[ "That's just the logic of beasts…" Subaru squeezed out those words, offering a somewhat weak rebuttal.
"The same goes for Subaru… By the way, is everyone taking 'Gluttony' too lightly? Appetite is the greatest desire in the process of survival, isn't it? Because if your appetite isn't satisfied, you can't survive." Daphne began to explain her own values of 'Gluttony.'
"Even if there is no peace, even if one is not loved, even if one cannot vent emotions, even if self-esteem is lost, even if one cannot get what they want, even if there is some kind of craving, no one will die from that. However…" Daphne paused, then said: "If you don't eat, you will die, you know."
"Part of what you say is correct, I admit that. But…" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Subaru has completely fallen into a logical trap."
Yuriusu sighed.
Being rebuffed to the point of speechlessness, unable to say a word.
—
[ "If Subaru also tries what it feels like to be starved to the absolute limit, you'll understand a lot of things, you know. For example, what Daphne means… and in what kind of world Daphne and the rabbits survive."
"Uh, isn't the monster Great Rabbit what was born from your hunger…?"
"Those children, when they were born, the thing most similar to Daphne was their empty bellies… Daphne can understand their feelings of eating each other."
"Doesn't your conscience hurt? Making the mabeasts you created taste the agony of an empty stomach."
"No matter how hungry the rabbits' bellies get, Daphne won't get hungry along with them, you know."
"I was too foolish to even ask you." ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"I was also too foolish, actually trying to argue against a Witch's logic. Truly mad."
Yuriusu self-deprecatingly agreed with Subaru.
"To treat her own children like this despite being their mother…"
Emilia frowned.
"Lia, don't think too much about it. A Witch's way of thinking isn't something normal people can understand."
Puck said, flying in a circle above Emilia's head.
"Tch, cannibalizing their own kind just because there's nothing to eat. Bastards with nothing but appetite in their heads."
Garfiel reacted this way to Daphne's mention of them 'eating each other.'
"Barusu is being so dilly-dallied. He should just get straight to the point and ask about the abilities and solutions for the Three Great Mabeasts, especially the Multi-Rabbit. Though Ram thinks that creature wouldn't share the solution anyway."
Ram said.
—
[ "If I say I want to eliminate the Great Rabbit, will you give me a hint?" Subaru finally asked the crucial question.
"What, you want to eliminate the rabbits? Those children are so weak, so easy to eat, and they even multiply. They are Daphne's proudest creation, you know."
Just as Ram had said, she indeed wouldn't say.
"If you want to force the survival-of-the-fittest logic of 'either eat or be eaten' onto others, then I hope you can also acknowledge the survival instinct of trying to kill an opponent in order to live." Subaru tried to convince her using the Witch's own logic. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Sigh, give it up, kid. The Witch Cult and the leaders of the Witch Cult are all a bunch of incomprehensible lunatics."
Felt said.
"At least she still won't tell others the weaknesses of her own children."
Emilia said.
"I don't~ think that's necessarily true."
Roswaal said.
At least in the eyes of the Witches, they weren't acting without reason.
As long as you went along with their worldview, it was still fine.
—
[ "The Great Rabbit hunts based on mana, you know." Surprisingly, upon hearing Subaru's words, Daphne nodded and answered.
"What kind of wind is blowing you this way?" It seemed even Subaru hadn't expected Daphne to answer.
"Because Daphne said that to survive one must eat, so one must acknowledge that to survive one must kill; otherwise it wouldn't make sense, right? They have a habit of being attracted to places with a large amount of mana. If you use a powerful magic user or something as bait, you can gather them all together and wipe them out in one fell swoop." ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Speaking of which, since she already told Subaru, though I'm not boasting, perhaps in one of the loops…"
Perhaps in one of the loops, Subaru used me as bait.
Roswaal said from outside the screen.
—
[ "Yawn… Daphne can pretty much leave now, right?" Daphne let out a yawn.
"Yeah. Putting the process aside, overall, I've benefited greatly. Thank you. And…" Subaru's expression turned serious.
"I will eliminate the Great Rabbit. The White Whale has already been killed too, so don't complain when the time comes, mother. For four hundred years, whether you think it's a lot or a little, they have wreaked havoc for long enough. That's plenty—I will wipe them out completely."
"A mere human. Try it if you can." Daphne bared her fangs, sticking out her tongue with a laugh.
And then…
"I was asking too much. Sorry, Echidna."
"There's no need to apologize. They should chat with others here once in a while, too. Of course, only someone like you could possibly appear before us." Echidna returned. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Natsuki isn't just trying to look cool; he actually did it… Ah, seems like only the Black Snake is left."
Anastasia said.
The Witch Cult and the Three Great Mabeasts that plagued the world have mostly been eliminated, and all of this happened after Subaru came to this world.
"Even though Natsuki-san doesn't pay much attention to his own achievements, he is already highly renowned."
Otto said.
Although these were the results of everyone's hard work, Subaru was undoubtedly one of the people with the greatest contributions.
In the eyes of the world, he was practically a genius strategist who grasped timing and situations, controlling the direction of battles—Natsuki Subaru.
—
[ "So, to you, was the conversation with Daphne a harvest?"
"Well… among the Witches, you're considered very decent. Let's count that as a harvest for now."
"Sigh… I can't take it; this won't do, really. To think you'd try to flatter me with such sweet words. It won't do to underestimate me."
Though Echidna said this, she hummed a little tune while setting out new tea and snacks.
"…What's wrong? There seems to be a strange, ticklish feeling—"
"It seems it's almost time for you to wake up."
"Didn't you say that without your permission, I wouldn't be able to leave this place?"
"It should be like that, but there are exceptions. For example, when the body is urged to wake up from the outside… Still, how strange. We did talk for a long time this time, but even so, this kind of situation is very rare." ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Is someone calling Barusu? In that situation, it should be Emilia-sama."
Ram said.
"…Yeah, at this time, seeing Subaru not waking up for so long, I might call out to him in a panic."
Emilia nodded.
—
[ "Damn it, this is bad… My consciousness is really starting to blur." Subaru said.
Subaru was about to leave, facing the hellish reality once again. ]
.....