The next day after our first night together, Emilia and I cuddled while becoming closer and closer.  She stays snuggled up against me while I caress her cheek.

After that, she and I of course go to his grave.  What I don't say is that before crossing this door and facing the first test, on Emilia's knees to be more precise, I am invited by Echidna who gives me something to drink making me a  elected to take the tests, according to the criteria of my former friend.

I take the same one from him when suddenly Garfiel stops me, with a hard expression.

"And what exactly were you drinking?  Huh?"

I sigh at this behavior.  I know he's only a teenager but that's not going to stop me from telling him my truths.

“You behave like someone envious. I don’t like that at all.”

"Damn right, I'm jealous!  What did you drink that made you capable of doing this kind of thing, huh?  Tell me now!"

Garfiel comes closer to my face while he is angry.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand when you have the answer. When we are selected Echidna gives us something to drink before the first trial, right? Oh yes, I passed it"

Normally Garfiel should know that, right?  Seeing as it’s before the first test.  Unless it is not successful.  I say to Emilia for a moment:

“Go ahead, I’ll join you!”

“But Louis!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t last!”

"All right "

Now that Emilia is no longer here, envious man, it's between you and me!

"Oh really?  I see. You know what?  You can kill yourself, bastard!"

He then grabbed one of his shields and threw it at Louis with such force that it could hit me and pin me against a nearby wall.  He then moved closer again and now finds himself facing what he thinks is me.

"You think you're better than me?  You think you just have to drink something and take the test?  And I, who've been training since I was born, have to keep failing to pass it?!"

How pathetic!  Another envious person who blames others.  Except that I avoided his attack before he touched me and I am now behind him, then a destructive light aura manifests itself

"You know what? When I say I hate envious people, it's to the point where I wanted to kill them."

Garfiel saw an aura appear on me and is now more nervous.

"What ?"

Not expecting what is to come, he is caught off guard and is pushed back by this power as his shield is broken

“Grrr....What’s going on, you bastard!?

He says in a crazy tone as he is on his knees ready to punch me.  I hit him before he could even make his first attack, then said sharply:

“You didn’t deserve to succeed with such envious behavior!! It’s because of a witch of the same name that I died!”

I hit him several times, holding back less and less so that I only considered him as a person to be killed.

Garfiel is attacked with barrages and has difficulty protecting himself.  He tries to counterattack but his blows are easily repelled thanks to my overwhelming strength.

"Oh, geez!  What kind of force is that?!"

He said annoyed as he tried to counterattack to gain some distance between him and me but he failed unsuccessfully as my strength was overwhelming him at the moment.

"Suffer! Suffer from now on! You have too much to learn. Do you really want to know why you can't pass? Because the problem with the first test is not physical but psychological!!"

Garfiel finally managed to get out of my attack zone  and was now breathing heavily.  He then turns to me.

"Huh?  Mental?  I don't understand what you mean!  Can you explain?"  He said with a puzzled expression on his face.

"The first test consists of confronting a traumatic memory. And the goal consists above all of overcoming it and putting an end to the guilt that lies dormant within us by accepting or refusing this past. Basically, the first is not just the  'We're not physically strong. The problem is the mind!'

He stops and thinks for a moment."

"I... see.  So that's why I can't succeed?  I... still can't get over... my guilt?"

I answer yes.

"For example, my first challenge was facing my death against Satella 400 years ago.  I thought that I had abandoned my opponents and that it was my fault that the great Calamity had appeared because unfortunately I did not  I failed to stop Satella from absorbing her witch factor;  which made her crazy and uncontrollable.  But I had to understand that it wasn't my fault and I did what I could.  It's like  that's what I achieved."

He then looks down and becomes silent thinking about his past:

"I see... so maybe I shouldn't have blamed... my mother... when everything I saw... was real..."

He then looks up with a face of realization.

"So if I accept my past and realize that it wasn't all my fault... then I can pass this damn test?"

“Yes, you would have passed this damn trial instead of yelling at me!”

"Damn!  I thought it wasn't about acceptance, but is it really?!  If only I hadn't been blinded by my so-called anger and grief, I could have  realize it!”

He then looks at me with a slightly annoyed look.

"You know, I was the same before. Living only on my anger and my guilt. But unlike me, you are young. Don't live forever like that. Don't be like me.

"You know...I really hate the fact that you're right.  I can't believe...it was up to me if I should have passed or not..."

*He's starting to calm down a little now*

"Now I just have to accept my past, huh?..."

"Yeah. It's not easy but hey you'll get there faster."

“Yeah, I will.” He looks at Louis with a now calmer expression on his face and bows his head slightly in apology.  "I... am so sorry for the way I acted towards you... you don't deserve to be treated like..."

He then takes a deep breath:

"I...I accept my past and I am no longer chained by it.  Now...I wonder if I am ready to pass this test..."

"And sorry for hitting you like that.  Good thing you're resilient.  If a normal human took that, they'd be dead."

"It's okay.  You were trying to make me realize something, so I kinda deserved it."  He said smiling a little.  "Okay then... I wonder if I'm finally ready to take this damn test..."

"You will succeed.  I am convinced."

And I know a half-elf who just passed her first test.  For that while I fight against Garfiel later, I stay alongside Emilia little by little until I disappear;  she can handle this first part on her own.  Clearly, even if I'm not always on time during past events, I can make up for it now by being limited to two places at a time.  On the other hand, I have a very bad feeling.  I hope Rem, Ram and Beatrice are well.