Hearing laughter reverberate around him, Natsuki Subaru desperately stifled the shiver rising in his throat and began to kick his dulled thoughts into high gear.

—I don’t understand. Why is this woman in front of me claiming to be Petelgeuse? I thought I had killed him, and his body was completely blown apart. He should be dead. Were there multiples of him? Ridiculous. Such absurdity should only belong to the White Whale!

“You bastard… What did you just say—”

“Oh dear, you seem quite surprised. It’s gratifying to see you that shocked; it makes my return all the more worthwhile!”

With a snap of her fingers, the woman pointed at Subaru with the opposite hand she had crushed. A maniacal grin plastered on her face, she opened her mouth wide enough to reveal her throat, licking her tongue.

A chill ran down Subaru’s spine as he recognized the similarities between this insane woman and the man he thought he had killed. The way she spoke, her laughter, and above all, the existence of the “Invisible Hand”—

“Wait… you had seven arms… didn’t you?”

As far as Subaru knew, Petelgeuse had a total of seven black magic hands. At least, he had never seen more than that number, and Petelgeuse, whom he had fought with all his might against Pack, had not summoned more than that either.

But now, in front of him, the number was easily exceeding seven, and the number of outstretched arms was already close to twenty.

“Can you… see my ‘Invisible Hand’?”

Narrowing her eyes, the woman spoke in a sharp tone at Subaru’s answer. Even in the previous world, Petelgeuse harbored a fierce animosity toward anyone who could see his magic hands. It seemed that hadn’t changed, even as he had become a different person, now brimming with even more hatred for Subaru’s words.

“Why can you see the answer of love that has been given to me, and only to me!? Faithful of my love, you cannot possibly—!”

“Get away from Subaru— you bastard!”

A sharp voice suddenly cut through the trembling lips of the woman.

With bloodshot eyes glaring at her, the one who spoke was—

“Wilhelm—”

Wilhelm, who had been grabbed by a black magic hand and was lightly lifted off the ground.

His movements restrained by the unseen arms, the old swordsman struggled to free himself, yet his fierce gaze showed no sign of diminishing fury. If the “Invisible Hand” released its grip even for a moment, this old man would surely leap forward and sever the woman’s head, sending Petelgeuse back to hell once again.

Facing the oppressive killing intent radiating from the sword demon, the woman—though it was hard to call her Petelgeuse—distorted the features of her otherwise unassuming and virtuous young face into something horrific.

“Ah, you seem to be quite diligent. I understand. Yes, yes, I can see it; your unwavering spirit is truly a thing of beauty! The one who believes! The one who perseveres! Proof that a steadfastness is firmly established within you! How incredible! How good! How—!”

“Stop rambling nonsense, you lunatic.”

“Lunatic! A perfectly accurate assessment! Yes, I am mad with love! Mad with love, fearsome love, cherished love, caring love, affectionate love, ardent love, merciful love, honored love, dear love, pure love, loving love, fond love, beloved love, true love, loyal love, and love, love, love, love!!”

With eyes wide open, tongue extended, and spine arched, Petelgeuse scratched at his head.

Wilhelm looked at the lunatic with eyes as if seeing something dreadful. He noticed the other captives, also reflecting expressions of anguish at this madman’s twisted way of expressing love.

Amidst the swirling mass of negative emotions, Petelgeuse repeatedly bore an unnatural grin and turned to survey the surroundings.

“Ah, it is quite lonely that I cannot hear the praises I deserve… Then, allow me to display some benevolence!”

“No, stop—!”

With both hands raised, Petelgeuse casually made a ridiculous request of the unresponsive crowd. Subaru, who had imagined the worst possible outcome, urged them to stop, but Petelgeuse’s smile spread faster than his voice.

“Now—become ‘Sloth’!”

In a form that was different from Subaru’s most nightmarish visions, “Sloth” waged a cataclysmic spree within the village.

Up until now, everyone who had been restrained was common in one thing: they were all suppressing their voices while contorting their faces in agony. That was likely driven by their instinctive need to divert Petelgeuse’s interest from themselves, but the greater reason was simply that their throats were being choked.

The numerous extended arms grasped everyone’s throats in a vise grip, lifting them slightly off the ground in a sort of stretch. Breathing was not outright stopped, but it was a vicious act preventing their bodies from recovering enough to retaliate.

And now, with Petelgeuse’s utterance, that restraint was suddenly lifted,

“—Ahhhhhhh!!”

In the village, the cacophony of screams from those released from the pressure on their throats reverberated through the air.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

There was a man drooling, banging his head against the ground.

A woman was rolling her eyes and beginning to foam at the mouth, unable to control her body.

There was a merchant who inflicted severe self-harm, becoming blood-soaked.

A knight was overflowing with raging magical power, bleeding from every orifice in his body.

The scene was as if they had all gone insane, and the village was filled with screams and cries.

“This…”

It closely resembled the phenomenon from a few hours earlier during the battle with the White Whale.

Encircled by mist, those who heard the White Whale’s roar lost their sanity and curled up in place, unable to move.

However, the situation triggered by Petelgeuse’s remark was even more devastating than what they had just experienced.

“You resisted more than I expected.”

Saying this, Petelgeuse tilted his head back and forth gently, gazing at those who were issuing shrill cries that sounded like their throats were about to burst.

The way he seemed to be about to hum a tune in front of such a horrific scene left Subaru with no doubt that this man was indeed the same as before. Nevertheless,

“You bastard, why are you… in a place like this?”

“I was in the middle of a story, and I have yet to carry out the trial that is the reason I came here. —That said, thanks to you all crushing almost all of my fingertips, I’m left with this pathetic body.”

Speaking in a syrupy tone, Petelgeuse curiously stroked the contours of his own body with sickly movements. This lewd mannerism was only repulsive to Subaru, who glared at the magic hand still holding him in place and desperately tried to free himself.

“Damn it, I can see it… but I can’t do anything!”

“It seems you can indeed see the ‘Invisible Hand’. While it is very unpleasant, I suppose it’s to be expected if you are ‘Pride’…”

The madman, observing Subaru’s struggle, leaned in with interest.

With his body restrained, Natsuki Subaru couldn’t move, so approaching wouldn’t pose a threat either. And indeed, that assessment was right: Subaru couldn’t do anything.

—Subaru suddenly exclaimed,

“Do it—Patrasche!!!”

“What are you—”

Just as he began to ask, the earth dragon that had lowered itself in response to Subaru’s shout charged at Petelgeuse’s body with a fierce attack.

The ‘Invisible Hand’ that had been gripping every survivor’s neck in the area was only focused on restraining humans. Having left the earth dragons abandoned at the village entrance, the invisible hands did not interfere. Thanks to that brief moment of slack for Subaru, Patrasche had slipped around to strike from the side.

“Guh—!”

The physical switch was true, but there was no denying that it now appeared fragile.

The weight of the dragons’ charge, weighing in at several hundred kilos, easily launched the runt attempting to dodge away.

Thrown back, Petelgeuse smashed into a nearby house. Dust billowed up, and the moment he was no longer visible with a faint groan— the ‘Invisible Hand’ restraints on Subaru vanished.

“I’m free! Now—Wilhelm!”

“…I am managing, but this is…”

Wilhelm, who had evidently escaped the effects of mental pollution while rubbing the bruise on his neck, looked around. The influence of the ‘Invisible Hand’ had temporarily lifted, but the mental contamination still loomed over them.

They were still suffering, bloodied and shrieking due to self-harm, nightmares, and debilitating ailments. If this was of the same nature as the mist produced by the White Whale—

“Unless it’s Felix, we can’t treat them!?”

“Alternatively, if we take down the root cause, perhaps the curse would subside.”

Subaru buried his head in despair, while the dragon that saved the day nudged him gently, as if to say, “Calm down.”

Taking in a deep breath thanks to Patrasche’s effort, Subaru stared at Wilhelm’s profile as he drew his treasured sword.

“So if we take him down, is that even possible? Worst case, we should fall back and call Fel…”

“If Felix is here, it would surely be effective. But can you bear the thought of leaving that person here? If we retreat to the woods, he will certainly make for Roswaal’s mansion next… and Emilia will be at risk.”

“—No!”

That was something they had to avoid at all costs.

He didn’t know the reason. He didn’t understand, but deep down Subaru was convinced that he must not allow Emilia and Petelgeuse to meet.

If she crossed paths with that creature, it would indisputably spell disaster for Subaru.

That was one thing he simply could not accept.

“It seems you’re resolved. Subaru, please step back and watch.”

“That bastard uses invisible hands to bind us. No matter how strong Wilhelm is, he can’t take on that—”

“If you know there are invisible arms, it becomes something you can deal with. More importantly, Subaru, are you absolutely certain that he is indeed ‘Sloth’? I can say with certainty that I have cut ‘Sloth’.”

“…I don’t get the principles behind it, but I think it’s true. Worst case, just like the White Whale, this one might just be a fake and the real one is elsewhere. I didn’t know that before.”

“I never doubted you.”

Seeing Subaru make excuses, Wilhelm managed a wry smile. Subaru felt small in the presence of the older man’s calm demeanor in a moment that should have been so dire.

Before Subaru could respond, Petelgeuse suddenly shrieked,

“—Ah, it hurts. It hurts. It hurts. My brain is quaking. It quakes, you know.”

From the collapsed wall of a house, a bloodied, mud-stained Petelgeuse crawled into view, having extended an arm. Numerous shallow cuts littered his half-exposed body, clearly indicating the toll of Patrasche’s earlier charge.

Yet still, the glint in his eyes betrayed no sign of dulling vitality and instead embodied an obsessional madness intensified.

“Good. Dragons indeed are marvelous creatures! Affectionate toward humans, loyal, and above all, wise and diligent! Magnificent! Adorable! Diligent! Yes, being diligent is the virtue that should be praised above all else! If being lazy is the worst of sins, then being diligent should be the most praiseworthy virtue! If sloth merits no affection, then diligence is the worthy act of a faithful follower!”

Waving his arms, shaking his head, stomping his feet, licking his tongue, and drooling, Petelgeuse poured forth praises for Patrasche.

However, uncomfortably gracing the draconic face of Patrasche, it seemed that something about this charade made even an intrinsically different species recoil. The earth dragon could only display the fullest sense of disgust and leaned toward Subaru in disapproval.

An adorable and trustworthy companion indeed.

“Looks like our diligent partner isn’t pleased, you perverted bastard. …Or should I say a perverted girl? I get there’s a certain demand for TS stuff, but who the hell wants your TS, you piece of shit?”

“T-S? I don’t understand a word you’re saying, but whether the praise is for me or whether it makes the recipient happy is of no concern to me! When I think it’s beautiful, it’s something I have to express! It’s something I can never forgive to let this overflowing emotion remain unspoken. It can not be forgiven; there can be no mercy for it!”

“Conversing with someone who won’t engage in a proper discussion is always troublesome. —There’s no longer any meaning or value to our words. Wilhelm van Astraea, here I come!”

Crouching low, Wilhelm made his declaration and sent forth a wave of force.

In a single leap, the sword demon’s body rushed toward Petelgeuse, who was sluggish in his movements; however, it seemed even Petelgeuse was prepared for that initial attack.

“How terrifying. You too are driven by a sense of diligence. Thus, I shall respond accordingly!”

The ‘Invisible Hand’ sprouted from the ground, completely blocking Petelgeuse’s front like a wall. Should he continue charging ahead, he would become ensnared by unavoidable magic hands.

To convey the threat not visible to Wilhelm, Subaru strained his voice screaming,

“There are arms ahead! Get back—!”

“—Understood.”

Bringing down his right foot, Wilhelm came to a quick halt, avoiding the wall bearing down before him. With a side leap, the old swordsman turned to wield his unsheathed sword overhead,

“Ch—!”

The ground sliced through underneath his diagonal slash, sending soil tumbling down upon Petelgeuse.

If it had been enough to break the earth and push momentum into that attack, it could have been a proper assault, but—

“That’s just annoying…”

“I have no idea why you’d do something like that, but surely you don’t mean to suggest that you’re lazy?”

Petelgeuse sighed, seemingly having come up with a similar conclusion to Subaru’s with Wilhelm’s actions. The swordsman chose not to respond to his dejected demeanor and continued to race along the ground while raining dirt down with his strikes.

Petelgeuse casually waved his arms and murmured, “That’s enough, thank you.”

“Even if you’re diligent, a useless worker is an abomination to be treated as equal to sloth. If you don’t cease this frivolous defiance, I’ll have no choice—before the love I’ve been given, you shall be torn to shreds!!”

Shadows exploded as Petelgeuse’s ‘Invisible Hands’ surged toward Wilhelm.

The number exceeded thirty arms, far surpassing what Subaru had known of Petelgeuse’s capabilities. Just as Subaru attempted to convey the approach of the magical hands verbally, he was choking on his words before he could articulate even one or two.

And that fatal stagnation directly threatened Wilhelm’s life—

“Wilhelm—”

The ‘Invisible Hands’ mercilessly ravaged all that they touched, targeting the old swordsman, who could not sense their presence. Subaru foresaw the scene of him being torn apart visually while lamenting his own powerlessness, but

“I already told you.”

Wilhelms lets his body dip low, gracefully evading the outstretching fingers and dodging between the incoming magic hands. As if sliding through the gaps between them, the old man evaded every threat, his face sporting a formidable smile.

“As long as one knows there are invisible arms, there are ways to counter them.”

Wilhelm unhesitatingly proved to Subaru that he had spoken nothing but the truth as he faced the devil before him.

“Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, so absurdly stupid—”

Petelgeuse trembled as he listened to Wilhelm’s seemingly unyieldingly stoic words.

The madman grimaced at the reality that Wilhelm had casually avoided all of his aces, his expression reflecting an increasing desperation as his bloodshot eyes darted around.

“Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible… You don’t mean to say that you too can see my ‘Invisible Hands’?!”

“I see them. —When the trick is revealed, it’s nothing impressive, just a child’s game.”

Complaining with an air of boredom, Wilhelm drove the tip of his blade back into the earth.

The downpour of soil rained upon Petelgeuse, serving as the utmost offense against him, provoking his ire as it bore immediate significance.

Yet in repeating this act, Subaru realized Wilhelm’s true intention. All he could do was marvel at the old swordsman’s frightening insight.

The steady rain of dirt was not merely meant to annoy Petelgeuse and provoke his impatience.

Wilhelm was aiming to create a situation where he could visually discern the trajectory of the ‘Invisible Hands’ propagated by the dirt storm.

The ‘Invisible Hands’ that physically interact with human bodies are a mysterious phenomenon that exist, even if they’re invisible. Presumably, they are manipulating mana to deploy such techniques; Wilhelm had turned that premise against him.

In other words, the hands would move through where the soil rained down, and he had been deftly dodging them.

That said, even with that, evading over thirty arms’ worth of critical blows was not an easy task. Wilhelm’s divine reflexes enabled him to achieve this feat.

“Now then, I’ve sufficiently surprised you. —Are you ready to be slashed?”

With the blade’s tip pointed and a low voice threatening, Wilhelm unleashed a frigid murderous intent, reaching even Subaru, who wasn’t even the direct target.

Undoubtedly, Petelgeuse, who had to face that threshold of murderous intent directly, probably felt even more horrified.

Indeed, Petelgeuse seemed to regain a sense of reality from his previously deranged, borderline lunatic demeanor and appeared flustered.

“Wait, this can’t be, this situation, this plot, this predicament couldn’t possibly… I was diligent! I rejected being lazy and strove to nurture love! I was supremely devoted and the most diligent of followers! How could this be happening to me…”

“Just because you do this you think you’ll be loved? Just because you do just this you think you’ll be loved? Your superficial view of love is nauseating.”

Dismissing Petelgeuse’s repugnant cries as if they were dry leaves, Wilhelm’s eyes blazed with an anger that resonated beyond the mere threat of death.

“Love is not something to be forced upon others, nor is it something to beg for or extort. What you express isn’t love; it’s merely selfishness.”

“—What do you know?”

Ignoring Petelgeuse, who had opened his mouth to respond, Wilhelm swung down grandly as if stating this was his final move. Churning up dirt, he unleashed the rain onto Petelgeuse.

However, even within that dark rain, Petelgeuse smirked deviously,

“Then how about this?”

Shouting, Petelgeuse extended both arms toward Subaru’s side.

In response, the ‘Invisible Hands’ that were creeping across the ground lifted the bodies of the knights previously tortured by mental pollution.

Each of the sturdy survivors was outfitted like Wilhelm, members of his close-knit hunting party—he had targeted that strength.

Eyes gleaming maliciously, Petelgeuse opened his mouth as if to take pleasure in his actions.

“Now, how about this? Your friends, colleagues, subordinates, companions, and comrades will all be taken hostage! What kind of miserable situation will you find yourself in now—”

“—Don’t underestimate the knights, you bastard.”

Leaving behind that murmur, Wilhelm shot forward like a bullet.

With feet that gouged the earth, in the blink of an eye, the old man soared with a look of sheer bewilderment plastered on Petelgeuse’s face, who hastily summoned his magic hands from the shadows—

But it was too late.

The deeply embedded blade pierced through Petelgeuse’s abdomen from front to back, both of their expressions colliding together.

One wore an expression of utter shock, while the other contained barely suppressed fury embedded in those eyes.

“Having held a sword to protect, once you become a knight, you don’t hesitate to lose your life. I will not tolerate you insulting my—

my comrades.”

“Ah… a horrible—!”

A shaking hand extended toward the wound, reaching for the blood that trickled down the blade, opening his eyes wide. Then Petelgeuse turned his blood-stained hand toward Wilhelm’s face as the old swordsman didn’t move to dodge it. Recognizing that he had already lost the strength to act, the sword demon was keenly aware of the many lives he had cut down.

“You… that said… ah… truly, rightly, diligently…”

Petelgeuse reached out to Wilhelm’s cheek tenderly, like someone cherishing something dear.

The old swordsman allowed the madman’s hand to do as it wished while slowly drawing his treasured sword out from Petelgeuse’s abdomen. Blood poured abundantly, and Petelgeuse collapsed to his knees.

“Do you need assistance with the finish?”

“—No, I don’t. Ah, the sensation of losing life is wonderful. My blood is escaping. The source of my life flows out. Everything that has supported my body, my diligence, is disappearing, vanishing…”

Collapsed onto the ground, Petelgeuse took joy in the blood staining the earth further. Grinning gleefully, his lips trembled as his gaze began to lose focus, and eventually, the light faded from his eyes.

Witnessing this, Subaru let out a breathless, “Hah.” It was as if his very body had forgotten how to move in the face of an utterly breath-taking battle.

“I-It’s over… is it?”

“His breath has stopped. And the others, it seems, have also…”

Responding quietly to Subaru’s fearful question, Wilhelm cleaned off the blade.

Upon hearing those words and glancing around, indeed, everyone previously afflicted by mental pollution showed signs of calming down. They bore injuries, yet it seemed there had been no fatalities.

The last of the hostages treated as such hadn’t been killed, either; they barely held onto life.

Apparently, this time, it seemed genuinely okay to feel relief.

“What exactly was this all about?”

Shaking off the stiffness from his legs and ensuring they would respond, Subaru turned toward Wilhelm.

Before the old swordsman, the fallen body of Petelgeuse the Second lay completely silent, and from a distance, one might mistake it for that of an unrelated woman.

But realistically, this woman had been Petelgeuse just moments before.

Those insane antics and the power of the “Invisible Hands” mustn’t have been hallucinations, either; one had to forcibly conclude that the phenomena occurring were entirely explicable.

“Just like the White Whale, is it possible there are multiple versions of ‘Sloth’? If so, that would explain why chaos has been unleashed across various locations around the world…”

“I’ve never heard of a single Archbishop of Sin having multiple instances of the same sin… But with these vague entities, I can’t categorically deny it.”

Having mentioned the White Whale, Wilhelm’s tone of voice slightly lowered.

In truth, if this current supposition were to be accurate, it would indicate a grave problem. Just imagining multiple beings like Petelgeuse existing is enough to send chills down one’s spine.

“Worst case, it’s possible this woman isn’t even the real body… Maybe, like the White Whale, there’s a different body lurking nearby? If that’s the case, we may have no means of dealing with it.”

“The remaining members of the Witch Cult scouring the woods are also a concern. Thanks to you, Subaru, we were able to manage the ‘Invisible Hands,’ but they don’t have such advantages.”

“—! Oh no! In that case, this isn’t good! We need to head back immediately and regroup!”

The remnants of the Witch Cult in the forest had split into two groups. Even thinking there was another Petelgeuse lurking within those factions was a troubling notion, but it wasn’t something he could dismiss entirely.

Just as he decided to turn around to retrace his steps and grab the reins of Patrasche, Subaru halted.

“We need to hurry back… Patrasche?”

Reaching for the dragon, Patrasche was not accepting him. In fact, the earth dragon lowered its head slightly and ferociously growled, glaring at Subaru.

That stance was akin to what one might see in the presence of a rival enemy—

“No way… is it… possessed?!”

Realizing this possibility, Subaru instinctively recoiled.

If true, it would mean Petelgeuse could potentially hijack even beings of different species, such as Patrasche—

“Wilhelm! This is bad! That bastard has taken Patrasche—”

“Buh”

A splattering, sickening blood scent cascaded across Subaru’s face.

“Huh?”

In shock at the feeling of warm fluid drenching his face, Subaru’s mouth fell agape as he blinked.

Just ahead, the elder swordsman he had just seen seemingly vanished. Actually, not vanished entirely, but Subaru recognized that the shape that remained was entirely different.

The long form of Wilhelm, who towered well above Subaru’s height, whose physique had been honed to perfection, now had no neck.

Exposing a gruesome severed neck, a black fog billowed upward, spewing blood from the torso’s depths, dancing chaotically through the air.

“Eh… huh… an ‘Invisible Hand’…?”

Blankly staring ahead.

Just before him stood Patrasche, having been taken over by the actions of Petelgeuse.

That ‘Invisible Hand’ once again clumsily ripped apart the dragon’s neck, with heavy sounds echoing as it was tossed aside. The dragon’s hefty body collapsed to the ground, tremors vibrating through Subaru’s feet.

Simultaneously, Wilhelm’s body toppled over, and in that moment, it felt as if both steadfast comrades had lost their lives.

“What… huh? What in the world—?”

His thoughts turned entirely blank, thoughts spiraled into the void.

Glancing back down at Wilhelm’s fallen body— without a head anywhere in sight. There was nothing he could do to halt the pouring blood, futilely watching the crimson stain the earth beneath.

Suddenly, while catching himself, he found that his hand had instinctively extracted Wilhelm’s treasured sword from the corpse.

Gripping the long blade, he dramatically pulled it toward his throat.

Struggling, he finally found his aim and tilted his head.

“What’s… happened… here?”

He knew nothing.

With no understanding, he hastily drew the outstretched arm closer.

A hot sensation ran through his throat, and all strength bled away from his body.

Indeed, understanding had evaded him entirely. Except for one thing that had become crystal clear.

—Ah, I’m going to die.