Chapter 631 — Arc 9, Chapter 43 – “True Name”

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――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. For as long as I live, I hereby vow to never play with children.

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Petra: [For instance, if someone else were to use the Witch Factor held by Clind-niisama… if I were to use it, could I use Teleport as much as I wanted even without paying the compensation?]

When she had first been informed by Clind about the existence of the Witch Factor of Tristitia, and its Authority of Compression, the first thing that had popped into Petra’s mind was that method of abusing it.

Clind was not compatible with the Witch Factor, and as a result, compensation―― payment was required to exercise the Authority of Compression, so he had told her. At the same time, the Witch Factor of Tristitia was a one-off Factor created to be used by a specific person, so by no means would Petra have been compatible, either.

Hence, the special tag team consisting of the Warlock who possessed the Authority that was Return by Death, Natsuki Subaru, and the Witch who supported him, Petra Leyte, was disbanded before it was even formed; while that was a relief, it was also true that she had felt regretful about it.

Hence, the matter of the Witch Factor of Tristitia was placed outside the topic of agenda, with them having decided on utilizing Clind’s Compression to reconvene with their allies and to plunge into the final battle against the enemy, but―― with Al’s Authority of “Turning Back Time” having come to light, the spotlight had once again been placed on the Authority of Tristitia while they were working out a plan to decisively stop the Al Troupe.

Clind had informed Petra and the others that, due to incompatibility with the Witch Factor, it was impossible to exercise his Authority without compensation. However, the meaning hidden behind that was――,

Petra: [――As long as the compensation is paid, then even people who aren’t Clind-niisama can use Compression, right?]

At Petra’s verification, Clind’s expression did not shift.

However, that only served to convince Petra of the validity of her own conjecture. If he had truly wanted to hide it, Clind ought to have acted more surprised, saying “I had never even thought of that”.

Petra: [In order to do something about Al-san and his group, it’s absolutely essential that we split them all apart. Outside of Al-san himself, the most troublesome opponent would be the Divine Dragon-sama, but… Clind-niisama will do something about that, right?]

Roswaal: [On that point, I can also provide assurance. Clind is a key person to serve as a trump card against the Divine Dragon Volcanica, indeeed~. Did I use that right?]

Petra: [――. Yes, that’s correct.]

During the strategy meeting, the one who had boasted of being able to subdue the Divine Dragon was Clind.

Honestly, including the matter of the Witch Factor of Tristitia, it made her exasperated to think about how many secrets he was hiding along with Roswaal, but there was nothing better than his reliability. However, just because Clind was reliable did not mean she could take advantage of him for everything.

Petra: [But, if Clind-niisama is going to be busy dealing with the Divine Dragon-sama, he won’t be able to take people in and out with Compression, correct?]

Clind: [I do not deny it. Affirmation. Of course, exhausting all of the power in my possession, I will deliver all personnel to the battle front without fail, but…]

Petra: [No. If you do it like that, I think Compression will lose its strengths. The best point about Compression is that, like a teleport, it can take our fighting strength in and out and switch things around.]

There was likely no falsehood in the words Clind had sworn with a quiet expression, however in them a certain heat did dwell.

Their greatest fighting strength would securely be sent to the enemy lines. That alone was already an extraordinary feat. But, this was also a battle such that, if they could afford to hope for more, then they ought to hope for as much as they could.

Rom: [‘N so, we shift ta the matter of transferrin’ the Authority. Tho’, before we start ta consider it, I’d like ta verify if that plan’s actually even possible.]

Clind: [――. About that. Hesitation.]

Petra: [Clind-niisama, please lay all the ingredients out on the table.]

Clind: [――――]

Petra: [I think that right now is the time to discuss what cards everyone has in their hand, and the extent to which we might be able to use them. So, don’t hide anything.]

As Clind hesitated to speak out, Petra plainly requested him to.

She understood his reasons for being uneager to share, his reasons for worrying over keeping the information hidden. She understood, but this discussion was a meeting dedicated to saving the Kingdom, saving the world―― saving Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice.

It was rather charming how Meili had been glaring at Petra as she had told him to not hide anything.

Clind: […If you wish to know whether it is possible or impossible, then it would be possible. Approval. The Witch Factor of Tristitia fails to be compatible with myself, and it is merely within my possession. Responsibility.]

Ram: [In that case, it is simply a matter of shifting ownership? Hah! That should be quite easy to handle then. It would be a disaster if Clind were to leave it behind.]

Rem: [This also goes for if it were to be left behind, but it would also be quite scary if it were to be stolen or confiscated by someone else… In that sense, it’s understandable that Clind was the one holding on to it.]

Unexpectedly, the Witch Factor of Tristitia seemed to have been managed in a precarious state.

The notion that it was understandable that Clind had been the one entrusted with its management, with that Petra agreed. Clind, who always handled everything in a brisk and tactful manner, would have made for an ideal custodian.

However――,

Petra: [It might be better to give up that duty to someone else this time.]

Emilia: [Someone else… but, Witch Factors are reaaally dangerous. It’s something I saw before at the Sanctuary. They aren’t things you can handle safely at all.]

Petra: […There is definitely a risk. But, if it’s used well…]

Meili: [――Hk, Petra-chan, I’m against it, you kno~w.]

At the sharpened voice opposing her with the most emotion, Petra lowered the ends of her eyebrows.

Petra knew that Meili had constantly been worrying about her; it made her happy. After all, when Petra had just met Meili, she was always attempting to get the latter to like her. She had thought that affection would be the best weapon to dull any murderous impulses. And, she had hit the nail on the head.

Petra: [Though, it might have been a bit too effective.]

“Subaru”: [I’ll say this now, but I’m of the same opinion as Meili. You haven’t told me what it was, but you’ve already paid Clind-san with something, Petra. You can’t compromise anything further than this.]

The voice of a phantom inaudible to anyone else, it instilled Petra with the feeling that she was truly being held dear.

Let it be declared. Imaginary Subaru might have been a convenient delusion of Petra’s, but the quality of the recreation should have been high enough such that, beyond any doubt, if it had been the real Subaru, he would have said the same thing.

Petra: [I’m glad that neither Frederica-neesama nor Beatrice-chan are here.]

Even just Meili had caused Petra’s heart to waver a fair amount.

If Frederica and Beatrice had supplemented that with a one-two punch, Petra might have been knocked out. What about if Garfiel and Otto had been here? Garfiel would have likely shouted angrily, but she felt like Otto would have understood.

After all, Otto was the one currently overexerting himself by far the most out of the Camp, so Petra did not think he would have had any right to complain to her.

Harboring the self-awareness that she truly was such a blessed and beloved girl, Petra spoke――,

Petra: [――Let’s divide up the roles properly. That way, everyone can do their job to the best of their abilities.]

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――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. For as long as I live, I hereby vow to never visit that nostalgic place.

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Tightly ascertaining the sensation of the rectangular box stored in her breast pocket, Petra focused her attention on the Witch Factor of Tristitia, which she had successfully received by manipulating her words, cajoling the people around her.

Petra: [――I have, to concentrate.]

By putting that to words, Petra firmly cautioned herself so as to preserve her own sanity. ――In honesty, until today, Petra had thought of herself as someone possessing a tenacious mental fortitude.

She had not lost her mind even after reading a Book of the Dead, and even if her beloved was not swayed by her in the slightest, she had never once thought about giving up on getting him to turn to face her. She was aware that she had been through many difficulties and gambles for someone of her age.

And despite all that, the destructive sense of omnipotence brought on by the Witch Factor made Petra’s head spin.

Petra: [No, that’s no good, for me… Subaru, cheer me on!]

“Subaru”: [Petra, do your best! Don’t lose! If you lose after staking everything on a gamble I told you not to do, you know what that’ll mean! I’ll end up hating you!]

Petra: [In that case, I definitely won’t lose…]

Cheered on by her beloved within her mind, it felt like a bit of a last resort to revitalize her state of mind, but it did happen to be actually effective, showing how magnificent the power of love could be.

A Witch Factor, just what could such a thing do in the face of love?

The struggle against a Witch Factor was ultimately just a mental problem, so it was only natural that the power of love would serve as a wonder drug. ――The efficacy of that remedy, which had made it impossible for Petra to remain as a mere village girl, was something she understood better than anybody else.

Therefore――,

Rom: [――Noble ta Fire Eight! Then hit ‘em with a Soldier ta Flowers Three!]

At the firm voice striking her eardrums with vigor, Petra opened her eyes wide, and grit her teeth.

With the activation of Compression, Petra deployed those designated personnel to those designated positions on the battlefield that had been divided up into an eight × eight grid within her mind―― the same configuration as a Shatranj board.

Sure enough, two individuals aligning with the Felt Camp had been delivered to the battlefield in the blink of an eye―― one of Felt’s followers, Gaston, and a fierce-looking pigman known as the King Pig, Doltero; swinging their mighty arms, they wallopped Heinkel and Gluttony respectively, each of whom had been attempting to launch their own offensives, and sent them flying.

???: [Ehh~? Could it be~? Such a thing is possible~?]

Having sidestepped the punch with acrobatic maneuvers, Roy raised his irksome visage, and tearing his gaze off of Ram, whom he had been fixated on until then, he looked at Petra.

At Petra, who, maintaining a distance from the duos of Ram and Meili, Flam and Grassis, who were all engaged in direct combat, was positioned so as to grasp the entirety of the battlefield, sat atop the shoulders of Rom-jii.

Roy: [――Petra-chan, since when did you become a Sin Archbishop?]

Perhaps as ought to have been expected from a Sin Archbishop, he perceived the whereabouts of the Witch Factor―― nay, were that the case, then he would have noticed their trick much sooner. Likely, it was the result of having correctly fathomed that Compression was the work of an Authority, and thinking about who was in the position to use it the most pertinently. Nothing impressive at all for a Sin Archbishop.

Petra: [Now that’s just extremely slanderous. If you’re going to call me something disreputable, then call me this.]

Without revealing her caution towards that insight of Roy’s, Petra placed a hand over her chest, and while ascertaining the sensation of the small black box she had received from Clind, she stuck out her tongue with a “behhhh”, declaring thus.

Petra: [――The Witch of Tristitia, Petra Leyte.]

In most cases, introducing oneself with such a title would have been received with no warm welcomes.

While calling oneself by that was already bad enough, being called that by somebody else was absolutely out of the question. Regardless of whether one was steeled in their resolve or not, that was a title akin to a curse, that of being abhorred by every person throughout the world.

However, Petra had boldly declared herself as such, as if it was something to take pride in.

After all, the master whom Petra served was the Witch of Glaciation, and her beloved was a kind, admirable Knight whose heart was smitten with that Witch.

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――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. For as long as I live, I hereby vow to never hold beautiful flowers.

――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. For as long as I live, I hereby vow to never partake of my favorite food.

――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. For as long as I live, I hereby vow to never return to my hometown.

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――The Witch of Tristitia, Petra Leyte.

Upon Petra declaring herself so, Roy Alphard felt a sense of apotheosis. ――Owing to the surprise that she was capable of going so far, and the delight that she had indeed gone that far.

To take in a Witch Factor, and by one’s own volition become a possessor of an Authority―― a being who would be called the likes of Witch or Warlock or even Sin Archbishop, was an act seeming utterly devoid of sanity. The point upon which they had passed such an aberrant decision, was when their scrupulousness to spare no measure―― that was to say, their love and affection that was the very spirit of hospitality, was something Roy felt potently, profoundly, vastly, and warmly.

Roy: [The- greatest…! So glad you turned up~!]

Spreading his arms wide, Roy stifled his ecstacy and proffered his gratitude to their hospitality and rendezvous.

Seeing that she named herself the Witch of Tristitia, Roy’s inference that the opponent’s Authority was derived from Pride had been off the mark. However, Roy had once been told by a monster who entitled itself his mother that the Witch Factor of Tristitia was a special, defective article with which nobody would prove to be compatible. The Witch Factor of Tristitia was one of the things that his mother had desired, so upon hearing of its hideaway, his mother would certainly be delighted.

Naturally, he did not feel like giving up even a single bite of such a special feast to his mother.

Roy: [It’s a cute, selfish request of her hungry child after all, so she’ll surely overlook it, won’t she~.]

This was a matter of his mother, the personification of the desire for acknowledgement, who loved nothing more than to be revered.

Roy could imagine how he would trigger her temper upon her learning that he had given priority to himself over his mother.

Once, Roy used to find this egotistic selfishness of his mother’s to be unhelpably bothersome, but his current sentiment was slightly different from before. ――The sentiment that even such egotistic selfishness and conceitedly diseased self-love, were irreplaceable attributes to be cherished.

Rom: [Queen ta Earth Six! Hunter ta Yang Six! Noble ta Yin Five!]

Concording to the aged Giant’s instruction, a dim glow sojourned in Petra’s eyes.

It was not as though they were actually shining. As a consequence of her devoting her consciousness to utilizing an Authority that was impossible to get accustomed to using, the moments in which she was exerting herself could be pinpointed. Normally, it was a trivial habit not worth paying attention to, but in the midst of battle where an instant’s difference demarcated the line between victory or defeat, even that became information coupled to life or death.

From Roy’s field of vision, the forms of Ram and the pigman, and Meili astraddle atop the Hungry Horse King disappeared. ――And concurrent to their disappearance, they appeared as though surrounding Roy from three directions and waged their offensive.

The timing of which, he could quite clearly grasp due to the glow in Petra’s eyes.

Roy: [Yes yes, excuse us for a bit-.]

On the brink of their offensive making contact, Roy joined his hands before his chest. ――When, in that instant, the ground rose as though sand dunes were swelling from force applied from left and right, cutting off Ram and the pigman’s line of sight from Roy. Entrusting the two to that, Roy focused his concentration on the utmost loud and annoying crying voice of an infant.

The field of vision from the back of his head that came to him even without needing to turn, therein were the bone spears of the Hungry Horse King that Meili was riding on―― and alongside that, launched in tandem, the Guiltilaw’s monstrously proficient arm swung.

Bending his body a great deal back, Roy accreted dodge after dodge after dodge, then licked his lips.

The Compactor, Figdour, was a hitman who had specialized in burying alive, wielding a strange ability to squash everything from both ends of his field of vision into its middle; and the Priestess of a Thousand Visages, Iyerna, was the proprietor of an expansive heart and outlook, all three hundred and sixty degrees top to bottom and left to right, never to miss bearing witness to the tears of the lamenting, grieving weak. ――However, the ability of the Queen of Witchbeasts, Meili, did not fall short of them either.

Hungry Horse King: [――GAGYAGYA-GAGYAAAH.]

Guiltilaw: [――AROOOOOO.]

The pack of Ulgarm, the Hungry Horse King of the sand sea, and the Guiltilaw renowned as the Jet-Black King of the Forest; Meili’s ability of sallying forth Witchbeasts in succession granted Roy nary a breather for emotional impression. Meili’s stratagem of manipulating Witchbeasts with unbroken horns was something he had been prepared for through his Memories, but since he had been deferred from experiencing its true worth at the Pleiades Watchtower, it was a great excitement to witness it in all of its glory.

Roy: [Having been born possessing such a Divine Protection, your life mu~st have been full of ups and downs, hasn’t it? The way of life have you walked till now, teach us~, Meili!]

Meili: […Teach us what way of life have you walked, that was something Subaru-oniisan and Emilia-oneechan said to me once before, to~o.]

Roy: [Really? And then and then?]

The bone spears of the Hungry Horse King and the honed claws of the Guiltilaw; nimbly and agilely evading them, Roy slurped on his drool, while Meili, glaring at him, with her face harboring animosity and repugnance, pulled her eyelid downward and stuck out her tongue,

Meili: [The same as what you said about love being whatever befo~re, but in the end, what matters even more than what you say, is who says i~t!]

At the truth which left him with no place to grapple, Roy could only muster a “Taha~!” with no words to give in retort.

At Roy’s rear, the pigman smashed through the ground wall barrier, and from overhead Ram dropped, disappearing and appearing yet again. Front, rear, and above, enclosed from three dimensions, Roy distorted the space between the length of both of his legs, invoking the magical technique of the Magia Manus Magister, Yardray, who had been submerged in the shadows of history and finally eaten―― spears of flame, ice, and earth were brought forth by magic, and immediately locked on to their targets.

Their aims were Meili, the pigman, and Ram―― but, she was not there.

Ram: [To lose sight of Ram again and again. Why don’t you just throw those away? That set of eyes.]

――There she was. At a distance close enough for a hug, Ram’s slender frame came into sight.

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――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. For as long as I live, I hereby vow to never shed a tear in the company of others.

――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. For as long as I live, I hereby vow to never wipe the tears of another.

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Roy: [Witch of Tristitiaaa-…!]

――The Compactor × Priestess of a Thousand Visages × Magia Manus Magister.

Surpassing even the combined power of these new suprarational individuals, the trio closed in from all multifarious directions, and knowing the identity of the one who had orchestrated this, Roy’s throat roared the name out.

What had made his throat quake was not rage. It was delight. Throbbing lively, his heart’s thrumming pulsations would not cease.

Entrusting himself to those thrumming pulsations, Roy re-aimed the spears of three attributes from their initial targets, bringing them crashing into one another; by way of the blast and vapor generated, Ram and the others would inevitably be forced to reposition――,

Roy: [――Wha…]

Ram: [Did you think we would Teleport to avoid sustaining injuries?]

With his line of sight obscured, the scorching vapor, which ought to have coerced a Teleport via the Authority of Tristitia, was rent asunder through pure strength, and from the other side came flying the proprietor of pale crimson eyes.

Plunging head-first into the inescapable scalding heat, she had caught Roy off guard, the latter having erased the possibility that they might deliberately choose to sustain injury from his head. Forthwith, born was the option for Roy to take the initiative, employing the Teleport of the Leaper to forcibly reset things to square one. ――However,

Roy: [――THE- GREATEST-!]

The instant he recognized his opponent’s brilliance, Roy Alphard’s Bizarre Eating awakened.

With an outcry of jubilation screeching through his mind, Roy’s brain sparkled with branches of countless choices.

Flinging the doors open on the plentiful treasure house of Memories, he sought that which sparkled amidst the countless miscellaneous treasures tossed aside, the articles what had been lying dormant, impatiently awaiting the chance to raise their first cries and rise to the stage at last.

――At present, the foremost point of focus was the truth of the hospitality that had rendered Eclipsing a failure.

Roy: [――――]

Having reached his hand out towards his opponent in an attempt to eat their Memories, Roy’s Eclipsing towards Ram had failed.

But, she was unmistakably Ram. That was evident from the freshly devoured Memories; the originator of the Memories called her by the name Ram, and those in the environs beyond that also called her Ram, if anything, even her own first person pronoun was Ram; she was Ram through and through.

Regardless, he could not meet the requirements for invoking Eclipsing on the name Ram. In that case, the most probable reason behind the failure of Eclipsing was――,

Roy: [――An alteration, of the true name-.] [1]

Required for Eclipsing, were the provisions to plunder the target from the name registry of souls managed by Od Lagna. Hence, the target’s name would need to match exactly what Od Lagna had recorded it to be.

In most cases, it was the vow averred during the naming ritual at the time of one’s birth―― the moment those prayers arrived, the true name would be recorded in the vast empty mind benamed Od Lagna.

Primarily, once the true name was defined, it would not be altered, regardless of however an individual might opt to acknowledge themself. The alterations which Od Lagna did recognize, one of those few exceptions――,

Roy: [――Ram Mathers.]

Ram: [――Hk.]

Piercing through the vapor, as Ram attempted to have her blow connect, Roy forestalled by touching her.

The predominant reason for alterations of the true name were those brought about by Marriage. ――In addition, Ram had compelled Meili to refer to her as “Madam”. Even from just the Memories, there laid no room for doubt pertaining to whom Ram harbored affection.

Fostering conviction, Roy invoked Eclipsing upon the soul of Ram―― no, upon Ram Mathers; her pale crimson eyes dilated wide as he sought to devour her Memories, to understand her through and through, not sparing a single portion,

Roy: [Let’s ea―― blergh.]

In that instant, Roy split his eyes wide open at the sensation akin to muck being crammed into his open mouth.

That was the proof of Eclipsing’s failure, his entire body quaking with a vehement sense of rejection; Roy’s heart, supposed to have graciously received a treat, now tore apart from within, an absurd dubiety governing his mind.

Why, how, understanding, marriage, Ram, true name, doting to her younger sister, awful tastes, the Margrave, earnest, ill-natured, superiority, dependable, merely awful tastes, her nature also ill, marriage, passion――,

Ram: [――Did you peer into Otto’s Memories? Truly a fool.]

Roy: [Ah――?]

Ram: [Did you really think Ram would use this emergency as a pretext to position herself as Roswaal-sama’s spouse? ――If you truly knew Ram, that was a misunderstanding you would never have made.]

As Ram sneered, her lips twisting into a slim smile, Roy understood.

To have herself be called “Madam” was yet another misdirect, a ploy to draw him to a false conclusion exploiting the Memories of someone close―― in truth, Roy had dismissed the low-risk choice of using the Leaper’s technique, opting instead for the high-reward of reaching Ram’s soul with his tongue with the conviction that he would be able to eat her.

A decision he would have never made had he not eaten those Memories, had he not eaten Otto Suwen.

Ram: [For the most part, this is for Otto.]

Ram apprised him so; then, her wind-clad fist, the pigman’s rock-like knuckles, and to top it all off the fiery bone spears clad in blasting burn and the stout arms of a fiendish beast, all impaled Roy Alphard in perfect synchrony.

Translation Notes:

[1] – Used here, as well in as the title of the chapter, is the term 真名, literally meaning true name. However, there is some nuance with this term and how it is used in Japanese society. It is used to describe the written Kanji version of a person’s name, as opposed to rendering that name in hiragana or katakana. This concept is also enforced with the Book of the Dead belonging to Subaru, which displays his Kanji “true” name, 菜月・昴, as opposed to how his name is typically rendered through the story, as ナツキ・スバル. All this to say, this Japanese concept of a true, written name, is given a degree of importance in Re: Zero, what with how names are recorded in Od Lagna, and we may see more of this explored in the story to come.