Upon waking, the first thing Subaru checks is whether this is reality.

He often finds himself slipping between dreams and the real world, making the boundaries quite blurry lately. What’s more, when he returns to consciousness right after a ‘return by death’, his brain is usually still in a sleepy state, landing him in a situation indistinguishable from waking up from a dream.

“—Ugh”

As his awareness snaps back to reality, the first taste he experiences in his mouth is mixed with the flavor of dirt.

Spitting out the bitter taste along with saliva, Subaru sits up and looks around. A dimly lit space, damp cold air, and an unsettling silence—he’s inside a graveyard.

“I managed to come back, huh…”

Opening and closing his hands to confirm the sensation in his body, Subaru mutters that to himself.

Just before the ‘return by death’, he reflects on how he met his demise.

“When I was about to be swallowed by the shadows, I thought what would happen… but I guess it was worth it to commit suicide.”

Recalling the sharp sensation piercing his throat, Subaru touches the adam’s apple that should have been wounded and lets out a sigh of relief.

The blood rising to choke him, the drowning pain that fills his lungs—feelings of fading consciousness and despair, even if he has experienced ‘death’ many times before, these sensations never lose their sting.

No matter how many times he experiences it, ‘death’ always brings fresh agony to Subaru. Even so,

“Going back to face something irreversible… is much better than some kind of unfixable situation.”

Feeling a bit of satisfaction from having chosen ‘death’ without hesitation at that moment, Subaru temporarily shelves his thoughts on ‘return by death’.

It’s still too early to feel relieved that he’s securely back in this time.

“Now’s not the time to get all emotional that I’m back. First, I need to sort out what to do, get that done, and then…”

Then he should question his own resolve.

Closing his eyes, Subaru takes a deep breath. And when he opens them again, confusion no longer lingers in his eyes. He’s merely focusing on what needs to be done.

Standing up, brushing off the dust from his body, Subaru scans the room and spots a girl lying a little distance away.

It’s Emilia. Still in the midst of her ‘trial’, she’s likely grappling with her past while contorting her expression in anguish.

Rushing over, he reaches out to wake her. He intends to pull her out, regroup with Ram and the others outside, and he has an idea of how to proceed afterwards.

It’s then that Subaru suddenly realizes his arm is shaking just before he touches Emilia.

“…What?”

Surprised by his trembling fingertips, Subaru puts his hand in front of his face. He sends commands from his brain to stop the trembling, but his trembling fingers ignore the order and continue to shake. It dawns on him, albeit belatedly.

His teeth are chattering, failing to align properly.

“Hands and teeth shaking… what’s going on here?”

Though surprised by the sudden change in his body, Subaru understands deep down what it signifies.

The moment he was about to touch Emilia, the reason behind the tremors flashes in his mind.

—The face of the frozen Emilia looking down at him as he was dying.

The Witch of ‘Jealousy’ was manifesting at that time in the ‘Sanctuary’. Somehow, it was cloaked in Emilia’s body, and at the final moment, Subaru witnessed it firsthand.

Most likely, the Witch had possessed Emilia’s body while she slept inside the graveyard.

Knowing of Petelgeuse, who had the ability to possess others’ bodies, Subaru easily accepts this possibility.

And the reason the Witch targeted Emilia’s body is simple enough.

While flapping his mouth at the tea party with forbidden words, he had appeared. Yet, the Witch couldn’t step into the tea party. Instead, she set her eyes on the sleeping Emilia beside Subaru.

Thus, the Witch seized her body, filling the ‘Sanctuary’ with her shadows and aimed to devour Subaru—this can be said to be the previous outcome.

“Knowing all that… and my body still trembles…”

While he has the composure to calmly reflect on the situation, his weak heart cannot forget the fear of having faced that monstrosity.

If his theory is correct, the tragedy that ensued was a result of Subaru being invited to the tea party right after his ‘return by death’. In other words, not participating in the tea party this time meant he hadn’t stepped on that landmine.

—It’s more than 90% guaranteed that Emilia does not harbor the Witch.

Even so, the reaction of fear from Subaru’s body is merely cowardice.

He just can’t shake off the worst-case scenarios.

That is to say—Will the Witch of ‘Jealousy’ indeed continue to pursue him just because of this ‘return by death’?

“—”

It is the Witch of ‘Jealousy’ that is causing Subaru’s ‘returns by death’.

This is Subaru’s viewpoint, and Echidna supports this belief as well. Given the history of the Witch’s appearances and the previous finale, he has no doubt.

For some unknown reason, the Witch does not wish for Subaru to end in ‘death’. He feels he can express gratitude for this. Only for this reason.

The question remains, though, will that obsessively twisted Witch, the one powerful enough to intervene in reality, give up on Subaru after having strengthened her fixation?

“—”

If the Witch has the ability to travel back in time, it would be sheer optimism to think she couldn’t apply that same time-bending power to herself.

Just as Subaru rewound the world with ‘death’, how can he be sure the Witch hasn’t also traveled back in time to pursue him?

Shaken and stumped—the answer lies right in front of him.

“If I touch Emilia and wake her from the ‘trial’, I’ll understand everything.”

If she rises and calls Subaru’s name with her usual silver bell-like voice, he will be freed from this fear.

But what if that doesn’t come to pass?

“If that’s the case, then it’s over.”

If the Witch is to show up before him repeatedly every time he returns, that would be entirely beyond his means. The Witch of ‘Jealousy’ possesses absolute strength, and that overwhelming power that blanketed the ‘Sanctuary’ is something he cannot even begin to contend with.

Before the nightmare where even Garfiel was easily dispatched, what kind of countermeasures could he possibly have?

In essence, this is the critical juncture.

“If there’s no certitude about dying and returning… even whether the Emilia standing before me is herself or not is uncertain. What the hell… I’m such an idiot.”

Reassessing the situation, Subaru lets out a soft sigh.

Before he knew it, the trembling in his fingers and the fear in his teeth had both subsided. He had finally recognized that reality.

Everything is vague, unclear, and uncertain, just like this.

“It’s just a commonplace occurrence that can happen to anyone.”

It is only natural to fear the unknown future and be anxious about what lies just a second ahead.

Just because there’s a chance to see a bit further ahead doesn’t mean he should be afraid of anything.

That kind of ridiculous terrifying anxiety, akin to fearing the act of living,

“…N-no, I dislike it…”

When compared to the sight of the beloved girl before him, about to be crushed by her own past, how petty and trivial his hesitations are.

“—Emilia”

Calling her name, Subaru gently touches her cheek with his now-still fingertips.

Her white cheek. Smooth skin, radiating warmth that feels like it’s melting through his fingertips. With her eyes still closed, as her long lashes tremble faintly, purple-blue irises flicker weakly into view.

Brought back to reality, Emilia blinks a few times and quickly realizes Subaru is right in front of her.

“…Subaru?”

Her trembling gaze captures Subaru, and as she focuses, she calls out his name.

That voice, those eyes, and her demeanor are all unmistakably the Emilia Subaru knows, and so,

“—Yeah, that’s right.”

The heavy shadow of anxiety that had coiled around Subaru’s entire body just moments ago is suddenly lifted away.

As her words join the air, Subaru feels her back as she tries to sit up, and he senses how relaxed he is.

In contrast to Subaru, who has calmed down, Emilia gets up and nervously glances around her. Perhaps still feeling a bit heavy-headed, upon confirming their location, she places a hand to her forehead and mutters, “Uh…”

“Where am I…? I was just…”

Still suffering from pain, Emilia closes her eyes, recalling her memories prior to her sleep—her thoughts drift to what transpired while she was unconscious.

Upon realizing that her memories had been uncovered, Emilia opens her eyes wide. Then, she quivers her rosy lips, looking at Subaru.

Her purple-blue eyes, swaying in an emotional tide—her mind is surely in disarray from her previous experiences. Subaru knows Emilia, roused from her ‘trial’, will likely panic. Thus, he can quietly observe the moments just before she becomes agitated.

He gently embraces the trembling girl, choosing his words carefully to avoid hurting her, reassuring her with a calming “It’s okay,” and then—

“…Subaru?”

Just as he prepared for that moment, Emilia displayed a completely different reaction.

Her previously agitated eyes regain their calmness, and her trembling lips seal together as if held back by a stronger emotion. Then Emilia softly extends her hand toward Subaru.

“Why do you have such a face like you’re about to cry?”

“…Huh?”

Emilia’s fingertips brush against Subaru’s cheek, gliding toward his wide-open eyes. As she grazes his tear-streaked cheeks with her white fingers, Subaru realizes he has been holding back tears that are about to burst forth.

Before he could even question himself about why, shaking suddenly struck him.

The tremor was on a different level from the previous shaking of his fingers and teeth—it was an uncontrollable quaking.

His whole body shook as he felt his strength being drained away. Facing Emilia on his knees, Subaru could only curl up against the trembling that didn’t allow him to resist.

He understood what lay at the core of that tremor.

Just before touching Emilia, if that shaking came from the fear that she might have been replaced by the Witch—

“It’s okay, Subaru. It’s alright, it’s alright. I’m here—”

As she spoke those words, Emilia gently embraced the trembling Subaru from the side.

Feeling their temperatures through the thin fabric, a tranquil heartbeat resonated from her whole being, filling Subaru not with warmth, but with a sense of emotional fulfillment.

—After being gripped by the fear that Emilia could be turned into a Witch, and realizing that fear has vanished, Subaru becomes immobilized with relief.

Despite resolving to harden his heart, his body remained a far cry from reflecting that.

With Emilia’s warmth, heartbeat, and kindness still flowing through him, Subaru grits his teeth at his own powerlessness, yet cannot help but feel relief.

Calmly, quietly, the two remained in that embrace within the graveyard for a while longer.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“Are you feeling calmer?”

“Ah, ah… I’m sorry. I caused a bit of a scene for no reason.”

Their embrace continued until Subaru’s trembling subsided.

At the end of it all, Emilia’s question causes Subaru to blush with shame over his own weakness as he apologizes. Hearing this, Emilia shakes her head and says, “No, it’s fine. I feel like I’ve been relying a lot on you lately. So it gives me a little peace knowing I can see you in a weak light like this sometimes…”

“That’s a killer line… If possible, I really don’t want to show that side of me too much to Emilia-tan.”

“Why not?”

“Because I want Emilia-tan to always see the cool, strong side of me. I don’t want you to know that I’m actually weak and hopeless.”

“You know, just because I saw a weak side of you, I wouldn’t think of you like that?”

Even though Emilia’s kind words were sincere, Subaru’s pride rejects them.

It isn’t a matter of her personality not being like that or fear of disappointment from showing weakness—all this is just a simple matter of Subaru’s boyish pride.

“Seeing the weak parts of me and having you understand who I truly am… That’s the type of scenario I find rather appealing in tear-jerker stories.”

“Tear-jerker? What’s that?”

“Just something from my world. I want to show only my strong side to Emilia-tan. This is boy’s integrity, you see.”

Wasting no time bantering to release the earlier awkward tension, Subaru looks at Emilia, who tilts her head in confusion, then straightens his expression.

“By the way, I want to ask about the ‘trial’…”

“—Yeah.”

Terrified of what response awaits, he prods cautiously. Emilia pauses, then lowers her chin and responds.

Subaru momentarily feels taken aback by her reaction. The way she reacts upon hearing the word ‘trial’ is different from how she has previously responded to it.

It seems that after waking up, she’s being forced to confront the reality while still bearing the shock of failing the ‘trial’—and the embarrassing scene that Subaru had unintentionally set up appears to have flowed into this moment.

That embrace must have given Emilia a little time to calm the shock from the failure of the ‘trial’. This might be one of the reasons she’s now able to maintain her composure.

“My weak self was of help after all…”

“Subaru, why are you here? Isn’t this place only accessible to me…?”

“Well, I—”

As he was about to answer honestly, Subaru suddenly cuts himself off.

And then he contemplates—what would be the most appropriate way to respond here.

Being frank about having gained the qualifications and having survived the ‘trial’ would be easy. However, if he chooses that route, he feels that Emilia will be plagued by feelings of guilt for failing the ‘trial’ and inferior feelings towards Subaru, who overcame it.

Inferiority would lead to anxiety, and caught between self-loathing and a sense of responsibility, Emilia would end up suffering. If that happens, the meaning of her current calm state would vanish.

Given that there’s still a chance for Emilia to confront the ‘trial’ differently, should Subaru not respect that possibility?

Whether or not Emilia can confront her ‘past’ and overcome it is a different matter altogether.

—Subaru thinks it might be worth trying.

“I was worried because you took so long to come out, so I ended up going through some struggles to hold onto my consciousness… but I arrived here only to see shadows from the daytime still hanging around.”

“Oh, I see… I’m sorry I worried you.”

“No, after all, I was equally down on my knees inside, so I think I was still worrying folks outside in real-time.”

The outside members must be equally distressed due to Subaru’s absence since he dove into the ‘trial’. Realizing this, Emilia lifts her face in alarm.

“W-we need to get back to everyone… and I must have worried you too.”

“My life really doesn’t matter much, but I better at least make sure they know you’re alright, or it could turn into a serious issue.”

“…You shouldn’t say things like that.”

Emilia gives Subaru a reproachful glance at his attempt at humor. To her gaze, Subaru merely shrugs and they both head toward the exit of the graveyard.

On the way, Subaru continues, “By the way, can I ask something? About that ‘trial’…”

“…I’m sorry. It seems like I failed the ‘trial.’”

“Well… yeah, I kind of figured that from your reaction.”

Emilia averts her gaze apologetically. While attempting to act as if he’s only just realizing the facts, Subaru endeavors not to look at her.

He feels guilty for taking that stance, yet with a simple shake of his head, he suppresses that hesitation.

“So, does that mean… this is all over?”

“It doesn’t seem like it… If I want to, I can try as many times as I want. It’s strange, but I can understand that. However…”

The nature of the ‘trial’, as explained to him directly by Echidna, is familiar information for Subaru, but it appears Emilia is subconsciously aware of it too.

After a moment of hesitation, Emilia finishes, “Uh, nothing. Today seems impossible, but I’ll attempt it again tomorrow.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with that? If it’s tough, it might be better to take a break… I mean, it would be smarter to analyze and strategize before trying again.”

“Thank you… but I know it’s not something that can just be fixed that way. I understand that.”

“…I might sound like I’m just parroting some wisdom about talking it out being helpful.”

Glancing sideways at Emilia, he notices her lip quivering as she gazes up in response to Subaru’s gaze. Overflowing with emotions that clash within her, she seems to be on the verge of voicing something but suddenly shuts her eyes instead.

“—I’m sorry. I don’t want to show you how I feel right now.”

“No matter how you might feel, I could never hate you.”

“It’s not about what you think of me, or at least it’s not just that… It’s something even scarier.”

After that, Emilia falls silent. Yet, Subaru can see the unwavering will reflected in her purple-blue eyes, confirming that he has struck a chord.

If Subaru displays a supportive demeanor, she certainly wouldn’t lean towards exposing her weaker side or rely on him completely.

Feeling a sense of disgust and nausea at himself for even manipulating Emilia’s heart in that way—if only he could resolve himself to accept it as a necessary element.

“—Emilia-sama!”

As Subaru grapples with his self-loathing, the bright moonlight suddenly falls upon him, pulling him back to reality, as well as a voice calling out to Emilia beside him.

The pale moonlight illuminates the graveyard entrance, and a cool breeze welcomes the two as they step outside. Looking down, Subaru takes note of everyone waiting for Emilia who had entered the ‘trial’, all wearing expressions of relief.

The first to call out Emilia was apparently Ram. Upon confirming her well-being, Ram allows herself a rare sigh of relief—a comforting gesture—then glances at Subaru standing beside Emilia.

“And you too, Balus. Good work.”

“Oh wow… I honestly didn’t expect to hear words of praise from you, so this is quite surprising. What’s with the sudden sincerity?”

“If you do something commendable once in a while, I’ll make sure to acknowledge your efforts. At the very least, you did well by bringing back Emilia-sama safely. Lord Roswaal will be pleased as well.”

While most of her relief stems from her report to her lord, being complimented straightforwardly brings a fresh joy to Subaru. Then, grinning, he shifts his gaze nonchalantly to Ram, observing a blond young man standing further out among the group.

Garfiel, leaning against a tree trunk, uncrosses his arms as he strolls toward them with a rather reluctant gait. While nothing in his mannerisms seems off, if he so wished, he could close the gap in an instant.

Having just exited the graveyard and especially in light of the ‘return by death’ and its reasons, Subaru horrifies himself with the thought of how his current ‘stench’ might be perceived by Garfiel, thus maintaining maximum caution.

As Garfiel approaches, he opens his mouth right away and says,

“When you charge in, reckless as you were, I was worried about what might happen, but I’m glad to see you’re back safe. Even if I thought, ‘The fruit of Gafgaron never falls in the wind,’ it still had me a bit on edge.”

“Ouch! Hey, come on, that hurts!”

He says this while laughing, giving Subaru’s shoulder a rough series of thumps.

With a force that sends tingles down to his bones, Subaru momentarily thinks, “Could this be Garfiel’s subtle assassination attempt disguised as a joyful welcome?” But from the grin exposing his fangs, he senses no actual malice.

The pure demeanor he displays implying he’s simply welcoming their safe return. Once again receiving a reaction contrary to his expectations, Subaru can’t hide the bewilderment in his emotions.

“And that’s it…?”

“Huh? What’s got you asking that for? You want a pat on the head as a reward for working hard?”

“From Emilia, maybe. But who would want that from you? It’s not like…”

As he starts to mention the disappointment at having his satisfaction undercut, Subaru quickly refrains from raising an unnecessary issue. No matter what Garfiel’s inner thoughts might be, it is fortunate that he currently has no desire to act on them.

In any case, the conditions under which he could bare his fangs at Subaru are becoming clear to him. If the worst-case scenario of unavoidable confrontation was overturned, that should definitely be something to be thankful for.

“Figuring out how to deal with you is proving to be a puzzle for me.”

“Y’don’t make sense, ya know?”

“That’s my concern. Anyway, we should discuss the details more thoroughly while sitting down. First, I want Emilia to rest. The future schedule can be handled from there.”

Lifting a single finger, Subaru makes that suggestion, and none contest it.

After Emilia apologetically says, “I’m sorry,” to everyone, she is led forward by Ram as they all proceed through the ‘Sanctuary’ toward a place that provides comfort—once again, Ryuzu’s house is chosen as that location.

Emilia managing to avoid panic, and Garfiel maintaining a friendly demeanor towards Subaru, despite the recent ‘return by death’—confronted with these different conditions from earlier, Subaru continues his search for the best way to maneuver.

There’s a plethora of things he still needs to know and explore.

How many more sacrifices must he make to grasp the optimal future?

Without factoring in his own life, Subaru remains oblivious to the calculating instinct applying itself to him.

“—”

Unbeknownst to him, Ryuzu observes him intently from behind.

Unbeknownst, still.