The Shrine of Greed V: From Me to You
Somewhere near the borders of Gusteko and Karagiri...
"Hey, stupid Echidna! How long do you intend on messing around?!" A wrathful voice screamed inside the mind of an individual who likes to call herself Omega.
Omega ignores the angry voice in her head. Instead, she keeps her attention to her two traveling companions, the girl Colette and her friend Palmyra.
It has been a few weeks since Omega found them, then subsequently becoming her traveling companions. Their village had accused Colette of being a witch due to having been the only survivor of several Demon Beasts assaults while everyone else around her met their demise. As it turned out, Colette was unintentionally behind the killings due to a Metia she possesses causing her to transform into a beast.
Omega attempted to clear the misunderstanding that Colette is a witch to the villagers. Unfortunately, it wasn't a success. Thus, Colette was exiled from her village. Consequently, Colette chose to travel with Omega and her close friend Palmyra opted to go along with them.
Hence, how this unlikely trio found themselves traveling together.
At the moment, they are currently on a break from their travels. Omega is sitting against a tree reading a book while Colette seems to be gathering appas with Palmyra.
"Catch!" Colette threw one of the appas she picked to Omega.
The girl's aim is a little off. Omega conjures a bit of wind magic to put it in the right trajectory before catching it with a hand.
"Ah," Omega smiled in satisfaction. "I'm starting to familiarize myself with wind magic again. Kuku."
She throws the appa back to the girl. Palmyra ends up catching it for Colette.
"You don't like appas?" Colette asked, frowning at her offer's rejection.
"Sorry. I can't eat anything natural as is. Thanks for the offer, though."
"Eh? Why not?"
Omega shrugs. "It's not that I don't think they taste good. My body rejects them and well, I end up doing something disgusting like barfing, you know? You have to fry them to be edible for me."
"Your body rejects them?" Palmyra asked this time. "Why? I never heard of something like this before. Is there something wrong with your body?"
"The question is, what isn't wrong with my body?" Omega smiled wryly.
"But are you not in a body that's not your own? Haaaaaaa. Why not try it? Haaaaaa."
"You know, it's not good to waste food, Dona-Dona. That tree can feed a family for a few days!"
"Wasting food is a sin. Sinning is evil. Are you evil, Dona?!"
More voices continued to harass Omega in her mind.
"Fine, fine!" She scowled.
"Eh, were you talking to your imaginary friends again?" Colette wondered, slightly perplexed by her sudden outburst. It's not the first time something like this happened.
"Ahh… no… they're not imaginary friends. Anyway! Give me that appa! I'll try it!"
"But I thought-"
"Nevermind that."
"O-Okay."
Palmyra throws the appa back to Omega. Unlike Colette, the older girl's aim is better.
Omega catches it and takes a bite. She chews for a few seconds.
Then…
She coughs and throws up.
"Are you alright?!" Asked a worried Colette.
"As I thought… it seems it isn't only exclusive to the body but the soul as well. My, I am truly hated by the world. I hope you're satisfied now, my dear friends."
"Omega…" Colette frowned. "W-Well, it's okay because we don't hate you! R-Right, Palmyra?!"
"Uhm… right."
"No need to bother yourselves. If there's anything I hate, it's sympathy and being treated like a victim. Anyway, it's not like I'll have it any other way. Being hated by the world is a little exciting and fun, if I'm being honest," a witch-like smirk formed on her lips. "Besides, you're only saying that because you don't know who I truly am. If you realize what a wicked and terrible witch I am, you'll end up hating me too."
"I don't think you're an evil witch... I mean, you helped us, didn't you?" Colette tried to argue.
"And what if it's part of a grand plan because I saw a use for the two of you? Something like sacrificial pawns. That's something a wicked witch would do, right?"
Palmyra twitches at her words. Then, she composes herself a little. "If that is the case, isn't the wicked witch doing a terrible job if she's hinting her plans to her future victims?"
"R-Right!" Colette agreed.
Omega shakes her head and frowns. "This world is filled with naive fools…"
The newly formed trio set up camp for the night before continuing their travels in the morning.
Omega is once again sitting against a tree while Colette and Palmyra enjoy themselves near the fire.
The witch-stuck-inside-the-body-of-a-Lewes-clone is currently engaging in an activity she considered to be her favorite hobby; people watching.
Her two traveling companions are good friends. That much is easy to tell from the very beginning. Despite having different personalities, they get along well. With her "scary eyes" that somewhat reminds the witch of a certain boy from another world, Palmyra always stays alert to any danger that may come to Colette. With that said, the witch often finds herself the recipient of those eyes. So, despite Palmyra's words from earlier, she doesn't wholly trust the witch and perceives her as a possible threat, at the very least.
"That's good, that's good. Trust should be treated as a luxury and one as wicked as myself should never be trusted. Kuku," the witch thought to herself.
Anyway, it's not that Colette and Palmyra always get along. Sometimes, their differing personalities do clash. There are times when they sometimes argue and bicker, even for the pettiest and silliest of reasons. Still, at the end of the day, they remain good friends. Or perhaps, even more...
Watching them during those times, the witch feels nostalgic.
She smiles faintly.
It's almost like…
"Hey, stupid Echidna! How long do you intend on ignoring me?!"
Regrettably, her brief moment of satisfaction enjoying her favorite hobby is rudely interrupted by the angry voice.
"GAHHH! I'll say this again! I'll say this as many times as I have to! I don't know what sort of perverted plan you intend to do to those two but aren't you dallying around way too much?! Remember, our plan! Our goal! That stupid, stupid plan that we all agreed on! I even agreed even though I don't like it! It's all so stupid! So, get to it! Quickly, stupid Echidna! Spare those two whatever misery you planned for them! Stop messing around and ditch them! Stupid, stupid Echidna!"
"A-Arent you being… a bit harsh… Minerva-chan? I… I… I think… Echidna-chan l-looks happier… than I've seen in a long time… I think… it's fine if Echidna-chan… gets to have her fun… O-Our goal can wait… O-Or… If Echidna-chan… forgets about it… t-that's fine too…"
"HUH?! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, STUPID CARMILLA?!"
"Eeeek! I-I mean… Echidna-chan is different from us… i-isn't she? I-I mean… we're dead… we're just souls… but Echidna-chan… can do whatever she wants… like living her own life… and forget… everything… everyone... us… "kill" us… leave... the past..."
"HUH?! THAT'S SO STUPID!"
"We all agreed to it already. Don't give her any more ideas, Carmilla. Haaaaa."
And so, the chaotic voices in her head descends into a full-blown argument… that ends up resolving absolutely nothing.
It prompts Omega to roll her eyes. She slumps, not bothering to join the argument this time.
Regardless, it also prompts her into another faint smile.
If there's anything about witches, it's always boisterous and never boring when they're together. All that's missing here is for the witches to be "alive" in their physical forms... just like the old times. As much as she'll never openly admit it, Omega often finds herself longing for those days. Together… with her friends. Days that are never meant to return...
"And as much as you hate to admit it, the days that we long for include that silver-haired bitch too, right?" A voice said to her suddenly.
"Eh?"
Everything around her suddenly stops moving. The movement stops. The sounds stop. The feeling and sensation in her skin stop. Everything simply stopped, as if time just froze.
Colette and Palmyra are as still as stone, stopping the very moment just before Colette can feed the older girl meat she cooked over the fire. The trees stop in the midst of being tickled by the gentle winds.
Omega can move just fine, though.
Her gaze scans the surroundings for any threat. This feeling... This 'power' is something she has already experienced in the past. Twice, in fact. From two different witches...
However, what she finds is…
"... Me?"
A mirror image of herself. Or at least, how she used to look when she was still in her original body. Her "other self" is floating in the air before making a soft landing.
"Kuku. Seeing another 'me,' this is awkward, isn't it?"
"Who are you?" asked Omega. "I know there are other 'me's' around but I don't think I've seen you before. You don't happen to be… the real one, don't you?"
"The original body? No. That would be someone… who is no longer in this world. Just like you've renamed yourself 'Omega,' I refer to myself as Meta-ECHIDNA. You see, I am a soul who has transcended beyond this world, becoming something known as the 'voyager witch.' A witch of the Sea of Fragments. A traveler of worlds. An existence who can observe the contents of each world. Regardless, you can still say we are one and the same. Our goals align, after all… unlike the 'us' who was created by the world when the real one left."
"A part of 'me' became a voyager witch… so it's true then? The voyager witch. Those who are cursed by the knowledge of truth… knowledge of the true nature of their worlds… they can become a voyager witch. Are you saying that's what happened to 'me'?"
"Something like that. There's another voyager witch who helped with the process. You may or may not remember her. The Witch of Miracles."
"... That girl… Anyway, what do you want? From what I know, voyager witches usually leave their world of origin to mess with other worlds, don't they? So why are you still in this world instead of 'playing' around elsewhere? All those knowledge and satisfaction you can get..." Omega asked, looking around the 'frozen-in-time surroundings. "Well, that at least explains this 'power.' It seems to be something any voyager witch can do."
"Ah, yes. To us who travel the fragments, it's similar to 'pausing a script.' But you can just refer to it as stopping time." ECHIDNA explained nonchalantly. "In any case, to answer your question, I am here to finish what 'we' started… and achieve our goal," she smirked.
"Our goal?"
"It's convenient to be a witch of the fragments, isn't it? Although my influence on the inner workings of this world is limited and there is another voyager witch here who has far more power and influence, I finally have it… the power to fight back. So, what I'm saying is… let's work together to achieve our goal. What you're planning with the others… forget about it. I have a better way of achieving our goal."
"That's… I'm going to need something to convince me. I'm sure you understand, right? Having offered proposals and contracts of the same nature in my life, I know better than to blindly accept it."
"Fine, fine, of course." ECHIDNA conceded to her demand. "I suppose I have a lot to show you, then. But first… make sure 'our' friends will never know anything about this little encounter. For this to work, they must ABSOLUTELY never know. In other words, you must betray them. It will be our wonderful betrayal. Kuku."
"..."
"Well, then. I already made the first move. A war has been declared against that witch. It will be a formidable battle and she's making her move as we speak... But let's do it, together. From me to you. For all of us. Let's fight together and change the script of the story. We'll create a miracle and reach the ending we desire. Let's make Echidna's dream a reality."
"RAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" In his beast form, Garfiel let out a war cry.
He lunges at the barrier shielding the entrance to the forest. He strikes it with full strength, punching ferociously with both arms. But even with his best effort, the barrier didn't show any hints of breaking down.
His efforts are shortly followed by a barrage of ice shards and yin crystals. Likewise, they didn't yield any results.
"That's enough," Ram said to the others. "It's obvious how useless this is."
Gathering around together, the four stare at the seemingly unbreakable barrier.
A week has passed since the tragic event resulting in the deaths of Rem and Subaru. With it still fresh in their minds, they're far from getting over such a traumatizing event. The first step to recovery, if one can even recover from such an event, is to leave the city of Aplistia with the bodies of their former companions and return to Roswaal and the mansion. Whatever happens then will come.
Unfortunately, there's a literal barrier that prevents them from taking that first step.
In the past week, they have been roaming around the city trying to search for another exit. Their efforts are in vain as they haven't been able to find it. Hence, with no other options, here they are attempting to break down the barrier preventing them from crossing over. Beyond the barrier, they can see the fragment that transported them to this place.
"Is this another one of Echidna's traps?" Emilia asked. "What type of barrier is it?"
"It's a sealing barrier, I suppose," Beatrice answered. Since the death of Subaru, her entire demeanor has understandably been 'lifeless.' "In other words, only the creator of this seal can unseal. To break the barrier, it must be overpowered by magic. This is a very powerful barrier, in fact. Thus, even with our combined magic, it's useless."
"Tsk!" Ram showed her frustration. "Has this all been a trap from the very beginning?!"
"Since Mother is involved, I wouldn't put it past that clown, I suppose," Beatrice said with a shrug.
"Right! That bastard's gotta be up to sumthin' again!" Garfiel agreed with the spirit's words. "Whole thing's been suspicious from the start!"
"Hold on… I won't deny he's a bastard but Barusu's death has never been part of the plan!" Ram stated her counter.
"Defendin' the bastard again, Ram?! Huh?!"
"I'm trying to be rational here, idiot. He wants to use Barusu for his goals. Getting rid of Barusu won't benefit him in any way. If anyone's at fault here, it's the witch! This is her trap!"
"Witch this, witch that! Til' when ya gonna keep using the witch to shield him?!"
Ram grimaces and glares at Garfiel dangerously. "Watch your mouth, boy."
"Please, let's calm down, everyone." Emilia implored as the argument is beginning to get heated between the two.
Ram turns her sharp glare to the half-elf but Emilia stands her ground, not even flinching. The pink-haired maid doesn't say anything and walks away from the argument. Then, she continues to walk away from everyone.
For one reason or another, Ram's attitude towards Emilia has become progressively worse throughout the week. What started as calling for togetherness to help overcome the situation slowly turned to annoyance and frustration. As each day passes, with each failure to find an exit to their predicament, it has only become awkward between the two. And worst of all, Ram would sometimes look at her with a glint of suspicion in her eyes.
Still, Emilia is doing her best to not let it get to her. This is not the time for inner friction within the group. The half-elf may need to talk to her to clear up whatever misunderstanding there is sooner rather than later.
"Could Roswaal really be behind this again?" Emilia pondered over. "He's the one who pointed us to this place. From a certain point of view, it could seem like he baited us to go to this place, didn't he? However, Ram isn't wrong… Subaru's death is something he doesn't desire…"
With another fruitless day quickly passing by, the group returned to the place they've been taking refuge in; one of the abandoned houses in the city of Aplistia.
Unable to find an exit, they spent a day searching around the city until they found what appears to be an average family home. The architecture of the building isn't unlike what they're already familiar with but throughout their journey within the city, they found plenty of foreign architectures as well as devices and items they've never seen before.
One such item is similar to Subaru's metia he calls a "cellphone" but a much bigger version. The one they found is broken and nonfunctional, however. Aside from that, they also found foreign furniture and more books showcasing strange foreign pictures like the ones in the library.
"Those two. They didn't commit the murder, I suppose." Beatrice suddenly said to Emilia while keeping her eyes on one of those foreign books.
With Ram and Garfiel currently on the outside as lookouts, as all four of them have been alternating shifts each night, it's just Beatrice and Emilia inside the house at the moment.
"What do you mean, Beatrice?"
"The servants. They are not the ones who killed that girl. It should not be them we look out for, I suppose. Have you noticed, I wonder?"
The half-elf is somewhat surprised the spirit is initiating the discussion over the murder of Rem. Since the incident, none of them bothered to talk about it. This marks the first time anyone brought up anything related to Rem's murder.
"Y-Yeah. I think so too…" She nodded in agreement albeit with hints of doubt and hesitation.
"What makes you think so, I wonder?"
"Well… I just think it's strange why they still stayed in the mansion. It's an obvious conclusion to suspect them as the culprits. And I think they know it too. So, if they committed the murder, then there's no reason for them to stay…"
"I see. That's a reasonable assumption to make, I suppose. If you are to murder someone, does that mean you would immediately abandon the scene, I wonder? In most cases, that will give you away as the killer, I suppose."
"I…" The question caught the half-elf by surprise. "Well, I think that's what I would do. Especially if I know I will be the person most easy to suspect… Besides, I'm not a good actor, so I won't be able to trick my way out of it… If accusations are pressed against me, I'll probably waver, making me even more suspicious."
"You'd make for a terrible actor, I suppose. However, those two servants would make for competent actors, no?"
"I don't know them well but yes, I think they have capabilities to be good actors… But doesn't that make them suspicious? Although their actions make no sense and appear irrational, that doesn't make it certain they didn't do it. Maybe they have some crazy, inexplicable reason behind the murder. What makes you think they didn't do it, Beatrice?"
"Betty just knows that they didn't."
"... You just know? Is there any particular reason?"
Beatrice let out a heavy sigh. "Their room was next to Betty's room, I suppose. They returned to their room a few hours after dinner. Betty was able to sense their presence the whole time and they never left their room until after Betty heard his screams, in fact… On the other hand, the body of that girl… her wounds and blood appear fresh. The murder happened only a few hours before he found the body, I suppose. In other words, the servants who never left their room until morning couldn't have possibly done it."
"I… I see. Is that so?"
"Of course, that doesn't rule out the possibility of a method of killing someone without being around the victim. A trap, for example. And the white one has a strange ability, no? Hence, why Betty 'just knows' they didn't. Betty can't explain. Betty just knows."
"Then… if it's not them… if you don't think it's those two… then that means… it has to be one of us, right? Assuming we have seen everyone there is to see and no 'hidden guests,' like the servants said." Emilia carefully said those words. It was the situation Subaru was desperately trying to avoid; suspecting one of his trusted ones.
The half-elf knows that Beatrice knows too. That's why the spirit didn't act in favor of the servants during the confrontation. It's because she chose Subaru. And she always will.
"Hmph. Since the servants have a connection to mother, it was easy for Betty to sense their presence but Betty cannot say the same for others. You don't have proof Betty didn't do it either. Betty could be lying. It's foolish for you to listen to Betty's words in this situation, in fact."
"I… No! I trust you, Beatrice. You're not a liar!"
"Then, are you saying the maid or the half-beast did it, I wonder?"
"That's… that's not what I'm saying!"
Although it's easy to understand Subaru's reasoning, Emilia is getting first-hand experience how difficult it is to suspect those close to her.
If they are to make the assumption that neither Scylla nor Charybdis killed Rem, then it must be one of them if the killer has already been 'seen.' If Emilia takes Beatrice out of consideration, that only leaves Ram and Garfiel. And if she takes them out of consideration as well...
Then… that only leaves…
...
"Hmph. Did you do it then… I suppose?" Beatrice finished the half-elf's line of thought.
"N-NO! I… I could never do something disgusting like that! That's… even if it makes me feel something that Subaru has another girl in his heart, I would NEVER resort to that!" Emilia frantically tried to explain herself.
"Being defensive like that only makes you more suspicious. However, you are naive and honest to a fault, I suppose. Therefore, Betty doesn't think you did it either."
"... Then..."
"Forget about it, I suppose. There is no point in solving this mystery. Betty apologizes for bringing up a useless topic when it's all useless. He's gone… forever. Solving the mystery of the culprit will not change the fact he's gone. There is no use to anything, I suppose. Betty doesn't care about leaving this place. Betty… just wants to disappear."
The despondent expression that has become all-too-familiar in the past week has returned to Beatrice. It's a heartbreaking sight for Emilia. It reminds her of the times she encountered her a few times before the arrival of Subaru. The despondent air around her. The wish to disappear. To die.
Ever since she formed the contract with Subaru, Beatrice's well being has considerably improved. She appeared happier. There have been more life to her. A new hope. A fresh start. She was finally able to "just live" again.
But now that Subaru has been taken away from her. Her hope. Her light. It's no longer shining. And thus, she returned suffocated within eternal darkness.
Emilia doesn't want to see her like that anymore.
"Hey! Chin up, Beatrice! How do you think Subaru will feel if he sees you like this?! He's probably going to give you a talking smackdown, isn't he?!"
The spirit grits her teeth in irritation. "How dare you, you arrogant child?!"
"You're not just going to give up here, are you?!"
"It's all hopeless, I suppose!"
"No, it's not! We can't lose heart! Not now more than ever! I'm done moping around! I made a promise to myself, so I'm going to see through it to the very end! I'm not giving up now! This time, I'm going to be the one to save Subaru! Don't give up too, Beatrice! We'll do this together!"
"W… What makes you think he can still be saved?! Have you lost your mind, I wonder?!" Beatrice turned her attention to the two bodies covered by blankets. One of them belonging to Subaru. "He's... He's... WWAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tears spilled and she wailed.
Emilia gently pats Beatrice's head, smiling.
"I… There are some things I can't tell you but trust me on this one, okay? So, stop saying those awful things. Don't lose hope. We'll get him back, Beatrice. I promise!"
"..."
"This time, it's up to us who needs to do something for him. We're… going to be the ones who'll save him this time."
Beatrice didn't know what had gotten to the once timid half-elf. But, right now… there's "fire" in her eyes. A look of resolve and determination. The spirit can feel herself getting sucked into it. And slowly, the light is piercing the darkness that surrounds her. The feeling of belief is starting to return to her.
"Satella… if you're not going to do anything…" Emilia quietly said to herself. "Then go ahead and be useless. I'm the one who's going to do something this time. I'll save him... no matter what!"
Her words are sincere, genuine, and full of resolve with no hints of deceit or doubts.
However... if obstacles and problems can merely be solved by words, the world would be a much simpler place.
"Isn't it strange how the witch's servants were acting towards Emilia-sama? They're awfully warm to her, weren't they?" Ram asked her lookout companion for the night.
"Huh? What're ya saying, Ram?"
"Nevermind. Forget I said anything."
"Err… if ya say so, Ram…"
Trapped inside the city, Ram suggested they have at least two lookouts every night while the other two rest. After all, they have no idea where Scylla and Charybdis went after the tragic incident. Who's to say they won't show up and attack them at any moment?
Not to mention, other dangers that could be lurking somewhere within the city...
In any case, after that brief exchange, Ram and Garfiel perform their duties in silence. Perhaps, there are still some ramifications from their earlier argument that makes the atmosphere a little awkward between them at the moment.
Even so, the recent energy around Ram makes Garfiel feel uncomfortable. She has been awfully moody, more so than usual.
Perhaps, it's due to the frustration of their situation, aggravated by their inability to find a way out. Perhaps, it's the slow realization of Roswaal's possible involvement. A possibility she wants to deny. Just like how Subaru didn't want to suspect any of them for killing Rem, Ram doesn't want to suspect Roswaal for sending them to their doom. Thus, she may want to divert the blame to Emilia instead. Besides, the whole situation was brought about by Emilia's desires…
Garfiel may not be the smartest in the world but he knows that much.
"Who's there?!" Ram suddenly cried out, her eyes scanning the dark streets.
The only source of light is coming from the stars in the sky and their torches. Outside of that, it's complete darkness. The streets hardly have any visibility to speak of…
Garfiel quickly picks up on Rem's call to attention. He can hear soft footsteps coming from the streets!
The dark streets covered by shadows…
The footsteps keep coming closer and closer…
They can feel it…
They hold their breaths as they wait for whoever it is to step out of the darkness…
They prepare for battle...
And then…
"You…" Ram said with distaste. "What are you…"
The first thing they see out of the darkness is a glint of silver hair.
In the midst of her sleep, Emilia is suddenly awakened by noises coming from outside. A mixture of shouting, roars, collisions, and wind magic.
She didn't even have time to gather herself before the realization there might be trouble hits.
Beatrice who stayed up through the night remains sitting still, unmoving like a statue. Her gaze then moves to the half-elf, as if asking her for their next move.
"Beatrice… Stay here and watch over Subaru, okay? I'll go ahead and check what's going on." She told the spirit.
Beatrice merely nods.
Emilia races to the door, opening it and stepping out of the house.
…
Everything is dark.
Except for the stars in the sky.
And two flickering torches.
"!"
Lying on the ground...
... is what appears to be the headless body of Garfiel, wounded and broken...
Alerted by impending danger, Emilia readies herself to counter anything that could attack at any moment. Her eyes dart all over the place, searching for danger.
"Ram?! Where are you?! Can you hear me?!" She tried to confirm the maid's presence.
No one answered.
"Ram…"
She shakes her head.
"No. It's too early to give up. She may still be around!"
She grabs both torches and continues to search around the vicinity, making sure she doesn't stray too far from their hideout.
"You should've listened to me… I told you, didn't I? Well, anyway, it's time to replace you. Heheh." She heard a voice that's deeply familiar coming from behind.
The voice. It sounds exactly like her own voice.
Sensing what's about to come, she tries to get out of the way.
And she manages to do so… just barely.
Something hit and there's a sharp pain in her left shoulders. The burning sensation is growing stronger by the second.
"Ugh!"
Nevertheless…
She turns to the assailant. With her torch now pointed to the mysterious voice…
She sees a half-elf who looks exactly like her dressed in black robes.
"!"
That half-elf is glaring at her with a mocking smile.
"You! Y-You're?!"
"I'm going to get rid of you," the half-elf declared with a smirk. "Actually, I'm going to get rid of aaaaaaaaaall of you! And then! And then! I will take Subaru. I will save Subaru! And it will be just the two of us! No one else but the two of us! Just us! There won't be you. There won't be that stupid maid. That foul-mouthed maid won't be there! That little spirit won't be there! It'll be just Subaru and me. JUST SUBARU AND ME! ME! ME! ME! AND HIM! ALONE! It will be reeeeeeeally wonderful! Heheheheheheheheheheh."
"Y-You're insane!"