Subaru forgot to breathe as he looked up into the eyes staring back at him.

“It’s pretty much the expected reaction, but it doesn’t feel good to be surprised this much. You see, even though I look like this, I’m actually female… well, whether spirits have a gender distinction is debatable, so maybe I should say I’m more on the feminine side mentally?”

With white fur and narrowed black eyes, the voice was androgynous, delivering a very stiff and indirect manner of speaking. The fact that this being could be expressed in shades of black and white certainly matched the memory of that witch.

But still,

“What a bad joke. You, Ekidna…?”

It was the “Witch of Greed” who had invited Subaru to the tea party during the “Trial” in the “Sanctuary.”

With sweet, gentle words, she lured the guests to her tea party, turning them into puppets for her whims, all while seeking results she could never witness herself—a manifestation of curiosity.

Subaru had thought they would never meet face to face again.

“You came out looking like a fox? Cut the jokes. In a situation this dangerous, what are you planning now?”

“Wait a sec. Don’t get all worked up and just listen, okay?”

Regaining his composure after the initial shock, Subaru stepped forward to confront the white fox claiming to be Ekidna. However, Anastasia, wrapped around the white fox, stopped him with a chiding voice.

The hostility Subaru had aimed at the white fox was equally directed at Anastasia.

“Don’t tell me not to get angry. What are you doing teaming up with her… or maybe you’ve been deceived? After all, she shouldn’t be able to leave the ‘Sanctuary.'”

“I don’t know what you mean, but I first met Ekidna over ten years ago. Since then, I’ve hardly let her go and have been with her until now. What you’re saying doesn’t quite add up, does it?”

“Over ten years…?”

He felt anger rising inside him, realizing she had been out in society doing as she pleased for so long.

Originally, the impossibility of Ekidna leaving that dream castle had only been her own testimony. If it was a plot that had been brewing since then…

“So you’ve been laughing all this time at those who know nothing?”

“…Goodness, you really seem to harbor a deep dislike for me. Though it’s a misunderstanding that will be hard to unravel, it has clarified some things.”

“That seems to be the case. Just as Ekidna said.”

In contrast to Subaru, whose anger toward Ekidna deepened, Anastasia and the white fox exchanged murmurs of understanding.

When Subaru furrowed his brows at this, the white fox shook its head with a strangely human gesture.

“I apologize for your ongoing distrust in Ekidna, but I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Rather, the situation is graver than that.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a simple matter. I know nothing about any other Ekidna besides myself. I’m aware I’ve been artificially created as a spirit and hold memory of the name. But that’s about it. I possess nothing to infer anything about myself.”

“—Huh?”

As the white fox began to speak nonsense uncharacteristic of Ekidna, Subaru wondered if it was all a ploy to toy with him since this being claimed to be Ekidna.

How could one who calls themselves an artificial spirit and connects with Subaru in this moment claim to have no memory?

“What? You don’t believe me at all, do you, Natsuki?”

“Of course not. From what I know about Ekidna, that’s a natural response. It’s only normal for you to… ah, you’d claim to not know, right?”

“So you won’t believe me from the start, huh? With time of the essence, It’s quite troublesome.”

Subaru’s apprehension remained clear as Anastasia kept her relaxed demeanor.

Subaru’s unease toward Anastasia increased as someone associated with Ekidna. He felt bad for Julius and Ricardo, but he’d need to reassess his trust in them too.

If the head and limbs are not unified, there’s no room for hopeful thoughts.

“If you have no memories, why did you come forward? There’s no reason to do so besides your certainty that I know Ekidna.”

By revealing her name and identity, she proved she was indeed “Ekidna of the Tea Party.” If she was “Ekidna of the Tea Party,” she couldn’t be the “Ekidna of the Coffin” Roswaal sought, and was surely the Ekidna Subaru knew. There was much he wanted to ask.

Yet he understood this was not the moment for such inquiries.

However, to his eagerness, Anastasia let out a tired sigh.

“You’ve probably gotten lost because you didn’t hear the broadcast. What a pain.”

“Broadcast? How does the Witch Cult’s broadcast relate to this?”

“—One of their demands is ‘to hand over an artificial spirit.'”

White fox answered Subaru’s confusion succinctly.

With those words, Subaru experienced a moment of mental blankness before comprehension kicked in.

Broadcast, Witch Cult’s demands, artificial spirit. That means—

“No way…”

“It’s an unthinkable demand, but they want either me, the artificial spirit, or the girl with you. Thus, it makes sense I would want to consult.”

“How do you know Beatrice is an artificial spirit?”

“It’s just something you can tell by looking at her. I can’t really explain. She probably realized something when she saw me move and speak.”

The white fox calmly dismissed each of Subaru’s raised questions one by one.

At the very least, Subaru had not received any mention of a fox’s scarf from Beatrice, who was supposed to be acquainted with Anastasia at the inn. However, Beatrice tends to hold back on sharing unconfirmed information.

As he pondered why he wrestled with conveying everything to Beatrice, he thought it might come back to bite him.

“I think it’s reasonable she didn’t notice anything. I’m a flawed spirit. I can’t mimic contracts or even use magic for self-defense. However, I’m confident in hiding my presence. That confidence is now a bit shaky due to the current situation, though.”

“You can’t form contracts… So what about with Anastasia?”

“My relationship with this girl is different from that of a spirit user. It’s fundamentally dissimilar in essence to a contract made between a spirit and a contractor… To put it simply, I am an accomplice.”

“I want to see this girl’s future. That’s why I’ve been persistently following her for years, sometimes stepping in as a consulting party.”

As the white fox said this and smiled, Anastasia’s fingers caressed its neck. Their affectionate interaction revealed there was a bond of trust that exceeded a simple partnership.

“Why confide these internal matters to me? Things like lacking fighting power…”

“If you want someone to trust you, it’s only natural to disclose some information first, right? Particularly at this moment, where the survival of the city is at stake… it’s a scenario where we demand significant roles and want to avoid any odd remarks among allies.”

“I should’ve thought this through a bit more myself. This child can be quite insistent once she sets her mind to it. I at least managed to get everyone else to step out.”

The white fox made a claim that would’ve been easier to accept had it not stated it was Ekidna, while Anastasia supplemented that claim. At that point, Subaru finally realized Anastasia’s previous cold attitude had merely been a performance to set up a one-on-one conversation with him.

To draw Subaru’s focus and keep Julius and Garfiel away.

“Complying with the Witch Cult’s demands is simply out of the question. But if I and you pretend as if we’re oblivious, the rest will remain clueless about what an ‘artificial spirit’ is. Even if we deny it, we can’t convince everyone without knowing the situation.”

“I agree to not listen to the demands of terrorists… But still, hearing that fox is Ekidna doesn’t mean my doubts are gone.”

“Stop clinging to the name. Was the Ekidna you knew really that terrible? I don’t particularly want her associated with my friend.”

“If you’re saying she’s a completely different person, then I’ll apologize. Nevertheless, with the way she speaks and times her responses, she strikes me too closely to the real Ekidna to dismiss it. And then…”

“And then?”

Subaru hesitated on whether or not to convey his thoughts to the tilting head of Anastasia.

He had no clear understanding of what exactly an “artificial spirit” was. All he knew was that Beatrice and Pack were, and both were creations of the witch Ekidna.

If the white fox before him was indeed an artificial spirit, it would essentially have been made by the witch Ekidna.

Seeking eternal life, Ekidna developed a system to create replicas.

As of now, it’s questionable how much of that assertion was true. However, if that claim were indeed accurate, becoming a spirit would make sense.

Spirits that are liberated from the concept of lifespan by losing their physical bodies—if one could elevate themselves to that existence, that would undoubtedly satisfy the witch’s insatiable greed for knowledge.

Thus, there’s no doubt in his mind that this white fox is the “artificial spirit claiming to be Ekidna.” The only point of contention is the credibility of the claim that it has lost its memories.

Anastasia stated they had a relationship that spanned over ten years. But that alone isn’t a strong enough reason to trust her. With the time span, it wouldn’t be surprising to prepare for something over a decade.

After all, it could all be a plan to ensnare Subaru right here, right now.

“You really have it rough, don’t you?”

“At this rate of being hated, I almost feel curious about the other Ekidna… But let’s set that aside for now. If you can’t trust me, that’s fine. Feel free to disregard my words. Ana, please take it from here.”

With Subaru swallowed in silence and suspicion, the white fox spoke with a resigned tone. Prompted, Anastasia shrugged and clapped her hands to gather herself.

“Alright, alright. For now, let’s put that suspicion aside. What’s important now are the Witch Cult’s demands, and that takes priority. The Witch Cult has thrown three more demands at us.”

“Three more… So that makes four in total?”

“Yes. Since we returned City Hall, that means it’s just the number of Control Towers left. The contents were all ridiculous too, but hear me out without anger.”

Hearing about ridiculous demands at this point was far too late.

His impression of the Witch Cult could hardly get any worse. No matter what they said next, Subaru had absolute confidence that his impression would not falter one bit.

Nodding in silence, Subaru urged Anastasia to continue as she petted the white fox’s tail. She moistened her lips lightly and proceeded to inform him.

“First, one of their demands is to hand over ‘artificial spirits.’ This is a demand from ‘Gluttony.'”

“Gluttony…”

“I know you have your thoughts on this, but we’ll discuss that later. Next up is the ‘Wrath’ demand. —To retrieve the ‘Book of Wisdom’ that was brought into this city.”

“—!?”

Once again, Subaru was struck with shock from outside his imagination, eyes widening in disbelief.

Noting this reaction, Anastasia narrowed her azure eyes slightly.

“From that face, it seems ‘Natsuki’ has heard that term before.”

“…”

“Good, then. I’m relieved. This has been troubling. I don’t grasp it well either, and neither does Ekidna, so naturally, neither Julius nor anyone else does.”

“…Does that fox really not know? We’re talking about the ‘Book of Wisdom.'”

Amidst the strange demands, it felt like he had finally found a lifeline with Anastasia’s smile. Of course, there was no way that smile hid cute sentiments.

Simply put, it was likely a reflection of the unease that lay behind Subaru’s queries.

“No, I genuinely don’t know. That much is true. …Guessing, it seems the ‘Book of Wisdom’ is related to the Ekidna you’re familiar with.”

“Ah, so it is.”

“Now that changes things. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to look confused. Whatever you know about the Ekidna, it’s connected to the Witch Cult, isn’t it?”

Subaru found it hard not to think Anastasia or the white fox were playing dumb, especially since they could be viewed as close to the situation themselves.

However, it made sense for them to think that way.

If he believed the white fox, the name ‘Ekidna’ might merely be an indication of her individual identity. Only Subaru knew that the creator of artificial spirits was Ekidna, not to mention that aside from the ‘Witch of Envy,’ the names of witches were hardly remembered or recognized in common memory.

Only those connected to Emilia’s faction, possessing even fragmented knowledge of her existence, would feel a sense of urgency based on that name.

“—Ekidna is the name of a witch from long ago. Besides the ‘Witch of Envy,’ there were witches in the past. One of those witches is long dead. However, I’ve had exchanges with her soul. That’s why I am cautious.”

“Natsuki, are you sick? You mentioned some significant injuries.”

“I’m not feverish or going mad. Witches are just those strange beings capable of creating spirits artificially.”

“I see… So, the Ekidna is also my creator.”

Subaru felt a surge of irritation mixed into his retort, and the white fox detected the subtext of his casual mention.

He hadn’t deliberately concealed it, yet not clearly stating it stirred an uncomfortable sense of burden in him.

The fox let out a small laugh as if recognizing the turmoil displayed on Subaru’s face.

“It’s also a joy of life to touch upon surprises in one’s birth. If I get the chance, I’d love to hear more details.”

“…You, as a spirit, don’t seem to know as much about your own background as I expected. Even Beatrice knows a little more. Actually, I’ve never been told of your existence from Beatrice at all. How did you come to be?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t explain that either. I lack knowledge of my birth and lack any sense of purpose. I’ve merely been following this child out of interest.”

The white fox glanced at Anastasia at Subaru’s remark. When she tilted her head slightly, slowly gazing at Subaru, she stated,

“I too am curious about the relationship between Ekidna and the witches. Surely, it can’t be unrelated to the Witch Cult. Therefore, I want to return our conversation to the ‘Book of Wisdom’…”

“‘Book of Wisdom’ is the prototype of a gospel held by the Witch Cult… it’s said to be the complete version from which they derived. It’s a prophetic book that records the future, much like the dragon stone.”

“The dragon stone… In that case, the credibility sounds pretty high. Might it have also been a book crafted by the witches?”

“She claimed so. However, those two extant books were supposed to have burned away. I’ve never heard of or known any other books existing.”

Beatrice and Roswaal were the two who had received the ‘Book of Wisdom’ from Ekidna. Both of the copies they possessed were confirmed burned during the incident last year.

Beatrice’s ‘Book of Wisdom’ turned to ashes with the burned Forbidden Library, while Roswaal’s copy was incinerated by Ram, fearing the future.

Since both have vanished, there should no longer be any remaining ‘Book of Wisdom.’

“But in that case, wouldn’t it rather depend on what Ekidna claimed?”

“…That’s true.”

Anastasia easily sliced through Subaru’s declaration.

The hesitancy in his reply indicated he too had grasped the thinness of that credibility. However, he felt Ekidna hadn’t lied at that time.

This was certainly something only Subaru felt, having interacted personally with the witch.

“———”

“You don’t trust that person. But you believe what that person says. You’ve created a rather troublesome relationship for yourself, haven’t you, Natsuki?”

“I can’t deny that. Yeah, that seems true. I intend not to trust her at all, but here I am believing this.”

Ekidna’s actions were but a staging designed to bind Subaru as a puppet.

However, not everything was just built upon lies. Perhaps Subaru wished for it that way, still shaken by the feelings stirred within him by that witch.

“Regarding the ‘Book of Wisdom,’ three possibilities come to mind. One is that the witch is a liar, and there still exists another copy of the ‘Book of Wisdom.'”

“Two: The Witch Cult is merely shouting about the ‘Book of Wisdom’ without knowledge of its burning… What’s the third one?”

“In the event there’s a possibility beyond lies, there’s only one reason left— the ‘Book of Wisdom’ hasn’t burned up completely. There must be some remnants left.”

“——What?”

The notion that the ‘Book of Wisdom’ had remnants left was something he had never considered.

As Subaru stood there speechless, Anastasia waved her raised finger.

“I don’t know what it looks like, but it’s a book made by witches, isn’t it? Perhaps it’s resistant to fire, or it might even be that it can be restored to its original form… it isn’t entirely impossible.”

“It’s not like I can deny what you’re saying. But let’s face it… even if it could be restored, who would possess it?”

“Someone who observed the book burning and managed to recover it… maybe? This line of thought might be stretching it a bit, so I still think the second possibility is safer overall. Regardless, I intend to refuse to meet their demands.”

Deep in thought, Subaru considered the possibilities raised by Anastasia as he held a hand to his mouth.

He couldn’t be the one in the Forbidden Library, as it had burned away with the mansion, consumed in the flames of the destruction.

However, what about Roswaal’s book? While he had heard that Ram used magic to burn it, the ashes were scattered across the ‘Sanctuary,’ blanketed by Emilia’s magical snow.

If remnants truly existed, and if the book had restoration capabilities… there wouldn’t be any oddity if someone possessed it.

But—

“If it were brought in, it would have to be someone among my own connections. Still, it makes no sense to refrain from discussing the book if it’s been picked up. The ‘Book of Wisdom’ isn’t in this city.”

“Alright. In that case, it’s fine. I wasn’t looking to dwell on a book I know so little about.”

That meant simply wanting assurance about the matter was motivated by a desire to believe.

However, Anastasia did not note that, nor did she pull the conversation toward the subject of the ‘Book of Wisdom.’ Instead, she said,

“Next is the remaining demands. The remaining ones from Gluttony and Lust were obvious enough that they hardly felt worth discussing…”

“Those guys… yeah, although Gluttony and Wrath are already pretty ridiculous, what do they want?”

Subaru could only harbor the worst impressions of both Capella, representing Lust, and Regulus, representing Greed.

His negative feelings toward Capella arose from the preceding incident, while with Regulus, it stemmed from him absconding with Emilia. The thoughts of both his right foot’s mutation and the lack of news about Emilia wrapped a heavy pressure around his chest.

“I really hope you can just hear me out without getting too mad, but…”

“It depends on the content.”

Subaru responded instantly to Anastasia’s apprehensive preamble.

She sighed as if resigned at his response, “I figured as much…”

“The demand from Lust is just a simple nuisance. It goes something like, ‘Deliver twenty pairs of lovers to the Control Tower. —We will not inflict any harm upon them.’”

“That’s absurd and hard to believe! What’s this ‘we will not inflict harm’ nonsense? Is she forgetting she turned people into flies and dragons?”

Subaru’s anger flared toward Capella’s unwaveringly wicked demands.

Twenty pairs of loving couples—what might that abhorrent monster do in front of such couples was too dreadful to even imagine.

“From a Sin Archbishop’s perspective, changing someone’s appearance might not count as harm. They’d probably just laugh it off, saying, ‘No injuries were inflicted’ with a grin. And then for the Greed side’s demand, well…”

“———”

Silently, Subaru kept his eyes glowing with anger, waiting for Anastasia’s next words.

In response, Anastasia hesitated slightly, struggling to express the core message.

Then—

“Here’s the demand from Greed. ‘You shall conduct a wedding ceremony with myself and the silver-haired bride. Do not interfere with any preparations for the wedding,’ that’s how it goes.”

“Ekidna…”

“I apologize for pushing too far into a delicate matter.”

Stepping forward before a flustered Anastasia could elaborate, the white fox took the lead.

Their mutual concern for each other’s well-being failed to register within Subaru.

—To hold a wedding with a silver-haired bride.

It required no thought to deduce who Regulus, the embodiment of Greed, intended to wed.

“—Don’t screw with me, that bastard!”

Therefore, Subaru’s outburst of anger was entirely justified.

Anastasia grimaced while the white fox bristled. Subaru’s rage was genuine, unfiltered, and direct.

The face of the white-haired man loomed in his mind.

He was the one who had abducted Emilia and embodied the kind of person who declared value based solely on appearances— a terribly annoying transcendent brute.

What nonsense was this ridiculous man spouting, relying merely on his overwhelming power?

“Neither Beatrice, the ‘Book of Wisdom’, nor Emilia! I won’t allow a single one of them to be handed over to them! Enough already, this has gone too far!”

“….I figured you’d react like that, and I’m delighted you’ve done so.”

Seeing Subaru raise his voice with his raw feelings, Anastasia laughed almost playfully.

Of course, that smile didn’t stem from a cheerful sentiment. Rather, a different kind of raw emotion was bubbling beneath it—one akin to Subaru’s own.

“Regarding the situation with the artificial spirit, I absolutely cannot hand over Ekidna either. But beyond that, we cannot afford to lose mentally to those guys. Both Crusch and Emilia were invited to the city by me. I cannot stand by and let them get harmed like this… It’s unacceptable to keep quiet when my honor is at stake.”

“You’re rather belligerent, Anastasia.”

“I simply know the points to fight. I understand I cannot run away. We must capture those Witch Cult members and demand reparations for all the damages they caused.”

Inevitably, it all came down to mishaps, dignity, and cost-benefit calculations.

Anastasia maintained her expressiveness without wavering in her fighting spirit.

In an atmosphere where even Julius, Garfiel, Wilhelm, and Felix had been pessimistic about the situation, her boldness to speak of the Sin Archbishop’s fear could easily be dismissed as mere bravado.

Nevertheless, Subaru didn’t treat her words lightly.

Expressing thoughts that might demoralize one’s allies amid such circumstances would serve no purpose. In reality, her fiery spirit burned with resilience, making it clear that she could be relied upon.

“Everyone’s acting too small. But if we let them take the first strike and then a second, who would accept that as the end? Any excuses for defeat can be prepared in the afterlife.”

“———”

“As long as we live, there’s still a ‘now’ and a ‘next.’ Life shouldn’t be tossed aside. That’s just sad for oneself.”

With a fierce grin on her serene face, Anastasia issued a proclamation.

The demonic energy overflowing from the petite girl was enough to make anyone forget she wasn’t suited for the battlefield. No, she had waged many wars.

Her profession put her as a seasoned warrior in the heat of battle.

“If Crusch and those who had their forms altered were the ‘Lust’ herself, there’s plenty of chances to revert them. If we manage to capture them and coax them into willingness. Natsuki, you can’t possibly leave it as it is when your precious princess has been taken away, right?”

“Of course! Emilia is the one I’ll marry. I’ll defeat Gluttony and recover Rem’s memories. Sirius thinks he can compare himself to me, so I’ll knock him out. I’ll make Capella kneel and return everyone to their original forms. Then we’ll drive them back!”

“Both Ana and Natsuki are trying to pressure through the impossible as if it’s a given. That’s the biggest reason why I find both of you likable.”

Subaru responded to Anastasia’s challenge, and the white fox nodded with satisfaction as he watched.

He called upon the spirits haunting him since he first awakened and even before their talks began and chose to put that heaviness aside for now, being drawn into Anastasia’s unwavering determination.

They had lost the first and second battles—so what?

There was still yet another round. No one had died; they hadn’t let anyone perish.

What mattered was winning in the end and surviving. If they achieved that, it would be their triumph.

“Ricardo is out scouting and looking for Joshua and the others. He should be back shortly. Then we can regroup for a strategy meeting.”

“We should also verify the current situation in the town and what’s happening at the Control Towers.”

“No worries there. It seems your head is finally starting to clear up.”

They had settled on their tasks, so their minds were likewise made up. That was all.

Subarua, pulling his chin downward as he listened to Anastasia’s words, directed his gaze outside the City Hall.

A window that only showed a side of the city revealed the tall structure of the Control Tower standing high above.

Whether it was the east, west, south, or north tower, he couldn’t distinguish.

However, within one of those locations, Emilia, Rem’s memories, enemies, and monsters were waiting.

—The battle to save the city and those precious to him was far from over.