Chapter Text
“White birds,”
“Take flight,”
“Up and down they ran!”
“Never ending, so bland!”
“Tan,”
“Tan sand~,
Red, the red in her hair~♪
Oh life’s unfair…
“I hate it...♪"
"♪〜♪"
"Their bodies litter the ground,
Smiles hidden, morphed to a frown~♪"
"They fall,
fall,
fall…”
"They cry,
cry,
cry…”
"The salty taste of your tears is ever so rye~"
"Oh—“
Ram: "Shut it!"
She hits the nasty-eyed boy on the head and sneers before sitting back down next to Rem’s bed, combing through her blue hair with her fingers.
Ram: "Stupid Barusu."
She mumbles softly.
Subaru's grin cracks for a second before he puts it right back on, ever still, his gaze subconsciously drifts towards Rem.
All the while, a certain Great Spirit glares at the oni for disturbing her contractor's peace.
Meili: "Aww, pink-haired onee-chan, I liked the song~!"
Meili laid her head against her arm with an unsettling grin across her face.
(She is promptly ignored.)
The grape-haired knight looks down at Subaru and quietly mumbles,
Julius: "Putting aside the morbid lyrics, the tune isn't the worst..."
Subaru, just barely hearing Julius' words, gasps dramatically and puts a hand over his mouth in mock shock.
He starts to pat Beatrice's head, earning a series of purrs.
Subaru: "Is Julius actually a tsun, tsun, tsundere?"
Beatrice: “Subaru! That’s Betty’s nickname!!”
She hits the boy’s chest with her fist, before huffing and turning away from him.
(She to this day, doesn’t know what tsundere means)
Emilia’s eyebrows furrow together, her forehead knitting into thin worry line: "Subaru, where did you learn such a scary song..?"
Beatrice huffs (again…) and crosses her arms: "Betty's stupid contractor has been making up horrid songs ever since we came on this trip, I suppose..."
Subaru: "Hk-! Beako, my heart! Eugh, I can't deal with much more of this slander... but the cute pouty look you have instantly heals all of my damage!!"
He starts hugging himself and flailing around dramatically, while a fake tear rolls down his cheek.
'Anastasia': "Natsuki-kun, ya really takin' such lil' insults to heart, huh?"
She tilts her head, a taunting grin on her face.
'Anastasia': "Perhaps we can go ov'r some political topics while we're on this long ride, hm?"
Her eyes narrow ever so slightly, matching the wicked smile painting her face.
Subaru immediately crosses his arms into an ‘X’: "Nope. No. Nada. You look like the type to rent an entire restaurant, make your opponent rant about all their issues, and steal all their information just to leave them to die, and force the other negotiator into a business deal!!"
Meili: "You know, Onii-Chan, you bring up the weirdest stuff."
She turns over, laying on the bench and kicks her legs back and forth.
Subaru simply sticks out his tongue and closes his eyes lazily.
The purple-haired girl in question arches an eyebrow and sighs while Julius quietly mutters something about wishing he had taken the chance to beat Subaru more during their duel at the capital.
Emilia: "Ah, Subaru, you look like a cat!"
She completely ignores Julius' previous comment and starts squishing Subaru's cheeks while the boy squirms around.
Subaru: "Mmph—Emilia-tan!"
Emilia: "You made the exact same face as Puck! Make it again!”
Subaru swats weakly at her hands, but secretly melts under the attention.
Subaru: "Human rights! Human rights! Human— eep! But Emilia-Tan touching me is just so—! Ah! EMT!”
Emilia flushes, but brings him into a tight hug and hums a lullaby.
Beatrice: "Betty doesn't think these rights apply in a desert with no civilization, I suppose..."
She twitches in anger as she is squished between two human bodies.
Subaru: "BEAKO?! The Beatryal..."
Beatrice pouts.
Beatrice: "Even if you became a Witch Cultist, Betty would never betray her dearest contractor, in fact!"
The carriage settles into an eerie silence while Beatrice takes the opportunity to push the half-elf off her contractor.
Subaru: "B-Beako... if I became a cultist—which I wouldn't—shouldn't you, like, I don't know, capture me and such?"
Beatrice: "No! Betty would never leave you, let alone capture you!"
Subaru sighs: "Maybe I should start working on Beako's dependency on me..."
Everyone excluding Meili mumbles a small,
"Yeah..."
Meili, however, perks up.
Meili: "Or maybe you could kill Onii-Chan! Stab him in the neck, slash his arteries, gouge out his eyes, drown him, starve him, push him down the stairs, anything really!" She grins.
The carriage goes silent again, but this time expressions of disgust are aimed at Meili.
(Except Subaru, who is currently trying to remember if any of those have happened to him yet .)
Meili pouts: “What? If he was a cultist it would be fine, right?”
Subaru: “if you didn’t try to kill everyone in the manor, maybe I would agree…”
Beatrice: “Subaru! I’m not sure what you mean by ‘agreeing’ but you're never leaving me! You promised!”
Subaru breaks into a sweat: "H-how about we play a game?!"
He rushes out, obviously uncomfortable with the given topic.
Ram: "Hah. Barusu, you're so childish. Only children get agitated by violence."
Subaru scoffs: "Pfft. I'm not a child. It's not like Garfiel is much older than me!"
The carriage goes silent again.
Ram blinks.
Ram: "B-Barusu... Garfiel is fourteen, going on fifteen... I'm sure you're much, much older than him... r-right?"
Subaru tilts his head, not seeing the reason for her confusion: "Ram, surely you know I'm fourteen, right? We celebrated my birthday and all..."
...
...
'Anastasia': "W-WHAT?!"
Echidona— I mean, ‘Anastasia’ has the biggest reaction in the group. (Everyone else is simply in a state of shock.)
She buries her head in her hands.
‘Anastasia’: “T-there’s no way a thirteen year old—“
Subaru: “fourteen--”
The spirit— I mean, doppleganger— I mean, merchant glares at the boy.
‘Anastasia': “Boy successfully had a metia that contained the White Whale's location, timing, and played Ana into making her knight save everyone from the Margraves Manor as well…”
‘Anastasia’: “There’s just no way—-“
Julius: “Anastasia-sama! Calm yourself, you're much better than this… Atleast…Atleast you didnt beat a thirteen year old!”
Subaru: “fourteen!! Does anybody even listen to me?!!”
The purple haired girl looks up and bites her bottom lip,
’Anastasia’: “Julius, is that how you—-“
Meili: “Onii-chan, does that mean we are the same age?”
Subaru chides the former assassin: “Nope I'm seven-months and three-days older than you!”
Meili: “Maybe I should just start calling you Baru-Chan…”
Subaru shrugged: “Eh, it makes me sound childish but if that’s what you prefer!”
Ram: “B-Barusu, as long as you devote yourself to saving Rem, I don’t mind… I guess…”
Subaru: “Pfft, I haven’t given up on her yet! I never will! After all, I'm her hero!”
Ram: "Keep telling yourself that… I’m not sure how someone younger than her can protect her but whatever…”
Subaru sticks out his tongue but this time dodges Emilia’s advances.
Subaru: “Eh, I’m not sure why y'all are so shocked, I mean Beako knew! And I’m sure Emilia knew too!”
Emilia, brought back to reality, starts to tremble: “D-did I lock lips with a fourteen year old…?”
Subaru: “Who even says—“
Emilia: “Subaru!”
Subaru winces: “Emilia-Tan! You're not much older than me! (Mentally..) you're fifteen right?”
Emilia brings a hand to her mouth: “One hundred and fifteen!! I… am I—“
Beatrice smiles with triumph: “A pedo? Yep! Betty isn’t sure why all of you are surprised! Betty’s contractor is just amazing being able to take on 2 of the Great Mabeast while only being 13 and 14!”
Julius: “Peh-ah-doh…?”
Emilia: “It’s another one of Subaru’s Subarusims, don’t mind it!”
Her smile’s so bright even Ram (who had a soul as dark as the Mariana Trench) had to look away.
Subaru: “EMM!! Ah what an Angel—“
Beatrice: “Hmpf! Well if Betty has to tell you all, shall be it!”
Meili: “No one asked—“
Beatrice: “A pedo, or in its full name, a pedophile, is an adult who is sexually attracted to children.
In psychological and legal contexts, this involves a clinical diagnosis or criminal behavior relating to a sexual preference for prepubescent children.
Because of the severe legal and social nature of this topic, the term is widely used as an extreme insult or accusation!”
The great spirit beams brightly at her explanation.
Ram: “So basically Subaru?”
Julius nods: “As one who holds the title of Lolimancer it must be true.”
Subaru stomps his feet: “Did you all forget all the young loli’s I hang around with are around my age?!”
Emilia: “Subaru-Chan—“
Subaru: “C-Chan?! My dignity…”
Emilia giggles nervously, but the conversation in the carriage soon falls silent…
The inevitable darkness of night settles down in the dunes, and the longest of the three Sand Times that blows every day arrives.
If the group were to try and push their way through the Miasma scented sand, they were certain to die, and they would most likely lose their path to the tower.
Julius sighs: “Anastasia-sama, Emilia-sama, it would be best to stop for now, the Pleiades Watchtower is barely visible in this fog of sand.”
Anastasia: “Julius is right, to continue in this fog is su’cide.”
Emilia nods: “Oh-keyyy, but where should we rest?”
Subaru calls out to the driver's post: “Meili! Do you see any open areas?!”
Meili: “Nothing to see out here but sand Baru-Chan!”
Subaru grumbles: “Eugh… Still, pull over into an open area!”
Meili: “Oh-key~!”
The carriage jerks to a stop as everyone slowly exits the vehicle.
Subaru coughs some sands out of his lungs: “Emilia-tan! Can you make a wall of ice around us for the night?”
Emilia flexes her bicep: “Yep! El Huma!”
A circular containment of ice starts to build on itself, forming a shield against any unpredictable attacks from Witchbeast.
Subaru gasp in awe: “EMT! So amazing!”
Beatrice crosses her arms: “Hmpf! Betty could make a shield with Yin magic if asked as well!”
Subaru picks her up and spins her around: “Of course you could Beako! But you're our trump card! Spare your energy!”
Beatrice squeals: “W-well if you say so… and put me down!!”
Ram calls out from the carriage: “Barusu how do you feel disrespecting a Great Spirit? Or should I say, Pervusu?”
Subaru clutches his heart: “Ugh! Your words wound me Nee-sama!”
Julius stifles a laugh: “S-Subaru, maybe you should wait in the carriage with Ram-San and Anastasia-sama. Staying watch is no place for children.”
Subaru falls to the ground and beats the sand with his fist: “Hey!! I’m fourteen! I’m not a child! And what about Meili?!”
Meili: “I’m plenty capable! I’ve killed more people than the amount of years you've lived in this world~!”
(She is again, ignored.)
‘Anastasia’ sits on the carriage steps: “Subaru-Chan adults don’t throw tantrums.” She points a finger at him like an adult scolding a child.
Subaru pretends to cry into Beatrice’s shoulders: “Beako! Tell them I’m not a child!”
Beatrice: “You should all be ashamed for bullying a child in fact!”
Subaru falls to the ground again: “BEAKO!!!!”
The moon still rests in the night sky, so Subaru tries to make small talk to pass through the hours: “Hm, now that I think about it, will the Witchbeast still listen to you while you're sleeping? Or will we be forced to make you stay up?”
The last part of the sentence was a half tease but still has some truth to it.
Meili: “Pfft, of course! Who do you take me for?
She looks at Subaru, a wicked grin stretching across her face.
Meili: “Death by getting your butt chewed on by animals is so stupid I wouldn’t even be able to laugh at your funeral!”
Subaru: “Gee, thanks for caring about my well being Meili…”
He pouts while the girl cackles.
Meili: “Your welcome Baru-Chan!”
Subaru sighs, he is well aware of the danger of the Witchbeast that lives in the Augria Sand Dunes, so he can’t help being extra sweet to Meili in hopes she won’t try and let some loose.
Meili on the other hand was very proud, she was in good spirits ever since she proved her worth during the Sand Earthworm incident
Subaru starts to grow a bit agitated at the repetitive transitions between him trying to sleep and making small talk.
He decided to focus on Emilia’s soft, white upper arm that rested by his side.
lBeatrice: “Subaru, Betty’s feeling some weird sensations towards Emilia through our contract…”
No he wasn’t having lewd thoughts, he was simply paying attention to Emilia’s condition.
(Subaru be telling his boner to shut up lmao.)
Subaru: “Emilia-tan is so strong…”
He gasps in awe as Emilia flexes her biceps.
Julius sighs: “Subaru, I hope you know a knight and candidate can’t get together…”
Subaru turns red : “M-Maybe I’m just making sure the Miasma wasn’t affecting Emilia, why’d you immediately think I was imagining Emilia in lewd poses.
He buries his face in his hands hoping to hide his blush, while Julius twitches.
Julius: “He’s just a hormonal teenager, He’s just a hormonal teenager, He’s just a—“
Meili: “Knight-San~ don’t you ever shut up? Or did you stick your sword so far up you ass you can’t get it back out~?”
Subaru starts whooping at Meili’s words, while Beatrice reprimands her for using her choice of wording.
Ram calls out from inside the carriage : “Barusu, shut up, it’s not like you being annoying is going to wake up Rem so don’t even try.”
Subaru clutches his heart, but tries his best not to lose his composure.
Julius: “Ram-San is right, Subaru, you keeping everyone up won’t hide your nervousness.”
Subaru pouts: “Prick—I mean Julius, I’m not sure what you're talking about. Maybe I’m just worried about the miasma that surrounds us!”
Subaru’s sentence had some truth to it. The Miasma carried in the air, and it drifted around in the Dune giving the air a certain heaviness.
Beatrice lifted her head from Subaru's chest: “Betty’s contractor isn't a liar, if he says he’s staying up from the Miasma then he is!”
Julius: “Yes Beatrice-sama, I’m not saying Subaru is a liar but…”
He trailed off.
The Miasma has a vague effect on everyone, Ram and Anastasia are in the carriage but there was no noise so Subaru is sure it wasn’t unrelated. (Except Emilia and Meili who seemed just fine.)
Subaru doesn’t want to think he was affected, but he can’t help but want to hurry and get out of these dunes.
(Which he failed at keeping hidden)
Julius continues: “To be impatient now would do nothing but set us back. Although I know why you want to rush over the path, it’s a part of being a little kid.”
He adds the last part in hopes to brighten up the mood with another Julisuba banter
Subaru knows what Julius was trying to do but can’t find the energy to continue his talk so he snorts and falls silent.
A certain ground dragon came over and the rubs her face against Subaru’s
Patarache: “ ꆜ * ꏈ * ꆜ ~!”
Subaru giggles softly while staring at the ice above him, holding Beatrice tighter.
Subaru: “Patarache, are you gonna try and make me feel better too?”
Beatrice pushed his back and turned away, although previously she had been looking up at him meaningfully: "It's not like I want to, in fact. It’s not like the initiative has been taken, either, I suppose.”
Subaru scratches his head, wondering if his irritation was obvious enough for all to see.
Looking over, Subaru found Emilia, looking at him with kind eyes; as their lines of sight crossed, she waved towards him ever so slightly.
Suddenly embarrassed, Subaru clapped his hands.
Subaru: “Alright, a place to sleep has been secured thanks to Emilia-tan, so let’s get ready for tomorrow. The Sand Time will end at dawn, so until then let’s—-“
Emilia: “Before that, Ram needs her treatment.”
Subaru: “Ah, true. That’s right. Okay, then I’ll be depending on my two favorite ladies, Emilia-tan and Beako!”
Emila smiled: “Of course!”
Beatrice huffed: “Naturally!”
Only a bit after did Emilia and Beatrice leave, everyone in the carriage except the men who are put outside.
(Why are they outside you ask? Well let’s take a look!)
Ram: “Hmm~…”
Ram’s voice quiveres like she is facing a sort of pain mixed with pleasure. A faint pale blue light comes from inside the carriage as she is being treated with mana infusion that includes all four attributes.
With Emilia and Beatrice’s combined strength, mana id poured into the wound where Rams horn one laid.
Ram had a pitiful expression on her face, but it was somehow erotic (especially for certain hormonal teenagers)
Meili whistled: “You know, Elsa Onee-Chan would love this sight. She would probably cut open everyone here from the sight of it!”
’Anastasia’: “Is this girl really in ya camp Emilia?”
Emilia sweats but nods hesitantly.
(This is why all the women refused to have any men during the treatment.)
Subaru: “I’m not sure what Roswaal was thinking, putting poor Nee-sama in such a fragile position!”
Julius: “In a way, it is definitely an honorable role. Miss Ram is charming and pretty. However, when I think about the obvious matter of who she has eyes for, I honestly cannot be pleased with it. Also don’t speak bad about your lady’s sponser! “
Subaru: “Blegh whatever. Roswaal should know that too, so I don’t know why he is still doing it… In that case, why would he still say that about Ram, if she’s so far gone?”
Julius: “People’s relationships, even more so when speaking of a relationship between a man and a woman, cannot be assessed from the outside. To put it another way, I am pretty sure the first time you and I met was not an enjoyable experience. Or at least, I did not think I would be going alongside you on this life-threatening journey.”
Subaru looks at the ice covered ceiling: “…Well, I guess so.”
’Anastasia’ sneaks up behind the small boy: “Ya look quite conflicted, Natsuki-kun.”
Subaru: “Eek!?”
Subaru jumps in the air and tumbles into the sand.
Subaru quickly got up and spit the sand out his mouth: “Pfft—!”
Julius on the other hand, lost his composure at seeing Subaru fall and quickly helped dust the boy off.
Julius: “You got a bit too surprised by that. Perhaps you were thinking of something dirty?”
The purple haired knight closes his eyes and smiles, clearly trying not to laugh.
Subaru starts to blush: “Ehhh??!! N-no! It’s not like i was thinking of anything lewd! Y-yeah, I don’t know what your talking about!! Anastasia-San what do you need? I’ll listen to anything!”
He was clearly trying to get out out of the conversation, so Anastasia took pity on him.
Anastasia: “Ya really bad at lyin’ aren’t cha? It’s fine, Natsuki-kun you might be interested in what’s going on inside, but I have something important to say.”
Julius’ expression darkens, but Subaru nods regardless.
Anastasia smiled and starts to walk in the sand beckoning the two to follow.
Anastasia: “Sure is hard to walk in the sand, but ya ‘n Julius seem just fine, a bit strange hm?”
Julius bows his head: “Ive trained to walk in heavy lands.”
Subaru grins: “Clind taught me! ‘When you feel unsure of your footsteps, don’t walk slow in attempts to check them, leave it up to the firmness of your shoes’ soles and take relatively hard steps.’ That is the Clind Style!”
Anastasia nods and lowers the neck of her robe revealing the rest of her face: “I don’t like all this sand, it’s cloggin’ my windpipe. I would love to go somewhere safe from the Sand Wind so I can breathe freely.”
Subaru puts his arms around the back of his head: “Definitely. A bath would be nice as well… I’m caked with sand everywhere.”
The turban he is wearing helps some,but it’s not enough to protect him from the harsh conditions he is in.
Anastasia: “A bath sounds nice, if only Sage-San had a bath.”
Subaru shrugs: “You never know. Is it like that there?”
Anastasia looks over her shoulder: “Even if Echidna knows how to get there, it’s not like I have been.”
She pulls down her robe even further, showing her scarf/Echidona in full display.
There is no point in doubting her, but Subaru wishes to work out all the details.
Subaru: “I’m guessing you're going to tell me important information from here on out correct?”
Anastasia: “Of course.”
Julius: “I shall listen gladly.”
Anastasia puffs out her slim chest, and Subaru and Julius get ready to listen. In response, Anastasia looks back at the dragon carriage pompously,
Anastasia smiles cheekily: “We’ll be stayin’ the night inside the carriage startin’ today… But ya boys need to sleep at the front seat. Can’t have ya getting’ carried away with the women ‘n children in a small room, after all.”
Subaru: “That’s enough of that! I’m a kid too!”
Anastasia: “Hey, I just thought I’d loosen the tension… Ah, Natsuki-kun, I thought you were an adult?”
Subaru turns red, but contains his anger to prove his maturity.
It didn’t matter at all that they would stay in the same room in the first place. Subaru’s own lack of courage and the wariness of the other parties were enough for everyone to understand that.
But they would still tease him for his thoughts regardless.
Anyhow, Subaru yelling his inner thoughts is put aside, and Anastasia goes back to the main topic.
Anastasia: “After a full day of movin’ towards the Watchtower… How’s it lookin’?”
Subaru sighs: “Even if you ask that… To be honest, the results weren’t anything special…”
Subaru was confused by her question, reflecting about the day that had passed.
After arriving at the Augria Sand Dunes around noon, letting the morning’s Sand Time pass by, and after that, Subaru and the others spent nearly half the day moving. The Sand Time that happened during the afternoon was now behind them, and it was now sunset. As for the results that were had up to this point, they would be――
Subaru: “The tower is perfect as a landmark, and we’ve got the mark for the way back that I requested of Emilia-tan. Also, Meili was more effective than expected. Those were the results, I guess?”
Julius: “The preparations we had beforehand and Subaru’s quick thinking were perfect countermeasures against Sand Time. But, the problem is the Pleiades Watchtower, and why we cannot see the route up to there… perhaps.”
Subaru blinks: “Can’t see the route?”
Subaru frowns at Julius, him having taken over speaking, but having reached a different conclusion.
Julius sighs at Subaru: “Have you not realized?”.
“It is true that we have gotten this far in our journey without any noticeable flaws. I am also in agreement with the opinion that nothing has gone wrong thus far.”
Subaru: “Don’t beat around the bush. It’s a bad habit. Say it more directly.”
Julius: “Then I shall make it short— Subaru, have you not noticed anything peculiar about the tower?”
Subaru thinks back before gasping]
After that, looking at the Watchtower―― a mighty majesty that could be seen on the other side of the ice wall, even in the night asserting its presence.
Even after Julius had pointed out something was wrong, Subaru did not notice any abnormality in the Watchtower. Nothing should have been different about the tower at which he had stared at the whole day, compared to how it had been upon first arriving at the Sand Dunes.
Julius: “it seems that you have noticed. That tower clearly is not getting closer, neither is it getting farther. We have aimed at that tower, walking towards it this whole time… but the gap has not closed even slightly.”
Just like Julius pointed out, Subaru finally understood that abnormality.
The faraway-looking Pleiades Watchtower remained there, faraway, without change, its size such that it felt like it could not be overlooked. There was no sort of change in its appearance.
Subaru bit his lip: “Fuck…”
Julius: “Subaru, I understand your frustration. However, we must be careful…”
Subaru: “So, after all the trouble we’ve been through today, being smeared with sand, and the distance we walked were all a waste!? Conquering this place is such a pain in the ass――”
Julius: “…Yeah?”
Subaru kicks the sand at his feet, raising his voice, and Julius is at a loss for words. Squatting on the ground in front of a bewildered Julius, Subaru scoops out sand with his palm with his lips pursed in a pout.
Subaru: “Hey hey hey hey, you for real? I’ve suddenly become tired after finding that out. Saying that those efforts were a waste seriously just sucks ass. Wow, this is the worst.”
Anastasia: “Yer mental fortitude’s weaker than I thought”]
Subaru pretends to cry: “What are you looking at!? Don’t you see me suffering this much!? I’m extremely depressed, and I feel extremely awful. You should’ve said something earlier, you know, once you’d noticed it!”
Julius rubs the back of his head: “I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure. I did not want to discourage you.”
Subaru: “This is how you people…”
He throws away the sand he scooped up, and stands up while clapping his hands. Glaring at Julius from below, Subaru acts indignant.
Subaru: “Can you stop speaking in insinuations? It’s not like I’ll get mad if you talk about something that came to your mind! Rather, we might find a clue from it. Do you guys have a ‘I’ll just keep this inside of me’ sort of mentality? Has that really made the situation better at all? Not once have I thought that I should have kept quiet!”
Julius starts to flush: “Ah, ahhh, sorry.”
Subaru crosses his arms: “[Speak up immediately, even if it’s something trivial. This is something I told Ram as well, a disabled character in this conquest. Do I need to say it to everyone, man?”
With Subaru becoming dumbfounded by the incompleteness of the three Ts, ‘Told, Tell, Talk about’, Julius also makes a reflective look. With a rare assertion of dominance over the Knight Impeccable, Subaru takes that something, which he barely considers a good thing, among the many troublesome things, and turns to Anastasia.
Subaru: “So, I guess it’s safe to assume you know what’s up with this phenomenon.”
Anastasia deflates: “I apologize that I didn’t explain anythin’… Or rather, I felt confident ‘bout my suspicions all day. It”d help if ya thought of it like that.”
Subaru: “Start from when you had those suspicions. That’s all. So, what’s going on?”
He sticks his tongue out at Anastasia, who had stated her justifications, and prompts her to continue. When he did, Anastasia precedes with “Please don’t get surprised when ya hear this”, and――
Anastasia: “This sandy plain between the Dunes and the Watchtower, the space’s prolly distorted.”
Subaru squints: “The space is distorted…?”
Anastasia: “In other words, contrary to what it seems, it ain’t connected to land. We continue walkin’ straight ahead, and no matter how long we walk, we’ll never get there.”
Anastasia nonchalantly clarifies the shocking fact, and Subaru can’t keep his jaw from dropping in shock. Anastasia, or rather Echidona, should have known it from the beginning, considering how it sounded like the matter had been relayed by Echidona.
Subaru pinches the bridge of his nose: “So I guess that’s why Reinhard and all the other challengers couldn’t reach it.”
Anastasia: “The tower itself can be seen there. All ya need to do is close the distance… Especially if they’d been frantically attemptin’ to escape the Witchbeasts Den along this path, they’d prolly want to go further.”
Subaru falls silent.
For some reason, he thinks of the regret of those adventurers that had broken down halfway through their journey, their goal in plain sight, just in range.
This obstacle, which hampered those with the Watchtower as their goal, is an obstacle that even Reinhard had given up on conquering. The distortion of space and the end of the sand sea that actually can not be reached―― perhaps that was how it worked.
Subaru tapped the ground with his foot: “How do you defeat that?”
Anastasia: “…Ain’t’cha kinda missin’ the point by askin’ “bout defeatin” and not defeatin’ it? This is a natural trap created by the Miasma. There’s no kinda unnatural power goin’ on here.”
Subaru sputtered: “A natural trap!? This!?”
On rare occasions, nature would set up traps that seemed to have an intrinsic murderous nature to them.
The frequently-seen mirages at deserts, and the snow-covered roads that borders the cliffs of areas with heavy snowfall. Thinking about it generally, humans could get killed by things like bottomless swamps or even being pulled in by rising tides.
However, as one would expect, the existence of this Watchtower was――
Subaru: “This is a trap made by nature? That’s an exaggeration, isn’t it?”
Julius: “Well, Pleiades Watchtower was originally built at a place where this phenomenon occurs. If you think about it that way, it is not unnatural. Also, it makes sense.”
Subaru: “It makes sense? In what way?”
Julius: “You cannot forget. Yes, the Sand Dunes lead to the Watchtower, but you must note the tower is not the only location beyond the Sand Dunes. Why do you think the Watchtower is there in the first place?”
Julius chides Subaru’s rude tone, and urges him to think. An answer came to mind immediately after that question. The purpose of the Watchtower they were targeting was to serve as a seal for the Witch’s Shrine.
Likewise, these Sand Dunes’ unsurpassable traps would be highly effective in deterring the Witch Cult, with their aim to revive the Witch of Envy. He really could not blame anyone for that.
Subaru: “…Hk! Fine. Anyway, forget the details about why and how that tower was built there. I’m concerned about something else. It’s how we’re going to break through that distorted space.”
Anastasia: “Ya know we can’t remove its source, right? This is the land we’re on.”
Subaru: “Okay, I’ve understood the terrain and its peculiarities. Next, let’s look for a weakness. Since you volunteered to be a guide, naturally there’s a way out, right? A loophole.”
Anastasia: “I wouldn’t be talkin’ if there weren’t any… Puttin’ it as somethin’ like a loophole is sketchy, though.”
Anastasia smiles wryly at Subaru, who continues to pressure her, the former displaying a pompous sort of attitude. After that, she nods at Subaru and Julius.
Anastasia looks through the ice in the direction of the tower: “During Sand Time, there should be a moment when the space connected to the Watchtower collapses. We’ll go through there, and enter the real sand sea. That’s the condition of breakin’ through, ya see.”
‘To save Rem and to find a way to bring the real Anastasia back, I will rewrite fate!’
Subaru sticks his hand in the air: “My name is Natsuki Subaru! I’m Emilia-tan's knight, Beako's contractor, and Rem’s hero ! And I will save her!”
Julius snickers: “Ah, I remember back when said cringey stuff hoping I looked cool…”
Subaru: “Shut up!”