[User] The first sensation he became aware of was something rough rubbing against his cheek. As he regained consciousness, his entire being was dominated by a sense of extreme languor. His body felt sluggish, as if it was sand coursing through his veins rather than blood. When he opened his mouth in search of air, his parched lips refused to let go of each other and tore apart. The pain and the taste of blood on the tip of his tongue startled him. His slightly bleary eyes rolled around as he forced open his heavy eyelids. His vision cleared, and the world gained color—and then, the sight of a pitch-black land dragon leaped into his eyes.

[Assistant] “…Oh, it’s you?” There by his side, heaving rasping breaths and watching him with two narrowed, amber eyes, was Subaru’s beloved land dragon, Patlash. She extended her head, continuing to lick the sleepy Subaru in an apparent show of concern.

[User] “So that rough tongue belongs to you, huh… Where…are we…?” Subaru suspended the touchy-feely wakeup call, rendering Patlash silent. Lying at his favorite dragon’s side, Subaru looked around the area, drawing his brows together when he saw he was outside the tomb. —He remembered the encounter with the Witches that had occurred just prior in the world of dreams. The condition for being invited to Echidna’s tea party was to enter the tomb. According to previous experience, he should have woken up in the stonework room within the tomb. Instead, Subaru was resting his body against the stone wall at the entrance to the tomb.

[Assistant] “Someone brought me out…? But who…”


[User] "—W-wait! Please wait, dear! Patlash…! Wait a…huff, huff… If you run off and I lose track of you…I’ll be in such trouble…!" The question Subaru murmured aloud was interrupted by a pathetic voice echoing through the nighttime forest. The speaker was out of breath, tripping as he earnestly ran up the stone stairs of the tomb. Then, when he spotted Patlash on the steps above, he was clearly exhausted as well as relieved.

[Assistant] "Ahh, I’m so glad! To think you were in a place like…er, ah? Mr. Natsuki?"

[User] “…You sure are in high spirits on a night like this, Otto. What are you up to? Burglary?”

[Assistant] "I shall return that very same question to you. What are you up to? For that matter, you are hardly unrelated to why I am in these dire straits to begin with, Mr. Natsuki." Otto’s shoulders dropped as he addressed Subaru, who was sitting on the ground with his legs spread out.

[User] “I’m not unrelated? Wait, what happened?” Seeing Otto, Subaru had reflexively joked around like usual, but he got down to business in short order.

[Assistant] “I mean our dear Patlash. In fact, Patlash went wild back at the stables. As these are unfamiliar surroundings, I untied her thinking I might take her for a refreshing stroll…and poof!"


[User] “Off she ran.” Otto made a gaze of protest toward her, but the land dragon in question had her face turned away from him, her expression one of lofty indifference. “…She literally has no eyes for me… At any rate, she rushed out of the stables, and I was nervous that if she ran off entirely, my situation would become grave, bringing us to the present, you see.”

[Assistant] “So she came right to me, then. Well, well, Patlash. You must be the sort to get lonely quick.”

[User] “It did not appear to be…mere longing for you, Mr. Natsuki. I mean…” Crossing his arms, Otto narrowed his eyes, suggestively turning them toward Patlash.

[Assistant] Subaru followed suit, squinting as he gazed at the land dragon’s scales, which seemed to melt into the night. That was when he realized it. Patlash’s black scales had wounds that oozed with blood. Surely, the hard scales covering her body could not be easily harmed, and more than that, her injuries looked like they were inflicted internally rather than externally.


[User] “When someone not qualified enters the tomb, they get rejected…” As a matter of fact, that rule was the cause of Roswaal’s grave injuries from when he had entered the tomb. There was no mercy for any violators of that edict, and it was effective not only against people, but even against land dragons. “Don’t tell me you…got all hurt like this to pull me out of there?” Murmuring, Subaru touched his own shoulder. There were traces of saliva left on his sports jacket. There was dirt on his back and hips from being dragged, too. It was Patlash who had brought Subaru outside. In spite of her wounds from the penalty for entering the tomb, Subaru’s beloved dragon had brought him out. “Why’d you do something stupid like…when I woke up, I could’ve just come outside on my…you didn’t need to drag me out and get all hurt like this…” Unable to keep looking at her seeping wounds, Subaru hung his head.

[Assistant] Patlash reached out once more, rubbing the tip of her nose against Subaru.

[User] Subaru couldn’t tell what she meant by it. Unable to exchange words with her, the flow of thoughts and feelings ran only in one direction between them. He was always the one being saved.

[Assistant] “Otto.”

[User] “What is it? If I am in the way, perhaps it would be best if I went somewhere for the…”

[Assistant] “Can you…ask Patlash why she saved me?”


[User] "Mr. Natsuki, are you trying to be funny?”

[Assistant] "…Do I look like I’m trying to make a joke right now?”

[User] “Even in such a sorry state, I feel like Mr. Natsuki of all people might make some sort of unfunny jest, and I must admit that I do hope you are joking. —You truly cannot tell?” Otto replied in a low voice.

[Assistant] Subaru tried to respond only to be overwhelmed by Otto’s gaze.

[User] Otto was looking at Subaru with an incredulous look, as if he was watching something ridiculous.

[Assistant] Subaru felt like he was overlooking something rather big, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

[User] Seeing Subaru’s confusion, Otto let out an exasperated sigh as he touched his hand to his cheek. "My blessing is not as omnipotent as you believe it to be, Mr. Natsuki. Mere transmission of thoughts differs from translation, so asking me to bridge the gap in this exchange is asking for the impossible.”

[User] "Your eyes say to try anyway. Very well…though I wonder if there is a point, really…” Though his sullen dismay trickled out, Otto grudgingly accepted Subaru’s request. Otto gently stroked Patlash’s back as she snuggled up to Subaru.


[Assistant] A high-pitched, raspy breath came out of that very Otto’s throat. Through the power of the blessing of language, he had converted human speech into land dragon speech.

[User] Patlash responded to his call, turned her head toward Otto, and emitted a similar, high-pitched call.

[Assistant] Otto responded to this with a high-pitched call, and so it went, back and forth. "I am finished…but, mm-hmm, it is difficult. How do I translate this into human terms…”

[User] “Don’t keep me in suspense. Just tell me, I’m begging you.”

[Assistant] “I am not attempting to keep you in…ahh, this really puts me in a bind! Then again, would conveying this message be considered an extremely strange form of kindness? !" Scratching his head, Otto repeatedly searched his thoughts for words that he would find acceptable. Finally, after noticing Subaru nervously clenching his teeth, he sighed with what felt like an air of resignation. "It is closest to Don’t make me…say something like that, I believe.”

[User] “…Eh?”

[Assistant] Scratching his cheek with a blush on his face, Otto averted his gaze as Subaru widened his eyes at those words. "I mean, she said Don’t make me…say something like that. I thought she might say as much…”

[User] “Not making her say…what’s that supposed to mean…?”

[Assistant] “Exactly what it sounds like. If I was to add my own personal impression, it’d be with an air of Do I really need to say it for you to understand?” Otto’s statement only further perplexed Subaru.

[User] Though he was being asked Don’t you understand? he really didn’t. What was it, exactly, that Subaru didn’t understand, then?


[User] “…Overcome with worry whether a certain person is in peril and unable to hold still, she comes rushing out to mount a rescue regardless of what wounds she may sustain, staying right at his side until he awakens, smiling at him in relief when he opens his eyes—in such a case, be it human or land dragon, I believe the feelings behind those actions are much the same.”

[Assistant] “Ah—”

[User] “And even if it wasn’t Patlash, you would still get Don’t make me say it. To not notice when her demeanor demonstrates so much is something beyond being merely dense… I suppose that ignorance is bliss?” Otto looking exasperated from the very bottom of his heart made Subaru appreciate the depth of his own foolishness.

[Assistant] Next, when he looked at Patlash, who was right by his side, the land dragon stared at Subaru with a gentle gaze, drawing her nose close to rub against his neck once more. By nature, he stroked the land dragon’s head, gently petting her hard, rocklike scales. “I see…you love me, don’t you?”

[Assistant] “So you’re in love with me… I see.” Thump, he felt, as something that’d been caught inside his chest seemed to fall away.

[User] Subaru’s acknowledgment brought a neigh out of Patlash, and the strength of her rubbing increased as if she was trying to conceal a blush. The sensation scraped his skin, but when Subaru tried to open his mouth to protest—

[Assistant] “Uh, ah…?” Abruptly, hot droplets coursed down Subaru’s cheeks. —Tears. They were tears. From somewhere in the very back of his consciousness, something urgently welled up and came pouring out. He rushed to touch his hands to his cheeks, but he was too late to hide it.

[User] Otto gaped right at him. “M-Mr. Natsuki? Breaking into tears from realizing your land dragon is fond of you is a little…”

[Assistant] “You’re wro…this isn’t…it’s just, the timing is too darn perfect…shit, right when I was having doubts, the answer came flying into my face…!” —It wasn’t fair. This came at the perfect time. That was Patlash for you. Too crafty, too cunning. Internally papering things over with such foolish words, Subaru desperately fought to hold back tears. He recalled how at the Witch’s Tea Party, he had confessed his true desire of not wanting to die. He confessed, too, his greed: His desire to be with the people precious to him was just as strong as his desire to protect them. And how he yearned to know if the people important to him thought he was something precious to them.

[User] “Who’d have thought you’d be the first one to tell me? —Thanks, Patlash.” As if to reply to the faithful love trained toward him, Subaru poured his feelings into his palm as he stroked his beloved dragon. Satisfied with his touch, Patlash lifted her head in a ladylike manner. Moreover, the swaying of her tail showed without a doubt that she was in a good mood.


[User] “Now that you have reaffirmed your bonds with Patlash, are you all right?”

[Assistant] “Yeah, thanks to her. Sorry to cause you a lot of trouble, too… Whaddaya mean ‘all right’?”

[User] “Mentally, but also physically. I can tell just by looking that you entered the tomb. You collapsed when you went in to save Emilia, so what was it this time? It is more than enough to make one worry.”

[Assistant] “So you were worried about me…by any chance, are you in love with me, too?”

[User] “Could you please not say something creepy such as that?! Surely, you are not so unsatisfied with being loved by Patlash that you feel like asking this of all your acquaintances?”

[Assistant] “Some reason I can’t? To be honest, right now, I’d love even one extra message of support and consolation, but…”

[User] “Yes, yes, I am quite happy to see that you have returned to your usual form… I believe that for the sake of my future, I will be supporting you, Mr. Natsuki. Even to the bitter end.” Shuddering in the face of Subaru’s eccentric advance warning, Otto thrust both hands forward in a visible attempt to stop him. It was so very mercantile of him to use the roundabout phrase for the sake of my future.

[Assistant] “But if that precondition should come into question, and I find myself in peril, I shall flee with all available haste. Please keep that in mind.” It certainly was a heartless statement, but drawing a line was a necessary ritual for tacit consent. Even though he’d said it like that, Otto’s good nature was on full display.

[User] “Yeah, I get it. You’re—” Subaru, about to give a nod to Otto’s realistic point of view, stopped. Something felt off. And immediately realizing just what it was, he let out a little “Hah.”

[Assistant] “…What is it?”

[User] “Mm, just remembered something. Yeah, that’s right…” With Otto giving him a suspicious look, Subaru nodded several times over, lifting his face toward the night sky. Amid the loop that had begun in that very Sanctuary, Subaru had cooperated with Otto several times over. And during that time, Subaru had many opportunities to observe him. Hence—

[Assistant] “If you find yourself in peril, you’ll flee with all haste…is it right?”

[User] “Yes, but of course. I bear no duty to Mr. Natsuki and others to go quite that f…”

[Assistant] “You won’t run.”

[User] “—Eh?”

[Assistant] Subaru murmured to Otto, who was trying to lightheartedly adopt the role of a realist. Then, when Otto widened his eyes, Subaru faced him directly as he continued

[User] “—You won’t leave me and run, Otto.” This was the man who hadn’t faltered in the face of Garfiel’s threats, who had come to rescue Subaru from imprisonment. This was the man who had shielded Subaru from a bestial Garfiel, resisting him together with the villagers. However unfeeling he might act, Subaru knew the truth.

[Assistant] “Otto. —That’s because you’re my friend.”


[User] "I shall take Patlash back… Goodness, this is really throwing me off my stride." Otto had continued to let out little grumbles as he departed, with Patlash somehow looking like a girl dragged off by her hair as they left the tomb.

[Assistant] Seeing off the two people (or rather, one person and one steed), Subaru, left behind after claiming to want to feel the nighttime breeze, slowly turned back toward the tomb.


[User] Subaru recalls what she’d told him just before the parting promise he’d made to her, but the words left him at a loss. "How the heck should I go about relying on the people precious to me…?"

[Assistant] "—I’ve gotta put that on the back burner for now, damn it." Subaru slammed the brakes, keeping his thoughts from coursing in Satella’s direction.

[User] "The trigger at the mansion is based on when I return…in which case, I have to get a handle on the issues in the Sanctuary first. That means the Trial, Garfiel, and Roswaal’s book of knowledge, huh…"


[User] Knowing that Subaru had the power to turn time back, he sought to employ that for his own objective. His goal was to make what was written in his book of knowledge a reality. For that, Roswaal made snow fall on the Sanctuary, turning the place into a feeding ground for the demon beast known as the Great Rabbit. Beyond that, there was the barrier that would not be lifted until the Trial was overcome, preventing the residents of the Sanctuary from evacuating; and Garfiel, whose thinking grew more obstinate with each repetition. Every time Subaru had looped, he found Garfiel standing in a different position. Once, he had pressed Subaru to take the Trial, displaying a cooperative stance toward resolving the Sanctuary’s issues. In hindsight, that had all been an act so as not to convey that he himself was opposed to resolving those problems. The more Subaru pursued the Sanctuary’s liberation, the sterner Garfiel’s measures became. It was difficult for Subaru to forget his anger from when Garfiel had bared his fangs toward Otto, Ram, and the people of Earlham Village. But Garfiel had also saved Subaru’s life. Accordingly, the discordant sense he felt toward Garfiel’s true thoughts had deepened with each new start of the loop.

[Assistant] Having received Echidna’s final words of advice, those feelings had grown stronger, and deeply barbed. “Foolish, pitiable Garfiel fears the outside world…was it?”

[User] It was already clear to him that Garfiel must have taken the Trial at some point in the past. As a result, Garfiel had become an Apostle of Greed, gaining command rights over Ryuzu and the other replicas. If it was his past that made Garfiel fearful of the outside world…if that was the curse that bound him to the Sanctuary—it was an issue that Subaru had thought of once, only to discard it. He’d told himself it was not necessary to delve too deeply into who Garfiel was as a person. In so doing, he had once again averted his eyes from a pressing issue in front of him.

[Assistant] “In the end, it really is important to learn, huh? But knowing nothing but that still gets me a failing grade.”

[User] It was not possible to overcome the wall that was Garfiel without knowing his true intent. But even if he could do so, the problems of the Sanctuary’s barrier and Roswaal still remained. And to break through that worst of all combinations—

[Assistant] “—In the end, clearing the tomb to secure our line of retreat is the most pressing business, huh?” When he put everything in order, he inevitably wound up back at the very beginning. Clearing the tomb was an indispensable condition for resolving the issues of the Sanctuary—the real problem being the number of remaining Trials.


[User] "With the horrible time I had in it, did I end up clearing the second Trial or not…?" Under the rubric of the event he’d come to know as behold the unknowable present, Subaru arrived at the worlds where he had chosen differently—experiencing what one might call a series of parallel worlds. —These were glimpses into worlds beyond hell, impaling Subaru with particular cruelty. After driving Subaru to lamentation with various second guesses and countless regrets, how exactly had the Trial graded him? "" Audibly cracking the bones of his neck, Subaru powerfully exhaled as his footsteps echoed through the corridor in the tomb.

[Assistant] His largest reason for sending Otto and Patlash back ahead of him was so he could do this and check for himself which Trial the tomb would guide him to: the second or the third. In other words, he was challenging the possibility he might have to behold the unknowable presents once more. The scenes frightened Subaru more than anything in this world, and his mind shuddered at the possibility of seeing them again. Even so, he could not ignore them. Forgetting them, or running from them, was out of the question. He had no choice but to face them. He bore a duty to do so. And to fulfill that duty—

[User] “Uugh?” He stepped strongly, his movements in line with his resolve. —But the very next moment, his vision swayed.

[Assistant] “Agh, guh!” Losing his balance from the sudden dizziness, Subaru bumped into a wall and fell right to the floor. An intense wave of nausea hit him, stirring his brain. Unable to resist it, he got on all fours and vomited onto the floor. —Alarm bells kept ringing. Ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

[User] “Ugeh…hah, ach, ugh…!” His thoughts were all tangled. He felt as if a hole had opened in his skull, and an electrode had been thrust into it, frying his brain. No matter how much he vomited, he didn’t feel any better; instinctively, Subaru rushed outside, tumbling through the corridor as he did so.

[Assistant] “Wh-what was that just now…?” Wiping tears from his eyes, Subaru looked back up at the tomb in a daze. The tomb was unchanged, as was the tranquility in the air. —Aside from the fact that it seemed oddly malevolent. When he tried to crawl closer to approach the tomb once more, Subaru’s limbs were constrained by a painful sense of aversion. —He was being rejected. That sensation brought him to a different realization, linking the two like a bolt of lightning. It was a simple explanation. This was what had happened to Patlash’s body but a brief time earlier. It simply meant the same rejection that had hurt Roswaal was now hitting Subaru. A simple thing, but it demonstrated a most crucial fact. Namely that—

[User] “—I’ve…lost the qualification to challenge the tomb? You’re kidding me, that can’t…” Standing up, Subaru gazed upon the tomb as if trying to reject that conclusion.


[User] However, his feet would not take the single step that would lead him inside. He instinctively understood both the tomb’s rejection and his loss of qualification. —From the back of his mind arose the image of a white-haired Witch clad in a black dress for a funeral.

[Assistant] “Why that malicious little…!” Certainly, the Witch had posed the question to Subaru on their parting. She asked him to choose which hand he would take: hers or Satella’s? And Subaru had chosen Satella. If this was payback for his choice—

[User] “Damn you! Just how much of a rotten personality do you have, Echidna the crappy Witch—!! ” Subaru wrung out an angry shout into the night sky, howling at a Witch who could surely could not hear him. But however much he yelled, wailed, or raged, it would not change what had happened. —Subaru Natsuki had lost his qualification to challenge the Trial, and thus, could no longer liberate the Sanctuary.


[Assistant] —To Subaru, it was a decision that required courage identical to that for challenging the tomb. The Trial that thrust his mistakes before him in the worst possible manner, making even his legs recoil in fear. It was enough to make him question whether it wasn’t just his fear that had prevented him from going back into the tomb. However, that was not in fact the case. Fear had not been the reason why his legs refused to move. And his decision was fueled by the same desire to overcome the deadlock that had made him push past his fear to begin with. If the possibilities of challenging the tomb and gaining the cooperation of the Witch, had both been exhausted, the remaining choices dwindled to one—

[User] “Visiting so late at night such as thiiiis is an unexpectedly haaaappy thing.” Lying in bed, speaking these words, and greeting Subaru with a smile in his clown makeup was the man—no, this was the devil Roswaal L. Mathers, a creature harboring plots and an obsession so great that Subaru likened him to a monster more than man. Propping his back up with a pillow, Roswaal was sitting up, his white-dabbed face illuminated by the flame of a burning candle inside the room, giving rise to a bizarre atmosphere that emphasized his inhumanity. With that devil before him, Subaru dry swallowed and forced down his nervousness. —The only choice left for Subaru was to rely upon the Roswaal before him. However, that didn’t mean he intended to break through every issue facing the Sanctuary together. Given Subaru’s mental attitude, and his ultimate objectives, that was impossible. Subaru could not forgive Roswaal for slaying Ram and Garfiel with his own hands, nor his sacrificing the villagers. Roswaal was similarly unlikely to abide by Subaru’s way of life when it ill-suited his own objectives. Accordingly, what began from there was an elaborate ruse between two people whose hearts could absolutely not forgive the other.

[Assistant] "And?"


[User] "You have come out of your way to sneak in at such a late hour. Whaaat is it that you bring? Perhaps some seductive, persuasive phrases that might arouse my iiiinterest?"

[Assistant] "...Well, you’re not wrong that I’m trying to sweet-talk you. There’s something I want to ask you. —Is there a way to slip out of the Sanctuary while ignoring the tomb?"

[User] Roswaal’s smile gained a frosty air to it as Subaru asks. "Subaru. —Is this the first tiiiime you have asked me this?" He cracked open the side of the lips, which formed that clownish smile, and with his yellow eye, Roswaal beheld Subaru.

[Assistant] "It’s the first time I’ve asked ‘this’ question. At this point, it’s stupid trying to count how many times we’ve been feeling the other out like this, though." Subaru shrugged his shoulders in a provocative gesture.

[User] "Is that…so. I see. From your demeanor…may I take it as meaning that…?"

[Assistant] "Well, who’s to say?" Subaru averted his gaze, delaying revealing the conclusion Roswaal sought.

[User] "I’m still in the middle of trial and error. Cooperation from you would be a big help, though."

[Assistant] "And part of that trial and error involves breaking past the Sanctuary while ignoring the tomb? If so, that is quite timid of you. With the Authority you possess, surely you can challenge it an infinite number of times and overcome any difficulties. To cast that aside midway is an deficiency of resolve, is it noooot?"

[User] "Being flexible is definitely an advantage. Just like you said, I have an infinite number of chances.


[User] Forcing a calm, composed look onto his face, Subaru’s nerves frayed as he tried not to let anything slip. "But what we need now is results, not quibbling about the process…so long as Emilia gets the credit for liberating the Sanctuary, it’s all good, right?”

[Assistant] “I seeee… Certainly, that is the sort of answer I prefer to heaaar.” Roswaal’s intimidating gaze had a glint that welcomed Subaru as a kindred soul.

[User] Physiological revulsion welled within him at having such a devil with incomprehensible thoughts acknowledge him as a comrade. Subaru resented the label despite being well aware of how twisted he had to be for Roswaal to think of him that way…

[Assistant] “I am pleased at the change within you. But it is difficult to answer your question. After all, it has been four centuries since the barrier was first deployed. There is no precedent. There is no reason to doubt how it was woven, and when I think of who wove it, it iiis difficult to conceive she might have made such a blunder…”

[User] “So it’s Echidna’s barrier, huh?”

[Assistant] “My, you are already acquainted with her?” There was no way the faint whiff of envy in that seemingly teasing sentence was his imagination.

[User] “Yeah, of course I am. Just to mention, I’ve already picked up a bunch of things already, like about the Ryuzu Meyer facility in the forest and Garfiel being an Apostle of Greed.”

[Assistant] “Ahaaaa, that is most spleeeendid of you. I am graaaateful this speeds our conversation.”

[User] His feelings of haste for success caused a tardy response to the words that followed.

[Assistant] “But if that is so, my doubts grow greater still. Why are you searching for a loophole out of the Sanctuary? Having resolved to act, it is most indecisive to probe for that possibility. —Indeed, your current proposal cannot but make me think…this is you before your resolve is at its zeniiiith.”

[User] “…Well, take it as you will.” For a single second, his reply to Roswaal’s counterattack stuck in his throat, but Subaru raised a finger and continued. “As you know, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to earn fame for Emilia. Plus, I have to say, there’s not many people involved with the Sanctuary, so it’s a small-time event.


[User] “Newsworthy moments, like the White Whale or the Witch Cult, take precedence. —This place holds no value.”

[Assistant] “Therefore, you are searching for a loophole? —I cannot heeeelp but find your answer suspect.”

[User] “Suspect?” Right when Subaru thought he’d snuck through.

[Assistant] Roswaal surprised him, shaking his head from side to side. “I have not confirmed your Authority with my very own eeeyes. This being the case, I am not obligated to go along with your foolishness. Therefore, we must draw a line we can mutually accept.”

[User] “An acceptable line, huh?”

[Assistant] “I wish for this to be the liberation of the Sanctuary. Not through a back door, but rather, liberation in a true sense. If you achieve this, my suspicions will be allayed, and you and I shall be coconspirators striving for a common goal…two men working to place Lady Emilia upon the royal throne. A rather profitable relationship, I truuuust?”

[User] This time, Subaru hardened his cheeks as Roswaal’s words cut off any hope of retreat.

[Assistant] —He’d jabbed at a very sore spot. But though the logical argument was a severe blow to him, Subaru had the odd feeling that something was off—as if a different scheme was being hidden behind an opinion that only seemed righteous at first glance. Subaru probably noticed it because he was attempting to deceive Roswaal with precisely the same logic. “Something’s bugging me a little…you’re really hung up on liberating the Sanctuary.”

[User] —Almost as if he had a reason for wanting to do so that overshadowed the rest.

[Assistant] Subaru’s statement, containing that implication, made Roswaal’s smile deepen in an even more suspicious manner. “—!” It was that smile that made Subaru feel intensely wary toward Roswaal. In other words, within his chest, there was an instant of clarity rivaling when Roswaal had murdered Ram and Garfiel just prior to being savagely consumed by the Great Rabbit…a moment when the blackest depths of his obsessed mind, thinking nothing of sacrificing the lives of others, poured out.

[User] “—Why do you think this?”

[Assistant] Faced with the return question, Subaru clicked his tongue. “It’s not very complicated. To be honest, I think your plan doesn’t seem very like you. Of course I’d notice how every word from you from start to finish lists liberating the Sanctuary as a condition.”

[User] “I believe I already explained that. You are to exhaust all efforts for Lady Emilia. I am having you deal with the nearest problem at hand so that you might prove to me that this is your true stance.


[User] "You take issue with this?”

[Assistant] "I don’t think forbidding every answer besides liberation is very fair. There’s plenty of other proof to be had.”

[User] “We are speaking past each other. Indeed, there is something I wish to ask you insteaaad.” Roswaal raised a finger, one eye closed as he spoke to the stubborn Subaru. “You appear quite tiiiimid where it comes to the Trial. It almost feels to me as if you have a reason to not desire the liberation of the Sanctuary.”

[Assistant] “As if I don’t want this place freed! I’d just love to pry that barrier open and drag all the unresolvable problems outside! …But.”

[User] “But?” He was being carried away by the intensity of the conversation.

[Assistant] Realizing this, Subaru instantly shut his mouth. He strove to calm himself and choose his words with care. “I don’t…I don’t want to see Emilia hurt herself challenging the tomb’s Trial any longer.”

[User] “That is why it must be you. If Lady Emilia stumbles in the Trial, you need only do it in her place. Who lifts the barrier is not an issue, precisely as you yourself have said.”

[Assistant] “Nghh…” He’d never imagined the conversation would go in this direction. Subaru clenched his back teeth at the resistance he faced left and right.

[User] Seeing Subaru pressed into anguished silence, Roswaal narrowed his eye. “Surely, you are not finding it too hard to take the Trial in Lady Emilia’s place? It cannot be that you are seeking a way out to spare yourself? If so, then that means your feelings for Lady Emilia are meager indeed.”

[Assistant] “Don’t mess with…! It’s not like…”

[User] “It is not like that? How can you be certain? Who would believe such a thing? If you are truly thinking of Lady Emilia, suffering any agony for her sake is only natural. If you truly love Lady Emilia, is it not most natural for you to do so? If it is for Lady Emilia’s sake, you should set your own heart aside…but can you?” It seemed like an interrogation. Subaru felt like he was being swallowed up as Roswaal pressed him. Those words constituted an extremist argument. However, it was a conclusion anyone comprehending Subaru’s Return by Death would arrive at. —There was a time when Subaru had clung to that very conclusion himself. Probably, had Subaru taken the hand Echidna had offered, he, too, would have trivialized everything save for the person most precious to him. He’d endure scars and pain both for the sake of the future. But he could no longer live like that. He’d realized… he didn’t want to.

[Assistant] “—It would seem that your resolve has not been suffiiiiciently honed.” Seeing something in Subaru’s black eyes, Roswaal abruptly let those words trickle out, making a sad-sounding sigh.


[User] "I had hoped…yes, just a little, I had placed hope in you that by some chance, I might see what I yearn for with my very own eyes. But it seems things shall not go so well indeed." Roswaal did not conceal his disappointment as strength drained out of his body, whereupon he lay on the bed once more. His demeanor indicated that the conversation was over.

[Assistant] Subaru was upset that the meeting had failed.

[User] "Why do you have to…throw everything away all of a sudden like that?! Nothing’s over yet!"

[Assistant] "It is indeed over. No, perhaps I should rather say, it has not even begun. You have yet to even stand at the starting line of resolve. So long as your feet do not find it, you shall never overcome these troubles."

[User] "The starting line of resolve?! I don’t get you!! Just how far do you want to push m…"

[Assistant] "—I had hoped you possessed the will to pursue your own objective, even if it tramples Lady Emilia’s will underfoot."

[User] "Now see here?" Roswaal went as if teaching a little child. "If you truly think it is for Lady Emilia’s sake, you should ignore what Lady Emilia herself thinks. Like a little child dreaming of paradise, you do not possess the resolve to choose to walk through the cruelty of hell. To save her life, you should readily choose to ignore her wishes."

[Assistant] "Th-that’s putting the cart before the horse, ain’t it?! What’s with that thinking, saying as long as it’s for Emilia’s sake …"

[User] "There is life. So long as there is life, there is a future. If there is a future, there is hope."

[Assistant] "If there is hope, there is possibility. If there is possibility, a person can be saved. —Am I wrong?" Roswaal spat them out meticulously, cruelly; like lead bullets, they shot directly into Subaru’s heart.

[User] You’re wrong, Subaru wanted to speak in a thunderous voice. However, he did not have another answer. Unable to make an emotional argument, Subaru’s stranded feelings made him want to wail.

[User] "No response, hmm? How many more times will you disappoint me?" When Subaru clenched his fists, his lips trembling, Roswaal turned his eyes toward him with a look of pity. Following this, he sat up once more, clutching a black book—his book of knowledge—to his chest. Then, Roswaal stroked the book’s cover with a finger as he spoke toward the rigid Subaru.

[Assistant] "Therefore, I shall hone your insufficient resolve. I shall back you into a corner once more." Subaru was aghast.


[User] “Already, you must have come face-to-face with the issues occurring in this Sanctuary. You are likely better versed with them than I. But the problems before you are not within this Sanctuary alone.”

[Assistant] “Y-you mean the mansion…? You know about that, too…?” Subaru was horrified at the reference to the assault on the mansion coming from Roswaal’s own lips. Was even that written within the book of knowledge? Or was Roswaal simply illustrating the issue with a hypothetical?

[User] “—But of course, for it is I who contracted the assassins to attack the manor.”

[Assistant] It was crumbling. The ground beneath his feet was crumbling. Having lost the firm footing that should’ve been there, Subaru felt like he was falling into darkness. Roswaal’s confession was simply that shocking.

[User] “Wait…wait. Wait a minute…you did what?”

[Assistant] “I sent assassins to the mansion. —To hone your resolve, you see.”

[User] “Resolve? What do you…mean by ‘resolve’?”

[Assistant] “That is simple. Even with your Authority, you cannot save things precious to you that are imperiled in two places at once. You must choose what is most important to you. Once you make that choice, you can never take it back. Then, you will finally be complete. —A being who can save but one, single thing.” Subaru’s words refused to come out. It was not that he was unable to face the unpleasant evidence, or had faltered before the argument. It was simply that words did not suffice to convey the ferocity of his emotions. That was all. —Never to that degree had he experienced something that was truly unspeakable. Frederica, Petra, even Beatrice…had they died for such a preposterous scheme? For the sake of a banal plot to shape Subaru, had they been betrayed by and lost their lives to the master they trusted completely?

[User] “Roswaal…you…are truly mad…”

[Assistant] “I am indeed. I went mad long ago. —Since I was bewitched by those eyes four centuries ago, I have been mad ever since.”

[User] “Four hundred…?” Not understanding the meaning of the words tossed out, Subaru could only repeat them like a village idiot. Once again, an issue arose from a time four centuries prior. However, it was unnatural for such words to have come from Roswaal’s lips. He, a man living in the present age, had no way to know of things four hundred years before. And yet, Roswaal had spoken as if he had experienced those events firsthand—

[Assistant] “—Subaru Natsuki.”

[User] “Ah…”

[Assistant] “Why are you not yet mad? Why are you not yet sufficiently insane? You should be just as crazed as I…no, more.


[User] "When walking upon the lonely path through territory uncharted for the sane, a human heart is nothing but a hindrance. —That is what I shall strengthen in you.”

[Assistant] As a means of shattering Subaru’s heart, which was supposedly already hardened in resolve, the declaration struck all too true. He’d underestimated Roswaal’s knowledge of the loop. The advantage of his experiences via Return by Death had made him arrogant and presumptive. Roswaal had devised a sieve so tight that not even Return by Death could break through.

[User] "So what do you intend to do?”


[User] Roswaal’s chilling voice showered down upon him from overhead.

[Assistant] Even though Roswaal lay in bed at a height lower than him, Subaru went down on all fours on the spot, scraping his head against the floor. He prostrated himself… There was nothing else he could do. In an unsightly manner, Subaru touched his head to the floor, pathetically making his earnest plea. “Please, wait… I’m begging you, please forgive me. I-I’m the one at fault. So please, save everyone… I-I’ll…”

[User] “Goodness, please raise your head, Subaru. You have nothing to apologize for. You have done nothing wrong. That is why I must…”

[Assistant] “Y-you’re wrong… I can’t do what you’re saying. My feelings have nothing to do with it. I can’t…take the Trial. I’ve lost my qualifications.”

[User] “…What?”

[Assistant] As Subaru sniffed his nose, the words he haltingly conveyed threw Roswaal off for the first time. Unsurprisingly, the fact was outside his expectations as well. With Roswaal seemingly sinking into thought wondering why, Subaru smacked his head against the floor once more. “Please! I’m begging you! I can’t do it. Even if the mansion’s attacked, it’s no use! There’ll be no meaning to anyone’s death…so please stop. Please, stop this…!”

[User] “—No, I cannot. Indeed, hearing this, the necessity has grown stronger still.”

[Assistant] Shocked, Subaru raised his head. Roswaal beheld Subaru with both his eyes. A gaze of black eyes intertwined with one of blue and yellow. “To be blunt, your loss of qualifications is outside my calculations. However, that does not constitute a dead end.”

[User] “Why…no matter how much you whittle me down, those qualifications aren’t coming back! The sacrifices won’t have any meani…”

[Assistant] “Is that truly the case? Deep down, you yourself surely understand?”

[User] Subaru’s entreaty was rebuffed by Roswaal’s frigid voice. Thump went the powerful leap of his heart. His surprise was not directed toward those unexpected words, for Subaru, too, understood what Roswaal was saying and his true intent. His qualifications had been stripped away. They had been taken back. They had been lost. But that also meant—

[Assistant] “If she wishes it, Echidna could reissue your qualifications or anything else. If you have put her in an ill mood, you need merely reconcile with her. Such is the nature of her Greed.”

[User] In other words, Subaru needed to change his mind and take Echidna’s hand. But that—

[Assistant] “Do not grow conceited, Subaru Natsuki. You are not the oooonly one who understands Echidna.” —Roswaal pounded these words, and the envy accompanying them, into the very bottom of Subaru’s heart. “You will regain your qualifications. You will rectify the situation. Accordingly, my actions will not change. By not changing them, I shall back you into a corner, hone your resolve, and make you whole.”

[User] “Ah…” Knowing that even his earnest plea was futile, Subaru, still on his knees, sank into despair.


[User] His dry lips moved, and slowly, he spoke: “If you…if you hate me, then make it me, and no one el…”

[Assistant] "Hate you?” What other feelings could he have that would make him act like this?

[User] “It is impossible for me to hate you. You are my hope. If I harbor the emotion one might call expectation anywhere in this world, it is with you and Ram, and none others. —I trust you, from the bottom of my heart.”

[Assistant] Without realizing it, Subaru had wobbled to his feet, bumping his back against the wall. He slid along the wall toward the exit, pouring his strength into leaving that place without a moment to spare. Conversation was meaningless. No concession was forthcoming. All he could do was exhaust the limited time he had.

[User] “I…” They were not thoughts he consciously put into words. His voice simply tumbled out of his mouth. “I won’t become like you. —I’m a human being. And I’m staying one.” Leaving only those words behind him, Subaru left Roswaal’s room.

[Assistant] Distancing himself from Roswaal’s place of repose, Subaru walked unsteadily under the moonlight.

[User] “…What should I do?” Trickling out was a question toward a situation with no future in sight. However much he went over it, the very same words echoed back toward him, as if no other reply was possible.

[Assistant] “The timing of the attack being when I return to the mansion, too…”


[User] "Making Felt steal Emilia’s jewel back at the royal capital, too…" Had all of it been done knowing Subaru would intervene to save Emilia? Everything on that day, from earnestly running about to dying three times to save Emilia, to Emilia’s smiling face and her telling him her name—had he been dancing atop Roswaal’s palm all along?

[Assistant] "If everything has gone according to the book of knowledge…then was Rem being robbed of her existence and the Sanctuary being sealed up…did all this happen exactly as someone predicted…?"

[User] If that was so, had Subaru’s free will merely been an extension of a string someone else pulled? In ensuring everything proceeded according with the prophecy, Roswaal put a stop to any developments contrary to what was recorded. If the path was crooked, he corrected it by force so that without fail, prophecy became reality—

[Assistant] "—Huh?" That moment, he felt like something was…off. Slowly, putting everything in order, he went over his conception of Roswaal’s book of knowledge. He had a definite sense that something was off. Something was nagging at him. But he couldn’t remember what.

[User] "What? What…is wrong? Something’s…not right. Something’s wrong…!"

[Assistant] It was a mystery lacking an answer. It resembled the prior situation, but this was different than the dead end. This haze had a path leading forward. And he felt like this path was linked to the hope he had thought lost. Roswaal’s book of knowledge, making its contents reality, Beatrice’s book of knowledge, the Witch Cult’s Gospels, blank pages, prophetic pages, results according to prophecy, correction, future—

[User] "—Subaru?"

[Assistant] "—!" Suddenly, a voice intruded upon that vortex of thought, making Subaru’s shoulders jump. He looked back.

[User] Standing a short distance away, Emilia is a girl standing in the gloom, with moonlight showering down upon her— Emilia, her silver hair sparkling as it swayed, gazed upon Subaru with her violet eyes open wide.

[Assistant] "Ah…Emilia-tan. What are you doing in a place like this? It’s already pretty late, isn’t it?" But Subaru swiftly schooled his expression.

[User] "The same goes for you, doesn’t it, Subaru? I couldn’t sleep so I went on a stroll."

[Assistant] “…That so. Ah, that’s right.”

[User] "—?" When Subaru nodded in acceptance, Emilia cocked her head with a mystified look. This was not the first time he had encountered Emilia at night. On one previous occasion, he had met Emilia during a moonlit stroll and had spoken with her then. This situation surely differed from that time, but to bump into her here even so meant Emilia’s action must have been inevitable. Subaru had been invited to the tea party, reaffirmed his bonds with Patlash, heard Ryuzu’s secret deep within the forest, learned Roswaal was the mastermind, and amid those various actions, Emilia had not been sitting still either. That was an obvious thing, and yet, at that moment, it struck Subaru with great clarity.

[Assistant] "…Subaru, you’re not feeling well, are you?"

[User] "That so?"


[User] “I thought I was feeling fine…”

[Assistant] “Liar. I can tell just by looking at you. Something happened, didn’t it? You can tell me if you like.” Emilia walked close, seemingly examining the color of Subaru’s face as she spoke.

[User] Subaru’s supposedly smooth facade had been seen through with ease, making him truly resent his own weakness. “It’s…my problem. I…don’t want to bother you, Emilia.”

[Assistant] “It’s no bother at all…”

[User] “It’s fine, I’m all right. You’ve got bigger problems than me right now. You were pretty panicked after the Trial…are you all right now?”

[Assistant] “Mm, I’m fine. I’m sorry I caused you trouble back there…I’m really sorry, ’kay?” When Subaru averted his face, desperate to avoid the subject, Emilia flashed a smile with no mirth behind it.

[User] Failing to notice his self-deprecating thoughts, Emilia gently touched a hand to her own chest. “Seems like I butted into these issues without being prepared for them at all…really, it made me feel like I don’t have any resolve. I really, really want to just run away…”

[Assistant] “If you…if you want to run, isn’t that fine?”

[User] “Subaru?” Latching onto Emilia’s words, Subaru instantly tossed out a response. Emilia’s long eyebrows jerked; she looked perplexed.

[Assistant] Subaru glanced at her, digging his nails into his palm. “If you don’t want to do it, what’s wrong with running away? By forcing yourself to face something you don’t want to, will you conquer it someday? Do you have to overcome it? If you see a path leading somewhere after you run that’s different from before you run…is choosing that something you should be criticized for…?” The words poured out in a rush; he wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say. Praised unconditionally for challenging, scorned unconditionally for fleeing—wasn’t that wrong? What good came of facing something head on if it broke you? Even Emilia’s determination, Emilia’s will, and Emilia’s nobility were toys in someone else’s game.

[User] “Echidna, Roswaal, Garfiel, they’re all self-centered. Stop getting jerked around by them. They’re all telling me do something. Even though I’m trying to deal with it my own way, they all complain, saying not this way, not that way—” His emotions rising, it was then that he felt dizziness along with his senseless rage.


[Assistant] An arm wrapped around the back of his head, pulling him forward before he had time to think. He felt something soft and hot, bringing Subaru’s breath and thoughts both came to a halt. A warm touch pressed against him, and he realized that the gentle echo from the other side was a heartbeat.

[User] “Emi…”

[Assistant] “Take it slow. Take it easy. Just take it slow and listen to the sound of my heart.” Her voice was like a silver bell, tickling his eardrums. Unresisting, Subaru did as he was told.


[User] A pleasant, ticklish feeling on his back made his breaths grow shallow, and a hot sensation emerged from behind the corners of his eyes. His banal depression faded, washed away by a tide of much greater emotion. For a while, he let Emilia’s heartbeats soothe his stricken heart.

[Assistant] Emilia slowly took away her arms, freeing Subaru’s head from her chest. “Have you calmed down?”

[User] Facing the concern in the violet eyes before him, Subaru exhaled slightly. “Sorry to get all flustered like that. I didn’t wanna cause you trouble like some little kid, but…”

[Assistant] “I’ve told you, I don’t find this troubling at all. You’re really stubborn, Subaru.” Giggling, Emilia touched a hand to her lips as she smiled just a tiny bit.

[User] However, the smile was too strained for him to feel like smiling himself. Rather, it made him want to apologize until he ran out of words. He didn’t want to make Emilia worry. He wanted to reassure her, to tell her it was all right. “Really, nothing’s going right at all…actually, I was in a meeting with Roswaal just now, trying to see if there wasn’t some way to get out of here without the Trial.”

[Assistant] “Eh?”

[User] “Really, it’d be best if I could just take the Trial in your place, but it doesn’t look like that’s possible. So I thought if I could at least find……sorry for being so useless.” He lowered his head. Even though he wanted to reassure her, he had obtained nothing that could offer her any comfort. Even after repeating Return by Death over and over, he hadn’t found even a single answer. His regrets on how he could’ve he’d done better were influenced by his memories of the second Trial as well. Subaru’s tragedy from birth was that he was lacking, even though that, too, should never have been the case. “But I’ll probably manage something. I’ll manage somehow, because I don’t want to make you go through hard, bad things. So I want you to trust me.” He didn’t want to bare his weakness. So Subaru issued his declaration of war toward a darkness with nothing in sight beyond it. He hadn’t found a way, not yet. Even so, he would not fail Emilia, or everyone e—

[Assistant] Emilia turned her moist eyes toward him. “—Subaru.”

[User] When he saw himself in those damp eyes, Subaru encouraged his own, pathetic self so that, within his swaying heart, at least the most important part of him would not become warped. He would protect Emilia, overcome the Sanctuary, rescue the mansion, and save every—

[Assistant] “—I am happy for your feelings, Subaru. Really, I am. But I can’t accept your kindness.”

[User] “…Eh?” For a second, Subaru let out a dumbfounded voice, not comprehending what had just been said to him. Subaru was astounded, eyes completely wide.


[User] Emilia gazed at Subaru as he remained like that, piecing together the thoughts inside him word by word, trying to arrange them into a recognizable shape. "I’m really happy you think and work so hard for my sake like this, Subaru. Really, really happy. You’re really reliable, really dependable… But I can’t let you look for a loophole or an easy way out.”

[Assistant] “Wh-whaddaya mean you can’t…this is just something other people forced onto you!”

[User] “Even so, I’m the one who decided to do it. I have my own goal, and I have to work hard to achieve it…that’s why I’m here right now. I don’t want to make excuses.” With her lips pursed tight, Emilia’s display of determination left Subaru at a loss for words.

[Assistant] "Besides, somehow, I get it, too. —The Trial in that tomb probably doesn’t have a shortcut or a loophole anyway.”

[User] "It’s strange, but somehow, I just know. Even if I spend more time thinking about it, if I don’t really get my heart in order before challenging the Trial, the result will probably stay the same. I get that, too.” He could offer no words to deny her. He’d looked for a loophole. But Subaru knew, too, there was none to be found. He knew there was no way the Witch who had set up the barrier would permit such an illogical result.


[Assistant] In the first place, why was Subaru desperately trying to refute Emilia like that?

[User] “Hey, Subaru. —Subaru, why are you trying to help me?” With Subaru hesitating amid a vortex of doubt, Emilia seemed to circle ahead as she tossed that question at him.

[Assistant] “I want to help you because I—because I love you.”

[User] “—Mm, I know. I can do my best because I know.” Touching a hand to her breast, Emilia’s cheeks reddened just a touch as she backed up a step, closing her eyes.

[Assistant] "So don’t think like you have to do something. Just having you watch me means I can work hard, Subaru. If you want to do something for me, if you’re willing to listen to my selfish words, then I want you by my side. I want you cheering me on. I want you there, pushing me forward.”

[User] “Emilia…” Emilia’s words made emotions well up inside his chest.


[User] He could not stop it, nor could he put it into words. It was difficult to comprehend, and Subaru did not know just what it was. But it asserted its existence ever stronger, seemingly trying to rob him of all thought, which Subaru, clenching his teeth, continued to resist.

[Assistant] "You’ve been spoiling me nonstop, so…this time, I want to try and do without. The only thing that pains me is making you and everyone worry as I fail…but I’m trying to overcome the Trial as fast as possible so that no one has to worry anymore.”

[User] With Subaru unable to string words together, Emilia sent his way the stout smile that came over her. It looked very beautiful. "Please, watch over me as I do my best. —That’s what I want you to do for me, Subaru.”

[Assistant] Subaru forcefully kicked the ground, slicing through the wind. His heart remained restless. He still didn’t have a destination. He raced down a slope with bad footing, seemingly about to take flight. Branches scraped his cheeks, leaving marks, and even as he tumbled repeatedly, he kept running so long as he had breath. He raised an incoherent voice, screaming so much that his throat seemed ready to burst, and looking up at the sky, Subaru ran. To the crisp, cool air, to the pale moon floating in the clear sky, Subaru cried out in shame. —The final sight of Emilia’s strong smile was burned into the back of his eyelids. That charming smile, and the resolve it conveyed, drove Subaru’s misunderstanding home. Finally, he realized the true nature of the urge welling up within him, charring the inside of his chest to ashes. And because he now understood, Subaru had parted with Emilia, impulsively racing into the forest, rushing through the underbrush as if he were some kind of beast. Deep within his chest, the emotion asserted itself, growing hotter, hotter, fiercer—this was what people called shame.

[User] “I…I…!” —How conceited! How prideful! How utterly foolish! He recalled his anger at Roswaal’s words and actions for looking down upon, even pitying Emilia. He’d been indignant. He’d sworn upon his unforgiving heart, then he met Emilia immediately after, baring his thoughts to her—only to be gently rebuffed. That was when Subaru realized it for the first time. —That the one who believed least in Emilia’s resolve, Emilia’s determination, and Emilia’s strength was none other than Subaru himself. He had to protect her; he didn’t want her to go through bitter thoughts or sad feelings—under the guise of such words, Subaru had decided that Emilia was incapable of doing anything. Even while Subaru had contrived various schemes out of his desire to keep her under his protection alone, Emilia had hardened her own resolve and determination in her own, Emilia-like way, deciding to face the Trial.


[User] In making that determination, Emilia had asked Subaru to support her more than anyone else, and yet— —It had been none other than Subaru Natsuki who had underestimated Emilia the most.

[Assistant] “! !” The instant he realized that, unendurable shame slammed into Subaru, enough to make him want to die.

[User] And so, without giving Emilia’s determination a clear reply, he had turned his back to escape from her and her concern, fleeing into the forest with the same feet that still carried him.

[Assistant] Once before, Subaru had hurt Emilia in a similar attempt to monopolize her at the royal capital. Of course, he had regretted it. Of course, he had reflected upon his sins. That was why he had returned, remaining by her side up to that point. —And still, Subaru had made the same mistake once more. He’d hurt himself in Emilia’s place, taking her burdens for her to pave a road for her to travel. He hadn’t changed. He’d just become better at hiding his wounds. He’d simply discarded his pride in taking her burdens for himself. In terms of inflating himself and putting himself first in line, not a single thing had changed.

[User] “I…I just…waah? !” Out of breath, he lifted his head seemingly to gasp for air. That instant, he lost his balance, and his planted foot sailed into the air.

[Assistant] Immediately losing his balance, Subaru slid down a slope in the forest. Tumbling onto the ground, which was marred with dirt and fallen leaves, Subaru rolled and fell, spreading his limbs as he lay there on his back.

[User] With his back pressed against ground so cold, it seemed to rob him of all heat, his breathing remained ragged as he looked up above. The sky was only visible through the gaps in the forest, yet even so, he beheld the light of countless stars. —The heavens were filled with gleaming stars, seemingly mocking Subaru, their stray comrade lying upon the ground. Surrounded by unfamiliar constellations, puny little Subaru was melting into the night. Fatigue suddenly pressed upon him. Once again, even more than his body, his psyche had been terribly worn down. —Return by Death, the Witch’s Tea Party, Roswaal’s true intent, Emilia’s resolve, and his very own shame. Too much time had passed. Limited time, the time left to him, precious, precious time was slowly ticking away. He’d been enmeshed in a labyrinth of swirling doubts, his heart eaten away by the gloom at finding no way out. Betrayed on every level, everything had backfired and been thrown back in his face.

[Assistant] What to do— What should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do what should I do whatshouldIdowhatshouldIdowhatshouldI—


[User] “—Perhaps I can tell you what you should do?”

[Assistant] “—? !” The voice from above his head made Subaru sit up with a start.


[User] There was a figure standing with his back against the night, atop the slope from which he had fallen. Slowly, the figure glided down, his contours gradually growing more definite. “…Otto?”

[Assistant] “Yes, indeed. Good morning. Yes, it is I.”

[User] “Morn…?” With that out-of-place greeting tossed toward him, the perplexed Subaru noticed it, too, albeit most belatedly. The aura of dawn had already spread throughout the world, announcing the impending end of the night. Just how many hours had he wasted in a daze, gazing at an empty sky…?

[Assistant] “It is morning. So you did not even realize that fact? Serious symptoms indeed.”

[User] “Can’t deny it…but what are you doin’ here?”

[Assistant] “For the moment, I shall set aside what brought me here. More important is the situation you have been placed in, Mr. Natsuki, looking like you are dreaming as you mumble things to yourself over and over.” Ignoring Subaru’s surprise at the hours having passed, Otto placed his hands on his hips and made an exasperated sigh.

[User] Subaru wobbled to his feet, using his sleeve to wipe away the dirt on his cheeks. Only a short time had passed since Otto had seen him at another strange place the night before. Not only had Otto seen him crying when Patlash was consoling him, but he also saw him in a place like this, covered in mud and shame. “Is that really something to care about at this point? In the few days since I have met you, Mr. Natsuki, I have only seen you clean at the Duchess of Karsten’s manor, I believe.”

[Assistant] “…I’m not really feeling up to joking around. More importantly, you…”

[User] “You have reached a dead end? You wish to know what to do? Yes, I understand.” Prompted by Subaru’s words, Otto patted his own chest in a rather flippant manner.

[Assistant] Subaru was taken aback by the sight of him being so carefree. But he wanted to cling to that humorous sight. At a time like this, he didn’t mind if Otto just wanted to put him at ease. If there was even a slight chance to improve the situation, he wanted to hear it. “Please do not rush me. All right? This requires preparation.”

[User] “P-preparation…”

[Assistant] “Yes. First, take a big breath, nice and slow…” Presenting a hand toward him, Otto indicated to Subaru that he should breathe deeply.

[User] Subaru didn’t know what meaning it held, but he did as he was told, putting his breathing in order, closing his eyes and letting oxygen fill his lun—

[Assistant] Instantly, a hard impact pummeled the side of his face, and Subaru collapsed to the ground once more. Unable to break his fall, Subaru tumbled and fell face-first into the dirt, eyes spinning. He shook his head, lifting it, and wondering what the heck had happened; seeing Otto shaking a fist, he realized he’d been punched.


[User] Otto shook his hardened, reddened fist toward him once more. "—Stop trying to keep up appearances in front of your friends, Subaru Natsuki.”

[Assistant] Subaru could only gape, forgetting even the pain of being punched. Subaru lay upon the ground.

[User] Otto glared at him with a sharp look. With fury residing in his eyes, Otto Suwen gazed down upon Subaru. “Rather than not knowing what to do, I imagine the inside of your mind is simply all a jumble.”

[Assistant] “I expect you are in a position where you must extend a hand to others, yet your own limbs and head are insufficient for the task, so you desperately flap your arms around, accomplishing nothing but wasting time.” Otto threw words at him as the distance, and his patience, dwindled.

[User] Subaru remained on the ground, immobile. He grimaced, the pain and heat of his left cheek belatedly becoming clearer, as he was unable to do anything but stare at Otto.

[Assistant] “I take your silence to mean you have no objections. In the world of us merchants, at the very least, such an imposition is the vilest of all conduct. —Are you listening?”


[User] Otto grabbed him by his collar and pulled him upward. "If you’re listening, then answer me!"

[Assistant] "—Gah!" A sharp, hard blow struck his forehead, sending stars scattering across Subaru’s vision.

[User] Otto had reared his head back, vigorously slamming both their brows together. His eyes were spinning. He delivered one more headbutt, sending the wobbly Subaru reeling.

[Assistant] Forehead, forehead heat, pain. He reeled but did not fall. His legs came to a halt. "Whaddaya think you’re…!"

[User] "Oh my, knocking you back brought you to your senses, did it? The thought that you might be asleep forced me to engage in a violent manner to which I am not accustomed."

[Assistant] "What’d ya say, you bastard—!" Teary-eyed from taking a headbutt to the bridge of his nose, Subaru recklessly charged toward Otto.

[User] Otto evaded his outstretched arms, sweeping his feet out in return.

[Assistant] Subaru crashed magnificently to the ground.

[User] "Just when your blood rushes to your head, you find yourself at my feet. Truly, Mr. Natsuki, there is only one word for your conduct: pathetic."

[Assistant] "Is that…right? !" Hopping up from his tripped position, Subaru hurled a handful of dirt toward Otto’s head.

[User] Otto covered his face with an arm to block. With Subaru surprised that his effort to blind him had been foiled, Otto grabbed his collar and proceeded to hurl Subaru over his back, slamming him upon the ground.

[Assistant] The blow to his back made him lose his breath. Subaru, gasping, could not stand up. "Gh, agh…"

[User] "Hey, Mr. Natsuki. This is the strength you possess. It cannot hold a candle to a knight or to Marquis Mathers, let alone one such as Garfiel. Even I can do this to you."

[Assistant] "Haa, haa…" As Subaru desperately tried to draw oxygen into his convulsing lungs, he beheld Otto, his vision upside down as the latter walked over.

[User] Otto shook his head with an air of exhaustion. "To even think you faced the White Whale and the Witch Cult. Mr. Natsuki, you are so weak, they could crush you with but a single finger. Surely, you too are well aware of this."

[Assistant] "Haa, haa…"

[User] "You supplement your strength with intellect, then? So far as my eyes have seen, Mr. Natsuki, you have made fervent use of the puny head at your disposal…but in terms of planning and decision-making capabilities, you certainly do not rise to a level that one could take pride in. Indeed, your common sense is quite lacking." What was Otto trying to say? Subaru breathed raggedly as irritation began to mix with his confusion. The convulsion of his lungs, the impact of being punched, the pain on cheek and brow…all these were fading. Slowly, in their place, he regained the ability to think and strove to understand. "You lack both strength and intellect. When I ponder what you might supplement these with, I can think of nothing.


[User] "Mr. Natsuki, you are a puny, ordinary human being, the sort one can find on any street. And yet, you are living far beyond your means."

[Assistant] "What have you…been tryin’ to say all this time…"

[User] "I imagine that, knowing full well you are lacking with things beyond your reach, you gradually attempted to come up with various plans, driving yourself further and further into a corner…truly, I understand how Patlash feels."

[Assistant] "Patlash…?" Subaru was more surprised than perplexed at the sudden mention of his beloved dragon.

[User] Noticing his continued ignorance, Otto spoke with irritation. "It is perfectly understandable to want to look good in front of a woman you’re smitten with. As I believe such vanity is a necessity, I respect it. While I might find fault with aiming above one’s station, let us set that aside for the moment."

[Assistant] "Trying to look good in front of a girl who likes you, let us forgive this as well. This is a necessary thing. After all, I believe responsibility is shared in a romantic relationship between both the cherisher and the cherished. Showing off for the sake of someone who likes you—this, too, is important. Quite understandable."

[User] Breaking off his words, Otto suddenly drew his head close.

[Assistant] "You are lacking. I am sure you understand this. You cannot do much of anything. I am sure you know this. You want to show off for the girl you like, I am sure. I am sure you want to be someone the girl who likes you can be proud of."

[User] Otto pulled his face away, placing one hand on his chest and the other on Subaru’s as he spoke those final words. "Then, for the sake of those girls, to at least supplement the portions beyond what their eyes can see, surely it is fine to have someone lend you a hand? —A friend, perhaps?"

[Assistant] Subaru audibly pulled in a breath.

[User] Subaru's thoughts were Wait, that…?


[User] That was why he’d been running around, even humbling himself, to get Echidna and then Roswaal to cooperate with him. The results of his efforts were that he’d gained the cooperation of neither. Subaru had that unpalatable truth rubbed into his face. Hence, Otto’s words were way off base. That path had been long closed to him. "I tried asking people. I looked for help… But it was no good." In the end, the arbitrary, overbearing If I don’t protect her… feelings he’d harbored were rejected by Emilia, and he’d realized he himself had been looking down on her. Having his expectations betrayed yet refusing to give up, he’d spent the rest of the night lamenting to the stars. Despite Subaru’s various experiences, despite Subaru’s numerous encounters, he was neither able to advance nor retreat. Subaru was even out of dry laughter as his own shame tormented him, there in quiet despair.

[Assistant] Otto’s lips trembled. "But…but Mr. Natsuki, I do not yet recall you ever asking me."

[Assistant] "Perhaps you think I am not worth asking, that it is meaningless to ask, or otherwise dismissed the notion in a similar fashion. Perhaps, Mr. Natsuki, I appear to you as one among the great throngs of people you must protect, or something along those lines." His voice trembled in an effort to suppress his emotions, though it only brought them into sharper relief. This was Otto’s anger, Otto’s sadness, and only a fraction of more roiling emotions left with no place to go.

[User] Comprehending this, Subaru instantly lifted his face. "Y-you’re wrong."

[Assistant] "How am I mistaken? Otherwise, it would be very strange indeed. With what reason do you have to cower here by yourself without a single word to me?"

[User] "I haven’t looked at you like…not telling you things wasn’t because I didn’t trust you…it’s not like that. You’re wrong." Shaking his head, Subaru denied it.

[Assistant] Otto pressed him further into a corner with a wordless stare.

[User] Its power made Subaru lower his eyes, running dry on words as he desperately sought a reply. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Otto. If anything, it was the reverse. He trusted Otto. Just how many times over had Otto aided Subaru that loop? It wasn’t about money; Otto had saved him before out of benevolence, putting his sense of obligation and humanity first. When he’d called Otto a friend, there was no falsehood behind it. But how could Subaru speak to that very Otto about his circumstances?

[Assistant] "" Instinctively, he knew.


[User] And those not knowing of Return by Death would dismiss Subaru’s words as nothing but delusions. "I can’t explain any of it right. The inside of my mind’s all a mess…it’s a big jumble, just like you said. I can’t logically explain a single thing."

[Assistant] "Even if I told you, it’s all stuff no one would believe anyway… I don’t know what to even say…not to you, not to anyone, nothing…!"

[User] “…Please, just say it.”

[Assistant] "—Eh?" To Subaru, murmuring that he could not offer up proof to make anyone believe him.

[User] Otto crossed his arms. "I said, please, just say it. Even if it isn’t logical, even if it is all a jumble, even if it is not in chronological order, I will listen to it all without jumping to conclusions, so please."

[Assistant] "Er, but that’s…"

[User] "This…this is what I have been talking about! I told you to stop keeping up appearances! !" Otto howled, as if this time he had truly reached the limits of his patience.

[Assistant] Otto’s outburst left Subaru astonished, only to find a finger pointed at his black eyes. "This you have no proof to make people trust you, no one will trust you without proof, you cannot explain things in a proper order… I tell you, if you have the time to think up such petty excuses, it would be far healthier for you to spill out everything inside your mind than cower like this! !"

[User] "Even if you say that… I…! Don’t have anything to make anyone believe this messed-up…!"

[Assistant] "—Tell me everything! Then, at the end of this messy tale, just say Believe me!! We’re friends, after all! !" —He felt like a great many thoughts and feelings inside his mind had been torn away at the root and sent flying.

[User] "You might not believe me, but…" Even though, in that halting manner, he spoke of all the issues he had been carrying alone until there was no more to tell, it did not take him all that long.


[Assistant] "—So Roswaal’s ordering assassins to attack the mansion basically to…push Emilia and me into a corner, leaving no place for either of us to run." Subaru finished his explanation, heedful of the minor details for fear of violating his taboo.

[User] All the while, Otto had been creasing his brow, silent as he lent Subaru his ears.

[Assistant] "At this moment in time, this’s…all the information I have. There’s nothing more to hide." Of course, his explanation had left out the things he couldn’t speak of: the Witch’s Tea Party and Return by Death. As that left crucial gaps in his story, it was fair to say his explanation was chock full of holes.


[User] The logical threads connecting various pieces of information were so frayed, even he thought they sounded strange. That was how much he was waiting with bated breath for Otto’s reaction to the explanation he had received.

[Assistant] The reaction of the same Otto who had declared that all he had to do was just stick Believe me!! onto the very end. Would this become hope, or turn into despair? Such worries and expectations had his eardrums on edge.

[User] "Mr. Natsuki." Finally, after a long period of silent thought, Otto uncrossed his arms and spoke. "Would it be so wrong to turn tail and run without a word to anyone else?"

[Assistant] "What…the hell?!" His reply, which came from a completely unexpected angle, elicited a foul and uncouth voice from Subaru.

[User] "I mean, we are trapped in a hunting ground for the Great Rabbit, escape depends on Lady Emilia breaking through the Trial, a prospect that seems doubtful; even evacuating the people not held captive by the barrier is being obstructed by an ignoramus, and even if somehow we arrive back at the mansion, there are assassins coming on the lord of the manor’s orders…just how many sins have you been committing on a daily basis for things to turn out like this?!" Faced with that reaction from Subaru, Otto’s voice went shrill as he replied.

[Assistant] "That’s what I wanna know! Why does this senseless situation have to barrel down on me like this?! I already knew, but God must seriously hate me! I hate me, too!"

[User] If there was a God who governed fate, that deity most definitely hated Subaru, detesting him as if he were a venomous snake. But resenting that made the situation neither progress nor withdraw, nor its level of difficulty rise or fall.

[Assistant] "Nah, before all that… Otto, I understand why you’re getting all worked up…but you actually believe this preposterous story?"

[User] "A horde of demon beasts way beyond ‘trouble’ is coming our way. Even if we try to run, we can’t do anything without Emilia being up to the job, Garfiel’s in the way of everyone escaping, and Roswaal’s gone insane and betrayed us… You actually believe all this?"

[Assistant] To any objective person, the bad situations lined up one after another constituted an unfolding nightmare. It seemed far more realistic to think that Subaru alone had become touched in the head than believe everything he said was fact. That’s why he hadn’t even thought of divulging all this. Even Otto had to—

[User] "Now see here, Mr. Natsuki." Otto raised one finger as he responded to Subaru’s question. "In the course of my travels across many lands, I have been involved with a rather considerable number of people."

[Assistant] "…Don’t tell me—you can just look into someone’s eyes and know whether you can trust them or something…?"

[User] "No, and you should not believe in such superstitious nonsense."


[User] "In my time as a merchant, I have experienced far too much firsthand of just how capable people are of shrouding their gazes in order to deceive others. It is nothing to boast of, but I have some experience with being deceived myself.”

[Assistant] It really was nothing to boast of, so the fact that he was doing exactly that made it hard to respond.

[User] Subaru pursed his lips as Otto continued onward.

[Assistant] “I left my parents’ home at fourteen, firmly believing in my abilities as a merchant like any other. The results of that choice were scarcely good…or rather, the unbelievable difficulties I encountered when taking chances, thinking I had a shot at winning, made for results that were quite poor, but…”

[User] “Now just a…”

[Assistant] “Setting aside whether the results were fair or foul, I intend to live without regretting the decisions themselves. I am the one who placed my trust and made those wagers—something I believe I should remain well aware of.”

[User] Between them, only Otto knew what choices he was using as the basis of his argument, but he surely meant he had engaged in some rather high-stakes financial battles of his own. Accompanying Subaru to the Sanctuary and seeking to connect himself with Roswaal was one such idea. In contrast to expectations, Otto had been acting in a sound, realistic manner. That was why Subaru had doubted Otto would lend his ears to such a baseless tale with scarce odds of victory…

[Assistant] “That is why this is a first for me, Mr. Natsuki.”

[User] “…Eh?” Subaru let his mouth fall open, staring as he wondered just what Otto was trying to say.

[Assistant] To that, Otto spoke with a stupidly cheerful look on his face. —It was a crisp declaration. “Ignoring the odds and joining a side with no visible chance of winning…this is a first for me.”


[Assistant] Racing through the entry hall and the living room, Subaru vigorously kicked the bedroom door open so hard, it seemed a wonder he did not break it.

[User] Roswaal, sitting upon on the bed, wore an expression of surprise as they watched Subaru’s arrival.

[Assistant] Ram, in the middle of changing the bandages on Roswaal’s body, wore an expression of surprise as they watched Subaru’s arrival.

[User] “—Roswaal!”


[User] It was rare to see such expressions on either the perpetually made-up Roswaal or the usually calm and composed Ram. An unprecedented occurrence was a good omen for the sake of changing the future. A smile gushed from him.

[Assistant] Jabbing a finger straight at the surprised pair, he announced in a loud voice.

[User] "—Let’s make a bet. You and me. And the chips will be our wishes.”


[User] Subaru’s breathing leaped, and he felt like gloating as he received shocked stares from both of them. Subaru twisted his lips, a wicked smile coming over him.

[Assistant] "—Bet?" Recovering from his initial shock, Roswaal narrowed his differently colored eyes.

[User] "Yes, a bet. I’m challenging you to a big, serious match…with what you and I want on the line."

[Assistant] "Wait, Barusu." Ram interposed herself between them, shielding Roswaal behind her, sustaining Subaru’s gaze with a reproachful look in her eyes.

[User] Subaru raised a finger, boldly making his statement to Roswaal.

[Assistant] "What do you think you are doing, suddenly forcing your way into the room and spouting random things? Do you intend to burden Master Roswaal during his bed rest? This is too rude, even for you."

[User] "You know as well as I do that he’s not the kind of guy to just sit and wait to get better. Besides, the situation doesn’t allow it. This problem is everybody’s problem, so I’m gonna be a little pushy and reckless."

[Assistant] "Barusu—"

[User] "No matter what anybody says, I don’t have any reason to stop." When Ram exuded a dangerous aura that was mixed with obvious irritation, Subaru thrust a palm straight at her. Then, anticipating just where her actions might lead, he tilted his head and called to Roswaal, sitting behind her. "What about you, Roswaal? You’re not gonna sulk about your schedule going a little out of whack, now are you? Do you have the guts to push yourself a little for the sake of your successor?"

[Assistant] "…What a roundabout and deeeeply interesting turn of phrase. For the sake of my successor, you say?" His face still ghastly and pale, Roswaal slowly sat up higher. "Ram, wait by my…no, for a brief time, could you leave young Subaru and I alone?"

[User] "…Are you certain?"

[Assistant] "Do not worry; there is no concern that Subaru might cause harm to me."


[User] “He is not here for payback, but for a quite diiiifferent matter, yes?”

[Assistant] “Well, even if I was here for that, I wouldn’t be able to do a thing. You’d just nail me back. Pathetic, but yeah, don’t worry, ’kay?” Waving both his empty hands, he asserted to an anxious Ram that he had no hostile intentions.

[User] Ram let a sigh trickle out, then bowed to Roswaal. “Please do not overly exert yourself. —And Barusu, please do nothing rude.”

[Assistant] “Man, you’re really only worried I’m gonna start something. Worry about him starting something, would ya?” Exchanging these words as Ram headed for the room’s exit, Subaru slumped his shoulders as Ram snorted.


[User] Then, after the door was closed, there were but two people, Subaru and Roswaal, remaining in the room. It had been just a few, scant hours since his heart was thoroughly broken, and yet, Subaru found himself in the same situation once again.

[Assistant] “I had not thought you and I would meet again face-to-face in this lifetime, and so quickly at that…did something happen to alter your state of mind?”

[User] “Alter my state of mind…well, you’re not wrong. My shame was exposed, I got lectured a ton, I traded blows of friendship…nah, the punching was too one-sided to spin it like that.” Recalling how Otto had pummeled him, Subaru smiled wryly over his complete defeat. But it was a good loss. Over and over, Subaru had lost a variety of battles since arriving in this world, but never had defeat tasted so sweet.

[Assistant] “A most cheerful face… It was only last night that you became aware of your own lack of commitment, yet you seem to have put your thoughts in order. I grandly congratulate you for your swift return.”

[User] “When it comes to the meaning of grand, you’ve got me beat, the thickness of your face included… You know, borrowing someone’s hand to get back on your feet ain’t so bad. Especially if it’s a friend’s.”

[Assistant] Upon receiving Subaru’s reply, Roswaal slowly shook his head. Despair rested within his eyes; his expression crestfallen, obvious pity projected by his demeanor, Roswaal sighed deeply. “So soft. So weak, and so very young… Ultimately, you can only solve the suffering in this world by yourself. Relying on a friend is a foolish plan, betraying only your own weakness.”

[User] “Depending on people, connections, feelings…what, that’s no good?”

[Assistant] “No goooood at all.”

[User] “That so. —Then there’s no way to settle this except a bet.” With that one sentence, Roswaal’s expression changed. Subaru took a step forward toward the center of the room. He walked closer to the bed, closing the distance between him and Roswaal, and thrust a finger toward him once more. “Just like I said, let’s make a bet.


[User] “…I shall hear you out, at the very leaaaast.” Rather than dismissing the proposal as out of hand, Roswaal prodded Subaru to continue speaking.

[Assistant] Having vaulted over the initial hurdle, Subaru exhaled, turning his finger toward the heavens as he formally stated his preconditions. “What you and I want are on parallel lines. After yesterday, I’m sure of that. I want to save everything. You can’t forgive me for that. —Am I right?”

[User] “Yes, you are indeed. Nor can you forgive me. However, you cannot distance yourself from me, either.”

[Assistant] “…You got me there. If we lose you, Emilia can’t fight going forward. I hate to say it, but you have the power here, no matter what you’re scheming, no matter how bad you and I get along.”

[User] “And? Knowing that much, what is it you wish to do? With your naive reliance on others, you are incapable of resolving the situation. Compromise or honing—there are no other paths before us.”

[Assistant] “If it was just me, I’m sure you’d be right.” Faced with Roswaal’s words, Subaru bluntly acknowledged the weakness of his own heart. Even if he stubbornly persisted, clinging to Return by Death, at some point, he would surely be worn down, just as Roswaal was saying. Certainly, if it was Subaru alone, still relying on no one, clutching his knees and cowering, then…


[User] “Roswaal, let’s have one final showdown between you and me, here and now. —This time around, I will save the Sanctuary and the mansion. I’ll blow away each and every one of your schemes.”

[Assistant] “You say you will recover somehow from this dire position? And that you will relinquish your one and only Authority?”

[User] “…Redoing and telling you about it are two separate things. I had that ground into me. We got too conceited, you and me both. My thing…isn’t convenient like that.” In the second Trial, Subaru saw scenes from worlds where he had chosen poorly. The more Subaru faced death, the more such tragedies unfolded; this was no way to find salvation. Besides, the search for salvation was the curse that haunted Subaru’s and Roswaal’s hearts.

[Assistant] “And you will confine your final chance to this life, hereafter doing as the Sanctuary…no, as I fondly desire?”

[User] “Yeah, that’s what it amounts to. I’m sick and tired of feeling each other out like this. I’m making this the last time.”

[Assistant] “And what guarantee do I have that you will uphold your word?” Roswaal sought confirmation regarding Subaru’s assertion as if it was the natural thing to do.


[User] “—Roswaal.” With Roswaal concerned Subaru might go back on his word, Subaru quietly called out his name.

[Assistant] His words stopping the moment he heard that voice, Roswaal widened his eyes as he found Subaru’s gaze trained upon him.

[User] Then, without changing his tone of voice, Subaru continued. “Do you think I’d do that?”

[User] “If you think I would, we have nothing to discuss. I’ll end this conversation here.” He declared it strongly, strong enough that many opponents would break off the discussion in a fit.

[Assistant] Such words from Subaru made Roswaal close his eyes; from there, he lightly raised both his hands. “…In proposing to make this time your last, what is it you seek from me?”

[User] “—What I want is pretty simple. If I do manage to resolve the situation my way, that’ll mean a result different from what you want, right? If that happens, this unwanted development would make you lose your will to live and your drive to do certain things… I want you to set that aside.”

[Assistant] “Aside, you say? To not lose my drive, you say? Yet, I cannot help but call that a most difficult thing to achieve. After all, it is a matter of the heart. Of course, it is possible to engage in pretense on the surface, but…”

[User] “Not really, Roswaal. It’s not like you and I are always going to be wrestling with each other.”

[Assistant] “…Hmm?” With a doubtful look on his face, Roswaal was voicing dissatisfaction with the terms Subaru proposed.

[User] Seeing that Roswaal clearly did not understand, Subaru rubbed his own nose with a finger as he spoke: “I know if I win, it’d lead to an unwanted development for you. But for the sake of my future, and for the sake of putting Emilia on the throne, you need to keep on staying close by. There’ll probably be times when she’ll have to rely on the power only I have. Setting aside the issue of priorities, I’ll still be working toward your goal in the end.”

[User] “Roswaal, my demand is simple. If I can save both the Sanctuary and the mansion…throw the book aside and join us. I’ll make Emilia King. And I need your power to make it happen.”

[Assistant] “What foolishness.” When Subaru extended his hand and spoke those words, Roswaal’s reply was brief, practically spitting out the words. It sounded less like scorn than rejection and bewilderment. "Your proposal is twisted, even for you. You will engage in your own methods, yet you will forgive me, whose thoughts are incompatible with yours? My actions are exceedingly wicked. Surely, those who I have sacrificed would hate me and curse me for what I have already done. Are you not at the very toooop of that list?”

[User] “If the issue is forgiving you or not, there’s no way in hell I’m forgiving you.


[User] "What you’ve done to me, to me and to Emilia, isn’t something that can be forgiven. —But that’s an issue of my heart.”

[Assistant] There was no way he could fail to hate the man. Many of the hardships Subaru had suffered were crafted and set into motion by Roswaal, courtesy of the poison fangs he had meticulously prepared. That venom had wounded Subaru in mind and body both, even robbing him of his life, making him taste despair many times over. But—

[User] “—You won’t be kicking up anything fatal like that again. Not if I resolve things, see?”

[Assistant] “Even if I cease to commit such crimes, wicked deeds are wicked deeds. Surely, this is not so convenient a tale?”

[User] “Me, I just love convenient tales. Emilia’s gonna work hard and become King, and I’ll live happily ever after right by her side, so get on the bandwagon, damn it. Let me make clear: I’m not taking no for an answer.”

[Assistant] When Subaru closed one eye, winking as he spoke those words, Roswaal was literally agape.

[User] From there, Roswaal’s silence continued for a while, until finally, he covered his face with his own hands. "Succeeding in your goals, while letting go of nothing? On top of that, taking in even me, a man with thoughts irreconcilable with yours, and counting me as one of the cornerstones upon which to build your future? Do you even understand, Subaru?”

[Assistant] “Do I even understand, what?”

[User] “To just what extent your answer is infused with greed.”

[Assistant] Roswaal’s words made Subaru’s expression shift…not into surprise, but a smile of remembrance. Just prior to leaving the castle of dreams, Echidna had told him the exact same thing. Witch and devil alike had identically appraised his greed. —And that was just fine with him. "You’re the one who said it, Roswaal.”

[User] His smile of remembrance became twisted as Subaru Natsuki responded with a wicked look. "Backing me into a corner will make me the strongest card of all. —It won’t be the way you wanted it, but I’ll be the strongest card you can play against your enemies. Still not satisfied?”

[Assistant] “…And if this strongest card is ineffective…?”

[User] “I won’t have any more hands to play. Your victory will be complete. I’ll be your minion or anything you want.”

[Assistant] If Roswaal won, his scheme would be fulfilled. This time, the terms proposed sent Roswaal into prolonged, silent thought. Subaru quietly waited for him to voice his reply.

[User] “No matter how much you struggle, you cannot hope to achieve a breakthrough. Lady Emilia cannot overcome the obstacle before her, and the barrier will not be unraveled. The Sanctuary will be buried in snow, and the mansion will sink into a tragic spectacle of blood.”

[Assistant] “Yeah. —It’ll be worth it to see how you react when I screw all that up.” Subaru raised his middle finger in a fit of annoyance. The gesture made Roswaal sigh, whereupon he lifted a finger of his own.


[User] "Just as you will run around attempting to fulfill your victory conditions, I shall give one more push to fulfill that which is written within my book of knowledge. You have no complaints, I trust?"

[Assistant] "Well, can I take that to mean you’re going along with my proposal?"

[User] "As you say, it is not a bad thing to do something for my successor… Nor do I lack interest in whether the results will be in accordance with what is wriiiitten." In a world already contradicting the book, Roswaal was declaring he would act according to its contents even so. Before all was said and done, Subaru had to wreck Roswaal’s plans, saving everything and everyone.

[Assistant] "Now that this is decided, time is precious. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get started."

[User] "Subaru." As Subaru turned his back on the bed, seemingly about to leave the room, Roswaal called out to him.

[Assistant] Subaru looked again at him.

[User] Roswaal averted his gaze ever so slightly. "The snow in the Sanctuary, and the attack on the mansion, will occur in three days. —I expect a valiant battle from you, and an ignominious defeat."

[Assistant] "Say what you want." Roswaal’s mundane sarcasm made Subaru click his tongue and come back with a retort. Then, Subaru pinched his own cheek a little. "Roswaal, you’re throwing me off my game here. Get that clown makeup back on, would ya?"

[User] "Hmm. Come to mention it…this is the first time you have seen my bare face, is it not?"

[Assistant] "I suppose in this world, it is." Once, in a world long left behind, they had entered the bath together. Subaru made a pained smile as he recalled the sight from back then that Roswaal knew nothing of.


[Assistant] "—Barusu, you look like you are engaged in wicked deeds with your friend. What happened?" Having formed a promise over the wager, Subaru was just leaving the building when a voice came from behind. Ram was leaning against the wall to the side of the door, hugging her own elbows as she stared intently at him.

[User] "Stop talking about wicked deeds and stuff. That makes me sound super shady. You’ll scare people." He turned back from the building’s entrance.

[Assistant] "It aptly describes two little men quietly plotting about this and that, does it not? Master Roswaal permitted it so I did not interfere, but you should know your place."

[User] "…Sorry, Big Sis, but I’m not facing an opponent I can beat with halfhearted moves on the game board." As Subaru shrugged his shoulders.

[Assistant] "You have done it several times, but please cease addressing me as Big Sis. Ram does not recall becoming Barusu’s elder sister. It is repulsive." Ram narrowed her eyes in a sour mood.

[User] "Saying repulsive is overkill, geez… Well, it’s like a bad habit. Forgive me, ’kay?"

[Assistant] "How self-serving of you. Why should Ram forgive such a…" Ram’s words came to a halt. This was probably because she noticed the deep, forlorn look in Subaru’s eyes.

[User] "…I have no interest in your strange hobbies, Barusu."

[Assistant] It was not on purpose that Subaru called her Big Sis. He unthinkingly sought out her kindness. In his moments of weakness, he leaned on Ram…because Ram let him. Just as planned, Ram accepted Subaru’s words as a joke without pursuing the issue further.

[User] "I shall return to my initial question, then. —What is this conspiracy you are up to?"

[Assistant] "You really don’t beat around the bush, do you? You shouldn’t have been listening to me and Roswaal talking anyway…"

[User] "Certainly, I was not listening. But I do have the means to peek."

[Assistant] "…Clairvoyance, huh?"

[User] When Ram pointed to her own eyes, Subaru remembered that she possessed the power of Clairvoyance. That ability allowed her to synchronize with another person’s eyes, pilfering their vision for her own—it was through this power that Ram had learned of the pair’s wager.

[Assistant] "You’re a serious housemaid to the core, but those poor manners are gonna make your master hate you."

[User] "It is the cute selfishness of a uniquely faithful spirit and a wavering maiden’s heart. Overlook it, please." Her statement was truly brazen in how it placed her on a pedestal, but Subaru hardened his cheeks.


[User] In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to continue this fruitless conversation with her. He forced down such personal greed. "Right now, is Roswaal accepting that cute maiden’s heart and faithful spirit?"

[Assistant] When Subaru posed his question, it was clear that Ram’s emotionless expression had grown frostier.

[User] The edge of her pink gaze grew sharper still, but Subaru boldly took a step forward, closing the physical and psychological distance between them. “You’re the one taking care of his needs. You’ve seen his black book, haven’t you?”

[Assistant] “If I told you, what would you do with the answer?”

[User] “I’m taking that as a yes, okay?” Subaru interpreted her demeanor as a clear attempt to evade a direct reply—meaning Ram knew of the book of knowledge.

[Assistant] Indeed, Ram had not denied Subaru’s assertion. Ram knew of the book of knowledge. It was unclear whether her eyes had perused its pages, but… “What’s written in that book decides whether Roswaal takes a left turn or right. But letting him do as it says is no good. All hell will break loose in the Sanctuary. And if that happens, everyone’ll…”

[User] “Do you think speaking such words will move Ram’s heart? If so, how shallow you are, Barusu.” When Subaru tried redoubling his words with an explanation, Ram crisply and sternly cut him off. The light in her eyes did not waver, not even as Subaru suggested Roswaal’s actions would lead to a dead end. “To Ram, there is only one thing that can be placed above all else. This is absolute. It will never waver. Therefore, if it is your hope to change Ram’s heart, please stop.”

[Assistant] “…There’s no such thing as absolutes, Ram.”

[User] “Watch what you speak. —I shall not warn you again.” When Ram took Subaru’s suppressed words as mocking her loyalty, her voice grew barbed.

[Assistant] But Subaru’s denial was not about Ram’s feelings toward Roswaal. It was directed at Ram herself, who had forgotten her other half, the most important thing to her in life. It was toward her using the word absolute.

[User] "Barusu. —Do you really…expect something out of Lady Emilia?" That was why, while turned toward a door, Ram continuing the conversation over her shoulder was truly unexpected. Her emotions remained hidden as Ram tossed the question Subaru’s way.

[Assistant] He immediately realized this was revenge—having questioned Ram about her loyalty, she was now questioning his own. “Yeah, I do. I trust her. She asked me to support her and everything.” Subaru replied to Ram’s question honestly and without reserve. Even while respecting Emilia choice to challenge the Trial herself, he’d schemed to push the matter away several times over. However, this was not because he viewed it as impossible for her and had given up. He’d never questioned whether she could overcome it, not even once. Subaru had arbitrarily judged that time did not permit it, and nothing more.