After another Return by Death, Natsuki Subaru was greeted with a wonderfully auspicious start.
Garfiel showed no hostility and remained neutral; the failure of the 'Trial' had no impact on Emilia. Now, it was up to him to see what information and progress he could make in this state.
His previous death had been very valuable; he had gained the memories of the shadow devoured by the Witch of Envy.
Then, as an 'Apostle of Greed,' he received help from Ryuzu.
Knowing that Garfiel had also participated in the trial, he comforted Emilia, who was walking under the moonlight, and then returned to the mansion to gather more information.
"...Will you be that person for Betty? If you can't, then please kill Betty with your own hands."
Betty, who had waited for a long and arduous 400 years, said with tears streaming down her face, holding up her hands.
After all that time, this was what she had decided upon.
However, Natsuki Subaru couldn't bring himself to say that he was 'that person,' nor did he want to kill her.
Just then, it was Elsa's time to appear.
Inevitably, Betty died in front of him, but because of this, he learned part of Elsa and Meili's secret.
Only this time, he didn't die directly but was teleported away by Betty.
Returning to the Sanctuary, he encountered a broken Emilia.
Knowing that the save file was corrupted, Natsuki Subaru's primary goal now was to extract more information from Roswaal to prepare for the next loop.
But unexpectedly, he received even more astonishing news from Roswaal.
It turned out that Roswaal also possessed a book, and he was acting according to what was written in it. He also knew that Natsuki Subaru could 'redo' things, though he didn't know the trigger mechanism.
Roswaal would use any means to achieve the future he desired. Although his methods were detestable, one couldn't help but marvel at such an obsession.
Even when devoured by the Great Rabbit, he remained calm and fearless, still wanting to guide Natsuki Subaru to become like him.
Finally, the disfigured Natsuki Subaru tremblingly arrived at the trial location.
Under a bizarre and eerie atmosphere.
Emilia ignored his numerous injuries, chattering about her love. Her adorable demeanor, in stark contrast to the atmosphere, was even more unsettling.
The completely insane elf girl leaned in for a kiss, carrying the scent of death.
This was the final scene.
In the room.
After turning to the last page, the girl gently brushed her long hair behind her ear, her wine-red eyes falling into a pensive state.
"Obsession, huh? The theme of this volume revolves around obsession, doesn't it? Whether it's Betty's long-held wish or Roswaal's goal, it's the same. To an outsider, it's an incomprehensible stubbornness... As for the source of all this, that would still be Echidna's influence, right? This volume makes it quite clear: Echidna's true nature is actually the same as the other Witches."
After finishing, Kasumigaoka Utaha made her assessment.
As soon as she thought of this theme, many other thoughts came to her mind.
"The design is great, and the writing is getting better and better. Chihiro is still improving, and I don't want to always fall behind. This is probably my obsession. As for the obsessions of those other people, they're also quite obvious... Life is like this; one always wants to pursue what one desires. This is what gives meaning to one's life."
She sighed with emotion.
As a literary girl, she always thought a little more than others.
Similarly, the several light novel authors reading together also shared similar traits.
"I get it!"
Yamada Elf suddenly stood up, her expression serious.
"What do you get?"
Everyone looked at her skeptically.
They didn't believe Yamada Elf would have any unique insights, as her statements had always been difficult to take seriously, especially since this was the industry's highest-level book club.
"I know what Chihiro, you wanted to express in this volume! Right, it's everyone's desire! Just like the Seven Deadly Sins, everyone has their own'sin'!"
Yamada Elf confidently expressed her understanding, which earned her eye-rolls from everyone.
"I thought Miss Elf would have some profound discourse. Turns out it's just such a simple interpretation."
Kani Nayuta shook her head.
"It's too imprecise, too broad."
Senju Muramasa also commented.
"That's like saying nothing at all. Even I could figure that out."
Sagiri sighed softly.
"But it's not wrong, either."
Izumi Chihiro, on the other hand, smiled.
He made his summary, and the others nodded, which finally brightened Yamada Elf's expression.
"Anyway, as long as I'm not wrong, that's what matters!"
...
After finishing the read, the readers and fans also expressed themselves enthusiastically, with different ideas being articulated online.
["Holy cow, the amount of information in this volume is huge! The Witch of Greed, Witch of Pride, Witch of Wrath, and even the Witch of Envy appeared!"]
["The Witch of Envy, Satella, is terrifying. Her yandere tendencies are scary. If she sets her sights on you, it's hard to die, literally."]
["Hmm? Isn't Return by Death granted by the Witch of Envy? Can't she stop it? That's strange."]
["Speaking of which, is Emilia really possessed by the Witch of Envy? Or did the protagonist guess wrong, and the Witch of Envy just looks like this? The former is fine, but the latter's information is a bit much..."]
["The Witch of Greed is amazing! She's completely different from the other Witches. She can listen to the protagonist's thoughts and even offer help and advice. Otherwise, he would have been imprisoned forever by the Witch of Envy, and the story would have ended."]
["I don't care, just for this, I'll always love the Witch of Greed!"]
["Heh heh, the Witch of Greed is quite malicious, arranging for a non-existent person for Betty."]
["Hmm? What a pity, Betty was desperate to die, plus Elsa can revive. Otherwise, clearing the mansion would have been much simpler. But the next loop should get through it."]
["Yandere Emilia is also very cute. I love her, I love her."]
["Roswaal is too ruthless. He's not just ruthless to others, but also to himself."]
["I've realized, there are hardly any normal people in this world."]
["The Old Thief wrote the last scene so terrifyingly, if you didn't know, you'd think this was a horror novel!"]
["What's the difference from a horror novel? The Old Thief's works…"]
["Oh no, it's another grim task. I never get to be happy for long."]
["Let's think positively. In this reincarnation, not only did Natsuki Subaru hear Emilia say 'I love you,' but he also got his first kiss… Emilia's supporters are already satisfied!"]
["The person upstairs is too optimistic, aren't they?"]
["Finished! I'm looking forward to Natsuki Subaru showing off his power in the next volume! Old Thief, that's enough, it's time to stop."]
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter