The matter of Beatrice's contract also infuriated Natsuki Subaru, who naturally chose to refuse the contract.
Just then, the last Witch appeared.
The Witch of Envy, Satella, the existence that had always puzzled him!
However, this Witch of Envy differed from the yandere image he had envisioned.
"You must cherish yourself more."
"Didn't you grant me the ability of Return by Death?"
"I love you, so please love and protect yourself too."
"If cherishing myself means abandoning this method, then what do I have left?!"
These words were truly difficult for Natsuki Subaru to accept.
After all, he had been striving so hard until now!
If it was as Satella said, that Return by Death was only given to protect him, and that all the pain and suffering he endured was self-inflicted, a complete misunderstanding on his part.
This realization nearly shattered his resolve.
"Is that really how it is? The Return by Death granted by the Witch of Envy was merely because she didn't want Natsuki Subaru to die? I used to think her constant 'I love you' was just a kind of bitter resentment for something unobtainable..."
Yamada Elf looked very surprised.
"Could it be that this time, I'm the only one who figured it out again?"
She looked at the others.
"I don't know... Nayuta and Muramasa should be able to tell, right?"
Sagiri pondered for a moment.
"Before this part of the story appeared, even I couldn't guess that the story would be set up this way, Sagiri. I don't have the ability to predict the future."
Kani Nayuta shrugged.
"Stories have Veins, plots have direction... But even the most brilliant reader cannot fully fathom the creator's own thoughts, otherwise, it would be too boring."
Senju Muramasa said so.
"Hmph, it seems everyone is the same this time."
Yamada Elf looked at their reactions, a hint of smugness appearing on her face.
"There's nothing to be proud of, is there?"
He asked, puzzled.
"You just don't understand, Chihiro! This is a woman's pride!"
Yamada Elf ran her fingers through her golden hair, her expression inexplicably proud.
They paused, then turned back to continue reading.
As everyone expected.
In the end, Natsuki Subaru reaffirmed himself, achieved'salvation', once again refused Echidna's invitation, and received a hint for the Strategy from her.
"...And then, one day, you must come and kill me."
The Witch of Envy's final message was truly profound.
After bidding farewell to the Witches, Natsuki Subaru was to re-challenge the cruel choice set by Roswaal.
Making Emilia recall her past memories, this was what he believed to be the key to overcoming the trial.
With Puck's help, this condition was met.
Next was the real focus...
"Let's have a good talk, Emiliatan."
Natsuki Subaru sat with a smile before the half-elf girl who needed gentle care.
...
In this volume, the pace of the story was not fast; the main highlights were undoubtedly the Witch's Tea Party, where all the Witches made an appearance.
Of course, the most memorable were the Witch of Greed, Echidna, and the Witch of Envy, Satella, whose role was not extensive but very crucial.
One was Natsuki Subaru's and the readers' 'mentor', while the other was the giver of the golden finger. Especially the latter's mystery and her identical appearance to Emilia sparked much imagination.
["Finally, all the Witches have appeared! The Witches are too cute! The Witch of Envy is also different from what I imagined."]
["The Witch of Greed is indeed up to no good. Good thing I felt something was off before and didn't'stan' this character."]
["Now Echidna's character has finally collapsed."]
["Aren't bad women even better? The more despicable, the better!"]
["I didn't expect the meaning behind the Witch of Envy granting Return by Death to be so simple... Before, Natsuki Subaru's constant suffering made me subconsciously think it was a form of torture, but it's not. The protagonist has the right to choose, he just walked a path of Shura Road."]
["The Witch of Envy's state is clearly different from before, doesn't everyone find that strange? And it's very clear, the Witch of Envy and Emilia look exactly alike, no replacement occurred!"]
["One day, come and kill me... The relationship between Satella and Natsuki Subaru, the Old Thief is digging a huge pit here."]
["In the end, after all the twists and turns, it's still about taking care of Emilia first, truly the treatment of a female lead."]
...
"Do you understand the true meaning of Return by Death?"
Shiina Mafuyu took a sip of cola, then typed these words as a title.
After finishing Volume 11, according to fans' expectations, she began writing her review for this volume. After thinking for a while, she grasped this key point.
"Hello everyone, it's another day for a review. The following thoughts are my personal insights. If you disagree, then disagree. *hands-on-hips.jpg*..."
Starting with a playful disclaimer, she presented her thoughts.
"Return by Death, an ability Natsuki Subaru both loves and hates. Because of it, Natsuki Subaru can save those he cherishes, and because of it, he inevitably endures countless times the pain... But this is not an inevitability; it's only because of Izumi's design that we have this illusion. Imagine, if Natsuki Subaru could avoid interfering in dangerous matters, wouldn't he be able to avoid that suffering? Of course, as the protagonist, this is only a possibility; this route cannot exist, unless it's an 'if' route, if the author has that idea."
"But this volume's revelation, the Witch of Envy Satella's attitude, shattered the 'prejudice' Natsuki Subaru had formed. This is not a curse of love, but a true 'love' that wishes him no harm and hopes he can live better. When he realized this, Natsuki Subaru was completely unable to accept his 'misunderstanding,' which led to his breakdown..."
"Therefore, the true meaning of Return by Death is a form of love, not wanting the beloved to be hurt, hoping the beloved can live better, a simple and beautiful wish."
Below were fan comments.
["Before, I thought Natsuki Subaru was forced into a mental breakdown, wanting to escape…"]
["It really is like that. The Old Thief's previous writings, from a habitual perspective, made the invincible power of Return by Death seem like a 'curse'."]
["Actually, it's no different from a curse. After all, Natsuki Subaru's strength hasn't fundamentally improved, so if he wants to participate in the plot, he will… Ah, no, this line of thinking feels like a loop."]
["Speaking of which, when will the IF routes be available? Does Mafuyu-chan have any inside information? Try a honey trap!"]
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That's all the chapters I could find in the raw. The author has put the book on hiatus for now. If it gets updated in the future, I'll add the new chapters. That's it for now.