[User] She would use the ice ceiling to charge at Volcanica again in one fell swoop.

[Assistant] Its tail still in the follow-through from its swing, Volcanica was looking not at Emilia but down below. The ancient Holy Dragon was looking at Ram…no, not at her, but…

[User] "—Patrasche?”

[Assistant] “Hiiyaaaaaaah!! !” Emilia screamed, firing off through the sky.

[User] A split second later, Volcanica looked up, smashing the ceiling of ice overhead.

[Assistant] Leaping with all her might, she was closing in on the dragon’s throat.

[User] “Cheyaaaaaaa!! !” With a beautiful kick, like a shooting star, Emilia dodged the swipe and approached Volcanica’s white scar. She got closer and closer—until she finally reached it.

[Assistant] “GGHHHHH!! !” Volcanica let out another cry as Emilia’s white shoe landed on its throat.

[User] Emilia shouted and covered her ears as a sky-splitting sound resounded, falling in the rebound from the kick. Falling and falling and…

[Assistant] “Kyah! …Whah, thank you!” As she fell, the ice soldiers that had served as her footholds caught her. Saved by a soft landing, Emilia stood up.

[User] She ran to the monolith at the center of the pillar and searched for a familiar handprint…

[Assistant] “It is!! !” Reaching out, she pressed her hand against the monolith this time before anything could stop her. The monolith shuddered from the force of the impact, but Emilia’s hand fit perfectly in the mystifying handprint.

[User] “—Thou who hath reached the tower’s peak, petitioner of omnipotence who treads upon the first floor.”

[Assistant] “Ah…”

[User] The Holy Dragon descended when Emilia put her hand on the monolith. Still flying in the sky, Volcanica, who had seemingly returned to its senses, at least a bit, repeated that same line.

[Assistant] “—I am Volcanica. By ancient oath, I ask thy will.”

[User] Emilia had a lot of answers to that question. What she wanted to do, what she hoped, what she came here for, there were a lot of things. However, in this moment, in a huge rush, what Emilia wanted was—

[Assistant] “—I ask thy will!”

[User] Hearing the repeated question, Emilia opened her eyes, and in a loud voice, she said:

[Assistant] “I want everyone to get along!!


[User] "Whoa? !" Subaru shouted as he dodged furious demon beast attacks.

[Assistant] "What is that? !" Beatrice raised her voice in surprise, too, even as she continued healing Meili.

[User] Reacted the same while putting on a masterful, superhuman performance against Shaula. No, his surprise might have been even greater. Because even though he leaped back, sensing danger in the terrible sandstorm clouding his vision, there was no follow-up attack. And discovering why, Julius continued to feel shock. "This is…! Subaru!! !"

[Assistant] Hearing that shout, Subaru coughed up a mouthful of sand and turned in that direction. In doing that, he realized why Julius was so desperate and opened his eyes wide. "Shaula? !"

[User] "Sssssss!"

[Assistant] Subaru saw the crimson scorpion, toppled over in the sandstorm, its legs flailing in the air. The tower’s keeper—its star guardian, according to her introduction—who had shown no reaction so far to any of the attacks it had faced, who had chased them with ruthless, robotic precision…had suddenly glitched out.

[User] "Julius, did you do something? !"

[Assistant] "No, I did nothing of note. I was merely focused on withstanding the assault. When that sandstorm blew through…"

[User] "Gale…right, that wind…" The powerful wind that had swallowed them up moments earlier. When Julius called it a sandstorm, Subaru noticed something was off. The merciless sandstorm that consumed those who ventured into the Auguria Dunes. Ever since they had broken through the problematic barrier and reached the area around the tower, there had not been a single gust of wind. Certainly not anything that could be called a sandstorm. What blew just now was…

[Assistant] "Subaru! Look! In the sky!" Beatrice’s adorable voice rang out as his mind raced with thoughts.

[User] Drawn by her voice, he looked up and saw it. The change that had occurred. The incredibly obvious and dramatic change. "The clouds cleared." The Pleiades Watchtower that reached through the clouds, up into the heavens. The highest floor had not been visible from below because it was shrouded by clouds. The strange clouds that shrouded the watchtower had cleared. And then he finally realized it. The wind just now had been to clear those clouds. With the clouds gone, they could see the very top of the tower. And in Subaru’s optimistic analysis, that could only mean one thing. "Emilia did it." Murmuring to himself, he sensed the locations of his comrades in the tower through Cor Leonis—Emilia at the very summit, and Ram and Patrasche near her. They had done it. Meaning if his guess was right… "The tower’s rules have been broken…Shaula! Hey, Shaula! Listen up!"

[Assistant] "Sssssss!"

[User] "You don’t have to fight us anymore! You can be free…" He didn’t know if the writhing crimson scorpion was suffering because the ancient covenant dwelling inside her had been severed, or any of the details. But what he did know was that enough was enough.


[User] “Right, Shau—”

[Assistant] “—! Subaru!! !”

[User] As he called out and started to approach her, something grabbed his collar. The next moment, as he was dragged to the ground, a sharp tail furiously tore through the space he had just occupied. Subaru was speechless as he felt the passing wind and smelled something distinctly burnt in the air. If Julius had not pulled him back just now, that would have been a direct hit. But what hurt the most wasn’t the sensation of death, but…

[Assistant] “Hey, Shaula! Shaula! What was that?! Get ahold of yourself!! !”

[User] “Sssssss.” Hearing his frantic plea, the crimson scorpion slowly adjusted itself, regaining its footing. Its compound eyes shook as it stood back up, but it slowly locked on to Subaru while spittle dripped from its ferocious fangs. That didn’t look like the behavior of a rational creature…

[Assistant] “Subaru, I’m sorry to say…” Julius grabbed Subaru’s shoulder and started to step forward.

[User] Knowing what he was thinking, Subaru grabbed him by the arm and stopped him. He understood Julius was trying to bear the unpleasant role himself. But he wasn’t going to let that happen. “I decided to save her—I’m going to save her.”

[Assistant] “Out of duty to a pupil you cannot recall?”

[User] “No.” Subaru shook his head. That wasn’t it. He didn’t want to help her because he was her master or anything. “It’s not because I’m her master. I’m doing it because I was moved by her.”

[User] “She’s like Beako. All alone in this tower in the sands, crying in joy from the couple days we spent here together. How can I abandon someone like that?” Gritting his teeth, Subaru maintained his grip on Julius’s arm.

[Assistant] Looking back at him, Julius exhaled. “…You are as stubborn as ever. But that is how it should be.”

[User] “Julius?”

[Assistant] “No, I was just astonished yet again. Once you start putting on airs, they must be maintained till the very end.” Julius smiled slightly as he touched the scar on his left cheek.

[User] Subaru’s eyes narrowed, and he noticed something soft in his open left hand. Looking, he saw Beatrice there. She was looking at Subaru with those big, round eyes that were more adorable than anything.

[Assistant] “Meili is through the worst of it. All that is left is…”

[User] “Can you help me bring her out?”

[Assistant] “Betty would be a terrible friend if she said ‘no’ now… You really are a helpless partner, Subaru.”

[User] Subaru scratched his cheek with an awkward smile. And then, holding hands with the great spirit he was contracted with, he faced the crimson scorpion—Shaula. Two spirit knights stood shoulder to shoulder, across from a crying girl who needed to be saved. And… "My body and spirit are exhausted…so hurry up and let us save you, Shaula!"


[User] Crumbling away. Peeling away. Fading. Everything gleaming in the distance.

[Assistant] —Outside the tower, the stampede of demon beasts had been cleared by the hardworking demon beast tamer.

[User] —On the second floor, Reid Astrea, who had taken over the body of Roy Alphard, had been obliterated.

[Assistant] —On the fourth floor, the defiler of fate, the loathsome Archbishop, Lye Batenkaitos, had been obliterated.

[User] —On the first floor, the unknown and unseen examination had been cleared by Emilia’s brave efforts.

[Assistant] They had cleared all the difficult challenges that had been set before them by the Pleiades Watchtower. This had only been possible because their comrades became one, trusting in each other, and combining their strengths. As Emilia might have put it, this was the result of “everyone getting along.” Thanks to that, they had finally reached this point. All that remained was…

[User] "It’s a lie if we don’t all win together!"

[Assistant] "Let us begin!" The two spirit knights lined up together. The one to take the lead was, of course, Julius. Recovering Qua, who had been left aside for healing, he again borrowed the strength of the six spirits to clad himself in an aurora. Subaru could sense it from Cor Leonis’s effect, but the enormous swell of Odo being consumed to make that light should have been weighing heavily on Julius himself and his spirits. He was really showing off. But Subaru never had any intention of drawing this fight out.

[User] "Keep it short and sweet."

[Assistant] With a rainbow trailing behind him, Julius raced across the sands. Closing the distance in an instant, Julius’s slash approached the crimson scorpion. Perceiving him with its ferocious compound eyes, it batted the attack aside with its wildly flailing pincers and stinger.

[User] "Sssssss!! !" Those pincers had gotten incredibly hot, and the enormous firepower warped the atmosphere around the scorpion. Scorching pincers—if Subaru were naming it, he would call it “Jesus’s Scissors Hellfire Form.” Subaru could only tip his hat to anyone who got fired up enough to reveal a new technique during the final battle. However, as someone who had to fight against it, he would have preferred to not deal with that sort of incredible growth. An enemy who overcame their limits and grew stronger was not what he was looking for in this situation.

[Assistant] "Minya!! !" As the bright red pincer swung toward Julius, a purple missile interrupted. Subaru was far too weak on his own to even think about inserting himself into Julius and the crimson scorpion’s high-level fight. Beatrice supported Julius with shots of opportunity from the side, while Subaru waited for his moment.

[User] "Subaru!! !"

[Assistant] "Ah." He had been cutting through the sand to take up a more ideal position when he heard that cry. Looking up to see what it was, he spotted the crimson scorpion that had just evaded Julius’s thrust—and had landed right next to him. Subaru immediately stopped at Beatrice’s shout.


[User] But the demon beast swung its tail as if brushing aside an insect, and Subaru could see imminent death. “Hold on…!”

[Assistant] “Murak!”

[User] Due to her magic, Subaru and Beatrice became as light as cotton candy. At the same time, Subaru’s whip cracked, wrapping around the base of the scorpion’s tail. In an instant, the two of them were yanked away. “Whoa!”

[Assistant] “Bwah? !”

[User] They were not spun around. They were slammed down. Just as it felt like they were floating, in the next moment Subaru and Beatrice crashed into the sand. Even for someone as light as cotton candy, that was enough force to obliterate them if they had been hurled against a hard surface. Fortunately, what they hit was sand, so it simply knocked the wind out of them.

[Assistant] “I must ask you to refrain from a follow-up!”

[User] “—Sssssss.” The crimson scorpion took aim at them while they were buried in the sand; however, a rainbow light interrupted its path, and another exchange of scorching heat and blinding light began. Light flashed, and each time it did, the desert split, and a sandstorm formed from the shock wave. In terms of destructive power, they were even. Julius had the advantage in speed. And the crimson scorpion had the advantage in endurance—without a decisive blow, they were going to be pushed until they ran out of time.

[Assistant] “Bleh, bleh! Damn it! We have to do something!”

[User] “Bleh, bleh! We have to find some route to victory!”

[Assistant] Pulling themselves out of the sand with teary eyes, Subaru and Beatrice spit out sand in the same way. Julius with his rainbow, Subaru and Beatrice in their words—they were all searching for a way to reach Shaula. “Think! Think! Think!” Subaru’s thoughts raced as he searched for a definitive solution, something that was more than just optimism or a pipe dream. And as he went through the cards he had at his disposal, he had a realization. There was one left. One final trump card to play. “Beako!”

[User] “Did you think of something? !”

[Assistant] “Yeah!” Thinking how lucky he was to be blessed with a partner who understood him, Subaru grabbed her small hand again and nodded. And— “—We’re using everything from this trip now!”


[User] "Snipers are always alone." That was another thing she had heard. Snipers were people who attacked from far, far away, waiting patiently until they could finish off their prey. And so she waited. She continued waiting with pride in her heart. Because she was a sniper. Watching in the distance, day in and day out, waiting for anyone who came to the tower. There were rules. Rules that bound her to the tower. They were annoying, but as forgetful as she was, she also had a feeling she would forget a lot of things without them. That they had walked together, talked together, the days they spent together, and the memories they had shared together.

[Assistant] "Ahh…I don’t want to forget that." She had been left behind by everything. Told to wait, she would wait however long it took. But she waited because she wanted him to come back. If he would just come back, she would wait however long it took. So…

[User] "I was so glad when you came back, Master." Because everyone left. She had started feeling unsure if she should still believe that he would come back. She didn’t know whether she was waiting because she believed, or if it was just force of habit. She didn’t think about it, either. Because there was nothing to think about. He had kept his promise before she rotted away.

[Assistant] "I’m so happy, Master." That was why she didn’t want him to go. He could just stay there forever. She wasn’t alone anymore, so she could graduate from being a sniper. And she deserved a suitable reward for that graduation, as far as she was concerned.

[User] "I don’t want to be left behind again, Master… I want to be loved, too." Because everyone and everything had left her behind. This time, she wanted to be with him, wherever, whenever. So…

[Assistant] "Please love me, Master…" The crimson scorpion shuddered, and the light from its carapace grew even more intense. It could have been simply shifting to an even more aggressive color, but it looked different to Subaru. That bright, vivid red looked like an expression of Shaula’s cries. Four hundred years she spent with her emotions bottled up, holed up in this tower, doing what she had been told, and now her very being was glowing as all those overflowing emotions surged outward. Red was the color of passion; red was the color of rage; and red was the color of irrepressible love. The crimson scorpion glowed red because it wanted to love and to be loved.

[User] "Horoscopes do say Scorpios are supposed to be super passionate!! !" Shouting as he kicked off the sand, Subaru swung his shoulder and let his whip fly.

[Assistant] "" His aim was the fickle crimson scorpion turning its back on him and dueling with Julius. He’d make his presence known with the whip.


[User] "Sorry to bother you when you’re busy, but the master you’re so passionate about is right here. The attention was so annoying, and I was cruel about it before, but… As a man, it does kinda bother me, seeing you so preoccupied with another guy…!"

[Assistant] "You, of all people, shouldn’t be complaining about that!" Beatrice’s vicious objection rang out as his whip cleanly wound around the base of the crimson scorpion’s tail. His aim was true. However, it was no different from moments ago when they had been swung down into the sand. And the crimson scorpion, perhaps because of that underwhelming tug-of-war, stayed focused on Julius, leaving Subaru and Beatrice to be dealt with later. They were weak. Subaru was more than happy to take advantage of that preconception.

[User] "El Vita!! !"

[Assistant] "Guooooooh!! !"

[User] Beatrice cast a spell, and as it took effect on Subaru’s body, his feet sank into the sand under tremendous weight. As the opposite of Murak, instead of decreasing an object’s mass, Vita increased it—bumping up his weight class from a sumo wrestler’s makushita tier to a yokozuna tier. With that new mass, he fought the scorpion’s tail. However, that still wasn’t enough. Even with more weight, it was still just the difference of one or two hundred odd pounds. That was no match for the absurd strength Shaula demonstrated when she carried the dragon carriage so easily over her head. Holding on tight, his feet sinking into the ground, Subaru shouted.

[Assistant] "Here’s the climax! Go for it!! !"

[User] The next instant, Subaru’s body, which was on the verge of being uprooted, suddenly steadied. The reason was clear: The forces pulling at the whip were evenly matched. The crimson scorpion versus Subaru—or rather, Subaru and everyone else.

[Assistant] "Giiiiiii."

[User] Leaping in front of Subaru, a grotesque, dark figure grabbed the taut whip and burst into the tug-of-war: a gabaou. And the gabaou wasn’t the only creature joining the fray. A bear with flowers all over its body, a mole with wings, a twin-headed snake all joined, too. The demon beasts that should have been his mortal enemies were aiding Subaru. And the cause was, of course…

[Assistant] "…You really are a cruel taskmaster…" Subaru heard a girl’s annoyed, languid voice. The source stood atop the sands with a pale face and ragged breathing—Meili. Her sweet face was tensed, and she let out a deep, long sigh. Clapping her hands loudly, she said

[User] "Come on now, everyone in. No point watching from the sidelines."

[Assistant] A beat later, the desert trembled. It was the footsteps of the charging demon beasts, their cries, and the power of the demon beast tamer—no, the mother of the demon beasts, who ruled over this demonic realm known as the Auguria Dunes. In this battle, she used the stampede to turn it into a total war, demonstrating the true extent of her abilities.

[User] Meili grimaced in pain, but she was still standing.


[Assistant] In the tower’s basement—the ground dragon left behind on the sixth floor—Joseph is present. Noticing his presence with Cor Leonis, Subaru had boldly shifted the burden to the ground dragon. It was a decision that pained him terribly, but what broke his heart most of all was that Joseph fulfilled the conditions for Cor Leonis.

[User] With Joseph’s saintlike agreement, Subaru shifted the bulk of Meili’s burden over to the ground dragon. That was what allowed Meili to stand back up, and the reason why the crimson scorpion was suddenly deeply disadvantaged in this contest of strength.

[Assistant] With the full force of their crew, even borrowing the strength of demon beasts and a ground dragon, they managed to pull the crimson scorpion off the ground.

[User] The Finest of Knights wouldn’t let that opportunity slip through his fingers. The rainbow slash severed the crimson scorpion’s tail at the base.

[Assistant] The rainbow flash interrupted the severed tail exploding.

[User] Interrupted, having its trump card sealed, the crimson scorpion swung its pincers down furiously at Julius’s back.

[Assistant] "Shhhh!" But the arcing slash cleanly severed the pincer at its weakest joint.

[User] The scorpion shuddered from the force of its arm being severed but still reached out with its remaining right pincer to grab at Julius.

[Assistant] "Al Clanvel."

[User] Just before it could close, the aurora around Julius’s body unraveled and then swelled. When the rainbow armor came undone, there was an explosive swell of light that burst the closing pincer from the inside, blowing it away at its base.

[Assistant] "Sssssss" Battered by the shock wave, the crimson scorpion’s massive body rose in the air. And then, slamming down heavily onto the ground on its back, it was in a terrible state without pincers or a tail.

[User] The demon beasts quickly surrounded the overturned scorpion. With all eight legs held in place, it couldn’t move at all. Twisting its body, trying to avoid the impending end, it moved its head to better position its sharp fangs.


[User] "—That’s enough, Shaula." Subaru stood in front of the writhing crimson scorpion, reflected in all of its compound eyes.

[Assistant] Subaru didn’t know for certain what the right choice was, but…

[User] “Meili.”

[Assistant] “…What would you have done without me, I wonder…?” Meili sighed and moved over toward the crimson scorpion.

[User] “Who are you? A scary red scorpion? Or…?” Focusing the scorpion’s attention on her, she asked.

[User] “Or someone else?”

[Assistant] The movement of the crimson scorpion’s compound eyes dulled. Quivering, they quietly looked at Meili, and then back to Subaru. Those aggressive red eyes slowly began to change color.

[User] “Shaula.”

[Assistant] The carapace’s red glow faded. The eyes turned green, the carapace black, gradually calming, until finally…

[User] “Shaula!”

[Assistant] Finally… 4 Crumbling away. Peeling away. Fading. Everything gleaming in the distance. Everything gleamed so much in the distance. Everything crumbled, peeled, faded, gleaming far, far in the distance. Left behind, memories fading, but it was definitely shining. Because those days were so precious, she was desperately gathering them up. Sitting on the ground, holding her knees, Shaula cocked her head a bit.


[User] “Do you remember, Master? You told me to wait and that you would come back for sure, and then you disappeared.”

[Assistant] “I don’t remember. In fact, I’m telling you I don’t know what you’re talking about. Quit making me keep repeating myself.”

[User] “That’s how it goes, I guess. Since I get my forgetfulness from you. We’re two peas in a pod.”

[Assistant] “Ugh! I mean, I’ll admit in a strict sense, it might be true enough, but still…”

[User] He wasn’t as charming, as cute, or as courageous as she was. He could never exert himself so hard for the sake of someone who had left him behind for four hundred years.

[Assistant] “I’m way too impatient. Hasty, too. I want results fast. Maybe I’d feel like trying to endure it if they were with me for it, but…”

[User] “That’s no good, Master. Don’t you know the saying there’s no sacrifice too great for the sake of love? !”

[Assistant] “Isn’t that supposed to be go there’s no sacrifice too great for the sake of fashion?! What you said sounds like the slogan of a crazy, devoted woman. Like, unhealthily devoted!”

[User] “It’s all for the sake of realizing the feelings swirling in my heart.


[User] “I don’t mind if you laugh and call me stupid or pathetic. Even that laughter is wonderful…”

[Assistant] “I’m not laughing. Look, I’m even a little teary.” Shaula pointed to his face.

[User] “Oh, where?”

[Assistant] Shaula leaped to her feet, leaning in to see, and as she got close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin, Subaru suddenly noticed the structure of her shapely face. Big, almond eyes that held a purposeful drive, and a straight nose. Long eyelashes, perfectly smooth skin that belied how long she had spent in the desert, and though it was hard to notice with how expressive her face was, an overall build that was more gorgeous than adorable. Given the name of a star, she was a home to return to, a being whose fate was waiting for her beloved. “Huh? That’s not just teary. Are you actually crying, Master?”

[User] “…Your master is a son of a bitch. I’d like to punch him myself.”

[Assistant] “Seeing that would give me some very conflicted feelings! If you KO’d yourself, what would happen?! …Argh…”

[User] Subaru closed his eyes as his lips quivered. Something hot welled up, pushing past his eyelid and trickling down his cheek.

[Assistant] Seeing that clear drop, Shaula murmured again.

[User] Shaula unexpectedly rubbed something damp against Subaru's cheek. Opening his eyes, he saw Shaula slowly moving away from his face. Smiling mischievously, she put her finger to her lips and stuck out her red tongue. “…Your body fluids are salty and sweet.”

[Assistant] “Phrasing…”

[User] “It doesn’t matter how I say it. My feelings are exactly what it says on the box. I love you, Master, body and soul.”

[Assistant] She had said it so many times. Knowing exactly how far she was willing to go, he could never say that she was anything less than heartfelt. The reason she talked about love at every opportunity is because she was overflowing with it. Because the feelings she had always wanted to express overflowed from inside her. Having spent four hundred years wanting to love, wanting to be loved…

[User] “I love you, Master.”

[Assistant] “…I’m not gonna say ‘I love you, too.’”

[User] “I know that. You’re mean and ultra-shy. But I like that about you, too. From the bottom of my heart. Only youuuu.”

[Assistant] Left behind by time, bound by the role she had been given. And when that role pushed her to hurt the person she loved, she had wept and begged for death. Even though Subaru had said he wasn’t going to leave her like that. “I’m not…going to say I love you…”

[User] “…That’s fine. I’ll just keep saying it enough for the both of us. And eventually, there will come a day when it boomerangs back at me.”

[Assistant] “Eventually…? Again, with that. You planning to wait four hundred years?”

[User] “Yep. Four hundred years is just a drop in the ocean.” She had wept, saying in such a pained voice how long she had waited.


[User] Wept at being left to the passage of time, held hostage by her love, and so, so lonely for all that time.

[Assistant] I had vowed not to make her cry. And I had no intention of going back on his word. So—he wanted her to cry. To cry and say it wasn’t enough yet. If she cried and cried and cried until she collapsed in tears, Natsuki Subaru, even though he wasn’t her master, would do everything in his power to stop her tears.

[User] “Four hundred years is just like the day after tomorrow.” There was no trace of her crimson scorpion form. Just a beautiful, smiling woman. So beautiful, it almost swept him off his feet. So fragile, it seemed like she might crumble if he touched her. Shaula’s pale cheeks reddened slightly, and like a maiden in love, she continued.

[Assistant] “…Since I loved you the whole time I was waiting, too.” Like a maiden in love, she said.

[User] “Hey, Master. Someday…” Crumbling away. Peeling away. Fading. Everything gleaming in the distance. Everything gleamed so much in the distance.


[Assistant] “—Shaula.” A bit of carapace on the sand turned to dust. And it didn’t stop there. It spread to every piece. The severed tail, the severed pincer, the legs held down by demon beasts, and the head that Natsuki Subaru was cradling

[User] Tried to gather the bits of the fading being he held in his arms.

[Assistant] “…I suppose she completed her role.” Beatrice said softly.

[User] That adorable spirit watched sadly as the demon beast—no, the fellow artificial spirit like her—crumbled away after sacrificing herself so much to fulfill her role.

[Assistant] This wasn’t death. This was the inescapable result of her role as the Pleiades Watchtower’s star guardian. Today was a day that was bound to come at some point.

[User] “Then…if we…” If they hadn’t come, would she still have been here? Would she have continued waiting here forever for someone who was never going to return…?

[Assistant] “…Subaru, you, of all people, should know that question is an insult to her.”

[User] “And regret is not what you should feel.” The knight spoke, having already sheathed his sword and readjusted his bloody and sand-covered clothes. It was cold, but he was entirely correct.

[Assistant] Gritting his teeth, hiding how much he hated how right Julius was, Subaru sighed deeply. And he hugged the woman who had been all alone for so long even harder.


[User] Subaru, Beatrice, Julius, Meili were there as the woman who had been alone passed among friends.

[Assistant] “But I would’ve been just as happy even if it was only you, Master.” Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over as she made that charmless remark.

[User] The demon beast’s fangs gently traced the drops trickling slowly down his cheek. Those fangs that were sharp and looked like they could break anything, moved so gently, so as not to hurt Subaru, who was easier to hurt than anyone there. Endearingly, gently, kindly…

[Assistant] “…Ah…” The feeling from inside his arms disappeared. The scorpion’s carapace became undone, crumbling away, turning to dust. The black dust scattered across the sands. Subaru raised his voice. “Shaula…”

[User] “Yes, Master?”

[Assistant] “Shaula…Shaula…Shaula…”

[User] “You rang, Master?”

[Assistant] “Shaula, Shaula…”

[User] “Mrgh, I don’t know what to do with all this love!” Closing his eyes, he heard her voice answering him. And yet she was nowhere anymore.

[Assistant] “…Ah…” Kneeling in the sand, Subaru tore at the ground. Someone’s voice reached his ears. He didn’t know who, and he couldn’t bring himself to check. But, drawn by it, he looked up, and his eyes widened. The desert was covered in black dust. It trembled slightly, and something crawled out. It was a small creature that could fit in the palm of his hand. Scraping at the sand with its two pincers, it used its tail to deftly pull its body out of the sand. A little creature with a red carapace… It moved toward Subaru kneeling on the ground and leaned against his sandy hand. It was just a touch, but it felt like a vestige of her charm… Crumbling away. Peeling away. Fading. Everything gleaming in the distance. Everything gleamed so much in the distance. —And it’s because you were there.


[User] “Four hundred years is just like the day after tomorrow.”

[Assistant] “…Since I loved you the whole time I was waiting, too.”

[User] “Hey, Master. Someday…”

[Assistant] “Someday, come visit me again.”

[User] “Next time, you wait for me. I want to be chased, for once.”

[Assistant] “This is really, really important, Master. Promise me.”

[User] “Next time, don’t forget me.”

[Assistant] “I love you, Master.”

[User] “You idiot,” Subaru whispered with a quivering voice. “Who could ever forget you?” And lifting up the thing ticklishly touching the back of his hand, he held it in both hands. Accepting those awkward, embarrassing feelings, the tiny little scorpion shuddered. Its carapace was red, and its eyes were a vivid scarlet. The color of a love that didn’t fade even after four hundred years.


[User] Subaru knelt quietly on the sand.

[Assistant] Not saying anything to Subaru.

[User] Likewise.

[Assistant] Like Julius and Beatrice, couldn't find the words.

[User] "...No ... that’s not it."

[Assistant] "I got it… Someday, somehow, I will meet you again. So…"

[User] "—So farewell for now, Shaula." The desert wind carried away the dust of her feelings and body. Subaru breathed deeply.

[Assistant] Glancing at his shoulder, he saw the scorpion, as if telling him to cheer up, reach out and pinch his ear.

[User] “Owww!”

[Assistant] "I got it, I got it." Subaru said as he grabbed the scorpion to pull it off his ear.

[User] “Owww! I said I got it; you can let me go already…owww!!! Hey, I’m bleeding…you little! Are you serious…? !”

[Assistant] “…What are you doing, mister.” Meili grabbed the scorpion.

[User] “It might be tiny, but it’s still a beastie. Get it too close to your face and it might eat your eye or nose—this isn’t that half-naked lady, you know.” Saying that, she placed the scorpion on top of her head.

[Assistant] “Subaru, we need to heal your wounds.” Beatrice grabbed his sleeve.

[User] Biting his lip, Subaru nodded deeply.

[Assistant] "—Subaru!"


[User] "Everyone!" In the distance, the great door of the watchtower opened, and Emilia came running out. From how battered her clothes looked, it was clear she had not had it easy.

[Assistant] "Shaula was always doing her best." Hearing the whole story and the reason for why Shaula wasn’t there, Emilia looked down at the ground where even the dust had scattered out into the desert, and she grieved in her own way. There was an anguished look on Emilia’s face at seeing Subaru look so down after explaining what had happened to Shaula.

[User] "Lady Emilia, what of the first floor? Were you able to safely clear the examination?" However, Julius chose intentionally to move the conversation along.

[Assistant] "Yes." She nodded. "It was really difficult and hard to understand, but it seems like I managed to complete it… Also, you remember who I am now, too, Julius?" Emilia asked nervously.

[User] "………Yes…I do. Indeed, I can remember it clearly." Julius answered with a start. Putting his hand to his mouth, Julius murmured, "Lady Emilia" again, pondering on it, nodding as he considered the person who should have disappeared from inside him.

[Assistant] "Do you remember me Beatrice? Meili?"

[User] "…You don’t have to worry. I remember, I suppose. Indeed, without you mentioning it, I wouldn’t have remembered that I had forgotten."

[Assistant] "Me too. I remember, too. And do you remember what you promised me?"

[User] "Of course. I’ll never forget it. Thank goodness. Ram and Patrasche remembered me, so I thought it should be fine, but…" Hearing their responses, too, Emilia touched her hand to her chest in relief.

[Assistant] "Wait a second. If everyone remembers Emilia-tan now, then…"

[User] "Ms. Ram slew Lye Batenkaitos." Subaru’s eyes widened at Julius’s conclusion.

[Assistant] "…Can you remember, Rem?" The gaping wound in Subaru’s heart, the girl who had been forgotten by everyone. This journey was to take back what had been stolen—and for Subaru, it was primarily to rescue Rem. Impatient, driven by that restless hope, Subaru looked around at everyone.

[User] "…Sorry, Subaru. I can’t remember Rem yet."

[Assistant] "…Argh! Why? !"

[User] "Betty, too. I can’t remember Ram’s sister. And…"

[Assistant] "And? And what? Did something happen?"

[User] "I can’t remember Julius, either. The damage done by Gluttony has not been completely undone yet, I suppose."

[Assistant] "Julius…" Emilia nodded just like Beatrice. Meili shrugged, not having known Julius before his name was stolen, but there was no reason for Emilia or Beatrice to lie. So Rem’s and Julius’s names had not been restored…

[User] "On that point, I can imagine why my name is not yet restored." And looking at everyone with his almond-shaped eyes, he continued.


[Assistant] Going through the main doors and back into the Pleiades Watchtower, the dragon carriage that had brought them to the tower was waiting on the fifth floor.

[User] They were greeted by a familiar face.

[Assistant] "Emilia, and Natsuki, too. It’s been a tick.”

[User] “…Is that…Anastasia?” Subaru’s eyes widened at the person waving her hand and smiling with an elegant restraint.

[Assistant] He confirmed the gestures, behavior, and even expression were natural.

[User] This was a complete reproduction of the person that the artificial spirit Echidna couldn’t quite perfectly pull off.

[Assistant] No, not a reproduction.

[User] Since it was her natural character. Reproduction wasn’t the word…

[Assistant] “Anastasia! You woke up?”

[User] “That’s right. Looks like I had a long nap there. Sorry for the worry. Echidna told me what’s been happening.”

[Assistant] “Echidna’s still okay, then?”

[User] “Somehow,” she answered apologetically. “It doesn’t seem like I’ll be dying for the moment, aside from kicking myself.”

[Assistant] “Don’t be like that." Anastasia rubbed Echidna’s head. "I told ya, I chose this myself, so you don’t need to go blaming yourself. You agree, right, Julius?”

[User] “Me? …Indeed. Honestly, even though I was kept in suspense for quite some time by your decision, Lady Anastasia, I agree with your actions, though it is difficult to say so.”

[Assistant] “Why’s that?”

[User] “As your knight, I felt myself blessed at hearing the reason you chose to hide within yourself,” Julius answered gracefully as he broke into a smile.

[Assistant] “Well, don’t get too excited.”

[User] “Anastasia…you forgot Julius, didn’t you? You seem to be getting on pretty well in spite of everything.”

[Assistant] “I forgot whatever our original relationship was…and at least for me, I’m definitely madder than a wet hen, but…! But…!” Anastasia’s lips quivered.

[User] “She’s enduring it as best she can, as you can probably see. Fortunately, I can tell her about the Julius I’ve gotten to know these past two months. Seems like maybe that was the reason I was born.”

[Assistant] “…You’ve gone a little over the edge in your own odd way, from the sound of it,” Beatrice replied, with ever-so-slightly gentle words.

[User] "Yeah." There was a snort from the fox’s snout as Echidna nodded.

[Assistant] Echidna, the artificial spirit without a past, came to the watchtower in Anastasia’s stead, and after a long, winding road had finally reached a satisfying conclusion for herself.

[User] Part of that was thanks to Anastasia safely reinhabiting her own body.

[Assistant] “…Hey, Anastasia. I’m really glad you came back, and there’s a lot I want to talk to you about, but…”

[User] “I know. The Archbishop who Julius smacked upside the head, right?” Anastasia shrugged.

[Assistant] “With a little this and that, Julius tossed him in the back of the carriage.”

[User] As Emilia pondered her words, Subaru gulped at seeing the carriage.


[User] Roy Alphard, Archbishop of Gluttony, was tied up inside there. Before moving to the door of the carriage, he gave the harnessed ground dragon Joseph a pat on the neck.

[Assistant] “You were a huge help… Gimme a hand in the future, too, in case anything happens.”

[User] Joseph snorted, as if to say that was a lot to ask.

[Assistant] As Subaru awkwardly smiled just a little, his face soon became serious before he stepped toward the carriage’s passenger compartment.

[User] With a nod from everyone, he peered inside. “This is…” His nerves were tingling as he looked in, but what he saw made his eyes widen.

[Assistant] Roy was indeed inside. However, the way he was tied up was a bit different from how Subaru had imagined. Roy Alphard’s whole body was covered in what looked like a black crystal, and he was still unconscious—or rather, sealed.

[User] “It is an application of shadow magic, I suppose. Using Shamak to render him unconscious and freezing him like that… This is quite the nasty method.”

[Assistant] “So then that black stuff is like a big wad of Shamak…?” Startled, Subaru looked at the seal again after hearing Beatrice’s explanation.

[User] It was safe to say that Shamak was the magic he had relied on the most before his pact with Beatrice. He was stunned by Julius’s ability to use it as a seal.

[Assistant] “Do not misunderstand, please. This is not a method I created myself. It follows the same theory as the most well-known seal in this world. Though the difference in scale is incomparable.”

[User] “The most famous…you don’t mean?”

[Assistant] Emilia said, looking at the locked-up Archbishop. “The Witch of Jealousy.”

[User] “Indeed.” Julius nodded deeply.

[Assistant] Roy’s seal was the same as the one used to seal the Witch of Jealousy in a land farther still to the east, keeping her in slumber these past four hundred years.

[User] “…Why did you leave him alive, Julius? When the other one, when Lye Batenkaitos died, Emilia’s name returned. So then…”

[Assistant] “There was no proof. That was the greatest reason I chose not to execute him.”

[User] “It is true that Ms. Ram has slain Batenkaitos. However, do we know if that is the sole reason Lady Emilia’s name was returned? If it is not, then we might lose everything.”

[Assistant] “—In that case, what about using the book of the dead?”

[User] Julius’s logic was sound, so Subaru suggested the back door that existed in this tower.

[Assistant] There was nothing better for knowing the thoughts of others. Since it allowed the reader to experience a person’s entire life.

[User] “Even if we interrogate him, there’s no guarantee he’ll tell it straight. So using the book of the dead to know his innermost mind is…”

[Assistant] “Subaru, that’s…I don’t think that’s good…”

[User] “But it should be guaranteed.


[User] "Ummm, mind if I break in here?" Anastasia raised her hand as Subaru started to argue with Emilia, who reacted negatively to the idea of the book of the dead. Glancing at Subaru, who was looking frustrated, she put her pale hands together in front of her chest.

[Assistant] "I just heard about it some from Echidna, so maybe there are gaps, but…those books of the dead or whatever? Isn’t it kinda dangerous to be trusting them?"

[User] "Dangerous how?"

[Assistant] "What do you mean? You experienced it yourself, didn’t you? Did you lose yourself for a while there while I was out?"

[User] "Ack…" How much had Echidna told her in such a short time? She hit him in a sore spot.

[Assistant] There was no guarantee Roy Alphard wouldn’t be reborn if Subaru’s ego was overwritten while reading his book of the dead.

[User] "Then…then are you saying letting him live is right? After all he’s done?!"

[Assistant] "If you’re asking me right and wrong, then I don’t really think letting an Archbishop live is right. But I have a theory about things."

[User] "A theory…?"

[Assistant] "When it comes to lives, taking them should be a last resort—anyone who thinks it’s easy to kill another person ain’t gonna meet a happy end. And that’s not Hoshin talking, that’s me."

[User] Subaru’s eyes widened. He recoiled at the idea that such naïveté existed in this brutal fantasy world of swords and magic. But at the same time, it felt right to him, too.

[Assistant] "But this guy… All the things he did… Does he deserve that sort of kindness…?"

[User] "I’ll kill when I don’t have a choice. That’s my resolve, and I’ll get my hands dirty if I have to. But acting on impulse ain’t right… And I think you’d agree with me there."

[Assistant] "That’s…"

[User] "That’s why you can cry over someone." Anastasia traced a line on his cheek, pointing out the traces of tears on his face.

[Assistant] "…I’d rather have a long and fruitful relationship with that Natsuki, ’stead of the merciless and cold-blooded one."

[User] The ache of having lost Shaula made Subaru look down quietly.

[Assistant] "…Subaru, I agree with Anastasia. When I think about Julius and Rem, I want to resolve this as fast as possible, but…"

[User] "At the very least, you need not trouble yourself over me. Having come this far, I believe caution should be prioritized over speed… My brother is on the line as well." Joshua had been left behind in Pristella.


[User] “To sum it up, Ana and Julius believe the Archbishop of Gluttony should be transported to the capital, where he should be interrogated for the method of saving those afflicted by his authority. After that, he will not escape a death sentence.” Subaru impulsively desires a swift conclusion to make up for the pain of loss.

[Assistant] “There are limits to taking age into account, too. I’m sure it will get to that in the end.” Seeing the strength seep from Subaru’s clenched fist, Echidna and Anastasia wrapped it up nicely.

[User] "Are y’all okay with that?”

[Assistant] “Yes. I want to be able to remember all the people who have been forgotten, too." Emilia answered, raising her head.

[User] Subaru looked away from the Archbishop in the carriage and then suddenly sank to his knee. “Ah…” His head grew heavy, and the world reeled.

[Assistant] “Subaru! Argh, you did push yourself too much! Carrying something that unpleasant this whole time, of course you’d end up like this!” Beatrice yelled as she supported Subaru’s shoulder.

[User] “…Ah, I…”

[Assistant] “Subaru, it’s okay. Everything will be fine. Rest for now. Just a little is fine. Let’s talk more when you wake up. There’s a lot that I want to say, too.” Slumping weakly, Emilia hugged Subaru from the front as His consciousness faded into darkness.


[User] "—Her master Flugel is a terrible person."

[Assistant] From the look of it, his exhaustion is terrible, but…it is not dangerous. He will recover, so long as he rests. Shall we take him to the green room?

[User] "Yes, Ram and them are there, too… You looked after Rem when Ram came to help me, didn’t you Anastasia?"

[Assistant] "It’s nothing too special. After getting myself back, I just saw Julius off going to help Subaru and Ram and Patrasche going to help you, is all… Unfortunately, there wasn’t any change in Rem."

[User] "I see…" Emilia’s brow furrowed.

[Assistant] Let’s hope we can get the answer to that out of Roy Alphard. Also, there are too many gaps to fill about this tower…no, the Great Pleiades Library.

[User] "A grand library where you can learn anything…that was what Shaula said. She was a bit haphazard, but all the more reason she was unlikely to spin a tale, I suppose. And it is certainly true that this is a grand library."

[Assistant] Ummm, after we move Subaru to the green room to rest, there’s a place I would like you all to see…and someone I want to you to meet.

[User] "…Is that related to the first floor?"

[Assistant] It isn’t that long of a story, but it is a bit complicated, so do you mind just coming to see for yourself? Emilia pointed high above her head, toward the very top of the tower.


[User] There was something rough rubbing his head. “Ugh…” Subaru groaned and opened his eyes.

[Assistant] Blinking his eyes until his blurry vision came a bit into focus, he saw the source of the roughness—Patrasche licking him with her red tongue. “Patrasche…”

[User] "Sorry for worrying you… You really outdid yourself this time, didn’t you? Sorry for always asking so much.” Reaching out to his trusty steed, he smiled while patting her sharp face. This black ground dragon was always saving him from danger. Of course there was a debt he owed her for saving him after he lost his memories, but on this last go-round, too, Patrasche had been left with an important role, since…

[Assistant] “Without Patrasche, Rem would have been in danger. Bringing her back is the greatest achievement of your life, Barusu.”

[User] “I can’t totally deny it, so let’s not dwell there. I pulled Beako out of the archive, and I recovered Emilia-tan’s handkerchief for her, too. Though Roswaal was pulling strings on both of those.” More accurately, Roswaal wasn’t actually involved with Beatrice’s issue, but putting it that way would stick it to Ram better, so he didn’t correct it.

[Assistant] As usual, Ram scoffed in aggravation at that. Seeing Ram leaning against the wall and holding her arms, Subaru narrowed his eyes at just how painfully battered she looked.

[User] “…Sorry, Ram. Because of me, you…mggggh!”

[Assistant] “Don’t be stupid. It’s your fault that I was injured? You aren’t the primary cause of anything in my life. The mere thought is disgusting.”

[User] “Disgusting is a bit much! And it’s totally scary when you stick clumps of plants in people’s mouths all of a sudden!” Subaru was teary as he complained about having a clump of vines stuffed in his mouth.

[Assistant] “Ha,” Ram laughed, not feeling the least bit guilty.

[User] There was a giggle at that. “You two really do get along. You look like siblings.” Meili was sitting on the green mat of vegetation on the floor, her legs splayed out while the tiny red scorpion sat on her head.

[Assistant] Ram scowled at that. "Barusu, a sibling…? Even if I accept for the sake of argument that he is a hapless, hopeless brother unrelated by blood, anyone as useless as him would have been kicked out, to have fewer mouths to feed.”

[User] “Was it really that Spartan in the Oni village? I’m glad I’m not an Oni, I guess…”

[Assistant] “I was lying. I would have kicked you out simply because of the revulsion.”

[User] “Don’t layer hypotheticals! That makes things so complicated!” Subaru fired back with a spittle-flecked shout in response to Ram’s standard tune. But he also understood that in her own roundabout way, it was a show of concern for him on her part. She was telling him that his decision wasn’t why she had been injured. That curt attitude, like always, was just like Ram. He looked around the room at the people in the green room.


[User] Subaru and Patrasche, Ram, and Meili with the tiny red scorpion are with the sleeping princess lying on the bed in the farthest back of the room.

[Assistant] "...Rem hasn’t woken up?"

[User] "Unfortunately, no. I removed the head of that loathsome boor. Thanks to that, it seems Lady Emilia returned, but…"

[Assistant] "Julius and Rem haven’t… What’s missing?" Pushing his fist against his palm, Subaru bit down in disgust. It was a reminder again of what they had been talking about before he passed out. In the end, they had to directly ask Gluttony how to eradicate all the effects of their authority.

[User] "So this is the injured list? Where did Emilia-tan and them go?"

[Assistant] "They went upstairs to meet someone. On the first floor, so way, way up there… You know who it is, don’t you, Ms. Ram?"

[User] "It’s nothing important. Just a big and forgetful violent old person."

[Assistant] "A forgetful, violent old person at the top of the watchtower definitely sounds like some key NPC…" When he thought about a new person joining the cast at such a late point, Subaru furrowed his brow. Who was the person Ram was describing? If it was an examiner like Reid on the second floor, then was it that loathsome Sage?

[User] "Then…"

[Assistant] "Barusu, quit using Shaula to feel better about your own powerlessness."

[User] The blood started rising to his head, but Ram’s cool voice stopped him before he could stand up. He caught his breath and looked at Ram. She had him dead to rights.

[Assistant] "I heard about Shaula. She was loud and unrefined and had holes for eyes, to be so attached to you…but she wasn’t so bad she deserved to disappear."

[User] "If you regret it, then don’t get angry. Cry. I’m sure she would be happier if you cried instead of using her as an excuse to vent. And so would I."

[Assistant] "Ram…"

[User] "Though I still think she was wrong about the person she cared so much about." Ram flicked his forehead with that last bit. Knocked back down by it, even though it didn’t hurt, Subaru touched his forehead.

[Assistant] "Sorry…"

[User] "Besides, if it were Flugel on the first floor, Lady Emilia and I would have beaten him half to death before you could do anything."

[Assistant] "...I don’t know about Emilia-tan, but I could definitely see you doing that." Considering what happened to Shaula, it was natural to think everyone in the tower would have some anger to spare for Flugel.

[User] "But then who is the old guy on the first floor…?"

[Assistant] "Just leave it for now. Even if they are of some use, it would be in asking about the victims of the Archbishop of Lust, not Gluttony."

[User] "That sounds like a big development, but…okay…" Ram already had a clear priority order when it came to those things, and her ability to say so without hesitation was one of her strong points. And Subaru felt much the same. The possibility of saving Lust’s victims was tremendous.


[User] But it was Gluttony’s victims that he most wanted to save. And he couldn’t help wondering if there had been a better way to do that. “…Fool.”

[Assistant] “Big sis?”

[User] “If you have time to waste worrying over such pointless things, then focus on resting your body and mind. You aren’t the only one here who failed to make the optimal choices.” Ram shook her head and touched her forehead. There was a delicate scar on the place where her horn had once been. Rubbing it, she then reached out toward Rem and lovingly caressed her sister’s forehead, too.

[Assistant] “I borrowed Rem’s strength to defeat the Archbishop of Gluttony. I won as a result, but the price was heavy… I made her bear quite a heavy burden.”

[User] “That’s…”

[Assistant] “I fought like I did when I still had my horn. If you had been carrying the burden then, your insides would have burst.”

[User] Subaru knew all too well that she wasn’t exaggerating. Ram experienced hell just going about her day, breathing and acting normal. If she became serious…he couldn’t begin to imagine how bad the feedback would be.

[Assistant] “Rem might resent it when she wakes up. But I don’t regret it. I’m her big sister. Even if she hates me or holds a grudge, nothing will change… I only did it to make good on all of that.”

[User] “…Well, that struck painfully close to home.” Rather than regretting the past, set out to make a better future. That was Ram’s declaration. Outside of those thoughts, though, Subaru had raced to bend the past many times before. If Ram’s outlook was the ultimate sort of constructive perspective, Subaru’s Return by Death was the pinnacle of living in the past. His ability that allowed him to change what happened was always the result of some past that he regretted.

[Assistant] “Though it’s always better not having to use it…” Releasing his fist that had clenched again, Subaru smiled bitterly. He acknowledged his attitude of using that ability to work hard for a future where everyone could smile together. And also, he reminded himself not to wallow in the Return by Death itself. Because even here, he had seen so many tears and heard so many voices lamenting his death.

[User] “I don’t really get it, but it looks like you’re feeling a bit better, mister.” Meili commented on his general demeanor as she played with her hair and said, with her knees up.

[Assistant] “They can cheer you up, but I can’t, so don’t get too down. You promised you’d be a good role model for me, right?”

[User] “Yeah, I did, didn’t I? All right, next time I’ll keep it for sure.” Subaru nodded, looking at Meili and the scorpion on her head. And then, as if giving his resolve a little push, Patrasche rubbed against his cheek. Even as hard and rough as her scaly skin was, once he was used to it, it didn’t hurt to have it rub against his cheek.


[User] With a heartfelt appreciation for that show of affection, he stood up. He had been so exhausted, he couldn’t even stay up earlier, but it felt like some of his stamina had recovered. All hail the gracious and great green room spirit. "Even Joseph was part of that all-out fight, but thinking how much the spirit in this room has helped us, no matter how much I thank them, it’ll never be enough…" The room they had been using as a heal point was home to a spirit that seemed to like healing living things’ wounds, at least according to Shaula. That was why Rem had been in this room from the moment they arrived at the tower. "Well, not that we’re lounging here because we want to."

[Assistant] "The spirit, huh? You’re…no, it would just be a waste of breath. What if it was the effect of Julius’s blessing that brought it into existence?"

[User] "I see what you’re getting at, but my allure is only effective on Beako, so I’m not too bitter. If it really was Julius’s blessing, then I wonder if we can communicate with it…?" At a simple level, Julius’s blessing made it easy for spirits to like him. Thanks to that, he was contracted to six quasi-spirits—now fully realized spirits—but if as a result, they could communicate with the spirit in this room, it would increase their range of options. That spirit had been in this tower as long as Shaula, or maybe even longer. Maybe that nameless being could help in solving the riddles of this tower…

[Assistant] "Ram? Why the weird look?"

[User] "...I feel an odd sort of air. This is—"


[Assistant] "What? !" Just as she was about to say what it felt like… Suddenly, a light filled the center of the green room, stunning all of them. Freezing at the sudden change, Subaru and Ram both leaped toward Rem. Meili and Patrasche were both obviously on guard, moving away from the light.

[User] "Wait, what? What is that? !"

[Assistant] "No clue! For now, stay close! We don’t know what… Whoa? !" Moving between Meili and the light, he cut himself off while he warned her to be careful. The reason was because the light grew stronger, blinding him. Covering his face with his arm, he cautiously peered into the light. The light gradually weakened and faded. Unsure whether to be relieved or wary, Subaru saw it.

[User] "—Huh?" Seeing it there, where the light had been, Subaru couldn’t comprehend it. He was speechless, stunned, and speechless again.

[Assistant] "...A girl?" Beside him, Ram was wary at seeing the same thing. She was correct. She and Subaru were seeing the same thing. However, Subaru’s perception of that girl was completely different from hers. Subaru knew her name. Because the girl lying on the floor of the green room was…

[User] "Louis Arneb." Louis Arneb had appeared in the center of the green room in a burst of light.


[User] Subaru was speechless to see her outside like this.

[Assistant] "Louis Arneb…that’s the name of the final Gluttony."

[User] "Y-yeah, that’s right. I didn’t get to talk too much about it…but that’s the final Gluttony, Louis Arneb. Lye’s and Roy’s little sister, supposedly…"

[Assistant] "...From the looks of it, she’s unconscious." Looking closer.

[User] Subaru agreed with Ram’s cold observation. Louis was sleeping. Sleeping? He couldn’t say the situation for sure. And why had she appeared here at all? As terrified as she was of Subaru and as broken by Return by Death as she had been, it was hard to imagine her recovering enough in these couple hours to try again. That was just how deep a scar death left on a person’s heart. "She’s not supposed to have a real body in the first place… Damn it, this doesn’t make any sense! Meili! Go get Emilia-tan and the others! Ram and I’ll watch her!"

[Assistant] "Mrgh, you’re such a harsh taskmaster… Don’t go dying, now, all right?" Edging backward, Meili moved to the room’s entrance.

[User] Subaru flashed a thumbs-up at her reminder. On top of her head, the little red scorpion raised its pincer, as if copying him, and she turned around and headed to the first floor to get the others.

[Assistant] "...Let’s not jump to conclusions for now. We should wait for Lady Emilia and Lady Beatrice to return. Once they’re back—”


[User] Before she could—black destruction crashed over the Pleiades Watchtower.

[Assistant] “—? !” There was a thud, as if a big explosion had happened down below, and their bodies floated up into the air.

[User] Slamming into the ceiling and wall, Subaru shouted in pain. Looking around to see what had happened, he noticed something. The gruesome presence approaching gave him goose bumps all over. "No way…" Shaking off the feeling that this should not be happening, he stood back up. But the cold chill just grew stronger, turning into something far more concrete than his disbelief. It was the obstacle that he had most wanted not to come—one that until this moment should not have been possible—and yet it was wreaking a terrible destruction on the tower anyway. "Patrasche! Get Ram!"

[Assistant] "—Tsss" Lifting up Ram, who was kneeling on the ground, unable to get up, he tossed her over to Patrasche. Despite the terrible wounds all over her body, Patrasche caught Rem, and guessing Subaru’s intent, she started running to the green room’s exit.

[User] "Barusu, you idiot…!"

[Assistant] Subaru couldn’t afford to listen to Ram’s complaints. He dashed across the wavering ground; he raced over to Rem on her bed of vines.


[User] Lifting her up, he turned to follow Patrasche to the exit…

[Assistant] When he saw Louis lying on the floor. “Argh! Shit! Damn it all!” As he cursed angrily, the adrenaline coursing through him granted him a momentary brute strength in an emergency. With Rem’s body under his right arm, he grabbed Louis’s arm with his left hand. They were both light. And in an emergency like this, he could carry them both without worrying about the weight. Holding the both of them, Subaru was just about to leap out of the room…

[User] …when the dark shadow burst through the floor, coming between him and the exit—the dark shadow. The final obstacle that he had wanted to believe wouldn’t come—the dark shadow of the Witch, who was so attached to him—had attacked the tower now, of all times. “Ram!” He tried to at least get Rem out from the shadow. However, the darkness covered everything in front of him, not allowing any opening. And on top of that, it continued to flow into the room, swallowing up everything to his left and right and behind him. “Damn it…but I made it this far…!” Seeing the onrushing shadow, he felt regret fill his heart as he searched for an escape. If it swallowed him up, he would die and end up returning by death. If the restart point didn’t get updated, he would end up having to redo this with Louis Arneb still inside him. If that happened, it would mean being controlled by the Archbishop in the form of that pale little girl again. Even though he had burned everything, to finish this loop, out of fear of that exact situation…

[Assistant] “Barusu! Get ahold of yourself! You’ll make Rem cry!! !”

[User] “—Tsss!! !”

[Assistant] Ram’s and Patrasche’s desperate voices rang out through the shadow. He took a breath to answer, but he couldn’t get the words out. The black shadow swallowed him whole first.


[User] Swallowed up by the enormous shadow, Subaru’s consciousness drifted in darkness. Losing his arms, legs, blood, flesh, his very being, he experienced a moment of déjà vu. Swallowed up by some enormous sort of feeling, he felt himself being blotted out.

[Assistant] “I love you.” He could hear the whispers of the very darkness itself. Now that’s a nostalgic voice, Natsuki Subaru’s consciousness thought sarcastically. He was starting to get used to being told he was loved. It was almost like he was some elegant knight surrounded by his six loving spirits. Unfortunately, Subaru wasn’t that dependable. And he was already filled up with love to give. He was already really pushing himself, in fact.

[User] “But I do want to push myself when it comes to that…”

[Assistant] “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

[User] “Sorry, but I can’t really answer that… That phrase is kind of triggering at the moment. I just screwed up saving the last person who said that to me.”

[Assistant] “I love you."


[User] "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.” “…Guess neither of us are in a listening mood. Then just go ahead and swallow me up. Let’s get this over with.” There was no hope of getting out alive once he found himself in this empty place. Natsuki Subaru would just cruelly die in this darkness. Instead of lamenting it, he accepted it, turning it into fuel for his anger and determination to fight. “If I go back now, the worst case might be waiting for me. Louis might be back to her senses and seriously coming for my ability again.”

[Assistant] “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.” “But I’m not gonna lose. I won’t. Next time, I’ll keep my promise.”

[User] “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.” “I’ll fight as many times as I need to for the day after tomorrow.” He wouldn’t let that love crush him. Sorry, but if those words were going to hurt me, then I’ve already suffered as much pain from them as I could a little while ago. That love is not going to bind Natsuki Subaru anymore. But even Subaru’s rejection couldn’t affect those whispers of love. It was as if that blind love was trying to blot out the entire world, consuming Natsuki Subaru’s existence, pulling him into the darkness…

[Assistant] “—I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

[User] “—I am Volcanica. By ancient oath, I ask thy will.” The next moment, an awesome blue light slammed into the shadow consuming the world. The color of the world changed in an instant as the furious light devoured the darkness…


[Assistant] “Ugh…” Feeling something rough rubbing against his face, Subaru groaned and opened his eyes. His consciousness slowly rose to the surface, and opening his eyes, he saw the blurry world gradually clear up. The rough feeling against his cheek continued throughout all that.

[User] “Aaagh?” A rough feeling and unfamiliar voice. He had assumed the tongue licking his cheek was his trusty ground dragon’s, but…

[Assistant] “Ugh?


[User] "!” —It was Louis Arneb, straddling him, licking his face.

[Assistant] “Ugh, whoaaaa? !” Shocked by that impossible scene, he immediately pushed Louis away.

[User] She cried out and rolled across the ground.

[Assistant] “Wh-wh-what the hell?! What are you doing?! Mocking me again…”

[User] “Ugh, uuuh? Whaaah.”

[Assistant] “Not whah! What, what happened…did I die…?” Glaring at Louis in disbelief, Subaru raised his voice frantically. Louis was lying flat on the grass, groaning and flailing her arms and legs like a child. He didn’t know what her goal was, or what… No, more importantly…

[User] “Where is this…?” Subaru tore his attention away from the Archbishop as he cautiously checked his surroundings. He was greeted by a wide, vibrantly green plain. There were flowers here and there swaying in the breeze. It was an impossible sight for the Auguria Dunes.

[Assistant] “The grass…is real. And it tastes…bleh, bleh! It’s definitely grass!” The clump he pulled up smelled like vegetation. It was the real deal. And his wounds and the condition of his clothes, the scars of the battle earlier that had enveloped the entire Pleiades Watchtower were still there. Meaning that battle had actually happened, and Subaru had not died yet. The enormous black shadow that had attacked the green room. He had survived being swallowed up by…

[User] “—Rem! Where’s Rem…?” If Louis was there, then Rem should be, too, since he had been holding her. Ignoring Louis, he immediately scanned the surroundings for Rem. And before long, he saw her lying quietly in the short grass.

[Assistant] “Rem! Ahhh, thank goodness! You’re, you’re really safe…” Running over, he confirmed she wasn’t injured and slumped in relief. There were no obvious external wounds. Her body heat and breathing were the same as ever. With a heartfelt relief, Subaru wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around. There was no trace of the tower or his friends anywhere.

[User] “Emilia-tan!!! Beako!!! Ram!! !”

[Assistant] “Uh, ahhh!”

[User] He shouted in the hopes that even if he couldn’t see them, they might still answer, but his voice echoed hollowly. The only response came from Louis, lying on the ground. Whatever she was planning in this unmanageable situation, he was the only one who could protect Rem, so he stood up to confront Louis…

[Assistant] As he moved his arms to get up, there was a tug.

[User] “…Eh?” A hoarse gasp escaped him. The pull on the hem of his clothes wasn’t that strong. But still, he couldn’t move.

[Assistant] His knees trembling, he started sweating incomprehensibly heavily. It was a genuinely strange impulse. His insides all started moving, and everything that made up the human Natsuki Subaru went wild, stricken by the sight.

[User] “…Ah.” Slowly, her eyelids quivered, beginning to open. The faint blue of a clear lake that had been hidden behind those eyelids. He had loved how joyous and cheerful her eyes were. Their occasional impish gleam. That pleading gleam that made his heart ache. He had always, always, always loved that gleam.


[User] "Re…" His heart leaped, his throat quivered, and he was speechless, like something was blocked. It was blocked. It was. His chest was filled with so many emotions. The words he wanted to say, the things he wanted to tell her, the pleas he wanted to make—they were all bottled up inside.

[Assistant] "…Rem." His lips quivered, calling her name wistfully. Pathetically, even just that much was a struggle that he failed several times to achieve. Had he said it clearly enough for her to understand? Or was it just his imagination, and he’d failed to convey the most important things?

[User] "Rem, Rem…Rem…Remmm…Rem!" A stream of tears poured from his eyes each time he spoke her name.

[Assistant] Blinking quietly, her eyes showed a faint but clear light.

[User] At that point, he could tell that his desperate plea really wasn’t just a trick of his eyes. She was really there…Rem was there.

[Assistant] "…Ah." Weakly moving her lips, Rem tried to say something. Just a single hoarse sound from her lips was heartrending to Subaru. Talking to her as she slept all this time, her shallow, sleeping breaths his only confirmation she was still alive. He had spent so many days and nights vowing in his heart to get her back. But in all that time, he had never once heard her voice. Closing his eyes, he could remember her voice calling to him, saying his name, all the time they had spent together. But they were all memories. He wanted to hear her voice again in a new tomorrow. And that was finally coming true. That wish was finally being realized.

[User] "Rem…it’s all right. Take your time…"

[Assistant] "…Ugh…" Her lips slowly, impatiently quivered.

[User] He should be getting her some water to drink, but there was no obvious water around, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. One word was enough. If she would just say his name again. Just that one word would be enough…

[Assistant] "…re…ou…"

[User] "…Rem?" Her lips moved softly, seeking something to wet her hoarse throat. She wet her tongue with saliva and managed to summon enough strength to open her mouth. And in those blue eyes where Subaru could see his reflection…

[Assistant] "Who are you?"

[User] Kneeling there, peering into her face, Subaru caught his breath. When he finally let go of the breath that he’d been holding for a painfully long time, he thumped his chest. Again, and a third time, pleading with himself.


[User] You already considered this possibility… He had considered the possibility that Rem wouldn’t remember him when she woke up. Considering Gluttony’s authority, it was a natural progression. It was entirely plausible she would wake still having lost her name or memories. It was entirely plausible, so there was no way he wouldn’t have considered it. Of course, that didn’t mean the impact, the pain of it was nothing. But he wasn’t so pitiful to act the tragic hero, despairing and cursing his fate or raging at the unfairness of it all. And more than anything, she had already told him: “Show me how cool you are, Subaru.”

[Assistant] “…My name is Natsuki Subaru.” Clenching his teeth, Subaru looked down as the grief threatened to overcome him, and his expression twisted. Rubbing his face, he put on his best brave face and smiled at Rem. With that cheerful, entirely unfounded smile that was befitting of Natsuki Subaru.

[User] “You might not remember it yet, but I’m…”

[Assistant] "You are…?"

[User] Subaru’s words trailed off for a moment, and he closed his eyes tightly. And then he looked back into those blue eyes and continued. "I’m you’re hero… I’ve been waiting to see you again, Rem.” And with that, for the sake of the girl to whom he had made his vow, he introduced himself as a hero. Donning the scarred and battered image of a hero, the boy took up that title again for this girl’s sake. I’ll renew it here. To start my story with her again from zero.


[User] This is really going to be a problem. With no money and no idea what to do, he repeated the thought over and over again in his mind. Well, it wasn’t completely accurate to say he had no money. The wallet in his pocket was filled with all the cash he owned, enough to go on a little bit of a shopping spree if he had to—under normal circumstances. But in this case, “no money” is really the only way to describe his situation.

[Assistant] "Yeah, but the currency system here is completely different, isn’t it…" The young man flicked his rare notched ten-yen coin in the air and breathed a deep sigh. He didn’t really have any features about him that stood out. He had short black hair and was of average height, being neither short nor tall. He was a bit muscular, though, as if he had been working out, and the cheap gray tracksuit that he was wearing really suited him quite well. He had small irises, so the whites of his eyes stood out, but right now, the way his eyes were downcast, he didn’t have a very aggressive or championing look to him. He looked average enough to be quickly lost in a crowd…but right now, most of those passing by looked at him out of the corners of their eyes as if they were looking at something strange they had never seen before. But that was to be expected. After all, among all those onlookers, not one of them had black hair, nor were any of them wearing tracksuits. They had blond hair, red hair, and brown hair…some even had blue or green hair, among others, and they were wearing armor, or black robes, or the kind of costume a dancer might wear…that sort of thing. As he stood before the waves of open stares, the young man crossed his arms and had no other option but to accept the truth.

[User] "This has got to be one of those…" He said, snapping his fingers and pointing out toward the crowd of onlookers.

[Assistant] "One of those so-called ‘I’ve been summoned to another world’ deals, right?" He said as an oxcart-like vehicle pulled by a giant lizard-like thing crossed in front of him.


[User] Placed at a fork in the road of life, such as “whether to pursue a college degree or jump straight into the workforce,” people are generally forced to make a decision one way or the other. That sort of decision-making is something everyone has to deal with and part of what we call life, but in Subaru’s case (you might call it his specialty) he was a bit better than your average Joe at running away from things he did not like. In avoiding such a decision, the number of his unexcused absences had piled up, and before he knew it he was a bona fide truant, the kind parents weep over.

[Assistant] "And to top it all off, now I’ve been summoned to a whole different world. I guess that seals the deal. I’m a high school dropout now. But seriously, what the hell is going on?" He felt as if he was having a not-so-well-thought-out dream, but even after pinching his cheeks and smacking his head against a wall, he wouldn’t wake up. Subaru sighed. He had drifted away from where he was, getting all sorts of curious looks, and was now sitting against a wall in an alley just off the main road.

[User] "Assuming I really have been summoned to a fantasy world…the state of civilization appears to be the usual, medieval-like setting. So far, I haven’t seen anything mechanical, but the roads are pretty well paved…and of course I can’t use any of my cash." As for whether he could communicate with the people here, and regarding the value of goods, those were things that Subaru checked immediately upon realizing he had been summoned to a different world. Fortunately, he had no problem communicating, and he was able to confirm that commerce was handled in a currency of gold, silver, and copper coins. His first contact, a merchant at a fruit stand, wasn’t all that welcoming to him, though.

[Assistant] "Without a little bit more of a welfare safety-net thing going on, a laid-back guy like myself isn’t going to be able to deal, you know?" Subaru complained. Given his current situation, and pitiful starting equipment, he couldn’t help it.


[User] His belongings consisted of a cell phone (which looked like it would run out of batteries soon), a wallet (filled with membership cards from various video rental stores), a cup of instant ramen he’d bought from a convenience store (pork bone and soy sauce flavor), a bag of crispy snacks bought from the same store (corn soup flavor), his favorite gray tracksuit (unwashed), and well-worn sneakers (two years old).

[Assistant] “I don’t even get a single Excalibur? I’m done. What am I supposed to do in this getup?”

[User] Well, there’s only so much you can hope for when you’re summoned to a different world on your way back from the convenience store. It had happened in the blink of an eye.

[Assistant] Subaru had already gotten hungry and eaten half of the one thing he had that might have been of any use—his pack of crispy snacks—before realizing that he had just gone through his only source of food.

[User] But worrying about it wasn’t going to help him now.

[Assistant] Even if he’d wanted to put his hopes on the possibility that this was being staged as part of an elaborate reality TV show, the large lizard carts and look of all the people passing by nipped that in the bud.

[User] “The fact that no one seems to be paying attention to them means that they’re probably normal…both those giant lizards and the half-humans.” Subaru grumbled and looked on as people with strange outfits and colorful hair passed by, but out of all of them, the ones who really drove home the fact that he had been summoned to another world were the half-humans.

[Assistant] Without having to look too long Subaru could see people with dog ears and cat ears, and there were even some who looked like they were lizardmen.

[User] But of course there were also ordinary humans, the same as Subaru.

[Assistant] “So this is a world with half-humans…and probably wars and adventures, too. As for whether there are any animals I’m used to around… I’m not too sure, but given that lizard cart thing…it looks like they use animals in the same way we do.”

[User] After putting all of that together, Subaru let out a long breath, but not a sigh. If things unfolded the way he had fantasized about before about otherworldly summoning, he ought to be able to use his knowledge of modern civilization to hold sway over everyone else…but there were a lot of things that still didn’t make any sense.

[Assistant] “The truth is, I have no idea what to do next, and I still have no idea how or why I was summoned. I don’t remember stepping into a mirror or falling in a pond, and if I’m to believe this is the otherworldly summoning format I’m used to, where is the beautiful girl who summoned me?”

[User] The lack of a main heroine in this otherworldly summoning setup was a big hole in the plot.


[User] If this were taking place in a 2D world, someone in the creative department was seriously slacking off. If Subaru was really summoned for no reason and then abandoned just like that, it put him on the same level as single-use disposable goods.

[Assistant] “I guess if I keep this up, it’s no different from locking myself up in my room back home.” The thought of his parents crossed his mind, but right now he wasn’t in a position where he could just sit around feeling homesick.

[User] Thinking he had to do something about his current situation, he stood back up and turned back toward the main road, but…


[Assistant] Just as Subaru was about to walk out onto the main road, he almost bumped into someone who moved out in front of him.

[User] "Oh. Sorry ’bout that.” Subaru gave a short apology and tried to continue past, but…

[Assistant] "Hold up!" He grabbed Subaru firmly by the shoulder and pulled him back into the alley.

[User] Nearly falling over himself as he turned around, Subaru looked up to see that the person who had thrown him back was a man with a large build. Behind that man were two of his buddies, and the three men stood in such a way as to block Subaru from exiting the alley onto the main road. The way they moved, it didn’t appear this was the first time these men had done this, and Subaru had a bad feeling about what was going to come next.

[Assistant] “Umm… May I ask what you three fine fellows plan on doing with me?”

[User] “Oh, it looks like this one here’s a smart one! Well, nothing to worry about. Just give us everything you’ve got on you, and there’s no need for anyone to get hurt.”

[Assistant] “So that’s the deal, huh? Yeah, I guess it would be. Ha-ha… This really sucks.” The men’s gazes were filled with scorn and ridicule. They looked like they were in their twenties, with the meanness of their personalities reflected in their faces and dirty appearances. They didn’t look like they were half-humans, but they certainly weren’t saints, either.

[User] “Damn, I’ve triggered a compulsory event.” As he looked at the men smirking, Subaru tried to hold the status quo with a fake smile and considered his options. He was in quite a pinch, but since the beginning of time, in stories where humans are summoned to other worlds, those humans tended to be able to wield some kind of superpower. If Subaru had been summoned to this world under the same conditions as the stories he was familiar with, it was very likely that he had been given some sort of power.


[User] "I’m starting to get the feeling that this world’s gravity is, like, only a tenth of my world’s. I can do this. I can do this! I’m going to mow you all down and make this the first chapter of my glorious future! You’re only here so I can pull experience points off of you, you scum!"

[Assistant] "What the hell is he going on about?"

[User] "I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure he’s making fun of us. Let’s kill ’im."

[Assistant] "Took the words right out of my mouth… You’re going to regret this!" Subaru flies forward with a straight jab from his right hand, aiming for the big man in front.

[User] Subaru's fist collided with the man’s nose, but he also cut his fist on one of the man’s front teeth and started bleeding. —I hit someone for the first time in my life! Wow! It hurts way more than I expected.

[Assistant] Subaru leapt at another of the men, caught off guard, as his next target.

[User] With a clean arc he landed a kick on the side of the next man’s head, slamming him into the wall of the alley. This was going even better than he’d expected, and he started to be sure of the notion that he was invincible in this new world. "I guess in this world my stats are pretty good! What a rush! Now to finish this!"

[Assistant] Turning back around, Subaru bent forward to beat down the last man standing, when his eyes centered on what that man was holding in his hand: a glinting knife. Immediately Subaru dropped to his knees, bent over forward, and with a spectacular single motion prostrated himself, pressing his forehead against the ground. "I’m sorry, that was absolutely terrible of me, I ask that you forgive me and please find it in your generous hearts to spare my life!"

[User] Subaru felt as if he could hear the blood drain from his body. Desperately clinging to any hope of mercy, he tried to make himself seem small and continued to apologize.


[User] Holding his bleeding nose

[Assistant] Shaking his head back and forth.

[User] "What?! You mean to tell me that my one-hit knockout punch only did that much damage?! What about my superpowers?!"

[Assistant] "I dunno what you’re going on about, but shut your trap! You’ve really done it now!"

[User] One of the men stepped on the back of Subaru’s head, scraping his forehead against the ground and causing him to bleed. Another then kicked him in the face, and Subaru curled into a ball as tightly as he could as he was subjected to further acts of violence.

[Assistant] Crap, this really, really hurts. Like, I could die. No, seriously.

[User] "Stop moving, you whelp!"

[Assistant] "Ow! No, don’t… Ow! Ow! Ow! !" The man with the knife stomped on Subaru’s hand as he tried to get up, then readjusted his grip on the knife so that the tip was held back toward his arm, ready to strike.

[User] "After we make sure you can’t move we’re going to take everything you’ve got. That’s what you get for acting tough, you punk…"

[Assistant] "I-if you’re looking for money or valuables, I’m sorry but you’re out of luck. After all, I don’t have a cent on me…!"

[User] "Then those strange-looking clothes and shoes’ll do just fine. You can just stay down and be food for the alley rats!"

[Assistant] Oh, so there are rats in this world, too. I hope they aren’t big, like monster rats or anything. Subaru looked at the knife about to come down as if it didn’t concern him at all, distancing himself from reality as best he could.

[User] But just then…


[User] She seemed more cheeky than anything else, but Subaru felt that if she smiled she would look pretty cute. As if it had been staged for a comeback, the fading light of hope Subaru had been holding lit anew. He was waiting for this kind of development. The girl, in her well-worn clothes and unclean appearance, had stumbled upon this attempted murder and robbery in the act! What would surely happen next, was that with an overflowing sense of justice this girl would save Subaru’s life, right from the clutches of death…

[Assistant] "Whoa! You look like you’re in quite a pinch there, but sorry! I’ve got my hands full right now! Good luck! Live life to the fullest!"

[User] "Wait, what?! Are you serious? !"

[Assistant] Unfortunately, that hope was shattered in an instant. The girl raised her hand in an apologetic sort of gesture and didn’t slow down as she continued racing down the alley. She went right past the men and kept going toward what should have been a dead end, kicked off against a wooden plank set up against the end wall, grabbed the top of the wall, and lightly flung herself up onto the roof of one of the surrounding buildings, where she disappeared.


[User] After the girl was gone, a silence fell upon the alley. It was as if a hurricane had just passed. Both Subaru and the men were dumbstruck. However, this didn’t mean that Subaru’s situation had improved at all.

[Assistant] “Doesn’t what just happened make your anger just sort of melt away and make you want to change your minds about all of this? !”

[User] “More like it killed the mood and now I’m even angrier. Don’t think you’ll get to die a pleasant death!” The men kept their feet planted on Subaru so he couldn’t move.

[Assistant] As Subaru looked at the glint of the knife in the man’s hand, the death that loomed before him seemed ever more real. —No, I mean, you’ve got to be kidding. I can’t die this easily, can I? A twitching smile formed on Subaru’s face as he looked around desperately for someone to deny the death that was coming his way. However, no such convenient development came. The tip of the knife drew ever closer. A feeling of resignation came over Subaru and he felt tears welling up in his eyes. It wasn’t fear that overwhelmed him; it was more the feeling of emptiness that this would all end without him accomplishing anything. In the midst of this overwhelming despair, feeling as if he had been abandoned by everyone and everything…


[User] “Hold it right there, you evildoers!” That voice overcame the noise of the crowd, the vulgar insults of the men, Subaru’s own heavy breathing, as well as everything else, and shook the very foundations of the world.

[Assistant] When people say, “Time stood still,” they must surely be talking about times like this. There was a girl standing at the entrance to the alley. She was beautiful. She had long silver hair, with braids in it that reached down to her hips. She was looking straight at Subaru with violet eyes that shone with intelligence. In her soft features were both elements of youth but also mature beauty. There was also a noble air about her that gave her a dangerous and bewitching charm. The girl was about one head shorter than Subaru, which made her around five feet, three inches tall. The clothes she wore used white as a base color, and there was nothing terribly ornate about them, but on the other hand, the simplicity emphasized her presence. The one thing that stood out was the white cloak the girl was wearing. It was emblazoned with embroidery that depicted a bird of prey, adding to her impression of majesty. However, it wasn’t the clothes she wore that made her shine so.

[User] “I will not stand by and watch any more of your wrongdoing. That is enough.” Her voice, like silver bells, rang beautifully in Subaru’s ears, and for a moment he forgot the situation he was in. He was completely undone by the silver-haired girl’s presence. The other men seemed to be just as shaken up as Subaru was.


[User] "Wha… Who do you think you are…?"

[Assistant] "If you stop right now, I’ll let you go. In a way, this is my fault for not being cautious. So do the right thing and give back what you stole."

[User] "Hey, what she’s wearing looks expensive. You think she’s nobility? Wait, huh…? What we stole?"

[Assistant] "Please. It is very precious to me. I’d be willing to give it up if it were anything else, but I absolutely can’t in this case. Please. I won’t do anything to you, so please just give it back." The girl looked as if she was pleading with all her heart. However, there was an inexplicable feeling of pressure that rose within the group. Something was happening that was hard to explain.

[User] "W-wait a minute! We don’t know what you’re talking about!"

[Assistant] "…What do you mean?"

[User] "You didn’t come here to rescue this guy…did you?"

[Assistant] "…Those are some weird clothes that boy is wearing. Did you all have a fight among yourselves? I don’t think three against one is really fair, but…if you’re asking me if I know this person, I haven’t ever seen him before in my life."

[User] Perhaps it was because she thought the men were trying to change the subject, but you could hear an amount of irritation in her voice.

[Assistant] "Wait a second! If you’re not after this guy, then we’re not involved! I bet it was that girl from before!"

[User] "You said you had something stolen from you, right?! That wall! You see that wall? She jumped off that wall and ran away on the rooftops!"

[Assistant] "She’s farther back! Back past that wall! At the rate she was going, she’s probably another three streets down!" As the men continued to plead their innocence, the girl turned her eyes to Subaru, as if asking whether these men were telling the truth.

[User] Without thinking, Subaru nodded.

[Assistant] "Hmm… It doesn’t look like you’re lying. So the one who stole from me is down farther ahead? I’ve got to hurry…" The girl turned away from Subaru and the men and toward the main road. The men clearly looked relieved. Subaru, faced with the reality of his abandonment, started to enter a state of shock, when…


[User] "…Magic." The best word to describe what just happened immediately tumbled out of Subaru’s mouth.

[Assistant] "It isn’t quite as fantasy-like as I imagined… To be honest, this is kind of a letdown.” Subaru had imagined there would be more light and energy being bounced around. In reality, all that happened was an unrefined-looking clump of ice suddenly materialized, was used as a blunt object for physical damage, and then suddenly disappeared. There was no feeling or anything put into it at all.

[User] "Now…you’ve done it." Subaru’s feelings on magic aside, the other men, who had taken a real hit from those clumps of ice, got back to their feet.

[Assistant] “I don’t care if you’re a magic user or nobility or whatever! I’ve had enough. We’re gonna kill you! Do you really think you can win a two-on-one fight? !” The man with the knife yelled, holding his face, blood still dripping from his nose.

[User] The girl closed one of her eyes in response to his threats. "You’re right, one against two sounds like it could be a little tough.”

[Assistant] "…In that case, would two on two be bit more fair?” As if it were finishing the girl’s sentence, a new, higher-pitched, genderless voice entered the fray.


[User] Startled, Subaru looked around.

[Assistant] The girl extended her left hand.

[User] "When you all stare at me like that, full of expectation, it’s uh…kind of embarrassing.” Using its paw to clean its face was a small, palm-size cat that stood upright on its two hind legs.

[Assistant] "Y-you’re a spirit mage? !” Seeing the small, palm-size cat, the man with the knife seemed overcome with fear and yelled.

[User] "That’s right.


[User] "If you want to leave right now, I won’t chase after you, but make up your minds quick. I’m in a hurry.” Action/Narration The men rushed to pick up their fallen companion and leave the alley.

[Assistant] As they passed the girl on their way out, one of the men clicked his tongue and said, “I’m going to remember your face, you bitch. The next time we see you it won’t go this well for you.”

[User] “If you do anything to her I’ll curse you and all of your offspring, you know? Though, in that case you won’t be having any.” Action/Narration The cat’s response was light in tone but much more severe.

[Assistant] The men paled more than they ever had before, and ran out into the main road without another word. Once the thugs were gone, Subaru was left alone in the alley with the girl and her cat. Thinking that he at least needed to say thanks, Subaru forgot his pain and started to get to his feet, but…

[User] “Don’t move,” Action/Narration The girl said in a cold emotionless voice. You could see in her eyes that she was being cautious.

[Assistant] It was actually Subaru’s reaction that was more out of place. Even though the girl was looking at him like that, he was fixed on her beautiful and bewitching violet eyes. Not used to seeing such beauty, Subaru unthinkingly blushed and looked away.

[User] “See? I knew I was on to something. If he had nothing to hide, he wouldn’t look away like that,”


[User] "I’m not so sure about that. That seems like a very natural reaction for a boy like him. I’m sensing zero evil intentions." Responds the cat.

[Assistant] "Be quiet, Puck. …You know the girl who stole my badge, don’t you?” Shushing her cat, the girl turned to Subaru.

[User] Her expression, full of confidence, was lovely. "I’m sorry to let you down like this, but I totally don’t know her, like, completely not at all."

[Assistant] "Wai—What? Seriously! ?"

[User] As her confidence was stripped from her face, Subaru was able to get a glimpse of how she naturally expressed herself, as opposed to her ongoing act. With that dignified air of hers out the window, the girl, flustered, turned quickly to the cat still resting on her palm. "Wh-wh-what are we going to do? Was this really all just a waste of my time…?"

[Assistant] "A waste that’s still in progress… I really think you should hurry. She was really fast when she ran away, so there’s a good chance the culprit has some kind of strange protection on her side."

[User] "Ugh… How can you be so unconcerned about all of this, Puck?"

[Assistant] "You’re the one who told me not to get too involved, you know? Anyway, what are we going to do about him?" The cat said, as if just remembering about Subaru.

[User] As the topic of conversation centered back on him, Subaru put on a weak smile.

[Assistant] "Oh," said the girl as she finally realized the cat was talking about Subaru.

[User] In response, Subaru put on an empty display of confidence and replied, "Don’t worry about me. Thanks to your help, I’ll be fine. You’re in a hurry, right? You should go…" Subaru had hoped to finish this off with, If you’d like, I don’t even mind helping you out. How about it, m’lady? while brushing his hair back and flashing a smile, but…

[Assistant] "…Huh?"

[User] Suddenly dizzy, Subaru reached for the wall but missed, and fell face-first back onto the ground.

[Assistant] "Wait. You shouldn’t try to stand up just ye—Well…okay," came the cat’s warning, just a step too late. After falling with zero capacity to catch himself, Subaru felt a sharp pain as his consciousness went winging away.

[User] "…So, what should we do?"

[Assistant] "He has…nothing to do with us. That’s not enough to kill him. We’re going to leave him."


[User] Subaru’s consciousness drifted further and further…further and further away…

[Assistant] Right before the thread of Subaru’s consciousness was cut for good, he was able to see that silver-haired girl, red in the face, turn around and shout.

[User] “There’s no way! No way that I’m going to save him, okay?! Okay? !"

[Assistant] —Man, even when she’s angry she’s really cute. Go otherworldly fantasies. With that last thought, really this time, once and for all, Subaru’s consciousness fell into darkness.


[User] It occurred to Subaru that the feeling of waking up was similar to having your face rise up from out of a body of water. When he opened his eyes, the sun’s light was at an angle and shone into them, causing him to squint at the brightness and rub his eyes. He woke up in a rather pleasant way, and Subaru was the type of person to be fully awake once he opened his eyes.

[Assistant] "Oh, you awake?" Said a voice from right above Subaru’s head, with him still lying down.

[User] As Subaru turned to look in the direction of the voice, he realized that he was still lying on the ground, but had his head on something soft that was being used as a pillow.

[Assistant] “You shouldn’t move. You hit your head, so I can’t say whether it’s safe to just yet.” This concerned voice also sounded very kind, as Subaru remembered what happened just before he lost consciousness, he thought. Given the circumstances, he might just be in one of those blessed situations one hopes to be in as a boy. To have one’s head in a girl’s lap…

[User] Responding to this divine revelation, Subaru pretended to turn to readjust so he could enjoy himself to the fullest. With a circular motion he rubbed his cheek against it and reached a feeling of absolute bliss, and far more than he expected he felt a fluffiness from the softness of the hair.

[Assistant] “Wow… Beautiful girls are a lot hairier than I imagin—Hey, wait a minute!” Sputtered Subaru as he faced up, this time with his vision fully recovered, and took in what was happening. Right in front of Subaru, in his upside-down vision, was the face of a giant cat.

[User] “I thought that at least until you woke up, I’d make you feel comfortable. You can thank me later.”

[Assistant] “First of all, I’d like you to stop with that terrible falsetto voice. There’s no way I’d mistake a cat for the heroine.” Subaru had certainly never been in a situation before where he got to use a human-size cat’s lap for a pillow and, well, it wasn’t like you get to experience this every day, so he decided to make the best of it.

[User] “Wow, this is actually really comfortable. Like, this is amazing.