Memory 59, 60

[thinkoutsidethebox]

The depths of oblivion. Form of a cootie catcher. One use.

An eternal darkness that lies on the far side of an eternal oblivion and where there is no concept of life or death...
The depths of oblivion are like an empty endless desert, or perhaps the bottom of the SEA. ......No one besides Lady Bernkastel herself could find her LOCATION...

Erika "dies" and is thrown into the depths of oblivion at the end of EP6. She stays there until Bernkastel retrieves her in EP8 (which she doesn't know happens yet). So this is just a memory of being in empty eternal darkness. We're gonna say she only has a slight amount of self-awareness here, but enough for a memory. Yay.

She took this one already!

Tea with Ange. [EP8] Form of a ballpoint pen. Uncap it. 1/2 uses remaining.

They were on a balcony, which was really a room-sized section that had been dug out of the bookshelf, with no guardrail along the cliff.
It didn't go in very deep, making it look like a room that had been cut in half.
It was filled with the tools of everyday life, as though this was Erika's hidden house.
"My master has ordered me to serve you some tea, so if you don't feel like drinking, I'll have to pour it into you with a funnel."
"......If you try, I'll have to serve you some matcha."
"Matcha?"
"......Nothing. Just talking to myself."

Ignoring Erika as she made tea, ......Ange looked down upon the bizarre, otherworldly scene below.
Until Erika finished getting the tea ready, the scene held Ange's gaze like it was sucking out her soul......
"This might sound strange, coming from me."
"......What?"
"So, you really did make a deal to throw away your life to learn the truth."
"......I had nothing to gain from life. It was easy for me to trade away the time I had left."
"My master really does take to idle whims. To think she would make a contract for the meaningless life of a powerless girl."
"............Heh."
Ange chuckled, not bothering to argue.

That was exactly right.
How incredible that Bernkastel would lend her power to a worthless life that was trying to throw itself away.
"Well, my master is the witch who controls miracles. ......So, it makes sense that she'd appear even for a worthless girl like you."
"Good point. ......Even if Bernkastel hadn't appeared, I would've still taken that step off the edge that day."
"......You really are a cheap woman, aren't you?"
"Well then, just how much are you worth?"
"Me?!
Hahaha, ahahahahahahahahahaha......"

The way Erika cackled was disturbing.
Still, Ange realized that this was her way of answering the question.

People don't become witches of their own choosing.
If they're capable of living, all people want to live their lives as humans.
......When something comes along to trip up that life, ......that's when the road to living as a witch opens.
Even Furudo Erika, who calls herself the Witch of Truth, must be like this.
The two Witches of Truth, sitting here drinking tea without even looking at each other, ......are exactly the same.
"I...like exposing the truth."
"I know that."
"I like exposing secrets, then watching those people turn pale as they wonder how I figured it out. ......That's when I know I've reached the truth, and it's a moment of ecstasy."
"There's something seriously wrong with you."
"Well then, what does the truth mean to you?"
"............"
Ange was about to give an immediate answer, but she bit down her words.
Then, she gulped, not knowing how to respond.

After all, to Ange, the truth itself was the goal.
At first, it was out of hatred.
Could Ushiromiya Eva, the sole survivor of Rokkenjima, be the culprit behind everything?
She hated Eva, but she had no proof that her aunt was the culprit, and of course, Eva never talked about what happened on that island.
However, that feeling withered away with Eva's death.
Now that Eva was dead, even if Ange did find some kind of proof, ......it wouldn't mean anything.
So, eventually, the truth Ange wanted to find......became nothing more than the simple desire to know what happened on that island that day.
However, one thing was obvious.
Even if she did find out the truth, ......that wouldn't bring any of her family back to her.
"......It might not mean anything at all."
"You're going to expose the truth your beloved Onii-chan is hiding, even though it's meaningless? You're the one that's not making sense."

Erika laughed mockingly.
Ange laughed too, as though she agreed.
"And so, my own truth became my goal. ......Maybe you could even call it my reason for living."
"So, once you do reach the truth, there won't be any point or purpose to you living anymore, right?"
"That's right. So, I'll die. ......Hasn't it been long enough? I've already lived 12 years too long. Don't I at least deserve to have a witch appear and grant my wish in my final moments?"
"......Or, to put it simply, you're just tired with life. Does that sum it up?"

"Yeah. So, my reason for living, my very existence, and everything else is meaningless. ......That's why this goal of finding the Book of the Single Truth has put a little sparkle back into my life, now that it's nearly over. ......At least on that score, I'm grateful to Bernkastel."

"I see. ......Battler wants you to live, so he hid the goal that would let you die. ......I think I pity Battler-san for the first time. After all, you can't choose your little sister."

"............"

Sorry, Onii-chan.

I'm...tired of life.
12 whole years.

I've been living off nothing but the illusion that someone might come home someday.
Just let me find peace already.
Finding the truth of that day...... I decided I'd use that to mark the end of my life.
For 12 years, I've believed in a miracle, but there was no miracle...

I won't......believe in miracles anymore......
"......The Book of the Single Truth. Of course, I'm also dying to find out what's in it, but from what I hear, it doesn't sound like the truth inside is something spectacular enough to mark the end of your life with."

"Yeah. ......At first, I hoped there would be something earth-shattering written in it. But now......I guess I've cooled on it."

"Any truth searched for by a worthless person is bound to be worthless. It'll probably make for a fitting end to your worthless life."

"......Yeah. I'm...sure it will."
Ange was already starting to realize something.
Regardless of why Eva decided not to talk about what happened...
.....The real events of that day......probably weren't anything earth-shattering.
Some sort of malfunction made the bomb in that secret underground base explode.
Yes. ......It was just...an accident.

But...the public believed that some sort of conspiracy surrounded the events of that day, so that's what they expected.
If Eva, who was a suspect herself, claimed that nothing strange happened, it's doubtful that anyone would have believed her.

......Of course, this included Ange.

In that case, ......shutting up like a clam would just make things easier.

It was hardly surprising......that Eva chose to say nothing.

"......Right now, I don't feel any sense of accomplishment. ......I just feel...sort of worn out and listless."

"Being able to bear the truth is what makes a witch a Witch of Truth. ......Comrade Ange. It looks like you don't possess that strength after all. If you did, you wouldn't be thinking about dying."

"..................You're right. ......I've dreamed that someone might come back for 12 years. ......I've just used Beatrice's cat box to shut away the truth, denying it for 12 years."

"......When you read the Book of the Single Truth, I wonder what will happen to you."

"Who knows. ......Won't Bernkastel carry out the contract by slicing my head off with a scythe or something? Or will I be turned into chunks of meat again? ......Maybe I'll get some salt and pepper this time."

"..................I see, so that's where the chunks of meat thing came from."

"Did you say something?"

"Nope, nothing at all. Anyway, would you like some more tea?"

"No thank you."
Ange listlessly gazed down from the balcony with no handrail, ......down into the darkness of the abyss at the bottom of the bookshelf ravine...no, the gap between the bookshelf skyscrapers.
......From the beginning until the end of my journey, I haven't taken a single step away from this spot.
This journey of mine, not even a single step long, ......will end soon......

"......Um, what are those lines of lights flowing around at the bottom?"

"Oh, those? Probably a group of guests coming to the great Lady Aurora's party."
"Guests...?"
"Great Witches from the Senate, Voyager witches who are trying to escape boredom in their endless travels, powerful witches who have woken from century-long sleeps, as well as witches who control the future world and noble witch hunters. It seems she's planning to hold a grand party tonight."
"......Is it a birthday party or something?"

"From what I've heard, while the great Lady Beatrice, the Endless Witch, is an outsider among witches, she's also the genius who created 'Beatrice's cat box' out of her formidable magical compendium, the endless factory capable of producing endless tales. ......From my point of view, she's just stupid and a weak finisher, but in the world of great witches, she's apparently pretty famous."

"So this is Beatrice's birthday party?"
"My master says she'll be holding a dinner party with Beatrice's guts. ......After all, it's only natural, right? The cat box was only able to generate infinite tales because there was no Single Truth. ......However, tonight...the Single Truth will be revealed, thanks to your key. And that means the cat box will be opened. Really, it's no different from slicing open her chest as she still lives and tearing out what's inside."
"......Everyone in that huge crowd which looks like a packed freeway is going to one dinner party? ......I'm not sure what's stronger, my shock at how famous Beatrice is, or my revulsion at those sleaze-bags."
"For you, the Book of the Single Truth is nothing more than an end. .........However, for all of those enjoying the mystery of Rokkenjima, this is an event that can't be missed."
"I see. .........So, that's a crowd of those goats who're chewing Onii-chan's game board apart."
Ange's analogy was an accurate one.

The crowd far, far below them......was made up of nobles wearing beautiful outfits and goat masks.
They were all so intent on tearing the guts out of Beatrice's cat box that they couldn't even hide the drool trickling from their mouths.

Those gluttonous goat nobles, who derived pleasure from violently exposing the truth, were in a line of cars heading towards the meeting place.
"......Looks like this is the end for Beatrice and the cat box."

"......Beato and the others have holed up in the Golden Land, the last leftovers from the game board. Battler and Beato have strengthened their defenses and destroyed the first wave, but they won't be able to stop the second. ......My master has given me an armada capable of destroying the very concept of defensive measures. The Golden Land's ramparts are as good as gone."

".........Those goats who appeared all over the island... They're the personification of random opinions in the future, and all of them want the island's tale to be a tragedy."

"That's right. Those goats keep getting born from the sea of the internet. That first wave was just the riffraff. The second wave will be entirely different. It's made up of the best of the best, elite goats selected from the crowd that are capable of denying all the cowering pieces one by one. In total, they number in the hundreds of thousands. ......A hundred thousand people to deny the existence of a few dozen hiding on an island."

"......Looks like......this is it for Onii-chan too."
"Are you sure you're ready? You understand that Ushiromiya Battler died in 1986, ......and that this man is an illusion created by the cat box?"

".........Yeah. ......I understand."

Regardless of whether he's my real brother or an illusion... Regardless of whether he's who I'd like him to be or not... The Battler who created this game board for my sake...will die.
No, it just means that I'll accept the fact of his death, so it's not like he's going to die now......
Ange thought to herself.

Shouldn't performing the last rites for her brother......be her responsibility?

This was her final trial, which she had assigned to herself.

All of those people down on the game board......were the personification of Ange's naivety.
By denying the existence of all of them, wouldn't she finally be able to accept the truth?
..................

No, that's not right. ......I'm not being honest, even with myself.

Even if it's all an illusion, ......it wouldn't make that bizarre Halloween party any less heartwarming.
......Onii-chan said it himself

That Halloween party may have been an illusion.

However.
He was trying to use that party to tell me something......

............
"About that second wave......"
"My master has appointed me to be their commander. ......Leave it to me, Ange-san. My master isn't so malicious that she'd make you dirty your own hands."
"............"

Yes, that might be kind of her.
......These are...my lingering attachments we're talking about.

I should be grateful to Bernkastel.
If she really were cruel, she would probably have ordered me to take charge of the second wave and execute my own family.
"Comrade Ange. You are a Witch of Truth, aren't you?"
"..................That's right. ......Probably."

"Then let's accept the truth, okay? Finally, after 12 years, the Single Truth lies before you."
"...............I'll just sit around here until Bernkastel breaks the seal."

"You'll probably be summoned as a guest for the party. ......We've got a mirror, so maybe you should wipe the sleep from your eyes."
"And maybe you should shave before heading out to battle."

SO MUCH NEW INFORMATION HERE. What is she doing in a giant library. What is she doing not dead. Why is she leading apparently going to lead an army of goats against Battler and Beatrice's stronghold. Who is Ange and what is she doing (okay that question is answered some). Why is she not dead? ?!? !??