[User] "That’s reason enough for me to do all I can."

[Assistant] “…Uu doesn’t understand…” She couldn’t grasp his true motive, even after hearing his answer. Of course she couldn’t. Anyone who did not know about his resetting wouldn’t have been able to understand what he’d said. And Subaru didn’t feel the need to make her understand. There was no need for the girl in front of him to even consider that possibility.

[User] “…Are you satisfied? Neither you nor I have time for an extended conversation.”

[Assistant] “…Yeah, sorry.”

[User] Abel ruthlessly, and with utter disinterest, brushed off Subaru’s conversation with the girl. Then he turned back to the girl, and she tensed up, looking up at him as if she felt the same sort of pressure Subaru had felt earlier. "Girl, I have no intention of leisurely chatting with you. The woman from earlier—that Mizelda, was it? Bring her here. She is the chief, I imagine.”

[Assistant] “Mii? What are you gonna talk to her about?”

[User] “Nothing too major. There is just something I would like to propose.”

[Assistant] “Propose?”

[User] Abel nodded deeply, looking at the girl and Subaru, who were both cocking their heads. And then, even though it was not visible from behind the mask, he definitely smiled. "Tell her we will take the ritual of blood. That is the quickest way to convince them.”

[Assistant] “What’s the ritual of blood?”

[User] “It is a custom that a people who value their pride and their agreements above all else cannot ignore. They will discuss it in more detail themselves. More importantly…” Only answering Subaru’s question in the vaguest terms, Abel then glanced at him sharply.


[Assistant] The Shudrak girl had gone to inform their chief Mizelda of Abel’s request, leaving the two of them alone. Which meant the time they could talk privately was limited. "Allow me to ask. You said you were held prisoner at the camp outside the jungle. How were you treated?”

[User] “…The wounds on my shoulder and back are from them. Also, I had to do chores.” It would have been more accurate to say the chores and the injuries had been from separate loops, but Abel was so intense that Subaru simply answered reflexively.

[Assistant] “Hmm.” Abel’s eyes narrowed, and then he glanced at Subaru’s left hand. "Judging by the fact that you did not mention your fingers, that was a separate incident? Done by the woman you were pursuing?”

[User] “Ugh… What does that have to do with anything?”

[Assistant] “It is proof that you are the sort of idiot who falls for a woman who would break your fingers.”

[User] Subaru couldn’t really say that was an accurate picture of his relationship with Rem. But he did not have the time or any obligation to get into the details trying to explain it at length.


[User] “In the process of doing those chores, you must have seen the interior of the camp. How was it laid out, approximately? Put that empty head of yours to work and pull from your memory all that you are able.” Subaru grimaced as Abel peppered him with questions.

[Assistant] “There were dozens of tents, and as for the number of people… Hey, what are you talking about?”

[User] “Do you not understand?” Abel sneered. “It is self-evident. Tell me what you—”


[Assistant] Before he could finish, several sets of footsteps approached the cage. It was Mizelda, who’d been dragged out by the girl, and…

[User] “I heard from Utakata that you said you will undergo the ritual of blood.” Putting her hand on the head of the girl clinging to her leg—Utakata—Mizelda fixed them with a grave look. It was a gaze as sharp as the spirit she had shown when Subaru had besmirched their warrior pride.

[Assistant] “Where did you learn of the ritual of blood? It is a ritual passed down among us Shudrak.”

[User] “Do not make me laugh, young Shudrak chief. Do you seriously believe that your traditions are unknown to everyone in this world? A secret need only be known by but two people, and it shall spread. You would do well not to imagine that your people are a monolith.” Mizelda’s eyes grew grim, while Abel’s speech grew more intense. Subaru gulped as the looks on the faces of Mizelda and all her fellow Shudrak around her suddenly stiffened.

[Assistant] “Umm!” Subaru raised his voice. “Sorry to interrupt while you’re all getting fired up, but could someone tell me what this ritual of blood is about? Since it probably has something to do with me.”

[User] “…What makes you think that?”

[Assistant] “I mean, earlier this masked jerk threatened me. Asking me if I could sacrifice anything and everything. Of course not, was my answer.”

[User] “Then…”

[Assistant] “All I can gamble is myself. Anything more would be to exaggerate my influence on things.”

[User] “But Abel is right. I need to get you to listen to me. I’m just going to repeat what I said before, but I’ll say it as many times as I have to.


[User] "In the worst case, I at least need to convince you to let me out so I can protect what’s precious to me.” Subaru pleaded desperately.

[Assistant] “…I see,” Mizelda murmured softly. “It seems you do indeed meet the requirements to undergo the ritual of blood.”

[User] Subaru’s eyes widened.

[Assistant] Abel made a small sound.

[User] "Sister! Are you serious? Taking what these men say seri-" A woman in the group beside Mizelda, whose short hair was dyed blue, exclaimed.

[Assistant] “I haven’t accepted it at face value, Talitta. I simply thought it a waste to cast them aside.”

[User] “Sister…” At Mizelda’s explanation, the woman called Talitta looked down.

[Assistant] Mizelda looked at Subaru again. “You asked about the ritual of blood. It is a ritual maintained since ancient times, to have the tribe acknowledge someone. A rite of passage into adulthood.”

[User] “Adulthood… Ah, something like that? But we…”

[Assistant] “…are not Shudrak. Everyone knows as much without you saying anything. Do not waste time on pointless things. What matters is the nature of the ritual.”

[User] Abel was exasperated at Subaru’s shock upon learning it was a ritual to be treated as an adult among the Shudrak.

[Assistant] Subaru’s expression twitched at the way Abel had said this, but he understood what Abel wanted to say. The true nature of the ritual was having the group recognize the challenger as an adult. Meaning it was…

[User] “…a rite of passage to have the Shudrak people listen to us on equal terms…”

[Assistant] “Indeed.” Answering Subaru, Abel then looked at Mizelda, whose arms were crossed.

[User] Mizelda nodded. “If you would face the ritual of blood, then you must prepare yourselves no matter what happens.”

[Assistant] “As if you would release us if we stopped short now? Unfortunately, I am not so naïve that I would expect such a convenient turn of events. Nor is Subaru Natsuki.”

[User] “Ugh? !” While they got fired up, Subaru was shocked to find himself paired with someone who seemed to be brimming with enthusiasm, but Abel did not pay him any heed.

[Assistant] “What will you do?” Mizelda asked.

[User] “…I’ll do it. If there’s no other way, then I’ll face the ritual and get you to listen to me. But if it’s something that takes days to do, that’ll be a problem.” Subaru was already along for the ride, so he simply said,

[Assistant] “Indeed. We do not want that, either. In which case…”

[User] “Sister, in that case, what of the elgina?” Talitta offered a proposal.

[Assistant] Mizelda nodded deeply at it. “That is good. The ritual of blood is carried out with the greatest hardship that can be found at the time.”

[User] “The greatest hardship… That’s…”

[Assistant] “Elgina.”

[User] Subaru gulped as Mizelda repeated that word.

[Assistant] Utakata’s shoulders twitched, and she shrank back at the sound of the word.


[User] Several other Shudrak women grew visibly nervous. Seeing that reaction in these warriors was more than enough to give Subaru a sense of unease, too. But…

[Assistant] “There is no going back for you or me. Are you ready?”

[User] “That’s pretty crazy of you to say, after setting this all up without my input. Even if I do owe you, you’re too irresponsible…” Subaru owed Abel for the knife, but what was happening here blew all those modest feelings of gratitude out of the water. Though he was of course grateful to Abel for helping him recover from his mistakes and creating an opportunity where the Shudrak might be willing to listen to him.

[Assistant] “Abel and Subaru Natsuki. You will be taken to the elgina. Prove to us that you can accomplish the ritual of blood!” With those words, the cell was opened, and the two of them were led outside.


[User] Released from the cell, Subaru and Abel were neither blindfolded nor bound as they were led out of the village surrounded by the Shudrak people. Traveling in the deep, dense jungle was like fumbling in the darkness, and Subaru’s steps were unsteady at several points. Each time, he was helped by a Shudrak near him.

[Assistant] “Gah, sorry for making you help me again…”

[User] “It’s fine. I’m strong, so it’s no trouble.” The woman who’d caught him when he’d stumbled had dyed-yellow hair.

[Assistant] “Are your wounds all right? I was the one who took care of them.”

[User] “Ah, you did that? Yeah, they’re fine. They do still hurt a little. Somewhat. Well, a lot, actually. But it’s better.”

[Assistant] “Ah-ha-ha. An honest man.”

[User] But he was really curious about the hunk of meat on a bone she had been carrying in her hand the whole time.

[Assistant] “Hmm? Hungry? Want to eat some meat?”

[User] “Ah, no, I’m fine. It’s not that I’m not hungry, but if I ate, I wouldn’t be able to move.”

[Assistant] “Ah-ha-ha, true. And if your stomach is full, it will hurt when you die.”

[User] “Ha-ha…” She had a gentle feel about her as she munched on the meat, but she was still a Shudrak. Either way, he couldn’t really sense any animosity from the tribe as they guided him and Abel to wherever they were going.


[User] As with Mizelda, from the moment Abeel and Subaru declared they would undergo the ritual of blood, the Shudrak no longer seemed to be dwelling on his initial failed negotiations. Meaning whatever the results of the ritual, he had succeeded in improving their impression of him. Even if the ritual doesn’t look like it will be successful, we might be able to get them to sit down at the negotiation table.

[Assistant] “—Judging by your expression, you seem to be indulging in convenient delusion.”

[User] “Don’t go reading people’s minds from their eyes or face. Is everyone in the empire like that?”

[Assistant] “I know not the source of your complaint, and I’ve no interest in being compared to others. However, the people of Volakia learn to carefully observe others over the course of their life. That is different from Lugunicans.”

[User] “Carefully observe, huh…?” Subaru sensed something lying behind Abel’s words. “Incidentally, have you not thought of trying to escape in this moment?”

[Assistant] “…Can you stop with those vague sorts of temptations? It’s not like I haven’t considered it, but I’m not going to.”

[User] “Hoh. Why? There are more opportunities to escape now than there were in that cell. By making a diversion, you might be able to escape their sight.”

[Assistant] “When I lost my cool, I might have tried recklessly running for it, but…” Subaru looked around them again. The jungle’s darkness was deep. He couldn’t see more than a few yards ahead of him. And he only had a vague sense of the bearing and distance to the camp he needed to reach. There was no hope of running away. And to top it off, the Shudrak around them were all far more dexterous than Subaru, especially with his injuries.

[User] “—? What is it?” The woman beside him noticed his gaze.

[Assistant] “He’s in love with you, Hoo.” Utakata whispered. “Since you’re the prettiest in the village.”

[User] “Wah, how embarrassiiing.” The way she shook her head as her cheeks flushed was totally adorable, but she never once let her guard down. If Subaru tried to run, she would pin him down in an instant.

[Assistant] “Plus, what would happen to you if I did run?”

[User] “…I see. So you are one of those. With contemptible, heroic aspirations.” Abel said with disgust as he looked away.

[Assistant] “Say what?” Subaru was annoyed by that evaluation and began to fire back at the man who was hiding behind a mask, but before he could get around to asking what Abel had meant by that, Mizelda, who was up at the head of the line, stopped.


[User] “Here.”

[Assistant] “Even if you say that, I don’t really see anything…” Even with the torches lighting their surroundings, the range of what they could see was still just a few yards. It all just looked like the same jungle expanse to him. What is there here…?

[User] “You will understand once you go.”

[Assistant] “Daoo…ahhh?"


[User] Subaru leaned forward, peering into the darkness, and as he did so, Talitta moved behind him and gave him a shove on the back. Stepping forward once, and then a second time, his foot stepped out into space. He lost his footing, proving he had no ground to stand on.

[Assistant] "This is… Not again? !" Raising his voice, Subaru stepped out into the void—or rather, down onto an extreme slope. Catching his foot on the incline, he slid down while doing his best not to fall over. Having rushed down the slope, he somehow managed to catch his breath at the bottom of it.

[User] "That was dangerous… Even though I couldn’t use my hands, that waaaaas—? !"

[Assistant] "Out of the way." There was a thud against his back; Subaru barely managed to stay on his feet, only to end up knocked over for real by someone slamming into his back.

[User] Looking back reproachfully.

[Assistant] Abel had been pushed down the slope just like Subaru had. "It doesn’t look like the bottom of a hole… Is this where the ritual will happen?"

[User] "Presumably. Now then, what shall come? ‘Elgina’ is what they said."

[Assistant] "You wouldn’t happen to have an idea what that is, would you?"

[User] "'El’ means big or large, but… Mrgh." As they were talking, something was thrown down to them. A cloth bag landed at Abel’s feet. He peered into it.

[Assistant] "My baggage. And your trash."

[User] "My stuff isn’t trash!" It was the gear that the Shudrak had taken from Subaru and Abel. Subaru’s Guilty Whip was there, of course, but also, the knife that had been stuck in his back—the one Abel had given him—had made its way back into his hands.

[Assistant] Abel picked up his sword and cloak, and quickly put them on.

[User] Following Abel’s lead, Subaru picked up his things. "What is this…?"

[Assistant] "We’re watching! Do your best!" Looking up, he saw the girl, Utakata, waving her hands from atop the slope, having just thrown their stuff down to them.

[User] Mizelda and Talitta did not say anything about what Utakata had just done. So this much help won’t mess up the ritual, I guess.

[Assistant] "Do your best."

[User] “…Seriously…?" He saw the girl with the dyed-yellow hair from earlier smiling nonchalantly as she casually blocked the way back up the slope with a giant boulder. She had a monstrous sort of strength that was hard to believe—but it explained how the Shudrak had made such a sturdy cage, even if it had seemingly been thrown together on the spot. With the entrance closed off, they were stuck in a valley that extended maybe twenty yards to the left and right. On the opposite side of the closed entrance, in front of them, there was darkness, but Subaru had no illusions that they would let him cut through it and escape.

[Assistant] "Subaru Natsuki, how much can you use your hands?"

[User] "Hmm?


[User] “Well, as you can see, I can’t raise my right arm, and I can’t put much strength into my left hand. Delicate work is definitely out, and…whoa? !” Abel pulled a ring out of his bag and tossed it to Subaru. “Put that on the better hand! We have no time.”

[Assistant] Pressured by Abel’s overbearing tone, Subaru quickly caught the ring and put it on the middle finger of his left hand. In addition to the black gemstone in the setting, it had a high-class feel and an odd, intimidating sort of aura.

[User] “It is a ring with sealed magic. Put it to your lips before using it. It will expel fire, though there is a limit to how much.”

[Assistant] “Huh? Magic? Lips? What are you…?”

[User] “It’s coming.” Abel drew his sword, leaving Subaru behind as Subaru struggled to catch up to what was going on around him.

[Assistant] Drawn by the masked man’s sharpened gaze, Subaru quickly grabbed his whip, too. With that, he had prepared his gear as best as he could, when…

[User] “…Hey, come on, you’re kidding, right?” As he lined up beside Abel, both their backs to the sealed entrance, Subaru was dumbfounded by what had appeared before him. Slithering slowly across the ground, it suddenly appeared from the darkness. A lustrous, green, scaly body that looked almost dripping wet—a giant snake. It was the same sort of demon beast he had encountered twice before already in the Badheim Jungle.

[Assistant] “This is an elgina…?”

[User] “Tsss!! !”

[Assistant] With a hard, dry gulp, Subaru cautiously asked for confirmation just as the giant snake opened its mouth wide and let out a roar, as if to answer his question. Subaru froze, feeling the force of that roar wash over him. “Elgina” meant big snake. And the ritual of blood meant facing the greatest challenge. So the wall that Subaru and Abel had to clear was…

[User] “Fight and prove yourselves true warriors! The eyes of the Shudrak are watching!”

[Assistant] “Gaaaah! I knew it!! !”

[User] Mizelda’s spirited voice called out to them from atop the cliff, and the other Shudrak broke into cheers. As those voices that were not quite support or encouragement rained down around them, the snake readied itself—

[Assistant] “It’s coming, Subaru Natsuki!”

[User] “I can see that! Damn it! It’s been one trial after another lately!” The snake growled, drowning out Subaru’s complaints as the ritual of blood began. 5 The demon beast elgina that inhabited the Badheim Jungle. From what Abel had said, “el” apparently meant big, so “gina” was presumably snake. Or maybe it was some unique term the Shudrak used. Either way, I can save the contributions to cultural anthropology for later. “I have to focus on the enemy in front of me first…!” The snake opened its mouth wide, baring its sharp fangs as it leaped at them. It was more than thirty feet long, like a big tree had gained consciousness and was rampaging around the jungle.


[User] Its body was like multiple logs bundled together, and the force of its tail was enough to do serious damage with even a glancing blow. By this point it was unsurprising, but demon beasts really did seem designed from the ground up to kill humans with their sheer physicality. "Bea—" Subaru gritted his teeth as he cut short his instinctive call to the partner who wasn’t here. Whenever he encountered a sudden, unexpected situation, he reflexively relied on Beatrice’s superior judgment and ability to respond. And that showed itself now in his own inability to react… "Not good…"

[Assistant] "Fool! This is not the time to be losing your focus!" Abel's hand grabbed Subaru by the hair at the back of his head, dragging him down to the ground.

[User] Shouting in pain Action/Narration

[Assistant] "Whoaaa!"

[User] "Do not make me repeat myself, you imbecile. Keep quiet." Abel was covered in the same dust, having bundled Subaru and himself into his cloak. It was too small for both of them, so Abel was straddling Subaru.

[Assistant] "Wh-what are you…? Right! Concealment!"

[User] "Right, and so long as we hold our breath, it will not immediately notice us… Still, though, this is unfortunate. If the ritual of blood had been nothing more than a test of strength, we might have had a chance."

[Assistant] From what he was saying, Subaru could understand how he felt painfully well. Apparently, the ritual of blood was always different. There were presumably other tests aside from fighting a demon beast. But they had been flung down the warrior’s path to prove themselves by fighting a giant snake.

[User] "I can’t use either of my arms properly, and you’re a second-rate swordsman… What a shitty situation."

[Assistant] "'Second-rate’ is rich coming from you, considering you are dragging me down with those useless things you call arms."

[User] "I’ve still got a mouth to fire back with, though… Right—about what you said before."

[Assistant] As the cloud of dust filled the air, Subaru held up his left hand, showing Abel the ring on his middle finger. It was the ring Abel had tossed him without much explanation. He said to put it to my lips and that fire will come out or something weird like that, but… "How do I use it?"

[User] "I told you already. Put the jewel to your lips and have it acknowledge you as its owner. Then just use it like using magic."

[Assistant] "What is this, some ring out of a light novel…? !" Looking dubiously at the ring, Subaru grimaced at that explanation.


[User] Abel peered at the snake’s movements through the dust cloud. Breathing deeply, he clenched the hilt of his sword tight. "Even at close range, it will be difficult to pierce those scales. We will have to aim for unprotected areas, like the eyes or mouth, or anywhere its scales are thinner.”

[Assistant] "We’ll have to make some sort of opening for us to do that. I’ll…"

[User] "You make the opening. Why do you think we are working together?”

[Assistant] "I was about to volunteer, but having you tell me to go be a decoy pisses me off…!"

[User] "It cannot currently see us. Draw its attention with the ring’s fire to create an opening.”

[Assistant] "Yeah, I got—" Subaru instinctively put the ring to his lips, then raised it over his head and pointed it in the direction Abel was glaring into the smoke.

[User] "Goa." Flames erupted right in the face of the snake that was tearing through the smoke toward them.

[Assistant] "Tsss." As the snake slithered close, Abel immediately slashed in. "Kh…!" Abel groaned, and his right shoulder recoiled.

[User] "Again!!"


[User] The demon beast glared at Abel, who was pulling back, and was preparing to attack him when a fireball crashed into the side of its head.

[Assistant] A red light and blast of heat erupted, scorching the humid jungle air, but the damage to the snake was minimal. It stuck out its long tongue, licking its scorched cheek, then turned its yellow eyes toward Subaru and let out a howl. "Crap!"

[User] This was just the start—they were not even thirty seconds into the fight. But in just half a minute, it was already clear that neither Subaru nor Abel had any chance of winning. Abel’s sword couldn’t pierce the snake’s scales, and Subaru’s tricks were poorly suited for dealing with it. Of course, not really having a chance against overwhelming force was the norm for Subaru. "Goa! Goa! And Goa some more!!" Subaru swung his left arm at the giant snake as it came after him, haphazardly firing off a series of magic blasts. With each one, the ring flickered with light, and the flames missed the demon beast, hitting the side of the valley where they were fighting and causing part of the wall to break, which separated them from the demon beast for a moment. "Hey, Mizelda! This is—" He’d been about to say how rough they had it, but then he gulped. Up above, the Shudrak were watching their fierce struggle—and they all had arrows nocked in their bows, aimed at the pair. "" Their faces were blank. All had the merciless gaze of a hunter watching her prey. Mizelda, Talitta, the friendly yellow-haired woman, even Utakata. Every single one of them was looking down at Subaru and Abel with cold eyes.

[Assistant] "The ritual has begun. There is no escape from the ritual of blood. If we do not defeat it, then not only will your wish not be fulfilled, but your life will be forfeit."

[User] Subaru froze under the Shudraks’ cold gazes. It was yet another example of the different views of life and death he had experienced since being sent flying to Volakia. The Shudrak could kill someone they had been laughing with just moments ago. Based on Utakata’s behavior, it was probably a view that was ingrained in them from a young age. There was no meaning in trying to argue the right or wrong of it here. This was not a place to be debating someone on the merits of their beliefs. What Subaru needed to do was pass the ritual of blood on their terms, and by their rules. "We cannot pierce the scales of its torso. If piercing its heart is out, then take aim for its brain through its eyes or mouth?"

[Assistant] "The brain being a weak point is true for all living creatures, but…that would probably be rough. In which case, the win condition we should go for is just a little bit higher."

[User] "Higher." It would be difficult to defeat the giant snake.


[User] "If we break its horn, it will submit to the one who breaks it. —That’s the only way."

[Assistant] "Your plan?"

[User] "The same as before. I’m the decoy, and the shady guy in the mask is the attacker."

[Assistant] "'Shady’? There is naught but a noble masked man here."

[User] Subaru took a deep breath, then exhaled.

[Assistant] "If I can’t reach you without it, then I’ll just have to go get it." —With thoughts of Rem, who remained in the imperial army’s camp, in his heart, Subaru stepped forward forcefully.


[User] "Tsss." The snake burst through the cloud of rubble with its mouth wide open. Subaru held out his left arm straight and pointed it directly at the snake in front of him.

[Assistant] "My left hand isn’t aiming for your face—it’s aiming higher!" Subaru swung his whip with his left hand.

[User] "Ngh!" The snake’s jaw stretched as it chased after Subaru, who was airborne.

[Assistant] "Ngh! Sister! He is running!! !" Seeing Subaru spinning in the air above the battlefield, Talitta shouted these words

[User] "No…" Mizelda, green eyes shining, pushed Talitta’s bow down, stopping her.

[Assistant] "He is not running. He intends to fight!" She was almost cheering as she watched Subaru spin through the air, hanging by his whip.

[User] "Gooooooooooooooo!!! !" It was more a shout than a cast.


[User] “Aaaaaah? !” The flames erupting from his hand became a furious blaze that scorched the edge of the cliff, burning the vines and branches hanging over the battlefield.

[Assistant] “Waaaaaah! Be careful, Utakata!”

[User] “Aaah, sister! Sister! Is this really okay? !” As the valley went up in flames, the Shudrak began to shout. Talitta looked to her sister for permission to shoot Subaru down.

[Assistant] Utakata and the yellow-haired woman hugged each other.

[User] Mizelda, eyes shining, did not hear their pleas. She just clenched her fist and watched. “Yes, yes, this is good!”

[Assistant] “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! !” Mizelda’s cheer and Subaru’s shout as he ran out of steam coincided. The light from the ring went out, and as if answering his final desperate shout, the fireball it sent out collapsed a section of the cliff on top of the giant snake that had been avoiding the falling rocks.

[User] However…

[Assistant] As the snake slithered backward, it realized it had nowhere to escape to. Burning branches and vines had already fallen into the valley, and there was no longer any need for torchlight. And more than anything, after he had flung so much fire all around them…

[User] “So it mostly sees through heat? However, that is no longer reliable.” Abel had lost track of Abel, who’d hidden himself with his cloak in preparation for leaping out at just the right moment.

[Assistant] “Tsss!! !” Sensing danger, the giant snake’s eyes gleamed fiercely. But Subaru was up above it, oozing with miasma; and its infrared vision no longer worked with all the fire around it; and Abel was invisible. What it did next was simply rush in the direction with the least fire.

[User] And that was just the escape route that Subaru had set up when spewing fire all around them—

[Assistant] “Haaaaaah!! !” The next instant, Abel leaped down from above, attacking the snake’s head. His sword traced an arc through the air, slashing into the twisted horn growing from the snake’s head. It cut deep into the horn, trying to sever it in one go—

[User] “Tsss.” Just before the horn would have gone flying, which would have caused the demon beast to lose control, it twisted its head in an attempt to flee the blade. But it was a vain struggle. Its desperation would have amounted to nothing—if it had been struck by a warrior.

[Assistant] “Gah—” Abel’s slash was deflected by all the twisting, and his attack came to a stop halfway into the horn. Before he could push any harder, a swipe of the snake’s tail caught him. Struck by the tail, Abel’s slender body was knocked aside. Unable to catch himself, he rolled through the fiery valley, coughing up blood.

[User] “Cough… A blunder… It would seem things do not always work out like they do for that fool…” Abel was coughing up blood, hunched over in the dirt.

[Assistant] The snake turned toward Abel. The snake’s eyes gleamed menacingly; it had sensed the perfect chance to counterattack and slithered over toward Abel.


[User] Abel couldn’t stand after taking that blow, and he did not have the time to hide himself with cloaking. The demon beast opened its giant mouth, as if to swallow Abel whole. There was no time for Subaru to think.

[Assistant] “I come back from the dea—” It had been a long time since he had blurted this out, but having retraced his steps through the books of the dead in the Pleiades Watchtower, trying to lure a demon beast with this trick was a vivid experience. That was why he’d even managed to think of it in the moment. “Gah, gaah…” Color drained from the world, sound faded, and he couldn’t feel the air passing over him. Instead, a dark shadow spilled into the still world. It was a thing of the same quality as the massive wave of dark shadows rushing toward Subaru when he’d been so battered and exhausted after they’d completed the examinations, after he had lost Shaula.

[User] “I love you.”

[Assistant] “Yeah, I’ve heard it a million times.” The next instant, he felt a hand coil around his heart and a terrible pain, as if his entire body was being crushed. Instead of his vision turning red, it was more like his eyeballs were squashed by the destructive force. It was a pain that never grew easier, and a despair and tenacity that never seemed to end. But when it finally started to fade…

[User] “Look at meeeee!! !” As soon as the world’s colors, sounds, and smells returned, Subaru shouted these words. Unable to ignore the sudden swell of miasma, the giant snake spun around, looking not at the weak, vulnerable masked man before it, but at Subaru who was cheerfully raising a stink overhead. When he met the giant snake’s eyes, Subaru cried:

[Assistant] “I’m counting on you…!” He kissed the ring on his right hand, then let go of the whip so that he flew straight at the snake. He’d needed it to look up so as to reach its head. That was why he had summoned the miasma. But also, just a little bit, it had been so that Abel wouldn’t die. And…

[User] “Aaaaaaaaaaaah!! !” Landing with his feet on the demon beast’s upper jaw, he tripped and started falling forward pathetically. The white horn with the sword still halfway through it was right in front of him. Just a little more and it would cut off the horn. Subaru punched its hilt with his right hand, using all of his might. Of course, it was just a punch from Subaru. He did not expect it to be enough to break the demon beast’s thick horn. But it wasn’t just a punch, either. It was also a blow using a gemstone imbued with magic. The jewel cracked as it hit the hilt of the sword, emitting a red glow. The next moment, the light swelled, and an explosion erupted around Subaru’s right arm and the snake’s head, blinding and deafening him.


[User] Subaru spun as he fell to the ground before rolling a second, then a third time. His whole body was hammered by the impact, and there was no telling how much damage it had caused. But the right side of his body felt like it was burning, and he couldn’t see what condition it was in. Twitching as he lay on his back, yellow fluid trickling from his lips, Subaru could feel the ground tremble beneath him. But, on the verge of death himself, he didn’t realize that that sensation was the collapsing of the giant snake.

[Assistant] "Subaru Natsuki! Hey, Subaru Natsuki! Stand! Stand this instant!" Subaru was barely hanging on to consciousness by a single frayed thread as someone rushed over to him, wildly shaking him as they called out his name. He couldn’t think of anything. He wanted to just pass out already. The pain, the heat, the suffering, every sort of unpleasant word swirled around in his head…

[User] "Stand and say what must be said! What of the woman, the woman called Rem? !"

[Assistant] "—Ah…"

[User] "Speak with your own words! I cannot speak your wishes for you!"

[Assistant] The powerful, heated demands twisted their way into his ears, and his body was pulled up. He couldn’t tell whether his head or legs were higher, but still, he was pulled up. He couldn’t hold himself up—it was probably just that his upper body was being dragged upright.

[User] "Hear me, people of Shudrak! As you can see! We have completed the ritual of blood and proven ourselves warriors! As fellow Shudrak, you have a duty!"

[Assistant] "Yes—I, the Shudrak chief have seen it! Warriors! Our brethren! What do you wish?! Shout what you would have us do!" Directly overhead, a voice echoed in his head. It passed straight through him, as if there was nothing protecting his brain anymore. He couldn’t understand the meaning of the words, but they shook his shoulder, his head, and his soul.

[User] "Answer, Subaru Natsuki. Speak your wish. Wring out every last bit of yourself."

[Assistant] "—Oegh."

[User] "Trace what you desire on those closed eyelids. Nothing can be given to you if you do not speak your wish. There is no feed for an indolent pig!" Trace what you desire on those closed eyelids. He could see a silver-haired girl. A little girl with cream-colored hair, a girl with pink hair, a young man with gray hair and a boy with blond hair, and the faces of many, many more people. —And a blue-haired girl was there, happy amid all of them.

[Assistant] "Rem…"

[User] "What!"

[Assistant] "S-save…Rem…"

[User] He could feel parts of himself slipping away as his lips trembled. And once he had said those words, a strength filled the hand gripping his shoulder—what was probably his shoulder.

[Assistant] the voice’s owner said “good” with a nod.

[User] "Did you hear that, people of Shudrak? This is the request of your newest member. He has proven himself by staking his life.


[User] “What he wished, what he saw—!”

[Assistant] “Say no more. We have our pride and courage, too.”

[User] Subaru slumped, and his consciousness faded.

[Assistant] “You have done your duty. Leave the woman to them.”

[User] Subaru did not understand those final words, but they sounded reassuring, he thought. He thought… He felt something… something repulsive swirling. Swirling. Right—a vortex. Spinning and spinning and spinning, a spinning vortex gradually swallowing up everything. A swirling vortex somewhere… No, it was swirling inside him. A brutal black vortex, swirling, swallowing everything, as violent as a storm, as striking as lightning, as ardent as magma. Perhaps it was a hideous binding spell that had been lurking, sleeping in the depths of his body all along. The shackles of death twisting, binding, never to be undone. A greedy cursed seal proclaiming that this life had been claimed, refusing to hand it over to anyone else. It interacted with the grudge that would have eaten away at his life, struggling, hating, refusing to hand him over. —And as a result, they reached a contradictory answer. The curse wouldn’t allow this vessel to die. Swirling and spinning, a vortex swallowing up everything. Swirling and spinning in beasts, dragons, and cursed vessels…


[User] Subaru had been given the freedom to move around the camp so he could carry out his chores, so he had seen most of the camp in his short time there. His time in the empire was Subaru’s second time seeing a proper military encampment. The first had been during the mission to slay the White Whale. When they had set up camp near the Great Flugel tree while waiting for the White Whale to appear, it had not been so serious a deployment as this. It had been more of a field camp. Afterward, he had gotten several opportunities to experience smaller camps, too. But they had all been simple. None even approached the professionalism of the imperial army camp. Because of that, he had observed the camp fairly closely, in part out of natural curiosity. Of course, he had not made a good impression on the soldiers there, with one exception. If he’d tried to go somewhere that was actually important, it would have been off with his head; as such, he only really knew things at surface level. But even that much knowledge…

[Assistant] “That is sufficiently useful. Knowing anything at all makes a world of difference…and knowing the array of the camp tells us how many enemy soldiers there are. What remains is…”

[User] “For us to demonstrate our courage and strength. You understand well, comrade.”

[Assistant] “Yes—show us, the pride and prowess of the Shudrak people, the valiant warriors who defeated all enemies while standing at the side of the famed martial emperor.” Subaru felt incredibly drowsy, like he was sitting in warm water. And it was through that haze that he heard the voices of a man and woman both brimming with vigor and spirit.

[User] He could hear the sounds of other people breathing, too. He could feel the presence of a large group. Many people. He could feel the hot, fiery zeal of a large group of many people. And something that seemed to be growing within himself…

[Assistant] “Let us begin, Shudrak! Here we raise the signal for our counterattack!! !”

[User] “Oooooooooooh!! !” A tremendous shout echoed, as if the whole world was being shattered.

[Assistant] “Uooooh? !” Feeling something cold and wet on his face, Subaru lurched up in surprise. His mind snapped awake as he wondered what had happened, and as he blinked, he saw a world of white. No, this was where the wet feeling had come from. A damp cloth that had not been wrung out at all was lying on his face. He had read in some book before about a type of torture where a towel was put on the victim’s face, and then water was poured over it.


[User] A type of torture that only required a towel and water to easily evoke the hellish feeling of drowning… “I don’t know anything…!”

[Assistant] “Oh, Suu, you’re awake. Uu’s relieved you’re better.”

[User] “H-huh…?” Hearing an awfully young voice for a torturer, Subaru turned his head to the side in surprise. In doing that, the towel slipped away, and he could see normally again. I guess I’m not being tortured. He could see the sky through the leaves of the massive trees above. And the thing that had been covering his face, blocking that view, was… “You’re…”

[Assistant] The girl who grinned at him as she answered in a high-pitched voice was the girl with the tips of her black hair dyed a pink color— “Utakata! Uu is Suu’s guard! Nurse! Babysitter! Thank goodness you woke up!”

[User] “…Can’t say that really makes much sense…”

[Assistant] “Suu finished the ritual of blood! Uu and Mii and Hoo and everyone else were surprised!”

[User] “…It’s coming back to me. Right, I had to do that ritual of blood.” He had embarked on the ritual of blood to have the Shudrak people recognize him as one of their own. It was a rite of passage into adulthood for the Shudrak, carried out in order to be acknowledged as an adult. Subaru and Abel, who had also been captured, had faced it together, and… “…No, I can’t remember the last half of it at all—I guess because I was too focused. If I’m still alive, I guess that means Abel took care of things…?”

[Assistant] “—? You don’t remember? Mii burst out laughing.”

[User] “What, at how pathetic I looked? Give me a break… Argh.” Grimacing as Utakata cocked her head, Subaru tried to sit up. But he felt something strange as he put his right hand against the ground. It felt strange. And not because of the floor—because of something to do with his arm. “…Um, Utakata? Did, uh, something happen to my right arm?”

[Assistant] “Your arm? Yeah, it was incredible! It was all messy and then it was like, whoosh.”

[User] “Messy and then whoosh?!” Subaru’s eyes widened at that unsettling description. Taking a few deep breaths, he prepared his heart, bracing himself. First, he turned his head toward his left arm. Three broken fingers. It hurt, but it was a relief to see them. And then he slowly turned his eyes to his right hand… “…The hell is that?” It was in such a weird state that for a moment, he thought he was looking at something else entirely. To begin with, ever since his fight with the Archbishop of Lust in Pristella, there had been a hideous, black, mottled pattern on his right arm. Capella had claimed her blood was mixed with dragon’s blood and splashed it on Subaru and Crusch both. As a result, Crusch had suffered an unhealable affliction, and Subaru’s right arm and leg had taken on this dark mottled pattern, as though he had absorbed the hideous blood that ran through Capella’s veins.


[User] Subaru looks at his arm, covered in a dense black pattern and touches it with his left hand. The right hand felt spongy and almost elastic to the touch, and his sense of touch in it was diminished. "...No, this is…" Subaru stuck the fingernails of his left hand deep into his black right hand, clawing at his skin.

[Assistant] "Ugh?!" Subaru pushed his finger into the place the chunk had fallen from and focused on peeling it away—until finally every black part, from his fingertips to his elbow, was gone, revealing a clean, good-as-new right arm.

[User] "Wh-what the hell?!"

[Assistant] "Uwaaah?!" Subaru screamed from the shock of what had happened to his own body, and Utakata fell backward, surprised by his shout.

[User] "Wh-wh-wh…what’s going on with my hand?! It…is my hand… right?" He checked cautiously, and his right hand moved without anything feeling off.

[Assistant] "Who tames what now?!"

[User] "I thought I heard a voice. What are you going on about?" Subaru was panicking as he checked his healthy right arm.


[Assistant] "Abel? So you survived."

[User] "Of course. And with far more composure than you." Abel snorts, as he looked exactly the same as before, in his mask of bandages.

[Assistant] "Hm. What happened to your right arm?


[User] "Did you change its hideous appearance?"

[Assistant] "This isn’t a game; I don’t have a slider to change skin color… I scratched at it and the black parts all peeled away. Right, Utakata?"

[User] "Right, right! Suu’s right hand peeled away! It was disgusting!"

[Assistant] "I mean, yeah, you’re right, but still!" Subaru winced at Utakata’s blunt comment while holding his right arm out toward Abel.

[User] After scrutinizing it for a few moments… "I see." Abel muttered. "Either way, if it is back to normal, then that is sufficient. I did not imagine you would land a punch with the sealed magic stone ring. The right hand was gone entirely, so I thought recovery would not be possible."

[Assistant] "Wait, wait, wait. I don’t like the sound of that. Whose right hand was missing?"

[User] "Yours."

[Assistant] "Yours, Suu!" Abel crossed his arms and Utakata raised her hand.

[User] Subaru shuddered. "D-don’t tease me. If it was gone, then what is this right here?"

[Assistant] "It is a hideous and peculiar phenomenon. I had you cough up the key words after you lost your arm and were on the verge of death. I thought you would die after that, but then…a black turbidity welled from your arm."

[User] "T-turbidity…?"

[Assistant] "In the blink of an eye, it took the form of an arm. If you ask what happened, I can only ask you what exactly did you intend to do?"

[User] Subaru gulped as Abel’s sharp gaze pierced him.

[Assistant] "Priscilla inspected the stuff on my right leg, but if my right arm was in the same condition, then…"

[User] "All services deferred for anything other than the right arm and right leg is a pretty inflexible model… How many more ticking time bombs are lurking inside me?"

[Assistant] "So there are circumstances about which you cannot speak? You seem to have quite a few secrets."

[User] "I don’t want to hear that from a guy who’s hiding his own face…" Subaru answered bitterly. And then he gasped. He’d been sitting there thinking about the weird state of his right hand and checking on Abel, but he’d just remembered there was something more important he had to do.


[User] He had taken part in the ritual of blood, and if he had completed it without dying, that meant time had passed while he’d been unconscious. Which meant even more time had passed since…

[Assistant] “—Rem. Right, Rem! I can’t just sit here, I have to…” His original goal had been to rescue Rem, who had been left behind. That was why he had undergone the ritual. If he’d missed his chance to save her because too much time had passed, there would’ve been no point in risking his life in the ritual in the first place.

[User] “Ah! Don’t push yourself, Suu! You’ll die!”

[Assistant] “Bite your tongue! If Rem dies, it won’t matter if I— Gah.” Trying to keep his anxiety under control, Subaru shifted to get down from the bed. And that was when he realized he was on an odd sort of bed—he was sleeping in a box constructed from interlaced logs, almost like a palanquin—as if he had been carried somewhere. As he quickly moved down, every part of his body ached.

[User] “Gah, hgh…”

[Assistant] “Fool. Did you think your body had recovered just because you grew a new arm? I told you already. You were practically a dead man. Do you think my diagnosis was made lightly?” Abel said in a cold voice.

[User] “That’s… I…” Abel was looking down at Subaru, who was writhing in pain. Subaru had noticed a feeling, like something seeping out from the depths of his body, as if to agree with Abel’s assessment. Subaru had known all sorts of lethal pains, and he recognized this was a big, red, flashing warning signal. A feeling like a balloon or a bucket with a hole someplace it really should not have one, and the air or water or whatever filling it was leaking out…

[Assistant] “But Rem…”

[User] “…You worry for her and not yourself, even in this situation? So be it. I knew that much. Since you wished for her even after losing your right hand.”

[Assistant] “…Huh?”

[User] “Here.” Subaru was more worried about Rem’s safety than his own life. Abel sounded exasperated by Subaru’s response, but he jerked his chin to the side and started walking without looking back at Subaru, as if telling him to come.

[Assistant] “Suu, can you do it? You can lean on me.”

[User] “No, I can do it… Borrowing your shoulder will be just as rough because of the height difference between us.” He smiled awkwardly as Utakata peered into his face, concerned about his ability to walk. And then, taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stand. Dragging his feet, he followed after Abel, who was walking ahead.


[Assistant] Abel waited for Subaru to catch up. Standing on a rocky outcropping covered in green plants, he was looking out over a cliff. With tremendous effort, Subaru managed to get up the rock and stand next to him.

[User] “Look.” Abel nodded his chin again, and, turning in the direction he’d indicated, Subaru looked up.


[User] When he saw the view from the high ground overlooking the expanse, his jaw dropped. He was completely dumbstruck. Because…

[Assistant] “—Huh?”

[User] Black smoke was rising from a camp swathed in flame—the imperial field camp was on fire.

[Assistant] The battle cries he heard were a victory song that shook the very air itself.

[User] “Agh!! !”

[Assistant] The dark-skinned women warriors with bows on their back, rampaging all across the battlefield, roared, singing a song like he had never heard. The Shudrak people’s surprise attack had pushed the imperial army’s camp to the brink of collapse. The soldiers no longer had even the means to resist, and could only flee in terror as they were brought down one after the other.

[User] “This is…”

[Assistant] “Turning the tables and going on the offensive, stealing the enemies’ weapons, burning their medical supplies, and targeting their commanders with precision. Without its hands or head, the body can do nothing but flee without concern for appearances. The would-be swordwolf is a pathetic sight.”

[User] Subaru could see imperial soldiers down below, scrambling in flight, driven by the black smoke and great bows. But they couldn’t escape the Shudrak who survived by hunting in the jungle. Able to see into the distance, their arrows struck the fleeing soldiers’ backs, piercing their hearts with precision. How many people had escaped? How many had survived? How many had died?

[Assistant] “This is…”

[User] “Why are you speechless, Subaru Natsuki? Your wish has been achieved by your comrades, using the information you provided. If you cannot smile now, then when can you smile?”

[Assistant] As he peered down at the camp that had turned into a battleground, Subaru’s mind drifted. Abel forcibly affirmed the reality of the situation and spoke as if this was exactly what Subaru had wished for. Unable to bear it, Subaru grabbed Abel’s shirt front with his newly healed right hand.

[User] “You think I wanted this? This… This?! Don’t give me tha—”

[Assistant] “Did you think your wish could be fulfilled without bloodshed?”

[User] “Ngh!”

[Assistant] Cut to pieces by Abel’s tranquil gaze and sharp tongue, Subaru fell silent. He couldn’t say anything to that. He had thought it was possible to do things without bloodshed. Had thought he could do it, even. Since…

[User] “Allow me to rephrase my question, Subaru Natsuki. Did you believe that your wish could be fulfilled without spilling any blood other than your own?”

[Assistant] “—Ah.”

[User] “An absurd thought. A foolish and incorrigible belief. Did you really think that people who are fighting and have no relation to you would be stopped if you simply spilled your own blood? That is even more malignant than your meaningless heroic aspirations. It is pure delusion.”

[Assistant] Abel showered Subaru with blows as the strength slipped from Subaru’s hand, holding Abel’s shirt.


[User] "And so whatever you do, people will continue to spill blood, to die, to rob and be robbed.” Subaru’s teeth chattered, and he shook his head like a child in denial. Of course it was true. He couldn’t deny the reality of it. He knew that. But he couldn’t accept it. He had not grown up in a world that accepted it as natural. Even now, after this long in this new world, Subaru Natsuki’s principles were still that of a Japanese high schooler’s. "I do not want a hero. I would never cling to them, rely on them, or entrust my fate to them. Bearing everything and building a road toward prosperity—that is something a hero cannot do.”

[Assistant] "Wh-what… What do you want to do…?” His strength slipping away, Subaru sank to his knees, unable to understand Abel. We faced the ritual of blood together, and he was probably the one who wrung victory from the jaws of the demon beast. We meshed surprisingly well, and I would have said we weren’t the worst match. But I can’t understand what he’s thinking. Of course I can’t. —How can I understand someone who hides their own face? "What can someone who hides his face say…?”

[User] "My face, you say? Then I shall let you see it."

[Assistant] Subaru did not even have time to raise his voice in confusion. Hearing Subaru’s desperate, faltering argument.

[User] Abel put a hand to his own face, and then undid the knot holding the rags. Then the wind blew. Whipped by the wind, the mask flew off into the sky. It soared out over the camp that had become a battlefield, riding the wind into the distance… "It might even be carried all the way to the capital. To the city holding the throne where I should be seated." Abel watched the rags dance through the air.

[Assistant] Looking up at his bare face, Subaru quietly gasped. He couldn’t look away. There stood a handsome man with black hair and striking eyes. He looked several years older than Subaru, maybe in his early to mid-twenties. He had a stunning face, and, having spent some time in the jungle and the village, his hair was messy and there were blemishes on his cheeks, but even that only served to enhance his natural beauty. He had long, slender limbs and a lithe body, a fully formed fine figure of a man. But the most striking thing about him was his black eyes. And the overwhelming gleam in them, brimming with spirit, that could bring all who saw it to their knees. Subaru was already on his knees, and he felt like the reason he couldn’t budge from that position was not because of his wounds or exhaustion. He could tell—it was because his soul was yielding to the man in front of him. The reason for that overawing presence was…

[User] "Vincent Abelks."

[Assistant] "…Huh?”

[User] "That is my name."


[User] "At least, that is the name I have taken until I sit once more on the throne. Though it would be wiser to continue addressing me as Abel going forward.” Abel’s lips curled as Subaru looked on in shock. Belatedly, Subaru realized that it was a brutal, almost feral sort of smile. Still not knowing the meaning of that name…

[Assistant] "—Abel! Subaru!” Subaru is unfrozen by the sound of a sharp voice. Looking toward the source of it, he saw a figure waving as it approached.

[User] Mizelda, the Shudrak chief with dyed-red hair, approaches. "The camp has been suppressed. Our injuries were minimal, and…oh? So that’s your face, Abel? You’re quite the looker…”

[Assistant] "Mizelda…”

[User] "Ahem…” Initially captivated by Abel’s face, Mizelda coughed, and then she looked kindly toward Subaru. "Subaru, it is good you’re awake. If you had died without waking up, I wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.” It was the gentle smile of someone paying tribute to a person on the verge of death, and Subaru’s heart and body froze. Like Abel, she had deduced that he did not have long to live. "Holly, bring her here.”

[Assistant] "Mm-hmm, I know!” Turning back, Mizelda called out to someone, and received a cheerful, easygoing response. The yellow-haired woman—Holly—who had easily moved boulders lumbered over to them with a happy smile. And in her arms…

[User] "Don’t struggle. Poor Kuna still hasn’t woken up after you sent her flying.”

[Assistant] "Such selfish…agh! Let me go! What do you intend to do with me? !”

[User] "Dear me, she just won’t listen.” Holly looked a little troubled as the girl struggled and twisted around in her arms. She had blue hair and an adorable face that was red with anger. The girl whom Subaru had most wanted to see, whose voice he’d most wanted to hear, and whom he’d most wanted to meet again here…

[Assistant] "Rem!" In that moment, Subaru forgot his body’s poor condition, his awe of Abel, and his feelings of alienation upon seeing the battlefield covered in flames down below. He forgot all of it and ran to her. And as he went to Holly…

[User] "You…”

[Assistant] "Rem! Thank goodness you’re safe…”

[User] "Are you the one who did this?! You awful man!" Just as Subaru reached out to her, she swung her hand and slapped his cheek. There was a loud sound, and Holly’s, Mizelda’s, and even Utakata’s eyes widened in surprise. The slap had quite a lot of force behind it, enough that he was almost knocked back. But he wasn’t. Even if she’d hit him, he wouldn’t complain. Because he had nothing to complain about. Because Rem was alive and there and talking to him. That was enough.

[Assistant] "Rem…”

[User] "Ngh! You are…” He had been slapped fairly hard, but he still hugged her tightly. Subaru pulled her into his arms, as if stealing her from Holly. Rem was surprised, and then her face flushed in anger.


[User] She clenched her fist, about to unleash a powerful punch…

[Assistant] “…You’re…” …but before she could land the finishing blow, she realized just how battered and broken his body was.

[User] Subaru slumped, his strength draining away at the relief of seeing her.

[Assistant] Wrapped in his arms, Rem fell speechless as she saw the wounds all over his body—his shoulders and torso, his legs and his left hand. “…Well, the left hand was because of you.”

[User] “I know that! But all these other wounds… You’ll die like this! You need treatment…”

[Assistant] “It is pointless.” As Subaru smiled weakly, Rem registered a desperate plea, but Mizelda stopped her with a short, unambiguous response.

[User] Rem looked up in surprise at the sharpness of her words.

[Assistant] Mizelda slowly shook her head. “Subaru’s wounds are deep. They will not heal, even with treatment. He is being propped up by strength of will, but that will soon give out.”

[User] “Give out— Why all of a sudden…? !”

[Assistant] “—? Because he got his woman back, of course.” Mizelda cocked her head and answered as if it were obvious.

[User] Rem’s breath caught in her throat, and Subaru chuckled wryly, unable to raise his head.

[Assistant] “Mizelda… Phrasing…”

[User] “Did I speak wrong? We did everything in our power to answer the final request of our brother. You are a man worthy of that.”

[Assistant] “Ha-ha, I’m honored and delighted…” He was grateful for Mizelda’s honest and frank trust, but it was also horrible. Because he knew himself that their prediction and words were not wrong. And so they were putting an unnecessary burden on Rem, making her load just that much heavier. And she already had enough trouble moving her legs without the extra burden…

[User] “Why… Why…?” As Rem’s voice reached his ears, he lost the strength to even move his neck. Her voice was trembling, and at some point Subaru, who should have been holding her, was now instead being supported by her arms. Her blue eyes quivered, gazing at him in suspicion, doubt, and sadness. “Why would you go so far for me? Why…”

[Assistant] “” “Why?” Why would he do that? He remembered being asked something like that before. He had been asked a similar question by a girl who was precious to him. And how had he answered? His memory was growing fuzzy, and he was starting to fade, so he couldn’t recall. So he just answered with where his heart led him…

[User] “Why?” …because she asked.

[Assistant] “Because I want you to be happy.”

[Assistant] “I want you…to smile. That’s enough…for me.” I want you to be able to smile, surrounded by love and people who care about you. Smile like a flower blooming, like a clear blue sky, like the stars glimmering far, far away in the night sky. I just want you to smile.

[User] “…Eh? W-wait, wait…” Subaru slowly slumped down. His head drooped. His neck could no longer support it. His upper body started to fall.


[User] Rem reflexively pulled him closer, holding him tight, calling out to him as his head leaned against hers.

[Assistant] “Peace to our comrade, to the soul of a warrior.” Mizelda stood straight, speaking words of respect, then broke into song.

[User] Holly and Utakata and the other Shudrak who had sung in victory now accompanied her. It was a song of rest to send off a warrior who’d fought to the end, demonstrating his pride.

[Assistant] With their song filling the air, Subaru slowly let go of his life.

[User] “Wait, please. That’s… I don’t…” Seeing his tranquil face, Rem shook her head in denial. She couldn’t understand. It didn’t make any sense. The words he’d spoken were no answer to the question she wanted to ask. But she knew that, at this rate, she would never find out why… “Please, don’t die like this…” Her soul was telling her that the man who had looked at her with such tender affection couldn’t be allowed to die here, even if he was still covered in that unbearable, repulsive, instinctively bloodcurdling scent. Rem bit her lips, wishing for something…

[Assistant] “Aauuh?” Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard a child’s voice. “Oh.” Looking over with tears in her eyes, she saw the blond-haired girl resting a hand on her shoulder. The girl’s face was vacant as she looked at Subaru, who had lost consciousness. And then she started making sounds. “This is…” A warmth flowed into Rem’s shoulder from the girl’s hand. It was gentle and oozed ticklishly into her chest. She could feel her breathing grow unsteady, and she couldn’t hold back the tears that started flowing from her eyes. The warmth flowed from the girl’s hand, welling up in Rem, and…

[User] “………” It flowed into Subaru, who was even now on the verge of losing his life in her arms.

[Assistant] “I see. Healing magic? I did not anticipate this.”

[User] “Eh…?” A man’s voice reached Rem’s ears as she struggled to understand what was happening. Looking up, she saw the black-haired man’s eyes narrow as he gazed at her. She was about to ask him something, but…


[User] "Close your mouth, woman. What you are doing unconsciously is a sort of miracle that is happening due to the stars aligning. If you lose focus, the effect will be lost."

[User] "Questions and anger can wait until you have dealt with what is at hand. Do not let this opportunity slip away.” There was a weight to his words that was difficult to deny, so Rem closed her mouth and bit her tongue. He was right, and so she focused on sending the heat into Subaru’s body as she held him.

[Assistant] She did not know what sort of effect the warmth was having. But Subaru’s breathing, which had been fading, was growing ever so slightly stronger. That was enough for Rem in that moment. “…I still don’t know who or what you are to me. But…” She hesitated there, closing her eyes. The way he’d said that he wanted her to be happy had not felt like a lie.

[User] "If you don’t live, you won’t be able to see me smile." She whispered softly. She activated a healing light, treating Subaru Natsuki’s mortal wounds.

[Assistant] "........." Crossing his arms and watching them, the man who’d called himself Vincent Abelks exhaled as Subaru managed to hold on to his fading life. He was a man who was lucky to have escaped the predicament he had gotten himself into. He had managed to grip the hearts of the Shudrak while on the verge of death, recovered that which he’d wished to recover, and had even kept his life in the process. It was possible to think that he had calculated he would be saved if he recovered the blue-haired girl, Rem, but…

[User] “Were he that adept, he would have had his broken fingers treated first.” Covered in blood and mud, he had wished for her recovery while the fingers that she had broken were still untreated. He was a man without a glimpse or trace of what a so-called hero was rumored to possess.

[Assistant] "I had intended that reveal as a tribute to a dying man… But if you live, then that will suffice as well." Having lost the feeling of being masked, Abel’s eyes narrowed as he felt the breeze on his bare face for the first time in a while. Subaru Natsuki had narrowly escaped death, and he had sealed a bond of blood with the Shudrak. It appeared the imperial soldiers in the camp were unaware of all the details surrounding these events, but that was also within calculations. The people of this land— No, most of the people in the empire still had not noticed. A momentous and unprecedented political crisis had struck the powerful Holy Volakian Empire. But…

[User] "Prime Minister Belstetz, the traitorous Divine Generals, and the foolish soldiers who know nothing of the summit." A hot breeze blew across the hill as the man, Abel, looked to the west, where the capital lay.


[User] Lupghana, the capital of the Holy Volakian Empire, home to the throne he would reclaim…

[Assistant] “Tremble and await my return.”

[User] “You went and survived, so I will have you accompany me, Subaru Natsuki. To return this empire to my hands.”


[User] “—Wha—?! Whoa! Gah!” Subaru flew over the white boundary, his world turned upside down. Subaru pitched forward over his feet and plunged face-first into the grass. Instantly, he threw out his hands and rolled, breaking his fall to soften the unavoidable impact, then tumbled until he was sprawled on the ground. His breath was ragged, and his vision flickered from the lack of oxygen. He could feel the grass pressing up against his back. Through gaps between the trees, he caught glimpses of the sky beyond.

[Assistant] Subaru breathed in as much fresh air as his lungs would let him. Then he thrust a hand toward the sky and clenched it into a fist. “Oooaaahhh!! That was rough! Things got really bad for a minute there! But it’s over! We made it! We hit the goooal!” Though Subaru was covered in a sheen of sweat, his face lit up as he shouted with a sense of triumph.

[User] “Subaru, you’ve done quite well this time, I suppose.” As he basked in the moment, a girl entered Subaru’s field of view, upside down.

[Assistant] “Oh, it’s you, Beako.” Subaru smiled at the young girl.

[User] “Obviously. Is it not my duty as a partner to praise you for your hard work day after day, I wonder? Also, Petra was rather insistent that I should bring you a towel.”

[Assistant] “Ah, thanks. This is nice and cool. I feel alive again.”

[User] “Why not thank Petra directly, I wonder? That girl will probably leap with joy.” As Subaru set the damp towel on his head, Beatrice addressed him with an impassive face.

[Assistant] Subaru noticed a slight smile on her lips and couldn’t help grinning a bit in return.

[User] “…Man, to think that it’s been a whole year since Beako and I made a pact, huh.”

[Assistant] “—? What brought this on all of a sudden, I wonder?”

[User] “Nah, just thinking that time flies way too fast. And that I’m deeply moved by how cute you are today, too.”

[Assistant] “You always say that, Subaru.


[User] "But is Betty being cute not something to take for granted, I wonder?”

[Assistant] “—The sheer amount I’ve buffed up this past year. No one would recognize the old me anymore.”

[User] “Pffffft. Th-that was a good one… A priceless joke.”

[Assistant] “I was being serious, damn it!”

[User] Beatrice put a hand to her mouth as she broke into uncontrollable laughter.

[Assistant] Subaru shrugged in a show of disappointment. "Well, maybe I exaggerated a bit, but you don’t need to laugh that hard. I mean, look at these biceps, Beako! They’re rock-solid!”

[User] “Fine, fine, I suppose. Betty will support you even if no one else will.”

[Assistant] “That was not a vote of confidence! I’ve been trying so hard every day, too.” Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Subaru wrapped the cool towel around his neck as he gestured toward the area behind him with his chin.

[User] Gazing in that direction, Beatrice said, “True,” closing one eye as she made the comment.

[Assistant] “The place might look like fun, but when people try to run around and bust through all the attractions within the time limit, its brutal design will make even adults cry… Damn, I made something pretty wild.”

[User] “Is that not an overstatement, I wonder? For that matter, only you and Garfiel refer to it as a secret base. Will the neighborhood children come by to play, I wonder?”

[Assistant] “You mean kids are going to treat it like an amusement park? Well, as long as no one gets hurt, they can play all they want. Plus, the master who drew up the blueprints should be satisfied with that.”


[User] "Actually, knowing my mentor, it’s possible the whole point was to kill two birds with one stone from the very beginning…"

[Assistant] "He is certainly a difficult man to understand. He does know his manners, I suppose. The man should be praised for treating a Great Spirit with respect."

[User] "I think that’s not quite it, though." Subaru poked at her apparent misunderstanding, then took a moment to think. His mentor—Clind, the ultra-capable butler who had served the Mathers family for many years. He had helped Subaru so much in the past year and taught him a great many things, including how to hone his physique. Subaru’s title for him was more serious than not. In terms of ability and personality, Clind was more than worthy of praise, but—

[Assistant] "Why does Subaru refuse to allow Betty to go anywhere near Clind, I wonder?"

[User] "It’s not just you. Same goes for Petra and, depending on the situation, Emilia-tan, too." Incidentally, there was no worrying where Ram and Frederica were concerned. For the record, Clind was harmless to Subaru, Roswaal, Otto, and Garfiel as well, for fairly obvious reasons. "Anyway, it’s fine even if this obstacle course is just a secret base in name only. Still sounds cool."

[Assistant] "I was shocked. The instant you called it that, Garfiel began helping you fell trees with that glint in his eyes… It’s probably impossible to understand why the two of you find it so appealing, I suppose."

[User] "It’s something that calls to all men. Wait, but then what about Otto?" Subaru and Beatrice both thought back to Otto’s decidedly lukewarm reaction to the idea. In any case, Subaru’s prodigious growth was all thanks to the secret training base in the forest. It was only a ten-minute walk from the mansion, and no one except the people from the mansion ever came by. The only real downside was how often they would show up and get in the way of training.

[Assistant] "How ridiculous to consider this getting in the way. Is Betty not merely fulfilling her duty as Subaru’s partner, I wonder? And what a chore it is, truly."

[User] "Now you’ve done it. This is what happens to young ladies who get full of themselves!"

[Assistant] "What are you doing, I wonder?!"

[User] Since she was being so cheeky and cute, Subaru used all his newfound strength to grab Beatrice and put her over his knees, patting her on the head as much as he pleased.

[Assistant] "You’re terrible! Isn’t this spirit abuse, I wonder?! What a heinous contractor!"

[User] "Mwa-ha-ha. Well, you’re the idiot who made a pact with a guy like me without putting anything in writing." Subaru laughed as Beatrice pouted while she fixed her tousled hair. When they first formed the pact, he thought he already adored her as much as humanly possible, but he had been revising that assumption on a daily basis. The so-called Beako Development Diary—a compilation of the days he shared with Beatrice—had already entered its fifth volume.


[User] Subaru was excited to see where their relationship would go next. After all, an album of precious memories beat the hell out of a book filled with nothing but blank pages. And if it was going to be an album, then the more pictures and the more people he recorded, the better. That’s why Subaru wanted to cram as much as he could into Beatrice’s heart. "In other words, Beako, my teasing is just another way I show my love.”

[Assistant] “Did you say teasing just now, I wonder?! I will not let that slide!”

[User] “I’d prefer it if you didn’t casually brush aside the love part.”

[Assistant] “There isn’t much to worry about there, I suppose. I have great confidence that I am loved.” When Beatrice boasted with a smug look on her face, Subaru only replied with a smile. He had no words to express the joy he felt when he saw how self-assured and full of life she was every day. There was only a deep, indescribable warmth that welled up in his chest.

[User] "Master Subaru! Beatrice—!” Both paused their play-fighting when they heard a high-pitched voice calling out to them. When they looked, a girl was waving as she ran over. The familiar voice and face belonged to an adorable young maid who epitomized the word cute. "I’m glad to see that both of you are having fun. It’s good to know you two are getting along.” It was Petra, putting a hand to her chest and smiling in relief.

[Assistant] “Hey now, I’m offended you call it playing around. I’ve been out here doing my best with training and everything.”

[User] “Well, at the moment, you seem to be patting Beatrice while she’s sitting on your lap, so…”

[Assistant] “Whoa, it’s not as simple as just wanting to give Beako head pats. First, you have to bring her out of a burning mansion and then gradually build up your relationship with her. Otherwise, it’s impossible.”

[User] “Doesn’t that mean no one but Master Subaru can ever…?” Her exasperated tone and expression drew a wry smile from Subaru. That was when he remembered the towel around his neck.


[User] "Oh, right. Petra, thanks for the towel. Pretty smart to cool it down like that."

[Assistant] "Really? I’m glad it was helpful. Actually, I thought about chilling it with ice, but there was no time, so I asked Big Sis Emilia."

[User] "I like that practical part of you, Petra." He was fond of how Petra, despite her position as a servant, had no qualms requesting help from the lady of the household.

[Assistant] “hee-hee-hee” Petra blushed furiously before she remembered something. "Ah, that’s right. Actually, I came here to bring you and Beatrice back."

[User] "What is it? Did you bake some super-tasty tarts or something?"

[Assistant] "What?! That is a matter of great importance, I suppose. I can understand why you needed to summon us so urgently."

[User] "Oh, come on, of course that’s not it. This is no time to play around." Puffing up her cheeks and pointedly raising a finger, Petra scolded the carefree pair. Then she grabbed Subaru’s hand and hauled him to his feet. "There’ll be time for tarts later! More importantly, Big Sis Emilia is calling you, Master Subaru. Guests have arrived…and she wants you to be there when she greets them."

[Assistant] "Visitors?" Subaru cocked his head in confusion. He had no idea who it could be.

[User] Beside him, Beatrice made the same quizzical gesture as they wondered aloud.

[Assistant] "There are unscheduled guests, and the cute Emilia-tan is calling me over… Doesn’t it feel like something’s about to happen?"

[User] "It’s the sort of pattern that leads to trouble, I suppose. Petra, tell us what kind of guests have come."

[Assistant] "Errr," went Petra as she tilted her head at the same angle as the other two. "One of them is a man who seems like he’s in a real hurry. I’d almost say he’s fidgeting like he’s scared."

[User] "Restless and fidgety, huh. In other words, he’s basically suspi… No, wait. Can’t go judging people based on appearances."

[Assistant] "I’ve learned my lesson once already, so I don’t do that, either."

[User] "Ohhh, good girl, Petra. Not sure what happened before, but that’s really nice of you."

[Assistant] "Last year, a stranger with a mean face came to the village. I thought he was a weirdo, but I was completely wrong, so…"

[User] "An unexpected boomerang!! We’ll have to talk about that first impression some other time…" After surviving that verbal sneak attack, Subaru winked at Petra.

[Assistant] "Anyway, there are other guests, too, yeah? Pals of restless-fidgety guy?"

[User] Petra’s cheeks grew redder as a trace of happiness came over her face. "—He came with a cute kitty cat."


[User] “And here we are, back at this swanky manor.” After a quick ten-minute walk from the forest, Subaru and the others pushed open the double doors and stepped into the mansion’s entry hall. Subaru assumed the guests they heard about must have been brought to a reception room or something.

[Assistant] “For starters, we should poke our faces over the…”

[User] “Oh, hey! If it isn’t Mister! How’ve you been?” An energetic greeting and a sudden impact put an end to any other thoughts. The voice was high-pitched, and something thumped into him at chest level.

[Assistant] “Wha—? Whoa? !” Subaru hastily reached out with his hands and caught something light. Quickly realizing who it was, the expression on Subaru’s face changed from shock to recognition.

[User] “I had a sneaking suspicion after hearing it from Petra…but it really is you, Mimi!”

[Assistant] “Eh-heh-heh-heh. It’s been a while, Mister! How long has it been? Like, a year?” The beast person wrapped up in Subaru’s arms had bright-orange fur and wore a white robe.

[User] “Yeah, it’s been a whole year. You seem to be having a good time. I’m glad.”

[Assistant] “Yep! Mimi’s having a super-good time! Also, Mimi’s gotten taller! I’m basically an adult now!”

[User] “What kind of grown woman jumps on someone’s head the second they meet? !” Mimi, who was now standing on the floor, puffed out her chest and swished her long tail.

[Assistant] “Well, you sure came a long way to get here. Oh right, let me introduce everyone. The cute maid here is Petra, and the embarrassed baby hiding behind my back is Beatrice.”

[User] “Ohhh, I get it! So it’s Petra the maid, and your child!”

[Assistant] Petra offered a graceful curtsy in response to Mimi’s questionable conclusion.

[User] Beatrice shot a withering glare that broke past the bashfulness Subaru so enjoyed.

[Assistant] “Oh!” Her eyes glittered as she stared at Beatrice. "Wow, that hair’s incredible! How do you get it all curly-wurly? It’s so cool!”

[User] “It was all Mother’s idea. This is the pinnacle of hairstyling—both practical and elegant.”

[Assistant] “Uh, elegance aside, no way in hell it’s practical.


[User] "How many times has your hair gotten snagged in all sorts of places? I think you’ve had your share of problems with that over the past year.” Whether inside the mansion, outdoors, or nestled within Subaru’s arms, Beatrice’s hair constantly got in the way. By this point, Subaru’s skill at disentangling hair was probably unmatched in the entire kingdom. He practically deserved a title like Bea-trimmer.

[Assistant] “Right, practical and elegant! I don’t know what that stuff means, though!”

[User] “Your gaze is like that of an uncomprehending chi… Hey, would you stop pulling, I wonder? !”

[Assistant] Bursting with curiosity, Mimi took great interest in Beatrice’s curls. Mimi’s movements were like a cat that had a mouse in its sights.

[User] Beatrice meekly looked to Subaru in search of rescue.

[Assistant] However, seeing a chance for Beatrice to make a new friend, Subaru left them to their own devices.

[User] “Hey, Master Subaru. Beatrice looks like she’s really concerned.”

[Assistant] “Wrestling with your failings is what makes people grow. Beatrice has a tendency to give up without even trying, so this is her challenge. Let’s stay quiet and watch over her like a good mom and dad.”

[User] “M-mom…? O-okay…” Petra fell silent with a red face as Subaru stroked his nonexistent beard.

[Assistant] The pair stood back and simply appreciated the warm exchange between Beatrice and Mimi. “Incidentally, since Mimi turned out to be the kitty Petra talked about…that probably means the restless-fidgety man who came with her is Julius, doesn’t it?” Crossing his arms, Subaru felt in his gut that this premonition was most likely accurate. It was plain to see that Subaru was very fond of Mimi personally. At the same time, she was part of the faction working under Anastasia Hoshin, one of Emilia’s political rivals in the royal selection. Another person working for the Anastasia camp was Julius Juukulius, a knight who had a complicated relationship with Subaru. At the very least, they didn’t have the kind of relationship where Subaru was unconditionally glad to see him. This being the case, he wanted to avoid seeing the man until he had some time to emotionally prepare himself, if he could help it.

[User] “Mister, there’s no need to worry! Julius isn’t here today. Also, Hetaro and TB and the captain and the lady aren’t here, either! Mimi’s escorting all by herself!”

[Assistant] “Phew, that’s a relief. But damn, Anastasia’s crew has a deep bench.” Subaru still felt a certain wariness even after learning of the knight’s absence. Surely, Anastasia wouldn’t send just anyone to serve as an envoy to Emilia, a rival candidate in the royal selection. Anastasia was a big-time merchant, and the Hoshin Company she ran was a massive organization based out of the western city-state of Kararagi. Neither the quantity nor quality of her followers could be underestimated. Subaru decided he had best sit down with this envoy and gauge him sooner rather than later. “All right, this time, we really are going to the reception room…yes?”

[User] “Yes."


[User] “That’s where I left the guest. Big Sis Emilia and the others are already there.”

[Assistant] “Meaning it’s Emilia-tan dealing with this guest, plus Otto and Garfiel, plus maybe Ram…? Better go rescue Otto before he dies of a stomachache.”

[User] “Is there anyone more pitiful, I wonder? His luck ran out the moment you caught him, Subaru.”

[Assistant] “Hey, stop making it sound like I grabbed him and won’t let go.”

[User] Beatrice wore an exasperated face as Mimi, in an unbelievably good mood, kept her left hand glued to Beatrice’s right.

[Assistant] With Petra leading the way, Subaru followed as they headed to the reception room on the second floor.


[User] When the four of them arrived at their destination, they found a single girl standing in the hallway. "Ram? Why are you out here?”

[Assistant] “So you’ve finally come, Barusu. You are quite late, aren’t…?” Ram was a beautiful maid whose charming appearance belied her razor-sharp tongue. Greeting their party with a demeanor reminiscent of someone speaking to her inferiors, she broke off midsentence to narrow her pink eyes. Then she sighed deeply.

[User] “Indecent.”

[Assistant] “You’re the weirdo for thinking this lineup is indecent! How can you find this scene anything but heartwarming? !”

[User] “Please stop basing everything on whatever passes for virtue in your brain. You would do well to remember this, Subaru. In Ram’s world, only Ram’s point of view matters.”

[Assistant] “Wasn’t there a lot of inconsistency just now between the first and the last part of what you said? !” Decrying subjectivity with her own subjectivity was so self-centered that Subaru was at a loss for words.

[User] Ignoring Subaru’s reaction, Ram crossed her arms as she shifted her gaze toward Mimi. “Dear guest, if you stay away any longer, your companion will be quite worried.”

[Assistant] “Ahhh, I guess I should head back, huh? Whoopsie—!”

[User] “Yes, please do. Otherwise, it will be very bothersome, since your absence forced a certain Ram to leave the room to find you.” Judging by the conversation so far, it seemed that Mimi had raced around the mansion without getting permission from either the master of the house or her companion. It was natural to assume that Mimi of all people wouldn’t get up to any funny business even if left alone.

[Assistant] Then Subaru turned to Ram as something occurred to him. “You didn’t look for her at all, did you? You’ve just been standing with your arms crossed in front of the room.”

[User] “Just a convenient excuse. The atmosphere inside is hard to endure. Otto will probably die if you don’t hurry.”

[Assistant] “I have to give it to you for not having even the tiniest sliver of guilt.” He had to admire her complete disregard for the fact that they had guests despite her supposedly being a maid. For Ram to say that it was uncomfortable inside the room was sincerely frightening. Still, Subaru braced himself because he found the thought of not being involved even more terrifying. “Thanks for bringing us over, Petra."


[User] “Are you going to…?”

[Assistant] “Ah, I’ll be busy baking some delicious tarts, so good luck in there, Dad.”

[User] “Agh… Since Mom’s gone and said it, there’s no backing down!”

[Assistant] Now it was Petra’s turn to tease Subaru with more banter, like they were Beatrice’s parents. Of course, Petra had a job of her own to do. Subaru couldn’t expect her to keep him company on a whim. It’s not like she’s abandoning me or anything. At least, that’s what he wanted to believe. Probably. Maybe.

[User] “All right, let’s go. Can’t catch a tiger cub without going into the tiger’s hole.”

[Assistant] “You mean a butthole?”

[User] “How vulgar.”

[Assistant] “I didn’t say that! Let’s just go already!” Ignoring Mimi’s confusion and Ram’s judgment, Subaru knocked on the door to the reception room.

[User] The door opened immediately, and a head topped with short blond hair stuck out into the hallway. “Yo, awful late, ain’t ya, General? Our bro’s gonna wind up with a hole in his stomach any second now.”

[Assistant] “Yeah, I know. Honestly, it’s only a matter of time before it happens, but I’d like to keep him whole for as long as possible.”

[User] “No kiddin’! This is basically the Arkel Lake Revolt!” Subaru and Garfiel exchanged smiles like little mischief-makers. Immediately swinging the door wide, Garfiel still wore that smile on his face as he gestured toward the interior of the room with his chin. “Come on in. Nothin’s happenin’ without the general, so it’s a pain for the guest, too. Watching Otto and Lady Emilia welcome our visitor ain’t nothin’ but a comedy act.”

[Assistant] “Now, that’s a performance worth seeing… Gah!”

[User] “Stop saying stupid things and go in. You’re in the way.” After getting a literal kick in the butt from Ram, Subaru was forced into the room. Stumbling forward as he entered, several sets of eyes shifted toward him. ““

[Assistant] Relief, exasperation, and suspicion. This was pretty much what he had expected. He turned away from the two familiar figures to focus on the one regarding him suspiciously. The visitor was a pretty boy with a handsome, delicate face. His lithe body was clad in exquisite ceremonial garments, and he had gathered some of his relatively long hair in a ponytail. He seemed about the same age as Subaru, though his face looked rather tense, and the monocle he wore over his right eye only added to the stern appearance.

[User] “So this is…?” When this guest made his inquiry with a hard voice, the beautiful girl sitting across from him nodded.

[Assistant] “Yes, that’s correct.” The delicate, silver-haired beauty who wore a charming expression that perfectly reflected her wholesome spirit was none other than Emilia. It seemed like she only became more enchanting with each passing day. She smiled slightly, gesturing at Subaru with a gentle point of her finger. “I am sorry for the wait. This is my knight, Subaru Natsuki.”

[User] Emilia introducing him as her knight left Subaru’s heart trembling.


[User] Whenever he heard those words, he often thought back to the time she had bestowed the title upon him. The fond memory always bolstered Subaru’s frail, fragile heart. "H-he seems to be rather ecstatic about something…"

[Assistant] "Subaru, stop making such a strange face. People will think there’s something wrong with you if you act like that…and why are you gripping my hand so hard, I wonder? Wait, it hurts! Ow, owww! !"

[User] "—Whoa!! Ah, sorry, I zoned out a bit there without even realizing." He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he’d almost crushed Beatrice’s adorable hand by accident. In any case, Beatrice was right. Their guest was already staring at Subaru dubiously. Deciding that this situation needed to be resolved sooner rather than later, Subaru cleared his throat and raised the customary salute of knights. After standing up straight and composing his face, he put his right hand over his chest and willed his heart to calm down. "Please excuse my poor manners. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lady Emilia’s knight, Subaru Natsuki."

[Assistant] The fact that he was clothed in a track jacket probably cost him points, but Subaru’s salute had been drilled into him by a certain versatile butler until he got his seal of approval. It was as perfect as could be. In the past, Subaru had scoffed at all the theatrics of knightly etiquette, but when he tried it for himself, he quickly became captivated by all the trappings. Though he had not been born into the position, the customs and attitude were slowly but surely guiding Subaru Natsuki closer to knighthood. It wasn’t something stupid or just for show. It seemed as though Subaru’s greeting had impressed everyone present, save the guest. Emilia’s smile was especially proud, which boosted Subaru’s spirits so, so much. Surrounded by these faces and apparently unwilling to endure any more silence, the visitor rose up and bowed his head.

[User] "...Thank you for your courtesy. I’m here to… I have come to represent Anastasia Hoshin. My name is Joshua Juukulius."

[Assistant] "No, thank you. A fine name you have, Joshua…Juukulius?" In the middle of exchanging perfunctory greetings, Subaru faltered when he heard the familiar family name.

[User] "Ah, it seems you’re surprised, too, Subaru. That’s right, Joshua is apparently Julius’s younger brother. It’s really wonderful that both brothers are helping Ms. Anastasia, isn’t it?"

[Assistant] Subaru’s cheek twitched as he listened to Emilia’s explanation, her violet eyes filled with admiration all the while. It was just as Mimi had said. Julius hadn’t come himself, but—

[User] "Sir Natsuki, is it? I have heard about you from my older brother, as well as from, shall we say…various rumors." Almost seemingly taking advantage of Subaru’s distress, Joshua spoke with some amusement. The sharp glint in his eyes and his refined yet biting attitude convinced Subaru that this was most certainly someone related to Julius by blood.


[User] Subaru kneaded his brow in consternation before looking back up. "I’m afraid to find out what he might’ve said about me to his family.”

[Assistant] “There is no need for concern. My brother is an exceptionally impartial man.”

[User] These words drew a strained smile from Subaru. That’s exactly why was what Subaru wanted to retort, but he refrained. “Anyway, Julius’s younger brother, is it? Now that you mention it, that nast…er, that keen look in your eye, the sarcas…uh, the refined manner of speech, and the terribly…lovely hair color are all the same, huh?”

[Assistant] “Would you please stop with the unnecessary flattery? It’s fairly obvious how bad you are at it.”

[User] Otto, chief domestic adviser of the Emilia faction, could not conceal his cold sweat as he asked Subaru to rein in his choppy attempts at praise. “Dude, have you lost weight since I last saw you?”

[Assistant] “It has only been a few hours, but every day is a new struggle! Someday, I will undoubtedly succumb to the chills and stomach pain! Also, I completely heard your conversation with Garfiel earlier!”

[User] “Well, I wasn’t particularly hiding it. I don’t intend to keep anything from you if I can help it.”

[Assistant] “Could you try a little harder to hide some things? !”

[User] Deflecting Otto’s complaint with a superficial “yeah, yeah,” Subaru smoothly took a seat at Emilia’s side. Once there, he sat Beatrice down on his lap, moving his hands around her tummy to support her. This put Emilia, Subaru (plus Beatrice), and Otto in a row on the reception-room sofa.

[Assistant] “Now, then. Sorry to make you wait. Could we continue the conversa—?”

[User] “W-wait a moment, please! Who is this girl? !”

[Assistant] “—? Is something the matter with Betty, I wonder?”

[User] Flustered, Joshua pointed at her, and Beatrice cocked her head quizzically. “Wait, what…? Am I the only one who finds this strange?”

[Assistant] “No, I am quite sorry. Your reaction is only to be expected. If anything, this is a place where common sense goes to die.” When Joshua leaned forward with such force that his monocle came loose, Otto apologized with a sympathetic look in his eyes. It seemed that Joshua was not nearly as unflappable as his older brother.

[User] Subaru also apologized even as he privately thought that this made Joshua the easier brother to get along with. “Having Beako on my lap has become so second nature to me that I did it without thinking.”

[Assistant] “It’s so normal now that even Otto didn’t bring it up. I’m flabbergasted, too.”

[User] “No one says flabbergasted anymore…” Emilia had skillfully woven yet another outdated term into the conversation, but Subaru agreed with the message nonetheless.

[Assistant] His and Beatrice’s relationship had been normalized to the point that it no longer elicited witty quips from Otto.

[User] “Sheesh, Joshua’s so sloooow—” Mimi cut in as she hopped over, settling into her seat beside Joshua.


[User] She helped herself to the sweets on the table as she poked Joshua’s cheek with her long tail. "That’s Beako! Mister and Miss’s child—!"

[Assistant] "What?!"

[User] "Right, right. This is my and Emilia-tan’s adorable baby, Beatrice."

[Assistant] When Subaru took advantage of Joshua’s shock, Emilia immediately slapped him on the shoulder. "Goodness. Of course not. Now look. You’ve gone and startled Joshua. I may have kissed you, Subaru, but babies don’t come from a kiss. I’ve learned that much, at least."

[User] "Ah, sorry, Emilia-tan. It’s really embarrassing, so could you stop revealing details like that so, um, bluntly? I’ll stop messing around and introduce her properly." Emilia’s incredibly innocent openness quickly forced Subaru into submission.

[Assistant] "See, this is what happens when you use Betty as the butt of a joke. Have you learned your lesson yet, I wonder?"

[User] "Yes, I’ve thought long and hard about what I did wrong. From now on, I’ll think up even better pranks."

[Assistant] "Errr, so this Lady Beatrice’s actual position would be…"

[User] "Ohhh, sorry, got off track again. Beatrice is my contracted spirit."

[Assistant] "Contracted…spirit…" Putting his fallen monocle back in place, Joshua lowered his voice slightly in response to Subaru’s explanation. The change in tone and the complicated emotions that reaction seemed to express made Subaru furrow his brow.

[User] "Hey, dear guest. Ya got a problem with the general bringing his Great Spirit with him?" Garfiel honed in on the young man’s distress without the slightest hesitation.


[User] “No,” Joshua replies, briefly shaking his head. “I had heard the rumors, but I am merely surprised that Master Natsuki truly is a spirit knight. I believe you are well aware, but my older brother is also a spirit knight…previously the only one in the entire kingdom.”

[Assistant] “Ahhh, of course we know that. He was a big…gnhhh, big…help to us…”

[User] “Is that how badly you hate admitting he helped you? !”

[Assistant] Subaru wasn’t quite that stubborn. This had more to do with the fact that whenever he thought back to how he had felt during the battle where he fought side by side with Julius, he found it difficult to reconcile those emotions with the pain of the wounds he suffered after his thrashing at the training square—plus a whole host of other annoyances. "I see now. There certainly was talk about another knight who’s also a spirit user, I suppose. If that person is your older brother, I offer my condolences.”

[User] “Condolences? What do you mean by that?”

[Assistant] “Is it not obvious, I wonder? His eventual downfall is inevitable. It is only a matter of when. At the very least, he can serve as a stepping-stone for Subaru and Betty’s spectacular exploits… Gahhh!”

[User] “Don’t go picking fights out of the blue. Besides, my strength can’t even compare to Julius’s. I’ve got no chance against him on a level playing field. Who goes around challenging puzzle masters to a puzzle game? You obviously challenge them to a round of Smash Brothers. That’s how we win.” After mussing Beatrice’s hair for her provocative remarks, Subaru bowed in apology to Joshua.

[Assistant] With her head still a complete mess, Beatrice followed suit. “Sorry. We have no intention of insulting your older brother. For that matter, I am fully aware that my abilities are beneath his. Forgive my cute and vain girl, would you?”

[User] “Yes, of course. It’s only natural to be humble when compared with my older brother.”

[Assistant] “Huh?” The sheer force and speed of the tirade overwhelmed Subaru. Even Beatrice was taken aback.

[User] Not noticing the bewilderment around him, Joshua’s monocle seemed to give off a concerning gleam. “Yes, my older brother is an incredible man. At the young age of twenty-two, he is already recognized as one of the greatest knights in the kingdom and is effectively the second-in-command of the royal guard. Though he is currently not performing that duty to better serve Lady Anastasia, there is no doubt that my older brother shall become captain of the royal guard once she rises to the throne. Even Sir Reinhard, this generation’s Sword Saint, cannot compare to my older brother when it comes to knightly virtues. Truly, my brother is a knight among knights! It would be ridiculous to even speak both your names in the same breath.”

[Assistant] “…R-right.”


[User] “Apologies, I didn’t get a chance to warn you. This is the second time he’s gone on a rant.” Otto clutched at his head while whispering regretfully into Subaru’s ear.

[Assistant] Subaru glanced around.

[User] Garfiel was obviously aggravated.

[Assistant] Ram had now you see? written all over her face.

[User] Joshua’s obliviousness here was on par with Subaru’s infamous episode during the meeting of royal-selection candidates.

[Assistant] Mimi was too busy stuffing her face with sweets to pay attention.

[User] “Hee-hee. Joshua really likes his big brother, Julius, doesn’t he?” Emilia smiled at Joshua, completely unfazed by his intense demeanor.

[Assistant] “I—I am very sorry. I tend to lose my composure when it comes to my family…” Joshua went red in the face and put a hand to his ponytail in embarrassment.

[User] “Oh, that’s no problem. Julius has been a great help to me, too. If you like, I’d love to hear more about you and Julius both…”

[Assistant] “Whoa there! Let’s do that another time. Right now, we need to get down to business! Hey, isn’t that right, Otto, Garfiel? !” Subaru interrupted and forcibly changed the subject.

[User] “—Eh? !” The pair’s reaction made it clear that they were clearly thinking, Don’t drag us into this!

[Assistant] The two immediately nodded, agreeing with Subaru.

[User] “W-well then, I shall recite the tales of my older brother’s glory on another occasion. I better be, ahem… It is of the utmost importance to conclude this business and return to Lady Anastasia with all available haste.” Joshua's eyes lit up for a moment, but he seemed to have regained his self-control as he cleared his throat.

[Assistant] “Yes, I am looking forward to that… Now, we’ve put it off for quite some time, but let’s get to the issue at hand…” As Joshua resumed acting as an envoy, Emilia seamlessly shifted back to Royal-Selection-Candidate Mode. Instantly, the atmosphere in the room became ever so slightly weightier. Emilia seemed like a completely different person.


[User] “—Representing Lady Anastasia Hoshin, I shall now convey the words of my master to you, Lady Emilia.” The noticeable change in the air brought a tenseness to Joshua’s expression as he produced a letter from his pocket. He spread it out on the table, revealing its contents, which were written in black ink.

[Assistant] “Lady Anastasia wishes to invite Lady Emilia to the Water Gate City of Pristella.”

[User] “Pristella…” Bewilderment lingered in Emilia’s eyes as she rolled the name around in her mouth.

[Assistant] Subaru was no different.