the room. Then,

『Hey, captain. You’ve finally woken up.』

Garfiel stepped into the scene, emerging from an entrance with no door, having observed those three helplessly. At Garfiel’s voice, Julius and the others turned to Subaru, their faces lighting up with relief.

『Good. It seems Subaru has woken up too. Felix.』

『…I know.』

At Julius’s call, Felix roughly wiped his face with his sleeve and stood up. He approached Subaru with a demeanor that concealed the recent disgrace, promptly touched Subaru’s body, and finally met his gaze directly.

『Hmm, you seem to be okay. Your consciousness seems fine too, right? Can you tell me your name and where you’re from?』

『My name is Natsuki Subaru. I’m from Japan.』

『Never heard of that remote place… I’m with Crusch-sama.』

Felix, with an unimpressed expression at Subaru’s response, clapped his rear and quickly left. Everyone watched in silence as he departed, unable to respond to his cold words.

However, Wilhelm began to walk toward Felix’s back. Just before exiting the room, the old man merely offered a slight bow to Subaru before leaving with Felix.

Seeing the two of them leave, I finally sensed the tense atmosphere in the room began to dissipate.

However, I also felt an intensely growing somber mood in its place.

『Even if your body is safe, don’t overdo it, captain.』

『…You too, your complexion is terrible.』

Garfiel spoke to Subaru, who was leaning against the wall and had threw his feet out. Meeting Garfiel’s gaze, Subaru lowered his voice in response.

Dried blood clung to his face and golden hair, with multiple tears on his clothing. His pale complexion resembled that of when he had entered the shelter with injured Mimi but was even worse.

With that thought, Subaru finally reached a conclusion in his delayed reasoning.

『Looks like we didn’t die.』

『Yeah. Both you and I survived. But that doesn’t mean everything’s all sunshine and rainbows. Damn it.』

Garfiel affirmed Subaru’s hoarse mutter, gnashing his teeth with annoyance.

As Subaru watched him, he became acutely aware that his very existence—specifically, the failure of his “Return by Death” and the end of the City Hall recovery operation—was still unresolved.

Naturally, since they survived, someone must have saved them, but――.

『What about the City Hall… what happened? How did I end up here…?』

『Nothing much. The place you’re in now is the issue itself—the City Hall. The Witch Cultists abandoned the building, and we’ve reclaimed it. So in that sense, we could say we’ve succeeded.』

Julius replied, kneeling in front of Subaru as he spoke through Subaru’s broken questions.

Upon closer inspection, even the “best knight” looks like a mess. His hair is untidy, and there are visible marks on his cheeks and neck. His knight’s attire is stained with blood, making him appear far from unscathed.

Above all, that usually composed face was starkly etched with regret and humiliation.

『First and foremost, it’s a relief you woke up. If something had happened to you too, our morale wouldn’t have been recoverable.』

『…Let’s skip the unnecessary details. What happened? I don’t care about morale. The Witch Cult abandoning the building, what does that mean…? What happened!?』

『It means just that. The Witch Cultists abandoned the building, and the City Hall is back in our hands. If we ignore the fact that we lost all the hostages transformed into monstrosities and all the Witch Cultists accomplished their goal, then I suppose we could find a reason to celebrate.』

Julius calmly conveyed the facts in response to Subaru’s frantic inquiry.

Yet, beneath that composed demeanor, there was a hard edge to his voice and downcast gaze. Above all, the gravity of the facts he spoke was enough to hide Julius’s indignation.

And the content relayed left Subaru aghast.

『Hostages… transformed into monstrosities…?』

『You saw it on the top floor, didn’t you? It was a nightmare, but it didn’t end there.』

Shaking his head, Julius affirmed the terrible reality.

The vivid memory of red, gleaming compound eyes and the sound of pleading wings echoed in Subaru’s mind. The only reason he could repress the urge to vomit was that he remembered the horrific scene involved people seeking salvation.

His heart ached, as feelings of compassion and fear surged within him.

The loathsome creature of the Witch Cult, the Archbishop of Sin “Lust,” Capella, trampled on human dignity and values, mocking them as the worst kind of existence.

What that monster toyed with wasn’t just human life or heart—it was something far more precious.

『Through the plaza, and inside the City Hall up to the top floor, they manipulated whatever they wanted – from the individual divisions to buying time. All of it was a puppet show under the Witch Cult’s control. Gradually, if they had wanted, they could play with us like a cat with a mouse before finally killing us. That we evaded such a fate was largely thanks to your quick thinking and the efforts of the one turned into the black dragon.』

『My quick thinking…?』

『The communication mirror you were carrying connected with the other two from the moment we stormed the top floor, right? As a result, word of the City Hall’s situation reached Lady Anastasia and Felix. Their arrival with the reinforcements of ‘Iron Fangs’ was all down to your merit.』

『Do you think that’s comforting?』

『I have no intention of providing comfort. I simply stated the facts. What you choose to take from that is up to you.』

Subaru felt a surge of irritation at Julius’s pretentiously careful response. But the fact that Julius responded in such a manner showed he too was not in a calm state.

Both of their mental states and circumstances were poor. Subaru took a deep breath.

『What was that other thing you said, about the efforts of the black dragon?』

『That was about the happenings on the top floor. I can’t tell you more than you know… but you remember that there was someone sacrificed in place of the ‘Lust.’ What’s shocking is its reproducibility. The person turned into a black dragon crawled their way up to the top floor, breathed life into ‘Lust,’ and pulled it back. It’s likely thanks to that divine intervention you survived.』

What Julius described must be the black dragon that was slain by Crusch, immediately thrown outside.

If Capella’s power involves mutation and transformation, then that black dragon must have been one of the hostages from the City Hall. Ignoring the cries for help, Subaru and the others were about to slay that individual. If they fought desperately even in such dire circumstances.

『That person who became the black dragon, right now is…?』

『They won’t die.』

Garfiel suddenly interjected with a calm tone when Subaru showed concern.

Facing Subaru’s raised brow, Garfiel didn’t face him directly, still staring intently at the ceiling.

『They won’t die. Absolutely will not. If we don’t help them… it won’t do.』

『Just continue like that. Seems like an acquaintance of sorts. They seem to have changed a lot since then, but Garfiel has shown behavior of concern. Treatment’s been finished. They’ve got some worries, so they’re resting in the back.』

『An acquaintance? Garfiel’s? Since when did you have friends in this city?』

『――――』

Garfiel kept silent, avoiding Subaru’s gaze.

Yet, the fact that the life of the benefactor, that black dragon, was still tethered to the realm of the living provided relief. Also, what of the others who were turned into those flies——.

『It’s uncertain to say they’re completely safe. However, we’ve secured them. They were examined by Felix too. The expectations were slim, but… sure enough, it turned out like this.』

『So you’re saying it’s not something Felix can heal? Damn it!』

Slamming his hand down on the floor, Subaru thought of the hearts of those who lost their physical bodies.

How much fear and sense of loss must they be experiencing? To not be human is akin to losing life but in a distinct and cruel manner.

If one loses their life, it simply concludes their existence up to that point.

Yet, the loss of a body means that they’ve ended, yet they remain alive.

People tormented by the unhealable curse were gathered in the City Hall as well.

Thinking of the unfulfilled grievances of their people gathered above or below, Subaru could only race through thoughts of how many more confirmations he needed.

Now that he understood they survived, the next question arose,

『Are you and Garfiel uninjured?』

『As you can see, neither I nor Garfiel has any visible injuries. Ricardo’s in the same condition. It can only be described as disgraceful… we were simply underestimated.』

『――――』

The mirth in his voice hinted at humiliation, and Subaru could perceive Julius biting his lips firmly.

As for Julius, anger faded, resurfacing the memories of the opponent he faced, igniting the same level of frustration in Subaru.

Julius was up against the hated “Gluttony” Alphard.

If one is to speak their true feelings, he wished to tear that individual apart with his own hands. Yet even if Subaru couldn’t kill him, he certainly wanted to avoid any slip-up.

Hearing that this nemesis had escaped made it impossible for him to remain calm.

『…I’m sorry. I couldn’t fulfill my duty.』

『If we’re to discuss that, I too have immense regrets. …The broadcast, did it happen? That means they achieved their goals.』

『You’re correct. The voice was the same, that of ‘Lust.’ However… no, this is a matter of no consequence. Regardless, the demands were made. We must discuss that besides.』

From the expression on Julius’s face, it was clear that the request of that “Lust” had been something dreadful. Though Subaru wished to avoid hearing such content, he knew it was not something he could simply cover his ears against. But before that,

『Aside from the broadcast… what about Crusch? What happened to her?』

『――――』

『Crusch must be on the top floor like me… no, it should’ve been worse for her. ‘Lust’ did something to her, and now she’s suffering…』

Images of Crusch, spitting blood and rolling her eyes, flooded his mind.

There was no external injury, yet she had displayed damage severe enough to raise concerns about her very life.

Moreover, Felix’s earlier shout echoed in his ears. He wanted to wish such sorrow away, but――.

『I felt like Felix was saying something ominous, and I was…』

『Rest assured, Lady Crusch is alive. That’s for certain.』

『Don’t say it in a way with implications.』

For a moment, it was a glimmer of hope, but that hope faded once he locked eyes with Julius.

There was no relief on Julius’s face; instead, it seemed he was restraining an even harsher matter, something dreadful looming ahead.

『Felix has been doing everything he can. But it’s not going well.』

『Not going well? What does that mean? What happened to Crusch? If Felix couldn’t do anything, isn’t that the same for everyone else?!』

『Calm down. If you panic, nothing will change. Steady yourself.』

As Subaru paled in confusion, Julius spoke in a maintaining tone.

However, that contrived calmness grated on Subaru even more.

『Why the hell are you so calm about this?! We just suffered a miserable defeat! We were played with by those bastards, and you’re not angry?!』

『――I’m angry and lamenting! Naturally!』

Just as Subaru made a move to grab him, Julius’s arm swatted him away. Seeing the passion that shook Julius while raising his voice, Subaru was left speechless.

『…I’m sorry for overreacting. If I can’t control myself, then I’m the one at fault.』

Julius held Subaru as he stumbled back, apologizing as if feeling shame. Hearing that, Subaru found himself feeling embarrassed instead. Understanding, yet being provoked by Julius’s attitude filled him with irritation.

『Crusch is…』

『…Has been subjected to something by ‘Lust.’ An alien substance has infiltrated her body and is wreaking havoc within. The sight of Felix in turmoil is almost unbearable.』

With that lowered tone, the severity of Crusch’s situation vividly surfaced in Subaru’s mind.

A malevolent presence lurking within her body was extracting anguish from her flesh, bones, and soul. Such suffering should never be borne by any human being.

The inability to do anything about it linked back to Felix’s earlier behavior.

Before and after waking up, Felix seemed to chastise Wilhelm. That was undoubtedly scolding the old swordsman who couldn’t protect his master on the battlefield.

They likely understood they were merely taking their frustrations out with nowhere to vent that anger.

Thus, Wilhelm remained silent as he was struck, and Felix sobbed as if hating his own weakness.

Reflecting on the two who had gone out earlier, as well as Crusch, who must still be suffering, the feelings of defeat once again stabbed deep into Subaru’s chest.

But just as Subaru’s heart ached over such aggrievements, Julius said,

『…Subaru, I want to confirm something.』

『What is it?』

『It feels a bit inappropriate to ask this, but… you don’t seem to be aware of it.』

With Julius’s indirect remark, Subaru tilted his head.

While he was busy trying to understand, Julius gently touched Subaru’s body. When he glanced that way, Julius’s hand was slowly moving down to Subaru’s right thigh.

Just then, Subaru was completely unaware of any intent. Remembering Crusch being defeated by Capella on the City Hall’s top floor, Subaru had practically forgotten all about himself.

Right before losing consciousness, he had insight about the state he had been in.

If he was relieved about avoiding “Return by Death,” it indicates his subconscious had acknowledged that he was close to death. Otherwise, there was no explanation.

『Huh?!』

His breath caught, and his throat froze as Subaru couldn’t believe his eyes.

There, before him, was his right leg. However,

—It bore the ugly joint of squirming, black flesh, gradually overtaking his right leg.

『It wasn’t Felix that connected this. It wasn’t even healing magic. Your leg is attached, having reconnected itself to the severed leg. I can’t see any sign of pain, it seems.』

『――――』

What Julius said was true.

This ugly right leg didn’t feel painful or odd. While I thought it wasn’t connected, my knee bent as I intended, and I could move my toes.

Only, the site where the severed parts joined had turned a deep shade of black, and blackened veins crept along up and down my leg.

『Subaru, I want to confirm again.』

『…………』

Staring aghast at the horrific transformation of his leg, Subaru was left speechless.

As Julius’s questions hung in the air, Subaru slowly lifted his face and then replied.

『You really are okay, right?』

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

The reconnect leg was fearsomely unbothered and capable of standing and walking without issue.

『As that Felix girl mentioned, that leg of yours isn’t damaged or sick. So even if I tried healing magic on it, the result would be the same. The only sensation returned is as though it’s healed.』

When he lifted the hem of his trousers, Subaru’s right leg resembled a black web of veins emanating from the wound on his thigh. The arising patterns held just a slight firmness upon touch, the texture closely resembling that of skin. If one ignored the color, one could easily dismiss it as simply a raised blood vessel.

『The fact that it reconnected on its own… makes it quite difficult to take comfort in.』

While stating what was obvious, Subaru’s regenerative capabilities were not enough to reconnect severed parts on its own. This was his second experience of losing a leg, yet during the first instance, there had been no hint of it reconnecting.

Naturally, some interference had likely occurred, but only one possibility came to mind.

『Was it that Capella’s blood she dripped onto me…?』

It was when the right leg was blown away, and consciousness blurred from massive blood loss.

It wasn’t a memory one could highly trust, but it was undeniable that Capella had cut her wrist and bled, showering Subaru in her blood.

At that moment, he recalled that she mentioned something that piqued his interest. Yes, he certainly——.

『She said she did the same thing to Crusch.』

『What you mean by dripping the blood onto wounds? Though it’s not a pleasant thing, it leans too much toward a ritualistic meaning… but this had too direct an effect. I’ve heard that curses and sorcery require different procedures than ordinary magic.』

『A curse… that’s right, it’s a curse. She referred to it as the curse of blood. No, I remember something different… not the curse of blood, but dragon… yes, dragon’s blood. She definitely said that!』

Under Julius’s skeptical gaze, Subaru slammed his hands together, seeking his memories.

Capella had surely stated that while observing Subaru suffer from her blood, that it mixed with dragon’s blood.

Whether that was nonsense or a fabrication mattered little; it could still provide a lead regarding the abnormality.

『Dragon’s blood… is it the dragon’s blood awarded to the royal family?』

『I don’t know the details. But is there such an item? In the castle?』

『Yes, there is. One of the treasures gained by the pact with the divine dragon Volcanica. The dragon’s blood that brings forth bountiful blessings to exhausted lands. That legend is well-known.』

『Sounds pretty versatile, that dragon’s blood… But whether it’s truly related, who can say? It might just be a coincidence.』

Also, the fact that Capella had boldly stated her title of the Lugnica royal family from Wilhelm only intensified the curiosity. If it turned out she was a legitimate royal, the question remained: how could dragon’s blood be mixed in here?

Regardless, if the blood holds promise, it would be excellent news. It might just assist Felix, who has hit a dead end.

『A-ah, that’s true. So I’ll hurry to…』

『Captain, I think it would be best if you don’t go.』

With the sudden emergence of some good news, Subaru was bubbling over with excitement to deliver it.

But Garfiel, arms crossed against the wall, dampened those flames. Turning around, Subaru glared at Garfiel, who shook his head.

『You haven’t seen it yet. If that’s the case, the fewer who see it, the better.』

『…What do you mean by that?』

『Just as it sounds. You know her, that beautiful lady? That will be tougher on you.』

Garfiel’s words, dripping with concern, only heightened Subaru’s apprehensions, leading him to quickly glance at Julius. But Julius shook his head at him with the same sternness.

『It’s true. Lady Crusch would currently prefer to avoid the gaze of others. Being as noble as she is, she likely wouldn’t want to show her weakened state.』

『You really think it’s just because she’s weakened?』

『――――』

Julius remained silent, quietly diverting his gaze from Subaru.

That simple gesture was more than enough to serve as an answer.

『…It’s my fault.』

『Subaru, that is…』

『It’s my fault! I had to understand how dangerous those guys were! I should have prepared more, and I should have known to face them equipped for a fight! That’s something I must have known!』

Imagining what had happened to Crusch only fueled the terror inside him.

The crushing weight of that mental anguish boiled over into anger towards his helplessness and regret for his rashness.

He had to have understood the terror of the Witch Cult Archbishop.

Not just Petelgeuse. Before they attacked the City Hall, Subaru had consistently come face-to-face with Sirius and Regulus back-to-back. So why did he underestimate Capella?

With surrounding forces as they were, even if they fell on the back foot, he could easily retreat. What else could it be but foolish pride? All of this was on him, the cost of misjudgment.

『It’s all my…』

『—Alright! Enough with the whining and bitter remarks already! It’s getting really annoying, so do shut up!』

Subaru was weighed down by all his burdens, nearly sinking into a sea of self-loathing.

But the voice that pierced into his ears wasn’t one of gentle encouragement to lift the drowning Subaru. It was a cold voice that glared at the sinking Subaru with disdain, breathing out boredom.

『――――』

He turned his gaze toward the entrance of the large room.

There, clapping her hands and drawing everyone’s attention was a woman—with soft purple hair and a gentle face—standing at the threshold, radiating a fierce air that belied her sweet face.

She glared at Subaru with eyes that complemented her gentle demeanor.

『Anastasia…』

『I understand that just having lost and finding yourself in a funeral mood can make you reflective, but if you’re just going to nitpick your shortcomings or complain, the rest of us are troubled by that. It’s foolish. Time that was lost and things that were dropped can’t just come back to you, so you need to pull yourself up.』

Anastasia chastised Subaru, who was crushed under the weight of defeat.

Subaru was initially shocked and frozen, puzzled by what she said, but as understanding hit him moments later, anger surged up.

But,

『Anastasia-sama, you shouldn’t say that. Subaru, having been the one closest to the malevolence of the Witch Cult, shouldn’t be burdened with guilt or lamentation…』

『Really, Julius? The iron clashing hasn’t stopped yet, has it? Yet you wish to prioritize emotions…? If it’s just fun and games, you’re better off with Joshua!』

『…Damn.』

Julius, who had tried to defend Subaru, was silenced by his master’s icy gaze. That made Subaru, who had been heating up with thoughts, feel doused cold, gripped by confusion over Anastasia’s stance.

Then, seeing Subaru and the others struck dumb, Anastasia fiddled with the fox hunt she wore around her neck, glancing around the room’s battered furniture before righting an overturned chair and sitting down.

『It’s refreshing, you know? Talking casually with you like this brings back memories… it goes all the way back to the night before we took down the White Whale.』

『Even then, we only had business talk. Look, now’s not the time for this, is it? Even if you say we’ve recovered the City Hall, the situation hasn’t changed…』

『Right. Nothing has changed. It’s rather worse. We have to do something about that.』

Suddenly, the carefree voice, which had seemed to deliberately avoid the situation, turned sharply edged, making Subaru aware.

Straightening up instinctively, Subaru noticed how Anastasia’s gaze moved down toward his leg.

『I heard your leg was severed and reattached? Is your leg fine? It certainly looks incredibly robust.』

『Fortunately, it seems like I can still run and jump without issue. But that’s actually quite creepy.』

『If you can run and jump, then that’s a relief. There will undoubtedly be many things that still need to be done… but first,』

Using Subaru’s injury merely as a conversation starter, Anastasia took a breath.

As she seemed poised to get to the main topic, Subaru furrowed his brow as she pointed upward.

『Did you hear the third broadcast that came after you all stormed in?』

『No, I haven’t been able to hear it. So I have no idea what they said… but I assume they probably put forth some demands. I just haven’t heard any of it.』

『Missing two out of the three broadcasts? You’re quite careless there, Natsuki-kun.』

Holding a hand to her mouth as she chuckled, Anastasia twisted the corners of Subaru’s lips into a scowl, before raising her gaze with her mouth still covered.

『One of those demands, it’s surely only known to us… to me and Natsuki-kun.』

『Me and you only?』

What on earth does that mean? Subaru questioned, a huge question mark looming in his mind.

He had never felt any commonality between himself and Anastasia so far. In fact, this was, in all honesty, the first proper exchange they’d had.

In such a tenuous relationship, how could it possibly have a connection—.

『—Oh dear, Ana. Sometimes, your teasing nature only creates frustration. This time is precisely one of those instances, don’t you think?』

『—What?!』

The voice of a third party suddenly resonated before Subaru’s eardrums, but it wasn’t his nor Anastasia’s.

That voice had a somewhat androgynous tone to it.

Panic coursing through him, Subaru swiftly surveyed his surroundings, yet could see no shadow of any person resembling that voice. After Julius and Garfiel had departed, there seemed to be no sign of someone having come near the entrance.

Then just where did that voice come from?

『Excuse me for startling you.』

『――――』

Eyes met.

The voice that had called out. The one that had suddenly barged into the situation—a second presence.

No, that entity hadn’t barged in. They had been here, in this very room—alongside Anastasia from the beginning.

『My name is Echidna. How to put it… I am a type of artificial spirit.』

『Ech…?!』

Subaru was swallowed up by a shock that extended infinitely.

Before him, the one wearing a coy smile like a fox stroking its fur emerged.

The corners of their mouth lifted, and eyes narrowed—this was undoubtedly a smile.

—A fox pretending to be a scarf around Anastasia’s neck was grinning, to be sure.

The haunting name of the Witch echoed indelibly in his ears, even as she proclaimed herself to be a spirit.