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CHAPTER 20: TEST RESULTS 

—Seated in the middle of the classroom, the white-haired girl tilts her head. 

Subaru quickly checks that there's nobody else in the classroom, then leans out of the doorway to check there's no one down the halls either. There isn't, and he sighs, scratching his head. 

Subaru: “First, got something I just wanna say.” 

Echidna: “Yup, let's hear it. You're thinking something, considering something, going to talk about something. I'm incredibly interested in every part of that.” 

Subaru: “That uniform looks great on you.” 

Echidna blinks, puzzled, and then cracks up. 

Echidna: “Ahaha, thanks. You thinking that means there was worth in me reconstructing this from your memories. This is the clearest, most often-seen outfit inside your memory. Did you maybe fancy it?” 

Echidna stands up from her seat, grips the hem of her grey skirt, and does a little, quick turn on the spot. Her hair sways following the movement, making her look like nothing more than a girl of an age fitting her appearance. Grey skirt, navy blazer. The red ribbon on her chest demarcates her as a fellow third-year, and gives dazzling contrast to the white shirt underneath. But if there was anything to be unsatisfied about, 

Subaru: “I like long skirts better than short ones. When it takes longer to strip them off you can work your imagination more.” 

Echidna: “Aha. Then, to meet to your expectations for stripping, I see I'll put on a long skirt next time.” 

Subaru: “Won't be a chance for that! And, it's not like everyone's wearing the uniform because I love it. That outfit's just what you wear here. Like the Imperial Knights and stuff probably.” 

Echidna puts her hand to her mouth as she laughs. Subaru shrugs and goes to the back of the classroom—to the window seat, second from the back, pulls out his chair and plomps himself down. 

Hard, wooden seat. Desk with the alphabet etched into it by some previous owner. Legs that squeaked whenever you leaned on said desk. Rusted drawer. A fragment of Subaru's extremely distanced daily life. 

Echidna: “I sorta thought you'd be more surprised.” 

Subaru: “If you wanted to hide it, you should've put more effort into the background. Not common that there's nobody around on the way to school, or the entire time until I got to here.” 

Even considering that it was a weekday afternoon, there were way too few other people around. 

Almost as if the world'd been cropped of any information unnecessary for Subaru. 

Subaru: “This world was way too convenient for my interests. I really have nothing to say except 'serves you right' about you not getting the reaction you wanted.” 

Echidna: “Nonono, that's part of the fun too. Testing, receiving results in itself is happiness to me. How those results came about doesn't really matter by this point. Though of course, if you start considering whether or not they connect to what comes after, then that kinda changes the story a little.” 

Looks like she's really not bothered at her plans supposedly going awry. Subaru endures through the feeling of wanting to click his tongue. 

Subaru: “So, what's this world? If I'm remembering right, I went into your tomb while it was midway through the TRIAL or whatever, and...” 

Echidna: “You went in, qualified. So I'd say the TRIAL started up for you too, wouldn't it? Didn't you hear it? First, face your past.” 

Echidna folds her arms behind her back and slowly walks over to Subaru, beautiful in the refreshing wind breezing through the classroom, no need for any unease about her. Subaru gets the feeling that he's getting pulled into a trap and averts his gaze from her. 

Echidna: “Everyone has regrets about their past. There's surely no existence out there who has never had a regret, assuming they live through their days. Today they regret yesterday, yesterday they regretted the past, and tomorrow they'll definitely regret today. —All because people have the function for regret.” 

Subaru: “Stop being so pessimistic. Humans've also got the function for, instead of reflecting on regret, using their reflections on yesterday to do something today, and using their reflections on today to make a breakthrough tomorrow.” 

Echidna: “—Precisely!” 

Echidna gives a sharp clap and lunges her face in toward Subaru, who leans back unconsciously. Heedless, Echidna just brings her face in closer, close enough for them to feel each other's breath. 

Echidna: “It's just simple wordplay, just a slight difference in thinking. But whether you view the past optimistically or pessimistically greatly changes how you get your answer. Most view the past pessimistically, looking back entirely on bad memories, and end up rejecting the path they've walked. And they loathe to lay their eyes on what they rejected, and end up not placing a lid on it.” 

Subaru: “Um, your face... close...” 

Echidna: “But it's inevitable. The you of yesterday, absolutely, knows less than the you of today. The you of today, absolutely, knows less than the you of tomorrow. The breadth of what you knew in the past, even if just by one single memory, will be inferior than what you know in the present and future. That is reality!” 

Echidna suddenly leans back and forcefully slaps her hands on the desk. Echidna: “Supposing they face their past, or perhaps even meet the past they should face, people are lost, confused, lamenting, suffering, anguishing, pessimistic, and from there they find their answer. So long as they do find an answer, no matter what it is, I will approve of it. Even if it's an answer  they reached with their back turned, or answer they reached with their arm reached forward, either is indisputably proof that they overcame their past.” Subaru: “And that's, the point of this TRIAL?” Echidna: “Exactly. For you to face your past, and reach some answer regarding that past. If you  merely just fear, loathe, ruminate over reaching an answer, then you will eternally be unable to overcome it. But if you can fully affirm, or otherwise reject that past, then I will see you off with my praise. That's what the first TRIAL is.” 

Echidna nods at Subaru, and then suddenly seeming to come to her senses, blushes slightly and  coughs. Echidna: “I-it looks like I got just a tiny bit excited. I'm sorry for showing you something unpleasant.” 

Subaru: “Whatever don't worry 'bout it. If your breath'd been bad well there's that, but fortunately  it's more tachibana citrus. Anyway...” Getting to see Echidna embarrassed for once gives Subaru some intense emotions as he pulls out his chair and shifts his posture to lean forward. 

Subaru: “Is it really safe for me to think, taking what you're saying as the conditions for clearing the TRIAL, that I actually did overcome the TRIAL?” Echidna: “I got to see every bit of it, and... I'm thinking the results are more than satisfactory.” 

Echidna puts a hand to her chest, takes a deep breath, and with a horribly satisfied expression, Echidna: “You reached an answer for both the symbol of your past trauma, and the representation of your past guilt. I want to see you off with my praise for that.” 

Subaru: “Every bit of it.. then, you saw me crying with snot trailing out my nose, too!?” Echidna: “I'm so sohrhee... was about where my eyes almost started tearing up too.” Subaru: “Shut up!! Don't tell anyone, it's too embarrassing!” Knowing there was a peeping tom going on to his goodbye with his dad was an insult to both his  and Kenichi's emotions then. Echidna, either aware or unaware of this, gives a cheerful laugh. Echidna: “Though, if there's anything to regret, it guess it's that the agony of facing your past  couldn't have been anything deeper.” 

Subaru: “Huh?” 

Echidna: “I like people reaching answers, but I imagine my praise being for the deliberating they do to reach that answer or otherwise said their knowledge. I was looking forward to you deliberating, struggling, and from there finding an answer, but...” 

Echidna glances at Subaru, narrowing her eyes, seeming to peer into his dark irises. 

Echidna: “Unfortunately, this TRIAL to enjoy that exact thing, seems to have been just a little too late. Looks like you already found an answer to your negative feelings toward your past beforehand.” 

Subaru: “Ah... so that's it. If that's it, then yeah my condolences.” 

Seems like Echidna wanted Subaru to realise how weak he was during his time spent living with his parents, agonize over it, and either run away or find an answer. But Subaru'd already, 

Subaru: “There was someone who told my hopeless, useless self that I was a hero. I didn't have to face my past for it, I'd already accepted how useless I was.” 

Echidna: “Resignation in a different form, or so. So much that it went astray from my expectations and it wasn't amusing. When you meet that someone outside, please tell them that a witch had some complaints to say about them.” 

Subaru's about to joke back at Echidna, when he realises that Echidna had said something he couldn't let slide. 

Subaru: “You said that you relied on my memories for this reconstruction, but... If you can look inside my head, shouldn't you know who that someone was?” 

Or perhaps rather than 'noticing', it's 'clinging'. If she can peer into Subaru's brain, perhaps she could also find out about Rem's existence. But, 

Echidna: “Sorry, when you've just got your hopes up. My greedy self does know the boundary between doing wrong and right. I did suck up the information needed for this TRIAL, but I didn't touch anything else. Is there anything really so interesting about sneakily robbing a glance over knowledge? I've got no urge go and to throw away the fun of getting to talk and listen.” 

Some kind of incomprehensible witchly sense of self-respect. 

Subaru: “If you only took out information needed for this TRIAL.. then why take out the uniform...” 

Echidna: “Naturally, it's something I retrieved since it was necessary information for reconstructing this so-called high school building. You can be damn sure it definitely wasn't some case of 'now I know of this mysterious 'parallel world' environment, and what the girls living there wear, and won't it just look great on me,' or whatever kind of anticipation that I withdrew this.” 

Subaru: “Are you one of those idiot geniuses?” 

Looks like Echidna let it slip. Subaru shakes his head. But hearing that's giving him more confidence that— 

Subaru: “Really doesn't need asking though. This world really is...” 

Echidna: “Yup, it is. This is a fabricated world reconstructed off your memories, modelled faithfully after reality. Which naturally means—your real parents still don't know where you are or what you're doing, and are probably worrying over where their missing son is.” 

Subaru goes silent. 

Echidna: “There might've been some information you didn't know... but did you really, truly not know it? Can you firmly say you've never read a single letter sent by this acquaintance your mom and dad both knew? Have you never met face to face with the old man your dad knew when he was young? Have you really, truly never imagined an image of your father different from the one you thought?” 

Echidna: “Or otherwise,” 

Echidna: “Maybe you were actually just capable of persistently hiding the insides of your heart you believed you didn't know about? Are you maybe confident you could seal away your true desire for knowing to be easy, without it spilling into daily life at all? Could you even then state that you didn't desire the selfish emotion known as love from your fabricated mom and dad?” 

Echidna brings her face close to a silent Subaru, speaking that last part in a bewitching whisper. 

Echidna: “Did you never think it was too ideal, too convenient for your interests?” 


While tenderly gouging Subaru's heart with her soft fingers, Echidna smiles beautifully. This one belonged to no schoolgirl, but was the ominous smile of a WITCH. Subaru closes his eyes hard. The visages of his mom and dad arise beneath his eyelids. 

Subaru: “Don't look down on my parents out of petty revenge, witch.” 

Echidna: “...What?” 

Subaru: “I communicated all of my answer. My mom and dad both received it. I said everything I hadn't said, and they told me to do my best. They told me to take care.” 

Subaru stands from his chair, puts his hand to the desk, and butts his forehead against Echidna's. Echidna's black eyes open wide in surprise. 

Subaru: “Their voices, smiles, everything, way exceeded my imagination. —My parents aren't in some dimension my imagination could hold. Don't underestimate them.” 

Echidna goes quiet. 

Subaru: “My mom and dad communicated me everything. I came back settling it all with that. — 

Nothing you say is going to trick me.” Subaru sits back down in his chair, crosses his legs as aggressively as he can, and looks up at Echidna. Echidna had looked dumbstruck, but, 

Echidna: “Seriously... you didn't even let me see you worry over the answer you found, aren't you  just a human who can make a witch cry. Seriously, excellent.” Subaru: “Praise me and I'll blush.” Untranslatable joke about being an indigo child equivalent except not or some shit. 

Echidna: wow you never miss a beat. “Ahh, but it's enough. Much more than enough. It's a  delightful thing, finding an answer so firm you won't tolerate any wavering.” Echidna shakes her head and smiles in give-uppyness and sits down in the chair in front of Subaru, turning back toward him. 

Echidna: “The TRIAL's done in the true meaning. You escaped narrowly from the wicked hands of a witch. As my praise for that... maybe I could answer any questions you have before you go?” Subaru: “Right then, do have one.” Echidna: “Yup, let's hear it.” 

Echidna nods. Subaru jabs his finger straight at her. Subaru: “You said you had no connection to this Trial. ...Like hell! You're not just even involved, aren't you just the straight-up the mastermind of it. What about this is 'haven't participated in it', how the heck can you spout all those complete lies!” 

Echidna: “To accept a witch's words at face value—I'd say even lack of guard and subsequent lack  of caution have limits. I did say it when we parted, too. Right here's a damn wicked witch.” Subaru: “Yeah, that right? Then I got nothing I wanna ask the mighty Wicked Witch whose words have not even one speck of credibility. ...Does this mean SANCTUARY's unsealed now?” 

Echidna: “It's truly pleasant how little you care how you look, going back on your statements with that second half. Unfortunately, the TRIAL isn't something so simple as to end with just this. The TRIAL's three parts in all. But I think if you can overcome this first TRIAL, it's not really that hard.” 

Echidna holds up three fingers. Subaru mutters 'three' to himself. Subaru: “Either way, we have to unseal SANCTUARY. It'll unseal fine even if I'm the one to clear the TRIAL right? I can be sure about that one?” 

Echidna: “That's why I gave you the qualifications. Of course you can. Whether it's you, or another qualified half-breed who overcomes the TRIAL, I give the liberation of SANCTUARY my blessing. In exchange, I wonder how you'll overcome the remaining two TRIALs. Since I'll sure be looking forward to seeing the answers you find.” 

Echidna nods. Subaru stands up, having no more questions for Echidna. There's nothing to gain by staying in this fabricated world anymore. A kind of homesickness tugs at the hair at the back of his neck, but he's already finished with his more regretful duty of saying his goodbyes. Even if they were, just as Echidna said, only transient and empty ones. 

Subaru: “Say, Echidna.” 

Echidna: “What is it? Could it be, you're going to punch me? Ah, well I'm aware I've done things enough to warrant that. If that's what you want, then don't think that I haven't resigned to accept it. But that said, I am still a young girl. I'd kinda want you to avoid the face if you could, but...” 

Subaru: “Thank you.” 

Echidna's stunned silent, unable to comprehend what she just heard. Subaru feels some satisfied delight at his rendering her speechless. 

Subaru: “Even saying they weren't the real thing, and I didn't really tell my true parents anything, that I managed to tell them what I wanted to convey was thanks to you. It was a result of your shitty gossip-column curiosity, but I got to see people I thought I'd never see again, and say my farewells.” 

And show them a slightly less pathetic, slightly prouder version of himself. 

Subaru: “And I'm grateful for that. So, thank you.” 

Echidna: “...This human you are is beyond comprehension, and profoundly interesting. To the extent it's frightening.” 

She's not joking or spouting bullshit, she actually does seem perhaps even threatened. Subaru smiles at her. 

Subaru: “The Mighty Witch sure is weak-kneed, getting caught in the grips of a tiny little man like me. Well whatever. So, where's the exit.” 

Echidna: “That's simple enough. This world's already begun disappearing. Nothing except this building is constructed sincerely. —Leave the building, and you should return to being inside the cemetery.” 

Subaru: “Isn't that convenient. —Well, see you next TRIAL then.” 

Waving his hand, Subaru stands from his seat and heads for the classroom's exit. He feels Echidna's gaze on his back as he starts walking away. The scenery of the blue sky outside the windows has already started fading, the world disappearing into somewhere. 

Both his mother who saw him off, and his father who pushed him forward, are disappearing. 

Subaru: “...I've already been told everything that's important.” 

Emotions well up in his chest. He feels his eyes get hot. He wipes his eyelids with his sleeve once, and raises his head, no room for tears in his eyes anymore. Subaru simply continues onward, to the exit of this ending world. And, 

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ 

Echidna: “—And he's gone. Gosh. He's an unexpectedly tough one, he is.” 

Meanwhile back in the classroom. Echidna fiddles with her bangs as she leans against a desk. The world starts crumbling. Being a place that relies on memories for its reconstruction, without said giver of memories being present anymore it all starts returning to scrap. But Echidna's attention isn't focused on the world which could at any moment disappear from beneath her feet—instead, it's fixed on the teacher's lectern standing before the blackboard. Where, 

Echidna: “Perhaps that's just what I should expect, from someone you're entrusting your feelings toward.” 

???: “— tomyonlytomyonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonl ytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohim onlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytoh imonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlyt ohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonlytohimonly” 

Echidna: “Sealed up in your castle, and even with the occasional meeting, fears and winds up being made to forget. With that predicament, well yeah I suppose you can be so insistent. Not that I can comprehend it.”13 

???: “unneededthingsunneededthingsunneededthingsunneededthingsunneededthingsblowinginblowingin blowinginblowinginblowinginblowingindon'ttalktodon'ttalktodon'ttalktodon'ttalktodon'ttouchdon'tto uchdon'ttouchdon'ttouchmymymymymymymymymybelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbelove dbelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbelovedbeloved” 

Echidna's brows furrow in displeasure. Before Echidna's eyes, the figure of a woman appears before the lectern. A silhouette clad in pure-black dress, with long, dancing silver hair. An ominous, black shadow covers everything from her chest upwards, her face not visible. 

Echidna accepts the presence of this thing, which suddenly appeared after Subaru's departure from the classroom, as if it were natural. As if she knew it was going to appear. 

13 Echidna switches from her usual pronoun of Boku to Watashi. Not specified who the castle belongs to. 

Echidna: “Call it natural and it's a natural result. You get to stomp around recklessly through the heart of your dearly devoted. I tried not to touch any of your domain but... I suppose you two can't keep from the encroachments?” 

???: “Evenafingerevenaflapofskinevenanail'scuticleevenasingleahairevenonebeadofsweatevenonedropof spitevenonesinglewordevenonegaspofbreathevenonefragmentofemotionallofitallofitallofitallofitallof itallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofitallofit...” 

Echidna: “Belongs to me, is what you mean. My goodness, when I'm with you even I want to forfeit my name of GREED. I can't conceive of going so far for just one single person.” 

???: “IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIl oveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIlov eyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou” 

And so, ENVY surely would not forgive Echidna for touching the taboo. The figure takes a step forward. By that action alone, the whole of the classroom is swallowed in shadow, the blackboard, walls, first three rows of seats being dragged in and guzzled up. Echidna barely manages to avoid damage by jumping backwards, but the shadow takes the form of an arm as it peruses her, aiming for her neck. Echidna lets a single sigh slip. 

Echidna: “Being erased here would leave behind more than a few regrets. You've forced me to take a rather cowardly out—” 

Right after Echidna ducks, the arm aiming for her abruptly rebounds and the shadows' forward encroachment ceases. Where Echidna's supposed to be standing now— 

Sekhmet: “So incessant with the summonings, haa. Can't get any peaceful sleep, huu.” 

—sits Sekhmet, flomped on the floor. This change doesn't alter what the shadow's going to do, and its advance forward now goes to begin again. But, 

Sekhmet: “haa, It's no good.” 

The upper half of the shadow warps around as if rebounding off a tremendous attack. Half of the darkness subsides. The silhouette raises its head loosely, lifts its right arm and points at Sekhmet. Accordingly, a huge swarm of arms spring out of the shadow covering half the room, a black curtain of death. BUT 

Sekhmet: “Didn't I just tell you, it's no good, huu.” 

The whirlpool of black witchhands dissipate in an instant, and the aftereffect of it slams into the silhouette, sewing its flesh into the wall. Sekhmet hasn't moved at all during all of this and is still just sitting there with her knees in her hands. The silhouette's body starts breaking down, still getting assaulted by Sekhmet's attack. 

Sekhmet: “With most of your power sealed, haa. And while inside a castle made by that mean-spirited Echidna, huu. In a condition inferior to your true strength, haa, you've no chance of beating me, huu.” 

Sekhmet stifles a yawn. The attacks stop and the figure falls to its knees—when a merciless blow from above crushes it. Sinking into the pool of shadow, ENVY looks up at Sekhmet. 

Envy: “Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhyinterferewithinterferewithinterferewithinterferewithinterfer ewithinterferewithmeandmeandmeandmeandmeandmeandhimhimhimhimhimhimhim?” 

Sekhmet: “Haa. —Even answering'd be a pain.” 

Sekhmet gives a small flick of the hand. Half the school building collapses, ENVY's shadow being swallowed down into the pit of the earth. Considering the world's already disappearing, falling that far down would guarantee no return. 

Sekhmet: “Even when dead, huu. Why is it I have to meet with that thing again, haa.” 

Sekhmet ass-slides over to a relatively nicer corner of this half-destroyed-and-yet-disappearing room. She leans back against the wall and looks up at the sun through the broken window. 

Sekhmet: “It won't go how you'd like, huu. Neither for the Witch—or the one entranced by the Witch, haa.”





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