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umiscripts2012-01-30 05:44 pm
endlesswitch) wrote in umiscripts2012-01-30 05:44 pm
banquet of the golden witch; chapter 15 (the definition of a witch)
Sun, Oct 5 1986 1:30PM
...30 minutes had already passed since Rudolf's group had left the guesthouse.
By any measure, their return was too late.
...And Krauss and Natsuhi, who were waiting by the entrance, were reaching the limits of their patience.
The chain was set on the door.
That was a precaution in the event that Rudolf's group was attacked, and the master key stolen from them.
For that reason, they needed to wait by the entrance like this for the others to return...
"......They really are too late. You don't think something happened to them...?"
"............Hmm..."
Krauss glanced between his watch and the door, struggling to keep his composure.
"If, ...something happened to prevent them from returning......"
"...A terrible thought, but it looks as though we should ready ourselves for that possibility. ......It really was reckless, after all."
"Th, that is what I said...! Why did they go outside when they knew it was this dangerous...! How foolish! Why go outside, even though Rosa-san had just been attacked...?!!"
".........Nothing will come from saying that now. ...Anyways, this way, there are three adults in the guesthouse. Me, you, ......and Eva, who's asleep with a high fever."
At that time, there was the forceful sound from the hallway of a door being opened, and they heard Eva's panicked voice.
...That voice kept calling Hideyoshi's name.
......It seemed as though, while down with a high fever, she had had a bad dream or something and was calling her husband's name.
"Eva-san..., what is it, are you alright...?"
"Wh, ...where is my husband?! My husband isn't here!! Even though he promised that he'd stay with me the whole time! Even though he promised that he'd grasp my hand the whole time!!"
...Krauss was struck dumb by this attitude of hers, which she had never shown in front of him before, but Natsuhi understood her feelings.
"......C, calm down... Hideyoshi-san is with Rudolf-san and Kyrie-san, and they're outside right now."
"Outside?!?! Wh, wh, why, why did he go outside, after he promised that he'd stay with me the whole time?! You mustn't go outside, the witch is outside, you mustn't go, you'll be killed!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh...!!"
"...Eva, calm yourself. ......Hideyoshi-san returned to the mansion with Rudolf and Kyrie-san."
"Why did he have to go to the mansion?!! Why did he go outside, even though it's safe here?!! Why did he go back to the mansion?!!"
"..................They went to get enough food to last until tomorrow. ...Hideyoshi-san was worried about your health, and he told us so..."
"When will they come back?! When will they come back?! Don't go outside, don't go to the rose garden, don't go to the mansion!! The witch is there, the Golden Witch is walking around! If she finds you, you'll be killed, you'll definitely be killed!! When will my husband come back?!"
".........They left here 30 minutes ago. We are waiting for their return."
"Th, thirty minutes?! Isn't that strange? Why would it take so much time for them to go to the mansion to get food and come back?! And why are you two just standing around here?! We have to get them!! We have to quickly go to where they are!! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!"
Eva probably had quite a nightmare.
...And because it had continued even after she had woken up, she could no longer hide her confusion.
Natsuhi tried calming her down, but all it did was make Eva's emotions explode even more.
...Maybe it was because they heard that disturbance.
Battler and the kids, who should have gone up to the second floor, were peeking their faces through the slightly open lobby door.
Krauss, Natsuhi, Eva. And Battler, George, Jessica, Nanjo.
...Everyone in the guesthouse was gathered by the entrance, and understood the current situation.
"I agree with Mother. We should go to check on Father and the rest."
"Yeah, that's right. There's also the chance that their load is too heavy and they're having trouble carrying it. They should welcome some extra hands."
"......R, Rosa-san was attacked not long ago. ...There's a possibility that this is a second disaster. We should act with caution here and..."
"Don't be a fool!! What do you mean, caution?! Are you saying we should watch my husband die, even though he might be begging for help?! I'm going to look, and the cowards can stay here!!"
Looking agitated, Eva raised her gun.
Judging by her features, it would be useless for anyone to try and stop her.
...George, who realized that first, raised his head.
"I'll go too. You will too, right, Battler-kun? The more people, the better...!"
"S, sure!! Eva oba-san, we're coming even if you tell us not to."
"...I, I'm coming too...! I can't be the only one to hide in a safe place...!"
"Jessica, you must not go outside!! Stay here with me. Alright?!"
It was like they were implying that those three had already been killed anyways, so it was pointless to go outside.
Natsuhi also realized that Eva felt like her heart had been gouged out, but she said that strongly as Jessica's mother.
"..................You're right. That should be fine. Let's have Nii-san's family keep an eye on the guesthouse. This is my family's and Battler-kun's family's problem. And I wonder if Doctor Nanjo would come too. Just in case."
".........In the hall of the mansion, Battler, Eva, George, and Nanjo found the corpses of Rudolf, Kyrie, and Hideyoshi."
".........The fourth twilight through the sixth twilight? Then, the corpses were pierced through the forehead, chest, and stomach with those demon stakes?"
"Yes. ......The demon stakes were buried into them, one in Rudolf's forehead, one in Hideyoshi's chest, and one in Kyrie's stomach.
The clothing on all three was disordered, and because of this, it is thought that they had been fighting or running away. Since the three corpses were not found right next to each other, it is hypothesized that after coming into contact with the culprit, they attempted some form of resistance."
".........With stakes, in the forehead, chest, and stomach. ......Horrible, just like usual..."
"........................"
Even though Ronove knew it would be superfluous, he thought that maybe he should tell Battler.
...In actuality, the witch had killed them in a much more horrible way.
......Beato had advised the witch to restrain herself, which was why the corpses had been left in this manner.
The new witch, thinking that it would fit as long as she gouged with a stake, ......would probably have just stuck a stake into a lump of meat that wasn't even shaped like a human.
Rosa's and Maria's corpses were probably especially striking.
...If they had been killed as the Golden Witch had wished, just how gruesome would the exposed corpse have been?
Beato had changed that into the 'still better' kind of killing Battler had spoken of.
And wanting to have Beato's small bit of thoughtfulness appreciated, he thought of telling Battler about that.
...But in Battler's eyes, that might do more harm than good.
To humans, the gap between being alive and being dead is very large.
While saying that she had changed it to a better way of dying, and that he wanted Battler to understand Beato's feelings, might have made it possible for a demon to pardon her, ......there was no way it would work the same way for a human.
Understanding this, Ronove remained silent even though he knew of Beato's modest effort...
"Just like usual, let's start by checking whether the corpses are dead. ......Ronove, please, declare it in red."
"........................"
"Hey, can't you hear me? ...Please, declare it in red. Repeat it. 'Rudolf, Kyrie, and Hideyoshi are dead'."
"............My apologies. Allow me to decline from repeating that."
"What's that...? That's so sudden...what are you planning...?"
By now, proclaiming that the victims were dead in red was almost a given in this battle.
Refusing to do that was almost like losing by default.
...So when Ronove refused as part of his first move, Battler was dumbfounded.
"My apologies. Someone speaking in Milady's place such as myself must relinquish his turn at this point. ...Accordingly, 'I' cannot repeat that in red. ......The only one qualified to repeat that, ...is Milady."
"..............."
"...It is a correct point. Ronove is but an agent for Beato's side. ......If Ronove steps down from the position of agent, and Battler-kun will not accept Beato as an opponent, ...a new agent must be created."
"......There is no new agent. ......Please, Battler-sama. Please accept Milady as your game partner once more."
"............Sorry, but that's advice I can't listen to. ......I definitely won't accept that unpleasant, cruel bastard as my opponent. ...I won't give up in this game because I don't accept her."
"Regarding your point about her being unpleasant, I apologize in Milady's stead. Allow me to pledge that Milady will not take unpleasant actions again."
".........................I wonder about that."
"...Battler-kun. I also apologize as that child's teacher. She has listened well, so would you please forgive her just this once?"
"......Hey, hey, quit it please. You're making it sound like I'm the bad guy. ...And no matter how much you guys apologize, it won't reach my ears. ......If Beato can say that from her own mouth, ............well, it's not like I won't listen to her."
"............Understood. If that is your only condition for accepting that child again, let us have that child apologize. .........Ronove. Call for that child. Is that alright, Battler-kun...?"
"............Sheesh. ...Do whatever you want. Still, don't expect that I'll forgive her. ......Call for that irritating witch."
"...You have my thanks, Battler-sama. ......I will now call her. ......Milady, Battler-sama is calling for you."
After a few heartbeats, gold butterflies gathered together in midair and created Beato's form.
...It was much more docile than the way she had appeared before now.
"............Did you call, Ronove?"
"...I believe you heard. ......Is there something you have to say, from your own mouth...?"
"........................"
"....................."
It looked as though Beato shrunk slightly under Battler's cold gaze.
Several times, Beato made an effort to get the words out of her mouth, but that didn't work so well, ......and she was just as awkward as someone trying to light a match during a freezing winter with frozen hands...
Even as she did that, the game board was proceeding...
In the hall, they had just found the corpses of the new victims, and had broken down crying...
"......Dad, ......Kyrie-san..., ...oooooooooooooooooohhhh..., oooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh...""Dear, ...deeeaar..., whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh...!!"
"...Mother, ......get a hold of yourself............I'm also, ......crushed, ......and sad......!"
"...............They probably died instantly. ...I'm sure that, even if we had arrived immediately after they fell, it would have been too late..."
"No, that's wrong!! They were definitely alive!! His chest was stabbed with something like this...! My husband must have died in extreme pain...!! If we had come faster, ...surely they would have been saved! They would surely have been saved!! Uuuuuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh..."
"......It must be tough..., for you too, Battler-kun, .........so stay strong......"
"............I'm alright, ...it's alright, Aniki... Let me cry just a little bit longer.........I've got it the best... I should be the least sad...! So if you let me cry just a little longer, ......I'll be fine..."
"That isn't true.........I can understand how much it must hurt your heart to have lost both parents......I still have Mother. ...That's much better than it is for you, Battler-kun..."
"No, that's wrong!! It's got to be toughest for you, George-aniki.........I understand, Aniki... ...In this group, ...you are the saddest, and the one who has it toughest!! I understand that..., so I can't keep on sobbing like this...!! Oooooooooooooooooohhh!!"
"......Why, ......do you say it is toughest for me......?"
"To me, Dad and Kyrie-san, ......were people I would eventually split up with when I grew up and became independent. Since they're parents, it is fated that they would die before their children. ...It's just that it happened a little early...!
.........But it's different for you, Aniki. You wouldn't have split up with your parents someday. .........You should have lived your whole lives together, .........and you've even lost Shannon-chan too, right...?!!"
"........................"
"It's not like human lives have different weights. Whether it's a baby or an old person, they should all be respected the same...! ......But still, the longer the life of a person afterwards, ...the longer the future you've built together, ............the sadder the fact of death is......!!
"Aniki, you were engaged to Shannon-chan, right? You promised that you'd build a life and a home together in the future, right?! .........Compared to how huge that future was, ...compared to how huge that happiness was, ......stuff like my pain doesn't even come close...!!
.........So you should be forgiven for crying much, much more, Aniki...!! And yet, ...just because you act like a big brother for us cousins, .........you forcibly act like you're composed......!"
"............Stop it, ...Battler-kun."
George was trying to make a calm smile.
......But already, .........he couldn't stop a single hot tear from leaving a streak down his face.
"......There's no way I wouldn't, .........be sad, right...? .........Together with Shannon, I painted a picture of many futures in my mind. We talked of dreams that couldn't all come true even in a thousand lifetimes. ......Of those dreams, even the very first one, ............having her move into my family register, could not be granted, .........so there's no way I wouldn't, ............be sad, right.........?"
"Compared to that, I, ......I...!! Like I said, I have no right to cry any more! When even you're holding back, Aniki, I have no right to shed any more tears!!"
"......We're the same. ...We both feel the same sadness from losing those close to us. .........so there's no rule that you can't shed any more tears than me, Battler-kun.
.........And, ......for me too, ...there's no rule, ...that says I have to hold back my tears any longer."
"...Aniki, ......Anikii...!!! Ooooooooooooooooooooohhhh!!"
"Shannon, with whom I talked of the future, died. Father is dead too. .........How sad, ......how sad.........Oooooooooooohhhhhhh!!"
As Battler and George tightly hugged each other, they cried a waterfall of tears over each other's shoulders for those people important to them...
"............Do you understand why I'm saying that George-aniki has it the toughest...?"
"I, ......I was listening, so I understand. ......The sadness is proportional to the length of time that would have been spent together in their lives after that..."
"......Of course, you can't calculate it just like that though. .........We humans aren't like you witches. ......From the time we're alive to the moment we die, we live in that limited period with our utmost strength.
.........I can't forgive anyone who makes light of that. ......Furthermore, I definitely can't forgive anyone who sneers at people and toys with them. ...A person like you, whose very concept of death is all screwed up, probably can't understand that."
"........................"
"......It isn't just the time we would live afterwards. ......Sneering at the lives of people living with all their strength... That's what I can't forgive the most.
George-aniki lived his life by recklessly doing his best. ...He must have shown up today heroically prepared to marry Shannon-chan. ......It's completely different from me, since I was happy just to be able to meet my cousins after a long while."
"...B, .........but still..."
"Beato. For now, stay silent and listen."
"............H, ...hmm."
".........In a way, I understand your excuse. ...You say that you need to continue murdering according to the epitaph for your own resurrection.
......So judging by the circumstances of your position, ......I can just barely understand your murders. ......Because to you, that is a necessary action. ......In that case, all further unnecessary actions are because of your meaningless brutal hobby.
......In other words, if killing the six people for the first twilight was a 'necessary action' for you, ...then all that show of crushing their faces and splitting their stomachs and stuffing them full of sweets was completely unnecessary, and just your brutal hobby. .........I definitely cannot forgive this aspect of you."
"............H, ...mm......"
"When you repeatedly killed Rosa oba-san in that horrible way, ......I heard that you were saying something like 'in the very end, I will bring them back to life, so it doesn't matter how I kill them, right?' I heard from Virgilia."
".........Well, that, ......well, ...umm........."
"That idea that you can kill them as many times as you want, as long as you bring them back to life in the end, is a completely unnecessary action of toying with a life, isn't it?
.........If you're going to kill, do it instantly! Don't toy with them!! If you won't kill them, then don't tease them!! You're taking advantage of the fact that you can do as you will with people's lives, and you've forgotten the sanctity of life. So I can't accept you...! I definitely can't accept as my opponent a person who doesn't know the weight of a life, and the sadness when that life is lost!"
"............That is why the Endless Magic is known as a black art. ...The Endless Witch has no concept of limitations. ......She has no concept of the limitations and losses caused by breaking and killing.
...For that reason, Endless Witches sometimes start playing with the gap between life and death like it's a game. .........That is a very, very frightening thing. So as an Endless Witch, and out of my own desire,
I never reached your level・・・・・・・・・・・・・."
Virgilia had wanted to tell Beato that for a long time.
But Beato had been too young to obediently listen to those words. She had been too wild.
...She had been possessed by that detestable pleasure.
"......I have been told not to break vases. ...But that's why I wanted to break them. .........Then I gained the Endless Magic. ...When I knew that I could fix it back to normal no matter how badly I broke it, ......I was surprised at how fun it was to break a vase..."
"That is called the forbidden honey. People are not captivated by what's inside. They are captivated by the sealed lock. .........It truly is deplorable."
".........I want to ask you, Virgilia. Why does this thing called the Endless Magic exist? ...And for what purpose does it exist in this world?"
"It is not limited to the Endless Magic. ...All magic exists to bring happiness to the human world. ......After everything that has happened, it may be difficult for you to believe, Battler-kun, ......but in order to bring blessings to the human world, we witches are supposed to become a bridge between humans and those who are not human, and continue to study."
"......How does reviving the dead and torturing them to death over and over again help the human world?"
"When a vase that is an important memento is broken, if by fixing it, everyone will regain their smiles, I would repair it with magic as many times as necessary. However, I would not be fixing it in order to break it again. ......I would be reviving it to give humans happiness."
"In that case, ............Beato. You fail as an Endless Witch."
"........................H, ......mmm..."
"......By now, I have, at times, vaguely thought about something. .........Why do I keep going on with this strange game against you?
......This isn't a game to make me surrender.
......Couldn't it be a test for you to be accepted as an Endless Witch,
in its true meaning・・・・・・・・?"
"...I, .........I don't know about that. ...The reason I proposed this game to you was, umm, ......simply as a way to kill time... No one was anticipating it."
"Just now, I heard the definition of a witch from Virgilia. By that definition, you, Beato, are not even a witch. You'd be an apprentice who's in the middle of her training, and who misunderstands her own power.
......This was supposedly a fight between a witch and a human. In that case, someone like you, who isn't a witch, is not qualified to be my opponent. .........Understand?"
"......You say, ......I am still, ............only an apprentice...... Then, when will I be accepted as your opponent once again? ......When can we resume this game?"
"............Who knows. ...At the very least, it isn't now. ......When you fully understand what I've said, and become a real witch, ...I will probably accept you as my opponent in this game once more."
"I, I can't understand if you say it so abstractly like that... Clearly tell me what I should do to earn your forgiveness..."
"No, I've said enough. You think about the rest. .........That's all I want to say. ...If you can't understand it, try talking with Virgilia and Ronove. ...A brat like you should start off by listening to what the adults say.
............Virgilia. Suspend the game for now. Now that Ronove has stepped down as representative, all we can do is wait for Beato to gain the qualifications of a proper opponent."
"......Understood. ......Until Beato has been accepted as having gained those qualifications, the game will proceed without an opponent. Is that alright with you too, Beato?"
"...I, ......I have no objections. .........I want time, and a place where I can think at a leisurely pace. ...May I leave my seat for that?"
".........Yeah, that's fine."
"...Well then, see you, later."
"Wait. ......Don't make that dejected face."
".....................Sorry about that. Letting everything inside my heart show up on my face is part of my personality. I cannot deceive."
"In that case, there's still room for improvement. .........Let me promise you one thing. In this game with you, I might win, and I might lose. ......If you don't come back, it'll probably be a victory by default for me."
At that point, Battler stopped talking for a second.
...Then he spoke forcefully.
".........However, I definitely won't be the one to step down. I definitely won't give you a victory by default. ......I will keep on waiting here for you to sit there again as my worthy opponent."
"......Battler-sama..."
"............Thank you, Battler. ...I will definitely, come back and be accepted by you."
After showing a hopeful smile for a very short while, Beato hid herself.
...Looking at that expression, Battler strongly believed that her face wasn't lying...
The seven survivors returned to the guesthouse once again.
By now, it was clear that those who had gone outside would not be able to return alive.
Rudolf's group had gone out holding two guns and one master key.
But those had been lost.
It was already clear that those had been stolen by the culprit.
Because the shutters were closed on the windows, they wouldn't open even if the culprit had the master key.
The front and back doors that led to the outside were all sealed by chains, and they were further blocked with sofas and tables.
Even if the culprit decided to break in through violent means, it wouldn't be easy for them.
"......At this point, the typhoon may actually be fortunate. If it were clear outside, it might have been possible for them to set fire to the guesthouse."
"If there wasn't a typhoon in the first place, the boat would have arrived before noon. I'm not sure you can call that a cloud's silver lining."
"......Eva-san, how do you feel? Please, try to take it easy."
"Thank you. ...I still feel a fever, but now isn't the time to talk about that. ......Now is not the time to fall asleep, for the children's sake as well."
After crying so much in front of Hideyoshi's corpse, Eva had felt a strong self-awareness that she was a mother, and her expression conveyed a strong will.
...Actually, her fever still hadn't gone down.
And she was aware of that.
If she didn't keep a strong hold on herself, she felt as though the fever would make her mind hazy again.
By this point, the first floor was a final line of defense made by Krauss, Natsuhi, and Eva.
The children and the guest, Nanjo, had been strongly warned not to carelessly go downstairs.
If the culprit used a ladder or something, it probably wouldn't be impossible for them to attack from the second floor.
But it wouldn't be easy for them to break those sturdy shutters from such an insecure position.
The second floor was safe compared to the first.
Battler and George had hoped they could also remain on the first floor, to fight in the worst case scenario, but Eva had rejected that.
In her mind, George was now the only member of her family.
It seemed that she didn't even want to expose him to the danger of coming downstairs to the first floor.
Krauss and Natsuhi could also understand that feeling.
......Since this siege began, a great deal of time had passed.
In the second floor cousins' room, Battler, George, and Jessica were dazed, and didn't even listen to the TV that had been left on.
For a while, Nanjo had been with them, and had tried to send them words of encouragement, but when he realized that he might actually be having the opposite effect, he had hid himself in his own room on the same second floor.
George kept looking dazedly at the photographs inserted in his notebook.
......It was from that time he had taken a vacation to Okinawa with Shannon.
Shannon's happy smile was contained in those photographs.
......George could remember the temperature and the humidity, the warmth and strength of the wind, and even what he had been talking about with her at the time those photos had been taken as clearly as though it had been yesterday.
So to George, they weren't simply photos, but a door to bring back warm memories...
In this room, even though the sound of the typhoon and the TV should have entered George's hearing, ......it was the scenery of Okinawa he had seen with her and her laughing voice that reached his eyes and his ears...
George had strived to be reborn after meeting Shannon.
He had sworn to separate himself from the timid person he had once been, easily caught up in the atmosphere, unable to refuse a request, and easily used by those around him.
......He had resolved himself to become a strong man who would make her life even more joyous.
Therefore. ...If he hadn't met Shannon, ......the man called Ushiromiya George would probably have lived a very different life.
And the George of that different life surely wouldn't have been as excellent a man as he is now.
Even though I now exist for Shannon's sake.
......Even so, now that Shannon is gone, ...why do I exist?
It's completely meaningless, isn't it?
...A deep, deep sadness, as though he himself had become empty.
That feeling should have tormented him the whole time. ......However, until Battler had told him, he hadn't been aware of the feeling himself.
......He finally remembered, ...that he should have cried much, much more.
So he cried.
Just like Battler had, he had cried himself dry.
......By now, his eyes were bright red and swollen, and he could not cry any more.
So George did his best to change his way of thinking.
He was not meaningless now, ...and he should be grateful that Shannon had given him such a character.
Dead lives are not revived.
He would have to get over being separated from his most beloved person.
If he were to chase after Shannon and kill himself, she would surely be deeply dejected.
......It worked the other way around, too.
If he had died, and Shannon had chased after him, throwing away her own life, he wouldn't have been able to forgive it himself.
......So he had chosen to surpass his emotions of sadness and anger, .........and had decided to thank her.
He had met with Shannon, who had made his days rich and full, ...and who had taught him the meaning of working hard for other people's sakes.
As a result, she had shaped him into the person he had admired.
...He thought he should thank her for that.
By doing that, he tried to quell his sadness. But each time he did, he remembered Shannon's face...
.........He understood the reasoning.
Even though he understood that grieving any more than this would only make her grieve in heaven, ......he couldn't stop his sadness...
"Why is it, .........that when people die, ......it's so sad like this..."
Battler muttered.
...It was as though he was speaking on behalf of all humans.
He probably hadn't been asking anyone, but Jessica answered.
"......No matter how you say your farewell, it's always sad. ...But, when, for example, the person is old, or there's some time, ...when it's expected in advance, and you know it's a farewell that must come sooner or later, that sadness can grow fainter over a long period of time. ......Sudden misfortune is probably sad, ...because you aren't allowed even that..."
"............I see. So, if they get sick or something, and end up bedridden in a hospital, you might be able to ready yourself for it bit by bit, ...but when it happens suddenly on some day, you don't have that much free time."
"...The sadness which normally should grow weaker over a period of several years closes in on you all at once. .........That's pretty tough. ......Sometimes, it might even cause a great sadness that leaves a scar for life..."
"......Enough to leave a scar for life, ...you say."
"......It's like Grandfather's occult hobby. People whisper about it. ......That Beatrice was his mistress, who died a long time ago, and he was so sad that he couldn't pull himself together. ......Some people whisper, ......that this is why he started sacrificing the rest of his life to research of the occult, in order to revive the dead."
"In that case, Grandfather succeeded in that miracle in his last moments. ......The culprit is the revived Beatrice, and Grandfather was reunited with her at the moment he was killed. Pretty ironic that he revived her, and was then killed by her."
".........Even so, Grandfather was probably able to meet her. ...He gambled half of his life and, even though it was only for a short time, he was reunited with the woman he wished to see once again."
"...Although he was completely roasted. Feels like that result doesn't quite add up to the cost of researching for half of his life."
"That's not true. .........Even if it was only for an instant, ......Grandfather should have been happy to be reunited with the woman he loved.
.........Even if his crime of going against divine providence was punished by God, and his body was burnt and sent down to hell, ...even if that reunion only lasted a very short time, right...?"
"George nii-san......"
"......It doesn't matter if I meet with the wrath of God and have my body burned. .........Even if it's just a short amount of time, ......if I could revive Shannon again, ...............I would sacrifice the rest of my life to the same research as Grandfather. ......Five minutes would be enough, ......because I want to talk with Shannon again.........Even one minute would be fine............In exchange, ...I wouldn't mind, ......sacrificing the rest of my life......!"
".........Aniki......"
When Battler and Jessica realized that their pointless discussion was giving George painful feelings, they could do nothing more than shut their mouths...
......George directed his thoughts at Kinzo's life.
He had sacrificed half of his life to research that no one could understand.
......And, on the last day of his life, he had revived the person he loved most, ......and probably succeeded in his reunion in his final moments.
George didn't know how much time they had spent together.
...He didn't know whether they had been given an hour, ...or just five minutes.
However, ......in that moment, all of that time he had sacrificed for his research should have been rewarded.
...Even though he spent dozens of years to gain it, that small amount of time was probably enough to reward him.
Until today, I never believed in the occult or magic or anything.
Somewhere in my heart, ...I even made fun of Grandfather's research as nothing more than a pastime.
However, ......I won't make fun of it anymore.
...No, to the contrary, I strongly believe that it does exist.
...If the power of belief can become miracles, I'll probably throw away all of my studies up until today, and spend the rest of my life from today onwards studying magic.
.........Give me the power of magic.
...And, a miracle which lets me meet Shannon again...
"..............................Haha, ...ha. ...Sorry, you two. What am I talking about? ......If you could revive the dead with magic, ......people would probably be studying it everywhere around the world. ...But things like that don't exist in reality. No one studies it. .........That's because, ...they know that the dead can't be revived with magic. ............Sorry for saying something so weird. It's my fault that the atmosphere here has gotten so strange. ...Sorry for making you worry, even though this is tough for everybody."
...Even though I did it to divert myself from my sadness, maybe I did say something strange.
If I keep talking about something so weird, I'm sure it won't heal their sadness...
But, just because of that, ...it doesn't mean that I can withstand this silence.
"......I'll go downstairs, and get another cup of coffee. ......My mother is obsessed with making coffee. Does anyone want a refill?"
Battler-kun and Jessica-chan lightly shook their heads.
Without being any more persistent than that, I took my mug and left the room.
Because the shutters were all closed in the hallway, the corridor was very dim.
I tried visiting Doctor Nanjo's room and asking whether he needed more coffee, but he said that he didn't need any more either.
......It seemed as though my mother's orthodox method of making coffee wasn't universally appreciated.
One time, I had Shannon drink it, ...but she told me that while it was delicious, it was a little strong...
............Shannon.........
That's no good.........even though I left the room to change my mood, ...that image of Shannon's face that's filling my head hasn't faded in the slightest...
The fun days with her are repeating vividly, ............and it's saddening that I haven't even been able to see her dead face.
According to our parents, it seems as though she was killed with something like a gun or spear.
...I'm sure they were just trying to console me, ......but they had said that her dead face had been very beautiful and peaceful.
I wonder if she put the engagement ring I gave her last night, ...on her finger?
......If she had accepted my engagement, she should have put it on the ring finger of her left hand...
Last night, we were both on the edge of losing it, and not calm at all.
Shannon had accepted the engagement courageously, but she might have regretted that as a rash action once she cooled her head. She might have taken the ring off.
......I wonder if she has the ring on now.
......I at least want to be sure of that much.
I want to know...her final feelings......
However, ......even if I do check that, ...she won't be revived.
............I wonder what will happen to her body.
After the autopsy, ......it will probably be immediately cremated.
Then, I'll never be able to see her face, ...even her dead face, for all eternity...
".....................Haha, ...because of the shock of losing Shannon, ......am I going a little crazy...?"
I don't want, ......to burn Shannon's body.
If she is burned, she'll turn to ash, ......and never again
will it be possible for her to revive・・・・・・・・・・・・・.
They say that cremation is disliked in western tradition.
......Because on the day of resurrection, there would be no body to revive.
Because of that, it seems that great criminals in western history were often cremated after execution as a punishment, and their ashes were sometimes scattered in rivers and such...
In other words, to western people, death is nothing more than a sleep until the resurrection.
It is essential that the corpse is left after death.
"In other words, that's because, ......western people, ......knew of the existence of a miracle to revive the dead. .........But because that miracle doesn't exist in Japan, we burn them."
Now I understand. ...I understand why Grandfather idolized the western occult.
From the beginning, it had all been only for that reason.
...Just to revive the person dear to him, ...Grandfather spent the rest of his remaining life researching the western occult.
.........Now, the situation surrounding us is abnormal.
Grandfather revived his beloved Beatrice.
...And, that Beatrice has carried out a terrible serial murder, with linked closed rooms which forced us to think that magic had been used.
......The Golden Witch, Beatrice.
The incarnation of the miracle of the western occult.
.........And also, the culprit who killed Shannon......
I should hate that being, ............and yet, for some reason, I want to cling to her.
I wonder, ...if Shannon could be revived with the magic of miracles, which Grandfather bet his life on...
According to the legend of the Ushiromiya family, Grandfather met with her long ago, and was given a vast quantity of gold.
...Then if I also meet her, ......instead of gold, would she give me Shannon's life?
As collateral, she could impose any kind of devil's contract.
For that, I could sacrifice all of my remaining life...
George probably couldn't believe or notice that his voiceless wish, ...was heard by the witch herself, standing right behind him.
Beatrice had been listening to the children's discussion just now in the cousins' room the whole time.
......Battler had told her that she didn't know the value of a human's life, ......and wanting to understand that in her own way, she had stealthily visited, and listened to their discussion.
"........................That is your wish, you say...? If I could grant that, would I be accepted as a witch...?"
Beato looked at the palms of both of her hands.
...She had handed over most of her previously surging magic power when the new witch had succeeded the name of Endless Witch.
Of course, her current magic power still made her worthy of being called a witch, ...but it did not even compare to her previous strength.
"......Hmm. Even without the Endless Magic, I am a Great Witch whose name has been thundered for a thousand years. Reviving the dead is no trouble at all."
Inside her head, she thought about several magical steps she could take to revive the dead.
......Even magic that should have been easy in the past would be difficult with her current magic power.
She thought of something, then clicked her tongue, and repeated this several times.
In the end, ......she finally thought of a single magic.
But that was a magic that she couldn't use by herself.
It was a magic that witches with weak power used, that relied on the aid of others.
...In the past, Beato had looked down upon that type of magic.
Therefore, she frantically tried to think if there wasn't any other possible magic, .........but in the end, she couldn't think of one, and slumped over in self-derision.
And then, ......careful not to surprise him, she softly called out. Softly, to George's heart...
".........Ushiromiya George. ...Can you hear my voice...?"
"......I can hear. ......Who are you...? Are you really the witch, Beatrice...? ...Or else, are you an illusion created by my sadness...?
.........If it's the former, I want you to hear my wish. ...And if it's the latter, I want you to leave me alone..."
Their conversation in a mental world was a lot like having one in a dream.
When you dream, haven't you ever had the experience...of casually accepting something that would have been absurd in the real world?
......The conversation in this world was like that.
So even though a witch appeared and started talking to George, he was not surprised...
"Hmm. ......I am...the Golden Witch, Beatrice. .........Normally, you and I would not be able to talk together like this. ...However, you are strongly conscious of me, and wish to have a discussion, ...so both of our channels are able to match like this."
"............I don't care whether the person who killed Shannon was...you, or someone else taking on your name. ......As long as you exist as a real witch...
............I would pay any compensation. If you desire my life, you can take it right now. ......Please, I want you to bring Shannon back to life............If that's impossible, I don't mind if you just let me talk to her for a short while............Please........."
".........I require no compensation. I shall grant that wish."
"...Really......? Really, for Shannon.........?"
"Hmm. ......However, my current magic power is not sufficient to use resurrection magic. ...Therefore, I must rely on your help."
".........If there's something I can do, I'll do anything. ...Even if that means taking my heart out right here and now, I will not hesitate..."
"...I'm telling you that I don't require something like that. ............I will chant the magic. Then, a gap will open in the door to Hades.
...But as I am now, I do not have the power to bring Shannon's soul up through that gap. .........However, if it were you, who has strong feelings for Shannon, those feelings should change into magic and bring her soul out without fail.
......What do you say? Will you help me...?"
"...I will help. .........If Shannon's life will be revived, ......I am not afraid to lose everything......!"
George's fists shook in silence.
...Then he slowly regained consciousness.
He had been absent-mindedly standing near the window in the hall the whole time, his mug still in his hand...
And......, ............the witch from his dream, ......was still there.
"Wh, ......what the, .........i, it isn't, ......a dream........."
"......Be quiet. I am very fragile now. If any more humans appear now, I will not be able to preserve this form. ...I shall grant your wish, so stay silent for now. ...Is that alright?"
George covered his mouth with both hands, forcefully nodding several times.
In that instant, it looked as though the mug he was holding was about to fall.
George frantically juggled it around and caught it.
...He was afraid that if it fell to the floor and made a loud sound, the witch's form might disappear like a bubble popping.
He softly set the mug on the floor, ...and stared at the witch in front of him again.
.........Her form didn't disappear. It wasn't a dream......
"Come, let us go to the parlor where Shannon sleeps. With the power of your feelings, we will bring back her soul."
"Y, you say go, but how...? My mother and the rest are downstairs. There's no way they'd let us go outside. ......And, didn't you just say that you wouldn't be able to preserve your form if another human appeared?"
"......Come to think of it, that is true. So, Krauss and the rest are downstairs. ...In that case, we definitely cannot go down. ......Well then, we just need to go to the mansion without going down to the first floor, right? It's simple."
Beato laughed, as though she had thought of a pleasant prank.
......And with her golden pipe, she lightly tapped a window with its shutter closed.
When she did, three gold butterflies appeared from the pipe and opened the lock on the window as though melting it.
Then the window opened without a sound.
The shutter beyond it was exactly the same.
The clasp unset itself, also without making a sound, and it quietly opened.
The window opened, exposing the wind and rain outside the mansion.
...Perhaps because of the direction or something related to the construction of the building, the wind did not blow inside.
Because of that, for a while, George felt as though this entrance opening to the outside was a dream or illusion, and he couldn't accept it as real.
"Come, let us go. Come with me."
Beato gently floated upwards.
It was a natural action, like that of a diver enjoying an underwater stroll.
......It made it easy to believe that if you acted like she did, you too might be able to float in the sky just as though you were swimming in the water.
...No, George did believe that.
......So without thinking, just as she had done, he also..., ...gently, ......as though swimming in the water, his feet......
"......ah, ............aaaaaaahh........."
"Hoh. ...Not bad. So you learned how to dance in the sky faster than I could explain it."
George was shocked to find himself floating in midair like he was swimming.
...Of course, Beato was also shocked that George, who shouldn't have been able to use magic, had learned how to do that just by instinct.
".........To be able to, ......fly in the air, ......swim in the air......"
"...You must not think of the reason. Accept it as a natural thing. ......You must not think back upon the human doctrines, such as those from Newton and Einstein.
Especially when flying high in the sky. ...Inexperienced witches sometimes fall."
"...I, I accept it as true... I accept it as true......"
George repeated those words over and over.
......He must not deny magic, no matter what.
Denying that would be like throwing away what might be his first and last chance to revive Shannon.
However, compared to Beato, who was elegantly drifting like smoke, George's movements were clearly similar to someone underwater.
...Therefore, if he didn't act like he was kicking his feet in water every once in a while, he would be caught by the force of gravity bit by bit.
"I shall praise this as being a better performance than the first time I danced in the sky. ......Here we go. Come with me."
When Beato beckoned to George, she gently flew into the stormy sky.
......It was just like a scene from a fairy tale.
The scene unfolding before George's eyes felt entirely like an extension of his dream.
"......Being able to fly is, ......incredible, ......but so is the wind and the rain..."
"What's this? Are the wind and rain tormenting you...? ......I could teach you magic to block against that, but it may be too early for you, and it may be a misuse of time right now."
"..................Yes. ...The magic I need...isn't that."
Without losing to the wind and rain, George wore a strong-willed gaze.
"The mansion is coming into sight. ...Hold out just a little longer. If you fall now, you'll hit the bushes in the rose garden."
The undulating rose garden was spread beneath the witch and George's gazes.
This illusion-like scene no longer surprised George.
Only the gradually approaching mansion was reflected in his eyes.
"Shannon, .........wait for me.........I will definitely...revive you......!"
At that time. ......The cruel new witch could be seen staring at the guesthouse from a different location.
"............Now, all that's left is the seventh and eighth twilights. Just two more, and my obligation to that predecessor granny is finished. .........I'll kill Krauss and Natsuhi. A close couple."
"Nihi. Whe-re is the target nyeh?"
"......In the lobby on the first floor of the guesthouse, both targets and Ushiromiya Eva aquired. Anti-Magic Power Measurement. Data Link to 410."
"410 Data Received. Anti-magic power is extremely small. If Eva just goes outside, they're tuna and abalone on a chopping board. Nihihihihi...!"
"What do you think, great Lady Beatrice? If you give the order, we will snipe right away...! Please, your orders...!"
"...You guys re-ally are convenient furniture. Very different from old, second-hand furniture, which only has enough talent to gouge corpses. Right?"
"........................Ku..."
"Siesta Sisters, please show me your skill again. ...Firing Preparations! *giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*! Carry the corpses out again, alright? 'Cause I'll play with them a lot. No complaints, right Ronove?"
"......Correct. Certainly."
"Nn......"
At that time, the witch noticed something.
......As though some presence had disappeared......was it her imagination......?
".........Did you feel some kind of presence just now? Did anyone feel it?"
"M, ...my apologies, I haven't noticed anything..., please forgive me......!!"
"We were in the middle of observing the guesthouse, so our peripheral surveillance was set to off. Nihi. ...What about you, Lucifer-chaaan? Did you feel a presence?"
".........Nn-"
For just an instant, Lucifer sent a glance at Ronove, asking whether she should answer honestly or not.
Ronove gave a small nod in response.
"No. ...My apologies, Beatrice-sama. Nothing from us. .........Forgive us for this stupidity, as we are only second-hand furniture."
"........................"
"........................"
"..............................I see. If a great demon like you says that, then it must have been my imagination."
The witch persistently stared in the direction the presence had disappeared to.
......That was the direction of the rose garden.
And beyond that, she could see the mansion's dark silhouette creating by lightning.
......It took her quite some time before she pushed her unsatisfied feelings aside, and once again faced the guesthouse.
...30 minutes had already passed since Rudolf's group had left the guesthouse.
By any measure, their return was too late.
...And Krauss and Natsuhi, who were waiting by the entrance, were reaching the limits of their patience.
The chain was set on the door.
That was a precaution in the event that Rudolf's group was attacked, and the master key stolen from them.
For that reason, they needed to wait by the entrance like this for the others to return...
"......They really are too late. You don't think something happened to them...?"
"............Hmm..."
Krauss glanced between his watch and the door, struggling to keep his composure.
"If, ...something happened to prevent them from returning......"
"...A terrible thought, but it looks as though we should ready ourselves for that possibility. ......It really was reckless, after all."
"Th, that is what I said...! Why did they go outside when they knew it was this dangerous...! How foolish! Why go outside, even though Rosa-san had just been attacked...?!!"
".........Nothing will come from saying that now. ...Anyways, this way, there are three adults in the guesthouse. Me, you, ......and Eva, who's asleep with a high fever."
At that time, there was the forceful sound from the hallway of a door being opened, and they heard Eva's panicked voice.
...That voice kept calling Hideyoshi's name.
......It seemed as though, while down with a high fever, she had had a bad dream or something and was calling her husband's name.
"Eva-san..., what is it, are you alright...?"
"Wh, ...where is my husband?! My husband isn't here!! Even though he promised that he'd stay with me the whole time! Even though he promised that he'd grasp my hand the whole time!!"
...Krauss was struck dumb by this attitude of hers, which she had never shown in front of him before, but Natsuhi understood her feelings.
"......C, calm down... Hideyoshi-san is with Rudolf-san and Kyrie-san, and they're outside right now."
"Outside?!?! Wh, wh, why, why did he go outside, after he promised that he'd stay with me the whole time?! You mustn't go outside, the witch is outside, you mustn't go, you'll be killed!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh...!!"
"...Eva, calm yourself. ......Hideyoshi-san returned to the mansion with Rudolf and Kyrie-san."
"Why did he have to go to the mansion?!! Why did he go outside, even though it's safe here?!! Why did he go back to the mansion?!!"
"..................They went to get enough food to last until tomorrow. ...Hideyoshi-san was worried about your health, and he told us so..."
"When will they come back?! When will they come back?! Don't go outside, don't go to the rose garden, don't go to the mansion!! The witch is there, the Golden Witch is walking around! If she finds you, you'll be killed, you'll definitely be killed!! When will my husband come back?!"
".........They left here 30 minutes ago. We are waiting for their return."
"Th, thirty minutes?! Isn't that strange? Why would it take so much time for them to go to the mansion to get food and come back?! And why are you two just standing around here?! We have to get them!! We have to quickly go to where they are!! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!"
Eva probably had quite a nightmare.
...And because it had continued even after she had woken up, she could no longer hide her confusion.
Natsuhi tried calming her down, but all it did was make Eva's emotions explode even more.
...Maybe it was because they heard that disturbance.
Battler and the kids, who should have gone up to the second floor, were peeking their faces through the slightly open lobby door.
Krauss, Natsuhi, Eva. And Battler, George, Jessica, Nanjo.
...Everyone in the guesthouse was gathered by the entrance, and understood the current situation.
"I agree with Mother. We should go to check on Father and the rest."
"Yeah, that's right. There's also the chance that their load is too heavy and they're having trouble carrying it. They should welcome some extra hands."
"......R, Rosa-san was attacked not long ago. ...There's a possibility that this is a second disaster. We should act with caution here and..."
"Don't be a fool!! What do you mean, caution?! Are you saying we should watch my husband die, even though he might be begging for help?! I'm going to look, and the cowards can stay here!!"
Looking agitated, Eva raised her gun.
Judging by her features, it would be useless for anyone to try and stop her.
...George, who realized that first, raised his head.
"I'll go too. You will too, right, Battler-kun? The more people, the better...!"
"S, sure!! Eva oba-san, we're coming even if you tell us not to."
"...I, I'm coming too...! I can't be the only one to hide in a safe place...!"
"Jessica, you must not go outside!! Stay here with me. Alright?!"
It was like they were implying that those three had already been killed anyways, so it was pointless to go outside.
Natsuhi also realized that Eva felt like her heart had been gouged out, but she said that strongly as Jessica's mother.
"..................You're right. That should be fine. Let's have Nii-san's family keep an eye on the guesthouse. This is my family's and Battler-kun's family's problem. And I wonder if Doctor Nanjo would come too. Just in case."
".........In the hall of the mansion, Battler, Eva, George, and Nanjo found the corpses of Rudolf, Kyrie, and Hideyoshi."
".........The fourth twilight through the sixth twilight? Then, the corpses were pierced through the forehead, chest, and stomach with those demon stakes?"
"Yes. ......The demon stakes were buried into them, one in Rudolf's forehead, one in Hideyoshi's chest, and one in Kyrie's stomach.
The clothing on all three was disordered, and because of this, it is thought that they had been fighting or running away. Since the three corpses were not found right next to each other, it is hypothesized that after coming into contact with the culprit, they attempted some form of resistance."
".........With stakes, in the forehead, chest, and stomach. ......Horrible, just like usual..."
"........................"
Even though Ronove knew it would be superfluous, he thought that maybe he should tell Battler.
...In actuality, the witch had killed them in a much more horrible way.
......Beato had advised the witch to restrain herself, which was why the corpses had been left in this manner.
The new witch, thinking that it would fit as long as she gouged with a stake, ......would probably have just stuck a stake into a lump of meat that wasn't even shaped like a human.
Rosa's and Maria's corpses were probably especially striking.
...If they had been killed as the Golden Witch had wished, just how gruesome would the exposed corpse have been?
Beato had changed that into the 'still better' kind of killing Battler had spoken of.
And wanting to have Beato's small bit of thoughtfulness appreciated, he thought of telling Battler about that.
...But in Battler's eyes, that might do more harm than good.
To humans, the gap between being alive and being dead is very large.
While saying that she had changed it to a better way of dying, and that he wanted Battler to understand Beato's feelings, might have made it possible for a demon to pardon her, ......there was no way it would work the same way for a human.
Understanding this, Ronove remained silent even though he knew of Beato's modest effort...
"Just like usual, let's start by checking whether the corpses are dead. ......Ronove, please, declare it in red."
"........................"
"Hey, can't you hear me? ...Please, declare it in red. Repeat it. 'Rudolf, Kyrie, and Hideyoshi are dead'."
"............My apologies. Allow me to decline from repeating that."
"What's that...? That's so sudden...what are you planning...?"
By now, proclaiming that the victims were dead in red was almost a given in this battle.
Refusing to do that was almost like losing by default.
...So when Ronove refused as part of his first move, Battler was dumbfounded.
"My apologies. Someone speaking in Milady's place such as myself must relinquish his turn at this point. ...Accordingly, 'I' cannot repeat that in red. ......The only one qualified to repeat that, ...is Milady."
"..............."
"...It is a correct point. Ronove is but an agent for Beato's side. ......If Ronove steps down from the position of agent, and Battler-kun will not accept Beato as an opponent, ...a new agent must be created."
"......There is no new agent. ......Please, Battler-sama. Please accept Milady as your game partner once more."
"............Sorry, but that's advice I can't listen to. ......I definitely won't accept that unpleasant, cruel bastard as my opponent. ...I won't give up in this game because I don't accept her."
"Regarding your point about her being unpleasant, I apologize in Milady's stead. Allow me to pledge that Milady will not take unpleasant actions again."
".........................I wonder about that."
"...Battler-kun. I also apologize as that child's teacher. She has listened well, so would you please forgive her just this once?"
"......Hey, hey, quit it please. You're making it sound like I'm the bad guy. ...And no matter how much you guys apologize, it won't reach my ears. ......If Beato can say that from her own mouth, ............well, it's not like I won't listen to her."
"............Understood. If that is your only condition for accepting that child again, let us have that child apologize. .........Ronove. Call for that child. Is that alright, Battler-kun...?"
"............Sheesh. ...Do whatever you want. Still, don't expect that I'll forgive her. ......Call for that irritating witch."
"...You have my thanks, Battler-sama. ......I will now call her. ......Milady, Battler-sama is calling for you."
After a few heartbeats, gold butterflies gathered together in midair and created Beato's form.
...It was much more docile than the way she had appeared before now.
"............Did you call, Ronove?"
"...I believe you heard. ......Is there something you have to say, from your own mouth...?"
"........................"
"....................."
It looked as though Beato shrunk slightly under Battler's cold gaze.
Several times, Beato made an effort to get the words out of her mouth, but that didn't work so well, ......and she was just as awkward as someone trying to light a match during a freezing winter with frozen hands...
Even as she did that, the game board was proceeding...
In the hall, they had just found the corpses of the new victims, and had broken down crying...
"......Dad, ......Kyrie-san..., ...oooooooooooooooooohhhh..., oooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh...""Dear, ...deeeaar..., whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh...!!"
"...Mother, ......get a hold of yourself............I'm also, ......crushed, ......and sad......!"
"...............They probably died instantly. ...I'm sure that, even if we had arrived immediately after they fell, it would have been too late..."
"No, that's wrong!! They were definitely alive!! His chest was stabbed with something like this...! My husband must have died in extreme pain...!! If we had come faster, ...surely they would have been saved! They would surely have been saved!! Uuuuuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh..."
"......It must be tough..., for you too, Battler-kun, .........so stay strong......"
"............I'm alright, ...it's alright, Aniki... Let me cry just a little bit longer.........I've got it the best... I should be the least sad...! So if you let me cry just a little longer, ......I'll be fine..."
"That isn't true.........I can understand how much it must hurt your heart to have lost both parents......I still have Mother. ...That's much better than it is for you, Battler-kun..."
"No, that's wrong!! It's got to be toughest for you, George-aniki.........I understand, Aniki... ...In this group, ...you are the saddest, and the one who has it toughest!! I understand that..., so I can't keep on sobbing like this...!! Oooooooooooooooooohhh!!"
"......Why, ......do you say it is toughest for me......?"
"To me, Dad and Kyrie-san, ......were people I would eventually split up with when I grew up and became independent. Since they're parents, it is fated that they would die before their children. ...It's just that it happened a little early...!
.........But it's different for you, Aniki. You wouldn't have split up with your parents someday. .........You should have lived your whole lives together, .........and you've even lost Shannon-chan too, right...?!!"
"........................"
"It's not like human lives have different weights. Whether it's a baby or an old person, they should all be respected the same...! ......But still, the longer the life of a person afterwards, ...the longer the future you've built together, ............the sadder the fact of death is......!!
"Aniki, you were engaged to Shannon-chan, right? You promised that you'd build a life and a home together in the future, right?! .........Compared to how huge that future was, ...compared to how huge that happiness was, ......stuff like my pain doesn't even come close...!!
.........So you should be forgiven for crying much, much more, Aniki...!! And yet, ...just because you act like a big brother for us cousins, .........you forcibly act like you're composed......!"
"............Stop it, ...Battler-kun."
George was trying to make a calm smile.
......But already, .........he couldn't stop a single hot tear from leaving a streak down his face.
"......There's no way I wouldn't, .........be sad, right...? .........Together with Shannon, I painted a picture of many futures in my mind. We talked of dreams that couldn't all come true even in a thousand lifetimes. ......Of those dreams, even the very first one, ............having her move into my family register, could not be granted, .........so there's no way I wouldn't, ............be sad, right.........?"
"Compared to that, I, ......I...!! Like I said, I have no right to cry any more! When even you're holding back, Aniki, I have no right to shed any more tears!!"
"......We're the same. ...We both feel the same sadness from losing those close to us. .........so there's no rule that you can't shed any more tears than me, Battler-kun.
.........And, ......for me too, ...there's no rule, ...that says I have to hold back my tears any longer."
"...Aniki, ......Anikii...!!! Ooooooooooooooooooooohhhh!!"
"Shannon, with whom I talked of the future, died. Father is dead too. .........How sad, ......how sad.........Oooooooooooohhhhhhh!!"
As Battler and George tightly hugged each other, they cried a waterfall of tears over each other's shoulders for those people important to them...
"............Do you understand why I'm saying that George-aniki has it the toughest...?"
"I, ......I was listening, so I understand. ......The sadness is proportional to the length of time that would have been spent together in their lives after that..."
"......Of course, you can't calculate it just like that though. .........We humans aren't like you witches. ......From the time we're alive to the moment we die, we live in that limited period with our utmost strength.
.........I can't forgive anyone who makes light of that. ......Furthermore, I definitely can't forgive anyone who sneers at people and toys with them. ...A person like you, whose very concept of death is all screwed up, probably can't understand that."
"........................"
"......It isn't just the time we would live afterwards. ......Sneering at the lives of people living with all their strength... That's what I can't forgive the most.
George-aniki lived his life by recklessly doing his best. ...He must have shown up today heroically prepared to marry Shannon-chan. ......It's completely different from me, since I was happy just to be able to meet my cousins after a long while."
"...B, .........but still..."
"Beato. For now, stay silent and listen."
"............H, ...hmm."
".........In a way, I understand your excuse. ...You say that you need to continue murdering according to the epitaph for your own resurrection.
......So judging by the circumstances of your position, ......I can just barely understand your murders. ......Because to you, that is a necessary action. ......In that case, all further unnecessary actions are because of your meaningless brutal hobby.
......In other words, if killing the six people for the first twilight was a 'necessary action' for you, ...then all that show of crushing their faces and splitting their stomachs and stuffing them full of sweets was completely unnecessary, and just your brutal hobby. .........I definitely cannot forgive this aspect of you."
"............H, ...mm......"
"When you repeatedly killed Rosa oba-san in that horrible way, ......I heard that you were saying something like 'in the very end, I will bring them back to life, so it doesn't matter how I kill them, right?' I heard from Virgilia."
".........Well, that, ......well, ...umm........."
"That idea that you can kill them as many times as you want, as long as you bring them back to life in the end, is a completely unnecessary action of toying with a life, isn't it?
.........If you're going to kill, do it instantly! Don't toy with them!! If you won't kill them, then don't tease them!! You're taking advantage of the fact that you can do as you will with people's lives, and you've forgotten the sanctity of life. So I can't accept you...! I definitely can't accept as my opponent a person who doesn't know the weight of a life, and the sadness when that life is lost!"
"............That is why the Endless Magic is known as a black art. ...The Endless Witch has no concept of limitations. ......She has no concept of the limitations and losses caused by breaking and killing.
...For that reason, Endless Witches sometimes start playing with the gap between life and death like it's a game. .........That is a very, very frightening thing. So as an Endless Witch, and out of my own desire,
I never reached your level・・・・・・・・・・・・・."
Virgilia had wanted to tell Beato that for a long time.
But Beato had been too young to obediently listen to those words. She had been too wild.
...She had been possessed by that detestable pleasure.
"......I have been told not to break vases. ...But that's why I wanted to break them. .........Then I gained the Endless Magic. ...When I knew that I could fix it back to normal no matter how badly I broke it, ......I was surprised at how fun it was to break a vase..."
"That is called the forbidden honey. People are not captivated by what's inside. They are captivated by the sealed lock. .........It truly is deplorable."
".........I want to ask you, Virgilia. Why does this thing called the Endless Magic exist? ...And for what purpose does it exist in this world?"
"It is not limited to the Endless Magic. ...All magic exists to bring happiness to the human world. ......After everything that has happened, it may be difficult for you to believe, Battler-kun, ......but in order to bring blessings to the human world, we witches are supposed to become a bridge between humans and those who are not human, and continue to study."
"......How does reviving the dead and torturing them to death over and over again help the human world?"
"When a vase that is an important memento is broken, if by fixing it, everyone will regain their smiles, I would repair it with magic as many times as necessary. However, I would not be fixing it in order to break it again. ......I would be reviving it to give humans happiness."
"In that case, ............Beato. You fail as an Endless Witch."
"........................H, ......mmm..."
"......By now, I have, at times, vaguely thought about something. .........Why do I keep going on with this strange game against you?
......This isn't a game to make me surrender.
......Couldn't it be a test for you to be accepted as an Endless Witch,
in its true meaning・・・・・・・・?"
"...I, .........I don't know about that. ...The reason I proposed this game to you was, umm, ......simply as a way to kill time... No one was anticipating it."
"Just now, I heard the definition of a witch from Virgilia. By that definition, you, Beato, are not even a witch. You'd be an apprentice who's in the middle of her training, and who misunderstands her own power.
......This was supposedly a fight between a witch and a human. In that case, someone like you, who isn't a witch, is not qualified to be my opponent. .........Understand?"
"......You say, ......I am still, ............only an apprentice...... Then, when will I be accepted as your opponent once again? ......When can we resume this game?"
"............Who knows. ...At the very least, it isn't now. ......When you fully understand what I've said, and become a real witch, ...I will probably accept you as my opponent in this game once more."
"I, I can't understand if you say it so abstractly like that... Clearly tell me what I should do to earn your forgiveness..."
"No, I've said enough. You think about the rest. .........That's all I want to say. ...If you can't understand it, try talking with Virgilia and Ronove. ...A brat like you should start off by listening to what the adults say.
............Virgilia. Suspend the game for now. Now that Ronove has stepped down as representative, all we can do is wait for Beato to gain the qualifications of a proper opponent."
"......Understood. ......Until Beato has been accepted as having gained those qualifications, the game will proceed without an opponent. Is that alright with you too, Beato?"
"...I, ......I have no objections. .........I want time, and a place where I can think at a leisurely pace. ...May I leave my seat for that?"
".........Yeah, that's fine."
"...Well then, see you, later."
"Wait. ......Don't make that dejected face."
".....................Sorry about that. Letting everything inside my heart show up on my face is part of my personality. I cannot deceive."
"In that case, there's still room for improvement. .........Let me promise you one thing. In this game with you, I might win, and I might lose. ......If you don't come back, it'll probably be a victory by default for me."
At that point, Battler stopped talking for a second.
...Then he spoke forcefully.
".........However, I definitely won't be the one to step down. I definitely won't give you a victory by default. ......I will keep on waiting here for you to sit there again as my worthy opponent."
"......Battler-sama..."
"............Thank you, Battler. ...I will definitely, come back and be accepted by you."
After showing a hopeful smile for a very short while, Beato hid herself.
...Looking at that expression, Battler strongly believed that her face wasn't lying...
The seven survivors returned to the guesthouse once again.
By now, it was clear that those who had gone outside would not be able to return alive.
Rudolf's group had gone out holding two guns and one master key.
But those had been lost.
It was already clear that those had been stolen by the culprit.
Because the shutters were closed on the windows, they wouldn't open even if the culprit had the master key.
The front and back doors that led to the outside were all sealed by chains, and they were further blocked with sofas and tables.
Even if the culprit decided to break in through violent means, it wouldn't be easy for them.
"......At this point, the typhoon may actually be fortunate. If it were clear outside, it might have been possible for them to set fire to the guesthouse."
"If there wasn't a typhoon in the first place, the boat would have arrived before noon. I'm not sure you can call that a cloud's silver lining."
"......Eva-san, how do you feel? Please, try to take it easy."
"Thank you. ...I still feel a fever, but now isn't the time to talk about that. ......Now is not the time to fall asleep, for the children's sake as well."
After crying so much in front of Hideyoshi's corpse, Eva had felt a strong self-awareness that she was a mother, and her expression conveyed a strong will.
...Actually, her fever still hadn't gone down.
And she was aware of that.
If she didn't keep a strong hold on herself, she felt as though the fever would make her mind hazy again.
By this point, the first floor was a final line of defense made by Krauss, Natsuhi, and Eva.
The children and the guest, Nanjo, had been strongly warned not to carelessly go downstairs.
If the culprit used a ladder or something, it probably wouldn't be impossible for them to attack from the second floor.
But it wouldn't be easy for them to break those sturdy shutters from such an insecure position.
The second floor was safe compared to the first.
Battler and George had hoped they could also remain on the first floor, to fight in the worst case scenario, but Eva had rejected that.
In her mind, George was now the only member of her family.
It seemed that she didn't even want to expose him to the danger of coming downstairs to the first floor.
Krauss and Natsuhi could also understand that feeling.
......Since this siege began, a great deal of time had passed.
In the second floor cousins' room, Battler, George, and Jessica were dazed, and didn't even listen to the TV that had been left on.
For a while, Nanjo had been with them, and had tried to send them words of encouragement, but when he realized that he might actually be having the opposite effect, he had hid himself in his own room on the same second floor.
George kept looking dazedly at the photographs inserted in his notebook.
......It was from that time he had taken a vacation to Okinawa with Shannon.
Shannon's happy smile was contained in those photographs.
......George could remember the temperature and the humidity, the warmth and strength of the wind, and even what he had been talking about with her at the time those photos had been taken as clearly as though it had been yesterday.
So to George, they weren't simply photos, but a door to bring back warm memories...
In this room, even though the sound of the typhoon and the TV should have entered George's hearing, ......it was the scenery of Okinawa he had seen with her and her laughing voice that reached his eyes and his ears...
George had strived to be reborn after meeting Shannon.
He had sworn to separate himself from the timid person he had once been, easily caught up in the atmosphere, unable to refuse a request, and easily used by those around him.
......He had resolved himself to become a strong man who would make her life even more joyous.
Therefore. ...If he hadn't met Shannon, ......the man called Ushiromiya George would probably have lived a very different life.
And the George of that different life surely wouldn't have been as excellent a man as he is now.
Even though I now exist for Shannon's sake.
......Even so, now that Shannon is gone, ...why do I exist?
It's completely meaningless, isn't it?
...A deep, deep sadness, as though he himself had become empty.
That feeling should have tormented him the whole time. ......However, until Battler had told him, he hadn't been aware of the feeling himself.
......He finally remembered, ...that he should have cried much, much more.
So he cried.
Just like Battler had, he had cried himself dry.
......By now, his eyes were bright red and swollen, and he could not cry any more.
So George did his best to change his way of thinking.
He was not meaningless now, ...and he should be grateful that Shannon had given him such a character.
Dead lives are not revived.
He would have to get over being separated from his most beloved person.
If he were to chase after Shannon and kill himself, she would surely be deeply dejected.
......It worked the other way around, too.
If he had died, and Shannon had chased after him, throwing away her own life, he wouldn't have been able to forgive it himself.
......So he had chosen to surpass his emotions of sadness and anger, .........and had decided to thank her.
He had met with Shannon, who had made his days rich and full, ...and who had taught him the meaning of working hard for other people's sakes.
As a result, she had shaped him into the person he had admired.
...He thought he should thank her for that.
By doing that, he tried to quell his sadness. But each time he did, he remembered Shannon's face...
.........He understood the reasoning.
Even though he understood that grieving any more than this would only make her grieve in heaven, ......he couldn't stop his sadness...
"Why is it, .........that when people die, ......it's so sad like this..."
Battler muttered.
...It was as though he was speaking on behalf of all humans.
He probably hadn't been asking anyone, but Jessica answered.
"......No matter how you say your farewell, it's always sad. ...But, when, for example, the person is old, or there's some time, ...when it's expected in advance, and you know it's a farewell that must come sooner or later, that sadness can grow fainter over a long period of time. ......Sudden misfortune is probably sad, ...because you aren't allowed even that..."
"............I see. So, if they get sick or something, and end up bedridden in a hospital, you might be able to ready yourself for it bit by bit, ...but when it happens suddenly on some day, you don't have that much free time."
"...The sadness which normally should grow weaker over a period of several years closes in on you all at once. .........That's pretty tough. ......Sometimes, it might even cause a great sadness that leaves a scar for life..."
"......Enough to leave a scar for life, ...you say."
"......It's like Grandfather's occult hobby. People whisper about it. ......That Beatrice was his mistress, who died a long time ago, and he was so sad that he couldn't pull himself together. ......Some people whisper, ......that this is why he started sacrificing the rest of his life to research of the occult, in order to revive the dead."
"In that case, Grandfather succeeded in that miracle in his last moments. ......The culprit is the revived Beatrice, and Grandfather was reunited with her at the moment he was killed. Pretty ironic that he revived her, and was then killed by her."
".........Even so, Grandfather was probably able to meet her. ...He gambled half of his life and, even though it was only for a short time, he was reunited with the woman he wished to see once again."
"...Although he was completely roasted. Feels like that result doesn't quite add up to the cost of researching for half of his life."
"That's not true. .........Even if it was only for an instant, ......Grandfather should have been happy to be reunited with the woman he loved.
.........Even if his crime of going against divine providence was punished by God, and his body was burnt and sent down to hell, ...even if that reunion only lasted a very short time, right...?"
"George nii-san......"
"......It doesn't matter if I meet with the wrath of God and have my body burned. .........Even if it's just a short amount of time, ......if I could revive Shannon again, ...............I would sacrifice the rest of my life to the same research as Grandfather. ......Five minutes would be enough, ......because I want to talk with Shannon again.........Even one minute would be fine............In exchange, ...I wouldn't mind, ......sacrificing the rest of my life......!"
".........Aniki......"
When Battler and Jessica realized that their pointless discussion was giving George painful feelings, they could do nothing more than shut their mouths...
......George directed his thoughts at Kinzo's life.
He had sacrificed half of his life to research that no one could understand.
......And, on the last day of his life, he had revived the person he loved most, ......and probably succeeded in his reunion in his final moments.
George didn't know how much time they had spent together.
...He didn't know whether they had been given an hour, ...or just five minutes.
However, ......in that moment, all of that time he had sacrificed for his research should have been rewarded.
...Even though he spent dozens of years to gain it, that small amount of time was probably enough to reward him.
Until today, I never believed in the occult or magic or anything.
Somewhere in my heart, ...I even made fun of Grandfather's research as nothing more than a pastime.
However, ......I won't make fun of it anymore.
...No, to the contrary, I strongly believe that it does exist.
...If the power of belief can become miracles, I'll probably throw away all of my studies up until today, and spend the rest of my life from today onwards studying magic.
.........Give me the power of magic.
...And, a miracle which lets me meet Shannon again...
"..............................Haha, ...ha. ...Sorry, you two. What am I talking about? ......If you could revive the dead with magic, ......people would probably be studying it everywhere around the world. ...But things like that don't exist in reality. No one studies it. .........That's because, ...they know that the dead can't be revived with magic. ............Sorry for saying something so weird. It's my fault that the atmosphere here has gotten so strange. ...Sorry for making you worry, even though this is tough for everybody."
...Even though I did it to divert myself from my sadness, maybe I did say something strange.
If I keep talking about something so weird, I'm sure it won't heal their sadness...
But, just because of that, ...it doesn't mean that I can withstand this silence.
"......I'll go downstairs, and get another cup of coffee. ......My mother is obsessed with making coffee. Does anyone want a refill?"
Battler-kun and Jessica-chan lightly shook their heads.
Without being any more persistent than that, I took my mug and left the room.
Because the shutters were all closed in the hallway, the corridor was very dim.
I tried visiting Doctor Nanjo's room and asking whether he needed more coffee, but he said that he didn't need any more either.
......It seemed as though my mother's orthodox method of making coffee wasn't universally appreciated.
One time, I had Shannon drink it, ...but she told me that while it was delicious, it was a little strong...
............Shannon.........
That's no good.........even though I left the room to change my mood, ...that image of Shannon's face that's filling my head hasn't faded in the slightest...
The fun days with her are repeating vividly, ............and it's saddening that I haven't even been able to see her dead face.
According to our parents, it seems as though she was killed with something like a gun or spear.
...I'm sure they were just trying to console me, ......but they had said that her dead face had been very beautiful and peaceful.
I wonder if she put the engagement ring I gave her last night, ...on her finger?
......If she had accepted my engagement, she should have put it on the ring finger of her left hand...
Last night, we were both on the edge of losing it, and not calm at all.
Shannon had accepted the engagement courageously, but she might have regretted that as a rash action once she cooled her head. She might have taken the ring off.
......I wonder if she has the ring on now.
......I at least want to be sure of that much.
I want to know...her final feelings......
However, ......even if I do check that, ...she won't be revived.
............I wonder what will happen to her body.
After the autopsy, ......it will probably be immediately cremated.
Then, I'll never be able to see her face, ...even her dead face, for all eternity...
".....................Haha, ...because of the shock of losing Shannon, ......am I going a little crazy...?"
I don't want, ......to burn Shannon's body.
If she is burned, she'll turn to ash, ......and never again
will it be possible for her to revive・・・・・・・・・・・・・.
They say that cremation is disliked in western tradition.
......Because on the day of resurrection, there would be no body to revive.
Because of that, it seems that great criminals in western history were often cremated after execution as a punishment, and their ashes were sometimes scattered in rivers and such...
In other words, to western people, death is nothing more than a sleep until the resurrection.
It is essential that the corpse is left after death.
"In other words, that's because, ......western people, ......knew of the existence of a miracle to revive the dead. .........But because that miracle doesn't exist in Japan, we burn them."
Now I understand. ...I understand why Grandfather idolized the western occult.
From the beginning, it had all been only for that reason.
...Just to revive the person dear to him, ...Grandfather spent the rest of his remaining life researching the western occult.
.........Now, the situation surrounding us is abnormal.
Grandfather revived his beloved Beatrice.
...And, that Beatrice has carried out a terrible serial murder, with linked closed rooms which forced us to think that magic had been used.
......The Golden Witch, Beatrice.
The incarnation of the miracle of the western occult.
.........And also, the culprit who killed Shannon......
I should hate that being, ............and yet, for some reason, I want to cling to her.
I wonder, ...if Shannon could be revived with the magic of miracles, which Grandfather bet his life on...
According to the legend of the Ushiromiya family, Grandfather met with her long ago, and was given a vast quantity of gold.
...Then if I also meet her, ......instead of gold, would she give me Shannon's life?
As collateral, she could impose any kind of devil's contract.
For that, I could sacrifice all of my remaining life...
George probably couldn't believe or notice that his voiceless wish, ...was heard by the witch herself, standing right behind him.
Beatrice had been listening to the children's discussion just now in the cousins' room the whole time.
......Battler had told her that she didn't know the value of a human's life, ......and wanting to understand that in her own way, she had stealthily visited, and listened to their discussion.
"........................That is your wish, you say...? If I could grant that, would I be accepted as a witch...?"
Beato looked at the palms of both of her hands.
...She had handed over most of her previously surging magic power when the new witch had succeeded the name of Endless Witch.
Of course, her current magic power still made her worthy of being called a witch, ...but it did not even compare to her previous strength.
"......Hmm. Even without the Endless Magic, I am a Great Witch whose name has been thundered for a thousand years. Reviving the dead is no trouble at all."
Inside her head, she thought about several magical steps she could take to revive the dead.
......Even magic that should have been easy in the past would be difficult with her current magic power.
She thought of something, then clicked her tongue, and repeated this several times.
In the end, ......she finally thought of a single magic.
But that was a magic that she couldn't use by herself.
It was a magic that witches with weak power used, that relied on the aid of others.
...In the past, Beato had looked down upon that type of magic.
Therefore, she frantically tried to think if there wasn't any other possible magic, .........but in the end, she couldn't think of one, and slumped over in self-derision.
And then, ......careful not to surprise him, she softly called out. Softly, to George's heart...
".........Ushiromiya George. ...Can you hear my voice...?"
"......I can hear. ......Who are you...? Are you really the witch, Beatrice...? ...Or else, are you an illusion created by my sadness...?
.........If it's the former, I want you to hear my wish. ...And if it's the latter, I want you to leave me alone..."
Their conversation in a mental world was a lot like having one in a dream.
When you dream, haven't you ever had the experience...of casually accepting something that would have been absurd in the real world?
......The conversation in this world was like that.
So even though a witch appeared and started talking to George, he was not surprised...
"Hmm. ......I am...the Golden Witch, Beatrice. .........Normally, you and I would not be able to talk together like this. ...However, you are strongly conscious of me, and wish to have a discussion, ...so both of our channels are able to match like this."
"............I don't care whether the person who killed Shannon was...you, or someone else taking on your name. ......As long as you exist as a real witch...
............I would pay any compensation. If you desire my life, you can take it right now. ......Please, I want you to bring Shannon back to life............If that's impossible, I don't mind if you just let me talk to her for a short while............Please........."
".........I require no compensation. I shall grant that wish."
"...Really......? Really, for Shannon.........?"
"Hmm. ......However, my current magic power is not sufficient to use resurrection magic. ...Therefore, I must rely on your help."
".........If there's something I can do, I'll do anything. ...Even if that means taking my heart out right here and now, I will not hesitate..."
"...I'm telling you that I don't require something like that. ............I will chant the magic. Then, a gap will open in the door to Hades.
...But as I am now, I do not have the power to bring Shannon's soul up through that gap. .........However, if it were you, who has strong feelings for Shannon, those feelings should change into magic and bring her soul out without fail.
......What do you say? Will you help me...?"
"...I will help. .........If Shannon's life will be revived, ......I am not afraid to lose everything......!"
George's fists shook in silence.
...Then he slowly regained consciousness.
He had been absent-mindedly standing near the window in the hall the whole time, his mug still in his hand...
And......, ............the witch from his dream, ......was still there.
"Wh, ......what the, .........i, it isn't, ......a dream........."
"......Be quiet. I am very fragile now. If any more humans appear now, I will not be able to preserve this form. ...I shall grant your wish, so stay silent for now. ...Is that alright?"
George covered his mouth with both hands, forcefully nodding several times.
In that instant, it looked as though the mug he was holding was about to fall.
George frantically juggled it around and caught it.
...He was afraid that if it fell to the floor and made a loud sound, the witch's form might disappear like a bubble popping.
He softly set the mug on the floor, ...and stared at the witch in front of him again.
.........Her form didn't disappear. It wasn't a dream......
"Come, let us go to the parlor where Shannon sleeps. With the power of your feelings, we will bring back her soul."
"Y, you say go, but how...? My mother and the rest are downstairs. There's no way they'd let us go outside. ......And, didn't you just say that you wouldn't be able to preserve your form if another human appeared?"
"......Come to think of it, that is true. So, Krauss and the rest are downstairs. ...In that case, we definitely cannot go down. ......Well then, we just need to go to the mansion without going down to the first floor, right? It's simple."
Beato laughed, as though she had thought of a pleasant prank.
......And with her golden pipe, she lightly tapped a window with its shutter closed.
When she did, three gold butterflies appeared from the pipe and opened the lock on the window as though melting it.
Then the window opened without a sound.
The shutter beyond it was exactly the same.
The clasp unset itself, also without making a sound, and it quietly opened.
The window opened, exposing the wind and rain outside the mansion.
...Perhaps because of the direction or something related to the construction of the building, the wind did not blow inside.
Because of that, for a while, George felt as though this entrance opening to the outside was a dream or illusion, and he couldn't accept it as real.
"Come, let us go. Come with me."
Beato gently floated upwards.
It was a natural action, like that of a diver enjoying an underwater stroll.
......It made it easy to believe that if you acted like she did, you too might be able to float in the sky just as though you were swimming in the water.
...No, George did believe that.
......So without thinking, just as she had done, he also..., ...gently, ......as though swimming in the water, his feet......
"......ah, ............aaaaaaahh........."
"Hoh. ...Not bad. So you learned how to dance in the sky faster than I could explain it."
George was shocked to find himself floating in midair like he was swimming.
...Of course, Beato was also shocked that George, who shouldn't have been able to use magic, had learned how to do that just by instinct.
".........To be able to, ......fly in the air, ......swim in the air......"
"...You must not think of the reason. Accept it as a natural thing. ......You must not think back upon the human doctrines, such as those from Newton and Einstein.
Especially when flying high in the sky. ...Inexperienced witches sometimes fall."
"...I, I accept it as true... I accept it as true......"
George repeated those words over and over.
......He must not deny magic, no matter what.
Denying that would be like throwing away what might be his first and last chance to revive Shannon.
However, compared to Beato, who was elegantly drifting like smoke, George's movements were clearly similar to someone underwater.
...Therefore, if he didn't act like he was kicking his feet in water every once in a while, he would be caught by the force of gravity bit by bit.
"I shall praise this as being a better performance than the first time I danced in the sky. ......Here we go. Come with me."
When Beato beckoned to George, she gently flew into the stormy sky.
......It was just like a scene from a fairy tale.
The scene unfolding before George's eyes felt entirely like an extension of his dream.
"......Being able to fly is, ......incredible, ......but so is the wind and the rain..."
"What's this? Are the wind and rain tormenting you...? ......I could teach you magic to block against that, but it may be too early for you, and it may be a misuse of time right now."
"..................Yes. ...The magic I need...isn't that."
Without losing to the wind and rain, George wore a strong-willed gaze.
"The mansion is coming into sight. ...Hold out just a little longer. If you fall now, you'll hit the bushes in the rose garden."
The undulating rose garden was spread beneath the witch and George's gazes.
This illusion-like scene no longer surprised George.
Only the gradually approaching mansion was reflected in his eyes.
"Shannon, .........wait for me.........I will definitely...revive you......!"
At that time. ......The cruel new witch could be seen staring at the guesthouse from a different location.
"............Now, all that's left is the seventh and eighth twilights. Just two more, and my obligation to that predecessor granny is finished. .........I'll kill Krauss and Natsuhi. A close couple."
"Nihi. Whe-re is the target nyeh?"
"......In the lobby on the first floor of the guesthouse, both targets and Ushiromiya Eva aquired. Anti-Magic Power Measurement. Data Link to 410."
"410 Data Received. Anti-magic power is extremely small. If Eva just goes outside, they're tuna and abalone on a chopping board. Nihihihihi...!"
"What do you think, great Lady Beatrice? If you give the order, we will snipe right away...! Please, your orders...!"
"...You guys re-ally are convenient furniture. Very different from old, second-hand furniture, which only has enough talent to gouge corpses. Right?"
"........................Ku..."
"Siesta Sisters, please show me your skill again. ...Firing Preparations! *giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*! Carry the corpses out again, alright? 'Cause I'll play with them a lot. No complaints, right Ronove?"
"......Correct. Certainly."
"Nn......"
At that time, the witch noticed something.
......As though some presence had disappeared......was it her imagination......?
".........Did you feel some kind of presence just now? Did anyone feel it?"
"M, ...my apologies, I haven't noticed anything..., please forgive me......!!"
"We were in the middle of observing the guesthouse, so our peripheral surveillance was set to off. Nihi. ...What about you, Lucifer-chaaan? Did you feel a presence?"
".........Nn-"
For just an instant, Lucifer sent a glance at Ronove, asking whether she should answer honestly or not.
Ronove gave a small nod in response.
"No. ...My apologies, Beatrice-sama. Nothing from us. .........Forgive us for this stupidity, as we are only second-hand furniture."
"........................"
"........................"
"..............................I see. If a great demon like you says that, then it must have been my imagination."
The witch persistently stared in the direction the presence had disappeared to.
......That was the direction of the rose garden.
And beyond that, she could see the mansion's dark silhouette creating by lightning.
......It took her quite some time before she pushed her unsatisfied feelings aside, and once again faced the guesthouse.