“Fufufufu”

Right after Emilia placed her hand on her chest and declared.

The sound that rang out was an uncontrollable laugh. At first, it was a faint sound, like a breath being exhaled, but gradually it couldn’t be contained, growing louder and transforming into a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha! Ahahaha! Fufufu, ahahahaha!”

With his back turned, Regulus laughed uproariously as if hearing a delightful joke. He raked his fingers through his white hair, writhing with the impulse to laugh that couldn’t be shared with anyone.

In his conspicuous attitude, Subaru saw the correctness of Emilia’s speculation.

“What the hell is so funny!?”

“Of course it’s funny!? You guys should be laughing in hopelessness as if you’re truly trapped in a dead-end situation! You get what that means, right? That you’re going around strangling your own necks!”

“Guh…”

My throat felt choked.

Regulus’s counterargument was such a perfect truth in that moment that I had no grounds to retort.

Subaru glanced back at Emilia, questioning the correctness of her speculation.

However, Emilia shook her head in denial under Subaru’s desperate gaze.

“There’s no mistake. I’ve confirmed it with the minor spirits, and I can feel it myself. There’s something extra inside me that isn’t me. It’s super, super gross.”

Emilia’s declaration presented a desperate fact.

The effect of the “Lion’s Heart” had transferred to Emilia. This meant that to cut off the effect, it was necessary to stop the beating of Emilia’s heart.

“In the first place, why is Emilia’s heart… Did I misunderstand the effect of the ‘Little King’? That guy’s heart can be given to anyone she likes…”

If that were truly the case, Regulus’s powers would have no gaps. If Regulus could entrust his heart to a complete stranger, there would be no way to kill Regulus as long as humanity was alive.

No, perhaps if it could be substituted by any creature with a heart…

“Shameless.”

“The howls of defeated dogs feel good. Hahaha, say whatever you like. You guys have the right of a loser to whine as much as you want. Hearing it, while feeling superior, is my right as the victor… Ah, not bad! Really not bad!”

“You said I’m not worthy of being your wife, didn’t you?”

“Shut up. Blabbering on about rights. More importantly, how will you take responsibility for killing my wives? How many years do you think it took to gather my ideal brides? Are you trying to make me a pathetic widower without a single wife or lover at my age? You have the duty to serve as a temporary until I find new wives!”

Regulus wielded twisted reasoning and contempt towards Emilia.

The rationale of the madman confirming his belief seemed to affirm the presence of himself residing in Emilia’s heart. If that was the case, the possibility of moving to somewhere other than Emilia’s heart was…

“Wanna try? To see if there’s another place the heart can move.”

“――――”

“It’s easy to test. Just kill the girl right in front of you. If you stop her breathing, it will naturally reveal whether my ability comes to a dead end. It’s super simple and very reasonable… Ahaha! No way you could do that, huh? Doing that would make pointless the very meaning and justification of why you challenged me in the first place!?”

Annoyingly, Regulus was right.

Subaru lacked the courage to sacrifice Emilia.

He might be seen as egotistical, even called selfish, but that was something he couldn’t do.

To defeat Regulus, his brides had sacrificed their lives.

While he could resolve to view such sacrifices as necessary, he couldn’t put Emilia or the lives of his other allies on the line.

Natsuki Subaru’s choices always leaned heavily towards his own interests.

“See? He’s really unable to do it. So, how about you do it yourself? It’s simple. Just do the same thing you did to the other brides. Or can’t you? You can selfishly take someone’s life, but you can’t bear to sacrifice your own? Amazing, it’s disgusting!”

“――Subaru.”

“Wait, no. Seriously, don’t do that.”

At Regulus’s provocation, Emilia called Subaru with a voice filled with some sort of resolution. The harshness in her tone startled Subaru, making him stop Emilia.

She wasn’t goaded into a frenzy or acting recklessly.

But if Emilia had no means to win, she was prepared to choose the worst option.

And Subaru only had the will not to let her choose that. That would mean losing.

Calling Emilia’s name, he couldn’t say anything to stop her.

“Hey, can I end this soon? I’m not really into parading around with a nasty woman like you, but for now I’ll compromise. Just until I find the next bride. I’ll kill that boy over there. That’s how much you’ve infringed on my rights… Ah, by the way, isn’t it hilarious?”

In front of Subaru, who was grinding his teeth, Regulus grinned cheerfully.

Manna swirled around Emilia, and her decision was about to be executed. Meanwhile, Regulus chuckled, as if it didn’t concern him at all.

“You’re that person who loudly proclaimed various things throughout the city before the wedding, right? You killed a Sin Archbishop… What a laugh! Thinking you could win against me just because you killed someone that worthless, how unfortunate for you. That guy was useless from the moment he became a Sin Archbishop; he couldn’t do anything satisfactorily.”

Regulus laughed boisterously. The madman he referred to was undoubtedly the abhorrent man, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, even to Subaru.

Petelgeuse was an irredeemable fanatic with no room for objection. He could never hold any fondness for that madman; he was simply a being that deserved to die, filled with resentment to the marrow of his bones.

Still, to see the Sin Archbishop, who should be family, being mocked by Petelgeuse caused Subaru a primitive level of discomfort in his heart.

The potential to defeat Regulus, intertwined with Emilia’s life and death, made it all the more acute.

In the first place, Petelgeuse…

“――Ah.”

As the loathsome man’s bloodstained crazed smile echoed in his mind, Subaru raised his face. He clutched his own chest in anguish and gasped.

Could that even be possible?

“Can I do it…?”

I don’t know.

To put it strictly, the possibility that flickered through Subaru’s mind wasn’t guaranteed by anyone; it was a theoretical concept at best—no, it was closer to Subaru’s delusions. It was his personal contemplation.

However, that’s precisely why. That’s precisely why only Subaru could speculate such possibilities.

Inspiration came at the last moment, foundations were instinctual, whether or not it would succeed, even the gods cannot know—yet,

“Emilia.”

“――――”

Feeling the tangible increasing influence of mana on his skin, Subaru called out to her.

Emilia stood silent, her determination reflecting a tragic image. But behind her eyes, an unexpected emotion flickered—an expectation and trust directed towards Subaru.

Bolstered by that feeling, Subaru asked.

“Emilia.”

“Yeah.”

“――Can you trust me and leave everything to me?”

“Yeah.”

Without hesitation, the answer was simple and unyielding.

Emilia placed her hand on her chest and, for the first time since coming back, moved her cheek and smiled.

“I believe that you will do it, Subaru.”

Ah, damn it, how completely unfair.

With a girl he liked placing such absolute trust in him, he could never afford to fail.

Clinging on, gnashing his teeth, he had to succeed.

Subaru took a deep breath and exhaled.

Then, he glanced over at Regulus, who was silently watching. Regulus was standing with his arms crossed, seemingly waiting with indifference.

“You seem relaxed?”

“I am relaxed, right?”

There wasn’t even a hint of losing.

Regulus had revealed all his setups and completely sealed them off. In reality, Regulus’s ability, “Lion’s Heart,” was perfect. Even if they deciphered the mechanics, it was beyond what they had anticipated to grasp victory from a distance like this.

But because he was so confident of his immediate victory, he watched Subaru’s side, not understanding the efforts they would undertake.

Not knowing what would happen either. And so was Subaru.

“――――”

If Beatrice were here, there might have been a different way. If that clever girl were by his side, she might have offered proposals with a higher probability of success.

There existed a connection deep within his heart, a bond with the girl who was his partner. Surely, after everything was settled, he would get scolded magnificently, and he would have to scold her back.

So now, thinking back to how he had been alone, he recalled this memory remaining in his chest—a memory that was never joyful, evoking primordial fears and painful scenes.

“Subaru.”

“――――”

“Go for it.”

Emilia’s call became the push of his resolve.

Subaru roughly grabbed at his chest, concentrating on the swirling, dark power within him that felt nothing like his own, releasing it――.

At this moment, let’s change how we refer to it.

Whatever would happen, even the madman being scorned would understand; just for now.

This power comes from the loathsome madman I inherited it from.

“Come forth… InviZible Providence―!!”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

— Invisible Providence. Or “The Invisible Hand.”

Subaru defines the swirling power within him as the power of the witch born from the Witch Factor. The Witch Factor inherited from Petelgeuse when he killed that madman—what demerits it carries is unknown. However, the power that granted Subaru an invisible magical hand undoubtedly came from there.

For this reason, until now, Subaru has sought the origin of his powers nowhere else.

The ability is similar to the madman, developed because of the “Sloth” Witch Factor inherited. It must be so.

He didn’t even want to consider that there existed a possibility of Petelgeuse residing within him.

— But then, what is this feeling?

Swirling, stirring, the voiceless acclaim of something celebrated echoes within Subaru.

Applause for having been summoned. Applause for regaining strength. Applause for being sought after, applause for being able to fulfill. And, a joy that defies explanation.

This sense of elation and excitement accompanying the release of power, and the feeling of gratitude.

This turbulent wave of incomprehensible emotion cannot be dealt with merely as Subaru’s personal problem――.

“Huh!?”

Subaru’s loudly shouted voice astonished Regulus, jaw set in shock.

There’s no way he could see this. This was a hand that couldn’t be seen.

A poison hand capable of invisibility and certain death—Regulus’s derision labeled it a diluted, worthless power.

Just a single instance, with an extremely short range, the possibilities were unknown.

As a key to this situation, it was severely lacking in capability.

“――――”

The first stage, the activation of the magical hand, was completed. Now the unknown second stage and the final third stage were about to unfold.

Subaru willed his fingers to move, pouring his wishes into the shadowy woven hand.

“Emilia!”

Once again, he questioned the correctness of her resolve. Seeking assurance for himself.

At that call, Emilia closed her eyes, and then nodded as if she understood.

“What’s the deal… You were right there, Juice.”

Showing comprehension and affection, Emilia directed that gaze at him, opening her arms wide.

As if she could interpret Subaru’s intentions, she revealed the shortest distance to her heart. Without hesitation, Subaru passed through there with his magical hand.

“――――”

The invisible hand slid toward the center of Emilia’s chest. When the fingertips slipped through her white skin, Emilia slightly twitched her shoulders, as if she sensed something.

But the hand did not stop. It passed through her sternum, traversed between her lungs, and reached the source of her heartbeat.

— The magical hand had reached Emilia’s heart.

The second stage was established.

When the taboo was touched, the witch’s hand pierced through Subaru’s body and inflicted pain upon the heart. That was an application of the action. Whether the invisible hand and the witch’s magical hand were of the same nature was merely a gamble.

Yet, this bet had passed. The problem was the last step, a force without any grounds.

Just crushing Emilia’s heart could probably be done at this instant. But that held no meaning. That was not the kind of power it was meant for.

Then, what was this power for? — Now, at this very moment, it was power for saving.

“――――”

Can it be done? In the split-second world, Subaru held his breath.

Could the invisible hand save someone? How many lives had been taken by this force under the madman, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti?

They say power depends on how it is used, yet power that is limited in its use tends often to be merely power for destruction. Wasn’t the invisible hand just that?

It was hard to believe that this force was born to sustain someone.

“Subaru.”

In a fleeting moment of hesitation and double-checking, he heard Emilia’s voice that shouldn’t be audible.

“It’s okay. — I trust the two of you.”

Who are the two?

Subaru and another Subaru she didn’t know, Emilia’s trust was directed towards them.

It was believed so simply.

— This hand surely wouldn’t harm Emilia.

“Ohhh! Let my third hand roar!!”

The unfathomable doubts about the force within him were dispelled.

It no longer mattered where the origin of this power lay. This power was now in Subaru’s hands, with no intention of harming Emilia, and perhaps the power itself had something to it.

The woven shadowy magical hand closed its fingers over Emilia’s heart.

The palm of fingers crossed over Emilia’s heartbeat, making her gasp ever so slightly, as if this feeling scratched her sweetly. A touch that was more ticklish than painful.

Within Emilia, the magic hand clearly grasped something other than the pulsation of life.

The “small lion’s heart” that had become inappropriately overbearing.

“Gotcha――!”

There was no luxury of a leisurely withdrawal.

With the heartbeat inside Emilia continuing stubbornly, Subaru’s magical hand squeezed it.

Without marking her heart a scratch, it crushed the organ that had loved and thrived.

In that nonexistent third hand, Subaru felt a certain sensation. And,

“Bwah!”

A concentration unprecedented and a penalty inflicted from using a force that was not his own.

A pain as if his insides were torn, and a sense of loss while being defiled rushed through him, causing Subaru to drop to his knees. He coughed heavily, blood filling his mouth.

“Subaru!”

Emilia reached out to Subaru, who knelt on the ground soaked in water, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Grabbing the hand that stretched to him, Subaru brought it to his cheek.

“Ah…”

“You’re alive, right?”

“…Yeah, I’m okay. My heart, it’s still beating inside me.”

Feeling the warmth of the blood in her hand, Subaru confirmed it and so did Emilia, checking her own pulse with her empty hand. It was definitely pounding, celebrating the fact it still existed here.

And only Regulus watched their intimate moment with a grimace on his face, beyond understanding it.

“Huh? What the heck, what’s going on? You two just understand each other, leaving me behind? What kind of cheap drama is this? What on earth is happening to you…?”

“…Are you really that oblivious?”

“Huh? What are you saying? Not a single thing has changed…”

“Look under your feet.”

“――?”

As Regulus prepared to throw a tantrum, Subaru pointed out the wetness beneath him. Regulus, eyeing curiously down at his feet, fell silent and opened his eyes wide.

His white tuxedo—its shoes and hem were soaked in the water below his feet.

“You guys—what!?”

Spotting the change too late, Regulus bared his fangs and lifted his arm. Just then, a long white leg shot forward, kicking him hard across the face.

Regulus, unprepared, was struck directly, letting out a grunt before being slammed into the waterlogged ground. Half of his body was soaked even more, and a shoe print was left on the cheek that had been kicked.

“Guh, buh… what, what is… this…”

Incredulity etched on his face, Regulus looked up dumbfounded. Glancing down at him, Emilia, who delivered that beautiful kick, tilted her head.

“I did it. Finally hit you.”

“Y-you…!”

In response to Emilia’s brief satisfied declaration, Regulus flushed with rage. Gathering water with the vigor of getting up, he flung sprays of it towards Emilia.

However, perhaps thanks to the ache from the kick, he lost his balance, and the water bullets missed widely, leaving his unguarded torso.

“Ice Brand Arts!”

“Guh!”

An ice hammer formed in Emilia’s hands smashed directly into Regulus’s midsection.

As if crunching down to the bone, the brutal swing sent the madman rolling into the water. Gasping, he struck the ground repeatedly, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Subaru and the others.

“Why! Why, why, why, why! How can you lot, how can you do this, how can you even have the Greed capabilities? My rights!?”

“If after seeing all that you still don’t understand, explaining to you would be a waste of time. Well, it’s simple.”

Looking pityingly at Regulus as he wailed, Subaru bit back the screams of his insides and grinned.

A grin just as malicious as Petelgeuse’s.

“While you messed around, your enemies made a comeback.”

“――!”

Even if he didn’t understand the meaning of the words, the intent of derision was abundantly clear.

Regulus screamed silently, aiming to launch an attack on Subaru while ignoring Emilia. But Emilia was quicker to act.

“The initial attacks from the brides—those must’ve been ineffective, so make sure to hit properly.”

“Don’t you dare mess with me!”

Over Regulus’s head, an enormous number of ice pillars emerged.

Each one varied in size, but if they all struck, there was no way to escape death. Emilia’s animosity towards Regulus reached a level that transformed even her normally gentle self into someone unforgiving.

Springing back up, Regulus lashed out, splashing water upon the raining ice pillars. As the ice shattered, the smaller pieces didn’t mean they had finished their duty.

The storm of ice bullets continued to descend, while Regulus endured them, shrieking incomprehensible curses while running through the water.

White ice crystals generated thick mist, freezing the waterlogged streets. Subaru, too, knee-deep in the puddles, was alarmed as ice encased his surroundings.

Even being considerate toward Subaru, the calamity surrounding him was small compared to the torment inflicted upon Regulus.

But,

“…Is he unharmed?”

After the storm of ice stopped, the frozen scenery revealed Regulus still on his feet.

With his hands on his knees, panting heavily, soaked yet somehow, he had miraculously evaded the expected end.

“S—hiss, s—ah, ha…”

Breathing heavily, Regulus clawed at his chest.

Seeing that, Subaru understood. The invincibility effect of “Lion’s Heart” remained usable as long as the heart resided within him. However,

“In order to become invincible, if you halt your own heart, you must cease your heart inside too— So that’s it, a complete time-limited invincibility is it?”

“Guh!”

Struck at the core, Regulus simmered in pain, clutching his chest, his expression one of furious rage. If there’s a time limit, then if Emilia bombarded him with enough volume, eventually, she should get some hits in.

Once that occurred, Regulus would become just another average fighter with all his power focused on attack.

“H—hey…! Do you think it’s unfair?!”

While analyzing the power ratios between them, Regulus jabbed a finger at Subaru. Regulus pointed his finger at Emilia too, glaring back and forth between them,

“A two-on-one like this is torturing a single person; doesn’t that hurt your conscience? Wouldn’t it be irresistible? That’s something you should be questioning for sure!”

“…You’re seriously incredible.”

When he had the upper hand due to “Lion’s Heart,” he spoke without restraint, but once that effect faded, he sought legitimacy for his side based on disadvantages.

Subaru was beyond astonished and instead felt a kind of respect. A being without any charm or humanity like this was unlikely to appear before or after.

“So, what? You’re saying it’s unfair to be two against one? That we should have an honest one-on-one duel? That’s how a fight should be, is that it?”

“Exactly! It’s just stating the obvious! Who do you think I am!? I’m the Archbishop of Sin, entrusted with ‘Greed’—Regulus Corneas! I’m the most fulfilled, unyielding being in this world…!”

He trembled as he spoke, glancing down at his own hands.

Subaru could only stare at him, speechless. So instead, Emilia voiced it for him.

“You say things that change in a heartbeat; your discussions are empty. I think you’re the saddest person in the world.”

“――! How dare you mock me! I’ll make you regret belittling me and ‘Greed’!”

Regulus couldn’t even muster enough fury to match his contempt, repeatedly throwing foul words.

While watching this insufferable display, Subaru felt a sense of relief. Regulus genuinely knew nothing but defeating at a supremely advantageous position.

Even for a short period of time, as long as he could still use “Lion’s Heart,” there are countless paths to victory.

Yet, merely glancing at a tough situation, he tossed aside the battle without examining the board thoroughly.

“When you take life easy, you sometimes trip unexpectedly.”

“Huh…?”

“Just talking to myself. Besides, I’d be willing to accept a one-on-one duel.”

“――! That’s right. That’s how it should be. Of course, a knight wouldn’t let his own master stand in front, would he?”

Clinging to convenient stories, Regulus sought to leverage even more favorable conditions.

The combat power comparisons between Subaru and Emilia were already clear. If Subaru was killed first, it might induce confusion in Emilia that would allow Regulus to see a chance of winning. With a bent mind, he showcased unnecessary cowardice.

However, if he thought to outdo Subaru with such a small-minded approach, he was vastly mistaken.

Finding routes to victory on a pinned board was Subaru’s way of fighting.

The attitudes towards the battle were completely opposing between Regulus and Subaru.

“You’re right. It’s the knight’s duty to fight.”

“Then…”

“So― it’s probably going to be a repeat, but I’m leaving the end to you.”

With his feet still soaked in the puddle, Subaru exhaled.

Regulus tilted his head, confused by Subaru’s words. But that wasn’t directed at him—it was directed at ‘him.’

“Ah, got it. — I’ll accept the challenges of a one-on-one duel.”

The one who responded was Flame.

On the streets drenched in water, a young man walked without splashing waves. With the blessings bestowed by the heavens, distinct from the hollow mystique of Regulus.

“I am Reinhardt Van Astraea, member of the Royal Knight Order of the Lugnica Kingdom—the ‘Sword Saint.’”

Before Subaru and Emilia, the knight declared, pointing a sheathed sword at Regulus. Both sides presented themselves, wishing for an honorably fair duel.

The recognized righteousness of dueling was evident; even Elsa, the “Intestine Hunter,” would comply.

In contrast, Regulus got up and thrust both hands forward.

“W—wait! This is, this is absurd!?”

The ‘Sword Saint’ would show no mercy to someone who stained the sanctity of a duel, denying the warrior’s code.

A slash shot upwards from beneath Regulus, cutting his body vertically in half—Regulus was sent soaring into the air without even a scream.

“――――!”

Looking down upon the water-ridden city he had destroyed—the entire view.

A voice that was neither a scream nor a curse resounded as it echoed away.