The Witch's Many Desires
Hello everyone and welcome to the next installment of Re:Zero: A New Crusade. Now, slight heads up, I got something of an announcement to make at the end in the Author's Notes. Don't worry, it's nothing bad, per se, but it will answer some questions those of you might have about the status of the story itself. Now then, there appear to be no guest review questions this week, so let's jump on in!
The Witch's Graveyard Yet Again
'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' Thought Ulric as he woke up coughing in the now too familiar stone structure of the Witch's Graveyard. "Damn you Roswaal," he cursed after a moment, "overcomplicating an already ridiculous situation." Despite his words, though, Ulric was just as angry with himself as he thought back on the events up to that point while glancing at Emilia's unconscious form. 'She became that way because I wasn't here for her,' he surmised, 'and Roswaal only makes that snow start falling when I go to the mansion.'
It still made little sense why Roswaal thought altering his way of thinking to be like his would yield the desired result he wanted, but that was a matter for later. For now, Ulric needed to think up a new plan of action, but first. "Emilia," he said as he lightly shook the silver-haired girl, "are you alright?" Like before, she opened her eyes slowly and took a little time to remember what was going on. Ulric couldn't help but feel his lips as he thought about the last instance he saw her, assuming that was her that had given him his final kiss before his latest death.
But that too was a concern for later. What he really needed, was more information. About the Tome of Wisdom, Roswaal's motives, Beatrice's contract, and a way to prevent whatever happened to Emilia from happening again. This meant he would once again be dealing with an unsavory but lately necessary individual.
A Couple of Hours Later: Returning to the Witch's Graveyard
The evening played out much the same as it had before, with a discussion between him, Emilia, Otto, Ram, Garfiel and Ryuzu. Though unlike some of the first few times, when Ulric brought up the fact that there were three trials, he said that he would only take them if it should prove necessary. He honestly hated saying that as he'd believed greatly in Emilia's strength up to this point. But after what he'd witnessed, the knight was truthfully quite conflicted about the proper course of action.
Much as he would've liked, he could not solve all of Emilia's problems for her, not if she was expected to one day rule the nation. At the same time, however, would it be considered shirking his duty as her sworn knight to not protect her from the fate that could still befall her even with his presence? It was a question he was praying for the answer too and God willing, he would soon find it. As stated, though, he really didn't want to deal with the one who had the answers.
So, despite his misgivings, he found himself venturing into the mausoleum of the Witch's Graveyard yet again, entering the familiar room where he'd already woken up more times than he'd ever have liked. "Echidna!" Called Ulric, "I must once again ask you for your knowledge! So if you are willing, invite me now and I shall pay your price even if it costs me my very life!" He kneeled down on one knee and planted his sword in the floor then, "I even offer up my pride if that's what it will take, so again I-."
His voice caught in his throat as a strange sensation washed over him. His limbs suddenly went numb and he collapsed to the floor as the feeling of his mind drifting away became apparent. He recognized this. But he still couldn't quite believe it. Was he about to undergo the second trial?! His answer came in the form of his own voice speaking in his head the words 'Behold, an unthinkable present.'
His mind was flooded with images then as he heard Emilia's panicked voice all of a sudden. "Ulric, Ulric, Sir Ulric can you hear me?!" Exclaimed Emilia frantically as he saw her shaking his unmoving form. 'What is this?' Thought the knight as he realized what he was looking at, 'that's me, after I took the poison to reset events back at Lady Crusch's mansion.'
Something was off about the scene, though. Emilia was holding onto his body with tears in her eyes as she attempted to pry him away from Rem's unconscious form. "Please Ulric, don't tell me this is her, don't tell me this is the girl, Rem, you were talking about! She's not dead, so why, why did you do this?!"
"Lady Emilia, what's wrong?" Asked Wilhelm as he approached the silver-haired girl and checked his condition, "Felix, we need you over here now, this is urgent!" 'I know when this is, but this is not how it played out,' thought Ulric, 'everything should've reset, so why am I seeing this?' It was a question that would go unanswered as he watched Felix come over and attempt to heal him by using his magic in an attempt to draw the poison out of his throat.
"I won't let you die in such a way Sir Knight," said Wilhelm, "not after you saved my life!"
"What were you even thinking," said Felix as tears streamed down his face, "don't fool around with us like this!" 'It won't work,' thought Ulric as he continued to watch in horrid fascination, 'I acquired that poison for the express purpose of killing myself quickly and painlessly. Even the Capital's greatest healer wouldn't be able to save me unless they were there at the moment I took it.' And as if to prove his point, Felix ceased using his healing magic after a few moments as he made his declaration. "It's too late, his soul is already gone."
"Why, Sir Ulric," said Wilhelm, "what was this woman to you? Why, after surviving the white whale, would you allow yourself to die so easily?"
"As a knight, I thought you of all people would never take the coward's way out," said Felix, "and now you just go and leave behind everyone who ever cared about you. What sort of final act is that, leaving us with nothing but pain and suffering?"
"You….you said," sniffled Emilia with tears flowing down her face, "that we were friends. That you were willing to put your life on the line for me even if you weren't under oath. So why?" The scene faded to black then, with hers and everyone else's tear-stained faces being the last thing he saw.
Ulric awoke then with a coughing fit as he tried to comprehend what he'd just seen. 'What was that,' questioned the Crusader as he held his stomach, doing his best to keep his recent meal from coming back up as a wave of nausea hit him. 'Was that, what happened after I died at that time? But how can that be? Don't tell me, that was the second trial?'
"Behold, an unthinkable present," said what sounded like his own voice in his mind once again. And once again, Ulric felt his consciousness slip as another familiar yet different scene played before him. This time, it was one of his deaths from the attack by the Witch's Cult, specifically the one where he'd failed to prevent Betelgeuse's finger from exploding. Emilia was safe, protected by Julius's spirit, La, but she was on her knees and staring in shock at the remains before her.
Amazingly, Ulric's body remained mostly intact thanks to his armor. But the ice shards had pierced his heart and lungs and one even managed to go through his helmet and into his brain. He was most assuredly dead with the blast. "W-why," said Emilia, "why did this….have to happen. Why did you have to die…..just to save me?"
"He," Julius started to say before taking a deep breath and continuing, "he did as he swore he would do as your knight. He gave everything, even his life to protect you." This seemed to be of little consolation to Emilia as she covered her mouth and began to sob, unable to look at the sight of her deceased protector any longer. Julius, meanwhile, steeled himself as he walked over, pulled out the ice shard and removed Ulric's helmet.
"He looks…..so peaceful," said Felix as he approached and dropped to his knees with Wilhelm right behind him, "I would've liked him to make an embarrassed face one more time at least, something for us all to laugh about."
"And such potential he had within him," said Wilhelm, "enough to save even my life. I regret I had so little time to get to truly know him."
"I too, would've liked to have gotten to know him better," said Julius as he looked up towards the evening sky, "despite the rivalry of our candidates, I still considered him a respectable knight and after this, I would've called him friend." This scene faded like the last one as Ulric awoke with a start again.
"Ah, what is this," said Ulric as he went up to a half-kneeling position and put a hand to his head while breathing heavily, "if this is a trial then what's the question, why am I seeing all of this?" He received no answer and instead his body was hit with numbness yet again as he blacked out on the cold stone floor. This time, he was shown one of his much earlier deaths, his third at the mansion after he'd drank poison for the very first time.
"Ulric," said Emilia as she, Ram and Roswaal looked at his still form next to Rem's, "what happens now?" Her answer was nothing but silence from his still body. "Ulric, what happens now, is there something we need to do?" She grabbed his shoulders and started lightly shaking him then, the worry in her eyes increasing more and more. "Ulric, who's responsible for cursing Rem, this isn't funny!"
"I should've known," said Ram, "he was too cowardly to face the punishment, so he tricked us into letting him kill himself."
"You don't know that!" Emilia shot back, "Why would he carry your sister all the way back here and then kill himself? It doesn't make any sense!"
"Perhaps he truly felt guilty about what happened," suggested Roswaal as he put a hand to his chin, "I still find his attitude strange, however. He seemed so sure this was a solution."
"He clearly knew nothing in the end," spat Ram as Emilia put her head on Ulric's still form and wept. Puck emerged shortly after and attempted to comfort her with pats to her head. But there was little to be done for such a sad scene. 'Please, tell me I didn't waste my life then,' Ulric almost pleaded.
But he was only met with his voice once again repeating the phrase: "Behold, an unthinkable present." And once again, the scene changed.
"So, it is you," said the familiar but now far more monstrous sounding voice of Puck as the scene of the snow-covered mansion in a blizzard came into view. Ulric remembered this death, the oath he'd made upon seeing all those he held dear dead at the hands of the Witch's Cult. His body was there, still holding Rem as the both of them were covered in more and more snow, looking almost like statues now with the life gone from their bodies. But the most terrifying sight of all, was Ulric finally had a clear view of the beast that had killed him at that time, Puck.
He was no longer the kitten-sized spirit that Ulric was familiar with. Instead, he'd grown tremendously, reaching a height and width possibly half the size of Roswaal's mansion. His face had also changed, now more closely resembling that of an enraged tiger's as he loomed over a lone figure who, Reinhard. "Emilia and Ulric are no longer in this world, are they?" Asked the Lugnica knight, unafraid despite the size of the creature towering over him.
"Lia is sleeping now, for eternity," answered Puck, his voice at a much lower pitch than normal, "I don't want to exist in this world that is without her. Therefore, I shall freeze this world solid, per our contract. The Knight and I, are equally guilty."
"Destroying the world will not bring her back," said Reinhard as he brandished his own sword, this being the first time Ulric had ever seen him draw his blade, "should you continue, I will be forced to stop you. So, if you must resent someone, resent me." His blade began to glow blue as a massive amount of mana was being drawn to it, much larger than the amount he had used against Elsa.
"I am not doing this because I resent anyone, Reinhard," replied Puck as he opened his mouth wider into a snarl, "you are a true hero, and that is all you can be." The red-haired knight answered this by raising his sword to the sky, releasing a towering beam of blue light that shot towards the sky and blasted a hole in the clouds above. The blast of light expanded outward as the giant cat that was Puck disintegrated under it's overwhelming might.
"Behold, an unthinkable present," said the voice once again as another scene was shown to Ulric. It had finally gotten to his very first death, and it wasn't a flattering sight. His lifeless body was slumped against Rom's bar in he loot house, tattered and with his throat cut open while Emilia's was laying not too far away, the back of her white robes stained with her blood. "So that was that," said Elsa as she stood in between the two of them, "at least the knight boy put up something of a fight before he died. Other than that, this wasn't a terribly rewarding job." The images came faster then as his voice repeated that same blasted phrase: 'Behold, an unthinkable present.'
This time it was his second death at the mansion. The hallway was torn up and his dead, bloody and beaten body was lying on the ground. A somewhat disheveled but still calm Rem and Ram stood in front of his lifeless form as the blue-haired oni explained herself. "I could tell that Sir Ulric was already beyond help," said Rem with her flail held loosely in her hands, "I simply wished to prevent the situation from potentially becoming worse. Surely, he would've wanted to end his suffering as soon as possible."
"Such a decision was not yours to make, Rem," said Ram as she stood with her arms crossed, "I know you would've eventually tried killing him anyway. This moment merely gave you the excuse you were looking for."
"Behold, an unthinkable present," said his distorted voice as the aftermath of each of his deaths played out before him. He saw his death in the sewers of the capital where Elsa then went on to successfully kill Emilia before getting torn to shreds by Reinhard afterwards. He saw accusations fly at his first death at the mansion as he was discovered dead the next day in his bed. He saw Rem in tears upon discovering the remains of the Witch Cult's hideout that had collapsed upon Ulric's first death by mana detonation.
Other scenes also played out before him such as his suicide in Beatrice's library via poison where the little mage was too shocked to stop her own death soon after by the hands of Elsa. The Sanctuary being overrun by the Great Rabbit after he and said assassin had eaten by the mabeast. The darkness that enclosed the mansion and all of its occupants after he cut his throat to escape Satella. But why, why was he being shown all of this?
Was it possible, even to the slightest degree, that when he died what he was really doing was leaving behind one world for another? If that were the case, how many tragedies had occurred due to his failures, how many times had he taken his own life with the best of intentions only to leave everyone else behind? Ulric quickly lost count of the number of scenes he'd been shown as he finally seemed to get a moment to think, not that he really wanted to think too deeply right now, given the implications he'd been presented with.
He was breathing heavily, almost as if he'd exhausted himself with a long training session and his body was covered in a cold sweat as he tried to struggle up to all fours. His mind whirled with questions and accusations directed at himself with one word that kept coming up, 'failure'. Yes, that was the word, failure. So many times did he try to do things right only for something he overlooked to be the cause of another death or misfortune.
And he would've stayed wallowing in his thoughts for a good while if a quiet but very familiar voice didn't suddenly enter his ears. "Are you not able to stand right now, Ulric," said the voice of Rem as the knight froze for a moment. Then, slowly looking up, he found himself doubting his own eyes.
"Y-you can't be….here," said Ulric as he blinked his eyes a few times, certain that he was seeing another hallucination after the many he'd just endured.
"I am here, my knight," said Rem, "I promised I would be by your side whenever you needed me."
"I suppose you did, didn't you," said Ulric as he managed to get to a half-kneeling position, "that was one of the things so amazing about you, being willing to stand by the side of a failed knight like me."
"You are hardly a failure in my eyes," said Rem as she approached him, "why would you even say such things? Are you perhaps hurt or tired?"
"I've been hurt, over and over again," replied Ulric, "but worse, I unknowingly hurt you and everyone else. If I leave behind a world and everyone in it who depended on me, if I've been doing that without realizing this whole time. What else can I be called but a failure? I let you and Emilia and Ram and Petra and everyone else die, again and again because of my lack of strength or speed or sheer incompetence. I watched you die more times than I ever wanted all because-."
"Ulric," said Rem as she kneeled and put her arms around his shoulders, "it's alright. Remember, that I love you. I love you very much, my knight. And just being able to hold you like this right now, makes me certain that everything will be alright," she put her forehead against his, "I can tell you've been through a lot, suffered so much pain. But now, you won't have to feel so much sadness or loneliness anymore. Just entrust everything to me and rest for now. All you need to do is go to sleep."
She looked him in the eye then before moving her face closer to his, her intention clear as she parted her lips. "I almost wish I could," said Ulric, "but there's something I need to know before I do."
"What is it, my knight," asked Rem before her eyes widened at the feeling of a dagger suddenly being held against her throat.
"Who are you," said Ulric as his eyes narrowed and his tone became serious.
"W-what do you mean," said 'Rem', letting go of him in the process, "you know me, it's Rem-."
"Don't mock me!" Said Ulric, "do you think for a second that I wouldn't know the eyes of the woman I love? Did you think I wouldn't be suspicious about the fact that you somehow regained your memories out of nowhere?"
"J-Just wait a moment Ulric," said the girl calling herself Rem as she backed away a bit before the two of them both stood up, "I can explain everything. I came here because I didn't want to see you suffer any long-."
"And somehow managed to pass the qualification to be in here," Ulric pointed out as he sheathed his dagger and reached for where his sword was on the ground, "Rem would most certainly want to be in here to help me but even she knows when to listen to reason. Moreover, she wouldn't let me simply give up. She'd be the shoulder to cry on and the comforting embrace that would keep me going in my hour of need, but she would never let me give up so easily! So this is your final warning imposter, cast off the form of the woman I love this instant or I will tear it off of you!" He brandished his sword to emphasize his point.
"Th-This….," said the Imposter in a different, stuttering feminine voice, "This isn't…is not what she said….you'd be like." The girl's form distorted then and was replaced by a pink-haired girl wearing a green scarf that reached all the way down to her feet. Her outfit consisted of simple black shoes but a longer red and white dress that was covered by a long-sleeved, robe-like top. She fidgeted nervously as she held her hands in front of her chest.
"And who or what are you supposed to be," said Ulric in an annoyed tone.
"I-I'm the Witch of L-Lust, Carmilla," she stuttered out, "n-nice to meet you….Sir Knight."
"One of the seven witches," said Ulric as his eyes glanced around the stone room, noting that it too was distorting, "you damn harpy. ECHIDNAAAA! I don't have time for any of your childish games! Show yourself now!"
The room disappeared then and was replaced by the usual grassy meadow that the Witch of Greed seemed to favor. "Now there was no need for comparing me to a, what was it, a harpy," said Echidna as Ulric turned around to find her seated at her tea party table leaning on her elbows, "after all, you didn't even endure Carmilla's 'Faceless Bride' ability. It makes one forget to stop breathing when they get too close and eventually even one's heart stops beating."
"I'm already repulsed by the fact that she appeared wearing Rem's visage," said Ulric, not bothering to put his sword away, "but why was she there in the first place? Did you have something to do with her presence here?"
"Of course," replied Echidna with her usual knowing smile, "her ability was the most effective method to keep you from potentially losing your sanity. Had I not, the trial would've eventually worn away your mind. Though she only appeared before you as Rem because that is the person you wished to see."
"And I suppose you want me to thank you for lending assistance in such a tasteless way," Questioned the Crusader.
"I won't make any excuses about the fact that I wounded your heart in the process," said Echidna as she played with some of her hair, "I'm fully resigned to accept your rage and hatred."
"As if it would mean anything here," said Ulric as he clenched his fist for a moment before relaxing and putting his sword back in his sheathe. He then walked over and proceeded to sit down in a mild huff. "Let's just get straight to the point this time. I was in something of a mood already well before I came here."
"As I saw," replied Echidna, "and yes, I do know what it is you'd like to ask the most right now. So, allow me to explain the trial to you. Much like the first one, the scenario you were put through was constructed from your own memories. A thoroughly constructed unreality if you will."
"That makes sense only up to a point," Ulric pointed out.
"Quite right," said Echidna, "you see, what you call 'Returning from Death' or 'Rewinding Death' is the authority of the Witch of Envy. And it is only she who knows whether or not the things you saw in your second trial happened in another reality."
"Another reality, like another world," said Ulric as he put a hand to his chin, "I hadn't considered the possibility that some of the other worlds out there might be similar to this one or to my own world. Gah, it makes my head hurt just trying to think about it. But if it's really true, then-."
"I am only suggesting that it is a possibility," said Echidna, "but I think you're focusing on the wrong thing anyway. You should be counting the many you have saved as opposed to those you couldn't save."
"But if all of that really happened, then I've only been saving them successfully a few times," said Ulric.
"And you gave all of your strength, both physically and mentally, to survive up to this point," said Echidna, "I don't believe a single thing you've experienced up to this point can be considered a waste. By doing everything in your power, you've managed to arrive at this very moment, all after risking your life in the process. I personally think that's something to be proud of."
"'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'," quoted Ulric, his humble reply almost second nature at this point. "Though with all of this flattery, I can't help but think you've got something you want to ask me. More than likely it has to do with the other benefit you get out of helping me other than alleviating your own boredom."
"I think it's a little mean that you'd make a girl spell something like that out for you," said Echidna as she looked away, possibly shyly before giving a quick cough to clear her throat. Her features turned a bit more business-like then as she spoke her next words. "Would you be willing to form a contract with me, Sir Knight, no, Sir Ulric?"
"And what would I gain by forming a magical contract with the Witch of Greed," said Ulric with a raised eyebrow.
"More than you realize," said Echidna, "for instance, should you sign a contract with me, the next time you run into an obstacle you can't overcome, or feel that you're being crushed by the weight of your sins, you will have my support. I'm quite confident in the amount of knowledge I have of this world, enough to present you with solutions to deal with any problem. Above all, I can share in your ability to Return from Death, even if it's just to consul you."
"You're certainly confident in how useful you think you'll be in this agreement," Ulric pointed out.
"But of course," said Echidna, "it's only natural to explain the merits of an agreement, especially if it helps you lean towards agreeing. And you'd be contracted to me, the Witch of Greed, one of the more powerful beings in this world. I could probably go on and on about the many things I could do for you, Sir Knight, with just my knowledge alone. That doesn't even get into some of the, other, areas of the contract."
"Fascinating," said Ulric as he leaned back for a moment to think, "There is quite a lot of potential there, I'll admit. And given what all I've gone through recently, it wouldn't be a half bad idea to have a little extra help from now on-."
"MEANING?!" Said Echidna as she stood up while hitting the table with her hands, her expression one of excitement and expectation. Ulric raised an eyebrow at this display, causing the Witch of Greed to look away sheepishly, "I mean, right. I, of course, wouldn't mind terribly entering into a contract with you either."
"I must admit that as a man it's flattering to be so desired by a powerful woman," said Ulric, "say I do agree to this contract, how would we go about forming it?"
"It doesn't require a pen and paper, in case you were wondering," said Echidna as she stood up straight, "what is required is that you and I form a bond between our souls. So first, we raise our palms to each other like this." She approached slightly and held her hand up in demonstration.
"Simple enough," said Ulric as he stood up, "but aren't you forgetting something?"
"Like wha-BOOOM!" The Witch of Greed was interrupted by an orb of light flying through her hand and passing through her body, causing her to disperse. She reappeared a moment later on the other side of the table. "Now just what was that supposed to be f-BOOOOOOOMM!"
This time Ulric was surprised as a powerful impact sent dust, grass and even the table flying as the knight viewed some familiar hearts floating in the air. "Looks like I'm gonna have too, personally put a stop to this contract," said Minerva as the dust cleared to reveal an even larger crater than the one she caused with her last visit.
"The Witch of Wrath," said Ulric, sword already in hand as he glanced at Echidna, "it seems you have some more explaining to do."
"She's likely here because she's also after you," replied the Witch of Greed with a casual smile before turning back to Minerva, "are you perhaps jealous?"
"Don't try to tease me," said The Witch of Wrath as she held her fists in the air, "I'm outraged, indignant and absolutely boiling over with anger!"
"And also here without swapping places with the Witch of Greed," Ulric pointed out before glancing at said witch, "I take it that was one of your many lies up to this point?"
"It most certainly was," said Minerva, "she's always been a bad-natured jerk who plays mean tricks like that for no reason at all!"
"I mostly just didn't want to keep popping witches into existence," said Echidna to Ulric, "one of them might've taken you from me."
"Don't let yourself be taken in by her smooth-talking!" Ordered Minerva as she stomped her feet and shook the ground, "it pisses me off! Have you even noticed-?"
"That she hasn't mentioned the downsides of a contract with her," said Ulric as he covered his face with his hand to shield his eyes from some of the flying dust, "I already took special note of that. Why do you think I blasted her?" Minerva quit stomping her foot upon realizing what he said, now slightly annoyed that she made such a flashy entrance for nothing.
"There is admittedly a payment that goes along with making a contract with me," said Echidna, "but I think it's exaggerating a bit to call it a bad thing."
"I'll be the judge of that," said Ulric as he turned to the Witch of Greed, "tell me, what would I have to give up to you in order to form a contract?"
"It's actually very simple," replied Echidna, "everything you think, feel, all that remains in your heart, the very future as you know it, anything you accomplish from this point on, all the potential within your being, all the wonderful fruit of the unknown borne from your very existence. I want a taste of it all."
"You make it sound like I have so much to offer," said Ulric with a shake of his head.
"I-It's all true," said another voice suddenly as Ulric looked behind him to see Carmilla, the Witch of Lust, had arrived. "B-But don't assume that w-what she told you was everything…E-Echidna isn't…..lying…..But there's quite a bit….She's hiding from you."
"I'd assumed as much for a while now," said Ulric, "but I suppose I'll at least thank you for confirming my suspicions."
"Don't bother listening to these two," said Echidna, "they just want you to form a contract with them. But I'm the only one who can promise you that I, without fail, will lead you to the future that you desire."
"Wouldn't you normally precede this promise with 'in the end'," said another feminine voice coming from the ground near Ulric. Turning and looking down, the Crusader was met with the sight of a woman with long dark red hair that reached past her own feet, pale skin and purple lipstick. She was adorned in a black and white one-piece outfit over another black shirt which left some of her cleavage exposed. She wore black-heeled shoes with red designs on them and purple stockings that went up to her thighs. Completing her look was a set of beaded chains around her head with an insignia hanging off of it resembling a fleur de lis.
"And just who might you be," said the Swordsman, wondering just how many more visitors would be coming to this tea party, "I've met the others, so you must be the Witch of Sloth."
"You may call me Sekhmet," she said as she continued to laze about on the ground with her head supported by her hand, "and I'm just letting you know my name for the record and all that. But don't get the wrong idea, I'm only here as a watchdog to preserve the fairness of this place." She sighed repeatedly as she spoke. "But since I'm here, I will fulfill my obligation to her."
"Hey, Ric, you're here?" Said the confused sounding voice of Typhon as Ulric turned to see that she'd arrived as well. Despite her apparent confusion, she was still waving both arms happily at his presence. "That's unusual, is everyone really here right now?"
"It has been a long time since we've had a tea party," agreed Daphne as she too appeared, propelled by the insectoid legs on her iron maiden, "you all should've invited me."
"Am I to take it every last one of you has appeared in this place because of me?" Questioned Ulric as he glanced at all the witches currently in a circle around him.
"I believe I made it rather clear," said Echidna.
"The usual promise that's always preceded by 'in the end..'," added Sekhmet.
"Yes, that's what you said," recalled Ulric as he turned to the Witch of Greed, "the best possible future, 'in the end'."
"And I was telling the truth when I said so," replied Echidna with a smile.
"But is my idea and your idea of the 'best' possible future the same thing," Questioned Ulric, "would I really be following the righteous path if I let you guide me to the 'best' possible future?" The witch didn't answer at first, but merely stood there with a smile on her face. "If you won't answer me, Witch of Greed, then cease wasting my time and begone. I'll seek a contract with another-."
"In order to attain the future you desire," said Echidna after a quick sigh, "you must accept any and all sacrifices made along the way. Had you not made such a resolution as a soldier and Crusader a long time ago, Sir Ulric? Have you not made a similar resolution recently?"
"Both of those resolutions involved making sacrifices from myself," said Ulric, "as a Crusader, I acknowledged that there would be many I would not be able to save and thus settled for saving who I could when I could. That changed upon entering this world where my death is capable of being reversed over and over again. But now even that resolution is in jeopardy based on what I've learned."
"Because you believed you wouldn't have to make any sacrifices other than yourself, correct?" Questioned Echidna who raised her arms to the sky, "but it seems you yourself still don't quite understand, so allow me to help. After all, your Authority of Return from Death is quite a tremendous thing and is far more useful than even you know. You can restart the world as many times as you want until you reach your desired goal. It's the embodiment of the ultimate ideal that any sort of seeker could possibly want!"
Echidna's expression for once seemed to show true, genuine excitement as she continued. "I, of course, won't force you to use the Authority, but instead allow you to use it to achieve the result you desire. All the while I shall lend you all the wisdom you could need to fulfill whatever it is you wish. Whatever the results that come about from this process, I've no doubt that they will contribute vastly to satisfying my curiosity! Just think of it, us two agonizing, struggling with and solving the same problems together. Our relationship will be the optimal way to achieve that!"
"And just as I make use of your power, I want you to use me to your heart's content to achieve your best possible future as well. Though you may doubt, know that the affection in my maidenly heart as well as my desire to help you is genuine. Even if you only treat me as a convenience I will be more than content. And you're not only welcome to my knowledge but to my body as well, I gladly offer it should you want to sate your desires or when you're in need of comfort."
"When you need strength to move forward, I shall give it to you with my words. Whatever you want, comfort, motivation, love or even hatred, I can give it all to you! You're the type of man who likes it when a girl gives you everything, aren't you? Surely you can see that you need me and I need you! No one else but you will be able to satisfy my curiosity now! If you must use your power to save someone, then save me, one who cannot control her own greed! And no matter what happens, I will guide you to your desired future. I swear it on my very life, my very soul!"
"The Sanctuary's liberation can be the start," continued Echidna as if she'd been rehearsing this passionate speech for ages, "You can save all who are trapped there including those you care about and vowed to protect! For that purpose, I want you to take me and use me, rob me of all the greed you want so that we can take hold of the future in front of us! That is all I want or desire from you and all I offer to you in return. This is the truth you wanted to know and that I have told you down to the very last detail with passion! You could even say it's close to love, a vow of love!"
"Now show me, how will you respond to my love? Answer me for that is one of the many answers that will satisfy my curiosity, after all." Silence reigned then as the knight digested her words. He then planted his sword in the ground at his feet, resting his hands on it before he spoke.
"I recall once using the phrase 'Godsend', to describe your ability to help me," said Ulric, "that was a lie then and it is not a phrase I shall be applying to you now. It's very clear to me now that what you seek is merely to possess me for your own ends."
"You will of course possess me and be able to use me for your own ends as well, Sir Knight," said Echidana, "that's what the contract is for after all. You're free to criticize me and hate me for using it as a means to keep you as my own. I'm more than willing to accept that."
"Do you even understand what it is for one person to hate another?" Questioned Ulric, "do you truly know what it is to be sad, or happy or in anguish? All of those so-called passionate words just now, were certainly animated but were not filled with true passion. I saw nothing in your eyes then and I don't see anything now but a façade. You're smiling but only because you think you're supposed to be smiling right now. Were I to vent the entirety of my anger onto you right now, blaming everything that's happened up to this point on you, would you feel even the smallest bit of remorse or anger at such a thing? No, and it's because of that that I know your idea of a desirable future will not be the same as mine and that a contract with you would not be worth forming."
"I see," said Echidna as the smile finally fell from her face, "I have learned much from you, Sir Ulric. The next time we meet, I shall do as a witch normally does upon meeting a knight, and show you my rage." She snapped her fingers then, causing the crater in the ground to be replaced by the previous grassy landscape and her table, chairs and umbrella to reappear. "But first, you may as well have a seat. I'd like to discuss our contract a bit further."
"Speaking of contracts," said Ulric, "I just remembered another question I wished to ask you."
"Oh, and what might that be?" Questioned the Witch of Greed, returning to a neutral façade.
"The spirit in the Roswaal Manor's forbidden library, Beatrice," said Ulric, "she was contracted by you, correct?"
"I was deeply involved in her birth, so yes," replied Echidna, "I was the one who put her under contract."
"When you left, you gave her a final order," said Ulric, "you instructed her to wait for 'that person'."
"I also instructed her to guard the forbidden library," added Echidna, "that and waiting for the one who would come for her were my final orders."
"Tell me," said Ulric, "who were you referring too when you said 'that person'? How is it the little spirit can be freed?" Echidna didn't answer at first, seeming to mull over the question a little before speaking.
"It is a truly good question," she said, "whoever could 'that person' be?"
"You bitch," said Ulric as he gripped his sword tightly, "you gave that order on a whim, didn't you? The truth is you had absolutely no idea if anyone would ever show up, did you?! So why even give such an unreasonable command in the first place?!"
"You seem to have misunderstood a few things," said Echidna with a sigh, "I didn't force Beatrice to make that promise to give the forbidden library to 'that person'. My goal, as you might call it, was to find out who she will choose to be 'that person'. Of course, the result appears to be her staying there for four hundred years, unable to choose anyone at all. Thanks to her inability to choose just anyone, wanting to die and agonizing over whether or not to keep upholding the contract are also results of that."
"And do you not feel the slightest bit of remorse for such circumstances?" Questioned Ulric with a bit of a growl in his voice.
"I," said Echidna as she tilted her head in thought for a moment, "think it's rather wonderful-." Her sentence was literally cut off as Ulric swung his sword at her mouth. As before, she simply reappeared a few feet away, looking curiously at the knight.
"A true witch," said Ulric, "it seems there are more similarities between our homelands than I thought. No, it might be better to say that witches are horrid monsters beyond all human comprehension no matter what world they appear in! And you are a witch down to your very core!" He planted his sword back in the ground then before continuing. "So no, I will not be forming a contract with a single one of you today or, I pray this to God above, ever! The only contract I wish to form is with a little spirit in a library who desperately wishes to be free. That is my decision, and it is final!"
The other witches seemed to be surprised by this, at least that's what Ulric thought at first until he noticed a sudden dark cloud passing overhead. "S-she's here," said Minerva while Carmilla covered her head in fright.
"A troublesome girl has shown up at a troublesome time to start even more trouble," said Sekhmet, still not bothering to move from her spot on the ground as she let out yet another sigh.
"Oh, this is making me feel very, very hungry," said a drooling Daphne excitedly. As for Echidna, Ulric felt a strange hint of satisfaction at seeing the witch actually gritting her teeth in, could it possibly be, fear?
"Hey, it's Tella! Long time no see!" Cheered Typhon as they all turned to see a dark figure approaching them.
"Echidna," said Ulric as he pulled his sword out of the ground, "you might have one chance to make me reconsider contracting with you. So don't run away now and face the one you fear the most." He didn't even bother asking if there was really any place to run in the dream palace. Either way, the Crusader was ready to stand once again before the Witch of Envy. And he intended to make sure things ended differently this time.
And thus the deal, was not struck between a knight and a witch. Though it appears that, contract or not, there is nowhere one can hide from the Witch of Envy when she comes looking for you. Now, I got something of an announcement to make about the status of this story. Before anyone freaks out again, no I'm not discontinuing it, but I will likely put it on hiatus again until the next part of season two comes around in January, at least that's what I've heard. What this means is next week's chapter will likely be the last one for a couple of months. So once that happens, I will be continuing my short story series 'Team WA: Stories From Around Remnant' to fill in a bit of the time while we all wait and also continuing my main story 'The Adventures of Team WA Vol. 2' when November rolls around. I'll also be looking at potentially starting a new story during that time, though I've no idea quite yet what it might be. But until then, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our Crusader has a much more direct discussion with the infamous Witch of Envy. 'Til then.