The dragon carriage was moving through the forest as Kiyotaka tapped Emilia on the shoulder.
Emilia: [Hm?]
Kiyotaka: [We should be almost there. Let's go inside. I'll use a clone to keep the reins.]
Emilia nodded.
Emilia: [Okay.]
Haku stopped, and they entered the carriage and sat down.
Kiyotaka: [Dona Clone.]
A copy of Kiyotaka was generated and got out taking the reins. The carriage began moving again as Kiyotaka saw that Emilia looked troubled.
Kiyotaka: [Puck still isn't coming out, huh?]
Emilia: [I can still feel the link for our contract, but... It's been so long. I'm feeling worried.]
Kiyotaka: (It is a concern, but I don't think Puck meant anything that would endanger Emilia when he told me to look after her. It didn't seem like he was dodging his responsibilities. More like... he's trying to recover something and... this is required.)
Kiyotaka sighed.
Kiyotaka: (She's looking quite worried, though.)
Kiyotaka: [Even if Puck isn't here, you don't have to worry. I'm sure he'll explain himself eventually.]
Emilia: [Right. Puck will definitely talk to me about it.]
Kiyotaka: (That's a lie, but her being bothered by it will do her no good. Besides, I plan on making that furball explain himself to me at least, so it won't be a lie if I can manage that. Now is not the right time, though.)
Emilia: [This forest... Frederica told us that there's a special barrier around the Sanctuary that makes outsiders lose their way, right?]
Kiyotaka: [As long as we have the pendant, we should be fine.]
Kiyotaka noticed Emilia getting a bit tense.
Kiyotaka: [Are you anxious? Hm... Perhaps you believe that there are half-elves in the sanctuary?]
Emilia: [Eh? You could tell?]
Kiyotaka: [Yes. It's all over your face.]
Emilia pouts.
Emilia: [You're making fun of me again!]
Kiyotaka: [While I won't discount the chance, I hardly think Half Elves classify as demihumans. I wouldn't get my hopes up, but it's not bad to have a little hope.]
Emilia: [You're right...]
Kiyotaka: [The future awaits us, so if you begin thinking of it too much, you may miss it entirely.]
Emilia: [That's ... reaaally wise.]
Kiyotaka: [Have you ever seen another Half-Elf?]
Emilia shook her head.
Emilia: [Not once in my life.]
Kiyotaka: [I see.]
Emilia: [Um... Kiyo...]
Kiyotaka: (Kiyo?)
She looked a bit embarrassed but continued.
Emilia: [...I've been wondering. What was your country like?]
Kiyotaka: [... I never got to experience much of it myself, but... I've seen pictures.]
Emilia: [Pictures?]
Kiyotaka: (I could explain the concept of pictures, but that's a bit much.)
Kiyotaka: [They're like paintings, but they instantly capture the moment with all its detail.]
Emilia: [That sounds reaaally amazing.]
Kiyotaka: [My country is beautiful.]
Kiyotaka began describing Japan to Emilia, who looked amazed.
Emilia: [I wish I could see it for myself.]
Kiyotaka: (I wish I could have seen it for myself as well.)
Emilia: [So, um, Kiyo... have you ever met your mother?]
Kiyotaka: [No. I haven't met her.]
Emilia: [I see.]
Kiyotaka: (From that question, I'm guessing that we're the same in that regard?)
Kiyotaka: [I have a perfect memory, so I've been able to remember everything since my birth, but my time in the White Room led me to be very selective about the things I chose to remember. Often I would purposely forget things because I thought remembering such things was "useless" and considering that my mother agreed to leave me with my father and never returned, the me from back then considered remembering her face was another "useless" task.]
Emilia: [I see...]
Suddenly, the pendant began to shine as light poured out from it.
Kiyotaka: (This thing! Not good!)
Kiyotaka reached out, taking the necklace as he opened the window, ready to throw it out, when he heard a thud and turned to see Emilia lying on the ground, unconscious.
Kiyotaka: (She's alive but...)
Suddenly, the light from the pendant intensified, swallowing Kiyotaka.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Kiyotaka opened his eyes to find himself in a forest.
Kiyotaka: (Teleportation, and I was the target. Well, I don't think I need to worry about Emilia since harming her would go against whatever Roswaal has planned, but what about me? No. If he wanted me dead, there should have been an easier way to accomplish that.)
Kiyotaka tried to focus on his clone.
Kiyotaka: (Good. He's secured Emilia to a seat, so she should be fine. But controlling him from this distance isn't feasible. I have no choice but to set him to move forward and to alert me to anything that comes onto the road.)
Kiyotaka sighed as he looked behind him, and saw a girl with pink hair, blue eyes and pointy ears.
Kiyotaka: (An elf?)
As soon as Kiyotaka took a step forward, she began running away, and Kiyotaka began tailing her. He observed how she was looking back at him regularly as if to make sure he was keeping up.
Kiyotaka: (She's trying to get me to follow her. This could be a trap, but I don't sense any malicious intent coming from her.)
Then Kiyotaka came across some old stone ruins.
Kiyotaka: (Hm? She's gone. I remember though... Frederica mentioned a place like this being close to the Sanctuary. Was she leading me here?)
Kiyotaka stepped forward into the ruins. He began walking through it when he heard a voice.
???: [I see. So that is the root of your desire? How very interesting.]
Kiyotaka turned around.
Kiyotaka: [What is...]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Kiyotaka saw a meadow of green before him, blanketed by a sky with clouds drifting in its vast expanse of blue. There was no sun, yet there was still light.
Kiyotaka: [... going on?]
Kiyotaka: (I was... teleported again? What is this place? How can there be light when there is no...)
???: [Looks like it worked.]
He turned to see a parasol with a table and two chairs, a flower vase on the table, along with two cups of tea. A woman with silver hair, a butterfly ornament attached to it, with black eyes with a slit for an iris and a black dres. She was sitting at one of the seats, her hair flowing in the wind as she looked at Kiyotaka, having been expecting his arrival.
???: [It has been a while since I spoke with anyone. Forgive me if I pulled you in too suddenly. My name is Echidna... Or perhaps you would know me better as the『Witch Of Greed』?]
Kiyotaka's gaze sharpened as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
Kiyotaka: (A witch of the『Seven Deadly Sins』.)
Echidna: [The way you look at me as if I'm the enemy. It hurts my feelings. Despite who I am, I am still a tender young maiden, you know.]
Kiyotaka's gaze didn't soften even slightly.
Kiyotaka: (I don't trust this woman. The『Witch Of Greed』. It's not a name that promotes trust in those that hear it, and perhaps it's for good reason.)
Kiyotaka: [I'm not the type of person who lets down his guard in the presence of someone who claims to be a Witch.]
Echinda: [I see. That's a fair point.]
She began giggling.
Kiyotaka: (There's no malicious intent that I can sense, but all my senses are telling me she's some kind of evil existence. They're telling me that she's dangerous)
Kiyotaka: [Tell me. What are my whereabouts? How was I transported again?]
Echidna: [Unfortunately, you're mistaken. You weren't physically moved anywhere. You were merely invited to my tea party. A『Witch's Tea Party』.]
Kiyotaka: [Just a mental space, huh?]
Kiyotaka: (Echidna... The『Witch Of Greed』...)
Kiyotaka: [The books in the forbidden library. You're the author of them, right?]
Echidna: [Oh, you caught on fast.]
Kiyotaka: [You're name fits into the redacted spaces.]
Echidna smiles.
Kiyotaka: (Which means she has something to do with Roswaal and Beatrice...)
Kiyotaka walked over, sitting on a seat.
Kiyotaka: [In a way that makes you my teacher, so I guess I'll humour whatever you have planned for now.]
Echinda's lips curled up into a smile that lacked any kind of genuine emotion.
Echidna: [I'm glad to hear that.]
Kiyotaka sat there as she looked at him and the tea expectantly.
Echidna: [Aren't you going to drink it?]
Kiyotaka: [I'm afraid I'll have to decline. There's no telling what you could have laced it with.]
Echidna: [If I wanted to kill...]
Kiyotaka: [You could likely turn me to ash if you wanted, but if you want to manipulate me, there's a chance the medium to do so is in that tea.]
Echidna: [You're so cautious, but I promise you it's for your own good.]
Kiyotaka sighed.
Kiyotaka: (It doesn't seem like she's lying...)
Kiyotaka began drinking it.
Kiyotaka: (Salty? Well, I should finish it quickly then.)
Kiyotaka finished his tea.
Kiyotaka: [What was in that tea anyway?]
Echidna: [It's something that's produced here.]
Kiyotaka: (It can't be... oh wait. That expression. It is! This Witch!)
Echidna: [To put it bluntly, it's a bodily fluid of mine. It's laced with sweat from my thighs.]
Kiyotaka's face darkened for a second.
Kiyotaka: [I'd like another cup, please.]
(Just kidding. This is a joke. He did not ask for a second cup.)
Kiyotaka: (This woman... does she know my preferences? Or is it pure coincidence?)
Echidna: [You're an interesting person, Ayanokoji. You sit before a witch, but there is no fear in your eyes. Only caution. As if it's normal.]
Kiyotaka: [What did you expect from me?]
Echidna: [I suppose a normal person's reaction would be to vomit on the spot. Funny isn't it?]
Kiyotaka: [I see Roswaal gets his sense of humour from you.]
Echidna: [Oh? I wonder about that.]
Kiyotaka: [I don't blame those people for vomiting, though. You don't exactly give the impression of a saint. And you are a Witch after all.]
Echidna laughed a little, being tolerant of his jibing comment.
Echidna: [Still, I'm sure you have experience... a fair share of moments when you've been greeted with something you found so vile as to vomit.]
Kiyotaka: (Does she know about my time in the White Room? Or worse yet. Could she be referring to Re: Birth By Death?]
Kiyotaka: [There is a way to leave this space, right?]
Echidna: [Of course, but before that... don't you wish to ask me some questions?]
Kiyotaka: [Hm?]
Kiyotaka: (I should be able to tell when she's lying.)
Echidna: [This area... is meaningless to you, right? It can't make you drop your guard or relax, can it?]
Kiyotaka: [Agreed.]
Echidna: [Then let's remove everything unnecessary from the picture.]
Kiyotaka: [Alright.]
The surroundings began disappearing.
Echidna: [Let me affirm all the desires, the curiosities, the greed...]
The blue sky cracked, shattering.
Echidna: [... that you seek to satisfy with answers.]
The shattered pieces disappeared, leaving a cold expanse similar to outer space with clouds and stars all around them.
Echidna: [Now, what would you like to ask me? About the『Witch Of Gluttony』, Daphane, who created beasts that defied the will of God to save the world from starvation?]
A purple, shadowy presence appeared like a silhouette.
Echidna: [About the『Witch Of Lust 』, Carmilla, who granted emotions to non-human beings in an attempt to fill the world with love?]
Another silhouette appeared that seemed to have a scarf.
Echidna: [About the『Witch Of Wrath 』, Minerva, who struck people to heal them as she lamented the state of her war-torn world?]
Another silhouette appeared, but it had a yellow outline and a ponytail.
Echidna: [About the『Witch Of Sloth』, Sekhmet, who drove a dragon past the great waterfall just for a chance to rest?
Another silhouette, with a much darker purple outline, appeared as a dragon and then changed into the shape of a woman.
Echidna: [About the『Witch Of Pride』, Typhon, who, out of youthful innocence and cruelty, judged criminals one after the other?]
A green silhouette of a small child appeared.
Echidna: [About the『Witch Of Greed』, Echidna, the embodiment of the thirst for knowledge, who has done things she regrets even in the realm of death, all in the pursuit of all types of knowledge?]
She had a dark expression and smile as she said this.
Kiyotaka: (She's a massive threat to the world. If she were allowed free rein...)
Echidna: [Or the『Witch of Envy』, who killed all the other witches and used them as sustenance while making the whole world her enemy... The most detestable of them all?]
Kiyotaka was unfazed but also slightly intrigued.
Kiyotaka: [That's quite a performance you're putting on.]
Echinda laughs a little before restoring the world to its former state. Suddenly, Kiyotaka felt a pain go through his body.
Echidna: [Oh, that took less time than I thought.]
Kiyotaka: (She lied to me? She's capable... of lying? To me? And getting away with it? Without me noticing?)
Echidna: [People who are compatible really do adapt quickly.]
Kiyotaka: (What? No... it's not her intention to harm me. It's just a momentary pain.)
Kiyotaka: [What is... happening?]
Echidna: [That tea you drank earlier. I used the Envy『Witch Factor』on it to strengthen your resistance. Now you and I can talk at leisure. So.. what would you like to ask me?]
Kiyotaka: [Can you tell me about the Sin Archbishops?]
Echidna: [While I have a vast array of knowledge, it doesn't include anything about these... Sin Archbishops, you speak of.]
Kiyotaka: [Then tell me about Roswaal]
Echidna: [Oh? Roswaal? He's a very attentive student. He's been working so hard for me these past 400 years.]
Kiytoaka: [400... but Roswaal L. Mathers was born 29 years ago. I've read up on it.]
Echidna smiled a little.
Kiyotaka: [That sadistic clown... he's even more sick than I already thought he was.]
Echidna made no attempts to defend Roswaal's actions.
Kiyotaka: (She's emotionally manipulating him, so asking more from her is pointless. After all, she's the mastermind, so there's no telling if she's omitting details or lying to me. I used to be confident I could tell when someone was lying, but since meeting this woman, I'm not sure. So let's ask the most important questions...)
Kiyotaka: [About Petelguese's Witch Factor. It's in me, isn't it?]
Echidna: [Yes. When he died. It chose you as its new dwelling because it found that you were compatible. That's also why you were able to enter this graveyard unharmed.]
Kiyotaka: (I'm compatible with Sloth? And having a『Witch Factor』is necessary to attend this『Witch's Tea Party』as she calls it? )
Kiyotaka didn't know whether to feel interested due to possibly gaining a new ability or to feel insulted. But since he didn't care about being insulted, he opted to go with interested.
Kiyotaka: [So will my ability be the same as his?]
Echidna: [It could be, but it's more likely that you'll receive something unique instead.]
Kiyotaka: [I see. I think you're already aware of what I can do, correct? After all, you're very comfortable talking with me.]
Echidna: [Hm? Um yes. I've already searched through your memories.]
Kiyotaka: [Blatantly admitting to doing that, are you? Still, I'm not convinced that you've seen everything.]
Kiyotaka: (That's a lie. I am convinced, but I want to see if she knows about that.)
Echidna: [You're not? Then let me prove it.]
Kiyotaka: [Tell me the one thing that only I know.]
Echidna: [Ah, yes. Re: Birth By Death. That's what you're referring to, right? The『Authority Of Envy』given to you by the『Witch of Envy』right? ]
Kiyotaka: (It's an『Authority』huh? Well, that does make sense.)
Kiyotaka: [Yes. That's right.]
Kiyotaka: (She really has seen everything. Likely even the memories that I've chosen to forget about.)
Kiyotaka sweated a little before asking the next question. Even someone on the calibre of Kiyotaka would feel nervous about the answer.
Kiyotaka: [Then let me ask you. Is there a limit to the number of times I can die?]
Kiyotaka: (I don't think there is, but I want to make sure.)
Echidna: [Ah, yes. Truly, the obvious question to ask. I will say that this is only conjecture, but I would say... There isn't.]
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
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