Arc 9 - Chapter 43 『True Name』

Chapter 9-43: "True Name"

――Oh God, Buddha, Odo Lagna. I swear never to play with children in my life.

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"For example, if I could use the Witch Factor that Clind has, wouldn't that mean I could use 'Teleportation' as much as I want without paying a price?"

This was the first misuse that Petra thought of when she was informed by Clind about the existence of the Witch of Melancholy's Witch Factor and its relation to the Authority of 'Compression'.

Clind explained that he was not compatible with the Witch Factor and, as a result, needed to pay a price—a compensation—to use the Authority of 'Compression'. At the same time, he mentioned that the Witch of Melancholy's Witch Factor was a one-off factor created for a specific individual and would never be compatible with Petra.

Therefore, the special duo of 'Demon' Natsuki Subaru, who possessed the Authority of 'Return by Death', and the 'Witch' Petra Leyte, who would cooperate with him, was dissolved before it could be formed. While relieved, Petra also felt a tinge of disappointment.

Thus, the matter of the Witch of Melancholy's Witch Factor was set aside, and it was decided that Clind would use 'Compression' to unite allies and engage in decisive battles with enemies. However, with the revelation of Al's Authority of 'Time Reversal' and the strategy being developed to surely stop Al's group, the spotlight once again shone on the Authority of Melancholy.

Clind told Petra and the others that due to his incompatibility with the Witch Factor, it was impossible to use the Authority without compensation. However, on the flip side—

"If someone can pay the price, then even someone other than Clind could use 'Compression', right?"

To Petra's confirmation, Clind's expression remained unchanged.

This, in turn, convinced Petra of the correctness of her assumption. If he truly wanted to hide it, Clind should have feigned surprise and said, "I never even thought of that."

"To deal with Al and his group, it's absolutely essential to scatter them all. Aside from Al, the most troublesome opponent is the 'Divine Dragon', but... Clind, you'll handle that, right?"

"In that regard, I can assure you. Clind is a key person who could become a trump card against the 'Divine Dragon' Volcanica. Is that usage correct?"

"—. Yes, it is."

During the strategy meeting, it was Clind who boldly claimed he could suppress the 'Divine Dragon'.

Honestly, considering the matter of the Witch of Melancholy's Witch Factor and how many secrets he might have been hiding with Roswaal, it's a bit exasperating, but it's reassuring nonetheless. However, just because he's reliable doesn't mean they can rely on Clind for everything.

"But if Clind is fully occupied with the 'Divine Dragon', then he won't be able to use 'Compression' to move people in and out, right?"

"I won't deny it. Affirmative. Of course, I will do my utmost to ensure everyone is delivered to the battlefield, but..."

"No, I think that would kill the strength of 'Compression'. The main point of 'Compression' is that it can be used like teleportation to deploy and swap out forces."

Clind's words, spoken with a calm expression but with a definite fervor, were no lie.

Delivering our maximum strength to the enemy's camp is an exceptional achievement. However, if more can be desired, this is a battle where one should desire as much as possible.

"And so, it comes to the discussion of transferring the Authority. Before examining whether it's a feasible plan, it's something I'd like to confirm."

"—. About that. Hesitation."

"Clind, please lay out all the materials on the table."

"――――"

"I think this is the time to discuss what cards everyone has and how much we can use them. So, no secrets."

Petra clearly demanded this from Clind, who hesitated to speak.

She understood why he was reluctant to talk and why he was debating withholding information. She understood, but this discussion was a meeting to save the kingdom, the world—Natsuki Subaru and the others.

Meili glaring at Petra, who said no secrets, was a charming touch.

"If it's a matter of whether it's possible or not, it is possible. Affirmative. The Witch of Melancholy's factor does not suit me either; I merely possess it. Responsibility."

"So, you're saying it's just a matter of changing the owner? Ha! That's quite a convenient thing to handle. If Clind forgets it somewhere, it would be a disaster."

"Besides forgetting it, it's also scary if someone steals it or takes it away. ...In that sense, it's understandable that Clind was entrusted with it."

Apparently, the Witch of Melancholy's factor was managed in a precarious state.

Petra also agreed with the opinion that it was understandable Clind was entrusted with its management. Clind, who always responded promptly and adeptly, was likely the perfect manager.

However――,

"It might be better to pass that role to someone else this time."

"Someone else... but the witch factor is extremely dangerous. I've seen it before in the Sanctuary. It wasn't something that could be handled safely."

"...There are definitely risks. But if used well..."

"――Petra-chan, I'm against it, okay?"

Petra lowered her eyebrows at the most emotionally opposed voice.

She understood and was happy that Meili had been concerned about her all along. After all, when Petra first met her, she tried to make Meili like her. She thought affection was the best weapon to dull murderous intent. It was a big hit.

"Maybe it worked a bit too well."

'I'll tell you, I'm of the same opinion as Meili. You didn't let me hear it, but Petra has already paid Clind something. I can't concede any more.'

The phantom voice that no one else could hear gave Petra a sense of being cherished.

Let me declare. The imaginary Subaru is a convenient fantasy for Petra, but even the real Subaru would have said the same thing, the level of accuracy is that high.

"I'm glad Frederica and Beatrice aren't here."

Even just Meili was enough to shake Petra's heart considerably.

If Frederica and Beatrice's double punch had been added, Petra might have been knocked out. What if Garfiel and Otto were here? Garfiel would probably yell in anger, but Otto might understand.

After all, even now, Otto is the one doing the most reckless things in the camp, so he has no right to say anything to Petra.

With the awareness of being such a happily loved girl, Petra――,

"――Let's properly divide the roles. So everyone can do their job best."

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――God, Buddha, Odo Lagna. I swear never to visit the place of memories in my lifetime.

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While confirming the feel of the square box tucked snugly in her bosom, Petra played with words, persuading those around her, and successfully took custody of the Witch of Melancholy's factor.

"――I need to focus."

By voicing it, Petra strongly admonished herself to stay sane. ――Honestly, until today, Petra believed she possessed a strong mental fortitude.

Even after reading the Book of the Dead, her mind remained intact, and despite her beloved showing no interest in her, she never once considered giving up on making him turn her way. She was aware that she had faced more than her fair share of trials and fiery situations for someone her age.

Yet, even Petra found herself dizzy from the destructive omnipotence brought by the witch factor.

"No, no, I can't... Subaru, cheer me on."

"Petra, hang in there! Don't lose! If you gamble when I told you not to, and then lose, that's it! I'll dislike you!"

"Then, I absolutely won't lose..."

Though it felt quite desperate to rely on her beloved's encouragement in her mind to regain her composure, the fact that it actually worked showed the greatness of the power of love.

What is a witch factor before the power of love?

The struggle with the witch factor ultimately boiled down to a mental issue, so it was only natural that the power of love would serve as a special remedy. ――Petra, who could no longer remain just a village girl because of it, understood better than anyone the efficacy of that remedy.

Therefore――,

"――Fire Eight, Noble! Flower Three, Warrior!"

At the raspy voice that struck her eardrums, Petra widened her eyes and clenched her back teeth.

Compression activated, and in Petra's mind, the designated personnel were inserted into the specified positions on an eight-by-eight grid battlefield, divided like a chessboard.

Indeed, in the blink of an eye, two members of Felt's camp were brought to the battlefield――Gaston, Felt's attendant, and Doltero, the stern pigman known as the King of Pigs, wielded their mighty arms, each striking at Gluttony and Heinkel, who were attempting to attack.

"Eh? Really? Is that even possible?"

Roy, who deflected the punch's impact with acrobatic movements, raised his irritating face, peeled his gaze away from Ram, whom he had been fixated on, and looked towards Petra.

Petra, positioned to oversee the entire battlefield, distanced from the direct combat involving Ram, Meili, Flamm, and Glacis, along with Old Man Rom perched on her shoulder.

"――Petra-chan, since when did you become a Sin Archbishop?"

As expected of a Sin Archbishop, he could sense the presence of the witch factor――no, if that were the case, he would have realized this trick much earlier. Probably, he deduced that Compression was an authority and considered who was best positioned to use it effectively. Not impressive at all.

"That's a terrible thing to say. If you're going to call me something terrible, then call me this."

Without showing any sign of wariness towards Roy's insight, Petra placed her hand on her chest, confirming the feel of the black box entrusted to her by Clind, stuck out her tongue, and said,

"――The Witch of Melancholy, Petra Leyte."

Claiming such a title is usually unwelcome.

Introducing oneself with it, let alone being called it by others, is utterly out of the question. Regardless of one's readiness, it is a cursed title despised by everyone around the world.

However, Petra boldly and proudly claimed it as if it were something to be proud of.

After all, the master Petra served was the Witch of Frost, and her beloved was a kind and noble knight who had feelings for such a witch.

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――God, Buddha, Odo Lagna. I vow never to pick a beautiful flower in my lifetime.

――God, Buddha, Odo Lagna. I vow never to taste my favorite food in my lifetime.

――God, Buddha, Odo Lagna. I vow never to return to my homeland in my lifetime.

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――'Witch of Melancholy' Petra Leyte.

Upon hearing Petra's self-proclaimed declaration, Roy Alphard felt a sense of ecstasy. The surprise at the extent she would go to, and the joy that she went that far.

To voluntarily become a possessor of the witch factor, known as a 'Witch,' 'Demon,' or even a Sin Archbishop, seemed insane. Roy was deeply moved by their meticulousness in choosing means, which he interpreted as a form of hospitality—an expression of love that was strong, deep, large, and passionate.

"This is the best...! I'm so glad I came out!"

Spreading his arms wide, Roy expressed his gratitude for this hospitality and encounter, overwhelmed with joy.

Since she claimed the title of 'Witch of Melancholy,' Roy's theory that her authority derived from 'Pride' was proven wrong. However, Roy had heard from a monster claiming to be his mother that the witch factor of 'Melancholy' was a special, defective item that didn't match anyone. Since the 'Melancholy' witch factor was one of the things his mother desired, she would surely be delighted to hear of its whereabouts.

Of course, he had no intention of giving even a single bite of such a special treat to his mother.

"It's just the cute whim of a hungry child, so I'm sure she'll overlook it."

His mother, an embodiment of the desire for approval, loved being respected above all else.

Knowing that Roy prioritized himself over his mother, it was clear what kind of tantrum she would throw.

In the past, Roy found his mother's selfishness unbearably annoying, but now he felt slightly different. He could almost respect even her selfish, egotistical, pathological self-love as an irreplaceable individuality.

"Earth Six, Queen! Sun Six, Hunter! Moon Five, Noble!"

Responding to the instructions of the giant elder, a faint light appeared in Petra's eyes.

They didn't actually glow. It was just that the moment of tension was noticeable due to the focus required to use the unfamiliar authority. Normally, such a trivial habit wouldn't matter, but in a battle where every moment could determine life or death, even that became crucial information.

In Roy's view, Ram, the pigman, and Meili riding the starving horse king disappeared. And as they vanished, they reappeared surrounding Roy from three sides, launching their attack.

The timing was as clear as day from the light in Petra's eyes.

"Alright, pardon me for a moment!"

Just before the attack landed, Roy clasped his hands together in front of his chest. Instantly, the ground rose as if a sandcastle was being squeezed from the sides, cutting off Ram and the pigman's line of sight from Roy. Leaving those two to their own devices, Roy focused his attention on the loudest crying baby.

Without turning around, his rear vision caught the bone spear of the starving horse king carrying Meili—and the monstrous arm of Guiltylow that was sent flying as a set.

Tilting his body significantly, Roy dodged, dodged, and dodged again, licking his lips.

The 'Squeezer' Figdoll was a hitman specializing in burying people alive, using an ability that compressed everything from the edges of his vision to the center. The 'Thousand Faces Saint' Yerna possessed a wide perspective and a heart that never overlooked the tears of the lamenting and grieving weak. However, the abilities of the 'Queen of Beasts' Meili were no less impressive.

"――――!!"

Roy was breathless with admiration at Meili's skill as she unleashed wave after wave of beasts, including a pack of Urgarms, the King of the Desert Horses, and the renowned 'Black King of the Forest,' Guiltylow. Though Roy had studied Meili's method of controlling beasts without broken horns through 'Memory,' he had not been able to experience its true value at the Pleiades Watchtower, so seeing it in person was thrilling.

"If you were born with such a blessing, your life must have been full of ups and downs, right? Tell us how you've lived, Meili!"

"…You want to know how I've lived? Subaru and Emilia asked me that before."

"Oh? And then what?"

While dodging the bone spear of the King of the Desert Horses and the sharp claws of Guiltylow, Roy slurped his drool and glared at Meili, who stuck out her tongue with a face full of hostility and disgust.

"Like that talk about love earlier, in the end, what's important isn't what is said, but who says it!"

Faced with this undeniable truth, Roy had no words to respond with a "Taha!"

Behind Roy, the wall of earth was shattered by a pigman, and above him, Ram, who had disappeared and reappeared, was falling. The space beneath Roy's legs and under his arms, surrounded three-dimensionally from the front, back, and above, distorted. The magical technique of the 'Magic Manipulator' Yardley, who was buried in the shadows of history and ultimately devoured, was activated—spears of fire, ice, and earth were created by magic and aimed in an instant.

The targets were Meili, the pigman, and Ram—but Ram was not there.

"How many times will you lose sight of Ram? Why not discard those eyes?"

—There she was. At an almost embracing distance, Ram's slender figure appeared.

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—God, Buddha, Odo Lagna. I vow never to cry in front of others in my lifetime.

—God, Buddha, Odo Lagna. I vow never to wipe someone's tears in my lifetime.

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"Witch of Melancholy…!"

—'Squeezer' × 'Thousand Faces Saint' × 'Magic Manipulator.'

Even the power of these newly combined outsiders was surpassed, and Roy, knowing whose hand was behind the multifaceted approach of the three, let out a high-pitched sound from his throat.

The trembling in his voice was not from anger. It was from joy. His heart fluttered with excitement.

Riding that flutter, Roy re-aimed the three-element spears he had once targeted, causing them to collide with each other, and the resulting explosion and steam forced Ram and the others to reset the scene—

"—Na."

"Did you think I would 'Teleport' to avoid injury?"

The hot steam that was supposed to cover the view and forcibly trigger 'Teleportation' through the authority of 'Melancholy' was torn apart with brute force, and from beyond it, a figure with pale pink eyes emerged.

Roy, who had erased the option of deliberately taking damage from his mind, was caught off guard by the figure diving headfirst into the scorching heatwave. Immediately, the option to forcibly reset the scene using 'Jumper's' 'Teleportation' under Roy's lead emerged. —However,

"—Amazing!"

At the moment he acknowledged the enemy's brilliance, Roy Alphard's 'Voracity' awakened.

A shout of delight burst in his head, and countless options branched out and shone brightly in Roy's mind.

Unleashing the treasure trove of stored 'Memory', seeking the shining piece among the myriad of haphazardly thrown treasures, and yearning for the birth cry of the dormant wealth waiting for its moment now.

――Currently, the biggest focus is the identity of the hospitality that caused the failure of the 'Eclipse'.

"――――"

The opponent who reached out to devour the 'Memory' of the soul, Roy Alphard failed in the 'Eclipse' on Ram.

However, she is undoubtedly Ram. This is evident from the freshly devoured 'Memory', where the source calls her Ram, everyone around her calls her Ram, and even she herself refers to herself as Ram, thoroughly establishing her as Ram.

Nevertheless, the activation condition of the 'Eclipse' could not be cleared with the name Ram. In this case, the most likely reason for the failure of the 'Eclipse' is――,

"――Change of true name!"

What is needed for the 'Eclipse' is the preparation to snatch the target from the soul registry managed by Odo Lagna. Therefore, the target's name must be the one inscribed by Odo Lagna.

In most cases, this is done during the naming at birth—a vow made when the prayer reaches the great void, Odo Lagna inscribes the true name.

Basically, once a true name is set, it is not changed regardless of the person's self-recognition. The few exceptions where Odo Lagna acknowledges a change are――,

"――Ram Mathers"

"――"

Breaking through the steam, Roy touched Ram, who was trying to deliver a blow.

The most common reason for a true name change is 'marriage'. ――And Ram had Meili call her madam. From the 'Memory', there is no doubt about who Ram is thinking of.

Convinced of this, Roy activated the 'Eclipse' on the soul of Ram――no, Ram Mathers, who widened her pale pink eyes, intending to devour her 'Memory' and understand her completely,

"Ita-da-ki-ma――bue"

In that instant, Roy's eyes widened at the sensation of having filth stuffed into his open mouth.

That was proof of the 'Eclipse' failure, his entire body trembling with intense rejection, and Roy's thoughts, which were supposed to welcome a feast, were torn apart from within by unreasonable doubts.

Why, how, understanding, marriage, Ram, true name, sisterly love, bad taste, margrave, single-minded, bad-tempered, excellent, reliable, only bad taste, also bad-tempered, marriage, passion――.

"――Did you peek into Otto's 'Memory'? Fool."

"Ah――?"

"In this emergency, did you think Ram would settle as Roswaal-sama's partner? ――If you really knew Ram, you wouldn't have made such a mistake."

At Ram's thinly smiling ridicule, Roy understood.

Having her called madam was a deliberate mislead to guide to a wrong conclusion based on the 'Memory' of a relative――in fact, Roy skipped the low-risk 'Jumper' option and extended his tongue to the high-return soul of Ram, which he was convinced he could devour.

A judgment he wouldn't have made if he hadn't devoured Otto Suwen's 'Memory'.

"For Otto's share, just in case."

With that said, Ram's wind-clad fist, the pigman's rock-like fist, and furthermore, the burning bone spear wrapped in explosive heat and the beast's mighty arm simultaneously pierced Roy Alphard.