Elsa joined Meili, who was staring wide-eyed at the source of the devastating spell that had caused havoc to the surrounding battlefield.

"M-mama..." Meili muttered.

Elsa knew that her 'Mama' was here, so she didn't comprehend what Meili was trying to tell her. The little girl was in a state of obvious shock, so Elsa chose to follow her gaze and see what about 'Mama' was getting Meili so worked up.

There was almost no dust around Capella anymore, so she was clearly able to see it.

Her mother's head was lying on the ground. Blood oozed from the short stem that remained of its neck, and more of the dark liquid poured out from the base where it had been separated from its body.

She was sure of it. 'Mama' was dead.

Elsa turned back to Meili, and neither of them knew what to say. The monster that had tormented the both of them was suddenly dead, but they had no idea what words to speak.

Meili was free from the person who had ordered her away from the life that she used to live, and she was no longer a prisoner of fear to the punishments that she was subjected to. She didn't have to worry that her new friends would be hurt by 'Mama', and she didn't have to worry about Elsa being taken away by her either.

Elsa only had one reason to feel relief over Capella's death: Meili wasn't going to be hurt by her anymore. The Bowel Hunter didn't mind any insane missions or punishments. However, she had always worried about Meili, so it was a relief that Meili was freed from 'Mama'.

And when words failed, actions prevailed.

Meili hugged Elsa's torso, and the older female was taken by surprise. Meili wasn't one who let her true emotions show through her mask, but she was now openly embracing her feelings and Elsa.

Elsa looked down at her little sister-figure and smiled. Without saying a word, she hugged her back, and the two of them were finally able to move on from the horror that was the Sin Archbishop of Lust and their 'Mama'.

Beatrice had cast Murak on her, Subaru, and Garfiel in order to escape the deadly streaks of Yang magic. This spell reduced the effects of gravity, so they were able to float away from anything dangerous.

At this point, Garfiel was healed to a non-threatening level, so Beatrice was able to stop casting her healing spell and concentrate on what had happened all around her.

It seemed like all of the enemies were defeated, but something didn't feel right. Wilhelm was kneeling on the ground, Elsa and Meili were hugging, and (Y/N) and that woman seemed to be in a trench created by Earth magic.

"Oi, Beako! We did it! We- wait... Did I even do anything!?"

Subaru interrupted Beatrice's examination of the battlefield with an enthusiastic remark that turned self-deprecating very fast.

Beatrice crossed her arms and replied, "Hmph! Subaru stayed with Betty, so that is good enough, I suppose."

Instead of trying to argue about his uselessness, Subaru agreed with Beatrice. "That's right! You'll get lonely if I go away for too long, so we have to stick together as much as we can!"

He gave her a tight hug, and the spirit struggled against it. "Stop it, in fact!" She hit his arm, and Subaru only released her when he also looked around to survey the field.

The first thing his eyes focused on was Wilhelm.

The old man was on his knees, and it looked like he was holding something in his hands. His body shook gently, as if he was weeping.

Knowing who the Sword Demon was fighting and seeing this reaction, Subaru was able to connect the dots pretty fast. "Oh no..." he gasped. "His wife... she died again, didn't she?"

"Probably, I suppose," Beatrice said back solemnly. She didn't like to see people die because of the pain that she used to feel, so she averted her eyes away from the tragic scene.

Changing the topic, she started, "But that mysterious woman was impressive, in fact. She used at least three types of magic, so Betty wonders if she is famous, I suppose."

Subaru swept his gaze over the field until he found the object of Beatrice's curiosity. Omega was currently talking to (Y/N) about something in a little ditch, and the two of them already seemed to be getting along.

"Actually, there's some things that I want to ask her," Subaru thought out loud. "She said some things that make me wonder..."

"Then go ask her, I suppose. Betty won't ask for you, so get moving, in fact."

Subaru grinned and patted Beatrice's head. "I won't ever get tired of that tsundere energy, so stay adorable!"

Beatrice swatted his hand away and turned her back to him. "I-I have no idea what that means, I suppose! Go ask those stupid questions, in fact!"

Subaru looked at Garfiel, who was still on the ground as Beatrice pitched a fit. The demi human was peacefully asleep, so Subaru felt comfortable leaving him for now.

He set off towards you and Omega, towards answers.

"Hey Omega, what're you going to do after this? I guess you're going to go back to those two girls, right? I honestly forgot about them..." You sat up with your back supported by the earth, hands shaking from the intense battle that had finally ended.

"Ignoring your late comment, that is correct," Omega replied. "I informed Collette and Palmyra that I would be absent for an unspecified amount of time, but I believe that it would be optimal for me to return to them as soon as possible. I do not know if they will begin to wander without supervision, so I need to teleport to them as soon as I can escape the observation of other parties."

Her eyes, which were currently Makise Kurisu(from Steins;Gate)'s eyes because of an illusion spell, looked at you with conflict. She seemed to be worrying about something, but at the same time, she didn't seem to want to be worrying.

Nothing was said between the two of you until Subaru began to make his way in your direction.

"I suppose that we will have to answer some questions. Do not worry, (Y/N). I have calculated every possible question that might come up from any person, so I am prepared for any confrontations." Omega straightened up, now looking at the approaching teenager.

You knew that Subaru would either be really predictable, or he would do something insane. There was no in-between, so there was no way that a normal person could be ready for whatever would come out of his mouth.

Maybe he just wants to say hello to a cute girl. Maybe he wants to argue that he was just as useful as you were. Maybe he just wanted to see if you and Omega were okay.

There were many possibilities, but Omega said that she had it covered, so you relaxed.

Besides, what kind of question could Subaru possibly ask that would cause a problem?

"Hey! That was awesome!" Subaru called out while panting slightly. When he finally reached your trench, he asked, "Are you two okay? That Archbishop went crazy and stuff and you never know if you have some hidden injuries or something. You know, this one time, I- you know what, we won't talk about that..."

He scratched his head and awkwardly smiled, hoping for a good answer.

"Thank you for your praise and your concern," Omega replied immediately. "But I assure you that I am unharmed, and I healed (Y/N) earlier. Are you also unharmed... Subaru-kun, was it?"

Subaru gave a wide grin and thrusted his thumb up. "I've never been better! And now that your safety is confirmed, I have something that I really need to ask you. And I'm sure that (Y/N) would be really interested in this too!"

You furrowed your eyebrows at this. What could Subaru possibly be talking about?

"Of course. What would you like to ask?" Omega said with absolute confidence.

Subaru leaned down, his hands cupped around his mouth. As quietly as he could, he whispered, "Do you know anything about parallel worlds?"

You widened your eyes and thought, WHAT? How- eh?

Omega, however, remained calm. "You mean the area past the Great Waterfall? I have heard that lands exist beyond it, but I cannot confirm that."

Once Omega gave her answer, Subaru became serious, all playfulness gone from his eyes. "Then why did you say that we needed to destroy all of Capella's cells? This world isn't advanced enough to know about those."

Without skipping a step, Omega answered, "I read about it in a newspaper not too long ago. The theory was developed by a very intelligent person, and I took a liking to it."

Omega's evasion was suspicious, so Subaru pressed on with his interrogation. "Is that so? Then why do you look like Christina from Frank's;Door? That's because you saw that anime, and you wanted to look like her!"

Subaru pointed at Omega with a triumphant grin. He looked at you, waiting for confirmation of his amazing detective skills.

You didn't even register the look on his face because of the telepathic argument that was going on at the same time.

'Omega- I mean, Echidna. We should tell him.'

'That is unnecessary. I can lie my way out of suspicion. All I have to do is begin to ask him questions, and his bravado will collapse. I almost pity this boy for his poorly constructed argument that lies on intuition alone.'

'I know that you probably can, but hear me out. I've learned that it's best to tell the right people about things as important as this, even if it hurts their feelings or makes them hate you. Hiding this for a while then telling the truth later is way worse, and it would be catastrophic if we tried to keep on lying and then end up getting busted. This might not be the best situation to confess, but it will only get worse the longer we hide it from now on.'

'... Give me a moment to consider the optimal course of action.'

'We don't have a momen-'

'I have decided. Thank you for your input.'

Omega cleared her throat and gave Subaru her final answer. "You are wrong. You cannot be farther from the actual truth."

You wanted to interrupt her, but something stopped you. That thing was trust. Whatever Omega was about to say was the result of her thinking about multiple outcomes, so she must have a good plan, whatever it was.

Continuing, Omega said, "You see, I do not come from a parallel world. I have resided in this world for the duration of my entire life. However, that does not mean that my origins are of normal descent either."

Subaru was beginning to get confused, and Omega nudged your side, motioning for you to tell him the truth.

'Ah, so this is what you're doing. I hope this doesn't end too badly.'

'Simply be confident and be understanding. That is the best advice that I can procure from my knowledge.'

'Thanks, Echidna. I really mean it.'

Subaru was visibly confused as to what Omega was talking about, so you decided to talk slowly so that he could begin processing what you were about to say.

"Okay, so there's something that I've been meaning to tell you when the time was right, but I guess that this is the best moment I'll have from now on," you began.

"What?" Subaru muttered. He didn't say any more, since he wanted to listen.

Getting ready to tell Subaru that you were in a contract with a Witch who was at the top of his mistrust and hate lists, you admitted, "Well, you see... I've had a contract with Omega here for about half a year-"

"That's cool!" Subaru whispered enthusiastically. "If that's it, then I have no problem. You do you. Especially if she's cute and really strong! But who is she?"

"Well, you see... that's the crazy thing. She's actually Echidna, but in control of a physical body and hidden by an illusion."

Subaru looked between you and Omega with a black expression. "Eh?" was all he could say.

"Well worded, (Y/N)," Omega said sarcastically. "But yes, that is the general situation. How have you been, Subaru-kun? Of course, I know the answer to that, but it does not hurt to ask."

Subaru's eyes twitched, his confusion slowly converting to rage. Before he went off on the two of you, he still wanted to trust that this wasn't true. "Haha...ha... T-this is a really bad joke, right? You never even met Echidna, r-right (Y/N)?"

He was hoping that this wasn't true because, in his eyes, Echidna was pure evil. She plotted and schemed just so she could learn some things. She was the reason that Beatrice suffered for four hundred years. She was the one who almost made a contract with him that would have led down the path of his repeated death.

Echidna was evil, so if (Y/N) was contracted to her...

"Nope," you said bluntly. "It's true, but hear me out. I get that you don't trust Echidna, but that was a part of her plan! She wanted you to think she was evil and then reject her contract so that you could finally see that you shouldn't abuse your ability!"

"Is that so?!" Subaru asked, his voice increasing in volume with every word. "Are you telling me she's not evil?! And on a different point, you told me that you never met her! You said that you just knew about her because of that future knowledge bullcrap! You know that she's at the top of my worst people list!"

"And that's why I waited to tell you. Wouldn't you have done the same thing in my shoes?" You kept your calm to keep this from escalating, because that would bring in unwanted attention.

"W-well, yeah..."

"And on top of that, I never told you that I didn't meet Echidna. The last time you asked, I just asked if you remembered what I said the first time, which was 'I don't remember.' I didn't say that my first answer was the right one, so I technically never answered you. And I didn't mean to hurt anyone with this contract. In fact, I made it so that I could help everyone!" With this, you were finished explaining yourself.

Subaru hopped into the trench and grabbed Omega by the shoulders, but not forcefully. "Echidna, I want you to know that I'll never forgive you. But I trust (Y/N), so I'll trust you until you give me another reason why I shouldn't."

"Is that so?" Omega scoffed. "Do not forget that I am still an evil Witch. Are you sure that you want to trust me? (Y/N) did not lie to you in his explanation, but are you willing to stand beside the one who you hold such deep-rooted contempt for?"

Subaru sighed and let go of Omega. "I never planned on talking to you again, but just because I won't disown my friend because of this doesn't mean that I like it. Honestly, it hurts me on the inside that the two of you did this, but I won't hold it against (Y/N) too much. I won't be a character who whines about someone keeping secrets, but I'll keep my eye on you. I'll never trust you completely, so if you try anything suspicious, I'll be the one to pull (Y/N) away from you."

"In that case," Omega sighed, "I will make a soul-binding contract that will reflect my good intentions. Is that satisfactory?"

Subaru didn't see that coming, so it took a second for him to register what Omega had suggested. "W-well, if you're willing to go that far..."

"Good," Omega said. "I swear on my soul that I will not harm, plan to harm, or even legitimately think of harming anybody that Natsuki Subaru considers an ally. Furthermore, I will dedicate myself to this group with only the intent to achieve the best possible outcome that is wanted from you, not myself." After a slight pause, she added, "That sounds good, does it not?"

"Wait, let me think about it..." Subaru mumbled.

As he contemplated Omega's words, you spoke with her telepathically.

'Are you sure that making that contract is a good idea? I can almost guarantee that something will come up that'll make you want to break it.'

'That is true. However, there is something that you are neglecting to remember: one of the terms of our contract. It states that, in order to aid each other, we can void any existing contracts. Therefore, my vow is nothing but a display to develop feelings of trust in Subaru.'

'Oh yeah! I remember that! And you know, this is actually going pretty well. I thought that Subaru wouldn't talk to me or anything, but he looks pretty fine. I guess that his mental strength also includes having some control over his emotions every now and then.'

'His mental fortitude is no laughing matter. It can be said that Natsuki Subaru is a monster in that regard, so I advise that you do not underestimate him. On the other hand, it seems to have been balanced by his intelligence.'

At that time, Subaru sighed in defeat. "That promise you made - you better keep it. Don't try anything weird, or Emilia-tan, Beako, and everyone else will be sure to stop you. And (Y/N), I hope you know what you're doing. I have no idea why Echidna wanted to help me, but she still destroyed all of the trust that I put in her. Just be safe, okay?"

You gave Subaru a head nod. "Don't worry. Echidna and I are partners, so we're just here to help each other. She won't betray us."

"By the way," Subaru asked curiously, "how did you get contracted with her?"

You and Omega looked at each other, and she shrugged, motioning for you to answer.

"So basically, I went to her Castle of Dreams and then I said that I would guide her to the best anime, so-"

"Wait! She made a contract with you so that she could have a Soggyroll Premium subscription!? WHA-"

Wilhelm van Astrea held Theresia's ashes in his strong hands, making sure that his falling tears did not desecrate the remains of his wife.

The Sword Demon did his best to conceal his grief, but it was no use. He thought that he had found peace when the White Whale was defeated, but seeing his wife once again and seeing her die was too much for him to handle.

In this case, the torment that Wilhelm felt inside was much greater than any pain that could be inflicted on his body. Theresia was gone, and he was the one to deal the finishing strike.

If his sword hadn't struck her chest, then Theresia would still be here, fighting him in a battle that would hopefully never end.

If he could have stopped her from battling the White Whale, she would still be alive.

Maybe his son wouldn't be the shell that he had become.

Maybe he would be closer to Reinhard.

If only...

"Wait! She made a contract with you so that she could have a Soggyroll Premium subscription!? WHAT?! This is-"

A sudden outburst from Subaru momentarily diverted Wilhelm's attention away from the ashes in his hands.

The old man looked at the incredulous teenager who you were currently trying to shut up. Once he looked over there, he remembered the words that he had told you when crushing guilt had found a different victim.

'Do not blame yourself for this. Do not linger on the past. Look forward, and do not blame yourself for every single thing that goes wrong!'

Remembering his words, Wilhelm stood up.

He would not let go of the ashes, but Wilhelm was finally able to move from the spot where he had finally been able to confess his love to Theresia. His hands holding his wife's remains, Wilhelm carefully strolled towards you, Subaru, and Omega.

"Shhhhhh! We can't go and tell the whole world about this!"

You clamped a hand around Subaru's mouth, effectively muting him.

"It is too late for that, (Y/N)," Omega commented exasperatingly. "It seems like we have gained some attention."

Looking up, you noticed that she was right. Wilhelm was walking towards you while holding something, Beatrice was looking between Subaru and Garfiel, trying to decide what to do, and both Meili and Elsa had their heads turned in your direction.

Subaru also noticed this, so he looked at you apologetically. "Whoops... But you can't blame me for being a little shocked, right?"

You sighed. "I can't really blame you, but that still doesn't make up for the fact that it's really inconvenient."

Subaru chuckled nervously and turned his body as if he was about to sneak away.

"What're you doing?" You asked menacingly. "You're staying right here, right?" You grabbed Subaru's arm and he turned back around as if your suggestion was absurd.

"Me? The great Natsuki Subaru, run away from something that I kind of caused? Pshhh. I would never!" He waved dismissively while Omega deadpanned.

Subaru was about to greet Wilhelm with the same energy, but he stopped when he saw the ashes that were in the old man's hands.

That sombered both you and Subaru up, and Wilhelm was the first to speak.

"My Theresia... she is finally at rest. (Y/N)-dono and Subaru-dono, thank you for allowing this old man to aid you in this sudden battle. Omega-dono, I give you my utmost gratitude for informing my lady of this urgent business and giving me the opportunity to tell my wife that I love her."

You and Subaru didn't have an immediate response to this, but Omega was swift.

"I appreciate your words, but it is I who must thank you. Without your assistance, this victory would not have been assured. I also understand that you must be undergoing a painful farewell, so I applaud your physical and mental strength."

Wilhelm respectfully bowed while making sure that not even a speck of ash left his hands. "Thank you for your kind words, Omega-dono. I am sure that you will be a very valuable member of the Crusade if you still wish to join it. No matter what path you choose, I will always give you my respect for the opportunity that you presented to me."

Omega faked a surprised face and nodded her head, acting like she actually cared.

Actually, that's not true. She cared a lot, since this meant that she had yet another pawn that was now easier to move around.

And to that pawn, she said, "I am honored to have someone like you think so highly of me. Now, I do believe that we should get out of this place as soon as possible, as you never know if there may be more foes approaching."

After looking down at his hands, Wilhelm nodded in agreement. "You are correct. We should return to Crusch-sama immediately and report our victory. However, it seems as if one of the dragon carriages is damaged."

Looking over at the distant dragon carriages, it seems like he was right. The carriage that you came in was now filled with gaping holes throughout the top half of it.

"Thank goodness the bottom didn't get hit," Subaru commented. "You probably know this, but we were delivering some fresh crystals to you guys, so we stored them under the floorboards. They should be fine, so we can just move them to your carriage and everyone can ride together."

Of course, this wouldn't have been possible if the five men who came with Wilhelm hadn't been transformed, since there wouldn't have been enough room.

This was a thought that fled through many minds, but nobody voiced it.

Instead, Wilhelm asserted, "It is regrettable that five people who I knew personally have been reduced to a horrific fate, but Felix may be able to help them. We should take them with us, along with the head of the Sin Archbishop."

"But her head is an exact replica of mine... That's a bit uncomfortable, if I do say so myself," you added, just so something could be said about the odd state of Capella's body.

"That will be no problem," Omega explained. "We have witnesses from several dispositions, so the reason for the Archbishop's appearance will be taken as the truth."

"That's not what I meant..." you mumbled, understanding that Omega was probably just messing around.

Subaru, on the other hand, glared at her.

"Well," you stood up as you cleared the tension, "I guess we better get going. I'll go get that head that I cut off, so I'll leave the rest up to you."

The four of you dispersed; Subaru went to go tell Beatrice about the current plan (and probably not about Echidna since that was a touchy subject), Wilhelm went towards his dragon carriage so that he could try to set things up without his hands, you went towards Capella's corpse, and Omega slowly walked towards the dragon carriage that you rode here.

While she walked, Omega went into deep thought about this current predicament and the future. All the while, she was mumbling to herself.

"Many great people have fallen for many different reasons, but all of those reasons began from somewhere... Even the smallest event can snowball into an inescapable avalanche, so I truly hope that I did not just witness the snow fall... In this world, snow never has a positive connotation, so that would truly be regrettable... (Y/N), I hope that you made the right choice in telling Subaru the truth."

Hey guys! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!

I honestly wanted to add a lot more to the end of this, but I'll just make that the next chapter.

By the way, how's your first month of 2022 been? It's been pretty crazy for me, so I hope all of you have been doing well.

And with that said, I'll see you next time!