Reunions are, undeniably, joyful occasions.
Even if only a day had passed, the joy was palpable upon seeing this Great Witch again. But was this joy truly what Suke felt in reality?
Suke scanned his surroundings. He remembered clearly that this space was originally the consciousness space created by the [Witch of Greed], Echidna. She had stored her own soul and those of the other five Witches of Sin here, observing the Sanctuary while awaiting her opportunity.
In the original Sanctuary Arc of Re:Zero, Natsuki Subaru had stepped into this virtual space countless times to receive hints and guidance from Echidna. But now, for some reason, this space had solidified.
Suke bent down to touch the grass and trees bathing in the abundant sunlight. Thinking about it, Echidna shouldn't have the capability to pull his soul into this space. Especially since Abigail was also by his side.
Suke did not immediately respond to the Great Witch's invitation. He simply stared at her—stared at the woman he was incredibly familiar with—as if trying to discern something from her appearance.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Won't you come and rest a while, Animus?"
"It must have been hard for you to travel all this way. You really expended quite a bit of effort to find this little one."
Unconcerned by Suke's gaze, the Great Witch took a sip of clear tea. She poked the Junimo, Chili, who was sitting on the round table with her finger. The [Phoenix Ring] worn on her left ring finger—the one he had personally put on her—was clearly displayed. That was a ring Tsukishiro Yuki would absolutely never give to another person.
It seemed she wanted to prove to him that all the worries in the bottom of his heart were merely unfounded hallucinations.
"Starfruit, chirp, Starfruit!"
(Farmer, I confirmed it, that is indeed Chili!)
The reply from Starfruit in his arms came after Suke had quietly conversed with it just a moment ago.
"Starfruit!"
(Starfruit doesn't sense any malice. It is safe for the Farmer here; the Farmer can rest assured!)
The Junimo, born with an incomparable sensitivity to malice, delivered a verdict for Suke. Under normal circumstances, this would undoubtedly be a pill of reassurance. But right now, for some reason, he just couldn't swallow this reassurance.
"Sister Yuki, you really made Abi and Big Brother search hard~"
"You completed your objective without making a sound; why didn't you tell me and Big Brother? You made us waste quite a bit of effort for nothing."
Abigail stole a glance at Suke, who seemed to be in a trance, before moving first to the chairs by the round tea table and choosing one to sit on.
Pandora also sat down following Abigail. She took a deep look at the Great Witch Tsukishiro Yuki in her memory, smiled slightly and shook her head, then fell silent.
"Hehe, I just wanted to prepare a surprise for you all."
"Since you're here, sit down. Why are you standing there alone, Animus?"
"Could it be... you're angry with me?"
The Great Witch put on an aggrieved expression:
"Blaming me for not replying to messages in time?"
"I was truly busy over here. You saw it too; manifesting this space into reality took me quite a lot of effort."
"So, Animus, don't blame me, okay? We have plenty of time ahead to slowly..."
"Stop."
Interrupting the Great Witch's attempt to act coquettishly, Suke walked to the tea table but did not choose a chair. Instead, he stopped directly in front of the Great Witch.
Suke's figure was very tall, blocking the sunlight spilling down from the horizon. The Great Witch's figure was already short, and sitting in the chair made her appear even more petite, completely enveloping her in the shadow of the man's body.
"Animus...?"
"Ugh!"
The Great Witch feigned a look of confusion, but before she could question him, her shoulders were pinned down simultaneously by Suke! Although Suke had controlled his strength to the utmost, it still elicited a soft cry of pain from the Great Witch.
Suke lowered his head, bringing his face close to the Great Witch's, his burning gaze staring straight at her cheeks. They had done similar things countless times; the details of each other's features were etched incredibly clearly in their hearts.
"What are you doing, Animus?"
Impossible to mistake. Impossible to be wrong.
Although the Great Witch still did not shy away from his gaze in the slightest, Suke sharply captured a trace of nervousness that flashed past the depths of her eyes. That was not the nervousness of a shy maiden.
"Did you miss me too much? We've only been apart for a day, you know."
"It's okay. We have plenty of time to be affectionate later..."
Perhaps feeling that remaining on the defensive was contrary to her persona, the Great Witch took the opportunity to extend her hands and embrace Suke's head, pulling him into her bosom to let him carefully feel the temperature and scent that hadn't changed a bit.
She gently stroked his head, teasing his hair with her slender fingers encased in black silk fingertips, doting on him like a mother, just as always.
It was Tsukishiro Yuki.
Suke inhaled the girl's fragrance, familiar to him as hidden plums in snow. It was indeed Tsukishiro Yuki, if judging solely by the body. If only her performance from just now until this moment had been just a sliver more perfect.
"Who are you?"
Suke spoke into "Tsukishiro Yuki's" ear in a voice everyone could hear.
This caused Abigail, who was feeling a bit unhappy watching Suke and the Great Witch being lovey-dovey, to raise an eyebrow. It also deepened the smile of Pandora, who was quietly observing this scene.
"Animus?"
"What do you mean by that? I am Yuki, your Little Yuki..."
"I don't want to ask the same question a second time. Don't think that just because you're using her body, I have no way to deal with you!"
Suke abruptly lifted "Tsukishiro Yuki's" petite body into the air. The girl wanted to struggle, but found that the embrace of this man dressed as a farmer was far more powerful than she had imagined!
"Animus, it hurts, you're hurting me..."
"Put me down, okay?"
"Tsukishiro Yuki," with her hands and waist locked by Suke's arms, teared up. That pitiful, aggrieved appearance was enough to melt anyone's mind. Especially for Suke.
It seemed she still harbored a shred of luck in her heart.
"Huu..." Suke closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He dared not look at this appearance of "Tsukishiro Yuki," fearing that if he looked a few more times, he really wouldn't be able to bring himself to be harsh. But Suke also reached a conclusion because of this: regardless of who was inside Tsukishiro Yuki's body, the other party definitely had Tsukishiro Yuki's authorization. That was why they knew him so well.
"Speak. Who are you?"
"I will tentatively consider you a friend of Little Yuki. As long as you say it, I won't hurt you."
"But if you stubbornly refuse to admit it and continue to wear Little Yuki's face to spin tall tales with me, don't blame me for being ruthless later!"
Adjusting his mindset, this was the first time in over a hundred years that Suke had spoken so harshly to her—even if it was just a fake wearing her body.
"Tsukishiro Yuki" under the shadow of the sun hat remained silent for a long time.
"Was even this guessed? I (boku) had thought my acting was quite perfect."
"The pressure is truly immense, though. You look like an honest farmer who could be deceived with just a few words; I didn't expect you to be so difficult to get along with."
"Put me down first, Mr. Outsider. You should also be able to see that I hold no malice toward you."
Then she gave a relieved smile, as if she finally didn't have to bear the responsibility anymore, and restored her original tone. Hearing this tone, a deduction immediately formed in Suke's mind.
"Allow me to introduce myself first. I am the [Witch of Greed], Echidna. Entrusted by someone, I have tentatively borrowed her body."
"Vainglory over there, if you meet the Great Witch later, you must testify for me that this gentleman saw through it himself; it wasn't that I failed the trust placed in me."
"Of course."
Pandora nodded. Hidden within her slightly narrowed eyes was a sense of lament, as if she had just appreciated a wonderful play.
"Ask whatever questions you wish to ask, Mr. Outsider."
As the voice of "Tsukishiro Yuki"—or rather, Echidna—fell, the souls of the five other Witches of Sin flew out from the gem on her chest and took their seats around the tea table one after another.
"This is what was agreed upon between the Great Witch and us. When you saw through the role I was playing, we would tell you her whereabouts in full."
"Including the fate of us 'Witches,' and the karma that must be transcended."
"What is Little Yuki doing...!"
Suke frowned, clearly left half-understanding and unsettled by this scene.
It had been so long; why was she still this type of personality that liked to keep things bottled up inside? Even if there were difficulties, what difficulties were there that they couldn't overcome together? Moreover, with his current abilities, what matter could put even him in danger? To the point she was unwilling to take him along to face it?
Couldn't they just infinitely respawn in Stardew Val... Wait.
Wait...
A sudden existence popped into Suke's mind. It was the existence in the Deep Sea Cyber Paradise that had lulled him into a peaceful sleep—an existence that would have kept him sleeping eternally had BB not borrowed the status of Nyarlathotep to forcibly wake him.
Eternal sleep does not equal death, yet it is also a return to silence.
Could it be that Little Yuki she...
[Farmhand 3 · Tsukishiro Yuki [Deceased]]
[The Farmhand has resurrected in the bound Cabin within Stardew Valley. The Farmer is advised to check the status of dropped items. If important items are lost, please visit the Adventurer's Guild in the Mines to recover them.]
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