Chapter 22(217): The Witch of Vainglory Appears
In this dark space, nothing could be seen. Perhaps his consciousness was clear, but this light, floating sensation constantly eroded his body.
What was this feeling? Regret, unwillingness, or perhaps... lingering sorrow and exhaustion.
If this was truly a failure, if that was the final world, this alone was something Hikigaya could not accept.
Filled with hypocrisy, filled with lies, his own power was far too little, not even enough to correct any of it.
Why was it... then why did he have to descend into himself like this?
He clearly couldn't do anything, he was clearly moving in that direction, yet in the end he was left with such a result.
Unable to accept it, and even more unable to be satisfied with the status quo.
[The chat group, which had always been filled with hope for Hikigaya, also fell silent at this moment, as if the curtain had closed. Even Priscilla, who had been arguing loudly just moments ago, seemed to have understood the situation.]
[Priscilla: "So this is the end... What a shame. I still haven't beaten that guy even once."]
[Al: "It really leaves you with a sense of regret."]
[Crusch: "So this power really does have an end... How unfortunate. A man with such presence is someone even my household hasn't seen in a long time."]
[Wilhelm: "I have learned from your resolve, Hikigaya-dono."]
[Julius: "If this is truly your ending... then this world is simply too cruel."]
[Rem clutched her head, tears streaming uncontrollably, while Ram gently held her from the side.]
["Don't worry, we still remember Little Hikki."]
[Emilia: "Was it... to protect me?? Why did you do that..."]
[Puck: "Lia might not understand. Come to think of it, he himself might not fully understand either, but... I believe this is absolutely not something that can be explained with just a simple sentence."]
[Sakura: "In the end, he'll return to our side, right?"]
[Karuizawa Kei clenched her fists: "He definitely will."]
[Oreki: "Even though it's not energy-efficient at all, I still really admire him."]
[Shirogane: "To reach this point, he's already paid far too much. For an ordinary high school student, it's simply unbelievable."]
[Kirito: "Perhaps this is the cruelty of the world."]
[.....]
The world was silent, yet this consciousness alone never dissipated.
'Looks like... this place is really lonely, but... it suits me pretty well.'
"Ara ara, I've finally met you..."
Slender white hair that seemed long enough to cover her knees, and the girl's completely expressionless face made Hikigaya instantly grow cautious.
'Even so, resisting or not doesn't really matter anymore, right...'
'That said, I can understand angels appearing when you die in another world, but... this one looks seriously off. Don't tell me it's a demon from hell?'
'I've done quite a few wrong things, but I should still be a good kid, right? Going to hell feels a bit much no matter how you think about it. After all, people who pick up trash and throw it into garbage bins when they pass by should get bonus virtue points too.'
Almost the moment their eyes met, Hikigaya felt the false aura emanating from the white-haired girl before him. To be honest, if this weren't an endless pitch-black space, Hikigaya would have turned and run.
Even so... Hikigaya felt absolutely no goodwill toward this suddenly appearing 'angel'.
Looking at Hikigaya, the girl's lips slowly curved upward into an unconscious smile.
"Saying something like that about a girl isn't very gentlemanly, Hikigaya-kun. But I'm neither an angel from the heavens nor a demon from hell..."
"Then, please allow me to introduce myself, Hikigaya-kun." As she spoke, she gently placed her hands on the hem of her skirt, displaying an extremely elegant posture.
"Although this is our first meeting, I still chose to address you in such an intimate way. For that, I sincerely apologize, Hikigaya-kun..."
"My name is Pandora. I am the eighth witch, independent of the Seven Witches, that is the Witch of Vainglory. I look forward to working with you."
Although everything before him felt somewhat chaotic, Hikigaya quickly sorted out the situation, as well as the fact that he had already been completely seen through.
'Pandora? The Witch of Vainglory... I've only heard about witches from Beatrice, but I've seen plenty of Witch Cultists...'
'In any case, the reason I'm here is probably because of her. Being able to read minds instantly in this space, something Sakayanagi tried before as well, but...'
Hikigaya frowned slightly, simply staring at the girl before him.
He knew very well that the one standing before him was an existence he could never defeat, no matter how much he struggled.
Pandora remained elegant, speaking calmly: "'But this girl is way too abnormal. Calling her a monster wouldn't be an exaggeration at all', that's what you're thinking, right, Hikigaya-kun?"
'Hey, hey, this is way too abnormal...'
Shaken by the reality before him, Hikigaya froze for a second or two, then let out a somewhat powerless laugh: "Since you can even tell what I'm thinking, then just say what your purpose is. At the very least, I don't think I'm of any use to you at all."
He didn't know what conditions were required for this person to activate mind reading, nor when it had even begun, but in this pitch-black space, everything was nothing more than meat on the chopping block.
Pandora looked at Hikigaya with a bright smile. Like bamboo shoots after the rain, an unparalleled smile bloomed upon her already flawless face.
"Don't look at me as if I'm so terrifying. I simply want to have a little chat with you, Hikigaya-kun."
"That really puts me in a difficult position."
"Since that's the case..."
Pandora suddenly transformed, and an extremely familiar face instantly appeared before his eyes.
"Yu… Yukinoshita?"
[It wasn't only Hikigaya who was shocked by the scene before them, but also the others from the Service Club.]
[Yukinoshita hurriedly glanced at Hikigaya, her eyes filled with panic: "Hikigaya-kun... I..."]
[With Hikigaya already in such a dangerous situation, seeing this scene made Yukinoshita feel overwhelming guilt. Even if she wasn't the mastermind, becoming the one who caused harm would still crush her conscience.]
[Hikigaya: "This isn't your fault... calm down."]
[Yuigahama immediately grabbed Yukinoshita's hand and said as gently as she could: "Yukinon, you have to calm down. Even if she's identical to you, Hikki can definitely tell the difference, right?"]
Looking at the person in front of him who was exactly the same as Yukinoshita, Hikigaya was momentarily dazed.
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he last saw her, so long that he even found himself missing her.
"Hikigaya-kun, your eyes are still just as disgusting."
"Your tone, appearance, even your personality are flawless, but... you're not her."
Sensing that Hikigaya was about to lose his temper, Pandora immediately reverted to her original form.
"I just want to tell you this, Hikigaya-kun. I know many, many things, everything about your past, the ways you defeated your enemies, and the truth behind Return by Death. As long as you want to know, I can tell you."
"Everything about the past?"
As he thought this, Pandora in the distance suddenly mimicked Komachi's tone: "Mm~ the way you look confused right now would totally earn you super high Pandora points!"
Then came Sakura's voice: "In this school of desire, you are my final faith."
After that, Kushida's: "I planted a seed in your heart. If rain ever nourishes it, please make sure it takes root and sprouts."
....
"Stop!"
To be honest, Hikigaya felt a certain degree of aversion toward someone who could freely probe others' hearts. And when Pandora imitated his younger sister, he had to admit that he truly felt fear and dread. From the moment he entered this space until now, he had been completely led around by the nose.
But he couldn't lose his final shred of reason. Doing so would only make the current situation even worse.
Pandora finally stopped teasing him and slowly walked up to him. Hikigaya's legs felt as if they were bound by something, completely unable to move.
"Mm, as expected of Hikigaya-kun. You're still as rational as ever. Someone like you... might just be able to fulfill my wish."
"Talking to yourself is meaningless. I'm just an ordinary person. Your abilities far surpass mine. If you want to do something, do it yourself."
Pandora shook her head.
"No. This is something only you can do."
Hikigaya: "Your objective is?"
For the first time, Pandora fell into thought. She tilted her head, and after a long, silent pause, she finally spoke: "My objective? If I were to put it in your words, it would be to create a world without lies, without hypocrisy, a real world, filled entirely with genuine things."
Pandora still wore a smile, but this time, her words didn't sound like coercion. They sounded like a request. Looking at the girl standing just a fist's distance away, Hikigaya tried to avoid her smiling gaze.
Despite being in an enclosed space, a clear, refreshing breeze could be felt at this moment. Her silver-white hair brushed against her cheeks, but the smile quickly faded, replaced instead by reluctance and loss.
"What a shame. We can't linger any longer, or else... she'll find out."
"Hikigaya-kun, I look forward to our next meeting."
As she said this, Pandora's smile quickly returned to its calm, indifferent state. At that moment, Hikigaya's consciousness felt as though it were being pushed into the deep sea, growing increasingly hazy, with only her voice remaining clearly audible in his ears: "By the way, according to your customs, there seems to be something called a greeting gift when meeting for the first time, so... I'll give it to you now..."
"This greeting gift is..."
"Hikigaya-kun... what's wrong?"
Hikigaya finally snapped back to reality. Looking at Rem, who was worrying over him, he let out a heartfelt smile filled with relief and emotion.
He tightly hugged Rem. Startled by the sudden impact, Rem clearly lost the strength to resist… No, rather, she had never intended to resist in the first place.
"Welcome back..."
"Yeah, I'm back."
After the brief embrace, he took the initiative to grasp something he had repeatedly lost before, Rem's hand.
"Hikigaya-kun?"
"There's still a lot we need to do."
Hikigaya already had a plan in mind. After briefly explaining it to Rem, the words Pandora had spoken before leaving echoed once more in his head: "This greeting gift is, so long as your death is filled with regret, you can continuously return to the previous point in time. As long as you haven't reached the next checkpoint, you can use this ability endlessly, because... she loves you, after all!"
...
[Inside the chat group, everyone was already stunned by what they had just witnessed.]
[Crusch: "The Witch of Vainglory? A witch independent of the Seven Witches... even historical records contain very little information about her."]
[Wilhelm: "I don't know what's going on, but even through the video, I can feel the oppressive presence that witch exudes."]
[Felix: "To make Wilhelm-san feel that kind of pressure... that woman..."]
[Anastasia: "Hikigaya really keeps surprising us. The secrets he carries are like a pile of sand, you can never grasp them all."]
[Julius: "What's truly terrifying is that there's someone even the Witch of Vainglory is wary of. I can hardly imagine who that could be."]
[Mimi: "Sounds super amazing~ but who could it be...?"]
[Beatrice: "An existence that even witches fear, other than that person, I really can't think of anyone else."]
[Roswaal: "Oh? You mean... the Witch of Envy?"]
[The moment the words 'Witch of Envy' were spoken, the entire chat group fell silent.]
[Emilia: "The Witch of Envy..."]
[Puck: "There are far too many causal ties surrounding him. How much more is connected, no one truly knows."]
[Rem: "A witch... but... why?"]
[Priscilla: "This is getting more and more interesting. I suppose only the continuation of the footage will give us the answer."]
With Pandora's hint, Hikigaya was finally able to truly let go of the turmoil in his heart, entrusting his life completely beyond the physical and into the spiritual.
Death after death, all for the sake of the final outcome.
After the eighth death... he was certain that trying to bypass the White Whale immediately upon receiving the information and rushing back to the mansion was virtually impossible. Without first gathering combat power, no matter how many times he tried, victory was unattainable. He couldn't even force Sloth into a corner.
And if he wanted to transport combat forces back to the village, he would inevitably have to pass through the White Whale. One could say this mabeast was deliberately standing in their way, existing solely to block Hikigaya.
Elsa's appearance was another complication. Under Meili's influence, Elsa would eventually come to the mansion to reclaim Meili.
If he relied solely on words to persuade Meili, it wasn't entirely without hope. But right now, there simply wasn't enough time. Facing Elsa, the White Whale, and Sloth simultaneously, even after the eighth death, Hikigaya could only derive one optimal solution.
That was to first organize the subjugation of the White Whale, then return to the village with the available forces, restrain Sloth, and at the same time attempt to persuade Elsa together with Meili.
Of course, this was merely the smoothest possible scenario...
There was still far too much that needed to be done. After locating the final Dragon Maiden in the royal capital, Anastasia, Hikigaya finally began his ninth loop.
"So, you're saying you want to make a deal with me?"
"I know there's been a long-standing transaction between Crusch and your merchant guild, mostly involving weapons."
Perhaps feeling seen through by the man before her, Anastasia appeared somewhat unsettled.
She had never told anyone about this information, and she believed that Crusch, as the other party to the deal, wouldn't have mentioned it to someone from Emilia's camp like Hikigaya.
"To be honest, having such large-scale weapons trading at this point in time, any fool could figure out what you're planning."
"Oh? Then I'd love to hear Hikigaya-kun's speculation."
Hikigaya: "Among the five candidates competing as Dragon Maidens, it looks like everyone is fighting their own battles. But once an advantage is established early on, that's when your interests are maximized. That's why you formed an alliance long ago."
"Since you've already allied, you need to achieve something extraordinary. Recently, the mabeast White Whale, which has been disrupting civilian life, has appeared. If it could be slain, that would be an accomplishment neither of your factions could ignore."
Anastasia froze once more, and Mimi at her side also sensed that something was wrong.
Soon, Anastasia adjusted her smile again.
"Could it be that Hikigaya-kun is actually quite clever?"
"Clever? I don't think so... after all, this information..."
'...was paid for with lives.'
Anastasia: "In any case, knowing all this, what purpose do you have in approaching me?"
Hikigaya didn't waste words.
"If I said I know the White Whale's time of appearance and its abilities, would I be qualified to join you?"
Anastasia: "What did you just say...?"
Hikigaya: "That would give you absolute initiative, and significantly reduce casualties."
Anastasia: "Are you serious? That's impossible. There's no way you could have that kind of information..."
Hikigaya: "This is a gamble. As a merchant, you should understand that better than anyone."
"Is it better to charge into a reckless battle and get a result that might fail, or cooperate with me and share in this honor together? I believe you already have your answer."
Anastasia: "Even if that's true... What's your objective? With that much information, there's no way you'd need to ally with us."
Hikigaya: "No... Miss Anastasia, I'm just an ordinary person. Trying to make someone who gets out of breath just from running deal with that kind of colossal monster is clearly impossible."
"As for my objective, it's to establish a friendly trading relationship with Emilia's camp. Whether it's armor, weapons, manpower, or combat strength, all of those are things I desperately lack right now."
"You might not know this, but the reason the White Whale appeared this time is related to the Witch Cult. This all-out extermination will be our counterattack."
Hearing Hikigaya say this, Anastasia could no longer think of any reason to refuse.
The tide had already turned. If at first, she and Crusch intended to guide this battle, then now, Hikigaya, who possessed absolute information, would become the most crucial person in this fight.
In fact, any faction that failed to keep up with his pace would undoubtedly suffer greatly afterward.
Anastasia: "May I ask how much you actually know, Hikigaya-kun?"
Hikigaya: "I don't know anything. Just as I said at the beginning, I'm merely an ordinary person."
"But... the die has been cast. We all have reasons we can't retreat."
Through his deal with Anastasia, Hikigaya used all the gold Emilia had left him to purchase Meili and the others' equipment from Anastasia.
This would be the final battle.
After concluding the negotiations with Anastasia, Hikigaya arrived at the most magnificent castle in the royal capital.
There had always been a thorn lodged in his heart here. His encounter with her had been mere coincidence, yet so many things had unfolded afterward.
If possible, he didn't want to drag her back into this battlefield.
But... he had no choice.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Al. You look pretty energetic."
"I wouldn't recommend coming to see the princess right now. To be honest, she's sent soldiers all over the city looking for you. What you said during the royal selection was a huge humiliation for her."
"Uh... about that, I really do feel a bit sorry. But even if I had to do it again, I wouldn't regret my choice. And right now, I truly have something I need to negotiate with her."
Hearing that this was Hikigaya's own decision, Al could only let out a helpless sigh.
"Brother, this was your own choice. Don't blame me for being heartless."
"Don't worry. I still remember your sense of justice."
Not quite understanding Hikigaya's words, Al simply scratched the back of his helmet shyly.
Led by Al, Hikigaya finally met the 'Crimson Bride' Priscilla once again, after six full loops.
Priscilla clearly hadn't noticed Hikigaya slowly approaching her. She was merely reading a book with boredom, then let out an irritated sigh: "Tell those who came to propose to get lost. Didn't I already say that?"
Al: "Princess... he's not here to propose, he's..."
"I don't care who it is. I don't want to see anyone right now."
Hikigaya smiled with a hint of relief: "What, the person you've been searching for all over the city, now you don't want to see him?"
Hearing Hikigaya's voice, Priscilla froze completely, then immediately sat upright.
(End of this chapter)