CHAPTER 76: ≠SATELLA
—This was the first time Subaru had ever met face-to-face with the WITCH herself.
Witch of Envy—it was a name he had heard countless times, and the threat she presented was something he had confronted himself during the dusky loop in SANCTUARY. His defiance of the rules she had imposed on him had earned him more than one or two experiences of heart-crushing pain. To harbour a positive impression of this witch, who had overtaken Emilia's body and destroyed SANCTUARY, was indeed difficult. And especially so after his last conversation with Echidna, which had unwittingly spawned in him an aversion to the very word WITCH. But,
Subaru: “Yeah... the other witches don't compare.”
Faced with the pressure exerted by the witch standing before him, Subaru mutters in hoarse voice.
She's a thin woman. Her arms dangle loosely as she stands without vigour, apparently looking at Subaru. An ebon dress —sewn from shadows arising underfoot—garbs her, its flesh pulsating almost as if in rhythm with her heartbeat. From wrists forward of the long sleeves of her dress Subaru sees her strangely pale fingers, and manages to estimate that the WITCH OF ENVY, like the other witches, possesses a countenance of more than according beauty.
But, to confirm that, the most vital piece of information is missing.
Subaru: “Seen it a bunch of times now, but... what's the deal with this?”
A sable shadow cloaks everything from the witch's neck up, making visual confirmation impossible. Unlike the ebon dress robing her body, this shadow wavers like mist, concealing the WITCH OF ENVY's visage from Subaru.
Subaru's question is somewhat taken aback. But the witch gives no reaction. A sense of peaking, impatient panic burns at Subaru's chest as sweat arises on his brow—when he glances over the area, spying the other four witches in silence.
Subaru: “—”
Seeing the changes in their expressions, Subaru feels a surprise. Going by Subaru's knowledge, the relationship between them and the WITCH OF ENVY is the one of murder victim and assailant. Meeting their own killer. Subaru did have an idea of what mental burden that would bring. But, all of the witches' expression differ from Subaru's predictions.
One is a gentle smile, one is gaze of commiserating pity, one is an indifference suggesting absolute lack of concern, and the last one is—
Echidna: “So you cut through my boundary and managed to get in. Brazenly trespassing even into my dream castle... always the egotist, aren't you.”
Only one person, the Witch of Greed Echidna, glares with hostility in their eyes. Seeing loathing, or something close to it, coming from no other but Echidna surprises Subaru. He had only just voice their final parting, thinking that she lacked such emotions. Seeing her blatantly exhibiting emotion, Subaru begins doubting and wondering if perhaps he was wrong.
But time to realistically flag that as a problem has passed. Right now, the problem is how to deal with this motionless witch in front of him.
Subaru: “Why is she even here in the fir...”
Minerva: “I'm sure she's mad 'cause you went gossiping on and on saying stuff you shouldn't. Blabbermouth men like that are ones I don't think very highly of. I kinda get her indignation.”
Subaru: “Tell me that but I don't get it. Or actually, you're taking her side? From you and the other witches' perspective she's meant to be your foe.”
Minerva: “My foe, is such a stupid-sounding thing to hear. ...I'm going to be checking now if what you're saying's valid.”
Narrowing her eyes, Minerva's blonde hair sways as she moves to action. She cuts into the Witch of Envy's line of sight, interrupting her wholehearted staring at Subaru. Minerva pushes out her voluptuous chest as she boldly faces the witch. And,
Minerva: “Can you hear this? It's me, Minerva. The WITCH OF WRATH Minerva. If you remember me, and can hear my voice, say something.”
Subaru: “—! No, wait! Far as my knowledge goes conversation doesn't work on her! If you do anything else which'd provoke her...”
Sekhmet: “Try to keep quiet—haa.”
Subaru can only perceive Minerva's speech as reckless. But it is words from Sekhmet, still existing as a hairball on the ground, which stop him. Subaru glances back at her. She stirs, the magenta hairball shifting in size.
Sekhmet: “The time we've spent together with that is—huu—multitudes greater than what your short interactions have been—haa. Your trepidation is natural, but—huu—try leaving this one to Minerva —haa. Thoughtless actions are... indeed what she does sometimes—huu—but this time I suppose she's probably not acting without thinking—haa.”
Minerva: “I can hear you, Sekhmet! If you don't want me to mess up the talk and for all of us to get swallowed, don't say things that'll make me mad! I am teeming with furious ire!”
Sekhmet: “When talking about you—huu—who'll use someone breathing in your vicinity as a reason to anger—haa—that's quite a pickle—huu.”
Even while getting hit with this ruthless opinion, Minerva averts her attention from the threat before her not at all.
That little back-and-forth should have spurred some kind of action from the WITCH OF ENVY. But she stands there doing nothing as she merely stares through the WITCH OF WRATH, and at Subaru.
Indeed, you could perhaps say there is a definitive departure from the split-second practical reactions the Witch has given up until now. But all that meant was that she hadn't immediately taken hostile action. Whether or not a conversation would come to be still seemed another matter.
Sekhmet was leaving the entirety of the dialogue up to Minerva. Then, the other two—
Camilla: “We... well, I think... t-think, it's fine if... Minerva-chan's going to, to try... her best to, do it. But if s-she... umm... mm, she gets Minerva-chan... I-I'll kill, her.”
Echidna: “That's a dependable-sounding statement, but I'm sure I've told you countless times that your affinity with that thing is abhorrent. If there's anyone here who can resist it, it's only Sekhmet. —You do understand?”
Echidna endeavours to keep her voice calm as she chides the stuttering-but-belligerent Camilla. The white-haired witch glances at Sekhmet, who trembles as if replying at all is a nuisance.
Sekhmet: “It won't be possible for me to continuously seal its movements.” You should know that power-wise it's not suited to that.
Echidna: “Indeed I know. And so you just have to pulverise its limbs and throttle its neck. If you physically seal its movements and choke it, I can have it expunged from this space.”
Echidna projects enough fierce hostility to make Camilla's statements look cute. And although she says it with an aloofness, the utter disgust seeping into her words makes what what she's saying sound like nothing joking.
With this livewire conversation going on in the background, Minerva continues to face the WITCH OF ENVY. In fact, as if trying to keep the WITCH OF ENVY from hearing the other witches' back-and¬forth, she takes a step closer.
Minerva: “—”
Subaru swallows his breath as he watches Minerva's advance. All Subaru can consider Minerva's actions is reckless—but he can't even tell for what purpose the WITCH OF ENVY materialized here in the first place. If this accords with the previous cases, then the reason for her showing up would be because Subaru violated the taboo. But the abuses the witch has done so far in response to the violated taboo have entirely been materializing arms to squeeze Subaru's heart, and materializing in physical reality to swallow everything in shadow.
Friendly interactions were an of course not, but the WITCH OF ENVY hasn't even really expressed what her intentions are. Her goals yet remain completely unapparent. The question of how the Witch will respond to Minerva is thus an absolute unknown to Subaru.
—If Minerva is swallowed by shadows, the other three will move instantly.
If the hopes Echidna's put on Sehkmet are sound, then the WITCH OF SLOTH will use her authority to pulverise the WITCH OF ENVY, and Echidna can expel the weakened WITCH OF ENVY. But, if that's the case—
Why weren't they immediately doing it now?
Subaru: “—”
Call things strange, and this situation where Minerva's been tasked with first contact with the WITCH OF ENVY in itself is already strange. Camilla's ready to attack if anything happens, Sehkmet doesn't want proactive hostility, and even enmity-laden Echidna is taking no preparations for pre-emptive attack that would run counter to Minerva's desires. Just what on earth were they all—
Echidna: “You look like you can't comprehend us witches' intentions and are being tossed around and toyed with.”
Subaru: “...”
Echidna: “Although, believing that you could easily see through to our... oop, I mean our thoughts would be a discredit to the name of witch. On that you can't take us so cheaply.”10
Subaru: “Stop it with the fake bokukko. —All I'm thinking is if you seriously want to distance the WITCH OF ENVY, here where she's defenseless's your best chance.”
Echidna: “I see. So that's how you perceive this situation. Goodness... well, right. Personally, I'm all for full agreement with your stance. What I'd really like to do about now is bash that thing with every authority I could have, annihilating it without leaving a speck of dust behind, but...”
Cutting off there, Echidna narrows her eyes. This attitude isn't like her—that said, as if he really knew her at all—but, sensing a kind of shame which is rather not like her, Subaru waits for her to speak. After a short silence, Echidna does.
Echidna: “Doing everything I can to eradicate that thing, and then having the other witches turn on me is cart before horse. Nevermind Minerva, if we're talking a bet which'll make enemies of Sekhmet and Typhon, there's little worth gambling.”
Subaru: “I'm not getting it. Why would trying to eradicate the WITCH OF ENVY make you enemies? She's your foe, that's something everyone's agreeing...”
Camilla: “You're, wr... wrong.”
Camilla, who had kept silent up until now, is the one to butt in on Subaru's question. She goes
10 Echidna switches her pronoun from watashi (first our) to boku (second our) for the rest of the chapter. without looking at Subaru as he startles, instead watching Minerva's confrontation with the WITCH OF ENVY.
Camilla: “That ENVY is... is, e-everyone's foe, is... is right, but, t-that... thing and her, are... d-different, cases... mm?”
Subaru: “...I don't understand what you're saying. What're all of you...”
Sekhmet: “So long as we don't know which one that thing standing there is—huu—more than us being unwilling to act, to do so'd be unreasonable—haa.”
Subaru: “Which one?”
Sekhmet gives a reply. But even that only throws Subaru into further disarray. What on earth were they all talking about? —When, the solution arrives from a different angle.
Taking another step, Minerva further closes distance on the WITCH OF ENVY. She spreads her arms wide, showing a posture of non-resistance, and says to the WITCH OF ENVY:
Minerva: “—Are you the WITCH OF ENVY? Or are you Satella? Which?”
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Subaru senses he has just heard something that flips everything he has known on its head.
What Minerva just said hugely differs from the truth Subaru knows. But that Minerva's statement is no random bluster or empty joke is validated by the wordlessness of the other witches, who had lived in their same generation. For the first time, the WITCH OF ENVY's shoulders tremble. The black mist concealing her head squirms. It seems she has turned her body to face Minerva. —This is the very first moment that the Witch becomes conscious of Minerva.
Subaru: “—”
What did that statement mean? Is not a question Subaru is given any opening to ask. And more importantly, the taut and overwhelming tension swiftly parches his throat dry. And with the witches affirming it, that only makes the utter contradiction of his beliefs worse.
—WITCH OF ENVY Satella. The character so called this—may in fact be someone else.
No. That was thinking way too far off too little data. How many times had he had terrible experiences because he made decisions based off of only superficial information, and kept stubborn with them? Even if he is constantly considering the possibility, he must not get irrevocably attached to the idea. And more importantly, he best not divert his attention from the scene in front of him for even a second.
Minerva: “If you're not suddenly attacking at the first question... then it means there's still a chance.”
Says Minerva, as she closes further distance. The distance remaining between the WITCH OF WRATH and the Witch is five steps.
Minerva: “Though if you were the WITCH OF ENVY, it wouldn't be weird for you to instantly strike with BEGRUDGE the moment I stood in his path, so I wasn't really worried about that.”
Four steps.
Minerva: “But then it would've been fine for you to say something right at the start. I know it's hard to have this face-to-face with our relationship. There's no way anyone could forget what my last expression when you swallowed me was.”
Three steps.
Minerva: “Though, I think it's way better that it's me than the other five. Nevermind Typhon, outside of her, I was... your closest friend, is what I thought.”
Two steps. Head bowed.
Minerva: “Is, what I thought... and because I did, it's...!”
Crouches down. Two steps away, Minerva leans forward, puts her strength in her back leg. And,
Minerva: “Do you understand how being ignored feels, when it's been so long—!?”
The ground explodes as the single rush obliterates the two steps of distance. Minerva charges forward with dust clouds in her wake, twisting her body for a full-force punch pistoned back from the shoulder. Her fist drills through the air, breaking the sound barrier, booming toward the Witch's head. The attack zooms for her shadow-cloaked visage and—
Minerva: “—See, knew it.”
Minerva's fist miraculously stops just before contacting the Witch's face. That's not to say that the Witch's shadows stretched out, and entangled her arm. Minerva, of her own volition, stopped her arm before it would reach. Still with her fist brandished in the Witch's face, Minerva leans back upright with her blonde hair swaying.
Minerva: “See, look. She knew there wasn't any need to dodge my punch, that's Satella, not the WITCH OF ENVY. Echidna, your caution's pointless.”
Echidna: “...I wonder. I will honestly praise your pluck in staking your own body in an attempt to confirm this, but these stories are disparate. If it's simply discerned that your presence is no great threat, obviously it wouldn't act. And so, Sekhmet.”
Sekhmet: “Trying any reason possible to get me to act—huu. You're the same way in being terrible at determining when to quit, Echidna—haa. Accept it, that's Satella—huu.”
Sekhmet sighs at the stumped Echidna. Continuing unchanged as a ball of hair, the witches' ultimate weapon shows no signs of acting. Close enough for their hands to touch and facing the Witch—facing Satella, Minerva turns back to Subaru.
With her azure eyes staring at him, and still unable to really accept the reality that she was standing directly beside a huge threat, all Subaru can do is dumbly stand there. Minerva snorts at him, her expression dissatisfied.
Minerva: “What're you spacing out about. Come on, get over here.”
Subaru: “Get over here... you can say that, but...”
Minerva: “What, you're not a man at all. I've proven that it's all okay, so shouldn’t you come striding over as well? No? Then all this table-setting I've done still isn't enough? If you're saying you won't cross the stone bridge even if someone taps it for you, how're you ever gonna lose your caution enough to cross it!”
Subaru: “Stop getting yourself heated up! It's not that I'm not going there 'cause I'm freaking out! I'm not going there because I don't know why I should!”
Yelling back at an indignant Minerva in the same tone of voice, Subaru objects to this situation of being left in the lurch. Pointing at Satella, who is no longer an immediate threat, Subaru looks over the witches as they relax from combat posture.
Subaru: “And actually, what does the WITCH OF ENVY and Satella being separate even mean! You're talking about it like it's obvious, but this's already diverged well from what my understanding was!”
Echidna: “Wholly. If you forcibly introduce a witch factor into a being with no affinity, you do get these afflictions. The witch personality that spawns from the factor's influence, and the original self conflict... is perhaps what to call it. Though, my view is they're the same being, so I can't really see the point in differentiating them like the others do.”
Subaru: “Split, personalities!? Then, what? The one who swallowed all you and did the wrongs to get her lasting in history was one personality, and the other personality's harmless, is what you're...”
Echidna: “Now that's wrong.”
Subaru attempts to deal with it alongside his surprise at this information, but Echidna stops him. She shakes her head, and amending Subaru's theory,
Echidna: “The consuming of half the world, and the consuming of us six witches of sin, was entirely by SATELLA's actions, not the WITCH OF ENVY.”
Subaru: “Wh—!? No, but that doesn't make any sense! If the one who swallowed you was Satella, and that's Satella standing over there... this...”
Sekhmet: “It does fit. And so—haa—we won't forgive the WITCH OF ENVY—huu—but we have no grudge against Satella—haa. That's all it is—huu.
Camilla: “I-I, do... don't like, S-Satella-chan... ei... either, but I... guess she's, bet... better than, the Witch... so...”
Sekhmet and Camilla give their agreement in a way which only makes Subaru's questions multiply. The witches appear to have general consensus, but Subaru can't understand it. The person who destroyed them has two personalities, and they forgive the personality which destroyed them, but not the one who didn't—what did it mean?
Echidna: “I've always been advocating that the distinction's pointless, but... agree to disagree. I can't ignore that opinion and eradicate the thing. My frail mental-bodied self wouldn't stand any chance if the others hoist the petard on me after I eradicated it. Even I, when in a state of being only a soul, won't return if blast to pieces.”
Subaru: “B... ut, wouldn't that be seriously risky for the other five too? You're the one entrusted with the other five's souls. If you disappear, the other witches'll...”
Echidna: “They comprehend and affirm their own DEATHS. And so they have no especial attachment to prolonged existence as only a soul. —If it's between yielding and surviving, and being destroyed sacrificing themselves for their ideals, they'd infinitely favour the latter. It's because they think this way that they're witches.”
Sekhmet and Camilla speak up for no denials of that. Resolute—is not quite a word that fits with how resigned an opinion it is, but regardless the harshness of the witches' lifestyles leaves Subaru without words. If I could be like this, I wish that I were like this, and such kind of aspiration was something everyone did. But to die and nonetheless stick through with one's principles after death was not a stance everybody could confidently claim.
Subaru: “And Minerva...”
Probably the same. She was the one who, by the hands of the WITCH OF ENVY, had likely been destroyed before anyone else. But nevertheless Minerva trusted the Witch, who had done absolutely nothing all along her getting to within arm's reach, which consequently proved that trust.
Subaru didn't know the relationships between these witches. If they had bonds enough to trust enough other, then why did the WITCH OF ENVY destroy the other six witches? And why did the witches forgive it? Echidna's thoughts on it were the ones Subaru could still understand. But, even so—
Subaru: “I get that this's what you're like. And fully comprehend... ing it's hard but, I can understand it. But, I still haven't heard what it is she's come here for.”
Witches: “—”
Subaru: “I get that she isn't going to unconditionally indiscriminately attack. That one I'll fully comprehend. ...But that doesn't mean she's safe. If the one I've been seeing all up until now was the WITCH OF ENVY, then what is it Satella wants to do with me? The WITCH OF ENVY to me is someone who is entirely a pest. You can tell me abruptly that my view's wrong, but understanding it's beyond me.”
And if you put the witches' statements all together, the person here is unquestionably Satella, who consumed the others. Then even assuming that the one who swallowed SANCTUARY was the WITCH OF ENVY, it would suggest that Satella is entirely capable of comparable things. Who could blame him for feeling danger, being wary, and keeping away?
Subaru: “What she wants to do, and why she came here. So long as I don't know that...!”
Minerva: “If that's what you want to know, then just come over here.”
Just as Subaru goes to raise his voice, Minerva interrupts. She puts her hand on her hip, and makes no attempt to hide her irritation as she scowls at Subaru.
Minerva: “You've had enough with the wordy excuses and drawing defences. I'm here standing right next to her, and nothing's happened. And also, the reason she came here's to see you. If you're saying you're such a loser you can't even get close to her, then we can do that's left is file this away as us making an entire misestimation.”
Subaru: “Like you have fucking anything to misestimate! Don't just make your speculation about me! Stop pushing your crap on me! What the hell would you all know about me!?”
Having someone push their image of him onto him, and then acting exactly in line with that image was a no thank you. Once, when Subaru yelled this exactly same thing, there came a voice who answered him. He remembers what they said. And back then, those words had been his support. —If he wasn't going to betray his past self, saved by those words, then...
Subaru: “Just, fuck... you're thinking stupid here, me...”
Nothing rational, making decisions entirely off his emotional momentum. He'd done no reflection on the terrible experiences that doing that exact thing had given him. He would pay greater vigilance to the slightest of changes, suppress his emotions, and cooly act not off his mental impulses but according to definite truth—he would preserve an unshakable heart of iron.
Was meant to be his precept.
Minerva: “You're being slow.”
Subaru: “How scary it is to approach someone you've wrangled almost to your death with is... shit, actually you do know that. It's hard.”
Minerva: “It's not that we don't have our thoughts on this either. Sekhmet and Camilla are just way more mature, unlike me. I've got a reason to back her.”
Subaru clicks his tongue as he walks over, Minerva giving a shrug. She presents him no time to ask about her reason or whatever, instead handing the scene over to Subaru. The WITCH OF WRATH moves aside, and what results is Subaru facing the Witch—facing Satella— at extreme close range.
Subaru: “—”
Subaru unwittingly gulps, the strangeness of the creature before him catching him lost for words. He was supposed to have recognized this as he viewed her from afar, and as he saw her in his approach here, but regardless he cannot dispel her emitted pressure and the visual sense of awriness. The dress of shadows clinging to her form traces out her curves and body with horrific sensuality, and the invisibility of everything from the neck up conversely creates an inverse kind of lusciousness. Those impressions drown utterly away thanks to the dissonance of her entirely uncognizable head.
Subaru: “—”
Looking at her from up close, Subaru realises that the thing obstructing his cognizance is nothing physical. What looks like a shadow covering her face is not actually because a shadow falling over that area is blocking it from view. That he can't see her face originates from a more mental, more primordial reason. No physical obstacle is keeping her face from view. It is something instinctive, NOT ALLOWING HIM TO SEE IT.
Echidna: “Everyone wishes to avert their eyes from their most repulsive, spurious delusions.”
Subaru: “...”
Echidna: “If you can't see that face, it's due to a problem of your own heart.”
Useful advice comes flying in from behind to back up Subaru's deduction. Managing to withstand his urge to click his tongue, Subaru ignores Echidna—or more rather, he remains without any leeway to devote her any attention as he continues facing Satella.
Satella still has yet to make any kind of action. The only thing Satella has done is appear here. The people around her kicked up a fuss by themselves, getting frantic in an attempt to protect against escalation in damages resultant from her actions. That by simply being present she fostered so much fear in itself displayed the vivid truth of her hazardousness. That would probably be no exaggeration. And, the instant Subaru grows impatient with the lack of motion, it happens.
Subaru: “—hk”
Satella: “—”
Seeing the two arms presented out to him, Subaru's throat freezes. For not a single second, not even a single blink had Subaru shifted his attention away from Satella. He wouldn't know what could happen after any instant—was the tension, which the movement of these nigh out-of-nowhere arms easily toys with. His surprise is not for a failure to see the movement. Subaru had very clearly seen Satella's arms move. What surprises him is his own consciousness, which had regardless watched silently over the motion until it reached its end.
Subaru: “What, really... are you? What do you want with me?”
He had not been able to take any useful action in response to her presented hands. More or less unconsciously understanding what meaning that held, Subaru promptly comes up with words. To end this without accepting the truth, to end this without facing her, strangled out his mouth.
Subaru: “If you're the one giving me the power to redo... why, is that...”
He doesn't understand what Satella's intentions are. And he doesn't understand his body, which although facing Satella, standing within range to touch her, unconsciously screaming again and again that she is dangerous, won't listen to him.
—The reaction of his body, which is unconsciously attempting to feel RELIEVED when faced with Satella.
Satella: “——u,”
Subaru: “—Ah?”
Unable to accept his body as it goes defying his will, Subaru is slow to react to the sound hitting his eardrums. This time was unmistakably a correct reaction which had come with no intentions attached.
Swallowing his breath, Subaru waits for her to continue. With her yet-invisible face still faced toward Subaru as he holds his breath, waiting for her, the time slowly, slowly passes on—and Satella speaks.
Satella: “—ou.”
Subaru: “—”
Satella: “Always you. Always only you, am I in love with.”
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login