The way to the library was not particularly long.
Emilia supported his arm, while Betty walked on his other side, holding his hand. Ram led the way ahead. Shaula had already taken her usual place at the very front, her steps so light that she seemed ready to vanish down the end of the corridor at any moment.
But she soon looked back.
Emilia was supporting Natsuki Subaru as he walked at a fairly slow pace. Betty held his hand, looking up at him from time to time. Although Ram walked ahead, she did not get too far away either.
Shaula blinked and slowed her steps.
She said nothing, merely looking back every so often. The first time, she checked whether Natsuki Subaru had kept up, whether Betty had let go of his hand, and whether Emilia was supporting him steadily.
Watching her take things a little too seriously, Natsuki Subaru could not help murmuring:
"I feel like this hallway has suddenly become incredibly dangerous."
Ram replied flatly.
"Provided Shaula hasn't classified the walls as threats too."
"Miss Ram, please don't even mention that possibility."
Shaula immediately turned around up ahead.
"Are there bad things?"
"No."
"Then Shaula won't hit them."
"Thanks for agreeing to spare the walls."
Betty gave a soft huff.
"Subaru is even thanking people on behalf of the walls now. How busy, I suppose."
Shaula suddenly stopped ahead of them.
Standing at the library entrance, she turned to Natsuki Subaru.
"Master, we're here."
Natsuki Subaru nodded.
"Yeah."
Emilia stood beside him, still supporting his arm. Betty held his hand, her lips pressed together in silence. Ram stood ahead, her gaze sweeping across the library before returning to Natsuki Subaru. Shaula remained at the entrance, not making her usual racket, simply watching him quietly.
Faced with this lineup, Natsuki Subaru could not help twitching the corners of his mouth.
"I feel like I'm being escorted here under arrest."
Ram said calmly:
"Barusu has finally grasped the situation correctly."
Natsuki Subaru protested, "Miss Ram, the person under arrest will be hurt to hear that."
"Patients aren't entitled to hurt feelings."
"First I had no human rights, and now I'm not even entitled to hurt feelings?"
Betty looked up at him.
"Subaru still has the right to be cared for, I suppose."
"That actually sounds like a pretty good deal."
Natsuki Subaru let out a soft breath and finally stepped into the library.
The closer he came to the shelves, the slower his steps became.
The names passed before his eyes, so unfamiliar that they seemed to have nothing to do with him. But he knew that none of the books here were ordinary books. They were neither stories nor records, but someone's life that had already ended.
If he opened one, he would see that person's death. If he kept reading, he would be forced to step into the traces that person had left behind.
And the one they were looking for now was Reid Astrea.
It took only a short while for the group to find the book.
Shaula handed it to Natsuki Subaru.
Betty tugged at the hem of Natsuki Subaru's clothes. Although she said nothing, her eyes were full of worry.
"Don't worry."
With that, Natsuki Subaru slowly opened the book.
The next instant, the library before his eyes disappeared, replaced by a pure white space.
"Here you are again, mister."
A girl's voice sounded behind him.
Natsuki Subaru spun around.
At some point, a girl of thirteen or fourteen had appeared, sitting in the white space. She hugged her knees, her long golden hair spread across the ground, with a smile on her face that was a little too innocent. Rather than reassuring, it resembled a child's smile upon seeing a delicious cake, curious and eager to eat it.
"Who are you?"
"We are Louis Arneb, the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Gluttony."
Then the girl said with ill intent, "It'll only be a short time again anyway, but let's get along, mister."
Natsuki Subaru was startled. He had not expected the little girl before him to be the culprit behind his amnesia.
Natsuki Subaru immediately activated Cognitive Obstruction at full power.
He made Louis regard Natsuki Subaru as one of her own, drop her guard, and fill in the gaps in her understanding herself.
Natsuki Subaru spoke tentatively.
"Louis, were you the one who ate Natsuki Subaru's memories?"
"Of course it was us."
Louis nodded with almost no hesitation, even looking quite happy.
"But just eating his memories isn't enough. We have an even better plan. If it succeeds, we can take his Return by Death too."
As she spoke, a sickly flush rose to Louis's cheeks.
She cupped her face in both hands, as though she had thought of something incomparably delicious, and even her breathing quickened.
"It's Return by Death, mister. Die, then start over again. Pain, despair, fear, regret-we can savor all of them over and over. Death itself isn't delicious at all, but with that Authority, life can be served up on the table again and again."
Her eyes shone with a frightening brightness.
"Just knowing about something like that isn't enough. We have to eat it and make it ours."
Looking at Gluttony with her face cupped in her hands, Natsuki Subaru forcibly suppressed the chill inside him and instead let a slight smile show on his face.
"So that's how it is. Then how are you going to steal Return by Death? A plan like that can't be easy, can it?"
"Of course it isn't."
Louis puffed out her cheeks as though complaining about a dish that was troublesome to prepare.
"The first time, we only swallowed part of his memories. Since the same person can't be eaten twice, we can't just eat the rest of him yet."
As she spoke, she suddenly smiled again.
"But what if he rejects his original self?"
Natsuki Subaru's gaze shifted slightly.
Louis did not notice the change in him. Instead, she grew more excited as she spoke.
"As long as he thinks the old 'Natsuki Subaru' is someone else, as long as he admits that his current self and his original self are separate, that they're two different people, then he won't be the same serving of food anymore. Then we can eat him again."
She spread her arms as though she could already see the future outcome.
"We'll eat the current mister too, and take Return by Death along with him. Hahahaha, just thinking about it is unbearable!"
Louis burst into laughter.
Her laughter echoed through the white space, innocent and vicious.
Natsuki Subaru laughed along with her.
"Hahaha, so that's it. You're amazing, Louis."
He lowered his eyes, but his smile did not reach them.
"So you're going to use Natsuki Subaru's body to do things that turn everyone against each other?"
Louis's laughter paused.
She seemed to find the question a matter of course, even puffing out her chest with a little pride.
"Yes. We've already used our Authority to split off a part of ourselves, and it's hiding inside that Natsuki Subaru."
She raised a finger and tapped her own chest.
"As long as we hide there, we can experience Return by Death along with him. Once the time is right, the us here will eat him. That way, we might even be able to swallow his Authority too."
Natsuki Subaru clapped his hands.
"Impressive, impressive. But will that alone be enough? You're not planning to steal Return by Death with just that plan, are you?"
"Of course not."
Louis puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.
As though something had occurred to her, she suddenly looked toward an empty spot beside them, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Huh? Wasn't someone over there just now...?"
But the smile on Natsuki Subaru's face did not change.
"You must have imagined it."
Louis stared at the empty space for a while, then scratched her head.
"That's true. How could there be anyone here besides us and you, mister?"
She quickly gave up thinking about it and put on a smug smile again.
"Anyway, of course we have other preparations. We called our two other brothers over. When they arrive, they'll lure the witchbeasts here along the way. With everything outside in chaos, mister will have fewer and fewer places to run."
Louis extended her hand as though trying to grasp something in her palm.
"Then we'll wait here for him to take the bait. Reap the rewards while others do the fighting."
Natsuki Subaru could not help chuckling.
"You mean lure him into a trap."
"Same difference."
Louis waved a hand, completely unconcerned that she had used the wrong expression.
But the next moment, she tilted her head slightly, a hint of doubt returning to her eyes.
"Come to think of it, did nobody really come in just now? Why do we keep feeling like someone was standing there?"
Natsuki Subaru did not follow her gaze.
Instead, he chuckled softly, making his tone even more natural.
"You imagined it. I still want to know more."
He paused, then continued asking as though casually:
"What exactly is this place? Why are you here? And who are those two brothers you mentioned?"