Subaru: Today's the 14th of Kisdam...right?]
[Echidna: You can rest assured. You fell asleep last night without any issues, and you woke up this morning without anything eventful happening. The worst case scenario didn't happen whilst you were asleep overnight. So you don't have to worry, everything is okay.]
[Subaru: Those are foolish words. If I went to sleep thinking nothing eventful would happen, I'd end up waking up dead. I don't know when and where I'll die, or when it'll stop.]
Clicking his tongue at the optimism of the witch, Subaru recalled the desperate feeling of loss of his『Deaths』.
Without aim or direction, he had no doubt it could visit him even tomorrow―― When the fact is that he abruptly『Returns by Death』, deprived of it without any premonition. The fact is that the time he spends with people will be forgotten, the fear and despair that it had brung him would never be forgotten.
[Echidna: That's correct. I was being rash right now. My apologies for that.]
[Subaru: …Aren't you being terribly meek right now?]
[Echidna: I apologise if you thought of it as a bad thing. I am not that bad of a woman… even though I show myself like that.]
Seeing the discomfort in Subaru who had replied with hurt in his voice, the girl garbed in black gave him a wink as she said that. When talking to that girl, the first thing he noticed was how captivating her eyes are, and how her devilish beauty seems as if it would steal people's hearts.
It's amazing that just two colours express this beauty.
Long, beautiful white hair like snow cascaded down to her back, and her slender limbs are garbed in a black dress, typical of one seen when mourning. Sitting on her chair, her long legs were crossed together; a somewhat degenerate feeling floated around in that. On her thin lips that were drinking from her cup, there was a strangely arousing gloss to them.
She was a perverse, demonic figure that exuded a sensation of inescapable ruin and destruction were you to provoke her―― Regardless of this, there are anecdotes of those who have tried to approach this Witch of Calamity that brings about the end.
That was the identity of the white haired girl, who was completely garbed in black, Echidna. She, who had forged a contract with Subaru.
[Subaru: Hmmmm…..]
[Echidna: …? What's the matter? You're staring at my face. Do I have something on it?]
[Subaru: Aaah, just hair, and ears, and a mouth, and a nose, and eyes…]
[Echidna: …Hm why? Even if you're saying something completely obvious, I feel rather insulted.]
Echidna frowned, furrowing her eyebrows at Subaru's answer. Seeing that, Subaru lifted his hand up and said: [Waitwait,]
[Subaru: I didn't really mean to insult you. I was just thinking, that for someone who has the reputation of being a witch, I don't think you're that scary.]
Even if up until a moment ago she had expressed all kinds of degeneracy and perversions, in reality, she did have a few bad habits, but she was still an ordinary girl who you could even go as far as calling good-natured.
Of course, this doesn't deny that there were crooked, warped parts that were witch-like.
[Echidna: Hehe, that's quite an unusual opinion huh?]
Saying that, Echidna relaxed her lips, and gave a little smile upon hearing Subaru's thoughts. Placing her cup on the table, she shifted her long legs and fiddled with her long white hair.
[Echidna: Even though I might look like this right now, I was one of the witches that left behind such stories, in various places 400 years ago. Were you to catch me, that version of me was unpardonable.]
[Subaru: You're speaking like you're a middle schooler looking for special treatment.]
[Echidna: If we were to add from you to that then we'd be getting a lot closer to how I feel, wouldn't we. But, it isn't just that. I should have talked about this stuff when we first met.]
[Subaru: Ah… what was it you said…? Certainly, if you were a person without any tolerances, you would have vomited the first time you saw me…]
[Echidna: When you're cutting it down to just that, I feel that my nature is greatly misunderstood]
The majestic witch's appearance completely changed. Echidna looked annoyed hearing Subaru's answer. To that reply, Subaru replied suitably with [N-now now,] to deal with the shift in topic. Nonetheless, what they had spoke was enough for the morning routine.
[Subaru: It's not like us to delve down into idle gossip. I'll be going back to reality soon.]
[Echidna: Are you leaving already? Stay here a little more, no one will mind if you do so. As you know, the time you spend here does not affect reality. You can rest all the time you want… that's what I hope]
Echidna said this so to restrain Subaru who had stretched up and stood from his chair. Subaru cracked the bones of his necks at hearing the witch's cajolery.
[Subaru: That's right. To be honest, I know you're trying to help me in offering me to stay here, but…]
Cutting off his words there, Subaru turned his head to look down towards Echidna. The black irises of the witch and Subaru met each other. However―
[Subaru: It's not my plan to depend on you all the time. You should know that it's not that kind of contract.]
[Echidna: Good grief, you really aren't being honest with yourself. Even when I am the only one in this world that can be your accomplice in helping you bear your anguish and sorrow.]
[Subaru: I don't intend to entrust my anguish and sorrow to anyone. This is something that's just for me; it's how I overcome them. That's the reason behind the contract between me and you. Isn't that so?]
With a low tone of voice, Subaru declared this firmly to the still annoyed Echidna who was shrugging her shoulders. To that reply, Echidna cast her eyes down, drinking from her cup in silence.
When she stopped talking, it was a declaration of her intention that she had lost her reason to continue conversing. Making sure of this, Subaru turned his back to the woman, and started to walk down the hillock. But first, he stopped and turned his head back to look at the witch.
[Subaru: By the way, just a moment ago, you didn't deny that you're always spying on me day and night?]
[Echidna:… Hm? I thought I'd said 'even if'?]
[Subaru :…Even if that's true, I think it's in my capacity to recognise the context in that implicit way of speaking!]
[Echidna: ….]
[Subaru: …..]
Being hounded by Subaru, Echidna let out a small sigh. And then she put her cup to her mouth again. It was a declaration that there was no meaning in continuing their conversation――
[Subaru: I guess you thought I'd just leave it if you kept doing that, right? Are you going to ever stop doing such an unethical thing? Hmph, so are you?]
[Echidna: Is it not normal? I am not so vulgar to spy on you when you're taking a bath or using the bathroom. It's just that unless you're convinced that nothing will happen in these vulnerable situations, I think that it's impossible for me as your contractor to avert my eyes. In the end, it's my obligation as the『Witch of Greed』to faithfully uphold the contract――]
[Subaru: From now on, I'm removing the pendant when I go to the bathroom or wash myself.]
Saying this to the witches rapid-fire excuses, Subaru went down the hill, all the whilst biting down his embarrassment. At the bottom of the hillock, in the place in which Subaru first entered the grassy plain, a door materialised without warning. A single door free of any support. It was the only door that allowed him to go in and out to the outside world.
[Subaru: ...…]
Arriving in front of the door, Subaru placed his hand on the doorknob, turning himself so he couldn't see anything. Echidna was looking at Subaru's back, her hair fluttering in the wind all the way on the hillock.
When seeing Subaru looking down away from her, with only a slight bit of hesitation, she gave him a small wave. And without giving anything back, Subaru went through the door, leaving behind just a sigh.
――And straight after, his consciousness that had been captured by the dream world was released and returned back to reality.
[Subaru: ....]
When his consciousness came back to reality, Subaru was still standing in the middle of his own room, holding the black crystal. Breathing out a long sigh, he looked towards the Magic Hour Crystal on top of the door. There was no change in its green hue. That was proof that the time he spent in the dream world was only a few seconds.
[Subaru: Still, I'll never get used to it…]
It was routine every morning to go to the dream world to spend some time at Echidna's tea party. But from there, when he'd come back to reality, he still hadn't become familiar with the discomfort that was produced from the gap of these two worlds. It was a feeling that differed from『Return by Death』. Subaru sighed, and
"Echidna: What would you say to changing your mind and getting used to not getting used to it? Even if it's no more than for your peace of mind, maybe it'll make you feel a bit more at ease?"
As if it was a whisper in his ear, the voice of the witch he had said goodbye to a moment ago rung out. Well, in fact it wasn't whispered into his ear. That voice came from his contractor; the thoughts of the witch flowed via the crystal stone which hung from his neck.
Both of their paths were entwined by the contract even when he wasn't in the dream world. That made it possible for the witch to talk directly to Subaru from the dream world.
However――
[Subaru: I thought I told you not to speak to me without thinking when there's nothing important. ]
"Echidna: There's no one around. I don't think anyone is going to care you if you're directing your attention to me when you're alone in the room."
[Subaru: What would you do, if you did the same thing in public without thinking, and people saw me speaking to someone who isn't there and thought I was a weirdo?]
"Echidna: I feel like that's a new evaluation. But, besides, it's not unusual for spirits to converse their thoughts with their spirit-user. That isn't really suspicious."
[Subaru: With spirit-users, both use their thoughts to communicate. In my case, it's just you and I'm stuck speaking aloud to myself. If you look at it from that way, it's pretty annoying]
"Echidna: Yeah yeah, I get it. As you wish, I'll be silent except for when necessary. You managed to make a witch obey… you're a master at this."
[Subaru: SHUT UP!!]
"Echidna: My my. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need me, contractor-dono."
With both anger and mockery in her voice, Echidna slinked back leaving behind those theatrical words of farewell. Even so, the witch should still be peeping into this world via the pendant, however, for the moment, Subaru pushed the notion away from his head and he breathed out a long sigh. From now on, he would definitely shove the pendant into his back-pocket when taking a bath or going to the toilet…