"Why…"
Lillian's presence here shocked Subaru immensely. Rem and Ram had clearly told him that Lillian was already dead. Could it be that his soul had also been collected?
So he has already participated in the tea party.
Lillian thought this while observing Subaru. Earlier, he had ordered Ryuzu to guard the entrance of the tomb, forbidding anyone from entering. With Subaru's strength, forcing his way in would have been impossible. That meant he must also possess the power of an "Apostle," which proved he had once attended the tea party.
Perhaps he had arrived long ago, and Echidna had simply chosen not to draw him into the dream world until now. There was no doubt that Echidna knew Lillian wished to conceal the fact that he was still alive. Yet pulling him in at this precise moment was nothing less than blatant "revenge."
Truly, the witch never tolerated even the slightest loss.
"Another human has come!"
"I want to eat him…"
"He smells unpleasant…"
"Hello! I'm Typhon!"
The witches chattered all at once. Subaru stood there, bewildered—unable to understand why Lillian was here, or who these strange girls were.
"Echidna, could it be that Lillian's soul was also taken by you—"
"No." Echidna shook her head. "Like you, he's still alive."
"What?! But Ram said—"
Lillian remained silent. He wanted to see exactly what Echidna intended to do.
Seeing that Lillian ignored him, Subaru did not know what was happening either. Suddenly recalling the purpose of his visit, he anxiously turned to Echidna.
"I want to know how to deal with the Great Rabbit!"
"The Great Rabbit? You mean the Multiple Rabbits."
"Whether it's the Great Rabbit or the Multiple Rabbits, it doesn't matter! They're going to appear very soon!" Subaru cried in agitation, constantly tugging at his clothes. "How are we supposed to defeat them?!"
Lillian thought the Multiple Rabbits had likely been attracted by Roswaal's climate magic. Now that Echidna had already altered the contents of the Book of Wisdom in Roswaal's possession, he probably would not cast that spell again. Without an enormous amount of mana to lure them, even if the Multiple Rabbits still came to the Sanctuary, they certainly would not arrive as quickly as before.
Subaru knew none of this. Having no other solution, he could only seek Echidna's help. A being like the Multiple Rabbits was not something that could be handled through clever tricks—it required allies. But in such a short time, there wasn't even enough time to reach the royal capital. Who could he possibly rely on?
He had considered confronting Roswaal openly and negotiating, but he lacked the confidence to persuade him. Thus, he placed his hopes on Echidna.
Faced with his question, however, Echidna turned her gaze toward the girl lying inside a coffin nearby.
"Instead of asking me, why not ask the creator of the Multiple Rabbits? She happens to be here. Right, Daphne—the one known to the world as the 'Witch of Gluttony'?"
"The Wi–Witch of Gluttony…?"
Following her gaze, Subaru looked toward the bound girl inside the coffin. For a moment, he could hardly believe that she was the creator of the Great Rabbit.
"Not just the Multiple Rabbits," Echidna added. "The other two of the Three Great Mabeasts—the White Whale and the Black Serpent—are also her creations."
As expected, Subaru's anger toward Daphne visibly surged.
"You created those things?!" he shouted furiously. "Do you know how much harm they've caused the world? How many people have died because of them? How many families have been destroyed? Can you bear that responsibility?!"
"Hm… are you speaking to me?"
With her eyes covered by black cloth, Daphne could not see Subaru's furious expression. Beside her, Carmilla quietly replied, "Y-yes… he is."
"How strange," Daphne said in a rustling voice. "Aren't humans often plagued by famine? I only wanted everyone to have enough to eat, so I created them."
"What?!"
"You speak of humans suffering disasters, but why would that be? I don't understand. As food, how could they possibly be a match for humans? That would be ridiculous."
"You…" Subaru stared at her in shock. "Don't tell me you think all humans are monsters like you…"
"Calling someone a monster is quite rude," Daphne replied. "Could you come a little closer?"
"Daphne!" Minerva, the Witch of Wrath, rebuked her sharply. "What are you planning now?!"
"I'm just hungry…"
"D-Daphne, we… we are already dead," Carmilla, the Witch of Lust, reminded her softly. "We don't feel hunger anymore…"
"My soul still feels hunger," Daphne said. "I envy you all—you don't have to suffer from it."
"Hey! Hurry up and tell me how to destroy those damn rabbits!" Subaru demanded through gritted teeth. "Otherwise the entire village will be devoured by them!"
"I don't know," Daphne replied. "Why would you want to destroy them? Then there wouldn't be endless food anymore."
"You—"
"I suppose I should answer that instead," Echidna interjected at the perfect moment. "I know."
Once again, she intended to lure others with knowledge.
Lillian watched Echidna's expression and thought that she had probably already given up on him. A refusal as resolute as his would surely make her turn her attention to Subaru instead. After all, the Authority of Return by Death could indeed obtain the "optimal solution" of knowledge through endless repetition.
"What?!"
"To deal with your enemy, you must first understand it," Echidna said with a gentle smile. "As far as I know, the Multiple Rabbits originate from a single body, and each individual possesses the ability to divide. Killing them one by one is endless. It's even possible that the speed at which you eliminate them won't match the speed at which they multiply. Even the strongest person would eventually exhaust themselves and become food in their stomachs."
Her reasoning made perfect sense. One had to understand an opponent before targeting them effectively. Just like the Unseen Hands—without knowledge of them, one would almost certainly be killed upon first encounter. But once understood, there were many ways to counter them.
"So, the best method to deal with them—" Echidna paused slightly, seeing Subaru's anxious expression, then continued, "—is to run away."
Seeing Subaru grow even more agitated, she quickly added:
"Of course, that method is not applicable right now. Because of the Sanctuary's barrier, the half-blood villagers cannot leave. And their bodies, rich in flesh far beyond ordinary humans, are precisely what the Rabbits favor most…"
"Then what should we do?!"
"Then there is only one option—destroy them."
Echidna raised a finger. "There is only one method: kill all the rabbits simultaneously, or within an extremely short period of time."
"Kill them all at once…"
To accomplish that would require extraordinary power.
In Subaru's mind, the first person he thought of was the Sword Saint Reinhard, who had once helped them repel the terrifying Bowel Hunter. However, as mentioned before, there was no longer enough time to seek help from the royal capital. He could not place his hopes on that option.
Then what remained…?
"I can help you think of a solution, but…" Echidna seemed about to say something, yet hesitated.
"But what?! If you have a solution, just tell me!" Subaru was completely at a loss, pacing anxiously. Though he claimed to worry about the villagers, in truth he was more concerned about Emilia, who also could not leave the Sanctuary due to being half-blood.
"As long as there's a way, I don't care what price I must pay!"
Those words were precisely what Echidna had been waiting for. After a moment of hesitation, she said:
"If you are willing to exchange a contract with me…"
So she had changed her strategy.
Lillian thought her shift was rather swift. Since the emotional approach of "love" had proven ineffective, she had turned to an exchange of interests instead. However, if she had used this method from the beginning, perhaps Lillian might have been willing to negotiate. But attempting emotional manipulation first, then switching to a transaction after failing—this was something he could not accept.
For Subaru, however, it was no longer a matter of whether he wanted to accept it. He had no choice.
"A… a contract…?"
"Yes. A contract."
This time, with the other witches present, Echidna did not play any tricks with wording. If the other witches detected deception, they would expose her—they would not cooperate simply because they were fellow witches.
"But… haven't you already died? How can you interfere with the real world?"
Facing Subaru's question, Echidna smiled faintly.
"That is correct—I cannot interfere with reality, nor can I fight physically or protect you. However, I have great confidence in the breadth of my knowledge. Even without direct interference, I can formulate action plans based on your situation, guiding you through the crises you face now and those you may encounter in the future."
"State your demands, Echidna!" Minerva said sternly, just as she had when Echidna spoke to Lillian earlier.
"I never intended to conceal them," Echidna replied, then turned to Subaru.
"As the price for receiving the full assistance of my wisdom, I ask for your thoughts and emotions. We will exchange our memories with one another and walk together toward a perfect future."
"My thoughts and emotions… then…"
Subaru hesitated, uncertain what to do. Though he felt uneasy, resolving the present crisis required Echidna's help. He had no other choice left.
"Then… how do we form the contract?"
"Just extend your hand."
After Echidna spoke, Subaru raised his palm. All the other witches watched.
Lillian also observed. He had no intention of stopping it, nor any reason to do so. Echidna had made everything clear—if Subaru wished to form a contract with her, then so be it.
To form a contract with a witch, both parties had to press their hands together. Subaru had already raised his hand, yet unexpectedly, the one who had proposed the exchange—Echidna herself—hesitated.
"E-Echidna?" Subaru looked at her in confusion.
"… "
At that moment, she glanced at Lillian, the unwillingness in her eyes unmistakable.
After a moment, she finally raised her hand and moved it toward Subaru's. Just as their palms were about to meet, space suddenly warped.
A domineering presence violently forced its way into the dream world—a black shadow that caused all the witches' expressions to change.
It appeared behind Subaru. He saw Echidna suddenly withdraw her hand, and within her pupils burned a deep hatred.
"Arriving uninvited—how lacking in manners."
At the Witches' Tea Party, the final absentee had at last appeared. The shadow known as "Envy" stood silently behind Subaru. A black veil of darkness obscured her face, and an invisible pressure spread throughout the dream world.