174 Кб, 1000x713Panting in asphyxiation, Subaru belatedly realises that his hands are on a meadow's green.
The thick scent of grass skims up from the ground his limbs are touching and into his nose. Like a
grassland bathed in sunlight after rain, the chokey and natural air wraps fleetingly around Subaru.
Turning his neck, Subaru sees Echidna before him.
Like usual, she is arranging preparations for a tea party on the meadow's hillock with its table and
chairs as she waits for her guest—for Subaru.
Like usual. —Just like usual.
Echidna: “I'm sure you have things you want to say and questions you want to ask, but... first how
do you feel about sitting down and having a cup of tea?”
Subaru: “...Do you think, having considered what you just did to me, that I'm going to cordially sit
in that chair? Or comply with your tea party at all?”
Echidna: “You'll comply. You're someone capable of giving mercenary, faux-calm rational thought
precedence over your instinct to fly into self-abandoning rage. Right now, a profitable conversation
with me has more benefits to you than shirking a conversation with me... would be what you've
concluded, right?”
Subaru: “—”
Subaru speaks low with suppressed anger. Echidna's carefree attitude stays healthy as ever.
Her words come spoken from above, as if mocking Subaru and his attempts to engage in an obvious
ploy. They strike a perfect bullseye, Subaru unable to choose either affirmation or denial.
The thing she had trampled over was not so cheap that Subaru would so easily acquiesce.
Subaru: “Echidna... tell me you didn't mean it.”
Echidna: “Hm?”
Subaru: “That... thing with the Witch of Lust, tell me that you didn't mean for that. Please say it was
your bad.”
Echidna: “...”
Subaru: “Say that it was unavoidable. That you didn't anticipate it, that it shouldn'tve gone like that.
Please tell me this. If you do... I won't fault you.”
What Echidna's saying is correct.
If he was to proceed ahead, then he needed her knowledge, her cooperation.
But the unforgivable is the unforgivable. Echidna's utilization of the Witch of Lust to trespass into
Subaru's inviolable and precious domain—his SANCTUARY—was reality.
And so as far as Subaru was concerned, this was an essential requirement for forgiving Echidna,
and complying to a profitable conversation with her.
245
ARC 4: ETERNAL CONTRACT PHASE 3
Echidna: “...Just when I was wondering what you'd say.”
In this instant, Echidna must have come to comprehend Subaru's inner weakness and obstinacy.
Echidna's mutter was an inadvertent one. Subaru bites his lip as he waits for her reply, Echidna
looking at him as she leisurely fiddles with the ends of her white hair.
Echidna: “Exactly as your wish states, that was the Witch of Lust Camilla running amok. I tried to
stop her, but she didn't listen me. She took advantage of the TRIAL with intent to beguile you,
unveiled the places you least want touched, and attempted to submerse you.”
Subaru: “—”
Echidna: “You narrowly managed to escape just as she was about to trick you. Having failed her in
beguilement, Camilla let down her guard, which is when I stole back predominance and summoned
you to my castle. You could call it a godsend that we're able to face each other right now.”
Subaru: “—”
Echidna: “...supposing I told you all that, would you be satisfied?”
Lining up everything Subaru wants to hear, Echidna undermines all of it at the end.
Subaru wordlessly looks upward, separating his gaze from Echidna.
Subaru: “...What were you trying to do, goading that witch on like that.”
Echidna: “Camilla didn't say? That with how the TRIAL had near entirely abraded your heart, she
wanted to save you?”
Subaru: “That wasn't what the Witch of Lust was really thinking. If what she said's right then that
was what I wanted Rem to tell me, the definition of self-issued weakness. The Witch of Lust's got
no reason be fond with me. ...You instructed her.”
Echidna: “It's impressive you got this much off so little information. ...In that case, doubt excuses
will work here.”
Echidna easily stops with the glossings over and gives a shrug. Ferrying her teacup to her mouth
and taking a sip,
Echidna: “Just as you suspect, sending out Camilla, and her presentation as a girl in your heart,
were both on my instruction. It being penetrated and failing to carry to the end is more of a problem
on Camilla's end than mine, though.”
Subaru: “...Why did you pull that?”
Echidna: “Hearing it said straight-out is probably going to make you mad. —Because it was the
most efficient method, and more importantly the method with the highest probability.”
Subaru's expression vanishes. Echidna continues without hesitation.
The thick scent of grass skims up from the ground his limbs are touching and into his nose. Like a
grassland bathed in sunlight after rain, the chokey and natural air wraps fleetingly around Subaru.
Turning his neck, Subaru sees Echidna before him.
Like usual, she is arranging preparations for a tea party on the meadow's hillock with its table and
chairs as she waits for her guest—for Subaru.
Like usual. —Just like usual.
Echidna: “I'm sure you have things you want to say and questions you want to ask, but... first how
do you feel about sitting down and having a cup of tea?”
Subaru: “...Do you think, having considered what you just did to me, that I'm going to cordially sit
in that chair? Or comply with your tea party at all?”
Echidna: “You'll comply. You're someone capable of giving mercenary, faux-calm rational thought
precedence over your instinct to fly into self-abandoning rage. Right now, a profitable conversation
with me has more benefits to you than shirking a conversation with me... would be what you've
concluded, right?”
Subaru: “—”
Subaru speaks low with suppressed anger. Echidna's carefree attitude stays healthy as ever.
Her words come spoken from above, as if mocking Subaru and his attempts to engage in an obvious
ploy. They strike a perfect bullseye, Subaru unable to choose either affirmation or denial.
The thing she had trampled over was not so cheap that Subaru would so easily acquiesce.
Subaru: “Echidna... tell me you didn't mean it.”
Echidna: “Hm?”
Subaru: “That... thing with the Witch of Lust, tell me that you didn't mean for that. Please say it was
your bad.”
Echidna: “...”
Subaru: “Say that it was unavoidable. That you didn't anticipate it, that it shouldn'tve gone like that.
Please tell me this. If you do... I won't fault you.”
What Echidna's saying is correct.
If he was to proceed ahead, then he needed her knowledge, her cooperation.
But the unforgivable is the unforgivable. Echidna's utilization of the Witch of Lust to trespass into
Subaru's inviolable and precious domain—his SANCTUARY—was reality.
And so as far as Subaru was concerned, this was an essential requirement for forgiving Echidna,
and complying to a profitable conversation with her.
245
ARC 4: ETERNAL CONTRACT PHASE 3
Echidna: “...Just when I was wondering what you'd say.”
In this instant, Echidna must have come to comprehend Subaru's inner weakness and obstinacy.
Echidna's mutter was an inadvertent one. Subaru bites his lip as he waits for her reply, Echidna
looking at him as she leisurely fiddles with the ends of her white hair.
Echidna: “Exactly as your wish states, that was the Witch of Lust Camilla running amok. I tried to
stop her, but she didn't listen me. She took advantage of the TRIAL with intent to beguile you,
unveiled the places you least want touched, and attempted to submerse you.”
Subaru: “—”
Echidna: “You narrowly managed to escape just as she was about to trick you. Having failed her in
beguilement, Camilla let down her guard, which is when I stole back predominance and summoned
you to my castle. You could call it a godsend that we're able to face each other right now.”
Subaru: “—”
Echidna: “...supposing I told you all that, would you be satisfied?”
Lining up everything Subaru wants to hear, Echidna undermines all of it at the end.
Subaru wordlessly looks upward, separating his gaze from Echidna.
Subaru: “...What were you trying to do, goading that witch on like that.”
Echidna: “Camilla didn't say? That with how the TRIAL had near entirely abraded your heart, she
wanted to save you?”
Subaru: “That wasn't what the Witch of Lust was really thinking. If what she said's right then that
was what I wanted Rem to tell me, the definition of self-issued weakness. The Witch of Lust's got
no reason be fond with me. ...You instructed her.”
Echidna: “It's impressive you got this much off so little information. ...In that case, doubt excuses
will work here.”
Echidna easily stops with the glossings over and gives a shrug. Ferrying her teacup to her mouth
and taking a sip,
Echidna: “Just as you suspect, sending out Camilla, and her presentation as a girl in your heart,
were both on my instruction. It being penetrated and failing to carry to the end is more of a problem
on Camilla's end than mine, though.”
Subaru: “...Why did you pull that?”
Echidna: “Hearing it said straight-out is probably going to make you mad. —Because it was the
most efficient method, and more importantly the method with the highest probability.”
Subaru's expression vanishes. Echidna continues without hesitation.