Although Tsukishiro Yuki hadn't said anything, Suke had actually learned about the situation in the Re:Zero world from Pandora and the others.
To summarize it in the simplest terms: the Re:Zero world was about to be invaded by a world colliding with it, and Witches like them were the enemy's targets.
Regardless of good or evil, for every "Witch" from their world that was slain by the other side, the "Lord of Hosts" of the opposing world would grow one fraction stronger.
The disasters and actions Pandora had stirred up over the thousand years before the worlds collided were all for this reason.
Having long foreseen the future, she wanted to exterminate all "Witches" and "Witch Factors" a step ahead of time—much like a "scorched earth" strategy before an enemy siege.
For the sake of the "Great Love" that would allow more worlds to survive, the sacrifice of a small minority in their world was deemed worth it.
But clearly, heaven does not grant human wishes.
Every time her plan was on the verge of completion, some inexplicable factor would always emerge to stop it.
And so, time dragged on until the present moment of world collision, and Pandora's plan remained unfulfilled.
However, one had to admit that this allowed Suke to understand the mindset of this Witch of Vainglory, who lacked emotions.
Knowing she was outmatched, rather than letting the entire world become food for the enemy, she preferred to self-destruct first.
At the very least, she could splatter some blood on the opponent.
This was logic at the level of the world's very essence; it was not something that could be solved by running away.
To avoid accidents, and also as a probe, Tsukishiro Yuki had gone alone, refusing the support of Suke and Abigail.
Suke would have been fine, but Abigail was also a "Witch"; if an unexpected situation arose, it would only make things worse.
This was Tsukishiro Yuki's reasoning as recounted by Pandora and Echidna, and the reason she ultimately decided to act alone.
This, however, left Suke a bit at a loss. Was there no world where he could just properly follow the original plot and slack off from start to finish?
Before he transmigrated, those "Infinite Flow" protagonists he read about always seemed so at ease—just following the plot, thinking of nothing, and being unrivaled all the way.
Now that it was Suke's turn, he was shocked to find that, aside from the first Singularity, Salem, the enemies he had encountered along the way were literally not a single human among them.
The Great Witch, the Demonic Bodhisattva, and now Yhwach had arrived...
There was also that "Mother," so eerie that even Boss Mabel referred to her as a "Dirty Thing"...
Any single one of them released independently could serve as a final boss for someone else.
Not to mention, he was facing the "Plus Ultra" strengthened versions of them all.
"So, Dr. Mabel, can this illness be cured?"
Inside the Pelican Town General Store—don't ask why it wasn't in the clinic.
Suke forced his expression to remain taut as he looked at Mabel, who was dressed in a white lab coat, inquiring about Tsukishiro Yuki's condition.
"I see her days are numbered. Please go back and prepare for the funeral."
"?"
"Pfft, I'm kidding! Is such a big reaction necessary?"
Mabel took off the white lab coat and chuckled, seemingly very satisfied with her joke.
But seeing that Suke wasn't laughing, her one-sided amusement became a bit awkward.
I am the omniscient, omnipotent, All-in-One Mabel-chan.
You wouldn't dare do anything disrespectful to me, right...?
"...Alright, alright, no more jokes. Don't look at me like that, I'm scared."
Mabel was the first to back down.
In this Land of Return, she couldn't use even half a bit of her power. If the other party really decided to "violate" her, she wouldn't be able to endure it, nor could she run away.
"I'll speak plainly. You don't need to worry too much about your little lover. As you can see, this is just an ordinary 'cold'."
"Do you think the status of this broken place is for show? Protected by it, let alone one's essence—even if one's existence were ground to dust, it could be pulled back from the Ruins of Return."
"I reckon that guy, who spent so much effort only to barely win a marginal victory over your little lover, is feeling even worse right now? The chips he won in the gamble ran away on their own legs before he could even warm them up. If Mabel-chan encountered such unreasonable nonsense, she would have called the police by now~"
Mabel spoke carelessly.
She even opened a bottle of expensive Starfruit Wine that Suke had sold her, took a few sips, and smacked her lips, though it was unclear if she tasted anything.
"So you mean Little Yuki's current 'cold' is actually the process of her lost essence returning to her body?"
"You can understand it that way. Although the status of the Land of Return is high, it can't replenish essence out of thin air, can it? That is the foundational matter that makes up the heavens and myriad worlds..."
"Anyway, if you're interested, Mabel-chan doesn't mind explaining it to you in detail. Of course, if you're scared or don't want to hear it, then forget it~"
Holding the wine bottle, Mabel smiled radiantly. A slight flush appeared on her face; it was unknown if the alcohol had gone to her head after just two sips or what.
Suke remained skeptical about whether the words coming out of her drunken appearance were credible.
"Then let's hear it?" Suke asked tentatively.
"Okay~ Next is Mabel-chan's Story Time! This matter, well, it has to start from the first life under the water..."
Suke: ...
Why the hell don't you start from Pangu opening the sky?
Also, isn't your speech obviously based on the evolutionary view of history?
Would a world with high-tier, immortal existences like you guys follow evolution? Are you teasing a fool?!
"Speaking of humanity's first upright steps, the primitive apemen with nascent wisdom walked out of the caves where they hid from beasts. Their social relations consisted only of the simplest father and mother..."
"...Hey, hey, don't go! Mabel-chan's Story Time has just begun~!"
Suke: ...
Suke expressed that he would have to be sick in the head to patiently listen to Boss Mabel's drunken ramblings.
And sick quite seriously at that.
"Farmer, you'll regret this! Later when you beg Mabel-chan to tell you, Mabel-chan won't tell you anymore~!"
"Farmer! I am the General Store owner~!"
Bang!
Mabel ultimately failed to hold back Suke, whose heart was hung up on his beloved.
As the General Store's door was slammed shut with a bang by Suke, who hurriedly wanted to rush back to check on Tsukishiro Yuki, the General Store's Boss Mabel was pulled down, falling to sit on the floor. Her beautiful red and black dress was stained with some dust.
"...Young people these days, really have no patience at all."
Patting the dust off her Lolita dress, Mabel stood up rather unhappily and sat back in the chair behind the checkout counter.
"Ma, forget it, forget it. Who told Mabel-chan to owe you, you damn nemesis..."
"Mabel-chan has now experienced the perspective of a 'NTR victim' (Cuckquean), but that's fine too. At least this kind of life is what you crave most..."
Huhu~...
Snore~ "Huu~"
The entire bottle of Starfruit Wine had been drained at some point. The girl, in whose eyes the birth and death of universes seemed to reside, closed them.
This genuine, feigned-free drunkenness allowed her to fall into a deep sleep, snoring softly.
She would not dream, nor did she want to dream. After all, every dream born and every awakening would bring about the rise and fall of countless heavens.
What a wonderful life. Whether it's the taste of wine or love, I can savor it all...
Even if it isn't a love that belongs to her.
By the time Tsukishiro Yuki woke up again, it was already dusk.
Although her head was still very dizzy, it was much better than the muddled feeling she had before sleeping.
Wearing a thin nightgown, Tsukishiro Yuki leaned against the headboard, taking a book for boredom relief from the low cabinet by the bed, ready to open it.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
Just then, a knock came, causing Tsukishiro Yuki to look toward the cabin door.
If it were Animus, he generally wouldn't knock, so Tsukishiro Yuki was certain it was someone else.
Creak.
"Yo, white-haired shorty. You really are sick, huh~"
The door opened, and appearing before Tsukishiro Yuki's eyes was the purple-haired cow-woman who made her brow furrow subconsciously.
That is, BB.
"No wonder when BB-chan saw Senpai running back and forth, he ignored BB-chan's greetings. Turns out something happened to you here."
"How truly pathetic. And here you call yourself omnipotent, yet you only know how to cause trouble for others."
"Unlike BB-chan. Leaving aside that BB-chan, as an AI, cannot catch a cold, BB-chan is even less likely to fail in combat~"
BB walked into the cabin. Surveying the layout around her, she couldn't help but mock Tsukishiro Yuki.
"Speak. Why did you specifically call BB-chan here via the Public Channel?"
"If you specifically wanted to show BB-chan your current pathetic, loser-dog appearance, then forget it. BB-chan has already seen plenty~"
Indeed, BB had not come uninvited; she was actively summoned by Tsukishiro Yuki.
Likewise, BB knew that Tsukishiro Yuki's "illness" was not a simple cold, but a "punishment" from encountering a failed struggle.
"Sister Tsukishiro Yuki, did you call Abi over for something~?"
"Eh? Why are you here too..."
The door was pushed open a second time, and Abigail's petite figure also appeared within the cabin.
But upon seeing BB in the cabin, Abigail's sweet smile froze on her face. Clearly, she didn't get along very well with BB either.
Or rather, BB simply had the worst interpersonal relationships.
"Great. The white-haired shorty called over a blonde shorty. Are you two trying to form a Shorty Alliance? BB-chan really has her hands full."
BB held her forehead and complained. She had to lament that her Senpai's aesthetic sense really had issues. what was with this preference for youth?
It seemed the plan to hurry up and bring Meltryllis and Kazuradrop here to help her, this "Mother," compete for favor had to be put on the agenda.
"Who are you calling a shorty!"
Hearing BB's trash talk, Abigail's face instantly turned cold, her hair color shifting from gold to white.
"Do you think changing color can scare BB-chan? Don't make Sister B laugh!"
BB placed her hands on her hips and stood in front of Abigail. That broad bosom, fully the size of Abigail's head, instantly suppressed Abigail's imposing manner.
"Damn cow-woman...!"
"Blonde, no—you're a white-haired shorty now too!"
"Alright... enough."
Seeing that BB and Abigail's bickering showed no sign of stopping, Tsukishiro Yuki spoke weakly.
Her sickly appearance paused the dispute between the two, causing them to turn their gazes toward her.
"Since you are both here, I will state my request directly... Cough, cough!"
"Although this request is abrupt, I still hope you can agree..."
Tsukishiro Yuki's words were intermittent, occasionally accompanied by violent coughing that made her terribly emaciated body tremble.
Abigail, who had already fallen into obedient silence, went without saying.
Although her personality was terrible, BB's nature was ultimately in the "Good" camp. Thus, she also chose to shut her mouth voluntarily to see what medicine this Great Witch was selling in her gourd.
"I hope you... cough, cough... you can protect... Animus..."
"Not just out of my personal selfishness... I think you also harbor feelings for him..."
"I don't know... when I will be able to recover... cough, cough... During this time... Animus is entrusted to you..."
"In exchange, I will no longer obstruct your feelings for him... or if you want any other benefits, I will do my best to achieve them for you after I recover."
"...Is that acceptable?"
Neither BB nor Abigail made a sound, quietly waiting for Tsukishiro Yuki to finish explaining what she wanted to say.
The moment her voice fell, Tsukishiro Yuki's gaze mainly looked toward BB, the woman with whom she had long-standing contradictions, seemingly waiting for her reply.
"Even without Sister Tsukishiro Yuki saying it, Abi would protect Big Brother well."
"As for her..."
Abigail gave an affirmative answer without even thinking. She secretly rejoiced in her heart; this way, she had a legitimate reason to go night-raid her Big Brother.
She and Tsukishiro Yuki looked at BB together, appearing to await her answer. Abigail actually still didn't trust this woman with the terrible personality whom Suke had brought into Stardew Valley. She always felt BB was the type who would sell out friends for profit.
Abigail felt she had an obligation to watch her. If BB dared to be disadvantageous to Big Brother, she would immediately contact her Uncle (Yog-Sothoth).
"...Ha?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
And BB, just as Abigail expected, did not agree immediately.
She made an expression of disgust and disbelief, causing Tsukishiro Yuki, who was watching this scene, to narrow her eyes slightly.
She had prepared herself for the other party to refuse and mock her.
"Are you entrusting your affairs before death?"
"The way you say it, it's as if Senpai was your belonging from the start..."
"—But BB-chan is telling you, you need to step back a bit!"
"Whether you believe it or not, BB-chan's meeting with Senpai was earlier than any of you!"
"Senpai is BB-chan's property! This fact will not be changed by anything! And protecting one's own things is naturally BB-chan's own obligation!"
"If you called me here specifically to say these boring things, then allow BB-chan to take her leave first, you arrogant white-haired shorty!"
BB pushed the door open and walked out, as if feeling that staying with the two of them for one more second would be unbearable.
In the end, she still hadn't given an affirmative to Tsukishiro Yuki's words.
But Tsukishiro Yuki actually felt relieved.
"Sister Tsukishiro Yuki, that cow-woman, she..."
Abigail just felt baffled.
She remembered correctly, right? The one who came first was indeed herself, wasn't it?
"It's fine, Abi."
Looking at the door BB had left through, Tsukishiro Yuki breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
This woman named BB, although having a terrible personality, actually possessed a strength and self-esteem inside that lost to no one.
Someone like her always followed the principle of fighting for everything herself, let alone the feelings that belonged to the girl herself.
Creak.
Before Tsukishiro Yuki could lament anything, BB, who had just pushed the door open to leave, opened the door again and returned to the room.
Her expression was a bit awkward, and also a bit flushed; it was unknown what had happened.
"?"
Tsukishiro Yuki and Abigail couldn't help but look at the door again.
There, and also behind BB, a male figure had appeared at some point. It looked like he had collided full-on with BB as she was going out.
At this moment, his face was full of black lines.
"What are you chatting about behind closed doors, everyone?"
Suke, who had heard the entire conversation inside clearly through the door, was almost speechless.
Actually, he had been looking for a chance to open the door and enter. In a sense, he had to thank BB for this.
"Is this 'The White Emperor Entrusting the Orphan' or 'The Three Families Dividing Jin'? I'm familiar with history!"
"Aren't you going to invite me to chat together?"
____
New Story: Junji Ito: I Shall Smash Hellstar Remina
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead on all series.
✅ Get exclusive content and updates.
Help us hit our targets:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 bonus chapters (all stories)!
👻 P - Walnutchan