Around eight in the evening...
The sky had gradually darkened, and tiny snowflakes had begun to fall. The village, once dim and muted in tone, was now decorated in silvery white, taking on a faint and luminous beauty. The temperature continued to drop. A light breath outside became a drifting mist before one's eyes, as if true winter had arrived.
Click!
After pushing open the door to Roswaal's room, what entered her sight was the purple-haired man still reclining against the bed, flipping through the Gospel. Ram, who was tending to him nearby, turned at the sound and bowed to her.
"Shogun..."
She gave a slight nod.
"..."
This time, however, Roswaal was not wearing the same frivolous grin as before. There was a trace of seriousness on his face. Perhaps her earlier threat had worked. Perhaps not. Either way, she could not be bothered to care.
"Miss Raiden, what brings you here?"
He asked in a solemn tone.
"...Ram."
She glanced around the room before turning to Ram.
"Yes."
Ram straightened at once.
"Leave for a moment."
Her meaning was clear.
"...Understood."
Ram did not hesitate. She nodded crisply, picked up the tray of leftover dishes, passed by her side, and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.
Click~
After the soft sound, only the two of them remained. Silence lingered for a moment.
"Recovered already?"
Looking at the bandages wrapped around his body, she asked casually.
"More or less... Basic movement isn't a problem."
He moved an arm and shrugged indifferently.
Scrape~
She dragged over a wooden chair. Its legs grated harshly against the floor, making Roswaal frown almost imperceptibly. Then she pulled it beside the bed, sat down heavily, crossed one leg over the other, and tilted her head slightly as she looked at the man on the bed.
"..."
He said nothing, only stiffly watching her sudden actions.
"Roswaal... The fact that you can still lie there so comfortably means you should thank the previous you."
She gave him a cold smile and mocked him lightly.
"...?"
Confusion flashed across his face.
"...If he had not borne my anger in your place, what would remain of you now would only be a pile of meat. You should thank him."
Her voice was calm, as though stating a fact of no consequence.
"..."
His body visibly stiffened. A bead of cold sweat formed on his forehead, yet he still said nothing. Whether from fear or reluctance, who knew.
"For Echidna's sake, I won't kill you this time."
Thud!
She stood and tossed the Gospel in her hand onto the bed, then turned to leave without another glance.
"Wait—!!"
"..."
Hearing the shaken cry at last, she paused but did not turn around.
"For Echidna's sake?! Did you meet her?!"
Ignoring the wounds beneath his bandages, he knelt on the bed and lunged toward her, asking desperately.
As expected... This man was far too obsessed with Echidna. The current scene proved it best.
"...She is deeply disappointed in you."
She turned her head slightly and spoke coldly.
"!!"
His body trembled at once. His face turned deathly pale, and he slowly collapsed.
"Open that Gospel. Everything you want is inside it."
She gestured toward the book she had thrown onto the bed earlier. It was the very same Gospel that had been enchanted by Echidna.
"!"
Roswaal crawled toward it like a starving stray dog, clutching the book in both hands as he trembled and slowly opened it.
Hum~
The moment it opened, white light flooded the room and entered Roswaal's mind. When the glow faded, he slumped lifelessly against the bedhead, eyes vacant, unconscious. It was as though his consciousness had entered another space, leaving only an empty shell behind.
"Looks like Dona's magic worked."
Pandora manifested beside her and sighed softly.
"...What happened to him?"
"No need to worry. He's only meeting Dona in a dream. Think of it as a message sent through sleep. I'm sure Dona has things she wants to tell him."
Pandora stroked the back of her hand gently in reassurance.
"I see. Fine... As long as he's not dead."
Even if he died, it would have nothing to do with her. He would only deserve it.
"Let's go."
"Mm..."
Pandora turned transparent again and floated above.
Knock knock!
The next second, someone pounded urgently on the door from outside.
Click...
She opened it and saw Emilia standing in the snow.
"Shogun, everyone has been evacuated."
Emilia exhaled and reported.
"...They're all sheltering in the ruins?"
She gently brushed the snowflakes one by one from Emilia's hair as she asked.
"Mm. Garfiel said there are defensive mechanisms inside the ruins. They can slow the Great Rabbits for a while."
The urgency of the situation made Emilia speak quickly, breath still uneven.
"Then let's go too."
"Mm!"
And so, beneath the heavy snowfall, she dragged Roswaal's unconscious body along and followed Emilia to the Sanctuary ruins where everyone had taken refuge. As for why Roswaal was unconscious, neither Emilia nor Ram asked. Such trivial matters were not worth discussing now.
Compared to outside, the ruins were warmer. The villagers wrapped themselves in blankets and huddled together. Children slept in the arms of adults. Garfiel and Ryuzu stood guard at the entrance. Seeing them enter, Garfiel spoke first.
"You lot sure took your time."
"Sorry... Is everyone alright?"
Emilia asked.
"Yeah... More or less. Not as comfortable as a room though. What's wrong with this guy?"
Garfiel pointed at the unconscious Roswaal.
"Sleeping."
She answered simply, laid him down on a blanket on the floor, and ignored him afterward. Once inside here, he was safe enough.
"...This bastard's got nerve."
Garfiel rolled his eyes at the man on the ground and shrugged.
She walked to the entrance of the ruins and looked at the sky, now nearly swallowed by darkness. Heavy snow drifted down, landing on her shoulders, cheeks, and hair, sending waves of chill across her skin.
Ei had probably already begun fighting the Bowel Hunter by now.
This was the first time the two of them had been separated by such a great distance...
Her heart felt strangely hollow.
She looked back at Emilia, who was still comforting the villagers, then called her over after a moment's thought.
"Emilia..."
"...? Shogun? What is it?"
Emilia hurried over at once.
"We're enough here. You... should go take the trial."
She gestured toward the nearby trial chamber.
"...But you all—"
"It's fine. I can protect them. Trust me... When you come out, everything will be over."
"...Shogun, I—"
Emilia's expression was complicated. She still hesitated.
"Emilia, you can do this. Listen to me. As long as you focus... As long as you hold firm conviction, there is no hardship you cannot cross. Be strong. I believe in you. You must also believe in yourself."
She took both of Emilia's hands and spoke earnestly.
"Shogun..."
Emilia's face trembled with emotion. Moisture gathered in her eyes.
"Let us both do our best. You inside, us outside. Together we'll overcome this trial. Can you do that?"
She gently tucked Emilia's loose hair behind her ear and asked softly.
"...Mm! I understand! I'll do my best!"
Emilia exhaled deeply, strengthening her resolve. Confidence returned to her eyes.
"Mm... This trial is different from before. During it, someone will accompany you through the process. You won't be alone anymore."
"That person..."
"You'll know when the time comes... For now, it's a secret."
She smiled.
"...Alright. Then I'm going, Shogun."
After glancing at the villagers one last time, Emilia bid her farewell seriously.
"Do your best."
She encouraged her.
Under the gaze of both her and Pandora, Emilia bravely stepped into the trial chamber once more, her figure disappearing through the gap in the great doors.
(You must trust that child, Shogun.)
Pandora comforted her.
I have always trusted her.