The dragon cart continued to creak along the path.

Leaning against the driver’s seat, Subaru, who held the reins in an act of mere formality, was exhausted and his consciousness was fading.

Fatigue, the aftermath of his injuries, and above all, the immense mental toll weighed heavily on him.

He couldn’t even properly treat his broken bones or the cut on his forehead, and the dislocated left shoulder pulsed with intermittent pain. The unpleasant sensation of shattered teeth filled his mouth, and the blood, mud, and urine-soaked clothes sent chills directly to his skin.

—Why did I survive?

Though his consciousness teetered on the brink of oblivion, Subaru found himself pondering instead of falling into a dream.

Protected by Rem, losing her, abandoned by Otto, pathetically begging for his life, and even being forsaken by the White Whale, he carelessly trudged through the fog-laden road of the night, now devoid of defenses.

Ahead lay a chance encounter with the dragon cart, progressing further down the path alongside the Earth Dragon bereft of its master.

Where on earth does this road lead?

Even if it continues, what could he possibly accomplish when he arrives?

He had convinced himself that he was acting solely on the desire to protect, save, and help others. However, in truth, he was merely cloaking his unwillingness to face things he didn’t want to see in pretty words.

He realized that he was a mass of flesh hesitant to part with his own life.

Leaving Rem before the White Whale and commanding Otto to turn back, he pretended to be crushed by Otto’s counterarguments while secretly feeling a sense of relief.

If it was an enemy that even a sword saint could not defeat, then returning would simply lead to a pointless death. That was something Rem would not desire. —Thus, there was no need for him to return. He didn’t need to die.

He wished to believe that he hadn’t thought that way.

Yet the fact remained that Subaru had begged for his life before the abhorrent White Whale. He had cried out that he didn’t want to die, crawling on the ground and urinating in fear.

At that moment, not once did he think about Rem’s safety. What he was focused on was solely how to extend the absurdly pitiable life he led.

In the end, even if he managed to hold onto his life, what could he do with it?

He was just breathing, wasting oxygen. For someone like Rem to sacrifice her life to protect such a man—how foolish of her!

“But… the biggest fool is…”

She was already gone.

The merchants who had traveled with him had vanished, leaving Subaru alone.

The Earth Dragon moved ahead without waiting for its passenger, as if it understood Subaru’s will.

The presence of adequately paved roads assured him that this path did not lead to an endless journey but rather to somewhere tangible.

Anywhere would do.

Take me anywhere.

Feeling reckless, Subaru finally let go of the reins and lay back on the driver’s seat. Just above where he lay, a misplaced dagger hung precariously on the cross.

It was a remnant of the Witch Cult that Otto would have encountered beyond the fog.

Perhaps, it would be better if Subaru were to follow the same fate as Otto and be ambushed by the Witch Cult.

Or would he still, upon witnessing such a scene, once again beg for his life just like he did with the White Whale?

Even, facing Petelgeuse.

“Petelgeuse…”

Murmuring his name, Subaru felt the emptiness in his heart.

He had called forth the name of the madman who slaughtered Rem, mocked Subaru, and had been the root of all malice, but no ripple stirred within his soul.

Just hours ago, an unending fury towards that man had filled him with the most potent vitality from the depths of his being.

Hatred had pushed his feet forward, anger had raised his gaze, and a murderous intent had given him the will to live. —Now, that tainted vitality was nowhere to be found.

Having lost his murderous intent and even his hatred, what was he doing?

“What am I…?”

The wheels of the cart creaked, emitting a piercing sound that clawed at his eardrums.

Frowning at the pain it inflicted, Subaru gently lifted his body.

To his surprise, the Earth Dragon had halted its strides. Naturally, the dragon cart following its movements had also come to a stop, and the scenery that became still—

“Forests…?”

Amidst the trees, the dragon cart parted the underbrush to move over exposed, bare dirt.

As the morning sun had risen for a while, he looked up to see the sunlight lightly warming Subaru’s body.

As he became aware, that warmth gradually seeped into him, and—

“—Hey, Subaru?”

A suddenly innocent voice pierced through, startling Subaru as he realized it was calling his name.

Leaning forward, he looked down at the ground where the voice came from and saw many small figures lined up.

“It’s definitely Subaru!” “What’s wrong, Subaru?” “You’re filthy, Subaru!” “You smell, Subaru!”

They recognized Subaru as they pointed and began to laugh uproariously at his miserable state.

But rather than mocking him maliciously, there was a familiar warmth permitted only among close friends.

“You guys…”

The familiar faces of the village children caused Subaru’s throat to tremble.

He recognized them. Faces he had seen several times over the last few days. Faces that had twisted in pain and lament but with their movements now all but frozen.

These were the smiles of the children living close to Roswaal’s Mansion.

Dazed, Subaru looked up towards the path that led beyond the forest, over the hill.

Observing the white smoke rising, proof of life, Subaru realized.

—He had finally arrived at the place he had long wished for and prayed to reach.

Just when everything was lost, despair overcame him, and he thought there was nothing he could do, Subaru stumbled into it.

“—Subaru?” “What’s wrong?” “Hey, be careful!”

The children’s voices grew louder, expressing their concern for him.

He understood, but his head felt heavy, and he could scarcely keep his body supported.

As the tension he had been holding snapped with a sound, Subaru’s consciousness quietly sank, far from the turmoil.

“Ah, I’m falling—”

—Falling in.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—When Subaru awakened, the first thing that came into view was a familiar white ceiling.

The plain ceiling, decorated only with a chandelier, felt strangely rare in this mansion full of ornate rooms. He could instantly feel his smallness in having chosen that as his room.

Under his head lay a pillow that had never quite suited him, and realizing that he was comfortably tucked in sheets up to his shoulders, it was clear he was lying on a bed.

No matter how terrible his state had been, Subaru’s constitution allowed him to awaken fully at once. He slowly scanned the room, confirming it to be the one he had stayed in for several days, and at that moment—

“—Ah!”

By the bed sat a girl with her gaze fixed quietly on a book.

Clad in a black-based apron dress and adorned with vibrant white primroses in her hair, she had an adorable, well-shaped profile that tinged with a sincere lack of emotion. A certain tension highlighted her beauty both within and without.

The instant he noticed her, Subaru shot up abruptly, grasped her hand without thinking, startling the girl who had not noticed his awakening.

Eyes wide with surprise, the girl remained frozen, gazing at Subaru. Seeing her expression, her demeanor, her actions—everything he had longed for brought him relief.

“—What are you doing touching me so casually, Balus?”

Coldly, harshly, his hand was shaken off, and that voice shattered the illusion.

As he noticed the girl before him had pink hair, he was struck with the realization that it wasn’t the girl he had despaired over losing. Instead, it was the twin sister of the girl he had wanted to meet.

“I know you must be happy to see Ram after a few days, but lunging at me like that is more brute than manly. You beast!”

She shot him a condescending gaze, moving her chair away from the bed. From her size and glances, he felt a clear difference from her sister who only looked similar.

This was not the reunion he had hoped for; rather, Subaru was reminded of his own arrogance. Hadn’t he cast aside any qualifications to wish for that?

Falling silent, biting his lip, Subaru looked down, and Ram raised her eyebrows in concern at his demeanor.

From her perspective, her teasing had only been a friendly greeting. Normally, Subaru would have given a loud and exaggerated reaction, but at this moment, he did not respond to her tease, instead maintaining a serious silence.

“Ugh. —I’d prefer not to make you behave in a way that’s uncharacteristic of yourself.”

While saying that, Ram leaned closer, placing her hand gently on his head. Her fingers slipped through Subaru’s short black hair as she began to slowly stroke it.

The quiet rhythm was soothing, filled with compassion and empathy, surprising Subaru, who knew Ram as a girl of methods and mischief.

“You look as if you’re thinking something rude, Balus. Surprised?”

“Surprised, yeah… You always seemed like the type who would kick me while I was down.”

“There should be no maid as adept at reading the room as Ram. Tormenting Balus in his current state would be excessively cruel. We’ll save this for later; one way or another, I’ll work through the grievances I’ve kept tucked away.”

“I stand corrected, you really are the worst.”

Ram returned his playful jibe with a mischievous tone, but Subaru couldn’t shake the feeling that the love within her fingertips never dwindled.

Despite the differences in demeanor and tone, she and her sister were still sisters. The essence of their compassion resonated deeply, tightening Subaru’s chest.

There were things he had to convey, and there were talks that could not be circumvented.

No, they must not be avoided. He had to at least be able to do that much.

“Ah…”

As he struggled to find the right words, Ram’s fingers slipped away from his head, and he couldn’t suppress a sound of regret. Hurriedly, he covered his mouth with a hand, but Ram caught onto his expression before he could mask it.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she gave him a sideways glance.

“Want me to do it some more?”

“I’m not a kid, so I don’t need it…”

As he muttered a retort, Ram responded with an abrupt huff of amusement. Looking at her playful demeanor felt like a long absence of nearly two weeks for Subaru.

“Who’d have thought you’d say something so childish while making a tearful face? You really act like a toddler.”

Ignoring Subaru’s melancholy, Ram shrugged, speaking from a perspective above him. After watching Subaru struggle to speak, she said,

“Well then, Balus.”

“—Yeah.”

Moving her chair so that she could sit directly in front of Subaru, Ram looked into his eyes.

Her gaze seemed to reach all the way to his heart, making Subaru shift awkwardly in discomfort. After a brief pause, Ram continued,

“—Let me hear it.”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“It was a complete disaster. When the villagers saw that the dragon cart arrived with a half-dead, filthy Balus inside, at first, they thought it was a joke or something.”

Calmly, Ram recounted the events leading to Subaru losing consciousness and being carried into this mansion. She pointed to him, who was listening in silence, and said,

“Dislocated shoulder, cut forehead. The broken ribs were fixed, but if you push it, they’ll snap. We disposed of your blood, dirt, and urine-soaked clothes. —Let’s keep the matter of your urination a secret from Emilia.”

“…Ah, that saves me.”

Subaru replied in a hoarse voice, and Ram shrugged her shoulders with an indifferent expression.

It seemed she intended to leverage what had just occurred against Subaru as a basis for future unreasonable demands, but that wouldn’t work if Subaru were in such a state.

Tuning out her intentions, Subaru confirmed the injuries were healing as Ram had pointed out. Though his left shoulder still hurt slightly, it moved without issue, and there wasn’t any discomfort bothering his forehead or chest. Thank the healing magic for that. The problem was,

“By the way, who healed my wounds…?”

“Emilia did.”

With a straightforward reply, Ram spoke just as Subaru had feared.

She placed her hands on her hips and said, “What could I do?” Then, she looked at the sagging Subaru with an empathetic gaze, and continued,

“At first, I asked Beatrice for help, but she refused. You know she can be particular, so I understood the risk, but…”

“Did Emilia… say anything?”

“That’s something you should discuss with her directly.”

Touching the dislocated shoulder, Subaru asked hesitantly, to which Ram coldly replied.

Realizing the chill in her gaze, he trembled slightly, and Ram sighed at his pitiful response.

“I don’t know what happened between Emilia and Balus in the Royal Capital. I have some inkling that something transpired, but I haven’t heard the details. I’m not particularly interested. Looking at Balus’ reaction, it’s clear you must have done something troublesome.”

“That’s harsh.”

“I consider it a fair assessment, don’t you? At the very least, you have the courage to avoid discussing matters that are difficult to bring up and instead latch onto a different topic. That’s a coward’s way out.”

Ram ruthlessly pinpointed the psychological state of Subaru, who was unable to muster any argument against her accusations.

She was correct in assessing what words she desired from him; after all, Subaru had returned, yet the person he hoped to find wasn’t there. This should have been a topic easy to bring up.

When Ram withheld this from her lips, waiting for Subaru to speak, was it a kindness or a harshness? —It was probably a mixture of gentle and harsh concern.

Subaru understood that he couldn’t take her for granted any longer.

He had the sense to realize that there were countless conversations he needed to have.

So finally, he inhaled deeply, casting his gaze around, and shut down his body’s instinct to buy time, mustering just enough strength to choke out the words,

“—Rem is dead.”

The instant he spoke those words, something inside Subaru fell away.

It was a heavy mass that had been lodged in the bottom of his chest, and once verbalized, it began to lose its form, muddling down into his stomach and demanding to assert itself.

Only as the heat trailing down his cheeks finally made him aware of what that mass entailed did realization strike.

It was the grief he felt, the regret, the desperate plea for the lost soul.

Until now, he had only skirted around what he saved to say, and finally accepted those feelings, swallowing the reality that he had to face.

—Rem had been lost because of him.

Tears streamed down his cheeks.

And he finally grasped it. That he had indeed made Rem die numerous times—this would be the fourth time he’d lost her, including the loops he had endured before in the mansion. It wasn’t until now, after having killed her four times, that he truly realized it.

This was the first time he shed tears for her death.

Just because he cried for her didn’t mean his deeds would be forgiven.

He had squandered the time she bravely forged to save him, he had groveled before the one who killed her, and he had continually turned away from the truth ever since.

Seeing his own ugliness was no longer an option; he could not evade it anymore. At the very least, he owed it to her, who devoted herself to him—

“I… I couldn’t do anything. The fog on the road… The White Whale, it showed up. So Rem tried to help me escape… But all the other dragon carts got scattered, I was left behind in the fog… And in the end…”

Words swelled within him but wouldn’t come together.

His breath was stammering, and his speech was sloppy, never managing to fit together coherently. The rationalizations spilled from his mouth unendingly, threatening to tarnish Rem’s last moments, and unable to withstand that feeling, Subaru finally shut his mouth, abandoning the urge to speak.

He could recognize his sins. Let him face his punishment. And for that reason, he needed to explain clearly…

“Who’s Rem?”

—Huh?

—Huh…?

—What did you just say?

Subaru couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind Ram’s question, responding with an airheaded voice.

Rem? Who? What does that mean?

Yet Ram looked at Subaru’s expression with suspicion, as if it was him saying something strange, and she repeated,

“Who’s Rem, Balus?”

Without a twitch of her brow, she interrogated him about the existence of the twin sister of hers.

“Wha- No one—don’t say such stupid things! She’s your sister’s name! Rem! That’s Rem!?”

“Ram’s sister…”

Placing a finger to her lips, Ram shut her eyes tightly as if seriously trying to recall something.

Just her making that gesture triggered a feeling of unbearable impatience for Subaru. He wanted to shout, demanding to know what she was doing, wishing to thrust her back into the fog-drenched road right now.

After a moment of silence, she said,

“Ram’s sister, Rem. Ah…”

“Did you remember!?”

At her exclamation, Subaru felt a shining glimmer of hope. However, Ram nodded at Subaru slightly, then her expression grew profoundly dull as she uttered,

“There’s no way there could be such a fact to remember. Ram has always been alone. There can’t possibly be a sister.”

Without any pretense, she clearly declared.

At her words, Subaru shook his head. “What nonsense!” he muttered.

“What are you even saying…?”

“There has never been a Ram with a sister.”

Her tone revealed none of the hidden emotions or attempts to hide feelings; it was the cold, objective truth.

—In her heart, the existence of her twin sister really had disappeared fundamentally.

“If Rem is gone, then what of the commotion in the Forest of Magical Beasts? I was with Rem and you, dealing with the Juggernaut…”

“Are you out of your mind, Balus? Though it irritates me, the eradication of Juggernauts was half due to your contributions, and the rest, Ram’s efforts, along with the support of Roswaal. There’s simply no room for that separated sister known as Rem.”

Ram stood immovable, refusing to acknowledge any existence of a sister.

It appeared that the outcomes of those repetitive days in the mansion ended differently in her mind than in Subaru’s.

While Subaru had been struggling with blood pouring from his mouth, running alongside Rem’s progress, with her protecting him, running off together into the forest to save her—all those events that had transpired were painted over with falsehood in her memory.

He couldn’t comprehend what she meant. Why was she answering that way? It made no sense.

“This isn’t even a joke… This nightmare, what poor quality…”

“Ram has always been dead serious. The one dreaming here is you, Balus.”

“Don’t you dare joke with me—!”

Fueled by a surge of impotent rage at Ram’s unfazed demeanor, Subaru threw the sheets off and jumped down from the bed. Though his still-weakened body staggered beneath him, he couldn’t hold back the overwhelming impulse to look up.

“Balus, don’t force yourself to stand…”

“Shut up! Just… just watch!”

He was on the verge of reaching out for Subaru, but he roughly batted Ram’s hand away, then stepped forward cautiously, testing the sturdiness of his footing. Once he confirmed his footing, he made for the door.

Subaru was still on the second floor of the servant wing where he was given a room. Though there were several rooms prepared for the servants, practically only three people served that role in this mansion, so most of the spaces were empty.

Knowing that all the rooms on this floor were empty, Subaru passed by their doors without even a glance.

What lay ahead was the stair well leading to the upper floor, where he walked quickly, taking the stairs two at a time. Along the way,

“If you keep pushing yourself without regaining your strength, you’re going to collapse and trouble Ram.”

The plea echoed from behind him, but Subaru paid it no mind as he pressed on, taking far longer than he usually would to ascend the stairs, then straight through the third-floor corridor of the mansion. He headed to a specific room he had visited multiple times.

On the third floor of the servant’s wing, the third room along the west staircase—there, he believed, lay the answer that proved he hadn’t been lost in a nightmare.

Standing before the door, he grasped the knob and thrust it open.

There was no time for hesitation. If he wasted even a moment here, that would provide his heart the opportunity to waver again. —There needed to be no time taken for doubts or confusions.

Bursting into the room without a knock, what unfolded inside was a simple yet modestly furnished girl’s bedroom—

“…This can’t be real.”

There was nothing there.

What he encountered were only a basic bed and a small desk at the back, perfectly maintained but stripped of any uniqueness. The girl’s room was indeed simple, but that didn’t mean it was without personality.

“That can’t be…!”

He scanned the room, the disbelief gripping him, before bursting out of the room. Ignoring Ram standing quietly beside the door, he stepped into the hallway, counting the steps. From the stair hall, counting thrice, he couldn’t have made a mistake. In fact, he had a clear recollection of the number of steps—it was a place he could reach blindfolded.

—Yet, why?

“Balus, are you done here?”

Ram seemed to have understood what Subaru was seeking.

Noticing Subaru in disbelief, Ram quietly asked what he wanted. There was a poignant emotion in her expression that was incongruous with her usual disposition, fully showing her concern for him.

Recognizing her tone struck Subaru deeply.

“Rem is… not here?”

“—There hasn’t been anyone like that in this mansion.”

Shaking her head, Ram looked straight at Subaru, her eyes clouding over, then taking a breath, she added,

“And, Ram doesn’t have a sister.”

This time, with her final words, she clutched an invisible dagger, digging deep into his gut.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—Concerning Rem’s death, Subaru had disciplined himself with the responsibilities he must bear.

Rem had thrown her life away for Subaru. That responsibility was one he had to shoulder. And with that unbearably heavy burden, gestures like he did in the past wouldn’t cut it—he had to accept it, now he was finally looking to take a step forward.

“Do I have no qualifications to beg for forgiveness?”

Everything pushed Subaru away. All of them left him behind.

His actions, which he believed were for Emilia, were ultimately met with her refusal. The chasm that formed remained uncrossed.

Rem, who had cast away everything for Subaru, met a gruesome death each time on their repetitions. Thus, if he were to accept the weight of her life’s end, the world stripped even that responsibility away from him.

Time, the world, the Witch Cult, the White Whale—every obstacle impeded Subaru’s wishes.

Why was this? What had he done wrong?

Why was the world so cruel, betraying every thought he had?

It was because—

“Balus, go back to your room.”

In his daze, Subaru stood dumbfounded as Ram pressed against him.

She pushed him back toward the staircase.

“You must be tired. It’s natural that things are muddy for you right now. Return to your room, lie down in bed, and see the rest of that dream. Ram has to tend to things as I’ve been called. I can’t focus entirely on Balus.”

Even in this moment, when Subaru was swallowed by shock, Ram’s judgment remained harsh. No comfort could ever brighten her responsibilities.

After giving him a firm shove, she headed toward the opposite staircase. Before departing, she turned and ordered him, “Return to your room and sleep.” With that, she left him behind, alone in the hallway.

Disoriented, his feet moved slowly in the direction of the room Ram instructed him toward. Perhaps if he lay down as she suggested, sinking into slumber, he could escape from the isolation that felt as if everything was being belittled.

It was surely a bad dream. To think he was dreaming within a dream to fall asleep in bed felt strange but didn’t seem so bad.

More importantly, if he shifted his awareness to sleeping, he could finally free himself from the noise that echoed through his skull again and again.

He would run away. Run, run, run, and keep running since he had made it this far. Just the same, like before, he would escape and continue running to evade the evils that came his way—

“What happens if I escape…”

He murmured, halting his steps just shy before the stairs.

He wanted to escape, yet as he put his foot down on the stairwell, he pulled back and raised his chin, staring in the opposite direction of his descent.

Running away wouldn’t solve anything. He would have betrayed Rem once more.

If she had protected Subaru and helped him flee the White Whale, what purpose did that serve?

It was to allow Subaru to see his purpose. His purpose was to keep the people living in this mansion safe from the hands of the Witch Cult.

If he now abandoned even that purpose while throwing his consciousness into escape, it would be—

“Better to beg for forgiveness than act cowardly…”

Turning around, he faced the stairs he had almost descended.

This time, he advanced without a hint of hesitation. Subaru passed through the girl’s room whose presence had vanished, making his way up the stairs headed toward the same direction Ram had disappeared.

On the upper floor awaiting him was the reason he had come back.

Placing one foot carefully onto the staircase, he ascended step by step. Up the spiral, he proceeded until he reached a door that led to a room.

When he grasped the door handle, Subaru noticed how strangely quiet his heartbeat was.

Earlier, before stepping into the room of the lost girl, his heart had raced fiercely, yet now it beat a calm rhythm. Whether it was calming him or if it had sunk too low, he couldn’t quite distinguish.

But—

“Lend me your courage, Rem—”

The moment he spoke her name, strength coursed briefly through his hand.

The door, which felt as though it wouldn’t budge before, opened smoothly, almost as if it had been waiting for him to do so.

And beyond the now-open door, as a girl turned from her desk, her head shifted to him—

“—Subaru?”

Hearing the silvery voice call out his name, Subaru closed his eyes.

He felt an overwhelming, indescribable sensation crash through his chest and entire body, realizing once more.

—That he had returned for her voice.

The girl, with silver hair and translucent, white skin, possessing deep lavender eyes. As she emanated a glimmer of sorrow alongside her ethereal beauty, Emilia spoke.

“…Why did you come back?”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—That voice sounded so weak, so fragile, that it caused Subaru to focus more on how she sounded rather than the words she spoke.

With trembling lips and no lively light in her eyes, Emilia appeared smaller than him. Even if only a week had passed in the real world, it felt like two weeks in perceived time, yet she seemed weary.

It felt as if she had lost weight since they last parted ways. Fatigue was obvious in her voice and eyes as if she had not been able to sleep.

The external pressures she seemed to face weighed her down, and Subaru knew the reasons behind that.

Subaru was here to confront those very reasons directly, and for that reason alone, he had returned to Emilia.

So,

“Let’s go. We can’t stay here.”

He stepped forward, ignoring Emilia’s question as he extended his hand.

Her surprise at his sudden attitude caused her to widen her eyes slightly and, taking a step back, she distanced herself from Subaru. Breaking the closer distance between them caused her brows to furrow.

“Where are we going? No, for what purpose?”

“Anywhere that’s not here. If you ask me why, it’s for you because I…”

“Is it, again, that?”

At his answer, Emilia replied in an almost disappointed tone.

Her lavender eyes glistened slightly, a brewing gaze turned to Subaru, who fell mute as she continued,

“Suddenly coming back, all covered in injuries to worry me. —You were supposed to be receiving treatment from Felix in the Royal Capital, right? Why are you here now?”

“A lot happened! I have plenty to explain, but we’re running out of time. Please, just listen to me. Just come, escape this mansion…”

“I told you I couldn’t! I told you I couldn’t trust you after this! I—I said that.”

Firmly shaking her head, Emilia’s voice trembled as she rejected Subaru’s advances. This was merely a continuation of the conversation they shared in the royal castle’s waiting room, recycled with no progress.

Despite Subaru’s desperation, Emilia didn’t understand why he couldn’t trust her wishes.

Nonetheless,

“If you don’t want to go, I’ll forcibly take you. After a few days, you’ll see that I’m right, whether you like it or not. So…!”

“Wait, wait, Subaru. What’s happened to you? You weren’t like this before. I’m… I’m…”

“Just shut up and listen to what I’m saying!!”

The moment he shouted, Emilia trembled slightly.

With wide eyes filled with disbelief, she stared at Subaru, who inhaled roughly, glaring in her direction.

“You can’t stay here! You’ll regret it. You absolutely will. There’s no good that will come from this. No one will be saved. I don’t want to suffer anymore, and I don’t want to cry!”

“What are you talking about…? Subaru, I don’t understand.”

“Shut up! You guys… you should just be doing as I say! If you do, things will go well. That’s the way it is! Why doesn’t anyone understand!?”

As he grasped his hair, Subaru lashed out not at Emilia, but rather at all the injustices he had encountered up to now.

The vitriol of his anger must have sounded incoherent to Emilia. But for Subaru, this was his sole chance to express it. All the injustices he had met—only before her could he voice them.

As Subaru wept and pleaded heartily, Emilia’s eyes fell softly.

Then she whispered, “I’m sorry,” her voice hardly above a murmur.

“Nothing you say makes sense. I wish I could understand you, but we’re out of time. I have things I must do. So…”

“You can’t just go smoothly.”

Interrupting her, Subaru pushed aside her desire with those few words.

“Emilia!”

Emilia inhaled sharply in response, blinking repeatedly in confusion as if she were unable to accept Subaru’s malicious words.

Watching her struggle triggered a sense of self-reflection for Subaru. His frustrations reflected in her expression, mirroring his own feelings of defeat in the face of failure.

It was a painful and cruel satisfaction that enveloped Subaru’s perception.

“Things won’t turn out well. You’re no good. You’ll fail. There’s no way you’re capable. You’re absolutely flawed. No one will be saved. The more you pile up recklessness and impulse, the more bodies you’ll see piling up. —That’s your future.”

It was dark, ugly, vile, and absolutely loathsome—yet it was a pleasure.

Every word he spoke and every syllable that reverberated within her caused a reaction on her face, pain seeping in, chiseling at her heart, and inserting a blade deep into her thoughts.

In that instant, all of Emilia’s attention was directed solely toward him. In that fleeting moment, there was a dark satisfaction in knowing that all of her attention lay solely on Subaru.

Each time Subaru’s decisions were belittled, his resolve mocked, his intentions obstructed, his past thrown into the wind, and his bleak future foretold—it all toyed with her.

Having witnessed Emilia’s plight unfold before him, Subaru let out—

“Why?”

Emilia whispered, voice so fragile and soaked in despair, her expression strained under the weight of his merciless words while her lavender eyes remained unfaltering in their glimmer.

As he became enchanted by that mysterious glow, reflecting toward him, the realization dawned.

“Why is Subaru crying so desperately?”

—He realized he was wearing a deranged smile while shedding tears.

“—”

With all of his thoughts rebounding within him.

As tears streamed down and the words he spat hung heavily, he couldn’t bear the truth behind himself, on the verge of revelation.

All of Subaru’s determination, his resolution, actions, past, and future were piled heavily upon him, denying him any chance to evade it.

The feelings of helplessness and the duty to make things right coiled tightly around him, squeezing at his chest.

What was this all for?

To bring back what occurred?

“Against all odds, this leads back to Rem… No, back again—it was to grant the reason for me to come here…”

“Rem?”

At the halting of Subaru’s words emerged a notion that made Emilia turn her head slightly.

Upon hearing the name, she cocked her head in confusion, as if the name that slipped from her lips had lost its meaning.

The mere fact that Emilia didn’t understand the name, revealing an absence of recognition, sent chills through Subaru.

“—You’re also going to forget Rem—”

“What?”

“Are you also going to forget Rem?”

Lost among the swirl of confusion, the very being he risked his life to return could now slip from memory, even in the case of her twin sister, Rem.

What of her days, her time, her feelings, her way of life, her yearnings—where could they possibly vanish to?

What became of that smile, that anger, that tear, that touch—everything that made her who she was?

“—I’ll tell you everything.”

Subaru’s words spilled forth without hesitation, declaring his resolution, transformed into something almost cathartic.

Emilia, in shock at Subaru’s outburst, gaped at him. He looked up at her stunned face and re-identified the powerful feelings that propelled him to this point.

If the thoughts about her—a desire to protect them, to ensure she never faded away—were about to vanish, he could face anything, even if the spiraling dive led to abyss.

“There’s no harm in pouring it all out and showing the blood.”

Subaru resolved with conviction.

To unload everything, to speak the truth, to expose his heart’s deepest secrets.

With a shift in his expression, Emilia discerned the change and gasped softly.

Before her, Subaru placed a hand against his chest. His heart beat rapidly. From his understanding of the pending outcomes of his words, a creeping terror crept in.

It was pain—twisting and relentless.

As though his heart were being crushed and toyed with, he was rendered voiceless to express the torment unleashed upon him endlessly.

But he thought, rejecting the fear of pain.

What did it matter? This pain dissolved in comparison.

Nobody remembered her existence in this world—if Subaru sought mercy for the death he bore responsibility for, it could only be from his own soul.

Let the torment come in whatever form it would; he would spill forth every experience he had lived and with it reclaim everything he’d nearly lost. There, he would draw the line against this creeping miasma.

There was too much darkness yet to loosen grip on his burial ground.

For enduring agony, pain, tempestuous ascendance, he could endure it endlessly.

The willpower Subaru summoned was…

“Aah?”

In an instant, color began seeping back into the halted world.

What was about to deliver pain instead detached itself, eluding into the void. The residue of substances left behind—the sounds, colors, time—fan back into existence, the tone mistress enveloped before him.

Breath, pulsing echoes, a reverberation of life surrounding him. Gradually slipping away was the feeling of hopelessness toward the indifference now toward his fate.

A sudden awakening rooted through him. Had the essence of the black miasma realized its blunder in trying to rattle him?

There is no way that could be the case—laughter formed at the absurdity of being relieved.

Yet the possibility of ever-present determination brought more clarity to his own resolve.

Memories of just moments before, a hand wrapped around his heart—signifying everything as power wrung together by that black void.

—And that hand had remained patient.

“—Fuh.”

Before he could conclude that pondering, Emilia murmured something nearby.

Her words jolted him back to reality. Subaru recollected the words he had yet to speak aloud.

Drenched in confusion, the surreal quiet worked to sparkle the growing tension.

The time when it was forbidden became ensnared now soon to end.

He would articulate everything, share visions of the future gleaned from experience, and grasp at the world filled with wishes, desires, and needs.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Emilia lurched forward, leaning heavily toward Subaru.

With instinct, he extended his hand to catch her. A warm, supple connection imbued him as a tinges of surprise hit him—

Splash.

“—Eh?”

Splash, splash, splashing.

“—Emilia?”

Splash, splash, splash, vomiting out streams of—

In his arms, Emilia erupted forth blood, plenty of it.

—When the right hand gripped Subaru’s heart, where had the left hand vanished?

Resting her face against Subaru’s shoulder, Emilia couldn’t halt the fountain of blood pouring from her mouth. The ground was stained crimson with the flood, as Subaru was engulfed entirely.

“Stop… Huh? What…?”

Raising her face to check for answers, he turned her face up, yet the life in her neck hung limp.

Her unfocused eyes spoke volumes.

—Before Subaru, Emilia was…

“EEEEEEEEEEEEE—!!!”

His scream echoed forth.

Yelling out would shred his throat—yelling out would drive him insane.

In his arms, Emilia’s weightless form lightened.

The surplus blood would not cease. Subaru turned more red, rapidly covered in crimson.

—As the right hand enveloped Subaru’s heart, the left hand remained with Emilia, where?

The resolve, the determination, the actions, the past, the future—everything crushed beneath mocking laughter.

The once firm determination, a newly forged resolve, splintered into fragments, driving Natsuki Subaru to the edge of despair.

—The hellish echoes carried the song of screams, enduring indefinitely.

Finally, Subaru had—

—killed Emilia.