Arc 9, Part 54: "The 'Fiend' vs. The 'Witch'"

"—I, too, am an imperfect daughter, just like you."

Aldebaran would never forget the melancholy expression on the 'Witch’s' face when she uttered those words.

He had thought to himself: Even this 'Witch,' who wore a face as if she knew every providence of this world, who acted as if the roots of her knowledge spanned every corner of the globe, and who stood with the air of one well-versed in all creation—even she had moments where she wanted to lament her own inadequacy.

"Of course I do. In a way, your very existence... the fact that you are here like this, is proof of my own insufficiency."

Hearing that made Aldebaran’s heart feel complicated. To him, the existence of this 'Witch' was massive—he hated to admit it, but she was great. Though he didn't have many others to compare her to, she was an opponent who would feel immense no matter what she was measured against. It didn't make him happy to hear such a 'Witch' describe herself as imperfect. However, without that self-recognition from the 'Witch,' his current relationship with her wouldn't exist. If the 'Witch' had been in a position where she didn't have to acknowledge her own failures—

"In that case, both I and you would simply be in the places where we were originally meant to be. You are free to let your thoughts wander to a future that never came to be, but unfortunately, you drew the worst possible fate. Though, apologetically, for me, it was a stroke of good fortune."

In that pseudo-villainous phrasing, he felt there was an equal mix of the 'Witch’s' unique sense of humor and her true feelings. He didn't know for sure. The true heart of the 'Witch,' who always feigned ignorance by saying she didn't understand human hearts, was ambiguous and elusive even to Aldebaran, despite their long association.

But if the 'Witch’s' claim was correct, it was a strange story. After all, even though his current circumstances were supposedly the worst alignment of stars for him, Aldebaran did not think of his days with the 'Witch' as unhappy. To be sure, he was forced to experience being killed a million times under the guise of "trials," and he was called by a name he didn't like even when he refused it; it was certainly an environment far removed from ordinary happiness.

"To find value in a life with a failure of a 'Witch'... you truly are a pitiful child."

It was a complex murmur that was both self-deprecating and pointedly mocking. However, Aldebaran did not miss the gentle resonance hidden within it that she couldn't quite conceal. Even if they were small, easily overlooked, or difficult to understand, the 'Witch' truly possessed emotions. Searching for the traces that served as evidence for that belief was Aldebaran’s hobby.

He didn't know the truth. It might have just been his own assumption or misunderstanding. What mattered was how Aldebaran felt; the 'Witch’s' true intentions belonged to her. —The truth for Aldebaran belonged to him.

"That attitude of being able to compartmentalize things is very similar. As I thought, influence is not something to be underestimated."

Narrowing her black eyes and fiddling with her white bangs with her fingers, the 'Witch' spoke. It was a reminiscence murmured as she looked at someone through Aldebaran, and at herself reflected in his eyes.

Influence—of course, it existed. In one's birth, and in one's upbringing. For Aldebaran, and for the 'Witch.'

Imperfect, insufficient, incomplete. —Was that a past the 'Witch' should be ashamed of? Was it a curse to think that because she was those things, he had his days with her?

If there was only one thing he could say—

"—Aldebaran."

In the reunion within the familiar scenery after ten years for Aldebaran and four hundred years for the other party, the sight of the 'Witch' he saw there—no, the 'Witch of Greed'—was something that denied the "imperfection" she had spoken of that day. What Aldebaran tasted then was an unbearable sense of loss and despair.

—Click, click. Fiddling with the metal fittings of his black helmet with his fingers, Aldebaran surveyed the situation.

Before his eyes, a massive ice anchor that felt almost divine stood as a landmark, and a line-up of faces stood boldly against him. The group facing him was centered around Philore—no, Felt. Aldebaran chose not to question the meaning of them being gathered here in full force.

He knew without asking. —Roy and Heinkel had been defeated. He didn't think for a moment that 'Aldebaran' had also lost, but since the 'Dragon' had not rushed to this location, it seemed even 'Aldebaran' was being held back somehow. Honestly, even with the two restrictions of his Authority and the vow of non-killing, for them to defeat the Sin Archbishop of 'Gluttony' and even prepare countermeasures for the 'Divine Dragon' was beyond his imagination.

He wondered what kind of plan they had prepared. They probably wouldn't answer even if he asked—

—Two hundred and forty-six.

"—No matter how you look at it, you've steeled your resolve way too much for a Witch Factor, Miss Petra."

"—!"

At Aldebaran’s direct pointing out, tension ran through Felt and the others. The one whose cheeks stiffened the most was, of course, Petra herself, whose name had been called. From their perspective, Petra’s Authority should have been their trump card and a top secret. In fact, that policy had been thoroughly shared among all the comrades.

However, no matter how iron-hearted a person is, they cannot remain unresponsive to an unexpected thrust.

At Aldebaran’s question, everyone tried to fix their expressions and feelings, but if their gaze or consciousness moved even slightly, he would simply test and trace that direction over and over. As a result, at the end of the trail of minute reactions, the answer Aldebaran wanted was standing there dutifully. —Though he was considerably surprised that it was Petra, who had taken in a Witch Factor.

"In my original assumptions, Miss Petra or Miss Meili, who read that, shouldn't have been able to return to the front lines."

After sealing away Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice at the Pleiades Watchtower and repelling Garfiel and Ezzo, Aldebaran had spared Petra and the others without harming them. That wasn't just because there was no need to eliminate them, but a tactic looking ahead to what would follow.

To stall Reinhard, the manifestation of the 'Witch of Envy' was absolutely necessary. Aldebaran had chosen Petra and the others as the personnel to read Natsuki Subaru’s 'Book of the Dead,' which would serve as the trigger. In fact, the battle between Aldebaran and Reinhard was interrupted by the intrusion of the 'Witch of Envy,' and the removal of the greatest obstacle to the plan was successful. However—

"...Normally, just reading one book of someone else's could cause a mental breakdown, but you're telling me you endured Natsuki Subaru’s 'Book of the Dead'?"

There was a precedent. —Aldebaran himself had more than enough idea of what it was like, but even so, the absolute nature of the concept of 'Death' made it hard to believe anyone else could do the same. Depending on the situation, Natsuki Subaru’s 'Book of the Dead' was a special grade cursed object that could become a trump card to defeat those of higher rank. There shouldn't be many people whose hearts wouldn't break from that.

"...Well, underestimating others is a bad habit of mine."

Regardless of what Aldebaran thought, the fact was that Petra was standing here. Not only was her heart not shattered by the shock of reading the 'Book of the Dead,' but she had even gone so far as to harbor a Witch Factor in her body to stop Aldebaran. Or perhaps the experience of reading the 'Book of the Dead' was what drove Petra to such desperation.

『—No one can defeat the "you" that I created.』

The words of the 'Witch' crossing his mind were meant to inspire him, not to make him arrogant or lead him to a fall. If he misunderstood that, Aldebaran would truly lose the 'Witch' this time. —The 'Witch' who had become the 'Witch of Greed' and truly lost the heart she once had.

"—In the end, you can't leave fate to others."

The sentimentality that had pierced his heart—he sank it into the depths of his chest with a deep breath and looked forward. The enemies were strong, the obstacles many, he had no allies, and nothing to boast of—even so, he had decided to go. In an instant—

"—Ooooooh!!"

—The fierce fist of the golden tiger, burning with rage, struck heroically at Aldebaran’s head.

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never take part in a celebration.

—A total of sixty-one people. This was the genuine 'Al-Busters'—the combined strength of the Emilia and Felt camps, reorganized for the final battle against Al after the conclusion with Roy Alphard of 'Gluttony.' Immediately after that fierce battle, with no time to catch their breath, Petra couldn't help but feel gratitude and admiration for those who remained in the reorganized team. But that was by no means meant to belittle those who couldn't keep up with the new team.

『We can't let Otto or Meili push themselves any further.』

Just as the Imaginary Subaru said, Otto and Meili—both had been decisive factors in the battle against 'Gluttony,' but Otto, whose 'memories' had been eaten, and Meili, who had exhausted herself using her Divine Protection to stop the Black Snake, were in no condition to continue. It wasn't just them. There were those whose past pains were ruminated upon by Roy’s trump card, the Authority of 'Gluttony' unleashed at the last moment, and whose spirits were worn down to their limits. Unlike physical wounds, the wear and tear of the heart wouldn't easily recover even with Petra’s 'Compression.' Though, even so, Meili had kept insisting she would 'compress' her recovery time and return to the front—

"Even if you borrow time from your life, Subaru won't be happy, you know?"

Persuaded by Petra in that way, she reluctantly—truly reluctantly—accepted her withdrawal from the front lines. Honestly, Petra’s maidenly intuition felt a slight hitch at Meili’s attitude of responding to persuasion when Subaru was brought up, but since she was the one who did it, she didn't say much. Besides, Meili also had the role of keeping watch for the Black Snake, which 'Gluttony' had summoned and which had vanished after the battle. It was a pity she couldn't be given a complete rest.

『We have no choice but to have the people who can do things fill the spots. Though, there are some crazy guys who join the fray even without their memories.』

"It's amazing. I can't help but think, 'So that's how Mr. Otto is even without his memories.'"

『Maybe it's his innate nature. He might be a risk junkie.』

It was a sentiment that, regardless of whether he had his memories or not, the person in question would likely snap back with, "Could you please not say such slanderous things!?" but it couldn't be helped if they thought that.

In any case, 'Gluttony' had certainly shaved off their precious fighting strength, making their hand for the climax battle quite tight. Garfiel’s return was joyful, but the fact that he couldn't pour all his strength into Emilia and Rem was a bitter blow for both Petra and 'Subaru.' But even so—

"—We’re going to win, Subaru."

『Yeah, let's go win. So that all the progress we've made up to now doesn't go to waste.』

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never speak of dreams with anyone.

"—In the end, you can't leave fate to others."

Al’s words, spoken with a dismissive tone but with resolve hidden in his voice, served as the signal.

"—Ooooooh!!"

With the roaring Garfiel as the vanguard, the 'Al-Busters' moved all at once. Taking in their movements, Petra clenched both hands tightly against her chest.

—Using the ice anchor Emilia had struck as a landmark, Petra 'compressed' the distance for the 'Al-Busters' to the site and stood before Al once again. Honestly, the fact that Emilia and Rem were not there, and Al’s kunoichi attendant, who had been brought out unexpectedly, was also nowhere to be seen, was a source of anxiety, but—

『—There’s no reason for Al’s side to break the non-killing vow.』

Using that as a source of comfort might be relying a bit too much on the opponent’s abilities and creed. However, considering Al’s fighting style up to this point with his Authority of 'Time Regression,' that was the basis. Because his Authority was too strong, in a sense, Al had been allowed to "play around" until now. And that premise had not fundamentally changed even now that they had managed to pull his allies away from him.

"Gah!"

In front, Garfiel, who had charged without any preliminary movement, let out a cry of pain. The reason was his diving trajectory—he had collided with a stone slab that had appeared out of nowhere. Struck in the face by a waiting slab that had perfectly read his preemptive attack, Garfiel’s body flipped in mid-air. Slipping right under Garfiel, Al moved to intercept the forces following the golden tiger.

Next were Ram, and the pair Flam & Gracis.

『Coincidentally, it's the Pink-Haired Sisters! Now, what happens!?』

—Thirty-seven.

Intercepting the lead-off Garfiel with a stone slab, I slip under him as he somersaults backward. The timing is unexpectedly tight. If I insert the slab too early, it'll be swept away; if too late, Garfiel will pass right through. The moment it hits his face—I learned that with my body and put it into practice.

"Gah!"

Hearing the cry of pain behind my head, I look forward as three shadows close in on me. It's a coordinated attack with Flam and her sister from the left and right, and Ram from slightly diagonally above. A teaming where Ram’s abnormality in matching them on the first try stands out, despite the coordination precision unique to twins. There—

"Miss Rem is being flattened at the cliff behind us."

"She isn't. Don't underestimate the sisterly love between Ram and Rem."

The poison of my words is neutralized by the sisters' synesthesia and fails to take effect. Since there was no agitation, there is no lie in Ram’s statement. Picking up that this meant Rem was safe and Yae’s whereabouts were unknown, the poison worked on me instead. However—

"—Earth Brand Arts."

Using the mana flowing from the path with the 'Dragon,' stone swords surround Aldebaran. To avoid the sword points and spearheads springing up from the earth one after another, the twins make large evasive maneuvers, causing a momentary delay, and the three-way coordination switches to Ram’s solo attack. Against that isolated Ram, I strike with the Sekiryuu sword I picked up in the flow—

"This is nice. I'll borrow it."

Ram, who swung the sword she had scooped up with wind magic, punched me in the jaw from the side.

—Ninety-one.

"This is nice. I'll borrow—actually, I'll pass."

Leaving those words, Ram ignores the stone sword she had drawn in with the wind. The stone sword passing beside her crumbles fragrantly, and Aldebaran’s strike is sucked toward her as she misses picking up the weapon. Ram catches it with her wind-imbued staff, skillfully manipulating the wind to gain pressure even while in mid-air, attempting to push through the clash. Grabbing Ram’s leg with my prosthetic rock arm, I throw her behind me while being counterattacked by blades of wind.

"—!"

With Ram’s teeth-gritting behind me, Aldebaran advances further. The sisters, Flam and someone called Gracis, who were delayed by the previous distraction, attack at once. Matching the agility that doesn't allow their youth to be a reason for letting one's guard down, Aldebaran spreads his own right arm and artificial left arm to the sides, creating a surge of sand that sweeps across his 180-degree field of vision. The massive wave of sand swallows the girls, becoming a cage that sinks them into the earth—

"—Yin Six, Warrior! Wind Five, Mage! Flower Eight, King!"

Suddenly struck from the front by a surge of pressure, I fell backward into the sea of swords I had created.

—One hundred and twelve.

"—Yin Six, Warrior! Wind Five, Mage! Flower Eight, King!"

The moment I hear it, I forcibly close my spread arms, fixing the muzzle of the sand surge to the front—exactly a blink later, a large bearded man is hit by the surge, ending up in the same situation as Flam and Gracis. Escaping the danger just like that, Aldebaran tries to jump diagonally to leap over the enemy forces—

"Ul Goa!!"

While still in mid-air, I take a direct hit from an unavoidable fireball, and my internal organs burn up.

—One hundred and forty-six.

"Ul Goa!!"

Suppressing the twins and the large man with sand, I intentionally delay my step against the approaching fireball. Instead, the fire hit a poorly made earth doll Aldebaran had made in an instant—a degraded version of the magic Emilia used to replicate Natsuki Subaru with ice. The fireball, launched with the aim of pinning down the jumping Aldebaran, was successfully lured by the imperfect earth doll in the midst of a battle where split-second decisions were required.

"What!?"

The user, a thin man with a mean look and a tongue piercing, gasped at Aldebaran’s countermeasure. Unless one is a master mage, one cannot fire Ul-class magic in rapid succession. Giving the artificial middle finger to that expression of shock, Aldebaran moves to advance even further this time—

"—Burst!!"

From diagonally behind, a shockwave of light launched from that point hits Aldebaran’s back directly. In the intensity of the white light that seems to scorch the world, even his consciousness is painted white.

—One hundred and forty-seven.

"—Burst!!"

Turning toward the direction of the brave war cry, Aldebaran sees the culprit is Felt, with a dignified face and bared fangs, and the source of the light is the magic staff she holds. It is a 'Meteor' called the 'Staff of Stars' that the 'Witch' in her lifetime had boasted could even make the 'Divine Dragon' cry; in other words, it’s his master’s mess.

"Getting interfered with by Teacher here is way too much of a bug."

In this long, tireless challenge, the fact that the wall he had to overcome was none other than the handmade work of the 'Witch' who had shown Aldebaran the way, gave birth to a melancholy feeling.

The white light swallows Aldebaran without mercy. Now then—

—One hundred and forty-eight.

"—Burst!!"

—This approaching white light, just how on earth am I supposed to conquer it?

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never give a gift.

"—What kind of power is the Authority of 'Melancholy'?"

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never wave my hand to anyone.

"—It can't be explained by just teleportation. An Authority shouldn't be something like that."

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never pray before I sleep.

"—It must represent some kind of concept. Right? 'Melancholy'... 'Melancholy', huh."

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never stay by anyone's wounds.

"—Feeling down, downer, cloudy sky, depressed, dented... Dented?"

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never rejoice at a clear sky.

"—Is it crushing something? Gaps or distance? No, that's not the only thing it's crushing, is it?"

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never lament a rainy sky.

"—It's crushing and filling in the insufficient thinking time, isn't it? But a Witch Factor is..."

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never look up at a rainbow with anyone.

"—A Witch Factor isn't something so convenient, is it?"

In an instant, hearing the words of Al, who had broken through the 'Al-Busters' encirclement and reached right in front of her, a chill ran up Petra’s spine. Al’s eyes, covered by the iron helmet, were not visible. —But their eyes met. With that sensation, she felt as if her inner heart was being seen through, and Petra’s heart felt a sense of panic. Somehow, Al was more well-versed in Witch Factors than Petra was.

『Petra!!』 "—Flower Eight, Witch!!"

"—!"

The urgent, hoarse instruction and the cry of her inner beloved overlapped. Petra 'compressed' the hesitation born within her. To avoid being caught by Al’s reaching arm, she slipped past his hand and 'compressed' the process of creating distance from the opponent, moving away all at once.

"Oi, oi, you can even crush your own gaps...!"

Having Petra vanish before his eyes, Al, who had swung at thin air, turned around with a click of his tongue. With Al’s shoulders heaving, the distance between him and Petra was reset once again. Between the two staring each other down stood the 'Al-Busters' comrades whom Al had desperately broken through. To reach Petra once more, he would have to overcome the same hurdles. However, Petra didn't feel at all like she had pulled one over on him.

『Petra, Al’s words just now...』

"I know. ...He really is able to redo things."

At the words of the Imaginary Subaru floating beside her, Petra narrowed her eyes and nodded. It wasn't that she had doubted it at this point, but seeing Al’s 'Time Regression' in person, she couldn't help but be surprised by its extraordinary nature.

Garfiel’s preemptive attack, the coordinated attack of Ram and Flam & Gracis, the encirclement by Gaston, Rachins, and Felt that was launched from three sides via 'Compression'—Al had perfectly dealt with all the interference from fifty people moving according to Old Man Rom’s instructions. And he did all of it by taking the only optimal solution, the only one that existed.

『I can produce similar results by compressing my thoughts here, too, but...』

"That's just thinking hard until you get the answer that 'this is the correct one.' It's still a bit different from Subaru’s or Mr. Al’s power."

『...Normally, I should be about this strong, too.』

'Subaru,' scratching his head, slumped his shoulders as if feeling inadequate. But Petra didn't think so. Subaru was Subaru; he had faced his own Authority head-on, held onto many things that were supposed to be lost, and saved Petra and the others. There wasn't a single thing about him that was inadequate. While thinking that—

"...How many times did you redo it until you could reach out your hand toward me?"

As far as Petra knew, Al’s ability as a warrior was decent—certainly far below Ram or Garfiel, and probably not a match for Heinkel either. Despite that, Al alone had toyed with the 'Al-Busters' and almost achieved checkmate.

『It might not just be ten times, but twenty times he’s repeated it.』

"...It might be even more."

Against 'Subaru’s' soft estimate, Petra predicted a possibility ten or twenty times that. In fact, if Petra were in the position of outmaneuvering the 'Al-Busters,' even if she had an Authority that knew the future developments, she wouldn't have the confidence to clear it in a hundred attempts. Furthermore, Al had a record of evading even Reinhard, albeit with the help of the 'Dragon’s' power. To accomplish that much, how much would a person have to kill their own heart to keep trying?

If Al’s 'Time Regression' was truly, as Petra and the others imagined, a power in exchange for 'Death' just like Natsuki Subaru’s, then standing there was a fearsome 'Fiend' wearing a mask of flippancy.

Al had already overcome the fear and sense of loss of 'Death'—no, there is no human who can overcome that. If anything, it wasn't overcoming, but paralysis. An existence that had even paralyzed the biological instinct to fear 'Death' and keep it away—that was the secret of Al’s strength and what led to his absolute nature as a 'Fiend.' To exceed that absolute nature, they too had to pay a corresponding price.

『—Petra.』

"I'm okay, Subaru. ...I'll be fine."

He was an existence residing in her head. Only the Imaginary Subaru knew Petra’s secret, which hadn't been told to anyone in the 'Al-Busters' or anyone in the Emilia camp. It was also what the 'Fiend' before her, who was well-versed in Witch Factors, had said.

—Fate does not smile conveniently upon one who calls themselves the 'Witch of Melancholy.'

"Even so, that's no reason for me to stop."

Deceiving even herself like that, Petra Leyte—the 'Witch of Melancholy'—exercises her Authority. In exchange for interfering with the laws of the world, the future that would be lost from her own existence—no matter how important and irreplaceable it was, the new 'Witch' had no hesitation.

—Seven thousand and eleven.

"Even so, that's no reason for me to stop."

Seeing Petra’s lips murmur that from a distance, Aldebaran took his hat off to her. He didn't actually take off his helmet, but he felt like doing so. Because, it was true.

"...Seriously, I can't forgive that guy Natsuki Subaru."

Aldebaran, gritting his teeth, looked at the mixed army—they seemed to be calling themselves the 'Al-Busters.' He liked the sense of it. He didn't want to think too much about where it came from, though. At any rate, through the offense and defense with the 'Al-Busters' up to this point, he had deciphered most of the specifications of the 'Melancholy' Witch Factor Petra had taken in and its Authority.

As in any battle, it is important to gather a lot of accurate information about the opponent. Battles against Sin Archbishops and 'Witches' are especially like that; if you face them without understanding what kind of Authority they possess, it's common to be killed unilaterally. —Being able to break through those first-time-kill scenarios was the strength of Aldebaran and Natsuki Subaru.

Exerting that strength to the fullest, Aldebaran had grasped the Authority of 'Melancholy,' and it had quite an absurd performance. Crushing gaps and time—the power to 'compress'—would surely allow no others to follow in terms of its versatility and troublesome nature. On top of that, this Authority apparently even made the 'compression' of thought possible, and even within a single second of offense and defense, well-thought-out and sharpened conclusions attacked one after another. It was a series of difficult questions that couldn't be easily solved even with Aldebaran’s 'Territory.'

In fact, it took seven thousand retries just to slip through a mere eleven seconds of offense and defense.

And after doing all that, he ended up letting the crucial Petra escape. —Since the same distance had been opened up again, it would probably take the same or more attempts to catch up next time.

"Even so, the compatibility between the Authority of 'Melancholy' and Valga is the worst..."

Among the members of the 'Al-Busters' was the figure of Valga Cromwell, who had caused him much suffering. That monster of intellect, who didn't utilize his blessed giant frame at all, was given unlimited free thinking time and attempted to pressure Aldebaran by producing the only optimal solution. It was truly a nightmare combination, like giving a metal bat to an ogre.

If he danced in Valga’s hands, there was a risk he would be sealed off again. Therefore, even if thinking time was inevitably stolen, he wouldn't give many chances for trial and error. Furthermore, letting her continue to use the Authority of 'Melancholy' was not Aldebaran’s intention. Because—

『—The 'Melancholy' Witch Factor is a defective product. It is a one-of-a-kind item prepared for a hero, and it will not adapt to anyone else. Conversely, you could say it will adapt to anyone by paying a price. Humans are creatures that can sell off too much of themselves in exchange for resolve.』

Information about the 'Melancholy' Witch Factor he had heard from the 'Witch' before. Perhaps she had strong feelings about it, as the 'Witch' didn't want to talk much about two of the Witch Factors that could be called outliers, but she was quite talkative once she gave in. Summarizing that long, rambling talk that didn't quite get to the point, the main points were as follows:

—The 'Melancholy' Witch Factor activates its Authority in exchange for the possessor’s will. —The price for using the 'Melancholy' Witch Factor can only be paid by the possessor.

"—Natsuki Subaru."

Having thought that far, Aldebaran once again felt anger toward Natsuki Subaru. Of course, Aldebaran didn't think his plan to have her read the 'Book of the Dead' was unrelated to the process of Petra taking in the 'Melancholy' Witch Factor. But if Aldebaran was the one who provided the trigger, a large part of the responsibility lay with Natsuki Subaru. Considering the relationship between Aldebaran and Natsuki Subaru, it was only natural to say that much. The large shadow cast over Petra’s life originated from Natsuki Subaru. He didn't say or think that Subaru had malicious intent, but his influence was undeniably large. That wasn't limited to Petra; it could be called a kind of destiny-like power that had been exerted in many situations even before this battle with the 'Al-Busters.' "—CO" Even so, destiny-like power was a piece of irony. Even though Natsuki Subaru and Aldebaran were in positions where they could be said to hate destiny the most, "—M" it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say their actions determined destiny. "—P" When he thought that, what crossed Aldebaran’s mind were her vivid, bright red words. That "—RE" praise she uttered in those final moments was trying to burn Aldebaran’s heart. He intentionally looked away and covered his ears. "—SS" The time to look back on his actions had long since passed. What supported the current Aldebaran was not the lost her, but his covenant with Teacher. "—A" The culmination of why Aldebaran was born and why he was made to be Aldebaran was about to be tested. For that reason, there was no time to stop and think—wait, wait wait wait. Isn't this long? Just a single breath, a moment to take a deep breath is made and the battle resumes. "—GO" That should be it. The opponent doesn't want to let us catch our breath. We don't want to give the opponent much time either. "—NY" A consensus should have been reached there, so why is Aldebaran able to think so leisurely— "—". This is bad. It's strange. What? What was said? In the distance, he saw Petra’s lips move. One sound at a time, he picked up the sounds those lips spun. He picked up and gathered what was thrown into the gaps of his thoughts. Slow. Frustrating. It's too slow. Pick up the meaning, pick up the significance, pick up the intent. —. —. —. It's impossible. He couldn't silence his thoughts. It's okay to think while doing it. 'Compress'? Crushing, huh? Crushing what? 'Agony'? Pain? Suffering? Anguish... Anguish? Worrying, thinking, deciphering. Damn, she got me. I was 'compressed.'

—My thoughts were 'compressed'!!

—God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow that for the rest of my life, I will never reveal an important secret.

"—'Compress Agony'."

The 'compression' of thought by the Authority of 'Melancholy'—a powerful buff effect that speeds up the thoughts of allies, omits consultation, and allows everyone to strike the best move thought out together. Applying that to Al was one of the countermeasures Petra had prepared for him.

"If you have too many things to think about, your head will burst, right?"

Presumptuously, Petra prided herself on being the third most knowledgeable person in the world, after Subaru and Al, regarding the 'Time Regression' known as 'Return by Death.' From that knowledge of Petra’s and her experience of reliving the pain of 'Death' that Subaru had tasted, she found a way to neutralize—no, overheat—Al’s Authority, which seemed almost invincible.

That was the mental overload caused by the acceleration of thought.

Once, when the Royal Selection had just begun, Subaru, who had ended up having a falling out with Emilia in the Royal Capital, had his heart completely worn down due to great stress and mental load. That had unintentionally provided the trigger for him to recover through Rem’s devotion and anger toward the Sin Archbishops, but it was a fact that he had temporarily lost his will to fight and become a shell of himself. —She would reproduce that.

Al, whose emotions of fearing 'Death' were already paralyzed, might not have his heart broken no matter how many 'Deaths' he accumulated. However, even if he turned the world against him, Al was human. It was inevitable that a crack would form in his spirit and he would reach his limit. She would induce that.

For that purpose, no matter what of hers she had to trade—

"—Territory Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

While suffering from the acceleration of thought, she could tell Al quietly spoke those words. High load was being placed on his spirit, but this state was a double-edged sword. The possibility of Al’s heart, which had been so severely exhausted, reaching its limit was even with the possibility of him utilizing that 'compression' of thought to its maximum, just like the 'Al-Busters,' to intercept Petra and the others.

Therefore, the battle from here on would be the true critical moment for the 'Al-Busters'—

"—Everyone! It starts from here! Don't let your guard down!" ""—Oh!!""

In response to Petra’s encouragement, there were replies from the comrades whose interactions had been 'compressed.' Thinking how reliable that was, she was about to face the reset of the final battle with Al—and noticed.

Among those who had just given a powerful reply, there was someone whose voice she hadn't heard. It was possible they had simply missed the timing. However, sensing a strange incongruity there, Petra glanced over and searched for the person who hadn't replied. And she found him.

"—Old Man Rom?"

The great strategist who hadn't replied, the giant old man who bore the role of surveying the battlefield and sending out accurate instructions at the right time—she saw him slowly rolling his eyes back and collapsing to the earth.

—Time regresses for just a mere instant.

"—Territory Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

Hearing Aldebaran declare that, Old Man Rom felt his large shoulders tremble. Staring fixedly, Old Man Rom froze, his body stiffening with an agitation that shouldn't have been there as he looked at Aldebaran standing still, facing the mixed army.

Old Man Rom had also heard of Petra’s plan using the Authority of 'Melancholy.' It was a strategy to accelerate Aldebaran’s thoughts, place a load on his spirit, and exhaust him all at once. Old Man Rom himself had considered it a necessary step to defeat Aldebaran, who supposedly performed 'Time Regression,' and promised to cooperate. There were concerns about speeding up Aldebaran’s thoughts, but 'compressing' thoughts to the best move was the same for their side, and he accepted that it was a situation to be closed in on with total power. It was a big factor that he thought he himself could lend his strength if that was the policy.

And in fact, in the battle against Aldebaran, Old Man Rom’s expectations were correct. He had succeeded in moving his comrades quickly and cornering Aldebaran. —But what shocked Old Man Rom and gave birth to that agitation was what happened from there.

"—Territory Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

Aldebaran declared that, and Old Man Rom’s position changed in an instant. —No, it wasn't just Old Man Rom; the positions of Aldebaran, Felt, and everyone participating in this battle had returned to where they were just a dozen or so seconds ago, and it was a redo.

And Old Man Rom had already repeated that five times—

"—What on earth is this situation?"

Turning his head around, Old Man Rom heavily squeezed out those words within the same scene he had seen five times. There was no one other than Old Man Rom who felt something was wrong with this situation.

"—Everyone! It starts from here! Don't let your guard down!" ""—Oh!!""

As proof of that, everyone except Old Man Rom responded to Petra’s voice as she bravely took the helm. And so, they all lunged at Aldebaran at once.

"Rom-ji! Give us instructions!"

Not noticing his agitation, Felt, holding the 'Staff of Stars,' searched for an attack position. Other comrades who held decisive techniques were also running, wanting Old Man Rom’s instructions. Toward their backs, while swallowing bitter saliva, Old Man Rom sent out different instructions than before—

"—Territory Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

—The sixth final battle with Aldebaran began.