Chapter Text
To ensure that Subaru could smoothly leave the Sanctuary, they needed Heinkel to be there to maneuver the Ground Dragon. However, Heinkel seemed to have disappeared and they couldn’t find him.
“Did he leave without me?” Subaru’s face paled, glancing over the empty plaza in front of the tomb.
“Then the Sword Saint is a fuckin’ coward! My amazin’ self thought of him better when he was a legend beyond reach.” Garfiel sounded like a heartbroken fanboy who met his hero. He took off the green pendant on his neck. “All this snow is messing with my amazin’ self’s nose. My amazin’ self is going to ask the eyes of the Sanctuary if they have seen him, don’t run off.”
Garfiel left Subaru alone and went into the woods. It was cold. Subaru didn’t want to go into the tomb and accidentally trigger a trial. It was also really dark here. This Sanctuary was no sanctuary at all.
Subaru groaned in pain, as days passed, his blood loss increasing and it felt like his soul was going to explode any moment. With that many bandages he wrapped around himself, he might end up as a mummy before his death.
A noise came from the bush behind Subaru. “Isekai ghost! Don’t eat me!”
“Eh?! I won’t eat you?!” The ghost sounded really cute. Subaru could make an exception and get eaten.
The cute ghost stepped forward, revealing her hooded figure. “It’s you! Good morning? But it’s midnight, so good night?”
“Good night to you, Subaru.” Not-Lia greeted. “Were the trials already over?”
Subaru looked at the cracked floor as if wishing that he could hide in it. “No, I failed. I’m sorry. As a matter of fact, I’m leaving the Sanctuary tonight due to my Gate issue… But I swear! It’s only temporary! I will definitely return—then I will, without fail, pass the trials—” Subaru grabbed his wrists, trying to stop his trembling. He really didn’t want to take the trials again. “I probably won’t take it again. I’m sorry for breaking your trust.”
Saying that out loud made Subaru feel stupid, but as Puck said, it might be better to kill hope instead of prolonging its dying flames.
“If there is any way to repay you for saving my life, I will do that instead. But I wouldn’t be the one to free the Sanctuary.” Subaru offered an alternative. That was the least he could do for his lifesaver. He felt sorry for scamming Roswaal about their deal, but since Garfiel let Subaru go eventually, Roswaal would surely be allowed to leave too. Subaru would similarly return his favor to Roswaal via other means.
The hooded girl blinked. “Is that so…? Then, can you do this one small favor for me?”
Subaru nodded. “Every- Most things for you!”
She looked at the tomb. “Push me inside. I will do my best to not resist.”
The odd request didn’t register in Subaru at first. “...Huh? Does that mean that you want to take the trials?”
“I’m scared too. I need someone to push me in.” The hooded girl showed her trembling hands to Subaru. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to cheer you on when you were taking the trials tonight. It took longer than expected to break the ice walls my father built around me.”
“Wait, why?”
“I kept running off during the night to take the trials when my father is out of commission, so he wants to prevent me from hurting. Even so, maybe this time…”
Subaru ruffled his hair in shock. “That wasn’t quite what I was asking! Curfew by your father aside, I thought you gave up on taking the trials! You said that you took 9 tries! Why do you keep trying when it hurts so much to fail?!”
The hooded girl retreated her hands. “So Subaru wouldn’t push me inside?”
“That wasn’t it. This just goes against my morals to push someone into hurting themselves. That’s right, what if I cheer you on instead? Would my encouragement help you to step inside willingly?” Subaru would draw a wall worth of cheering just for his lifesaver.
“...I don’t think that will work, Subaru. I don’t believe in myself anymore.” The hooded girl shook her head. “I simply had to leave this place. Just by existing, I’m causing trouble to people.”
“If you are talking about the snow, that was Puck’s magic! Stop blaming yourself for everything. This snow is a perfect opportunity to make a snow festival too!” Subaru made a snowball with his bare hands despite them freezing. Why was she so inclined that everything was her fault?
A cold voice came. “Was it because you killed those innocents without mercy? Witch.”
Subaru turned. Heinkel looked like he was about to pull out his sword.
The hooded girl flinched and gasped. “How—”
Heinkel drew his sword.
Subaru’s heart raced.
Without looking at him or giving the ‘Witch’ any more chance to speak, Heinkel charged forward. With eyes full of hatred and a flash of silver, he aimed to behead the ‘Witch’.
Just before the blade could reach her neck, a flash of white light shone, creating a shield made of ice.
Though the shield was able to save her life, the blade sliced her hood in half, revealing her long silver hair and sharp ears under the moonlight. Despite narrowly escaping death, her amethyst eyes were not filled with fear, but a mix of resolve, rage and sadness.
With a swift kick, the ‘Witch’ created distance between herself and Heinkel. As if trained, she quickly created icicles around her, ready to fire them at any moment.
Fortunately, Heinkel didn’t charge again, seemingly too in shock at her appearance to continue.
“The Witch of Envy?!” Heinkel exclaimed.
“I’m not!!!” The beautiful girl shouted in anguish. “My name is Emilia, just Emilia! I am a half-elf with silver hair, but I have nothing to do with the Witch of Envy or the loss of those villagers’ lives! I am the daughter my beloved father loves!”
Heinkel clenched his shaky sword. “A Witch has parents?! Don’t joke with me! Or did you disguise yourself as the Witch of Envy?!”
“Seems like there is no use in talking any further.” Emilia raised her hand. “If you want my life, I must refuse. I cannot die here.”
“So I was right! Just how many more lives are you going to take, Pandora?!” Heinkel bellowed, rage overcoming his fear.
Subaru screamed. “Wait—!”
No one listened.
Heinkel and Emilia resumed in battle. Steel and ice collided with each other, overlayed on top of anything Subaru wanted to say.
When Emilia shot icicles at Heinkel, they were always deflected or dodged as if the latter could see the projectiles of the attacks. Heinkel had swung his sword at Emilia, only to be stopped by her ice shield.
The two reasons why Subaru hadn’t sprinted to find anyone to stop them were due to his body already weakened from mana poisoning, and Emilia, despite her rage, didn’t intend to actually kill Heinkel. The swordsmanship displayed by Heinkel was incredible, but up against a long-range magic user, it was a bad match-up.
Ice stuck onto Heinkel’s foot, trapping him from further advancing.
Emilia exhaled. “It’s enough! You’ve lost—”
Without hesitation, Heinkel threw the Dragon Sword straight towards Emilia.
Equally as stunted by Heinkel’s action of throwing a sword, Emilia couldn’t react in time and the heavy sword served its purpose being a blunt weapon.
A green crystal broke, then a burst of mana exploded.
“Human. How could you.” A cold, low voice hissed.
By the time Subaru could open his eyes from the blinding light, Emilia was on the ground, unconscious and tears staining her face. The Dragon Sword far away from her.
As for Heinkel, bloody icy flowers grew on top of him, his shocked blue eyes staring directly at the one responsible for this.
Up in the air with such furiousness that could destroy the world, Puck glared down at Heinkel. “This is the current generation of Sword Saint? For your swordsmanship, I found it hard to believe. But you can’t exactly be a normal human too, can you?”
Massive ice rained down on Heinkel, dropping the surrounding temperature even lower. Soon, Heinkel was encased behind a thick wall of ice, only his silhouette visible.
“Is… Is he dead?” Subaru trembled.
“Unfortunately, no. The Sword Saint’s body is strange, normal human would’ve died with that many ice flowers. Guess I’ll throw him off the Great Waterfall for good measure.” Puck answered.
“Don’t say something so horrifying this casually— Achoo!” Subaru curled into himself, his fingers already losing sensation. “Right, Emilia! Is she okay?! She’s not waking up!” He dragged his freezing body towards her.
Puck floated next to Emilia. “I blew the Dragon Sword away before it could hit her, so Lia is not hurt… physically.”
“Physically?”
“By threatening my daughter’s life, I was forced to break the contract and woke up from my slumber… What a bad timing, when Lia already blamed herself for my Hatsumaki. She won’t be able to deal with the memories of her past returning and the contract breaking. I should end the Sword Saint’s entire bloodline.”
That was a lot of information to take in, but one thing at a time. “In this world… How are you able to remember the concept of sleep?” Puck had mentioned it before too.
“It’s in the contract even though we didn’t need to sleep anymore… How strange that we consume mana from the world exponentially if we don’t sleep. Actually, hasn’t the world been that way a decade or two ago? Does Od Lagna have that much mana to give? This feels like the repeat of what a Witch of Wrath has done.” Puck put a paw on his chin. “Now, it’s my turn to ask the question. You came with the Sword Saint, do you see Lia as an enemy too?”
“No, of course not! I don’t know anything about the witches, but Heinkel is clearly in the wrong. Emilia always had a nickname ‘Lia’ before her hood went off, how could she have been someone else like Heinkel claimed? Like sure, she isn’t a cat girl like I imagined, but she is better than my expectations. She’s super beautiful. Really pretty hair too. I think she’s even my ideal height.”
Puck frowned. “Are you a witch cultist?”
“Not sure what’s a witch cultist, but I am in lov- I mean in debt to her.” Subaru blurted. As an afterthought, he added. “She saved my life!”
“That’s good, I’m an ally to youthful youngsters in love! You passed the test!”
“I’m not getting encased in ice today! Haha!” Subaru cracked a dark joke to cope. As much as how troublesome Heinkel was, he could be freed from being a popsicle, right?
Puck’s smile faded. “Anyway, Lia shouldn’t be here. You are freezing too. The guardian of the Sanctuary is on her way here.” He stared at the distant forest.
“That’s good to hear, I don’t think with my condition, I can carry Emilia to a shelter.” Subaru said, it seemed like he had to find another driver to get him out of the Sanctuary. “Also, please don’t harm the Astrea family for what Heinkel did. They are all nice except him.”
Puck continued to stare at the distant forest. His aqua blue eyes narrowed.
“Puck? Is that the direction of the Astrea mansion? Hello?! Your silence is scaring me!” Subaru didn’t want more people to become popsicles.
Puck turned to Subaru with an oddly serious expression. “That would depend on how long I could maintain my physical form after defending Sanctuary, Subaru.”
“What do you mean?” Subaru didn’t feel like he wanted to know the answer.
As if to explain Puck’s vague answer, Ryuzu showed up from the forest with a panic unfitting of her usual composed expression.
“Great Spirit-sama?” Ryuzu gasped at Puck, who was normally out of commission at night. “No, if you are available, that is better. Young Garf spotted the Great Rabbit on their way here. The Sanctuary is in danger.”
Emilia remembered now. She was the one who froze the forest. Under P█nd██a’s attacks, she lost Mother Fortuna, Geuse, Arch and everyone. Now, even Puck broke the promise to stay with her forever.
The Witch of Glaciation was alone, and it was all her fault.
Awakening with eyes full of tears, self-loathing, guilt and loneliness seized the witch’s mind. Just as she suspected, her memories were not to be trusted. Somehow, she must have been the one who killed the villagers. Would it be better if she let the Sword Saint kill her? Would that atone for her sins?
Holding the shattered green crystal that once housed her father, the witch sobbed uncontrollably. “Puck…!”
“You called? My sleepyhead daughter? Morning, you slept for a whole day.” Puck said on top of her lap.
Emilia quickly cradled Puck and cried. “Puck! I’m sorry I tried to take the trials even though you are against it! I’m a bad child!”
“Lia, I broke the contract in order to protect your life, please don’t think that it is your fault or that I will be leaving you. Forever and ever, I will be your ally.” Puck wiped Emilia’s tears.
“But your body, is fading. You are leaving…” Emilia pointed out his translucent body.
“I could transform into my Star Beast form and get enough mana to consistently maintain my physical form, but that Oni and the others in the Sanctuary would die, won’t they? People are so fragile.” Puck sighed.
Emilia reluctantly nodded. “Then, is this the last time we will meet?”
“It won’t be if you pass the trials and leave the Sanctuary.” Puck suggested.
Emilia gasped. Hadn’t Puck always been against that?
“I spent too much mana breaking the contract and the Sword Saint. I don’t have much time left in this form, but I’ll still be in that crystal.” Puck pointed at a blue crystal beside her bed. It was only now that Emilia realized that she was in Ryuzu’s house. “Although the Sword Saint didn’t inform anyone of his involvement in the Sanctuary, someone would come for him eventually, then this place would no longer be safe. With your memories back, there will no longer be anything that will confuse you about the events during trials.”
“What are you talking about? How could I do it now, especially after I remember what I’ve done to everyone in the forest?” Emilia said with uncertainty.
“The one who didn’t want to give up on the elves and wished to wake them up is you, Lia. Are you willing to go back on your resolve?”
In other phrasing, was she willing to make more regrets? Emilia shook her head.
“Like I said before, you are born to be happy. Did anyone wish for your unhappiness in those memories you regained? Are you truly certain that you will not be loved?”
Memories of Fortuna caressing Emilia, Geuse putting her on his shoulder, and Arch giving her snacks flashed. That should have been everything that proved that Emilia was only once loved, yet more memories surged through.
Roswaal’s concerns for her safety were she to stay any longer in the forest, Ryuzu ensuring that Emilia had a shelter in the Sanctuary, Garfiel gifting her books during her years of monotonous, Subaru who believed in her no matter what. And of course, Puck, who had always been here and would be in the future.
“Have you come to a conclusion?” Puck asked, growing more and more translucent every moment. “It’s nighttime again, I won’t be able to stop you this time.”
Tears freely flowed down Emilia’s cheek. Just because she accepted it, didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt.
A door bashed open. “My amazin’ found something important! Great Spirit- Oh, ya are awake! Sorry to take yer father away now, but it’s urgent!” Garfiel urged Puck to go somewhere.
Puck turned. “Did you pass the second trials at long last? It was really disappointing that you failed the second trial after passing the first.”
“How was my amazin’ self supposed to cope with my mom having amnesia and kids elsewhere— More importantly! Some rabbits got through the blizzard barrier!!” Garfiel roared. Did he just pass the first trial when Emilia was asleep?
“Congratulations, Garfiel! You did well!” Emilia cheered for her friend who was more like a little brother.
“Thanks…?” Garfiel stared at Emilia. “Don’t ya have more important matters instead?”
“Yes! For my father and the elves in the forest, I need to take the trials too!” Emilia felt more confident and determined after learning that Garfiel had passed too.
“That too, but ya mean the Great Rabbits who would eat us all if our amazin’ selves don’t leave as soon as possible, right?” Garfiel said.
“Eh?” Emilia blinked confusedly several times.
Puck flew out of the house. “Lead me to the Great Rabbits, Garfiel! Hurry!” Emilia gaped at him. “Lia, don’t stress over it at all. Your father got this, a mere Great Mabeast is not important enough for me to tell you. Remember, I will always love you!” His voice became quieter and quieter as he vanished into the night.
Frustrated and shocked at the same time, Emilia’s mind went blank. But first. “I love you too, Puck.” She would partake in the trials first, then later complained to Puck when they reunited.
Garfiel followed Puck away near the border of the forest and Emilia left the house too. Without wasting more precious time, Emilia rushed to the tomb. There, Ryuzu, Subaru and many residents of the Sanctuary stood outside the tomb. By instinct, Emilia reached for the Recognition Obstruction Robe, but it had been destroyed by Heinkel.
Everyone was looking at Emilia’s silver hair and amethyst eyes. Some flinched in fear, some glared in disdain, some watched with hope.
When Emilia woke up the elves in the forest, this sight would repeat. Therefore, she did not back down from their eyes and approached the tomb as it glowed.
Subaru waved. “Emilia! I hope you had a good sleep!”
“Subaru? Why are you still here? Is your body fine?” Emilia asked with concern, wasn’t he suffering from mana poisoning?
“That’s the first thing you wonder about? Everyone here can’t leave the Sanctuary, the dragon carriage remains hijacked and my only driver is also sealed. I tried a few more times but I still failed the second trial. Guess I’ll die.” Subaru giggled to Emilia’s horror. “Wait, I’m sorry for the dark joke, your sad face is making me feel guilty. I won’t die, I am actually much better now thanks to Puck. I should’ve looked for cats who could drain mana much earlier.”
“I’m glad you are fine, Subaru.” Emilia felt relieved.
“You too, Emilia. You looked much happier than yesterday, not that I have ever seen your face until the hood is gone.” Subaru smiled.
Emilia touched her ear and wondered. “I am a half-elf, but you didn’t treat me differently.”
“Long ears are the best, you know?” Subaru said.
“Don’t say something I don’t understand.”
“I’ve been rejected!” Subaru clenched his heart dramatically. It reminded Emilia of Puck pretending to be dying whenever he disappeared.
Glancing upon the entrance of the tomb she had entered numerous times, Emilia stepped forward, letting the green glow consume the shadow of her past.
Even though Emilia was a Witch hated by the world, she was loved by her family and friends. So that was enough.