The Endgame Begins

18 December 423

Pleiades Watchtower?

Is this where… Echidna was planning to go?

Within the darkness within worlds, Pandora mused quietly over this new development. She wasn't completely sure of this new development, but she had been tracking the resurgent witch factor that was strongly imbued in pure greed through the large world as it moved towards Flugel's most precious library. The place where a wealth of answers awaited only those thirsty enough to delve deep into the madness held within it. And… Well, she was slightly upset.

The girl had never thought she would have seen the Witch of Greed genuinely involved to deal with her. Not when she took steps to prevent her plans for Echidna to appear too evident to her. It made her feel slightly worried how the older witch had picked up on this matter as quickly as she did, but Pandora was nonetheless intrigued at what one of the original witches had planned to achieve through this kind of power move.

Echidna was like Flugel, but devoid of morals and humanity. Something that was normally bad in social situations, but was exceptionally good in terms of destroying/conquering/puppeting any form of threats to her survival. Which made her a troublesome opponent if she found the answers she sought in the library.

The amount of knowledge within that place could have easily set Pandora up for a disastrous circumstance if Echidna found what she wanted. She almost scoffed at the irony that one of the weakest threats she had was now growing to become even more troublesome than the little Archbishop currently overthrowing her control over the Witch Cult.

Not like she couldn't steal it back, but the ramification of that development left her perplexed about this not being an ambitious plot from the half-insane apprentice to Flugel. And she had a growing notion that this was sponsored by the very issue she was also debating parallel to Echidna and her plans.

There was a high chance of losing everything if she didn't find a chance to stop this avalanche from hitting and… Pandora had a plan that she knew could have worked at her advantage. If she couldn't win against her, then she would have to lose somewhere else to win the most acceptable scenario.

It was unpleasant, but she knew that she could do very little about the Pleiades Watchtower, some kind of old incantation keeping her from being able to breach into it and thus limiting her means to stop Echidna. Yes, it was horrible, but perhaps convenient. The only way she could actually survive this hassle was to actually surrender to someone else. Someone that Echidna was just treating as a puppet rather than an ally and that, with enough persuasion and concession, would become her best… friend. But how was she supposed to show her genuine willingness to be called her loss?

And how was she supposed to approach John about it? His dreams were protected by that little imp, he lived in the castle and he would seek a fight rather than a conversation since the last instances they met each other in. A sigh left her lips, her hands molding a small orb of nothingness that had bounced off her face. This place of silence was usually 'filled' with ideas, and yet she was currently bored and unable to ponder on a possible solution.

Perhaps she was looking into it too deep. Or maybe she wasn't looking at it from the wrong angle. Right now, she couldn't get close to John due to his whereabouts. But… what if she acted while he was no longer within the safety of his office? If she knew something about Echidna, it was that the Witch of Greed wouldn't leave a pawn like John exposed for any comebacks. He was as much of a threat to Echidna as much she was to Pandora.

So, by that deduction, he should be moving anytime soon now. To reach Echidna's current location so she can watch him closely. And Pandora would be ready to jump at the occasion and get her win. Of course, it wouldn't be a full win but… it mattered as a win if it meant she had a chance to survive through this with her free will and no major limitation. A breath of relief, but it was temporary. She still had to do things before this. Words had weight, but never as much as due actions. Yes, she thought, it was time to clean the table for good and hope for the best.

The Witch Cult had to go.

"This is a sudden request, John. Can you elaborate on it?"

I sighed, scratching the bridge of my nose as I tried to really convey what I could without making a massive panic out of it. Miklotov looked perplexed, and rightfully so as I asked him to fill the role of Prime Minister for a few days due to some intense business that had emerged through an unexpected letter. A letter of Emilia… and Echidna.

I was concerned, rightfully so, but not enough to be prepared for what the 'request' proved to be. The Witch of Greed was getting a bit uppity, but behaving differently compared to the usual. Too crude, too direct- Echidna might be someone that evaluated all kinds of approaches to an issue, but would have never planned to go this far for the sake of drawing my attention.

Taking Emilia as a hostage was somewhat beyond what she would normally do. Not because she lacked the cruelty to plan this out, but because it was too 'expensive' to keep up this kind of act for good. And I could tell that the only reason that was causing her to behave this erratically was based on what she wanted from me.

Her request was simple: I reach Mirula with a small guard group, cross the Augria Sand Dunes with her and the half-elf and then enter the tower. The idea was… stupid. And dangerous. The moment I stepped inside the tower, it meant facing the tests and Shaula. All without Barusu around from the way this letter was formulated.

I was surprised Roswaal had actually approved of this, but I had a growing suspicion within my mind that Echidna had done this while leaving her former apprentice in the dark. If that was the case, then the whole situation was much more important than it first appeared. And my presence here, albeit prone to be endangered as soon as I got in reach of Echidna's manipulations, was necessary to deal with whatever the witch had in mind.

With that in mind, I had to take a rather reluctant step to be away from the capital for a couple of days. The time needed to handle the Watchtower and then get back there alive.

"As of recent times, a situation of utmost importance has reached my attention, and I'm afraid I will be unable to properly deal with my usual work due to the issue at hand."

"And this issue, is it worthy of going through this kind of temporary exchange?" The elder inquired, more curious than annoyed at the matter.

"It's tied to the Pleiades Watchtower. I was 'invited' to investigate it, or else have to handle a missing candidate for the election."

"...And you believe you can handle that kind of journey?" Miklotov pressed, now looking genuinely concerned. "John, I believe you have incredible qualities, but we both know you are no adventurer. That kind of trip, it could end up poorly."

"Which is why it would be for the best to have someone in charge while I'm out. Just to make sure that nothing goes wrong if… well, if the situation turns unpleasant."

"It's a heavy burden you're leaving in my hands. I'm still surprised that you didn't leave the paperwork duty to either little Alice or Beatrice."

I blinked, allowing a sheepish look to appear on my face. "It's mostly because… they are coming with me."

"Oh? And why so?"

"Beatrice heard of the library and wanted to be there, promising a riot if I didn't take her with me," I explained, showing some nervousness in this decision. "While Alice just wanted to be there because of… Well, the one that really put me in this trouble."

"I see, and I suppose you plan to pass through Mirula first," He guessed, smiling as I nodded. "Then you should pack for the weather. It's not like the capital or Erindor as far as I know."

Nodding, I showed him I had written down a list of what we needed for the journey. "I wasn't planning to go there unprepared."

"Hmm, this is truly… unexpected."

"...What?" I was confused by that slow comment, and the old man smiled at me.

"Well, for a moment, I thought that the reason was tied to the fact that lady Barielle had been keeping close to you for the whole day yesterday."

Oh… Oh right.

That response brought me back to the day before, when Priscilla got back from her little 'visit' back home to actually learn how the situation went with her brother and Arakiya. She was instantly delighted to learn that her former friend had missed her a lot. She was so delighted that she decided to be graceful and reward me with her… presence. For a full day up to the early morning of today, the woman was stalking each step I took, forcing me to take precaution in shoving away any plans of the election until she was around.

The last thing I needed was to give her any unplanned preparation for the third and final test. It was going to be quite important and defining for the whole event, so I had to keep it as hidden as possible from the others. Still, beyond some awkward cuddling, the girl didn't try anything suspicious. I could only sight at the whole mess, deciding to roll with it until it was over.

Then I got the letter from 'Emilia', and I knew that the next day was going to be more troubled than the one with Prisca. I could already tell something was off by how quickly and suddenly this escalated, but I knew better than let panic reign in when it came to this kind of circumstances. I wasn't going there unprepared, and I didn't plan to get tricked by the dangerous woman that was Echidna.

"I'm aware of my limits. But I have to go there."

Miklotov gave me a long look, almost testing my resolve through that glance and then… sighed and nodded at my response. "I guess there is no convincing. I hope it's nothing that would seriously compromise your life, Mr. Bukharin. I really don't wish to sit there another decade or two."

The lively rebuttal had me smiling, but I knew that this whole mess wasn't going to be easy. Once last preparations were over, the carriage ride started and… silence reigned for an hour or two. Considering the destination we were going to, the carriage couldn't go at full speed from a certain point onward. The road was filled with sand, and there was a risk of having the wheels of the vehicle damaged by the small obstacles due to friction. I was calmly looking at the ceiling of the enclosed space, with Bea and Alice sitting by my sides, and Majima happily allowing me to scratch her belly when the blonde decided that silence no longer intrigued her.

"Did you tell Fourier of this trip?"

Sharp, direct, and particularly legitimate. "I told him that I was going to be out of the capital for urgent affairs that no one from the elections could take part of."

…

"And what did he say about it?" Alice pressed, noticing that there was something I was holding back from them. Before I could have said anything to either stop the topic at once or try to deflect it with a lie, Majima sighed.

"He said that he knew he was lying," The pup pointed out. "That John was, obviously, withholding something dangerous and that he would have him punished with eternal paperwork in case he didn't make it back home in a single piece."

"That sounds about right, I suppose," Beatrice nodded in agreement, a reaction mirrored by Alice as I quickly found myself stacked against smug girls gloating over this kind of… victory? No, it was more of my loss than anything else.

Fourier knew what was up, but he decided to 'let me be' because he had no power over me when it came to this kind of decisions, but he was keen to remind, beyond the paperwork threat, that he would have taken it upon himself to 'somewhat wander the location I was visiting' if I took too long to solve this mess. And I could tell from the way he promised this that he wasn't planning to back down from it.

Of course he wouldn't, it's Fourier I'm talking about…

Sighing at this small trouble for later, I was about to catch a nap when… the atmosphere changed out of nowhere. In a blink, it wasn't just us four in the carriage as an intruder 'joined' us. A very familiar and unwanted intruder at that. Alice and Beatrice tensed up, with Majima getting off from her nap and glaring angrily at the smiling Pandora currently sitting on the seat on the other side.

"You."

"Me," She smugly rebuked. "And it's a good morning to you too."

"Not as much as I would want."

Not the best situation to come and visit. Not the best situation to be stuck in too. Specifically for Pandora. And me. I had the means to handle her for good… if I managed to get the space of maneuver to achieve that. I was too cramped in my seat to actually move to either conjure the anti-Pandora measure I had for the occasion or to even dodge a sudden attack.

The girl scoffed. "As if it was truly a good one for myself. After all, I just learned that Echidna is plotting something bad."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Why do you think the Witch of Greed would plan to get into the very library no one wanted her to get into? The very place that not only holds answers to life, but also how to deal with someone like me."

My frown deepened. "What?"

"The library is a place of power, one that had been guarded to ward me off for centuries. I was never able to enter it, not with the enchantments preventing my powers to work inside. I was surprised when I was unable to gain access to it, it was one of those rare places I can't reach within this world and… she knows something within it can actually control me."

"Control you? That would be-"

"Impossible? Unattainable? What if the sage just didn't have the 'heart' to do something about it?" The girl argued. "What if he had the means to achieve that, the magic to enforce his will upon mine?"

"It wouldn't still make any sense. The sage and Echidna… they weren't close. She shouldn't know about the means to defeat you, I suppose," Beatrice pushed back at that explanation, bringing up a fair point.

Flugel never trusted Echidna, mostly because he knew of her amoral practices to learn everything about this world.

"That is a correct assumption, but you ignore the fact that Flugel did put all information he had on myself, my creation and growth, in a special section of the library. She might not know about the direct way to control me, but she can formulate it on her own with enough knowledge."

"Still, that would imply she lied to us as she mentioned that she actually wanted the 'truth' to come out," I argued dryly, unwilling to let her keep any secrets about what her true goals were. "Something that the Sage had kept from others but that Emilia was 'rightful' to learn about."

"That's because there are things that both you and that little half-elf should know about. Even that odd human that had been touched by Satella's darkness," Pandora admitted. "But those aren't what really drive her into seeking Pleiades. No, she seeks the knowledge held within it. To sustain her goals, her selfish desires and… I can't allow this."

"And we should trust you? Why?" Majima strongly remarked.

"Because I'm willing to make a contract… with you."

Her finger was aimed at me. "What?"

"A-A contract? Like a spirit or… how?" Alice inquired, clearly uneasy at that development. "You don't fit the normal and natural limits of nature-"

"But I fit well as a magical relative of his."

"That's impossible, I suppose," Beatrice snapped. "For this to happen, you would need John to recognize you as family, or else another member of his family."

"And that's not possible," I added, closing on the chances of the second option being the one to apply. But Pandora smiled smugly, as if I had said something wrong. "I know for a thing that I'm the only Bukharin in this realm."

"You are… now."

...What?

"What's that supposed to be?"

"The truth is being held in the library. Or maybe the guardian should know more, I know for a thing that she was closer to the truth, second only to me."

"So, you know of a… relative of John that once lived in this world?"

"That would be correct, but I am willing to let you learn the truth at one condition."

"Which is?" I pressed and she grinned.

"I want you to protect me from others. I'm not exactly remembered fondly by that little elf Echidna is dragging around."

"You will pay for your crimes-"

"In due time, and under your supervision. I know for a thing you are not someone that favors vigilantism when it comes to justice," Pandora hummed. "At the same time, I'm also willing to relinquish my power over the Witch Cult and… to forfeit my capacity to harm others that don't deserve pain."

…

"What are you doing?"

"I'm doing what you wouldn't expect because it would be too easy to hope for it," The Witch of Vainglory answered honestly. "I'm capitulating to you, and I'm trusting myself to you as a prisoner."

"T-That's absurd. Why would you-"

"Give up? I'm not. I'm just deciding to make this what it really is," Pandora interjected, interrupting Alice. "You planned to eventually come here, John. You knew something waited for you there. That this was the grand finale to the maddening crescendo we are all part of now. A rise into the explosive end of this tale… so the rest can go on."

"Is this really that big?"

"It is! Because I want to be there when that door opens," Pandora replied earnestly, her smile returning but appearing… lighter. "I want to be there, when the impostor is finally revealed for what he really is."

Her words struck me odd but, at the same time, I could tell she wasn't lying. An impostor? I thought back at what the Witch of Envy had said. When she brought up the existence of an individual that wasn't mentioned in the papers. A liar, a traitor, a malicious element that caused the split Satella's personality and created this whole mess through the ramifications of this situation.

"But why me? Why do you feel so invested in tying your life to mine? What did I-"

"You will learn. Soon," She interrupted sharply, her smile didn't falter. "And soon things will be whole again."

That ominous promise left me uneasy. Not a good feeling to have when I have to make a choice as big as this one. Yet, I could tell there wasn't much to do. This was a chance to… prevent the worst scenario. I couldn't take the lesser evil, so I decided to take the worst only for the sake of preventing all evil from happening at all.

Hopefully, I wouldn't come to regret this decision as we reached Mirulia.

Ram would have never expected to be set in this kind of situation.

Despite her best efforts to not leave herself exposed to any tricks from the dangerous witch she was looking over, things turned bad on her. Echidna had proved the pinkette that she wasn't as capable as she thought when it came to someone like the Witch of Greed. She ended up being spotted while eavesdropping, confused as she heard Emilia speaking with Omega with neither Garfield nor Frederica around to monitor the situation.

The chains used to tie her were magically-reinforced, and the tightness made it impossible for her to break free without assistance. It's been hours since she had been left in that situation. Echidna had enacted her plan and managed to stop her while using Emilia to get out of the manor and reach out for this desolate desert.

A growing pit of fear kept on festering within her chest, with Ram knowing that she was there only as an expendable hostage. She was soon to be slain if the situation didn't turn positively on her in the matter of a few hours. Locked in a small space of the carriage where luggage was usually put, her saving grace was that she managed to create a small hole with magic. Not much to push herself out from, but enough to give her room to breathe.

Despite having secured her survival for now, things just got worse and worse when they ultimately reached this arid section of the kingdom. She had a feeling that Echidna aimed at the only place she never had a chance to breach, the Pleiades Watchtower.

A place that Roswaal had aimed for too, but ignored for the sake of 'taking it' with his former teacher. A pity that her foolish host was unable to perceive the ambitions of the supposedly 'senile' Witch.

Echidna was a master at wearing masks, and it didn't feel as surprising as it should have been when it was clear how Roswaal had ignored all blatant signs of distrust from her. In a sense, she was relieved. Better her than Rem. Better her than Frederica. Ram was fully aware of what she was facing, and she knew it was best that it was neither her sister or the blonde to be stuck in this horrible situation.

Once they arrived, there was a long pause. Both Emilia and the little witch wandered to the nearby buildings, possibly setting their living quarters up before actually focusing on her. She knew that the young woman she served would have never dared to harm her, but something convinced her to go through this insane plan.

Something tied to the 'truth', or something that Emilia perceived as necessary to unravel by reaching the Watchtower. Could it be that Roswaal lied to her about something just like he did with Rem and Ram? The notion made sense within the pinkette's mind, and she knew that she would have to play a very cautious game if she wanted to survive. Emilia wouldn't dare to kill her, but Echidna could persuade her to 'remove any trouble' in case she tried to call for help.

Her breath grew quieter when she heard footsteps approaching. A single individual, he was approaching the carriage and right towards… the place where she was being kept. Could it be it? Could it be the moment she had to steel her resolve to survive this unexpected trouble? Just as she prayed for it to be quick and painless, her gaze froze as she suddenly had her sight on the individual that had come to look at her. Ram blinked, a few tears crawling off her cheeks as she couldn't believe it.

She just couldn't.

"J-John?"

The young man looked worried, but didn't say a word just yet, carefully breaking the chains and helping her out from the spot she had been left in. The pinkette wanted to struggle a bit, upset by that sudden manhandling, but Ram realized that the reason why she was getting pulled like a doll was because her arms and legs had fallen asleep due to how long she had been stuck in that position. Plus, her joints felt in pain due to the chains. Something that further limited her capacity to move.

She was slowly carried back inside, and a sense of worry swelled at the thought that Echidna had said something to bring the Prime Minister to join side with her… but the young man was quick to let her find a comfy seat on a soft pillow before offering some much needed water and some food. Ram almost forgot of her hunger due to the worry, surprising herself with how voracious she felt as the first hint of bread caressed her lips. Almost like a beast, but one that knew some self-control to not be too… crass about it. Still, she blushed strongly at the embarrassing display she gave due to her needs.

Still, her unease was put aside for a legitimate concern.

"E-Echidna-"

"Is being properly bullied," The Prime Minister calmly pointed out. Something that confused the maid, but soon she was given the chance to see what he meant and… she felt slightly vindicated. To be fair, this was definitely one of the funniest ways to take revenge on the cunning woman, with the little pest turned upside down with some 'reality-warping magic' and tilted left and right like a pendulum would. Unrestrained foul words erupted from the red-faced Omega, clearly upset by the twist while an eerily familiar silver-haired girl with blue eyes.

She wasn't exactly sure what was going on but… Echidna was suffering, and she wasn't being stuffed in some gods-forsaken carriage's luggage storage section. Despite her relief in not being no longer in danger, she could tell that something was off about this rescue operation. Such as why John wasn't planning a route to get back to the capital and why he looked ready to venture further into this region of the country quite soon.

"I'm thankful for your… your help. I mean it. But… I have a question," Ram found it difficult to formulate proper sentences without appearing like a fool at the moment. Mostly because of the previous conditions she had been stuck to. Her throat was still sore from that sudden change of heat, something that was definitely going to force her to switch outfits to better match the current environment to avoid a heat stroke or two. "W-Why are you here? How did you get there this soon?"

John sighed, looking a bit sheepish in the process. "Let's just say that Echidna tried to blackmail me by telling me she had you and Emilia as her 'associates' for this trip and that I had to 'join or else something bad happened.'"

"Oh."

So, Echidna was really planning to kill her. Eventually. Now that scene of her being pulled left and right as a pendulum… made her feel even better. Jokes aside, the concern was now elsewhere, such as why they were still there.

"It's a bit… complicated. Mostly tied to Emilia and the girl she is rightfully glaring at the moment."

"I don't understand. Is it important to… seek the Pleiades Watchtower now more than before."

The nervous look on John's face, coupled with the air of seriousness around the two already suggested as much.

"There is something we wish to learn about. It could be really important. It's… some truth, or something like that.

Again, the truth- What is this truth? And why did it tie John Bukharin with Lady Emilia? What was Ram missing at this point?

And as the pinkette struggled to grasp the overall situation, the fact she was stuck in Miluria for the time being and through the notion that she wanted to carried around by her savior once again for the seeking of feeling herself cuddling on his chest, somewhere else, someone that had been feeling particularly lonely, prepared for the greatest welcoming party ever.

After all, it was a long overdue event.

The entrance of the Watchtower, once bathed by the purest form of permanent silence, was stormed by the sound of giggles as the sole occupant of the lower floors started to dart back and forth as she knew today was the day.

Sadly, it wasn't the day her master came back, but the one where he was finally going to come here, the one she had been asked to keep an eye on by that nice guy. She thought back about the times she had made that promise, when Shaula was so deprived of interactions and then there was this individual that changed her in a way that could now describe how she behaved towards others.

That same person would sneak food to her when her master seemed to forget to get her something to eat, tell her nice things when she felt she was worth wavering before the cold and objective gaze of the Sage, and then put a smile on her face by being there for her. It wasn't 'romantic love', but she considered it much more. Much more than anything a normal human could understand and- and it was going to be glorious. Today was going to be a glorious day.

Shaula wasn't generally one that liked people that weren't her master. But this one? She owed him her soul. Her master deserved her full devotion, but her thankfulness for having feelings stemmed more from the one that decided to be 'naughty' and talk to her. It started with a 'hello' and then developed from that point onward. Ah, her steps felt lighter than usual- what a cheerful day~!

She was almost skipping around, a smile beaming from her face as she knew she had to get everything ready. He was about to arrive, and his arrival was going to bring a positive change for her and the watchtower. Just like the other John did, except this one was… well, not him. It was a bit odd to try and prepare something for an old friend, when in reality she was greeting 'someone else'. It felt odd, and yet right. There was no way in heaven or hell that this John was different from that kind and caring man that had almost taken it upon himself to dote on her. To treat her like part of the family.

Just thinking of that had Shaula shivering in delight. Would he do the same? This other John? Or would he be a little more difficult to coax into being friendly. She could feel his magical pattern nearby, they were going to approach the watchtower soon and… Shaula could tell he was a nice person from his energy. The girl was almost vibing as she hummed contently at the end result of her hard work.

It wasn't the best, but it was far from the worst… and she somehow managed to make a cake. She found some stored ingredients for the occasion, something that made her question if her master actually left around better food than what she had been eating in the last few centuries… Still, it didn't matter.

Little John was about to arrive and she had a few more things to do. Like checking if the senile dragon in Mala hadn't gotten too giddy at feeling the familiar energy pattern approaching.