A/N: First, I'd like to start this note off by saying we've officially reached 1 million words! I have no idea how I did it, but thank you all for sticking around for this long. I hope the journey has been worth it.
Also, as a warning, this chapter contains heavy spoilers for the Kasaneru (Greed) IF
Blu-Ray Special (LN). I do highly recommend reading it before you read this if you don't want to be utterly spoiled on it. I know some of the contents in this chapter might make you go "Huh?" when it comes to the lore, but I will leave a separate note at the end of this chapter to address that.
Thank you, and please enjoy!
Chapter 142 Deeper Than the Holler
Trudging through knee-deep snow, YN approached the rocky clearing to where the Tomb lied. To his surprise however, there was a large gathering of people huddled up right at the opening of the stone structure.
Carefully climbing the snow covered steps to avoid dropping Ram, YN startled those who were there as he approached. Interestingly enough, this gathering of people were the inhabitants of Sanctuary. With torches brought near them for warmth, and all huddled under blanks or coats for warmth, they all were awaiting Emilia's emergence from the Tomb.
Coming to the front of the gathering, the on-duty Ryuzu with her staff of crystals approached YN.
Briefly, the two spoke. YN learned that Emilia had passed her second Trial, and was still partaking on her Third.
YN: I'm not out of time then!
About to enter the Tomb himself, YN stopped dead right before he was set to enter the threshold.
Shit, Ram!
Turning back around, YN knelt down to Ryuzu's level to speak to her again.
YN: Ryuzu-san, I'm sorry, I need to ask a selfish request of you.
Tilting her pink haired head to, she silently asked what it was.
YN: I have to take my Third Trial too. Please, watch over Ram while I go inside.
Nodding to his request, YN in response gently placed Ram on the ground, leaning against the Tomb.
YN: Ehh...
Exposed to the cold like this, YN knew he couldn't let Ram stay here like this. She'd freeze.
Especially with all those holes in her clothes still...
While the wounds on her body had closed, the blood stained rips in her clothes remained. Ram's maid uniform, exactly like how Rem's was, was borderline risqué in its use of a shoulderless design, its short skirt, and backless torso. Least to say, without the holes covering it, this was already far from appropriate for the conditions.
About to ask if perhaps there was an extra blanket he could barrow, a familiar voice called out to him.
Ryuzu: Y-Bo.
With short pacing of her footsteps, the little elf girl approached them both with two pieces of fabric draped over each arm, one brown, one black, that were both larger than even herself. Holding them both high above her head to keep them from dragging in the snow, she handed them to YN.
Ryuzu: Emilia-sama asked me to retrieve these from yours and Ram's quarters... Said you both might want them if things continued to get cold...
Happy beyond belief at the timing of this, YN graciously accepted his two familiar articles of clothing.
YN: Thank you... Emilia-sama...
Thinking of the silver-haired girl's kindness, while it was great in size, it couldn't ever eclipse one other person in YN's heart, —one who happened to be the creator of one of these articles of clothing.
YN: —and thank you too, Ryuzu-san.
Holding her hands up, a weak expression crossed her face.
Ryuzu: Ah, ah... Think nothing if it...
In this cold, YN set about taking the black piece of fabric, the jacket that had once belonged to him and now had its ownership conferred to Ram, be gently helped into her person. Helping her arms into the jacket's sleeve, YN zipped the coat up.
The brown piece of fabric, the article meant to replace the prior, YN went drap over the rest of Ram like a blanket, but before he did, he stopped. Catching his eye, was the "label" on his cloak of brown, added in like a tag on modern clothing.
"Made by Rem, for her YN-kun."
Reading these words, he couldn't help but steal a glimpse again at Ram, still asleep with his jacket on, leaning against the Tomb as she was.
Smiling at both the words, and Ram, YN tucked the cloak in and around her to act like a supplementary blanket.
Standing again, YN looked into the dark opening of the Tomb, and tried to steel his nerves.
I have to do this... For Rem, and for Ram!
Taking his first step in, he left Ram in the care of Ryuzu, and set about trying to take his Third Trial.
I don't have much time left, so hopefully I still have a chance.
Further inside, YN approached the dilapidated set of double doors, and entered inside.
YN: Just like before...
There, on the floor, in a room lit up with a pale blue light, was the half-elf in the midst of her Trial.
And to YN's great luck, the second be stepped into the same room—
YN: —Woah...
Dizzy and tired feeling, he caught himself on the nearby wall, just so wouldn't accidentally fall over Emilia.
Smiling at this feeling through, he knew what it meant.
YN: The Trial... Finally... I... I—
Slumped against the wall, he fell to his rear and sat propped up against it as his vision turned dark.
YN: —I snuck in...
All of his consciousness robbed from him, YN began his Third and final Trial.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
An air of weightlessness prevailed over his senses, and what he felt now, was not unlike his times spent after dying, drifting through a "void" of sorts.
Am... am I in the Trial now?
Aware of what was going on, YN gulped in anticipation at this. Was it going to be like last time when Echidna was displeased with his own self-awareness in the first Trial and fail him for it?
I know all she said was I had to 'attempt' this one, but considering she's the proctor, she might decide I had 'never even tried' or something else dumb...
Knowing the Witch had a bias against him already, YN wasn't given long to dwell on that possibility as things began to change for him
YN: —Woah!
All around him, a field of stars, like he was looking up into a vibrant night-time sky appeared from out of the pitch blackness surrounding him.
And looking down below him.
It's like I'm standing on water...
What appeared to be a calm ocean, ever so gently rocking, was almost glass-like in it's near-impossible stillness. Reflecting the light of the stars above it, it seemed the stage was set for YN's Trial to begin.
And so ever, did it.
As a silence filled the atmosphere around him, a faint, faint *Hum* could be heard. Almost akin to someone turning on a microphone at a loud volume but not speaking, —yet, at least, this noise persisted for another few seconds until—
"—YN-kun has suffered so much in Rem's absence, hasn't he?"
Alarmed at the voice, immediately, YN's head spun like a top, looking all around him for the source of a voice so angelic in nature, he could scarcely believe he was hearing it now.
YN: Rem... Rem! —Rem?!
Looking out for the faintest clue of any kind to where she was, YN continued to holler out in search.
YN: Rem?! Rem, where are you?!
Still, with her voice being sounded out, she was no where to be seen.
YN: Rem! Can you hear—?!
"—Ojii-san! Gimmie a boost!"
All of sudden—
YN: —Huh?
Another, also familiar voice was broadcasted out loud for him to hear.
Looking around still, YN scratched the top of his head.
YN: Was that... Garfiel's voice?
Almost certain that's who was speaking out, to what YN was certain was him too, something else stood out to the groundskeeper too.
YN: Maybe Rem has said that to me before... But has Garf ever said what I'm pretty sure was him, saying that?
Trying to recall when that ever had been said, YN knew Garfiel's new nickname for him, "Oji-san," was something he had only ever said in this Loop, and only a few times.
Yet, before YN could really put his brain to it all, and what it meant, another voice cut those thoughts off.
"Anomaly."
YN: Huh?
Unable to ascertain who's voice this was now, the nature of this, what had to be the Trial, further complexed YN's understanding of it all even more.
"Anooooomoly."
YN: —That one was Roswaal!
Immediately recognizing this one, just by how it was said alone, YN truly began to wonder what was going on, or who's voice had initially called him that.
Why are all these voices getting piped in here? And why are they saying such strange things?
Knowing he was lacking context with each spoken line, the groundskeeper couldn't make heads or tails of the significance of each echoed phrase.
And that trend, it seemed, was going to continue for a while now.
"—an anomaly. Strangeness. Out of place."
YN: Huh? Who was that?
A man's voice of unknown personhood echoed out next.
"—Even I won't eat an anomaly, tsu!"
A youthful voice, full of taunting endeavors, also unknown.
"—you worry us, YN-sama."
Was that Petra? Or Frederica?
Unsure, the voice was familiar.
"—Stand up!"
YN: Rem!? Again—?!
Immediately knowing her voice anywhere, YN's own shout was frowned out by more voices booming over his words.
"I cannot allow you to face him. It is my duty as a knight to handle this."
Another familiar voice was heard, one YN hadn't heard in a good long while.
As his mind rapidly tried to put a potential face to who each of these voices belonged to, he quickly became overwhelmed as they came in at more breakneck, near instantaneous intervals, almost to the point of overlapping one that had ended with the beginning of another.
"Why..? Why would you leave us like that?!"
"Oji-san... you feelin' okay?"
"Greed..."
"—slayer!"
"You're saying I know you?"
"How can you be the only one who remembers her?!"
"Master? And... Master?"
"—slayer?! Is he really here?! Now of all times?!"
"—To defeat Nee-sama with this beloved's own magic! How fitting! It's fitting, isn't it? Certainly, it's fitting! Fitting—!"
" —Right now... You're the only one who remembers me..."
"—why can't both Masters be nice like you are..."
"—after all, you are the one who slayed—"
"—Greed is a foe not even I have a good chance against."
"What are you doing in my lands?"
"—Don't die! You can't die! Not yet! What haven't you told me yet?!"
"The hero of the hour cometh."
"—You want to forgive her?! Do you not get that she's the reason you've suffered so much?!"
"—that Hero... was you?"
"—give up magic. Potential reached."
"—he brought it down from the sky! He killed it!"
"—to Greed... imagine what he's capable of!"
"Just where were you hiding that strength?"
"—Oi, you, prick. What's got ya huh?! You tryn' to hold my hand?"
"Just what... What were we?"
"—Turn the snow back into mana!"
"I'd do anything just to see you happy again."
"Stay alive!"
"What is dead, cannot die."
"—You... you are no longer you anymore, I suppose."
"—It can't wait anymore!"
"I'll agree to this contract on one condition."
"Your hair... And eyes..."
"You will not harm him!"
"—draw the sword. I permit it."
"I found you again!"
"—'Drums'? No... It's me—"
As the echoes of voices, —words of prophecy to futures YN knew nothing of, the stress and implications of them all was enough to drive anyone else to insanity much earlier. At his limit, YN collapsed to his knees and held his head, his brain pounding with pain.
YN: —GAH! —Stop it! I... I can't take it!
Admitting defeat, YN endured this Trial for as long as he could, but in the end—
?: —Failure.
A single voice, echoed out like the rest had been sounding all around him. However, for the first time, this voice actually was speaking to YN, at least in the here-and-now.
Opening his eyes, the pressure and pain on his skull from all this slowly withered away.
Before him still, was the starry night sky above, and the cool, glass-like water below him, reflecting the starscape above. As if floating above this water still, no wind caressed his face or blew his hair, and the temperature of this felt entirely lacking, as if it weren't a thing to be experienced in the first place.
Standing, he turned to his side where he saw it.
YN: Huh...
Around twenty or so paces from him, having not been there until now, was a small white table, a pair of chairs, and a dark umbrella shading the entire set-up. Though it was erected from the middle of the table, it cast no shadow of its own in this already twilight existence.
Upon the table laid a colorful assortment of confectionaries and a pot of still freshly brewed tea.
Paying all these food items no mind, YN's vision was entirely focused on this other entity, sat at said table, that had captured his attention before anything else had.
A certain Witch he desperately needed to talk to, and that alone was the entire reason YN had braved this harrowing last Trial.
Walking over nothing but air above water, YN took the single free chair that also obeyed the new floating statuesque, as did the table and the person before him too.
His chair pulled up, YN folded his hands on the tabletop in a way to show he wasn't trying to do anything nefarious with them out of this other person's sight.
As much as he disliked being so overtly kind to someone who routinely was antagonistic towards him, YN right now needed to get this woman, —this witch, to be cordial with him if he hoped to make any real lee-way in finding out more about Rem's condition.
Echidna: Well, you made good on your end of the deal. I was able to indulge in a bit of curiosity surrounding your future.
Perking up at the mention of such a topic, YN didn't really entirely understand Echidna at first.
YN: My 'future?' Are you saying those were all things I'll hear in the future? How is that even possible?
Echidna: It's the same principle as the Book of Wisdom. Just as it guides you towards a future, what you heard were snippets of potential futures. Not all may come to pass.
YN: I see...
A hand to his chin, YN thought more on this future prediction technology.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say it sounds like Echidna's Tomb almost functions like a big supercomputer...
Be it some kind of spirit-AI or magical-quantum computer, YN's thoughts weren't left to dwell on that for long, as Echidna interrupted his thoughts.
Echidna: I only have so much time before I need to go speak with the half-devil once she completes her own Trial, so speak the questions, —the ones you couldn't ask in front of Subaru. Go ahead.
Waving him to hurry up with a shake of her wrist, the Witch put on an air of disinterest to actually answering YN.
While he wanted to remind Echidna she too had half a deal to uphold, YN rather thought back and put himself in his own shoes, recalling the things he wanted to ask at the last time he knew he had to hold his tongue due to Subaru's presence.
And he knew exactly what the most important one to ask was.
YN: In the Loop where Subaru and I went back to the Mansion, the second one since this whole Sanctuary fiasco started... After I died, I still went to the White Room,
Echidna: —You mean Od Lagna.
YN: Yeah that. Anyway... Rem was there too. —I-I know beyond a shadow of doubt that was Rem! It wasn't like she was a figment of my imagination... What I don't know though... —is how did she end up there?
Running a hand through her white hair, Echidna answered YN without even making eye contact, being that disinterested.
Echidna: It sounds as if somehow, Rem's memories, her soul, her heart, have all been tossed into Od Lagna, specifically, to a place where 'held' memories are stored. After all, we are aware that's where your own memories go after you die and you await another chance.
YN: Do you think my memories end up there with nowhere else to go?
Finally making eye contact with YN as she went on, Echidna elaborated more, and as she did, a glint of curiosity grew in her dark eyes, as if she was becoming intrigued as the topic broadened.
Echidna: Perhaps, but I suspect it is the Witch of Envy choosing this location for a reason.
YN: How does that explain Rem being there too then? That Loop where I found her was the first and only death I've had since she was taken by Gluttony's authority where a long enough time passed between that and Subaru triggering his ability... So I get we don't really have a data-set to go off of... But even so, seeing if another death like that might enable me to see Rem again is off the table too.
Echidna: Yes, Subaru and you both must be successful this try or you'll both be in for a terrible time. That being said though—
Leaning forward on the table now, the Witch with a renewed curiosity was now engaging in this conversation much more attentively than she had started.
Echidna: If we consider for a moment that the Witch of Envy is responsible for placing your memories in Od Lagna, perhaps she's not the only person capable of such a feat. The only explanation for Rem's appearance there would be if Gluttony too has access to the space and placed her there.
YN: Why only would Rem be there though? Why not any of the other hundreds, if not thousands Gluttony has done the exact same thing to?
Leaning back to a more neutral sitting position, Echidna was reduced to a shrug.
Echidna: We unfortunately don't have any way of figuring that out at our current juncture. It could be as simple, —or complex, of a thing that it's your memories that also go there. We could speculate that your own and Rem's souls are just so intertwined, they're practically linked.
While that did sound painfully like what YN wanted it to be, Echidna backtracked slightly if only to curtail the effect her words might have on the anomaly.
Echidna: —Although, the Universe rarely lets two souls just be linked for things as petty as love. You usually need a much more worthwhile excuse, like how and why you and Subaru are linked.
At a dead-end seemingly when it came to that subject, YN readjusted how he sat in his seat and spoke a new question now, one that was tied for importance with his last one.
YN: Beyond understanding things I guess we can't speculate on... What would need to be done to wake Rem up? How would the Witch of Greed tackle go about solving that?
Folding his hands again on the table, YN spoke strictly with a serious tone as he leaned in slightly further.
But with a nonchalant reply, Echidna answered as if that solution wasn't obvious
Echidna: Simply do as Roswaal does. After all, that's his mission; to revive the me that dwells deeper in this Tomb.
YN: —?
At first confused by what she meant, YN leaned back in his chair, perplexed by how that could be done.
YN: Certainly you don't mean necromancy... I don't imagine there's magic like that in this world...
Wondering how it would be possible, YN could only surmise magic was the answer, and considering Roswaal was known for his ability as a magician...
Is he trying to learn resurrection magic?
Finding his assumption humorous, Echidna replied to his ignorance.
Echidna: I see that the legend revolving around the 'Sacrament of the Immortal King' has waned over time.
YN: Uhh... What does that mean?
Echidna: It means your idea of the situation is not far from the truth, but lacks the general understanding of it. The 'me' in this Tomb is not a pile of bones in some sarcophagus, despite what you may have been told. You certainly recall seeing the original Ryuzu Meyer, yes? Encased, but still preserved.
YN: In that huge mana-crystal? Yeah, of course I do. It let's her be the catalyst for the barrier or something along those lines, right?
Slightly annoyed by YN's description of it, Echidna shook her head.
Echidna: Have you learned nothing about the inner workings of my invention you've tried so hard to thwart? *Sigh.* You are correct though in your observation, as my real body is encased in very much the same fashion, slumbering.
Hearing of such a revelation, YN slowly turned his vision down towards the calm water below him, clearly reflecting his own image back at him as he did, table and chair and all else too.
YN: So... Roswaal's entire goal is to revive someone who's been asleep... Someone he's been waiting for four hundred years to awake?
Echidna: That's correct.
Flatly answering him, it was the Witch's inability to feel empathy that prevented her from putting the emotion in YN'a realization and Roswaal's situation to a comparison.
Roswaal and I... We're facing problems that are really similar...
Struck by this, YN clamored for more information.
YN: Roswaal's Gosp— Book of Wisdom told him he needs Emilia on the Throne... How's that related to him being able to revive you, if that's the true intent of the writing..?
To his words, Echidna smiled wryly.
Echidna: I don't seem to recall saying to you what the purpose of his Book of Wisdom would serve.
Thinking he'd again assumed something, the answer to such was vague.
Echidna: Regardless, the King —the Dragon Priestess has access to nearly any known and possessed miracle causing magic, namely, The Dragon's Blood.
The name of such a seemingly powerful fluid immediately held a weight of importance in YN's mind.
Echidna: Just as Roswaal is aiming to get a hold of it, I would suggest you do the same for Rem.
Still, YN seriously didn't expect it to be as simple as that.
YN: I'd really hope after all the effort it would take to get, it would actually work... not to mention I'd have to hope there's enough to share...
Holding a single finger up, the Witch precautioned YN as a teacher truly would.
Echidna: I must remind you though that Rem's condition is very different from my own. There may need to be other methods employed to undo the Authority of Gluttony.
YN: I... I see...
Without a concrete answer to be gained from the only source YN could think of to ask, he felt his heart sink.
It's never easy, is it?
In rare form though, the pain in YN's meek reply was apparent even to the Witch across from him.
Her hands on her hips as she still sat, Echidna shook her head as she replied.
Echidna: And now here you are making me feel bad for giving you such roundabout answers. Truthfully though, there really is nothing else I'm able to go off of in regards to a solution for your problem. What can you expect in exchange for failing a Trial though?
Not as if 'passing' would have even been an option for me though...
Recalling all the different voices again, and all of what they said, a faint glimmer of hope now existed in the cold ashes of YN's heart.
Echidna did say those were voices of the potential future... If I really do think of her Tomb's magic as a supercomputer or something along those lines... it saw at least one potential future where Rem is awake, or at least, speaking.
YN undoubtedly knew he heard Rem's voice, —her sweet, angelic words, spoken at least a few times amidst the bombardment of the echoing voices.
Echidna already said pretty much all there was to say about the Trial and it's voices though...
Figuring it was nigh useless to inquire more about a former subject, YN went right back to his 'negotiations stance' of folding his hands on the table and sitting upright.
YN: Maybe let's shift topics for questions now. How does Gluttony work?
Perking up at the broadness of the question, it was purely in the Witch's nature to inquire further as to what he meant.
Echidna: What in specific are you looking to understand?
Shaking his head, YN didn't figure he'd need to be so exact.
YN: I guess... I guess, how can it just 'undo' so many crucial people from existence? Even if they aren't famous or well known, certain people's lives have profound effects on society, or their existence can affect a ridiculous amount of other people's lives in major ways... Even if that's known to only one side of that, —o-or neither at all, how can a single Sin Archbishop hold such a power over not just one soul, but to anyone who dares to cross their path?
Truly, YN couldn't fathom how such a broken ability could exist and how it had not yet ended the world, let alone, how conditions could be aligned to let such a power manifest.
Echidna: That is just how strong a Witch Factor is in the hands of someone who is compatible with it.
YN: But how could a power so easily change what so many people remember happening? Like that night in the forest...
Echidna: Are you speaking about the incident you were involved in regarding the mabeasts?
Having delved into his memories before, Echidna was familiar with certain events already.
YN: Yeah... And it wasn't just the memories of all the villagers it changed, but also Ram's too...
Echidna: Again, that is well within the power one can reasonably expect from a Witch Factor.
Shaking his head, it was a hard thing for YN to acknowledge.
YN: Then in four hundred years... How hasn't the world totally been destroyed? Who could ever stand up to these powers..?
Crossing her legs under her long black dress, the Witch gave YN a slight look of discontent as she answered him.
Echidna: It nearly did. The Witch of Envy was the cause of that.
YN: I get that, but what about now? These Sin Archbishops seem to be on a totally different level...
Echidna: The 'Sin Archbishops' of today are no different than the Witch's of the yesteryear. They occupy the same position as being souls that are hosts to their respective Witch Factors.
YN: So we just need to wait for another Sage, Sword Saint, and Divine Dragon to team up to end them like they did the Witch of Envy?
Familiar with this only due to his reading of fairy tales on Rem's tutoring to make him literate, YN argued back.
Echidna: It is not cliché as you might imagine. In response to the Witch Factors, —Authorities, Od Lagna created the Divine Protections. The world seeks balance, should one become too powerful.
YN: Divine Protections came after Authorities...
Echidna: And Authorities came about as a way to rebel against the strings of fate, and to the will of those some might call the Observers.
Recalling that Priscilla had once used such a word, YN looked downward and shook his head.
YN: This is a lot to take in at one time... I feel like I'm being told the secrets of the universe...
Echidna: Perhaps we should return to simpler topics for your feeble mind?
The Witch never missed an opportunity, it seemed, to take a jab at YN, even if she was being much more lenient in this meeting. Not about to potentially throw that agreeable dynamic out of whack and ruin any chance he had to learn more though, the groundskeeper took the insult on the chin and thought of a new inquiry.
I remember Rem mentioning how she simply thought part of Gluttony's effect was that the world was changed in the way it was after her erasure so I could still have someone to be there for me... And she thought that 'someone' who was altered to play that role was Ram.
YN: In your opinion, could the Authority of Gluttony even change people's innermost emotions? —And I'm not talking about slightly, I mean a fundamental alteration to things that are a core to someone's entire identity and ambitions.
Perfectly describing what he viewed as Ram's change, Echidna raised an eyebrow to YN.
Echidna: It sounds like you mean someone in specific. Can you give me an example?
Taking a deep breath, YN briefly surmised the differences he had observed in Ram from before Rem's erasure, to after, and more recent ones.
YN: Ram went from being Rem's supporting sister who helped me win her over, to herself being infatuated with me. Why would she all of a sudden feel similar towards me in the way Rem did? It entirely defeated who she was before with her previous feelings... I understand that Gluttony' Authority is strong and its power is very wide sweeping, but out of everything else I've seen it take its effect on, this is by far the most finely turned. —It's completely personalized, unlike the effect on anyone else.
Echidna: ...Indeed. The replacement and subsequent effects specifically regarding her are far too acute and direct. You are right in noticing it is an anomaly compared to other results. —Much like yourself.
Going into a real deep thought, the Witch of Greed thought aloud.
Echidna: You had mentioned Ram felt a great conflicting emotion between you and Roswaal. That is itself a clue.
YN: How so?
Echidna: Despite how you just described Ram's new demeanor, when else has Gluttony's Authority left something so vague and without a clear conclusion? —Only this one time.
YN knew Echidna had a definite lead. These were now two things regarding Ram that were out of the ordinary for anyone else under the effect of the Authority altering their memories. Such a point could not be overlooked.
Echidna: It is clear something else influenced her after the Authority and its consequences went into effect. If we also take into account it does not seem unrelated to Rem, that further paints us a clearer picture.
Closing her eyes and nodding as she went on, the Witch crossed her arms.
Echidna: Not only are they twins, which may explain a connection between them, they are twins born to a race that normally condemns the existence of such. Least to say, they are a rather rare thing to begin with. It is in rarity that we find the unknown, —things yet to be discovered.
Speaking of course of her own curiosity, this prompted YN to speak up now.
YN: W-Wait. The twins possess an ability called Synesthesia. Rem described it to me once as something that lets them share basic thoughts or emotions. That couldn't be related, could—
Echidna: —That is exactly it.
Smiling wryly, Echidna opened her dark eyes again and smugly looked at YN, leaning back in her chair as she did, confident that her intellect had cracked the mystery.
Echidna: I can confidently say that if Rem's soul has somehow remained in Od Lagna, she has not been fully integrated into Gluttony like the other souls they've taken. That much is apparent. And there's a reason for it.
While that did sound like good news, YN was once bitten, twice shy from such happy coincidences in the past, and had at least come to view them skeptically.
YN: But why only Rem? Why hasn't anyone else Gluttony has used their Authority on?
Echidna: A soul is formed of the memories it has, and the name it is given under the stars. If Rem's soul is there in Od Lagna, there is a reason for that. It must be through those memories, —the emotions they provoke, that it remains there.
YN: In other words... There's something about Rem's emotions that make it so her soul couldn't be integrated into Gluttony...
Putting a hand to his chin, YN racked his mind trying to think what could cause that.
YN: I know she hated the Witch Cult... —Vehemently so. Could it be—?
Echidna: —Are you truly this dull?
YN: Huh?
Cutting off his words, Echidna looked not at YN with a look of disdain like he might have thought she would by now, but rather, she only shook her head and smiled.
Echidna: Think more on what it is Ram potentially feels for you. What emotion, like Rem's, could that be? —They are one in the same.
YN, in a moment of silence, spoke more after he thought for a moment.
YN: 'Infatuation?' No... Stronger... It's a stronger emotion than that even—
Knowing all of what Ram had said to him at certain points, as YN dwelled on that, Echidna eventually leaned forward, and impatiently told him of the answer.
Echidna: —Rem's strongest emotion! Her love!
YN: — — —
Being told, YN felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner.
The Witch across from him could see now just how dumb he felt by the slack jawed expression on his face.
YN: Her... Rem's love? Rem's love could be capable of all that?
Echidna: *Sigh* Yes. It is the only conclusion we can draw. That emotion of her's might be so strong it refuses to be silenced, and because of that, it's being manifested through Synesthesia, into Ram, influencing her innermost emotions.
YN: So that's the 'something else' that's been influencing Ram? It was Rem all along?
Echidna: If not Rem herself, it is merely her love. —Her love for you.
Leaning forward, Echidna spoke more seriously.
Echidna: Be it her intention to have Ram become closer to you, so she can in turn help you by manifesting her own emotions in her though Synesthesia, or it simply be a side effect of strong her love is, the fact that it is being communicated from Od Lagna is significant.
The Witch now held a single finger up, as if making a key point.
Echidna: So long as that connection of Rem's love remains between her and Ram via Synesthesia, that may prove to be the lifeline in keeping Rem's soul from being fully taken in by Gluttony. In other words—
Looking at YN as if she herself could not believe she was about to say it, Echidna sighed before summarizing what this all really meant.
Echidna: —Rem's love for you is so strong, it cannot be integrated into Gluttony. It is so powerful in fact, it is forcing the universe to make itself known to you, though Ram.
YN: — — —
Shocked and stunned silent, it was all YN could do but feel his cheeks slightly redden as small tears began to well up in his eyes. His soul felt warm, and a humbling emotion seemed to quell any worries he had right now.
YN: I... Wow. That's uhhh, deeper of an answer I would have ever considered... Especially one from you.
Wiping the small droplets from his eyes as he realized just how profound Rem's love for him was, he truly felt unworthy.
I really am the luckiest person ever if you consider just that...
Even as fate had kicked him down, YN was certain very few souls had ever had someone they themselves were enamored with return such profound likeness.
Still, Echidna was the Witch she was, and resting her elbow on the tea table, she supported her cheek as if bored, or more accurately, was lamenting such a lovey-dovey conclusion.
Echidna: I hope you know I'd never otherwise consider this answer as being remotely true, —that strong emotions alone could have such a profound effect on reality had it not been for the origin of her heritage.
Catching YN's curiosity now, he recomposed himself and asked if she meant what he thought she did.
YN: Do you mean the fact that she's an Oni? That her love is demonically inspired?
Repeating the words he had once noticed had such a profound effect on Rem, the Witch before him seemed to have an entirely different opinion on them.
Echidna: Ugh, spare me the sentimentalities, anomaly.
Waving away his lovesick assumption, Echidna sat up straight again.
Echidna: Certainly you've noticed thus far, but Oni are very stubborn in nature. That trait isn't something limited to only those two twins.
YN: I—, I Maybe I had begun to figure that...
Not wanting to put such undefined labels on them both, YN listened as Echidna went on.
Echidna: That stubbornness seems to manifest in an Oni's love; —their devotion, their ambitions, and their loyalty. It's something that makes them unique compared to other demi-humans, spare the usual spotted differences, like their horns. But I'm sure you've noticed other unique things about them as well, haven't you?
A hand to his chin, YN tried to think of anything else that ass different about them.
YN: Well... They don't seem to have normal Gates, since they use their horns to collect mana from the atmosphere... They heal really quickly too. They're also really strong, especially when they use their horns.
Echidna: Yes, and all that comes at a cost. Low fertility.
YN: Rem did mention something like that before to me... She uhh, did say she'd want to repopulate the Oni with me as well...
Letting his words trail off, unsure if that was really relevant to the topic at hand, Echidna looked on at him, fervently disinterested in that last factoid.
Echidna: Yes yes, given how infatuated she is with you, I'm sure you'll have your hands full as a father, no matter how low that Oni fertility is.
YN: —hk.
Caught off guard by what Echidna was implying, she changed her tone back to something serious.
Echidna: There is still much more about the Oni though than you seem to realize.
Admittedly, YN's curiosity was piqued by this.
YN: You have my attention...
Leaning forward, he awaited the Witch's words.
Echidna: For starters, you could say their ability to smell the miasma, like the kind that lingers on you, was a specifically created trait.
YN: So, if things get really difficult and I end up having to rely on Subaru's ability, am I going to be absolutely unbearably stinky to Rem when she wakes up?
Echidna: It is something that fades in time, just as you previously believed it was. However, you should both be aware it is not a scent that permeates your Od, rather, the odor truly dwells on your person, and is not easy to rid yourself of despite the passage of time.
Thinking of what that could mean, a word Echidna had used only moments ago still lingered in YN's mind.
YN: Rewind for a moment. When you got on this tangent, you said the Oni's ability to smell the miasma was 'created...' Did you mean they grew to have those traits be prominent, or—
Echidna: '—Were they artificially made?' Were the Oni some creation, like say, the Ryuzu clones were for myself? Who's to say? Tell me, what would you do if your precious Rem was of a long lineage of artificially created beings? —Their traits, —the horns, the healing ability, that loyalty and devotion, their stamina, even their adorable roundness they have to them that I know you can't resist. What if all those things stemmed from a synthetic origin rather than a natural one?
Unsure of what Echidna was trying to rope him into saying or admitting, YN didn't fall for her trap.
YN: Well, considering you're not spouting off like this is pure fact, I'm going to assume that you don't know the answer to that either.
Echidna: Isn't it strange that I know about the miasma and its connection to the Oni though? Would you really doubt my knowledge?
YN: Back in your day, I'm sure there were more Oni, and more Witches for clashes to be more common if there were. So I'm sure, you, being a Witch, knowing such things about Oni is as intuitive as knowing cobras don't like mongeese.
Echidna: 'Cobra?' 'Mongeese?' —Words I'm not familiar with, meaning they must originate from your world. If you don't mind, please, go into detail about them.
Her curiosity getting the better of her Greedy self, the Witch had her enthralled interest shut down rather promptly.
YN: We're here so you can answer my questions, not yours.
Echidna: *Sigh...*
Leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, pouting almost, the white-haired woman with her dress of black scowled back at YN.
Echidna: Regardless, the answer to your earlier question is yes. You'll continue to stink of the miasma until some passes, ultimately. Although too, meetings with myself may tend to increase the potency of the miasma as well, just so you know.
Hearing this, YN nearly slammed a hand down onto the tea table.
YN: You're saying me and Subaru might have stunk more after talking to you?!
Never once taking that into consideration, as far as YN had figured, it was only Returns, and Consequences that triggered an increase in the miasma's presence around them.
Echidna: Well of course. I'm a witch too after all, have you forgotten? Even I have my own unique odor.
YN: — — —
Really, all YN could do was blankly look back at the Witch as she described herself as such.
Echidna: What would Rem think, I wonder? You smelling like me.
YN: — — —
While there was the faintest air of flirtiness to Echidna's jest, it was completely opposite of how she might have teased Subaru like YN had seen her do. What really encompassed her words to him, was manipulation.
YN: One Witch is enough for me, thanks.
To this rejection, the Witch sat back and crossed her legs again, slightly pouting.
Echidna: Hmph. I certainly hope your girlfriend enjoys Envy's potency on you then.
Only able to sigh in response to her soured reply, YN pinched the bridge of his brow as he tried to change the subject.
YN: Well, it has come in handy, but only when it was Rem that could smell it... Now that others can, it's creating problems. Come to think of it though—
Looking up to Echidna with a glint of curiosity to his eyes, he posed a question to her.
YN: If only Rem can smell it, why hasn't Ram ever mentioned it before?
Echidna: That is more than likely due to her lack of horn. Much of her body is debilitated by it. Speaking of her though, I should fairly give you a warning.
YN: A 'warning?'
Seemingly about Ram, YN tilted his head at this perspective 'warning' and it's contents.
Echidna: You may be feeding into a relationship where Ram becomes more deeply... invested in you. Given again, how Oni are, you should expect her to act differently towards you from now on. —And that may only further magnify the effect Rem has on her via Synesthesia.
YN: I see...
Short on reply to Echidna, YN's mind pondered aloud what that might look like, what that would affect going forward, and how this would be handled upon Rem's awakening.
YN: On one hand, it feels like I could barely handle one Oni, but two? I'm not so sure... Maybe ignorance to all this and her feelings might have been better.
Regardless of his, or Rem's, or Ram's perspective, current, or future feelings on the matter, YN's mind did at least wander to other places too.
YN: On the other hand, I've gained some insight into what you could only call 'deep lore' about the Oni.
Further compounding that the Oni were virtually extinct as part of that, YN felt a heavy responsibility fall down onto his shoulders.
Echidna: Perhaps it's more fitting for you to know. As the future patriarch of the Oni, you should have that knowledge.
YN: —tch!
Again insinuating things that dwelled on the more 'adult' end of the spectrum here, YN could only take the jab at his prospective future role on the chin.
YN: I guess while we're still on the topic of Rem...
Preparing to ask the final culminating question he couldn't in front of Subaru, the groundskeeper cleared his throat.
YN: *Ahem...* —How is it, or rather... How did Subaru and I end up with Rem being the only person who's allowed to know about, uhhh...
Looking to his left and right as if someone else could hear him, YN continued.
YN: —you-know-what.
Immediately picking up on what YN was referring to, Echidna deviously grinned.
Echidna: Oh yes... We cannot be too careful to say terms that may upset you-know-who.
Recomposing themselves each for very different reasons, the two remained seated here still at the tea party table that floated above the glassy water below it, the night-sky and all the stars reflected in it.
Back to a more neutral body language, Echidna saw to it to lecture YN on his inquiry.
Echidna: Granted, while I can only speculate on the reason; I believe Rem is able to be know about you-know-what and not perish, and also not earn Envy's ire through a rampage, is because of an unwittingly odd loophole no one seemed to notice.
YN: Can you speculate more than? Help me understand better what you mean.
Echidna: Before we get more into it, first let's explore the idea more, shall we?
YN: If you think that'll help, sure.
In rare form, the Witch gave YN a partial smile at his willingness to take her suggestion, even if it was obvious this was just a way to satiate her Greed for knowledge. In a more personable tone, she posed a question to him.
Echidna: Did you ever try directly telling or speaking about it to Rem about it in more detail right after she found out?
YN: N-No... I was really afraid of what might have happened if I did. The whole situation felt so fragile I didn't want to risk anything, so I kept my mouth shut on anything I feared might jeopardize that. Rem didn't find out exactly how it worked and how it was triggered until much later.
Echidna: How much later are we talking here? By say, another set of Loops perhaps?
YN: At least.
A hand to her chin now, Echidna nodded to herself now in self conformation.
Echidna: The loophole that Rem was able to find out through might only have ended up being permanent thanks to that early caution of yours.
YN: What do you mean?
Taking her hand from her chin, she twirled her finger in the long white hair that adored her head, eyes shut while she did so.
Echidna: Anything that could have been said or done by either of you that would have truly warranted Envy's ire must have occurred after a checkpoint had been reached. In order words, Rem was already aware of things by a point where, if you went back, she'd still know. That is why I believe Rem, at least by a later date, could discuss things about it with you so freely.
A hand to his own chin now, YN tried to challenge this theory in his mind, if only to make sure it held water.
Really, Rem wasn't any more privy to how exactly it, —Return By Death, worked in the beginning than compared to how Roswaal was in that Loop he revealed he knew 'Subaru can turn back time.' She only truly found out after a new Checkpoint was reached.
Had YN not seen that even Roswaal could be half-way aware about Return By Death and still no one suffered any Consequences, the groundskeeper would be far more skeptical of Echidna's conclusion here and now.
YN: So what you're saying is... It all ended up being dumb luck that Rem was able to keep on knowing? —T-That we somehow managed to walk a tightrope without even knowing it?
Echidna: Given you still cannot tell anyone other than Rem about it and that it's clear Envy herself isn't deaf, we can only speculate that the loophole is nothing she has the power to easily do anything against, or she isn't willing to risk undoing something else at the cost of fixing this.
Shrugging as she said this, her body language became more exaggerated as she shrugged even more, this time opening her eyes as she looked back to YN.
Echidna: —There's even the possibility, with seeing the results of Rem knowing and already being past the last set-back-point, Envy is choosing the path of least resistance, and is opting to not intervene at this time.
YN: So you're saying, is that it's either too much effort for her to undo that now, or she might be actually choosing not to? Neither of those seem like her to me... She's gone so far out of her way at this point to make sure no one knows...
Between killing Emilia to taking over her body and killing everyone else...
YN: —I doubt Envy would be so complacent if there wasn't something else going on here...
Echidna: I've come to a similar conclusion myself. However, I fear it may be more complex than either of us can anticipate. After all, Envy allowed you to know and feel the Returns at her own discretion. Had her intention been for Subaru to be truly and completely isolated, you would be none-the-wiser yourself.
YN: If you're trying to say Rem ended up in the situation I'm in, surely you remember the difference between her and I is that my memory is retained, just like Subaru's is, where Rem is only aware due to the increase in Envy's miasma.
Echidna: It is that exact property that leads me to my next point.
Holding another finger now next to her single one from before, the Witch was building up her thesis it seemed.
Echidna: Recall a time, —any of the times, where you tried telling Rem of it but were unsuccessful like would have been with anyone else. What had changed between you two from then, verses to when she was at least allowed to be aware of it?
Looking downward and shaking his head, YN tried to narrow down his broad answer to the question.
YN: I mean... a lot changed... By then, we were more or less a 'thing.' —A relationship was there, but neither of us knew what to call it yet... She was already infatuated with me, and by then, she thought of me as her Hero after that too...
The groundskeeper continued to rack his brain for more answers, as it appeared Echidna was goading him on silently for more of them.
YN: While I still really feel like I haven't done anything monumental enough to warrant her saying it to me; by the point she was aware of it, she told me she had decided she was never going to doubt me again... —And that was all because she only found out about it because she had doubted me...
Echidna: It is that unyielding trust and devotion I believe she has for you that is half the catalyst for Envy's lack of action.
YN: And the other half?
Echidna: You both agreed to keep it a secret from Subaru, correct? That may be the key to it all. Envy may not want Subaru to know that anyone but you are aware about it to the degree Rem was.
YN: In other words, if Subaru were to find out that Rem knows...
Echidna: —It might spell utter disaster for you in some way or another.
YN: — — —
Quiet now, YN reflected on the insanity of what that may mean.
YN: I guess that explains the real reason you omitted the Loops he couldn't remember from Saluzzo. You didn't want to hardlock the entire world.
Echidna: With my great power comes great responsibility.
YN: Considering you yourself said 'Envy isn't deaf,' why would she even risk Rem potentially telling others? Given her behavior, I'd say she's way too cautious to let that sort of thing go.
Echidna: Because if Envy's true motivation is to make Subaru think and feel as if you two are both isolated by this ability, unable to tell a soul about it, she may have judged that Rem, —by the point she had found out, was so loyal to you, that no matter what, she'd never breathe a word of it to anyone other than you, no matter what the consequences of silence may entail. Such a thing wouldn't have been true between the two of you before that, am I right?
YN knew the level of trust Rem had in him was only after that fateful evening she had ventured into his memories and learned of Return By Death. It was from her doubt of him, that she vowed she would never do so again. Never could an undying devotion like that from her towards YN be said to have existed before then.
Shaking his head at how precise these conditions had ended up forming from, YN replied.
YN: Rem only found out about it through a loophole, but it was that same loophole that had an effect on her that satisfied Envy until a new checkpoint was reached... Huh...
It was astonishing just how right things had gone to end up with that result. It was something YN truly felt wasn't likely he'd ever be able to recreate.
YN: Ya know too... Rem and I speculated once on if Subaru might find out that she was aware, that it might cause things to spiral out of control and we'd end up in an 'eternal Loop' per say. One we'd be perpetually stuck in. Rem genuinely believed there'd be dire consequences if Subaru learned she was aware. She understood how serious it could be.
Echidna: I fear both of your conclusions are far too kind on yourselves. It is more for suspicion that whatever Envy might do in retaliation is far beyond any severity either of you can imagine.
YN: — — —
Only able to gulp down a wad of fear in his dry throat, YN listened as Echidna went on.
Echidna: YN, if you cherish anything in this world, do your best to keep Subaru from finding out the two of you are no longer alone in your known suffering.
Solemnly speaking her warning, the Witch readjusted how she sat in her chair.
Echidna: You can kill someone like Subaru an infinite amount of times in an infinite amount of ways, but since his memory is preserved, you will never be able to unspeak such a heavy truth to him and have him forget.
At the gravity of her words, YN felt an immense responsibility on his shoulders grow in magnitude.
However, that wasn't the only thing he experienced at this moment now.
YN: —Ugh...
Struck with a slightly painful lightheadedness, YN braced his forehead with his hand and squinted his eyes as the Witch across from him started to slowly become blurry.
His time in the Citadel of Dreams was coming to an end.
Echidna: Ahhhh, finally.
As if in great relief, the Witch went to stand and stretch, like her shift at the office was finally over.
Echidna: What a relief it will be that I no longer need to entertain either you, nor the half-elf any longer. After this? We will never speak again, anomaly.
Turning now, her blurred figure was hard to see against the dark, but starry horizon, especially since she herself wore an equally dark dress.
YN: —Gah... W-Wait! 'Anomaly!' What does that mean?!
Despite the fading and shattering world around him, YN felt he was clinging to the very fibers of his consciousness to keep himself from fading away too.
Echidna: Roswaal already gave you an accurate enough answer, as it also reflects my own feelings about it.
Seeing YN's determination to find out more though, clawing at his own consciousness to remain here, the Witch and her Greed had to acknowledge such an admiration for knowledge.
Preventing a small smile from forming on her face, she returned to face YN with her continued scowl.
Echidna: —With that in mind, now do you see my frustration with you? Why I have zero patience for your very existence it might seem?
YN: Ugh... Why don't— Ack!
Fighting a losing battle, YN held on as hard as he could, glass cracks growing all across reality around him.
YN: Why don't you tell me how you really feel?
Halfway closing her dark eyes at him, a look of contempt went across the Witch's face.
Echidna: Imagine your greatest creations, —the Tomes of Wisdom, being gone over by some vandal whose only goal is to crudely write his name on the masterfully inscribed pages with an over dipped quill of red ink.
Given an answer finally, YN hadn't expected it to be so petty.
YN: You're making it sound like I'm the one who did it...
Unable to really respond to that, given only seconds remained for this realm's existence, Echidna turned finally, her white hair swaying as she did, and time froze.
Echidna: Whom else am I to blame?
Her voice echoing as the last thing YN heard, the world around him, like a window breaking, shattered and fell from his view.
Never again, would YN return to this place.
A/N: Many of you might be wondering about Rem's ability to smell the Witch's miasma, about oni in general, etc and why this doesn't seem to line up with what you already know (especially if you read the Re: Rem IF (Sloth Route)), and not the Greed IF (LN).
Truth be told, it's a very big can of worms to open. In those older Rem IF chapters, we do meet an oni who claims a mysterious figure (assumed to be Capella) poured something down their ear, thus causing them to gain the ability to smell the Witch Miasma. However later on in the much newer Greed IF light novel, we're told something completely different by Echidna regarding that ability.
From what I have read on the consensus of this information when it came out by the JP-EN translators, they are inclined to believe it's a canonical ret-con (which in Re:Zero, we've got a few of them in the past few years). Given the context, I've elected to at least presently only introduce the newer information for a handful of reasons. Mainly, the newer information comes from a much more credible and knowledgeable in-universe person. And secondly, in the way it is presented, there is much less vagueness to its inception in this way.
Personally, I think both may still be canon much like how a coin has two sides; there's more than one possibility for these two conclusions to cleanse into reality. I encourage you to read both IF's and draw your own educated guess. If not, I hope you can trust my writing here to at least familiarize yourself with the idea via my fic.
Thank you all, and I hope to see you next week! The next chapter was one of those in this batch that was my favorite to write!