――The head of the Earth Dragon was blown off at the base, and as the dragon carriage, now devoid of will, crumpled to the ground, it veered off the road and bounced heavily, toppling over.

　The overturned carriage scraped impressively against the ground, producing a thunderous noise as it kicked up clouds of dust. Wood splintered, and when the fallen Earth Dragon’s body got caught in the wheels, an unpleasant sound of flesh being torn and spattered blood filled the scene, turning it into a horrific sight in an instant.

　The location was in the mountains, having just exited the Leafaus Highway and entered the forest path, reaching the entrance to Meisters Territory.

　After crossing several forest areas and hills, we should have arrived at our destination within about two hours.

　However, the dragon carriage was mercilessly destroyed en route, leaving only the sound of the spinning wheels echoing emptily at the accident scene.

　The meat mass of the Earth Dragon lay still, the vehicle reduced to wreckage, with smoke that mingled soil and blood creating an unusual stench.

　In such a scene,

“……Ugh, aow……”

a boy, tossed out and with scrapes all over, groaned.

　Having barely rolled away from the collapsed dragon carriage, his body came to rest in a corner of a grassy plane outside the forest path. The lush green there, overrun with vines, had protected him to some extent from the impact of his fall. Despite being at the center of such devastation, the boy had suffered only miraculously minor injuries.

　Nevertheless, it didn’t mean that the unwarranted blows he took caused him no pain.

　Scrapes and several bruises. Fortunately, he sustained no fractures or significant bleeding, but the pain was more than enough to incapacitate a defenseless child.

“Ahh, ugghh……ahh”

A black-haired boy rolled out of the grass, groaning in pain and shedding tears.

His face was smeared with dirt from his forehead, where blood flowed down, making it all the more grim with tears and drool adding to it. His hastily wiped face became smeared in a reddish-brown color, with blood splattering onto his dirt-covered sleeves.

This sight, a pitiful display for a full-grown man, coupled with the mangled wreck of the dragon carriage, evoked nothing but despair for onlookers.

In such a scene—

“――――”

Figures in black robes emerged one after another, surrounding the boy and the dragon carriage.

The figures examined the headless carcass of the fallen Earth Dragon, confirming its death before quietly turning their gaze towards Subaru, who lay weeping on the ground.

The figures in black robes were completely covered with hoods, their faces and even gender indistinguishable. It was uncertain whether they even breathed as they circled around Subaru with a gliding, slithering motion, looking down upon him as he reacted only to pain.

“――Ra”

One of the figures murmured a single word.

As one person uttered it, another soon followed suit. A chain of whispered words rapidly flowed out, with all surrounding voices engaging in a chant-like murmuring.

In a world devoid of insects’ chirps or any living presence, the sounds of rustling branches in the wind and the whispers of the black figures—creating an unnervingly distorted scene as though the world existed solely for that moment.

And then,

“――Ahh. Ah! Aah, abahhh!”

As the whispers grew layered over one another, Subaru experienced a change.

Twisting his body, arching his back while lying on his back, he emitted cries of anguish that indicated he was enduring pain, yet the essence of his suffering was palpably different from before.

He was struggling against a torment that existed on a different dimension from the pain of his scrapes and bruises, as if something was attempting to overflow from within him—a seed of agonizing pain was taking root inside him.

Those watching might have recognized that it responded to the murmurs of the shadowy figures surrounding him. Looking down upon the writhing Subaru, the shadows did not cease their muttering. Instead, as if drawing some conclusion from Subaru’s strife, they continued to whisper while extending their hands toward his body—

“――B”

A metallic roar sliced through the air as a steel ball flew in, smashing the head of the figure reaching towards Subaru.

Blood and fragments of the skull scattered around, showering even the suffering Subaru without mercy. As the shadow crumpled, the clear ringing of iron chains accompanied their movements, slithering like a snake as they wreaked havoc on the fallen shadow’s surroundings—targeting the other figures in black.

“――――”

However, the judgment of the black figures was swift. Instantly disconnecting their consciousness from the sudden death of their companion, they scattered silently to avoid the pursuit of the iron chains.

In doing so, the black figures drew out blades shaped like crosses from their cloaks. Those dull glimmering weapons featured a base with sharpened edges, and the robed figures that held them positioned themselves carefully, all keeping their backs covered, forming an excellent ambush formation.

Their numbers were eleven. They took positions where they could support each other’s backs, eliminating blind spots and preparing for a surprise attack, which was quite commendable.

However, that was only applicable against an opponent confined to two dimensions.

“――Shh!”

From above, an apron dress flapped as it kicked off the trees.

A girl leaped with astounding speed, her body pushed diagonally downward amid a shout.

The handle of the weapon swung down, piercing through the head of a black-robed figure from above. Accompanied by a sharp crack, the top of the head was opened, blood and brain matter leaked profusely from it as the figure staggered to the ground.

Kicking the fallen body to obscure the views of nearby black figures, the girl dashed away. Yet, the figure whose comrade was just defeated showed no hesitation. It charged forward and impaled the body of the fallen figure with the cross, attempting to skewer the girl whose back was still retreating.

The figure’s body burst apart, splintered by the uproar of the iron ball thrown straight at it.

The girl, who had thrown the iron ball with tremendous force, leaned forward as the chains of the weapon reached their limit—her body tilted forward, her head swiped past the thrown cross. The sound of the blade embedding in the tree trunk echoed, and as the girl regained propulsion in her tilted posture, she launched herself, parallel to the ground, exploding with force against the ground.

“Raaahh!!”

She cried out, bared teeth glimmering in a snarl.

Her blood-soaked blue hair swayed, and sharp, pure white horns protruded, shining brightly on her head.

A black figure caught in mid-leap was swept up in the girl’s rapid approach. The arm wrapped around the shadow’s waist crushed it to pieces, propelling the unfortunate soul, now half-paralyzed, forcibly into the trees behind them, causing them to regurgitate most of their organs from their mouth and backside.

Throwing aside the corpse of the defeated black-robed figure with a flick of her arm, the demon turned to face the lurking shadows, a smiling face now smeared with blood as she scanned the remaining figures, her eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Then her gaze fell upon the boy who still lay unyielding on the ground.

“I will not let anything happen to Subaru-kun.”

Declaring in a powerful voice, the girl—Rem, dragged her blood-soaked left foot and twirled the iron ball overhead.

The wound from a splintered wood during the dragon carriage’s overturning was harbored there. By herself, Rem might have escaped unharmed, but that was impossible.

The moment the Earth Dragon’s head was blown away, Rem immediately recognized the dragon carriage would dramatically topple over.

She swiftly decided to protect Subaru, who slept on her lap, as best as she could against the imminent danger of the overturning carriage.

Rapidly spinning her head, scanning the surroundings, she noticed a place where the grass and vines intertwined, and cast Subaru into it. That fraction of a second to react had cost her the chance to escape, and she faced her fate alongside the wrecked dragon carriage.

The outcome was a gash on her forehead and deep wood that had pierced into her thigh. She dislocated her left shoulder, forcefully resetting it, but the excruciating pain spread through her pale cheeks.

Yet, Rem stepped forward with a determination that would render her injuries invisible.

“Witch Cultists…”

Glaring at the group of black-robed figures, she spat out that phrase filled with venomous hatred.

Despite Rem’s proclamation, the black figures remained unresponsive. They still posed as if they were vacant shells, facing the girl baring her teeth while keeping their crosses directed toward her.

The balance was disrupted in a heartbeat.

Determined to avoid getting nowhere in this standoff with the figures, Rem took the initiative.

The iron ball, charged with centrifugal force and added arm strength, would obliterate any obstacle in its path. With the power to snatch lives away instantly, no matter where it struck, it would take everything with it.

With a maximally extended chain, the strike broke trees as it sped towards the black robes, but they deftly avoided it by leaping or lowering their stance, charging towards Rem, who had left herself open.

Having created a major gap by swinging her weapon wildly, Rem twisted her body to pull the iron ball back. Yet, the deadly weapon would reach her before the iron ball did—

“――Raa!!”

The jaw of the leading black figure was completely obliterated by Rem’s toe as it leaped from below.

It was not merely a kick; in effect, the figure had its lower jaw literally sheared off from below by her toe.

Having lost its jaw, the figure hung its pink tongue limply. Still, it charged toward Rem impervious to its grievous injury, aiming to plunge the cross deep into her chest.

—Before that could succeed, the iron ball that Rem had pulled back had blown away the upper jaw of the shadow clear off along with its skull.

Brain matter blasted everywhere, mixed with the iron ball that shot forth. Rem caught it with her palm just as it neared her face—thorns pierced through her left hand, staining her pale cheek with bright red blood. Nevertheless, with a fierce grip, she immediately pivoted and slammed the iron ball directly into the face of the black figure swinging its cross beside her, crushing it.

With this, for all intents and purposes, she had reduced their ranks from twelve down to six. Breathless, she turned her murderously blood-stained gaze toward the remaining figures.

Before her, a sharp stone spear sped toward her, its threatening point aimed directly at her. She tilted her head just in time to evade it, though her hair and temple grazed against the rocky surface, overwhelming pain and shock assaulted her vision.

Her sight turned into a shade of red, leaving her unaware of the impact on her skull.

The ground suddenly felt treacherous and swampy underfoot. Responding to that sickening sensation of sinking, a slight bend of her knees provided her the recoil to leap diagonally to safety, landing directly on a branch of the massive tree in front, preparing for another ambush.

“Damn—!”

Cursing her own carelessness for jumping so easily in front of adversaries equipped for ranged attacks—

The branch she planned to land on was seared by flames, and from beyond it, fireballs formed, burning through the tree’s core—she felt scorched heat spreading over her skin, and in a hurry, she raised her bloodied left hand defensively.

“Hyūma!!”

A thin water membrane unfolded in front of Rem just as the fireball collided with it, producing a cloud of white steam, filling the air with the last gasps of vaporized water.

However, that fireball, even somewhat weakened, was not a spell so feeble that it could be extinguished with a hasty chant.

“――――!!”

Her knuckles bore holes from the impact of your grip, and there remained uncertainty if they would be useful in the ongoing fight. Thus, without hesitation, she pulled back her clenched fist and smashed it toward the fireball, causing it to explode on impact.

“——Uaaah!”

Caught in the explosion, Rem’s body was sent spiraling and slammed against the trunk of a tree. Rolling down the twisted roots, she let out a groan of pain from the dull ache in her left arm as she looked up.

Her left arm was charred black from wrist to fingertips, and her pinky and ring fingers were nothing but ashes. The skin on the rest of her arm was horridly red and blistered, while even the sensation of pain had vanished from her shoulder onward.

Unless she got treated by an exceptional magician like Felix, her left arm would surely never function again.

Pushing through such grievous injuries, Rem stood up, returning her consciousness to the reality around her and casting aside the pain.

Suppressing her moans, she howled fiercely—roaring to ignite her fighting spirit, letting the enemy know that she remained undeterred, hoping to draw their awareness away from Subaru.

Yet,

“――――”

The unarmed black figure closed in soundlessly, smashing Rem’s body against the great tree behind her with an impact that jarred her innards.

Her organs were crushed, and her chest was caved in as blood gushed out from her mouth.

With a burning sensation from expelling blood, heat seared her throat, pulling her entire body down in agony. As the hand that had struck her recoiled to strike again, she barely dodged the incoming blow aimed at her skull. The trunk behind her easily splintered upon impact, as if it were weightless.

The black figure that had shattered the ground with its single step was clearly on a different level of strength than the others she was facing. Dashing sideways to evade further pursuit, Rem coughed out blood lingering in her mouth, scattering her gaze, searching for her lost iron ball.

“――――!!”

A stone spear grazed along her face, and she was struck solidly from behind by a massive rock club, leaving a crack in her backbone as her petite body hurtled through the air.

As she was sent cascading away, waiting to meet her earlier assailant—the shadow held the iron ball that Rem had relinquished, raised it menacingly, and brought it crashing down toward the battered girl.

“――Elhyūma!”

The blood she spat during her incantation froze, as the pure-blood blade sliced halfway through the black figure’s arm holding the iron ball. In agony, the figure dropped its weapon.

Then—

“Gaaaarrrr!”

As if regaining her balance, Rem extended her right hand to seize upon the fallen iron ball and kicked the heavy weight forward, whipping it behind the shadow, ensnaring it around the figure’s thick neck, while she tightened the chain with all her strength.

The chain pulled taut against flesh, the sound of skin being pierced echoed, and the capability of the black figure’s neck snapped under the strain. The head twisted a hundred and eighty degrees backward as its lifeless gaze fell upon Rem, extinguishing the light from its eyes.

With that kill, Rem felt a moment of relief having slain a formidable foe—yet in the same instant,

“――――ッ!!”

The now-lifeless body of the shadow sprung into action, delivering a mighty kick that swept through, striking Rem’s torso.

The blow, striking her from the left side, shattered her left ribs and fractured her left thigh, driving her hard into the ground. Finally, with that last attack, the black robe perished. The body lay face down, staring vacantly at the sky, pooling in an overwhelming manner.

“Ugh, ah…”

Groaning and spitting blood, Rem rose, managing her unresponsive left half.

Having dealt with what could be considered the most skilled among the enemy ensemble, she did not wish to suffer the toll that came with it.

Only five remained. There were sure to be no melee experts among them, as they hadn’t approached Rem without weapons. If that were the case, closer distance would allow her to take them down one by one.

With a body that trembled, stained with injuries, and only able to move her right side, could she manage to proceed?

Shaking her head, she swallowed her uncertainty, fueling her spirit.

It wasn’t a matter of ‘can’ or ‘can’t’. She **had** to do it.

What did it matter if her left side was dead? Her right still functioned. If her right arm proved useless, she could utilize her feet, and if her right leg failed, then she would bite them to death.

She had to kill every last one until Subaru survived; only then would Rem emerge victorious.

Having engaged in such large-scale combat, she had also entered the Meisters Territory.

Unconsciously, she knew that her intense bloodlust would reach her sister. Soon enough, her sister would pinpoint this location.

When that happened, it wouldn’t matter whether she still had her life or not. As long as she guarded Subaru’s life, she wouldn’t hesitate to expend every ounce of her being in this battle.

A sliver of regret twisted within Rem’s heart.

To silence that last shred of reluctance, she cast one last glance toward where Subaru lay. If she could just have one glance at him, she would not concern herself with whatever else might happen.

Yet then—

“——Subaru-kun!?”

He was nowhere to be found.

The Subaru who had been writhing in pain, agony, and fear was absent, leaving no trace.

Panic washed over Rem as she scanned her surroundings.

Could it be that he had been swept away in the fallout of the battle? But as she searched and searched, there was simply no sight of him.

And then it dawned upon her.

“Only one is missing…”

The number of black figures had dwindled to five. But now, she could spot only four.

The figures brandishing their crosses stood resolutely blocking her path, starting to move as if to conceal their fleeing comrade carrying Subaru.

“You… you will…”

Trembling lips spat quaking words.

Her blood-drenched lips were tinged red, mingling with the blood streaming from her mouth. In this gruesome visage, Rem’s once adorable face twisted into something demonically furious.

“You’re not satisfied to simply steal my reasons to live…”

Bending her right arm tightly around the iron ball, she crouched slightly, gathering explosive power.

A tense shudder coursed through the black figures ahead, and just as they were about to leap towards her—

“Now, you dare to rob me of my reason to die right here—!!”

With a roar that exploded, Rem’s body shot forth with the force of a kick that threatened to shatter the ground.

Before her surged a fiery torrent of fireballs launched behind the black figures wielding crosses—countless enough to blot out her vision.

“――――――――ッ!!”

As her cry erupted, an avalanche of crimson radiance enveloped the dawn-lit grove.

Raging heat surged forth, scorching trees, turning the area into a charred wasteland that echoed the screams of the world in its final gasps,

—Upon the scorched earth, remnants of the white apron dress fluttered, only to vanish into the void moments later.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—Swaying, throbbing, swaying, throbbing.

Subaru, draped over the shoulders of a black-robed figure, hung there helplessly, drooling.

The wounds inflicted from his fall off the dragon carriage barely registered any pain anymore. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel them, but he was consumed by a far more overwhelming ache that drained him of will to move, sinking him deeper.

In the aftermath of the dragon carriage crash, a whispering chant had begun as the black-robed figures surrounded Subaru.

Among their murmurs, Subaru’s body seemed like it might burst from an indistinct pressure swelling from the inside, while a chaotic pandemonium overcame his head, past the point of mere ringing.

The darkness swirled within his chest, abdomen, the confines of his skull, and the center of his heart, seeming hell-bent on distorting his very existence.

He shuddered at the thought of what would have happened had it continued a moment longer.

Such pain could fracture a person’s spirit. It contorted one’s heart. It could transform the essence of a person into something unrecognizable.

What kind of creature would Natsuki Subaru become in that scenario…?

“Fuhuh, heheh…”

Suddenly, a deranged cackle spilled from Subaru’s lips, dribbling alongside his drool.

As awareness regained dominion over the agony, his sense of self was unveiling a disjointed reality outside the pain.

Everything hurt across his body. His head throbbed especially painfully.

Blue was absent. Blue was not by his side. He was being carried away by the black figure. What was this black entity, and where had the blue one gone? Where was he being taken?

As the figure weaved between the trees, it sprinted down the animal trails, running as effortlessly as the wind, despite its slender frame not looking particularly trained.

It glided forth like a shadow moving in concert with the sunlight, moving with Subaru clutched within its grasp through a path unmarked by any signs.

After racing through the woods for what seemed like over ten minutes, with a labyrinth of dark greenery.

The black figure paused suddenly before an imposing cliff, wherein moss-covered rocks towered so high they seemed insurmountable without tools.

Pausing before this cliff, the figure surveyed the surrounding area before stepping towards a particularly conspicuous boulder. Placing a hand upon it,

“――――”

The shadow murmured a phrase that made Subaru tense in response.

His fear rooted in the possibility of that very word echoing back into his mind—a repeat of the curse that had haunted him disappointedly moments prior.

Yet, the single word uttered was an entirely different one from earlier, and its effect did not assault Subaru’s senses in any way.

“――――”

Before the black-robed figure that had murmured its incantation, the immense rock suddenly vanished.

Like a dream or an illusion slowly dissipating into the air, the black figure unflinchingly accepted this and adjusted its hold on Subaru, stepping into the cavern that had formed in the rock’s absence.

The eerie coolness of the cave’s air filled with nothing but the sound of the shadow’s boots thudding rhythmically against the ground. After trekking several dozen meters forward, a beam of light suddenly closed behind them.

No doubt, the entrance to the cave was blocked once again by rock.

Within the frigid cave, the figure acted no differently, untroubled and unfazed.

In contrast, the dim light vividly unveiled swirls of white warmth that flickered before the advancing shadow beneath subtle luminescence—the glow of Lagumite ores.

On the walls that appeared to be pathways, these ores were spaced evenly, illuminating the path ahead for the figure, signaling their advance deeper into the cave.

As they pressed further into the darkness, a shiver raced along Subaru’s bleeding, raw skin—one could only guess whether it was from the cold or some other reason.

Quietly trembling while still shouldering the oppressive burden, Subaru continuously held back tears that cascaded from his eyes while laughing eerily.

And then—there, at the passage’s end within that dark, chill cavern—

He would come to confront the embodiment of malice.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—It was a gaunt man.

Encircled by figures in black robes, he too was cloaked in dark attire.

Standing slightly taller than Subaru, his deep green bangs grazed his eyes, having been trimmed to an appropriately short length. His cheeks were hollows, his flesh stretched thinly over bone, barely bearing the semblance of humanoid form, and he possessed a vitality that felt all but drained.

Yet, that was unless one were to gaze directly into his wildly shining eyes—those were a different matter entirely.

Leaning forward, the man scrutinized Subaru, who was bound to the wall. He tilted his head ninety degrees, openly gawking at him with bulging, surreal eyes, revealing a manner with which he stood apart from the commonplace human psyche.

“Ah, now I see… this is indeed, very interesting,”

After a thorough examination of Subaru from head to toe, the man nodded thoughtfully, showing affirmation to the surrounding figures in black.

The figures bowed their heads slightly in response to his concurrence, maintaining utter silence while awaiting the man’s next words.

The man appeared completely unperturbed by this silence, pondering to himself as he grasped his left wrist with his right hand—

Driving his thumb into a wound there that bled, he showed no concern for the crimson sliding from his fingers, carelessly digging into his own flesh.

“Ah, you… you are not, perhaps, ‘Pride’… are you?”

Tilting his twisted figure, he looked back toward Subaru, lifting his gaze at him with grotesque enthusiasm, shoving his bloodied thumb into the very lips that had just uttered that question, savoring the metallic taste like an overindulgent child, shaking with deranged excitement illuminated in his eyes.

Subaru offered no response.

He merely stared vacantly upwards at the figure looming over him, wearing a goofy, out-of-place grin.

Locking gazes with Subaru, the man withdrew his finger with a slurping noise, and

“Oh, I see. How rude of me. I seem to have not yet introduced myself,”

In response to Subaru’s smile, he gently pulled apart his pallid lips in a sinister grin, lowering himself to bow profoundly.

“I am a Witch Cultist, Archbishop of Sin—”

While still bent, he raised his neck easily to lock eyes with Subaru directly,

“I am ‘Sloth’ Adventurer, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti…!”

As he declared, he pointed directly at Subaru with both hands, before bursting into manic laughter.

Ka-kakaka, ka-kakaka, ka-kakaka.

“`

 

---