There was nothing in the room except the coffin in which the white woman was sleeping.
"In that case, is this where this person is sleeping... a mechanism to stop the barrier?"
After circling the room, Emilia tilts her head in confusion.
There was no easy-to-understand lever, no magic ore that could be broken, etc. The transparent magic ore in which the woman was sleeping was tinged with a faint light, and it was clear that it was absorbing mana.
At least, this is the only functioning coffin.
"I wonder who it really is... Could it be Echidna's mother?"
He remembered the witch's face as she expressed her displeasure towards Emilia.
Like the woman in the coffin, she had white hair and wore black clothing, and Emilia still remembered that she was also a person of exceptional beauty.
There are many similarities between the appearance of the witch in that memory and that of the sleeping woman.
The position of the closed eyes and the shape from the bridge of the nose to the lips.
While Echidna appeared to be in her late teens, the woman in the coffin was likely in her mid-twenties. Rather than her mother, it would be more likely that she was her older sister.
"There's no name engraved on it. But they say this is Echidna's grave."
Once inside, they discover that the woman sleeping in the coffin is not Echidna.
Should this be a result of there being a lie in the name of the tomb? If not--
"This person is Echidna, and the girl I saw in my dream is Echidna, right?"
That was a very far-fetched conclusion, Emilia thought to herself, shaking her head.
Regardless of Echidna's own reasons, it would not have been strange for Sekhmet to have said something. At this point, it was difficult for Emilia to define the girl as anyone other than Echidna.
"Even though this is Echidna's tomb, someone else is sleeping there... is that the conclusion?"
If so, perhaps the name needs to be changed.
If the gravestone says "Echidna rests here," but someone else is buried there, it would cause a lot of problems. We would have to prepare different offerings.
Despite giving a rather nonsensical answer, Emilia continues to examine the coffin without touching it.
He traced the flow of mana lightly and it seemed that the entire coffin was absorbing minute amounts of mana from the tomb and the earth connected to it, and that this mana was being used as the driving force to power some kind of magic formula.
Even though they only receive tiny amounts at a time, they are able to operate the barrier on a fairly large scale because the area they collect from is so wide.
The tomb and the earth connected to it are literal meanings.
It's likely that the entire forest area enclosed by the barrier is a source of mana to keep the tomb functioning. Of course, only a small amount is used, so long as it doesn't affect the source.
"Amazing... so amazing, I have no idea what you're doing..."
A ritual that captures the flow of mana and maintains magical function.
Emilia could write simple magic formulas, but the complexity of the magic formulas that affected the barrier surrounding this Sanctuary was far beyond her comprehension.
Once it stops working, I don't think I'll be able to get it to work again.
Of course, there's no need to move it again.
"There was. Maybe if we cut off the flow here, the supply would stop."
By following the flow of mana, they find the activation point of the barrier with the coffin at its core.
The center of the coffin, the woman asleep with her hands clasped over her stomach - just above that is the central point where the mana flows in. If Emilia were to interfere with the mana there and disrupt the magic formula, the tomb's functions would cease completely.
"――――"
There was only a moment of hesitation.
Stopping the tomb's functions would likely impair the function that allows the Trials to begin. If that were to happen, it would also mean losing the means to travel to the Castle of Dreams.
--The tea party that I asked Echidna to deliver will also not take place.
It seems that the witches, at least Sekhmet, knew Emilia's mother.
I felt a vague sense of awe at the power of Sekhmet, as well as a nostalgic familiarity. I want to find out what that means.
The means to confirm this will become more distant if the castle of dreams disappears.
"--Really, I'm really hesitant."
As he muttered, the mana trickled down his fingertips, disrupting the weak flow of mana from where he had touched the coffin.
A change occurred in the flow of power that maintained the function of the Sanctuary and created the barrier. This interfered with the fundamental aspects of the magic formula, and the small change spread and became enormous.
Eventually the particles of light melted and disappeared, and all traces of the magic formula disappeared from the magic stone coffin. The light flashed for just a moment, and immediately afterwards all that remained was the pure magic stone and the woman trapped inside it, just as it appeared to the naked eye.
"...It's over, I guess."
Seeing that no visible changes were occurring, Emilia looked around fearfully. The flow of mana that had been running throughout the tomb a moment ago had now disappeared, and the tomb should now be nothing more than a gigantic stone structure.
Emilia sighed softly and leaned against the coffin.
Perhaps this will prevent unqualified people from being turned away when they enter the tomb. It would be best to bring along Roswaal or Ryuzu, who would likely know more about the situation, and confirm who is buried in this coffin.
"It's done...yeah, it's done..."
By repeatedly saying this as if to confirm the fact, Emilia tried to find some reality in something that could not be realized.
He remembered the threat he'd uttered to Roswaal before they'd ventured into the tomb.
Roswaal told Emilia, "Just get results according to your heart."
It is impossible to gauge Roswaal's feelings at the time, but he probably did not want Emilia to overcome the Trials. It was a way of thinking he could not understand, considering it was he who had invited her here and recommended her as a candidate for the Royal Selection.
"Teacher... that's what you said."
At the same time, he remembers the person Roswaal had mentioned as "Teacher."
Naturally, even Roswaal, who holds the highest powers as a magician, had a master. His master, someone he called "Sensei", started the "Sanctuary" project together with Roswaal.
"Could it be... that you are?"
Emilia vaguely thinks this as she touches the coffin.
However, if there was a person like that, a teacher, someone who would be irreplaceable to Roswaal, then perhaps this woman in white would be the perfect fit, he thought.
"--I have to tell everyone."
Shaking her head, Emilia took her eyes off the coffin, trying not to harbor any regrets.
Even if he wanted to talk about the woman in the coffin, that could all be put off for now. Subaru had only heard that if they did not leave the Sanctuary after tomorrow night - in other words, by the morning of the day after - something terrible would happen.
If any noticeable changes were to occur in the Sanctuary, I wanted you to flee as fast as you could.
Even though there is a full day of leeway, there is no telling what unforeseen circumstances might occur.
She quickly left the small room, entered the passageway and headed for the outside of the tomb. If it was the same as when they sent Emilia off, Lewes and the other residents of the Sanctuary would be waiting for her.
Emilia ran down the passage, her feet clanging, and emerged from the dark tomb into the hall.
and,
"--picture?"
As a fierce snowstorm blew into the Sanctuary, he exhaled a hoarse, white breath.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
A snowy landscape covered the entire world before my eyes.
The wind was blowing violently, and the snow that hit her body mercilessly robbed her of body heat. Emilia exhaled white breath, her amethyst eyes blinking, her throat frozen in shock.
--What the hell happened?!
"--Lady Leah!"
The wind roared and my ears hurt as they were rapidly losing body heat.
Lightly clad, Emilia felt as if the frigid wind was cutting through her body, as she took a step towards the voice that reached her from the other side of the blizzard.
The snow had already piled up up to Emilia's knees, and she was in danger of getting her feet caught in it at any moment. Desperately pulling her feet out and pushing her way through the snow, she saw several shadows gathering behind the white curtain of the blizzard.
Could they be residents of the Sanctuary? If so, they had been waiting for Emilia in the middle of this snowstorm without taking shelter inside a building.
"Everyone! Why are you outside in this snow...huh?"
Emilia's words trail off as she imagines them all huddled together to ward off the cold.
With Lewes at the head of the group, there were around 40 residents of the Sanctuary. Even though that was a huge number, they suddenly saw a figure that shouldn't have been there.
"Lady Emilia! Is the 'Trial' over?!"
A young man with a crew cut called out to me.
Emilia knew him. They had exchanged words before they came to the Sanctuary, and even though he didn't recognize her, Emilia did.
He is a young man from the youth group of Aram Village.
Emilia's eyes widened at the sight of him, who had boarded the dragon carriage with Otto's guidance and had left the Sanctuary only a few hours earlier. However, he wasn't the only one who surprised Emilia.
Led by a young man with crew cut hair, the faces of residents of Arlam Village could be seen here and there. They were accompanied by dragon carriages, and a mixture of residents from the Sanctuary and refugees were hiding inside and in the shade of the carriages, sheltering from the snow.
"Wh-why is everyone here...? Weren't we supposed to evacuate?"
"Yes, we evacuated. Subaru-sama and Otto-san instructed us. We had taught the earth dragon the way, so we were told to run away no matter what."
"Then why? Didn't everyone tell you that it was getting dangerous here?"
"I was told. And I was told."
The young man gritted his teeth at Emilia's words, then raised his head and pointed beyond the forest.
"Wait outside the forest, and when you get a signal from Sanctuary, return and retrieve the residents."
"picture...?"
"Whether it's Ram-sama or someone else who will be staying behind. Anyway, he will shoot a spell into the sky. When we see that, we are instructed to return to the Sanctuary, pick up the residents in a dragon carriage and leave here."
"To whom would you give such instructions?"
"That's what Otto told me."
Hearing Otto's name, Emilia remembered the timid merchant's face.
But despite his appearance, he was Subaru's friend. Every time she saw them conversing amicably, Emilia began to reassess him, thinking he was someone who could rival Subaru on friendly terms.
There is no doubt that Otto, as Subaru's chief of staff, was behind many of the events that had occurred in this Sanctuary, including Garfiel's scheme.
If so, does this instruction have any significant meaning?
"B-But it's reckless. I mean, there was this blizzard going on...Even in a situation like this, you should have been able to judge whether it was reckless or not!"
"..."
"what happened?"
The young man looked uncomfortable and looked away when Emilia said this, but Emilia didn't miss the reaction and asked him what had happened.
Pierced by Emilia's amethyst eyes, the young man put his hand to his forehead and exhaled.
"Otto told us that if it was really dangerous, it would start snowing before we got the signal. He told us that if it started snowing, that meant time was up... and to leave the forest immediately."
"Snow falling... no, that's fine. But then, why not!?"
"--It's because it snowed."
Hearing Emilia's crying voice, the young man straightened his back and answered clearly.
The strength of his gaze left Emilia at a loss for words.
They had originally been told that if it snowed, it would be dangerous.
And when he saw snow actually falling in the Sanctuary, he realized that the dangerous time limit had reached its limit. The decision he made as a result was to come here.
To rush to the aid of the residents of the "Sanctuary" who are exposed to danger as snow falls.
"I had a feeling that Subaru-sama and Emilia-sama would do that."
"――――"
The young man gave a wry smile and answered the question that had been on Emilia's mind.
The refugees guarding the dragon carriage behind them were indeed members of the Youth Group of Arlam Village. Their purpose was to evacuate the residents of the Sanctuary. All but the essential personnel had been removed and evacuated. However, even those who had been removed were forced to evacuate on foot.
It is because they accepted that that they are here.
"Emilia-sama, if the 'Trial' is over... can I go outside?"
"Um, yes... that should be it. But with this blizzard and snow..."
Glaring at his feet, the young man clicked his tongue in frustration.
As their reaction showed, the snow was so thick that it was difficult to walk even a short distance. Naturally, the wheels of the dragon carriage couldn't move with this, and they were stuck.
If only there was a place where a large group of people could keep warm and escape the cold.
"If we can't travel to the Cathedral... let's go into the tomb. It'll be warm inside thanks to the mana, and there'll be no need to worry about the building collapsing under the weight of the snow."
"Can I put it inside?"
"I've stopped the dangerous mechanism in the tomb, so it's fine now. Anyway, can you take everyone to the tomb? I want you to remove the earth dragon children from the carriage and bring them inside."
The six earth dragons had come back here at the request of the Young Men's Group. Even now, dozens of people were being saved thanks to the carriages brought by the earth dragons.
There is no way we can choose to abandon them.
In response to Emilia's words, the young man nodded and said, "Definitely."
For the time being, that's a good way to deal with the snow. The problem is that it will snow and bring with it "something" of danger.
"Come on, if that's what you're talking about, I should have listened to you!"
She regrets not having had time to have a proper talk with Subaru before they faced the Trials. Subaru was probably reluctant to leave Emilia with any unnecessary worries before she took on the Trials.
I am honestly grateful for the thoughtfulness, but if it leads to a delay in taking action, then it's no good.
Like Subaru and the others, there were people who seemed to know about this snow - three candidates came to Emilia's mind. Roswaal, Ram, and,
"Lady Emilia, I'm glad you've returned."
"Mr. Lewes!"
Alighting from one of the dragon carriages onto the snow, a girl with long, pale crimson hair, Lewes, reached out to Emilia. Because she was short, the snow that was up to Emilia's knees ended up reaching her thighs. As she pushed her way through the snow with great difficulty, Emilia stepped through the snow with all her might to get closer to her.
"I've successfully completed the Trial! Is everyone here?!"
"All the residents of this 'Sanctuary' and the humans who came back to pick us up. However..."
"just?"
"Lady Ram and Roz aren't here yet. They both left before the snow started to fall."
Turning her head, Emilia looks at the dragon carriage and the people around her.
The familiar tall man with his strange clothes and the reliable pink-haired girl were nowhere to be seen.
"I have to go find him...Lewes! Do you know, Lewes? If we stay in the 'Sanctuary' while it's snowing, what will happen?"
"――――"
Emilia intuitively understood from Lewes' reaction, her cheeks stiffening and her eyes lowered.
Lewes knows the situation. He knows what the danger is.
"Tell me, Lewes. We have to prevent that."
"But the time is off. According to Su-bo and Rozu-bo's plan, the snow should fall tomorrow night, so there must be some mistake in the fact that it's falling now..."
"Whether it was a mistake or whatever, the snow has already fallen! So! We have to do what we have to do when it starts snowing! Lewes!"
Putting her hands on the small, slender shoulders, Emilia tried to reason with the stammering Lewes.
Then, Lewes' initially reluctant expression changed, and she stared back at Emilia in shock.
"Wh-what's wrong, Lewes?"
"...Lady Emilia. Have you entered the building deep within the forest of the Sanctuary?"
"Deep in the forest...? No, I haven't been there yet."
Emilia tilted her head, wondering what the question was, as she had no recollection of it. Lewes blinked at the answer and said, "That can't be..." before looking behind Emilia, towards the tomb.
"Could it be that there was something... special in the tomb? For example... something like a giant magic ore."
"--There it is. A really big magic ore. I was thinking of having Lewes and Roswaal check it out later."
Emilia looked around restlessly and then put her lips close to Lewes' ear.
He was careful not to be heard by the others behind him who were preparing to move the earth dragon.
"The truth is, there is a woman inside the magic stone. I don't know who it is."
"--!"
Upon hearing this information, Lewes' expression changed drastically.
Despite her childish appearance, Lewes opened her eyes wide and gazed at Emilia. Then she let out a long, long breath and nodded as if she understood something.
"I understand. Lady Emilia, please feel free to ask me anything. I have an obligation to answer you. An obligation to obey the orders given to me."
"Orders, that's not right..."
"Listen. The thing that Emilia-sama touched in the tomb is a magic stone that selects those worthy to command the Crown. Now, Garbo has chosen Emilia-sama as the one to do so. I... no, we will obey Emilia-sama. Please feel free to give us any orders."
Lewes responded solemnly, lowering himself in the snow up to his thighs. It was a kneeling motion, and Emilia panicked as Lewes was about to bury himself up to his head in the snow.
I quickly grabbed his shoulder and
"Wow! I get it! So you're in a position to ask me a favor, Lewes. If that's the case, please tell me what will happen to the Sanctuary when the snow falls."
"...According to Su-bou, when snow falls in the Sanctuary, the magical beast known as the Great Rabbit appears. It is attracted by the mana of the weather-changing spell that can make it snow...or so it seems."
"Weather-changing magic... is someone making this weather happen!?"
Surprised, Emilia asked again, and Lewes nodded silently.
A large-scale spell large enough to manipulate the weather. If Puck had used his full power, he could have easily accomplished something like this. In that sense, Puck is the prime suspect, but by following Lewes's behavior and the sequence of events, Emilia quickly identifies the culprit.
"...Roswaal?"
"Probably. I believe that Miss Ram went to stop it. However, the fact that it still snowed means that something else may have happened, or..."
"Stop it. I don't want to imagine that. Anyway, we have to find them. Lewes, I'll continue searching the village for them. If you have any idea..."
"That is not enough, Lady Emilia."
Lewes, overly confident, interrupted Emilia.
Her attitude made Emilia gasp slightly, as if she had some kind of idea in mind.
and,
"Within this Sanctuary, our eyes shine. We will find Rozu and the others immediately and guide them there."
Yes, he gave it his stamp of approval.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Ram was unconscious and appeared to be simply asleep.
"...Ram?"
Roswaal picked up the girl, who had collapsed helplessly, and shook her while calling out to her, but Ram did not respond.
Ram would normally put Roswaal's words first, no matter what.
Of course.
Ram is on the brink of death right now, and it's all because of Roswaal's own actions.
When the Gospels were burned, my blood rose to my head. Everything in front of my eyes was red, I couldn't understand what was going on, and I just couldn't forgive Ram for doing it.
"――――"
The mass of flame he had created was struck, and the defenseless Ram was blown away by the impact.
Having overused her incomplete demonic powers, and having put an equally large strain on her body just a few hours prior, Ram's body had reached its limit of what it could continue to do.
A fire bullet was fired mercilessly into it.
Her life was now hanging by a thread.
"... Ram."
I can't remember what I was thinking when I walked over to her and touched her body. Now, as I hold her small body in my arms and gaze at her young, sleeping face, nothing comes to mind.
First of all, why, why did Ram stand up to him?
To Roswaal, Ram was a very convenient and useful pawn.
The circumstances that led to me were what they were, and the contract that was made became a bond that allowed us to maintain a relationship that was very easy for both of us to understand.
Only to Ram did he reveal his true feelings, and only to Ram did he tell her his goal, all in the belief that in return for his accomplice he would hand himself over to her after achieving his goal.
And yet, halfway through, Ram betrayed Roswaal.
Certainly, what she said was correct, and if one were to go by the contract, then it was inevitable that she would rise up in rebellion as revenge against Roswaal for not being able to proceed according to plan.
So I don't intend to blame Ram for that. If I had to say, I wish she had put off her revenge for a little longer, at least until she had seen the outcome of this world.
There was also the issue of the bet with Subaru. Garfiel was unexpectedly soft-spoken, and Emilia spoke as if she understood him and returned to the Trials, but in the end it was just the ramblings of a weakling.
There is no way to go against a future that has already been determined. Even if you change the path you follow, the future will always end in a predetermined way. If you stray from the path that leads to the correct ending, the end of your mortal life awaits you.
And yet, I can't help but laugh at the fact that they choose to resist it. And I can also laugh at my own weakness, knowing what they're doing but still being frightened by their actions.
I don't understand why they want to change.
All feelings should continue from the moment they reach their peak without ever fading. If you have ever loved someone, if you have had the time to love that person and let your heart burn with love, that heat and radiance should last forever.
It doesn't matter if the vector of feelings is not love, but hatred or whatever.
The feelings that have been long-held for a long time should be sublimated into something real. Feelings that have stood the test of time are strong and will not be defeated by anyone. That is how it should be.
Garfiel's hatred towards the outside world is shattered.
Emilia's sad, past-loathing past is accepted.
And Ram's never-ending hatred and desire for revenge towards Roswaal...
"Ram loves Roswaal-sama."
"--!!"
A curse-like confession of love that still burns deep in my ears.
Now, words that should never have come out of the mouth of the girl with her eyes closed in his arms.
He understood that as long as the contract bound his heart and soul, his burning desire for revenge was transformed into submission to Roswaal, and his hatred was transformed into love itself.
That was why Roswaal was able to trust Ram more than anyone else, both in helping him achieve his goals and in cleaning up afterwards.
All because he believed that hatred could be replaced with love, and that he wanted to kill Roswaal for revenge.
From the first time they met, he had believed in the hatred of the young girl who had looked at Roswaal with eyes filled with nothing but murderous intent.
--And yet, Ram betrayed her own desire for revenge and sang of love.
"Why, Ram... I don't understand..."
As the faint sounds of breathing fade away, Roswaal realizes that Ram's life is coming to an end.
My heart started beating faster, and something was screaming at me that I couldn't continue like this. My right eye was throbbing. It was throbbing so badly. Stop it. Don't assert your existence. I'm losing myself.
What should I do? What should I do? I don't know what I should and shouldn't do. I can't remember. I can't think.
He looks around. There is nothing he seeks anywhere. The Gospel that would show him the future and teach him the right path has been consumed by the flames and lost its shape. No one can tell Roswaal. What choice must he make now? No one can tell him.
Well, there's nothing I can do about it.
"--The wind of grief calls forth the clouds, and the light that fills the earth returns to the sky. The drops become tangible silence, and the white of misery laments the eternal world--"
Chant.
The humming, song-like chant gave direction to the power surrounding Roswaal L. Mathers. The immense amount of mana he had accumulated interfered with the magic formula he had been refining, and dark clouds began to hang over the night forest.
An icy wind blew, and a chill strong enough to freeze one's body to the core blew through the Sanctuary.
Snow clouds cover the entire enclosed forest, and white snowflakes fall to the ground one after another.
--The power of the ultra-large-scale magic ritual ``Artemision.''
"--Ugh."
Once the chant is finished, the magical power that took a long time to be cast is released.
A huge amount of mana was sucked out of his body, and even Roswaal, who boasts an extraordinary amount of personal mana, felt slightly dizzy.
Normally, such a large-scale spell would take months to gather mana, and even when used the range would be much more limited. What was abnormal was that Roswaal only had two days to prepare, and was able to affect an area more than twice the normal range.
And having accomplished this feat, the wizard exhales for a long time and then becomes lost.
"We made it snow just as the Gospel says... now what do we do?"
At this point, Roswaal had forgotten that he had made it snow a day earlier than the Gospels had recorded. No, the bet had already been forgotten in his mind.
Roswaal no longer remembers the process. The only thing that matters is the final outcome of the events surrounding the Sanctuary. Snow falls, and the barrier is lifted.
If that had happened, if that had happened――I wonder what it would have been like.
"Ram... Ah, that's right. Ram."
Ram's breathing could no longer be heard.
Roswaal looked down at her face and gently touched her forehead with his palm. The white scar where the horn once was was bleeding due to the effects of her demonic transformation. Wiping the blood away, Roswaal poured colorless mana, a combination of all mana attributes, into her, just as he usually did with Ram.
It's a ritual that has been continuing for a long time to prevent Ram's body from succumbing to her original demon blood.
It's not like there's any particular reason behind it.
However, Roswaal subconsciously understood that in order to keep Ram alive, he had no choice but to bet on the demon life force within Ram herself. There was no question in his desire to save her.
Ram must remain alive. For Roswaal to achieve his own goal, and for his own sake after he achieves it.
"Sensei... Sensei... I... I am! What should I do? Sensei... Sensei... Please teach me... guide me again..."
Roswaal's heart is in such turmoil that he no longer understands his own feelings as he whines.
While he tries to keep Ram alive, he is still angry at Ram for betraying him. He understands that he has lost his guidepost, but he still searches for the light he once saw.
Snow falls, mercilessly covering Roswaal and Ram's bodies in white makeup.
Everything is covered in white and disappears.
For some reason, I never even felt that it would be a good thing.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Following his lead, Emilia shoveled the snow and ran, breathing out white clouds of breath.
"Huma! More, Huma!"
He shouted, continuing to chant ice magic.
This is a way to avoid losing time by repeatedly getting their feet buried in the falling snow. By using ice magic to harden the snow, they can run on it as an impromptu foothold.
Some people may slip and fall, which may put them in danger.
"Yay! I did it! Here we go!"
Emilia, who is a user of ice magic herself and grew up in the Great Elior Forest, was familiar with frozen platforms. She ran across the frozen snowy platforms of the Sanctuary as if they were her own property, chasing after the small shadow that was leading the way.
"Is it really okay here?"
Emilia asked the guide next to her, out of breath. The short-sighted girl shot her a quick glance, but simply tucked her chin in and remained silent.
Although they can communicate, they generally don't converse. This is exactly what Ryuzu, the representative of the group, had told me about beforehand.
In the square in front of the tomb, Lewes suddenly began paying tribute to Emilia.
She tells Emilia that she was born from the soul of a girl named Lewes Meyer who once lived, and that there are several others in the same position within Sanctuary. Lewes acts as an "eye" throughout Sanctuary, and will find Roswaal and his companions within the village and guide them there.
In this world, there is an extremely rare type of magic called duplication magic.
She had never heard of it having any effect on living things, but perhaps it was possible that it was a forbidden level technique. Emilia held back the many things she wanted to ask, relying on Lewes's clone to escape the Sanctuary and run around looking for Roswaal and Ram.
"If we don't hurry... the Great Rabbit will come...!"
Demon beast "Great Rabbit".
Even Emilia, who is ignorant of the worldly affairs, knows the name of that being.
It is one of the three great magical beasts alongside the White Whale and the Black Snake, and like the other two, its existence is said to be a disaster.
Each one is a weak and fragile little rabbit monster, but the giant rabbit is a colonial creature. It's not one by one, but all the species come together to become one giant rabbit disaster.
With its insatiable appetite and overwhelming quantity, it devours everything in its way, yet is still not satisfied and travels the world cannibalistically, a veritable disaster.
What is frightening is their mysterious ecology, which allows them to multiply infinitely. The rabbits usually reduce in numbers, and when there is no food they stave off hunger by cannibalism, but once they find prey that stimulates their appetite, there is no stopping. They multiply infinitely, chewing their prey until it is dead, and after turning it into a burnt wasteland, their numbers decrease before they retreat once again. That is the kind of creature they are.
Emilia has decided that she has no choice but to face this super-class magical beast.
If the Great Rabbit was going to attack the Sanctuary, the time to escape would already be taken away. The falling snow was hindering their escape, and Emilia and her companions were running out of options.
Hide non-combatants in the tomb and set up a defensive line in front of the entrance.
There was no other way to oppose the witchbeasts. Emilia, Roswaal, and if possible Ram too, they needed to gather all the fighting power in the Sanctuary.
that's why--,
"――――"
A broken tree trunk, a building damaged by the aftermath of a battle, snow piled up in an unnatural way on the hollowed-out ground, and a man and a woman huddled together in the shade.
Spotting Ram sleeping helplessly and Roswaal looking stunned, Emilia yelled.
"--Roswaal! Ram!!"
Leaving the silent replica of Lewes behind, Emilia slid across the frozen snow. With ease, she controlled the soles of her shoes, scattering shards of ice as she moved like a snow fairy, and grabbed hold of Roswaal's shoulders, who was motionless with snow piled up on half of his body.
"Are you listening?! Roswaal, I'm Roswaal! We're in big trouble right now! We have to save everyone! This is no time to freeze!"
"――――"
As he shook her, the snow that had been piling up on Roswaal's head fell off, revealing Emilia's hidden expression, which made her quietly clear her throat.
Roswaal looked at Ram with deflated eyes, his expression all too weak.
"Roswaal...?"
"..."
Roswaal says nothing. He doesn't seem to notice Emilia.
Frightened by his lack of reaction, Emilia looks down at his arms instead of at him, where a pink-haired girl is lying.
--The snow falling on his cheek showed no signs of melting.
"--! Ram? Ram!"
Emilia called out to Ram, who was in Roswaal's arms, and tried to wake her up.
However, there was no reaction from Ram, who had her eyes closed. She didn't even wake up, let alone reply, and her eyelids didn't even tremble in response. When I touched her cheeks and lips, they were abnormally cold. It was as if--
"That can't be true...!"
Denying her weak thoughts, Emilia gritted her teeth and slid her arms inside Ram's clothes. As her hands caressed her chest, she felt the faint, weak sound of a heartbeat.
A faint heartbeat that seems about to disappear at any moment.
"--I'm alive! It's okay! There's still time, Roswaal!"
Emilia cried out, finding hope, and turned to Roswaal, but he just looked at her with a blank expression, his palm still on Ram's forehead.
However, Emilia noticed.
An immense amount of mana was being pumped into Ram from Roswaal's palm. And that this was the lifeline that was barely keeping Ram alive.
"You're helping Ram..."
"――――"
"--!"
When Emilia realized this, she also realized a painful truth.
Ram is unconscious and in critical condition, and Roswaal is forced to use his delicate medical skills to treat her. There is no way he can help her.
In other words, Emilia will have to face the approaching Rabbit alone.
"..."
--Is that even possible? The question crossed Emilia's mind.
It is a monster that is counted among the three great magical beasts and has lived for 400 years since the time of the ``Witch of Jealousy.''
Up until now, there had been many who had faced the challenge with the same resolve as Emilia. Could Emilia be able to resist the demonic beast alone, when those same people had failed to destroy it?
Without Puck's presence, Emilia was alone.
"Even now..."
Should I choose to run away? But in that case, what will I do if I am caught up?
If they encounter the monsters without any place to escape or hide, Emilia won't be able to protect them. The best chance is to defend a place like the tomb.
It is a shame that Roswaal and Ram's fighting forces are not there, but we must not give up resistance.
"Roswaal. Anyway, bring Ram and come with me. Everyone in the Tomb, the Sanctuary... yes, everyone is taking refuge there. I will definitely protect it. Roswaal, don't give up on treating Ram..."
"I can't do this anymore."
Emilia, meeting his gaze and about to express her resolve and determined course of action, was interrupted by Roswaal's husky murmur.
With hollow eyes, Roswaal stared intently at Ram's face,
"It's impossible. Everything is already... I don't know what the future holds. I don't know myself either. ... This world is coming to an end."
"Say that again...! What's with the book?! What do you mean the contents of a book that may have been written by a rather important person have any say in what we do!"
As Roswaal expresses his resignation, Emilia can no longer bear it and raises her voice.
Why? The Roswaal Emilia knew was not like this.
Always acting cool, easily tossing aside bold decisions, and grinning as if he knew everything. Wasn't that Roswaal?
Who is this weak man who has been driven to the brink, who has given up everything with the look of a lost child on his face?
"Roswaal. Right now I don't know how you feel, or how hurt you are. I want to understand, but I don't have the time to find out. ...And that's why I want to make that time. To that end, I need your cooperation."
"――――"
I don't understand Roswaal. If things continued like this, I'm sure I'd never understand.
But there are some things you can understand by talking and opening up about your feelings. There are some things you can't understand unless you do that. There are some things you can't convey unless you take time.
We need to make time to bring our hearts closer together.
"So please. Stand up, Roswaal. This can't end here, you or me. I can't end Ram either. Let's go to where everyone is, together..."
"already..."
Emilia pleads with him. But Roswaal still won't meet her eyes.
Still looking down at Ram, he moved his lipstick-covered mouth and said.
"That's enough..."
It was a hoarse voice, as if it might disappear at any moment.
In fact, it was swept away by the cold wind and barely audible.
It was muttered only in private, and it was doubtful whether even Roswaal himself heard it.
But that small voice of resignation had certainly been heard.
So, Emilia,
"--Don't say things like that!!"
Grabbing Roswaal by the collar, Emilia's voice trembled with rage.
Roswaal shook his head at this and let out a small cry of distress. Emilia continued to speak harshly to his face.
"That's enough?! What do you mean, that's enough?! There's nothing good left! There's nothing good left! Don't give up on your own! Don't just go thinking it's over! There's no way that anything good can come from me, Ram, or Roswaal!?"
"――――"
"I have ended the 'Trial'! The past I was afraid to see! The happy present that could have been! And the sad future that may come someday! I have seen it all! But even so, I am going to walk this path now… yes, I have finally made the decision and can walk it!"
bark.
Emilia had been feeling such rage up until now that she couldn't even remember it.
That's right. Ah, that's right. What a weak voice, what a pathetic thought, what a spoiled disposition. Can one really call one's life one that can end simply by giving up?
Roswaal's cheeks stiffen as Emilia yells at him, and he tries to avert his gaze. Rather than being worried about Ram, he is simply trying to avoid seeing something he doesn't want to see.
Grabbing his chin, Emilia turned him towards her.
"When you're talking to someone, make sure you look them in the face!"
"--!"
"You can't know what the other person is desperately thinking unless you look them in the eye. You can't tell them why you want to do what you want to do unless you look them in the eye. Look me in the eye, listen to my voice, and then stand up and follow me."
Roswaal's different colored eyes blink as if he has noticed something.
Her lips trembled slightly, but no sound came out.
"--ah"
"I won't let anyone tell me that it's enough. As long as you're alive, there's no such thing as 'it's enough'. So—I won't let anyone die here!"
Emilia stood up and turned around.
Before Emilia could call out, more than ten copies of Lewes had gathered. They all knelt solemnly on the spot, waiting for orders from just one person.
Emilia took a breath and shouted a clear command.
"I'll take Roswaal and Ram and return to the Graveyard. I'll definitely protect everyone."
With great dignity and knowing that she had obtained this qualification by chance, Emilia led Lewes and the others in her wake as she ran out of the snowy Sanctuary.
Lewes and the others collectively support Roswaal and Ram, taking turns paving the way as they follow Emilia.
ーーEmilia's running feet no longer contained even a trace of hesitation.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
And the story continues...
"You don't have to push yourself like that, it's fine, Emilia-tan."
The girl decides to protect everything and connect their feelings, and the boy who cares for her returns.
"I'll leave the rest to you, you can stay back. --You'll get the first battle bonus after all."
"Sorry. I don't know what you're talking about."
After the usual exchange, the girl smiled, but she bravely supported her body that looked as if it was about to collapse, and followed the white shadow that advanced forward with her eyes.
Two shadows step out, holding hands.
There are also two voices that can be heard.
There was something bouncy about that voice, and it felt as if the girl had been waiting for the moment when our voices overlapped, and my heart began to beat faster.
"I don't know what's going to happen anymore."
「Yeah, let's do something about it. ――You and I!!」
And then the stories come together once again, and the wishes also come together as the story draws to a close.
The knight and the princess face off against the magical beast in the snow-covered "Sanctuary."
For one knight not enough, he takes a wizard by his side to offer up his victory.
--The final battle of Sanctuary begins.