――”Memory Corridor” and “Louis Arnebe”.

「――――」

　Yes, in front of the blonde girl, Lue, who responded to my question, Subaru fell silent.

　In a white space that was different from my expectations, I encountered a girl I hadn’t anticipated. She had the atmosphere of someone who knew a lot and was ready to talk about it――

「……So, what the hell is this Witch Cult and ‘Gluttony’ and whatever the Archbishop of Sin is supposed to be?」

「あ haァ!」

　With her arms crossed and head tilted, Lue placed her hand on her mouth, breaking into a smile at Subaru’s words.

　If you were to freeze that moment, it would look like a beautiful painting of a girl standing amidst the fantastical white scenery, but Subaru’s instincts had been ringing alarm bells nonstop since earlier.

　Raised in the peaceful modern Japan, Subaru’s survival instincts were of little use right now. The fact that they were going off so loudly indicated just how abnormal this girl felt.

　It’s also partly because I was hit with an unexpected situation, but―― against this girl with a ‘knowing’ face, the knowledge I possessed was woefully inadequate.

　Right now, I didn’t know anything about the Witch Cult or the Archbishop of Sin, nor Odo Laguna or the Memory Corridor. Perhaps this knowledge was common in this world, but unfortunately, Subaru had none of that general knowledge.

　So, it was difficult to throw out any follow-up questions――

「――The Witch Cult is, to put it simply, a gathering of the world’s unwanted people.」

「Oh?」

「Surely, you’ve heard of the ‘Witch of Envy’ at least? The Witch Cult is closely related to her… well, you can think of them as her followers.」

「……So that means the earlier reference was to the Archbishop of Sin, huh.」

　The combination of sin and an archbishop certainly carried a strong opposing vibe, but it felt quite fitting in Subaru’s sense of naming.

　After all, if you hear that, it instantly gives off a vibe of:

「That’s a name for a villain.」

「No way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way!」

　Shaking her head in refusal, Lue nestled her thin body closer to Subaru’s gaze. However, the smile on her lips showed no signs of disappearing; her refusal was just for show.

　She was a child whose true feelings were elusive―― or perhaps it would be better to say she was vague and hard to grasp.

「Don’t bully an innocent girl with such words, big brother. We get hurt too, you know? We have particularly delicate and sensitive hearts!」

「That’s not convincing at all. And about that first-person pronoun, is that character development I’m sensing? Or are you trying to come off like a cool one-person army? Saying ‘we’ and ‘us’ isn’t very consistent.」

「Ah… Don’t worry about it. It’s just that I have too much self-awareness, and I’m just a bit hazy on which part of me is the main one. I’m getting a little tired of it, though.」

　As she said that, Lue lightly lowered her gaze, and continued with,

「But it’s just how it is. It would be irresponsible of me not to accept a gift from my brother and big brother. We’re siblings, after all; we have to help each other out.」

「……Well, that’s a caring little sister you are. I’m an only child, so I’m envious.」

「Is that so? You might have a younger brother or sister by now, you know?」

「Please don’t say something scary like that! I don’t want to imagine it!」

　Though, considering my parents are a happily married couple, that scenario isn’t far-fetched.

　If they were those two, with me disappearing, they might have had another child―― No, impossible.

「――――」

　If I were to vanish, my parents would search for me until they found me.

　What would my mother think about her son who didn’t even say goodbye when he left? How would my father feel upon hearing that story?

　I can only hope that Subaru’s summoning to another world was through reincarnation.

　Rather than putting my parents through the pain of searching for their lost son, I want to believe I died and came to this other world. That would be much easier. It’s far more reassuring.

　So――

「――I understand, big brother.」

「――What?! Don’t toy with me!」

　As Lue buried her face into the hair spread out on the floor and peeked at Subaru from below, he exploded in anger.

　He hadn’t spoken his current fears out loud. She merely saw his gloomy expression and claimed to understand his feelings.

　That infuriated Subaru, so he yelled at Lue and turned his back.

「What do you know about me? You’re just spouting nonsense!」

「――You feel sorry for your dad and mom, don’t you? The regret of not being able to say goodbye, thinking about how unfilial a son you are. No, you’ve been regretting it for a long time. Back then, and now, right?」

「――――」

　Lue continued to express that understanding, acting like she knew everything, and gently hugged Subaru’s back.

　A small, light body. Subaru held his breath and tensed up.

　Not because of being close to a girl, but because of the content of her words.

　Those pseudo-intellectual remarks described a part of Subaru’s heart, and there was no mistake about it.

「How do I know? It’s obvious, you know? Because no one understands you better than we do.」

「――Don’t touch me!」

「Ahn!」

　As Subaru shook her off, panting in rage, Lue pouted her lips.

　What was this? Did this mysterious woman in this world have absolutely no hesitation when it came to physical contact with men? It felt way too familiar.

　At times like this, he feared he would let his weakened heart succumb to her warmth.

「What are you even? What are you trying to say?」

「We just want you to feel secure, that’s all. It’s okay, it’s okay. The feelings for your mom and dad have been sorted out. Even if it’s one-sided, you still face them. You’ve felt relieved inside. At least on the surface.」

「――――」

　With a smirk, Lue dug her nails into her own left arm. The force was painful enough to make you cringe at the sight, as she began to inflict wounds upon that thin, white arm.

　Seeing this, Subaru furrowed his brow, and Lue showed off her unusually long, red tongue.

「On the surface, I’m perfectly healthy. It doesn’t look like I’m carrying anything in my heart. You’re good at hiding it, big brother. It’s sad how well you’re doing at it, big brother.」

　Subaru’s lips twisted in response to the harsh statement that tore at his insides.

　He obeyed the alarm bells ringing in his instincts, which urged him to avoid lingering here any longer.

「I don’t really get what you’re trying to say. I get it, but just stop that; it’ll hurt you. Now, let’s get back to a simpler topic. No fastballs, let’s keep it a curve.」

「Both ways, right?」

「Both ways. For instance… How about we continue that discussion about the Archbishop of Sin?」

　Not wanting Lue to ride her high from earlier anymore, Subaru switched the subject back a step.

　Now that he knew the Archbishop of Sin referred to the ‘Gluttony’ concept, he could piece together the connection.

「If you are the ‘Gluttony’, that means there are six others, right?」

「If you include the two brothers, that makes exactly six, huh? But, recently two of them went down, so it’s maybe four now. I wish those two would just hurry and die already.」

「……Given that, your sense of camaraderie doesn’t seem too high.」

「Of course not. Even if we call ourselves the Archbishop of Sin, we’re basically just an assembly of the world’s undesirables. It’s just a different label; we’re the same as ‘Witches’.」

　With that, Lue plopped down to her knees right there. As she did, her long, golden hair seemed to envelop her, giving off an odd atmosphere.

　Scratching his head, Subaru sat down in a position that wouldn’t tread on her hair, tilting his head to ask, 「Witch?」

「Is it that overlap with the witches that’s said to be terrifying?」

「Well, I don’t want to be grouped with the ‘Witch of Envy’ since she’s worse than us. But everyone else is the same; Witch or Archbishop of Sin, it’s just a different name for the same thing. Noxious trash that’s compatible with the Witch Factor gets called differently based on the era and position.」

「――――」

「Well, right now, big brother’s forgotten about both ‘Witches’ and the Archbishop of Sin, and us too, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I understand, I get it, I understand because I want to understand.」

「Shut up.」

「Ahn!」

　Subaru blocked the tidal wave of words coming at him, chin resting on his hand.

　He felt as though he was hearing something important; although none of it made sense to him, it seemed he wouldn’t return to Emilia and company empty-handed.

　However, the reason Subaru was lost in thought here wasn’t about whether or not to collect accolades.

　What troubled him were the undeniable feelings of discomfort―― no, it was a sense of familiarity with Lue’s responses.

　If he had a reason for that familiarity, it might be――

「Are you some kind of god?」

「God? Is it that? Like some kind of isekai reincarnation thing? I don’t really get it, but it doesn’t concern us. Sure, it might feel strange to be here, but…」

　With a chuckle, Lue twirled, still sitting on her knees, like a cat playing with an invisible thread in the vast white world, her golden hair swaying.

「This is, as you can see, a space where nothing exists. It’s a place that disappears into nothing. So being by yourself in a place like this makes you look like a guardian deity here.」

「Odo Laguna’s cradle, was it? Even with the name ‘Memory Corridor’, not a single thing makes sense in my head right now.」

「Hmm, hmm, hmm, well yeah. To put it simply, this is a place where souls get filtered.」

「Filtering souls?」

　At the unfamiliar expression, Subaru raised a questioning brow.

　Filtering means to sift or purify, but using that term with souls isn’t something you hear every day.

　But Lue eagerly pulled in her knees, saying,

「You know how a used cloth gets washed and dried before being used again? It’s the same with souls. We wash away the dirt stuck to it, allowing it to be reused in a cleaner state.」

「The ‘dirt’ stuck to it means… memory or experience, I guess?」

「If that’s easier for you to grasp, then that’s fine. You can think of it however you like.」

　Sticking out her tongue at him, Lue’s playful demeanor made Subaru glance around.

　As always, the white space―― the Memory Corridor had nothing new to show him. Within this endless white world, there were no visible clues to what Lue had described.

　If this place matched Lue’s description, there might have been wandering spirits, or perhaps the memories or experiences that had been filtered would have become visible in some form.

「It’s not that simplified, you know?」

「That Odo Laguna is quite the mean one, huh?」

「Oh, please, that’s not something grand. It lacks any significant philosophy or anything. It’s merely a mechanism. Just a means to prevent the world from falling apart.」

「Mechanism…」

「The Witch Factor, the blessings, the ‘Sword Saint’, the ‘Witches’―none of these are factored in. If Odo Laguna has positive traits, it would be the indifference to everything, being fair and equal without favoritism.」

　With a lackluster expression, Lue pressed her face between the knees she’d drawn to herself. Watching her distort that white knee, Subaru exhaled softly.

　This girl had been straightforward in her explanations so far. He could probably assume she wasn’t telling him any blatant lies. That’s why Subaru let out a breath.

　Exhale, inhale, exhale once more, and then he looked at her.

　Then he asked,

「――So you took my memories from yesterday, huh?」

「Right.」

　The culprit answered Subaru’s question without hesitation.

***

「――――」

　With that simple affirmation of his inquiry, Subaru shut his eyes.

　He felt denial wouldn’t come up easily. In such a brief exchange, he could sense this wasn’t the type to dodge those sorts of things.

　Lue knew too much. She understood Subaru’s emotions far too deeply.

　Including things that even Natsuki Subaru himself wouldn’t know.

　That was beyond mere observation; it was precisely why Subaru had asked her straightforwardly, seeking validation.

　Strangely enough, rather than anger, a feeling of understanding welled within him.

　So――

「――I guess that means I came here yesterday, right?」

「Well, strictly speaking, the way I arrived was a bit different. But hey, the purpose was the same. The results just turned out a bit different. You’re impressive, though. How many times did it take to reach here?」

「――――」

「C’mon, answer me, big brother. We answered you, after all.──How many times have you been after we ate you?」

　A shiver ran up Subaru’s spine at Lue’s question.

　Her gaze, her inquiry, was clearly that of one who knew of the ‘Return by Death’.

　No, that had to be the case.

　It was only natural.

　If she stole the memories of ‘Natsuki Subaru,’ then she could freely access those memories, making it no surprise that she knew about ‘Return by Death’.

　’Return by Death’ wasn’t just a power that Subaru had after losing his memories; it was undoubtedly a power he had even before losing them.

　Surely, ‘Natsuki Subaru’ had wielded that power to surmount numerous crises. That resulted in the trust of Emilia, Beatrice, and the others, like a symbol of his cheat—his unfair advantage.

　Subaru didn’t have the intent to blame him for that. Whether it was a cheat or a forbidden move, it shouldn’t be something to hesitate over if lives were at stake. Natsuki Subaru’s choices were right. Thus, without Natsuki Subaru here, it was Subaru who would now wield that power.

　And thus, he recognized the utility of the ‘Return by Death’ power, swallowing it down.

　However, contrasting that resolve, a strange unease gnawed at his heart.

　That unease, that taboo, was being violated by Lue Arnebe.

　That was――

「――Is it something I shouldn’t know? If so, it’s too late, big brother. Because we met just yesterday, right?」

「――――」

「If it’s the ‘rule’ of what shouldn’t be known, I already broke that a long time ago. But the occurrences in the Memory Corridor don’t easily leak outside. That’s why the scary, scary ‘Witch’ isn’t moving.」

　With her hands and feet planted on the ground, Lue leaned closer to Subaru, who was seated. She wore an unexpectedly seductive smile for her age, flicking her red tongue as she whispered,

「Hey, big brother. How many times?」

　That voice felt like it was probing into his very brain, and Subaru experienced a numbing pain.

　Then, trembling slightly, he finally murmured,

「…It’s the fifth time.」

「――っ! Amazing, amazing! So incredible, it’s outstanding, you’re incredible, so incredible that it’s admirable──Gluttony! Gluttony!」

「Gah!」

「I want to savor you until I’m stuffed! From our experience, I think hunger and desire are pretty similar. Desire is love, right? So we’re saying──」

　With that, Lue tackled Subaru, her face flushed with excitement, breathing hotly against him. With her cheeks rosy and eyes glazed, Lue boldly trailed her tongue along Subaru’s neck.

　And at that moment, imagining what words she was about to say, it was clear:

『──I love you.』

　That was a line Subaru had been repeated during the previous loops while wishing for ‘death’ in desperate situations, and it made his heart explode.

「――Damn, stop it with your ear-tinged nonsense!」

「――Uhi!」

　Eyes wide open, Subaru grabbed the collar of the flustered girl, abruptly slamming her down onto the white floor. Changing positions, Subaru put himself on top of her.

　She was light and slender. He pinned her neck down, hair from her long golden locks spilling around her like a bed.

「Getting a bit cocky, huh? Too bad! In this position, I’ve got the absolute advantage! If you don’t want me to squeeze you from your neck, then return my memories…」

「You want them back? You think I’d just let you strangle a poor, defenseless girl?」

　Lue looked at Subaru, breath heavy, surveying the situation, as if having the power of life and death over her, holding onto the prerogative of her own fate. The earlier excitement in her gaze made no signs of waning.

　Then, with her loosened lips and a curse-like tone, she provocatively asked,

「Do you think you could do such a thing, big brother?」

「――You think I can’t?」

「It’s not so much that you can’t, as it is that you won’t. Because, hey, right now, we understand you better than you understand yourself.」

　As she spoke, Lue poked her finger into her own cheek, taunting him as she tilted her head. Taking a breath, Subaru glanced at his hand still gripping her neck.

　Maybe it was time to show her he meant business; just a little pressure would do the trick.

　It would have been proof of his sincerity, and perhaps Lue would reconsider her stance.

　But if asked whether he could kill, the answer was definitely difficult. Challenging.

　Even with an excuse, he couldn’t bring himself to drop a stone on the head of a comrade.

　So even if she was an enemy, hurting the girl in front of him by squeezing her neck would be—

　No, he could squeeze, at least. It was necessary.

　He envisioned Emilia, Beatrice, Ram, Meily, Julius, Echidna, Shaula, Patrasche, all of them, and then—

　And then――

「――You’re losing strength, big brother.」

「――――」

「Honestly, I had no intention of resisting, you know? After all, here, we look like vulnerable girls as we are. Unlike you and your brother, we can only have our strength when we take on the shape of the people we’ve devoured.」

　Lue touched at her face playfully with the finger previously poking her cheek, nudging at Subaru’s grip without exerting any pressure. That weak touch casually loosened his hold on her neck.

「Damnit…!」

「So don’t be sad, big brother. You did really well. Because, to be honest… we didn’t expect you to make it back here at all.」

「Do you really think that’s something comforting?」

　Maintaining the position they were in, Lue was already beyond her peak. Searching for the words to push through her demands, Subaru struggled to formulate anything substantial.

　Seeing Subaru resort to a response reminiscent of bitter resignation, Lue let out a chuckle like the sounds of fish swimming in a bowl.

「But hey, you can take solace in the fact that if you regained Natsuki Subaru’s memories now, you’d die. You wouldn’t have to go through the foolish act of self-destruction.」

「…Huh?」

「What’s with that strange reaction? Were you not aware? If your memories returned, they’d overwrite your current self, causing your existence to vanish. …Isn’t that basically death?」

　──At the attitude of Lue before him, who was treating this obvious riddle like a matter-of-fact statement, Subaru froze.

　To die. To disappear. Yes, she had stated it plainly.

　When Natsuki Subaru’s memories returned, the current Subaru’s consciousness would be overwritten and would vanish.

　If that wasn’t “death”, then what was it?

「――You see, Natsuki Subaru is already dead. He doesn’t exist anymore. But when Natsuki Subaru returns, it’s you who will die next. You won’t be able to go anywhere.」

「――――」

「So, is it worth going that far to reclaim Natsuki Subaru? You should be able to do the same thing, right? You must have loved those around you the same way. They must have loved you back, too. What’s so wrong with that?」

「What’s…」

　Is it wrong to do this? If so, then nothing at all would be wrong.

　Neither ‘Natsuki Subaru’ nor Natsuki Subaru, it was clear that neither were in the wrong.

　Subaru was flawed. He was flawed enough to dislike himself. If someone asked him who he hated most in the world, he could answer without hesitation that it was himself.

　That’s how utterly hopeless and lacking Natsuki Subaru was.

　Yet in regards to this matter, Subaru didn’t have a flaw.

　――There was only the undeniable fact that there was only one sunbeam left.

「I just want to give back to Emilia and the others…」

　I wanted to return ‘Natsuki Subaru’ to them.

　So if there was a chance to reclaim my memories, I wouldn’t hesitate to take it. I tried to prepare my resolve that way within myself.

　However, I was fully aware that if I completely vanished, I had been avoiding that thought.

　If I said it was convenient, I hoped for a miracle where the two memories would mix, or that somehow, at least part of my existence as Subaru would remain somewhere within Natsuki Subaru.

　Such uncertain expectations――

「Who knows? I’ve never seen anyone who got their memories back, so I really can’t say.」

　Lue smiled mockingly at Subaru’s struggle, with a catlike gaze like a predator watching its prey.

　The one responsible for stealing this memory had decidedly claimed to not know what happened afterward. This wasn’t a lie; it was likely the truth.

　Lue Arnebe wouldn’t return what she’d taken from others to the original owner.

　So to really say, she had no idea what would happen to Natsuki Subaru after his memories returned.

「Hey, big brother, you’ve been born into life, so you should live it to the fullest.」

　That carefree thief continued to stare at Subaru, who sat close beside her.

「We exist because we ate Natsuki Subaru’s memories, which brought you here. So in a way, we’re a bit like your parents. It’s just unfilial to choose the option of dying in front of your own parents, don’t you think?」

「What a ridiculous story…」

「――Memories shape who we are, big brother.」

「――――」

　With a low, cold voice, Lue eliminated all traces of expression from her face as she stated those words with a serious tone.

　Unintentionally, Subaru felt stunned by how sharp her words struck him, leaving him speechless.

　At the same time, he felt that he had already encountered that statement before. That exact tone, those precise words certainly echoed in his mind just before facing the second ‘death’.

「You, right now, have formed connections based on your current self. Why not try to live anew, positively? I think that’s a way to go about things, that’s what we believe.」

「――――」

「And this might sound odd, but… Natsuki Subaru isn’t exactly the ideal male image, you know?」

　With one eye closed, Lue said in an almost teasing manner, pummeling Subaru’s emotions.

　While still beneath him, she joined her hands in front of her chest, gazing at him with the eyes of a dreamy maiden.

「Poor Emilia! She’s a pitiful girl just because her birth is like that of the old Witch, shunned by everyone! Oh, how gracious I am, staying beside her!」

「Wha…」

「Weak and fragile Beatrice! She’s spent lonely hours all alone, without anyone to count on! I must lead her away from that dark and treacherous path!」

　Before a shocked Subaru, Lue continued to speak of the names of the two girls who prayed for Subaru’s safety and sent him off with deeply distorted perceptions of them.

　It was clear to Subaru who’s viewpoint that was, and what Lue intended to convey.

　He understood, but that was—

「How altruistic and selfless is Rem! Foolish, beautiful, and pure. Surely, she’s an incomplete being who finds a sense of existence by desperately clinging to someone else. This is exactly what I must guide!」

「What… what’s the meaning of this?!」

「I’m just voicing Natsuki Subaru’s thoughts. What you crave is a sense of superiority. You never think you’re doing it for someone else. They’re all just convenient people to have around, and you savor the pleasure of reaching out to them. You don’t even feed those stubborn little pups that keep their distance!」

「What are you… naah!」

「Are you really planning to hand over your current self to someone like Natsuki Subaru?」

　Once again, the questions piled up.

　That was Lue’s confession directed at Natsuki Subaru – a demand for Subaru’s revelation of his true thoughts.

　She asked him if he wanted to live, if he wanted to die, and even if he died, was it really worth it for someone like Natsuki Subaru?

　――No, Subaru’s death wouldn’t be for the sake of ‘Natsuki Subaru’.

　――No, he never intended to die in the first place. While he wished to return ‘Natsuki Subaru’ for the sake of Emilia and the others, that certainly wasn’t the same as his own death.

　――No, but could he really trust ‘Natsuki Subaru’? At the very least, ‘Natsuki Subaru’ had killed Meily and engraved unreadable script on the wall.

「――So, what do you want, big brother?」

「――っ」

　As she spoke, Lue took hold of Subaru’s hand with her thin arms, pressing it against her own neck.

　Once again, she guided him to place his arm around her slender neck. If he applied pressure, it would easily snap.

　He had just concluded that he couldn’t do it.

　Yet not doing so could be equivalent to a choice to kill ‘Natsuki Subaru’ itself―― at least, that was what Lue seemed to be implying.

　If he were to break this thin neck, and ‘Natsuki Subaru’ returned, then the Subaru of today would disappear. He would never see the results of his actions.

　If that was the case, it would give him courage to act now, providing some form of meaning.

「So feel free.」

「――――」

「What’ll you do? What are you feeling? How will you proceed? How would you like things to shuffle? I’ll allow whatever you want. No matter the outcome. You can do as you want—」

　With a mocking tone, as if cursing, Lue’s words continued to wrack Subaru’s eardrums.

　Lue Arnebe, ‘Gluttony’, the Archbishop of Sin, the slender girl, the abominable being, the one who birthed him.

　She forced Natsuki Subaru to choose what to do with himself.

　「So go ahead.」

　Now then,

　「――What do you want to do, big brother?」