Arc 10 Chapter 32: Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh

Chapter 32: Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh

'—So even she didn't actually create an entire separate dimension using Yin Magic, huh?'

'If Mother could do something like that, she would be capable of creating entire worlds at her whim, I suppose. Even for Mother, no amount of mana would ever be sufficient to accomplish such a feat, in fact.'

'Oh, so it's a mana problem? You're saying that if she could overcome that limitation, she'd be capable of doing something like a creator god?'

'It wouldn't be surprising if she could… That is just how extraordinary Mother was, I suppose.'

As they made their way through the ravaged castle, Beatrice spoke with unconcealed pride about the astonishing capabilities of her mother. Subaru had always suspected that memories of the past might reopen old wounds, and so he had generally avoided pressing Beatrice for details about her earlier life. Perhaps because of that restraint, she now seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of stories with which to praise the maternal Echidna. The fact that she was walking through Kugelschreiber Castle for the first time in four centuries undoubtedly contributed to her enthusiasm.

—Even if the castle before her was a mercilessly ruined shadow of the home she remembered.

'Still, seeing how much you adore your mother is making me a little jealous, Beako.'

'Honestly, Subaru and Mother aren't even competing in the same category, I suppose. Mother is the unshakable, undisputed number one in Betty's family rankings, while Subaru is the equally unshakable number one in Betty's own personal rankings, in fact.'

'Wait, seriously? That makes me ridiculously happy. Does that mean I've finally beaten Puck?'

'Betty's big brother shares first place with you, I suppose.'

'Curse that fluffy little bastard…! Whether I'm trying to become Emilia-tan's number one or Beako's number one, that furball always finds a way to stand in my path…!'

Subaru could almost see the smug expression of the feline spirit, stroking his whiskers and chuckling, Nyahuhuhu, as he contemplated the formidable rival he had yet to surpass. And he would have to be careful. After all, Subaru himself was hopelessly susceptible to Puck's luxurious fur. 

While they were occupied with that exchange—

'—Here it is, I suppose.'

Beatrice abruptly stopped walking.

'Here?'

Subaru and the others tilted their heads in confusion. After all, Beatrice had turned to face an entirely unremarkable section of wall. They had been proceeding cautiously along a corridor whose floors and surrounding masonry had suffered considerable damage, and the place she now indicated appeared to be nothing more than one ordinary portion of that passage. Beatrice, however, raised a finger and wagged it from side to side.

'Tsk, tsk, tsk, I suppose. The owner of this castle was a Witch, in fact. The very notion that the records left behind by such a Witch would simply be sitting in some ordinary room is utterly laughable. Therefore—'

As she spoke, Beatrice extended the finger she had been wagging and gently touched the wall. Nothing happened. Keeping her fingertip pressed against the stone, she reached out her other hand.

'Subaru, Subaru!'

At her quiet summons, Subaru hurriedly took the offered hand. Mana flowed from Subaru into Beatrice, and a radiance appeared where her finger touched the wall. Upon the previously featureless surface, the light began forming the outline of a door.

'Didn't we already see this exact trick at the castle entrance?'

'When something already works perfectly, there's no reason to go out of your way to use a different method, I suppose. Now, feast your eyes upon this. —Behold the private research laboratory of Echidna, the Witch!'

With that triumphant declaration, Beatrice led them through the wall, which had become passable. And beyond it, the company found themselves greeted by an atmosphere that seemed even heavier than the one they had encountered upon first entering the castle, the scent of aged wood steeped in an immense accumulation of silence, and a chamber whose contents were almost absurdly befitting a Witch.

'This is… quite an extraordinary sight.'

'Kuhahahaha! Even the duchess chooses her words with such delicate refinement! This place is creepy! Tasteless! Gloomy as the grave! That's what you ought to say! Better to tell the woman herself exactly what you think, for her own good! Oh, wait, that's right! The woman's already dead, isn't she?'

'B-Black Dog! How can you say something like that!? Librarian, I'm terribly sorry!'

Black Dog had been turning in circles, surveying the room as he delivered his outrageous assessment. White Sheep hurriedly bowed in apology. Beatrice, however, raised a hand with unexpected magnanimity.

'There is no need to concern yourself, I suppose. Being feared and regarded with awe is part of what it means to be a Witch… If anything, this reaction is precisely what Mother would have hoped for, in fact. You needn't apologize.'

'Man, your feelings about your mother are seriously complicated, aren't they…'

'Wait, Long Tongue, you're the one saying that…?'

Ferris voiced the obvious question in response to Rachins's crooked grimace. After all, Rachins had deliberately abandoned a wealthy household to associate with a band of street thugs. Even if the problem had not specifically involved his parents, it seemed exceedingly likely that some difficulty had existed within his family relationships.

In any event—

'Black Dog's choice of words leaves something to be desired, but I cannot deny that the sight is highly unusual.'

Even Russell appeared willing to acknowledge the substance of Black Dog's remarks. And indeed, the scene before them was remarkable. The laboratory was an enormous chamber, large enough to be described as a grand hall, with a high ceiling supported by numerous black pillars. Several structures resembling workbenches stood throughout the room. Yet what drew the eye most powerfully was the multitude of crystals resting upon them—countless specimens of varying shapes, sizes, and colors.

'…Yeah. This really does look like a Witch's laboratory.'

Subaru murmured those words as he examined one of the nearest crystals. Within the palm-sized specimen before him, a butterfly had been sealed with its wings fully spread. Beside it stood another crystal containing a flowering plant, preserved not merely with its petals intact but even with the roots that had once extended beneath the soil. The next held a small, lizardlike creature curled tightly upon itself. Every specimen had been preserved without losing the slightest trace of its original shape or coloration. They looked so perfectly intact that they might have begun moving at any moment.

'There are more than small creatures here. Some of these specimens contain Witchbeasts as well. Look at that one. A large specimen of… what was its name?'

'This is astonishing. A Guiltylowe, I believe. To think that even a Witchbeast could be preserved in such a manner.'

Among the members of the party examining the crystal specimens, Crusch and Russell had ventured toward the rear of the chamber, where they voiced their admiration. Before them stood a crystal as large as a dragon carriage, within which the enormous body of a Witchbeast had been imprisoned. The collection included many other varieties of specimens as well: fish, birds, and Witchbeasts Subaru had never encountered before.

'What could possibly have been the purpose of collecting so many different living creatures… Hyaah!'

'Oi, oi, you little fool! Don't go touching things without permission! That's carelessness and stupidity taken to the extreme!'

White Sheep had let out a small shriek, earning an immediate rebuke from Black Dog. Apparently, she had lightly touched one of the crystals.

'I-I'm sorry! But please, look at this!'

She pointed toward the specimen in question. Inside it was a vermilion deer with brilliantly red fur. Yet the creature was not merely suspended within the crystal.

—A light had appeared inside it, rendering the deer's body transparent.

Its organs and bones were now visible, along with countless luminous lines running throughout its form.

'Wait… Don't tell me that thing lets you see not only the inside of its body, but its Gate too?'

Ferris spoke in a voice that made no attempt to conceal the shudder of horror and astonishment that had seized him. His yellow eyes widened. He immediately touched a nearby crystal, confirming that the same phenomenon could be produced with another specimen.

'What do you make of it, Ferris? What can you tell?'

'…The creatures inside these crystals aren't alive anymore. But this is incredible. Normally, when something dies, its Od slowly disperses. Yet these crystals have preserved the exact shape its Od possessed while it was still alive.'

'Preserved the Od… Then does that mean the shape of the soul itself has been recorded?'

'Yes. …At least, I believe it is something very close to that.'

The discovery had evidently shaken Ferris profoundly. He seemed scarcely aware that it was Crusch who had addressed him, so completely was his attention consumed by the fragment of the Witch's research revealed before his eyes. Subaru, too, turned toward Beatrice upon hearing the explanation.

'Looks like this place really does live up to its reputation as a Witch's laboratory. Did your mother ever tell you what she was doing in here, Beako?'

'…Mother didn't like showing her research to other people, I suppose. She was also very careful about choosing which knowledge she would share with others. Perhaps she had some unpleasant experiences in the past, in fact.'

'Unpleasant experiences, huh… Well, I guess being incredibly smart or powerful comes with its own set of problems.'

Thinking about it that way, Subaru could perceive another difference between the younger Echidna and the maternal Echidna Beatrice remembered. The younger Dona had seemed almost proud of the fact that people came seeking her counsel. The older Dona described by Beatrice, however, appeared to have developed a very different attitude toward sharing knowledge. Perhaps the younger Echidna had suffered some bitter experience, and the change in her values had eventually produced the maternal Echidna. Once again, Subaru found himself imagining the passage of time separating the two women.

However—

'While these experimental instruments are certainly fascinating, what we ideally require is written material that we can examine and interpret ourselves. Librarian, do you know where such records might be kept?'

Russell evidently believed that they would accomplish little by continuing to admire the experimental equipment. At his question, Beatrice pointed toward a corner of the laboratory.

'There is a smaller room at the back that Betty was expressly forbidden from entering, I suppose.'

'A smaller room? You mean this one?'

Subaru approached the door she indicated, placed a hand upon it, and pulled it open. A dense wave of the musty scent of ancient books immediately rolled out, prompting him to wave a hand before his face.

And then—

'Oh, come on… Where the hell are we even supposed to start with all this? This is going to be a nightmare.'

The others peered into the room over Subaru's shoulders and responded with similarly troubled murmurs. Beatrice had described the chamber as a small room. And compared to the vast laboratory outside, which was large enough to qualify as a grand hall, perhaps it was. Nevertheless, the room was still approximately the size of the dining hall at Roswaal's mansion. Every available portion of that considerable space was crammed with books, bundles of papers, and scrolls, all stored together in a disorderly jumble.

'Betty did tell you, I suppose. —Mother was never particularly skilled at keeping things tidy, in fact.'

'I really wish she'd recognized that there ought to be limits to that sort of thing. For the sake of future generations, if nothing else.'

Subaru bent down and picked up two books that had fallen onto the floor immediately beside the doorway. Neither possessed a title. And, as far as he could tell, they shared no apparent connection or continuity whatsoever. A profound sense of despair settled over him.

'The Forbidden Library, the Pleiades Watchtower… and now this…'

Natsuki Subaru had accumulated remarkably few pleasant memories of other people's libraries. And this latest collection, with all the laborious trouble it promised, seemed destined to find a place in precisely the same category.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　
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—In the end, it took several hours to bring some semblance of order to the Witch's library.

Even with all eight of them working together, the undertaking proved an unending succession of painstaking tasks. First, they had to raise the overturned bookshelves, gather the books scattered across the floor, sort through bundles of papers whose contents had become hopelessly mixed together, and carefully retrieve scrolls that had been torn or damaged.

Each task was small in itself, yet together they amounted to a staggering quantity of labor.
And after all that effort, they had accomplished little more than reaching the point where the actual organization could begin. Truly, there was nothing worthwhile about cleaning up someone else's library. The one consolation amid their misfortune was that, at the very least, Subaru and his companions were in no danger of accidentally overlooking something they needed.

'—This one, and that one. These documents as well. Place them in the box. We shall take them back and examine them more closely.'

As he spoke, Russell carefully surveyed the recovered materials, which had now been sorted into whatever categories the group could manage. Using his Divine Protection of Appraisal, he identified the items of value and selected the documents they would take with them. There was no consistent format among the materials he chose. The writing differed from one document to another, as did the diagrams and illustrations. Nothing about them suggested any shared system of organization.

'That last book looks like it's nothing but an endless diary about somebody watching flowers grow… Is it seriously valuable?'

'I have no idea. But if I do not begin by trusting that it is, I could hardly continue making use of these eyes. And surely there has been some value in my decision not to abandon you people, has there not?'

'Hah! You've got some nerve saying that. You would've abandoned us if I hadn't spoken up!'

'Indeed. And the reason I listened to you was precisely because you possess value.'

'This bastard really knows how to piss me off…!'

Having attempted to deliver a sarcastic remark only to emerge from the exchange feeling worse himself, Rachins ground his teeth in frustration. For all the time he spent accompanying Russell during important discussions and assignments, their relationship seemed to grow increasingly strained rather than more familiar. The longer they worked together, the more friction appeared to develop between them.

However—

'Ahhh! Ughhh! Finished! It's finally finished! What an exhausting, miserable day! I've decided! From now on, whenever I encounter somebody who looks like they read a lot of books, I'm going to kill them before they can buy too many!'

'It is hardly inevitable that we will have occasion to inspect the libraries of everyone who possesses a substantial collection of books.'

'There's no point explaining that to him, Lady Emerald Beauty. Black Dog is just making one of his usual jokes.'

'I see. Yes, of course. My remark was unnecessary. Please, continue.'

'Like hell I will! I'm exhausted! Completely worn out!'

Black Dog threw himself across one of the worktables, howling his complaints like an oversized child. His gestures might have been childish, but given the size of his body, there was very little about the spectacle that could be called endearing. Nevertheless, Subaru could hardly disagree with his assessment of their exhaustion.

'We're still working with that one-night time limit, right? Just because we're in another dimension doesn't mean time happens to pass more slowly here than outside, or anything convenient like that?'

'Not as far as Betty knows, I suppose. If there were some convenient benefits like that, perhaps this castle would have survived in somewhat better condition… Although, considering what Melancholy did to it, even that is doubtful, in fact.'

Centuries of abandonment had undoubtedly contributed to the castle's deterioration. Yet the greater part of its devastation was clearly attributable to the tremendous power of the Warlock of Melancholy, who had apparently run amok within these halls. Most likely, the confrontation between the Witch and the Warlock had been something far beyond the scale of anything that could reasonably be described as an ordinary quarrel between parent and child.

'Let us bring what we have gathered back and examine it there. Librarian, are there any other records outside this room?'

'There shouldn't be, I suppose. Apart from this room, Mother would not have left such books anywhere else, for the same reason she did not place them in the Forbidden Library, in fact.'

As Beatrice answered Russell, she glanced briefly toward Subaru. He returned her look with a small nod. If they accepted their theory that Echidna had not wished Beatrice to encounter books concerning the soul, then the library she had expressly forbidden her daughter from entering was surely the place where those forbidden records had been concealed. If that reasoning held true, all that remained was to take their discoveries and leave. Or so Subaru thought.

'—Hey, Librarian, is that really all?'

'Ferris?'

Subaru frowned at Ferris's sudden question. He understood the urgency of Ferris's feelings, but Beatrice had been nothing if not cooperative throughout their investigation. Subaru could hardly overlook it if someone intended to cast doubt upon her willingness to help. Yet before he could speak, Ferris bent forward to bring his eyes level with Beatrice's.

'You haven't been back here in a really, really long time, have you? And while Silver Fox was going through those documents just now, you kept glancing toward the room outside.'

'Eh? W-were you really doing that, Beako?'

'Hmph… I-it's nothing at all, I suppose. Subaru and Ferris are simply thinking too much about it, in fact.'

Beatrice hurriedly waved her hands as Subaru and Ferris peered into her face. It was an adorable attempt at resistance.

Unfortunately—

'—The wind carries the scent of a lie.'

Crusch narrowed the eye not concealed by her eyepatch, effortlessly exposing the falsehood. At that observation, Beatrice struggled for a while, muttering a frustrated, 'Grrr, I suppose…'

Eventually, however, she surrendered with a sigh.

'It's nothing particularly important, I suppose. Betty simply remembered something. When we fled the castle because Melancholy was pursuing us, there wasn't enough time to pack our belongings properly. Some of the things Betty couldn't take with her might still be here, in her old room, in fact…'

'I see. Is it something important to you?'

'Betty wouldn't be troubled without it, I suppose. …But it was a present from Mother.'

Beatrice lowered her eyes as she finished, her subdued words carrying a heartrending vulnerability. The sight struck Subaru directly in the chest. And along with that ache came a bitter sense of frustration. Ferris had noticed Beatrice's lingering regret before Subaru had. He could not help feeling inadequate for having failed to recognize it himself. Yet continuing to wallow in that inadequacy would be even more foolish.

'Russell, would it be all right if we went to pick up something Beako left behind four hundred years ago? I know perfectly well it has nothing to do with the operation, but…'

'If you understand that, then I would ask you to exercise some restraint. Have you forgotten our mission?'

'Well, I can't exactly argue with that…'

'But we're only here in the first place because Librarian helped us, aren't we? Wouldn't it be rather unfair if she didn't get even one little reward for all her trouble?'

As Subaru found himself driven back by Russell's perfectly reasonable objection, Ferris once again came to his assistance. Russell directed a slightly hardened gaze toward him upon hearing this unexpected defense of Beatrice.

'—Surely you are not attempting to settle some personal grievance, Blue Snake?'

'Of course not. But could you remember something for me? Gray Star and Librarian aren't your subordinates. Even though there are people they're desperate to see, they've spent the last two months accompanying you and helping with your work. Don't you think it's about time you showed them a little consideration? A little sincerity, perhaps?'

'You…'

Subaru was both moved and bewildered. Ferris's tongue was as sharp and merciless as ever, but when that cutting edge was directed toward someone other than Subaru, it was astonishing how reassuring it could feel. What Subaru could not understand was why Ferris was going so far out of his way to support them. Of course, no matter how harsh his language, Subaru trusted the fundamental decency of someone who had devoted himself so completely to mastering the healing arts. Even so, the unexpected kindness left him uncertain how to respond.

'Don't look at me like that. If there's something you left behind and you still have a chance to get it back, then obviously it'd be better to retrieve it, wouldn't it?'

'That's… yeah. You're right. Sorry. You really are a good guy.'

'—. That's one of the things I hate about you, Subaru.'

Ferris abruptly turned his face away. Subaru scratched his cheek with one finger, offering a helpless, wry smile. Meanwhile, Russell remained silent for some time, stroking his beard with a troubled expression as he considered Ferris's request.

Then—

'Um, Silver Fox, I'd like to ask the same thing. We don't know when we'll ever have another chance to come here, do we? It would be terribly sad for Librarian if we left without letting her look.'

'White Sheep, even you?'

'I don't think Gray Star and the others are in the same position as Black Dog and me. Even you can't force them to do whatever you want. You understand that already, don't you?'

White Sheep tightened her cheeks with determination as she added her own support to Subaru and Beatrice's appeal. Kindhearted though she was, challenging Russell, her own superior, must have required considerable courage. It was difficult to imagine that Russell had been moved by the bravery of her stance alone.

Nevertheless—

'—Do not linger. Retrieve the item you are seeking and rejoin us without delay.'

After closing his eyes in contemplation for a short while, Russell finally conceded. And so, at last, they succeeded in obtaining his permission.
　
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'I shall prioritize packing the documents. We will reconvene at the entrance.'

'And just so we're clear, I'm not coming along. Like hell I'm going to waste my time babysitting some kid while she wanders around reliving her childhood memories.'

With Russell remaining behind to attend to his work, and Rachins refusing to accompany them, the rest of the party set off through Kugelschreiber Castle toward Beatrice's private chambers. Unexpectedly, quite a few of their companions had volunteered to join Subaru and Beatrice. Consequently, Rachins found himself watching them depart with the unmistakable expression of a man whose calculations had gone awry, having been left alone with Russell.

'Still, I didn't expect you to come along either.'

'Kuhahahaha! It's simply that this is better than helping pack a mountain of luggage, that's aaall! Besides, it'd be a terrible nuisance if that clumsy, bumbling White Sheep tripped over her own feet and accidentally fell down one of those holes, wouldn't it?'

'Y-you don't need to worry about that! I'm not quite that clumsy… Kyaa!'

'Look! Behold! Laugh and scold! She's proving my point before I've even finished making it!'

Laughing uproariously, Black Dog caught White Sheep by the collar just as she was about to fall and hauled her back upright. Subaru could only smile wryly at how perfectly White Sheep had fulfilled the predictable sequence of events. Yet despite all his complaints and insults, Black Dog was remarkably protective of her. Ordinarily, White Sheep was the one who appeared to act as his guardian. At present, however, their roles seemed to have reversed.

'You two knew each other even before joining Six Tongues, right? You were both… Beloved Children, weren't you?'

'…I was. Black Dog probably was, too.'

'Probably? You're not actually sure about that?'

Subaru frowned at the uncertainty in White Sheep's reply. He had always assumed that she and Black Dog had entered Six Tongues under essentially the same circumstances.

'Ah, but is it truth or lies, lies or truth? This woman with her sanctimonious little face is actually a wicked, deceitful liar who positively adores deceiving every last one of you!'

'The wind carries the scent of a lie. Your words are false, while White Sheep's are true.'

'Gah! How dull! How tedious! What a magnificent way to spoil all the fun!'

Black Dog's attempt to interfere was effortlessly cut short by Crusch's Divine Protection. Yet Subaru could not help suspecting that the interruption itself had been intended to draw attention away from White Sheep's uncertain answer. After all, Crusch had just confirmed that White Sheep had spoken the truth.

'The truth is, I don't really understand my relationship with Black Dog myself. I'm sure he's someone close to me… At least, I believe that's true. But I don't actually know what that relationship is.'

'And I haven't the faintest, slightest, foggiest idea either! As far as I'm concerned, I was simply there when I first became aware of myself, and she just happened to be there alongside me!'

'What the heck? That makes so little sense I don't even know where to start.'

'Yes, it really doesn't make any sense at all. —And I think that's the reason I'm here.'

White Sheep clenched her pale fist, her expression taking on a certain quiet determination as she spoke. Having been the one to introduce the subject, Subaru now found himself feeling rather uncomfortable. Had he truly been entitled to hear something so personal? Once again, it seemed, he had carelessly marched into another person's heart without bothering to remove his shoes.

'I know the family motto in our house is basically ‘barge straight into other people's hearts without taking your shoes off,’ but even the person doing the barging has to follow some basic etiquette. When I end up doing it without meaning to, it catches me off guard.'

'What are you muttering about now, I suppose? Come along. This way. Don't go getting yourself lost.'

Beatrice tugged at Subaru's arm, pulling him from his thoughts as she continued leading the party onward. At first, she had seemed somewhat embarrassed that the others were accompanying her on what amounted to a search for a forgotten possession. Yet as she walked through the childhood home she knew so well, that stiffness gradually began to fade. Now her eyes shone with anticipation at the prospect of being reunited with something she had left behind so long ago.

'By the way, what was that present from Echidna… from your mother, anyway?'

'Hmph. You can look forward to discovering that when you see it for yourself, I suppose. This habit of impatiently demanding to know everything in advance is a flaw shared not merely by Subaru, but by humanity as a whole, in fact.'

'Well, of course we're all going to look impatient when you compare us to someone with a proven record of waiting four hundred years.'

Subaru smiled faintly as Beatrice marched proudly at the front of the group, her chest thrust forward and her short strides full of confidence. Watching her corkscrew twin tails sway with every eager step, he found the sight nothing short of endearing. Perhaps the others felt the same way. At any rate, no one seemed inclined to dampen the anticipation of a girl about to recover a present she had been separated from for four centuries.

'And yet that bastard had to go and make everything as inconvenient as possible…'

Subaru's grumbling was directed toward the Warlock of Melancholy, whose destruction had left its mark upon seemingly every corner of the castle. Wherever they turned, they encountered evidence of Melancholy's overwhelming violence: collapsed ceilings, broken pillars, and floors split apart. Each time they found their intended route impassable, they were forced to turn back and find another way toward Beatrice's room. Even now, after crossing a chamber that had partially collapsed and taking a shortcut through a crushed passageway, they encountered another obstruction. An enormous pillar had fallen sideways across the corridor, barring their path.

'Come on. Don't tell me we've gotta take another detour.'

'—No. Look carefully, I suppose. We should be able to squeeze past the side of the pillar.'

The fallen column was so thick that even a grown man would have struggled to encircle it with both arms. Nevertheless, as Beatrice indicated, there was a narrow opening between the pillar and the wall on the right. It looked just wide enough for one person at a time to slip through.

'Yeah, but I don't like that we can't see what's on the other side. I'll go first. Beako, you hang back and wait your turn.'

'Betty is smaller and more adorable, so she could pass through without the slightest difficulty, I suppose.' 'Hey, don't underestimate my flexibility. I do the pigeon pose every night.'

Confronted by Subaru's appeal to the discipline of yoga, Beatrice reluctantly yielded him the honor of becoming their first penguin. Subaru lowered his head and squeezed into the gap beside the pillar, twisting his body until he managed to emerge on the opposite side. Fortunately, none of the dangers he had feared came to pass. He did not become stuck halfway through, nor did he emerge directly above some concealed pitfall.  The corridor appeared to continue farther ahead, with no immediate dead end in sight.

'Okay! All clear. Looks like we can keep going. Just be careful not to snag your hair or dress on anything.'

Brushing dust from the knees of his tracksuit, Subaru called back to Beatrice on the other side of the pillar. He crouched down, preparing to receive her as she slipped through the opening.

But—

'—Beako?'

Beatrice was small. She should have been able to pass through the narrow gap far more easily than Subaru. And yet, no matter how long he waited, she did not appear. Growing impatient, Subaru leaned forward and peered into the opening.

There was no sign of Beatrice.

—No.

That wasn't quite right.

'—W-wait. You've gotta be kidding me.'

Unable to believe what he was seeing, Subaru lowered his head again and forced his way back through the gap, this time in the opposite direction. He scraped his head against the pillar in his frantic haste, struggling through the narrow space until he finally emerged into the corridor he had just left.

He raised his head.

And then—

'—There's… nobody here?'

Standing in the passage where he had been walking alongside everyone only moments earlier, Subaru stared around in utter disbelief. 

Beatrice, who should have been waiting there, was gone.

Crusch was gone.

Ferris was gone.

White Sheep and Black Dog were gone.

Not a single member of the party remained.

Every one of the companions who had accompanied him had disappeared without a trace.

'That's… That's impossible… Beatrice! Beako! Answer me! Beako—!!'

Raising his voice, Subaru shouted Beatrice's name with all the strength he could summon. His cry echoed emptily through the ancient castle. But the answer he desperately sought never came. 

A surge of panic struck him so violently that cold sweat drenched his back in an instant.

'Crusch! Ferris!! White Sheep! Black Dog! Where are you!? Beako! Somebody! Anybody! Please, answer me!!'

Unable to remain still, Subaru shouted the names of his companions one after another.

Yet no one responded.

Not Beatrice.

Not Crusch, Ferris, White Sheep, or Black Dog.

—The situation was so profoundly abnormal that it defied any possible explanation.

'What the hell happened…? Don't tell me… Echidna!?'

This was the castle of the Witch of Greed.

Ever since they had discovered the hidden research chamber, Subaru had harbored an uneasy suspicion that some mechanism or trap might be waiting for them. Yet Beatrice had made no mention of anything of the sort. Moreover, every Trial or Test Subaru had encountered before had required some event to trigger it. There had always been a beginning, some recognizable cause. And so, little by little, his vigilance had faded.

'Am I an idiot? No, of course I'm an idiot… Letting my guard down against Echidna, of all people!'

He bit down hard on his lip, using the pain to rebuke himself. But he had no time to waste upon endless self-reproach. He needed to find Beatrice and the others immediately. Failing that, he had to reunite with Russell and Rachins. Then they would have to discover how to overcome whatever mechanism had been left within Kugelschreiber Castle—

'—Ah?'

It happened the instant that thought crossed his mind. Subaru took his first step, intending to retrace his route through the corridor.

—And without the slightest warning, the floor beneath his foot gave way.

There was no resistance.

His body tilted.

Oh, crap.

By the time the realization struck him, it was already too late. In the next instant, his body had been flung into empty space.

'—!'

The floor had collapsed beneath him. He had been thrown clear of the corridor. The moment he understood what had happened, Subaru snatched the Guiltywhip from behind his waist. Acting entirely on instinct, he lashed it desperately toward the corridor from which he had fallen.

—By extraordinary good fortune, its tip caught in what seemed to be a crack in the stonework.

'Gwoah!'

A savage jolt tore through his right shoulder as the whip snapped taut, arresting his fall.

'Wha… wha… what…?'

Subaru could barely comprehend what had happened. 

There had been no sign.

No warning.

No indication whatsoever.

Nothing to herald the disaster.

The floor had simply vanished beneath him.

Now, hanging beyond the corridor, he turned his eyes toward his surroundings. And a terrible chill passed through him.

—There was nothing.

Nothing at all.

He was suspended in an empty sky, a boundless void that seemed to belong to a world in which the act of creation had never taken place.

'————'

At the beginning, Beatrice had warned them that anyone who fell from the castle would never be able to return. Now, half suspended over the abyss, Subaru understood exactly what she had meant.

It was impossible.

If he fell into this place, he would never return.

There would be no means of climbing back.

No way of finding his way home.

No path to salvation.

And so—

'Somehow… I have to pull myself back up…'

His lifeline was pitifully unreliable.

The whip's tip was merely wedged into a fracture in the floor. To keep it from slipping free, Subaru wound the length of the whip around his wrist. Then, carefully, painstakingly, he began hauling himself upward. Little by little. As quickly as he dared, yet never so quickly that he risked losing his hold.

He pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled—

'Eh?'

The sudden shock came without warning. If it had possessed a sound, it might have been a sharp snap. But Subaru heard nothing.

There was no opportunity to hear anything.

'—Ah.'

Mercilessly, the lifeline supporting Subaru's body lost its tension. As though mocking his desperate struggle to remain alive, it released him into the empty sky.

'A-ah, AAAAAAAAH—!!'

Screaming, Subaru began spinning wildly through the air.

End over end.

Backward, again and again and again.

He could no longer distinguish heaven from earth, above from below.

The corridor raced away from him.

No.

It was Kugelschreiber Castle itself that was receding.

Farther.

Farther.

Farther still.

He fell.

Down into the darkness.

Into an abyss without a trace of light.

'I… saw…'

The words slipped from his mouth as the raging wind battered his entire body, tossing him through the void with overwhelming force.

He had seen it.

With his own eyes.

In the instant his whip had come free and his body had been thrown into the abyss, he had seen it.

—The tip of the whip, which had snapped away from the corridor, bore a fresh, clean, sharply severed edge.

Someone had cut Subaru's whip.

Someone had severed his lifeline.

And now he was falling.

Falling.

Falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, fallingfallingfallingfallingfallingfallingfallingfallingfalling—

'————'

It wasn't coming.

Subaru clenched his teeth tightly, his entire body rigid as he braced himself for the inevitable impact with the ground. He had tried desperately to find some means of survival, only to realize almost immediately that nothing remained within his power.

Beatrice was gone.

There was nowhere for his whip to reach. He had already fallen dozens of meters, perhaps hundreds, away from the castle.

There was no way back.

No means of saving himself.

And so all that remained was to prepare for the death that would surely come. To summon every last fragment of resolve he possessed, so that he might somehow share this terrible predicament with the others.

Come.

Whenever you're ready.

Come.

Come right now.

Now.

Come.

Hurry.

Hurry up.

Everyone's in danger.

Come right now.

Come.

Come.

Come, damn it.

Come on.

COME!

'————'

—It wasn't coming.

'————'

He realized it.

Only after steeling himself for the inevitable did he finally realize. He had understood it himself only moments earlier. This was a world in which creation had never taken place. A world without earth or ground. No matter how far he fell, there was no surface waiting to receive him. No solid land upon which his body might strike and be shattered into pieces.

Even if he continued falling forever—

Even if he fell through an eternity upon eternity—

He would never arrive anywhere.

'————'

Subaru desperately tried to reject the horrifying possibility that had taken shape within his mind.

But the one thing that might have decisively disproved it—the impact of his body striking the ground—never came. The wind continued to batter him. The fall continued to hurl his body through the void. And his speed only continued to increase.

Before long, his vision went black. The endless tumbling had thrown his circulation into chaos, driving too much blood toward his head and the extremities of his limbs. Agonizing pain began surging through his entire body.

And then, just like that, Subaru's consciousness—
　                                                                                               △▼△▼△▼△

'————'

It would not end.

There was no end to this fall.

Subaru had no idea how much time had passed before he finally came to accept that truth. All he knew was that his falling body never ceased its rotation. The disruption to his circulation caused him to lose consciousness again and again, only to awaken without warning, each return to awareness forcing him to confront anew the terrible realization that this nightmare was reality.

His stomach cried out in hunger. He had lost all sensation in his lower body, which he had long since soiled with urine. His eyes had become useless.

And yet, Natsuki Subaru was still alive.

He had remained alive.

Against all that he wished, he was still alive.

'—Aaaaaah…'

A low, hollow moan escaped him as Subaru cursed the slowness of his judgment, the depths of his own stupidity. His body, falling endlessly and tossed without respite by the wind, had lost its freedom. His arms and legs no longer obeyed his will. While his hands could still move, perhaps he might have been able to strangle himself.

But not anymore.

There was no strength left for such a thing.

He could not even summon the force required to bite through his own tongue. Every means by which he might have brought about his own death had been taken from him.

'—Aaaaaah…'

Even now, while Subaru continued his meaningless descent, Beatrice and the others were in danger. Somewhere within the castle to which he could never return, Beatrice and his companions might still be confronting whatever threat had descended upon them.

—And yet he could not go back to help them.

He could not even die.

'—Aaaaaah…'

No matter how desperately Subaru yearned for an ending, his lungs continued demanding air, his heart continued forcing blood through a body whose circulation had been thrown into chaos, and the most rudimentary functions of life stubbornly persisted.

Time stretched onward.

Time in which he could do nothing.

Time in which he could not even die.

An eternity prolonged without purpose, without meaning, without the smallest possibility of accomplishing anything.

'—Aaaaaah…'

His throat was parched.

He had screamed, shed tears, wet himself, and expelled every trace of moisture his body could surrender.

Now he was utterly dried out.

His body had grown deathly cold.

His circulation was in disarray. He had spent an immeasurable span of time drifting in and out of consciousness, battered by the wind, without performing a single movement capable of generating warmth.

His soul was screaming.

It called for Beatrice.

For everyone in the castle.

For Emilia.

For the companions from whom he had been separated.

It yearned for them all.

'—Aaaaaah…'

He continued making that sound.

Not a scream.

Not a shout.

Only a low, ceaseless moan.

From somewhere deep within his body, from the deepest depths, from a place beneath even those depths, he wrung out that feeble voice and continued to give it breath.
Hoping that, as quickly as possible, even a single second sooner, he might squeeze everything out of himself.

Until nothing remained.

Until he could die.

There was nothing else he could do.

—No.

There was.

Something remained besides moaning.

He could decide.

He could carve an unbreakable oath into his heart, make his decision, and swear that he would carry it out without fail.

He would not let go of her hand.

Never again.

He would never let go of Beatrice.

'—Aaaaaah…'

Whatever might happen.

Whatever might stand in his way.

He would never, ever let go.

'—Aaaaaah…'

And with that vow engraved upon his heart, Natsuki Subaru continued to force the sound from his throat.

Wringing himself dry, drop by drop.

Until the final drop.

Until the very last—

'—Aaaaaah…'

— AshTLs