Thanks to Anomynion and Suffaru41 for helping edit this chapter. However, I'd like to specifically shoutout my fiancée for being my number one beta. She's been here since the very beginning, and she's here to see it through to the end. She made this fic what it is.

The Witches of Sin, Part 1

Lugunica was a land plagued with death and disease, but healers were few and far between. To worsen an already bleak situation, in recent years, the Sorceress and the Sage had turned into recluses that only answered to the king, and the Witch of Wrath focused only on protecting the elves.

However, one healer was revered above all others, though she was also more difficult to find. She was so powerful, she was even said to be able to bring the dead back to life.

This healer was known far and wide as the Witch of Envy.

Deep within the tundra on the border of Gusteko, Subaru strode forth with purpose. He needed to meet the Witch, and fast; after all, he only had eleven days remaining.

He shut his eyes, feeling the mana around him. Slowly, he reached his right arm out and closed his fists around what seemed to be nothing but thin air.

When he pulled his arm back, a rope appeared in his hand. The thicket of trees and bushes before him disappeared, granting him access to a trail that he had only traveled once before. Rays of sunlight streamed through the treetops and guided his path…until suddenly, they didn't. His vision turned dark, but he didn't conjure a light. The Witch would guide his path so long as he demonstrated his resolve.

Satella's life was on the line. His will was unshakeable.

He exited the path and his sight returned to him. Before him was a small lake. It was perfectly still, locked in time. Not a single ripple passed through it.

He walked to the edge of it and knelt, using earth magic to send vibrations through the water. He felt the mana flow through him, but the lake was still.

He sighed. He knew why his call went unanswered, of course; he had already sought the Witch of Envy's help a few years back, and she did not accept returning patients.

He stood up and held his head high. "Calypso," he called out in a formal tone, invoking her given name. "It is I, the one known as the Sage. I need that which only you can provide. Please, show yourself, I beg of you!"

There it was: the slightest ripple in the air. Filled with relief, anticipation, and anxiety, he watched as a shrine rose from the middle of the lake. No waves were created on the water, but power emanated from the marble structure. Steppingstones rose to the surface of the water, and Subaru made his way across them.

He reached the shrine, which consisted of nothing but an arch and an empty basin. He raised his arm and took out his lightly-poisoned dagger. He sliced across his wrist with practiced ease, letting the blood pool into the basin. Acknowledging that he was who he claimed to be, it disappeared, and Subaru found himself in another place.

It reminded him of a witch's abode from the tales of his homeland, containing a plethora of bubbling cauldrons, jars filled with strange substances, and a library of esoteric tomes. In the center of a room, peering intently into a crystal ball, was the fabled Witch of Envy.

She was pretty, but not particularly beautiful; her every feature screamed "average." She would meld into a crowd with ease, were you not actively looking for her. Her dark-brown hair framed a plain face bearing a mild frown. Long, bony fingers hovered over her crystal ball as she gazed into depths unseen. She appeared to be around twenty-five years of age, though legends about her could be traced back hundreds of years.

Her most distinct feature, however, was her eyes: a kaleidoscope of blues and greens and yellows and silvers and browns that shone with intelligence as they analyzed everyone around her. They could look at you and know exactly how to heal you; in turn, she knew the most efficient way to slaughter you.

Subaru feared what would happen if she were anything like her greedier counterpart.

He stood on the other side of the table in silence. Just like before, she didn't look up; she had no need to analyze a mere insect, and both of them were well aware that his power was nothing against her Authority.

Now, normally, she was benevolent and somewhat easy to talk to…but she was still a Witch. Her level of sanity differed by the day. The last time he was here, he had impatiently interrupted her while she was scrying; in response, she had taken his soul out of his body and put it in a cage. It took Satella begging for three days straight before he was finally let back out. He wasn't ever quite the same since then; Satella had needed to reconstruct his body multiple times in the interim just to keep it alive. Even his brain and the one hundred billion neurons it contained had to be recreated.

Needless to say, Subaru wasn't about to interrupt the Witch of Envy.

A minute passed. Then ten minutes. Then an hour. Finally, just as he worried that he would burst, she spoke.

"You have returned." It wasn't a question.

He bowed his head respectfully. "I have. Thank you for accepting my presence."

She gave a sharp nod. "Your eyes may not enchant me as they would another Witch, but your soul is…pleasant to be around."

He shivered at that. Why were Witches so…creepy? At the very least, she seemed sane today. Would that make his task easier or harder? He wasn't sure.

"Please, sit," she said, so he pulled out a chair opposite her. A bit of pity laced her voice as she told him, "You know that I cannot help you, Sage. I may hold dominion over souls that linger to the mortal plane, but even I cannot create a soul from nothing."

"I am aware of that," he said, struggling to maintain his polite, formal tone in the face of the Witch of Envy.

"Then…why are you here?"

He reached into his travel pack and pulled out a bottle of wine and two cups. "I crave companionship," he said, much to her bewilderment. "My wife will die in a dozen days from an illness that only you fully understand. Is it not natural that I would seek comfort in your presence?"

Her expression softened into one of understanding. "I suppose that your logic is sound," she said softly. "I could do with some company as well. 'Tis lonely in this faraway abode, and I have not ventured far in almost three decades."

He gave her a half-hearted smile. "A fellow recluse, I see." He poured the wine and handed her one of the cups. "I was never one for travel, but Satella wanted to see the world. Now, she can barely stay awake for an hour."

She took the cup but didn't drink. "Exhaustion is a cruel symptom." She twirled her finger around the rim of the glass, creating a high-pitched sound that reverberated throughout the room. "It masquerades as a normal sensation but can easily lead to death."

"It's a poison that you can't detect until it's too late."

"Indeed." She peered curiously at him. "How strange. You seek companionship and a drink, yet your throat remains parched and your glass full."

A wry grin crossed his features. "I'm an utter fool when I get drunk, and I don't want to give you a bad impression. I'll wait until you've had a few drinks and can't tell the difference."

Calypso, the Witch of Envy, and an ancient magic user of incredible power…giggled. "Your honesty is refreshing," she admitted.

Subaru put on a teasing tone. "Surely, a hermit like yourself doesn't meet many liars."

"The souls that cling to this mortal plane are quite blunt."

"I-I see…"

He was unable to hide his shiver. Her keen, kaleidoscope eyes picked up on this.

"You feel fear," she noted. No malice laced her tone. "The topic of souls is uncomfortable for you, is it not?"

He didn't dare lie. "It's associated with a lot of painful memories."

The Witch of Envy hummed. "More than that—you do not understand them." Her gaze lowered to somewhere just above his navel. "Let us rectify that."

Subaru tried to open his mouth to respond, but he didn't have a mouth anymore. Light was removed from his world, replaced only by a sense of overwhelming pressure.

His soul was in the clutches of the Witch of Envy. This time, however, he didn't have Satella to save him.

Was this it? Did he fail Satella? Was everything just…over?

He couldn't accept this fate, but he had no idea how to fight against it.

'Maybe…this isn't the worst,' he thought. 'At least Daphne won't be hurt. Minerva and Typhon, too.'

The moment he thought that, he was wrenched back into his body. He gasped as his heart abruptly resumed its steady beating.

Subaru had been dead for over a minute. Part of him wished it had been for longer.

A voice wafted over to him. He barely managed to latch onto it through the ringing in his ears. "When I was but a little girl, my mother would tell me that, to truly understand someone, you must walk in their shoes. Only then can you get over your animosity.

"Tell me, Sage. Do you understand souls now?"

No. No, he didn't. He had thought he knew how they worked, but Pandora threw that on its head by pointing out massive flaws in his research.

This experience did nothing but show him how horrible Satella felt when he had killed her.

He took a few steadying breaths and wiped the sweat off his brow. "I've b-been reminded of a few things," he answered truthfully, "a-and it helped me understand how recklessly I've treated others."

"Curious," she murmured. "I had thought that becoming a soul was enough to understand them? Then again, no one else has survived this before, so it's thoroughly untested…"

His pulse sped up, and a hint of red tinted his vision. 'Don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get mad, don't—'

"Have I wronged you in some way?"

Calypso's voice, as monotone as always, cut through his racing heart like warm butter. He tensed and considered his next words carefully. At length, he said, "I have yet to witness you violate your moral compass, and I admire you for that. If anything, I'm more disturbed at the thought of souls being unable to move on. To exist feeling like that for an eternity is simply…horrifying."

She sloshed her drink around the glass, contemplating whether or not to drink it. "Is that so…Well, I believe that you of all people will understand what it's like to hold regrets when taking your own life."

Subaru's mouth dried up. Of course, she knew. The blasted eyes saw directly into his soul.

Such was merely one aspect of her Authority of Envy.

"No point hiding stuff from you," he muttered ruefully.

She nodded, not taking her eyes off his. "If you accept your feelings on the matter, then your soul sings like a canary."

Yet she didn't know of his intentions. Fascinating.

Those beautiful, haunting, and terrifying eyes softened imperceptibly. "I see your grief, Sage. I can feel the love for your wife. I understand why you do not leave your laboratory."

A lump formed in his throat. He couldn't respond.

"'Tis a sorrow so powerful, it drives you mad. Your desperation has destroyed your identity. Even experiencing it second-hand is painful."

He gulped. "Y-yeah," he muttered. A bit more quickly than intended, he quipped, "Guess you can't really blame me for taking to the bottle."

She eyed the glass in her hands and the whirlpool of liquid within. "Look around you," she said despite not raising her eyes. "Half of these 'elixirs' are merely alcoholic beverages."

With that, she took a sip, not noticing how Subaru's eyes flashed. She grimaced at the taste but quickly took more.

He didn't need to feign compassion—he really, truly understood. "I imagine that's why you're out here alone."

Her eyes fluttered shut as painful images passed through her mind's eye. "I am here…because of love."

Subaru held his own cup close to his lips but did not take a sip. He inclined his head, indicating for her to continue.

"I was once a maiden in love, you see. My beau and I were to be wed on the summer solstice…but 'twas not to be. A thief in the night slit the throat of my neighbor, who, unbeknownst to us all, was a Witch. Be it by fate, poor luck, or merely the will of the Od Laguna, I do not know…but the Witch Factor of Envy chose me as its next host."

Her hands shook as she took more of her wine as if hoping it would loosen her lips. "Disgusted, the man I trusted most struck me; after all, who could love a Witch? Heartbroken, alone, and fearful for my life, I fled, never to return. Call it resignation if you will, but I never sought love again.

She fumbled with her glass, causing a bit of wine to spill out. She blinked in surprise; she wasn't normally this clumsy, let alone so loose-lipped. The liquor must be quite powerful.

"N-now, I let poor, unfortunate souls seek me out. If they can find me, then they are worthy of healing. If th-they are not, then…then…" She clutched her stomach. "My apologies, Sage. I'm afraid I don't feel so well."

"That's understandable," Subaru soothed. "You're speaking about some painful memories. Just sit down and relax, all right?"

"A-all right." She took another sip of her wine to calm her nerves. "'Tis unlike any drink I have ever imbibed."

"It was a gift to King Farsale," he said evasively. "You know, your name makes a lot of sense now."

"My n-name?" she asked, thrown off by the change of subject.

He nodded. "Sometimes, I look at the Witches and wonder if the Od Laguna had a hand in naming you. They all just…fit."

She nodded distantly, unsure of what he meant. Why was his cup so full? He claimed to desire companionship and a friendly drink, so why—

Blood. She tasted blood.

She hacked and coughed as knives tore up her throat from the inside. The lining of her organs eroded into her bloodstream, mixing with the bile that had burst from her liver. She tried to speak but found herself vomiting blood all over the table.

Subaru winced and looked away, looking for something, anything to distract himself. "C-Calypso is the name of an astronomical object from my homeland, but it's also that of a titaness who was imprisoned on an island. She was a powerful healer, cursed to fall in love with a man who will reject her. In her story, one of the most persistent themes is her envy towards her love; he had a wife back home, you see, and he always thought of her over Calypso."

She was hardly listening by now. She stood up on shaky legs and made her way to her cupboard, frantically searching for a specific jar. Her fingers were a whirlwind, upheaving her meticulously-organized shelves in time with her heaving breaths.

"I suppose you could say I'm envious, too," Subaru said as if she were still sitting with him. "All these couples got their happy ending, and they didn't even work for it. But me? I've suffered like crazy. I've worked my ass off. I've killed just to have some more time with Satella…but nothing worked…not yet, at least."

Calypso found what she was looking for and pulled it out, unsealing it with unsteady fingers.

She didn't manage to take the antidote in time.

Pain exploded from her chest, radiating to every corner of her body. Her hand spasmed as she brushed it against her torso, slicing her finger open as it passed over the knife protruding from her heart.

"You've done a lot of good for this world," Subaru said from behind her. She didn't hear him. "But nothing, and I mean nothing compares to saving my wife."

With one swift motion, he twisted his dagger and wrenched it out of her heart. The former Witch of Envy fell to the ground, dying before she hit the floor.

The moment he saw her lifeless eyes, he let his mask drop. He collapsed into the chair beside his poisoned wine and put his head in his hands.

He had slaughtered an innocent person. She was not a death row inmate, or a bundle of rags, or anything like that. She was born a human, just like him. She was a selfless healer, just like Satella. She was a Witch, just like Daphne.

But he did it for Satella! He needed the Witch Factors to act as a seal, therefore saving her life. Also, this was technically Calypso's fault, right? If she weren't such a bad healer, she could have saved Satella, and none of this would have happened. Besides, Subaru was just following the contract he had made when he was drunk. He had to act this way or Satella would die. He was in the right. The world could do with one less calamity, anyway.

"…Fuck that."

Fuck this contract, fuck Echidna for hurting Satella, fuck Pandora for suggesting this awful plan, and fuck him for doing it.

'I was drunk. It's not my fault. I only agreed because I was drunk.'

He needed to repeat that mantra, or the guilt would drive him to madness.

With a heavy sigh, Subaru closed his eyes and appeared in the Forbidden Library. What was once an organized collection of books had since been turned into a mess of notes, scattered about over years of research. Stacks of paper as tall as the bookshelves formed a maze of sleepless nights and laborious days.

All of them were completely useless.

He walked to the open door, thankful that he didn't have to say the passphrase anymore; he wasn't sure he could bring himself to say it. Satella was asleep on the bed, as expected. Geuse tended to her, diligently making sure she was as comfortable as she could be. "Hello, Master Flugel," he said quietly, not looking up. "It pleases me to know that you took my advice and are visiting Lady Satella."

"It's more like a confessional visit," Subaru said morbidly.

"You may confess if it eases your soul," the spirit replied, "but I already know of what happened."

Subaru furrowed his eyebrows. The plan should have been between him and Pandora. How did Geuse—

"I did not expect her to agree," Geuse admitted. "After all, Lady Satella had impressed upon us the importance of every individual life. Alas, it seems the sacrifice of a prisoner was not enough to save her. It makes sense, I suppose; despite what she claimed, a man is nothing to the Sorceress."

"…Ah." So, he didn't know about Envy's murder.

The spirit sighed. "I know that viewpoint goes against what I—and Lady Satella, for that matter—stand for, but it's…difficult…to stand here and watch her wither away while a murderer gets three square meals a day."

Subaru was quiet for a moment. "Yeah," he breathed. Then, louder, he said, "Yeah, you're absolutely right. Someone responsible for the death of thousands shouldn't be allowed to live while Satella doesn't."

Geuse looked up at Subaru's flat tone. "Master? Are you—" Suddenly, his eyes lost their focus as he stared at something intangible within Subaru. Aghast, he asked, "Wh-what have you done?!"

Subaru couldn't bring himself to look at Geuse. "Only what I am being forced to do," he said, his voice cracking slightly. The Witch Factor of Envy rested heavily on his soul. "Typhon will be visiting in a few days. I should be back by then, but if not, make sure she's comfortable and happy until I return."

With his head bowed, he left the room, leaving a horrified Geuse behind.

He had a dragon to talk to.


Eleven days remained. Subaru hadn't slept for a single minute, but he hadn't tried very hard, either. He sat in a guest room, poring over maps and military reports—borrowed from Farsale, of course. Subaru had never expected to use his political clout for personal gain, but it had been quite useful these past few days.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, feeling an impending migraine. He wished he weren't forced into this position; perhaps if he hadn't gotten drunk, he wouldn't have made this contract, and he wouldn't be taking this dark path. Honestly, he should have just slit Echidna's throat in her sleep years ago, and Satella wouldn't have had her soul split.

'But then, she wouldn't have married me.'

He almost laughed. Who fucking cared? She was alive, and that was all that mattered. After all, they wouldn't be married for long after he saved her, and he was fine with that, right?

…Right?

"Yer butt-ugly when yer 'bout to cry, little fish."

Subaru groaned at the new arrival. "Fuck off, Reid. I don't have time to deal with your bullshit."

Reid barked out a laugh and gave Subaru the finger. He pulled up a chair and spun it around, straddling it. He slung his arms over the top, rested his chin on them, and smirked. "Not a chance, little fish. Tha' scaly bastard ain't leavin' till yer hottie is feelin' better, so yer stuck with me fer a while."

"Then get a fucking carriage and go home, or at least let me teleport you off the Great Waterfall."

"An' miss out on all the drama? Pssh. I hate all you twats, but yer interestin', at the very least."

Subaru gave the redhead an exasperated look. "What happened to respecting me for taking care of Satella?"

Reid rolled his eyes. "I respect a good bedside manner, but yer lettin' tha' spirit freak do all the caretakin' fer ya."

"I'm trying to cure her," Subaru shot back.

Reid's smirk widened. His eyes locked onto a half-empty bottle of wine on the desk. "Yeah? An' how's tha' going for ya?"

As if to spite Reid, Subaru took another long gulp, letting out a gasp as he finished. "A-almost there," he slurred. "G-got one, but I need…Fuck, Ella's gonna kill me. The hell do I do? I can't live without her! B-but she can't live without Daphne! I can't live without Daphne! Damn it, I can't do this! I can't—"

He blinked. Was he actually considering putting someone besides Satella first? Unthinkable. He would do anything for her.

Even if he changed his mind for some unfathomable reason, it wouldn't matter. He was locked into his choice. A rash decision made while he was drunk had decided his fate.

He took another sip. He couldn't afford to think about this right now. These maps and reports were telling him nothing, and he only had eleven days.

He swore and pounded his fist on the desk. Why was this so fucking difficult? Killing the Witch of Envy was…well, easy. He knew where to find her, got her to let her guard down, poisoned her, stabbed her in the heart as she looked at him in shock and bled out on the floor as the life left her eyes and—

A light slap on the back brought him back to reality. "Thanks," he muttered to Reid, who waved him off.

Subaru resumed poring over the military reports, trying to find a clue of where his target might be. It seemed she had last been sighted near the Vollachian border after a massive conflict in the west: the War of the Maiden, of which she was the cause. Her mere presence made men and women alike fall in love with her, just as she wished for. Those who came close would cease breathing, and their heart would stop beating. Despite this, all who knew of her viewed her as a prize, causing entire nations to topple in an attempt to gain her favor. She was like Helen of Troy, or perhaps the very incarnation of the Apple of Discord itself, destroying civilizations with her mere existence.

Subaru may have been mostly unaffected by her ability, but the concept alone terrified him. Even if he could find her, she'd just send a horde of brainwashed innocents at him to act as a shield.

Wait a moment…

"Concept!" He turned to the startled Reid and asked, "What are the limits to your Concept Cut?"

Reid gave a massive grin and answered. It was exactly what Subaru wanted to hear, and he hated himself for feeling so relieved.

Thus began their strange, unhealthy, toxic, but undoubtedly useful partnership.

An hour later, he snuck through the underbrush of Elior Forest accompanied by a cat-like spirit.

"Are you sure this will work?" Puck asked warily. "So much can go wrong. What if the vessel gets hurt?"

"She won't," Subaru said curtly. The vessel was not involved in any of this. "Remember who you're doing this for."

Puck nodded morosely. "I couldn't ever forget that. I just…I don't know. I could understand a prisoner, but this? I understand that you can't bring yourself to be there, but even planning this is just…It's not like you."

Subaru gritted his teeth. "I was manipulated into taking a contract when I was drunk and at my lowest. It's not my fault. Got it?"

"G-got it."

"If I don't do this, then Satella dies. Simple as that."

Puck gave him a strange look but backed down. "Here we are," he said at length. They were in front of a typical elven abode, carved out of a tree with magic. "This is why Minerva protects the forest so heavily."

Subaru closed his eyes and bowed his head. He wrapped his travel cloak tighter around himself, trying to garner whatever comfort he could from it. "Who are they?" he asked shakily.

"A close friend of hers and his daughter," Puck answered, not looking at Subaru. "The Witch of Wrath won't be able to resist saving them."

Subaru visibly deflated. Maybe part of him wanted to hear that it wouldn't work. Maybe he wanted Minerva to turn around with a huff, declaring that his nonsense was making her angry.

…But Satella would die if that happened.

He didn't thank Puck; neither of them deserved a kindness such as that. He simply left the forest, muttering "eleven days" as he did so.

Suddenly, the earth shook, accompanied by the sound of striking thunder. Minerva, the Witch of Wrath, appeared out of a cloud of dust…and walked into her home. She gave her husband a soft, lingering kiss before pulling back with a silly smile. Then, with serenity unbefitting her Sin, she picked up their newborn son and held him close.

Off in the distance, Puck watched them from his hiding place with a frown. "I'm sorry," the spirit said, though it was lost in the wind, "but Satella saved my life. This world is nothing without someone like her in it."

Oblivious to it all, Minerva and her family enjoyed their final hours together.


The world was a bizarre place, filled with magic, demihumans, dragons, and more. One of the strangest aspects was its shape: a simple, flat disk. The disk was lined with a cascade known as the Great Waterfall, and it was surrounded by infinite nothingness. Those standing on the edge would gaze down into the void and find themselves filled with existential dread as they wondered, "What lies beyond?"

Nothing. To fall off the Great Waterfall meant you would never reach the ground, so you would fall forever. The sheer incomprehensibility of such a thing could drive a mortal to insanity.

Sekhmet and Typhon, however, were already as unfathomable as it gets and were never quite sane to begin with. Neither bothered to consider such pointless things when they lived fully by their Sin.

Sekhmet, the Witch of Sloth, languished on the ground. A deep, exhausted sigh repeatedly escaped her barely-parted lips. Her magenta hair, longer than her entire body, stuck to her sweaty skin like a magnet. She lay in the shallow water a few paces from the precipice of infinity, completely unperturbed with her proximity to oblivion.

Typhon, the Witch of Pride, was much more energetic. She bathed her mother figure—as she so often did—but with great enthusiasm instead of her usual subdued thankfulness. Mentally and physically, she was only ten years old, but the cult that worshipped her predated Lugunica itself. She gave off the impression of childlike innocence, but she had murdered thousands in her countless rampages, in which she judged people for their sins.

Sekhmet closed her eyes with a tired sigh, causing Typhon to puff out her cheeks and say, "Hey, no sleeping, Mommy! You're supposed to take me to see Tella and Flue, remember?"

Sekhmet groaned. She had raised her head earlier in the day to check on Typhon's condition, and she hadn't quite regained that lost energy. "I'll be…haah…right behind you…haah…I'm sure he can keep you in line until I get there…haah…"

Typhon frowned at the giantess. "You promise you'll be right behind me?"

Sekhmet's eyes fluttered open momentarily before the blazing light of the sun forced them shut. "Promise," she mumbled. She knew the deal. Abandoning a child was sinful, and so was breaking a promise. She'd like to claim that Typhon would make her the exception to the Authority of Pride, Divine Retribution, but Witches didn't work like that. They were perfectly willing to kill if it meant maintaining compatibility with their Sin.

Perhaps that was why they all respected each other, even when they didn't always get along.

Recognizing how eager Typhon was to leave, Sekhmet let out another sigh. She didn't want to move, but, if it were for Typhon, she could manage.

Typhon, however, wasn't so patient. "The trip is so looong," she whined, "but I need to be there now. Just throw me, and you'll meet me there later."

Sekhmet would have frowned, had she had the energy. "Haah…I don't like doing that…haah…What if you get hurt?"

Typhon huffed. "I'll be fiiine. You know my Aurority—"

"Authority," Sekhmet gently corrected.

A frown marred Typhon's youthful face. With great exertion, she said, "Auror…Aufority…Authority…There! My Authority keeps me safe!"

"That's nice," Sekhmet drawled. "I still don't…haah…like doing it."

They bickered for a few more moments before Sekhmet relented. Using her Authority of Sloth, Sekhmet grabbed the now-squealing Typhon and threw her. The sheer force of it guaranteed that the month-long trip would only take three days. Yes, Sekhmet was aware that the collision would kill a normal human, but this was Typhon. Her Pride protected her from mundane maladies such as injury and aging.

Invulnerability aside, Sekhmet often worried about Typhon, so it was nice knowing that the child was safe with Flugel. Maybe this time, Satella would be awake—Sekhmet knew how much the half-elf and Typhon adored each other.

Suddenly, something in the air shifted. The space in front of her folded in on itself like crumpling paper. Out of a hole in reality itself, the Divine Dragon Volcanica appeared to strike judgment upon the wicked. Its wings were still as it stood upright, levitating purely on his own power.

Sekhmet wasn't impressed. "So noisy," she grumbled, barely parting her lips. She refused to let out more than the absolute minimum amount of air required to speak. "Can't you fly somewhere else?"

"Witch of Sloth," it said. The wind itself obeyed that majestic voice, carrying it far and wide. "Thou hast committed sins of the highest caliber."

"You mean…haah…killing my race?" She rolled her eyes. "You can't seriously…haah…tell me they didn't…haah…deserve it…haah…"

Volcanica's glittering blue scales threatened to blind her.. "Thy race perished at thy Hands. Thou must pay for thy sins."

"I killed sinners…haah…so I should die, obviously. Should you…haah…die for killing me, too?"

"Mineself is a harbinger of justice. Judgment shalt fall upon the wicked."

Sekhmet sighed again, but it wasn't out of exhaustion. "Such cyclical logic…haah…You're as bad as Typhon…haah…"

Suddenly, Volcanica let loose a cry of anger so loud, nature itself trembled in fear. "Do not compareth mine Divine Retribution to that of a Witch!"

Sekhmet would have laughed if she had the energy. The Authority of Pride was literally called Divine Retribution. She would have told him so, but a jet of flame shot towards her at the speed of sound. Acting on pure instinct, she used the Authority of Sloth to move herself out of harm's way. "So irritating…haah…I just want some sleep…haah…"

But the mighty dragon couldn't be reasoned with. It flicked its tail at the vile Witch, intent on cleaving her in two. Without any visible movement, Sekhmet stopped the tail in its tracks; despite the dragon's best efforts, it couldn't continue its assault. It then pulled in all the mana in the air with the intent of purifying the disgusting creature before him, but an unseen punch sent him reeling.

Sekhmet's bodily position hadn't changed since the fight began.

"Haah…You really are like Typhon," she taunted. "It's just a shame…haah…that you're much less cute…haah…"

Volcanica regained its bearings and darted in, throwing all it had at the Witch. Talon swipes, holy fire, its Purification Breath, and even warping space itself did nothing; it simply couldn't reach her. She either dodged, blocked, or interrupted its attacks before they came out.

Snoring lightly, she slapped Volcanica around like a ragdoll. It had never felt so humiliated. "Mineself wilt strike thee down!" it roared, shaking the heavens above. "Begone, Witch of Sloth!"

Finally, finally, a bit of flame reached Sekhmet. It merely singed her hair, but it was enough for her to open her eyes. "You're really…haah…persistent…haah…I won't get any rest if you keep this up."

"Then bathe in the holy light of a god, and face eternal slumber!"

On the precipice of oblivion, the world burned bright with divine flames. To witness them was to face justice itself. To touch them was to end your existence.

Sekhmet lifted her head and watched as the Divine Dragon gathered power in its maw. What was this strange feeling flowing through her? She heard her heart pounding in her ears, as well as an urge to…move?

Her lips curved upwards ever-so-slightly. To think that she would find a worthy opponent, even if it were cutting into her beauty sleep…It was exhilarating.

She pushed herself up onto her elbows and smashed an Unseen Hand into Volcanica's side, throwing it off balance. A flurry of attacks followed the first one, but Volcanica shrugged them all off. His righteous fury begat clarity, and with it, power. Through power, he shall defeat his foe.

He projected his thoughts to the sickening being before him, letting her experience all his disgust. 'Thy power dost not belongest to thee. Let the Witch Factor returneth to the world's chosen. May thy flame of life extinguish. May thy soul repentest for thy sins.'

Sekhmet, against all odds, gave a confident grin. "This feeling," she murmured without a sigh. "Is it…fulfillment?"

Was it possible for a Witch to reach such wondrous heights?

'If I didn't have Typhon to worry about,' she thought to herself, 'I'd gladly die here and now.'

With that, the Divine Dragon's Purification Breath met the Witch of Sloth's Unseen Hands, and the battle began in full.


A Witch was an abomination, a calamity. They were twisted creatures with unfathomable mindsets and could never dream of being understood by their peers, let alone the world at large. They were doomed to live a cursed life of misery, endlessly craving fulfillment from a Sin that would never satiate them.

Then…how did the Witch of Wrath have a family?

Minerva asked herself that question quite often. Was she less of a Witch than the others? If so, then why did that mysterious girl choose her? Was there even a reason, or was the Witch Factor just forced on some random person?

Regardless of the reason, she was a changed woman that day. She had always felt for those in pain, but, after taking in the Witch Factor of Wrath, she would heal people at the cost of others. Should that have bothered her? Maybe, but it didn't matter at that point. Nothing had mattered but healing the injured.

Then…she met him. Jason. The man she fell in love with. The man she bore a child with.

A rush of warmth filled her at the thought of her son. Ever since he was born, she hadn't thrown a single punch. She wouldn't risk hurting him.

Speaking of risks, she was still in awe that she had managed to keep her pregnancy hidden from Satella for so long. The half-elf was a genius, a magical prodigy. Then again, Satella was rather lacking in common sense; a simple comment from Minerva about gaining some weight during the winter, and no more questions were asked.

But eventually, that little bump grew and grew, eventually turning into a gift greater than any she had ever received. A Witch, a harbinger of death, had brought life into this world.

She smiled down at her baby as she cradled him in her arms. Whenever she did this, she felt so…calm. Patient. Human. She still often ranted and raved about the injustice of the world—as well as scream at people for being sad—but it wasn't a constant. She was finally stable, so she could be there for her friends.

At that thought, her smile dropped. Her husband, recognizing her distress, came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know you can tell them about us," he said. "They'll be happy for you."

"It'll make them miserable," she shot back. She was used to this discussion by now. "Satella is in her final days, and Flugel is unstable. Why should I rub it in that I have what they always wanted?"

Questions about Jason would lead to questions about children, and that would inevitably make Satella cry, even as the half-elf plastered a smile on her face. Minerva couldn't bear the thought; whenever Satella cried, it was as if the world were weeping alongside her. As for Flugel…

"He's not the same," she whispered. "It's still him; I know he's in there, but this situation…He's not well, and I can't do anything for him."

Jason gave her an understanding look. "Telling him about our child will help him," he said firmly. "From what you told me, he seems to be in danger from himself. Don't you think that maybe, this will give him hope?"

"Or it could kill him faster," she said stubbornly.

"You could either extend his lifespan indefinitely, or you could kill him a few days earlier. Alternatively, you say nothing, and he dies when Satella does. The choice is yours, Minerva."

It was an impossible choice for anyone to make, but she was the Witch of Wrath. The mere idea of suicide was enough to fill her with overwhelming rage. She could never risk making him feel that way.

But…she was still human, and being around her child brought that side out. She wanted her friend to live.

"You really think it'll help him?" she asked quietly.

"I do," he said. "Go to him…and tell him the name of our child."

She cradled the infant close to her bosom, trying not to let tears leak out of her eyes. It was all just so stupid! Satella shouldn't be dying, Flugel shouldn't be suicidal, and they should all be together and safe and happy! It wasn't fair!

But…the look on Flugel's face when he heard the name…Maybe, just maybe, he'd smile once more.

"I'll do it," she said resolutely. Without another word, she handed her child to Jason and walked out.

She made her way to the edge of the forest and bent her knees, preparing to jump. Before she could, however, she noticed something. There, sitting with his back against a tree, was Flugel. Dried tears covered his face, and the smell of alcohol wafted over to her.

She sighed. It was the second time in only a few days that she had found him in such a position. She sat beside him and slung an arm around his shoulder, frowning deeply as he flinched. "Need to talk?" she asked, barely managing to bite back a scream about how unjust the world was.

He took a shaky breath and shook his head. "Just…stay for a moment," he said, barely audible. "Tell me about your day, or something, I don't know. Hell, I could even go for a rant about how much you hate war and suffering."

Out of nowhere, he barked out a laugh, startling her. "Shit, I'm so fucking selfish! Who the fuck acts like everything is normal in a time like this?!"

"I know," she said quietly. "It…really hurts to lose a loved one, doesn't it?"

He tore away from her, backing up against the tree trunk. Bloodshot eyes gazed into her concerned blue ones as he spoke rapidly. "I'm not going to lose her! Everything's going to be fine, see? It's all good! Everything's fine! We're going to be okay, she's going to be okay, and I'm sure you understand, you'd do the same in my position, it's why we always got along; because we're the same, you know? And I was drunk when I made this decision, so it makes sense, right? I can't back out now, I need to save her, I'd do anything, Daphne would do the same, and, I mean, you've done bad stuff, too, right? You'd do this, too! There's no other way! Please, you have to understand!"

He was hyperventilating, and his entire body shook. She reached out once more in concern, asking, "Understand what?"

Tears burst from his eyes. For a moment, he looked as if he were about to confess a dark secret. She wanted to hug him and tell him to just say it because her friends weren't allowed to hurt while she could make it better. She wanted him to know that others would also be devastated when Satella passed away and that he wasn't alone. Others—herself included—loved him, too.

Minerva would prove it, right here and now.

"Flugel, I—"

"I have something to tell you," she wanted to say, but he interrupted her.

"I'm sorry," he croaked out. "You mean so much to me and Ella. I…I'll never forget you."

With that, he vanished.

Minerva kicked a tree and screamed wordlessly to the sky. Why was she so useless? Why was it that her Authority could heal anything but those she needed to heal? Why couldn't she mend a broken heart?

She made her way home, stomping her feet as she did so. She'd need to feel a bit more human if she were to have enough patience to deal with the catastrophe that was Flugel's mental state. She slammed open the door and…why was it so dark? Wasn't there a lantern on when she left a half-hour ago?

"Jason?" she called out. "Are you in here?"

No response.

She crept inside, keeping her hand on the wall as she did so. Her home was never quiet. The moment her son awoke, he was as loud and boisterous as her. Even Jason, who may have been quiet when comforting people, could easily match the rest of his family.

And yet, it was utterly silent…until she heard a groan of pain.

With her lightning-quick reflexes, she made her way to the corner of the room and gasped at the sight. Jason lay crumpled on the ground with a gaping hole in his chest. She didn't have time to question who did this; she needed to heal him. She fell to her knees and pulled her arm back, but, with the last of his strength, he grasped her wrist.

"D-don't heal me," he croaked. Blood flowed from his lips, seeping out through his pierced lungs. "D-don't…risk our son."

Her arm wavered. She knew what happened when she used the Authority of Wrath; somewhere in the world, someone died. Be it an entire town or a single person, she didn't know. It was random; after all, the Od Laguna itself determined the consequence. There was an equal probability that it could kill a rabbit…as it would her son.

"But the chance is so small!" she yelled. "Stop being an idiot and let me heal you! Everything will be fine!"

He opened his mouth to respond but couldn't muster the energy. His eyelids fluttered shut, and he took his final breath.

'No! He's not dead yet! I can still save him!'

Screw the consequences. Everything would be fine. It was statistically impossible for her to hurt someone she cared about with her Authority. Her son wouldn't get hurt. Jason would be saved.

She closed her eyes and threw a punch at the speed of sound.

Jason didn't move. An infant's cry filled the air, then fell silent.

'No…'

Her entire body trembled. What was this feeling? This utterly horrible, all-encompassing sensation? It wasn't anger, or rage, or hatred, or anything like that.

It was sheer terror.

Her husband lay dead at her feet. Her best friends were about to leave this world. And now…

With tears pouring out of wide, fearful blue eyes, Minerva turned around…and broke. A baby, her baby, only a few months old, lay immobile on the floor. Its face was stuck in an eternal shriek of pain. A gaping hole replaced its heart.

Minerva didn't move, didn't speak, didn't breathe. She was frozen in time, just like her baby. With shame and guilt unlike anything she had ever experienced before, she thought:

'I killed my son.'

With that, Minerva's mind and sanity shattered. The Witch Factor tore through her soul, enveloping it in its corrupting influence. She hadn't been following her Sin, so she needed love to survive…but that love had been cruelly and forcibly ripped away from her.

Had she a knife in her hands, it would have already been plunged into her chest. That urge allowed the Witch Factor to fully take over.

She couldn't process anything in front of her, couldn't hear a thing, couldn't even feel. She could only condemn herself, over and over. She didn't even realize when a cat-like spirit came up behind her, bursting with barely-contained power.

"Flugel will never admit it," Puck said, "but he really can't plan things on his own."

Minerva said nothing. She didn't even know she had living company. She just looked at the body of her son, her child, her hope, half of her, half of Jason, as he turned blue from the cold. His mouth was open in a silent scream, his tiny fists clenched in unfathomable pain. It was clear that, in his final moments, he was crying for his mother.

A mother…who had named her baby "Flugel."

Minerva would never be able to tell her son's namesake how much his friendship had meant to her. She would never be able to apologize for keeping this from him.

Puck looked on with a heavy heart. "Do you know what Flugel thinks is happening right now? He thinks this is a basic hostage situation. I'd threaten to hurt your 'friend and his kid,' and you'd just give yourself up, letting me kill you."

Silence answered him. An empty husk could not speak.

"He's under a lot of pressure, so I can't quite blame him, but he should know better than anyone that you would never give up on life." Puck shook his head in a mixture of disappointment and sympathy. "So, it was up to me to take the reins. I had to break you another way."

Puck's eyes drifted to the dead infant. "I can't say I've ever killed a baby before, but, well…you think you did it, so it's more like you're at fault, right?"

He shook his head and grimaced. "Maybe I'm just viewing things like my dearest mother would…but I digress. I'm sorry, but this needed to happen. There's no world without Satella in it."

Satella.

Somehow, a half-elf's face made it into the remnants of Minerva's mind. That was her friend, wasn't it? Satella wasn't doing well, and Minerva was utterly useless.

Minerva was tasked by the Od Laguna to heal, and she couldn't even do that. Maybe…Maybe she deserved this fate.

The Witch Factor of Wrath clawed away at her heart, crushing it into nothingness. It decayed her lungs, turning them to dust. It tore apart her brain and dissolved the remainder of her organs, leaving her to die.

As Minerva's heart beat for the last time, she realized that she didn't really mind that. Maybe, in her next life, he could be with her son once more.

…But she couldn't.

Minerva died in agony. She did not return to the Od Laguna. As punishment for possessing a Witch Factor that did not belong to her, she was bound to this world. She had been removed from the reincarnation cycle. She would never see her son or husband ever again.

She no longer had eyes, but her soul wept…and then, it stopped.

She didn't know why she was weeping. Perhaps she was angry? She was always angry at the world because of the suffering it inflicted upon its people.

No, it was her son! Her husband! They were dead because of her! She was angry at herself!

Wait, what was she…Who were…Did she even want to remember? She needed to remember! She—

The world was such a terrible place, and she needed to heal it with her mighty fists!

Minerva was lost, adrift in confusion and wrath…until a woman of white and black came and trapped her soul in a crystal.

"How interesting…I had thought I knew everything about the world's loathing and its effect on memories, but this is something else entirely. I believe I can learn a lot from you, Minerva."

Echidna stroked the blue pyroxene crystal on her necklace with a loving sigh. "Just like that, the Witches have begun another Tea Party….except this time, I am the hostess."


Three. Subaru had murdered three people so far, one of whom was once like a sister to him.

Two. That's how many Witch Factors he had obtained in his bloody journey.

One. He fought for Satella, and no one else. Everyone else fell to the wayside.

Eight. No matter the outcome of his task, he would kill himself in eight days. Life was meaningless without Satella by his side.

Subaru curled up in the corner of yet another guest room, hiding from the world. Crimson blood painted the walls while tears soaked his shirt.

The entire night had passed, but he hadn't stopped sobbing. It had only intensified when the Witch Factor of Wrath welcomed him as its new host. It didn't merge with his soul, like it would with the Witches. Still, he functioned as a perfect "temporary container" of sorts. Satella had built him a body filled with the world's love, but Witch Factors were only compatible with those loathed by the world. Subaru's soul was loathed above all else, so they were drawn to him like a magnet. They used him as a host but didn't corrupt or influence him.

Since they didn't become one with him, he could freely give them to Satella. Given enough will, he could bypass the barrier that was the world's love.

But the cost…Satella was going to hate him. Damn it, he already hated himself enough! Why couldn't people understand that he was just trying to save her?! Minerva's final moments were undoubtedly cursing him, but she shouldn't have! He was just trying to cure Satella! That was all he ever wanted! It didn't matter that Minerva was once his best friend and he loved her like a sister and he wanted his future kid to call her "Aunt Minerva" and she was gone and he wanted to die and—

He repeatedly banged his head against the wall, trying to silence his thoughts, but all it did was give him a migraine. He took a long gulp of wine to stave it off, but the dark liquid was barely affecting him anymore. He mindlessly threw the empty bottle at the wall, watching the glass shatter with disinterest.

'It'd be so easy,' he mused, picking up a particularly sharp, jagged piece of glass, 'to just end it all right here. The rest of them will be safe. Daphne will be safe.'

…But Satella would die if he did. Not just die, but cease to exist, and it would be all his fault.

So, he didn't slit his throat. His arms and legs would have to be enough for now. He almost couldn't find an active vein, what with all the cuts he had made a few hours ago, but he was nothing if not determined.

There. That was a good vein; he hadn't sliced that one in a few weeks. Unbidden, the image of Minerva forced itself to the forefront of his mind, jumpstarting his daily ritual. It was only when he was on the verge of fainting from blood loss that he put the glass shard down. His body may have been a canvas for mutilation, but he was fucking tired of painting. He just wanted to sleep…but he couldn't. He needed to follow up on a lead regarding his next target's location, and he was running out of time.

Weak and drunk, he managed to make his way to the desk. He collapsed into the chair and began to pore over his notes. A few days ago, he had burnt them to a crisp, yet they were intact a moment later; it was as if it had never happened. He was probably just going insane and remembering it wrong.

As he wrote, he slowly pieced together more information. A small town on the Vollachian border had over half of the married couples divorce, all within the same few days. Multiple other cities and settlements had this happen as well, and it formed a sort of line. Following the trend, it seemed it would lead to…

"I found you," he whispered. The report was only from last week, too. "I'm sorry, Carmilla, but this is the only way."

It was for love. Surely, of all people, the Witch of Lust would understand?

Unfortunately, that specific part of the plan would need to be put on hold. Right now, Subaru needed to prepare. He teleported to the fledgling settlement of Priestella, talked to the village elder, and walked outside the gates. While there were only a few homes behind him, the massive lake in front of him was perfect for his needs.

He closed his eyes, raised his arms above his head, and created a city from nothing. Winding roads and a myriad of buildings surrounded the glittering lake, reflecting and refracting the sunlight in a million ways. The nearby Tigracy river now emptied itself into the lake, spreading about into numerous water banks.

One such water bank was designed quite differently.

The people of Priestella loved their new home, so they thanked him profusely. They promised to grow the city to make it something wonderful.

All Subaru saw was a trap, and he hated it with every fiber of his being.

He looked out to the east. It was on the other side of the country, but he knew that Volcanica and Sekhmet would still be fighting right about now. Like with Carmilla, Subaru was friendly enough with the Witch of Sloth, even if they didn't know each other that well. That didn't mean he liked doing this…but it had to be this way. He knew better than to face a Witch head-on, and especially one like Sekhmet. Facing both her and Typhon at once? He may as well be asking Satella to burn in agony.

The elder of Priestella came before Subaru and bowed his head. "We are forever in your debt, Great Sage," he said. "We do not have that which you cannot create. However, if it is within our meager power, we shall grant whatever you wish."

Subaru inclined his neck in acknowledgment. "Secrecy," he answered. "Say nothing of my presence here in the coming days. Do not pass it down in your traditions, your history, anything."

The elder looked confused. "Don't you want to be remembered for your great deeds?"

To the surprise of the onlookers, Subaru let out a rueful laugh. "Even if I had done something great, I don't deserve to be remembered for it."

With that, he vanished, leaving a grateful yet bewildered group of people behind. Mere moments later, he found himself pacing right outside the front door of the mansion.

"Eight days…If I can get one today, then maybe…but Echidna will be tough…and Carmilla is hidden…Will I have enough time?"

Of course, he wouldn't. He was a fucking failure. He took his half-baked ideas and ran with them, guaranteeing that Satella would die a painful death. He cursed her soul to oblivion, all because he was prideful enough to think he could save her.

Pathetic. He was such a piece of shit.

Sometime later, a familiar presence warily approached him. "Hello, Geuse," Subaru said flatly, not betraying any of his thoughts. "It's been a few days."

The spirit looked at the older man warily, opening and closing his mouth multiple times before he settled on a neutral statement. "Miss Minerva was due for a visit yesterday."

A crack formed in Subaru's façade. He wondered why he bothered hiding anything from the perceptive spirit.

"You and Lady Satella were always close with her," Geuse said quietly. Subaru almost couldn't hear it through the tempest of his thoughts. "Sometimes, I even wondered if you trusted her more than each other."

'Satella certainly did,' he thought bitterly. The vessel's face peeking out of the forest passed through his mind. 'Maybe she was right to feel that way.'

Geuse stepped closer, a hint of a challenge in his guarded steps. "Where is she?" he asked. "Master Flugel, where is Miss Minerva?"

Subaru raised his head to the sky, asking for forgiveness that would never come. "Minerva's punches made me think that Wrath would feel quick and light," he mused, "but it just feels so…heavy."

Geuse's face rapidly shifted into one of horror. "No…Master Flugel, you couldn't have!"

Subaru let loose a rueful laugh. "What, are you gonna act shocked? I murdered two people already. What's wrong with a third?"

"What's wrong?! She was your friend! Even if she wasn't, a life is a life, so—"

Subaru whirled around and glared at the spirit. "Oh, bullshit! You said it yourself, didn't you? 'What is a prisoner next to the Sorceress?' This is your idea! Yours! Not mine! I was drunk, but you knew exactly what you were saying!"

Geuse's eyes widened in horror. "I…I drove you to this?"

"Yes, you did!"
'Of course not!'
"I was about to back down, and then you opened your damn mouth!
'I was lost long before you were created.'
"You! Your cursed words made me take the devil's hand! Minerva's death is your fault!"
I'm so sorry…'

They faced each other, Subaru breathing heavily while Geuse didn't breathe at all.

Neither bore any ill will towards the other.

Geuse shook violently and pulled at his hair. "Th-then…you will…Surely, you cannot be planning to…B-but Master Flugel, Daphne is your—"

Faster than the eye could see, Subaru grabbed Geuse by the shoulders and pinned him to the wall. "Don't say it," he seethed. "Don't fucking say it. I-I didn't mean to choose…I was drunk, a-and I…I…"

Silence hung heavy in the air. Subaru's heart pounded against his ribcage, threatening to break free. Geuse gazed at him in horror as if finally recognizing the monster before him.

Subaru saw it, too.

"'I was drunk,'" he whispered, backing away from Geuse. "'It's not my fault.' That's what the prisoner said, isn't it?"

Geuse said nothing. He merely grieved the man he had once admired.

Subaru looked down at his hands, gazing at blood that only he could see. "I-I condemned him for that. I hated him for not taking accountability. And now…I'm just like him, aren't I? I'm using the same exact excuses."

He closed his eyes, standing outside a garden of shadows. He could hear them, even now: the Witch Factors' howls of rage. They hadn't merged with him, so he couldn't understand them, but he knew what they were saying.

"It's all your fault! You betrayed us! You killed us! We hate you! You deserve to die!"

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, but not just to Minerva. His voice warbled as despair overwhelmed him. "Should I have chosen you, Daphne? I…I had to choose Satella, right? She's my wife."

He knew better than anyone else that Satella wouldn't feel the same way. He wasn't sure he did, either. Was there even a right choice when it was between his wife and his daughter?

And yet…he had long ago promised his heart and soul to Satella. The world was meaningless without her. If he didn't have her love, he was a dead man.

Eight days couldn't pass soon enough.

A shadow covered his eyes. "Go inside, Geuse," he ordered, speaking in a low voice. "I have a job to do."

Broken by regret and self-loathing, the spirit could do nothing but comply. Subaru pulled his travel cloak tight around his shoulders, hiding his face from the world.

The sky was clear and blue, and the sun radiated its warmth onto the land around him. Subaru, however, felt nothing but frost seeping into his heart. As a speck of green appeared on the otherwise flawless horizon, he began to shiver.

He wasn't in denial anymore. He knew exactly what he was doing…and he was around the one person where those feelings could get you killed.

The speck of green grew closer and closer, revealing some white, blue, and tan. Eventually, it turned into the form of a small child, crashing through the window, and tumbling through the third floor. Unfazed, Subaru teleported to what was once an office, but had since been repurposed for situations such as this.

A soft mattress lay upright against the wall opposite the windows; a dent was in it, indicating that it had been impacted by a great force within the last few seconds. Standing beside it was a girl with green hair and red eyes. She was completely unharmed—her pride wouldn't let her skin be damaged by something as superficial as broken glass. A light-hearted smile adorned her youthful face, looking as if she did this every week.

…Probably because she did.

"Hi, Flue!" Typhon greeted happily. "Have you been a good boy since I last saw you?"

Subaru frowned and fixed the shattered window with a wave of his hand. "You know I haven't," he answered, just like he always did.

The Witch of Pride covered her mouth and giggled, as expected. "It's interesting, isn't it? You feel guilty, but you're not a sinner!"

Subaru had always thought she was wrong. This time, however, he knew it to be a fact.

A shadow covered his eyes. "You're mistaken," he said lowly. "I-I've sinned, Typhon."

Typhon, giving off an air of innocence, smiled brilliantly. "Silly Flue; I'm the one who decides if you've sinned or not." As if to prove her point, she marched up to him and grabbed his hand. It wouldn't break off—Satella's artificial body protected him from such things—but he felt her power judging him, deeming him to be—

"About the same."

He looked at her in shock. "How?! I've done horrible things in the last few days!"

She shrugged. "I don't really understand this stuff, but you're still you. You feel guilty, but you haven't done anything you wouldn't have done before."

A horrible feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. So, he was always capable of this, wasn't he?

Suddenly, he let loose a chuckle, even though nothing was funny. He really should stop worrying about whether this was the right choice or not. He was who he always was: a desperate man who would cast aside everything for one person.

A twisted smile formed on his lips. "Hey, Typhon," he said, grabbing her attention. "How would you like to go to a waterpark?"

Satella thought he was merely lost, but Subaru had never felt so dead.

Typhon didn't know what a waterpark was, but allowed herself to be teleported, nonetheless. A moment later, she gazed about in wonderment, admiring the sparkling water that flowed through the city of Priestella. "Wow, this is so cool! I've never been here before!"

Subaru's expression didn't change in the slightest. "Because I created it today…just for you."

'I wanted to give you one last moment of happiness.'

She turned to him and beamed as gratitude shined from her eyes. He felt nothing but emptiness.

The denizens of Priestella were in the process of moving, so the streets were empty. Typhon had no one to judge, so it was just the two of them. She kept stopping to point out all the finer details, and to tell him that he knew exactly what she liked. She told him that this was the best day ever, and he should have taken her here sooner.

"Maybe something like this," he conceded. "But…Ty, I—"

"You called me Ty!" she cheered. "It's been foreeever since you've called me that!"

He paused. "Does that make you happy?"

"Yep!"

"How happy?"

"The happiest I've ever been!"

Subaru tried not to let the relief show on his face.

Eventually, they reached one of the water banks. Typhon admired the shimmering water and the way it reflected her red eyes but stayed a respectable distance away.

"You can go for a swim," Subaru said casually, inconspicuously eyeing a nearby lever.

She shook her head furiously. "Nuh-uh! Mommy says I'm not parmatted—"

"Permitted, Ty."

She crossed her arms. "Mommy says I'm not allowed in the water."

"Why not?" he asked, knowing full well why not. "Sounds like Sekhmet is just being unreasonable."

Typhon huffed and felt around the ground, eventually picking up a nearby jagged rock. With as much force as she could muster, she stabbed it into her gut, wincing as the force of it struck her.

Despite knowing that she would be fine, Subaru instinctively flinched. Any normal person would have their organs punctured and would have died as a result. Typhon, on the other hand, didn't even break through her clothes.

She grinned at him, proudly showing off that she was okay. "I gotta be strong to punish sinners, don't I? As long as I can breathe, I can't die, silly."

"Of course," he said lowly. "How stupid of me to forget. Your Pride won't let you get hurt."

Witch Factors manifested a different Authority—or even multiple Authorities—in different people. Despite this, it seemed that these Authorities were categorical: Wrath held dominion over injuries, Pride with protecting one's life, Envy with the manipulation of souls, so on and so forth.

"It's something Satella always appreciated," he said quietly. "She couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt."

"She's been like that since we were kids," Typhon said.

He raised his eyebrows before he remembered. "Ella said she met you a half a year after Echidna found her, and she was only eleven…Huh."

It was strange to think about his wife—a grown woman—being a child alongside Typhon…who was still a child.

Typhon nodded sagely. "Tella was this tall…" She put her hand a few inches above her head. "…and I was this tall." She laid her hand flat on the top of her head before spreading her arms wide.

"We'd play aaall day, but then Dona would take Tella inside, and Tella would get really sad at that. Mommy guessed that it was 'cause I had to leave, and Tella didn't have many friends besides me and that other guy. But then you came, and Tella was all better!"

All better. He was going to make it all better.

Satella was relying on him to save her.

He turned his attention back to the girl before him, slowly walking up to her. "By the way, you love Sekhmet, don't you?"

"Of course!" Typhon chirped. "She's my Mommy, isn't she?"

Subaru nodded, knowing of the sentiment but not understanding it. "So, what would happen if someone ordered her death?"

"I'd kill that person."

No hesitation. No frown. Just a statement of fact.

"That would make you a killer, too," he pointed out. "Does that mean someone should be allowed to kill you, too?"

"Nope."

"Why? Why are you the exception? Aren't you just as bad as the killer?"

Typhon groaned. "Now you're sounding like Mommy…Can you please stop with the hard questions, Flue?"

"Just one more," he said, though he didn't expect an understandable answer from a Witch. "Let's say someone needed to save the one they love. The only way to do it was through killing someone else. Would you kill that person for their crimes, or would you say they're justified?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but he barreled on, quickly saying, "The people he's killing are also killers, but he loves them, too. He can't love them, or he can't save the one most important to him. Plus, lots of people will be grateful to him, right? Most of the people he's killing aren't exactly popular, so it's not that bad, right? I-I'm not—He's not a bad person for doing this, right?"

By now, he had dropped his flat expression, instead giving her a look of desperation. He was imploring…no, begging her for salvation.

Unfortunately, Typhon only knew how to enact judgment.

She crossed her arms and thought for a bit. "I don't like hard questions," she grumbled at length, "but I guess I wouldn't kill them. They did some good and some bad, so it evens out."

"No, it doesn't!" he yelled, startling her. "She'll hate m—that person, and she'll have every right to! Don't you dare say that…that he's a good person!"

"Flue didn't let me finish," she said, annoyed. "I wouldn't kill that person, but that doesn't mean they're allowed to live. I'd just make them kill themselves."

Subaru froze. The words echoed infinitely, but whether it was because of the surrounding walls or if it was only in his head, he didn't know.

Out of nowhere, hysterical laughter filled the air. Typhon blinked owlishly at the trembling, giggling madman, unsure of why he was acting this way.

Eventually, Subaru managed to get some of his laughter under control. He spread his arms wide with a manic grin. "Incredible! Amazing! Perfect! I knew I was doing the right thing! Thank you, Typhon! You understand! You approve! You know that it's for love! You know that this is who I've always been! You'll let me complete my task! Oh, but don't worry, I'll be sure to follow through with my own death. I'm not that much of a liar, you see. I swear on the soul of my wife that I will succeed, and I will kill myself! That will be my atonement, my retribution, the proof of my love for Satella! Who needs fulfillment? Wh-who needs a family? That's for everyone else, not a sinner like me! Me, me, me, it's always been about me, huh? Playing the hero, trying to save her, but nope! Doesn't work out! I left B-Beatrice alone, all for my own selfish needs! Totally something a hero would do, right?! Nope! Not at all! Why why why would I do that? F-for Satella, of course!"

He fell to his knees and hugged himself. Salty tears poured down his face and another laugh threatened to burst out, but the words kept flowing without an end in sight. "I'm fucking lying again, aren't it? It was all for my own self-satisfaction! I'm a selfish bastard who only cares for myself! You know, I bet I d-don't even love Satella! Y-yeah, that's right! I'm just clinging to a stupid fucking promise! Why does that one matter while the others don't, you ask? Who knows?! Who cares?! I-I gotta save her, so I'll kill anyone I need to! So long as I also kill myself in the end, it's all fine, right? You said that! Those are your words, not mine! You're the one who's allowing me to do this! S-so, it's okay, right?! It's okay! Y-you're fine with this! You won't hate me! Daphne won't hate me! She can't! She'll understand! It's for love! It's always been for love! It's…It's always…Daphne won't…"

He stopped as he felt a hand patting his head. "Don't worry, Flue," Typhon soothed. "Why don't we go see Tella? You always get this really big smile when you see her."

A lump formed in his throat. The fight and madness abruptly left him, replaced by regret and grief. The abrupt shift in emotion left him feeling nauseous. "N-no point visiting her," he croaked, his throat raw from screaming. "She's…asleep again."

Typhon huffed. "Then let's wake her up. It's been forever since I've played with Tella!"

A shadow covered his eyes. His mind was calm; he had never seen the world so clearly before. On shaky legs, he stood up and grabbed her hand, but he didn't teleport away. Instead, he led her towards the lever he was eyeing earlier.

"You'll play with her soon," he said quietly. "Soon, you'll be one with her…playing for eternity."

With that, he pulled the lever before disappearing. Typhon didn't even have time to question what was happening before she found herself trapped. Walls of stone appeared above and around her, leaving her alone by the water bank.

"Flue?" she called out, perturbed. "You know, it's not nice to leave me alone while we're having a playdate! That's a sin, and…Wh-what's going on?!"

The water had begun to rise.

As the freezing liquid pooled around her ankles, Typhon began to panic. Where did Flue go? Why was she left here? Wasn't this supposed to just be a fun outing?

"N-not funny, Flue," she whimpered as the water splashed around her knees. "I d-don't like the water…C-can you take me back to Mommy now?"

Actually, where was Mommy? Mommy was lazy, but she always saved Typhon whenever the little girl got in trouble. Mommy was probably right outside these walls at this very moment. She'd break them down, and then they'd go visit Tella!

The water reached her stomach, and Typhon shivered. Why wasn't Mommy breaking down the wall? Why hadn't Flue come back? She didn't want to be alone, and it was getting really cold, and she didn't know how to swim, and she didn't know where Flue went or why Mommy wasn't here and she was so scared and she—

She couldn't breathe.

In her stone prison, Typhon's entire body was submerged. She pounded against the ceiling and walls, but she couldn't break through. She couldn't use Divine Retribution since there weren't any sins to judge. She was trapped and alone and terrified.

Mommy was supposed to be right behind her. Mommy had lied. Mommy was a sinner.

Flue had abandoned her. Flue had known this would happen. Flue had left her to die. Flue needed to be punished.

Flue deserved to die.

She opened her mouth to scream, causing water to fill her lungs. Her last thoughts before losing consciousness were that too many sinners roamed free, and that she was a failure.

Directly outside of her would-be tomb, Subaru sat with his back against the stone walls and wept. He heard her banging on the walls and her muffled pleas for help. He tried to drown it out by covering his ears and shutting his eyes, but it was forever burned into his memory.

Then…it stopped.

No more screaming.

No more banging on the walls.

No more pleas to live another day.

Typhon, a mere child, had perished at his hands.

"I'm sorry, Typhon…This was the only way."

With empty eyes and a heart devoid of hope, Subaru vanished.


Light, soundless footsteps trod through the empty city. The moonlight reflected off the water, giving off an eerie glow. A beautiful woman of white and black idly admired her surroundings, taking in more information with a single glance than anyone else could in a lifetime of study.

"My, how you've grown," she said aloud. "I would claim I'm surprised, but I didn't need the Book of Wisdom to tell me that."

His eyes, and the hidden power they revealed, were more than enough to tell her all she knew.

Echidna, now fully recovered from her battle with Hector, abruptly stopped at a seemingly random part of a side street. She closed her eyes and let a small smile spread across her lips. "Ah, if only this desperation were guided towards me…Such a shame that it's wasted on that half-elf whore."

The mere thought of Satella was enough to ruin her good mood. That slut destroyed Echidna's best attempt at immortality, yet she thought she was worthy of the Sage? Pathetic. Echidna looked forward to the day where she could finally let go of her feelings and hate that disgusting harlot.

Yes, she was aware of who the Sorceress and the Sage were, and how they were meant to be together across all worldlines. Her Book of Wisdom was all-knowing, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

She brought her thoughts back on track and gazed at what only she could see. "You were always…cute," she conceded to the lingering soul. "The loathing gifted to you is quite lovely, Typhon. It may not be enough to fulfill my Greed, but…it's something."

She closed her black eyes as she pondered. "I wonder…how much will you remember? You have not strayed far from your Sin, so you should remember most everything." Her smile returned as she recalled something interesting. "Minerva, on the other hand, has regressed multiple years. Some days, she doesn't remember the name of her own son, or that she even had one. She just knows that she murdered the one most precious to her. I would tell her the truth, but I've never been able to observe a grieving mother for an extended period of time. What will the weight of such a thing do to her psyche, especially when she must live with it for an eternity? Will she ever truly accept it, or even acknowledge it? How will her behavior differ on the days she remembers compared to when she doesn't? Will she ever move past it? Truly, the possibilities are endless and wonderful.

"And then there is Calypso…Such a powerful soul. It makes sense, what with the Witch Factor of Envy holding dominion over souls, but it was still irritating to learn that I couldn't absorb her. I suppose I'll have to be satisfied with just the six of us.

"As for Daphne…She has completely rejected her Sin, relying fully on her love for her family to survive. So, when she witnesses her father's rejection of her love…Why, I'd be surprised if she even remembers anything after her inevitable passing, let alone retain her sanity. How unfortunate."

She opened her eyes and focused on the soul before her. "My apologies for digressing. It is time, Typhon. Come spend an eternity with me…I cannot wait to have a tea party with you."

With that, the Witch of Greed touched the blue pyroxene crystal on her necklace. Typhon's soul jumped into it with all the exuberance of a child, causing Echidna to let out a chuckle. "It is not true fulfillment, but it still feels nice." She looked off into the distance with a contemplative expression. "Perhaps it will feel even better when your 'mother' joins us."

She tilted her head back and gazed at the silver crescent hanging in the sky. It was as beautiful as the day she had first looked upon those eyes. "These last few days must have been quite interesting for you," she murmured. She wasn't speaking to Typhon anymore. "Will you regret your actions? Will you learn from this experience? Will the pain stay with your soul? Or will you move on?"

A moment passed as she realized something. "…Hm. It may be decades, or even centuries from now, but it's quite possible…Yes, I do believe that the me inside the crystal will allow you to take the Trials, and if so…"

She placed a hand over her fluttering heart. "Call it a maiden's instinct, but it almost feels like you're watching over me…Subaru Natsuki."

With that, she disappeared, feeling lighter than she ever had before.


Volcanica, the Divine Dragon. An all-powerful being sent from the heavens to enact judgment upon the wicked. It was the greatest of the great, the mightiest of the mighty. It was a force of nature worshipped by millions as their god, and rightfully so.

Volcanica, the Divine Dragon…fled from battle with its tail between its legs. For the first time in its eternal life, it felt like a failure.

'Seven days,' it thought. 'The Witch of Sloth must perish within seven days, or Satella shalt wither away.'

But Sekhmet was too powerful. Volcanica couldn't defeat her alone. Beaten and bloody, it tore through the fabric of space and time in an attempt to get to safety.

It didn't go back to the Sage, of course; he would have finished disposing of the Witch of Pride and would be resuming his search for the Witch of Lust. As such, Volcanica went beyond.

Beyond Lugunica and its bordering nations. Beyond the void of the Great Waterfall. Beyond the stars, and the universe itself. With an earth-shattering roar that was heard by every soul, living or dead, Volcanica went to the land of gods: the Corridor of Memories.

The Divine Dragon landed on the marble floor, its ivory talons clicking as it did so. Its boiling blood burst from its myriad of wounds, blaspheming the sacred hall. Any other day, he would have cleaned up after himself without any hesitation. However, he only had seven days, and he couldn't afford to waste a single second.

It traversed the pure-white hallway for what felt like an eternity. Then, at long last, the bright light encompassed the dragon's entire vision and overwhelmed its senses, taking him to a realm within a realm.

This was the dwelling of the Original Spirit, the Od Laguna.

It was not a physical place, as nothing could be touched, smelled, or even seen. No sound passed through, and no sustenance was needed. A mortal would have gone insane at the sudden sensory deprivation; then again, what mortal would ever be allowed to witness the glory of God?

Volcanica bowed its head to the Od Laguna, even though it didn't have a head anymore. Without making a single sound, it said, "Mineself cometh before thy holy presence as a humbled being. Mineself art defeated, for mine awesome power is insignificant in the face of mine invincible foe."

The Divine Consciousness, the King of Kings, gazed down upon the injured Volcanica with compassion and protective instinct, like a lion watching over an injured lamb that was simply too pitiful to eat. The Od Laguna did not love and loathe like a human, as those were merely terms used to describe its power. However, it favored certain beings, and the Divine Dragon was one of them.

Had it a throat, Volcanica might have gulped as it swallowed its pride. "Mineself…must ask thee for aid. Mineself cannot let the Sorceress perish."

It knew that the Sorceress would reincarnate—the Od Laguna couldn't live without the one it loved most. Even the Sage would reincarnate despite possessing Witch Factors, as that power belonged to him.

And yet…if Satella died while possessing only half of her soul, what would happen to her? What would happen to the world at large? What would happen to Volcanica, who owed her the greatest possible debt?

It needed to save her. It would do anything for her.

"Prithee, oh Greatest of Spirits, grantest me strength! Take what thou must from mineself so that mineself can strike judgment upon the Witch of Sloth!"

The Od Laguna heard that cry, and it could not ignore such earnest desperation. With no corporeal form to speak of, it pressed a gentle kiss onto one of Volcanica's scales, removing it from reality. The Spirit raised the scale high and filled it with its love, amplifying it a million times over and spreading a holy message across the land.

As one, hundreds of dragons raised their heads and looked towards the horizon. They heard that call, and they would not dare refuse to answer it. Fire lit the sky as the strongest army to have ever existed was formed at the behest of the Od Laguna and the Divine Dragon. Draconic wingbeats drowned out all other sounds as they flew in formation towards the Great Waterfall.

The sky was a cacophony of blacks, browns, greens, and reds. At the center of it all, leading the charge, was a brilliant blue figure filled with limitless determination. A single scale was missing from the underside of its maw, but being deformed was a minuscule price to pay for the defeat of a Witch.

There, resting just above the Great Waterfall, was that nasty pile of magenta and black. Fire and mana raced towards Sekhmet from a hundred maws, causing her to let out a sigh. The entire right flank of dragons, numbering two-hundred and seventy-six strong, were shot out of the air by seemingly nothing. Some were crushed into mangled balls of flesh, some were decapitated or sliced in half, and some were simply pierced as if by a sharpened siege weapon.

She didn't even move.

Now with more space, the dragons mixed up their flight pattern, diving and rising with the tides of the air. One by one, Sekhmet shot out a Hand, killing one of the mighty beasts. She easily decimated the dragons, but they were approaching at dangerous speeds. Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred more fell to the Unseen Hand, but more kept coming…and eventually reached her. A brown dragon tackled her and tried to breathe fire onto her face, but she shoved it off with a sigh. A dozen more swiped at her, leaving her cut in numerous places, but she was otherwise okay. She batted them away, but not easily. She breathed heavily, no longer able to simply sigh away the pain.

Suddenly, their little tussle felt a lot less exciting. Now, it was simply unfair.

After a minute, the battle ceased. Ten dragons—the strongest and largest of them all—circled her with rage in their hearts.

They were the last of their kind.

Volcanica directed its furious golden eyes at her. "'Tis over, Witch of Sloth. Divine Retribution shalt be enacted unto thy soul."

She panted with exhaustion but managed to raise her eyes somewhat. "You're really…haah…persistent…haah…Can't even let a girl get some beauty sleep…haah…"

A silver-blooded dragon pinned her down with his claws. "Silence thyself," it demanded. "Thou art on the verge of oblivion. Hast thou any words of parting?"

A small smile spread across her lips. She let out a sigh…and bopped the dragon on the nose with an Unseen Hand. It reeled back with a roar, humiliated. The other dragons quickly took its place and pinned her down, but Sekhmet didn't care.

"So noisy…haah…I won't have any last words so long as I have to take care of Typhon…haah…"

A deep rumbling filled the air. It took her a moment, but, eventually, she recognized the foreign sound to be…laughter?

If Volcanica had a mouth, it would have smirked. "Dost air passeth betwixt thine ears? How foolish art thou to makest thy purpose a calamity?"

Sekhmet's eyes widened. Surely, it couldn't be saying—

"Judgment wilt always be delivered unto the wicked. The Witch of Pride has fallen so that Satella may rise."

He couldn't say more. Sekhmet had pierced through its missing scale and torn its head off.

Seeing their leader maimed, the other dragons were whipped into a frenzy but were swiftly decimated. Sekhmet stood tall for the first time in living memory, gazing dispassionately at the mutilated corpses surrounding her. She couldn't find it in herself to feel anger, pity, or even grief for what was lost. She simply felt…empty.

When one loses their reason to live, common sense dictates that you keep on living until you find another reason. Witches, however, often didn't have common sense.

With her head held high, Sekhmet strode forward and fulfilled her only remaining purpose. Feeling heavier than she ever had before, she stepped off the Great Waterfall, becoming one with the infinite nothingness below.

What a wretched, slothful existence.

A second passed, then a minute, and even an hour. The Witch Factor of Sloth had long since returned to the Sage. All that remained was the stench of decaying flesh. Silence reigned as the world itself mourned the dragons and their passing.

Then, as if she were always there, a platinum-haired woman appeared. Her bare feet waded through the red-tinted water, but she didn't bother to look into the void, nor did she contemplate what laid beyond it—she already knew. Instead, her glistening sapphire eyes gazed at the carnage before her as she tried not to break down.

She wasn't grieving the deaths, as she had witnessed this exact scene thousands of times. Besides, death no longer held meaning to someone like her.

What bothered her was that she had no idea what to do.

"I-I don't…Who…Which of you…d-did I bring back last time? I don't…remember."

She didn't smile since there was no one around to fool. She didn't cry; not yet, at least.

In a complete contradiction to her typical, placid mask, Pandora hyperventilated until she felt light-headed.

"Y-you, I have to revive, right?" she asked herself, pointing at Volcanica's headless corpse. "This worldline is so c-close to my fulfillment, so I should keep it on track, but…the rest of you…"

She looked at the other dragons as she tried her best to remember what impact they would have, but she was still mostly human. After millions of years, she simply couldn't retain the massive amount of information contained within her mind. She absolutely refused to lose even a single memory of the people she loved most, but that came at a cost. A large amount of worldlines consisted of her saying and doing the exact same thing—she simply didn't remember trying it before. So, upon failing, she would destroy that world…and create the exact same one, changing nothing of importance. She would live a millennium, feeling only déjà vu as she repeatedly failed.

Now, because of her stupidity, she risked yet another thousand years of pointless isolation and despair.

She kneeled before one of the fallen dragons—its name started with a "Val," she was fairly certain—and wracked her miniscule brain for answers. Was it important to this worldline? Did it affect history? Of course, it did, but was it in the way she wanted? Would it change the political landscape she was trying to cultivate? What if she brought it back but sent it away, thus leaving history unaltered but giving her a potential ally?

Her thoughts raced as she considered all the important players in the events to come. Would saving this dragon change things too much? Would it be a problem if it changed too much? One of these dragons would destroy an incarnation of the Oni God in a hundred years, but she didn't remember which one.

…No, she did remember! It was Falgar, the silver-blooded dragon! After all, she had watched that battle in numerous worldlines. With firm resolve, she approached the deceased Falgar, and—

"Don't even think about it, you stupid whore! You'll just fuck everything up!"

She flinched back as uncertainty filled her. With her heart pounding in her ears, she scratched roughly at her arm. "N-no, I'm wrong, aren't I? Useless…Stupid…I-I can't…"

She couldn't do anything but fail.

"I-I need…I need your help, H-Hector!"

…But nobody came. Even if Hector weren't sealed, he wouldn't be of any assistance. He had lost his will to live millennia ago, and his sanity had followed. He simply followed orders, even as he begged for death. He hated her for keeping him alive, but she couldn't let go of the past.

In truth, Pandora was completely and utterly alone.

Crafting her own plans was a laughable concept. An empty-headed brat like herself needed to rely on trial and error, meaning she had to remember what happened in previous worldlines.

She couldn't rely on her memory. She would just be wrong. She would ruin everything yet again.

She bit down on her bottom lip, drawing blood. Maybe she should just erase this worldline and try again. She could easily set up these conditions again.

Except…she wouldn't. She remembered those strong arms around her, along with the warmth and security they brought. She remembered his gentle, loving words, and how he just wanted to save her.

She would see this worldline to the end, no matter what. She knew that those feelings were always in his soul, but rarely did he embrace his desperation enough to allow them to rise to the surface. Even if he hated her, it was obvious that he was still in there. He had promised to always treasure her, and his soul—his beautiful, wonderful soul—kept that promise.

Finally, he would remember her. Finally, he would accept her. Finally, he would be hers. Finally, he would love her.

Finally, he would kill her…for good.

…There she was, digressing like an absent-minded freak again. She came here for a specific task but had instead wasted so much time drowning in pointless self-pity.

She wiped her eyes with her uniform's flimsy fabric. She hated that thing, but being reminded of her origins was one of the few things grounding her to a mockery of sanity.

That…and love.

She remembered the Sage whispering in her ear that it was okay and that he'd always protect her. She meant everything to him, and he meant everything to her. He saved her and taught her how to love, even if she didn't believe him when he said that her methods of showing it were wrong.

And then…the Sorceress. The kindest, most generous, most beautiful woman she had ever met. She loved and admired that incredible person with every fiber of her being.

"…I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

Every time she lost herself in memories, she became woefully inefficient. She needed a clear head if she were ever going to reach her goal.

She closed her hand into a fist, crushing her skull and imploding her brain, killing herself instantly. Like a phoenix, she stood before the fallen dragon once more, this time with a soft smile adorning her lips.

"There we go," she murmured. "How childish of me, calling for Hector in such a pitiable manner. I will not make the same mistake again."

She looked at one of the dragons with empty, glassy eyes. "I remember now. Valgren, was it? You were instrumental in the demi-human war. Rise, child, and live to fight another day."

With that, she opened her connection to the Od Laguna. Valgren's soul was still being cleansed, but it could be brought back. She gave a simple request to the Original Spirit; a moment later, she held the soul in her hands.

Using magic known only to a select few, Pandora began the tedious process of reconstructing the dragon's body. It was far from a perfect job—no one was as competent in these matters as her princess was—but it fit her needs just fine.

When Valgren's body was again suitable for life, she placed its soul in there, knowing full well that it was not the Valgren of a few hours ago. It shuddered, roared, and wailed, but it did not speak. It thrashed about, unable to verbally express its torment.

Pandora wrapped her arms around its neck and shushed it, mimicking how her princess would calm her down from a nightmare. "Breathe," she whispered to the gargantuan beast. "Do it with me. In, out. There we go. There is nothing to fear. You're safe now. He…she can't hurt you anymore."

She refrained from speaking the last three words. They were too precious to her.

It took some time, but it eventually calmed down. It still didn't speak, but that was expected.

"Travel to the mountains," she instructed. "Await the Sin Archbishop of Pride."

'I wonder…Will that be Stride, or…Hm, well, I suppose there's no reason to change that.'

She performed the same ritual with three more dragons who were then sent on their merry way. Another had its blood collected from its still-beating heart, and that was sent to the Royal Family. Finally, she stood before Volcanica, admiring its glittering scales. The color was similar to the one she had chosen for her own eyes, making her feel secure.

She shook off the remnants of those useless emotions before taking Volcanica's soul from the Od Laguna. Once it was fully revived, she stood back and admired her handywork. She began to give her instructions but found herself interrupted.

"Satella," it rumbled, slowly. "Free her…from sorrow."

"…Ah. So, you are still sapient."

Part of her wanted to attribute Volcanica's continued speech to her getting better at healing magic, but she doubted that was the case. Volcanica was simply too powerful to let something like death stop it from achieving its goals.

"Return to the Sage," she ordered with a serene smile. "Bow to his will."

"Sorrow…Save…Satella…"

"Let the Sorceress and the Sage fall into desperation before bringing them joy unlike any other."

"Joy," it echoed. "Let them…Let them falleth into desperation…before bequeathing happiness…unto them."

Pandora's smile widened. "Magnificent…You're truly a being after my own heart."

"…Savest…thee…too…"

She jolted at those words, looking at Volcanica in shock. The once-great dragon was gazing at her, lucidly and intently.

"Savest thee," it repeated. "May the Sage freeth thee from thy torment. May the Od Laguna grantest thee everlasting fulfillment."

Pandora blinked. Then, she blinked again. "Y-you must be mistaken," she said, her smile wavering. "I am not the Sorceress."

Volcanica inched closer, its breath enveloping her in steam. "Thou art…Pandora. Thou art…the Od Laguna's most favored being. Thou may be…a Witch…but thy soul is loved."

For a moment, all was silent. Then, a sickening "crack" filled the air, followed by a squelching sound. Pandora had snapped off one of her ribs and used it to stab herself in the heart.

She walked up to Volcanica with a calm smile, making sure that the dragon didn't remember her suicide. "You are mistaken," she murmured. "No one loves me…not anymore, at least."

She placed a glowing hand on its jaw, stroking it gently. "Forget what you know, my child. To you, I am a Witch…and nothing more."

The less people that knew of her existence, the better. Her task was complicated enough without dealing with infamy.

She sent the Divine Dragon on its way. Then, without turning around, she called out, "I see that Sekhmet's soul has already been collected. You're certainly prompt, Echidna."

In response, a voice whispered through the wind. "So, you can see me, despite appearing in soul only…How interesting. You truly know how to toy with a maiden's heart."

The air shimmered, and a woman of white and black appeared. Admiration and adoration exuded from her entire being. "So, even Volcanica can sense who you are. Such a powerful presence…Had I not chosen Subaru Natsuki to be the one for me, I might have pursued you."

A giggle escaped Pandora. "Surely, you know that you have no chance with me."

"One does not need the Book of Wisdom to see that."

"Yet you relentlessly pursue my treasured one, despite knowing that his heart belongs to another."

"You of all people know that acting against the inevitable is addicting."

As expected, neither gained any ground with the other. It was nigh-impossible to sway one who had been corrupted by a Witch Factor.

Pandora kept that same smile on her face. "To struggle futilely, despite knowing victory is unobtainable…Vainglory, indeed."

Echidna smirked. "To seek love, despite knowing you're incapable of such a thing…How greedy of you."

Without warning, she froze, and not of her own volition. Pandora didn't move but was suddenly in front of her. An ice-cold hand wrapped around her neck, as a dark essence crawled under her skin.

"You really are quite stupid," the Witch of Vainglory mocked, taking great pleasure in the blatant fear in Echidna's eyes. "Saying such a thing to me…Do you have no regard for your life?"

Then, in a flat voice, Pandora intoned, "Goa."

Flames erupted all over Echidna's body, but she couldn't scream. She felt her skin being peeled off as her muscles turned to boiling-hot liquid. Her bones turned charred and black, and her blood began to evaporate.

"Lo Huma."

Ice encased her entire body, quenching the flames but leaving her permanently disfigured. She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. She tried to scream but wasn't allowed to. A hand tugged on her hair, lifting her off the ground and throwing her to the edge of the Great Waterfall. She clawed at the water-turned-blood, but she was soon blasted away. She tumbled over the edge of nothingness but managed to grab onto the slippery stone. Only a few fingers separated her life from oblivion. She tried to use magic to raise herself up, but she didn't even have a gate.

The Witch of Greed had spent decades studying magic, but that was nothing against a being such as Pandora.

For the first time in her life, Echidna panicked.

A foot came down and stomped on her hand, crushing her knucklebones. With an empty smile and a teasing tone, Pandora said, "I don't think you understand the situation we're in. You are working towards my desired future. Non-compliance results in—well, I'm sure you remember."

Echidna remembered Hector indeed. She had made sure to hide Satella's scars very carefully after that.

Then, as tranquilly as ever, Pandora intoned, "Fura."

One of Echidna's fingers was chopped off. She wasn't permitted to scream in pain.

"That was for my treasured one. He still feels pain to this day, but there's no payoff. He can't seek happiness from it, nor can he heal. He just hurts."

Another finger was cleanly removed with only a thought. "That was for my princess. I don't know how many worldlines we need to discuss this, but you did not need a decade to split the Sorceress's soul. It could have been completed in a single night, but you wanted to observe her, experiment on her. You could have kept her there, waited for my treasured one to arrive, and then perform your assigned duty…but you didn't. You tortured her."

Two fingers remained. Pandora gazed at them curiously, deciding which one to dismember next. Nodding to herself, she raised her heel high and shattered the bones in Echidna's middle finger. Her foot seemed to weigh more than an entire house.

One finger remained, but Echidna understood that it wasn't holding her up; her meager physical frame wouldn't allow it. No, it was the deity before her that was allowing her to live.

'How gracious,' she thought bitterly.

Immobile, defenseless, and defeated, Echidna could do nothing but watch as Pandora prolonged her demise.

"But there's one thing I hate you for the most," the platinum-haired woman said softly, almost inaudibly. Her characteristic detachment broke for a fleeting moment as countless worldlines flashed before her eyes.

"You murdered my mother."

Pandora's entire body began to give off an ethereal glow. Her hair lit up like a halo as power flowed from her in waves. In an echoing voice devoid of emotion, she spoke:

"Die."

Echidna's hand disappeared. Perhaps she hadn't had one to begin with. Bereft of anything to grip with, she fell and became one with oblivion.

No sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch could be experienced on this plane of existence. There was thought, but nothing to think about. There was fear, but nothing to fear. There was nothing to learn, nothing to do. She simply was…until she wasn't.

Dead. She was dead, wasn't she? Was this what it felt like to be dead? Alone and isolated, bereft of the senses, falling for eternity…

She was so…powerless. Weak. Useless.

An eternity. Her soul wandered in the void for an eternity. Her mind was adrift in an ocean of darkness, forever trying to reach for thoughts she could not think. Was she dead? She didn't know. She couldn't speak, couldn't think, couldn't do magic, couldn't even move. There was nothing to move. At that point, she wasn't even sure if she existed anymore.

There was nothing left to do but give up.

All at once, her senses were overloaded as she returned to the world of the living. Her mind worked on overdrive as the air itself burned her skin. Her heart pumped blood that she hadn't had mere seconds prior.

Her skin wasn't charred. Her limbs were intact.

An ice-cold hand was wrapped around her neck. She was still at the mercy of Pandora.

Even though she was now permitted to speak, she only managed to mutter a meager, "Wh-what…guh…"

Pandora smirked. "What was that? I'm afraid you'll have to speak up."

"Wh-what…j-just happened?"

Echidna had never felt so pathetic.

Pandora's thin fingers tightened ever-so-slightly, nearly cutting off Echidna's circulation. "Why, what could you possibly be talking about?"

"Void…Flames…"

"Whatever do you mean? It's just been us standing here this entire time. Perhaps your eyes were deceiving you." Pandora brought their faces closer together, admiring how Echidna's was blue from the lack of oxygen. "Though, I should make something clear. The people I love most are forgiven for their ignorance, but you? Your Book of Wisdom has shown you the truth, yet you dared to insinuate that what I once had was false."

Pandora's eyes narrowed to slits as her serene demeanor disappeared. "One more time, and what you just faced won't be a delusion."

She dropped the Witch of Greed unceremoniously to the floor, watching with mild interest as the white-haired woman gasped for breath. She then looked to the horizon as her serene demeanor returned. "Oh, dear. Look at how much time has passed. It seems my treasured one only has five days left. Isn't it magnificent? The love, the dedication, the desperation…If you thought it was interesting before, then it will be nothing compared to when he comes to kill you."

With that, she disappeared, leaving a terrified, humbled, and broken woman behind.