――Gods, Buddhas, Od Lagna. I swear never to play with children for the rest of my life.

△▼△▼△▼△

"For example, if I could use the Witch Factor that Clind has, wouldn't that mean I could use 『Teleportation』 without paying any price?"

This was the first misuse that Petra thought of when she was informed by Clind about the existence of the Witch Factor of 『Melancholy』 and its relation to the Authority of 『Compression』. Clind explained that he was not compatible with the Witch Factor, and as a result, he needed to pay a price—a compensation—to use the Authority of 『Compression』. At the same time, he mentioned that the Witch Factor of 『Melancholy』 was a one-off factor created for a specific individual and would never be compatible with Petra.

Therefore, the special team of the 『Demon』 Natsuki Subaru, who possessed the Authority of 『Return by Death』, and the 『Witch』 Petra Leyte, who cooperated with him, was dissolved before it even formed. While there was relief, there was also a sense of disappointment.

The matter of the Witch Factor of 『Melancholy』 was set aside, and it was decided that Clind would use 『Compression』 to gather allies and enter the decisive battle with the enemy. However, with the revelation of Al's Authority of 『Time Reversal』 and the strategy being developed to surely stop Al's group, the spotlight was once again on the Authority of 『Melancholy』.

Clind told Petra and the others that it was impossible to exercise the Authority without compensation due to his incompatibility with the Witch Factor. However, turning that around—,

"――If someone could pay the price, then someone other than Clind could use 『Compression』, right?"

Clind did not change his expression at Petra's confirmation. This, in turn, made Petra confident in the correctness of her speculation. If he truly wanted to hide it, Clind should have acted surprised, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.

"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 will handle that, right?"

"In that regard, I can guarantee it as well. Clind is a key person who can become a trump card against the 『Divine Dragon』 Volcanica. Is that usage correct?"

"――. It's correct."

During the strategy meeting, it was Clind who confidently claimed he could suppress the 『Divine Dragon』. Honestly, considering the Witch Factor of 『Melancholy』 and the secrets he kept with Roswaal, it's exasperating to think about how many secrets they were hiding. However, it's reassuring. But 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. If that's the case, the strength of 『Compression』 is wasted. The main point of 『Compression』 is that it can be used like teleportation to move and swap forces."

The words Clind swore with a quiet expression, yet with a certain fervor, were likely not false. Delivering the maximum force to the enemy's camp is an exceptional achievement. However, if more can be desired, it is a battle where one should desire as much as possible.

"And so, it comes to the topic of transferring the Authority. Before considering whether it's a feasible plan, it's something we need to verify."

"――. About that. Hesitation."

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

「――――」

"I think this is the time for everyone to discuss what cards they hold and how usable they might be. So, no secrets."

Petra clearly demanded this from Clind, who hesitated. She understood why he was reluctant to speak and why he was contemplating withholding information. However, this discussion was a deliberation to save the kingdom, the world, and Natsuki Subaru and his companions. Petra's insistence on no secrets was met with a glare from Meili, which was almost endearing.

"…If we're talking about whether it's possible or not, it is possible. Affirmative. The 『Witch of Melancholy』 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! It's something that can be handled quite easily. If Clind were to forget it somewhere, it would be disastrous."

"Not only forgetting it, but having it stolen or taken away is also frightening. …In that sense, it's understandable that Clind was entrusted with it."

Apparently, the 『Witch of Melancholy』 factor was being managed in a precarious state. Petra agreed with the opinion that it was understandable for Clind to be entrusted with its management. Clind, who always responded promptly and adeptly to everything, 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 saw it before in the 『Sanctuary』. It wasn't something that could be handled safely."

"…There is definitely a risk. But if used well…"

"――Petra-chan, I'm against it."

With a sharp voice, the most emotionally opposed voice made Petra lower her eyebrows. She understood and was happy that Meili had been concerned for 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 little too well."

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

The phantom voice, unheard by anyone else, gave Petra a sense of being cherished. Let me declare, Imaginary Subaru is a convenient fantasy for Petra, but even the real Subaru would have said the same thing, the level of reproduction is that high.

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

Even Meili alone was enough to shake Petra's heart considerably. If Frederica and Beatrice's double punch were added here, even Petra might have been knocked out. What if Garfiel and Otto were here? Garfiel would probably yell in anger, but she felt Otto might understand. After all, even now, it's Otto who's taking the most reckless actions 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."

△▼△▼△▼△

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

△▼△▼△▼△

While confirming the feel of the square box tucked tightly in her bosom, Petra manipulated her words, persuading those around her, and succeeded in taking charge of the 『Witch of Melancholy』 factor.

"――I need to concentrate."

By verbalizing it, Petra strongly admonished herself to maintain her sanity. To be honest, until today, Petra thought she possessed a strong mental fortitude. Even after reading the 『Book of the Dead』, her mind remained intact, and despite her beloved not showing any interest in her, she never once considered giving up on making him notice her. She was aware that she had faced many trials and dangerous situations for someone her age.

Yet, even Petra felt 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 lose, that's it! I'll dislike you!』

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

Having her beloved encourage her in her mind felt quite desperate, but since it was actually effective, the power of love was great. The witch factor is nothing before love. The struggle with the witch factor ultimately boils down to a mental issue, so it's only natural that the power of love becomes a special remedy. ――Petra, who could no longer remain just a village girl because of it, understood the effect of that remedy better than anyone else. Therefore――,

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

At the raspy voice that struck her eardrums, Petra widened her eyes and clenched her 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 from Felt's camp—Gaston, Felt's attendant, and the fierce-looking pigman called 『Pig King』, Doltero—were brought to the battlefield, swinging their mighty arms and knocking away 『Gluttony』 and Heinkel, who were about to attack.

"What? Really? Is that even possible?"

Roy, who had deflected the impact of the punch with acrobatic movements, raised his infuriating face, peeled his gaze away from Ram, whom he'd been watching intently, and looked towards Petra. Petra, who was positioned to grasp the entire battlefield, distanced from the direct combat involving Ram, Meili, Flum, and Grasis, along with Rom-ji on her shoulder.

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

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

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

Without showing any sign of caution 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.

"――『Witch of Melancholy』, Petra Leyte."

Claiming such a title is generally unwelcome. It's one thing to call oneself that, but to be called it by others is out of the question. Regardless of one's resolve, it's a cursed title despised by everyone in the world. However, Petra declared it boldly, as if it were something to be proud of.

After all, Petra's master is the 『Witch of Frost』, and her beloved is a kind and noble knight who has feelings for such a witch.

――Gods, Buddhas, Od Lagna. I vow never to pick a beautiful flower in my lifetime.
――Gods, Buddhas, Od Lagna. I vow never to taste my favorite food in my lifetime.
――Gods, Buddhas, Od Lagna. I vow never to return to my homeland in my lifetime.

△▼△▼△▼△

――『Witch of Melancholy』 Petra Leyte.

Roy Alphard felt a peak of ecstasy at Petra's declaration of calling herself that. The surprise at how far she would go, and the joy that she went that far. To absorb a Witch Factor and become a possessor of authority—such as a 『Witch』, 『Demon』, or even a Sin Archbishop—seemed like madness. In making such an extraordinary decision, Roy felt the thoroughness of their means—namely, the deep, intense, and passionate love that is the spirit of hospitality.

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

Spreading his arms wide, Roy, overwhelmed with joy, expressed gratitude for this hospitality and encounter. Since she called herself the 『Witch of Melancholy』, Roy's theory that her authority was derived from 『Pride』 was incorrect. However, Roy had heard from the monster who claimed to be his mother that the Witch Factor of 『Melancholy』 was special, a defective product that didn't match with anyone. Since the Witch Factor of 『Melancholy』 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 bite of such a special treat to his mother.

"It's just the cute selfishness 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 obvious what kind of tantrum she would throw. In the past, Roy found his mother's selfishness unbearably annoying, but now he felt slightly different. Even his mother's selfish, self-centered, pathological self-love seemed like an irreplaceable individuality that he could respect.

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

Responding to the instructions of the giant elder, a faint light appeared in Petra's eyes. It wasn't that they actually glowed. It was a sign of the moment she exerted herself, focusing her consciousness on using an unfamiliar authority. Normally, such a trivial habit wouldn't matter, but in the midst of a battle where a moment could decide victory or defeat, even that became life-or-death information.

In Roy's vision, Ram, the pigman, and Meili riding the King of Starving Horses disappeared. And as they vanished, they reappeared surrounding Roy from three sides, launching an attack. The timing was clear from the light in Petra's eyes.

"Alright, just a little interference!"

Just before the attack reached him, Roy clasped his hands in front of his chest. In an instant, the ground rose like a sand mountain pressed from the sides, cutting off Ram and the pigman's line of sight from Roy. Leaving those two to deal with it, Roy focused on the loudest crying baby. Without turning around, in the vision behind his head, the skeletal spear of the King of Starving Horses carrying Meili—and the monstrous arm of Guiltylaw sent flying as a set—were wielded. Tilting his body greatly, avoiding, avoiding, avoiding, Roy licked his lips.

『Squeezer』 Figdoll was a burial specialist hitman who used an ability to crush from the edges to the center of his vision, and 『Thousand Faces Saintess』 Yelna had a wide view and heart that never missed the tears of lamenting and grieving weaklings from every direction. However, the ability of 『Queen of Beasts』 Meili was no less than those.

"――――!!"

The herd of Urgarms, the Sand Sea's Starving Horse King, and the renowned 『Black King of the Forest』, Guiltylaw, were all unleashed one after another by Meili, leaving Roy breathless with admiration. Meili's method of controlling magical beasts without broken horns had been pre-studied through 'memory', but its true value had been reserved at the Pleiades Watchtower, so seeing it in person was exhilarating.

"If you were born with such a blessing, your life must have been full of ups and downs, right? Why don't you tell us how you've lived, Meili?"

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

"Oh? And then what?"

Roy, dodging the bone spear of the Starving Horse King and the sharp claws of Guiltylaw with agility, slurped his drool while glaring 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 is not what is said, but who says it!"

Faced with this undeniable truth, Roy had no words to respond with, simply exclaiming, "Taha!" Behind Roy, the earthen wall was shattered by the pigman, and above him, Ram, who had disappeared and reappeared, was falling. Surrounded three-dimensionally from the front, back, and above, the space beneath Roy's legs and under his arms distorted, activating the magic of the 『Magic Manipulator』 Yardley, who had been buried in the shadows of history and ultimately consumed—spears of fire, ice, and earth were conjured by magic, setting their sights in an instant. The targets were Meili, the pigman, and Ram—but Ram was not there.

"You keep losing sight of Ram. Why not discard those eyes of yours?"

—There she was. Ram's slender form appeared at an almost embracing distance.

△▼△▼△▼△

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to cry in front of others for the rest of my life.
—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to wipe away someone else's tears for the rest of my life.

△▼△▼△▼△

"The 『Witch of Melancholy』...!"

—『Squeezer』 × 『Thousand Faces Saintess』 × 『Magic Manipulator』.

Even the power of these newly combined outliers 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 anger. It was delight. His heart fluttered with excitement. Riding that flutter, Roy re-aimed the three elemental spears he had once targeted, colliding them with each other, and the resulting blast and steam forced Ram and the others to reset the scene—

"—What?"

"Did you think I'd use 『Teleportation』 to avoid injury?"

The hot steam, which was supposed to force 『Teleportation』 through the authority of 『Melancholy』, was torn apart with brute force, and from beyond it, the owner of pale pink eyes emerged. Roy, who had dismissed the option of deliberately getting injured from his mind, was caught off guard by the posture of someone diving headfirst into the scorching heatwave. Immediately, the option to forcibly reset the scene using the 『Teleportation』 of the 『Leaper』 under Roy's direction emerged. —However,

"—Amazing!"

In the moment he acknowledged the enemy's brilliance, Roy Alphard's 『Voracity』 awakened. A cry of triumph burst in his mind, and countless options branched out and shone within Roy's brain. He opened the treasure trove of accumulated 'memories', seeking the shining treasures from the countless miscellaneous ones, the birth cries of the dormant wealth eagerly awaiting their turn at this very moment.

—The current focal point is the identity of the hospitality that caused the failure of the 『Eclipse』.

"――――"

Roy Alphard failed in his attempt to reach out and consume the soul of Ram through the use of 『Eclipse』. However, she was undoubtedly Ram. This was clear from the freshly consumed 『memory』, which identified her as Ram, and everyone around her called her Ram, even she herself referred to herself as Ram. She was thoroughly Ram.

Nevertheless, the activation condition for 『Eclipse』 could not be met with the name Ram. In this case, the most likely reason for the failure of 『Eclipse』 was—

"—A change in true name!"

What is needed for 『Eclipse』 is the preparation to snatch the target from the soul registry managed by Od Lagna. Therefore, the target's name must be the one recorded by Od Lagna. In most cases, this is done during the naming at birth—a vow made when that prayer reaches what could be called the great void, Od Lagna records the true name.

Generally, once a true name is set, it is not changed regardless of the individual's self-recognition. The few exceptions where Od Lagna acknowledges a change are—

"—Ram Mathers."

"—"

Breaking through the steam, Roy touched Ram, who was trying to land a blow on him. The most common reason for a change in true name is due to 'marriage'. —And Ram had Meili call her 'madam'. From the 『memory』, there was no doubt about whom Ram was thinking of.

Convinced of this, Roy activated 『Eclipse』 on the soul of Ram—no, Ram Mathers, whose pale pink eyes widened, intending to consume her 『memory』 and understand her completely,

"Ita—daki—ma—bue."

In that instant, Roy's eyes widened as if his open mouth had been stuffed with filth. It was proof of the failure of 『Eclipse』, 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, caring for her sister, bad taste, margrave, single-minded, bad-natured, excellent, reliable, only bad taste, also bad-natured, marriage, passion—.

"—Did you peek into Otto's 『memory』? Foolish."

"Ah—?"

"In such an emergency, do you think Ram would settle as Lord Roswaal's companion? —If you truly knew Ram, you wouldn't have made such a misunderstanding."

With a thin smile on her lips, Ram's ridicule made Roy understand. Having her called 'madam' was a deliberate mislead to guide him to an incorrect conclusion based on the 『memory』 of a relative—indeed, Roy had skipped the low-risk option of the 『Leaper』 and extended his tongue towards the high-return soul of Ram, convinced he could consume it. A judgment he wouldn't have made if he hadn't consumed Otto Suwen's 『memory』.

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

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