Subaru let out a short breath against Petelgeuse’s grave marker, turning his gaze away from the traces of battle that had taken place.

As he turned back, he was greeted by Julius, dusting off his clothes, and Mimi and Tibby, who were shaking their heads as they dismounted from Patrasche.

The mental contamination on the siblings seemed to have cleared up significantly. It was likely a big relief that their nemesis had lost his life. Though he couldn’t quite unravel the mechanics of the mental contamination, Subaru wanted to believe that no lingering negative effects remained.

“Considering I’ve been through the same thing with that guy making his way into my head, my words probably lack any persuasive power… I can only hope he really had nothing left to offer, that’s terrifying.”

Petelgeuse had been a spirit, and he had once even contracted with him.

Whether in his original world or this one, there’s nothing good about an entity that shoves contracts down your throat. And when that escalated into a fight to the death, it made it even worse.

“A fight to the death… huh. That’s something I’d never say in my everyday life.”

Shaking his head, Subaru became aware that his sensibilities were starting to become tinted by this other world. He couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Feeling unusually sentimental was likely due to the relief of having overcome a major hurdle. This series of loops that had started in the royal capital could be considered the greatest series of critical battles since he was summoned to this world.

Having surpassed that final objective, it wouldn’t be strange to feel a kind of emptiness.

“I never thought defeating Petelgeuse would make me feel so reflective… I need to refocus. Calm down, look up, and when I think about it, there’s still a ton to do.”

After all, he hadn’t yet achieved the original goal of reconciling with Emilia.

Starting with their quarrel in the royal capital, then forming an alliance with Crusch’s faction and defeating the White Whale. He had also misled them into evacuating the village under false pretext, and then there was the follow-up after all those events—while the physical events had concluded, an emotional toll was looming ahead.

But,

“Not getting hurt or dying makes dealing with all this a whole lot easier. The importance of peaceful days becomes clear only after losing them. I’ve always wanted an unchanged daily life, love forever.”

In any case, Subaru needed to reunite with the members of the extermination team in the village to discuss their next moves. They needed to split up: the group that headed to the Sanctuary and Emilia’s faction that went to the royal capital. If they dawdled, the latter would reach their destination first.

As he walked on the rocky ground, Subaru’s mind began to work. Suddenly, he stopped, having noticed something. In front of him were traces of blood—a path stretching from Petelgeuse’s grave marker, marking where he had crawled before his last breaths, and at the starting point was—

“—The Gospel”

Perhaps it had spilled from the hem of his robe, or maybe he had dropped it while desperately trying to cling to something at the very end; the Gospel lay there, its cover stained with blood and mud.

He stepped forward to pick it up and flipped through its pages. It didn’t seem to have changed from the last time he checked its contents in the previous world. The letters forming the texts inside remained in an unreadable format, and the latter pages were still blank.

Now that Petelgeuse was defeated, it meant there was no longer a chance to learn anything from a central figure like an Archbishop of Sin.

“Alternatively, it seems this might be the only lead… For now, I’ll hold onto it and consult with Crusch or Roswaal.”

Of course, Roswaal appeared behind him due to the typical trust issues that had arisen. He had been absent during crucial moments, and although they were in the same faction, his approval ratings had plummeted across the board. There was an immense expectation on Roswaal’s future contributions, but truthfully, Subaru secretly wished nothing would happen that would require Roswaal to really shine.

Cleaning the Gospel of dirt, he dragged his feet over to where Julius and the others were. While he hadn’t suffered any direct injuries, the phantom pains that still gnawed at his body were remnants from the periods he had been in sync with Julius.

Even if treated, how long would it be until the pain from these invisible wounds faded? Just thinking about it was slightly frightening, and it was then that Subaru suddenly noticed Julius’ expression turning serious.

“I’d like to say we’ve finally resolved things, but we need to return to the village quickly, Subaru.”

Before Subaru could ask, “What happened?”, Julius raised his head.

With a serious demeanor, Julius held a communication mirror that seemed to have just been picked up, still connected to Felix if it didn’t cut off.

With a frown at the unsettling atmosphere, Subaru silently prompted Julius to continue, who then nodded and said,

“During Felix’s interrogation, a Witch Cultist reportedly mentioned something concerning. The people we evacuated might be in danger.”

He had just made a statement that could shake the very foundations of Subaru’s expectations.

—

“Welcome back~! I’m glad to see you managed to take down that Archbishop of Sin!”

Welcoming the four who had galloped back to the village on the Earth Dragon was Felix, sounding nearly joyful despite discussing something sinister.

Subaru sighed at Felix’s carefree demeanor as the tense atmosphere dissipated abruptly. However, he didn’t bring it up since that’s just how Felix always was.

Turning his head, Subaru looked over the extermination team gathered in the village center.

The attack had been a surprise from a position of overwhelming superiority. Even so, seeing that there were quite a few injuries hinted at the treachery of the Witch Cultists. Yet, the only consolation was that no one had died.

“Everyone made it back, right?”

“I gave the signal with ‘Tora Tora Tora’ didn’t I? I made sure to take out all the fingers aside from the main target. We even captured a few prisoners, and thanks to that, we’ve learned some things too, nya.”

With a squint in his cat-like eyes, Felix glanced over at the edge of the village. There were about four people in black robes tied up, including one of the merchants they had captured earlier.

The prisoners looked completely dazed and probably were already out of their senses, likely caused by Felix’s skill.

Feeling a mix of concern and repulsion over his capabilities, Subaru furrowed his brows and silently asked Felix for the details. Felix, still squinting, lowered his chin slightly.

“They mentioned something interesting – it seems there might be a separate team lurking about. They aren’t hiding around here, but rather keeping an eye on the main roads.”

“Oh come on! You can’t be telling me we’re talking about Petelgeuse’s fingers!? Ten locations with merchants and the woods and cliffs! That’s just fingers, right!? You aren’t talking about including toes like a child!”

“The place he was at isn’t about fingers, it’s the main body, so we only managed to take out nine fingers, right?”

Felix pushed back against Subaru’s remark. “Ugh,” Subaru was at a loss for words, knowing that while it sounded like an absurd argument, it also held undeniable logic.

As he looked around, Subaru started formulating strategies for what to do next. If that remains beneath the grave marker weren’t the last of them—

“Wow, you sure are persistent.”

“—Huh?”

Felix winked and grinned at Subaru, revealing an expression so jovial that it contradicted the gravity of their conversation. Subaru blinked, color flooding his cheeks as he registered.

“You weren’t just messing with me, were you?!”

“Not at all. You’re expecting too much. If you thought those words were just Felix messing around, you might have wished for that to be true, but that’s not a very good mindset.”

Teased and pinpointed, Subaru went speechless from the discomfort but forced himself to shake it off.

“Anyway, that conversation from earlier was the truth, right?”

“Absolutely. Oh, but it’s nothing about fingers. The Witch Cultist of ‘Sloth’ has been wiped out. The ones watching the roads aren’t related to ‘Sloth’.”

A frown creased Subaru’s face, and he pieced together the meaning in just a few seconds.

If in this battle, they had encountered Witch Cultists other than ‘Sloth’, then there was only one possibility.

“‘Gluttony’s’ Witch Cultists—!”

“If the White Whale was ‘Gluttony’, then it was odd for them to be alone.”

With Felix’s narrowed eyes in response, Subaru clenched his fists, coming to a realization based on previous loops. When the White Whale had appeared and Subaru had encountered the Witch Cultists beyond the mist, Otto had been the one attacked alongside him, which made it troubling since that hadn’t lined up with Petelgeuse’s fingers.

“—So, there’s a hiding Witch Cultist lurking somewhere on Leafaus Road?”

“Exactly. So, what’ll we do?”

Felix tilted his head, prompting Subaru to rest his chin on his hand.

If these assumptions were correct, the situation hadn’t been resolved yet. However, there was no benefit in rushing and clouding his judgment. All the same,

“I figured we’d anticipate that sort of situation to a reasonable degree. That’s what the safeguard was for, right?”

“Oh, you’re smiling too broadly now. Where’d that frail, meek Subaru-kun go?”

Felix raised both hands and cheered, clearly dismissing Subaru’s unease.

Through Felix’s reaction, it was clear he shared a sense of reassurance about that safeguard. The safeguard was—

“Why would I redirect all our maximum combat strength towards Emilia-chan when I already knew the difficulty of taking down ‘Sloth’ was going to rise? I allocated resources for such cases.”

As he spoke, Subaru glanced at the familiar faces who had returned to the village.

Among them was the most reliable force on the extermination team—none other than the renowned sword saint, Wilhelm van Astraea.

When preparing to face the ‘Sloth’ Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, what Subaru asked of the sword saint wasn’t to act as a sword in battle but rather serve as a shield to protect those who were important to him.

Originally, they had been wary regarding the potential presence of Witch Cultists lurking in the vicinity due to the roadside watch. That’s why he had taken utmost precaution to ensure Emilia and the villagers he had sent to the royal capital suffered no harm.

In combat against Petelgeuse, aside even from Julius, any human not resistant to ‘Mental Contamination’ stood a decent chance of being possessed. Anyone afflicted, not targeted by Petelgeuse’s possession, could be assessed as ‘safe companions’ since they posed no risk of turning into enemies.

Conversely, those like Wilhelm who bore resistance to Petelgeuse’s mental corruption risked calling forth that very possession. Hence, Subaru chose to keep all potential targets away from the battlefield and engage only with those who could resist possession—himself and Julius, Petelgeuse’s natural enemy.

“Do you know how many Witch Cultists are hiding along the roads? There were nearly a hundred just with the ‘Sloth’ faction around here. No matter how strong Wilhelm is, numbers can be a struggle…”

“You know I said ‘watching’, right? Their numbers aren’t a major issue. If there are about twenty or thirty, they can be handled easily by Wilhelm and his aides, so it should be fine.”

Subaru’s concern had been based on the possibility of a massive ambush but was dampened by Felix’s words. After all, a single White Whale itself had been more than enough resembling a threat even without counting its minions.

“—If it’s going to be as simple as that, I wouldn’t have pushed us to hurry back like this. Felix, we shouldn’t be beating around the bush.”

Subaru noticed that Felix hadn’t missed the fact that Subaru’s moment of relief had made him drop his guard. Having previously been cautious of Mimi and Tibby who were behind them, Julius made his way over and patted Subaru’s shoulder as he admonished Felix.

When Subaru furrowed his brows over Julius’s words, Felix smiled softly.

“I’m confident in Wilhelm’s abilities, and it’s not concerning to face a small number of Witch Cultist attacks. In a pinch, even Emilia-sama could fight, so we have no worries about our fighting strength. However, there’s just a little something bothering me.”

“What’s bothering you?”

Felix made a small circle with his fingers, emphasizing his little concern before nodding at Subaru’s prompt and stepping aside.

“From here on, let’s hear from the person who noticed the essential issue. And thus, here’s Otto-kun with his precious opinions!”

As Felix cheered, an uncomfortable-looking Otto appeared from behind him. Subaru’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected arrival, and Otto lowered his head, saying, “I apologize for startling you.”

“I’m just glad you all returned safely. If you all lost, I couldn’t guarantee my own safety either.”

“Being so honest is great and all… but what did you notice? To be honest, I’m getting a bad feeling about this from the start.”

As he scratched his ear, Subaru felt his unease rising. Otto nodded, trying to avoid stirring up Subaru’s worries.

“Earlier, I noticed that a familiar merchant—Mr. Elgreed—had become a captive. Turns out, he was a Witch Cultist…”

“That old man has such a cool name… So yeah, if what you’re saying is true, then that means that person Ketti was the same?”

“Exactly. It’s about Ms. Ketti.”

Hearing that a known acquaintance had been caught up in such a wretched cult, Subaru couldn’t help but feel empathy towards Otto’s plight. Yet, Otto showed little interest in Subaru’s concern and stepped forward instead.

“I’m surprised and disappointed to learn Ms. Ketti was involved with the Witch Cult. But that’s a separate issue. Ms. Ketti’s dragon car, it’s what’s being used for the evacuations, right?”

“—? Ah, we’re using it. Regardless of its owner, it shouldn’t pose an issue with the belongings. We don’t have enough dragon carriages, so it can’t be left unused.”

“And the merchant’s company must have unloaded their cargo from the dragon carriages to take the villagers instead… Am I correct?”

Otto’s detailed line of questioning made Subaru respond with an absent-minded “yeah.” In response, Otto rested his chin thoughtfully, seemingly coming to a realization.

“There’s something missing from the cargo that should have been unloaded.”

“Something that should be there…?”

As Subaru’s thoughts swirled with Otto’s statement, a sense of foreboding crept in.

To solidify Subaru’s concern, Otto drew a small breath, allowing the forthcoming information to settle within him.

“—A significant amount of fire magical ore. Enough to completely obliterate around seven or eight dragon carriages has gone missing.”

And that’s how it went.

—

—The dragon wagon belonging to the deceased Ketti was being used for the evacuation efforts of Emilia’s group.

After hearing Otto’s story, Subaru’s memory pieced together that each dragon wagon had been assigned a driver from among the extermination team.

Though he didn’t recall which specific carriage it was, he was confident that Wilhelm was among those assigned. The sword saint was certainly riding in one of those carriages.

“Is it true that they were loaded with magical ore? There’s a possibility they were unloaded along the way…”

“Would a cult that’s supposed to ambush villagers and Emilia-sama during their evacuation bother to do that? Subaru, there’s a big difference between optimism and hoping for the best.”

“Why are you being so pedantic right now… Well, I get it. I’m in the wrong.”

Subaru stammered, his lips trembling in fluster. As his answer was rebuked, Julius eyed him critically. Subaru felt adequate guilt yet shook his head to dismiss any ownership and questioned Otto further.

“There weren’t any magical ores inside the warehouse. I checked myself; I know that for sure. Did you take a look at the current state of the cargo before coming here?”

“Regrettably, not definitively. They weren’t very large, around the size of a fist, but there had been enough to fill many bags. If they were crushed at once, there was sure to be a sufficient amount for fulfilling their intentions.”

But the existence of those bags had not been confirmed.

Subaru and Julius had checked for safety reasons, and it was that check that had allowed them to consider reusing the dragon wagons that had once belonged to suspicious cultists.

“I had confirmed there were no rituals embedded. However, I hadn’t considered that the dragon wagons could have been infused with magical ores. This blunder is on me; I apologize.”

“It’s not your fault. I should have realized it.”

Subaru wagged his head at Julius’s apology, biting his lip over his own negligence.

In this world where magic was commonplace, if Julius, a spirit mage, was on high alert for magical methods, then it was Subaru’s responsibility to invoke suspicion towards physical means of threats.

The implications of having overlooked that led Subaru to acknowledge the precarious reality where an issue he thought resolved had resurfaced again.

“As long as Wilhelm is here, the witch cultists’ ambushes are no problem. In terms of might, there shouldn’t be too many who can surpass him. But booby traps are a different matter altogether. There’s nothing you can do if you don’t notice them.”

“Of course, there’s a possibility it could be a red herring. You could doubt things, and it might turn out that each magical ore has already been distributed among the cultists. They could have left no traps hidden within the dragon carriages… just as a probably.”

Feeling the urgency rising through Subaru, Otto’s words seemed meant not to temper that anxiousness of his. Instead, he laid out possibilities to have Subaru dismiss any such hypotheses. Subaru shook his head.

“I’ve checked the bodies of the captured ones and identifiable corpses; they found nothing. Not even the so-called Gospel… The magical ore must have been planted in the dragon wagons.”

The sheer level of nuisance and speculation was just the kind of peculiarity Petelgeuse would definitely execute. Subaru knew that Petelgeuse had once blown up a dragon carriage with his body; he had supposed then that the traps were in his own body.

“It wouldn’t be odd for him to have set a similar trap for cultists within the dragon wagons…! Felix! Can we get the dragon wagon moving right now? Can we catch up with the evacuation group heading to the royal capital?!”

“That could be pretty tough! They set off about an hour and a half ago… The goal’s to leave unnoticed, so they won’t be pushing hard.”

Originally, the standard of stealth for the ‘Sanctuary group’ wouldn’t particularly matter, but the ‘Royal capital group’ had a different outlook on what they could handle now that the danger of the fog had diminished.

Even the pursuit would raise considerable issues.

“Again… Am I going to have to choose the fates of someone important, standing unable to do anything to help? Why do I have to keep grappling with this powerlessness?”

The same despair he felt earlier closed in once more, but before Subaru’s frustration could overwhelm him—

“Can I say something, Natsuki?”

Otto joined in the conversation, raising his hand, but with serious intent now lighting up his previously mild expression. Subaru recognized that change.

It reminded him of the first time they met in the previous world—Otto had been inebriated and had shown a similar face while negotiating with Subaru.

In essence, he was—

“You have something now that you could trade with me, Otto.”

“You’re keen. Perhaps it’s about this—Natsuki, I’m currently teetering on the edge of a cliff. The cargo misplaced might sell for tidbits but will spiral into catastrophe if I miss my chance with this opportunity. They say gaining life is priceless but find me in no position to laugh about it right now.”

Otto’s situation sounded more tragic than comedic, but there was no time for sympathy. Subaru nodded, silently urging him to continue.

Otto took a small breath, blinked once before raising his head again, and…

“Let’s make a deal. If you agree, I pledge to do my utmost to get you to where you’re aiming—to catch up to the earlier dragon wagon.”

“You think that’s possible…? How will we manage that starting from now?!”

“Before I explain, I would like a confirmation on whether you accept the deal. What I can offer bears significant meaning to me as well, so it won’t be easy to cooperate with. Even by intimidation, that holds true.”

“I won’t resort to any brutish means. If there’s a method available, just tell me. I’ll do whatever I can as long as it’s within my power.”

Gripping Otto’s shoulders, Subaru demanded to know what conditions he was proposing.

Five times already they’d held these discussions, and now, confidence burned within him—he had gained results that he had never gotten until now.

To throw everything away now would be to live like a fool when putting forth one final push might lead to something extraordinary.

Subaru waited, allowing Otto to take a breath. Given how significant the conditions he offered could alter his future, he struggled with them internally.

He felt conflicting emotions surge through him in an instant, yet Otto cast those aside, revealing his conditions.

“I wish for your friend, the associate of Baron Meisars, to set up a meeting with me before Lord Meisars. If it’s possible, I would appreciate it if you would be willing to buy the oil from the cargo using the price I offer… How does this sound?”

With narrowed eyes, Otto adopted a merchant’s expression, testing Subaru.

It was a fundamental strategy to make maximal demands and draw concessions from the other party. There’s no way he would believe that Subaru would go along with some unreasonable terms. But within this urgent situation, he did consider the possibility of coaxing substantial concessions from Subaru.

There was no need for qualms or conscience regarding utilizing such situations. Any available conditions arising from impending calamity must be exploited; it would be folly for a merchant, facing doom, to overlook an extraordinary opportunity.

Burdened with these thoughts, Otto waited for Subaru’s response.

And in that moment, Subaru swallowed hard and spoke.

“Is that really all you’re asking for?! Fine, I’ll buy whatever you want from that freak. Let’s call the negotiations a success!”

“Whoah, what’s with the sudden chill?!”

It was Otto’s viewpoint reflected back, and yet he could celebrate at the turn of events they had drawn out together.

—

“I’ll have Iia accompany you. If the magical ores really are rigged in the dragon wagons, Iia will undoubtedly sense them. Utilize that.”

Thus, Julius entrusted one of his contracted semi-spirits to Subaru.

The spirit radiated a gentle red glow, flitting about before finally settling itself comfortably atop Subaru’s head.

“Hey, what if this makes me go bald? I’ve sworn I’d do anything to avoid ending up bald and fat in this life!”

“I wouldn’t worry. Iia won’t stick around long. If she can sense your mana flow, she’ll blend in quietly… see? She’s already invisible.”

Julius let out a chuckle, and indeed, he was right; the warmth on his head faded. Even if he couldn’t see her, he could feel her presence nearby. Subaru nodded, sensing the essence of having a spirit accompany him.

“Even so, are you sure it’s okay to leave a spirit like this with me?”

“I don’t want to regret sending someone as reckless as you out alone. Ideally, I would want to go with you, but…”

He trailed off, the regret evident in his otherwise handsome features. The source of his chagrin was the individual pressed against him who glowed a brilliant blue.

“Don’t say something reckless in this state filled with wounds. I can tell you’re just putting on a brave face. You’ve almost emptied out your mana reserves; you really went all out, didn’t you?”

“The buds helped quite a lot. I hardly spent any of my own magical power. That being said, this is the result, further emphasizing how lacking in talent I really am.”

“That was just plain sarcasm. Well then, you’re good?”

Basking in the presence of a spirit, Subaru was about to give the final check to the preoccupied Julius. He replied with a simple “yeah,” and,

“I’m lending my cute little child to my friend. Please take some care to handle it properly.”

“Can we not do this friend talk in a serious context? I let it slide a moment ago because of the situation, but we need to have a thorough discussion about that later.”

Feeling an unusual itch at the back of his mind, Subaru gave a curt reply. Julius simply smiled in response, and feeling both shy and cornered, Subaru shifted his gaze to Felix.

“I’m leaving the healing of everyone else to you guys. That includes you, Julius, and those little cat siblings.”

“Yeah, yeah, Subaru-kun, be careful too. If you die, Crusch-sama will surely be disappointed… because of it.”

The tone of Felix’s last words was a bit low, which slightly troubled Subaru; after all, this seemed like one of his rounds of teasing Subaru’s much too heightened sensibilities.

Taking his words as a hint, Subaru waved goodbye to the two, heading to the village entrance. There awaited Otto, ready and connected to Patrasche as well as his Earth Dragon.

“Well then, shall we go, Natsuki?”

“Yeah, just guide the way and everything else, Otto.”

Climbing into the driver’s seat next to Otto, Subaru gazed forward. Beside Otto’s immense figure, the sleek black-bodied Patrasche stood together.

Given the stark contrast in size, Subaru felt uneasy about their ability to pull the dragon cart simultaneously.

“The ‘Wind Barrier’ protection should be active on the Earth Dragon, so it shouldn’t matter if they differ in size. They’re both female, and I heard they get along surprisingly well.”

Had Otto read the question on Subaru’s face? Gripping the reins, he answered with that information.

“By the way, I’ve noticed the peculiarities of the blessings in this world. While it’s likely an innate talent, there’s just way too much that doesn’t fit into my commonplace understanding.”

“You speak of the blessings in this world as if they’re someone else’s problem, Natsuki. And those blessed bear their own struggle too. I only had trouble controlling my ‘Word Spirit’ protection when I was younger.”

Otto laughed in response to Subaru’s astonished reaction, elaborating on how he felt about his own blessing.

Otto’s ‘Word Spirit’ ability enabled him to communicate with even animals, including the Earth Dragon, thus helping them blitz through to the territory of Meisars at top speeds.

“I really put Frufuu through a lot more than expected too. I had to ask all sorts of birds and bugs for shortcuts and unsafe paths; it turned out we made great headway.”

With their decisive leading edges and nifty shortcuts traversed, it looked like they’d gain the first place against the backdrop of the trials, even if no one could afford to smile about getting caught by the witch cultists moments later.

In any case,

“Crisis passing through the left woods! It’ll guide us straight to the Royal Capital!”

“Is that a forest, or does it look more like a beast path!? Are you sure about this?!”

“—”

“Why are you silent?!”

Otto ignored Subaru’s shouting; he was already maneuvering the dragon cart in the direction of the woods.

Subaru resigned himself, wishing that he wouldn’t get hit by trees at least, and prepared himself atop the cargo area.

With a thump from stepping on roots, the dragon cart bounced, and as soon as they crossed into the woods, the world became a verdant spectacle. Recklessly dashing into the dense thicket seemed like suicidal tactics, but for Otto, who could communicate with the Earth Dragons, such reckless maneuvers were just another part of his routine.

If he was the standard for merchants, then this job demanded courage beyond belief.

“—Natsuki-kun!!”

As Subaru festered in thoughts, Otto’s voice suddenly rang out urgently. Sitting up straight from the alarm held within Otto’s voice, Subaru rushed to the driver’s seat.

“What happened?! What’s going on?”

“The trees are unnaturally noisy… Birds and insects are in a frenzy and just drifted away. Flufuu is also starting to cower… Something’s coming! Something’s coming!”

Otto urged Subaru into high alert. Subaru instinctively held his breath, scanning the surroundings.

Yet amidst the woods’ leafy canopy, he realized that his alarm didn’t really serve a purpose. Reading Subaru’s changing thoughts, Otto nodded and said, “Understood.”

“We’ll run sideways to get out of these woods right away. Natsuki-san, keep an eye in the back—”

“—No, there’s no need to do that anymore.”

Reversing course and about to issue new directions, Subaru swept his hand across Otto, not looking at him at all. His gaze remained fixed on the view behind them, left behind by Otto’s instructions.

Trees were violently uprooted, one after another, leading to foliage succumbing to a sudden wave of destruction.

The chaos escalated, the ground subjected to upheaval, and something surged forward, carelessly disregarding the collateral damage, seeking out Subaru.

“Floor it, Otto. —Do not, under any circumstance, get caught!!”

“Natsuki-san?!”

Preventing Otto from turning around, Subaru dashed off to the rear of the cart and faced the charging entity, baring his teeth with fury.

“You—how persistent can you be, you bastard!!”

A massive patch of blackness squirmed ahead, extending like an arm from a corpse—a remnant of Petelgeuse chasing after Subaru.