a being of consciousness alone. There was nobody there to observe him, to interact with him, or to define him. And he had no methods at his disposal to confirm his own sensations. It was hard to prove the existence of the self with nothing but consciousness in this space devoid of touch, sight, hearing, and meaning. But even in this cruel world, Kaito didn't hesitate. He just kept walking in search of an exit without a word. He went farther and farther and deeper and deeper into the darkness. Then Kaito stopped in his tracks. He could hear a voice singing a beautiful song. The voice responsible for the gentle tune was one he knew well. That song... In truth, Kaito had never heard one of those before. After all, his mother had passed before he was old enough to remember her. But he knew that gentle melody couldn't have been anything else. That's... It was a lullaby. He was sure of it. Kaito followed the source of the song. As he drew closer to the soft voice, the space around him shifted and changed. White light began mingling with the black of the darkness, and the space's empty gloom began taking on definite forms. Eventually, his field of vision had cleared up completely. Before he'd noticed, he'd arrived in a child's bedroom. ...I recognize this room. That was the first thought that crossed his mind as he looked around the room. The rectangular walls were covered with wallpaper adorned with a dull yellow floral design, and beside the window were cute confectionary-like plaster sculptures. The furniture was all white, and atop a beautiful chest of drawers with metal handles sat a group of dolls and stuffed animals. There was a four-poster bed, too, with pearl-gray sheets and a heavy mattress no doubt stuffed with down. And sitting on the bed was a young girl atop a pile of blankets. She was beautiful, but her complexion was marred by the effects of an aggressive illness. The way her long black hair was knotted and robbed of its luster was painful to look at. Her features were so fine they looked almost inhuman, but her skin was pale and her lips were cracked and caked with blood. In spite of all that, though, her expression was strangely calm. Although it was tinged with death's black shadow, she wore a lonely yet serene smile on her face. Her chest damp and reddened with blood, she wove her song. "...Elisabeth." "Marianne taught me this song, see?" A young voice rang out. Kaito, not having expected a response, swallowed sharply. At some point, she'd turned to look at him. He could make out his reflection in her large eyes. He was about to call out to her, to the young Elisabeth, but he stopped himself. When she said Marianne's name, there was genuine affection in her voice. Marianne had gone mad because of Elisabeth, and Kaito himself had killed her. If it had been the normal Elisabeth saying her name, her voice would have been filled with nostalgia as well as deep regret and a tinge of disgust. The Elisabeth in front of him probably didn't know anything about what had happened. Having realized that, Kaito decided to give a gentle, quiet nod. "Yeah, it's a nice song and a gentle one... A lullaby." "Isn't it? You know, Marianne will sing it for me whenever I ask!" The young Elisabeth puffed up her chest with pride. But the next moment, she violently balled herself up like she'd been struck by an arrow. Clutching her chest with her small hands, Elisabeth began coughing with such intensity it seemed she would vomit up her intestines. "Hic... Hic... Cough, cough... Hack, hack, hackâ€”" "Elisabeth, are you okay?!" Panicking, Kaito rushed over to her side. As she trembled in pain, he gently stroked her frail back. The anguish she was in was heart-wrenching. Kaito bitterly lamented that he couldn't do more for her. Eventually, Elisabeth settled down. She wiped the blood off her lips, then peered up. With tears welling in her innocent eyes, she looked at Kaito. "Thank you, I'm okay now... But, huh? Who are you, mister?" "I'm..." "I should be the only one in this room... Where in the world did you come from?" Kaito was at a loss for how to respond. He had no idea what kind of answer he should give. As the servant of the Torture Princess, he could give no true answer that wouldn't hurt her. No matter what he told her, it would indubitably cause her pain. I don't know if her young heart can handle how cruel the truth is. The explanation Kaito eventually settled on was vague but true nonetheless. "I'm on your side." "My side?" "Yeah. No matter what happens, I'll always be on your side." Kaito made his firm declaration. The young Elisabeth blinked repeatedly and tilted her head to the side in confusion. But it looked like he'd been able to convey his friendliness, if nothing else. After a moment, Elisabeth gave him a meek smile. "Oh. I guess you are." "Yeah, I am." "Say, mister. Do you want to hear me sing some more?" "...Yeah, that'd be nice." "Then how about I sing for you!" Her voice full of vitality, Elisabeth resumed her song. Kaito listened silently to the gentle melody. The time passed by calmly. It was like they were playing house. But suddenly, the low roar of a beast rang out and shattered that peace. Kaito looked up with a start. Somewhere far beyond the window, a hound was baying, as though it were calling for someone. Upon hearing the rumbling voice, Elisabeth trembled. Terrified, she clung tightly to Kaito. "Make it stop... I'm scared..." "Elisabeth." "Everything out there is so scary. No, no more... I'm not going out there anymore." Her words had a sincere ring to them. The moment he heard them, Kaito realized something. Elisabeth was sick when she was young, so she shouldn't have had many opportunities to leave the castle. If that was the case, then which Elisabeth did those words belong to? There was a certain fact that Kaito had long since been aware of. Elisabeth had been swallowed up by the mental attack at the same time Kaito had been. This was her world. After walking through the space that the demon had created, he'd arrived at a place formed from her childhood memories. The words coming out of her mouth belonged not just to the young Elisabeth but her present-day self, as well. The young Elisabeth shook her head over and over, and tears welled up in her large eyes as she spoke. "I'm done with it... Everything out there is painful and scary... And nobody out there likes me. They all hate me so, so much." "...Do they?" "They do! Everyone would have been better off... Marianne would have been better off...if I'd just stayed in here and died. If I'd just done that, then the Torture Princess would never have been born." As she went on, the tone of her voice lost its youthfulness. When she murmured next, her tone was steeped in despair. "None of those innocent people would have died." The present-day Elisabeth was stubborn. She would probably never have given voice to those words. The young Elisabeth reached out a trembling hand. With it, she grabbed tight onto the hem of Kaito's shirt. "Mister, you're on my side, right?" "...Yeah, I am." "Can you stay here with me forever, then?" Kaito hadn't expected that. His eyes went wide, and he stared directly at her. Elisabeth slowly closed her eyes. Then the girl who'd lost both her parents, driven her tutor mad, killed her people, and been abandoned by all of creation whispered. *** "It's lonely, being alone." In the next moment, Kaito hugged her tight. The young Elisabeth gave a small gasp. Kaito squeezed her body with all his strength. It was probably hurting her, but she just wordlessly went limp. As he held her warm, frail body tightly enough to shield her from all the world's hardships, Kaito whispered back. "You know, I have someone I admire." "Someone...you admire?" "Yeah. She's really strong and really scary and a terrible sinner. The people hate her, they loathe her, and they tell her to die." "...I think the world would be better off without people like her." "But you see, she saved me." There was great conviction behind his words. The young Elisabeth probably didn't remember summoning him. Even so, her body quivered. Obediently remaining in Kaito's embrace, she whispered in a timid voice. "...Mister?" "People say that she's like a demon, but I've seen her smile, I've seen the way she lives more nobly than anyone else, and I've seen the way she continues fighting her harsh battles. To me, she's a hero." The young Elisabeth stirred slightly. Relaxing the strength in his arms, Kaito gazed at her face. The young Elisabeth and the present-day Elisabeth were the same yet different. The girl didn't seem to know who he was talking about, as she wore a quizzical expression on her face. In spite of that, Kaito smiled at her and continued gently speaking. "I like her a whole lot. I would do anything for her sake." "Really?" "Yeah. I promised my lover that we'd live together. But she understands that if I didn't cherish this person, then I wouldn't be myself... For that person's sake, I could do or become anything. I've never told her in person, but she's really, really important to me." Abruptly, he placed his hands on the young Elisabeth's shoulders. Then he gently pried her away from himself. After that, he quietly closed his eyes. He could hear a dog's howling from far in the distance. The first-class hound was calling for its master. When he opened his eyes, they were filled with determination. With no hesitation, he told the young Elisabeth what he needed to tell her. "That's why I can't stay by your side. I've gotta go." "Why? Why are you leaving me?!" The young Elisabeth screamed, unable to understand. She clung to his arm, as though begging him not to go. But Kaito just gently shook off her small hands and silently turned his back to the young girl. Then he made to stand up from the bed. As he did, an adult-sized hand grabbed the hem of his shirt. "Why, Kaito?!" "Because I love you. That's why I can't stay here." Without a shred of indecision, hesitation, or bashfulness, he made his declaration. At some point, his clothes had transformed from the shirt caked in blood and sweat to his military uniformâ€“like outfit. Obstinately refusing to turn around, Kaito continued his declaration to Elisabeth. "If you want to stay here, so be it. I'm not gonna stop you. And I won't let anyone else complain about your choice, either. If you don't want to fight anymore, then that's fine, too. You've done more than enough. I can just go in your place." "What...are...?" "I'll kill the King and Grand Monarch and save the capital. Until I kill the King and the dream endsâ€”actually, y'know, if you don't break out of it, it might just keep on going. If you think that'll make you happier, then go for it. Good-bye, Elisabeth." And with that tender murmur, Kaito walked forward. As he went, the strength in the fingers clutching his clothes gradually weakened. Then Elisabeth let go of him. As he strode along into the darkness, he continued. "Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu, noble wolf and lowly sowâ€”even if every single other person scorns you, I will hold you in higher esteem than anyone else in the world." With that profession as his parting note, Kaito made to leave the room. However, just as he was about to open the door, a sound rang out. The hard, resolute sound of heels