Subaru felt his heart freeze at the call of the cold voice.

“――――”

Standing at the entrance, Ram gazed quietly at Subaru with the faintly pink eyes that harbored freezing flames.

There was a warmth that easily betrayed the impression of her iron will, which seldom showed emotions, a heat stemming from their brief interaction.

“Wha…”

“Why are you so flustered?” Ram questioned. “It’s your job to answer, Balus… no, you.”

“I-I am just…”

“Just what?”

Subaru’s mind raced, forcing him to come up with an excuse on the spot.

He somehow managed to move his tongue, prodding his sluggish brain, and knew he had to navigate this situation with divine articulation.

However, he was struck by an unforeseen circumstance and was still struggling to process the bewilderment from the earlier incident—Meily’s corpse had vanished.

He hadn’t prepared any words to escape with, nor was he composed enough to calmly take in the scene before him.

All Subaru could do was clumsily open and close his mouth, desperately trying not to blurt out something foolish.

That very attitude stood as a testament to the suspicion surrounding Subaru’s actions, speaking louder than words.

“――――”

Ram narrowed her eyes at Subaru’s silence. The already frigid gaze, thought to be absolute zero, dropped even further, creating the illusion of being exposed to a sharp, piercing blizzard.

Trembling knees, desperately suppressed, as Subaru slowly realized the belated understanding.

—He had been set up, hadn’t he?

The discussion about Meily’s missing corpse earlier at dinner had been a bluff.

Reporting that no body had been found allowed Subaru to escape the opportunity for reprimand, and he felt a surge of relief.

Despite frantic searches proving fruitless, the girls’ corpse had been inadequately concealed. The absurdity of it all was undeniable, yet Subaru comforted himself by accepting the convenient truth that his bad luck had prevailed.

The result was this pitiful scene.

Subaru had seen it numerous times in the multitude of TV shows.

A killer with a perfect plan returns to the scene of the crime only to slip up in front of the detective and police at a crucial moment. By exposing the unmovable evidence against themselves, they unmask the crime in a comedic twist.

Deep down, Subaru had thought he’d never be foolish enough to fall for such a trap.

Most viewers of crime dramas find the foolishness of the villain—who stumbles at the crucial moment—as something humorous.

Yet, to face the shocking reality that he had performed similarly—or worse than that—was devastating.

“――Fake”

The calm whisper from Ram hit Subaru hard, crushing him beneath the weight of his own inadequacies.

In just one word, it felt like a barrage had stripped away the fragile defenses surrounding his heart. His complexion turned pale, and his lips trembled as Ram exhaled softly.

“You have no rebuttal to that. This means you are aware of your poor performance. Your research for the character you are playing lacks depth. There’s a limit to ignorance, after all.”

With clear disdain, Ram laid bare the reasons why she suspected Subaru.

Being called a fake, being told he was inadequate in his performance, the lack of understanding regarding “Natsuki Subaru”—each word shattered Subaru, leaving him speechless, even to the point of feeling a trickle of blood from his split heart.

Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake—.

The fake “Natsuki Subaru.”

That thought began to fester within Subaru’s gut, coalescing thick and ugly sludge.

The horrible muck filled his body, and as its weight halted his trembling knees, a fiery heat kindled in his eyes, igniting a powder keg of dark emotions.

To some, this could be called hostility, malice, ill will—or perhaps even murderous intent.

“Even someone with a modicum of composure wouldn’t be able to overlook such unnaturalness. Unless it’s someone like Julius or Anastasia… or Echidna.”

“…You’re spouting whatever you want since you got to listen quietly.”

“――――”

“Calling me a fake, that’s pushing it way too far. Who the hell do you think you are?”

“A baseless claim, huh?”

In response to Ram’s unyielding sharpness, Subaru attempted to counter despite the sting.

Indeed, her claims were completely valid. While he couldn’t refute the harsh description of him as a “failure,” the truth was there existed an insurmountable divide between himself and “Natsuki Subaru.”

However, he could not acknowledge it. If he did, he would have no escape.

There was no stopping now. He couldn’t give up halfway through—,

“That’s just a baseless accusation. My ears are itching, I can’t listen to this anymore.”

Shrugging, grimacing, glaring at Ram, Subaru exclaimed.

He was acutely aware that the absurdity he felt was no more than a façade he was putting on, presenting it as the ultimate truth of the world.

“First of all, what’s it to you if I was out wandering in the middle of the night? I just wanted to think a bit; I was taking a stroll at an hour when no one was around. After all, I couldn’t even feel your sister… Rem’s breathing, nor Patrasche’s presence, and I just took my time…”

“You’re saying no one saw you? And thought nothing of it?”

Ram’s quiet inquiry cut through Subaru’s rapid-fire retorts, as she pressed on.

Her words were brief, yet sharp as a dagger, delving right to the core.

“――――”

Subaru held his breath, striving to unravel the true meaning behind her question.

Seeing, being seen, going unnoticed, and what it meant to be unseen.

—What exactly did Ram mean when she talked about “seeing”? What did it entail?

Was it Meily’s corpse? Or perhaps Meily herself before she became a corpse? Or the misdeed Subaru committed in hiding her corpse? Or—

“Even if you think nothing was seen by anyone, the Earth Dragon has been observing your suspicious behavior meticulously. And Ram has also been watching it.”

Ram placed a finger to her lips, giving an inappropriate sign before Subaru.

“…What are you talking about?”

Subaru could only respond with confounded words, unable to fathom the significance of her actions.

He did recall that gesture vividly, the very one he himself had shown to Patrasche before exiting the spirit room.

Why was it now resonating in sync with Ram at this very moment? The meaning remained unclear—

“Your ignorance has reached its peak, you ‘failure’—”

Ram’s words, hiding no trace of disappointment, were a final ultimatum to Subaru.

“――――”

Up until now, Ram had maintained a chilling yet conversational demeanor, yet now, the will to converse with Subaru dissipated completely.

In the instant he saw the color of her twin irises, Subaru concluded that defending himself held no value.

No matter what Subaru said to plead his case, Ram was no longer in a position to listen.

That left Subaru with the only option: to break through this situation by force.

—In that moment, somewhat hastily, Subaru began contemplating ways to kill Ram in his mind.

“――――”

The thought of murder elicited no sense of resistance any longer.

After all, he had already taken one life. The difference between one or two didn’t seem significant. More importantly, “I” had the experience of taking many lives in the past.

From here on out, there would be no issue with executing the “Book of the Dead” plan.

‘—About that lady, though.’

As numerous options rattled around his mind, the echoing thought left his mind as the image of a girl’s phantom, who had maintained silence up until now, intruded.

Although her form was invisible, her presence felt so close that it seemed she was hugging Subaru from behind, whispering temptations in his ear.

The content of that sweet whisper was—

‘—It must be that you’re in poor condition. Your left side’s unbalanced.’

The dulcet whisper brought forth the resolute yet brutally intense weakness of a girl—essentially, instructions on how to kill her.

Lacking in physique, deficient in strength, and inexperienced in killing.

But with the knowledge “I” gained from living alongside the pitch-black slaughterer, killing a woman would be a breeze.

‘Just step in from her left side and slam her head against the wall. That alone will suffice.’

Considering the disparity in stamina, “I” offered a fitting piece of advice.

Just by following that, the girl’s skull would crack, and crimson flowers would bloom on the stone wall.

Brilliant, glaring red flowers befitting the cute, delicate girl—

“――っ”

Without a signal or a cue, Subaru lunged forward, synchronized with Ram’s blink.

Receiving the phantom’s applause in his ears, he stepped toward the slightly stiffened Ram, blocking any hesitation.

He would shove her body against the wall—

“Resorting to violence when words fail you. How primitive and boring.”

In that brief instant of conflict, just before Subaru’s arm reached Ram, her lips twisted into words.

Their gazes locked, and Subaru gasped at the chilling coldness in Ram’s eyes.

“—Did you think a fragile Ram would face off against such a brutish man all alone?”

Ram’s words were not so much mocking as they were sympathetic, and the sound of the air breaking around them overlapped.

It was not an auditory illusion; moisture in the atmosphere condensed swiftly, forcefully transitioning from gas to solid.

“Wha…?”

That sound rang out from beneath Subaru’s feet as white, frigid spikes burst from the ground, violently halting his advance, accompanied by pain.

“W-What the… ice…!?”

Rebounded by the cold, harsh impact, Subaru found himself unable to believe his own eyes.

Yet, that was just the beginning. The icy spikes didn’t stop at just one underfoot. They continued shooting up sequentially, transforming into an ice cage surrounding Subaru.

“No way… this is—magic…!?”

Within just a second, during a blink, the ice cage had formed, trapping Subaru immobile.

Grabbing hold of the ice bars and shaking them to break free, he was astonished at the barriers’ strength. They didn’t budge at all. Regardless of how hard he kicked or punched, he felt no confidence in breaking them.

And as he found himself entrapped in the icy prison—

“—I wish all of this had been a misunderstanding on Ram’s part.”

From behind Ram emerged Emilia, gazing at him with her sorrowful, deep purple eyes.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Naturally, given the scenario, Subaru was left dumbfounded, a trapped creature in the cage.

“――――”

The comradeship between Ram and Emilia was self-evident.

Unlike Subaru, they had the option of cooperating. Their circumstances stood in stark contrast to his forced isolation.

From the very start, there was no room for considering facing off against a dangerous individual all by himself.

Ultimately, Subaru had always been dancing on the palm of their hands.

“In this situation, you can’t even pretend to be frivolous or make unfounded claims. As an actor, you’re not just second-rate, you’re beyond that.”

Ram looked directly at Subaru within the cage, wrapping her arms around herself as she spat this out.

Ever since her initial appearance, her position had not budged an inch. If anything, she hadn’t even needed to shift her posture.

This only served to underscore the difference in caliber between Subaru and her as performers.

“With such acting, one would be hard-pressed to deceive anyone other than someone with an abundance of composure. Considering that, it’s clear who among us is the most mentally resilient.”

“Is that your way of complimenting me? Thanks.”

“…You’re welcome.”

Stepping forward alongside a slightly annoyed Ram was Emilia, her silver hair dancing as she moved.

Judging by Ram’s demeanor and dialogue, the ice cage must have been crafted by Emilia, meaning it was a type of magic she could use.

Had it been under different circumstances, Subaru could have marveled at the ethereal beauty of Emilia’s ice magic, finding it well-suited to her enigmatic allure.

However, now, being ensnared within the ice prison, he understood precisely how powerful and overwhelmingly oppressive this disadvantage was.

The execution difficulty for the “Book of the Dead” plan had drastically shifted due to this development.

Yet, more pressing was—

“—Subaru, what were you trying to do at this hour? You were supposed to rest in your room.”

“That’s…”

Emilia, with concern knitted in her brows, now questioned Subaru’s intentions at this juncture.

The sincerity in her expressive eyes resonated with genuine worry; however, given the situation, she boasted an ignorance that danced dangerously on the edge of folly. She mistakenly believed there to be logical reasoning behind everything.

Subaru, too, had his reasons.

Explanations existed for how things had come to this. Yet, who would believe him if he began to tell a story that felt as insubstantial as grasping at clouds?

“Lady Emilia, it’s pointless to ask. I don’t believe he will provide a clear answer to any of our questions, nor is it suitable to treat him as Balus.”

“But Subaru is Subaru. You know that too, don’t you, Ram?”

“He’s merely a poorly made imitation that looks similar… that’s how Ram evaluates him.”

Apparently playing the role of Subaru’s ally, Ram chastised Emilia’s outlook.

It was quite likely Ram had suggested watching Subaru closely when she became suspicious of him; Emilia probably held back, poised to take action should the need arise.

This meant that in Ram’s mind, a response to the “Natsuki Subaru” who was no longer himself had already been reached.

All that was left was to undergo a painful confirmation process.

“Thanks to Lady Emilia, we managed to restrain him without incident. If he suffers a bit, would he become more inclined to share what we want to know?”

“You’re going to torture him…? I’ve heard that’s not only sadistic but requires advanced knowledge, you know.”

“If necessary, I’ll do it. While I dislike harming others… I’m good at it.”

Confined to a space no larger than a tatami mat, Ram showed no mercy as Subaru tried to appear defiant.

While her delicate, white fingers appeared slender, the assertion that “she was good at hurting” struck Subaru with unsettling persuasion.

Should he do nothing and fail to find a means to counterattack, he would end up exposing nothing but his own pathetic and miserable state.

“—Wait. You should not harm him. I won’t allow that.”

Yet, it was Emilia—who stood behind the ice prison—who stopped Ram from carrying out the drastic conclusion.

Shielding Subaru’s cage with her own body, she faced Ram straight on.

“…Didn’t Lady Emilia agree with Ram?”

“I had concerns about Subaru’s behavior, so I wanted to hear what he had to say. I thought there might be a chance for this to happen… That’s why I felt it would be necessary for me to be here.”

“I requested Lady Beatrice to deal with Julius and the others specifically because I didn’t want this sort of situation. Lady Emilia, you shouldn’t be so naive… You’ve underestimated the severity.”

Ram’s frustration was unfettered as she pointed back at Subaru.

“Listen carefully. It’s abundantly clear that something is missing from the original Balus. I heard the tales from the Watergate City… Pristella. A certain Archbishop of Sin had been capable of concealing their identity it seems.”

“…Yes. That’s the reason we came here—there are individuals changed by that Archbishop whom we need to return to their original forms.”

“Then, is there a possibility that that Archbishop has disguised themselves as one of us?”

“――――”

“Even if it’s not the Archbishop itself, if they can freely alter their appearance, we cannot rely on looks. If their usual behavior and our interactions contrast so heavily…”

Ram responded to Emilia’s emotionally driven arguments, containing her fury while detailing her logical reasoning.

Honestly, to Subaru, it felt like a baseless accusation thrust forth. Yet, he had no items to work with to deny it.

More than that, Subaru—no, “I” harbored distaste for the topic at hand.

“――っ”

Flashbacks of white memories surged.

These were not Natsuki Subaru’s memories, but fragments of memory glimpsed within the “Book of the Dead”—memories of when “I” had once been “I.”

—The treatment meted out to “me,” which was so-called training.

Countless fears were drilled into him, but the most terrifying was the moment his own body was transformed into countless “frogs.”

Only one consciousness remained in a singular form, yet countless fragmented versions of himself jumped freely elsewhere.

The fear of losing the ability to return and the feeling of forgetting the original self brought a crashing value to his existence. The moment he reverted, he found himself heartfeltly thanking “Mother.”

In tandem, he etched in his soul that he must never go against orders.

“――ぅ”

That terror struck directly and at once, flooding Subaru’s vision in a pulsating haze.

His appearance and form were intrinsically linked to his core identity. To have that manipulated and mishandled freely was an affront to that existence.

It was one of the utmost detestable actions—

“That’s a bit extreme, Ram! Talking in such a way as if you were going to box them in from above!”

“Do you assert there is no possibility of that? Right in front of that man behind you…”

Experiencing a stomach-churning sensation, Subaru, left to his thoughts, was engulfed in the argument between Emilia and Ram.

However, Ram’s assertion resembled a “proof of a devil.” She could prove the existence of something, but proving the nonexistence of something was impossible for anyone.

The truth that Natsuki Subaru was not the “Natsuki Subaru” they desired.

To explain that logic, the power to change appearances would serve well; it was straightforward—

Yet concurrently, it was an unbearable truth for Subaru at that very moment.

Overwhelmed by the swirling emotions clashing within him, Subaru writhed in agony—

“We need to make him talk right away! We need to hear about the real Balus and where Meily is!”

“—Huh?”

With a tone striking like a bolt from the blue, Ram’s appeal ensnared Subaru’s attention.

It was a sudden, unexpected utterance that ruptured their ongoing argument.

“――――”

Lifting his head, Subaru laid eyes on Ram and Emilia, engaged in a heated exchange. While he couldn’t see Emilia’s expression from behind, Ram’s face was clearly visible.

In her furious eyes, he felt no indication that she intended to ensnare Subaru with deceit here. At the very least, her current remark was sincere.

This meant that Meily’s corpse had not been discovered by Ram and Emilia.

Those who were lurking to cast suspicion on Subaru were solely the suspicious actions of “Natsuki Subaru,” who had fallen short of performing convincingly.

Thus, the reason behind the somewhat disparate questioning by Ram became clear to Subaru. However, concurrently, another mystery clouded his thoughts.

If it wasn’t Ram or Emilia, then who had moved Meily’s corpse?

Neither Subaru nor Ram were involved—some other scheme was in play—

“Real or fake, you shouldn’t just assume! Because the Subaru here is…”

“—I have amnesia!!”

“Huh…?”

Grasping onto the ice bars, Subaru shouted, interrupting the argument between the two.

Hearing his scream, Ram’s eyes widened, her expression turning to one of genuine surprise at this unprecedented blow.

Should this have merely been a ruse to safeguard his effort to confuse her? It would have been an overwhelming success. But this was different; it came from the very core of Subaru.

“――ッ”

After shouting, Subaru himself couldn’t fathom why he had said that exactly at this moment.

Throughout this loop, he had concealed his memory loss, aiming to convey he was just the same “Natsuki Subaru” he had been before. Staying true to his efforts, he had not found himself facing death during this cycle.

Yet despite that, another astonishing predicament ensnared him, catching him off guard as it pursued him like a relentless shadow.

It was true; hiding his memory loss had twisted the fabric of social interaction throughout this cycle.

But even so, what good would revealing such a truth do now?

“At this critical moment, what nonsense are you spewing…!”

As soon as his long-still mind began moving, Ram’s face darkened with anger.

To her, Subaru’s current statement felt like a desperate fabrication—this didn’t even hold enough weight to be considered a half-hearted insult, merely thoughtless drivel.

However, for Ram, it mattered not—

“Ram! Subaru is saying this! There must be a valid reason behind it!”

“Are you serious, Lady Emilia!? This is worth no more than a figment of the imagination…!”

Standing in front of Ram with spread arms, Emilia rallied for Subaru’s words.

If Subaru believed this was merely some wildly fantastic notion to latch onto, he might have relinquished further discourse right then and there.

Yet, unlike Ram, who immediately dismissed his claim, Emilia remained steadfast, gazing resolutely into the matter.

“There is value in believing! That’s been our time together until now!?”

“――ッ”

As Emilia pressed forth, Ram’s cheeks slightly stiffened.

For a fleeting moment, hesitation appeared in her faintly pink irises. It was evident that various thoughts swirled within Ram’s clever mind. She subsequently opened her tightly shut lips.

“Ram, let’s listen to Subaru’s story…”

“—What will happen to Rem?”

“—Huh?”

In an instant, Ram, with her eyes brimming with moisture, turned on her heels and lunged toward Emilia.

With a quick response, Emilia retreated, preparing to restrain Ram. However, Ram’s movement was too swift, seizing Emilia’s left hand with her own right.

“Don’t interfere!”

“Kyaah!”

As she said this, Ram employed minimal yet maximum efficiency, employing her footwork, body movement, and the joints of her wrists and shoulders to toss Emilia aside effortlessly.

Emilia was thrown with ease, performing a sideways somersault as she spun through the air. Despite her startled expression at the quickly changing scenery, her long legs touched the ground, attempting a soft landing.

“――っ”

Ram’s discarded shoe lay right where Emilia’s foot descended. Stepping on it, Emilia’s balance faltered, causing her to drop to her hands on the ground.

Taking advantage of the close combat with Emilia, using only skill and instinct, Ram’d slipped past her.

With a pointed finger, she held a small, slender rod through the bars of the ice cage directly before Subaru’s nose.

“Try saying again that you’ve forgotten.”

“N-Not that…”

“With that face and voice saying you’ve forgotten Rem even once…”

Gritting her teeth, Ram began gathering something at the tip of her trembling wand.

Though invisible to the eye, the likely force she referred to—magic—gradually amassed, causing Subaru to fall utterly speechless.

He found it impossible to voice the words needed to stop Ram, standing there shaking, daring confrontations in her countenance.

If only he were “Natsuki Subaru” rather than not—he could have accomplished that.

“No, Ram! Stop it!!”

Emilia, regaining her stance, shouted, intent on halting Ram.

However, it was already too late.

“――――”

White light flashed beyond the icy bars, and the shockwave consumed Subaru.

Suddenly his body slammed back into the ice bars, striking the back of his head.

“――っ”

His head spun, consciousness blurring.

No time to even form an excuse, Natsuki Subaru’s awareness ceased in that instant.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“――ぅ?”

A faint, weak groan slipped out as consciousness ebbed toward awakening.

Slowly, softly, his awareness floated up from the sludge-like darkness. A vague sensation took shape, gradually accelerating, acquiring reality, and eventually—

“—Ugh, what!? Aah!?”

As he approached consciousness, an abrupt tug at his nape yanked him up, a sharp, searing pain seared through Subaru’s mind.

His body jerked as he groaned in pain, awakening on a hard floor.

“It hurts, it hurts, what the heck is this…?”

Struggling against the intermittent pain, Subaru reached for his left shoulder. The moment he touched it, an intense pain shot through his brain again. His left arm was completely immobile.

“Is my shoulder dislocated…? A dislocation? I’ve never had one before…”

Dangling aimlessly, it felt like from his shoulder down was disconnected from his will. When he tried to move or touch it, agonizing pain surged through him, so Subaru cautiously stood up.

Looking around, he discovered no one there. And this place was—

“The room where Meily was hidden…”

In other words, it was precisely the room he had been conscious in just moments ago.

The evidence was clear: behind Subaru, the ice prison crafted by Emilia still remained intact. What was strange was that he found himself out of the cell. It appeared that the bars hadn’t been opened, so he shouldn’t have been able to escape normally—

“—So, my shoulder then?”

Connecting the dots, Subaru finally recognized the link between his dislocated shoulder and his escape from the ice cage.

The gaps in the ice prison’s bars surely would allow a child to slip through if they tried hard enough. Dislocating his shoulder could feasibly enable him to squeeze through.

The question was how unconscious Natsuki Subaru had managed to do that.

And then—

“—Where did Emilia and Ram go?”

Inside the room, the two whom he had been quarreling with just before disappearing into near-silence were now conspicuously absent.

It was an extremely unnatural situation.

—No, more than just unnatural; it should be considered terrifying.

Given that Subaru had been knocked unconscious, dealing with the mysterious dislocation in his shoulder, the absence of Emilia and Ram was palpably unnerving.

What exactly had transpired while he lay unconscious, and was something odd occurring? Subaru scanned around the room—until he noticed.

‘Natsuki Subaru is here’

“――――”

Those words, once seen, were now engraved upon the wall.

The rough-hewn script was chiseled into the stone wall as if angrily scrawled onto a blank canvas.

The perpetrator of this could be none other than the piece of stone littered near the wall. It seemed to be the remnants of stone blocks utilized to hide Meily’s corpse, now nothing more than debris.

With the stone pieces, the words “Natsuki Subaru is here” were scratched into the wall. —This alone had hardly the impact that carried from the same words engraved upon his arm.

The surprise from the second iteration of the phrase should have been nothing to bat an eye at—he could have laughed it off.

But however—

“Natsuki Subaru is here”

“Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here”

“Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here”

“Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” “Natsuki Subaru is here” —.

“—Ugh, huh?”

Scrawled in vast measure, sickeningly across the walls.

It was no wonder Subaru initially felt a sense of disquiet; the pervasive engravings felt so relentless they almost induced a waking hallucination, making him feel like he were to forget the presence of such patterns altogether.

Why on earth had such words been etched across the entire room—

“—Aaah? What the hell is this creepy room!? What’s with all these sickening decorations you’ve put up, huh?”

“――――”

An eerie chill coursed through Subaru as he froze at the voice behind him.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t sensed a presence. Instead, Subaru had been completely absorbed by the wall’s engravings, oblivious to anyone approaching.

Thus, the shock of discovering he had been followed by someone was not the source of his surprise.

No, the reason for his astonishment now was that edgy, crude tone rang so familiar.

It was a memory he wanted to forget more than anything—

“Hey, what’re you doing standing around, little fish? It’s a given that any little fish separated from the school becomes a meal for a big fish, you hear?”

The voice laughed, belonging to the familiar red-haired man lurking behind Subaru, a true shark among men.

The very man whom he believed to be somewhere far away, now awkwardly chuckling right there.