Returning to the graveyard, Natsuki Subaru started over again. He adopted a different strategy than before, wanting to complete the trial in Emilia's stead, and grew suspicious of Roswaal.
However, he was rejected by everyone.
And now, the most important thing was to solve the mansion's problem.
This time, he decided to return as quickly as possible to preempt the situation.
Of course, he alone was not enough; Ram followed him this time.
However, just as Natsuki Subaru and Ram were testing Frederica, Elsa suddenly burst in, holding Petra hostage, and the situation became explosive!
But the outcome of the battle was not optimistic; Elsa's strength was somewhat beyond expectation, or rather, beyond the readers' expectations, even causing Ram to decide to abandon the others and leave.
The blade of death struck again. Just as he decided to return, Beatrice brought him into the Forbidden Library.
Although he had a conflict with Beatrice due to concerns about the save point, thankfully, Elsa appeared again and sent him back into the loop. This was a blessing in disguise, and this time he also obtained information related to Beatrice.
"Now we're saved!"
Kousaka Kirino shouted loudly.
In the loops of Return by Death, the most frightening thing is not death, but the lack of variables that bring hope. As long as a variable appears, the outcome can be changed.
"But, is this Bowel Hunter really that powerful? Wasn't she easily defeated by the Sword Saint before? Why can't so many people take her down this time?"
There were still some questions in her heart.
She quickly realized that it wasn't that the Bowel Hunter was weak, but that Sword Saint Reinhard was too strong!
But other variables also arose.
Just as a butterfly flapping its wings can potentially cause a hurricane, variables can also lead to increased uncertainty in the future.
For example, one thing that readers have overlooked during this time is that Return by Death causes the 'Witch's Scent' to increase. Just like in one cycle where Rem attacked him, Garfiel and Ryuzu confined him.
It was only with Otto's help that he managed to escape, and then he gathered some information from Roswaal, increasing his chances of success.
However, Garfiel wouldn't let him leave the Sanctuary easily and launched an attack. The Glintstone took effect, teleporting him away.
But it wasn't the luck of escaping; he met his most tragic death, being devoured alive by rabbits in the heavy snow.
"Hiss, how brutal! It's truly unbearable. The protagonists under Chihiro's pen are really unlucky!"
Yamada Elf gasped when she saw this, looking at him with a hint of fear.
Too brutal!
If she really offended this guy, she might suffer endless torment one day!
"Hmm?"
Izumi Chihiro vaguely noticed her gaze and looked puzzled.
Is this girl afraid of me?
…
It was another desperate situation, almost driving Natsuki Subaru mad, which also led to the appearance of the second trial.
Natsuki Subaru returned to the Witch's Tea Party.
"I'm very calm now, uncomfortably calm. Why is that?"
He asked.
"You drank my tea earlier, which activated your Witch Factor of Sloth, promoting mental stability. Otherwise, your mind would have broken down long ago… Now, let me hear your gratitude."
Echidna made cute little gestures like a girl seeking praise and credit.
The plot eased up again.
To Natsuki Subaru's surprise, Echidna's reaction was a bit strange, and her subsequent reactions further confirmed his guess.
When he mentioned 'Return by Death,' the scene of Return by Death didn't appear; instead, Echidna even teased him about it.
"If you keep staring at me like that, I'll get shy."
This made Natsuki Subaru feel as if he had been granted a great pardon, and he wept uncontrollably, expressing all the emotions he had kept hidden while fighting alone, unknown to anyone.
"I understand, I know all your experiences up to now… Because I saw them, and I could only watch. So, if possible, I want to hear it from you directly: what you've been thinking, how you've been feeling, how many things you've kept hidden in your heart. I want to know these things, because I am Echidna, the Witch of Greed, who desires to understand everything in the world."
Echidna soothed him like a gentle angel.
Natsuki Subaru found salvation at this moment.
How harmonious this scene looked!
This isn't hard to understand. It's like a falsely accused criminal hitting dead ends everywhere, but then someone appears who firmly stands by you and believes in you. It's hard not to be moved.
After reading, Yamada Elf hadn't even reacted.
Instead, Kani Nayuta immediately exclaimed.
"Ah, ah, ah, I understand this feeling!! It's just like what Senior meant to me back then! The world abandoned me, but Senior stood before me. That warm feeling, I will never forget it! So I will always love Senior!"
Kani Nayuta looked over with tender affection.
The number of confessions increased by one again.
By now, there was no need to be surprised.
Just a routine confession scene.
"That's still different."
Senju Muramasa interrupted abruptly, "Echidna is a Witch; she's not that simple. Chihiro clearly used a misleading technique to make everyone forget this, but in reality, the dialogue has already revealed it."
"Wuwu, Muramasa, don't ruin the atmosphere at a time like this!"
Kani Nayuta feigned grievance, wiping away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes.
Of course, she could see through it; she just wanted to use it as an excuse to boost her favorability!
Although she had already made a promise with Senior, the 'priority' brought by favorability was still an important factor for the future.
"What are you two talking about? I don't understand."
Sagiri's misty eyes were filled with great confusion.
"It's not hard to understand, is it?"
Yamada Elf said with a self-important air.
"What about you, Elf?"
Sagiri turned her head and asked.
"Uh, well…"
Yamada Elf looked embarrassed.
Of course, she was just pretending!
"Because she is the Witch of Greed, her characteristic is greed. Just as she said in her dialogue, what she desires is everything she doesn't understand. So, she doesn't have romantic feelings for Natsuki Subaru; she has another purpose… The relationship between her and Natsuki Subaru is actually poles apart from the relationship between Nayuta and Chihiro."
Senju Muramasa had no choice but to explain.
After all, she was a future'sister,' so showing a bit of enthusiasm was a necessary action.
Sagiri and Yamada Elf suddenly understood.
So that's what it was!
"In that case, those servants on the internet who are shouting 'wife' are going to be greatly disappointed!"
Yamada Elf had a smug expression on her face.
Recently, she noticed in the comment section that many of her readers had become obsessed with Echidna, which greatly displeased her.
When those guys' illusions shattered, they would remember how good her freely given characters were!
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter