Emilia came out soon after.
"So… how do I look? Is anything off?"
Hayashi Maki looked at the silver-haired beauty in her white dress. He didn't answer right away—he simply pulled her into a gentle hug, ruffled her hair, and then smiled.
"You look great. You already seem a lot more like yourself than earlier. Ready, Emilia?"
Emilia's cheeks flushed at the sudden embrace, but warmth spread through her chest.
"Yeah. I'm ready. We can leave anytime!"
"Then let's go. We're heading for the Sanctuary."
"This is the moment. Find what you lost. Pass the trial. It's time to move forward."
"I will. I'll do my best!"
They boarded the dragon carriage, with Rem driving.
Ram sat on one side of Hayashi Maki, Emilia on the other.
As for Beatrice—she perched happily in Hayashi Maki's lap, swinging her stockinged legs, eyes half-closed with excitement.
Aqua lay sprawled out on the other side. She still hadn't sobered up and was sleeping like a rock. Honestly, with a posture like that, who would believe she was a goddess?
Emilia looked calm, but inside she was tense.
With Puck gone, this was the first time in her remembered life that she'd had to move forward without him. She pressed close to Hayashi Maki as if proximity alone could give her courage.
Hayashi Maki wrapped an arm around her waist. If they were already that close, an embrace was only natural.
And Ram wasn't left out, either. Seeing his hand at her waist, she let the corner of her mouth lift slightly, then leaned into him too.
Over these days, his presence had sunk deep into her heart. If she couldn't run from it, then she would face it—accept it.
And maybe… being with him was the first time she'd truly felt alive again.
Her horn had been restored. She no longer had to depend on anyone else's mana. She could draw in energy on her own now.
The moment they entered the forest surrounding the Sanctuary, Emilia suddenly clutched her head, cried out, and collapsed.
Hayashi Maki caught her immediately and laid her down carefully.
It was expected.
The barrier reacted to those with mixed blood, and Emilia—being half-elf—triggered it the instant she crossed the threshold.
After resting a little, Emilia slowly woke up.
"H-hey…"
"Hayashi Maki… what happened to me?"
Still dazed, she looked up at him.
"The Sanctuary's barrier reacted to you," Hayashi Maki explained. "Because of Echidna's setup, it affects people like you. If you don't clear the trial, you can't leave."
"So… that means the only choice is to pass the trial, right? I'll do it. I'll push through!"
She sounded like she was trying to convince herself, pumping herself up with every word.
Hayashi Maki smiled, rubbed her head gently, and said softly, "And I'll be with you the whole way. I also promised Roswaal I'd help bring Echidna back."
"And Beatrice… you want to see your mother too, don't you?"
Beatrice nodded, shy. "I do… but right now, you're still the most important person to me. Even Mother comes after that."
Hayashi Maki laughed and rewarded her with a fond pat. "Hearing you say that makes me really happy."
Ram rolled her eyes. If people outside ever found out the legendary Great Spirit was a clingy, pouty girl at heart, they'd drop their jaws.
With Rem driving, the carriage continued deeper.
Aqua kept sleeping through everything. Even the barrier shock that rattled the carriage earlier hadn't woken her. It seemed even a witch's power wouldn't easily affect a goddess's body.
The Sanctuary trial, in truth, was about facing the past—having your memories and history laid bare before a witch.
To pass, you had to look back, accept what happened, and keep moving forward without being crushed by it.
You had to acknowledge yourself—own everything—and choose your future.
The reason Emilia struggled was obvious: her memories had been sealed away. When a truth is too heavy, the mind protects itself by locking it away.
Hayashi Maki sighed inwardly. Whatever she'd endured back then, it must have been more than she could carry alone.
He was still thinking when a crystal shot toward them.
A flash of blinding light swallowed the carriage.
Aqua jolted awake as the carriage lurched. "W-what—?! What's happening?!"
Hayashi Maki shielded the others and landed smoothly outside. With a casual motion, he restrained the blond boy who had rushed them.
Ram's voice cut in, calm and familiar.
"Garfiel… you're the same as ever. Still reckless."
The blond boy froze, then flushed, eyes wide.
"Ram…? Is that really you?"
Hayashi Maki almost forgot—Garfiel had always had a complicated soft spot for Ram, like family.
Before Hayashi Maki could say more, another burst of white light wrapped around him and Emilia.
His vision blurred.
A clear, pleasant voice spoke near his ear.
"Someone I've never seen before… or perhaps… not entirely human."
Hayashi Maki spread his hands with a dry smile. "That's a pretty rude greeting."
He turned—and there she was, seated elegantly with a teacup in hand: a silver-haired woman in a black dress.
Echidna. The Witch of Greed.
Echidna set her cup down, eyes sharp with interest.
"Still… you are unusual. And you carry the scent of 'that' power."
She snapped her fingers.
"Very well. I'll grant you the qualifications for the trial."
The world spun—
And Hayashi Maki was thrown out of the Witch's dreamlike space in a blink.