Based on Roswaal's description, Gojo Satoru gradually gained a deeper understanding of the experiences of the little loli, Beatrice.
Supposedly, hundreds of years ago, Beatrice's mother—the Witch of Greed, Echidna—made a pact with her. Beatrice was to guard the Forbidden Library and wait for the appearance of "That Person." However, regarding the identity or characteristics of "That Person," not a single clue or shred of information had been left behind.
The book in Beatrice's possession was known as the Tome of Wisdom. It possessed fragmentary prophetic abilities and served as the compass for Beatrice's actions. Thus, throughout her long vigil, Beatrice had been waiting for "That Person" to appear, intending to use the Tome to verify their identity.
Yet, for reasons unknown, the book had ceased giving prophecies many years ago, becoming little more than a stack of blank pages.
Having listened to Roswaal's narrative, Gojo recalled his interactions with Beatrice over the previous two loops and felt a moment of realization. No wonder every time he entered the library, Beatrice was sitting by the door, flipping through those blank pages as if she could never tire of them. It wasn't that she lacked hobbies or truly wanted to stay in that lonely library forever; it was because of that ancient pact.
"For a Spirit, four hundred years is far from the end of their lifespan," Roswaal said, shaking his head slightly with a hint of regret and pity. "But for Beatrice, four hundred years in that library has been a form of lingering torture. That Tome of Wisdom was her last hope. Unfortunately, now..."
Her last hope had been snuffed out.
"No wonder Beatrice's reaction was so strange earlier," Gojo remarked thoughtfully, the pieces finally clicking together. "It seems a sickness of the heart is her biggest problem."
Gojo drained his teacup in one gulp and set it on the table. "Thanks for the info, and the tea. It helped a lot."
"Is that so? I'm glad I could be of assistance," Roswaal replied with a smile. As he watched Gojo wave and turn to leave, the curve of his lips deepened.
Once Gojo had departed, Ram appeared in the room and began silently clearing away his teacup.
"He truly is a restless person," she noted.
"Indeed, very restless. Rem is currently quite distressed over the damaged wall," Ram's voice remained calm.
"Rem has worked hard. However, do not let that bias our view of our guest. I still want to see exactly what they will do and how far they can go."
"Understood. I will keep an eye on Rem."
Leaving Roswaal's study, Gojo didn't return to his room but began wandering the mansion. After a good while, he finally located the door to the Forbidden Library.
He pushed the door open and entered. This time, the little loli wasn't sitting in her usual spot by the entrance. The chair was empty. Gojo walked forward; even the tea in the pot was cold.
In the silence of the library, Gojo began to stroll around. Finally, in a corner where the light barely reached, he found a small figure and came to a stop before her.
Hearing the commotion, Beatrice didn't move. She sat there hugging her knees, devoid of emotional fluctuation. Seeing Gojo didn't trigger a tirade of curses this time.
Gojo sat down on the floor beside her. "I learned about you from Roswaal."
Beatrice remained silent, offering no reaction.
"I learned how important that book was to you. So, I should give you a proper apology. I'm sorry." Gojo took off his sunglasses and looked at her earnestly. Regardless of the reason, he didn't believe that stripping someone of their hope was right.
"However," Gojo leaned against the wall, gazing at the vintage ceiling while tracing his finger lightly across the floor. "In your heart, you craved liberation, didn't you? Even though you told me to destroy it as a prank, your instinct was to break free from the shackles binding you..."
"What right do you have to say that?" Beatrice's sharp voice interrupted him. She seemed stung, retorting with agitation. "What gives you the right? You think just because you heard a few things from Roswaal, you understand Betty?"
Gojo wasn't moved by her outburst. His finger continued to trace the floor, and his ice-blue eyes scanned the library.
"Just as you said, I don't have the right. I can't restore the hope you lost or make you forget that any of this happened."
"Then why are you saying all this? Betty doesn't need you here lecturing. These things... Betty is already used to them. I'm used to the Forbidden Library. I will uphold the promise to my Mother..."
"Beatrice, I want to know: if 'That Person' appeared, what would you do? Become their Spirit like Puck and go on adventures outside?"
Gojo's sudden question caused Beatrice's rising emotions to grind to a stop.
"If you're willing to tell me, I can leave you alone and let you be," Gojo offered a bait.
"Fine. I would form a contract with him and become his Spirit. Satisfied? Now get out..."
Beatrice spoke like a rapid-fire cannon, but as she spoke, Gojo—having received the answer he wanted—raised his index and middle fingers.
"Domain Expansion."
"Unlimited Void."
The moment the words fell, the black-and-white domain instantly expanded within the silent library, its power eroding and enveloping everything. Within this monochromatic void, rainbow-like light flickered intermittently. As the light flashed by, Beatrice froze in place like a statue.
"Sorry, just wait a moment," Gojo stood up and spoke calmly. "I truly have no way to bring back the hope you lost. However..." Gojo turned back with a brilliant smile. "I can destroy the shackles binding you. It's a bit overstepping, but I think it's a pretty good solution. If you find it hard to accept later, we can discuss my punishment then."
Gojo blinked. Beatrice remained sitting on the floor, her eyes not even blinking. However, her mind was incredibly active.
'What is... happening? Shamak? No, not Shamak. There's no mana fluctuation, and this is the exact opposite of Shamak's effect. Why does everything feel so strange? Why do I feel like I can perceive everything? Why am I being forced to know all this?'
While Beatrice was forcibly incapacitated by Unlimited Void, Gojo gently picked her up. Red light began to glow at his fingertips.
"If I remember correctly, the Forbidden Library is technically a type of Yin Magic. It uses a fixed existence to solidify a portion of space, creating something like an alternate dimension. So, the commotion here shouldn't affect the outside, right? Well, I hope the value of a candidate is higher than the value of the mansion."
Gojo walked to the library door and pushed it open. He took a deep breath, his cheeks puffing out slightly as he yelled toward the outside.
"Subaru! Do me a favor and get everyone to the courtyard! Please!"
Subaru, who was helping Rem along with Emilia, looked around instinctively. "Everyone to the courtyard? What's going on?" He scratched his head, but if Gojo said so, he must have a reason. "Emilia, let's go to the courtyard. Maybe Satoru needs our help with something."
Emilia had been worried about Beatrice and nodded without hesitation. Rem, however, wrinkled her nose and said calmly, "I don't know what that guest is doing, but it is quite rude to ask the Master to wait in the courtyard. Lady Emilia, let us see Lord Roswaal first before deciding."
Rem refused to let Emilia be alone with this stranger who smelled like the Witch. As a maid, she had to prevent any trouble for Roswaal.
"This..." Emilia looked between Subaru and Rem, feeling torn.
"It's fine, we're all going together anyway!" Subaru didn't mind; it was better to notify everyone at once.
The three met Roswaal and Ram in the first-floor hall. "It seems our esteemed guest has run into a minor problem," Roswaal remarked jokingly, showing no displeasure.
The group walked out into the courtyard. The sky had darkened, making the yard blurry. They looked around but didn't see Gojo.
"Satoru! We're in the yard! Where are you?" Subaru shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.
Hearing this, Gojo smiled from the library doorway. "In that case, it's about time."
A tiny black sphere gathered at his fingertip, expanding rapidly while emitting a fierce red glow.
"Let's end this."
Gojo flicked his finger. The black sphere, compressed with immense energy, detonated. Guided by his Six Eyes, the energy accurately struck the central hub of the library's mana circuits.
As the red light erupted, Gojo casually stepped back out of the library and onto the corridor of the mansion. The Forbidden Library, which had been silent for centuries, was shattered today.
Under the power of Cursed Technique Reversal: Red, the magic circle that maintained the fixed space was completely destroyed. The mana sustaining the structure became violently chaotic. Though separated only by a door, the once-calm library now looked like a scene from a sci-fi movie where space is being torn apart.
Shelves, books, carpets, chandeliers—everything was shredded in the collapsing space. In an instant, the glorious Forbidden Library vanished. The cut-off space dissipated back into the world. It was gone, like a piece of history erased.
BOOM!
A final burst of mana surged from the doorway. Gojo, holding Beatrice, turned slightly. The shockwave rushed past, ruffling Beatrice's dress before slamming into the wall.
CRASH!
A deafening sound echoed as the corridor's glass shattered and a several-meter-wide hole was blasted through the solid wall. From this vantage point, the courtyard and the shocked faces of Roswaal and the others were clearly visible.
Such a massive disturbance couldn't be hidden. Everyone in the yard stared up at the hole and at Gojo Satoru standing there.
Gojo looked down at the group. He noticed the library door had coincidentally opened at the exact spot where he and Beatrice had burst out of the mansion earlier. He had heard Rem was trying to fix the small hole Beatrice had made... well, that effort was wasted, and now the workload had increased tenfold.
"Ahem."
"If I said we were attacked by enemies, Beatrice was knocked out, I barely managed to defeat them, and I accidentally broke a wall... would you guys believe me?"
Standing in the crowd, Felt watched Gojo talk nonsense. Her heart was officially dead.
Bad teammates really are the death of you!