“Just as we discussed beforehand, we’ll evacuate the villagers while luring Garfiel out. Natsuki-san said he doesn’t mind if you buy time, but I thought I’d be a little greedy and want more than that… Would you be able to cooperate with us?”

Separated from Subaru, Otto and Ram were facing each other, exchanging words at the edge of the settlement before departing with two decoy dragon carriages.

With Otto’s somewhat insecure question, Ram, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, closed her eyes. As she maintained her silence, Otto grew anxious, aware that time was running short.

“Um, excuse me… Honestly, we’re running out of time here…”

“A man with no patience is despised. I’ve said this before, but it still depends on the conditions,” Ram replied sharply, opening one eye to dismiss Otto’s pleading gaze.

Her mention of “before” referred to three days prior, when Otto had offered Ram a joint effort on the night Subaru proposed a bet to Roswaal.

When Subaru visited, Roswaal had prompted Ram to leave the room, leaving the two of them alone.

At that time, it was Otto, collaborating with Subaru, who attempted to engage Ram after she stepped outside the house. His intuition about Roswaal distancing Ram, should matters involve the gospel, proved correct, allowing him to seize the opportunity to catch her, free for a certain period.

To be blunt, three days prior, the connection between Otto and Ram was alarmingly thin.

They had exchanged words enough to count on one hand, and Ram had hardly any interest in any man except Roswaal unless under exceptional circumstances. Outside of Roswaal’s mansion’s affiliates, the only other individuals she conversed with in the “Sanctuary” would likely be Ryuzu and Garfiel.

Therefore, Otto had no choice but to start from scratch, trying to establish a friendly relationship with Ram, who regarded him like a stone on the side of the road.

“Hello, um… Ram-san. It’s a lovely night tonight, isn’t it?”

“——–”

“Um?”

“Ah, I see. You’re that guy who was acting all buddy-buddy behind Balus. Without him, I couldn’t tell what kind of creature you even are.”

“Less than human!? That’s quite a blow to my self-esteem. No, I get it, being treated like just an accessory to Natsuki-san is understandable, but…”

“A man who takes pride in being an accessory for someone else has no value. Just disappear.”

“How harsh!?”

Otto was already falling apart under Ram’s impenetrable demeanor as he sought friendly contact.

She displayed complete disinterest toward him, crossing her arms while leaning against the door.

“Um, would it be alright to talk?”

“Whether or not I remember you is a separate issue, but shouldn’t you introduce yourself before speaking? Just saying, it doesn’t guarantee I’ll remember you.”

“Why did you emphasis the possibility of being remembered twice? Sigh… I’m Otto Suwen, a mere traveling merchant, and I’d appreciate it if you could at least remember my face and name.”

“The intrigue of the topic you bring up will determine if I do.”

Ram stubbornly refused to cede any control over the conversation to Otto, even as she feigned interest.

She maintained a stance of listening, but had made it clear that any worthless subject matter would be cut off immediately. Otto steeled himself against the unexpected approach from his negotiation partner.

“This relates to what Natsuki-san is presently discussing with the Earl… Ram-san, is there no chance we could work together to liberate the ‘Sanctuary’ from its barrier?”

“—That’s not something I would entertain. Ram’s desire is to see Roswaal’s aspirations fulfilled. Respecting that will render any method of liberating the ‘Sanctuary’ meaningless.”

“But that only stands true if everything goes exactly how the Earl envisions… right? You must know things have already deviated from that path, Ram-san?”

“——–”

After deliberating with Subaru, it was Otto who proposed bringing Ram onto their team.

Subaru had hesitated until the last moment, but after hearing Otto, he determined it was a gamble with ample odds in their favor.

Ram opened her previously shut eyes, staring at Otto with her emotionless pale crimson gaze.

As she released her arms from their crossed position, the tips of her fingers brushed against the staff tucked beneath her short skirt.

Depending on his word choices, he could ignite her wrath, and it was likely her anger would become a weapon cloaked in the winds.

Gulping, Otto moistened his lips and flashed a defiant grin akin to when he challenged a business deal.

His body grew less tense, and the quickening beat of his heart shifted to a more comfortable tempo.

Alright, it’s time to do this as usual—time to go into ‘sparing’ mode.

“The flow of things deviating from the Earl’s plan— that’s where Ram’s true desires will finally take shape. Both Natsuki-san and I could assist you in that, you know?”

Noticing Ram’s fingers twitching in hesitation, Otto determined that his pitch was not entirely wasted.

After listening to Otto’s proposal and learning of his plans, Ram laid out several conditions.

To be honest, divulging the entirety of their plan to Ram was a gamble with considerable stakes for Otto and his companions. If her loyalties were swayed, all their intentions could become an open book to Roswaal. However, the potential value of winning Ram over outweighed that risk.

After drawing out Ram’s cooperation terms and confirming that they weren’t overly demanding, Otto agreed, knowing it was acceptable.

The specifics of her conditions for joining in had not been shared with Subaru. He felt it necessary to keep the actions they would take under wraps while maximizing Ram’s cooperation.

If he divulged too much, Subaru would likely disapprove. However, if he relented due to sentimentality, it could impede the larger issues at stake.

“You have quite the self-destructive nature. I’m uncertain of what you do for a living, but you’re definitely not cut out to be a merchant.”

“You do remember that I’m a traveling merchant, right!?”

While Otto silently stewed over his decisions, Ram couldn’t help but punctuate her words with laughter, while a heart-wrenching scream echoed through the ‘Sanctuary’.

—

Faced with the overwhelming aura of the beast, Otto marveled at the strange fact that his body wasn’t trembling.

Before him stood a creature of monstrous proportions, likely exceeding four meters in length.

Its crooked, razor-sharp fangs jutted from an enormous maw like swords, and its claws curved malevolently, reminiscent of a scythe wielded by a god of death to reap souls. The golden fur covering its body was as stout as wire, possessing a thickness that would entangle any mediocre weapon.

The beast’s golden eyes shone with a semblance of its former visage, but the fewer commonalities it had with the form prior to the transformation made the reality feel elusive.

Garfiel stood before him, having shed his human form to reveal the visage of a ferocious tiger.

The guttural, fishy breaths escaping its throat mixed with growls, sending an overwhelming, chilling pressure rippling through the edges of the forest.

“——–”

Consciously forcing a smile onto his face, Otto tried to ease the tension with a light-hearted comment.

However, his throat felt frozen, rendering him utterly mute, while his once-smiling demeanor had vanished, replaced by blank horror.

Finally, Otto came to realize why his body wasn’t trembling.

—He was not devoid of fear. Faced with the absolute presence of ‘death’, his body had preemptively abandoned its instinct for survival.

Typically, trembling in fear signifies a survival instinct ignited by the body to encourage the soul to persist.

Yet if one finds themselves in a situation where the act of instilling such motivation is pointless, there arises no reason for the body to tremble.

He had heard about it before, so he had imagined it, just as tales suggested.

Garfiel was a hybrid of beastman and human, capable of transformation.

But the reality crushed Otto’s frail imagination, bringing forth an existence beyond human comprehension.

Had he really thought it would be okay to say “It’s okay to buy time, but you can go ahead and defeat them”, while in the midst of this presence? Of course, the answer was a resounding no. Could he really do something like that?

Yet—

“Garf has transformed… and that means all the conditions have been met,” said the small girl standing next to him with an unwavering tone, even in the face of such overwhelming might.

Otto couldn’t even muster a response to question “What for?” He could only mechanically turn his head towards the girl—Ram.

She gave a subtle smile, presenting what could only be described as the first genuine smile she had shown to Otto.

“Garf has clearly made a grievous error in judgement. —This match is ours, Ram’s and mine.”

“——–”

“Is that really true?” Otto thought internally, forgetting even his usual politeness.

—

Ram placed three overarching conditions on Otto in order to cooperate with him.

“First, Roswaal’s intentions… He must find a way to stay alive in this world beyond what the gospel depicts.”

This was solidified when Subaru proposed a wager to Roswaal.

At one point, Roswaal had nearly given up on everything, but now, he was prepared to face the world again with a willful spark in his eyes.

“Secondly, Emilia must not lose the determination to face the ‘Trials’. If we are to continue in a world distinct from Roswaal’s expectations, it’s inevitable that she must rise again… I will prepare a place for her to test herself by the time we decide to act.”

These conditions were completely dependent on Emilia and Subaru, who took care of her, but considering they at least lent her an ear, it could be noted as passed in Ram’s mind.

When Otto heard that Emilia was missing, he thought everything was completely over, but it seemed like Ram was not of the same mind. He was afraid of further inquiries leading to a shift in her position, thus didn’t press further.

And—

“If those two conditions are met, I could join you in the effort… But to aid with the plan that must remain a secret from Balus, additional finer conditions will be necessary.”

“I’d be very grateful if you’d share those. I might catch a glimpse into how to tackle this.”

“Well, to fight Garf, you’ll need to widen the chances of victory at least a little. First, try to seal Garf’s nose. Inflict some damage to steal away his composure. I won’t intervene until it hits a decisive moment, but you’ll need to reach that point by your own means. After all, if you’re going to present a plan like this, I assume you have at least one trump card?”

“Well, um… I do have something to a degree.”

“I thought as much. Keeping that in mind, here’s the last condition.”

“Yes.”

“Make sure to transform Garf into a beast. —This is the final condition to secure victory.”

—

“The sense of smell is still blocked.”

“…………”

“How pathetic.”

“Ugh!”

Ram mercilessly elbowed Otto, who was so intimidated he could hardly respond. A sharp pain jabbed into his side, and Otto, recovering his breath, gasped.

“I-I feel like I’m going to die! I thought I was going to die just from that pressure…!”

“A flimsy and soft meat shield is still better than nothing. Get it together. The sense of smell should be incapacitated, right?”

“While I can ignore that comment, yeah, it’s definitely blocked. The pollen from the Makoyle flower is an ultra-powerful pest repellent, and if you inhale it up close, even a human would lose consciousness.”

“That’ll be even truer for Garf, who has an sense of smell that is multiple times stronger. With that, one of his beastly advantages is nullified. All that’s left is time and any damage from before his transformation… both of which are going as planned.”

Letting out a light breath, Ram lightly lifted her heels off the ground and began a simple exercise, bouncing slightly on her toes.

Otto furrowed his brows at her strange behavior and asked, “Uh, Ram-san? What are you doing?”

“Just some warm-up exercises. I’ll need to loosen up a little before we start. Annoying as it is, it’s efficient like Balus said.”

“Well, that’s not the issue… What purpose does that exercise serve?”

“Quite simple.”

Ignoring Otto, who still looked wobbly, Ram concluded her movements and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she moved forward toward the massive beast with the gait of someone casually going for a walk.

“Wait!?”

“Shut up.”

Otto’s eyes widened at her boldness, but Ram rejected his voice, not slowing her pace as she approached the tiger.

She bent low, and the fierce beast fixated upon its small and vulnerable prey paused for a fraction of a moment, seemingly caught off guard, only to quickly misinterpret it as a slight against its pride.

With fury shining in its golden eyes, Garfiel swung its forelimb, thicker than Ram’s body, and took a swipe that could turn her into mere flesh with just a graze.

The wind howled as the claw, a grim reaper’s scythe, aimed to forcibly seize her life from the present.

—Just before that,

“How weak, Garf. —Who do you think you’re dealing with?”

Ducking below the massive arm, Ram spoke compassionately to the powerful beast.

As Garfiel’s tremendous attack swung wide, Ram’s small figure darted into its embrace. Crouching, Ram coiled her body and thrust upward with her fist—

“Have you ever managed to win in a fistfight against Ram even once?”

“——-!”

Her fist sunk forcefully into the monster’s torso, sending the creature hundreds of kilos below it upwards.

The sheer impact bent Garfiel’s body, and a muffled groan escaped its flabby mouth. A shockwave ripped through the forest, and Otto could hear the sound of the air exploding in his eardrums.

“Wha—no way.”

A girl no taller than himself had struck down a beast far larger than him. Continuing to punch Garfiel’s body, Ram kept her fist smacked right on its torso with unwavering force.

The alternating barrage of blows struck its massive form, and the beast hollered, retreating as if stricken by the din. As its jaw revealed its fangs and it aimed for Ram, she swiftly countered by stepping on its muzzle, driving its face into the ground with sheer leg strength.

Digging into the ground, the great beast, silenced mid-roar, twisted its body and flailed its limbs to crush the girl who was tormenting it, but Ram danced around its furious strikes like leaves fluttering in the wind, consistently landing sharp blows to the softest parts of its hide.

Her heel connected with its throat, her hand sliced into its ribcage, a punch hit the top of its foot, and a kick landed solidly on its exposed face.

The image of a girl vanquishing the beast with astounding close combat skill captivated Otto like a storybook unfolding before his eyes.

What on earth was he witnessing right now?

Staring at Garfiel, now devoid of his human form, Otto felt an overwhelming sense of despair far beyond his ability to continue living. Yet, the reality before him was something altogether different.

With every swipe from Ram, Garfiel swayed wildly off balance, its monumental size, capable of deadly roars, struggled against this small girl, unable to land a single hit on her.

The thrashing limbs demolished trees in their misguided attempts, carving away at the earth, violently altering the landscape of the forest, yet Ram paid no mind to the rapidly shifting ground.

She could win—this time.

Reflecting on her confidence that had initially caused him doubt before the fight, Otto found it hard to believe as he thought back on Ram’s assertion that she would deliberately provoke Garfiel to transform.

Ram’s words now rang with undeniable credibility.

While Garfiel’s presence exuded overwhelming power, it was the type that was truly magnified when faced with many opponents. Of course, his sheer size was an advantage too, and under normal circumstances, there would be no way anyone could ever hope to match him individually.

However, the scenario changed drastically when that individual possessed combat prowess that transcended human understanding.

The beast’s thick flesh had turned into a giant target, and its mighty claws, sweeping through the air, threw off balance became a larger liability as its massive scale rendered it unwieldy and slow.

If one analyzed the situation coldly, they’d realize this vulnerability.

Nevertheless, viewing it simplistically as something easily conquerable applied only when the ‘overwhelming individual’ premise arose.

Now that Garfiel had transformed into a beast, securing this unlikely advantage was Otto’s biggest contribution to this fight.

“Keep going… we can win! With this, we can take down Garfiel…!”

Clenching his fists, Otto cheered upon glimpsing the light of victory.

It was as if Ram’s fist had assuredly smashed Garfiel’s face, sending it crashing into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust in a wild uproar.

And then—

“——–”

A stifled groan escaped Ram’s lips, blood gushing from her forehead as her body significantly swayed.

—

As the crimson vision enveloped her eyes, Ram desperately staved off the collapse of her body, forcing her legs to continue moving.

A sharp pain stabbed at her, rising from just above her forehead—the center of her head. That pain, lingering like a faded reminder of a white scar, made Ram curse her fate with a scoff.

In the background, Otto’s panic-stricken screams echoed, but she found it bothersome.

Ram alone realized how rapidly things had taken a turn for the worse. It wasn’t even Garfiel’s assault that landed on her; the guy had launched his attack carelessly with glaringly fatal openings, dodging it should have been a cinch. The noise from Otto was bothersome; she wanted to smack him.

“—Hmph.”

With a short breath, she kicked off the ground with her staggered feet.

In that moment, Garfiel’s claws gouged the earth where she had just stood. Clods of dirt flew upwards as Ram danced and spun, blood spraying from her wounds as she evaded expertly.

Time was running short, but she could still make it. Below her foot, the careless jaw of the beast loomed. She leapt, kicking it under the chin, and while it released a groan, Ram propelled herself backward but faltered upon touch down.

“—Ugh.”

“——–!”

In a breathless moment, Garfiel’s claw grazed Ram’s hair, severing a lock and colorful strands floated through the air.

That narrow escape was pure chance. Had she not slipped, her head would have burst open like a ripe fruit.

Experiencing the grip of impending death, a chill surged down her spine, but Ram couldn’t help but allow a small smile to break free.

The exhilaration of combat surged within her. The wound on her forehead throbbed, merging pleasure with pain as vibrant sensations coursed through her entire body.

A broken horn—her demonic proof. To unlock her body’s full potential, her horn needed to pull from mana all around. Without it, Ram was reduced to scarcely showing one-tenth of her actual prowess.

While excessively taxing her body would invite consequences, she had strayed far past that limit.

Despite maintaining her remarkable speed, evading Garfiel’s claws required unfaltering energy. She swung out of his frightening reach, but ruin loomed ever closer.

“—Garf, you’ve grown stronger.”

The words slipped from Ram’s mouth, bursting forth from deep within, betraying an emotion rarely revealed to others.

Odyssey himself, alongside Subaru, could hardly see this rare spark confined behind the walls in sight of someone she once held dear in her memories.

With soft resignation, she hurled her fist mercilessly into Garfiel’s face.

The sensation of his hard hide bouncing off her hand registered painfully; the effects of her hardened fist resonated back, confirming her bones fractured from the effort. It felt chemically exhilarating. She was fighting. She was alive. Excitement coursed through her veins as she prepared to deliver more punishment.

Her right fist crumbled, soaring in mid-air without weight. Ram tried to mold her left hand into a fist with limited success. Garfiel roared, splintered teeth indicative of its unquenchable rage. As the gale of wind blasted toward her, she met it head-on, thrusting her hand blade-like into the soft skin on Garfiel’s neck, tearing through and igniting the flow of crimson.

She reveled in blood splattering, her fingers clutching and peeling away flesh, the taste of iron tantalizing her sense of excitement even further.

With the useless right hand, she coiled her arm around Garfiel’s thick neck, but it felt impossible to latch on properly. The neck circumference dwarfed her arm. Evading the claws attempting to pry her away, she leaned into him with her full weight, crushing one of his fingers. A scream reverberated, tinged with bliss.

“B-buh, ah, ugh!”

Otto enjoyed dancing so much, yet he feared his fading consciousness. The warm blood from his wounds refused to stop, now even spilling down from his nose and mouth.

Having surpassed her limits, her body’s descent accelerated. Ram’s nerves synchronized poorly with her magic-influenced abilities, and her body lagged.

Even so, Ram was still able to evade Garfiel’s claws, darting away with alarming swiftness.

Yet, the decline’s grip was rapid, all heading toward a definite end.

“—Ugh.”

Inhalation and exhalation met a premature end as blood poured from her mouth.

Blood clots hit the ground with a muffled thud, feeling as if Ram’s vitality itself was completely drained.

Her shoulders sagging, knees buckling, she realized that now would be the moment Garfiel struck.

Once frail and badly injured, he turned infuriated, mindless with rage, directly targeting the girl whom he had previously restrained.

But Ram—

“Uwahhh!! Dorna!!”

With a shriek, she cast a spell, calling the earth to rise as a wall just in time—

The moment it crashed, Garfiel’s sharp limb became interrupted, the shield momentarily deflecting the force before crumbling into dust.

That fleeting moment granted Ram the chance to escape, but also sent her spiraling back, caught by the sheer force of her own magic.

—In the heat of battle, she realized this would not be the first time someone had launched her into the air.

While suspended in the air, Ram mused over the strange feeling that rushed over her. Hitting the ground breathlessly, she quickly glanced around.

In her place lay Otto, who had previously been trembling in the corner. He must have decided to leap in, sensing something was off about her demeanor.

However, it was clear that he wouldn’t have much to offer—

“———!!”

Garfiel seemed agitated that a feeble presence had crashed into their fight, howling a resonance that sent shockwaves through the surroundings.

He was about to bolt forward, pouncing to crush the pale young man.

Otto froze, knowing the moment he flinched he’d likely become another victim to the beast’s fury, forcing him into immediate motion.

“———!”

In a startling twist, Otto roared forth his own challenge, mimicking Garfiel’s monstrous call with his slight voice.

That was the power of the “Voice of Spirits” he had been told about—an innate ability that allowed him to communicate even with intelligent creatures like earth dragons and small animals, now unexpectedly applied to the raving Garfiel.

It was unclear how Garfiel interpreted Otto’s howl.

Likewise, it remained ambiguous what feelings surfaced within Otto as he echoed back Garfiel’s growl.

But the clash of roars created a brief opening before their claws could connect.

It was just enough time for Ram to realize Otto’s intentions for throwing her.

“———!!”

“—Ugh! My throat’s nearing its limit…!!”

With a bellow that felt like it was ripping his throat to shreds, Otto desperately stifled a cough.

Ending the back and forth, Garfiel raised its arm again, gunning for Otto as he panicked.

With conviction, Otto planted both hands firmly into the ground before yelling recklessly,

“El-Dona!!”

A thick earthen wall erupted before Otto’s stance, momentarily halting Garfiel’s strike before it shattered and sent a cloud of dust cascading around.

However, in that moment, Otto was thrown backward, and Garfiel plunged forward, demolishing the wall in his rage. Dust filled the air as Otto’s frame soared like a lightweight twig amidst the rampant branches into the thicket, flying without a moment of rest.

Whether he lived or died now rested solely on Otto’s resilience.

Ram refused to split her focus on Otto’s fate. She believed that dismissing his actions was the best tribute she could give him.

“Garf… transforming into that beast was a critical mistake on your part.”

She called out to the beast, now glaring down at her once more, ready to celebrate the chaos it was unleashing.

Exhaling the tension from her bloodstream, Ram began regaining her composure, wielding her staff with her remaining strength against Garfiel.

Mana began to warp and twist beside her.

“If Garf still had any shred of judgment left, he surely wouldn’t let this moment go.”

“———.”

In response, Garfiel frowned at Ram’s stance, skeptical yet undeterred.

However, the cataclysm was approaching, clearly unfazed by Ram’s presence.

Unable to comprehend the scene of “a white light standing defiantly,” Garfiel charged.

The rampaging beast had wrought significant destruction during the transformation, viewed by the gentle woodland inhabitants as an agent of chaos— as a villain—

“Ram won’t make the same blunders that man did.”

“——–!”

Caught in a sudden realization, Garfiel ducked, preparing to rush Ram once more.

Too slow.

“—Alfuura!”

Gathering the ire of the forest residents, the mana converged at the tip of Ram’s staff, erupting into a radiant blast.

—

And with that, the battle in the “Sanctuary” came to a close.

—

Otto thought he heard a beast’s roar, stopping to look back with disbelief.

“No way, could it be?…”

His instincts told him that was far too quick; just under twenty minutes had passed since parting ways with Subaru. He wondered if Otto had even gotten his dragon carriage underway yet and doubted anything could have progressed that far that quickly.

Convinced it must have been an auditory hallucination stemming from anxiety, he was left with a rather terrifying thought—how deeply his subconscious feared the prevailing circumstances.

“Trust, trust! Otto vowed to make the most of that time. If Garfiel ambushed him, he knew to say it was a ruse… And the Araham villagers, well, they wouldn’t have been informed of any pending threats, so they wouldn’t be targets.”

Otto theorized that Garfiel might believe Subaru had exposed the truths concerning the Ryuzu duplicates in their earlier conversation. Therefore Garfiel would want to eliminate anyone connected to that knowledge.

This was the same logic that led to a massacre of residents in a previous loop due to Subaru revealing information to one of their party members.

While trusting Garfiel’s conviction to not share that information was a gamble, something about Subaru’s ardent appeal felt capable enough to reach and connect with him.

The simple-minded Garfiel could be spurred into action if someone proffered simple logic without exposing too much thought into it.

“Otto claimed he had secured Ram’s cooperation. At the very least, unless he was entirely desperate, he shouldn’t need to raise his hand against her…”

As for Otto’s only variable, it would be if Ram provoked Garfiel excessively. Their shared history of tangled emotions could easily find its way into myriad unexpected scenarios.

But, Subaru reasoned, Ram’s joining their cause was contingent on Roswaal establishing a path in pursuit of survival even in a world that diverged from the gospel’s narrative. That should be enough to compel her alignment.

Assuredly, Otto’s instructions wouldn’t stray her from that path.

“I have faith, sister. No matter how unreliable Otto may seem, I’m sure they’ll listen.”

He clasped his hands together, offering up a fervent prayer for their well-being.

Unaware of the weighty decisions taking place beyond his vista as the two of them sought to breach life and death, Subaru concluded his prayers and revitalized his spirit.

“Well, time for me to fulfill my role as well.”

Puffing up his cheeks in determination, he gave his head a shake before confidently stepping forward.

The moment he set foot into the welcoming entrance with a yawning void before him, he immediately felt an overwhelming sensation of falling—internal organs momentarily lifting and twisting in discomfort coursed through him.

“Ugh…”

Shielding his mouth with his hand, Subaru forced down the instinct to retch as he advanced.

That nauseating floating sensation persisted. Each step agitated his gut even further. Blood seemed to reflux, and his eyes felt besieged by the thick air.

Under the pressure of a world that seemed determined to reject Natsuki Subaru in its entirety, he undertook deep breaths, bracing himself against a wall as his face paled and his feet stumbled forward.

“Why must you treat me so coldly…? I can feel hurt too, you know…”

Foreseeing this while emptying his stomach in advance only partially mitigated the turmoil.

Even so, he had to suppress it, opening his eyes and clawing through the darkness with all his might.

Finally—

“Oh, thank goodness—there you are.”

After what felt like an eternity pinched down into agonizing seconds, Subaru felt relief wash over him.

Directly ahead was a girl seated against a time-worn wall, muddy and dust-covered, with her knees hugged tightly, staring blankly in his direction.

“Subaru…?”

Even in a stutter, she called his name, and he felt triumph at that moment.

With that, he settled down next to the seated girl—

“Well then—let’s have a talk, Emilia-tan.”

And just like that, the conversation began, echoing the very exchange he never quite managed to have in their previous encounters.

 

---