Chapter Text
Priscilla was deeply irritated with her current situation.
Having to once again watch those episodes, watching the plebeian try—and succeed—in subjugating the Sin Archbishops. At that moment, they were once again watching him subdue the Archbishop of Greed, Regulus, seeing him being humiliated and treated like trash by that version of Subaru.
The matter at hand at that moment was——
[Echidna: Well…]
Everyone’s attention turned to the Witch of Greed.
Echidna formed a small smile as she showed the remote control Alpha had handed her, making sure it was clearly visible to everyone.
[Echidna: So… do you all want a break?]
——and so it was once again that moment when they could choose between taking a break or continuing to watch the programming chosen by Alpha, finishing the next two episodes.
The choice the first time had been to continue watching the final two episodes all at once.
A straightforward decision, meant to try to get everything over with in one go.
However, at this point, Priscilla prevented that from happening again. She could not allow herself to be further entangled in the traps of the Witch of Time.
If Priscilla was going to face such hardships, she would need a plan.
And the Sun Princess was no fool who wasted her own potential—or that of her allies.
So…
[Al: Why did you end up dragging me to your room, Princess? Did you need comfort, or… are you in the mood to talk because you want to confess something in the middle of all this?]
[Priscilla: Court jester…]
[Al: Ah, pardon me! Truly! I overstepped— I beg your forgiveness!]
The one-armed man quickly pleaded when he noticed the irritated look his Candidate was directing at him. A look that made it clear she did not appreciate his attempt to break the mood with humor.
Both of them were now inside the room of the Princess in the Scarlet Dress.
A meeting held between the two parties—the Candidate and her Knight. The two of them alone in that room to talk.
The current situation came about after Priscilla had forced everyone to agree to a break.
Al couldn’t fully understand the request, nor completely grasp his Lady’s words when she compelled everyone to accept a pause during the episodes. After all, there was very little left before they could finish the episodes and be free to sleep—yet now they were simply prolonging things before watching the next ones. That was how the one-armed Knight saw it.
Why not face the problem head-on?
[Al: Hm? Since when do I think like this? I’ve always believed that taking a breather from difficulties to catch your breath is the best way to deal with problems, right?]
[Priscilla: What are you talking about, court jester?]
[Al: My apologies again, Princess! I was just rambling about something! —But I suppose that something is really about you.]
[Priscilla: Obviously your thoughts would be about me. I see no reason for you to think about anything else.]
With a confident smile stamped across her face, the Candidate sat upon her own seat—one that resembled a personal throne.
The one-armed man stood before her, his sole hand resting on his chin in thought.
[Al: I just think I’m still not used to the fact that you asked us to interrupt the screenings.]
[Priscilla: Normally, I would have allowed us to continue those sad and pathetic displays of that utterly failed version of the plebeian. However, I find myself in a different situation—one that demands my attention at this moment. Thus, as much as I wish to be done with this, I must deal with it as quickly as possible.]
[Al: A problem that needs to be dealt with immediately? I didn’t sense anything wrong during the screenings we watched, nothing like that—so what…?]
[Priscilla: I am currently Returning by Death.]
[Al: ———— What…?]
Clearly, even though she couldn’t see Al’s eyes, Priscilla was certain they had gone unnaturally wide the moment he heard those words spoken by his Princess.
[Priscilla: Hmph! Apparently, that Witch did not restrict me from speaking about the ability she forced upon me against my will.]
[Al: What…?]
[Priscilla: At least in a different sense, she did not place a restriction to hinder my ability to explain what is happening to me. Should I praise her for that? No, I suppose not… After all, she is merely creating more problems for my divine figure through her own stupidity.]
[Al: Princess, is this some kind of—?]
[Priscilla: What did you fail to understand from my clear words? Even now, is it not obvious why I brought you to my room? Was it not to inform you of this and take advantage of your own personal experience with such an ability?]
Now speaking in a more authoritative tone than before, the Princess seemed to cut through the frantic thoughts of her Knight, who until that moment had appeared unable to believe such a thing could even be remotely possible.
Al automatically stopped questioning whether it was true or not—but different thoughts began to surface.
[Al: Why did she do this?]
Rather than the relaxed tone he would normally use, he was now speaking seriously, with genuine focus.
Priscilla noticed this and dismissed it, pulling out her fan and opening it to fan herself lightly.
[Priscilla: She said this is some kind of… “game.”]
[Al: A game?]
[Priscilla: Yes, apparently. She placed me in a loop from the very beginning, without any explanation, until I confronted her about it. —In this case… she said my objective is to reach the next episodes. She will keep me repeating the same seven we are watching now, sending my consciousness back to my room until I accomplish that. All to imitate the same experiences the plebeian has been through.]
[Al: ——]
One surprising thing for the Sun Princess—at least somewhat—was her Knight’s reaction at that moment.
She had expected cowardice or something similar. Instead, he remained silent, staring directly at her without saying a word for some time.
This made her stop moving her fan, her eyes fixed on her Knight.
[Al: Princess… how many loops have you gone through already?]
[Priscilla: Hm. —Two loops… “only.”]
[Al: Forgive me if this sounds disrespectful, but… how did you die in each of those loops?]
[Priscilla: ——]
That question, at the very least, struck the Sun Princess as somewhat interesting—hearing such a frank, direct, unembarrassed question from her Knight. Normally, he would waste time cracking jokes to ease the mood, forcing her to cut off his irritating mutterings in most conversations.
[Priscilla: Interested in how my divine figure met her end~?]
[Al: I’m not joking, Princess! I want to help you with this!]
[Priscilla: There is no need to act so irritatingly, court jester. I would have told you regardless. —My end in the last loop came at the hands of the Witch of Time. She told me I could end this “game” if I could simply cut a single strand of hair from her head. And when I tried… she attacked me brutally and killed me. At the very least, the death was quick—almost instantaneous.]
[Al: She really did that? Well… I already imagined she might do something like that—or close to it—given how unstable and irritating she acts, like a spoiled and strange child.]
The Knight brought a hand to his chin, appearing thoughtful about the matter.
While Priscilla did not go into detail about how quickly she had been killed in that “clash” against the Witch of Time.
[Al: And your first loop?]
[Priscilla: Hm. In truth… I don’t remember my death in the first loop. What I do remember, however, is that it would be comparable to the plebeian’s first death after he arrived at the Clown’s Mansion. A death that felt like a curse, occurring while I was preparing to sleep—only… in a way different from what I thought I would feel when experiencing it personally.]
[Al: Hmm. Such a gentle death right at the start? —— At least the Princess got quick and painless deaths.]
[Priscilla: Do you think dying, in whatever way, is a good thing?]
[Al: A quick death will always be better than a slow and painful one. You have to agree with that, don’t you?]
[Priscilla: I do not disagree with that statement, Court Jester. My concern is the fact that you seem to think a quick death is acceptable in some way.]
[Al: You understood me, Princess. From personal experience, quick deaths are the greatest relief for those who have to return—and possibly experience everything all over again.]
Not wishing to go against his lady’s words, yet also unwilling to back down from his way of thinking, the man in the helmet explained his perspective on the matter.
In truth, Priscilla already knew this.
For people like Aldebaran and Natsuki Subaru, who face the torment of death and return with those experiences etched into their souls, a quick, gentle, painless death would be the most desirable kind.
Who wouldn’t choose that?
Many would say they would accept dying on the battlefield.
Those who saw death as something inevitable, yet wished to choose where and when they would die—choosing to die with their pride and image intact, even in the face of imminent end.
But what if the death one suffered was so terrible that it made people wish to die as quickly as possible?
Well, that would be the expected reaction to a truly horrific death.
A quick and painless death would become the ideal for those who experienced such events almost constantly.
However, that desire would only be reasonable in specific cases.
And the problem? The problem came from growing accustomed to facing life that way—where nothing else would matter if one could simply die quickly, without pain, and try again as if past experiences held no weight.
When one deliberately chose to use death in that manner. In a way that proved to be…
[Priscilla: Repugnant.]
She spoke the word without a trace of compassion, unsure whether her Knight—so lost in thought at that moment—had even heard her say it aloud.
That thought stemmed from using such a method when other paths still existed, or when one could—and should—accept the end imposed by certain limitations. Resorting to it would only bring pain on a level fundamentally worse than mere physical suffering.
Like in the Greed Route, where only empty shells continued to live.
People who would never find an end or growth beyond what was permitted to them.
Using that ability as a weapon to solve everything, losing true autonomy, ceasing to strive to survive, and leaving everything to the power of Return by Death to fix.
That aspect was one of the things Priscilla despised. The ease with which—
[Al: Princess… we need to find out what caused your first death, and for that… we may have to use the power of Return by Death.]
[Priscilla: —— It seems your role as my Court Jester is no longer necessary, is that so?]
The moment she heard those words spoken by her “Court Jester,” she rose at once and summoned the Yang Sword.
That forced Al into a defensive stance.
[Al: Listen to me, Princess! —— Wait, she gave your abilities back to you…?]
[Priscilla: Yes, she allowed it. I now feel as powerful as I always have been outside this place. In fact, I would say even more so, as though I am once again being bathed in the light of the Sun. —— But it seems I must now pass your final sentence, Aldebaran.]
[Al: WAIT! Listen to me!]
Al backed away further under Priscilla’s gaze.
The woman with scarlet eyes looked genuinely displeased by his earlier words.
[Al: When I spoke before, I said: MAYBE! Hold on to that word—MAYBE. And I didn’t even know you had your abilities and your Sword back, Princess! Nor that you were feeling stronger—or as strong as you usually are!]
[Priscilla: ——]
[Al: What I meant was…]
He lowered his posture into a more relaxed stance, though his tone remained serious.
[Al: You described your death as being similar to Mano’s during his first loop, didn’t you? You felt weak and died while sleeping—am I wrong?]
[Priscilla: Perfectly stated. I would describe it exactly that way. I felt no sharp or piercing pain.]
[Al: Which only makes the situation worse, don’t you think? —— If it was a Curse, how could the Princess have been cursed without the involvement of any Mabeast? If it was an enemy attack, how could we know if the Princess doesn’t even remember being attacked? —— The point is, we know nothing. And apparently, for now, the Princess is the only one who has fully recovered her strength at this point in the struggle. That makes it difficult for us to gain the others’ support in resolving this situation.]
[Priscilla: Something unnecessary at this stage. —— My sword could deal with such a Curse.]
That was not a lie.
The Yang Sword could cut anything she wished to cut, burning away whatever she desired in the end—be it flesh and blood, a Spirit, or something deeper, such as a Curse.
In that way, she could overcome the problem if it truly was a Curse.
Al did not doubt that she could cut through a Curse if it came to that.
[Al: That sword really is incredible… Princess, I envy it…]
[Priscilla: Because it proves more useful than you in situations like this?]
[Al: Don’t say it like that, I’m doing my best with what I’ve got, you know?]
Speaking in a slightly whiny, half-joking tone, he didn’t seem genuinely offended by the Sun Princess’s words.
Yet the situation had not changed.
They fell into a brief silence, as Al placed a hand on his hip while Priscilla kept the sword in one hand and her other hand on her hip as well.
[Al: I’m sorry to say this, Princess, but… you will have to face this head-on.]
[Priscilla: But I do not intend to simply die and surrender myself to that power.]
[Al: I understand, Princess. I just wanted you to see it as an advantage… so you can give everything you have in a single attempt, and if you fail—]
[Priscilla: Do not dare finish that sentence.]
Her expression once again showed the anger she felt at such a thought.
—[X]—
Fail?
Priscilla had never truly failed. And even when she thought she might, she would never accept viewing the power of returning through death as a safety net for using her strength.
Because, as she had already thought before: it would be grotesque to think of that power as something to fix everything without deep consideration.
That was why she was now irritated and frustrated.
[Al: Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll support you in the best way I can in my current state. —— I don’t know if I’ll be much help, lacking skill and without my personal power.]
[Priscilla: Hmph!]
Priscilla snorted in irritation upon hearing the restrained words of her Knight.
After once again finishing the irritating screening of the final two episodes, she returned to her room.
This time, however, she was accompanied by Aldebaran.
She sat upon her throne just as she had during the intermission between episodes—legs crossed, clearly in a foul mood.
For now, all she could do was wait and see what would happen.
She ate her meal slowly.
Only after, of course, using the Yang Sword to cut through it first—aiming at any curse or poison that might have been hidden within the food. Something she never imagined she would need to do: using her sword for such a strange purpose, one she should have already grown accustomed to in her past life.
Aldebaran stood on the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall, looking straight at Priscilla.
[Priscilla: So far… nothing seems to have happened. —— Using my weapon like this.]
[Al: Normally we wouldn’t have to worry about something like this, would we? Because the Princess wouldn’t be trapped in some stupid, sick “game” run by a Witch who’s trying to kill her or make her suffer in unimaginable ways, using a truly dangerous ability like it’s a toy. So obviously we have to be far more cautious, don’t you think?]
[Priscilla: That is more than obvious, Aldebaran. In my own territories, I have never had to worry about such an act from anyone.]
Priscilla had never truly feared being poisoned or cursed within her lands, confident that those who served her would never dare—or desire—to harm her.
Thus, being forced into a situation where she had to inspect her meals in such a manner was deeply irritating and humiliating.
Even back when she had been Prisca, she had never needed to face the futility of using her ability in a way that demanded such excessive caution. It only highlighted how dire and frustrating the situation truly was—entirely due to the Witch of Time. Another thing that deeply irritated her at a moment like this—
[Al: Please don’t call me by that name, Princess. —— If it wasn’t the food, and the Princess didn’t suffer anything unusual before or after… it could mean the attack came from outside.]
[Priscilla: —— If it was that irritating little Witch… then she will come and try to kill me again.]
[Al: Now that complicates things. —— If it really was Alpha-chan, I just hope she takes it easy on us. Do you think she’d give my abilities back first? I might be able to do something against her in a direct fight… Wait! Hold on. Why am I suddenly so confident about facing someone like her head-on?]
[Priscilla: Stop talking. Even as a human shield, you would be enough for me to cut a single strand of hair with my abilities.]
[Al: I’m useful for buying you ONE second…?]
Al seemed to be in mildly good spirits as he spoke, reacting to what Priscilla had just implied about his usefulness should they truly face the Witch of Time.
Priscilla rose from her seat, leaving the empty plate on the low table she had been using to eat.
She turned her back to the Knight, moving a short distance toward her bed.
[Priscilla: You should feel grateful, shouldn’t you? To secure even a single instant for me to overcome the obstacle in my path.]
[Al: Well… it’s not like we’d die permanently anyway. She wouldn’t make us watch everything just to kill us afterward, right?]
[Priscilla: If she truly did something like that, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising, considering how mentally unstable that creature can be.]
[Al: The thing is that— Bleeergh!]
Priscilla realized something had gone wrong the moment she noticed two things:
The room suddenly grew cold. Cold in a way she hadn’t expected—not like the chill of fire magic, but more like the cold of an oppressive pressure that felt as though it would crush her, just as it crushed the others.
The sound of what seemed like vomiting behind her, followed by the sound of liquid splattering onto the floor—and the smell made her realize instantly that it was blood.
Turning around as fast as she could, she tried to see what had happened to Aldebaran.
But the moment she did—
Her neck twisted one hundred and eighty degrees.
Yet she felt nothing move in the rest of her body.
What Priscilla did not immediately realize was the sudden pain.
A particularly immense, SCREAMING pain that lasted only a few instants.
Her body being destroyed.
Her body being torn apart and broken.
Her body being sliced in a way she had never imagined possible by anything or anyone.
Her head being severed from her neck, and feeling blood pour out from her skull through the opening where her neck once was.
The only things she could perceive in that final instant?
Her eyes—when she turned—saw darkness. Vast darkness.
But within that darkness, she saw a hand guiding itself toward her face, grabbing it.
Grabbing her head.
And she felt pressure. The sensation of her face being squeezed—of two sides trying to reach one another but failing because her head was between them. The sensation that her skull was being compressed.
Even though she couldn’t see, she knew they were hands doing this.
Hands holding her head and squeezing, trying to meet one another.
Hands that crushed her the entire time, a span that felt like hours.
Hands that——
CRUSCH!!!
—————
————————
—————
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—————
Priscilla jolted upright, breathing heavily.
Air flooded her lungs all at once—harsh, burning her chest as she inhaled far too forcefully. Her shoulders jerked upward, and for a brief moment her muscles refused to obey—rigid, tense, as though still trapped in that final moment.
But the worst was not over.
The pain came next. Priscilla raised a hand to her head by reflex.
Her fingers touched intact skin, neatly arranged hair, a firm neck—everything was in place.
And yet… she felt it.
She felt as though her skull were still under crushing pressure, as if something invisible were squeezing it from the outside in. A dull yet piercing pain pulsed behind her eyes, shot through her temples, echoed deep within her brain. Every heartbeat seemed to reverberate inside her head, as though pounding against cracked walls that no longer existed.
It was like remembering a pain the body refused to forget.
Her vision wavered for a moment—not from fading consciousness, but because the world itself felt misaligned. As though the axis of her perception were still twisted—a cruel reminder of the moment her neck had been forced beyond the impossible.
She clenched her teeth.
Her jaw hurt.
Even that hurt.
Priscilla took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
Each inhale helped… but did not erase the pain. It merely made it tolerable.
Her pride burned alongside it.
This was not merely physical suffering—it was an affront. A grotesque violation of her very existence. The fact that she could still feel the pain even after returning was cruel proof that this death had not been ordinary. It had not been careless. It had been intentional.
“Tsc.” An irritated click escaped her tongue as she pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead, as though she could push the memory out. The touch did not ease the pain, but it served as an anchor—a reminder that she was still there. Alive. Whole.
Even so, for several eternal seconds, Priscilla had the clear impression that if she closed her eyes for too long, she would once again feel those invisible hands closing around her head.
And that… that enraged her.
More than fear, more than pain, more than the humiliation of having died that way.
Her gaze hardened, sharp as a freshly honed blade, as the phantom pain slowly began to recede—not because it had vanished, but because it had been subdued.
The memory still throbbed in her mind, but now something new was mixed in with the pain: focused, cold, absolute rage.
Priscilla Barielle would not forget that sensation.
[Priscilla: That witch.]
She growled in pure fury at the thought of the Witch who had caused her such trouble.
In truth, it should be… the TWO Witches who had caused her this problem.
—[X]—
Once again, Priscilla was forced to go through a highly complicated situation.
[Al: So… you really did it?]
[Alpha: Mm-hmm. Yes, I did. I truly gave the ability of “Return by Death” to our dear Priscilla. —— I’m actually quite curious about your loops~ Which one is this, the third? I’m right, aren’t I~?]
The Witch of Time’s words sounded like mockery as she spoke to the Sun Princess.
At that moment, they were gathered inside Priscilla’s room.
After waking up from her third death, Priscilla immediately prepared herself to meet the Witch of Time at her doorway, uttering that strange, absurdly long word: “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis,” which was irritatingly long and which the Witch of Time insisted on making her say.
But she had not brought only the Witch of Time—she had also brought her Knight, Al, so that once again he would be fully aware of the situation and of whatever path she chose to take.
And once again, Priscilla noticed how Aldebaran flinched slightly upon hearing about her current condition, reacting much like he had in the previous loop.
[Alpha: Was I right? You’re on your third loop, aren’t you?]
[Priscilla: Do you really need to ask me whether I am? Shouldn’t you already know, since you’re the one managing how this power functions?]
[Alpha: Aww~ Irritated~? Sorry, sorry~ It’s just that our dear Al needed to know that his Princess has already died three times~]
[Priscilla: If you wish to mock me, you should at least do something truly profound—something that would leave a mark beyond this incessant, irritatingly childish taunting.]
[Alpha: Hehehehe~!]
The Witch of Time wore a malicious smile, clear malice etched into her expression.
She seemed genuinely amused by the words coming from one of the Royal Candidates.
The little girl continued to stare at Priscilla, while Al kept processing everything he had heard so far about their current predicament.
That earned him a very irritated glance from the scarlet-eyed woman.
[Alpha: What~?]
[Priscilla: “What”? I suppose being so disgusting and monstrous is simply part of your nature as a Witch—or perhaps just part of your irritating personality, indifferent to your own existence as one.]
[Alpha: Really? I think I only got worse after becoming a Witch. In truth, by my very nature, I’m a loathsome creature who only becomes more loathsome the more you get to know me over time—and that has more to do with who I am as a person. But thinking about it… if I were hot, people would forgive all the problems I cause by making sexy art of me to feed their fantasies. I’d probably be forgiven for everything I do, don’t you think?]
[Priscilla: I believe my mistake was trying to understand you as an ordinary girl—or even as a human being with common, logical reasoning like everyone else. That thought came from the belief that even beings who act in such irrational and monstrous ways as Witches might possess at least a minimal sense of common sense, similar to that of ordinary people.]
The woman’s words sounded even more scalding, her disgust unmistakable as she spoke to the Witch.
Could that Witch become even more irritating?
Her behavior, her mannerisms, the way she spoke—
Everything about her screamed irritation, paired with abilities she would have been better off never possessing.
[Priscilla: I believe I understand your so-called “game.” I know what you want me to do.]
[Alpha: Really? So soon? Truly, you are someone spectacular, Priscilla Barielle!]
Raising one arm, she waved energetically at the elegantly dressed woman. She did not seem particularly irritated or worried that Priscilla had figured out the answer to her “game”—instead, she looked genuinely surprised and excited that the Princess had reached the final solution so quickly. Tilting her head to the left, she smiled at her again, this time with a more childlike expression.
[Alpha: So, if you already have the answer—come on, come on, tell me. I think you, me, Al, and the readers all want to get this over with as soon as possible so we can return to what really matters: the screenings. —— Go on, tell me what you think the answer is to end our little game.]
[Priscilla: I neither understand nor wish to understand some of your delusions. I only agree that the best course of action is to end this as soon as possible. —— You have removed the restriction on the Witch of Envy’s actions, haven’t you?]
At that question directed at the Witch, Al nearly jumped back, instinctively distancing himself from the two.
That childish smile remained on the girl’s face as she listened, but her eyes gleamed just a bit differently than before.
[Alpha: Did I~? Well, maybe the right phrasing would be: “Will I do that?”]
[Priscilla: Don’t play dumb. If you control the power you forced upon me against my will, you also control whether I can or cannot use my natural abilities—your so-called absolute control over everything that happens and when it happens, as you claim as the Witch of Time and creator of this place. So it is more than obvious that you are fully aware of these events involving the Witch of Envy.]
[Alpha: Alright… I’m not trying to deceive you. But yes, it’s something I will still do. —— Which leads to the question of… how do you think you’re going to win our “game”?]
[Priscilla: Obviously. —— You plan to release the Witch of Envy to kill me at the end of the screenings of all Seven Chapters shown so far. And for me to proceed: you want me to survive her attack.]
[Alpha: The classic unbeatable boss phase—you only win by surviving until a certain amount of time passes. In other words… you’re facing an opponent where your only condition for victory is one thing: SURVIVE.]
She explained it using terms the Royal Candidate clearly wouldn’t fully understand, but that her one-armed Knight would grasp at least partially—and he focused intensely, trying to absorb that knowledge despite his thoughts racing.
Even without fully understanding the Witch’s words, Priscilla grasped enough to know exactly what she had to do.
[Priscilla: You want me to survive long enough to reach the next screening? That is your game?]
[Alpha: Iiiis it~~~?]
That smile, in Priscilla’s eyes, became even more irritating and frustrating—especially because the Witch seemed to be deliberately avoiding a direct answer.
[Priscilla: And how do you intend to make me go through such a thing?]
[Alpha: Ah, speaking in terms of raw combat power?]
[Priscilla: Even if I were given infinite chances, I know all too well how impossibly difficult it would be for me to defeat the Witch of Envy. I am not a fool who believes she can overcome everything through sheer determination alone. Which raises the question of how you expect me to win without giving me the proper tools.]
[Alpha: Hmm. I think I understand what you mean.]
At once, as their gazes locked in a deeper exchange, Alpha slipped a hand beneath her skirt, toward what appeared to be a pocket—
and pulled out something resembling a coin.
A golden coin whose “Heads” side bore the face of [Subaru], and as it spun, revealed that on the “Tails” side there was a symbol of Seven Stars, the [Pleiades]. A golden coin of beautiful appearance and intense shine, clearly special beyond the altered figures engraved on both sides.
She showed the coin.
[Alpha: Hey, idiot, catch.]
[Al: Huh?]
She tossed the coin toward Al, making it spin several times through the air.
Al extended his arms and brought his hands together to receive it as the coin landed in them.
The coin instantly exploded into golden particles, which fused directly into Al’s skin.
[Al: What… what was that?]
[Alpha: Just a little extra help for your dear Princess.]
Her gaze shifted back to Priscilla, who stared at her with half-lidded eyes.
[Priscilla: What is that supposed to mean?]
[Alpha: I gave a special coin to your dear Knight. —— It’s a very special little coin; every time you go through a loop, this coin will allow the person you gave it to not only to use their own personal abilities, but also to remember the loops just like you do. —— In other words, your dear Knight should now also be able to use the abilities he possesses as if he were once again outside my Cinema. Isn’t that right?]
[Al: Now that you mention it… I really do feel just as capable as I normally would outside this place, you know? Hey, I feel 100%… or at least what my normal 100% should be.]
As he said that, the man raised his single hand and gave a thumbs-up.
That only made Priscilla even more suspicious, realizing that Aldebaran was now capable of using his own powers.
Before she could ask about it, the Witch interrupted, raising a finger on her left hand.
[Alpha: Here’s the point: every single time you go through a loop, you’ll receive the coin again. And when you do, you can change the target of the coin’s power; let’s say you go through one loop with Al, and then, in the next one, you choose to give the coin to someone else. In that case, in the following loop—if there is one—Al would no longer be able to remember the previous loops, and only the person who received the coin would. That way, you can switch the loop user from loop to loop based on your choice of who you want to take advantage of to face the difficulty in front of you—specifically, based on which abilities you want to use to overcome your personal challenge.]
She pointed at Al, then at Priscilla.
[Alpha: Let’s see… If you die now, in the next loop Al will remember. And if in the following loop you give it to Reinhard, then in the loop after that, Reinhard will remember instead of our dear Aldebaran. I hope the use of this coin is crystal clear. —— What do you think? I’m giving you another advantage to overcome this challenge, to win our little game. Now there are two paths: either you overcome your greatest challenge, which is finding the answer to how to reach the next chapters, or you take the second path, which is plucking a single strand of hair from my head.]
Once again reminding her of the conditions Priscilla would have to meet to claim victory in their dispute against the Witch, the little girl stood up with an excited expression.
And when she spoke her last words, Priscilla and Al immediately exchanged a glance—despite the latter having his head completely covered by his gladiator helmet—a look that clearly showed a quick, decisive understanding between the two of what needed to be done.
Automatically, Alpha’s smile took on an almost lifeless look——
[Alpha: Nice try, but…]
She aimed at Al as if aiming a gun.
And before the Knight could touch the hilt of his sword——
[Alpha: Bang!]
Instantly, the girl fired at the Knight; Aldebaran’s body exploded on the spot, leaving only his head—with the helmet still on—spinning through the air, while only his legs remained, the rest of his body turning into a red smear on the wall and leaving a mark of destruction where Al had been standing.
Priscilla also drew her sword and moved to charge at the Witch of Time.
And Alpha quickly aimed her hand at her the moment she saw her approach.
[Alpha: You seriously thought of that? Next time, try something better.]
Those were the last words Priscilla managed to hear before she unfortunately met a fate similar to her second death.
A finger aimed at her head, and then her skull exploding.
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Once again, Priscilla was forced to wake up, with pain deep in the back of her head. Different from the pain of that morning, which had still lingered faintly and now seemed to intensify again due to the phantom pain of her skull exploding.
And that irritated her, filling her with immense rage—rage that would be very difficult to contain.
The truth was that reaching a fourth loop filled her with anger beyond anything else.
Because this so-called “game” had gone far beyond her patience. And now, she was ready to end everything with a plan already prepared.
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Alpha skipped lightly through the corridors, preparing to head toward the Witch Cult’s hall, when——
“Knock, knock.” The sound of knocking on a door.
She recognized that knock well. It was the knock on the door to the Theater Hall of the members of Lugunica.
The moment she heard it, Alpha instantly teleported to the location.
And opened the door to see who had called her—
[Alpha: Curious~]
[Priscilla: Are you planning to let us pass?]
At the question, the Witch of Time stepped aside, allowing passage.
Priscilla Barielle and Reinhard van Astrea walked through the open door.
Alpha then moved a bit away from the crimson pair.
[Alpha: Curious~ Truly curious, a duo like the two of you~ —— It makes me wonder why the two of you are together at this point.]
Continuing to provoke them with a slightly mocking tone, she observed Reinhard van Astrea and Priscilla Barielle with great personal interest in their pairing.
At that same moment of provocation from the Witch of Time, the Sword Saint drew his sword from its scabbard the instant he was permitted to do so.
Alpha was not surprised by that, nor by his next words.
[Reinhard: Alpha-sama, please. I do not wish to harm you.]
[Alpha: —— Pfft! Hahaha!]
She burst into laughter with amusement, finally seeming truly entertained by the game.
—[NUMBER OF TIMES PRISCILLA RETURNED BY DEATH: 5]—