“Everyone in the city has the same power as Yorna…!?”

As Subaru desperately ran down the alley, his eyes widened at the words announced by Abel.

The foxwoman he faced in the towering structure of Crimson Lapis Castle—an unfathomable being who could be called the empress ruling this Magic City—Subaru had no idea of her true capabilities.

However, as one of the “Nine Divine Generals,” having survived numerous rebellions against the Emperor, it was undeniable that she was incredibly powerful.

The fact that everyone in the city possessed as much strength as the extremely strong Yorna was unfathomable.

“Don’t give me that scary story! ‘Soul Marriage Technique’…!”

“Do you think I’m just spouting nonsense? Then how do you explain the phenomenon of your limbs shrinking? The foundation of technique varies between the Kingdom and the Empire, and naturally, there are phenomena beyond your imagination. There are countless lost techniques too.”

“Even if you say that…”

As he was bombarded with difficult words, Subaru bit his cheek in frustration, glancing down.

He almost stumbled and fell, but he held it together to avoid getting left behind by his companions. Since his body had shrunk, neither Subaru, Al, nor Medium had shoes that fit them perfectly, leaving their feet wrapped in cloth like makeshift tabi.

If he tripped or his bindings loosened, he wouldn’t be able to move. That couldn’t happen.

Regardless of whether he could follow the conversation, he needed to at least keep up physically.

“That said, I had considered you as a candidate, but I never truly believed it.”

“Does that mean Abel-chan didn’t know that big sis was a user of ‘Soul Marriage Technique’?”

“I’m still doubtful about that alternative. It’s a kind of deed that cannot be said to be sane.”

As Abel, breathing lightly, faced forward while running, Al grunted in his throat, and Medium turned to Abel.

Despite shrinking, it seemed Medium still had the most stamina. She was alright for now, but Subaru would soon be out of breath if they continued running. It wouldn’t be easy to keep fleeing.

“—Stop. It seems we’ve shaken off those around the inn for now.”

Although it wasn’t out of consideration for them, Abel suddenly halted everyone.

Before the exit of the alley, the five of them hid behind a jumble of discarded materials, catching their breath while remaining vigilant of the street’s surroundings.

“I wonder if Talitta-chan is alright. She seemed to be moving much better than I expected.”

“Uh? Ah, yeah, she was amazing. Jumping around like this, shooting arrows with a whoosh…”

“Hey, bro, was she doing that on purpose? Or…?”

“On purpose? What do you mean?”

Tilting his head, Subaru frowned at Al’s question.

Had he said something strange? He was just praising Talitta’s departure in his own way according to Medium’s astonishment.

In response, Al shook his head and replied, “It’s nothing,” though it sounded like it was something, then he turned back toward Abel.

“What’s up with that earlier claim of something being insane?”

“I told you before. ‘Soul Marriage Technique’ involves the transfer of a part of one’s soul to another. The soul is the essence of one’s being.”

“Od… that, the transfer…”

Reworking the words in his mind, Al’s voice trembled at the realization.

Od, as Abel stated, was the essence—the core not just of the body but of the more mental aspects, serving as the source of mana.

In this world, it often equated to ‘soul.’ Hence, ‘Soul Marriage Technique’ could also be referred to as ‘Od Marriage Technique.’ Although he wasn’t entirely confident about that.

“But why does uniting souls make you stronger?”

“To give a close example, it’s the relationship between spirit mages and their spirits. By forging a contract, the mage connects to the core of the spirit, allowing them to enhance each other’s power. The physical barrier doesn’t matter. You must have some experience with that.”

“The relationship where power enhances each other—that makes sense, but…”

At the mention of spirit mages, Subaru clutched his chest.

It wasn’t a feat to boast about, but he too was a budding spirit mage. By contracting with the cute dressed girl—Beatrice—he could do a variety of things. Though on the weaker side.

Also, right, Emilia was a spirit mage too. He hadn’t seen that little kitten for a while.

“But what is it, Subaru-chan?”

“Uh, well, you know… making a promise with a spirit is really a big deal, so doing the same with so many people! That’s just…”

“Uh-huh.”

“I-I just think that’s tough.”

With no rush, Medium patiently pulled the thoughts out of Subaru, and he began to express his feelings honestly.

A contract with a spirit was a very important thing, and doing that with many individuals at once felt extremely difficult. At the very least, he couldn’t do that with anyone other than Beatrice.

Not only because Beatrice was naturally that kind of being, but he thought he might not have been able to do it otherwise.

Hearing Subaru’s doubts, Abel nodded slowly, “That’s it.”

“Thus, I said it is not sane.”

“Soul Marriage Technique is dangerous, is that the discussion?”

“You can think of ‘Soul Marriage Technique’ as a way to indiscriminately form a bond as a contract with spirits. However, what is unbelievable is to inflict that upon a multitude of people.”

“——.”

“I mentioned it’s a part, but nonetheless it’s the transfer of the soul. It essentially means tearing apart the essence of oneself and indiscriminately passing it on. Retaining one’s ego amidst that is not something one could normally achieve. Or perhaps… no, it’s a pointless discussion.”

With a slow shake of his head, Abel described the abnormal nature of Yorna’s ‘Soul Marriage Technique.’

Honestly, Subaru didn’t fully grasp the situation as clearly as Abel did, but he at least understood that it was a terrifying thing.

For Subaru, it would be akin to dividing his soul and sharing it with many others, of course, there were people he believed wouldn’t misuse it without hesitation.

Even Medium and Al here wouldn’t do anything wrong. But if asked whether he could hand it over to Abel, he would want to protest against that.

Others too—

“Ugh…”

“—Ah.”

As Subaru was lost in thought, feeling a small tug on the hem of his clothing, a voice groaned slightly.

Lui, who had her long golden hair tied back, had been unusually quiet, following Subaru and the others on their escape—no, it wasn’t just up to this point.

Lui was surprisingly well-behaved and hadn’t raised the loud voice he had feared. Not drawing attention from enemies either, she had been doing what was needed at opportune moments.

And—

“——.”

Right now, the way she tugged at his hem didn’t seem like she was trying to resolve her own unease, but rather it seemed as if she was seeking a way to share in Subaru’s own anxiety.

“You are…”

A pesky person, a frightening person, an unforgivable person.

That much had been considered over and over, more than enough, and he didn’t doubt it.

Having been sent to the Volakia Empire together, he hadn’t tried to abandon her there because that child, Rem, had been trying to cherish Lui.

Even now, he feared being disliked by Rem; that was his only reason for being with Lui.

And yet—

“—But you know, doesn’t this make things clearer?”

Not being able to shake off Lui’s hand, while Subaru was lost in thought, Al suddenly proclaimed.

Al’s gaze was directed at Abel, with the ogre-masked man and the child facing each other. As Al pointed to his chest with his thumb under Abel’s watchful eyes, he continued,

“The ones who attacked us are under Yorna-neechan’s ‘Soul Marriage Technique.’ So, it was also Yorna-neechan who ordered us to be attacked, which is Q.E.D.”

“—That does seem like the most straightforward answer based on present conditions.”

“That statement raises some issues. If those guys are using Yorna-neechan’s power, then there’s no other choice.”

“N-no, that might not be entirely correct…”

“Huh?”

Al responded harshly to Subaru, who had quietly interjected. Seeing Subaru’s shoulders shake at the sudden loudness, Al said, “Sorry,” and touched the scabbard of his Blue Dragon Blade.

“I didn’t mean to scare you… Are you saying there’s a different possibility?”

“Well… I have a contract with Beatrice, but it doesn’t mean I’m always connected to her. No, I’m connected, but I don’t know what she’s doing right now, so…”

“So you mean, you can just borrow power and run riot secretly?”

Subaru felt a resistance to Al’s blunt way of putting it, but he nodded.

Even if he didn’t fully grasp the extent and conditions of ‘Soul Marriage Technique,’ it seemed that sort of mischief could indeed be done. If that were so, it would make it unclear whether Yorna was truly a bad person.

“If, by any chance, the enemy is Yorna Mishigure, then there would be no recourse other than fleeing the Magic City. Continuing the fight with Roswaal would also become impossible.”

“Since we’ll be gunning for from inside the city. I agree with that, but…”

“—If we capture one individual, the situation will change.”

Touching his cheek through the ogre mask, Abel muttered that quietly.

Hearing that, Subaru opened his mouth in surprise.

“You’re right! If we can talk to just one person from there, it would be clear! Why didn’t I think of that!”

“Ah, that’s right! Abel-chan is a genius! That’s it!”

“Right!”

The answer felt like the clouds had cleared, and Subaru and Medium jumped in joy. They clapped their raised hands together and turned back beaming at Abel and the others.

However, their exuberance was interrupted by Abel and Al, who remained masked and unreadable.

Al sighed deeply, “If we could do that, things wouldn’t be hard. But that’s the thing, it’s difficult to achieve, considering everyone is under Yorna-neechan’s influence.”

“Ah, right…”

“Ugh, if only Talitta-chan were here, we might have pulled it off.”

Medium stomped her foot in frustration at their lack of power.

Subaru felt the same pang of regret about her words. They lacked just that one critical piece of information to move this situation forward, and they had no means of obtaining it.

“Is there something, anything…?”

With a hand on his mouth, Subaru desperately attempted to recall everything that had transpired thus far.

Since arriving at the Chaos Frame, everything that had occurred and troubled him in this Magic City—the encounter with Yorna at Crimson Lapis Castle, and the false emperors. The sudden ‘Childish’ transformation and the ‘Malicious Old Man’ proposing ‘Hide and Seek,’ and the terrifying people lying in ambush…

While Talitta was holding them off, he had to find some sort of solution.

Otherwise, no matter how capable Talitta was, she’d be caught by those numerous persons and would find herself in a terrible situation—

“—That!”

“Subaru-chan?”

Amongst all the contemplation, something felt off, and Subaru blinked.

Noticing Subaru’s shifting attention, Medium leaned forward to see his face.

However, he had no leisure to respond to her call. Now, he needed to tug at whatever had snagged his thoughts.

What was snagging his thoughts was Talitta, working so hard. Not Talitta herself, but the people facing Talitta—the hundred fearsome foes targeting Subaru and his friends.

The way those hundred were watching Talitta fight had an odd feeling to it. That was probably—

“It’s quite possible! Whether or not it’s truly ‘Soul Marriage Technique,’ whether or not the enemy is Yorna-neechan, or if Old Man Roswaal isn’t lying!”

“——!”

As Al scratched at his neck furiously, Subaru was startled. But Al didn’t seem to register Subaru’s surprise, kicking the wall in frustration.

It was clear that Al was not calm; his typically easy-going demeanor was nowhere to be found.

And while he carried that agitation, he pressed closer to Abel.

“What are we gonna do, Abel-chan? At this rate, it’s hard to stay involved. Just so you know, I have something I prioritize over the restoration of Abel-chan. So…”

“I have no interest in your desires. Nevertheless, there is a way to ascertain.”

“A way to ascertain? What do you mean?”

“To confirm whether the resilience of those people is due to ‘Soul Marriage Technique.'”

With that declaration aimed squarely at Al, Abel pointed outside the alley.

From the darkness beyond, the presence of passing people, the sounds of footsteps and voices came to them. However, none seemed to notice or peek in.

It was just a bustling crowd, existing as mere background noise.

“What are you planning to do out there…?”

“We will randomly choose one of the passersby and deal them an injury. That way, we can determine whether Yorna Mishigure’s ‘Soul Marriage Technique’ envelops the entire city or not.”

“———.”

“If they heal, then they are under the influence of ‘Soul Marriage Technique.’ If they get injured or die, then they are outside its influence—hence, the hypothesis that ‘Soul Marriage Technique’ is in use will be proven wrong.”

Calmly pointing at the street, Abel continued.

Subaru was left speechless at the dangerous and outrageous suggestion. His brain felt numbed, leaving him incapable of even thinking.

No one would seriously consider such a ridiculous idea—

“I see… but there may be a chance that people like us are off the radar of the residents. What if we draw that card?”

“By observing their footwear, we can distinguish between residents and outsiders. Of course, it’s possible that only those surrounding the inn are under the influence of ‘Soul Marriage Technique.’ In that case, it might serve as evidence that Yorna Mishigure deliberately targeted us.”

Regardless of how, it seemed like they could obtain information, Abel nodded, and Al fell into a silent contemplation, his eyebrows furrowed.

Although it was a convoluted line of reasoning, to Subaru, it was a hard-to-understand discussion. Yet amid all the complexity, he understood one thing.

It was that if things continued like this, someone would get hurt.

“That kind of—”

“—If you refuse, what will you do? Present an alternative plan.”

“……!”

As Subaru instinctively attempted to retort, Abel glared down at him as if anticipating his response.

Feeling like his thoughts were read, Subaru’s face flushed. However, he couldn’t just be silenced. He couldn’t back down quietly.

“I-I mean, if we don’t have to hurt anyone, there’s other ways to—”

“If you have it, go ahead. If it’s a proposal worth considering, I’ll listen. Although, expecting you to come up with it under your current state might be unreasonable.”

“That’s!”

“—You are particularly afraid of sacrifices.”

The cold voice pierced through Subaru, igniting his temper.

It felt like he was shot through with actual pain, and Subaru gritted his teeth, looking down.

Sacrifices, the notion of someone getting hurt or dying.

Of course, he preferred fewer deaths and injuries for both allies and enemies alike. Thinking that way was precisely because Subaru was foolishly naive and weak.

“But why is that bad?”

“I’m not denying it, merely stating a fact. If you wish to pursue your desires to the fullest, you’ll need either cunning or strength. If you’re lacking in one of those, you’ll have to compromise on the desired outcome, which is how I interpret your talk of bloodless surrender and its processes and results.”

“———.”

“If you don’t want anyone to die or be injured, you would need the power that can bring about those results. If you genuinely desire that outcome, holding back would be contradictory.”

When called out for withholding, Subaru clenched his jaw, blinking rapidly.

He didn’t understand Abel’s intentions. The dark eyes beyond the ogre mask were locked onto Subaru, searching the depths of his faint light for his true feelings.

I don’t understand, I don’t understand, I don’t understand.

Really, I don’t get it. What exactly was Subaru holding back? No matter how hard he tried to think with his muddled brain, no solutions seemed to emerge.

With short limbs and a small lung capacity, he couldn’t flit about like Talitta did. The whip he had brought was too thick and heavy to manage at all.

But still, if he truly didn’t want to hurt anyone, in that case—

“Then I should just get hurt myself!”

With his mind in a chaotic mess, Subaru yelled at Abel.

He understood his own shortcomings, his insufficiencies in both power and thought. Those issues had existed long before he had shrunk.

Tears started welling up from the deep warmth behind his tightly closed eyes.

Before those could turn into clear tears, Subaru turned away and took off running.

“Brother!?”

“Subaru-chan!”

At Subaru’s sudden movement, Al and Medium cried out in shrieks.

However, ignoring their calls, he threw himself out into the street past the alley.

He didn’t want anyone to get hurt. He didn’t want anyone to die.

Yet he lacked both the strength and cunning needed for it. If something had to be exchanged to fill that void, it would have to be Subaru himself.

To confirm this. To take back the information that could change this situation at the moment that it was regained.

For that purpose—

“Come at me! I’m right here!”

Subaru leapt into the street, arms wide, shouting with all his might.

His high-pitched child’s voice cut through the noise of the street, drawing the surprised looks of everyone around. Caught in the multiple wide-open eyes, Subaru felt his heart shrink in pain.

“—Ah.”

He regretted his hasty actions, realizing too late what he had done.

The gazes of the surrounding people judging him for acting like a fool amplified his abrupt shame and fear. Holding his breath, Subaru pondered if he should just retreat back into the alley—

“Wait!”

In his panic, someone grabbed Subaru’s arm as he stepped gingerly on the ground.

Turning in a flinch, the person grasping his arm was a small figure. A boy dressed in simple, lightweight clothing, with short, curly hair—no, it looked short, but the strong curls made it appear that way.

Roughly the same age as the current Subaru, he drew Subaru’s astonished gaze, and he opened his mouth to ask why he had been stopped—

“I’m sorry.”

—In the next moment, the boy with the burning right eye effortlessly threw Subaru away.

“—Huh?”

What just happened? As he spun around in confusion, Subaru couldn’t comprehend at all.

Out of nowhere, the boy had thrown Subaru. With a swift motion where he raised the arm he had grabbed, he sent Subaru soaring into the air.

“Wa-wahhhh—!?”

It was with the determination to leap out into the street rather than risking someone else’s harm.

Yet immediately after, that determination backfired, and before he could think of returning safely, he was tossed into the air, screaming.

Why? Why? Questions buzzed in Subaru’s mind like a swarm, and he felt a crushing sensation in his gut.

That the ones fighting Talitta had eyes like the boy’s burning ones. If that was indeed the effect of Abel’s ‘Soul Marriage Technique,’ then it meant they were granted a part of Yorna’s power. His courageous leap meant he would become a sacrifice to ascertain that.

All of that spun through his mind as he plummeted towards the blue sky, unable to grasp anything.

Spinning rapidly, propelled by an unnatural force; that he didn’t collide with surrounding buildings or decor felt like a miracle. Whether the boy had aimed or not, he couldn’t tell.

He could only desperately pray that the obstacles passing at impressive speed on the edge of his vision wouldn’t hit him, as he fell towards the blue sky—and then suddenly, he stopped.

Slowly, Subaru’s tossed body reached its pinnacle height, and now he was plunging directly towards the ground.

“AAAHHH—!”

His voice, once high above the ground, now drew near the earth.

He wasn’t sure how far he’d gone up, but he needed to brace for impact. Yet he couldn’t suddenly recall how to brace. In the first place, did bracing even work when falling from such a height? He could end up splattering upon the ground, with his body a mess, his head squashed, his neck snapped, and die—

—It felt like ‘death’ was creeping in again so close.

“Al-chan!”

“I got it!”

Moments later, over Subaru’s own scream, he heard the desperate voice he recognized.

Alongside a tension stretching taut, he heard the sound of something being sliced and a series of slender things collapsing without even knowing their identity, Subaru’s body would hit the ground—but before that, he was caught.

“Wa-wah, wahhhh…whoa!”

Caught in a soft sensation yet losing no momentum, Subaru’s body rolled atop the softness quite forcefully. Once he reached the end of that softness, he crashed into the hard ground, causing acrid sandy tastes and groans to fill his mouth.

He hurt all over. But—

“I’m alive…?”

Surprised by the fact he had gotten through without dying, Subaru let out a bewildered voice.

Upon sitting up, he finally understood what had just happened. —Al and Medium, through quick decisions, had saved Subaru.

To catch Subaru falling from the air, the two had leaped onto the stall tent on the street and detached its fixings, creating a makeshift cushion.

Thanks to that, Subaru was not slammed onto the ground and was kept alive.

However—

“Ouch, that hurts…”

“Ugh…”

The two who fought hard to catch Subaru weren’t unscathed either.

“Ah, Al! Medium-san!”

As Subaru sat up, he spotted both of them lying on the street.

To no one’s surprise, Al and Medium, under the influence of ‘Childishness,’ couldn’t perform like they usually did. They’d gotten thrown off by the shock of the tent they had stretched to catch the falling Subaru.

And bad news kept coming—

“I was hoping that that would be it…”

As he muttered while grimacing, the bitter-looking boy who had thrown Subaru glanced around at him and both Al and Medium, his expression full of anguish as he covered his face with his hand—his right eye still ablaze.

“O-Oy, you…”

“It’s necessary. This city… we can’t afford to lose that person.”

“——?”

Struggling to sit up, he caught the boy’s attention.

It was meant solely to prevent Al and Medium from making a move, yet what the boy said was beyond Subaru’s imagination, distant from understanding.

All he could perceive was the boy’s desperation and, additionally, a stirring in Subaru’s heart.

“You too…”

That feeling resonated back to when he was desperately working his mind in the alley.

Talitta was fighting to create an opportunity for their escape, and the people facing her, with their eyes blazing like the boy’s—they shared the same distressing expression.

——Which left Subaru feeling that they all had a similar sad face like the boy.

“I’m sorry. I won’t ask for your forgiveness.”

Shaking his head, the boy retained a hesitant glimmer in his eyes, but as he resumed his advance towards Subaru, that hesitation vanished from his expression.

Even if he tried to retreat, even if he crawled back, he couldn’t; his legs wouldn’t budge.

So instead, Subaru gazed intently at the boy’s face, determined not to look away as realization struck.

Peeking from the boy’s curly hair was something—a small horn.

With the white curls and the horn, he thought it rather odd, resembling a sheep.

That was the last thought he had before the boy with fiery eyes swung his arm widely—

“———”

With a grimace and eyes wide open, Subaru braced himself, unwilling to miss the action of the boy.

“Ugh!!”

In front of Subaru, a golden-haired girl burst forward, dispersing a dull noise and sprays of red blood, flung about like leaves.