Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

In a despair filled theater, something  was playing on the screen. Its occupants watched with dread ,amusement, and sadness at the scene before them.

Reinhart: “That is not possible.” The wounded and exhausted sword saint said as he shook his head with remorse.

Reinhardt: “As the head of pleiades, the purge king Natsuki Subaru, starting with the murder of Roswall Mathers,among the people of the kingdom, as well of the Vollachian empire and the Kararagi-city states,and among the subjects of the Holy kingdom of Gusteko has already had 126,702 people killed in total.”

At that moment, almost everyone in the theater stopped breathing for a few seconds. With eyes widened, filled with disbelief and fear, some of them turned to look at the face of an innocent sleeping boy. How could they not, especially after knowing how kind this person is.

“Haha, this is…. it's a joke right? Yeah yeah, it has to be.” Someone spoke, it didn't matter who because everyone had similar thoughts. But alas, they already knew the cruel truth.

“To think that this same hero could be capable of that extreme of a change.”

“This person ….is he really able to hold such insanity.”

“This is our fault, isn't it? If I could have  perished instead.”

Everyone truly understood how insane this was, but also understood its cause. The disease of despair caused by the wrath of a demon had now latched itself into the viewers hearts as well. The purge king's disease was now enveloping  the theater itself.

.

.

.

.

Some time earlier in the theater……………………..

“So, it seems this time we are watching some weird alternate reality,” said a mentally exhausted, yet hopeful looking, blond little girl. Despite her appearances, this individual bore a great duty as a potential future queen of the great kingdom of Lugunica. But for now, those rebellious eyes of hers were dimmed and filled with complex emotions as she looked towards the sleeping boy who was from an altogether different world.

“Felt-sama, are you sure  you don't need a long break before we continue further with this?” The sword saint asked with a worried look, one that really did not suit his face.

Heaving a tired sigh,  the young girl looked towards her tiresome knight. “This dude really needs to stop being so selfless already. We already had Onii-chan drowning in his own, twisted self-sacrifice during the sanctuary arc.” Thinking of the name made her snort in disgust, considering the place was the complete opposite of what the name suggests. Dead, powerful witches hidden behind a barrier. Those detestable, yet necessary trials that almost broke/crushed the mental capacity of  her Onii-chan and Onee-chan. 

Furthermore, there were attacks on both the sanctuary and the mansion, orchestrated by an obsessive clown. And the fact that this clown was the sponsor of Emilia infuriated her even more. Her eyes softened when she remembered what her Onee-chan went through in the elior forest, especially at such a young age. Her strength and the resolve she displayed during the trials was breath-taking. All of it, the byproduct of receiving her knight’s faith.  “ Really, those two deserve so much better than what this world offers.”

“Felt-sama?” Reinhard asked for her again, with his eyebrows pressed in worry.

“Ah, sorry Reinhard. But yeah, it's fine, don't you think? We don't really have a choice anyways, plus everyone wants to watch as well. Isn't that right, you eavesdropping, fox-faced woman?” Felt said and looked away with a pout. 

“Of course, though I do dislike being called in such a crude manner.” She was a shrewd person, addorining light purple hair and lovely features, speaking in a native kararagi accent. Only now does she know the real origin of her native language. It was the product of another world, a world from where that nasty-eyed boy arrived from.

 “ Hmm, as much as I would love to have Natsuki-kun form a partnership with me, having all my dreams be realized only thanks to common knowledge that a boy from another world has will not be desirable. A passive approach here will yield better results and after seeing how insanely in love he is with that half elf, plus his attachment to his camp,  trying to force him into anything different would backfire.” After having reached various steps in her ever-changing opinion about the boy, this was her conclusion.

 She also felt some pity towards that half elf, Emilia. Her past had been exposed to all and her real reasons for entering the selection had been unveiled. Anastasia had secretly begun to have some respect for her competition. But unlike Felt, she still dislikes the naive nature and the incompetence that brought about such a tragedy for Natsuki Subaru.

“Doesn't this if-story, an alternate path for Natsuki-kun  sound kinda interesting? Not to mention, according to the screen, the decision that is leading to this divergence is his suicide during arc 2. I’m sure that a lot of us were dissatisfied at seeing him give his life for the same individuals that caused him so much torture. And he did it all, simply because he believed in their good hearts. So, what do you think, Julius?” With care in her voice and slight perturbation on her face, Anastasia addressed her disheveled knight. But it wasn’t his clothes that were disheveled, it was his heart instead.

“Anastasia-sama, I-I am not sure that I have the right to give my own opinion here. But considering the care being shown to me, a care that I am grateful for receiving, I shall indeed answer. An answer that is the same as your wishes, Anastasia-sama.”

“Gosh, you could have added something more to it, you know.”

“I am extremely sorry for not having given a sufficient answer.”

Anastasia sighed at Julius.

The finest of knights had an unsure and gloomy tone. Though there was still elegance in his words, that elegance  was combined with low confidence in his own ability to answer. After seeing his fellow knight, Subaru’s story in this theater, Julius was filled with a myriad of emotions. His actions at the castle and how he had to later cut his friend’s life with a sword that he holds dear to his heart. 

His slight suspicion and doubt towards his friend, that latter became bigger due to Subaru’s connection with the witch. Incomprehensible emotions directed to that same witch, the one who is said to have destroyed half the world. 

And even some mixed feelings about those other witches that helped his friend. Along with his own growing envy towards Natsuki Subaru. 

He was filled with doubt. Doubt towards his own ability as a knight being the foremost. And the fact that Subaru declared a blashphemous wish, a wish to save the evil witch, Satelle. Julius bites his lips as he thinks about his own duty as a royal knight, and his friendship to Subaru. Again, he was filled with nothing but doubt.

“Hm, seems like this will take longer than I had hoped.” Anastasia mused, recalling how she and the other members of her camp tried to encourage Julius. Looking to another side, she spots the demi-human twins from her camp playing a game with Petra. A game known as Othello. Ricardo and Frederica were watching over them with amusement.

 Despite that cheerful sight, even a witchbeast would say that they were all forcefully distracting themselves. Looking away, the merchant wasn't even conscious of her own hollow eyes. 

“ That is also another reason why I latched onto the idea of watching this if-story. It might just help us all. I mean,  just how much worse could it get for Natsuki kun even if he did run away.”

Overlooking that interaction was another pair of amber eyes, brimming with strong will.  That woman always acted in a manner that befits the desire of her soul. She was currently in  a quiet mood. After all, the viewing had been long. A journey that was unexpected for her. A journey that she did not think possible. Crusch Karsten had gone through many phases during this viewing. 

Pity, sympathy, doubt, faith, disappointment, anger, sadness and a little bit of affection. None of these words would be enough to describe the turmoil in her heart. Even her growing affection towards another candidate’s knight was indecipherable. And she did hold feelings of mild hatred towards the sponsor of that candidate. 

 “ But right now, there is another person I need to focus on.”

“Ferris..”

“Yes. Crusch-sama?” A cat-demihuman answered in a strained voice. Intentionally making his voice sound as normal as he could, he forced a smile in order to not cause any trouble to others. This was  the farce that the greatest healer, Felix Argyle, put on.

The memories of the show flashed through his mind like PTSD. The hellish life of Natsuki Subaru was imprinted in his brain. Why exactly was he gifted with better senses than others? His enhanced hearing made the blood-curdling screams a torture.

Felix disliked seeing others suffer or get hurt. Especially those whom he could trust to an extent. And he hated himself more for allowing seeds of distrust to guide his dialogue. Albeit small, he did belittle the young knight in ways that were unfitting to his decorum. Causing shame on himself, and bringing insult to his liege. Along with that, a part of him had begun to recognize his Master’s feelings towards Natsuki Subaru. It was something that made him extremely conflicted. 

“Crusch-sama, I suggest we give Ferris some more time to himself.” An elderly butler spoke in a hushed tone of voice. The sword demon, Wilhelm Trias looked in pity and consideration towards Felix. The old warrior had seen many things in his life, but this theater and the story shown on it was a first for him. 

The boy who he looks to with respect in his heart, held untold suffering inside. Suffering that he would only wish on the worst of his enemies.  But what moved him  more than anything, was Natsuki Subaru’s inability to give up. 

The ‘Parent and Child episode’  was especially inspiring to him. An inspiration to mend his own broken relationships while he still has the chance to do so. The veteran knight  looked towards his grandson with eyes filled with guilt and nervousness, but trembling with strong conviction. “ Though my instinct gives me a bad feeling about this if-story.”

“Hm, commoners and the dramatic scenes they love to create.” The sun Princess muttered as she observed the display before her, adorning a prideful smirk on her face.  She soon lost interest in them and then changed her sight towards that slumbering beauty, the one who has been the center of their attention.”

“ How displeasing that someone else would attract so much attention away from mineself. If only the person himself was awake.”  The princess looked towards that boy with a softer gaze than what it was before. “ A boy whose capacity to change so much in so little time. Every struggle for him has been bleak, but he has come out of it better than before. It will be interesting to see his future growth from a close proximity. A person who could give me immense entertainment. Though the rest of that camp is not so interesting.”

On her side was a bandit-looking, one-armed man whose face was covered by a crude helm. As always, his scar-jammed face was rendered unseeable. That middle aged man from the same world as Subaru was sipping a nostalgic coke bottle, something that he had long since forgotten the taste of. 

The man had sympathy towards his fellow ‘isekai-character’ and a little anger towards him. ” Why haven't you run away yet, pal. The people you love are still alive but at what cost and for how long? With more people to protect,  just how long will you continue to die and fight in this world. Unlike me, you have had the chance to live a happy life only to deny it. Ah! I  guess this if-story might offer me some solace”. 

Al gazed at his arms, one missing. He peered into something deeper inside, something that only he could see. He recalled his pal’s return by death and also his ability to use the sloth witch factor. But then he recalled something that made him suppress a shudder traveling through his very existence.

( One day you must definitely come…. to kill me.)

(I will definitely…..save you.)

“Pal, that path is a bit…..because I couldn't even…..” Stopping his thoughts, Al quickly shakes his head and goes back to relishing the taste of soda.

A silver-haired, half-elf who had a  voice that sounds like the chimes of a bell,  is currently  hugging the figure of a sleeping boy. “Subaru,” she spoke with a tone of affection and sadness, mixed in a blender with the feeling of guilt. 

The girl’s face was filled with tear-stains and there were dark bags under her eyes. But it was also filled with some strength and a tight resolve to make up for her sins. 

“Though if Subaru was here, he would say it's his fault not mine.”  Thinking that, Emilia pinched her knight softly. Emilia had gone through several moments during this viewing.

She tried to hurt her face when the full appearance of the witch was revealed, which was thankfully stopped by others. She cried the whole night after seeing her knight getting eaten by the rabbits and then she lost complete faith in herself after seeing the last loop. A dread caused by the possibility of Subaru  leaving behind the world he dies in, caused immense anxiety in her heart.  

 At the end of  the witches tea party, even that witch who looked exactly the same as her, that double-personality disorder girl, she helped Subaru out of her unmatchable love for him. That had once again stopped Emilia from believing in herself. “ Though my stupid knight, even if it was only through the screen, he gave me strength again.”  Emilia placed her fingers to her lips. Her gaze consciously turned towards the lips of her knight. As the distance closed, her heartbeat naturally quickened, but,

“Are you done putting on an embarrassing display, I suppose?” A voice arriving suddenly,  made her jump in surprise.

“Be-Beatrice! S-since when!?”

“Hmph, since when do you think, I suppose?” The cute  spirit replied with a smug tone.

“----Please, don’t tell Subaru! I’ll be too embarrassed to even look him in the eyes….”

“I think that  my contractor will be pleased to hear of it , I suppose.”

“....Well, if it makes him happy….No! Not that!”

The small spirit looked away with a satisfied gaze while Emilia continued to vehemently protest with a blush.

” Seems she is a bit better than before, I suppose. Well as embarrassing as it was, even Betty was in a similar state of self-doubt, I suppose. But considering that Betty’s stupid contractor was the one who asked for my help, he has to take some responsibility for it, I suppose. Unlike the case with Mother, this time I shall make my own decisions, I suppose.” The spirit who had remained a lonely little girl for 400 years, had suffered due to her mothers true intentions, intentions caused by her uncontrollable greed. So like a kid who slowly grows out of their parent’s shadow, Beatrice strongly continues forward to a future that can choose herself.

“ How unfair, even Rem wants to hug Subaru-kun.” A soft voice said with a cute pout on her face. The maid who formerly served Roswall had now woken up from gluttony’s gourmet. Sitting on his Subaru’s left side, the blue-haired maid was amazed at her beloved’s journey in this world. But, worried for his mental health,  she secretly harbored some doubts about not having taken Subaru’s hand in arc 3.

And unable to forget, much less forgive her own actions in arc 2, she still wanted to at least try to achieve some redemption  for her actions. “ Subaru-kun truly did show his love for me more than enough times. And that is why Rem shall try her hardest to stay by your side.” Though thinking about the premise of this upcoming if-story made her shudder in guilt.

“Hah! It's Barusu we are talking about, in the end he will get into some trouble or another.” So said her other half, having read exactly what was going on in her sister’s mind. The pink haired maid had less poison in her words than normal.

 Even if she felt guilt, sadness, or anger, she had already accepted that she doesn't have the right to judge Barusu’s decisions, whether it was in an alternate reality or the real one. What was shown in Subaru’s second trial had opened up the terrifying possibility of alternate worlds existing alongside this one. “ Wonder if there is a reality where this crowd was never teleported into this theater.”

“Ne-Nee-same,” the red oni looked at the blue oni who had hesitatingly called out. But instantly, her loving little sister caught sight of something and looked away with a distasteful grunt. 

“Rem,”  for just a  moment, untold grief flashed in Ram’s eyes, knowing who her sister had looked at in such a way and why. But she soon returned to maintaining that strong facade in her face, just like usual.

Meanwhile, that same person who was given such a gaze was sitting with his defeated eyes to the ground. The strongest magician of the kingdom was seated at the back. The clown had accepted any punishment with conviction. Roswall had resolved that after his wish was completed he would gladly give his life to the person he promised it to.

 But what shattered even this 400 year old dream was the goal itself. Now he was stuck in a loop, filled with his inability to fulfill his goal, given the situation he found himself in. After losing his guide, the gospel, Roswall thought to use Subaru as his guidance. He never thought that it would mean repeated deaths on Subaru’s part. His guilt had already been on the brink of collapsing in these 400 years. And now, with the way forward blocked, all he was left with was his own remorse. 

Two pairs of eyes were observing that same broken clown. “What do ya think, Otto-bro!?” An obnoxiously loud, almost feral voice, came from a boy who could easily be misunderstood as the leader of some hooligans.

“Calm down Garfield. I agree with your animosity towards that guy, but that is why we must continue to remain calm.” The gray- haired, internal affairs minister of the camp, relayed to the person he thinks of as his younger brother. Both of them had a large enough difference in their age, and different roles bestowed upon them. But looking at them sitting together playing shatranji, while they talk about their common enemy, one could only describe them as brothers.

“But Otto-bro, we need to decide that clown’s fate as soon as possible. Otherwise, he is just going to come up with another scheme.”

“Of course, making a countermeasure is necessary. But doing it without Natsuki-san present would be way too pretentious and disrespectful. Not to mention, the bet made by Natsuki-san, as infuriating as it is, includes Roswall’s involvement in this camp.”

“Do you mean to say that we really should just forgive, forget and then go live with him like it’s normal!?”

“No, that is an absolute refusal on my part. And that is why we have to wait for Natsuki-san’s awakening, so that we can express our own opinions. For now, instead of wasting more time on that person we should start focusing on Natsuki-san!”

Both of these brothers expressed a sad smile when thinking about the third member of their trinity. After various struggles and after going through a period of major self-doubt,  they were able to unite under the desire of wanting to help their friend and benefactor.  They don't think themselves deserving of that nasty-eyed boy right now. However, they still would try taking those first few steps to make themselves worthy of him.

“Though we need to think about how exactly we are going to do so, huh.” Otto mused while also pondering about Natsuki Subaru’s wish of saving a certain 400 year old half-elf. To be honest, it was another thing he was completely against.

“Don't you think you should discuss this with Betty in the conversation, I suppose?”

“That’s right, other than the goddamn clown ,it's unfair to not include us when speaking about my knight. Isn't that right Rem?”  Though the last part was said in the usual Emilia way,  her small acknowledgement of the clown’s existence was filled with so much ice that it might have sealed the entire theater if left unrestrained.

“Yes, Emilia-sama.”

Such was the interjection made by the three girls, who were the closest to Natsuki Subaru’s heart.

“Me too! Petra also wants to help Subaru. I mean, Subaru-sama!”  A little maid, who really should not have been shown such hellish memories of the person she loves, said those childish words. But nonetheless, with a lot of support from her senior Frederica nee-sama, she somehow maintained her fragile sanity while also showing strong conviction, unbefitting of her young age.

“Ara Ara, Petra-chan. You need to settle down and address everyone properly with the right etiquette, you know.” Her mentor, a  demihuman maid with razor sharp teeth, softly reprimanded her.

Suddenly, a small and energetic voice screamed, “Ah! I lost again to Petra-chan!!” The vice captain of the iron fang, commonly known as gorgeous Mimi, was seen dejected, having lost yet again to the maid.

With a sigh, her brother Trivey decided to finally present her with the cruel truth of the world. He slowly told her that she has actually not been properly connecting any of her pieces, not even blocking the other foe’s.

“Ah, why don't ya little children run along and let me try huh?” The wolf captain of the iron fang spoke in  a native kararagi dialect and  looked towards the two with a fatherly gaze.

“Stop getting off topic and let's start the discussion about Subaru’s future, I suppose. The screen hasn't activated this if-story yet.” With words from the great spirit who was sitting at Subaru’s lap , the other members of the camp were now ready to talk. But,

“Hmm, I think I would love to join this conversation as well,” Anastasia said.

“Nah big-sis, let's just hurry up and merge our camps together. I don't care about whatever rules or prophecies that won’t allow this.” Felt said.

“Considering how we already have an alliance in play I would request to be the first to offer my aid as well as requesting to be the one to undertake the task of delivering proper justice to your sponsor.” Saying this, Crusch Karsten partially declared her intentions.

“Ho-ho, if you people are putting in your claims at this auction then I shall demand the highest prize.” Priscilla Barielle said.

The tension of the room had risen like a hot summer day and all the candidates were facing each other. Irony had it that they were not competing for the throne this time. Instead, their claims were brought due to Natsuki Subaru’s influence. But before they could truly begin that conversation, a sound distracted them.

“Look, it's starting!” Not even seconds had passed when Mimi noticed the screen’s activation. Drawn by the light, everyone turned to look and began to settle in their seats.

On the black screen suddenly someone’s melancholic and hopeless voice is heard. A pleading voice that was familiar to all.

“ I heard a voice ripe with hatred.”

“A sound which would not leave my ears.”

“It's Subaru,” spoke Emilia and her eyes moistened when thinking about arc 2. “ I cannot ever forget what the twin sisters caused, but just like Subaru I have already forgiven them. Especially after knowing about how much Subaru cares for Rem, I want and need her to be with us.”

“Subaru kun, and I guess that voice full of hatred he is talking about belongs to…” The oni had no need for even completing that sentence.

“ Yeah, I guess my words of hatred really must have caused him some insanity.” Despite Ram’s clear regret she still watched on, knowing that if something were to happen to her sister or to Roswall she would still display her wrath without any restraint. “ Well, one of them is now already in danger.”  She thought about the man she loved, the one who had given up to such a degree that he wasn't even looking at the screen.

“ Words imbued with rage followed me.”

“It was frightening, so frightening  that I could not bear it.”

“I was being crushed by the pressure of this noise which did not obscure its murderous intent.”

“But considering that Subaru had escaped thanks to Beatrice-sama, he should be safe right?” Petra questioned with scared eyes.

“I would like to believe he will be safe, but…” 

“Subaru’s mental state is definitely not safe..”

Anastasia’s statement was finished off by her knight.

Rem started shedding some tears after hearing his fear, but was surprised by both Beatrice and Emilia, who spared a hand to comfort her.

As for the great spirit, she was only hoping with dread that she might have helped him escape at the very least. But once again, remembering that this story is called Wrath-if, left her with a bad premonition.

“It gripped into my soul and would not let go.”

“The more one clung onto their life, the more certain it would become that someone else would be hurt by them.”

When some expressed their confusion at the last sentence, Priscilla decided to offer them enlightenment.

“It's because that's exactly what he ended up doing when he decided to run away instead of leaping to his death.”

“Meaning?”

“Because he strived for his own survival, all the while running due to fear and distrust, he had pretty much condemned the blue maid to her death. And of course, the wrath of her sister would continue to follow him even if he did escape. For simplicity’s sake, it's because he died and made those selfless self-sacrificing actions that most of you stayed alive and happy. Happy until his secret got exposed, that is.” So proclaimed the princess, with a slightly sadistic gaze towards the Emilia camp and others.

“So the only real way out for Subaru-kyun was to d-die.”

“It's fine, Ferris. Isn't that why this if-story is here, in order to show us this other way? Let's be patient and hopeful about it.”

While this was happening, Ram had realized something that made her blood run cold. “ In this situation, would I have let go of the chase? No, even if it meant breaking the chains holding my power, I would have continued to chase after him. The cruel things that this me might do to him, run Barusu, run as fast as you can.” So pleaded the red oni, even after knowing that this world is not gonna fulfill her wish.

“First and foremost, I was sorry, so sorry and yet I was drowning.”

As he said these words a white landscape was starting to become visible.

.

.

.

.

.

.

           Chapter end.

Chapter Text

  Chapter 2

The being known as Ram was born under the care of a hidden oni village along with her twin sister. Unfortunately for them the strict rules of the village deemed them deserving of death as soon as they opened their innocent eyes. It was also here, while looking at her sister’s crying face that Ram knew who to protect and how to go about it. Revealing her unknown and humongous power for all she was then proclaimed to be the incarnation of the oni god.

 The oni race in their desperation and inability to let go of the past had shamelessly entrusted their future to this girl. But for Ram she had always been focusing on her sister alone. Even when the village was attacked and the elder gave his life in order to let only Ram escape, the person refused to abandon her crucial anchor in life. The anchor suppressing away the wrath of the oni god.

After being taken in by Roswall she had felt nothing but hatred especially when the clown himself had revealed all his plans to her. Without a choice she continued to serve under him never noticing how her feelings for him continued to change until it was too late. The oni had obsessively fallen in love with her hateful enemy.

 Maybe it was because she had become too dependant on him physically and mentally especially considering how close Roswall always kept Ram. Maybe in Ram’s heart, who only had her sister in this narrow world that she lived on, her hatred had granted Roswall a place. Whether her love for him is only due to her fear of losing someone that has occupied her soul for years is something that Ram does not care about.

 Even after the hate and disgust she felt when the sanctuary arc played on this mysterious theater with an equally mysterious warden. Even after her sister showed disgust towards their master and was steps away from blowing his head off, later leading to a forced distance between the two sisters as one stood by the monster that had hurt her sister’s beloved. She really did agree when Priscilla mocked her love for Roswall as being an obsessive dependence that is disgusting to her eyes. Even if a song which was for some reason in her own voice played while her love confession was shown, everyone else just averted their eyes. Despite all of this Ram stood by this person. To both hate him and love him was her resolution. And maybe…when Barusu woke up , if she could beg for forgiveness for her master or if its not possible then ask for the same punishment that he will get. This is exactly why when the screen showed this snow-filled landscape and what followed that she couldn't help but let a look of anguish show on her face.

In the snow covered forest that had just became visible lay countless corpses of witch beasts and among them was the scene of a frail woman strangling the frail body of a familiar person. Using her light body as a weight she had pressed down the young boy, almost resembling a horse rider.

“Ah..kah..uh”, were the raw sounds coming from his throat.

“No..nonono this is….”, mumbled Rem as not just her, everyone recognized who the assailant and the victim were.

“ Well shit..pal. Your stars really suck huh ”. Al realized how naive his thinking was and cursed himself internally for thinking that this accursed world could offer better.

“Bu-but how!. Isn’t that maid not supposed to be able to use so much power what with her horn broken? Not to mention why didn't the great spirit teleport him far away?!”. Such was the yelling and questioning  from Felix which no one bothered to stop.

“Be-Betty….once again failed….I suppose”, whimpers the great spirit but was instantly stopped by Emilia who gently held her little face.

“Beatrice its alright. You are Subaru’s great spirit right?. So instead of regretting everything lets work together for the future yeah?”. Faced with such..almost motherly affection the spirit couldn't help but turn red from embarrassment.

“Ahem I suppose. To answer your question, Betty cant teleport him that easily to a far enough distance. In fact the only reason Betty could during the….. sanctuary loop was because of the pyroxene crystal mostly”. Beatrice’s words made everyone remember the times Subaru was teleported when the crystal was either activated by Beatrice or the barrier itself.

“For this time Betty would have used a similar principle as door crossing to sent Subaru at the forest’s outskirts , you know. And thats where……”, as Beatrice finished and looked towards the red oni, Anastasia decided to interfere.

“From what we saw during the maid’s brawl with Garfiel and her ‘beloved’ person, she is able to use certain extents of her power if it means taking on the recoil directly. Which would also mean that….”.

“Her limit is going to come soon”. Concluded Otto as he was also there when such a event had happened.

The scene closes in to show the insane eyes of the maid filled to the brim with despair and wrath.

Subura’s body flails around uncontrollably as it displays its instinct to live. But in a disgusting contradiction, Subaru’s gaze is seen as not one of protest.

“ Can’t I just die quietly? I want to just die quietly”.

“As peacefully as possible, like i am simply going to sleep, that’d be the most enjoyable way to die for me”. Such were the thoughts of the pitiful man.

“No!. Come on oni-san, just hang on for a little longer!”

“Yeah, what nee-san said”, so supported Mimi and Trivey with desperation. Both the siblings had perceived horrors in this theater that they could never forget. Playing a vital role in their private military group that is owned by Anastasia, both had seen and intentionally made many dead corpses. But fate had it that now Natsuki Subaru’s corpses were their most prominent memories. Ah and they also missed their sibling Hetaro who for some reason was excluded from getting teleported.

“Subaru, please hold on!”, such was the cute voice of a childish maid who really should not be witnessing this. Despite that Petra had shown incredible mental fortitude shocking her own mentor. And even though she had realized the true danger that comes from staying directly involved with the Emilia camp, the little girl resolutely refused to stay away from Subaru.

“Damn it seems like pal wont be getting his desire granted at all huh”, spoke out Al who was casually drinking his 4th coke bottle. “I understand your feeling better than i would like to but, no matter how many times you and I do something like that, the result never changes”.

What he didnt notice was a pair of blood red eyes casually peering at him. “ The fool thinks he can hide it huh”. With an amused expression the bloody bride looked back at the screen. Her expression did slightly change to one of pity.

“Buh,kuh,kuh”

His eyes bulging, foam flowing from his mouth and his body twisting and groaning, Subaru continued to pathetically struggle.

Even if he wondered why and how this situation happened, Subaru himself already knew the answer and its meaninglessness. 

“--What’s so funny?”

That was the question asked to him in a cold voice by that wrathful oni. Despite Subaru’s confusion the question was repeated two more times until he heard–

“Huu,he,hehe”, an out of place laughter that considering the situation, could only be considered disgusting.

“Wh-why is Subaru laughing like this, in such a situation?”, asked the sword saint while displaying some fairly deep human emotions. Reinhart, the sword saint considered to be inhuman by many and called a monster by his own father, not to mention his grandfather’s words of disdain. He had thought he deserved those words and still does to some extent but then certain words passed though his mind.

( Don't just give up on yourself! Whenever you think , “ I wanna do it! I want to change!”. Thats where your starting line is!.)

Even if those words were meant for someone else, those words said by Subaru gave a new courage to not just Reinhard but for everyone.

“Reinhart….and everyone, if allowed I might be able to provide some insight on your question”, came a voice whose speaker shocked Reinhart with an unexpected warm tone.

“Go on, Wilhelm-dono”, allowed his liege.

“From my experience over many years, I believe that this broken laughter from Subaru-dono that he himself doesn't seem to be aware of, is due to a feeling of long awaited freedom from this ridiculous situation. Its not just dark humor towards his hopeless situation but, as much as I dislike saying it, Suburo-dono seems to desire such a release.”

Meanwhile , Ram who had flinched from the hateful tone of her own voice, found herself shocked as a comforting hand had reached her own from the broken man besides her.

“What’s so—guh”

Having reached her limit, the oni helplessly collapsed to her left side.

“Geh,ah”. As Subaru’s path of suffocation had now ended, his body instinctively started grasping for much needed oxygen. But instead of simply stopping there, Subaru is shown obsessively filling his lungs with even more. 

The desire to submit had receded and instead Subaru looked towards the wounded  girl whose life was starting to wither away. With trembling and clacking teeth due to the unbearable cold and with numb fingers , he stood beside her.

“What is it?”, so the girl mumbled as Subaru picked up a stone as big as her head and raised it skyward.

Before the sound of an impact could be heard, a  cold and hostile female voice spoke.

“---I will definitely kill you”.

Rem could not believe her own eyes anymore. After all, what was being shown was an unthinkable scene of her beloved hero killing her own older sister. A scene she could never erase from her mind. A scene that was yet another product of her own paranoid actions.

“ Good job Barusu….yeah good…job”, so thought her own sister having recovered the usual facial expression of classic Ram. Instead of being angry or sad, she instead displayed acceptance, realizing that now she won't be able to hurt him anymore.

“R-Ram…”, painfully uttered Garfiel who had been quiet this whole time. Unable to witness the girl he had a crush on killed by his inspirational Captain, the boy could only grip his hands tightly in grief. “ I cant believe this. Would Captain really do this just to keep holding on to his life……would he?”

It wasn't just him as every member of the Emilia camp, especially after knowing the relationship between Ram and Subaru, looked away in pain. Although they found solace in the fact that this is not their Subaru. 

“Well, with this the boy has successfully escaped. What next, the boy goes on to live a normal and pathetically safe life?”, to Priscilla’s question, some responded with glares while others opened their eyes wide as they realized what she truly meant.

“Yeah there is no way little boss there could go on like normal”, said the rare wolf-demihuman Ricardo who looked at the boy in respect and pity.

Next ,several images are shown on the screen to simply show what happened after. An image of Fredrica returning back to the mansion and confronting the broken Roswall.

“It cannot end like this. For the sake of those girls, I will..”, declaring with clenched fists ,Fredrica is shown desperately trying to maintain the mansion all by herself. Sometimes she collaborated with Emilia, dragging her master busily everyday and taking care of all his needs.

Always with her head raised high she tried her best ,though with 2 years passed in this state her mental scars were beginning to become visible.

The Fredrica in the theater could not help but express her disgust when images of her taking care of Roswall were shown. “ All i had wanted was to build a home for people in the sanctuary and to repay the goodwill shown by the Margrave. To protect the place I called home and the people in it. But i was ignorant”.

“It really is amazing how you could handle the entire mansion on your own for that long, not to mention your dedication. Such incredible talent that was unfortunately wasted on a useless master. I would love to hire you, you know.”, so proposed Anastasia with a smile.

“Myyy myy thaat is meaaa-”

“‘’’’’SHUT UP’’’’’’”

When said useless master tried to interject he was instantly made quiet by everyone. Only the loyal maid by his side gritted her teeth in frustration.

“-Ah”, said the woman as she found herself in a ice covered hallway where the bottom of her shoes were frozen to the ground.

The majority of the mansion is shown to have been frozen with the culprit revealing himself.

Fredrica: “Great spirit-sama”

“Sorry Fredrica. You’re not to blame—--its just that, if i am to protect my most precious thing, then this is the best decision to make”

Saying that the beast of the end made his appearance in a cute cat form.

“Pu-Puuuuck!!!”. Before anyone could comment on Puck’s suspicious actions…….again, Emilia screamed with a angry voice. Puck, this spirit had been the topic for many discussions and feelings after his actions in arc 3. The other four candidates viewed him with complete distrust and hate. Even after his help in arc 4, most didn't take kindly.

That is with the exception of Emilia and Beatrice.” There is no way I can ever forgive Puck for his actions and words of degradation towards Subaru. Not to mention the way he hides everything from me. But I also cannot ever forget everything he has done for me all these years. How he freed me in the forest, saved me from that other great spirit, and formed a contract even though he wasn't allowed to. And despite his actions, his reasons for doing so were for my sake.”

“ Bubby, what are you doing this time?”, wondered the little sibling spirit as she watched on with guilt.

“The important question is why would the great spi- i mean Puck start freezing the mansion all of a sudden”, questioned Julius in a clearly disappointed tone. For him his opinion on Puck as a spirit had dropped considerably but that was bound to happen. 

“Now now , Julius-kun”

“Anastasia-sama?”

“Isn't this how the structure of these stories goes usually? Right now we are just simply not seeing the big picture and thats why we are confused. Though I am guessing his reason for doing so is to protect his daughter figure with his own way.”

Frederica: “Why,do this?”

Puck: “I said it already, all my actions are for Lia-we agreed to leave the forest because it was what she wanted to do and for her own safety. Or so I thought. But there’s no worth here anymore. I wonder where it all went wrong.”

“Ya,to you, you are in fact doing it all for big-sis, but in reality all you are doing is pushing your own selfish decisions on your daughter without actually asking her”, spat out Felt to which Emilia gave a adorable nod.

“Really is incredible how Subaru-sama’s one decision affected this entire camp. Don’t you think so, Ferris?”. 

“I-I am sorry for doubting him during that arc..nyan”. At his liege’s question ,the healer despondently muttered out those words which was met with a sigh from Crusch. 

And then in a frighteningly emotionless voice he continued, “ Roswall was my miscalculation. That pitiful thing is just your everyday guy.”

“ An everyday guy…..me an everyday guy is it!. Ha my four hundred years! Four hundred! And you simply look down on me calling me a everyday guy!”. That same pitiful thing responded with boiling anger as he felt like everything he did for all these years was casually stepped on by those words. Though considering how he had been denied to speak, Roswall simply withdrew inside his own head.

To this Frederica clacked her teeth in anger and despite knowing she didn't stand a chance, she still displayed defiance.

Frederica: “----Insulting the master of this house in front of me, a maid, cannot be forgiven”.

Puck: “You too, are a pitiful child. Only you are desperate to protect this fallen place.”

Frederica: “Please stop talking as if you are referring to the past, it is not over yet.”

“Puck…I swear …are you also going to kill Frederica now?. And how dare you say such words.”, spoke Emilia in anger as she thought about the elior forest, a ‘fallen place’ that she wanted to protect. She respected Frederica even though she doesn't agree with her defending Roswall. Thats why to see her father figure mock her in such a casual and uncaring way made her tightly clench the pyroxene crystal hanging from her neck. Though the next speaker’s words made her release the hold.

“Looking at this don’t you think its a miracle how Bubby helped out Subaru in the sanctuary and even exhausted his own mana to help all the villagers? Even though it was also a ‘fallen place’?”. Pointed out Beatrice, intentionally trying to show the changes in Puck’s demeanor.

“Even that is also thanks to my stupid knight’s precense.”

Meanwhile Anastasia was once again pleasantly surprised by Frederica on the screen. “Your loyalty , even though its for a disgusting individual here, is incredible, you know. Going against a great spirit with defiance to protect something precious to you. You should seriously let me hire you!”.

“I appreciate your offer but for my adorable junior’s sake who is adorably looking at me with tears, I will have to gently decline.”

“Hmm maids…”. Trivey’s whisper was unfortunately caught by Ricardo who adopted a mischievous look on his face.

“Trivey boy, this is not the time for you to develop a new maid fetish you know.”

“Wha-!! That is not what I meant-”

Puck narrows his eyes and looks with pity and says, “Emilia will be sad”. Frederica hoping that Puck’s brief hesitation might give her a chance, leaned forward and lowered her body in a stance.

But; “Unfortunately, I am weak to Lia. I cannot move on from my child.Im a momma bear”. With no opening in sight, Frederica could only smash her molars together.

With no time for grief or regret, a simple effortless breeze from the great spirit froze Frederica.

“Big sis! I swear that goddam spirit!”, at the sight of his sister’s frozen body, Garfiel let out a feral growl along with his tears. All he wanted was to step inside and protect his family, but even he had slowly realized over the course of this entire viewing, how futile that thought is. His mood was slightly uplifted when Otto made his presence known by softly caressing his back, even though Garfiel himself will not admit to such. 

The cute junior of the frozen maid just simply hugged the person she considers her older sister ,to express her endless grief. “ If there is one important thing I have learned from this viewing, then it is to stay away from cats and r-rabbits. Ah but, Mimi and her brother are exceptions.”

Meanwhile Emilia turned to the mixed blooded siblings with tears and proceeded to apologize. “Garfield and Frederica, I am very very sorry about my own spirit’s actions. I will make sure that Puck is punished and that he never tries anything like this.”

“Nah, princess-sama doesn't need to apologize at all”.

“My stupid brother’s words are right Emilia-sama. Your words of care and consideration are more than enough. More than anything, we need to keep in mind that these are events that haven't actually happened.”

“Hmm, that presents us with an interesting dilemma.”

“Crusch-san?”. At Crush's words that she spoke with a frown on her face, everyone turned to listen to her.

“The warden has already explained to us that these are events that haven’t happened, also none of us including Subaru-sama remember any of this. At least in our reality that is. In a similar way, those loops that Subaru-sama has lived through are events that we do not remember and are only shown to us through a screen. And considering the nature of return by death and the implications presented to us through the ‘unthinkable present’ trial, those loops could very well be their own realities at this point.”

“Just get to the point already!”, so spat the impatient Felt.

“The point is, that if those crimes and sins in those hellish loops were committed by another reality counterpart of ourselves, then should we be held accountable of things that ‘we’ have not committed? If we are guilty then what about this reality? Are the scales of judgment only applicable on events that Natsuki Subaru remembers?”.

Such wise words were met by shock,silence and confusion from some. But as the screen activated once more, everyone just turned to look back while pondering the disorientating nature of alternate realities.

This time Roswall was shown walking in his own frozen mansion with tired movements.

As he drew his neck away from the unpleasant breeze, he muttered, “Ram, Rem”. Walking all alone, the Margrave only looked like the shell of a broken cocoon.

“--Ram”, such was the small mumble filled with regret.

“Hee, where was all this guilt and melodrama before huh? Weren’t you the one who was willing to sacrifice everything for your ‘Sensei’?”.

“Ha just stop your questioning, Merchant girl. You would be wasting your time on this defected person.”

“You are correct. Time is money after all.”

While Anastasia and Priscilla were busy mocking Roswall, Julius couldn't help but feel as if he were witnessing a comedic scene of a death row inmate getting bullied by his executioners. The fact that one of these ‘executioners’ was his lady, made him worry about her mental health.

On the other hand, Ram felt infuriated at the two candidates while also feeling a little glad to see her master remember her even after she had ‘died’. But what hurt her more than anything was the almost dead appearance of Roswall. However, she would be the only one to hold such pain.

“ I-i knew that the death of the oni sisters is a high possibility for the realization of my dream. I needed them to accomplish the slaying of the divine dragon after all. But looking at this, couldn't there have been a better way to go about it. In the end I could not become an inhuman force like that devil of melancholy but if i had accepted my humanity and the tedious emotions that come with it , then maybe…”. While looking at the screen’s Roswall whose exhausted disposition looked similar to himself, Roswall couldn't help letting in such regretfully late thoughts.

As for Rem, she once again expressed disgust when she heard Roswall say her name. But she also looked towards her sister in the back area and her heart throbbed in pain as she felt the emotions her sister was feeling through their synesthesia.

Frederica: “ Master, please return yourself to how you were before. So the two of them-”

Such words passed through Roswall’s mind and looked outside at the sight of Beatrice resisting the magic that sought to turn the entire mansion to ice.

Looking at that small girl, Roswall decided to spread his arms wide in order to pour out his own mana.

“So, you decide to help Betty now, when its all too late”. Said the small girl in a emotionless voice while directing her ice-cold glare to Roswall who simply returned a small sad smile.

“--Kh!!”

But before he could, the flash of a blade is seen targeting his neck. Drops of blood danced in the air ,showing that even though Roswall avoided that attack with incredible reflexes, it still left its mark. 

“Roswall-sama!!”. Ram wringed out those words as her eyes widened in fear at seeing her beloved almost get executed. “He might still get executed, not just in this story, but in ours…”

The hallway is shown to be scorched through the sheer gliding speed of the attacker who is seen wearing zori. Clad in a blue kimono,sporting tied dark-blue hair, with one sword strapped to his waist and the other one casually tapping his shoulder, the young man spoke with a mischievous tone and a bright smile that was radiating out fighting spirit.

“-Ah, to be able to dodge this is outside of my expectations. Perhaps, the head magician of the court isn't only skilled in magic, but is someone holding some level of skill in martial arts as well?”

“Cecilus Segmunt!!!”

“Cecilus Segmunt”

“Cecilus Segmunt nyaaan!!!”

Three voices of three knights spoke out in unison. To which Otto responded with a loud;

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Cecilus Segmunt!? The blue lightning who has claimed the lives of many during the emperor selection ceremony?! The same person who single handedly slaughtered an entire army called the pruning corpse?! The 1st ranking divine general employed by the emperor himself?!”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! The same Cecilus kun who honestly scares Ferri-chan nya! And you are too loud nya!”.

“No its both of you who are annoyingly loud. Anyways, have you three knights met  with this strong looking guy?”

“Yes Felt-sama. I, Julius and Ferris met him in Vollachia when we went there before the royal selection, for the peace treaty. Due to the event that happened there, Julius and I even ended up crossing swords with him on separate occasions.”

To this piece of information, the greedy fox beside Julius gave him a look with a sly smile. Knowing the meaning behind such a look, Julius began explaining with a sigh.

“Due to the nature of the event that transpired there, I unfortunately cannot share the reason as to why we fought. I can however proudly say that I had managed to break one of his many swords before he almost decapitated me. Thats where Reinhart came to the rescue and temporarily defeated him”. Finished Julius with a nostalgic look on his face. All three knights looked at each and had a genuine smile after what seemed like forever.

“One of the strongest people….”, muttered Garfiel as he clacked his teeth in excitement, once again recalling his dream to became the strongest warrior and to also see Roswall get sliced.

“Then the remaining question is as to why is one of the divine generals here in Lugunica?”. Said Crusch in a firm voice as her suspicion was being directed towards the emperor. “Him attacking the head magician while the treaty is still in play, would be the same as declaring war between the two countries”.

“Fool, that is only in the case where the emperor is the puppetmaster”, curtly spoke the baroness with a smirk. It seemed Priscilla had somehow seen through the identity of the person behind this already. “ Ho very amusing indeed”.

Cecilus: “That movement just now, it wasn't something someone can just do on the fly. I'm honestly impressed.”

Cecilus: “If you are a person confident in more than just magic, my heart’s relieved of a burden,it really is a great help. After all, something that’s so one-sided doesn't fit my sense of aesthetics.No, I’d do it if told to do so, but I wanna avoid getting the villain treatment if possible.”

Roswall: “Like in the rumors, you are quite talkative..”

Cecilus: “Oh, a rumor about me? It can’t be helped. Am I a celebrity even in such a place? Heheh, I wish it wasn't such a strange rumor though”.

The man spoke with a out of place shy smile. 

Roswall on the other hand had another issue to deal with. Specifically his missing left arm that had been a casualty in Cecilus’s first strike.

“-Hk!!”. While the rest of the cast showed no care at all and continued watching, only one maid expressed fear and anger at her master’s state.

Cecilus: “By the way, if you don't do anything about that arm soon, won’t you die of blood loss?”

Roswall: “Your advice, I am grateful for it”

While loosening his lips at that, Roswall grasped his wound directly and without hesitation applied a controlled burst of fire, thus taking care of one issue.

To that action, with slightly widened eyes ,the young man expressed his amazement.

Cecilus: “I’d imagined that mages be far more timid. Anya’s like that….Oh, by the way Anya’s someone I am acquainted with”.

“Dammm, that rough measure was badass…”, said Al while drinking his 9th coke bottle. Unfortunately the moment he said that, he detected a large amount of hostility coming from all the eyes fixed on him. If that wasn’t enough, the former gladiator felt a hand on his shoulder and a sweet but dangerous voice whispered in his ear.

“Aldebaran, did you just praise a certain someone I wonder? Hmm, did you?”

“-Eeeep! Ha..ha.. No! No i did not. I mean there is no way i did right?. Yeah no words came out of this poor useless servant’s mouth, princess!”.

Such were the pathetic words Al said for redemption.

Roswall: “I know, Cecilus Segmunt.”

Roswall: “The most powerful warrior in the Vollachian Empire, top-ranked among the nine-divine generals, correct? Being given the rank of first general, the name of the blue lightning in famous even in Lugunica.”

Cecilus: “Oh, thats the biggest of Honors”.

To these statements of identifications, Cecilus displayed an elegant bow.

With a sigh, Roswall continued.

Roswall: “But that aside, whats happening now ,I wooonder? Ahh, It couldn't be, at this time when the king of the kingdom is being decided, the Vollachian empire is moving in violation of the treaty?”

Cecilus: “Oh, thats a misunderstanding, right now you could say I am on a vacation or a break or unemployed. Anyway this business has nothing to do with the empire.”

“What? If it dosen’t have anything to do with our neighboring country then why is he after Ros-the clown?”. To Emilia’s question, Anastasia interjected with a shake of her head.

“You shouldn’t accept that answer so easily Emilia-san. If its the famous empire I have heard of, then dirty tricks and lies are all viable here.”

“My lady with all due respect , I don't think that is the case with Cecilus.”

“Julius-kyun is right, Anastasia-sama. From Ferri-chan’s perspective, scary Cecilus instead appears to be blatantly honest with people.”

Said the two knights while recalling their encounter with the blue lightning in the streets of the capital of Lugunica.

Cecilus: “This is no poor joke. My actions, the empire’s not involved in them at all. Of course loyalty to his emperor still lies in my heart…but i have got my reasons for doing what i do.”

With a grand gesture, Cecilus asserted his point.

To this Roswall inquired further while narrowing his eyes in order to gouge the truth.

Roswall: “ Then its even more curious. That you have even abandoned your position of general at the empire and come here. What exactly is it that can move you to such an extent I wonder?”

Cecilus: “Its easy to understand- A step in the path towards the heavenly sword was promised.”

Roswall: “Path towards the heavenly sword?”

To this answer , Roswal frowned deeper which was met with a nod. “Yes”, murmured Cecilus with eyes containing a deeper emotion than before.

“A path towards the heavenly sword….”, muttered Reinhart remembering his sword, his family and his own title, the sword saint.

“Un, could Cecilus be doing all this just to get a chance to fight Reinhart”, wondered Wilhelm, knowing how the sword saint’s position is considered to be the peak of swordsmanship. “And who could it be who promised such a path”.

“Ha! Considering whose story this is about, even the most imbecile people here should have already realized the answer already.” 

To Priscilla’s rude comment, no one responded or displayed surprise, as they all knew the truth in it.

Cecilus: “Its a most important wish I have never spoken of to any living person. Someone guessed it correctly and went on to say they could assist with it…There wasn't any choice but to accept that opportunity.”

Roswall: “How unexpected, you don't seem to be the type to be another’s puppet.”

Cecilus: “Between being controlled by others and merely accepting the stage provided by fate, isn't there a subjective difference between the two? I accept the role of the star actor, the leading part of its script. Beyond that, it part of  the actor’s skillset to ad-lib lines and performances isn't it so?”

Saying this and displaying his ideology Cecilus simply shrugged to which Roswall nodded.

“Might makes right, that’s what Cecilus’s ,no the whole empire’s policy is about”, said Emilia sadly as she remembered the knowledge she had gained while studying for the royal election.

“Rem is really glad that Subaru-kun was teleported to Lugunica not the empire.”

“Yes…if Betty’s Subaru was suddenly teleported to the empire, it would make Betty die of worry ,I suppose.”

Saying that the three delicately giggled. But looking at that Petra couldn't help but think in fear that those three have just raised a dangerous red flag for Subaru.

Roswall: “I don’t hate you, rather I quite like you. But because this is also my role…That of the head magician of the court of Lugunica, I Roswall. L. Mathers will be taking that neck of yours with me.”

“I see, you find a similarity in Cecilius because he also strives towards his own resolute desire with whatever means necessary”, Otto said with a displeased face as what he found repulsive was not the Margrave’s wish itself but his ways of going about it. “Unfortunately just like your wish, achieving victory against him will not be possible”.

“To think a person like you would be the court magician is shameful to this country!”. The angry voice of Wilhelm further added as he now felt nothing but anger at his memories of Roswall J Mathers aka Julia.

With this Cecilus sheathed his sword and revealed the other one. A beautiful sword that exhibited an uncanny magical power.

Cecilus: “---ranked highest among blades, the dream sword Masayume.”

“That is a magic sword said to be one of the ten strongest in the world. Its past is unknown to me but the aura it gave out even when unsheathed was bloody to say the least.” Informed Juilius before anyone got a chance to question.

Unbeknownst to him, his master was pleasantly surprised to hear some of his confidence and spirit coming back.

But seeing that sword, a certain oni maid’s blood ran cold as she realized the fate that awaited her master.

“Just look away ,Ram”, whispered Roswal who had his utmost focus not on the inevitable death of himself on the screen, but towards his upcoming question.

Roswal: “The sword that eats away at the holder’s soul with one swing is it? —Cecilus-kun may i ask one thing?”

With a carefree tone, Roswall just raised a finger and asked, prompting Cecilus to tilt his head.

Cecilus: “What are my weaknesses? My weak points are that I don't listen to people and I dont have the composure of someone over twenty years of age. Often times that would end up in the imperial parliament’s agenda.”

Roswal: “Your employer’s name is?”

Cecilus’s eyebrows slightly raised at that, but then he proceed to lower his blade, lean his body forward and with his blade lowered he said.

“Gossip around has them down as a fiend, a wretch and I have even heard some speaking ill at their back, calling them the purge king…But, to you because I have been asked to communicate the correct name to you..”

With this Cecilus licked his lips, and the moment he told Roswall the answer he wanted to hear, he disappeared , cracking the floor and closing the distance instantly.

Roswall: “So it was you, after all.”

With weakly parted lips, Roswall muttered this and the same instant, the dream sword claimed his life.

His last thoughts were only about Rem, Ram, Frederica, Beatrice and Emilia.

.

..

Most of the cast didn't say a word or express a single feeling. Even the same girls that Roswall thought of before his death looked on emotionlessly with the exception of Ram who just had a wrathful glare towards Cecilus.

“So fast! Damn that guys good!”, said the impressed Garfiel which only further enraged the girl he has a crush on.

“Hmm..dismembered arm..”, to Trivey’s easily heard mutter, Ricardo once again had a mischievous gaze and proceeded.

“Trivey man, this is not the time for you to develop a fetish on dismembered ar–”

“Ah shuut up! Thats not why i was saying that!”

“Then why?”

“Think about it, an exhausted man at an hallway, the first strike from a assailant dismembering your arm and then dying due to a fatal head attack. Doesn't it seem weirdly similar to that loop in arc 2?”

“Well thats where the similarities stop though.Eh I think you are thinking too much on it.”

Saying that the big man patted his back but was interrupted by Mimi.

“Hey Hey didn't that dude say some stuff like his employer being called the purge king?”

“Yes Nee’san. That is pretty eerie. And if the person is who we think it is then all the more so.”

An image of all the doors to the mansion  having been opened is shown along with Beatrice in the dining room of the first floor.

With her gaze directed towards the door she spoke,

“What irony, I suppose”

“The doors like that, just like in the sanctuary arc which would mean…”, spoke Emilia directing a worried gaze towards Beatrice.

“It would mean that most likely ,Bubby spread the information about door crossing to his collaborator, which is most likely…”

And then after the door was opened, came a very familiar voice.

“---Yo ,Beatrice”

.

.

.

.

…….Chapter 2 end.

Chapter Text

Author’s note: Yo, it's me. So this chapter was supposed to have been twice as long and should have been uploaded on a much earlier date. But before I knew it a couple months had passed and I still hadn't completed the sections I wanted to complete.

I have already started to lose some of my motivation to write, but that’s not the main issue. I am losing a lot of the inspiration and creativity that I had previously. Even just looking back at this chapter, I am not really satisfied. A lot of it is starting to feel like the characters are just analyzing everything. A lot of it is starting to feel like unnecessary and filler dialogue. 

 And, my brain can’t seem to come up with any good ideas to make this fun and not monotonous. Despite having such a big cast to work with, it feels that my vision is restricted inside the walls of this theater. I probably should have woken up Subaru at the start of this. That could have given me more to play with.

This is probably just me trying to be too overly perfect about this. It could be that this work is good as it is and I should just continue this flow. 

Now, I am still writing bits and pieces here and there.  For example, this week I reached about halfway into completing the next segment. But my spike of motivation is completely random. I do have to thank those who commented, urging me to continue this. I think that is what has allowed me not to just abandon it completely and forget about it.

This is my first piece of writing in a way. The only other experience I have is just highschool essays. And that’s why I think I am going to expand my repertoire and maybe write some other stuff. But I will continue to write this. Even a few words is better than nothing after all. 

By the way, I have completed the basic setup for this cast. So I guess it is now called ‘The Phthonus wrath-if’. Any aspiring writers are free to use this setup for their works.

See you next time. 

                                                             Chapter 3

Long ago, the witch of greed Echidna, in her everlasting thirst for knowledge started experimenting on the means to attain immortality. Whether her creation of artificial spirits were a byproduct or another necessary step towards her ultimate goal is unknown. But due to this witch's endeavors, three artificial spirits were made.

Great spirit Beatrice was said witch’s last completed product. Born with tremendous knowledge and an unmatchable cuteness, the spirit continued to serve under her creator. Along with her fellow artificial spirit Puck, both of them usually watched over Echidna’s place of residence during her absence. And then after her brother left for his own path, the lonely spirit was usually seen accompanying her mother to the sanctuary. 

That place and the memories she made in it, is something she still holds on to even now. From her friendship with Ryuzu to her unhelpful relationship with Roswall, all are memories that she cherishes deeply. 

But then a deep collapse began for Beatrice. Her beloved friend was lost and her mother ordered her to protect the witch’s crucial library filled with unparalleled knowledge. Roswall slowly changed for the worse and mostly focused on his own wish. Beatrice was now left alone with her hope only lying in wait for ‘that person’.

But after a long and lonely 400 years, a nasty-eyed boy from another world managed to free the spirit from her deep despair. For Beatrice, Subaru wasn't her ‘that person’. No, instead he was the person that Beatrice , from her own will, had chosen to be her savior. And that is why, just like the Beatrice on the screen, she couldn't help but shiver in fear.

Calling out to Beatrice from the direction of the open door, the person waved his hand.

Though the person had familiar looks and attitude, his image had changed vastly. With eyes that had lost its shine surrounded by deep dark circles, thin and malnourished cheeks, and with a frail corpse-like impression, that person covered in long dark clothes had a bright orange scarf tightly wrapped around his neck.

Beatrice: “You, why are you giving me that look, in fact?”

While shivering with fear at that drastic change, Beatrice shook her head to throw off that gaze.

“Is that…….onii-chan?”, quietly asked Felt with a slightly scared expression on her face. It could not be helped, considering the image Felt had for Subaru ,compared to the one displayed on the screen, was clearly off.

“..Those eyes….that dark gaze….”. With narrowed eyes , Wilhelm muttered cautiously. His instincts were informing him of danger. And the look Subaru had made him want to do nothing but look away, a sentiment shared by many.

“Instead of being better ,Subaru-kun’s physical disposition has gotten even worse..”, spoke Rem, in worry for the obvious physical deterioration in Subaru. But when wondering about the reasons for such, the loops of arc 2 just simply flashed in her mind.

“I guess..Barusu is here for revenge then”, at the red oni’s proclamation some displayed disbelief while others simply nodded. “ Barusu…are you the one who ordered Roswall-sama’s death?”. So thought the oni in wrath and grief, all the while displaying her unhealthy obsession. Even though she had accepted Barusu’s actions, she still couldn't help but feel utmost anger at the person who most likely gave such a death sentence.

“For revenge is it? I think a lot of stuff does not match though.”

“Anastasia-san?”. To Anastasia’s words , Emilia prompted a further explanation with desperation that was brought on by the thought of Subaru committing to revenge. “ Every deathly incident that Subaru experienced in the mansion, are events that cannot be denied. Considering the mental anguish he was going through, Subaru wishing for revenge is understandable. I understand, but I still don't wish to see him in a state similar to that time with Guesse.”

“Well then, lets put aside the fact that Natsuki-kun has managed to form a cooperative relationship with the beast of the end, and also appears to be employing one of the strongest individuals in the world. Even though both acts seem very ludicrous, Natsuki-kun has a score of pulling off the impossible .”

Anastasia continued while allowing an impressed expression to show on her face, which unbeknownst to her, spiraled the ever-growing envy inside her knight. “Don’t you think the clown’s execution here was done in a more disinterested manner, rather than a truly revengeful one? Natsuki-kun seems to have merely given the order and didn't even bother personally seeing it through. Instead, he has arranged a personal meeting with Beatrice, who was the only person that tried saving him.”

“Adding on to Anastasia-sama’s words, I would like to point out Great Spirit Puck’s intentions as well”. With that as an opening line, Otto started to add his own thoughts to the thesis. “ Emilia-sama’s spirit is most definitely working together with Natsuki-kun in order to solidify her safety. Both of their intentions on this matter are  likely the same. Would that overprotective dad-spirit really work with a vengeful Natsuki-kun? That feels highly unlikely. In fact, I would hypothesize that the Margrave’s and Frederica’s disposal was only done to get rid of interference.”

“..So, they are treating me like an easily breakable glass. But then if not for revenge, then why did Subaru come to Beatrice?” Finishing her piece, Emilia looked towards the little girl who had been quietly pondering.

“If Subaru is not here for revenge, then could it be…..has he come to free Betty, I suppose?”,  she quietly muttered.

At the same time as this conversation, another short standoff happened. “Nee-sama.” The oni, Rem gazed at her sister with a warning glare. Through their synesthesia, she had inevitably detected such hate that the degree made her shudder. “ But, if someone had ordered Subaru-kun’s death, then Rem would have surely felt the same way, regardless of whoever the perpetrator.”

“Rem..”, seeing her sister being willing to stand against her, Ram drifted her gaze away. She would have felt glad seeing such autonomy from Rem, but the context of the situation inhibited that.

“Speaking of little boss there, his dressing style not only looks fairly badass ,but it also has his signature color pattern!”

“I do agree with your words about his aesthetic sense, Ricardo-san. But, I believe that his real reason for dressing in such a way might not be so invigorating.” 

“Real reason?”

“Yes, from what my eyes can tell, Natsuki Subaru doesn't seem to dress in such a way out of a sense of fashion. Instead, it appears like a wounded boy trying to cover himself away from the world. It could be a symbol, implying his desire to seek protection from everything else.” As Crusch finished with an analytical expression, one annoyed individual spoke next.

“Argh! All this analysis of my Captain is not only making my head hurt, but also dragging this scene out. And in the end, Captain looks cool anyway! ”, said Garfiel, having grown adequately irritated with all the conversing. “ Actually, Patrasche also has a similar Black-orange pattern. The only other person would be Satte…..oh..”.

The rest of the cast didn't even need to continue Garfiel’s words , considering their tumultuous emotions regarding the witch. And with this, Garfiel had masterfully silenced the dragged on discussion. 

“You, your mood has seriously changed, I suppose”.

“Same goes for you then. Is your growth spurt over? Normally, you’d become a little more mature after two years have passed.”

“Joking with Betty like that. But , you doing it in such an empty voice, is something Betty doesn't like, you know.” Beatrice said it out loud, a sentiment shared by most individuals here. To shake off that gloomy mood, Felt decided to change the focus.

“If two years have passed, I wonder what happened with the royal selection here. Heh, maybe the winner was me-”.

“Ha Ha! The slum rat thinks she stands a chance! If-story or otherwise, isn’t it obvious that the winner would be mineself?.” With a crooked smile, Priscilla started her frequent routine of mocking her competition. “ Without the boy, the green-haired fool over there would have failed poetically in her White whale subjugation. Considering the state of her now deceased sponsor, the half-elf fool, has most likely already failed in the royal selection. The greedy merchant fool would not get a part in the achievement of slaying a great witchbeast and an archbishop. And you only have the sword saint giving you a piggyback ride.”

“Heh! And what the hell have you been doing? Just sitting in your satisfied little domain, and basking in your self-serving glory?!”

“Good grief, to think you never learn some respect towards your superiors. It seems, its up to mineself to teach you the basics.”

As the ugly banter continued, the others were surprisingly gazing at both in a lighthearted way. It seemed that not only had this unnecessary argument become fairly common, but it also, albeit unintentionally, gave them some breathing room.

Subaru: “Do you remember, Beatrice? We ate together here.”

Beatrice: “---That memory does not exist ,in fact. Eating together with you never happened, I suppose . ” So said Beatrice while wrinkling her brows.

Subaru: “..Ah, that's right. You, yeah, you wouldn't know that. Yeah, that's my bad. That just now, it was my bad. It's always my bad.” 

Beatrice: “ What happened…No, its not something that needs to be heard now at this point, in fact.”

“Its, Its not your fault , Subaru-kun. It was because of Rem’s sins, that those events were removed through your death. That’s right, I haven’t even received any retribution for those sins, yet.”

“You shouldn't think that way, Rem-san.” To Rem’s painful statement, Wilhelm decided to impart his advice. “It wasn't just Subaru-dono, but all of us here watching this show who witnessed your crimes and actions. But, I am certain that in addition to him having forgiven you, a lot of us here also agree with his judgment. Even then, should you not find it satisfactory, then all you need is to take earnest actions towards the absolution of your sins.”

“......Absolution for my sins. Thank you, Wilhelm-sama.” Her speechlessness changing into respect, Rem gave an elegant bow accompanied by a small smile.

The pair of eyes that belonged to her sister, also  looked towards Wilhelm in gratefulness. 

And then, Beatrice pointed her palm towards Subaru and declared her intentions.

“You might have a righteous right to wish for revenge, I suppose. Even so, Betty has, for Betty, a role to fulfill, in fact. For that…”.  Saying that, Beatrice looked towards him in a determined glare, which begets a tensed and difficult expression from him.

“I know, that for Betty, that role was once important. But, I do not want to hurt Subaru, I suppose”. Her words being said towards no one in particular, Beatrice winced at the screen. “Like that time, when Betty lied about hating you and physically struck you away. Betty has done horrible things, all so that she could stubbornly close her heart away. Even if we did not have a binding contract or a close relationship that time, Betty refuses to accept those excuses. That's why, I have to become the best spirit for Subaru, I suppose.”  With those small words, Beatrice kept her remorse and determination at the forefront.

“I wonder ,what does Subaru-sama plan to say? If it's bringing about such an expression, then it's possibly related to the final loop.” Frederica put a hand to her chin and furrowed her brows, as she thought. “ As selfish and even ugly it is, I can’t help but be glad that our Subaru-sama chose to stay. Its painful witnessing the state of our mansion without him. Not to mention, in this reality, Petra is mostly likely gone.”

While thinking such, Frederica enveloped her junior in a warm embrace.

“Whatever pal plans to say, it better be good enough to stop the spirit from giving him the boot”, added Al, while drinking his 11th coke bottle.

At the moment Beatrice set down her foot–

“ Come on now, Beatrice– Wasn’t there a contract to protect me?”

“ -Hk!”. With such an exclamation, Beatrice clapped her hand over her mouth in complete self-mortification. “ T-that’s right, I suppose. A contract that Betty failed to keep in both realities. For a spirit, contracts are immovable bindings that must be seen through to the end. But, Betty even failed to fulfill her promise with Mother. Then, what about now, I suppose? Can I confidently claim to have the ability to protect Subaru? What if I fail again?”

As the spirit continued in her restless self-doubt, the two beside her, placed their own shaking hands on top of her head. They could not think of any justified words to express their consolation, neither did they believe it would be of benefit. 

“ I wonder how Subaru-kun would react to this.”  Watching Beatrice in unfiltered sympathy, Roswall continued his thoughts. “ No doubt, this state others are in, would be undesirable to Subaru-kun. If the others form a united front, then his inevitable deaths in the future could be reduced. But every time he does die, the others are going to fall deeper into despair. Will he allow for such a thin-ice state? Or would he attempt to remove it , if given the certainty and chance to do so?”

Caressing her fox scarf, Anastasia scanned the scene. “ That would certainly create a good opening. Now, the problem is to make use of that opening”. As she spoke, she thought about her own inability to form a contract. Even with their long relationship, both Eridna and her had the same envy towards proper contracts. “ Well, if it comes to the strength of our relationship, then I can boldly proclaim for it to be even better, compared to the actual spirit-art users present here.”

“..Ah”.

At the moment of her hesitation , her physical movement grew stiff.  But as the physical binding was not caused by her own will , the perpetrator revealed themselves. 

“ Forgive me. With this, you won’t be able to move.”

Rising from the shadows, a person manifested.  Wearing a black kimono and biting on a kiseru, the tall wolf-demihuman gazed at her with emotionless eyes.

“ A wolfskin! “. With an exclamation, the usually laid-back Ricardo was the first to display his shock. To the unavoidable gazes towards him, he replied with a , “ Ah, no , lets just say that the wolf-humans are pretty rare. Well, there is a fairly famous one in kararagi.”

The majority of the listeners, especially the demi-humans, understood the implied cause behind such a rarity. Ever since the great calamity, dicrimination towards demi-humans has been unrelenting after all. How ironic then, that the perpetrator considered to be the center of evil, is the benefactor of Natsuki Subaru.

As a reply, Beatrice let out a squeak and continued with a , “That, is..”.

Subaru: “A mysterious shinobi technique of binding shadows, something of the sort. Think of it as a secret art. No need for concern however, it shouldn't be active for very long … You are my benefactor, after all.”

To this scene, Beatrice responded with a dark chuckle. “Benefactor ,is it? I could not even fulfill my contract properly, I suppose. How useless is Betty?”. But before Beatrice could continue in her self-loathing, an exasperated voice belonging to Priscilla , initiated with a sigh. 

“ Mineself has gotten fairly tired of that misguided farce. And that is why, I shall pridefully inform you. When it comes to the subject of this reality, the spirit over there had in-fact fulfilled her part of the contract, and had successfully delivered him away from an unreasonable fate.”

“ Betty protected him? What blather are you trying to portray here, I suppose. In the end, Subaru was left defenseless in the forest, such that even the maid caught up. How is that, ‘fulfilling my part’, I suppose”. While Beatrice spoke with spite, the others turned in confusion towards Priscilla’s words. 

“ It seems like the sudden and shocking start had many of you mesmerized. But I am sure that most of you paid attention to the surrounding area, even if you didn't question it due to whatever reason.”  

“ The area itself felt very similar to the forest surrounding the mansion. Not to mention the familiar witch beasts” . With this, Crusch started to describe the initial location. “ If there was one very crucial difference , it is due to the accumulated snow. To our knowledge, there was not a single incident of snowfall during that ‘arc’.”

“ The only ones capable of bringing about such a sudden weather change would be either Spirit Puck, or the Margrave. But both displayed no reason to do so. And though we are not aware of the time difference between Subaru’s preliminary escape, and the first scene, it surely did not provide enough time for the snow to accumulate to that degree. Ah, I am very apologetic at the fact that I interfered while you were still speaking, Crusch-sama.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize, Julius. Agreeing with  what you stated, it leaves us with one major possibility. The first scene, most likely took place either close to Gustecko, or inside its territory. On a physical map, the distance between the Mathers domain and Gustecko might seem small, but it’s a realistically significant distance.”

As others understood and agreed, Emilia clapped her hands once and turned towards Beatrice. “See, Beatrice. Because of you, Subaru was able to escape that far. In the first place, the contract only entailed protection till the fifth day. But not only did the Beatrice here fulfill that condition, she went even further. In the end , Ram did catch up to him, but you should not blame yourself for every unforeseen event.”

“But…..But..in the end….”.

“I know. Saving his life is not the same as truly saving him. But, we should keep in mind that this is an alternate reality. This is not the same Subaru we know.”

.

“ With that aside, what I am wondering about, is the identity of that mysterious demihuman.” Spoke Trivey while readjusting his monocle. “ I do have a clue about him. But what do you think, Anastasia-sama?”. 

“I am certain that we are on the same page here. The mention of a shinobi technique, wearing a kimono while biting on a kiseru, and the person is a wolf-demihuman. If my information is correct, then this person is the strongest of Kararagi – Admirer Halibel.” 

“ Woah, woah, wait a second ! You are suggesting that Natsuki-san has attained not one, but two of the strongest individuals in the world?!” While Otto said those words with a face contorted in disbelief, Garfiel displayed a proud expression and a hearty laugh. 

“ Goddamm ! Pal is out there becoming a last boss .” It was Al who had said such words, although his impressed expression continued to stay hidden beneath his helmet. “ If you could form a powerhouse like this in our own reality, then your desire to save everyone without sacrifices could be fulfilled .” 

After saying that, he rose and walked towards Beatrice. With no discomfort, Natsuki Subaru’s eyes were not that of one seeking revenge. 

“ Back then , you let me run away, and now I am still here. That’s definitely something I wanted to tell you.”

“If this is you method for that…You really are an aggravating man, I suppose…Definitely aggravating.” Said Beatrice in an uneven tone.

“I am sorry about that. But, I figured something out, Beatrice.”

“It seems our collective assessment was correct, nyan. He is here to retrieve Emilia-sama, and to portray his gratitude to Spirit Beatrice.” 

As Felix delivered the conclusion, another person had reached their own. Ram, who had previously felt hate and anger, had now greatly calmed her emotions. She had realized the futility of her emotions towards this scenario. Even though it was an if-story, she could not help but feel despair and wrath at the death of Roswall. But the event was already over, and the Roswall she knew was sitting beside her, yet unharmed. 

However, this situation had once again given her insight. That even if she can accept any punishment dealt to her master, his death is something she can not handle. “ This really is an unhealthy fixation..” .

Shaking his head, he looked down at Beatrice with a smile. And then putting out his hand, he said , “--That you and I , we are of the same kind, that is”.

“Same..kind”. As Beatrice repeated his words, others took the initiative to add their thoughts.

“Hmm , during those unimaginable 400 years, Beatrice-chan was in a state of despair .” With that preface, Anastasia displayed pity, and continued. “ Her state during that time is something most of us can’t fully understand, and her only hope was in ‘that person’. She had even agonized to the point of desiring a release through death. Natsuki-kun also displayed a similar desire during the final loop, when confronted by the despairing absurdity of the situation. And in the end, though his reasons were different, he did die.”

“That right, Subaru-kun who had fallen into despair due to …my actions, was given hope in the form of a contract . Just like how Beatrice-sama clung into the idea of ‘that person’ , Subaru-kun clasped onto her. ” With despondent words, Rem cast her gaze down.

“ But his despair seems to have worsened instead.” Reinhard narrowed his eyes towards the screen. “That dark gaze of his, is divulging neither hostility nor goodwill. Only a very dark, never ending despair can be seen.”

Needless to say, the atmosphere of the room had gotten very muddy. A weird stickiness was felt by everyone in the room, clinging and enveloping them without restraint. Maybe, it was the sense of hopelessness , continuously beaming from Wrath Baru.  

Saying that, his eyes drooped, returning to how he looked back then. 

“ At that time, I had no other path but to die, but you didn’t give up on me, you saved me. Even now, how many times, how many times do the thoughts of that red-glowing sunset come to my mind.”

“You..”

“I am still thankful for that , Beatrice..Why didn’t you kill me, back then?”

“--kh.”

“Ki-killing you, is something Betty cannot do , I suppose!” , exclaimed Beatrice with tear-filled eyes, as she realized the true extent of this Subaru’s sad state. That hope-eroding hopelessness that had made its nest inside him was something she understood very well. And the fact that it was partly brought on by her own actions, increased her guilt exponentially. “ Everything, everything was just leading up to your death, I suppose. If this would be the result of you surviving , then what was Betty even supposed to have done? Fail in order to allow your death, or succeed only to let in such distress?”.

“ Wh-why is Subaru showing gratitude, but also being resentful?” The innocent Petra questioned. Seeing the state of Beatrice, she desired to embrace her warmly. But she knew that her words would not reach.

“He seems to be truly thankful for having survived. But at the same time, maybe due to the state he is in right now, he is also displaying resentment towards his survival. Even after having gained two of the strongest individuals, his face is not one of victory and achievement.” Anastasia gave such an answer. “ So much for being optimistic about this viewing.”

Subaru spoke such words with a face displaying both joy and sorrow. The binding on her body came off, but Beatrice displayed no resistance. 

Subaru: “Beatrice, I’m thankful for you. I think I probably did like you. Within that time, only you truly drew close to me, those are my thoughts.”

Beatrice : “That is, the lowest confession.”

Subaru: “I don’t disagree.”

Subaru: “Halibel, a kunai. ”

“So he is Halibel. Ah, for those who don’t know, a kunai is a type of weapon.” Even without that information conveyed from Anastasia, the others had slowly started to realize what Subaru plans to do.

“Wh-why is Subaru asking for a weapon..?”

“Its obvious isn't it? The boy is going to repay his debt.” Emilia’s question ,filled with disbelief, was mercilessly shut down by Priscilla.

“So he is here to free Beatrice-sama. As expected of Barusu, repaying his debts in a twisted way.”  Though Ram’s wording was still intolerable, her words possessed less venom than before.

“This is in fact, a result that Betty desired, I suppose. If Subaru is the one, then Betty would…would.accept it.” 

At that , Halibel raised his eyebrows. And shaking his kiseru up and down, he asked, “..Ya sure?”

“A kunai”.

Having been ordered, he swung his left arm high. And then the kunai which stabbed the ground, was picked up by Subaru.

“I am so happy that you remembered our contract.”

 “You are so lovely , with those colors that suit you..”, he spoke with a gentle voice.

Listening to that, Beatrice’s eyes opened wide and filled with tears.

In a similar fashion to her counterpart, Beatrice shed her own tears along with a sad smile accompanying it. But inside her heart, she felt a pang. Even though she welcomed her  freedom bestowed at  the hands of Subaru, she hypocritically disliked such a result. “ If possible, Betty wishes to stay with Subaru, I suppose. It seems that for WrathBetty, its not possible, I suppose.”

“She must think that her ‘that person’ has come to free her. I do wonder why Subaru-sama emphasized her colors. That detail stood out among others.” Crusch stated. “His relationship with Halibel does not seem one of trust either.”

“That was a downright order with no room to refuse,”  Al decided to add and continue his piece. “It’s a true wonder, as to what kind of a two years pal must have gone through that changed him that much. Though I guess the biggest initiation was probably the mansion.”  “ Those oni really are just a danger trap. My anger and hatred was justified all along.”

With tears overflowing from her tiny eyes and Natsuki Subaru overlooking her with a gentle gaze, Beatrice spoke with a small shiver.

“Before, that…”

“........”

“---Are you, Betty’s that person, I suppose?”

“And there it is, I suppose.” Beatrice wringed out with a tired voice. 

“So we come to this foolish question once again.” With a sigh, the crimson princess spoke out without hesitation. As the annoyed tone could be felt, her knight facepalmed in exasperation. But there were those who would not let this stand.

“With all due respect, Priscilla-sama. I dislike the way you called Beatrice’s 400 year old struggle foolish. A promise is absolute, and Beatrice did a great job in keeping it so far,” with clear indignation in her gaze, Emilia spoke for the spirit that would not defend itself.

“Ho, I do understand the importance of promises very well, half-elf. But this spirit’s actions are not beautiful at all. She misjudged the desires of her parent and could do nothing except being a waste of space. In the end, her promise even came at the cost of extra suffering towards Natsuki Subaru. Ah , but I guess you would be willing to keep a promise even if it costs someone their life.” 

Though her initial instinct was to lash back at that response, Emilia stopped in contemplation and shock. “ Promises are important. That’s what Mother Fortuna taught me. But what if I have to keep a promise that could cause Subaru his life, what would I do?”

While this occurred, Beatrice herself pondered the nature and importance of promises, rather than just blindly believing in their authority.

Subaru - “Ahh”

And so, with a smiling face that would crush the poor spirit’s heart -

“Im, That person.”

The blessed blade was raised, and in response only a large teardrop fell. 

Chapter 3 end.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Author’s note: I feel like I put way too much dialogue. I think it was ‘A.J. Savage’ who mentioned that in the last chapter, but here I am. I’ll try to balance it next time.

Anyways, I wanted to mention a few things. First is the seating arrangements of the cast members. It’s kinda a minor thing and there’s probably going to be some inconsistency. 

The third row from the front has the Emilia camp seated in the middle. Subaru’s body is in the center with Beatrice using it as a seat. On her right is Emilia and on her left is Rem. On Rem’s left side we have Garfiel, Otto, Petra, and Frederica in that order. 

Directly in front of Subaru’s body is Crusch. On her right is Wilhelm and on her left is Felix. From Wilhelm’s seat, about two seats away, is Reinhard and Felt. (Reinhard feels awkward being that close to his Grandfather.) On Felix’s left side, we have Julius, Anastasia and Ricardo. And in front of Ana is Mimi and her brother. (Mimi wanted the front seat.) 

At the last row, on the top, is Pricilla and Al. And on the 2nd last row, to the extreme left, is Roswall and Ram.

The second thing I wanted to mention is about characters who have a certain way of speaking, like Roswall and Garfiel. I haven't bothered writing them out like that, but that does not mean that they are not speaking in that way. Just use your imagination. 

And I’ll be updating my profile, and using that to give a weekly word count update or something. Yeah, that’s it. See you soon (Hopefully).

With that large, final teardrop collapsing towards the ground, the audience watching it floundered within the turbulence of their heart. Having formed a relationship with the spirit  which  resembled the physical distance between them, many individuals mourned such a result while others accepted it.

“I really can’t believe this,” caressing his green hat, Otto spoke softly, “To think that such a resolution would be reached between these two. I know that I am judging it based on how good the relationship between Natsuki-san and Beatrice-sama is in our reality, but still.”

“I think it is a fairly fair conclusion, I suppose.” Interjecting the apparent pity and discomfort, it was the spirit who sat with her back straight. “I do not need that look coming from you. Do not sully Betty’s small pride any further.” Looking away, she masked the turmoil in her own heart. “ Well, Betty’s pride was degraded by her own actions, or lack thereof, I suppose. Even now, as much as I want to simply accept my counterpart’s death, a part of my soul hurts at the thought of the executioner being Subaru.”

“No, that was not my intention,” waving around his arms frantically, Otto soon adopted a slightly irked expression. “I think it is not that strange now is it? I am simply worried about my friends. And considering that Natsuki-san is someone dear to my heart, I believe I have a right to also care about the people whom he finds special. Not to mention, with the amount of time we have spent together, it would be fairly hard for me and for others to simply not care about you. So that is why, I am not expressing pity and half-hearted consolation, instead true worry and care.”

“Hmm? ‘Dear to my heart’. Otto-san-Otto-san, just what was the meaning of that, hmm?” Surprisingly, it was the junior maid Petra who rudely interjected before the spirit could even reply. With a bright smile that had the intention of eating away new love rivals before they formed, she gazed at Otto. In response, he could only gulp in suspense.

“You know, Otto-san. I have always had this weird suspicion about you.”

“I-I see. A suspicion, is it?”

“Yes! I am pretty sure I am completely wrong in thinking so! But still, it is fairly concerning. Your ulterior motives of befriending Subaru, that is.”

Gulp

Walking closer, Petra suddenly grabbed Otto’s shoulder and peered straight into his eyes. With those round eyes and that scary smile, one could almost hallucinate a weird aura emanating from her.

“That ‘Dear to my heart’ phrase. You don’t mean anything deep about it now, do you? You don't, right? Of course, you don't! There is no reason for me to start thinking about ways to snub a new love rival ! Ha-Ha! Hmm, what do you say Otto-san?”

“I-I am very sorry! I got carried away and said something without clarifying my exact meaning behind it. I promise, I promise you that me and Natsuki-san are just friends. Just friends! That is why, please let go of  my shoulders. I feel like I am starting to hear a cracking sound that my shoulders should definitely not be making!”

Seemingly satisfied, Petra let go of her enemy’s shoulders and also let go of the alarmed gazes upon her. And then with a change in expression that was now adorably serious, she turned towards Beatrice. “Even with how hopeless he is, what Otto is saying is completely right! All of us in this camp truly care about you, Beatrice-sama. And just as how we want to rely on you, you should also rely on us.”

“-Hopeless? Eh, I am hopeless?”

“Otto-san should shut up for a bit!”

“Y-yes, Petra-sama!”

With a sigh that seemed to reflect the annoyance in her heart, she gazed at Beatrice with a warm look. “In fact whenever Subaru talks about you, he always tells others to be friendly towards you. He encouraged me to become such good friends with you.”

“-We are not f-friends, I suppose!!”

“He instructs Frederica-neesama about your favorite sweets. He even requests Emilia-sama to spend time with you when he can’t. All of it is so that you could open up to us even more. And now, with Subaru still slumbering peacefully, it is up to us to help each other. Don’t you think so?”

“--All of that is, all of that is unrelated to the current situation. That Betty deserved what she had sowed. As Subaru would say, it is ‘Karma’, I suppose. I am responsible for my actions and for the consequences that befit them. If that Subaru turned out like that, because of my influence, then I can accept such a conclusion.”

“I believe such a worldview is too restrictive,” with a gentle but confident tone, Crusch Karsten arrived at the scene. Gazing at her own knight at the edge of  vision,  to divert some of her words towards him, she spoke, “Everyone is responsible for their own actions and for the consequences that one must face. That innate responsibility for one’s own life is something everyone must grow accustomed to. But there are always situations where one is unknowingly ignorant of what surrounds them. Situations that a person is forced into, or results that one did not create. Situations that one cannot completely control.”

“What are you trying to get at, I suppose?”

“My point also relates heavily with a major problem in Natsuki Subaru. His tendency to snatch away responsibility from others, that is. He blames himself for many things that were completely out of his control ; for results that were completely out of his sight.” With an expression similar to what one would display when dealing with a troublesome individual, the dutchess continued, “I am sure that the nature of his ability is also a factor in his thought process. But making mistakes and dealing with their consequences by accepting responsibility for them is a part of life. Supporting each other in that is completely fine, I believe. And I also believe that no one should simply carry other’s burdens on their back.”

“...............”

“When Natsuki Subaru jumped off that cliff in arc 2, you quietly blamed yourself.”

“Nngh! I suppose!”

“I apologize for having a pretty great ability at reading other people. But I believe that the core reason for your closeting this time around is that one instance. Am I wrong?”

With trembling eyes and a large sigh, Beatrice responded to the person who had her cornered, “After all you said, in the end the fact remains that Betty did not do anything. And so, when this if-story showed me a Subaru who was thanking me for establishing a contract with him, Betty’s mind went blank. How could I even accept such gratitude?”

At the response that  was surprisingly unlatched, Crush placed her palm on top of the spirit’s small head, closing the distance between them. “ Despite her age and maturity, she really is a kid at heart. And just like her contractor, she still does not accept responsibility for all the good she has done. ” Letting her tongue savor the words on it and noticing the attention she had garnered from the rest of the room, she spoke, “I do think that the situation leading up to that event was very cursed. And I mourn that death as well. But I noticed how many individuals in this place would either blame themselves or others, but would not recognize Subaru-sama’s decisions. No, recognize would be the wrong word. Respecting his actions and decisions, would be the right phrase.”

“B-but Crush-sama, how could we respect and casually accept a decision that led to his death? A death that could have been prevented.” With a downward spiral in his eyes, it was Felix who spoke. Drowning in despair, there was only negativity for the young man. But internally he was searching, searching for a breakout. 

“Felis, all of that is spoken only in hindsight. And while we point fingers and consider what-ifs, we end up disrespecting Subaru-sama’s resolution, albeit unintentionally. I myself, consider none of his struggles to be meaningless.”

“I agree with Lady Crush’s wise words,” tapping Felis’s shoulders, it was Wilhelm. He looked towards his grandson, but instead of turning away like he would usually do, he kept his gaze steady. “I don't really have a right to say this considering that I still have not taken full responsibility for what I have said and done. When my wife went to fight the whale in place of my son, I blamed him and myself. And when the result of the battle was out, I blamed my grandson. But this entire time, never have I once respected her decision. Her decision, a decision that she made of her own free will and with the pride of a swordsman.” Words were spoken, words that made many widen their eyes in surprise.

Among them was Reinhard, “Honored Grandfather.” With surprise and disbelief, Reinhard would have  cried had it not been for his divine protection of ‘no-cry’. After all, his grandfather had seemingly entered a redemption arc. Not knowing what to say or do, he simply stared back.

Taking delight at this development, Felt happily smacked her knight’s back.

 And another who watched with amusement was Pricilla Barielle. “ Ho, so the sword demon is finally beginning to move on. Interesting.”

While this was happening, Beatrice was quietly thinking about the words spoken to her. Still not fully convinced and unable to understand, she was going to retaliate with stubborn words. Fortunately, she got interrupted and engulfed by the two ladies on her side. Buried in flesh, there could be no retaliation.

“Beatrice,” with a voice containing sugar, Emilia spoke first. “I know you are confused and so am I. You have no idea how to deal with all this. You want to pay for all the guilt that is consuming you and at the same time, you want to stay at Subaru’s side. As much as I want to respect the path that Subaru has walked until now, it is still fairly difficult to just accept it. I can’t help but think that it could have been different. That a lot of his struggles should not have happened. But I understand that this is all a part of my knight. The path that he has walked until now is very important to him. I cannot just say to him, ‘This should not have happened. There is no meaning in that. Or, you should not have done that’. And I am an idiot, so I need other people to help me with the answer. People like you.”

“...........” Responding with silence, Beatrice let her resistance die. She could easily recognize that the half-elf was doing all of this to make her feel accompanied by others. And she could not help but fall to it. She could almost imagine her contractor’s silly smile right now, as he would feel joy at this development.

“That’s right, Beatrice-sama,” emphasizing her hold on her, Rem entered the chat. “I have only just started to become better friends with you. As a fellow woman ensnared by Subaru-kun’s charm, we have to get along.”

“Hmph. I suppose.”

“Despite not having any memory of the actions I took in arc 2, I naturally feel nothing but guilt about it. Rem recognizes that event as something that has happened, and not as a fabrication. But despite my desire for punishment, I still desire to stay with Subaru-kun. And you are someone who  witnessed the truth presented by the screen. Someone who can aid in my repentance and aid Subaru. Rem has spoken for way too long, but what I desire to convey is that Beatrice-sama is someone needed by not just one person, but by many.”

As the desire to resist had died down in the embrace of the two women, they flashed smiles of relief at each other.

And watching that with a smile of his own, was Roswall. “ That lonely girl really has come a long way, huh.” He recalled how it was before. How Beatrice had slowly lost her hope. Roswall knew that there was nothing he could have done for Beatrice. After all, only Beatrice herself can choose her path. Even when he let Toska in, in hope that maybe he would be able to drag her out, it did not work. 

The days that he would cry for Beatrice were still fresh in his mind. The days that did not take action still caused him immense regret. But only so much could be done with regrets, as drowning them with alcohol would stop working for Roswall. And in the end, all he could wish for her was a peaceful death. That’s why, seeing her find company in so many people gave him true joy. A joy that would go unnoticed by all.

“Hmmmm. Hmmmmm. Hmmm? Hmmm! Hmmm! Hmmmm?????” 

Unable to bear these noises, Trivey turned towards its source with a sigh. “Nee-sama, what is it? Just what are you troubled by now?”

“Ah, sorry sorry. Mimi is very troubled. She still doesn't understand why that wrathbaru would kill the spirit-sama. He even said that they are of the same kind.”

“Hehe,” with a giggle that garnered both their attention, Anastasia lovingly stroked both their heads. “Wrathbaru, huh. I definitely like that name and I think we should use that for this Subaru. And I think you answered your own question, Mimi.”

“Huh?!” With puzzlement in her eyes, and with a tilt of her head that felt like a snap, Mimi exclaimed back.

In response, Anastasia raised one finger and acted like a teacher. “It's because they are the same kind that he came all the way there to kill her. No, he went there to put her out of her misery. I am sure you understand what ‘misery’ I am talking about.”

“....” With a quiet nod, the answer was received.

“If his words are correct, then Wrathbaru is also suffering from the same misery and desires a release from it. But being unable to achieve that, he decided to help another in it.”

“But, Anastasia-sama,” cutting in, Julius waved his fingers through his hair. “I apologize for intruding without permission but isn't that contradictory? Suba….Wrathbaru escaped from the mansion to preserve his life didn’t he? And then in the opening cut, he even had to dispatch Ram-san. On top of it, he appears to be guarded by one of the strongest men in the world right now. All of that evidence seems to support his desire to live. Yet at the same time, he desires to be released from life? Desiring two contradictory goals at the same time is ….”

“It's fine, isn't it?” With a wave of his arm, his only arm, Al was the one who spoke out. With a jovial mood, he said, “A lot of times in life, two beliefs or desires can be true at once. Even when they contradict each. For example, a person might have the chance to escape from a place that they call hell, yet choose to suffer in it even though they hate it. Or continue to fight with the will to survive, despite their desire to die.” Al spoke while recalling the time he spent on the gladiator island. Even though he once had the chance to escape from the place that he disliked, he refused to take it. Even though he did have the ability to end his life when he wanted to, he still continued to fight. Using an uncountable amount of death’s just so he could survive for another fight to the death.

“Ka-ha, I get it ! I get it! You really are an old fella, huh.” With a loud rumble, it was the wolfskin Ricardo who replied. “It's the kind of feeling you get when despite being free, you still end up keeping a slave colllar on you. I did that for a couple of years, until Ana-bo came along. It was a miserable experience, don’t recommend it. Kahahhaha.”

As Ricardo laughed his heart out at the memory, the others simply looked in exasperation. 

“ Is it similar to my own desire? I truly believe that compared to Subaru, I am way inferior as a knight. But despite believing that, I believe that my title of the ‘Greatest Knight’ isn’t just for show.” Despite not fully grasping it, Julius let his thoughts flow.

The screen started once again.

“There’s a proverb where I used to live, something like, a drowning man will even clutch at straws .”

Needless to say, the cast immediately recognized who that voice belonged to. The voice of that same person who had last been seen murdering a great spirit. 

“Beatrice,” intently staring at the spirit, Emilia had a confused expression on her face. And it wasn’t just her, but the rest of the room were also looking at her.

“What is it, I suppose?”

“Umm, this straw thing. What is it? If a drowning man will even clutch at it, then it must be something really awesome!”

With that question having been asked, Beatrice looked around the room and basked in the attention. “It cannot be helped, I suppose. Because Beatrice is the greatest Great spirit of all time, I shall teach you people!”

As that statement received a round of applause, the greatest Great spirit of all time readied herself. Taking a deep breath, she let out her words.

“.....Don’t goddamn know, I suppose!!!”

“E-ehhhh?!!!!!”

“What do you think of Betty, huh? You think she is some encyclopedia which can be conveniently used. Do you think Subaru has, in this one year, told me everything and anything about his world? Hell no!”

“Eh?”

“Betty only knows a few words and maybe a few stories. Not the entire history of his world! And do you honestly think that the little information I know is just conveniently going to appear on this screen?  And then I will give you some detailed and fun explanation about it? Betty has grown completely tired of this trope. This ‘lets-use-Beatrice-as-a-dictionary-trope’.”

“I..we are sorr-”

“Tch! Don’t need your apologies. Betty cannot fill the void in your guys' characters with my knowledge. First go and get some character development, I suppose.”

As the mood had literally collapsed, a hand popped into vision. The hand of a person with only one arm. 

“Me too! Me too!” Raising his arm with joy, one could almost imagine a rebellious expression on Al’s face. “I protest as well. I am also tired of the ‘use-Al-as-a-encyclopedia-if-need-be-trope’. And hell, haven't I ever explained that I have a form of amnesia. I don’t even remember most of my life! Ha-ha!”

As the two individuals protested and an awkward silence fell in the theater, there was only one individual who was completely uninterested by it. That person had the back of his hand under his chin and had the most serious expression ever. 

“A drowning man will even clutch at straws.” Savoring those words, he memorized it at the forefront of his mind and gave gratitude to his ‘Captain’. Yes, that person was Garfiel. Spreading his arms wide, he acted as if he had been given the grace of god himself. 

And to this, three people facepalmed simultaneously. It was Petra, Frederica and Otto, who would await the day that Garfiel uses that proverb in a completely out-of-place situation.

A man seemed to be listening to the voice. With his face almost touching the carpet, the man was breathing in a way as if he had sprinted over a long distance. With his heart beating with fear, the old man was on his knees.

Showing the signs of an experienced and successful person, he was now in front of an opponent who was the same age as his grandchildren.

“Straw, do you know what’s that? Maybe there is straw like what I am thinking of here… Like wheat, something like that. The one in the water is so desperate, that even knowing how useless it is, they will grab at it with all their might.”

“.............”

“To put it plainly, dying humans will desperately try to survive no matter what, that’s the meaning of the proverb. It's different from using brute force in case of a fire. They’re still thinking of turning their fortune, but to grasp at straws is a stupid idea.”

“Huh, considering this is coming from Barusu, it is a surprisingly good quote,” with a smug tone, it was Ram who gave that compliment. Yes, Ram. The character who had been neglected for a very long time. To be blunt, the author almost forgot she even existed. Hearing that nostalgic voice and that playful spite, others expressed smiles of relief at that resurrection. 

“Of course it is, Ram,” with pride in her words, Emilia shook one finger from side to side. “Subaru always utters some awesome sounding words. Of course, I don’t understand even half of them!” With her head held high, she pronounced that half-hearted compliment.

At that, Ram could not help but sigh in pity. 

“It is because it is hard to grasp, that it is awesome!” Of course, it was only Garfiel who completely understood the greatness of his Captain’s  quotes and difficulty in understanding them. 

Clearing his throat, Wilhelm nodded deeply and said, “Putting aside whether it is cool or not, I do believe it is fairly accurate. Having seen and experienced many battles, I have witnessed this human nature many times. It is a natural part of being a human. And considering that I myself have been put close to death on multiple occasions, I understand the desperation one feels. But I disagree with the sentiment that grasping at ‘straws’ is a stupid idea.”

“How so, Honored G-grandfather?” With nervousness, Reinhard asked. Of course, everyone could feel the sentiment behind his words and supported his attempts of getting close to his family. 

One such person, Felt said, “Well considering your ridiculous strength, I am sure you have never experienced a ‘do-or-die’ situation.”

Without hesitation and recognizing his own strength, he replied instantly with a nod. But then looking at everybody in the room, he felt a weird sense of alienation. Feeling as if he was being left out of something grand, he stated, “I am very sorry for not having experienced a deathly event in this day and age.”

“Why are you apologizing?! And don’t say it as if its some kind of a new trend!”

“Ahem,” with a fake cough, Wilhelm brought the drifting conversation back to track. “The reason why I disagreed is that it’s usually the cornered opponents in a battlefield that are the most dangerous. By utilizing something ,which  from a logical perspective is nothing but a hollow straw, they can end up making a comeback of sorts. And by underestimating that piece of straw, the one in an advantageous position can easily lose.”

“Ah, a situation where one goes, ‘Ha, what's that going to do?’ and then end up losing at the end. I get that.” Agreeing with the experienced swordsman was the experienced warrior, Al.

“Well that sentence coming from Natsuki-san is fairly ironic.” With deep interest, Otto continued, “In that mansion filled with despair, he was in a very cornered position. One could use his own words and call him a drowning man. And not knowing what to do, that drowning person had reached out blindly. To him who did not know of Beatrice-sama’s actual strength, it must have been the same as grasping onto a straw. Of course, that attempt is what allowed him to be ‘saved’.”

Of course the moment Otto had said Beatrice’s name, a cold glare from a certain spirit was set on him. “Are you trying to imply that Beatrice’s help is as unreliable as a straw, I suppose?!” 

Letting out a girlish shriek, Otto hid behind Garfiel. And witnessing that reaction, Beatrice just sighed and muttered, “Maybe I’ll try and feed him to Patrash later.”

The man was intently listening to every word. He was doing this not out of interest but out of fear. 

The screen displayed the source of that fear. Rumors, rumors that had piled upon each other. Rumors that spoke of the one called the Purge king. A title bestowed on him due to his actions, success and his ability of evaluation. 

With incredible force, he expanded his organization, known as the Pleiades. All those who opposed him, their families and anyone related to them would be hunted and made an example of.

Right now the old man was in the headquarters, placed in the shadow of the four nations for the purpose of controlling the underworld society.

At this information, all of the cast displayed varying degrees of surprise. 

“An underworld leader,” quietly gasped Emilia. Having studied from various books, Emilia had eventually learned about the city of Ganak and its violent underworld. So she knew that this ‘Pleiades’ organization was a, “A criminal organization. And the rumor says that it even makes an example out of entire families. B-but, it’s all just a rumor right? I mean, we are talking about Subaru here….” Of course, Emilia was in disbelief. Emilia, who was excessively kind and naive in many ways, could never tolerate such villainy. 

“Yes! It’s Subaru, after all. There is no way he would take such unreasonable measures,” with confidence and naivety, Petra proclaimed. 

“It is Subaru, after all,” repeating those words, Anastasia directed attention towards her. “Saying that, aren’t you guys just turning yourself away from reality? Ah, I am not being malicious here or anything.”

Hearing those words, Julius turned towards her and questioned, “With all due respect, Anastasia-sama. Do you really believe that Subaru is exactly the same as these rumors suggest him to be? Considering his character, I find it to be far- fetched.”

“Hmm, I know that many of you  have been inspired by Natsuki Subaru in some way or another. You see him as an ideal, a figure you can strive for in good conscience. In a way, we might have all formed an ideal version of him in our minds. And so when that kind figure falters, your own heart falters as well.”

“.....” With silence, Julius and the others carefully let in those words. Because of Julius’s recent inferiority complex towards Subaru, he had ended up developing an aspiration of sorts. And so when that same ‘knight’ was being treated with such rumors, he was bound to feel disbelief. But, the ring of reality is always present.

“But in reality, things are much more convoluted. With just the smallest of triggers, a person can change for the better or for the worse. We have seen many of the situations that have led to the development of his character. But there is always a chance that something could change him for the worse. The viewing this time is showing us exactly that.”

“But Anastasia-sama, these are just based on rumors, right?” Though Julius, Emilia and some others let those words settle inside them, Petra could not. Throughout the show that came before this, Petra had witnessed  the brutal acts of violence carried out by individuals who she thought were incapable of it. Of course, now she has grown to trust those same individuals. But the shock to her system still remained.

“If those were only rumors then why would that old man act the way he is doing right now? Petra-chan is a fairly clever person, so tell me what he is feeling?” Placing a small smile on her lips, Anastasia asked her delicately. 

“Um, he is scared. Scared of being there, scared of Subaru…”

“Yep, he is trembling and his entire posture suggests a complete suggestion. Considering I have many years of experience, I can safely say that that is not a negotiation or a discussion. I am sure you get  it by now.”

Suddenly a loud clap was heard. Looking towards its source, they spotted Priscilla who appeared to have reached some kind of a conclusion. 

“So the pitiful brat is still drowning…… ”

Seeing that she appeared to have no intent to explain, they just ignored her for now.

The screen started to show the surrounding area. 

Luxurious paintings, extravagant decorations and expensive items were on full display in the reception hall.

At this sight, the already surprised eyes were widened even more. All of the audience were in complete awe at the sheer display before them. And the fact that this was only a fraction of the total wealth was astounding.

“Just how much would all of this be worth,” Anastasia muttered under her breath. This time it was her turn to be in absolute disbelief. “ I know that because of his knowledge, power and his own talent he would be a shining treasure. One capable of great potential and money. But to achieve this much in just two years is more than what I could do in 20.” Right now, she was filled with jealousy and greed. A truly brutal mixture. Having spent a multitude of years engaging in and perfecting her craft, she still had not achieved the wealth that she desired. 

And to see a young man achieve all of this in just two years, made her feel a pang of envy. Desiring to achieve a similar sight in her life, she was also filled with despair at her potential inability to do so. With her lifespan as short as it was, there was a chance that her hand would be too short to grasp. 

More than anything, “If this is just the result of two years, then what about 10? What would happen if he were to continue expanding for a longer period?”

The screen displayed even more.

The purge king sat on his lavish throne , a rightful treasure that was situated at the back of the room. This dazzling setup was very clearly displaying the king’s power.

At the sight of Subaru, many whistled and others gasped in awe. Some of the little ones, such as Petra, Mimi and Trivey had whirls in their eyes at the never-before-seen wealth.

“Hot damn!” With the eyeballs behind his helmet almost popping out in surprise, Al exclaimed. “I mean this is honestly just plain badass. Pal is looking cool as hell on that throne. This gives me a whole ‘The Mafia Boss’ type of feeling.”

“Yeah, this is making my heart all fired up,” added Ricardo. “I know he is an underworld boss and must be engaging in some shady deals, but you gotta admit that this is awesome.”

“Hell Yeah! Captain! Captain! Captain!” Firing off on all cylinders, was Garfiel. Raising his hands in a victory pose, he had bright twinkles in his eyes. “I know that this is not my amazing self’s Captain, but still I gotta say, ‘As expected of Captain!’”

“To think that I would ever see the day that Natsuki-san is sitting on a throne,” patting his hat, Otto sighed in admiration and surprise.

Most of the male group expressed respect and admiration. As kids, many of them had even fantasized about becoming a king. Most of the female group however, had other reactions.

“Is onii-chan really alright?” With concern and care in her voice, Felt expressed her question. “He looks like he has not been eating at all. Is he even sleeping at the very least?”

“Subaru-kun has such a huge position. Is he able to handle it well? Wouldn't he be drowning in stress?” Such words came from Rem.

“Considering that Subaru-sama is a criminal leader, I would never serve him. But as a maid, it pains my heart to see him in that physical condition,” added Frederica.

Rubbing her eyes, Petra looked once again at the screen. For her, the only experience she had with enormous wealth was her time in the Roswall mansions. But considering that this was incomparable to that, she wondered in shock how one organization could gain this much in such a short time. 

The display of power did not stop. Lining the walls were dozens of experienced and renowned men, top mercenaries and soldiers. And at the left and right side of the throne were the two absolute existences.

The admirer, Halibel and the blue lightning, Cecilus Segmunt.

“The sheer amount of money that must have been required to hire all of these individuals is absolutely incredulous. The financial power is easily comparable to that of a nation’s. And though the military might is small in number, the two individuals at his side are easily making up for it. So this is the king, Natsuki Subaru’s power. ” Carefully analyzing the cards possessed by Subaru, it was Crusch who commented. “ As an enemy, they would be an impossible nightmare to deal with.”

“Indeed, it is a blatant display of power and quite an enigmatic sight,” Reinhard said with a smile of curiosity. “The only sights comparable to this would be the royal palaces of Vollachia and Lugunica. Of course, because of their history, prestige and national power, they are on a higher level. But to build all of this in two years is probably a new record.”

“Comparable to that of a small kingdom then,” added Julius. “With two of the strongest warriors by his side, it is no wonder that his expansion went uncontested and that the Great spirit Puck cooperated with him. Though I do wonder why he would make such a huge setup and why did he choose the underworld society to do it?”

“Nya,” with a fake cat sound, Ferris prodded his two fellow knights. “But speaking of Vollachia, don’t you think it is strange?”

“Strange, except for you?” Looking at Ferris, it was Felt who inspected him. 

“Nya!”

“Sorry, sorry. Do go on.”

“Ferris is talking about Cecilus-kun. From my impression of him, I would say that he is absolutely loyal to the Empire and its reigning Emperor. Would that person really change his loyalties that easily?”

“No, it's fairly impossible.” The one to answer him was the Crimson princess, Priscilla. “That dog would not wail its tail for another master. His loyalty to Vincent is high and Vincent’s hold on him is also high. It would be foolish to conclude that just by guessing his goal correctly and offering him a way to achieve it, he would offer his loyalty to the brat.”

“Hmm, so the Emperor is most likely being opportunistic here,” with her eyes shining in interest, Anastasia looked towards Priscillia with a sly smirk. “You sure do know a lot about it, huh. To even know and casually reveal information on the nature of their relationship, just who were you before joining the election?”

“I have no obligation to tell that to a commoner.”

Hearing that conversation, Al facepalmed his helmet. “I had forgotten but, no one here knows that Princess is the little sister of the current Emperor. For them, she is just a person selected by her previous husband as the candidate and has Vollachian origins. Considering that in the election is Vollachia, all siblings except one  are not allowed to survive, it would be a huge shock if someone were to find out that Princess holds the eligibility for the Vollachian throne.”

Looking at the display before him, Roswall had a smile of acknowledgement on his face. Now he knew full well why his counterpart reacted the way he did. Infact, he would praise WrathBaru for how far he had come in just two years. “ Very good, Subaru-kun. But, I am certain that the reason you have gone this far is because of what happened in the mansion. Maybe you have understood my philosophy, that everyone is endlessly weak and that this weakness is caused by our emotions. In this case, I guess you are believing in betrayal and distrust.”

Purge king: “Sigrum-san?”

“....”

At the moment his name was called, Sigrum froze in place. With his chin on his arm, the purge king looked at him with dark eyes. With his smile gone, he evaluated him. 

Trying to create an excuse, he panted and shivered. 

“The environment has become really cold, huh,” rubbing his arms, Trivey muttered.

Nodding, his sister added, “Yeah, if that guy says something wrong, his life might be forfeit. Not only that, looking at the king’s eyes makes me feel very uneasy.”

Many individuals agreed with that sentiment and uneasily rubbed their chest.

At Sigrum’s lack of response, Subaru shrank his shoulders.

“Ahh, for making you bored, I apologize. Having my stories get off topic is a bad habit of mine since long ago, and if I talk in this roundabout way we might never get to the point.”

“Yes, that really is a bad habit of Subaru.” With a relieved smile due to the tension dissipating, Emilia looked fondly. “Intentionally and unintentionally, he really does love to divert the conversation.”

“Must have learned from his parents, I suppose,” added Beatrice.

Sigrum: “I-I am fine..that is,....”

Purge king: “I’m talking”

With a finger of his right hand held to his lips, the king pointed at him with his left.

A loud gulp went throughout the theater as many watched in suspense.

“And the mood has changed once again,” said Crusch. “Subaru-sama must have assimilated well with his role as a king. All of his mannerisms, his way of talking and his posture seem to help in throwing off the other party. And right now, he seems to react in a way as one would do with a lower subordinate. But something feels off. An emotion, present clearly in his eyes that I can’t quite put a finger on.”

“Yeah,” said Anastasia. “From his previous words, he very clearly is conveying respect to the other party. But he is not shying away from showing that he holds the power here.”

“Well, this really is nothing close to a negotiation,” added Wilhelm.

“I don’t like seeing Subaru like this,” said Petra while shivering in fear. She clutched onto Frederica and spoke, “He feels like another existence altogether. Someone far out of reach.”

A silence that felt like eternity passed.

“..Sorry. I didn't mean to threaten you. It's just that, these two people here, and these others present all follow me because I hired them, but that’s not your case is it? So, then, how should I say it….I acted in a manner I am used to, sorry.”

“........”

With a quiet tone that conveyed respect, the purge king gave his apology. His tone did not show his hidden intentions to those who listened. His terrified eyes were lacking in confidence, yet that narrowed gaze peered at inner thoughts, the entirety of his nerves focusing on the other party’s moves.

Those dark eyes asked only one question.

-Are you my friend, or my enemy, I wonder.

“Huh, so he is afraid,” tilting her head to the side, Felt spoke out. “But doesn't that feel very off given the current situation. He literally has the other person’s life in his hands and is surrounded by powerful individuals. On top of that, that old man is on his turf. Why the hell is he afraid of an old man who is currently trembling in fear?”

“Maybe he is so over-cautious that it has turned into morbid fear. Pal could be considering that one-in-a-billion chance where that old man could hurt him somehow. And so, he is treating him as a potential threat,” Al made that assumption.

“If that is the case, then this cannot be just called paranoia,” Anastasia spoke. “It is more like a curse that the purge king is afflicted with. But putting that aside, his ability to observe the other party to such an extent is worthy of praise. Not underestimating him and not giving him any advantage, it is a valuable trade indeed.”

“ Barusu,” Ram muttered that initially. Having paid close attention to wrathbaru, the clever had already started to discern the reason for his fear. “ Are you still haunted by what happened in the mansion?”

Sigrum desired to assert that he was not an enemy, but having been silenced before, he did not desire to raise the King’s ire. 

His fear led him to silence. The organization was frightening to him, and it had reached the core of the underworld. He had tried to avoid this incurable illness, but ultimately, he was not able to. And so he had come here, to offer complete submission. 

But he had realized how naive his determination had been. Panting in search of oxygen, he was drowning in that cursefull gaze.

His opponent was drowning in his own curse, with fear ruling his heart and doubt gnawing away at him. He himself had the strongest fear within him, fear of others. And with this curse, he would eat away at others. 

Purge king: “So, um..so, the straw story. A story of desperately trying to survive…hm, it's understandable. Sigrum-san came to our place to talk to us, to try and make sense of this idea.”

Sigrum: “......”

Purge king: “I’m fond of reasonable people. People who are willing to talk are much more trustworthy than those who just punch you in the face. I don’t know what sort of nefarious rumors you have heard of us, but I want to request you to not judge us according to those…I prefer to avoid making waves if possible.”

“So it was wonderfully connected with that straw story in the beginning,” with a deep nod, Priscilla admired his setup. “The old man who was trying to survive, had no choice but to submit. That was him drowning and subsequently grasping onto a ‘straw’. What is ironic is that the person who has put him in such a predicament is also drowning in his own fear. And how he judges this old man would probably be his way of grasping onto a straw.”

Agreeing with the princess, Al also said, “This Wrathpal is filled with a lot of contradictions. He said he wants to avoid making waves but, if that was the case he did not need to make this enormous organization. Isn’t he just attracting more attention towards himself? And all of those blatant displays of wealth are bound to get others envious. Plus he also went and murdered the Margrave over there. This is not going to end well.”

The purge king yielded the turn to speak by gesturing with his left hand. 

Sigrum: “Ah”

With silence, the purge king led Sigrum onwards.

“Sigrum-san?”

“No…thing…My apologies. In what regards my side, it is as stated in the offer sent by letter. I wish for good relations with all members of your organization, from now on and for a long time.”

Without expressing too much humility, Sigrum expressed his position. The purge king narrowed his eyes and after mulling it over, he smiled. Having surprised him with that smiling expression, he gave a deep nod and said, 

“Let’s have a nice partnership , Sigrum-san. The details will be discussed with the person in charge later on..This was the best and wisest choice for you.”

“Ah.”

“Please continue to treat our association favorably from here after.”

With his hand raised, he concluded the meeting. Sirgrum slowly lifted his body. Because of him having grown stiff, his posture briefly stumbled, but enduring it with difficulty he let out a long breath.

Sigrum: “Thank you very much. From now on, this side will display favor towards you.”

Purge King: “Hmm”

Concealing the numbness of his tongue, he bowed to the king and turned back. A strong sense of relief and achievement was blowing like a storm within him. With lightened footsteps, the faces of his family members waiting for him to return home rose in his head one-by-one.

Somehow his wish had been granted.

An audible breath of relief was felt in the theater as many celebrated the survival of the old man. 

“For him, it must have been the same as having survived from a wild predator,” said Otto as his tense body collapsed on the chair.

“Even if he is an underworld boss, Captain ain’t unreasonable after all. Seems like the rumors were exaggerated,” rubbing his nose, Garfiel roared with glee.

“Thank god,” with a bright smile, Emilia expressed her relief. “That person can now go back to his family. Oh look, he has such cute grandchildren!”

Suddenly a noise was heard.

Sigrum: “...?”

A faint sound  came from behind him. The sound of a coin hitting the floor.

“Tails”

One short word. And then-

What was that. Faster than Sigrum could understand-

His view tilted, becoming even with the floor. The carpet had suddenly grown closer, and that was the last he felt.

Loud gasps of shock and confusion resounded in the room. The ones with praiseworthy eyes recognized the situation with incredible speed and tried to gain an understanding of the reason behind it. Others looked around in befuddlement.

“What the-what just happened?! It was all fine and then the old man just collapsed,” Felt screamed out first. “The way it all happened….so suddenly, is that old man d-dead?”

“Huh, No! There is no way. He must have c-collapsed due to p-physical exhaustion or something! Yes, that must be the case…” Naively, Petra tried to deny the reality before her.

But, “Unfortunately, he has been perfectly executed.” The one who attempted to splash water on those individuals was Roswall. Knowing full well that he hasn’t had too much dialogue at all, he attempted to make up for it now. “The way that entire scene has been executed, clearly implies that it must have been Cecilus-kun who did it. With that speed and skill it would be a piece of cake.”

“T-Then, he must have acted on his own,” clenching her fists tightly, it was Emilia. At the thought of that old man’s poor family, her heart drowned in sorrow. Something like that was intolerable for Emilia.

“He said ‘Tails’.”

“-Huh?”

“A coin was very clearly flipped and it landed on tails. The one who spoke that result was the purge king. And do you really believe that any of those subordinates there, much less Cecilus-kun, would act out of order. It was a clean decapitation order by Subaru-kun.” At that conclusion, Emilia went silent.

“That is insanity!” This time it was Otto’s turn to complain. “I mean he is a ‘underworld’ boss, so I was expecting some unreasonable activities, but even for them this is going too far. There was no reason for that murder. There were no signs that Sigrum-san was lying and he had no reason to lie. It was an unreasonable decision based on extreme paranoia. As expected, I can’t help but feel furious..”

“Shit, Captain. I wasn’t expecting this…” With Garfiel’s comment, everyone went silent. After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, the first to speak up was Crusch.

“It appears the final test for Sigrum-san was luck,” with one finger raised, she spoke. Crusch was unmistakably angry at such a tyrannical way of doing things. She had already made the clean distinction between the Natsuki Subaru she knew, and the Purge king. And thus, the ever-noble Crusch found no reason to hold back her indignation. “With an unreasonable flip of a coin, he let luck decide whether that person was lying to him or not. And then, to not risk another enemy, he quickly eliminated him. It was a downright insane judgment that was not supported by any evidence. More than anything, it is a foolish and contradictory decision. By acting the way that ‘king’ is doing right now, he is going to endlessly create more enemies. Whatever his reasons are, it cannot justify such a cold-blooded murder.” One of the factors that caused Crusch frustration was the fact that he was sitting at the position of a king. Her deep feelings and ideologies towards leaders of the world was driving her forward.

The one most affected by Crush's comment was Rem. Putting her head down, she recalled her actions in arc 2. The actions that still haunt her to this day. 

If Natsuki Subaru’s miasma and his suspicious actions could be considered as evidence, then there was not enough of it. Sure, considering that witch cultists could always have some weird trick up their sleeves, her acting in haste might have been the correct decision. But the fact remains that her reason for doing so was driven by her paranoid suspicion and her endless hatred. She wasn’t a judge who carefully considered evidence on both sides of an argument, and then made a proper decision. She had not been ordered by her employer or by her sister. And Rem hadn’t even been developed mentally, gained enough experience and associated with more people, to be able to confidently declare someone a criminal. She was nothing but a young adult, one that only believed in her own way of living and did not consider any other. 

In a manner that was even worse than her’s, this ‘purge king’ functioned with crippling doubt. He did not need evidence for anything. Just a hunch, or in this case a flip of a coin was more than enough to take a life. Driven by endless hate and by paranoid suspicion, he continued to eliminate and make more enemies. It wasn’t lost to Rem, that the ones who created such a monster, was she and her sister.

“Its ironic how Natsuki-san, one who had been through unreasonable situations, is now the one forcing them on others,” Anastasia spoke while rubbing her scarf. “I am surprised that his men even follow him, is what I would have said. But he must have already taken actions to gain leverage over them. With that financial and violent manpower, his knowledge and power, and his way of functioning, he is clearly a great threat. I am sure that one of the great nations, if not more, would soon move against him. I am already betting that it would be Lugunica. They already have lost their ‘Margrave-san’ and have to exact their ‘justice’.”

“Justice, what a joke,” snorting away, Felt spoke. “At their surface they will chant, ‘Its for Justice’ and thoroughly use their strongest ‘weapon’ aka Reinhard. But at their core, they would probably move to reclaim the prestige they lost when one of their own was so easily murdered. I don’t really disagree with them that much. Even I would feel humiliated if one of my own people were murdered. But calling it justice is just propaganda. After all, there is no Justice for that old man, much less for the family he left behind.”

“Well, putting aside the justice part, I definitely agree that he is a threat that must be eliminated,” spoke Crusch. Though she had wanted to give a proper reply to Felt regarding the Kingdom’s justice, she quickly recalled the situation with Fourier and stopped. Despite the fact that the entire royal family was dying at that time, the Kingdom’s officials were more concerned about the covenant with the dragon. They were more concerned with preservation of the present order, rather than honor and prestige. The covenant that had given the Kingdom a large part of its identity had turned into a curse. Worshiping the Dragon as their deity, they refused change. And  she was also aware of the existence of the six tongues, a shadow organization created to reserve the kingdom’s internal peace. Needless to say, their actions were far from ‘Justice’. Though she understood the necessity of some of these decisions, she still looked down on this way of doing things.

“The fact that the kingdom has not done anything in two years, is a shame in itself,” spoke Julius. 

“Well, I am sure that places like Kararagi and Vollachia would find his knowledge to be valuable,” Felix spoke. “If that is how Subaru-kyun gained his immense wealth, then there would be more merit in keeping him alive.”

“It seems my assessment of his eyes was correct,” Wilhelm spoke in a disappointed tone.

Watching over the conversation, Al was completely silent. But inside, “ Tch, sitting in their comfortable positions and freely judging others. Do they think that they are the perfect embodiment of ‘good’ or something? Do they have any idea about how many people die in the coliseums, all for the sake of other people’s entertainment. There is no justice there. Everyone does whatever it takes to survive, that is all. Pal is doing the same, in his own twisted way.  Nah, don’t get me wrong. I don’t support this Pal at all. But I don’t have any right  to judge him. I have my condolences for all his victims and I believe that only they have the right to judge him, not these guys.”

Threat. Threat. Threat. 

This convenient proposition that was nothing but a facade, spread through the cast. “ It's necessary. He is a threat, so it is necessary .” Thoughts like those, rumbled through many. Others such as the members of the Emilia camp, looked around in alarm. But-

“Ha-ha…..Ha ha ha!” A loud, unashamed laughter spread through the place. With eyes flashing on that Princess, Priscilla smirked with amusement. 

“It truly is incredibly amusing, seeing fools speak among themselves that is.” Of course, those words definitely brought upon some hostile gazes but she just took it in stride. “All of us here, including me, have something in common.”

With shivers running up her spine, Felt asked in disgust, “No, no. I definitely don’t think so. But do go on.”

“Throughout this entire viewing, we have been observing, analyzing and judging the person known as Natsuki Subaru. Judging each of his actions based on our own sense of values. If an action doesn't suit our own standards, then we condemn it. If it does or if it goes beyond it, then we commend it. Don’t you agree, slum girl?”

“....Tch, yeah we have been doing that. But it does not relate to this situation, does it?”

“Ku-huh. As expected from your small brain.”

“What was that?!”

“This time you evaluated him as a threat that must be eliminated. But that is nothing but a facade!” Suddenly a surge of anger, similar to a burning flame, originated from Priscilla. Ignoring the surprise on others, she continued, “I honestly don’t mind your hypocritical judgements. I have seen more than I could even point out. And I myself have done it. But I loathe how you all are so brazenly lying through your teeth. Using a delusion to cover up your true feelings is just pathetic. It is not because he is a threat that you are condemning him. If it was just based on that, then there are many other individuals here in this room that fit the criteria.” While saying that she pointed at Emilia, Reinhard, Ram, Roswall and Petra. Hm? Petra?

“The reason is simple. You want to end him. You want to kill him. You want to bring him to justice because for whatever reason, you think you are worthy to do so.”

“......”
“You cannot bear to see him like this. You are angry and disappointed at him. But because you have grown to care for him, you cover up the predicament in your own heart by calling him a threat. Praising someone when they do something good and belittling them when they do something bad  is pretty common. Taking a stance where you support someone should they continue on a righteous path and abandoning them when they stray off it, is wise.”

“.....”
“And if that is the case, then no need to pretend to be different. State your conditional love freely. But don’t pretend to care for him more than you actually do, fools.”

With those merciless words, those who had been in the ‘he-is-threat’ stance, went into silence. Meanwhile others like Emilia, Rem and Al, who disliked Wrathbaru’s actions, but still cared for him and his well-being, watched with cautiousness. 

“Now, now, now,” with an awkward smile, Otto addressed everyone. “Let’s not forget that this is an if-story. At its core, it is nothing but an impossible reality. If we start considering the possibility that our Natsuki-san could turn out like that, then that might also apply to everyone in this room. Like what if Reinhard-sama were to suddenly snap and go insane.”

“Ah do not worry, I  have a divine protection that completely negates insanity,” Reinhard cheerfully announced. “No one! I repeat, NO ONE ASKED!” Felt, yelled at him.

“Ahem, well my main point is that we should constantly maintain a distinction between Wrathbaru and Natsuki Subaru. Forgetting that, would be truly foolish.”

Halibel: “........”

Gazing with narrowed eyes, Halibel was observing the man’s decapitated body. 

Brilliant handiwork.

“Truly brilliant,” said Wilhelm as he observed the body in a similar manner. “The sword skill that Cecilus-san possesses is truly wondrous. Reinhard, you have had a bout with him right?”

“Yes, Honored Grandfather. But as mentioned before, I do not wish to share the results of that dual as it would sully both of our wishes. Though considering his personality, I am uncertain whether he has kept his side of the promise,” he replied with a wry smile.

“Hm, then how about this as a question. You have observed my skill many times in the past, and so, how high would his ‘level’ be, compared to mine?”

“Um, I am unsure of how to answer this question,” Reinhard mumbled. His intention was clear. He did not want to raise the ire of his grandfather by saying something intolerable. 

Scratching his head, Wilhelm clearly understood that sentiment. “Well, for the honor of the sword demon, you would want to give an honest answer, right?”

Nodding, Reinhard gave his evaluation, “His skill with the sword would be similar to yours when you were at your prime, Grandfather. But his speed is on a completely different level. And though you have a large amount of experience, out of everyone I have ever met, I believe that Cecilus Segmunt has killed the most people in this world. Each of his blows are deadly, but his killing intent is almost imperceptible.”

Sighing at that information, Wilhelm spoke, “I guess I really have grown old. It wouldn't be long before I have to retire. Well, um, Reinhard. You see, we have not really associated that much in a while but, uh, would yo….”

“...?”

“One day, would you like to practise some sword skills with me? I am certain that this old man would be able to impart some new techniques.”

“...! Yes. Yes! I would love to, Ojii-sama.”

The limbs of his corpse had not jerked, and its head was still unaware of its demise. It was an artfully created corpse that had only lost its life and nothing more.

“Hm, that shinobi-kun is called the admirer isn’t he?” With an inquisitive tone, Mimi spoke. “I was wondering about what exactly he admires. But could it actually be that he admires the state of dead bodies?!”

“N-Nee-sama, that would be too ridiculous,” with complete doubt, Trivey spoke against her.

“No, but we already have previous examples don’t we? Like the bowel hunter for example. Or even this ‘Purge King”. Or the ‘Lolimancer’. Or the ‘blue lightning’ . So it would not be that strange, would it?”

“Have you ever considered that he could be admiring something else entirely? Like alcohol, or kiseru pipes.”

“I mean, that would not be cool at all. That is all!” With a joyful voice, Mimi expressed her logic. And with a sigh, her brother gave up.

Meanwhile Petra-chan was shivering in fear. “ Because of Mimi-san, I now have a very scary image of that Halibel person. No well, when he casually stopped Beatrice-chan, I was already scared though.” For some reason, she could imagine a very clear image of Halibel dancing at a party. But his partner is a dead corpse and everyone around him thinks that he has an eye for beauty.  

Listening to that conversation, Ricardo facepalmed. “ I feel like the pride of us Wolf-humans has been degraded even further. I want to cry.”

But he did not indulge in a hobby of judging corpses. 

Purge King: “Oh, ueh…kh”

Watching the corpse, the king on his throne closely held his mouth closed. 

He had seen the moment of a corpse being made many times, but because his temperament was sensitive, he showed no signs of getting used to it.

“So he has not gotten used to that sight yet,” said Julius. “Well a person does not get familiar with it that easily. But even knowing that, he still creates more corpses. That is yet another contradiction.”

“Maybe he can’t help it,” Roswall said with his usual way of talking. Though Julius still held resentment towards the respected Margrave, he chose to listen anyway.

“It appears that for Wrathbaru, murder has turned into a solution. A solution for his distrust of others. With the doubt in his heart, he cannot give anyone a chance to gain his trust. He cannot believe in them. And so he kills them. If they are dead, then they can’t hurt him. At this point it would have turned into a habit. A habit that has thoroughly corrupted his mind. A habit that leads his entire life.”

“Murder becomes a habit, huh. I thank you for your words.” At Julius’s gratitude, Roswall raised one eye in surprise. It appeared that, despite his feelings Julius still wished to carry himself as a knight. Not letting his emotions gain over him, he gave the Margrave a meaningless recognition.

Cecilus: “Acting like that towards the dead, isn’t it insulting after giving these orders? I wouldn't ask for you to become used to corpses, but maybe you should at least aspire to avoid creating them, how about that?”

“I’m not killing for enjoyment as well..I’m not. I’m unable to look straight at such a scene, but I’m present anyways. It’s the least I can do.”

“That’s being deceitful” 

“It sure is. But I’m sure that he is aware of that,” said Anastasia.

Anastasia and Crusch had already digested Priscilla’s words. They knew full well, that they were being deceitful. At the end of the day, they cared about the Natsuki Subaru in this theater. They would be more than willing to aid him and his friends. But they held their own goals and their closest companions as a priority. Crusch in particular did hold a degree of affection for Subaru and had a great debt to him. But she did not desire to pursue it at this point. With her memories returned, she strongly desired the position of King. 

Anastasia only wanted a certain partnership with Natsuki Subaru. Together, she wanted to give life to the otherworldly inventions and knowledge that he possessed. And to translate all the various texts left behind by Hoshin. She wanted to leave behind a legacy. Of course, she would not force him and would give more than equal compensation. 

Both of them had made a clear distinction between Wrathbaru and the Subaru they knew. Regardless of their feelings towards Wrathbaru, they held no doubt towards the current Subaru. After watching his journey, they had no reason to do so. 

But the key word was ‘future possibility’. Is there a chance that in the future, something might cause Natsuki Subaru to become distorted? Someone different from who he is today? 

That chance was causing a fear of the future. Because if they were to become enemies with Natsuki Subaru then their opening would be very narrow. Now that they knew of his power, the optimal way to win would be to incapacitate him before he could activate it. Capturing him, not allowing him to die by any means and maybe even sealing him, would be the way. That is, if Satella or anyone else did not interfere. But one mishap, one mistake, would be all it takes for their downfall. And that thought, the thought that they were powerless, had scared them. 

More than anything, their hearts hurt at such a possibility. 

But maybe this passive method is the problem. 

“ “ Staying closer to him and making sure that he does not fall to a path of darkness, would be a better choice than being constantly afraid of the future.”” With great synchronicity, Crusch and Anastasia had this thought at the same time.

His employer held a handkerchief in front of his mouth, fighting off nausea, but his colleague’s words held no absolution for him. That his employer did not get enraged by this, was proof that he knew his actions were deceptive. 

While looking at that young man’s face which had grown as pale as a corpse, Cecilus continued with an offhand, ‘Anyhow’. 

“I’m more so astonished at that contradiction of yours, boss. The conversation ended so peacefully, to give a sudden order to kill is quite surprising even for you.” While speaking as such, Cecilus with dissatisfaction puffed up his cheeks. It was an inappropriate gesture coming from a man in his twenties, but because of the immaturity of his mind, it fit him greatly.

His human beauty and his regular conduct was what was allowing this behavior. 

To Cecilus’s point, the boy contorted his cheeks.

“And I did tell you, I didn't want to have him killed. Like I told him, I wanted to believe it. It didn’t look like he was lying or anything either.”

“Then, why?”

“Even if it does not seem like they are lying, liars are going to lie, after all.”

The boy bit on his lip as Cecilus gazed on him with curiosity.

In that horribly dry way of life, an unshakable strong will could be felt.

His two subordinates were both unknowing of what happened in his past, but a situation must have caused him to adopt this belief. 

Something close to a situation, where a person close to him had hidden away the doubt within their heart, all the while smiling, then spewing hatred and murderous intent with the very same fingers and lips that had been kind to him.

That would have taught this boy.

“First cut the buds, then break apart the branches. I’ll never be fooled twice.”

“Well, that perfectly described the exact trigger that changed Subaru-kun,” with melancholy in her heart, Rem put her head down. To her relief, she felt two palms on her head, belonging to Beatrice and Emilia respectively.

“Our actions affected Barusu even more than I had previously thought,” looking at that will, present in his eyes, Ram felt a tremble throughout her soul. It reminded her of Roswall. Though her master held his own way of living that was nothing but a curse, his will to follow through was strong. Despite knowing that his methods would corrupt him, he had continued anyway. But if the ability to change and adapt was the real ‘strength’, then both Roswall and Wrathbaru remained stubbornly weak. 

“Of course it did,” yelled Felt. “At the end of the day, Onii-chan was an immature kid who had led a relatively safe life. He isn't from the slums, where you had to learn not to trust others in order to survive. He isn’t from Vollachia, where the strong prey on the weak. He isn’t even from Kararagi, where orphans are used as slaves. And so yeah, your actions heavily affected him.” Stomping in anger, Felt was then calmed by her knight who gave an apologetic look to the maid.

“Hm, ‘The oni who created a King’. Would be a suitable title to a tragic play I guess,” said Priscilla. “In particular, I like that ‘First cut the buds, then the branches’ quote.”

“Eh, really Princess?” Al question dubiously.

“It is a ruthless way of working, but it could be considered a strength in its own right.” What Priscilla recalled with that quote, was the imperial selection of Vollachia. That ruthless selection where she cut off the lives of so many of her siblings. And so she knew that with one perspective, you could call Wrathbaru a coward. But with another perspective, it is a strength. 

Tightly, the boy grabbed his own shoulder, and pressed his nails over the cloth, into his skin. Those nails ruthlessly clawed into it ; that skin was being torn, that blood was oozing was certain. 

He used that self-harm as a ritual to maintain himself.

His subordinates had been with him for long and knew of it, so they did not stop him. Satisfied with the pain, the boy slowly rose from his throne.

“The corpse, make it neat and bury it. And an envoy’s to be sent to their shop. Everything’s to be confiscated, but if they follow along, do not treat them poorly. If they refuse, then purge the family and burn the store. When the takeover ends, have the next one in charge greet you. With that, it’ll be decided whether to destroy them or not.”

“Goddammit Captain! Going after the family as well, is a little too far.” With frustration on his voice, Garfiel expressed himself.  

“It’s how he said it, ‘First cut the buds’. As unfortunate as it is, he is thoroughly making sure to eliminate any seeds of revenge. But I am pretty sure that it's already too late for that.” Anastasia explained.

“Self-harming himself. His body is clearly rejecting this way of life,” Emilia spoke with pain in her heart. “But why is he just giving an order to no one in particular? Who exactly is supposed to carry it out?”

“I think that’s the point, I suppose.”

“Beatrice?”

“He does not intend to entrust this task to someone in particular. There is no way he would trust anyone of his subordinates. Instead, he is treating them as a group. Because everyone has their own weaknesses and strengths, it allows the chance of failure. If someone were to be greedy, lazy or incompetent, then the group would suffer. But by making them move as one, and only caring about the end result, he is attempting to remove that chance. Pleiades only focuses on the achievements of the association. It is a good system, but at the end of the day, the power is still consolidated by the King. If the ‘head of the table’ was to be decapitated then the whole system would fall.”

With a calm tone, the boy had ordered. 

These were rough instructions that were not directed to anyone in particular. It focused on the result and of the accomplishments of the organization. 

It was an ideal workplace environment where everyone would try their best.

That was the guideline of the leader, and his way of fighting.

“Boss, ya forgot your coat.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Hmm, interesting,” with narrowed eyes, Crusch observed Halibel. She had started noticing that his decorum was very different than the others. Especially his out-of-place ‘care’ towards the Purge king.

Standing behind the boy, Halibel gently draped a black coat over his shoulders. Just slightly draping that on his shoulders, he added a reminder. Straight after, his whiskers grew numb due to the faint killing intent. At its intensity, he lowered his eyes.

He did not have to check the source of that intent.

Probably, it was because he stood behind him.

“Aww, he almost looks like a downtrodden puppy!” It was Petra who said that. From dancing with a corpse, to appearing like a puppy, it seemed that her mind worked in mysterious ways.

Meanwhile, Ricardo was shedding a single tear at the state of his species. 

“..Halibel-san, I do not want to kill you.”

“Hahahha, then you can just not do it. Instead, just use me well.”

“But wouldn’t it be the worst to destroy oneself by having too many tools…That’d be a pretty shitty way to die.”

Mumbling to himself, the boy pondered on ways to kill his own aide.

“Onii-chan is serious, huh. But it would be too much of a loss to kill one of his greatest assets. With the way he is living right now, the only way he would achieve any peace would be to kill everyone. Or something similar to putting everyone in an endless ‘check’.” With a heavy sigh, Felt stated that.

“But Halibel-san is a shinobi,” Reinhart stated the obvious fact. “If it’s an assasination, then he would see it coming from a mile away. And if brute force in the form of Cecilus was to be used, he could simply escape.”

The words that had been quickly brushed off were not a joke. He would, if it was possible, try to kill Halibel.

It was simply all of the factors that inclined him towards not killing him, which stopped him.

Cecilus: “Boss, boss. These offerings that person brought, where should they be moved to?”

“Offered goods..The contents, what were they?”

“Contents were…Ah, there’s a magic stone. From where did they learn of Boss’s tastes? They’d come having paid that much regard, truly, I feel even more sorry for them.”

“Lopping off his head was Cecilus-san’s idea so..”

At the room’s entrance, the king, having been stopped, twisted his cheeks in annoyance. And at that breezy attitude of Cecilus, he sighed, 

“The magic stone, I’ll ask you to put it in my room. Other than that, do with them as you all prefer.”

“Wrathbaru-kun must have developed a liking for magic stones in these two years. But given his temperament, shouldn't he worry about the magic stone being tampered with and double check it?” Rem spoke.

“Well, magic stones are utilized for various different purposes such as powering a magic device or strengthening a building. Considering Onni-chan does have a gate, he can easily use it. Though I do wonder about what exactly he is going to use it for.” Mulling over that trait in Wrathbaru, Felt could not shake the feeling that it was way more important than one would expect.

“Actually, how did that old man find out about the stone?” With a glimpse of curiosity in her eyes, Anastasia felt like she was onto something with that question. “I mean, it could be just an unintended information leak, or some of his partners and ‘survivors’ could have spread that. But could it be related to something bigger. What I mean to suggest is that there could be someone on the inside who is purposely leaking information to the outside. Along with this, other information could also have been released. Such as their location for example. That old man must have come here through a private invitation because there is no way that the Purge king would reveal his location publically. And considering that this is the underworld society, having the location of their hideout being revealed would be the same as walking naked.”

“I completely agree, Anastasia-sama. It could be anyone on his side, anyone who desires revenge and freedom would be willing to take a risk.” Julius gave his approval.

“Yes, yes, definitely understood. And, boss.”

“..What is it?”

Cecilus brought a finger to his eye, tracing it.

“Those dark circles are quite severe. Maybe you should sleep softly next to the princess for a while?”

At those words, the boy’s tongue clicked.

“Hm? Who could this princess be?” At Emilia’s ridiculous question, everyone deadpanned and pointed at her in unison.

“Eh? Me?!”

“Emilia, why would Bubby have cooperated with Wrathbaru if not to ensure your safety? And other than to grant my wish, why would Wrathbaru come out personally?”

“But, given how he distrusts everyone around him, why would he trust me? I would not imagine this Subaru being capable of sleeping next to anybody, given his extreme fear. But the way Cecilus-san said it, seems to imply that he has been sleeping next to me for quite a while now.”

“It isn’t that surprising is it now?” With apparent jealousy, Rem spoke to Emilia. “In that entire mansion, you and Beatrice-sama were the most trustworthy. You were very transparent with him and did not do anything that could be counted as a betrayal. You were honest and expressed all your emotions directly to him. Unlike us, you did not secretly harbor suspicion and ill will. And because your character stayed the same throughout his loops, you became a pillar of support to him. So it would not be that strange for him to trust the person known as Emilia, in whatever form or manner.”

Though Emilia still wanted to disagree at some points, she accepted the overall logic.

Cecilus just laughed it off, but the other men froze with tension. At the possibility, that because of his irritation, Cecilus’s slaying could be ordered, they would have to somehow force a draw by using every force in the place, including Halibel.

“-- I’ll think about it.”

The boy did not order this in haste, and turned away with those words.

Relief spread throughout the room, and the men watched the back of their leader. That waving Cecilus’s inability to read the mood, had been one of Halibel’s concerns as of late.

“Doing something as part of a group, really aint one of mah strong points either.”

Shaking his kiseru up and down, Halibel gazed at the boy’s departing back. As the most senior employee, guarding and other such duties were handed to him. However, whether inside or outside the mansion, threats to his life were very few.

The former because of fear, the latter because his existence was unknown to many. 

The reception room, which was decorated with various arts and paintings, was not the only one. The flaunting of that violent financial power was to allow a posture of non-aggression. All of that display served to avoid unnecessary enemies. 

Attaining victory without a fight would be the ideal situation. But due to jealousy, enemies would always exist. So then, to reduce that number was the king’s wish.

“Halibel-san, please watch over Cecilus-san with care, to keep him from going out of control.”

“Understood, leave it to me. Boss, are ya going to see the princess?”

“Hmm.”

That he accepted Cecilus’s suggestion, perhaps annoying him, he replied with a grimace. 

And then he reached the innermost section of the headquarters, the deepest part of the building named Pandemonium.

He had arrived at a door where the amount of keyholes and locks would make a person shudder. 

Indeed, some of the cast did shudder at that. 

“What the,” Mimi said. “This is making my head spin. How many different keys would you have to have to bypass that?!”

“Indeed Nee-sama. It clearly shows that the ‘princess’ is deeply valued.” While trying to adjust his monocle, Trivey spoke.

“Feels more like a prison to me.”

“Ah! Reminds me of the princess room!” Clapping her hands together, Emilia declared that.

Looking at Emilia as if she was looking at a lunatic, Beatrice replied, “No, no. This and that are completely different. ‘This’ looks like a prison made to keep a captured princess. ‘That’ looked like a room for babies.”

Puffing her cheeks, Emilia replied back, “I am not talking about the place’s appearance itself, Beatrice. I am talking about the intent behind it.”

“..Intent. Ah, to keep you protected and isolated, I suppose.”

“Un! Mother and the rest of the elf’s kept me ignorant and safe the entire time. Granted, I was nothing more than a baby at that time. But even now, the exact same situation is happening! And I bet that both Puck and Subaru are keeping me ignorant of the outside.”

“Well, that’s true. Regardless of their intent, it is not a good way to go about it. Self-efficacy is important, you know.”

“Self-efficacy?”

“It’s your ability and belief that you can accomplish something, in different situations. It’s different from your own self-value. If one does not experience the world and at least attempt to accomplish even small goals, then they would probably have a lack of confidence in a situation. And by keeping you locked and ignorant, they are not giving you any chances to grow. Get on with the ‘character development’ already, I suppose!”

“....? Well anyways, this is yet another conversation that I need to have with Father.”

The number of keyholes neared fifty, showing the importance of the person inside and the obsession of the person outside.

But above all, what made his obsession most obvious, was the fact that the keys to fit in those keyholes, did not exist.

To open it then, “Puck.”

“I’m called and so I appeared, nyanyanyan.”

With an exhaustive voice and excessive flashes of light, the gray-furred cat appeared. With a cute and silly attitude, he floated down on the boy’s shoulder.

“Yo, you’re here again after quite a while. Is Lia the reason you came?”

“The door, open it.”

“Hmm, what’s with that tone? If you spoil the father’s mood he might not let you see the daughter, you know. If you could understand the feelings of a father with a daughter at such a ripe age just a bit better, it would make me happy…”

“Puck.”

On top of his shoulders, Puck was stroking his whiskers.

Seeing his face marked with those deep dark circles, he sighed with a, “My oh My,” and then, 

“You endured it until you couldn’t anymore, didn’t you? It can’t be helped. That effort of yours is commendable, so I’ll let it slide just this once.”

Saying that, with a satisfied air, he pointed his arms at the door. And through the many keyholes, a faint light poured through.

“-Click.”

Soon after, the light turned into keys made of ice, and fighting inside the door, it opened.

The method to open a door that would not open, was to make a key that did not exist.

“It’s admirable how he found that blindspot. With that amount of preparation, sneaking would be impossible. And if force were to be used, then it would inform the others. Even if someone with a good affinity for fire magic were to attempt the same thing it would most likely not work,  given the precision and memorization required for each keyhole.” Pricilla said that with a satisfied nod.

Halibel: “It’s admirable how easily ya find blind spots. If there’s a keyhole then it would be natural to find a key that fits it. But if someone were to imitate this, then it’d become a problem for them.”

Puck: “There’s also the question of the magical wavelength. If someone other than me tried something similar, then you both, and I as well, would be informed of it. And even then, I am always there with Lia.”

“That’s right.”

Without paying attention to them, the boy put his hand on the door and paused.

“While I do agree that the security is impeccable, associating with an underworld boss is definitely not a great idea. The spirit must have become desperate in a way,” said Crusch.

“I mean, it could actually be pretty smart depending on how you play it.” Refuting Crusch, Felt continued, “By staying under the shadow of a great organization, they could mask their own presence. And in a scenario where the organization has been invaded and defeated, they could either escape or play the ‘Captured princess’ card. But I do agree that the spirit seems to have gotten desperate. They could have just gone back to the Elior forest. Unless for some reason, that place has become unsafe or that someone is hunting them.”

Behind him, with a face feigning ignorance, stood Halibel. The boy gazed up at that face.

“Halibel-san, you can go now.”

“Is that so? But, I should greet the princess once in a while, don’t you think?”

“You can go now.”

His words were absolutely refused. This was not something worth being stubborn about, so Halibel chewed his kiseru and backed off. 

“If anything happens, feel free to summon me.”

“Hm! It’s exactly as I had suspected it.” Anastasia clapped in conclusion. “That shinobi is different from all his other colleagues. Given his behavior, I would say that he is not serving the King just because of money or fear. I think it is out of actual loyalty. It’s ridiculous, but his friendly behavior and lax attitude is completely different from everybody else's. With Cecilus, his mannerism is largely caused by his apparent, immature mind. We are also unsure about whether he is a complete spy or if he is truly siding with Pleiades. Or, he could be drifting between both at the same time. Halibel had no reason to follow the king right now, but he did it anyway. He is clearly not just blindly following orders, instead he is working on his own free will.”

“Maybe he wants to be friends with Wrathbaru,” Felt said.

“ “Aww, you can do it Halibel-chan!!”” At Felt’s guess, Petra and Mimi started supporting Halibel.

Meanwhile, Ricardo was banging his head on the armrest.

The boy was giving him a warning look, his hand still on the door.  

Until he turned the corner and could no longer be seen, the boy’s sight was piercing onto his back.

Rather than cautious, his employer was always fearful.

“Ah, If I said it like that, he would definitely not call out for me then.”

With such a murmur, he spewed purple smoke from his mouth.

Smoke hit the ceiling and with nowhere to go, scattered.

-That it was, somehow, a hint of their future, was the thought that came to his mind.

.

.

.

Chapter end.

Chapter Text

  Chapter 5

The screen started.

The purge king was sleeping. Having entrusted his head to Emilia’s lap, he was sleeping as if he was on the brink of death.

“Eh?! Is he dead?!”

“No, no. I think he is just having a very deep sleep, Nee-sama,” Trivey shook his head at his sister’s hasty conclusion. “Rather, you aren’t that different, Nee-sama. When you sleep you never pay proper attention to the surroundings. Usually me and Hetaro end up taking some surprise attacks from our own big sister.”

Garfiel, found that extremely funny and giggled through his teeth. 

Witnessing that, Mimi had a tinge of red on her cheeks and pouted away. “T-that is not true, at all! Mimi is a proper lady, after all.”

“Yes, yes. Understood, Nee-sama.”

“That’s not convincing at all, Trivey!”

That boy was the target of Emilia’s gaze. Under his eyes, were heavy dark circles, as if painted on with soot. Caused by the serious amount of sleep deprivation and revealing the harsh environment he was in.

Emilia: “It looks like he hasn’t been sleeping again.”

Puck: “It can’t be helped, in his position, he’s got no room for relaxing, most likely. Except for when he comes to see Lia and acts like a baby, every now and then.”

She strokes his forehead, and organizes his lashes with her fingertips. Watching that sleeping face made free by Emilia, the floating Puck wrapped his long tail around his stomach and sighed.

“A position that Barusu has put himself in. I still don’t understand why that stupid Barusu had to do something as troublesome as creating and handling an underworld organization. He must be doing it to protect and surround himself with safety, but it's having the opposite effect instead.” Ram looked at Emilia. “Putting that aside, this scene is an obvious parallel to the lap-pillow scene in arc 2. Isn’t that right?”

“Hm, now that you mention it, that is correct!” Emilia clapped her hands as if she had realized something incredible. “That time, my lap-pillow acted as a relief to him. It seems to be having the same effect now.” Emilia frowned at her own laps. “..Do my laps really have such incredible power?”

With a cough for that out-of-place question, Otto said, “But that time, it helped Natsuki-san get free from some of his shackles. Shackles that he placed on himself and shackles that were placed on him. But now it just seems to give him nothing but a necessary sleep.”

Puck spun around and examined Emilia’s personal quarters. 

It was a white room.

White walls, white floor. A white ceiling, a white bed, white furniture, and white curtains. Everything in the room was white.
Amidst that, Emilia was wearing thin sleepwear that was also white.

“O-oh my god!” Petra said with her eyes spinning. “Why is it all white? It’s so weird and gives me shivers.”

“I agree, completely,” Felt said. “Either it was the spirit who decided this, or Wrathbaru. I would bet on the latter.”

“Hm, Subaru-kun did compliment Beatrice-sama’s colors. Maybe it has something to do with that.” Looking at the spirit, Rem spoke. “Either he likes the white color itself, or the presence of Emilia-sama in that room stands out to him. Either way, it must be excruciatingly uncomfortable for Emilia-sama.” 

“No, I don’t think so, Rem,” Emilia said with slight anger. The anger was directed through her gaze, towards that white Emilia inside the screen. “I think she would be completely fine with it. Staying ignorant and allowing everything to be done for her. Not even attempting to change herself or her surroundings. And staying reliant on my father. Because I was the exact same as her, and still am in some regards, I can tell. This Emilia doesn't desire to protest. In fact, it would not be strange if she has grown attached to Wrathbaru’s visits.”

“Emilia-sama…” With a whisper, there was concern in Rem’s tone. 

“It’s okay! I have learned my lesson, or well, I would like to believe that I have learned. I won’t stay an ignorant baby any longer. I will learn and grow. I will definitely help Subaru and take back my own agency.”

“That’s right, I suppose,” with her hands folded together, Beatrice spoke. “Gain some ‘character independence’ already, my god. Also, if you keep interrupting the scenes every ten seconds, then Betty’s patience is going to run out. Yare yare daze.”

“...E-eh…..”

This room was the extent of freedom granted to Emilia - a bird cage. 

Emilia still wondered whether it was accurate to use expressions such as ‘confined’.

Puck: “Lia, are you still angry at this child.”

Lia: “..I wonder about that.”

Emilia hesitated in answering that question.

It was not that it was difficult to put it in words. She was just not sure about her own feelings. Well, she had definitely been angry at first, but even now they had not yet made up. 

To apologize to one another, they did not even have time for that. Without solving that problem, time had simply passed, and daily life had merely continued on.

“Why would Emilia-sama be angry at Subaru?” Frederica spoke, looking at Emilia for an answer. Before Emilia could start answering, one could hear grumbles coming from Beatrice. She was muttering something about the scene being disturbed again, but was promptly ignored.

“Um, so you see, I am an idiot right?” Frederica instinctively nodded at Emilia.

“Without hesitation! Isn’t this the place where you say, ‘No, no, Emilia-sama. Don’t insult yourself’ ?”

“You are starting to sound very similar to Subaru-sama,” with a giggle, Emilia’s question was ignored.

“O-oh, thank you, Frederica! You are so nice, after all.” Emilia fell for it.

Frederica sighed, turning away and worrying about Emilia’s future.

“Anyways, I think the reason why this ‘me’ was angry as Subaru, is because he disappeared without telling me anything, made me worry about him, and then, just like nothing had happened, he came  back to pick me up. But well, knowing the exact events that transpired for all this to occur, I don’t really have the right to be angry with him.”

“I completely disagree, Emilia-sama,” Crusch said. “First, like Pricilla Barielle had suggested, I have come to agree that we can’t display ourselves as some symbol of ‘Justice’. We cannot claim our path to be the only correct one. That is being way too arrogant. But, that is that, and this is this.”

“Hmm?”

“This is not a good comparison, but I’ll make it anyway. Consider a piece of art, a book or a painting, that is displayed publicly to everyone. If only those who were experienced in writing or in painting were the only ones allowed to critique, then the amount of feedback would drop substantially. Not only that, the public won’t have the right to freely express themselves in this case. If only those who have died could criticize Natsuki Subaru’s actions and display their feelings, then we would all have to shut up.”

“...”

“At the end of the day, I am angry at this Wrathbaru’s actions and his way of living. And because I respect myself and my opinions, I shall freely express my feelings on the matter. I won’t state that I could do better, or that I could handle his mental anguish. But I won’t sympathize with Wrathbaru’s way of living or shut my own feelings on the matter. This ‘if-story’ is displayed to us all, like a piece of art on display. So I will give my criticisms and I think everybody is allowed to speak their mind.” 

At her speech, Anastasia, Felt and many others clapped in agreement. Priscilla smirked behind her fan and nodded at her declaration. After all, she knew full well that she also loved to give her ‘opinions’ on Subaru’s actions. But she was Pricilla, a person who had no shame and who always put herself on a pedestal. 

“But, I’m upset with you, Puck. While keeping it a secret from me, you made the plan for leaving all by yourself.”

“Sorry. But it couldn’t be helped. There was no way I’d entrust you to a Roswall in that state, right? Dragging someone into a dangerous situation and place, only to the skedaddle out of there is pretty irresponsible of him. That said, if it’s for Lia’s safety, then here’s easily the stand out option.”

“Hmph, I really am super duper upset with you, Puck. We need to have some long conversation when I get you back,” Emilia said. “Not to mention, you were one of the biggest individuals who helped me reach that decision of participating in the royal selection. After that, you continued to leave me ignorant of everything and cooperated heavily with Roswall. If I had to say, you are the one who’s completely irresponsible here.”

“Ha, ha. Nice words, Emilia. Even Betty needs to give big-brother a piece of her mind, I suppose.”

“............”

“Avoiding harm to Lia, that boy and I were of the same mind.”

So puck has secretly cooperated with the organization, assented to take Emilia, and withdrew from the Royal selection.

And with only Emilia unaware of anything, before she knew it, she had found herself in this white room, a bird caught in a cage.

But that she had no right to criticize Puck’s judgment, Emilia also understood.

“Because in the end, I couldn't do anything.”

Emilia had lost the royal selection by default.

The biggest cause was that she had refused to attend the royal candidate meeting. As a result, her participation in the election had not been recognized. Both Roswall and Emilia had fallen in reputation. 

Emilia had not even displayed the will to participate, and so her sponsor had been disqualified. The Emilia camp collapsed before its first task.

“Well, I guess that result is only natural,” Ram said. She looked at Roswall and started to whisper in her ears. She understood fully well that those demihumans with keen ears, present in this room, would be able to hear her, but she just shrugged it off. “Roswall-sama.”

“Hm? What is it, Ram?”

“That time, in arc 2, why didn't you at least give us some information about Barusu’s importance? I know full well that Rem acted out of accord, and even if you had given her a hint about Barusu’s importance, her hatred might still have driven her to insanity. But even then, if that individual was so important and the lack of his presence could lead to the entire camp’s downfall, then why did you act so stupidly?”

“What a rude word. Having come so close to my goal’s fulfillment, I delicately followed the gospel. I knew that Natsuki Subaru must be the one I was waiting for, despite no evidence other than my gospel’s hints. If I had informed you guys about anything, then isn’t there the chance that my gospel would stray?”

“-! Absolutely idiotic. Can’t help but blame you there, Roswall-sama.”

“I agree. But even then you continue to call me Roswall-sama. Thank you for your kindness, Ram.”

“.......”

And so, Emilia had the ladder pulled from under her, and been defeated without being able to do anything. 

Emilia: “My wish.”

It was to create a world without discrimantion. Creating a place where the births of half-elves and others would not serve as a definite evaluation of one’s future life, that was clumsy Emilia’s wish.

“A very admirable desire,” Wilhelm spoke softly, surprising Emilia. Flashes of memories, flashes of the demi-human war came naturally to Wilhelm. The cruelty displayed on both sides, and the overbearing sense of despair was too much for this country. Of course, Wilhelm served Lady Crusch and her wish. But would her leadership bring about any semblance of equality? “Well, I think the exact term you are aiming for is fairness.”

“Eh, no, it's equality, though.”

“No, equality would be assuming that every individual is the same, with no differences at all. However, that is false.”

“......”

“Demi-humans, humans, mixed-bloods, and witches. Even among humans, we all have individual differences, not to mention the various races that populate our lands. Trying to make them all ‘equal’ would be the same as making them have no differences at all. Same thoughts, same religion, same social ranking and same love interests. That would be disrespectful of their individuality and their respective abilities.”

“So then, fairness would be…”

“Hm, treating them the same regardless of their differences. It might sound contradictory, but it is very different from each other. Like someone receiving the same opportunity to enter the military or serve as a knight, regardless of their race.”

“Hmmmm,” twisting and turning, Emilia tried to grasp the difference between the terms. 

Giggling at that Emilia, Wilhelm spoke, “Well, you could take a long time to understand it truly. There’s plenty of room to try and experiment.”

As he relaxed back, he noticed the two gazes on him. One was Felix, looking at him with a sly smirk. The other was his liege, looking at him while pretending to be indifferent.

“Nya, is Wilhelm-sama swaying in his loyalty,” Felix said.

“No, I was just giving a young one some advice.”

“But, you do realize, do you not,” Crusch said, “That having a fair treatment would be absurdly difficult for our kingdom. It isn't just because of our history with the other races, but also because of our political system. The royal families present in Lugunica hold way more importance than others and dominate the noble rankings. And at the end of the day, those houses, like house Astrea, would hold way more value than anyone else and would be treated better. This system has been continuing for ages now, and probably would not change for ages.”

“And is that an excuse for not trying to change it, Lady Crusch.”

“....No, absolutely not. It..is a good reason to fight for the throne, I suppose.”

However, without even being given the chance to be spoken aloud, that wish had disappeared like a dream’s fantasy.

Beyond that wish too, the freeing of Emilia’s hometown- the task of rescuing the residents of Elior forest, still in iced-encased slumber, that too she had been unable to do.

Puck: “It’d be better to return to the forest, rather than live in an defenseless house like that, but Lia was in a situation where even that was impossible. As you can imagine, when the first envoy arrived I was definitely surprised.”

“Hm, why is it that going back to the forest has become impossible, Emilia-sama?” Petra said.

“I don’t really understand the exact reason in this case, but it could be one of many. There is the battle with Melakure that took place and the attention it drew. The snowblights and the other mabeasts that roam around. The fact that Ganak and its underworld territory is nearby. The black serpent's poison that had corroded the nearby lake. Or maybe something else.”

“My lord, Emilia-sama, lived in such danger!!”

“Well, the most dangerous stuff was taken care of by Puck. Despite my complaints with him, it is a fact that he has protected and saved me all that time. And the words he said during the battle with that other spirit are very important to me.”

“...I…I am still scared of him.”

“That is natural, Petra. But regardless of that, Puck and I will work hard to change that. Even if you can’t forgive him, I’ll still make him repent.”

“Speaking of Ganak,” Otto said, “Could it be that Natsuki-san reached that place first after his escape?”

“You mean Captain could have started to get involved in the underworld society from there?” Garfiel said.

“It’s simply an unknown guess.”

Emilia: “..Really surprised. Because.”

The boy she met, she had believed to be dead.

Her fate of not partaking in the royal selection had been determined by the mansion maid’s death.

Rem who had been the first victim of the witch beast's ruckus. The boy, an outsider who worked there briefly, had been a suspect in her death. The boy could not endure such suspicion, so he ran away, chased by the other maid who never returned. 

The collapse started from there. 

The cause of Rem’s death was discovered to be the witchbeast, once the damage had spread to the nearby village.

Roswall lost his position, without seizing the opportunity to recover. And Emilia met defeat without being defeated, a humiliation for her. The mansion was heading towards an undesired collapse. 

It was then. 

Swept away by the helplessness of being unable to change anything, Emilia spent her days listlessly. But one day, that boy had appeared, having come to get her.

Puck had quickly responded to that. But Emilia was feeling angry at that boy.

Without caring for her feeling, without explaining anything, he was suddenly taking her away.

He might even have been the catalyst of the collapse of the world surrounding Emilia. Despite that-

“Like that..”

Reunited with Emilia, that boy with a frail face, exhausted from fear, even worse than the one he possessed now, had latched on, cried and begged for her help.

And at that boy bawling like a child, Emilia had forgotten to be angry. 

“Ku-hu, what a loose woman,” Priscilla smirked at Emilia.

Looking back at her, Emilia was preparing a reply, but then, as if she got a great idea, she simply shut up and turned back to the screen. 

“Wha-” Of course, Priscilla felt a tinge of anger at her lack of a response. Her aim was to elicit a response from the start, but the bullied had stopped the bully.

“So he’s dependent on her, huh. Having no choice but to use her for his peace. And it appears that she has grown dependent on him as well.” Anastasia said. “Compared to everyone else, I guess Wrathbaru is confident that her character would stay constant and not become something else. Instead of a bond, it's a weird trust instead.”

Maybe she was naive. Maybe she was easy.

And even then, Emilia did not think herself worthy of scolding him, that boy who seemed like a child, who had eventually exposed his sleeping, baby-like face.

So the boy would visit Emilia, to find himself salvation.

He would come looking for her, not saying a single word, just sobbing sadly and entrusting his life to Emilia’s knees.

Whether she was receiving strong trust, or being looked down upon, Emilia could not give an answer to that.

“Obviously, this really isn’t healthy.”

Even the immature Emilia realized that this was not a normal state.

However, Emilia was unsure of her own thoughts.

Speaking of the intervals when the boy sought Emilia, it was about once every ten days.

Other than that, he was desperately struggling, even cutting back on sleep time.

They did not exchange many words, but he would visit her, once every ten days.

“..Subaru’s such a twit.”

That perhaps she longed for those visits, Emilia had grown aware of that.

“Well, both Onii-chan and Onee-chan struggle to properly convey their feelings to other people. Our Onii-chan acts like a joker in order to stand out and has little experience when it comes to forming relationships with others. And Onee-chan tries to appear stronger than she is, despite being childish on the inside.” Shrugging her shoulders, Felt spoke on the two troublesome individuals. 

“I am not a child! Hmph.”

“Yeah, yeah. Putting that aside, why doesn't Wrathbaru just visit her daily? Why does he have to bring himself to the edge every time?”

“Maybe it’s because he is extremely busy with his ‘work’. Or he cannot sleep unless he is extremely tired and wants to use everything else to drown away his constant doubt.”

“Or Reinhard, it could be because he does not want to disturb Emilia as much as possible!”

“As expected of my Lady, her smartness knows no bounds. Plus, that does sound like something that he would do, despite the fact that he is Wrathbaru.”

If a tossed gold coin lands on the tail, with just that, anyone would be slain.

“So that was indeed the rule that he based that old man’s murder on,” Julius said. “A method based on luck, a final test of sorts. But in the end, even that is contradictory. Because luck is flimsy and cannot be something that is reliable. That coin flip could lead to a liar being evaluated as someone one can trust, and vice versa.”

“Julius-kun,” Anastasia said, “I think for Wrathbaru, he would rather trust that ‘luck’ than other people’s words. And also, I don't think that the coin flip is something that is absolute. He would not do something as stupid as deeming an enemy a friend, simply because the coin said so. And with someone like Emilia, and even Puck to a certain extent, the flip doesn't even matter.”

“It truly does remind you of the ‘gospel’, in a way.” looking momentarily towards that clown, situated at the back, Crusch spoke. “It’s not as fixed as that, but it’s still an absurd object to decide one’s actions on. And his body itself is rejecting it. Has that happened to you, in some form, Roswall Mathers?”

At first Roswall displayed shock at being addressed so easily, but then he noticed the indifferent expression and tone of Crusch’s voice. “Well, let’s see. I am unsure whether this is the cause of my soul-hopping or other actions, but I did lose my sense of taste, as unfortunate as that is. Even more unfortunate however, is the fact that it appears that I cannot get drunk anymore, a true shame.”

At this, many people, specifically members of the Emilia-camp, showed surprise. Even Ram was unaware that he could not taste anything properly, thanks to his incredible skill in making it appear that he does. 

“Hm, a loss of taste is usually due to an infection, nutritional issues or an underlying disease. But neither of them seems to be the case here, nya. It's also highly unlikely that your nerves have been damaged in some way. Meaning that the only reason is a psychological impact.” Rubbing his hands together with a spark of curiosity in his eyes, Felix said.

Roswall continued, “Wrathbaru and I are fairly similar, it appears.”

“Again with ‘similar’ crap, I suppose,” Beatrice said.

“No, I don’t just refer to how his body is reacting, but to his ideology as well. I believe in the weakness within everyone. Wrathbaru does the same, to a degree. He strongly believes in that weak part of others that could make anyone betray him. Hatred, Jealousy, anger, revenge, and other such emotions.” 

“......”

At that abnormal method of Frederica’ master, she could not hide her disgust.

“HUH! Nee-sama,” Garfiel said and rubbed his eyes.

“..It appears that I am still alive. So the spirit did not kill me for whatever reason.” 

“Considering that Frederica-neesama is reacting to Subaru as her master, I guess this isn’t a great situation,” Petra said with a worried expression.

Cleaning a headless corpse that had fallen in the reception hall, she replaced the sullied carpet, next preparing meals for the mercenaries in Pandemonium.

“The fates of others, quite literally left to luck…Do you feel like you have become a god?”

Lifting the whole body of the corpse, Frederica, knowing full well the reason for her helplessness, clicked her sharp fangs against one another, containing her feelings inside herself while trembling with anger.

Frederica was working there at the manion, because the purge king had a princess, Emilia, who had vehemently begged on her behalf.

That day, as the mansion filled with frost and cold, she was convinced she was going to lose her life. Yet, for some reason, she had woken up here. 

Since then, with a collar fitted around her neck, she was being used as a slave, to serve that detestable person.

“..So, I am a slave, pretty much.”

“-F-Frederica-san,” Rem said with a painfilled expression, on her face. 

“A collar,” Ricardo said, “To do that to a demi-human, much less one with mixed blood, is too painful to be shown. I know he must be doing it as an insurance, considering those collars aren't just for show. But, it's still a fairly detestable act.”

“Well, at least the brat is alive,” Pricilla said with a bored expression on her face. “She would not be able to feel any disgust if she were dead after all. What a good thing.”

“Princess, that is a bit too-”

“Tch, you think being slaved is something entertaining!” Garfiel said with anger. “If-story or whatever story, that’s my goddamn sister, you know!” 

“Calm your fangs, tiger idiot. No need to mask your own fear with anger.”

“Wha- it’s not like-”

“If you think that I, Priscilla, cannot guess what lies inside your frail heart, then you're sorely mistaken. More than anything, you are angry at your own helplessness. Because putting aside this ‘if-story’, are you truly capable enough to save your sister if such a situation should arise in our reality?”

“He is!” It was Emilia, who stood to defend her comrades. “Aren’t you ignoring what he did and accomplished against Elsa? Not to mention, he is still a kid with plenty of room to grow stronger. And why are you assuming that Garfiel would be fighting alone if something happened to his sister, even though we are all here to support him?”

“Emilia-sama,” Frederica looked towards her in appreciation, as well as Garfiel.

“I know you are bored of these past two sequences, Princess. But maybe we should refrain from bullying other people, right?” Al said with hesitation in his voice.

Of course, to his statement, he received a surprise elbow to the face.

Why in the world, how inept had her work been, to be subjected to such an absurd job?

“-Master, pardon me, please.”

Her owner’s own meals, it is a rule that Frederica would carry it directly to his room.

“For a maid, being able to do that would be an honor, usually. But for this Barusu, no i take that back, for any Barusu, it would become a shame for the maid instead.” Ram said. 

“That is a little too harsh, Nee-sama,” Rem said. “Putting aside Wrathbaru-kun, Rem would love to serve Subaru-kun!”

Ram gave a deep sigh as if to suggest that she had given up.

“Well, I definitely do not believe that Wrathbaru-sama is allowing that Frederica to carry his meals due to trust. But then, I do wonder why he would let someone that hates him get in such close proximity towards him.” Frederica said. 

“Hm, it is just a guess, but could it be that he is confident? Confident that Frederica-san would not try anything. No, maybe it's not just because of confidence. But because he has some kind of insurance other than the collar.” Trivey said. 

“Something like….h-hostages…” Frederica said with a look of pity on her face, directed at her other version. She could not deny that her blood ran cold when thinking about the helpless situation her other self was put in. 

“The sanctuary,” with a red tinge on his face, Garfiel said. “But how the hell could they find the location?!”

“It must be Puck, I suppose.” Beatrice said. “A complete cooperation, huh. Bubby did that literally, which is fairly rare of him. And if someone like the blue -lightning was sent, then as unfortunate as it is, you guys would stand no chance.”

“..........” With fists clenched tightly, Garfiel dropped his face. Otto put his hand on his shoulder, but it was shrugged away.

He did not entrust this task to anyone else, and would not allow his mouth food to be cooked by another. That this is some honorable thing, she did not think so at all.

It was not because of taste or trust, but because of a conviction that she would not try anything stupid.

“Come.” With the sound of many locks coming undone, a rude order allowed her inside.

With the food cart in tow, she entered the room.

It was a big but simple room, lacking in humanity. The room’s four corners held many books, not distinguished by subject.  Messily packed books were stacked everywhere, and it was a place that the orderly Frederica could not abide. 

“Hmm, the room is similar to the state of his heart. At the same time, unlike the inhuman nature of the room, his soul is completely human.” Priscilla said.

“Um, could you say that in a way that even an idiot like me could understand, princess?”

“Then Al, I should explain it in a way that even an idiot like you could understand. The room’s state is the same as the state of his heart, it's messy and disgusting to look at. Similar to how he hates his room being cleaned due to his cautiousness, he also hates anyone trying to clean his heart due to the same reason. He is afraid of being hurt again, so he keeps his heart closed and disorderly. And because of his fear, he would never again give anyone the chance to save his heart. But he is undoubtedly human. The sickness of despair that is inflicting him is something that can affect anyone and everyone.”

“Even you, Princess Priscilla?”

“Kuh, I’ll burn it to ashes if it does. Anyways, one might assume that he is just indifferently murdering people because of his doubt. But there is a certain emotion present there. When he deems someone as his enemy, whether it is due to a coin flip or not, he truly begins to hate them. Because the ‘enemy’ is here, here to hurt him. And naturally, there is hatred, self-interest and fear involved. All those human emotions are plaguing him.”

“Huh, so what do you think about this entire show so far?”

“Hm, it is interesting. An interesting tragedy.”

But, that person deeply hated having his room clean.

Perhaps he was being wary of something being installed. Looking out for any impossible situations, he was not cautious but cowardly. 

“Master, should I do the usual with these fallen documents?”

“Hmm, yeah please do. You can show them to someone who looks like they can understand them.”

With those words, a few documents littered around the room in messy handwriting, were waved away by her disinterested master.

Those documents that appeared to be just messy, discarded drafts, were the source of the organization’s true wealth. The many mysterious creations brought about by the purge king.

“It was obvious, but the impact possible due to his otherworldly origins is still incredible,” Anastasia said. “Depending on your perspective, it could be very dangerous or very helpful to this world. Depending on just how much of the specifics that Natsuki Subaru himself knows and the difficulty of recreating them, it should skyrocket technological development.”

“It also depends on which places are willing to accept this development.” Crusch spoke. “Volllachia and Kararagi would be safe bets. Gustecko’s religious doctrines might interfere. But I think the least favorite place would be Lugunica. With the main dynasty having been founded a thousand years ago, the customs and culture of this land run deep. It wouldn’t be easy for them to have an open-mind on such knowledge, especially when it comes from an underworld boss.”

“Yet another reason for them to be the ones to move and crush the organization.”

“It might not be very helpful, engines or things like that, I don’t get the mechanism at all. As expected, different kinds of food are the easiest to figure out.”

Her master was mumbling complaints.

He would speak of knowledge no one had heard or seen, whether it be the leads or the results.

By meeting lots of people, he made great decisions, like he had been marked by fate, and a pioneer of culture he had been granted cleverness.

With that new knowledge, experts of different fields of study who had been slumbering were lit by a new flame.

Those experts would establish the boy’s joking words with seriousness and establish them into theories.

And so, with that producing enormous profits, the boy who had nothing was nurtured into a great villain.

“I really wonder when pal decided to become an underworld boss. Was that a plan from the start, or did he just one day wake up and decide to become like that?” Al said in a playful tone.

“It really shows how Natsuki-san has the ability to achieve most of anything that he wants. Having been put into a position where his otherworldly information could change the world, where the power granted to him by a witch can literally control time, and where his own latent talent can emerge freely, saying that he is marked by fate is an understatement.” Otto said. 

“Can achieve almost anything, huh. What would be something that is downright impossible for him to achieve in a natural situation?”

“Hm, well there is one thing, right?”

“Ah, yeah I forgot about ‘him’.”

Drawn by the conversation, everybody turned to look at Reinhard, who just tilted his head in confusion. For some reason, he could instinctively feel the others trying to think of a way to defeat him, which was a scary thought.

Subaru: “At this point, calling it an unparalleled kata made of future knowledge isn't even funny.”

Frederica remembered that her master had mumbled such strange words in response to having his achievements praised, in the past. She also recalled that he had not been smiling at all when saying those words.

“Yeah, for him this is really just a tool to fulfill his other, obsessive needs.” Anastasia said.

“Now that we have witnessed the existence of Emilia-sama in his organization, it would be fair to assume that she adds to his reasons for continuing to expand his organization. Protecting himself and the one thing that he obsesses over.” Ram said. 

And so, on one hand causing many people to suffer, on the other giving rise to much happiness, her Master was quite dishonest.

Even as a problematic existence that humanity should remedy, in his brain there was value.

This unreachable being was very difficult to handle, similar to Roswall.

“Definitely, the similarities are present between them,” Frederica said.

“Hm? Actually, where is ‘that’? Despite the fact that we have gotten a great view of the entire room through this scene, ‘that’ is still missing.” Priscilla said.

“That, this, that. Could you please explain to us without making it unnecessarily complicated?!”

“This is why that slum rat was a slum rat, huh.” 

At her unnecessary provocation, she threw a bottle of water. Of course, that bottle belonged to Reinhard not to her. The bottle drew a trajectory straight to her, but mysteriously, turned at the last moment and hit Al instead, drenching him. 

“Uninteresting commotion. As I was saying, ‘that’ which is still out of this picture refers to the magic stone.”

“...Ah, the one that the old man gifted him.”

“Good thing that you at least have the ability to remember. If this scene right now is taking place right after Wrathbrat rested his head on the elf’s lap, then the magic stone should have been deposited in his room. But all of that space shown to us does not have the magic stone anywhere. If it was just one, then that’s that. But he specifically wanted it to be brought to his room. Not to mention, he seems to have a liking for magic stones, something that even that old man was aware of. Which suggests that he must have collected a good quantity of them in order for that piece of information to hold some value. But despite its suggested importance, no place in that room seems to show any space for the magic stones, at all.”

“Then maybe he has already used them and discarded the remains. Or, he is hiding it somewhere in the room itself. But if it’s hidden away to that extent, similar to how he has hidden away Emilia, then it must be fairly important to him. And if it's already been used this fast, then whatever he is using it for must require lots of mana to function.” Felt said.

“Either way, it does not change the fact that it has been well-hidden. Something is amiss after all. There is also the fact that his maid has brought in two trays of food.”

Subaru: “Frederica, the food, first have a bite.”

Even while preoccupied with her thoughts, she was steadily preparing the meal to be served. This boy was only skin and bones, not because of a lack of appetite, but because of his mental issues. Having given and taken many wounds, while living comfortably, he was comparably quite skinny in appearance. 

As the manager of his meals, it did not make her feel great, but he probably was not vomiting because he wanted to.

“Master, with this.”

Why had meals been prepared for two? All menus were for two, placed on large plates and set on the table. And from every plate, she took a single bite in order to check for poison.

She never thought about poisoning him. But she did want to.

It was just that, her life as a maid had taken up most of her life and was very important to her. With the people that had taught her, and that she had taught, she did not want to commit acts of violence.

“ What a kind soul, how the hell is she still single?!” It was not just one, but most of the young men that thought that simultaneously. 

“ That one time actually, Betty and Subaru saw ‘it’. ‘It’ was Frederica interacting with that Clind, I suppose. No matter how you looked at that, she was acting fairly differently than she usually does. Maybe it's a crush, a current one or a former one, I suppose.” Beatrice giggled quietly, like a child who had gotten hold of some nefarious secret.

Frederica meanwhile, recalled how Subaru had lost his appetite in the final loop of arc 2, due to being afraid of it being poisoned. Him still struggling to properly eat was yet another scar, left behind by those events.  

“Then, I will be outside, if there is anything please call for me.”

“Hmm.”

During meals her master did not enjoy being seen.

“I think it's just him being absolutely paranoid. Having two plates and checking them both for poison. And then maybe he flips another coin, to decide which one to eat it from. I really don’t believe there is any other conspiracy involved.” Anastasia said. “But if it was me then I would have the maid stay there longer and wait for any reaction, in order to make sure that no delayed poisons have been added.”

“When a person eats their food, they usually let their guard down, giving someone a perfect opportunity to strike. So I guess it makes sense why he would not want to eat in another's presence.” Crusch said. “But I can’t help but agree with Miss Barielle, that something feels amiss.”

Because of that, having finished with readying the meal, she felt it was time to leave.

On this day as well, she intended to wait outside - when suddenly, something caught her eye.

Spread over the desk was a list, with the names of the organization’s members. Placed next to that list, a gold coin could be seen.

At that moment, having realized the meaning of that, Frederica could not hide the fear running down her back. 

“Oh shit. Well, when you think about it, it becomes obvious. There ain’t no way that his own comrades would be exempt from the coin flip. He’s literally doing a ‘live-or-die’ check, whenever he feels like it.” Al said.

“What matters more than that, is that Frederica-san has ended up seeing the list!” Rem said. “If she isn’t caught and just ignores it, then maybe, maybe….”

“Master-”

“Fuck! Why the hell did you have to go and call him?!” Garfiel said.

Tension was running behind everyone’s back.

“Frederica”

The room grew cold. Frederica shuddered. A shudder of fear, despite the fact that she was sitting here.

With her turning around, void black eyes were gazing at Frederica.

Frederica’s breath was robbed by that abyss. In front of her, her master slowly approached the desk and covered the list.

And then, he flipped the gold coin right next to it with a thumb.

At this instance Frederica was feeling two emotions. One was fear. Despite the fact that she was not the Frederica on the screen, she felt afraid for herself. More than that, she felt afraid for her family. Just like that, everything she had worked for and everyone she loved, could be wiped clean. And she would be powerless to do anything. Frederica, who had not felt any fear towards Natsuki Subaru, now felt it clearly.

The other emotion she was feeling was something worse than disgust. She truly understood now, how and why that Frederica despised Wrathbaru. She understood just how abysmal his way of living was. Wrathbaru was forcing an absurd reality of unreasonableness on others. He wasn’t the one who was drowning alone, he was dragging everyone else with him. Like a disease, he spread and attached to everyone. 

She did not care if he was indifferent or if he was filled with emotion. His actions spoke for themselves. With those two emotions meshing together, a thought arose within her. “ So this is the nature of the unfair reality and the unreasonable situations that are forced on the Subaru we know. A reality filled with death. Just how despair-inducing could it have been, when he was presented with no choices but to die? Or when he was forced to choose between running away from a place he had come to love, or dying and restarting? Now that he is the one inducing such unreasonableness towards others, it is way more scary…..”

The rest of the cast were waiting without breathing. They were pulled in together, as that coin did circles in the screen and landed.

“---Heads.”

A large breath of relief spread throughout the theater. 

With a carefree noise, the tossed coin fell into the boy’s left hand. Catching it, and having checked the side facing up, that boy smiled at Frederica. 

“It was heads, Frederica. Your brother and Grandmother are safe.”

“..Ah.”

“Get out. And don’t come back until I say you may enter.”

At her master’s words, she nodded like a doll.

And so, unable to hide the tears in her eyes welling up, she left the room as her cheeks were moistened by hot tears. Soon after, Frederica began to run while covering her face.

“Uhh..Uhh, wahhhh.”

She could not tell, not anyone. Sharing would not be forgiven.

Why had it become like this? 

Why had this happened to her?

Those far-away days at the mansion, with those not-cute-at-all juniors, that cute junior, that hopeless master- where had those times gone?

“This is just way too cruel ! What the hell would he gain by doing all of this? Piece of mind?! Ha, what a joke. That ain’t happening here at all. Not by living this way, it won’t.” Garfiel said with an angry expression. 

“Now, Garfiel,” Frederica said with a soft voice. Petra had latched on to her, shedding a few tears. This allowed her to regain her senses. “It's like what Otto-sama had said before. In the end, this is nothing but an if-story. It is obvious, but we must constantly remind ourselves of this.”

“I know that! Of course I know that! But despite that, seeing all of that on the screen, do you think I could just remain indifferent to it all? Sorry, but I can’t help but express my anger and judge him. That Wrathbaru is too far gone. He would continue to suspect and kill. It's a cycle that won’t end. Nothing good could come out of it. It is only black and white for him. I being stupid, spend so much time trapped in that little cage called ‘sanctuary’ and did nothing to change myself. All I did was go around in circles, repeating the same thing. With my heart closed and my mind small, I was a foolish idiot while you went and worked hard.”

“Garfiel.”

“And that’s why I know, that even if he has good reason to have become the way he has, it’s still stupid as hell. It’s meaningless in the end.”

“Even he must realize this. Isn’t that why he had asked Beatrice-sama, ‘why didn’t you kill me that time?’. He has already realized that his path is a dead end. One that he should not have taken. But with just regret, you can’t do much can you?”

“.....I still hate what is happening with that Nee-san….Even I can see the similarity. How Captain also has something that he could not tell anyone. How he questioned the reason for why he had been put in his situation. His cruel reality is being forced upon others, in a different manner. And I still hate it and I hate Wrathbaru as well. I take back all my statements of him looking ‘cool’ and ‘badass’! ”

“That is completely okay, in fact it makes me happy to see my cute brother care for me that much.”

“--!!!!” Naturally, Garfiel turned away from his sister. As the rest of the cast enjoyed that small moment and  started talking among themselves, two individuals were deathly silent.

Ram and Rem had their heads down. If we were talking about unreasonableness, then both of them considered themselves to be filled with it. Their actions at the mansion, specifically Rem, and the impact it had made. 

Once again, they were reminded of their sins. Was salvation too far now? Subaru had forgiven them, but would it be unreasonable for them to forgive themselves? 

“Hm, that whole thing about there being a possible spy in Pleiadias other than Cecilus, is making a lot more sense now.” Priscilla said.

“Eh, really Princess? You think that the maid could be the one? But doesn't she have the most to lose?” 

“It’s exactly because of that, Al. What happened right now could happen again. It would be simple and sudden, without luck to save her. And so, because she is stuck in a check with everything on the stake, her only option to truly survive is not to surrender but to fight back somehow. If she succeeds in bringing those who can checkmate the King, she and her family might survive. But if she keeps waiting, then it’s just a matter of time.”

“I see. As expected from the Princess, such insight.”

“Of course.”

—-The screen started again.

Having received word from a secret messenger,  Cecilus closed one eye and looked up at the moon.

“Hmm, Hmmm, Hmmm~”

Twisting his neck and bending at the waist, low enough that the tip of long hair could brush the ground, he tilted his form. 

By nature, thinking had never been his best attribute. Cecilus had not received formal education and had lived with no intention of learning things in the first place. In years, his life numbered around twenty, but he spent it all on one thing only.

Many years he had spent swinging only a sword, his swordsmanship a thing of pride.

Since it was a life of only that, in his heart he wished to avoid difficult manners.

“I can definitely sympathize with that,” Wilhelm said. “Sticking to something and only that something for a long period of time is admirable. Especially when you consider how harder it becomes to do that as you grow older. I for one am glad that I found various other things in my life.”

“Like the love of your life, nya.”

“......Like the love of my life. Felix.”

“Well now, how should this be done? As for me…”

Straightening his body, Cecilus shook the dust from his hair that had been touching the floor. And placing a hand at the sword on his waist, then turning back with a dance like move, 

“Hey, Halibel-san. What do you think?”

“-----What, its disgraceful that you’ve found me while I was keeping quiet and you were being so unashamed.”

On the castle’s balcony, under the light of the moon, from the shadows the beastmen emerged.

“Ohhh!!! How cool! He did some stuff with the little spirit before but it’s refreshing to seem something that might only be found in fairy tales.” Garfiel said with a deep nod.

“ Right, right!?” Hopping up and down, Mimi said with excitement. “Even Roshi did not show that stuff, despite being a shinobi himself.” 

“Hoh, little brat, someone that you knew was a shinobi?” Garfiel said.

“Yeah, he was my foster father.”

With a slight stutter, Garfiel asked the important question. “Then did he teach you anything? Like some cool clone moves-”

“Not at all. Just Mimi alone is cool enough!”

“Tch, boring then.”

“Ehhhhh…”

And then, after a soft strike on his armchair, Al said, “Ah, now I remember. I think that move is called the ‘shadow form’. They can use it to hide under other people’s shadows and even carry them.” Saying such, he revealed information that he learned from his gladiator days.

“Well ‘shinobi’ itself is something that strictly originates from Vollachia. They have got villages that train and raise them with all sorts of different techniques. Body alteration and different kinds of drugs are used. So it's highly possible that the wolf-skin shinobi came from Vollacha originally. Or he was trained by someone from there. Ah, by the way. Information about shinobi is protected by the government and is a fairly confidential secret. So don’t reveal it carelessly, morons.” Priscilla said.

“-----Eh?” Instantly, everyone paused and let out a dumbfounded voice.

“But you are the one who’s carelessly spilling the beans, Princess!” Al shouted.

Having been detected, Halibel approached Cecilus, the latter’s face undaunted.

“In just that simple stance, with his hand on the hilt of his weapon, Cecilus-san is ready to fight if need be.” Julius said.

Retrieving the kiseru from his pocket and putting it in his mouth, he lighted its tip, inhaled and puffed out purple haze.

“That does seem like a drug of sorts,” Felix said.

“Just now, who was that messenger sneaking about?”

“That? Let’s just say that was one of the nine divine generals, but if it’s Halibel-san, the top shinobi in the world, it’s no wonder they were found out.”

“Eh? Hasn’t he just revealed that he is pretty much a spy?” Rem said, tilting her head.

“Well, with his carefree attitude, he isn’t really suited for keeping secrets.” Julius said. “In fact, it would be weird if his role was to steal information or something. I don’t think he would be able to follow through on such an order, properly. But as expected, he did not cut off his ties with the empire.”

“Hm, so out of all of the purge king’s employees, only the shinobi is truly loyal. He also does not seem to be serving him due to his self-interest.” Anastasia said. “A surprising behavior, coming from a shinobi. What an interesting individual. I would definitely love to meet him one day.”

“Ce-san, you ain’t suited for secret work at all. Haven't you revealed that you never broke off ties with the Vollachian empire.”

“But, Halibel-san, didn’t you already know that?”

Halibel, already with an awkward grin, at Cecilus’s comment smiled even deeper. 

“It appears that he has not done an adequate job at hiding his relationship. It would not be a surprise if even Wrathbaru knew of it.” Crusch said. “But because of his power as the blue-lightning, there isn’t much one can do about it.”

That this was not a negative sign, Cecilus was aware of it.

“Originally, working for the boss was due to the excellency’s order. Of course, that I fell for the boss’s invitation and came to this side isn't a lie.”

“With the empire’s collar around your neck..Well, Su-san’s movement, if used well, would easily turn into a profit for your country. That knowledge from somewhere unknown, would be readily accepted in Kararagi and Vollachia, compared to Lugunica and Gustecko.”

“It would, yes.”

“I still don’t understand how WrathBarusu would be able to help blue-boy in achieving his goal, the heavenly sword.” Ram said.

“That is true,” Roswall said. “Considering the level of swordsmanship he has reached, the only challenge left for him would be to surpass the current sword saint. Putting aside the impossibility of that goal, how exactly  does Wrathbaru play into it is unknown. Maybe he just needs Wrathabaru to incite the sword saint.”

“Or, the abundant chances he is given to kill people is helping him grow somehow.”

“Indeed, his swords are said to be cursed and require a frequent human sacrifice. So it would work out well for Cecilus-kun. He obeys both the Vollachian Emperor and the Purge king, gets to have a possible bout with the sword saint and also keeps up with the maintenance that his swords require. Also, he must be getting paid generously.”

“He also does not seem to have a sensitive temperament to killing and is completely fine with it all. Trully, it's a win for him.”

Drawing his hand into his kimono’s sleeve, he acknowledged that he was a spy.

Cecilus’s reason for cooperating was to follow the Emperor’s orders. However, the emperor, knowing Cecilus’s character, had not given any specific instructions. Not that he could have remembered them, even if he did.

Cecilus’s role was to, 

“All I gotta do is kill whoever the boss orders to be killed, aside from his excellency. So, it’s just the usual.”

“Ce-san, aren’t you even more of an assassin than I, a shinobi, am?”

“No, no, definitely not true. I mean stuff like lurking in the water, hiding poison on my person or emerging from shadows is impossible for me.”

Shaking his head and hands, Cecilus acknowledged their respective areas.

As an assassin, he was far behind Halibel. But if fighting head on, Halibel was no match for Cecilus.

“Well then having caught me meeting with a secret messenger, what are you planning on doing? Do you plan on fighting me with your life on the line?”

“That depends on the nature of the message.”

“Hmm, you mean its contents.”

“If its contents mean Su-san’s death, I guess I gotta fight to stop that.”

Needless to say, the cast wondered just what Wrathbaru could have done to elicit such loyalty.

Holding his kiseru between his fingers, letting out some smoke, Halibel’s fur fluttered in the cold night breeze.

Hearing he was ready to fight to the death for his master, Cecilus nodded with an ‘I see’.

“I’ve been wondering for a long time now, why is Halibel-san serving the boss? It’s not out of sincere loyalty for his excellency, like me.”

“To repay a grace I received.”

“What can it be, the sort of favor that Halibel-san received?”

Those unexpected words came out, and having listened to them, Cecilus asked with sincere surprise. Depending on the person, it could be considered a rude question, but Halibel did not object.

Instead, he gazed at the moon hanging in the night sky.

“Round the time I first met Su-san, there was a bit of an incident in a corner of Kararagi. That well, it was an incident that involved one of the four great spirits….Su-san dealt with it.”

“Huuh, the four great spirits! I know one of them, but they can’t really be talked with, you know. Can’t believe one was calmed down, huh. Perhaps the boss is stronger than I thought.”

“A great spirit in a corner of Kararagi. The only one that fits the picture is the ‘shinigami’ Zarestia.” 

“Zarestia, who’s that, Anastasia-san?” Emilia said.

“She’s a murderous great spirit that many fear. Because of rumors speaking about her blood lust and her inhuman beauty, she is called the most beautiful shinigami. A force that must not be disturbed.”

“Ah, that spirit, huh,” Beatrice said. “Apparently she is supposed to have predated even the dragon itself. And possessed control over all four elements. Though Betty is unaware of what happened to her. Still, pretty incredible for Wrathbaru to have dealt with someone like that. He made a partnership with Puck, had a contract with Betty and then he dealt with another Great spirit. Not many people can meet even one great spirit, much less three of them.”

“Nah, nah. It wasn’t an aggressive situation like that. What did…Well, I dunno what the deciding factor was for sure. But you know how Su-san’s got some weird predictions at times? It was probably that.”

Cecilus with one eye closed, listened to Halibel’s explanation. The reason that felt both convincing and doubtful was because Cecilus appraised that boy similarly, in certain aspects.

Halibel had called them predictions, but Cecilus did not look at it like that.

To prepare for anything was the weapon of a coward, he thought. And Cecilus respected the strong. That meant that, no matter the method of fighting, one who would greedily use anything to win, would be acknowledged as a warrior by him.

“Predictions. And the ambiguity in his way of speaking. Meaning, Wrathbaru must have used return by death.” Wilhem said. “Despite his young age, Cecilus-san’s intuition is incredible indeed. And I do agree with him to a certain degree. Especially when it comes to a real battle where your life's on the line.”

“Actually, I can see another big similarity, huh,” saying that Otto turned towards Roswall.

Though he first tilted his head, he quickly understood the meaning and spoke, “Ah, I see. Just like how I had saved Rem and Ram for my own self-interest, Wrathbaru-kun might have done something similar for Halibel-kun. And just the oni twins, Halibel-kun responded with a desire to repay that favor.”

“Yeah, well, our race is fairly extinct just like the onis,” rubbing his snout with a faraway look in his eyes, Ricardo spoke. “Doing something kind for us would make us fairly happy. With our pride on the line, it’s natural that Halibel would be willing to give his life itself.” With a fond smile he looked towards Anastasia. 

“Well, as a strong one among swordsmen, if possible, sticking with a sword suits me best.”

“Ce-san, Ce-san, are you done with my talk?”

“Yes, that is enough. Anyways, it wasn’t like I suspected Halibel-san or anything like that. Unlike the empire, the city-states are a mish-mash of heads. If you told me you were working for someone else, I would trust you a lot more.”

With that, Halibel was worn out and disappointed. Then as if having remembered something, Cecilus tilted his head and clapped his hands together.

“Right, right, I was forgetting. The secret messenger I was in touch with a while ago.”

“Is it okay to tell me?”

“If I don’t tell you it would cause a lot of difficulties. To be honest…”

Then, Cecilus informed Halibel, a large smile on his face, 

“As the former Margrave’s murder has surfaced, the kingdom is coming to destroy the organization in earnest.”

“Unsurprising. They would probably use my Reinhard for it,” Felt said. “Though well, Wrathbaru still has return by death. It could turn into a stalemate where neither side is able to deliver a fatal blow. But as expected, this time the organization would have to retreat somehow.”

“Whatever the case is, we will find out next, I suppose.” 

.

.

.

Chapter end.

Chapter Text

Author’s note: Quite a lot of dialogue this time. Also, I did a soft rework of chapter 1. It’s a rough grammatical rework that corrects some line breaks, gives it better spacing, and adds commas. Along with that, there are slight changes in certain sentences and word choices. 

It’s mostly for new readers, to allow them an easier read than what it was before.

Anyways, enjoy the new chapter.

.

.                                    

Chapter 6

-And so nonchalantly, the moment of the end would arrive.

“Many thanks for granting me an audience with you today.”

Saying this, welcomed as a guest to the reception area, this youth confronted the purge king with a dignified attitude.

Subaru: “-------”

This boy had slain many, erased many lives and grasped onto many weaknesses.

There had been many situations, in which to remain calm, many people had bluffed by presenting a brave front.

“-Somehow, your confidence is remarkable, you do not seem much different from me.”

“Thank you for those sudden words of praise.”

The one whose head dipped low in a bow, was a delicately built young man, fitted with a black suit and tie. There was a mild look on his face, but in his eyes, somehow a dim darkness could be seen. That smile he was making was likely fake. He was definitely aware that it would be seen through.

Not reckless, but full of courage.

“Huh! Otto-bro?!” Garfiel said.

“Eh?! It's me! Did not expect me to appear for whatever reason.”

“But, doesn’t something feel different from the usual Otto-san?” Petra said. 

“Hm, you're right. I look quite different from the usual.” with a gulp, Otto played close attention to Otto on the screen.

“Tch, that Otto has a very disgusting look in his eyes,” Ram said. “He’s as fake as one could get. His gestures, his smile, and even his way of speaking. Inside he’s just filled with-”

“Despair, filled with despair.” Roswall cut her off. “Well, now that I think about it, it does seem to be a major theme in this story. Despair that is. Wratbaru, Beatrice, Emilia-sama and now Otto. The disease of despair has nestled deep within them.”

“It’s something that anyone and everyone can get affected by, Roswall-sama. Like a dangerous and careful enemy, it waits for us to let our guard down and then it consumes us.” Ram said.

“But, just what the hell could have happened to me? Considering that Emilia-sama had not revealed herself at the royal candidate meeting, the witch cult would not be active this time. Meaning that I probably won’t encounter the sin-archbishop of Sloth in this timeline. But then, what happened to me?”

“Ah,” with a sudden gasp of realization, Anastasia looked at Otto in pity. “Well, you do have your oil problem, remember.”

“-! Oh..”

“Considering that you did not meet Natsuki Subaru, you might not have been able to sell all of the excessive oil you had brought. If you got it off interest and had borrowed money for it, then it’s even worse. You would be in debt, broke and unable to make a fast comeback. And that’s where debt collectors come in. Usually it’s the merchant guild of Lugunica that handles all of that.”

Otto held his head in exasperation. “Ahh. And my divine protection would be very useful to the kingdom. Espionage, information gathering and even daily life can be further complimented. I would have to pay my debt with servitude! I am once again grateful for having met Natsuki-san.”

“It really is incredible how cause and effect work in reality, I suppose.” Beatrice said. “Guess you received a different ‘character development’ this time, one that was negative.”

“Let me see, you must be…”

“To be frank, not far off from now, we intend to do much large-scale business here. Because of that, we had been looking for a chance to send our regards to the organization, and present gifts, first of all.”

“I see, that’s well, thanks for your consideration.”

“Large-scale business? ‘We’. Hm?” Anastasia said. “That ‘we’ must most likely refer to the merchant guild of Lugunica. But as we know, the kingdom plans to hunt down the organization. Which means-”

“This is a facade isn’t it. A diversion to be exact,” Julius said. “I had thought that Otto’s attitude was weird. Despite being unarmed and alone, he came here with courage. Unless he is completely reckless in that reality, his behavior is strange given the situation. But if he was not alone, if he came here prepared, then it’s another story.”

“Actually I do wonder,” Crusch said. “Having known that the kingdom would arrive, why did Halibel-san and Cecilus-san not inform their king? They should have been seeing this from a mile away.”

“Maybe they already did, but Wrathbaru does not care about it? Or is there some preparation in place already?” Felix said. “Well, either way we won’t find out without watching any further.”

That posture of advancing under his role without flinching left a good impression. 

Emulating that attitude, the boy changed, to intently perform his own role as well.

“These are the offerings from our side. We have heard that the leader desired this.”

“Huh.”

Having been brought in and the lid of its box open by the servant, the young man presented the eye-catching offering.

“That box could be a bomb, you know.” Felt said. “Honestly, the safety he has is pretty incredible and he has gone to great lengths to eliminate any threats. But at the same time, he seems to be very unguarded and lax in some forms. Like the box this time, or the offerings that the old man brought the last time. And hell, did they even properly inspect Otto? Does Wrathbaru even want to continue his association or not?”

“Tch, all of that is just in hindsight.” Al said with slight annoyance. “He has only been doing this for two years so of course he is not perfect. And at the end of the day, he is just a young inexperienced man. As long as one remains human, all kinds of weaknesses and openings would exist. Even the most powerful of people can easily let down their guard at the wrong time. Or what? Are you once again going to go with the, ‘Oh I can do better than that,’ angle?”

“..............”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Inside were a lot of stones, magic stones. As if affirming its utmost purity, the concentration of mana filling the room heightened.

Staring at the offering, the purge king muttered.

“What color is there the most?”

“...?”

“Eh, color? What does that have anything to do with this?” Otto said, as confused as his counterpart.

“Red and blue shades seem to be the most prominent, but if you look further inside, there’s also yellow and green….Get the feeling the whole set’s there. Oh, how thoughtful.”

At that question with unknown meaning, the young man showed hesitation for the first time. Instead of him, it was Cecilus who had replied. After receiving that report, the king nodded solemnly.

“Wait, why can he not see the color of the magic stones? It’s right in front of him and all of those pure magic stones are super vibrant.” Emilia said.

“The only explanation is that he literally cannot see colors at all. It would be unlikely that the only color he cannot see is the one from the magic stones. Not to mention, the entire set of available colors are present there. Meaning, it’s not just a certain spectrum of colors that he cannot see, but all of them. A color deficiency to be exact.” Felix said. “Or maybe, just like the other symptoms that plague his body, the loss of color is another physical result of his mental illness.”

“Huh, interesting. If he cannot grasp their color, then he likely does not  collect them just for show. So we can eliminate that option as his reason for liking magic stones. Then the right reason would be because it is vital to him for some reason.” Pricsilla said.

“Wait, wait, wait, I suppose.” Beatrice said. “Something is weird in your assumption about him being color blind. After all, he saw Betty’s color and even complimented them.”

“That’s it!” Otto said. “It’s like Felix had said, this is probably the result of his psychological damage. So it would not be that weird would it? For him to see everything in black and white. For Wrathbaru, everyone is untrustworthy and can betray him. And so, they don’t have any color. But he trusted Beatrice-sama and he truly believed that she would not betray him like others. He also considered her a comrade, stricken with the disease of despair. And because of his ‘trust’, he could see her colors. His subordinates also seem to be aware of this, given their reaction.”

“So his way of thinking is manifesting itself as his ability or inability to see any color in other people.” Beatrice said. “That would make sense. And Emilia’s white room would also make a lot of sense. Because the resident is glowing with color, it stands out and fills that simple room. No other color is necessary.”

“What the..” Felix said. “For a healer such as me, this is a whole new phenomenon. I have never heard about or seen something like this.”

“Is that so, then my thanks for that. I’ll be receiving your consideration. Uhh…”

“This comes from Russel Fellow.”

“Yup, the leader of the merchant guild it is.” Trivey spoke. “It seems Otto-san is working for him, involuntarily or otherwise. And if this is part of the kingdom’s expedition against Pleadias, then Otto-san must be quite a high-value member.”

“Fu-fu, well Otto-bro does have a lot of hidden talent!”

“Garfiel…..thank-”

“He usually doesn't use it at all, though.”

“Wha-!”

“Hmm, I see. Russel Fellow is it. If any problem comes up….”

Then the purge king was cut off by the young man. The youthful messenger had stopped him from speaking by opening a hand.

“Yeah, he would not have done that were he worried about his life.” Crusch said. “Which means this is it, the end of the association. It’s an attack disguised as a business deal.”

In that instant a faint murmur spread throughout the room. With his words having been interrupted, what response would the purge king give to that action; the guards were getting excited.

However, in such a situation only Halibel, Cecilus and the young man involved had remained calm.

“Please wait. In truth the offerings, just this is not their entirety.”

“-Huh, then I’m even more impressed.”

After listening to that man’s words, the king responded as such and the tension relaxed slightly.

There, in that atmosphere with lessened pressure, that young man gave a deep nod. And so-

“From the kingdom of Lugunica, this could be called the response to the purge king’s atrocities.”

Immediately an onslaught of white light swallowed up the whole room, shattering it. An incredible torrent of light engulfed the entire reception room, as if purifying it, it was transformed into white dust.

Those who had perished due to that white light, without even knowing what had hit them, numbered eighteen- each were warriors of great skill, each had their names known throughout, but this was no longer in their realm.

Even if the truth of what happened were to be told to those vanquished men, they would not believe it.

That all of that had been brought upon by one blow.

The organization’s headquarters was collapsing.

The place where important things had been gathered, had been blown away by that reigning brilliant existence.

Having committed a multitude of criminal deeds, the purge king had been recognized as the enemy of the world. The assassin sent was none other than-

“Reinhard van Astrea, of the sword saint bloodline.”

The absurd iron hammer of the divine which rendered all efforts ineffective, had manifested.

“The swordplay of the Astrea family. How incredible.” Crusch said. “We have, of course, witnessed its power about two times thanks to  this screen. But it still is amazing how you could use such absurd amounts of mana to literally vaporize people. All of those skilled individuals that would give fighters a lot of trouble were killed before they could realize that they had been killed. Admirable.”

“I thank you for your kind words of praise, Lady Crusch.”

“But Reinhard. That slash came out of nowhere, huh. You would have had to have gathered a considerable amount of mana in order to carry that out. But the preparation for that was instant, as if you had already gotten all of that required mana as easily as possible. No one saw the light, or felt the temperature drop until it was too late. How’d you manage to do that?” Felt said.

“Probably, it's because the stage was perfectly set for that, Felt-sama.”

“Hm?”

“Do you remember those magic stones? Those were extremely pure and were able to get the mana concentration of the room up, simply by appearing. And though I have never tried it before, I think it would be possible for me to take all of their mana instantly. With all of those tools at my disposal it would be completely possible for me to release an instant slash without wasting any time.”

“I see!” Crusch said. “That would make this opening move quite respectable indeed. Otto-san wonderfully set up the entire stage and Reinhard-sama took the perfect chance to end things in one blow. However, it would be another thing to assume that just that one strike was enough to eliminate Cecilus-san and Halibel-san. Not to mention, the purge king himself. But, this still does not explain how you were able to instantly appear without anyone noticing you in this entire castle.”

“Well, Reinhard-kyun’s stealth abilities are absolutely absurd, you know. Felix-kyun’s hearing ability is one of the best in this entire world. But even that cannot detect Reinhard’s movements at all.”

“Yes, as Felix has said, one of the divine protections that I received on birth is able to make me completely silent. If I couple that with another divine protection for stealth, it is possible to stay hidden. Of course, it could also be the doing of a magic device of sorts. But without even using any stealth, it would be possible for me to cross that distance and release a strong strike thanks to my speed.”

“...Thank the Od that your not an enemy…..” Felix muttered under his breath. To which, Reinhard displayed a reassuring smile. This smile did not reassure Felix at all.

“Speaking of enemies, I find something very weird.” Crusch said. “If I had to speak strategically, then Halibel-san’s position is very disadvantageous. His greatest asset, which is his ability to stay out of sight, is not being utilized at all. He is a shinobi, not a warrior who fights from the front. Isn’t he? I am aware that he is supposed to be the bodyguard of the King and stays as close to him as he would be allowed. But I truly believe it would be better for him to stay hidden in the shadows and strike when the time is ripe. Of course, I am only saying this out of hindsight, while sitting here observing the situation from a high place.”

“You aren’t really wrong though.” Anastasia said. “There’s also Cecilus, who should have been able to react with his lightning-fast speed and strike Otto the moment he declared war.”

“Well, I would find it surprising if he even considered doing that.”

“Hm? What do you mean, Julius?”

“Consider it this way. From what we have seen of his personality so far, does he appear to be a person who would try to prevent an interesting fight? Especially with his goal of reaching the heavenly sword?”

“Hm, probably not. From what we saw previously, he did appear to be excited at the prospect of the Kingdom attacking. And he’s most likely waiting for Reinhard anyways. But speaking of Otto again. He’s already gone from there, isn’t he?”

“That does appear to be the case.” Reinhard said. “He coordinated well with me and I was able to leave him unharmed. Putting on that show and making that setup might have been the extent of his work here. But going back to Cecilus-dono, I am surprised that the Empire would allow him to stay here, considering that they knew of the attack before-hand. And considering that he does have extreme loyalty to his Emperor, they would have ordered him to come back.”

“That only happens if his goal isn’t more important to him than his loyalty, Reinhard-kun.” Anastasia said. “His heavenly sword thing appears to be fairly important to him. Maybe he is willing to even disobey the emperor for the sake of his goal. And considering that you, the sword saint, is the one sent for this attack, there is no way he would want to pass up on this chance.”

“I see. I thank you for your informative explanation, Anastasia-sama.”

.

.

“What does Emilia-sama think of this situation?”

“Eh? Think of it…” Emilia looked towards Rem, who had asked that question.

“To be exact, I want to ask what would Emilia-sama do in this situation? Whose side would you take, Wrathbaru-kun’s or the ones who oppose him? Of course, there is already a version of you in that reality, and I am truly interested in seeing what action you would take there. But right now, as you are, what would you do?”

Emilia turned her face around in perturbation, wondering over her answer. In the end, 

“I am sorry, Rem. But I truly don’t know what I would do in such a situation. I would not be able to support Subaru at all. But, I would not have the heart to oppose him as well. I would be angry with him and extremely sad as well. But if I am going to be disappointed in someone, then it’s only me.”

“......You truly have a good heart…”

“..Is that so? But I think that even Rem has a good heart, you know..”

Rem lowered her head, unable to meet Emilia’s eyes. For the current Rem, who had obsessively fallen in love with Subaru, there was an instant answer for the question that she had proposed. “ Probably….I would still stay at Subaru-kun’s side. After all, my heart could not take anything else…….” She knew herself, and she knew that she was dependent on her love for Subaru. She knew that this love was pulling together her frail self-worth. 

It was a dependence and obsession that reminded her of her sister’s own obsession. The red oni who latched onto a clown. And the blue oni who latched onto a ‘hero’. Differences existed between both of their ‘Love’. However, this only made Rem sympathize with Ram’s current predicament relating to Roswall. 

If the positions were switched between Subaru and Roswall, then the current Rem would do the same thing as her sister is doing. “ My nee-sama’s happiness and Subaru-kun’s safety. Would it be too hasty for Rem to take a hostile stance against that clown? Or is that the right decision? But then, what about Subaru-kun’s own convictions? He wants that clown to be with their camp, to stand by their side when Emilia-sama becomes King. He himself seems to think of Roswall as a person that can change, a person that can achieve redemption. Would Rem and the others be trampling over his decisions…..”

Rem’s thoughts were interrupted as Otto decided to speak.

“I, for one, would be against Wrathbaru.” 

“--!!” Pretty much all of the Emilia-camp, including anyone paying attention to that conversation, widened their eyes. 

Otto frantically waved his hands around and began to explain. 

“I do think that Wrathbaru is a threat to the world, and I do feel a righteous anger at his actions. I also believe that for Wrathbaru himself, death would be much better than continuing his hellish life. But, that’s not why I am easily able to answer Rem-san’s question.”

“...Then why, Otto-bro.” Garfiel said.

Otto scratched his cheeks and said, “At the end of the day, the fact that this is nothing more than an if-story is still embedded in my mind. I do not believe that I should exhaust myself emotionally for something like that, even though it  still is mentally taxing. I feel pity for this Wrathbaru for having turned out like this. But if we  are talking about possibilities, then one can easily argue that another possibility exists in which he escaped from the mansion but did not turn into ‘The purge king’. Maybe the small and the big triggers that led him to this ‘character development’ ended up changing in another, possible if-story.”

“......”

“Long story short, I feel a disconnect with this Wrathbaru when comparing him to the Natsuki Subaru we know. And after having watched arc 4 together, I have a conviction that our Natsuki Subaru will not turn towards a twisted path. It's a blind conviction born out of our bond as friends.”

“Hmph! Of course, Betty’s Subaru is superior to any of his if-versions! Betty believes in him, completely.”

“Yes! Even I believe that Subaru-sama would walk a hopeful path in our future.” Petra said. The rest of the Emilia camp smiled and agreed together. Only some raised an eyebrow of doubt. 

( Glutonybaru in another timeline: Achoo! Oh, is someone calling me I wonder. Hah! It’s you isn’t it! The real, Natsuki Subaru—------”)

.

The screen started again. 

In that destroyed parlor, a man was standing serene. 

With fiery crimson hair, blue eyes, and a white uniform, the knight of knights stood there. Held in that knight’s hand, a holy sword shattered into numerous pieces. 

With just one swing, a weapon crafted by a master craftsman had turned to dust  like it was nothing. In compensation, the ‘Purge King’ and his gang would both be caught in a single blow—

“Hm, well considering that the story is still continuing, it should mean that Wrathbaru is still alive. I guess the shinobi-san must have protected him by taking him under the shadows.” Trivey said. 

“Actually, that shadow form thing, how would you even hit a person when they enter that?” Ricardo said. “Do you just hit the shadow? Or maybe the ground? Or maybe, the entire surroundings?” 

“.....Putting aside that intriguing yet distracting question, I don’t think that shinobi would have had enough time to negate any damage without previous preparation. However, we must not underestimate Wrathbaru himself. He could have already found a method to deal with the ‘Astrea slash’ considering that he has already seen it before.” Julius said. 

“If I coupled my first strike with my divine protection which always allows me to land my first blow, I would hit him without any mistakes. The shadow form would not be able to deal with that in time. Which means that Wrathbaru has indeed found another way to deal with my swordplay. Of course, I do have a rough idea of what it could be….” Reinhard said.

“--You are not a cute opponent at all, you know that, right?”

“--------”

With a clap of thunder breaking through the smoke, Cecilus’s sword strike attacked Reinhard with terrific speed. And so, with an impact like thunder ringing out, the body of Reinhard was thrown back. However, he had used the scabbard of his beloved sword to block the slash. 

By twisting his body to receive the slash with his sheath, with movements akin to acrobatics, Reinhard then fired a strike of his own. At that, Cecilus let out a whistle. 

“Tch, both of them have a monstrous level of strength.” Garfiel said while gritting his teeth together. 

Otto placed a small hand on Garfiel’s shoulder and said, “I know that you have become even more desperate to gain more strength, but you have to create realistic goals, Garfiel. You have to find that middle line between reality and ideals. Otherwise you are going to end up ‘drowning’ for an ideal that is improbable to be made into a reality.”

“...Impossible to be done….”

“Yes, just like Cecilus-san's goal of surpassing the sword saint. I, for one, have a very humble goal of opening my own shop. Pretty down to earth, right?”

“Eh? Otto-bro, do you really think you are ever going to exit the Emilia-camp and open your own shop? Ahaha, you sure are good at jokes.”

“Eh?......What?! Just, what does that mean?!”

“..................”

“Why are you turning away from me?!”

“Oh, I see you are still completely beyond the realm of humans…..That makes me so happy, Reinhard-san!”

“I believe I am not feeling very pleased about our reunion, Cecilus-dono.”

Carrying the fiend sword, Murasume on his shoulder, Cecilus kicked some dust off the floor with his zori. Having been greeted with that single blow instead of a proper introduction, Reinhard furrowed his brows. 

“Now that I think about it, that Cecilus kid really loves Kararagi’s customs! He has a traditional zori, a kimono, and his blades are katanas. Even his hairstyle is fairly reminiscent of our homeplace.” Ricardo said. 

“That would make his acquisition of those particular swords make a lot of sense.” Anastasia said. “Murasame, that is said to be able to kill even invisible things by simply touching them. And Masayume, something that is said to eat away into the holder’s soul. Both of those enchanted katanas, ancient and mysterious, must have been obtained from secret underground deals inside Kararagi’s territory.”

“Invincible things….” Ram said. “Huh, so can that Murasame toy even cut through the Authority of sloth, Unseen hands?”

“I would not be surprised if it did. And I would not be surprised if Murasame is capable of cutting through my slash. But, I still am confused as to why he carries around the Masayume. Without a doubt, its power is great even among the enchanted swords. However, the price for such power is too much of a detriment to someone of Cecilus-san’s caliber.” Reinhard said.

“Sounds extremely similar to an incompatible witch factor. But just like those things, maybe Cecilus is extremely compatible with the sword and the other’s were just not meant for it.” Beatrice said. 

“Or, it could simply be that Cecilus just doesn't care about the sword’s properties and just uses them because it looks cool. Nya, when you think about his personality, that explanation makes more sense.” Felix said. 

Then, he squinted towards the back of the room where the smoke was beginning to clear up.

“It did not reach, huh.”

“Oh that did not reach the boss, did it? Well it was a blow in a place where Halibel-san and I are guarding, that’s a hard place to get to. But to be honest, I did not particularly move while thinking of protecting the boss, so the credit goes to Halibel-san.”

Saying that, in the inner room where Cecilus was pointing with his chin- On the throne shrouded in smoke was the purge king sitting with his chin on his hands and protecting him with his back, was Halibel’s figure.

“Damn,” Al whistled, “It’s one thing to escape from that slash and another to just casually sit on the throne, having negated any damage. Fairly badass. But I guess, in the end it was that shinobi who protected him somehow.”

“That’s not clear just yet, clown. He’s sitting on the throne, having clearly anticipated the sword saint’s arrival. Do you really think that he would be so careless as to entrust his survival from that slash to someone else?”

“...Ah, guess you are right about that, Princess-sama…..”

That Halibel, puffing smoke from the kiseru held in his mouth-

“Ce-san, a correction. This ain’t my achievement.”

“Well then, it was my hidden power…”

“Even that ain’t it…It was Su-san’s work. This throne is definitely being protected by some sort of tremendous power. Though we ain’t even heard of this.”

“Ho, so it was his work after all. Wonder how he pulled that off.” Priscilla said.

“Hmph, in the end that attack is the result of an enormous amount of condensed mana. All of that mana is directed to the opponent in a clear slash. However, if something that can disrupt and scatter all of that mana is to be used, then it would be possible to negate damage, I suppose.” Beatrice said. “The best bet would be using a large amount of anti-mana crystals and making the entire throne with it. But, that shinobi’s words suggest that it's the doing of another power. If that’s the case then Betty believes that the Purge King’s throne has the protection of a great spirit upon it. Spirits are born with the innate ability to manipulate mana. Someone like Bubby could pull off the achievement of negating the swordplay of the Astrea family, that is, if the strike does not come from the dragon sword.”

“Definitely. It could also be the work of another, the shinigami Zarestia for example. When dealing with her in Kararagi, Wrathbaru could have made a deal with her.” Reinhard said.

“But as expected, just how long could his throne protect him? He has no choice but to run now. But even if he does, could he truly escape from all of the enemies he has made in this world.” Roswall said. “If the location of his castle is outside Lugunica, then the arrival of Reinhard poses a great problem.”

“Ah!” Otto said. “This means that the ‘Reinhard law’ has been temporarily revoked! The other three countries would have had to  agree to a temporary settlement between them in order to allow Reinhard’s travel. Which could only mean that they all deem Wrathbaru as an enemy that must be removed, regardless of his otherworldly knowledge.”

“Maybe Lugunica just forced this settlement to happen regardless of the other countries wishes. I mean, I would not be surprised if they threatened them by using the existence of the sword saint. Either they go to war over an underworld boss, or they ‘cooperate’.” Al said. 

“Whatever the case, he is in a position for a complete checkmate. And he himself seems to be aware of this to some extent.” Priscilla said.

At that Cecilus gazing down on his hand while trembling, Halibel shook his head.

Then, the purge king rose from the throne and while grabbing his orange scarf around the neck, 

“---I saw your strike before at the loot house. To prepare for that is only natural.”

Distorting his cheeks, he gave a very grim smile. This was Natsuki Subaru’s reunion with the sword saint.

“Subaru!!”

“You have really drawn a poor lot, Reinhard. Had you not helped me back at the loot house, it wouldn’t have become the mess that it is now—--But in that case, you wouldn’t ever been able to meet your precious master, guess it did not turn out so bad for you, did it?”

“----Kh.”

Peeping out from Halibel’s side, Subaru struck his tongue out towards Reinhard.

At that wicked form, Reinhard’s cheeks stiffened as if in pain. Swaying sadly, those blue eyes gazed ahead at Subaru, his face wicked and hateful.

“What?! This goddam pretend King!”

“..Felt-sama, you must calm down…” 

“Hell no, I ain’t calming down! Why is that idiot trying to hurt you and mock you like that?! He’s just like a third-rate villain right now! Is he having fun with the position that Reinhard has found himself in?! A position where he is forced to hunt down a person that he  called his friend. A person who unintentionally helped him in finding his ‘Master’. Such an insult!!”

“B-but, doesn't it feel strange. Subaru’s behavior, that is……” Emilia said. 

“You are absolutely correct about that, Emilia-sama,” Crusch said. “He is obviously acting extremely differently than he usually does. It feels unnatural to an extent. This just feels like he is vilifying himself, making himself look like a true villain. From what little we know of the Purge king, we can say that he acts politely towards others while holding extreme doubt in his heart. Then, when he deems someone an enemy, he disposes of them in a fairly indifferent manner. This however, is completely different from the normal him.”

“It feels like a facade to me,” Anastasia said. “It’s definitely some improvised acting on Wrathbaru’s part. He is purposefully hurting Reinhard. And he is doing it in order to attain something from him.”

“M-Maybe Wrathbaru truly hates me,” Reinhard said with his eyes drooped. “I am indeed one the person responsible for allowing him to enter that mansion. It was careless and irresponsible on my part. It is no wonder that he would hold me responsible…..”

A thapack sound landed on the armrest next to him and interrupted his rambling. 

“Ouch!! I aimed for your head! Why the hell did my hand just turn away on its own?!”

“....Felt-sama….”

Rubbing her hand, she quickly wiped away the small tear drops accumulating on her eyeballs. “You really are an idiot! Why the hell are you responsible for anything here?! You ain’t perfect, Reinhard. Nobody is.”

“Hm? Just what did you say you little slum brat? Who do you think this great Priscilla-sama is—”

“You could not have known about the situation at the mansion, Rein.” Felt continued, ignoring the voice coming from the top of the room. 

“Holding yourself responsible for something like that is dumb as hell. Not to mention, you had only met Onii-chan on that one day. Taking him with you to your mansion, where a lot of precious people to you exist, without questioning Onii-chan at all would be the real careless thing. Having watched his actual journey, we can say confidently that he is a great and good person. But our world is not so kind and cozy where you can just take a random person to your home and not doubt their intentions. You did nothing wrong, except for kidnapping me without my permission and forcing something undesirable on me. Even sword saints should deal with proper procedure!”

“....Ughu..” 

.

“I believe that is enough talking from you, slum-kun.” Giving a deep sigh, Priscilla spoke. “Going back to the main topic, I am certain that Wrathbaru is acting in that way to elicit a certain emotion in the sword saint. He is hurting him purposely and making himself look like a villain, all for the sake of that particular emotion. And look at how he held his orange scarf wrapped around his neck, tightly as if clinging onto something. I think the content behind that scarf should be obvious to us all. The emotion he is looking for is deeply connected with that and it most likely also connects with his color problem.”

“Princess, wouldn’t it be hatred. I mean it would all make sense. The scarf around his neck covers the scar gifted to him through pure hatred. And now, he is desiring to see that same emotion. Maybe pure hatred, without any impurities in it, is what allows him to see the color of people.”

“Huh, you are surprisingly sharper than I thought, Al. But you are incorrect about the required emotion being hatred alone.”

“So any pure emotions, I suppose. If someone views him in the same way from the very start, without changing and without deception, then he can view their colors. And if he can view their colors, then there is something to cling onto, I suppose. Hatred would be the easiest emotion for him to understand and accept.” Beatrice said. “But if that’s the case then unfortunately the sword saint, who has a whirlpool of emotions within him, would not be able to satisfy the purge king.”

But suddenly, that expression disappeared.

“--What the hell? After all, you’re black and white as well?”

“---? Black and white? That is…..”

“Shut up, you lying bastard - Then, there’s no way I would let myself die to you.”

“So your guy’s theory was correct, huh.” Felt said with a small pout. “But the way he said that final sentence…. It’s like he was waiting for Reinhard so that he could die to his hands!” 

“Willing to die to a person that has a color, or maybe he just wants to die in general.” Beatrice said. “I mean, the hint was there during the early section with WrathBetty. He said that both of us are the same. And Beatrice’s wish at that time was to be freed from all of it. Agonizing over the contract, that is what my conclusion was. Drowning, Beatrice was drowning, grasping at straws and unable to find her way out. It was Subaru who pulled that Betty out. But for Wrathbaru, death would be his way of grasping onto a straw.”

“Od Laguna. Because returning by death won’t allow him this, he is trapped in a cruel fate. What an unlaughable tragedy.” Slumping her shoulders, Crusch said. 

With emotionless words, Subaru turned away from Reinhard, having lost interest in him. And like that, whacking Halibel on the shoulder, then staring at Cecilus as he faced Reinhard,

“Cecilus, do what you want. I have already lost interest.”

“--I don’t understand much about that, it seems the boss and I see things differently. My thanks for the worthy opponent, do accept those.”

“We’re seeing things differently….Haha, that makes sense. Even at the end, you make me laugh.”

As if something about Cecilus’s words was funny, Subaru slapped his knee in amusement.

“So I guess both were conveniently using each other. Cecilus was using him to gain another opportunity at achieving the heavenly sword and Wrahbaru was using him as a killing tool.” Julius said. “Though, just what does Wrathbaru find to be funny in Cecilus’s words?”

“Might be because Wrathbaru thinks of this situation as the end for Cecilus. A dead end. But Cecilus does not see it that way. His character remains the same as he looks towards Reinhard as an excellent opportunity. Wrathbaru probably finds that difference in perspective to be hilarious. But eh, I am just making a guess here.” Anastasia said.

Then, his smile disappearing immediately, 

“It was enjoyable in its own way. Cecilus, since you had no weaknesses, you weren't my favorite.”

“For me, it’d be just that - Mayonnaise is scary.”

“Ha-!”

At that, the purge king laughed as if pleased.

Being held by Halibel’s arms, Subaru’s appearance sank into the shadows and he escaped from this difficult predicament.

“I completely agree! Mayonnaise is scary indeed! But if it’s for Subaru, then I’ll bear with it!” Petra said with tears in her eyes.

“Even Rem dislikes Mayonnaise. But if it’s for Subaru-kun, then I’ll continue to make it!” Rem said with her fists clenched.

“That nasty Mayonnaise, huh. But if it’s for Barusu’s sake, then I’ll throw it in the garbage where it belongs.” Ram said with a smug smile.

“Wait! Our talk is yet to be…”

“----That’s the end of it, Sword saint. If you don’t want it to be over then please catch up and start over. But before then, this faithful subordinate of the purge king is going to be blocking your way.”

“Hm? ‘Talk’ you said.” Priscilla said with a mild surprise on her face and looked at Reinhard, below her. “After having come that far, you would still be willing to have a talk with the enemy of the world. Even though you killed all of those mercenaries without even giving them the chance to even give an introduction. And now you stop to have a talk. I don’t know if that is foolish or if that’s just your way of showing mercy……”

“Gosh, didn’t you already know that Rein is like that?” Felt said, waving a hand in a sluggish manner. “I bet this guy would even try to make a peaceful negotiation with a sin archbishop if given the chance. And well, it’s pretty obvious that he does not want to hunt Wrathbaru if possible. Though I do think that it’s pretty hypocritical for you too to just kill off all those mercenaries and then decide to give the chance for a ‘talk’.”

“.....” Unable to give a response, Reinhard just slumped down his head.

“Kuh..kuh.”

When he tried to chase after them, Reinhard felt something brushing underneath his feet. Sundering the floor in a straight line, that blow was made possible by extraordinary swinging speed, such that the moment of the blade being drawn was invincible. No more than a sword that had reached the pinnacle of the sword.

“Regrettably, it's too early to be called in such a manner. I am still in the process of climbing up that mountain. If I can overcome one more step, I think I can reach it.”

“Incredible swordsmanship,” Wilhelm said. “Really reminds me of my prime, huh. But the heavenly sword, a title only given to the strongest swordsman. Even among the recent sword saints, none are said to surpass the mythical swordsmanship skill of Reid Astrea. To achieve that, one would have to confirm that legend’s strength and surpass it. But what do you think Reinhard? It is quite a crude question to ask of you, I am well aware of that. Even then, would you satisfy the curiosity of this old man?”

Though Reinhard’s face grimaced at the mention of Reid, he decided to give an answer anyways. “I am unaware of his full strength, given my obvious inability to meet him. However, maybe due to my divine protection of the sword saint, I can tell that his skill with a sword would most likely surpass my own. As long as my swordplay continues to destroy the weapons I utilize, I would not be able to surpass him in pure skill.”

“Hah?” Felt said. “But doesn't that just show that your power is way too high for any sword except for the dragon one. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No, Felt-sama. That just shows my lack of pure precision and control. Reid Astrea  could do all of that without the need for divine protections. I, however, am in need of several of them in a traditional battle. With the extensive use of my swordplay and all of my divine protections, maybe then I would be considered to have surpassed him. But in pure skill, I have a wall ahead of me.”

“Fu,” Wilhelm let out a sigh. “I had thought that surpassing my wife’s skill was the peak of sword skill. But in the end, there always exists a bigger fish in a bigger lake.”

“Reach where?”

“Of course, the heavenly sword.”

At that moment, the sound of the air freezing, of it being cut and slain, could be heard.

It was the tremendous fighting spirit emitted by the swordsman, which reached an unfathomable level surpassing common sense.

The incarnation of the sword standing there, just by touching that blade, even invincible things would perish.

“I was waiting for this opportunity - A chance to cross swords with you.”

“Cecilus-dono, I have already fought with you. That match, to me, was of great importance. Why is it, you ....”

“That match was of great importance to you, Reinhard?” 

“Yes, Felt-sama. It was the realization that another person is facing the same issue that I am. The issue being the peak that was left behind by Reid Astrea and the inability of anyone to claim it since then. It was us, recognizing each other as comrades who are in the same realm of swordsmanship. Even the result of the match ended up being a peaceful resolution for us both. But this reunion and Cecilus-dono’s own desires regarding me, feels like an affront to our previous encounter.”

“Hmmm. I don’t really know much about swordsmanship or whatever, but this encounter just feels similar to  an event where a young boy is challenging the district bully in order to claim the title of the strongest. A boy who has not given up on the dream of becoming the strongest. Someone who needs to feel superior to everyone else in order to validate themselves.”

“...Just why am I the bully in that simile…”

“Of course, if my body can wield a sword -  we may only meet in a life-or-death match.”

“Surpassing someone by killing them. The strong one is the survivor and the weak one is the dead corpse. Sounds like a Vollachian alright.” Al said in distaste.

“It’s just a different sense of values. The blue-lightning himself must have experienced something in his childhood that made him accept that value. A situation where he could survive by being the strongest. Considering it’s Vollachia, such situations can be generated anywhere.” Roswall said. 

“That’s not fair at all! Even though Vollachia is said not to discriminate against race, it still has so much prejudice in the end. Such unfairness is cruel.” Emilia said.

“Hah, such pretty words. But your words are nothing but words. Tell me, despite complaining about Vollachia’s ideology, are you actually willing to do anything about it? That is, except for saying empty words that just sound pretty to the ears.”

“....I….that is…….”

“First, try and grasp your own goals before trying to gain other ones.” 

With that, the stuttering Emilia was shut down without hesitation. Though the others looked in distaste towards Priscilla, they could not bring themselves to answer her question.

The second sword, Murasame, was unsheathed with gleaming light. 

With Masayume unveiled, two of the ten enchanted swords were now present.

Not to mention, 

“The dragon sword, Reid.” 

Always beside the sword saint, it was only drawn when necessary. 

The fact that the sound was now heard, was the result of it undulating.

“You must already know, Reinhard-san. In front of us lies a wall.”

With each holding their enchanted swords, these extraordinary existences faced each other. Shuffling their feet as to narrow the distance between the two, the atmosphere distorted as the world viewed their clash in horror.

“For those that arrive at a certain realm, the way forward is going to be blocked by a wall. That wall, which can’t be surpassed no matter what, some will never overcome it and give up. Something like that, it’s impossible for me. For if I don’t cross that wall, I won’t be able to be me.”

“.......”

“That’s when the boss’s offer arrived. He offered me a way to get past that wall…Well, it ended up being a way to cross swords with you with our lives on the line, setting up a serious fight for one’s life—Well, just as he said it, it was to clutch at straws, that sorta thing.”

“Straws?”

“Those who are about to drown, or so I’ve heard.”

That was what brought Cecilus to this place.

Or perhaps, it was because of his desire being guessed correctly?

At that wide-eyed sword saint, Cecilus curved his lips.

And laughed. The blue lightning, who with a laughing face cut down others, spoke,

“I’m drowning Mr Reinhard van Astrea. Saying it like my employer would; apparently we, those who deeply desire something, everyone of us, everyone is drowning. We’re all drowning in an ocyan, or whatever it’s called, which we haven’t seen before.”

“So anyone who desires something is just drowning, unable to get to the surface? Hah! You can count on Barusu to come up with twisted ideologies.” 

“Well, he isn’t wrong, Ram.” Roswall said. “When you desire something deeply, you get imprinted by its mark, burning yourself. You keep drowning until you can attain it. But because everyone is irredeemably weak, they end up being unable to see a method to achieve their goals. For the most part, they give up after a while and find something else to desire. But for some like Cecilus-kun, if they cannot achieve their goals or manifest their ideology in this world, then they would not be able to maintain themselves. And so, they grasp at any straws available, to lift themselves back.” 

He completed that sentence with ease, fully displaying his own ideology of weakness, and displaying sympathy to the ‘drowning’ belief. “ In the end, having committed so many sins for the sake of my desire, just what has it turned me into. Would it have been better to never have sought something in the first place? Is a goal just a shackle?”

“All of that just depends on perspective and the type of dream you have,” Otto said, directing a pity-filled gaze at Roswall and drawing his attention. “Like I told Garfiel, a person needs to find that thin line between reality and their ideals. If their ideal is impossible to replicate in reality under any form or degree, then of course they would drown. Even grasping at straws won’t work. For example with Wrathbaru, he is drowning because his ideology is incompatible with our reality. No matter what he does, it would be impossible to continue to live like that. Only if he somehow manages to find everyone’s weaknesses and hold them in his hands, would he be able to find peace.”

He cleared his throat, taking a deep breath and continuing, “That is his way of grasping at straws. But now everyone’s goal is like that. Some are modest. And others do possess the strength to bring their desires to life. It’s not as black and white as one might think. Because after all, a person’s perspective can change quite a lot.”

“Good words, Otto-san,” Wilhelm said. “While I was chasing after the sword saint of my generation, I did feel that it was impossible at times. In a way, I did keep drowning in that one desire until I achieved it. And that’s the difference. I was able to achieve something I thought impossible. However  Cecilus-kun,  has brought an impossible desire within his heart. His heart is unrelenting and he won’t accept a middle ground. For him, his drowning will end in death if he does not decide to escape from here.”

“So we youngsters need to find that thin line between ideal and reality, huh.” Crusch said. “That is easier said than done. And sometimes the desire is just too great for our own good. Die trying or give up before that.”

“That is yet another matter for differing perspectives, Crusch-sama.” Otto said. 

“So I guess drowning is the central theme,” Al said. “That does relate to pretty much everyone here, huh. What do you think about that, Princess? What would you do if you were drowning?”

“Fu, a foolish question. I would simply burn the entire ‘ocyan’.”

“Though that doesn't make much sense, it still sounds like something you would say.”

“Thin line between reality and ideal, huh.” Emilia thought to herself. “ My desire to free the trapped elves in the forest and my desire to help Subaru. Then, there is my desire to make a fair country, one that does not discriminate based on race or even based on strength. Just how much of that can I really obtain? And which one is my utmost priority? Would continuing in the election allow Subaru to get into dangerous situations? Could I even become the king without Subaru’s help? But could I continue to rely on him and protect him at the same time?”

As Emilia questioned her own desires and the necessary balance between reality, the screen said, ‘Screw this’ and started playing. 

“----”

Reinhard swallowed his breath.

With that, lowering his body, wielding both his swords by their hilts, Cecilus shook off his zori.

“--Swordsman, Cecilus Segmunt.”

Without any unnecessary titles, his body coveted the path of the heavenly sword.

-Lightning, claps of thunder, tore through pandemonium.

Droplets of blood, danced.

“Well if he’s clever, then Cecilus-kun could try to escape inorder to fight another day. That way his desire itself won’t be degraded in any way and he can just make another attempt.” Roswall said with a small smile. “And considering that the sword saint has to go after Wrathbaru, it gives him many chances to make  an escape.”

“Hu-Hu-Hu,” Wilhelm gave a small laugh. “If he does manage to escape, then the one who gained the most in this entire mess, would be Cecilus Segmunt. Money, kills, experiences, exposure, fun, and a chance to battle the sword saint. Truly, he sees things differently than others.”

.

.

Chapter end.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Author’s note: One last chapter for the wrath-if reactions remain!! Lol, I could even beat Regulus with all of this dialogue.

The screen started.

Pandemonium quaked continuously. Vigorous shocks and tremors, the aftershocks of the fight were even felt in Emilia’s private quarters. The light hanging from the ceiling was swaying and dust was falling from the ceiling. While lying in bed, Emilia was forced to make a choice.

“.........”

To stay there, that was what had been said to her.

Or perhaps it had been more of a plea, such as, ‘Please stay.’

“Hm? So someone told Onee-chan to stay there? Wrathbaru is busy running, most of the mercenaries are dead, and his most powerful employees are busy. I doubt this person told Onee-chan to stay, after the battle started. And there is no way that Wrathbaru would have enough leeway to pay his princess a visit.” Scrunching her face in thought, Felt said.

“So it must have happened before the battle started, meaning that this person knew about it beforehand. More than anything, to be able to convey this message to Emilia-sama, this person must have been granted access to her cage. No matter how I think about it, this person has to be that internal spy we were talking about. The one who has been leaking information to the outside.” Anastasia said. “ The only person left in Wrathbaru’s group, the one who has access to his princess’s cage and a great reason for rebellion, is…..” Her eyes trailed towards one person. A blond hair demi-human.

“Eh? Me?!” Frederica said, her eyes widened in disbelief. However, with her knack for quick perception, she was able to quickly figure out the connections. “Yes, if we think about it carefully, then we can realize that Emilia-sama would still have a need for a maid, a caretaker. One who has been granted access to her cage. And seeing how Wrathbaru resolutely refused Halibel-san, he is not the one. Cecilus is out of the question, which also eliminates any other employee. This only leaves one other person, which is me.”

“As expected of Frederica-san,” Rem said with a sad smile. “It appears you were able to take the necessary action to protect your family.”

“Protect your family?! Doesn't this put them in worse danger?!” Petra said.

“No, if I had to say then, Frederica-san made the right decision here.” Otto said, making Petra tilt her head in response. “There was no way she could continue to protect her family, considering the state that Wrathbaru is in. One flip of the coin, or a single seed of doubt, could end up leading to a death sentence. Continuing like that without taking any action, would be like walking on a thin rope. But with assurance in the form of the Sword saint, even a scared and subjugated person would be willing to take the risk.”

“I thank you for your kind praises, Otto-sama,” Frederica said. Otto scratched his head and then another person expressed their voice.

“When ruling with fear, one must make sure to not use it too much. A quote from a great Vollachian book.” Priscilla said. “When people get too scared, they act recklessly and without care. When it gets to that level of fear, only action is the antidote. Seeing no other way out, that maid was forced to act, leading to this. It is incredible, how the story gave early hints and foreshadowing for this. An interesting play indeed.”

“Well, Frederica-san did have the most freedom in the castle, when you think about it. She was most likely allowed in the Princess room, and the other places of the castle.” Anastasia said. “The purge King seemed to have overlooked this. Though, it also doesn't seem like he had any intention of fighting in the first place. It wasn't that he was lax and lazy about it, rather that he did not care.”

Should she wait, believing those words? Or should she rush out in haste?

Her inner thoughts about the situation lost in revolution, she continued to postpone the decision. However,

“--Lia, the end has come.”

“Eh..”

Puck spoke to her, lying in bed while the battle continued to shake the castle. Her amethyst eyes trembling as they gazed upwards, Puck sniffed with his tiny nose and crossed his arms together.

“Bubby’s senses are as amazing as ever. He was even able to sense Tosca way before Betty could.” Beatrice said, crossing her arms in a similar manner to her brother.

Hearing that it was the end, Emilia gulped.

Yet again, she had been unable to do anything.

Putting off making a choice, then accepting the consequence of not making a choice. That it was a cowardly act, she somehow understood. 

She had once again, deferred her stance to Subaru-

“--Reinhardt’s here. It’s Subaru’s defeat.”

“-----”

Hearing that, her thoughts froze.

“Ahh.”

Unable to form thoughts or words, Emilia opened her eyes wide.

Even hearing that it was the end, Emilia had been certain about Subaru’s victory. That she never for a moment doubted it, she had only just realized it.

Natsuki Subaru would not be defeated.

No matter what the opponent, with his selfless excuses, his tenacity, and his abuse of misanthropy, he would always grasp victory. With all under his control, manipulating all subordinates he could think of, no matter the opponent, they would be annihilated.

And, when tired of thinking, and needing to find peace, he would come to Emilia.

That he would definitely come to Emilia, she had been believing that.

“So Emilia-sama became used to his visits, huh,” Rem said. “It is interesting that despite having seen Renhardt-sama’s strength, she still believed that Wrathbaru would win. Though, maybe that belief was shaken after she learned of the Sword saint’s arrival.”

“Though not for this Wrathbaru , I do agree that my captain is invincible! He would definitely win, no matter the opponent! You hear that, Sword saint?!” For whatever reason, Garfiel had a sort of envy towards the sword saint. Along with that was an overbearing doubt, a doubt about his own capabilities. Even Reinhardt’s smiling nod was infuriating to him. But with a click of his tongue, he looked away.

“Hm, this Wrathbaru has already been defeated.” Priscilla said.

“Huh? Princess, is it because the sword saint is here? Well I do agree that it would not be possible to fight him here. Maybe after escaping he could figure something out. But pal hasn’t lost yet—--”

“Silence, Al. He had already lost, because he never actually escaped from the mansion.”

“What?! What the hell are you on about—--” Felt’s words were cut off by Priscilla, who raised her hand to stop her.

“If it’s his life we are talking about, then yes, he did preserve it by escaping from the mansion. And I am not suggesting that decision itself to be a bad thing. It is natural for an animal in danger to seek out survival. In fact, him jumping off the cliff was the true abnormality.”

“-------” Ram gritted her teeth, desperately wanting to refute that part. That declaration from Priscilla, stung deep. It made her feel like Barusu should not have sacrificed himself for them. It made her feel like they weren’t worth even one of his lives.

“But he carried it all with him. All that hate, grief, doubt, hostility, anger, and everything else from that mansion. By not being patient, by not trying one more time, he had already given up all hope. The fact that the red oni chased him all the way. The fact that he was not able to find any other method, other than giving in to his doubt. That first scene exemplified the fact that he had never truly escaped from that place. Even now, he is stuck in it, imagining the entire world to be the same as that mansion. Imagining everyone to have the same two-faced personality like the Onis. And though he has gone through scarring events in that arc, it was him who closed the door to hope.”

“.......” Ram hung down her head, a huge wave of grief traveling to her, originating from her sister’s link with her. History repeated itself. In a similar manner to Wrathbaru, the two onis had never really survived from the massacre in their village. Ram had obsessively clung onto Roswall, turning her loss into obsession. Rem’s self-doubt consumed her, turning her into a hateful mess of a person. And it was only thanks to Subaru’s sacrifice at the cliff, that a new path was beginning to open for both of them.

It’s like Priscilla had said. The Purge King still lived his life in that mansion, grasping onto straws and trying to escape. Yet, it was him who was blocking his own way.

“Until today, I’ve never rushed Lia’s choices. But that can’t be done anymore. You have to make a decision.”

“To make a decision…”

“Do you prefer staying here, or leaving here?”

“Huh, well that is surprising.” Crusch said. Emilia nodded to that.

“Indeed, I would expect him to just forcefully pull her out of there.” Julius said. “For him, his daughter’s safety should be the highest priority. So, like he has done so far, he could just take her without permission. But instead, he is leaving her with the power to decide for herself.”

“The only explanation I could put together is that he has realized that Emilia-sama has become dependent on Wrathbaru’s existence. Even his expression appears different than usual.” Crusch said.

To what extent did he know, for in that plain Puck’s voice was conviction. 

Puck gazed down at Emilia tightly grasping up her sheets. His usual aloof expression was completely gone, replaced by compassion for his beloved child.

At a dear child that had lost its way and was anxious about the road ahead, a parent’s eyes were directed.

“It looks like, all this time, Subaru has been controlling information properly. There isn’t any sign of Lia being involved with the organization’s activities. Well, Lia really wasn’t involved at all, but having been with them for so long, some people with suspicion would show up for sure. This was a necessary precaution.”

“Wasn’t involved at all? Then, what kind of a position was I in?”

“From Roswall’s mansion, you were kidnapped and locked away. That’s how they are treating you. Then those children attempting to destroy Pandemonium right now, seem more like rescuers who came for you.”

At that unexpected explanation, Emilia was stunned.

“So they went for that angle. Now it makes sense why the sword saint did not just destroy the entire castle.” Roswall said, nodding his head. “From what we saw in that 2nd trial at the sanctuary, the dragon sword Reid appeared to be capable of destroying quite a bit of space. With the swordplay of the sword saint, coupled with the dragon sword, one slash would be enough to decimate the entire palace.”

“Great information control indeed,” Anastasia said.

That Emilia had been brought out of the mansion, against her will, was true. And that she had been angered at Subaru, disliking him for it, was also true.

However, she had not refused that clinging, pleading Subaru. It was likewise correct that she had overlooked the fact that he had been doing his utmost to protect the time he spent with Emilia.

“That statement…stings..” Emilia said, clenching her fists. “Not just Wrathbaru’s timeline, but even in this timeline Subaru has been doing his utmost to protect me, to protect us. Just how do I get rid of this naiveness…….”

“Fu, what an obvious sentiment coming from your mouth.” Priscilla smirked. “Because you are a kid when it comes to your mental age, I guess it's natural for you to be so artless. Even now, your other self can’t even decide what to have for dinner.”

Emilia puffed her cheeks, muttering, “I can decide my dinner at least.” Then looking towards Priscilla, she said, “Just why do you keep picking on me? If it’s about my incompetence, then I agree and understand that very well. But just how long are you going to repeat that, over and over? Or is there something else….”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Hm?”

“You are completely uninteresting to mineself. That’s it.” 

Emilia’s eyes thinned at that, her jaw opening in disbelief. Everybody shut their eyes in exasperation. At the same time, a part of them thought that such a reason was completely natural for someone like Priscilla. Though bullying someone because they are too boring, is something completely beyond commonsense.

And yet despite that, could it really be said that Emilia was wholly unrelated to how things were? 

Wouldn’t arguing that just be the peak of shamelessness?

“That wouldn’t really be shameless.” Felt said. “Onee-chan was related to the mansion’s events, but she was unaware of everything that transpired. We could go around saying, ‘You could have done better.’ But that applies to everybody. Anyone and everyone could have done something more, something better. Despite that, this reason isn’t really a good one to utilize in blaming someone and pointing fingers.”

“I completely agree, Felt-sama. I am glad to see my master grow wiser.” Reinhard said, to which Felt groaned in annoyance. “If we are talking about the organization's activities, then Emilia-sama is innocent of them. If she continues to stay at that place, then there would be no room for doubt. However, if we talk about being connected to the underworld boss, then Emilia-sama does have that relation. That in itself, won’t be good evidence to judge someone on.”

“Well she won’t be able to join back in the royal selection. But she would be put in protective custody.” Anastasia said. “I really am shocked that her spirit would let go of that opportunity, and let Emilia decide for herself. I do wonder what she will do now….”

Emilia turned away from her gaze, biting her lips softly. For her, a small desire had blossomed in her heart. A desire brought out of feelings that she did not comprehend. She wished that she could be like Otto, who had disconnected himself from this if-story. She wished that she could be like the others, who could keep a clear distinction between Wrathbaru and Subaru. However, the crying heart of Wrathbaru affected her deeply. She did not want to abandon this Subaru, even if he did all of these crimes. 

It wasn’t because she felt responsible, or because she thought that it was the ‘right’ thing to do. It was simply because her heart would ache, should her other self abandon him.

“Lia, if you just wait here nicely, like a poor princess, your rescuers will save you. But…”

While speaking as if they were whispering, Puck landed on her thin shoulders. And then, with that cat spirit nearing her cheek, Emilia painfully comprehended the unspoken continuation of his words.

She would be rescued as a victim, should she wait here.

However, if she left by herself, then she would become a perpetrator who had been acting on her own free will.

Faced with that fact, there was not even a moment of hesitation.

“......”

Rising, Emilia put her hand on that white room’s only door.

“Yes!” “Yes!”

Two people, Emilia and Rem, exclaimed at the same time and pumped their fists simultaneously. Between them, Beatrice just sighed. “Guess it was natural, I suppose. But, Betty is unsure that Wrathbaru would like this development…..” She lowered her eyebrows, sulking her cute face.

The other did not support, nor did they dissuade the two’s glee.

“Maybe Emilia-sama can rescue Wrathbaru and then they can escape to live a happy life together!” Petra said, clenching her fists in hope.

“But, this story is called ‘Oboreru’. In the end, will everything continue to drown away?” Julius said.

A complicated authentication was needed to open the door. Only Subaru and Frederica, her caretaker, were allowed to enter and leave.

However, the moment Emilia’s hand touched the door, the system crumbled, leaving no trace behind. 

“Subaru, you twit..”

Emilia murmured, while trying to seek signs of the destroyed system with her palm.

It had been originally created so that only Emilia could break the system. In other words, Subaru had always allowed her to escape from this room.

The bird-cage was designed to be destroyed by the bird’s determination.

Was it because Subaru had believed that she would never run away?

Or was it because he showed kindness, in allowing her the decision to do so?

Emilia desired to hear an answer straight from Subaru’s mouth.

-Not being able to choose anything at the end of this time, this was Emilia’s decision.

“Considering Wrathbaru’s disposition, I would bet that it’s because he trusted that Emilia-san would never try to hurt him.” Crusch said, rubbing her forehead. She did not think of Emilia’s action as being a good one. “In my opinion, it is already too late for such a decision. The cards have been set in motion. Even if Wrathbaru escapes, there is nothing but enemies all around him. If he can escape from here, that is.”

“Straight to the point, huh.” Anastasia said. “I agree that he won’t be able to have a hopeful escape. And it seemed like he was fine with Emilia hating him. Putting that aside, can you see the parallel from arc 4?”

“Hm?” Crusch said, making even Emilia direct her attention at those words.

“No offense to you when I say this, Emilia-san. But similar to the sanctuary’s ending, this climax is also resulting in Emilia changing. She is going through a little bit of a different growth than the sanctuary, but it’s growth nonetheless. And just like how the birdcage’s door was broken by the determination of the captured bird, Emilia had to push open the door that she had built herself, during Arc 4. With her determination, and her action, the fragile door broke, allowing her to reach ‘character development.’”

“I see, I suppose. And this character development is always related to Subaru in some way. Of course, whether Subaru would like this ‘change’ in Emilia, is another matter altogether ....” Beatrice said.

Having been removed from the reception hall, Natsuki Subaru ran along with Halibel and gave a deep chuckle.

“Something like taking Felt as a hostage, I wonder if that would be a good idea.”

Would that have restrained Reinhardt’s movements? 

No, it would make the possibility of fighting a powered up Reinhard more likely.

This would be the flow of his simulation. He had already had a premonition that Pandemonium’s fall would turn out in this manner. 

“Guess posing as an underworld boss was kinda fun…” 

“Don’t know what’s fun about that and don’t wanna know, pal.” Al said. “But man, to think his path uptil now would lead to this ending. In a way, it might have been avoidable and inevitable at the exact same time. Maybe if he had found someone, a person who could have shown him a different path, all of this would have been different…”

“Wrathbaru-kunn knew what he was getting into when he decided to adopt his way of thinking,” Roswall said, shrugging his shoulders. “And here’s the thing, to show him a different path, one would have to understand him first. That, unfortunately, is a rare sentiment nowadays.”

“Yeah, just like how I ain’t going to sympathize with your path…”

“Ouch, I wasn’t seeking sympathy…” Roswall gave a wry smile to Al, concluding their conversation.

Wrathbaru was looking back at his path, at all the suffering he had caused. Grasping the weakness of others, he would lord over their lives and receive immense hatred, even taking their lives on a whim.

No, it wasn’t a whim.

Perceiving it as toying would be a huge misunderstanding. He had never pondered it or given it a thought, finding no need to do so.

However, Subaru was afraid of people, terribly so.

Outwardly having a smile, but hiding immense cunningness within. This way of human beings, moving as they please with ulterior motives in their heart, was horrifying.

Wondering about whether to trust such people, was idiotic.

So, Subaru simplified human relationships by believing that everyone lied. With that, even if everyone detested Subaru, a world without problems could be created.

“That is, well….” Anastasia said, pausing for a few minutes to gather her thoughts. “I can definitely sympathize with the sentiment that everyone has some degree of an ulterior motive. In the merchant world, even a small smile of kindness has a motive behind it. However, not everyone’s ulterior motive is always malicious and untrustworthy. And in the end, everyone is bound to have some hidden desire in their heart.”

“For him, I’m guessing this is just a way to simplify human relationships and protect his fragile sanity. When Natsuki Subaru was summoned to this world, he hadn’t really experienced any actual human relationships before. And his first major relationships after coming to this world, would arguably be with the twin maids of the mansion. So the event that transpired in that arc, would have molded him greatly.” Crusch said.

“Because we–” Rem wanted to continue speaking, but a small sob in her throat interrupted her speech. Seeing that state, Crush did a fake cough and directed attention away.

“Attempting to simplify human relationships is something that our Subaru does quite a bit.” At her words, many tilted their heads in confusion. “This is something that you must know about as well, Anastasia-san. By fixing the impression of your social converser, one can make it easier to deal with them. Isn’t it much easier to deal with someone who has a fixed view of you, rather than someone who’s opinion about you is constantly changing?”

“Ah, I see now. That is true, and it is something I do myself. By giving a constant appearance of myself, I can divert another person’s opinions in a manner that I desire. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Natsuki-kun does that to a certain extent. The way he acts like the ‘joker’, being overly friendly and over-exaggerating. A ‘clown’, for lack of a better word. And in Wrathbaru’s case, he relies on other people’s never-changing hatred. As long as they continue to hate him, it would be easier to deal with that impression.”

“Ku-hu,” a small giggle came from Ram. That giggle was directed towards Roswall, who turned away from her gaze. Ram knew that Roswall liked to do something similar. He always acted in a grandiose, clown-ish, and secretive manner when dealing with others. His outfit, his appearance, and his way of talking. Along with his desire to get rid of his unremovable humanity, all of those things reflected his social awkwardness. He had already decided that nobody would like him. And that’s why, a fixed impression was much easier to deal with.

Every human possessed a weakness. And that’s why-

“--If only the weakness of every human being in the world could be grasped.”

Then, only then, Subaru would not have to doubt anyone.

By feeding on loathing, he could trust that in a world without colors.

Even Halibel, who was assisting him in his escape, was nothing but monochrome to Subaru.

It wasn’t just Halibel, rather the entire world had lost color.

Everything was monochrome. Blood, water, magic stones, paintings, people, etc.

In this world, only three people had color.

Beatrice had been colorful. Emilia had been so. And beyond that, there was only one.

“Wait, what?” Felt tilted her head, going left and right with comical motions. “I counted three people. Three people that Wrathbaru said he could trust. The first two are obvious, but who the hell is the third?!”

“That is peculiar, Felt-sama. It certainly isn’t his employees, or anyone that has been shown in this story.” Reinhard said, being similarly perturbed. 

“I do have a wild guess, but I think it would be way more fun to see the answer, if the screen shows it.” Anastasia said.

While the others were contemplating on the existence of this third person, two people had widened their eyes in disbelief, having come to some kind of a conclusion.

“ To think that mineself had missed something so important. I thought I had the entire story figured out, but there still remains something interesting for me.” Priscilla said, covering her mouth with her fan. Similar to Anastasia, she had figured out the identity of this person. However, she had not figured out the minute details and the connection between various events.

Though, the second person had quickly put it all together.

“ Could it be that the first scene’s ending was a feint?!” With surprise visible in his heterochromatic eyes, Roswall thought to himself. “ Of course! It would make sense! His reasons for acquiring all of those magic stones can easily be answered when you consider Ram’s disposition. She needs  mana infusions of several different elements. Plus, her immense hatred would fulfill Wrathbaru’s requirements of seeing color in others. And the two meals prepared for food, also fit the entire situation.” 

Roswall could not help but have a wide smirk on his face. He was experiencing a childish emotion, one of deep comradeship. “ I understand you, Wrathbaru-kun! I understand your sentiment, more than anyone here. I deeply believed in Ram’s hatred for me. That hatred was a salvation to me. Not only could I trust that, I could also depend on it in the future, allowing her to kill me when it’s all done. You have a similar purpose don’t you? Keeping her existence in close proximity is something necessary for your state of being. It is necessary for the future. But then again, Ram can throw some huge curveballs out of nowhere. Will she act according to the way you want her to, or will she do something different?”

Anyways, Subaru could not believe in anyone else besides them. 

Everyone else had faded away and those fakers could not be believed.

And only the real articles had the qualification to decide whether Natsuki Subaru lives or dies.

“I had a tad of expectations from Reinhardt.” 

He expected that those he met before the event that triggered the loss of his memories, would still retain their color.

However, Reinhard had lost his vivid colors and now appeared ashen to Subaru. It was dirty to him.

In the end, Reinhardt was also a child of man.

“So it was true that pal wants to die, huh. Or to be exact, he will only allow the ones with colors to determine his fate.” Al said. “As much as I believe that death is never a salvation, I can’t really determine another path for Wrathbaru.”

“That is right, isn’t it? The brat has closed off all other paths. In this world filled with human hearts, he won’t receive what he wants.” Priscilla said. She gazed at Emilia for a split second, sighing at the capability of a person to change. Priscilla had established her own personality at a young age of 12, not having changed much since then. However, drastic changes in other individuals was something entertaining to her. In the end, perspective and experience made a world of difference.

Reinhard would also continue to lie while living. That is all there is to it.

“I am sure he must understand how much of a logical fallacy his way of thinking is,” Julius said, giving a deep sigh of exasperation. “After all, even he is human, a human that would continue to change throughout the years.”

“And in his case, change would end up equating to lying,” Felix said. “Felis would evaluate this as an extreme psychological disorder. And like a mental illness, one can only have recovery by seeking it on their own. However, Wrathbaru would probably consider even the doctor to be a liar.”

“Master—!” A loud voice called out to Halibel and Subaru, dashing from the other side of the corridor. What could be seen was the blond hair, long in body, maid Frederica.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me…” With that mutter, a strong sound like that of a slap could be heard. The sound and the mutter, both came from Garfiel who had face palmed himself. He slowly turned to face his sister, who slumped down her red-tinged face. “What the hell are you doing, Nee-sama? Are you actually an idiot?”

“Wha-, Garfiel!” Emilia said, disliking his tone. “Why are you saying something like that to Frederica? I’m sure that the WrathFrederica hates Wrathbaru to an extreme degree. So isn’t it obvious that she would use this chance to attack him? See, even I have a good head on my shoulders.” Puffing her chest, Emila took some pride in her logical abilities.

“Emilia,” Beatrice said. “I agree that the maid must be driven with intense hatred and a desire for revenge. But tell me, just who is running alongside with Wrathbaru, trying to protect him?”

“Well it’s Halibel-san, the strongest of the Kararagi states……..Oh no!” Emilia facepalmed herself.

Not just her, everyone facepalmed in exasperation. Frederica’s face continued to get red with embarrassment. 

“Even given the fact that I am driven by great emotion, just why does WrathFrederica believe that she can get past Halibel-san? Her job as the information leaker has already ended…..” Frederica said.

“Pfft,” Priscilla was trying to stifle her laughter. “Their entire camp does that quite often. They all seem to be masters of sucide attacks. How hilarious.”

Her colors were hard to discern, but her face had a potent expression.

Subaru had secretly found Frederica to his liking.

And so-

“Prepare yourself–sh!”

Rushing in, she shouted in a disciplined manner and attempted to make an attempt for his life. That appeared to be a lovable nature to Subaru.

“Oh-ho, lovable nature! Finding her secretly to his liking!” Roswall said, teasing Frederica.

“Hmph! Unfortunately, I shall have to turn him down. Not to mention, I am sure there is another reason why Wrathbaru finds me to his liking.”

Of course, those actions would not be tolerated by Kararagi’s strongest.

“Ah, guh!”

The dagger in her hand was snatched and she was pushed up against the wall, her arm pinned. Frederica could only helplessly turn back her neck towards Halibel.

Garfiel turned to look at Frederica, and then smirked with a , ‘Heh’.

“Wha! Your sister is in mortal peril, and you are laughing instead of worrying!” Frederica said.

“Nah, I am worried about your safety, don’t get me wrong on that. But you are the one who made a naive mistake by succumbing to your emotions, Nee-sama.”

“Succumbing to my emotions! I! Don’t! Want! To! Hear! That! From! You! Such hypocrisy!”

“Why are you doing this, Halibel-sama? Now, by taking advantage of this turmoil, that man-!”

“Ya could kill him. I understand why you think so. You children whose weaknesses have been grasped, all desire freedom through Su-san’s death. I know, but-”

Halibel opened his narrowed eyes and glared at Frederica. Being bathed in that light, Frederica produced a thin sound from her throat.

“Unfortunately, I don’t follow Su-san because of my weakness. To repay Su-san’s kindness, that’s why I serve him.”

“A kindness?! From this man, kindness! Stop playing around-!”

With bloodshot eyes, Frederica looked fiercely at Subaru. Those sharp fangs frew into thick, strong, and beast-like fingers.

“No matter what–hk?!”

“Su-san?”

Subaru came to stand next to Frederica. Frederica widened her eyes, but Subaru did not pause even when Halibel called out to him. Like that, Frederica raised her arm and grazed Subaru’s neck.

At that moment, the scarf on his neck came undone and fell to the floor.

“--Hiee.” Seeing what was behind the scarf, Frederica let out a deep sound from her throat.

Halibel also revealed a faint surprise.

On Natsuki Subaru’s neck, marks clearly remained, shaped like fingers.

“Od laguna…” Petra said, covering her mouth at that sight. Her eyes were naturally drawn towards Ram, easily figuring out the obvious perpetrator of the marks. Petra had mixed opinions regarding Wrathbaru. To be honest, she just wanted Subaru to wake up and for them to leave this theater. But for now, her thoughts were directed towards Ram and her twin sister. Her feelings for them were a complete mess. And this scar on Wrathbaru’s neck was a great reminder of some of the traumatic incidents shown on this screen. Stifling vomit, she quickly diverted her eyes.

“You sure did a number on him, Ram,” Roswall quietly said. 

“My greatest mistake was acting in haste, without evidence and without reason.” Ram said. “I guess I was way less experienced, and way less intelligent than I thought I was. I was justified in feeling intense rage, grief, and hatred at the loss of my dear sister. But I was wrong in directing it towards him the way I did.”

“I wonder, just how do you plan on apologizing and repenting to Subaru?”

“That’s…” Ram’s eyes went towards her sister. “Roswall-sama does not need to know about it. This is something between me and my sister.” 

Slumping down his shoulders, Roswall relented with a wave of his hand.

“It won’t do, Frederica. I won’t allow that black and white you to kill me.”

“........”

Drawing his face closer, Subaru asserted to the frozen Frederica. He had hoped that Frederica might have had some color. Yet, in this crucial state, she still remained black and white.

“See, what did I tell you?” Frederica said, puffing her chest with pride. “Wrathbaru is bound to have some sort of ulterior motive. Whether he realizes this or not, he is unfortunately the same as those he fears.” 

“I do agree on that one, Frederica-san.” Otto said. “It seems that even you have disconnected yourself to this reality, to a certain degree. Wrathbaru must have been hoping that your hatred would have blossomed into colors. For some reason, the criterias were not met.”

At Frederica’s nod, filled with reason and logic, Rem clenched her fist tight. There was a feeling in her heart, an emotion of contempt towards those who can so easily disassociate themselves. It felt like everybody was leaving Subaru behind the moment he began to drown. Others were busy analyzing his life choices and being hypocritical about it. Many were likely contemplating a countermeasure against Subaru. But once again, Rem did not want to take hasty and irresolute actions. 

“Halibel-san, take Frederica and let her get away.”

“Su-san, the insider that dragged in the sword saint is probably-”

“I know.”

“That is surprising,” Frederica said, “It is surprising that even after knowing that I was the insider, he would let me escape.” 

“It is a good thing that I don’t have to see my sister die….”

“Maybe it is a small act of kindness, without any ulterior motives behind it..” Trivey said, trailing his words off in perplexion. 

“Ka-ha, unlike his ideology, people in reality aren’t that white and black!” Ricardo said.

“Or maybe he just doesn't care that much, similar to how he doesn't really care about his organization having collapsed.” Anastasia said. “With all the work put into it, a person would normally be devastated by such a loss. But he is more concerned about ending things, allowing his death to be executed by someone with color.”

“B-But returning by death wouldn't allow that, right?” Emilia said. 

“That’s right, Onee-chan. I can’t really see any other end except for everything repeating again.” Felt said.

Gazing at the frozen Frederica, Subaru cut off Halibel’s words.

He understood without being told. It was understandable that Frederica would secretly do things, given her emotions caused by her treatment.

-It wasn’t just limited to Frederica. If not her, someone else would have done it. That it would only be her was a miscalculation.

“You don’t have to come back, Halibel-san. I’ll go settle things in my own way.”

“......”

“If you want to return my kindness, then that’ll be enough. In the first place, you don’t have any reason to feel any gratitude. I was just being cunning after all.”

Shaking his head, he slightly smiled at Halibel.

Perhaps Halibel had regarded Subaru as someone who cared for him. Nevertheless, he could not see any color coming from Halibel.

Because he had lost the right to believe in something, a lost color won’t ever come back.

So was it that not a single thing would ever be colored for Subaru?

If so, that which was there to cling onto, was only-

“With Su-san, I had wanted to be proper friends.”

“If I had not run away, that might have been..” 

Halibel accepted Subaru’s intentions and bid him farewell with those short words.

Subaru as well, thought that anything more would be inappropriate between them. 

But in the end, he wanted to look cool towards that person who could have become a friend.

“Aww, poor wolfie-chan! I don’t know if I should consider this farewell to be manly, or to be sad! Actually, maybe it’s both!” Mimi said.

“Ka-ha, my racial comrade did quite well in my opinion. At first I was concerned because he was serving an underworld boss, something that could put a damper on our reputation. But in the end, he handled himself well and repaid his debt, even giving a cool farewell at the end.” Ricardo said, giving a small nod to his brethren.

“Maybe we can go to Kararagi one day?” Petra looked at Emilia, hope in her eyes. 

“Mh, that would be difficult during the selection. I also don’t want to put Subaru in any danger by going there. But after everything is dealt with, if Subaru wishes for it then we will definitely pay Kararagi a visit. Though I am not sure if we could meet Halibel-san.”

“Rem is sure that Subaru-kun would figure out a way, if we tell him about this if-story and its contents that is. And even this Wrathbaru-kun has a similar sentiment to our Subaru, huh. A sentiment of wanting to look cool in front of people that he could consider his friends.” Rem said.

“But in the end, it all comes back down to the decision at the mansion.” Otto said, leaving a deep sigh. “With all the information we have now it would be crucial to think of his decision from a different light.”

“The decision between Virtue or Sin, is it?” Crusch said, having arrived at the same train of thought. As others tilted their heads, Crusch began to explain. “Like I had asserted before, the decision that our Natsuki Subaru took was an important decision that should be acknowledged and respected. His decision wasn’t as simple as choosing to die for the sake of restarting everything. It was a decision where he chose to believe in something, in someone that had wronged him before.”

“In us, is it?” Rem said.

“Yes, he believed in you guys and your true nature. He jumped for the sake of believing in others. However, Wrathbaru forfeited that belief when he decided to escape instead. And instead of moving on, he carried all of that with him. Even if he regrets it now, it’s too late to go back.”

“But why does Natsuki-san have to be so extreme everytime?!” Otto said, rubbing his forehead in slight annoyance. “I have been taught that a balance in life is necessary. This applied to Virtue as well. Virtue should be the midpoint between deficiency and excess of something.”

“Ah, you have been taught well, Otto-kun.” Anastasia said. “Courage should be the midpoint between recklessness and cowardice. Mercy should also have a midpoint. However, Natsuki-kun seems to be on the extreme end of mercy, always going too far on one end or the other.”

“But well, you need to consider that pal always goes through extreme situations. It’s always life or death for him. Reality itself is shaping his ideology to an extreme end.” Al said.

“Betty’s contractor has to face a cruel fate every time. So Betty agrees with that helmet man, I suppose.” Beatrice said. “But Subaru does force some heavy shackles on himself. It's similar to how he burdeneed his shoulders with heavy expectations that did not exist, when he was back in his original world. Why does he have to lose the right to believe in anything, just because of a single incident of betrayal?!”

“It’s because that is easier to do.” Priscilla said.

“Easier?!” Felt said. 

“What Wrathbaru chose was the easier decision. It is much harder to attempt to believe in someone who has betrayed you once.” She said, recalling the image of that black-skinned spirit eater. “Fixing the shattered pieces of a delicate vase is extremely difficult to do. And even then, the vase would never be the same again. But the brat chose to try anyway. Quite a foolish and commendable decision, I shall give him that. Wrathbaru however, chose to leave the vase behind and replaced it with another. The replaced vase was corrupt and dirty, ready to fall apart in a single touch. In the end, that’s all this if-story amounts to.”

“Ugu, you are kinda right with that comparison. But as expected of our Onii-chan! Though his morals are at the extreme end of goodness, it is still cool as hell.” Felt said, pumping her fist. 

“Frederica.”

“----”

Frederica slowly turned towards him, responding to that call.

Subaru was hesitant to convey something to that woman who had lost the will to fight.

But because he had been told to do so, he wished to report to her.

“The food was always delicious, they told me that.”

-Perhaps, she did not understand the meaning of that sentence.

“Just how am I supposed to take that sentence?” Frederica said, furrowed her brows.

“‘They’, must refer to the employees in Pandemonium, considering that there is no one else here. And also because you were the only one who prepared the meals for the entire castle, based on the information we have received.” Crusch said. “I am guessing that this must be connected to that list you saw in the earlier chapter, the one with all the employee names on it and with a gold coin besides it. The people who left behind this message must be the ones that were killed on a whim by the King.”

“That is what I thought as well, Crusch-sama.” Julius said. “At least for me, this leaves me with mixed feelings considering that he was the one who caused their deaths in the first place. But in the end, this might be his own way of giving gratitude to Frederica-san for her services.”

In her eyes, Subaru must have appeared as a monster.

That was fine, he had acted as such and been as such.

However, he was not able to see the results he desired.

“Then, where should I go, I wonder.”

Halibel took Frederica, disappearing within the shadows. 

Left behind, Subaru was alone in the collapse of his dreams.

Pandemonium shook constantly, evidence of Reinhard and Cecilus’s battle. But from afar, he could hear multiple voices. This showed that the assault wasn’t just limited to Reinhard, but multiple enemies had taken advantage of this commotion.

Enemies, enemies, and enemies. Nothing but enemies surrounding him.

Having lived the way he did, it was natural.

He reached a fork, and hesitated in his decision.

Going right would have him reach Emilia’s quarters, the girl who had supported his weak self.

“ Please, Subaru. Just wait there. I hope that ‘Emilia’ is able to find you, and that you can escape together. Give her one more chance to save you, please.” A quiet prayer came from Emilia.

Going left would have him come across what his weak self had taken as a support, that girl-

“That doesn't give us much to work with. In fact, the characteristic of this mysterious person feels the same as Emilia-sama. As expected from Barusu!” Ram said, crossing her hands together.

Roswall had to desperately hold back his laughter at that Ram, finding the entire situation to be hilariously ironic.

“-----Eh?”

It was the moment of his decision, someone came running up to him and pierced his left side with a knife.

“Eh?....Subaru!” Emilia said, instinctively reaching out her arm. “Why…. does it have to be at such a time?”

Rem gritted her teeth, feeling intense anger at this ambush attack. Petra looked away, and Frederica consoled her. Some others gasped in surprise, unable to have seen this attack coming. Some looked away, agreeing at this inevitable end.

“Someone..must have taken advantage of him being unprotected.” Otto said, lowering his voice. “It was bound to happen, I guess.”

“Kinda stings though, Otto-bro.” Garfiel said, puffing out air through his nose.

“It’s a symbol.” Priscilla said. “One cannot escape from their sins, that is what it symbolizes. A clever individual has just exploited his weakness, something that Wrathbaru himself does quite often. Well, considering that the screen has not finished showing yet, it must mean that we still have more to watch.”

In a strange castle, in a strange landscape, Emilia was running barefoot.

Emilia had only spent this past year inside her quarters. Thus, the interior of the castle was unexplored territory for her.

But Emilia’s focus was on the boy she was searching for.

“--Emilia-sama!!” 

Called by her name, Emilia stopped her steps in surprise.

Pandemonium had partially collapsed and had lost its original form. Emilia had been called by a young man with blue eyes and red hair, standing in a white corridor with its windows slanted and cracked.

“Reinhardt..”

“Have you been well, Emilia-sama? I am glad to be able to meet you again.”

“Oh boy, it seems like Onee-chan met the wrong person here. Rein wouldn’t really hurt her, but he is definitely going to oppose Onee-chan’s desire to meet with Wrathbaru.” Felt said.

Regardless of the place, he was still adhering to a knight’s courtesy and posture. His attitude was too brave and elegant.

He ran to Emilia’s side, bowing his head. But due to his appearance, Emilia’s eyes were shaking with bewilderment.

“Reinhardt, you are gravely wounded. Are you alright?”

“There is no need to worry. That it is a light wound, cannot be said, however.”

Reinhard relaxed his lips at Emilia’s words.

But to her, his appearance was ripe with injuries, an unimaginable sight.

Covering his body were innumerable cuts that had been produced by the flashes of a blade. The bleeding had not stopped and red droplets of blood were dripping in the corridor. His noble and fearless cheeks had strands of red hair stuck on it. His face had a hue of fatigue and his breathing was in a disturbed state.

The white knight’s uniform was dirtied and covered in blood, not only another’s but his own as well.

“Oh lord, Rein,” Felt said, gulping with disorder. “Never thought that you could get this injured…”

“Indeed, I think it’s surprising to all of us.” Wilhelm said. 

“Grandfather, what is surprising is my opponent’s skill. Cecilus-dono must have improved quite a bit.” Reinhardt said, slightly glad at the growth of his opponent. “And I cannot help but show gratitude to Emilia-sama, for showing kindness even in this situation.”

“No, Reinhardt. I am not…” Emilia said, trailing her words off at the end.

“But the victor in the end was the sword saint. Though, because we do not see the blue-brat’s body, it would be hasty to assume his death.” Priscilla said.

What was shocking above all,

“Your sword.”

“That right here right now is a scene for the dragon sword to be drawn, has been judged by the sword.”

The sword which was never-drawn, never-needed, now shone with a white glow.

Against whom had he wielded this sword? Against whom will he wield it in the future?

“So she is already considering that he might become a threat to Wrathbrat,” Priscilla said, enjoying the flinch from Emilia.

“Anyways, that Emilia-sama is safe is fortunate..Depart from here alongside me. There is a dragon carriage waiting outside the castle. With it, to Lugunica…”

“To Lugunica..Where is this?”

“This is at the edge of the Kararagi city-states, a hidden castle at the Crimson Hills Girall. Finding the organization took great effort, but with the help of an insider and a competent spy, it was somehow discovered.”

“Oh! The Crimson Hills Girall, is it? Quite an interesting place the organization is based on.” Anastasia said, enjoying the inquisitive looks on her. “It’s based at the far end of the world map, directly attached near the Jimuna Volcano. It’s a place made of dunes. These dunes in turn, are entirely made of small magic stones. Though I have never been there, it is commonly believed that the magic stones explode all year round.”

“Quite a dangerous place, fit for the organization's headquarters. And I am guessing that the competent spy is Otto-kun.” Julius said.

“Ha! A volcano symbolizing the wrath of mother nature, drowning all in its melting magma and covering everything in its thick shroud!” Priscilla said, nodding deeply and looking satisfied at the connections. “Such blatant hidden meanings are left even in the locations themselves. Can’t help but be impressed here.”

Reinhardt regarded his surroundings with caution. Even now, the sounds of a battle were continuing in the castle. In Reinhardt’s case, he would wish to head towards his allies.

Even gravely wounded, he was the world’s strongest man.

“That’s right, Rein. You need to be a little more proud of yourself!” Felt said.

Reinhardt gave a wry smile and said, “If it was strength that I had achieved with persistence and hard work, then I would be proud of it. However, most of my abilities have been gifted to me, Felt-sama.”

“That’s..” Felt scratched her head. “I don't know much about that stuff. But the one who decided when and how to use this power is you, Reinhardt. I think you can be proud of your application, even if it’s a little lacking and boring.”

Reinhardt simply nodded, refusing to give a reply to that.

With him, Pandemonium’s fall was only a question of time.

If he were not here-

“Oh…how intriguing..” Priscilla smirked at that last line.

“Emilia-sama, right now we must-”

Hurry from this place. That’s what he might have been trying to say.

However, those words were suddenly interrupted by Emilia’s actions, who had spun in place.

It was but an instant. From the back, through Reinhardt’s abdomen, a sword of ice pierced through. Blood flowed through the blade of frost, his insides being destroyed by the invading cold. The sword saint, at the shock that he had never felt before, coughed up blood.

“What?!” “What?” 

Two surprised and stunned voices rang out. The first was from a bewildered Emilia, stunned at the action her other self took. The other was from Reinhardt, shocked by the inability of his other self to block the attack. Along with that, the others displayed their surprise as well.

“W-what the heck just happened?!” Felt said. “Before he could even say anything, he was just stabbed without reason.”

“This is….even I am confused about this turn of events.” Crusch said.

“That Onee-chan is kinda scary and cool at the same time. That spin in particular, was just a masterpiece!” Mimi said, jumping up in approval.

“Nee-sama, I am unsure if this is the correct part at displaying your surprise at.”

“Feels like the action of a loyal subordinate who is defending their boss without any notice or exception.” Ram said. 

“Emilia-sama..” Rem said, surprised about the action taken. However, a part of her heart felt happy that someone else could take such extreme measures, appearing out of nowhere and without any reason.

“There was a reason behind that action.” Priscilla said, sighing at the fact that she would have to educate the monkeys again. “It came from her deep subconsciousness. Without having realized herself, the half-elf has been imprinted with the dependency of Wrathbrat. The moment she realized that the Sword saint’s presence had jeopardized the relationship between her and the Wrathbrat, her body moved before her mind could register. It’s similar to the animalistic instinct of a creature, attempting to protect someone that they need in their life.”

“No way…I, my dependency can go…that far..?” Emilia said. Not only was she surprised, but she was slightly shaking at this unknown quality of herself. 

“It is unrelated to anything moral and ethical, half-elf. While your consciousness cannot decide what to feel or what action to take, your instincts have already decided for you. Your body moved without your consciousness having caught up to it. Thus, that result followed.”

“Priscilla-sama is right.” Reinhardt said. “My intuition should have been able to see your intent with that attack. Plus, my divine protections would have protected me, allowing me to instantly dodge that attack. Putting aside whether the castle has some sort of an interference against my protections, I would have been able to dodge if the attack had been filled with purpose and intent. My defenses would have normally protected me from such an attack. Ah, that is not to say that this attack was inferior in quality. I am extremely sorry if I gave that impression.”

“A fairly dangerous attack executed like an unseen ball, nya. There is also the fact that your injuries have not been healed yet. According to you, the spirits around the place would automatically assist you and take care of any injuries. But that has not happened in this place…” Felix said.

“Might be because of where it is situated. Or the spirits might have run away due to the presence of the Great spirit, Puck. Whatever the case, Emilia-san’s attack has now stacked the cards against her. She could have been safely protected by the Kingdom, but now she has declared herself an enemy.” Anastasia said. 

“ If it was for Subaru-kun, then Rem would have done the same..” A thought of approval rang inside Rem’s brain.

“Emilia-sama..”

“Ah..”

Unable to understand what had happened, Reinhard collapsed to his knees. Seeing that, Emilia stared blankly at her own fingers.

She realized that what she did was an unexpected act. 

If this had been a true betrayal, Reinhard could have blocked it.

If the attack held emotion behind it, Reinhard’s intuition would not be evaded. And in the case where his divine protections were working properly, his defenses would have protected him.

But this place was Pandemonium and Emilia could not make up her mind. That had left a fatal gap in Reinhardt.

“I can’t,....Not that, Subaru is, no, Reinhardt, no, Subaru. I won’t let him be hurt. Subaru needs me.”

“A dependency born out of her desire to be needed by others, is it?” Roswall said. “It reminds me of Subaru-kun in arc three. A dependency and obsession was born in heart, one caused by his intense desire to be needed and validated. Well, even I would say that the desire for validation is a curse.”

“Hah! As expected of the young and foolish ones! But getting past the sword saint is going to be an impossible goal for Emilia-sama.” Ram said.

Emilia shook her head in refusal as her actions corroborated with her true intentions.

The reason for her actions was because she had realized the threat of Reinhardt, someone who would target Subaru.

Thus, she unconsciously did not stop herself from attacking, realizing that she had no choice but to kill Reinhardt. 

“Subaru is my…” Only now did she understand her own feelings. Subaru had come looking for her repeatedly, attempting to attain peace of mind. In this time, Emilia had also been saved.

Both of them needed each other.

“I will protect him. If I don’t protect him, then…”

“Emilia-sama, that is…”

“-Puck, please!”

A roar and a cold wind blew, Emilia’s silver hair fluttering in the white hallway. His body bathed in frigid air filled with a sublimated intent to kill. As his flesh froze, he jumped back to escape the severe wind, drawing a line of blood in midair. And while coughing blood, he lifted his sword and regarded the Beast of the end who was standing side-by-side with the Witch of Glaciation. 

“ Sorry, Reinhardt. Lia’s wishes are my own. If you're that weakened - even I might win. You can think of it as catlike cruelty.”

“Please, Reinhardt. Return like this. Leave me and Subaru alone.”

“That’s going to be impossible, I suppose.” Beatrice said, her pupils trembling. “Bubby is going to lose. And having caused this situation in the first place, Emilia’s plea is not going to be heard. How depressing, I suppose.”

Emilia clenched her fist, hoping that this story would have a peaceful ending of some sorts.

“This sight is truly like that of a fairy tail..” Julius said. “However, this time the Heroic Knight has to turn his blade towards those he had come to protect.”

“Tch, I am sure that Rein does not want to do such a thing. But Wrathbaru’s crimes have gotten to the point where there is no other way. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.” Felt said.

“--That is not possible.”

Reinhardt shook his head at Emilia’s offer, who had caused this situation in the first place. Negotiations had already broken down. Reinhardt had been taken by surprise. Given his wounds, he might have accepted this offer of reconciliation.

But his belief was that this was not a situation which allowed that.

“As the head of Pleiades, the Purge King, Natsuki Subaru, starting with the murder of Roswall L Mathers, amoung the people of the Kingdom, as well as the Vollachian Empire and the Kararagi City-states, and among the subjects of the Holy Kingdom of Gustecko, has already had 126,702 people killed in total.”

“--------”

“That number only goes for direct damage. When including the indirect damage, the number of victims increases even more. No matter what, it is not an evil that can be left ignored.”

The entire cast was stunned by this reveal of information. Quite gasps and open mouths were pasted on their expressions. 

“What the fuck…? This can’t be it, right? That many innocent and unrelated people were murdered! Just because of his twisted ideology?! What the heck…” Felt said, unable to suppress her anger.

“This is, all of this is…my…fault..” Rem said quietly, thinning her trembling lips.

“To think that same savior could be capable of insanity to this extent. I can’t believe that this old man is unable to look at Wrathbaru as nothing but a twisted villain.” Wilhelm said.

“Mimi agrees! A villain! A villain!” Mimi said.

“I also agree with Nee-sama. Though I still hold some pity towards him..” Trivey said.

“Unfortunately, this is not a crime that can be ignored by any means. Wrathbaru will not be able to escape from his sins.” Julius said.

“Tch, in just two years he has caused so much damage.” Crusch said, gritting her teeth. “This is on the same level, no, it might be worse than the degree of damage caused by Witch beasts and the witch cult.” 

“That number is close to the population of a great city. He is a complete epidemic, a disease that needs to be thwarted out. We were right in feeling that he is a threat and that countermeasures are necessary.” Anastasia said. “As expected, even Emilia-san should be shocked by this and should reconsider her decision.”

“Damm, pal…I certainly did not think it would be that much. But well, it couldn’t be helped, could it?” Al said, sighing in disbelief. However, he and his princess weren’t really angry or emotional about all of this.

“Hm, if we consider the amount of deaths caused in Vollachia every few years, his achievement would even beat them. Congratulations, Wrathbrat.” Priscilla said, trying to recall the population losses of her home country.

“Princess, why is that part so intriguing to you? Never mind, I’m not going to ask too much about it. But at least in the Gladiator island, the fighters die for the sake of some sick entertainment.”

“And in this case, they die to give him peace of mind. Any difference, Al?” 

“Not really, Princess. Just to clarify, I am not really defending my pal. It’s just that, incomprehensible and meaningless deaths happen all the time….”

Petra tightly hugged Frederica, her small arms trembling in disbelief. “Frederica Nee-sama, this Subaru is not ‘our’ Subaru, right?”

“That is right, Petra-chan.” Instead of Frederica, it was Otto who answered her question. “Our Natsuki-san would never do such a thing. Compared to all of us here, Natsuki Subaru is the one who understands the value of human life the most.”

“It must have gotten worse over time, I guess.” Roswall said. “The more his organization expanded, the more enemies he made and achieved more methods at his disposal to end these same enemies. It is an inescapable cycle, huh.”

“To think it was this bad for Wrathbarusu. We…ended up turning him into a worse monster than the witch cultists.” Ram said.

“You cannot take responsibility for his actions, Ram.”

“Roswall-sama?”

“The decisions that he took were his to make, regardless of any reason or past trauma. No one was forcing him to act upon his doubt and suspicion. And he decided his path for himself. It’s the same with you guys, Ram. You cannot give away the responsibility of your actions to your past encounters with the witch cult. No matter what happened in your past, it should not become a justification for wrongdoings.”

“...That’s…you are the one saying this?! Roswall-sama!”

“Of course, I am the one who had to be taught this lesson the hard way. I cannot blame my sins on the gospel, on Sensei, and on necessity. Regardless of the reasons, the crimes committed remain as crimes. The same applies to you and your sister. And the same applies to Wrathbaru. We can all blame the world as much as we like. We can blame others and our past experiences as much as we like. But in the end, our decisions are our own to make and everyone has to answer for it.”

“...Quite wise words coming from you, Roswall-sama. Perhaps you have found your way to repent?”

“No-No, not at all. I just thought that taking a step forward, smacking myself on the cheeks, and reminding myself of my responsibility is better than doing nothing at all.”

Reinhardt’s words held a plea. He was hoping that a change of heart would be born in Emilia, having listened to the crimes of Natsuki Subaru. Emilia had indeed received a huge shock. Stuck in her private quarters, she had not known of any of Subaru’s wrongdoings. She had guessed that Roswall had been killed.

Emilia bowed her head, struck by that shock.

But the shock she felt was not due to disappointment about the sins of Natsuki Subaru.

“--Sorry, Reinhardt. Still, Subaru is dear to me.”

Even after learning about his evil acts, her obsession with Subaru did not waver. Realizing that had been the true shock.

Emilia’s feelings, even knowing the truth, had not changed.

Emilia’s eyes opened wide and she experienced a stunning shock. It was not due to disappointment like it would usually be. It wasn’t because she had been once again shown her own incompetence or uselessness. It was a pleasant surprise, one of shocking admiration and desire. Despite her own obsessiveness being the reason, she was still happy that her stance did not waver. Of course, the others were not so happy.

“What?! What the hell is Onee-chan doing?! I know she is dependent on Wrathbaru, but is she seriously siding with a mass-murderer?! What the hell happened to ‘equality’ and ‘justice’?!” Felt said, a harsh tone on her lips.

The others looked with disappointment in their eyes. Of course, all of that was directed to the Emilia on the screen. But even then, an atmosphere of distrust and discomfort filled the theater, all directed towards Emilia. However, 

“I think Emilia-sama has done great here.” Rem said.

“What?! Now what the hell are you on about?!” Felt said, expressing the surprise that everybody felt. 

Emilia, Rem, Ram, and everyone else were equally shocked. Of course, Priscilla was only intrigued, that’s all.

Rem turned her face towards the others, an angry glare plastered on her cute features. “All of you have been going on about ‘disconnecting yourself from this if-story’, analyzing Wrathbaru’s story, and thinking about countermeasures for the future! But all you are doing is abandoning Subaru the moment he turns into a twisted path, proclaiming that you have no business in this at all! The moment he does anything bad, everyone just turns away and leaves! The moment he does something great, everybody flocks around him! Just how exactly is this true care?!”

“...N-Now, Rem-san.” Otto said, his lips trembling in shock. “Remember, this is just an impossible reality. It is just a thought experiment. Our views here don’t apply to the real Natsuki Subaru. No need to get so–”

“Riled up?! You say all of that, but isn’t this if-reality being shown to us to gauge our reactions?!”

“....Pardon?”

“It’s to show those who would try and help Subaru-kun. To show those who would truly attempt to save him from a twisted path. And if he does fall to that path, these individuals would still be with him! Your reactions help to show those who would instantly discard a twisted Subaru-kun. They would call it none-of-their-business, turning away their gaze and thinking about safety protocols. But wouldn't  it be way too lonely, to leave Subaru-kun behind the moment he changes in a negative manner?”

“-----!!” Otto desperately wanted to assert that he was not going to leave behind his friend. However, his words were stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken. 

Many others were in a similar way, faces frozen after having a cruel truth spat in their faces. 

They would not leave behind Subaru, right? They could ‘change’ him, right? They would help him at crucial moments, right? They wouldn't run to protect their backs, or ignore the issue, right?

Unanswerable questions swerve through their heads, quieting any counter-arguments.

“Rem…” Emilia said, surprised that someone would support an obsessive Emilia. 

Rem turned towards her call, regaining control over her troubled breathing. “I believe Emilia-sama did great. I know it was due to your obsession, but Rem is glad that at least one person is still supporting Subaru.”

“Hmph, I suppose. Even Betty shall praise you, I suppose. Here, take some headpats for your courageous work of challenging the Sword saint.” Beatirce said, proceeding to pat Emilia’s head with her small hands. “ Though for Wrathbaru, Betty thinks he won’t like Emilia’s current behavior. He who wants to be hated by others, will never accept an obsessive love, I suppose.”

“-Kh.”

Faced with such a declaration from Emilia, Reinhardt bit his lips.

“How cruel that it has to turn out like this..” Reinhardt muttered, turning away his face from the screen.

He soon raised his face and directed his drawn Dragon sword towards his opponents.

“Reinhardt Van Astrea, of the sword saint bloodline.”

“I’m Emilia, just Emilia.”

Having named themselves, a white shock destroyed the uppermost floor of Pandemonium.

The captive Princess, who was supposed to be rescued, and the Knight in shining armor, who was supposed to rescue her, would end up killing one another.

.

.

Chapter end.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8.

Author’s note: Yahoo!!! Wrath-if has been completed!! Yay! As far as I am aware, no one seems to have done a complete reaction for the if-stories at all. Glad to be the one who did this if-story. Spread the message my comrades! We finally have a completed if-story reaction!!! Yes! Yes! Yes! (Sorry, I am way too hyped right now.)

But actually, considering there have been some issues with ff.net for the past couple of days, I am hoping that this chapter actually reaches all of you. I am also going to be cross-posting this on Ao3 later. My view counts are not even appearing anymore and there are issues with the review section being unavailable sometimes. So I hope that at least for those who have either followed this fic or followed me you all get an email notification for this. Do leave a review to tell me if everything is fine.

But reaction fics, huh. Honestly, the main entertainment I had was when I would just allow the characters to freely interact and talk with each other with no restrictions. We have all of these characters with their own layered personalities, differences, ideals, and emotions. I don’t want to restrict them to the best of my ability. 

The most boring part would be to just think about ‘necessary’  reactions. The main translation for Wrath-if is about 23-25k words I believe. So subtract that and the remaining would be the main reactions themselves. If I was focused on just necessary stuff, then over 80 percent of this won’t even exist. The next 20 percent depends on how realistic I get. If I treat it like a true theater, then talking will only happen during an interval or something. But in this manner, I would just find writing this to be completely boring and not worth the time.

I don’t want a situation where the content they are reacting to far surpasses the actual reactions themselves, where there are only a few sentences worth of reactions, and where only a few characters get the spotlight. Of course, I am not hating on anybody that does reactions that way. To each their own. But for me personally, I just won’t be satisfied with my own work if I don’t let these characters truly talk. Like you might have noticed how I rephrase many of the sentences in the main translation of Wrath-if. You know why I do that? Because I get bored! That’s really all there is to that.

I think the characters that were the most reliable and fun to write were Priscilla, Otto, Al, Ram, Roswall, and Beatrice. The others were fine and some were so-so. Anastasia and Crusch, together in one dialogue sequence, gave me some trouble. Because I am the one writing this I can tell when a piece of dialogue can be easily given to either one of them or when one could have spoken it better. But my favorite parts were when a character said something completely unplanned and unexpected. For example, Rem’s dialogue at the end of the previous chapter was something completely unplanned. I wasn’t actually going to put her there at all! 

But because I kinda let go and just gave her some dialogue, it ended up becoming better than I thought it would be. And thanks to what she said, I am super looking forward to what she will think when she sees Pridebaru. Fu-ha! Hahahahahha!

Now, I will not be starting on the next if-story right away. I am taking a break from this to focus on my college, work on my other stories, and maybe write new ones. As a rough estimate, I’ll probably be back in 2-3 months. 

When I come back, it will be with an interlude chapter that does the conference meeting (you will see at the end of this chapter) and shows the cast the Fragments: Natsuki Rem chapter. After that, what I’ll be doing next is probably going to make some of you very excited and is definitely going to give me a lot of prep work to do. That something is— Aganau If. 

Anyways, sorry for the long note and enjoy the chapter!!

.

.

The screen started.

Subaru: “Damn it…Fucking…That, damn Bastard!!”

He ran with his steps faltering, cursing the Bastard.

Droplets of fresh blood trickled down those swaying feets with a tip-tap sound. A knife had been stabbed at his left armpit by an assassin at the time of his assault. The pain was performing a dempsey roll on his brain non-stop.

“Hm? Think that Dempsey roll thing was some kind of a boxing attack where an opponent overwhelms a tougher opponent. Though, I don’t really remember that much.” Al said.

“B-o-x-i-n-g? What is that? Sounds fun!” Mimi said and Garfiel also nodded.

Al mused, glad that he could remember at least the basics. “So basically, people punch the shit out of each other.”

“.............”

“............”

“Eh? You both, what happened to the excited responses from before?!” Al said.

“Tch, your explanation was so bland that even I lost my interest. Al, how could you waste my time? And just when I thought you had some value..”

“Sorry, Princess! Please don’t get rid of my value that easily!! Even though I accurately described everything, I am very sorry nevertheless!”

“Put aside that foolishness, Clown.”

“That black and white asshole! If there is a next time, I’ll definitely kill you..!!”

“Huh, that’s weird. The attacker did not aim at any vital spots.” Julius said. “It's either that the attacker’s goal was just to stall Wrathbaru, or maybe something else. What do you think, Anastasia-sama?”

“Well, he must surely feel humiliated to have been ambushed at such a timing, happening just when he had prepared himself for the end.” Anastasia said. “Though I do have a wild guess for the identity of his attacker, I find his wording to be very intriguing. He said, ‘If there is a next time,’ but his ‘next time’ is already assured thanks to Return by Death. Does he think that he would be able to bypass that somehow, someway? Or is it something else….?”

“Nya, either way, this loop is going to come to an end if nobody heals him.” Felix said.

“Maybe Emilia-sama could somehow reach him here. With her healing abilities she would manage that wound. Though I am unnerved as to what kind of a scheme is behind that ambush….” Rem thought

Subaru leaned on the wall corridor, moving along it and sweating profusely. At the end, the assassin had run away without delivering the finishing blow. It was the man who was supposed to have disappeared in the reception hall.

Bastard: “ More than this is beyond the scope of my work. So be careful, Natsuki-san.”

Killing the general in the midst of the enemy lines, then speaking something and escaping, could be called splendid. Yet, Subaru did not have a hobby of praising his enemies.

“What-?! It’s me?!” Otto said, his eyes widened with unexpected surprise.

“Aha! It even reads ‘Bastard’ as your name! The dislike is seriously obvious.” Al said.

“Hm, seems like my guess was correct after all,” Anastasia said, ruffling her scarf with an air of smugness. “With the process of elimination, I came to the conclusion that there could be only two possible suspects for the ambush. One would be someone we have seen in this if-story so far. And the other would be someone we don’t even know, a random assassin. To keep the interest of this story rising to the very end I believe that the assailant would be someone who is part of the cast we have seen so far. If so, then I simply eliminated all the unlikely suspects and came upon the one working for Russell Fellow, Otto Suwen.”

Priscilla rolled her eyes, unmused at the fact that her competitor took such a long, roundabout method to derive the answer.

“..I did disappear fairly quickly when Reinhard arrived. I thought that my job was just to allow his entry, but it seems that Russell is using me and my divine protection fairly well..” Otto said. For him, Rem’s outburst did indeed affect him. It started to dawn upon him that his way of disconnecting with this if-reality might just be a way for him to deny the possibility of his friend turning to a path that he could not support in his right mind. “ But in the end, even Natsuki-san is just a human in the end. There is definitely the chance that he could completely snap one day. And what could I really do to prevent that from happening?”

“Yes, this should be all a part of Russell Fellow’s plan. If he just wanted the Purge King dead, then he could have used any one of the members of the six-tongues or have ordered Otto-san to kill the King. But in the case where he simply instructed Otto to not allow the King to escape, it would be strange to just do a minor stab and then run away from a place that is now fortified by your allies.” Crusch said.

“Maybe that suspicious person wants to use Wrathbaru in some way, nya.” Felix said. “Subaru-kyun’s knowledge is going to be irreplaceably valuable to those who can see it. I believe that Russel also has a divine protection that can tell him the value of an object. Needless to say, a person like him could see the value of another person.”

“I would indeed agree with that, Felix,” Wilhelm said. “This all feels a part of a grand scheme by someone who wished to use this opportunity.”

“ Yes indeed, Russel Fellow is an extremely calculative and formidable person. He was definitely the one who staged my mugging and then helped me form an alliance between two groups, an alliance that greatly benefited him.” Roswall thought.

To be precise, that man was doing work that he did not want to do. That sense of pure humiliation caused by carelessness at overlooking a troublesome enemy, caused his disappointment to turn into fury.

However, this situation would not allow him to vent his anger.

“Something suitable for the end, something suitable for these last moments.”

Prick-prick, while touching that left armpit that hurt as if having gotten burned, Subaru murmured gloomily.

He knew for certain that someday he would receive his just deserts, given what he did in this world. But to postpone that day as much as possible, was his ordinary person’s wisdom. It was a shame that his plan of delaying retribution till hell had not gone for even three years in this world. Such was how the dictator would welcome his end.

His distrust had spurred on his own destruction. However, he held no regret. If he had done this or done that, stuff like that did not come to his mind.

He had known from the start that it was wrong and he never thought to correct it. Merely thinking that his way of life was mistaken, he did not do anything except flounder.

Much like if he were drowning. He had only fallen in, desperate for breath.

Just from that-

“I think we have already talked about the overall theme of ‘drowning’ in this if-story quite a bit. But here it is, once again this story shows us how important that decision at the cliff was.” Crusch said.

“Ah, I already understand, I suppose! You were right. There, you happy now, in fact?” Puffing both of her cheeks, Beatrice said with a heartwarming expression. “But this sure reminds Betty of the time Subaru spent as a hikikomori, I suppose.”

“--Pft, it sure reminds me of the time you spend as a hikikomori.” Roswall muttered, snickering to himself and hiding away from Beatrice’s glare.

“Ahem, I suppose. Betty’s Subaru spent quite a while ‘floundering’ around in that state, thinking that nothing could be done and this was the only way of living. Honestly, his experience and thoughts can be way too short-sighted sometimes.”

“Yeah, in the end, there are various ways and methods to escape from drowning.” Felix said. “Being calm, breathing slowly, staying upright, moving your arms and legs together. Exhaling heavy breath is just going to make you sink that much quicker. And the best way to escape would be to float on your back and wait until somebody comes to rescue you.”

“But that’s the thing, ain’t it.” Anastasia said. “Someone has to be there. Someone has to come and rescue you. If the person himself is not capable of rescuing themselves from a certain disaster, then somebody needs to help them. And in this case–”

“There was nobody, I suppose.” Beatrice said. “Betty’s help wasn’t really a complete rescue, in fact. It was just a small act to satisfy my own tumbling emotions.”

“---Subaru.”

Leaving a trail of blood while crawling through that hallway, someone called out to Subaru. For a moment, he furrowed his brows as his lack of understanding as to why that voice was here, in this place.

Because her private quarters were on the other side of this place there would be no reason to be here if her intent was to escape. Therefore-

“--I’m here!” Emilia said.

“Emilia-sama reached him!” Rem clenched her fists.

“What the-? Since when was the princess strong enough to defeat the sword saint and then come here?” Garfiel said.

“Idiot, there is no way that would be the case, wouldn’t it? Either the sword saint let her go, or she was able to escape due to her Great spirit’s efforts. Though, I am unsure as to how she even found him at this place. Did someone tell her about it?” Otto said, wondering about the whole connection with his counterpart’s ambush and Emilia’s super convenient appearance.

“Well well, once again, this connects well with the scene before.” Priscilla said. “Just when they showed the whole theme about ‘drowning,’ the princess appears to give the King a helping hand. But, is it already too late to rescue him? Or I wonder, would the one drowning even accept a helping hand at this point?” 

“Uh, woah!”

“I am relieved, Subaru. I can meet you properly.”

“Emilia?”

It wasn’t until he had looked at her beautiful face, her having rushed towards him and knocked him down in that corridor, that Subaru came to grips that this was reality.

“Oh, spicy!” Al said. But the moment he spoke those words out and interrupted everyone’s attention, a sharp chill went down his spine, caused by pressure given by the person sitting beside him.

“Al, the next time you interrupt me with that bullshit, I’ll cut your other hand off.”

“-S-sorry, Princess. I was just trying to lighten the mood….” His shoulders slumped.

Together with that world of black and white, there was silver and amethyst, and there were cherry colored lips. As if to show that Emilia, and only Emilia, remained with color in this world.

“--But, why?”

Emilia’s figure was tinted and Subaru could not comprehend the reason.

In her embrace that could even be called painful, Subaru was receiving definite warmth from Emilia. After all, Subaru had always sought out Emilia one-sidedly. So, for what reason and due to what conditions had made Emilia come to Subaru.

“ He’s already beginning to doubt, huh. But once you start, you cannot stop, Subaru-kun.” Roswall thought.

“Emilia, you're hurt..”

“-It’s fine, really. Truly, nothing happened. No need for concern.”

Still embracing him, Emilia looked at him again. Smiling and putting on a brave front, she was covered in wounds all over.

Her wonderful silver hair was disheveled and portions had been cut, giving it an uneven shape. Her thin white nightgown had been torn and bloodied, and on her bare feet several painful lacerations could be found. To prevent it from being like this, innumerable defensive measures should have been applied to her private quarters.

Furthermore, the great spirit around her should have protected her.

“I am surprised she came out with just that extent of damage. Either due to her great spirit’s protection, her own prowess, or due to Reinhard-san’s mercy, she was able to avoid taking major damage.” Anastasia said. “Hell, those painful injuries on her legs must have only been caused due to her running full speed in a hallway filled with broken glass.”

“-As for the great spirit, well…” Julius said, trailing his words and his eyes off to Emilia. 

“Hm, Reinhard-san must have dealt with puck already.” Emilia said. “Maybe that allowed me to contact the minor spirits nearby and ask them for directions?”

“Either way, Reinhard-kyun can’t carelessly use his ‘Astrea slash’ in this area, considering that his allies are also attacking the mansion.” Felix said.

“..What has puck been doing?”

“Puck is..hmm, about that. Everything’s fine now, everything’s fine…”

For a moment, hesitation flashed within Emilia’s eyes, but it was hidden quickly within her shutting eyelids.

“..Hiding away your grief, I suppose. Well, that is obvious because Puck is an important family member to you, and to Betty as well.” Beatrice said.

“Or maybe it's a trope of, ‘Don’t mind about me and just go on ahead!’” Al said.

“Subaru, let’s run away together. If we do it now, nobody will be chasing after us.”

“---Run away, with me?”

“Yes. Who else would it be with? Don’t say such weird things.”

Her demeanor becoming slightly tinged with anger, Emilia poked Subaru’s nose with a finger. Due to that out-of-place act, above Subaru a question mark floated.

“I-idiot, just go with her already..” Emilia said.

“Even if you guys somehow escape, just where would you go? And who could you even trust? It would become a situation of two people against the entire world.” Al said, shaking his head. “The resolution has already been decided from the start.”

“A person cannot escape from their sins, is it?” Priscilla said.

To begin with, Emilia was supposed to be shunning Subaru.

“And yet, all I did was presume on your kindness.”

“--Really, did you? I’ve been thinking about something like that too.”

“Emilia?”

“Oh! ‘Presuming on your kindness,’ perfectly describes how your camp treats the brat.” Priscilla said, laughing mockingly. “And isn’t it the case here? Where you took his virtues for granted, only to then see the possibility of it all falling apart. Though well, I wonder what all sorts of other horrors the if-stories would show…”

“...Nothing lasts forever, huh.” Surprisingly, it was Rem who nodded at Priscilla’s sentiment.

Her hand on her chest, Emilia ephemerally lowered her eyes, appearing lonely. Were the times she had passed along with Subaru passing through her mind, passing through her heart? How many times had she gazed at that abdominal companion’s sleeping face?

In those times, Subaru had received salvation, but for Emilia they would have been filled with humiliation-

“I do believe I was angry with you, Subaru. But it truly was only in the beginning. After that, I thought I was definitely receiving Subaru’s help.”

“Receiving help from me?”  

“Because Subaru, you have been needing me. Nobody would ever need me, that’s how I felt, and you had freed me of that. And so…”

“Onee-chan, that’s a harsh thought…” Felt said.

“Both you and my contractor are really similar, I suppose. You guys can get fairly dependent on those that need you, in fact. Though well, that in itself isn’t something criminal.” Beatrice said.

A lot of people in the theater felt Emilia’s words resonate within them. 

For Anastasia, it was the time when she lived as a hyena in Kararagi and was unneeded by anyone. The only ones who ‘needed’ her were the slave traders. It was only after she was saved by Ricardo and started getting surrounded by reliable comrades who saw her worth, that Anastasia felt needed. 

For Felt, the only one who has ever needed her was her old man, Rom. In that cruel space she lived in, survival was the only priority. And there, Old man Rom had prioritized her. 

And for Rem, she was dependent on her sister and on Subaru. This obsessive dependance is what gave her low self-esteem salvation. Roswall was given this freedom through his ‘Sensei’. And Ram depended on both her sister and on Roswall.

Lastly, the first ever person who made Emilia feel needed in this world was her great spirit, Puck. If not for the words he spoke to Melakuera, even Emilia might have given up and accepted her fate of being discarded for the peace of this world. Ever since then, starting from Subaru, so many people had stood up for her and shown her that her existence was needed. Thus, it was obvious that–

“Once you find someone that can make you feel needed in this life, you latch onto them and never let go.” It was Al who said that, exacting some of his life wisdom.

“Codependency,” that word surfaced in Subaru’s mind. Subaru had required Emilia’s presence for his peace of mind and much in the same way, Emilia’s mind too had reached a similar conclusion. She had become reliant on his visits. And so, the pair fell into a codependent relationship and relied on each other.

“Subaru, I want to be with you. So let's run away?”

“You putting it like that makes me happy, but..”

While stuttering, Subaru could not accept Emilia’s confession yet. While he did receive shock, his mind arrived at a realistic answer. Running away with her was not possible.

Reinhard was coming. Even if Cecilus was attempting to hold him at bay, a crowd of enemies would be gathered outside the castle in order to subjugate the Purge King.

No longer was there an ally in Subaru’s possession. All of his ticks in keeping potential enemies at bay would not work in this situation. Those potential enemies had become concrete enemies that now blocked his path.

Taking Emilia and running away would not be realistic at all.

Natsuki Subaru would meet his end here. Here, he would come to an end–

“I mean, not to belittle him or his own abilities, but his return by death has made many such miracles and unrealistic propositions a possibility. Not to mention, why is he thinking ‘realistically’ here, now of all times? His whole, ‘I'm Going To Grasp Everyone's Weakness’ was already an unrealistic plan and ideology from the start, even if he was aware of it.” Anastasia said, rubbing her forehead. “He is right about escaping being unrealistic here, but I feel it’s more that he himself does not have any intention of doing so. Especially that last sentence that blatantly emphasizes his desire.”

“--Then, I’ll die together with you.”

“-----”

“Oh,” Anastasia’s eyes perked up. “A double suicide, huh. Reminds me of those tragic, yet romantic tales of couples in love.”

“Anastasia-sama…” Julius said, a small sigh seeping through his mouth.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to sound insensitive, Julius-kun. It's just that…”

“Just that?”

“I feel like this story is going to end in a very open manner, similar to a lot of texts I have read. A manner in which things don’t get specified and the ending is not detailed. Personally, being an efficient and responsible business woman, I find those endings to be extremely infuriating.”

“Ahem, personally, as someone who vicariously reads history texts and contemplates on all kinds of conspiracy theories, I personally find those endings to be the best ones as they allow the audience to interpret and analyze for themselves.” Julius replied, some playful confidence in his tone. As a history nerd, it was inevitable that he found missing blanks and inconsistency in the history he learnt. Thus, his childish brain continued to stockpile theories about all of it.

“Hmp, seems like we completely disagree on something here. But let’s just watch for ourselves, shall we?”

That moment, Subaru was completely stunned. More so when he was stabbed, when Reinhardt had attacked, or when he realized that this was the end.

The smiling Emilia gazed on at Subaru, speaking words that contained love and affection.

If Subaru was to meet his end here, then Emilia will also-

“We’ll meet the end together. I don’t want to stay in a place where you won’t need me.”

“Ah…”

“Please, Subaru. I need you. I want you to be with me.”

Emilia clung closer to his chest. Relishing in her warm droplets and the feeling of her sighs, Subaru got the sense that the feeling he needed was the exact opposite of what it usually was. Emilia was clinging onto him in the same manner that he had clung onto her.

Subaru had been seeking Emilia to receive salvation.

And now Emilia was seeking Subaru to receive salvation.

Now Emilia was in need of Subaru.

That a moment would come now, such a thought had not even—

Emilia nodded at her otherself’s way of thinking.

“Complete mutual codependency. Now then, will the Wrathbrat take her hand? Or will he—”

“..Subaru?”

Grabbing Emilia’s clinging shoulders, Subaru shoved her away.

“Eh? W-why, Subaru?” Emilia said, her lips trembling.

“-- Huff, so this is how it is, I suppose.” Beatrice said, her voice low. Some others, having anticipated such a result thanks to all of their previous theorizing and discussions, turned their heads away and sighed in discomfort.

Others simply nodded, having accepted this result. For Rem and Emilia, their stomachs started to sink and a rumbling anxiety rang within them.

And standing up in front of that motionless Emilia, her eyes widened in shock, Subaru then stepped back. Emilia was looking upwards at him.

And with his lips trembling, Subaru muttered,

“..That’s a lie..”

Shaking his head horizontally in refusal, Subaru looked at Emilia with fearful eyes.

“---! S-Subaru…” Emilia said, her eyes widened in shock at the sheer amount of fear in his eyes, fear that was directed towards her.

“....He’s…calling you a liar,” Rem muttered in morbid realization. “That would mean that color, color is starting to fade….”

“Suba…”

“No, please stop it, stop it. Why me, why now, why?! Stop it! Stop it, Stop it, Stop it! STOP IT!!!”

“Such desperation. Even he does not want to feel this way.” Frederica said, holding onto the trembling Petra within her arms. “A mental issue that could have been solved. A person who could have been saved.”

“And now, even the last support has crumbled due to his own fear. What a tragedy indeed.” Roswall said.

Fear, it was fear.

There was fear. Nothing but fear. There was only fear. Certainly, it was only fear.

Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear—-

“---With so much of the witch’s stench drifting from you.”

“N-No…please, stop it.” Rem said, her voice broken. She covered her ears at being reminded of her own sins once again, shaking her head profusely, yet unable to escape. Through her connection with her Nee-sama, another load of guilt impacted her heart.

“Godammit! This is so fucked…” Otto muttered, unable to just turn his eyes away anymore.

“---Way too fucked,” Garfiel uttered. 

“Yeah, because arcs 3 and 4 were absurdly gruesome, we keep underestimating how messed up that mansion arc was.” Ricardo said.

He closed his ears and he held his head. Trying to run away from that voice, that raised shriek, and that audible voice.

“ -----There’s a limit to how much you can pretend to be unrelated to her.”

“..He..was..not..pretending..” Emilia muttered between her heavy sobs. The traumatic memories that Natsuki Subaru could never escape from, would all of it have been prevented if Emilia had never been born? Such a depressing question sprang in her head. 

“ In this world, having the stench of the witch on you is the same as having the mark of the devil. But as expected, I strongly believe that the blue oni’s mental illness affected a lot of that situation. Poor pal, he really cannot escape from all the bullshit..” Al said, a gaze of hatred hidden behind his helmet, directed at that girl who was shutting her ears and shaking her head.

As to cover his ears and hold his head. He tried to escape from that voice, but was unable to do so.

“ ----Nee-sama is too kind.”

“---!” As if on cue, Ram could hear the traumatic sound of that wind blade come crashing down on Subaru’s throat, followed by the gurling cries of his death. “..Not kind….at all.” She did not even care to notice the hand on her shoulder, placed by Roswall to comfort her.

“Do you think I would be aware of such a thing, AHHHHH!!!!”

“...S-sorry…sorry, sorry.” Rem’s mutters were repetitive, her guilt ever-increasing and her eyes becoming hollow. “ I can repent. I can repent. I can repent. I can repent. I can repent. I can repent? I repent? I can repent? Can I…repent?” In a similar way to Wrathbaru, Rem tried to run away from the voice echoing in her head, her own voice filled with hatred.

“Well, the Wrathbrat ain't’ really wrong about that. From his perspective, he is just an innocent person accused of being part of an irredeemably evil cult simply due to a stench that he was not even aware of. On top of that, he is offered no real chance to defend or prove himself innocent. Betrayed by someone who hid their true intentions behind a mask, his options were to either run away, get executed, or to earn the trust of his murderer.” Priscilla said, slightly sad that this interesting and entertaining story is coming to an end.

“His perspective?! Since when is that bitch capable of thinking about other people’s perspective?!” With a whiplash of neck and her eyes widened, Felt started considering that the Priscilla sitting there was actually an imposter.

“Well, from Rem’s perspective,” Roswall spoke, eyeing Priscilla and continuing, “That evil stench would mean the same as true evidence. She had already experienced the cruelty of the witch cult at a young age, an age where traumatic events can impact and change your perspective of the world. After that as well, she experienced the danger that a witch cultist can pose with her own body. For her, having someone with that same smell staying in the place she is living is more of a threat to her sister than to herself. To protect her sister and not take the risk of complete tragedy, she acted out of her own will and desire. It’s that simple.” Finishing his explanation, Roswall then shrugged his shoulders. “I am not defending her actions to be exact. She is right to feel intense hatred for the witch cult, but unfortunately all of it was misguided towards the wrong person.”

“Tch, who cares about all of that right now, Roswall-sama!” Ram spoke, a big tinge of anger at her master. Her eyes were only on her weeping sister, and her mind was on the crimes committed by both of them. “ From the start, if only Roswall-sama had not let her meet that goddamn cultist in the mansion. If I had not let her feel like she had to become my horn…..”

Screaming loud enough to the point of vomiting blood, Subaru retreated backwards. Emilia stood up and asked him what was going on. He could not hear her. With sweet, sugary, tender words, she tried to nestle closer to Subaru. He could not hear those words.

Her voice, her words were not being heard. He did not want to hear them.

Don’t be kind to me. Don’t treat me gently.

For what reason are you trying to snuggle up to me?

Such a thing should be impossible.

Just how many evil deeds do you think I have piled up?

Emilia shouldn't have forgiven them.

She really shouldn’t.

Was I the one to change that?

Had Natsuki Subaru’s foolishness, having leaned on Emilia with his snot running on her pajamas, having used her to escape and having relied on her to overcome his fear, had that been what had changed Emilia?

“He is not wrong about having changed and influenced the ones around himself. However, that is a natural course of life. Everyone’s can affect everyone else in various ways and degrees, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It’s his mentality of equating this change with ‘lies,’ a mentality he adopted after the mansion’s events, that is causing him this much suffering.” Wilhelm said, disliking having to watch that young man fall to such insanity. 

“To think that only strong and undiluted emotions such as hatred could give him solace. I guess Wrathbaru always believed that Emilia-san would continue to hate him forever and that is what gave him peace.” Anastasia said. “For him, the chance of being betrayed one day is the same as having been betrayed already.

“How tragic that it has to be this way..” Julius said.

“Refusing change and adopting stagnation. A drowning man indeed. To us it might look like meaningless and self-imposed struggling, but for him it's surely his only way to go up the water’s surface.” Crusch said.

Did Emilia change as well?

“It would’ve been fine if you hated me! It would’ve been fine if you shunned me!”

“------”

Emilia was fading to gray. Color faded from Emilia and washed away into the world of monochrome.

It was a lie, it had been a lie. That lie had caused Subaru’s world to fade in tonality.

The silver, the amethyst that composed Emilia, those beautiful colors were fading away from her due to her lie, that deception causing her to become tainted by black and white.

That reality, he could not accept it. Emilia was noble and that would never change. Even if she hated them, she could not keep someone who clung onto her away.

“Ho, the Wrathbrat understands her fairly well. Yet, he fails to understand the core of human nature. Everyone changes, even his angelic and kindhearted angel.” Priscilla said. “Though to call that girl noble…gives even me some shivers….”

Because he had believed that her kindness was the materialization of her inner heart, and that she would never forgive Subaru, he had been able to indulge himself in her.

But comprehending that Emilia too, had changed—-

“Don’t act kindly towards me!”

“W-why does it have to be like that with you?!” Emilia said, her cheeks soaked and her face red with anger. “Why do you have to be so stubborn in your way of thinking? An act of kindness is a betrayal?! It really does not have to be this way…”

“Change is the betrayal of the heart, huh. Goddamn, Pal. For some philosophical discussion it would be a pretty great topic, but in reality, your stance cannot be applied buddy.” Al said, gritting his teeth. “Fucking hell…!!”

“No matter what, you’ll come to hate something about me, won’t you?! You’ll come to doubt me, won’t you? Because I’m an obstacle you’ll hate me, curse me, murder me, and betray me!”

“Sorry, it was…all Rem’s fault. Because I acted in that way…you turned out this way…” Rem said, her cheeks stained with dried tears. “A-as I thought, it was all wrong. Everything I did was wrong. Just the fact that Rem was, that I was born is–”

“Rem!” Ram said, looking at her with tears in her eyes. “Y-you don’t have to think this way…” The way her words trailed off was a clear indication that she herself was faced with an immeasurable amount of guilt and degraded self-esteem. “But you can only go so far with guilt. That is not the path of redemption…”

“ But does Rem even deserve mercy and redemption for her sins?! Just what am I supposed to do when this scorching guilt is just begging to burn me alive?! Isn’t it impossible, isn’t it unbelievable for me to forgive myself?!”

“..So many problems, huh,” Anastasia muttered in a low tone and said, “This is only the first if-story. Being once again reminded of their short-comings, is their camp even going to last by the end of all of this?” 

“S-Subaru, even if someone hates something about you or doubts you, it doesn't have to mean that they will betray you, I suppose! Why can’t you open your eyes and see that, in fact?! Especially that elf girl in front of you, she would never betray you in the manner you think she would.” Beatrice said.

“I do dislike certain parts of you, but I would never hurt you because of it, Subaru.” Emilia said.

“Then please keep hating me, like it was from the start! If you'd stayed like that, without changing, then it would have been fine! Just do as you did and hate me! Just do as you did, and hate me!”

“No! It was never like that from the start! I was just angry, that’s all! I don’t want to hate you, Subaru.” Emilia said, her eyes dried and unable to shed anymore tears.

“His extremely, unhealthily, and obsessively low self-esteem is also on display. Goddammit, Oni-chan! I really do not like this at all.” Felt said.

“Well, we never liked it in the first place, my lady.” Reinhard said. 

“Even Mimi does not like these tragic endings. I kinda feel super bad for Wrathbaru, despite the fact that he is a mass-murderer.” Mimi said.

“Oh, how ironic,” Priscilla said, having once again found some new point of interest. “There is the half-elf girl who has been hated for as far as she can remember, now having found salvation at the fact that somebody needs her and does not hate her. And then there is Wrathbrat, who finds solace in that same girl’s hatred, a hatred that he himself imagined and that he himself has selfishly imposed upon the girl. These two are completely incompatible.”

Suddenly welling up, was anger. He was drowning in anger. Anger at anything and everything in this world. In trying to save his drowning self, he had tried to take repeated breaths. But having come at this junction, even Emilia had betrayed Subaru.

Something that changed would one day come to betray him, and that was the same as having been betrayed already.

“Please don't pretend to be in love with me when you’ll just betray me one day!!”

“--!”

Shaking, he thrusted away the monochrome Emilia who was extending a hand towards him.

“--S..ubaru..” Those words and his thrust struck a huge blow in Emilia’s heart. The fact that he would push her away like this, with complete fear in his eyes, caused her face to scrunch in a helpless sadness. “I-I am not pretending……Don’t push me away…”

Despite the fact that this is an if-story and that is not her Subaru, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly hurt at this ending.

“So it’s impossible, in fact. No longer is there anyone he can trust in this world. No longer is there anyone with color, I suppose.” Beatrice said.

“That is far off from the truth,” Priscilla said, shocking the ignorant ones. “Though this time, it is Wrathbrat himself who shoved away the hand that could have saved him from drowning. At the very least, I don’t have any sympathy towards those who completely reject change and refuse a hand of help through their own violation. You cannot help those who don’t allow you to help them.”

Pushed with his resolve, Emilia fell over in that hallway. For just a moment, hesitation brushed against his chest, but he quickly painted it over with his fear.

Even Emilia was no longer tranquil. This situation was the last possibility he had ever considered, he had never thought that she would need him in this way.

It was his hope that a day where Emilia would forgive Subaru would never come. But in the end, this day had materialized.

Therefore, being left in this black and white world, there was only one last thing that Subaru could utilize.

“-----!!” That fallen Emilia was shrieking something. But Subaru could no longer hear her. He could no longer feel the pain in his side. Leaving all that behind, he began sprinting away.

Not caring about anything, there was only a wish to end everything. Subaru’s world of color was disappearing entirely.

“One last thing that he could utilize? What could he even do now? Isn’t it all over for Onii-chan? He’ll just die and reset again, starting everything over until he can escape from this predicament. So I’m guessing that he is just looking for a place to die.” Felt said.

“My lady, I believe that is correct. However, I also believe that this ‘last thing’ is somehow connected to one of the three people with color, mentioned earlier.” Reinhard said.

“Hm? Oh yeah, that is right. Just who could it be?”

The last straw on which Natsuki Subaru depended was merely-

- An existence with hatred that would never change, which would not forgive Subaru.

“-----!!!” That half-mad Emilia’s voice did not reach the half-mad Subaru.

The collapse of that den of wickedness, Pandemonium, just like the collapse of its Master’s mind, advanced in an increasing degree.

Within that world crumbling, that world devoid of color, he finally arrived at his destination.

He arrived at his office, still intact. Here, protections such as those applied to Emilia’s room had also been applied. Because here, there was something that absolutely must not be damaged, much like Emilia.

He had kept Emilia protected so that no harm would befall her. But this was different.

That which had been setup at the place closest to him, was what Subaru opened up. The door concealed behind that bookshelf was a door that no one except Subaru could open. Without haste, Subaru opened it.

“So….pal is keeping someone hidden in his room, huh.” Al said.

“So this explains where all the magic stones went,” Priscilla said, a small sigh escaping through her mouth. “The pieces have all connected and the mystery has been figured out. This was a fairly good show. Hmph!” 

“W-why are you acting like a tsundere all of a sudden?!”

With Priscilla’s words, Rem felt a sink in her heart as the thorns of realization crawled over it. Seeing that door, quickly reminded her of the times when her Nee-sama would go out of control without her horn. Along with that, all of those magic stones, belonging to different attributes, their use started to make sense if the person behind that door was who she thought it was.

“Could it be?”

On the other side, the sounds of chains linked to the wall reverberated.

And while playing that sound of chains, pink-colored eyes gazed on Subaru, and the figure spoke.

“Finally, did you come wanting to die, Barusu?”

—-Solely because of her hatred, the girl that desired to murder his self, smiled with the color of blood.

The screen ends this viewing.

“Nee-sama! Y-you were alive..” Rem said.

“What the…” Garfiel said, placing a hand on his forehead.

“Oh! I-I see, so this is how it was.” Otto said, smiling a little at the conclusion brought about by his quick thinking. Similar to him, Anastasia and Crusch also displayed their understanding after a gasp of surprise.

“Eh? Eh? Ram-nee sama?” Petra said, looking back and forth. Her mentor, Frederica also nodded profusely at her confusion.

Even Emilia and Beatrice rose out of their stupor, with the latter slumping her shoulders at this surprising result. 

“Hah!” Mimi said, having arrived at an outstanding realization. “Considering that she was already killed, this must mean that the red oni has revived from the dead! What a frightening power! To think that Onis can have such an ability, how formidable.”

“No no, Onee-sama. Wouldn’t it just mean that she was not killed off in the first place? In fact, how the hell do you go to that conclusion first?” Trivey said.

“Ehehehe.” 

“Don’t grin at that!”

“Kaha! So the first scene was a fakeout, huh. They sure got me good!” Ricardo said, having such a low IQ that he could not even understand that he had a low IQ.

The red oni herself had a completely befuddled expression on her face. With eyes wide, jaw hanging, and her face slightly tilted to the left, she expressed her shock.

“Nya? I still don’t really understand.” Felix said.

At that, the Crimson Princess sitting at the top, smirked and gave a small cough. “ Seems like it's my turn to once again teach these foolish monkeys. Fu, can’t be helped. I guess I’ll educate them for a bit—”

“Ah, so basically, Wrathpal over there saw colors in the red oni. The reason was born out of her intense hatred, such that she would blindly chase him all the way. There, as he made the first step in his black and white world, he found salvation in Ram’s hatred for him. I am also thinking that this is where he started to believe that only those with pure hatred in their hearts, hatred directed towards him, could be trusted. With the red oni, all his color stuff began. Of course, because she has some mana deficiency or whatever due to her broken horn, Wrathpal must have had to work hard to save her, relying on mana stones. He must have started to engage in shady business with that in mind. After all, what better market for mana stones than the underworld, right? And so he kept her close to him, his last bastion of intense hatred. A person who would never forgive him. It would also make sense as to why there were always two plates of meals for the room.”

“Oh!! Nice explanation, Al-san. Thank you!”

“Don’t mind!” Al rubbed his helmet, proud and happy of himself. “Even I am surprised at my own quick thinking. Aha! Don’t you think so too, Princess—”

The moment he turned to face her his words stopped, stuck in his throat. He felt a dreadfully cold air pass throughout his body and he involuntarily prepared for his death. In front of his vision, was her pretty face. However, her expression was blank and her eyes were extremely cold. 

A coldness on the level of being able to freeze entire countries. A coldness that could kill him the next moment. What was even scarier, was the fact that Priscilla did not say a single word and did not move at all. Like that, without moving and talking, she just kept staring into his soul. And unable to move, Al stayed stuck in that position.

And so, she just kept staring. And staring. And staring. And staring. And staring. And—

.

“..So that’s how it was.” Rem said, smiling with sadness. She kept feeling an incredible sense of guilt and self hatred. Even her sister could become a beacon of twisted support, while her own self was nothing compared to that. She could only cause incidents and never resolve any of them. Her thin hand and its tiny fingers desired to gouge out her own throat. However, recalling everything spoken to her, words of support, encouragement, expectation, and hope, Rem could no longer take such a hasty action. She could no longer treat her life and another person’s life with carelessness. If there was even a small chance that she could retain peace of mind despite her crimes then she wanted to try and take it.

“I am so glad…Rem.” A hand grasped her wrist, its skin fair and its cold fingers trembling. Looking at her face, from across Beatrice, was the half-elf Emilia. Her cheeks had the red marks of tears and her eyes had wet under circles. “I was worried that you might make some kind of a hasty decision, that you might harm yourself in some way. I can’t allow that to happen, Rem.”

“Emilia-sama…”

“I need you. Subaru needs you. And you might call it obsessive, but I really need Subaru in my life. For his happiness and my own as well, Rem is needed. That’s why I am glad that you did not do anything that could endanger it.”

“..Thank you for your kind words. But yeah, Rem has already been given so many words of mercy and kindness. I do not want to sully them this way. As long as Rem has her life with her, I can only try to move forwards.”

“That is right, I suppose.” Beatrice said, sighing in relief. “I dislike that Wrathbaru rejected all change and stayed as he was, holding on to all of that trauma, hatred, and doubt within him. Despite this story taking only 2-3 years, Wrathbaru did not really change or move forwards, in fact. And Betty does not want to be like that, I suppose.”

“---We all have to keep moving forwards, huh.” Otto said, joining the conversation. And then, surprising the people he addressed, he bowed down his head. “Uh well, I have to apologize for the way I thought about this entire if-story. The way I was just disconnecting with it and not caring about it all. I still believe that this ‘possibility’ is just one of many and we should not let it affect us to a great degree. In the end, I believe that Wrathbaru’s decision to run away was not wrong. It was the way he kept holding on to all of that trauma, hatred, and doubt, that made his mental problems spiral out of control. But yeah, I made it seem like this story was none of my business and I apologize for that. Maybe I was just in denial that this could be a very real possibility for the future….”

Rem, Beatrice, and Emilia nodded in contemplation.

“I definitely believe that this does show us something very real about our Natsuki Subaru.” Crusch said, engaging in the conversation. “His whole assumption that either everyone hates him or that they will eventually come to hate him is fairly reminiscent of our own Natsuki Subaru’s incredibly low self-value, albeit on a different degree compared to Wrathbaru. I am not devaluing his own innate kindness. But his low self-worth is one of the reasons why he is so incredibly forgiving. If he had a normal, or even a higher self-value than average, I truly believe he would treat his life a lot more significantly than he does currently.”

“That’s right. Captain goes extreme in that way. If he wasn’t, then he probably won’t even forgive us.” Garfiel said.

“No, do not get me wrong. I trust and believe that all of you are people are worthy of his forgiveness, that your inner heart is beautiful and true in its own manner. I think Natsuki-sama’s kindness is a virtue. However, his virtue is driven to an extreme end due to his own self-worth issues.”

“We also saw more problems, didn’t we?” Anastasia said, also entering the conversation. “It’s the way he just assumes everyone else’s way of thinking. Humans are usually not white and black existences. They can all have double standards, hypocritical beliefs that don’t mesh together, and some can remain extremely neutral on other beliefs. Along with this, time will continue to mold and change a person. With all of that uncertainty and unknown background knowledge of each person, Wrathbaru just continued to stubbornly make assumptions on what others thought of him. Take his beliefs about Emilia for example. If I were to not sugarcoat it then what he did was simply force his own way of thinking on her and in a way, treat her like an object of comfort. Emilia-san and everybody else are not a perfect, unchanging doll.”

“Anastasia-sama, in Subaru’s defense, he hasn’t actually had that many social experiences before coming to this world. We saw that the more he grew up and the more others changed around him the harder he found it to interact with others. And to deal with the multi-layered nature of people, he adopted his own way of acting around them.” Julius said. “It’s a social awkwardness of sorts, something that gets worse due to his self-loathing. Combine that with the layers upon layers of traumatic incidents, it was natural that this would shape his thinking. But it is not irreversible and our Subaru is already showing signs of getting better at dealing with others.”

“To add onto Julius-dono’s words, I believe that Wrathbaru’s disposition to reject all change is a very real phenomenon among people.” Wilhelm said. “Change can be scary, unknown, and full of betrayal. But it is a natural thing and the more one resists it, the harder it gets for them. A great example would be Subaru-dono’s ‘hikikomori’ life. There, he profusely rejected all change and suffered in stagnation. Stagnation is a dangerous disease, one that Wrathbaru suffered from. It must have gotten continuously worse for him as the years progressed.”

“Nya, Ferris just thinks you guys are reading too much into it and that Wrathbaru was just suffering from an extreme mental illness. I agree with old man Wil that it got worse for him over time. The instant he started using Ram-san as his salvation and began to stubbornly attach himself to a pure hatred, Wrathbaru could still have been saved there. But from there, without anyone to treat his PTSD and illnesses, it just got worse, nyan.” Fellis said.

“Though in the end, I am sure that Ram continued to hate him and would never forgive him. So I guess that man did find his irreplaceable and never-changing object.” Frederica said, with displeasement clear on her lips.

“You hear that, Ram.” Away from that conversation, Roswall heard in on everything and spoke to the still-shocked Ram. “Wrathbaru-kun must have believed in your hatred to the very end. But what if even that was nothing but his own selfish assumption. Could you have changed over the years as well? In that tragic end, could you have felt another emotion other than hatred? An emotion that would have been a betrayal to Wrathbaru.”

“---Roswall-sama, I’ll have you stop right there. I do not know what that Ram thought and do not care what that Ram thought. That is all there is to it. Don’t compare your situation with his. Ram’s love….is not so..flimsy.” 

“Ah, but he must done his very best to keep you alive. The lengths he must have gone through, the ‘loops’ he must have had to do. He would have had to continuously expand his organization in order to procure all of those desperately needed resources. Along with that, he must have had to feed you with his own hands. Oh! He would even have to clean your body—”

“Ugu, i-if you say anything more that I am seriously going to puke. And I’ll make sure that all of it lands directly on your face.” Ram said, covering her mouth with discomfort written on her face.

“..I understand. How scary, Ram.” Roswall said, smiling deceptively. “ Considering how clever she is, Ram in that timeline must have figured out that Wrathbaru was not involved in her sister's death. And then I am certain that Ram must have used her own hatred as a reason to live. She must have relied on that and on Wrathbaru’s existence. Whether that emotion changed into something else or not, she is smart enough to cover herself up in layers of deceit. She would have understood what Wrathbaru wanted from her and it would be easy for her to give him the colors he sought, all the while keeping her true intentions hidden within. I guess the greatest liar in that scenario would Ram herself, the person he sought as his final bastion.”

.

“Hah, Mimi sure did not like that story very much. It had some interesting parts, like that shinobi for example.”

“Yeah well, it was whatever. Hmph!” Felt said. “I wonder what that shinobi dude did after all of this. Actually, isn’t it kind of weird? In the ending scene, why was Reinhard taking such a long time to catch up to them? Onee-san’s spirit should not have given him that much trouble. Could there have been another interruptor? Ah well, can’t really find out that truth anymore.”

“Hopefully, Frederica-san and her family reunited safely. Though Wrathbaru’s capabilities are something scary to consider, I don’t think I want to be like him and only consider the worst case scenario all the time.” Trivey said.

“Hm, I think I am extremely sad about that poor wolfie-chan.” Petra said. “I hope he gets himself a friend after this.”

“Ah, but in the end, this story ended up having one of those annoying endings.” Anastasia said. “It's just left to our own interpretation and we can’t know anything that comes after this. I would say that the obvious conclusion is that he went back after being killed and would have to figure out a plan to escape from this situation.”

“I, for one, agree with what Julius had said earlier.” Reinhard said. “This ending allows one to imagine a reality where Wrathbaru did find his peace somehow. That in the end, death gave him the mercy and freedom he needed.”

“May he find his worth in the waking world.” P-Petra said, joining her hands together and having a mysterious expression on her face.

“Eh? Petra-chan, what do you mean by the ‘waking’ world?” Frederica said, slightly disturbed.

“Aha! You don’t need to know, Frederica Onee-sama!”

Gulp.

Thankfully, a small clap from Crush interrupted all of the scattered conversations.

“Well then, this viewing has ended and we have some time before the next one. How about we take this time to regroup and recover? And afterwards,” her eyes trailed off to the clown, “We, the five royal candidates, need to discuss some important details and topics. Would it be fine for all five of us to gather together in the conference room, after we are done with our break?”

At her request, the other candidates quietly nodded and the groups began to go towards their rooms, walking together to the left side of the theater where a hallway had generated. 

Along with the sound of their footsteps, all could hear the dragging sounds of a limp body, the body being taken by an extremely tilted Crimson Princess.

.

“Roswall-sama, could you go on ahead to your room? And please do not try anything suspicious. Refrain from doing anything that could trigger the others and stay quietly in your room.”

“Oh my, Ram. That treatment is the same as one for a dog. But ah, it cannot be helped so I’ll just quietly follow your instructions.” With a grandiose and exaggerated bow, Roswall left.

After seeing him off, Ram then turned her attention towards the only remaining group in this theater. She clenched her fists and walked down towards them, towards the Emilia camp.

“Emilia-sama, I have an important matter to discuss with you.” 

“Nee-sama..” Rem muttered in reaction. In honesty, she wanted to jump and wrap her arms around her only sister. She desired to be vulnerable in front of her and to seek solace from her. But their previous awkwardness and differing stances kept them distant.

“Ram.” Emilia said. She acknowledged her presence and closed her eyes, contemplating with focus. And then opening them, “It’s about Roswall, isn’t it?”

“...Yes, I am sure that he would be your main point of discussion in your conference. Would it be alright for me to speak before that, Emilia-sama?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

Allowed permission, Ram’s body slightly trembled. With an extremely vulnerable expression on her face, she bowed down her upright body.

“---P..lease, please hear Ram’s plea.”

.

.

Chapter end. (Wrath-if completed)