**[EP6. Bergen Belzen]**
*The Lost Girl, Monsters That Cannot Cry*

Originally, this part of the story unfolded from Regia’s perspective.

The protagonist, kidnapped in the preceding “Abandoned Laboratory” scene, was brought here, to Belzen, where the episode began in a dark, dismal cell.

*Sniffle… hic, sniffle…*

A girl, sitting against a cold wall, sobbed.

The puppeteer, overwhelmed by despair at their situation, could only let tears flow helplessly. As fear gripped them—

*"Hey… Pink-haired sister!"*
*"Over here! This way!"*

A voice suddenly called out. Startled, they turned, only to see a girl waving through a small gap in the bars.

As soon as their eyes met, the girl beamed with a bright smile.

*"Nice to meet you! It’s been so long since someone new arrived in the neighboring cell!”*
*"I’m Anne! Let’s look out for each other as fellow experiments.”*

Her radiant, cheerful smile was the same as in the original story. 

Brave little Anne had offered her hand to the protagonist, becoming their friend and comfort amidst loneliness.

She was the archetypal supporting character, playing the role of encouragement to help sustain the gloomy episode’s tone.

Anne’s spirit never faltered, and it tugged at the player’s heartstrings.

*"But sometimes… wouldn’t it be nice if something good happened too?”*
*"In tough times, we must find courage.”*
*"Life becomes beautiful in proportion to our struggles."*

But ultimately, she couldn’t escape the tragic fate laid out for her.

The name Bergen Belzen, Anne, the diary… signs of misfortune were scattered throughout, and eventually, the girl met a dreadful end.

Her final moments had been haunting.

*"I’ll be back."*

Later, the Galimar professors intervened to rescue her.

Thanks to them, the protagonist managed to escape but had to witness a horrifying scene as the price for survival.

*<Screech… screech…>*

Anne, transformed into a monster.

The episode ended with Regia despairing.

As I recorded the playthrough, I couldn’t help but think how utterly brutal it was to show such a cruel outcome, even if based on real historical tragedies.

It left a painful impression.

But now.

*"Thank goodness… truly, thank goodness.”*

*"Sister, why are you crying? I… I don’t understand…"*

This time, things were different.

The monstrous fate of that girl had an ally who could defy it.

A bit of rebellion, perhaps.

*“Destined tragedy… well, you can eat dirt.”*

I hated tragedies.

If an unfair future stood in the way of happiness, then the solution was simple—smash it to pieces.

I smirked.

*"I… I don’t understand what happened. I was definitely in the lab, and then…"*

*"Heh."*

Anne looked around, puzzled.

Careful not to startle her, I gently patted her head, the warmth of life filling my palm.

It felt like her existence was flowing into me.

*"I… I thought I was going to die.”*

*"Anne."*

*"It hurt so much, and I was so scared… I screamed, I cried, I… but then…"*

*"Seems you had a nightmare.”*

I comforted her softly.

*"It was just a dream. Close your eyes a few times, and soon, it’ll fade away like any other nightmare."*

Covering her teary eyes with my palm, I tried to let her drift away from that hellish memory.

*"Just get a bit more rest, and you’ll feel better."*

As my shadows gently covered her, Anne’s eyelids fluttered shut.

Her consciousness fading, she swayed, and the fox beside her caught her in an embrace.

*"Sleep well."*

I smiled faintly.

---

A soft, even breathing filled the air.

*“...She’s asleep.”*

*“Seems so.”*

Anne lay with her head resting on the fox’s lap, her face serene in slumber.

Irene gently brushed back the girl’s stray hairs, her gaze turning slowly to me.

In her dark eyes, conflicting emotions stirred.

*“…”*

*“Why are you looking at me like that?”*

*“…”*

*“Irene?”*

For a long time, the fox stayed silent.

Then, biting her lip, she asked a single question.

*“How… how did you do it?”*

A short question, but one with gravity.

The scene she’d witnessed was something beyond reason.

The realm of impossibility.

Or rather, a miracle.

It wasn’t something she could easily understand.

I responded with a faint smile, pressing my index finger to my lips.

*“That’s a secret.”*

*“… I figured you’d say that.”*

It was a complex power to explain.

*“Let’s just say we were lucky.”*

Not an entirely false answer.

I’d barely made it in time, and with Anne still alive—albeit in the form of a chimera—it was possible to restore her.

It had been more restoration than healing.

One thing, however, was certain:

Even the power of lies couldn’t bring the dead back to life.

*Ding!*

*Remaining energy: 31.7%*

But even so, this had been taxing.

Restoring Anne to her original form had consumed nearly 60% of my energy.

It was a demanding task, one even more challenging than subduing high-level professors.

Simply put, a battle required brute force, but restoring a chimera demanded creation.

*"Sometimes, leaving a miracle as it is can be more beautiful."*

*"Right… I won’t ask anymore."*

*"Surprising that you let it go so easily."*

*"I have a sense of respect. Even though I vowed never to trust a human again, that doesn’t mean I’d bite the hand of someone who’s helped me."*

*"Noble indeed."*

I nodded, admiring her words.

Though she was skeptical of humans, she was no dark-hearted beast.

*"I’ll repay this debt somehow."*

*"I did it because I wanted to. Besides, I got to see you cry for the first time."*

*"Shut up."*

The fox wiped the redness from her eyes, her face softened.

I wanted to relax and chat more, but unfortunately, there was still unfinished business.

Clearing my throat, I glanced around.

Though my remaining energy was low… it should still suffice.

After all, a certain presence had been lurking, waiting for us to notice.

I turned and spoke.

*"Wouldn’t it be best for you to step forward? I believe I’ve kept you waiting long enough."*

*"What? Who are you talking to all of a sudden…?"*

At that moment, Irene looked confused.

*"Such impudence, boy."*

A man hidden in the shadows emerged from between the bars.

A middle-aged man, wrapped in a blood-red robe, strode out from the darkness with a smirk of curiosity.

I knew that face well.

*"…!"*

The fox startled, instinctively reaching for her weapon.

She recognized the man but didn’t dare rise, as his aura bore down like a heavy weight.

*"How entertaining."*

The head researcher, Josef Kramer.

The demon ruling over Belzen, the one responsible for turning Anne into a monster.

*"I was completely concealing my presence… but I didn’t expect you to see through it."*

He walked forward, his leisurely tone carrying through the dimly lit dungeon.

I replied nonchalantly.

*"I have sharp eyes."*

*"Amusing. I witnessed you reversing a failed experiment just now."*

*"The failure… you mean Anne?”*

*"Anne? I don’t recognize such a worthless name."*

*"Didn’t you conduct experiments on her?”*

*"Names mean nothing to failures. They’re merely trash.”*

*"…Hah."*

A dry laugh escaped me.

He was even more appalling in person than in the original, particularly his gaze, devoid of guilt.

*"So, what did you do?”*

The demon’s eyes brimmed with nothing but vile greed.

*"Was it a trick? I’ve never heard of a spell that could restore a creature once turned into a monster."*

*"I’m afraid that’s a secret I’m not inclined to share."*

*"Of course. That’s only natural. No one would want to share such a rare knowledge."*

He chuckled, a sinister smile twisting his lips.

Slowly, crimson wisps of foul-smelling smoke began to fill the air.

He was preparing a dark spell.

*"I’ll just have to pry it out, then. After I rip out your brain and analyze it, piece by piece."*

*"What an ominous proposition."*

*"You’ll make an excellent specimen. I may as well recycle the trash beside you, too. How about grafting their limbs together? The composition would be thrilling."*

*"…”*

Did this wretch know?

Each word he spat was pushing me over the edge.

*"It’s been a long time… since I’ve felt this angry."*

I took a calm breath, gently patting the fox’s head to reassure her.

*"It’ll be over soon. Maybe cover Anne’s ears so she doesn’t wake up."*

*"…Got it."*

Though hesitant, Irene nodded.

I grinned, stepping forward.

By now, the entire dungeon had filled with his blood-colored aura.

Shards of dark energy pointed menacingly in my direction.

If he chanted his spell, everything here would be torn to atoms.

After all, he was the head of Belzen, a formidable opponent on par with a high-ranking professor.

One incantation could

 level this entire place.

I had to be careful.

*‘…If I go too hard, I might kill him too quickly.’*

When dealing with weak creatures, one had to proceed cautiously.

I readied the power of lies at my fingertips.

A chill ran down my spine as cold rage flooded me.

The man’s lips began to move as he prepared his incantation.

Death was in the air.

*"O master stained in blood! Grant us your eternal pow—"*

*"Shatter."*

*Crash—!*

Sorry, but I wasn’t in the mood for theatrics.

I didn’t want to indulge his pompous display.

Josef Kramer.

The psychopath who tortured, massacred, and created monsters out of thousands.

I couldn’t let him have his grand moment simply because he was cast as the villain.

*Crack—!*

So, I shattered the spotlight.

Leaving nothing but darkness to engulf his stage.

An ideal nightmare for a demon.

*"…!"*

As his spell disintegrated, the head researcher froze, dumbfounded.

I murmured dryly.

*"Blackout."*

And then.

The world plunged into pitch-black darkness.

---

When they opened their eyes again.

They were seated in a courtroom.

An illusionary world, meticulously crafted for the trial.

In the center was a towering execution platform.

*"Defendant.”*

The judge called the defendant.

Seated at the highest stand was none other than the ever-smiling boy with narrow eyes.

*"Josef Kramer, the accused. Do you have any last words?”*

In the defendant’s seat, bound tightly by ropes, sat the demon.

Staring blankly at the sudden change in scenery, the defendant seemed unable to process it.

The judge smiled ominously.

*"Then, let the sentencing of the guilty commence."*

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

With the echo of the gavel, the noose on the execution platform was brought into sharp focus.

It was time for punishment.