“—Captain Marcos, a report.”

The guard who burst in saluted and delivered the news just as the finer details of the treaty establishing the Royal Selection were being finalized, and we were about to wrap up the day’s discussions.

The young soldier, clearly flustered, noticed the high-ranking individuals gathered in the room and turned pale, realizing his rudeness.

Blood drained from the guard’s face, and to shield him from the room’s occupants’ glares, Marcos moved swiftly, saying,

“My subordinate has been disrespectful. It’s my lack of guidance.”

“The matter is settled, and he appears remorseful. If you are saying so, then we shall not hold it against him.”

In response to Marcos’ expression of gratitude, Crusch, representing the room’s members, showed her generosity. She tucked her long green hair neatly and took a breath, adding,

“Given the situation here, it must be quite serious, don’t you think?”

The guard nodded eagerly at Crusch’s inquiry, and then opened his mouth, hesitant as the expression on his face indicated he feared the spreading of his knowledge.

“Captain, I wish to convey something confidential.”

“…That’s not a very commendable attitude in front of everyone.”

“But it’s important, nonetheless.”

Despite Marcos’ gentle reprimand, the guard pressed on, and Marcos instinctively sensed that something “bad” was happening. Realizing this, he decided to excuse himself and hear the report outside.

“Leaving the room is not permitted, Marcos. I will not allow it.”

Before he could formulate any further thoughts, Priscilla, seated comfortably in an extravagant chair, blocked his way with an expression that seemed to convey that she found it amusing.

“I shall pardon the rudeness that disrupted the room. However, unless I know the cause, I cannot find peace. Thus, you shall allow me to hear the report, loud enough for everyone present to hear.”

“Priscilla, there are matters that do not require everyone’s ears. This might be one of those…”

“A mere ancient fool who merely snuck into the castle gave a timid girl the courage to act strong. —Thus, this may not be trivial, wouldn’t you agree?”

With a fan covering her mouth, Priscilla shot a sideways glance at Felt, who had been essentially ridiculed.

Felt pouted her lips, protesting, “Come on, don’t make weird accusations, you lucky lady. Old Man Rom was just supposed to come along but got lost in the castle. Then, it was a soldier who politely found him and brought him to the hall, right?”

Crossing her arms and averting her gaze from Priscilla, Felt sought agreement from the bald giant beside her—Old Man Rom.

The old man, with a pained expression as if enduring pain, replied to her, “…That’s true,” and though Felt carried a hint of worry in her red eyes, she refused to delve any deeper, effectively silencing Priscilla’s sarcastic pursuit.

“Princess, princess. This has only just begun, so let’s not make too many enemies, alright? I’m already at a disadvantage with one arm missing, so I have to work twice as hard to keep up!”

“Y-yeah, whatever.”

Despite Priscilla’s ongoing bullying tendencies, her servant Al managed to curb that intention with his advice. After that, she turned back to Marcos, regarding him intently.

“But my questioning of you is far from over. You will report to us clearly, so we can hear. I will allow it—to wit, I will not permit otherwise.”

“…Captain.”

“There’s no choice. Follow her orders.”

The soldier, faced with Priscilla’s arrogant demand, looked to Marcos for judgment, but Marcos’ begrudgingly accepting voice seemed to yield to the demand.

He tightened his expression, his gaze wavering with confusion and anxiety, then straightened his posture to report,

“I will report. After the conclusion of the meeting in the hall, Knight Julius has requested the use of the training grounds. Since it has been accepted, currently it is at the training grounds that Knight Julius and…”

His gaze briefly darted to the corner of the room—at Emilia, who stood there seemingly lost.

Receiving that gaze, Emilia blinked in surprise, as if abruptly engaged in a conversation.

As her bewilderment transitioned to question, clear words emerged in response to the information given by the guard.

“—Emilia’s attendant, Natsuki Subaru, is currently engaged in a mock battle with a wooden sword.”

“…Huh?”

Instantly, the guard detailed what he had just seen.

Hearing this, Al put a hand on his chin, letting out a thoughtful sigh. Others around him displayed expressions of confusion.

In the midst of this, Emilia stood there, unable to express any emotion other than bewilderment.

“…What?”

She pressed her lips together, confused by the implications of what was said, her great purple eye widening as she struggled to process that Subaru and Julius were somehow fighting in the training grounds.

“Those training grounds are right next to the knight’s building by the castle, right? Subaru and Julius are… fighting…?”

“Excuse me, but it is a mock battle. If you believe it to be merely fighting based on personal grievances, that would be in poor taste for Knight Julius’s honor.”

The guard firmly corrected Emilia, refusing to yield on that point.

But even in hearing that, Emilia couldn’t afford to pay attention to such trivial details. The clash between Subaru and Julius struck her with shocking intensity.

She regretted not being able to properly observe what had happened to Subaru after he was dismissed from the hall.

Having caused Subaru to feel embarrassed before everyone, she somewhat relieved herself as they exited the hall.

Now, she wondered if she was being selfish, with that thought returning to bite her.

After all, she was aware that Subaru didn’t hold a favorable view of Julius.

Subaru’s solo performance in the hall—was challenged by the reality of Julius the knight, and even in the matter that occurred in the guardhouse in the royal capital, Subaru had displayed animosity towards his attitude of acting far too noble.

Though Subaru still hadn’t clarified his background, Emilia vaguely pondered whether he had legitimate reasons to harbor resentment toward people of the upper class, given his interactions with Julius.

The absence of this sentiment toward Roswaal was likely attributed to Roswaal’s unique position among the nobility.

Unresolved issues that had never surfaced before, the circumstances they had postponed, had become the seeds of the current situation.

Once the thought started to spiral negatively, it continued to descend.

As Emilia’s imagination began to tread deeper into the bleak, she visibly showed her worry.

“Anyway, I need to go stop this. I must head to the training grounds…”

“Aah, I think that’s a bad idea,”

A voice interrupted Emilia’s thoughts, spouting in a distinctly characteristic tone.

Ignoring the dismayed expression of Emilia, Anastasia, with her long blue hair swaying, pointed toward the still upright guard and prefaced her query with, “I want to confirm something.”

“That mock battle, do you know who proposed it?”

“It’s said to have been Knight Julius. Natsuki Subaru accepted his challenge, leading to the current situation in the training grounds…”

“Ah, that’s fine. You don’t need to make excuses. If it was Julius who suggested it, that’s enough.”

No matter how one framed it, it had been framed as a personal duel. The guard struggled to ensure that Julius was not put at a disadvantage, though Anastasia dismissed that effort with a gesture while not ignoring the guard’s intent.

“—If the mock battle was a proposal from Julius, then I can’t oppose stopping it at all,”

Anastasia stood by her servant’s decision, directly confronting Emilia, who sought to interject.

Breath caught, Emilia made a small shrug of her shoulders as she looked at the stubborn Anastasia and asked, “Why? Subaru and Julius are… well, your knight and my acquaintance are fighting, don’t you care?”

“Care? About what? That Julius goes too far and ends up having to pay for the medical bills of your kid?”

Anastasia’s seemingly puzzled tilt of her head left Emilia speechless.

However, as if mocking Emilia’s surprise, Priscilla couldn’t hold back a smile that bubbled just below the surface.

“Indeed. From what I see, that one seems to possess the very demeanor of someone who does not know when to stop. At this point, his already unfortunate face may very likely become visually unbearable.”

“You bet. That brashness he showed when he opened his mouth back there got him into trouble, but he seemed far too flummoxed to handle it anyway.”

Anastasia followed suit with Priscilla’s sarcasm, and the two exchanged unkind smiles.

Watching the two, Emilia placed her hand on her forehead, eyes showing her agitation.

“Y-you two… don’t you have anything more to say at this point?”

“Talk about other things… oh, how about a wager? That Natsuki Subaru kid—how well do you think he can hold up against Julius? We could bet on that!”

“Normally people bet on who wins and who loses,”

“Then it’s not a bet anymore. If it’s a win-win for me, that works well enough.”

Anastasia waggled her fingers, smiling mischievously, while Priscilla dismissively threw back an uninterested comment about the situation.

Their consistent attitude of “observing” left Emilia speechless. In her view, their way of thinking was inconceivably difficult to accept.

Yet, as Emilia struggled to find words, they pressed forward.

“If we’re to question the mock battle, then I also think interrupting it is ill-advised,”

Even Crusch, who until now had remained silent, stopped Emilia from stepping in with opposing views.

“Why is that?” Emilia asked. She had anticipated Crusch would bring a more reasonable perspective compared to the other two.

“If the duel had been proposed by Emilia’s attendant, then it would be appropriate for you to interject. However, if it was Knight Julius who proposed it, and it was your attendant who accepted it, then it would be inappropriate for you to step in.”

“Why? But Subaru is my…!”

“If you can’t understand that, then there’s no point in explaining further. —Though it might be rash, this is indeed necessary.”

With a firm assertion, Emilia couldn’t pursue any further questions with Crusch. Crusch had no more to say to Emilia, tightly sealing her lips.

Though not outright persuasive, equally, Emilia was compelled to reflect on the mindset of the three other people in the room, as they unified on the intent to merely observe. Speaking without forethought would only serve to grant them the judgment that she stood apart from them.

With her trembling lips and a waning color in her face, she descended into contemplation. Observing the exchange taking place now, Felt leaned over and subtly whispered to Old Man Rom beside her, “I don’t get any of this. So, what does that old man over there mean?”

“I don’t have a clue what that lad did before I came in here. So, based on what I’m hearing now, I can only speculate.”

“What do you think he did… what could he have done?”

Old Man Rom stroked his chin and thought for a while before explaining.

“The lad was boasting and making a fool of himself in front of everyone, getting ribbed in return, and ultimately left without a clue about how to retort—what I’m sensing sounds about right.”

“Wow, Old Man Rom, that’s impressive. Did you actually see it?!”

Felt was astonished by Rom’s near-perfect deduction. In response, he touched his bald head, deep in thought. Then, as if recalling a realization, he nodded.

“If my guesses are correct, well then… the knight in question must be a most overly privileged noble, set in their ways. Or…”

However, just as he was about to suggest another possibility, another sound, different from Rom’s own, unexpectedly echoed in the room, shifting the atmosphere.

A heavy thudding sound struck the floorboards of the meeting room, sending tremors through the silence that had enveloped everyone.

Staring, there stood the culprit responsible for the sound—Al, slapping the rim of his metallic helmet with one arm.

“Whoa, whoa. Sorry, but you see, since I’m an arm short, I can’t clap to grab attention, so instead, I gave my foot a workout!”

He smirked with a mischievous grin and then pivoted, pointing straight ahead.

“Hey, hey, hey, are we going off-topic? You do realize that two guys not happy with each other will eventually end up fighting, right? Regardless of social status or any complications, they’re still just a couple of guys.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple…”

“You’re making it way too complicated, girl. The real issue isn’t them just trading punches; it’s why this secret mess got dragged into here in the first place.”

Waving his finger, Al responded to Emilia, then pointed back at the young guard who had brought this information forth.

“If they were just brawling, I’d say just report that after the fact. So what’s got you all on edge calling in the Captain?”

The guard’s face visibly paled at Al’s question. He fidgeted in uncertainty about how to respond, and he accidentally met Priscilla’s well-disguised yet cheerful smile.

Her lips curved into a charming angelic grin, mingled with a delight in cruelty.

Last, he turned pleading eyes to Marcos, who, alas, could only answer with a shaking head.

“I came to get the Captain because…”

“Let me hear you loud and clear with great diction, please.”

“Knight Julius and Natsuki Subaru’s mock battle… is way too one-sided, so I came to ask for orders!”

The soldier shoved out his request in a voice tinged with desperation as Al’s playful demand nudged him into submission.

Rarely in such situations did Marcos express confusion, yet now his expression turned inquisitive.

“…One-sided? What do you mean by that?”

“While I believe Knight Julius is easing up, it’s—just quite—unbearably severe to watch.”

The soldier, hesitant to admit it, cast a glance at Emilia, subtly reminding all of the gruesome scene he had witnessed.

On that bitter note, Emilia finally realized the scenario was deteriorating beyond her imagination. It smashed her hesitation into unrecognizable bits.

“I have to stop this…!”

With those anxious words, Emilia dashed to the side of the guard, intending to burst through the door toward the knight’s quarters—the path leading to the training grounds.

“Please wait, Emilia! You! After her, hurry!”

“—Y-yes!”

With instruction to follow, the guards zoomed through the passage after Emilia.

Once more, the remaining members in the room glanced back at Marcos.

“Please excuse the commotion. I’m going to settle this matter now…”

“No, it’s fine. Instead, let’s follow the girl and watch that mock battle, shall we?”

Stopping Marcos, Al spoke nonchalantly, flashing his signature wry smile to Priscilla, basically asking for her agreement.

“Hey, don’t you like it? Seeing the weaker ones get tormented by a beast is a show of sorts, right?”

“Don’t misread my sentiment based on your wild assumptions, Al. …Well, I do enjoy it.”

Conditional approval rang from Priscilla as she rolled her shoulders, shaking off the weight she had been leaning on, and made her chest sway gently.

“Very well. This has been an awkward conversation dragging on far too long. Looking down on the pathetic spectacle of such buffoons isn’t all that bad, either.”

With a clattering fan, Priscilla directed her attention toward Marcos.

“Guide us to that training ground you mentioned. —By my decree.”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

From a shallow gash on his forehead, blood dripped into Subaru’s other eye, clouding his vision in red as he roughly wiped it away, exhaling his frustrations.

He had already lost count of how many times he had been knocked down.

His left eye was completely swollen shut, and whether his lip was cut or if he had just bitten his mouth was unclear; the taste of iron remained overpowering.

The pain wasn’t that intense.

Depending on the severity of the injury, a person may not register pain when severely wounded because their brain refuses to accept the danger and the body inhibits the sensation from reaching them, thus inducing that peculiar phenomenon.

In truth, Subaru had been counted among those deeply acquainted with life-threatening injuries since being summoned to this world. From personal experience, being gravely wounded to the point where one feels no pain exists, without a doubt.

What kept pain at bay was pure, unadulterated anxiety igniting an intense sense of “anger.”

“—What a load of crummy, disgusting, and utterly ridiculous nonsense!”

With such foul words slipping from his mouth, Subaru was bathed in feelings of wrath toward Julius, who stood coolly in front of him, and directed that same anger toward his own inadequacy for being unable even to land a single blow in retaliation.

Now, he was just a child throwing a tantrum at the unfairness of it all.

It was only anger. Nothing but anger. It was all Subaru had at the present moment.

He had just been struck hard in the abdomen with the wooden sword, spewing fragments of vomit around him, and Subaru pushed himself with a reluctance to stand from the ground.

His knees trembled, his breath was ragged, and his bloodied vision was obscured in glaring red.

Nevertheless, driven by an unstoppable anger, Subaru would not cave in and face his opponent.

“Isn’t it about time you accepted your limits?”

As Subaru’s bizarre determination took shape, Julius responded with a mixture of admiration and disdain.

He stood as someone untouched by the situation, fresh, glimmering, and unyielding, stirring with purpose, his sword steady in hand, swinging it down at Subaru.

“You must certainly realize how utterly insurmountable the gap between us is. By now, you’ve grasped quite well just how far behind you really are; you grasp how you’ve insulted the very nature of ‘knighthood’, do you not?”

“Shut up!”

Julius’s callousness bore into Subaru’s very being, refusing to acknowledge it.

It was as though lying in wait for each other would evoke camaraderie, but such depth didn’t blossom between either participant.

Julius continued to strike Subaru repeatedly, and Subaru only lifted himself up to express his futile protest.

Nothing tangible was being built between them. They had clashed for so long, yet nothing sparked between the two.

“If you keep this up, it’ll involve your life, you know?”

“Ah?”

It seemed Julius was shifting tactics in response to Subaru’s unusual spirit, directing his provocation elsewhere, but Subaru only returned his fury with clarity.

“Why the hell would I die from this? Don’t act so conceited!”

“Ah, such wise words you speak, like an experienced combatant.”

“Spare me the condescension; it’s the last thing I need to hear!”

“Why are you so obstinate? You already know you can’t overpower me. You understand that you cannot best me.”

“…What do you think I’m doing?”

“Don’t waste your breath. Winning isn’t your objective anymore; it’s something quite different than that. Your and my victory conditions differ, wouldn’t you say?”

Subaru fell silent at Julius’s observation, so starkly pointed it felt like a punch to the gut.

Such a truth overwhelmed him.

The very nature of those words hit close to home.

Subaru felt the warmth of indignation rise within him.

He found the very notion itself unacceptable, almost revolting.

“Don’t go thinking you can just tear me down and humiliate me! I’ll stand; just you wait!”

“Very well then. I see you grasp what I’m trying to say.”

Julius grinned comically, looking down his nose at Subaru who radiated indignation, and their gazes met.

“Just as I have broken you down, I shall crush your spirit! You will soon regret exposing yourself unprepared, backpedaling—all because you cannot see who you’re dealing with!”

“Shut up! I won’t let you dictate how any of this ends!”

“Very well then; let’s settle this. No more drawn-out exchanges that lead you nowhere. Hugh! Isn’t it about time you’d stand aside for Emilia’s sake?”

“Wha—?!”

“Your presence alone threatens her well-being. Your conduct in the plaza and here stands as confirmation.”

Subaru’s heart burned with furor toward Julius’s contempt, who showed no regard beyond merely vanquishing him.

At that moment, Adriana stood upon the threshold, glaring sternly down him.

It was now by sheer resolve and determination that Subaru stood; he knew the flames that would fire their way were directed at Emilia, who genuinely stood beside her.

“…Just stay out of my way!”

He aimed purely at the source of his ire.

His fiery spirit surged as he remembered why he had originally faced this duel.

“Enough! I swear, I’ll deliver a punch straight to that condescending, ugly nose of yours!”

Deep inside, all that rage funnelled toward a singular point.

He was fully committed to unleashing that pent-up fury—backed by his truest self in confrontation.

Eyes bulged, the heat of the moment—his intent burned bright, expressing defiance, anger, and determination.

“Even if it means falling, I’m doing it!”

Every fiber of his being pulled forth in that moment.

“Let’s finish this. Just you wait, you egoistic bastard.”

As he exhaled, painfully heaving breaths, Subaru recovered an inexplicable vigor.

He took a step closer, defiantly tightened his grip around the wooden sword, trembling yet determined.

The distance closed—it wouldn’t just end like this.

This time, confrontation glimmered with certainty.

“Here I come!”

With that thought alone extinguishing the doubts, he lunged forward.

“—”

What should have been the daunting charge of fear evaporated in that instant.

For it to resound within him, a sound so painfully deep—

“—SUBARU!”

Resounding within him was a voice.

Sure enough, that soft voice resonated through.

“—LEAVE!”

In the instant clarity emerged, he rushed forth, lumbering toward the oncoming clash.

Nervousness swept through, yet in that moment, clarity clouded over him.

“—SHAMAK!”

Casting aside the urgency, the internal shout rebounded against the shock of impending confrontation.

In the face of it all contrary to his emotions, he felt—

“Ugh?!”

The world around him suddenly faltered.

“Is this your trump card?”

That threatening voice sliced through the air.

For in that moment, Subaru clenched the sword and aimed toward Julius, but the words ensnared him, threatening chaos.

An impassable rift loomed continually, with fear pulling tight its grasp.

“Stop!”

The vast shadows surged through, just as a surge against the familiar world urged him. The black clouds enveloped the ground and the training area as he thundered down.

“—”

All slipped away in sudden liberation.

It was an unyielding weight of panic, throwing his conscious awareness onto the battlefield.

It froze.

The shock of the surroundings blurred into monochrome depths.

At the brink of perception, he suddenly glimpsed realizations clearing through as the world realigned itself.

Yet, through the veil against clarity, Baron Julius imposed force—thrusting toward Subaru amidst the chaos.

“—What?!”

“From outset?”

And without warning, the blade of Julius’s sword approached Subaru’s frame.

Within those final faded echoes, the intensity of battle recoiled—

Each pulse of uncertainty echoed louder still.

Subaru’s conscious realization emerged, struck with revelations pouring through.

In the moment of clarity and struggle—“what would come next could merely be ephemeral.”

In that singular breath filling the atmosphere, were emotions racing from unfiltered rage—

The ever-lingering resolve firmed.

To face forward into this future where nothing matters apart from the true pain within.

And thus—subtly fabricating waves resonated through.

With tension dwelling through to modulation standing still, Subaru roared against the pressure.

“NO!”

In that moment, body and blood exceeded their bounds.

Repeating crisis against his own bearings, the black clouds of his soul surged vehemently, converging into vast silhouettes blooming against encroaching shadows.

“NO! I AM HERE!”

In fatal shadows—once thought undisputed.

In that elaborated moment spanning across consciousness, drops scattered forth ,

The waning chaos constricted against barriers breached as chaos struck within.

Caught in timeless expanse of incomprehensible loss.

Yet, the atmosphere warped anew against realization.

Perhaps shielding truths so earnest from surface haunting the echoes past—

Issues where soft voices trailed within had flickered.

“Is that my name?!”

A semblance between doubt and comprehension began to crack.

“Bring the light of truth, break the cycle!!”

That voice reiterated thrice, unchanged yet carried a looming sense.

“Shall I submit?”

In every contradiction found; to ascend back.

Steeped against the spectral tides in bullishness.

“Submit or resist!”

Threads intertwined—struggles echoed, culminating in experience tangible and vibrating.

Horizon perspectives collided while reverberations articulated; stifled distaste against the rift.

Tornated into expressions, disbursing—a resolution graced forth.

And he felt that power borne anew, arriving between realms, challenging belief’s embrace.

“W—WHO AM I?”

In that latching tether crossed lines; Subaru released the pulse drawing forth an intent.

“AWAKE!”

As tendrils coiled anew against instinct.

“FORWARD! EVEN IF IT HURTS!”

And for the first time, conscious reflections blanketed realms.

Whether memory or echoes, truth surged—the light began to unfurl.

“—FORWARD!!”

And like fire poured, merging through time and sight—power engulfed him, unabashed and bright.

Until resolution broke—monuments casting down upon ephemeral grounds.

The intertwining of life’s and death—throwing Subaru from power to rebirth.

“THIS TIME!”

With overwhelming thoughts igniting.

He marched—soul enkindled, heart basered—rising to an unknown future ahead.

A presence lingered—surpassing thought itself.

With voice steady—between expressing ravage and control.

He lunged forth, taking action against waves sweeping in place of silence around him.

Guidance within the shadow’d haze unwound, coaxing the light toward Subaru.

“IN THIS LIFE, I CHOOSE—!”

And the rush cascaded downward, erupting through visual fantasy intertwined across the reality of light and shadow.

All converged toward resolution, leaving existence five miles ahead, resolved to converge anew into experience formed.

 

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