A golden, fierce tiger crouched low, scanning the surroundings with piercing eyes.

The colossal tiger boasted a body length of about four meters, eclipsing even the lions and tigers Subaru knew.

Its thick arms and legs supported a formidable frame, and menacing fangs that couldn’t fit in its closed mouth glistened with fresh blood, swinging side to side as if to show off.

“Tha— That’s…”

Before Subaru could voice his confusion, the dragon carriage was sent flying and crashed to the ground. The sound of destruction echoed, wood splintered everywhere, and screams resonated.

Passengers engulfed by the shock were hurled to the ground. The conscious ones groaned in pain while the unconscious ones lay in their own pools of blood, unmoving.

—In that moment, Subaru’s brain shouted that he needed to help the injured.

However, before he could take action, a fierce movement sent Subaru spinning.

Ignoring Subaru’s shocked exclamation, Patrasche, trying to escape the beast, bolted straight through the forest.

“Wha—! Hey, Patrasche?!”

Despite calling out to his mount, there was no sign that she would heed his commands, just as she hadn’t on the way here.

Leaving behind the astonished and frozen passengers, Patrasche accelerated. But then—

“—!!”

A roar shattered the silence, slicing through the woods in pursuit of Subaru and the others.

A torrent of anger and beastly hostility surged down the path, overwhelming even Patrasche’s instincts, forcing them to freeze.

The sensation of being targetted by an overwhelming force that threatened life itself sent chills of fear coursing through Subaru’s spine. With each encounter with this feeling, he had learned not to blame Patrasche, who had halted in fright at this critical moment. But the outcome was undeniably grim.

“—Ah.”

Turning back, Subaru’s eyes met the source of his horror.

The tiger swung its forelegs down as if to swat away an insignificant toy, flipping the dragon carriage upside down, scattering its contents like a child’s plaything, sending it crashing into the trees. If the sound of snapping chopsticks were amplified a hundredfold, it would barely compare to the crunch of wood and human bones in that moment.

Faced with a literal monster, Subaru recognized that doing nothing meant he would simply lose his life.

The fear of provoking the beast by acting held everyone in place, terrifying them into immobility.

Yet, instinctively, they understood that reacting merely shifted the order of who would die.

“Could that be… the reason for the ‘Sanctuary’ being unoccupied…?”

Shaking in fear atop the dragon, Subaru steeled his resolve, etching the image of the beast into his mind.

The tiger’s golden fur was beautiful, but its vicious expression was intimidating and somehow dignified. Its sharp gaze sparkled with hostility and fury, while its fangs, keen like blades, could hardly be restrained. If this was indeed a creature that would assault the ‘Sanctuary’…

“—Eh?”

Subaru, determined not to miss any of the monster’s movements, noticed something odd about the way the great tiger ambled forward. Squinting his eye, he sought the source of the unease and suddenly understood.

—Something was stabbed into the left side of the tiger’s back.

Given the beast’s size and boundless stamina, the injury must be minimal. It didn’t even seem to register the wound as it walked, likely considering it a mere scrape.

However, this held great significance for Subaru. Not the injury itself, but rather the object that caused it—he recognized it.

—That was undoubtedly Ram’s prized staff.

The small staff was what Ram used for casting magic, and he’d never seen her use anything else as a medium. Just some moments ago, she’d been holding it during her confrontation with Garfiel, so there was no mistaking it.

So why was this unmistakable staff embedded in the tiger’s body? The answer was—

“Ancestral… return…”

A fleeting memory of a past scene drifted through Subaru’s mind.

The day Garfiel had shared part of his lineage with Subaru and showcased the uniqueness of his physique. At that time, he had transformed only part of his arm into that of a beast to demonstrate his half-beast, half-human heritage.

“If this is a ‘Were-Tiger’…”

Then this fierce beast had to be Garfiel, having transformed fully into his beast form.

If that were the case, there’d be a reason Ram’s staff was embedded in this tiger, which meant by extension—

—It implied that Ram had failed to restrain the now beastly Garfiel.

“Garfiel, you bastard… what have you done to Ram?!”

“———”

“Answer me damn it! What have you done to Ram, Garfiel!!!”

In response to Subaru’s call, the ferocious beast only grimaced, offering no answer.

All it did was shake its head at Subaru’s voice and display its razor-sharp claws. At the tips of those claws, a piece of familiar black fabric was snagged, and at once, Subaru understood the fate of the girl with the pink hair.

“GARFIELLLLL!!!”

Screaming in fury, Subaru released the reins and jumped from Patrasche. He stumbled upon landing, rolling around as he glared at the approaching greatness.

Both he and the beast faced each other with forelegs set on the ground, creating a distance between them. The disparity in strength was glaring, with no hope of victory and probably no means of negotiation either.

“Am I that hated…?”

“———”

“Am I that loathed…?”

“———”

“If you want to kill me, then just come at me directly!!”

“———!!”

Responding to Subaru’s furious shout, the beast looked skyward and let out a mighty roar.

The air itself trembled, the forest shivered in fear, and all living things recoiled, transmitting terror.

Yet, Subaru shrugged it off, baring his fangs in defiance.

“You’ve laid a finger on the girl I’m in love with, and you dare call yourself a ‘Sanctuary’ beast? Give me a break!!”

“———!!”

In the next instant, Patrasche, responding to Subaru’s taunts, lunged vigorously.

With tremendous force, she barreled through the debris of the dragon carriage that stood between her and the fierce beast, splintering wood and spraying blood as the golden creature charged.

Her speed was astounding, and her mass was overwhelming. The impact rivaled that of an enormous truck, likely killing anyone on contact without a chance to breathe.

Death loomed before Subaru. Feeling this unavoidable reality so close, his mind began racing at an unprecedented pace. His brain flared, ignited with rage, emotions spiraling out of control.

A dark wave roiled within him, coursing through his veins like wildfire—hot, black, dim, murky, void of substance, a horrendous something was grasping at him.

With a start, Subaru opened his one good eye as if he had seized onto something within himself.

He looked ahead. The beast’s fangs came dangerously close, the entrance to death gaping open right before his eyes, with a throat seemingly dark enough to swallow him whole. His body reacted instinctively beyond its limits, lifting his arm to shield himself between the fangs and his chest—

“———!?”

In that instant, the wind roared, and the colossal form of the beast suddenly vanished from Subaru’s sight.

No, ‘vanished’ isn’t quite right. Like an arrow spinning in flight, the great tiger flipped in midair, its body crashing against the ground in a thundering slam, bouncing off and flying away with crushing force.

“What…!?”

Subaru blinked in disbelief at the sight of the tumbling beast. Just moments ago, he had been certain he was about to lose his life.

But the shock of confusion struck the tiger as well, and the creature staggered, trying to comprehend the situation as it lay on its side, shaking its head, struggling to rise only to collapse again in bewilderment.

Both parties were in a state of utter bewilderment, each baffled by what had just happened. Exhaustion suddenly washed over Subaru, while the tiger, shaking its head in irritation, finally stood up.

After just one encounter, it was clear which of them stood on the higher ground. Just a moment ago, they were both clueless about what just transpired—.

“If it took the bait, then it’s definitely Garfiel.”

Steadying his trembling arms, Subaru breathed heavily, biting the corner of his lips to keep himself awake. The beast before him swayed from side to side, on guard, perhaps trying to unravel the mysterious phenomenon that had just occurred.

Even if someone told him to repeat the sudden sensation, it was so baffling it felt impossible to replicate.

It didn’t even feel like a successful counter.

The beast’s caution was absurd, and yet Subaru felt no sense of vindication in that moment.

The giant creature gradually closed the distance, and though it appeared skeptically due to the lack of reaction from Subaru, it abruptly halted its advance—

“———!!”

“Ah!”

A roar erupted from the beast.

Feeling as if it were a gale force pushing him down, Subaru instinctually shielded his face, shrinking in fear. And in the brief moment of being paralyzed by terror, he heard the sound of paws thundering toward him.

The earth shattered as the beast leapt, pouncing towards Subaru, momentum carrying it through the air.

There was no dodging the overwhelming force of its weight or claws. This time, the earlier sensation couldn’t be gained back no matter how hard he tried. This was the end. The end was drawing near. And then—

“———!!”

“———!?”

Patrasche, charging in from the side, slammed headfirst into the tiger’s torso. A strained groan erupted as the great beast bent in pain. Patrasche’s tail whipped out violently, knocking the tiger’s face aside and temporarily breaking its line of sight.

In that instant, Patrasche pivoted and darted back towards Subaru, lifting him up in a hurry to flee once again, riding on the wind—

“Patras—”

The call was cut short by the sound of flesh tearing.

Patrasche had seized Subaru’s waist in her jaws, but in the next moment, she hurled him to the ground. He saw that the tail of Patrasche, trying to drag him away, had caught in the monster’s fangs, and her massive form, exceeding four hundred kilos, flailed like a leaf in the wind.

Patrasche emitted a heart-wrenching sound. Flesh tore, blood sprayed, and in an instant, her tail was ripped from the base, the crimson liquid erupting and painting Subaru’s side a vivid red.

Without a means to resist, Patrasche was sent flying, and as Subaru bore witness to her horrifying state, he struggled to breathe as the beast drew closer, glaring with deep hatred.

With Subaru filled with ire, he spat out the name of the one who may have once been a friend—

“G-GARFIELLLLLL!!”

Subaru’s voice was laden with boundless animosity.

No response came. Had he truly lost his humanity the moment he transformed into a beast? The great tiger stretched its powerful limbs toward him, but its throat didn’t utter a single word of malice or intent.

Only its primal instincts lurked beneath.

—Was he to have his neck snapped, or would its head come crashing down, shattering him in two?

Whatever the pain or fate awaiting him, he would swallow death whole.

He would digest everything, turning it into the very reason to fight for a rightful future.

“Do you think you’ll still be around in that future…?”

As he watched the claws inch closer, Subaru spat out his resentment one last time.

Then, he shut his left eye, engulfing his vision in darkness.

Only the memory of Patrasche’s devotion and the failure to have saved her remained in his heart.

“———?”

While Subaru braced for the end he expected to come, it didn’t arrive. His brow furrowed in confusion as he felt irritation boil beneath the surface—Death had lost its timing.

Gradually, he opened his left eye—

“Huh?”

The claws that once threatened to shred him pulled away, revealing the fierce beast staring past him.

Subaru instinctively emitted a dazed sound as the tiger’s attention shifted from him to a direction to its left. In the next instant, he saw something hurtling toward the beast from that direction, crashing into its body and rolling to the ground— a stone.

An unspectacular stone, the size of something you might hold in your palm, thrown through the air should it hit the ground. Following its arc, it landed near the figure standing at the edge of the woods.

Short hair, hollow cheeks, lanky arms and legs. There was nothing about him which caught attention, yet Subaru recognized him.

One of the villagers from Araham Village, a member of the youth brigade, one of the evacuees who had fled to this ‘Sanctuary,’ and the person who should have been in the dragon carriage just moments ago. He was now staggering, bleeding from his forehead.

Slowly and deliberately, he bent down, picked up a nearby stone, and feebly raised it. With a shaky toss, he flung it at the mighty beast’s body. It hit. The impact was practically nothing.

But—

“Get— Away from Subaru, you beast…”

Drawing the words through strained pain, his posture still asserted his will.

In that instant, a tremor ran down Subaru’s spine as the boy’s words resonated within him. His apprehension fell silent, and Subaru lost his voice as he watched what unfolded.

“———”

One by one, stones, boards, branches, and shoes began to rain down upon the formidable creature.

Subaru saw that it was the desperate, frail, and ephemeral resistance of those who had once been crushed by the overwhelming presence of the beast.

“Hey, what are you all doing…? Hurry, get away…”

“What you’re saying has no credibility, Subaru-sama!”

Subaru’s voice was cut off as he waved his arms, trying to convey his intent.

An older man took the lead, swinging his stick to strike at the tiger’s face. Breathing heavily, he turned to Subaru and said,

“How can we abandon our benefactor to run away and owe our lives? Especially when you’ve come this far to save us!”

“That is…”

“If you’re set on dying, then we’ll die here with you. We’ve all agreed on this as our minimum condition for heading out.”

Stunned, Subaru’s face tightened.

Yet, for some reason, the older man wore a gentle smile, so out of place that it felt like a sunbeam disregarding the very threat that loomed right before them.

The assault resumed. Everyone hurled their stones again at the formidable beast—Garfiel. Yet, none of the attacks could make him flinch, let alone scratch.

Slowly, Garfiel rose, his enormous bulk moved like a lumbering giant, completely disregarding Subaru only to charge at the injured youth.

“———”

Face to face with the beast, the youth lost his voice in overwhelming intimidation but still grasped a dagger from his waist.

“Take that—!”

With a pushing motion, he thrust the blade toward Garfiel’s brow, the point burying itself deep—before being instantly snapped in half with a shrill sound.

The golden fur held too formidable a resilience; no fragile blade could pierce it.

And as the youth’s last act of resistance crumbled, Garfiel’s raised foreleg swung down.

“Stop—!!”

Subaru’s scream burst forth, yet before the outcome, his voice was nothing but an echo.

The sound of flesh being crushed resounded, and the youth’s fragile form was obliterated from head to toe, reduced to nothing but a bleeding lump. Blood gushed from Garfiel’s fingers, and only a dark pool of meat including leftover limbs remained in the shadow of the prior moment.

“———”

Now, that was it! Subaru’s throat finally unleashed its rage.

Letting out a shriek that was reminiscent of a scalding cry, Subaru clawed himself up and hurled himself toward the back of the beast in a furious leap. But Garfiel casually lifted a back leg, slamming his body against him and sending him into agony.

With the momentum from the attack, Subaru was lobbed, only to be smashed backward against a large tree—his entire body cracked as he felt the sickening sound echo through his bones.

“Ah, damn—!?”

Writhing on the ground, he lost blood and coughed up the clot that flowed up his throat. His entire body wouldn’t respond. His right arm was twisted unnaturally, while his spine failed to maintain a proper shape after that last strike. He felt weak, fragile, utterly powerless.

“———!!”

“AGH—!!”

The angry roar of the beast echoed. It charged and swung its vicious claws toward the frightened evacuee crowd. Blood sprayed, screams pierced the air, and lives were extinguished in unseen corners.

Voices cried out. The beastly sounds filled with ferocity mixed with human emotion surged upwards. Confusion seemed to buzz around the creature, but Subaru was at a loss as to whose voice it was or what kind of battle cry it was.

“—Tsubaki! Stay alive!”

Someone called. Subaru recognized the voice of someone he knew, but the path to reach that name felt clouded with pain. His thoughts faded, the world blurred, and his emotions congealed in a mix of hatred and suffering.

There was no time to sleep. He had to stand up! Stand up and if they were going to die, let it be him first.

“Everyone… don’t die… let it just be me… that’s enough…!”

With all his strength, Subaru released blood and croaked those desperate words, struggling once more to rise. His right arm was useless, so he worked desperately with his left. A red curtain blocked his vision, and he could feel the blood trickling down from his brow. With his shoulder’s rough movement, he wiped his eyes, grinding his teeth until they cracked, and lifted his head.

“———”

The scene unfolded before him.

With each swing of the beast’s arms, people were flung aside, blood spewing, and the flames of life smothered.

All of them, with bravery and determination, thrust their futile defiance against the mighty beast. Yet, all that colored the golden fur was nothing but their blood, and their sacrifice bore no meaning.

They continued to fight tooth and nail and were merely snuffed out. There was no meaning whatsoever.

If anyone were to ascribe significance to the “death,” it would be Subaru alone.

“Stop, stop, STOP!!”

If killing was to happen, let it be him first.

That had originally been the target’s aim. There was no reason for these brave, kind, innocent people to meet harm at all.

Or was it that the loss of their lives resulted from his own foolishness? If so, then that was far too—

“—Ah!”

As Subaru bit down and hung his head, his body was hoisted upwards.

Grabbing the ragged Subaru was Patrasche, who was bleeding profusely. Despite being half-alive from Garfiel’s aggressive blows, she had crawled with desperation to get here.

The sight of her tragic state made Subaru’s eyes well up, tears spilling uncontrollably.

“Enough… It’s enough now. It’s enough, Patrasche…”

He called to her, reaching towards her bloodstained chin. In reply, she shook her head, indicating with a gesture that there was “still nothing resolved.” With that, she nestled her head under his abdomen, whisking him off her feet without waiting for his input.

Subaru gasped in shock. With him buckled upon her, Patrasche charged forward. Her powerful strides belied the question of where she found the remaining strength.

Perhaps it was literally the culmination of her last-ditch effort.

“———”

However, even with the precious life force she expended, it was still far from a complete escape. The proximity to escaping the tiger’s jaws remained distant.

The beast’s fangs bit deeply into Patrasche’s hind leg, drawing a heart-rending howl from her. Once again, Subaru was on the verge of being thrown off. Just as he thought he would be slammed to the ground, he found himself captured firmly by Patrasche’s jaws.

In one swift motion, she managed to whip her neck forcefully, tossing him deep into the thicket of trees.

“———!”

It became evident to Subaru in that instant that this was Patrasche’s way of shielding him from the deadly threat.

At that moment, he realized why she had chosen to cut through the path to meet the evacuees after parting from Ram.

—Patrasche had been aware of this monster’s presence.

She had known and had come here to increase Subaru’s chances of survival by joining the fray against multiple prey. Everything was to protect him.

Subaru was slammed to the ground, his body bouncing once, twice, and on the third bounce, just as he groaned—he felt weightlessness consume him.

“—Ah.”

A sudden tilt formed in the mountain terrain, sending Subaru rolling down uncontrollably. With no chance to scream, he was repeatedly tossed against gravel and branches, bouncing and rolling until—

“———”

Amidst the whirling panorama above him, Subaru abruptly caught a glimpse above.

And then, he witnessed the nightmare he wished to avoid.

“—Patrasche!”

The form of Patrasche was caught between the jaws of the tiger, her body being crushed by horrific strength, torn apart by those fangs, blood splattering everywhere as she was split in two.

Without even a death cry, the loyal dragon sacrificed her all for Subaru and met her end.

“———”

His throat burned. It felt like it was being ripped apart. Rage boiled in Subaru’s brain, blood igniting and seething.

He bounced, rolled, slid, and fell, his body being ground down.

—With a fierce bounce, he felt weightlessness again.

This time, the impact would crush his consciousness.

His body wouldn’t cease its motion, yet his awareness floated away from Subaru’s physical form.

—Only the unending voice of resentment swirled in his chest, endlessly consuming him.