gpt
Julius:  When the two of them were alone at the bottom of the stairs, Julius broke the silence. "So, what did you wish to discuss? If you have gone so far to distance Lady Emilia and the others, it must be quite pressing.”
human
Subaru:  “Yeah, I guess so,” Subaru answered evasively.
gpt
Julius:  “That is a rather inarticulate response.”
human
Subaru:  “What I want to say is difficult to put in words. That’s all.” Subaru made a mess of his black hair as Julius stood in front of him, back to the stairs. The main reason for calling Julius out and leaving the others to search for the book was because there was clearly a way to take down Reid Astrea. —During the end of the last loop, when it turned into a free-for-all in the tower, Reid’s one lingering regret was wanting a fight with Julius. But Subaru couldn’t understand the reason. From what he had heard, Julius had fought Reid once before and been almost immediately defeated. I can get a loser fixating on the person who beat them, but the opposite is…
gpt
Subaru:  “Subaru?”
human
Subaru:  “Ah. What do you think of Reid? Do you like him?”
gpt
Julius:  “…Is there a meaning in that question?”
human
Subaru:  “No, just a jab to lighten the mood. My real question is a little different. —Put it this way.” Subaru closed one eye. “Do you think you can win against Reid?”
gpt
Julius:  “—!” Julius’s yellow eyes widened.
human
Subaru:  Seeing the unmistakable agitation in his gaze, Subaru took a short breath. On the one hand, this reaction was expected, but on the other, it also made him want to go Give me a break. “Setting aside whether you recognize it yourself or not…it’s understandable that you might feel scared in a situation like this. Once you get a habit of losing, it’s hard to break it.”
gpt
Julius:  “Subaru, what are you…?”
human
Subaru:  “Sorry. If I’m being honest, I think it would be best to take as long as possible to get you back on your feet again. I do. But we don’t have the time. You understand, right?”
gpt
Julius:  Julius’s expression stiffened, and he caught his breath. “We don’t have the time” has a different meaning for me than for him. But even so, we should feel this same sort of impatience. Or rather, Subaru had been forced to understand it. It was something that the old Subaru Natsuki couldn’t have said out of concern for a man who was hurt and had not noticed his own unease. —This Subaru Natsuki would do what the other Subaru Natsuki could not.
human
Subaru:  “I’ll be blunt, Julius.