The Shogun changed her clothes and stepped out of the bedroom... walking along the second-floor corridor until she reached the nearest open-air balcony.
Creaaak—
The hinges of the balcony door seemed slightly rusted, producing a faint, sharp sound as it opened—especially noticeable in the stillness of the night.
Tap... tap...
She stepped to the center of the balcony and lifted her gaze—there, waiting in the darkness, stood a girl.
Beneath the starry sky, the girl stood at the edge with her back to her. The cold wind stirred her smooth, lustrous silver-white hair, sending it fluttering endlessly. Her slender, delicate figure appeared faintly through the shifting strands, as if wrapped in an ethereal, mysterious aura amidst the night.
Who was she?
Why had she come looking for her?
And why at a time like this?
Questions surfaced one after another in her mind.
"..."
As if sensing her arrival, the girl slowly turned around, revealing her face beneath the bleak moonlight...
"...!"
Even she was momentarily taken aback upon seeing her appearance.
Before her stood a fragile girl with snow-white hair and a doll-like, exquisite face. Her skin was pale and translucent, her eyes a crystalline blue like water. She wore a thin, pure-white dress, and at the side of her hair was tied a slender blue ribbon matching her eyes, its end draping down to her chest. She wore no shoes or stockings, revealing slender legs and delicate feet.
Whoosh...
A gust of wind swept past, lifting both of their differently colored hair at once. Violet eyes and blue eyes met, reflecting one another within their gaze.
"Who are you...?"
She asked aloud. Perhaps due to the late hour, her voice was unconsciously lowered, blending with the girl's soft, delicate tone.
"This is our first meeting, Miss Raiden."
The girl spoke. The earlier ethereal impression faded, replaced by a tangible presence—her voice sweet like the chime of silver bells, gentle and refined.
"My name is Pandora—the Witch of Vainglory. You may not have heard of me, but that is of no consequence... My name is buried within history. Few know of it. It is enough that I know you."
The girl who called herself Pandora spoke calmly.
"...A witch? One of the Witches of Sin?"
She asked.
"Yes... it seems you know a little about us."
A hint of curiosity entered Pandora's tone. From beginning to end, she maintained an indifferent, emotionless expression. Yet for some reason, it felt as though a faint, serene smile lingered upon her lips—while her eyes remained completely unmoved.
"...Then tell me—why has a witch like you come to see me today?"
She exhaled softly, folding her arms as she spoke in a somewhat casual tone.
"I don't believe there's anything about me that would interest you—"
"Oh, but there is quite a lot~"
Pandora interrupted her, her bell-like voice unchanged.
"..."
The Shogun's eyes narrowed instantly, hostility surfacing within them.
"It seems Miss Raiden holds some hostility toward me... but that is fine. I understand. I will explain everything later. But before that—will you trust me?"
Unbothered by her reaction, Pandora took a few small steps toward her.
"Do not come any closer..."
She lowered her arms and issued a warning.
"..."
Pandora obediently stopped, quietly watching her.
"Like a little kitten—such vigilance. Miss Raiden, I will not harm you. I hope you can trust me."
The girl spoke softly.
That expressionless face made her impossible to read. Yet within those blue eyes, there was a faint glimmer—rare and difficult to grasp.
"...Haa. What do you want?"
She relented.
"I simply wish to take you somewhere else. There are too many eyes here—it is inconvenient to speak."
Pandora answered plainly.
"That is hardly convincing. You expect me to believe that merely approaching me allows you to take me away?"
She spoke cautiously, wary of any trick or ambush. After all, she did not know this person.
Her beautiful face was filled with suspicion, which seemed to amuse the girl slightly—an almost imperceptible, indulgent smile appearing.
"If I said... that I could? Would you allow me to come closer?"
"...Haa. How?"
She gave in once more.
Bzzt—
In the instant she blinked, the girl before her vanished without a trace. It could not be described as speed—it was something far stranger, like a ghost appearing and disappearing at will.
Whoosh...
As she was still startled, a faintly cool sensation spread across her neck. The moonlight above was suddenly blocked by a slender figure descending from above, casting her into shadow.
Pandora slowly drifted down, wrapping her arms around her neck in an intimate gesture. Her soft, rosy lips brushed close to her ear as she whispered—
"!"
Before she could even process the words—
In the next blink—
Whoooosh!!!!
Everything before her changed.
The quiet mansion vanished, replaced by a vast plain engulfed in a raging snowstorm. Due to the difference in location—or perhaps time—the deep night instantly turned into daylight. The transition was unnaturally seamless, as if reality itself had been cleanly sliced and replaced.
Snowflakes like goose feathers fell relentlessly as fierce winds howled around them, tugging at their thin clothing. Feeling the cold, she quickly disabled her internal warmth simulation. Then she glanced at the person beside her—
Pandora was still clinging to her neck, showing no discomfort from the cold, her expression unchanged.
The violent blizzard bent the surrounding snow-covered trees in chaotic directions. Instinctively, she expanded a protective barrier around herself—and extended it to include Pandora as well.
"Well? Were you surprised?"
Like a ghost, Pandora drifted behind her, still embracing her neck, whispering teasingly into her ear.
"...How did you do that?"
She turned her head slightly, looking at the beautiful face so close to hers.
"This... is the Authority of Vainglory."
Pandora gazed at her calmly, that faint, serene smile still present—more noticeable now at such close proximity.
Hearing this, she paused... and recalled the words Pandora had whispered earlier—
[Miss Raiden should be on Mount Sylvia right now... not in the Mathers mansion.]
So it was a power where words became reality.
The ability to turn one's thoughts into truth...
It was, without question, absurd.
Is this person... extremely dangerous?
"As for my Authority... we can discuss that later."
Pandora appeared before her once more, her bare feet stepping directly onto the snow. Even though the Shogun had already disabled her temperature simulation, the sight still made her feel an inexplicable chill in her own feet. Yet surprisingly, despite standing barefoot on the ground, Pandora's soles remained completely clean—as if protected by some unseen force.
"Speak... what do you want?"
She nodded slightly, urging her to continue.
"Before that, could you stop the lightning in the sky?"
Pandora glanced upward at the thunder-laced sky and the swirling snowstorm, her tone carrying a trace of mild distress.
"...Me?"
She was puzzled. Wasn't this environment naturally extreme? Still, since Pandora had asked, she decided to try.
To her surprise, the weather here truly responded to her will.
The moment a divine violet glow surfaced in her eyes, the lightning in the sky ceased. The raging blizzard gradually subsided, leaving only soft, drifting snowflakes.
"Just as I thought... Miss Raiden can control the weather here."
Pandora lifted a hand, catching a snowflake before letting it scatter into the air as she spoke.
"..."
The Shogun continued to observe the mysterious girl before her, her gaze filled with deep scrutiny.
"Please, follow me..."
"Where?"
She asked.
"Somewhere we can rest."
With that, Pandora turned and walked ahead. Left with little choice, the Shogun followed.
A few minutes later—
The two entered what appeared to be a natural cave. Inside were simple living furnishings, some crudely shaped from stone. The setting was extremely rudimentary. There was no door—only the ever-open entrance to the cave.
"This is my temporary hiding place. It may be a bit crude—I hope you don't mind, Miss Raiden."
Pandora spun lightly within the cave as she explained.
"I am not particular about such things... Now tell me—why did you bring me here? What is your intention?"
She casually sat on a stone bed nearby, crossing one leg over the other as she looked at Pandora.
Whoosh...
Pandora walked to an oil lamp hanging from a stone post. Her lips moved silently—and in the next moment, the lamp ignited, casting a warm glow that softened the cave's otherwise cold atmosphere.
"You live in a place like this?"
She asked, watching Pandora's practiced movements.
"No. I only found this place recently. Normally... I stay in a cage."
The content of her words was perplexing, yet her tone was utterly indifferent—as if discussing something mundane. As she spoke, she smoothed her white dress and sat down beside the Shogun.
"A cage? What do you mean?"
She pressed further.
"...Hmm? Do you want to know~?"
Pandora revealed a teasing smile. For the first time, her otherwise expressionless face carried a hint of playfulness.
"A pointless question. You were the one who brought me here—yet now you play coy?"
She turned her gaze aside, sounding faintly displeased.
"Hehe... you're right. It is time to 'say' it."
As she spoke, Pandora raised her hand, reaching toward her forehead.
"!"
The Shogun instinctively grasped Pandora's slender wrist, her eyes filling once more with caution.
"Please trust me, Miss Raiden. I will not harm you."
Pandora repeated calmly.
"What are you doing?"
She asked warily.
"It will be easier to explain this way... because of my Authority."
"Haa..."
Gradually, she loosened her grip. Pandora's fingertips touched her forehead. In that instant, a blue radiance flickered in Pandora's eyes—and the next moment, an immense flood of information poured directly into her mind.
"!"
Her gaze went momentarily unfocused as her mind instinctively began to process it—no, to relive it.
A memory.
Pandora's memory.
Within it, she saw Emilia—Emilia as a child, Emilia's mother, and a man resembling the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. At that time, he had not yet gone mad. There was also a white-haired boy who called himself the Sin Archbishop of Greed.
And then... Pandora.
The Pandora who stood beside her now.
Though it lasted only seconds, to her it felt like watching an entire film—a brutal, blood-soaked film.
Within that memory, in Pandora's residence, there existed a massive cage.
Inside that cage—
Was another her.
A girl identical to Pandora.
The girl grasped the caged one's chin and said something silently. The imprisoned girl showed a flicker of pain before collapsing unconscious onto the ground.
Buzz...
The memory faded.
Snapping back to reality, she immediately looked at the girl before her. In one swift motion, she drew Engulfing Lightning and pinned Pandora onto the stone bed, the blade pressed firmly against her neck.
"You killed Emilia's mother? You destroyed her family?!"
She demanded coldly.
"..."
Even with the blade at her throat, Pandora showed no fear. She remained calm. Pinned beneath her, her frail body only made her appear more pitiful.
"Answer me... Witch of Vainglory."
Her voice grew colder. The blade pressed slightly deeper, drawing a thin line of crimson.
"The one who killed that child's mother... was my other half. Another me—Pandora."
Pandora finally spoke.
The answer was bizarre—enough to make her hesitate.
"Other half? What does that mean?"
"But... both of us are 'Pandora'—the Witch of Vainglory. So it is not wrong to say that I killed her mother. I bear responsibility as well."
Pandora's eyes seemed distant, as if recalling something complicated.
"So... there are two 'Pandoras'? Two Witches of Vainglory? You—and another?"
She asked while thinking it through.
"Yes. Originally, there was only her. We were once a single existence. But one day, she split me apart. I am a fragment of her personality—part of the Witch of Vainglory, Pandora."
"How did she split you?"
"With her Authority."
"Why?"
"Because my existence interfered with her next course of action. She deemed me unnecessary... so she separated me. That is how I came to be—the 'Pandora' you see now."
Even as she said this, Pandora wore that same serene smile, as though the blade at her throat meant nothing.
"She keeps me confined in a cage... like a pet. Or a consumable."
"..."
The Shogun recalled the memory she had just witnessed.
Two identical figures—divided by iron bars.
The girl inside the cage, her limbs bound by heavy restraints, her body covered in wounds too painful to look at.
"..."
Her gaze unconsciously dropped to Pandora's limbs.
As expected—
Faint but unmistakable marks of abrasion were visible around her wrists and ankles.
"During that incident, I should have stopped her... but I didn't. That was the first time I escaped the cage. If I had interfered, I would have been locked away again behind those iron doors. So I chose to flee. I hid here... for several years."
Pandora's eyes drifted, unfocused—as though gazing into empty space.
"'That incident'... you mean the tragedy of Emilia's family?"
"..."
She nodded silently.
"How do I know you're not lying? Even memories could be altered beforehand—fabricated to mislead me."
She stared at Pandora's calm face as she spoke.
"Furthermore... 'Vainglory' itself is deception, is it not?"
She leaned closer, her face drawing near Pandora's—so close that they were nearly touching—as she posed the question.