“Wha?”

The air in my view warped, and it felt like the brightness in the room had dimmed a notch.

Moreover, the temperature, which had already dipped due to the continuous use of ice magic, plummeted further. I instinctively shivered and wrapped my arms around my shoulders.

And then,

“Eh, hey…”

“I’m sorry… just, lend me your shoulder…”

As the silver-haired girl leaned against me, I hurried to support her.

Her delicate body was terribly hot, and I realized my heartbeat was racing for a different reason this time. However, the moment I saw her expression, such thoughts flew out of my head.

She was taking shallow, rapid breaths, looking like a sick person with a high fever.

“What’s wrong? Are you suddenly feeling ill…?”

“No, that’s not it. You know… manas, right?”

—I have no clue.

I wanted to cross my arms and firmly assert that, but the atmosphere wasn’t right for that.

Above all, what sealed my lips wasn’t the weight on my shoulder, but the transformed atmosphere in the room—the being at its core.

In the center of the room, Reinhardt stood with his two-handed sword in a low stance.

No, he’d likely been holding that stance since the battle began. But still, I felt in my bones that this moment could rightfully be called “the first time he drew his sword.”

—Yes, the “Sword Saint” Reinhardt was now truly unsheathing his sword for the first time.

“‘Gut Eater’ Elsa Granhiert.”

“—‘Sword Saint’ Reinhardt Van Astraea.”

An incredible killing intent enveloped the room, and the fighting spirit of the two facing each other sent vibrations through the air.

As Elsa licked her lips and introduced herself, Reinhardt solemnly nodded in response.

In this almost ruined place, a black-clad murderer and a lightly armored hero faced each other, steel clashing—though one held a bloodied dagger and the other a rusted two-handed sword—yet, I couldn’t help but hold my breath.

The two proclaimed their names as they prepared for a duel.

Their figures looked brilliantly heroic, like a scene from a tale of legends.

“—!!”

A held breath screamed out, but whether it was Elsa’s, Reinhardt’s, or even my own, I couldn’t tell.

However, only one outcome was clear to all three of us.

The aurora ripped through the roofless Thieves’ Repository, slicing through the space itself in two.

It was a scene that felt as if the world had shifted; the unleashed aurora washed over the room, blanketing it white for a moment, but as the light cleared, the world underwent a violent transformation.

The distorted space began to revert, causing a backlash of power that whipped through the room like a tempest.

The raging wind swept up stolen goods, furniture, and debris, and I desperately tried to protect the bulky forms of fake Satella and Old Man Rom.

“Whaaaaa!! What is going on!?”

I didn’t understand the meaning behind this storm. I couldn’t grasp it, but I knew the cause.

Just one swing, with all my strength wielded—yet this was the state of things.

I cried out, braving the pain and the wind. Gradually, the storm weakened, replaced by the sounds of debris and stolen goods crashing to the floor, followed by the dull creaking of the house, signaling an end.

I shrugged off the remains that had fallen on my head, confirming that the two I protected were safe. Unconsciously, perhaps I hadn’t covered them fully, as I felt Old Man Rom was somewhat dirty with milk or something, but I’d let that slide.

“What’s this nonsense about hunting monsters being my territory? You’re the real monster here!”

“When you put it that way, it stings a bit, Subaru,” Reinhardt replied with a wry smile, turning to address the source of the destruction.

His fiery red hair whipped in the storm, and even his usually cool face was lined with sweat. And in his hands, the two-handed sword—

“Sorry for pushing you too hard. Rest easy.”

The two-handed sword in his hands crumbled. Its shoddy craftsmanship was not up to the task of withstanding Reinhardt’s strike.

A blow that could rot the steel, and as Elsa received it directly—

“There’s not even a chunk of meat left… The splatter effect has totally disappeared, but that’s actually a good thing.”

In the aftermath of the slash that could sever the world itself, nothing remained in a true sense.

Destruction sent the entrance of the Thieves’ Repository blasting away, its ripples affecting the square in front. The raging winds blew apart the building materials, and the structure seemed all but ready to collapse.

Where Elsa had stood was inevitably within the range of the slash. The tall silhouette of the black-clad figure was nowhere to be found, swallowed by Reinhardt’s overwhelming presence.

“But now…?”

Stretching my frozen body, I exhaled deeply.

And to confirm a fact that I hadn’t truly grasped, I thought of the presence beside me.

The silver-haired girl leaned against me, still breathing shallowly. When she noticed my gaze, her deep purple eyes turned toward me.

“Did it end safely?”

“Yeah, in a real sense, it did.”

I supported her as she attempted to stand up. In doing so, Old Man Rom’s head tumbled off my lap, but that was a minor issue.

She stood upright, combed her silver hair, and, with unsteady steps, began to leave my protection.

As she moved away from me, I inspected her closely.

“Why are you staring? It’s really rude, you know?”

“Just checking you have your limbs and neck in place.”

“Of course, I do! Don’t say scary things!”

I guess my comment didn’t quite register with her.

As she glared daggers at me, I flashed a thumbs-up with a grin.

“Right, of course it’s a given. I still have my limbs, and there’s no knife growing out of my back or a giant hole in my abdomen, you know!”

“It sounds like you’ve had times when that did happen.”

There were instances of that. Sorry for the trouble, by the way.

Due to my neglect, fake Satella almost lost her life, Old Man Rom had his arms and neck nearly severed, and Felt was cut down—it was a mess.

“Speaking of which, Reinhardt. I never thanked you. You truly saved me. Did my heart’s cry reach you, my friend?”

“If I could do that, I’d be proud, my dear friend,” Reinhardt shrugged lightly, looking pained while gesturing toward one direction.

Following his gesture, I spotted someone.

“Whoa!”

Seeing the figure there made me feel an unexpected grin spread across my face.

In the now destroyed entrance of the Thieves’ Repository, barely behind a remaining pillar, was the gold-haired girl with prominent canines, timidly peeking over.

“She was desperately running around the alley, asking me for help. Thanks to her, I managed to make it here. After that, I simply fulfilled my duty as a knight.”

“Your duty as a knight means flattening a dilapidated house?”

“Isn’t that a bit too harsh, Subaru?”

You hit a sore spot, Reinhardt gripped his chest in mock pain.

His friendly demeanor remaining the same despite causing this level of devastation felt strangely eerie. In other words, he’s a stunningly handsome dude.

“That girl is…”

Fake Satella also noticed Felt unsteadily.

I even tried to shield Felt from her view, circling around.

“Hold on, hold on. If she hadn’t called for Reinhardt, we’d be completely done for! Please, let’s skip the ice statue punishment this time in lieu of my face!”

“I wouldn’t be that cruel! And what’s this about your face…?”

The worn-out fake Satella rubbed her temples.

Even such an action felt somewhat delightful to me.

Here we were, alive and well, joking around in decent camaraderie. While it may be quite a stretch to say so, it was indeed the kind of development I desired.

“Now it’s all up to my negotiation skills… that’s the least trustworthy part!”

“What’s wrong with you? You’re making a fuss and looking super silly,” she remarked.

Ouch, that hit home, and I instinctively pressed my chest like Reinhardt, but unlike him, I couldn’t maintain the same level of nobility whatsoever.

Similarly observing our interaction, Reinhardt chuckled softly, then raised a hand to wave at the quietly observing Felt.

No spark of jealousy appeared at his dashing back, leaving me only to droop my shoulders. This is the difference between those who have and those who don’t.

Despite being on guard, perhaps feeling indebted to the assistance he rendered, Felt didn’t try to flee from Reinhardt as he approached.

Watching the two with mild amusement, I remarked, “—Subaru!”

Suddenly, Reinhardt turned to look at me, awakening my awareness of the peril we hadn’t escaped yet.

“—!!”

Debris was flung into the air as a dark shadow emerged from underneath.

The shadow danced with black hair, droplets of blood splattering, powerfully stepping forward as it picked up speed.

Gripping a deformed kukri, it was the bleeding Elsa, charging silently.

“You—!!”

Having barely dodged that fierce slash, the killer’s eyes glimmered with a dark light.

In that brief moment before contact, a sinking feeling filled my spine with ice.

During the mere seconds leading up, my thoughts whirled chaotically.

The crumpled knife. A fleeting reunion. She was likely betting everything on this one shot. Reinhardt was rushing in, but he wouldn’t be in time. If I could withstand just one hit, Reinhardt would save the day. Fake Satella had no chance to turn around. Whose aim was it? This was my third time protecting her.

Protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect!!

“The target is the belly! The target is the belly! IT’S THE BELLYYYYYYY!!”

I threw myself in front of fake Satella to shield her, dragged up the stick remaining in my arms, and hastily protected my stomach—impact.

The force of the sweeping strike was more akin to a heavy bludgeon than a slash.

The shock to my gut took my feet off the ground, and I felt the world spin one hundred and eighty degrees, blood gushing from my mouth.

My vision revolved. My body was actually tumbling through the air.

Not knowing just how far I’d been thrown, I crashed into the wall without being able to brace for the impact.

“She’s getting in the way again—”

Seeing me being flung away, Elsa clicked her tongue in frustration.

Then she turned to the frozen fake Satella.

“That’s enough, Elsa!”

Realizing the futility of continuing the fight, Elsa flung a completely warped kukri at Reinhardt, aiming for a final blow against me. Thanks to the protection of the arrow evasion, it wouldn’t hit, but—

“Soon enough, I’ll open everyone’s bellies here. Until then, you can charm your intestines however you like.”

Using debris as footholds, Elsa bought herself enough time to leap away.

Chasing the slender figure leaping lightly over buildings was quite a task. Not wishing for any further conflict here, Reinhardt deliberately held back from pursuing.

Having seen her retreating back, Reinhardt rushed toward the silver-haired girl.

“Are you alright—”

“Don’t worry about me!? More importantly—”

Anxiety crept onto Reinhardt’s handsome face. Shoving aside his words, the fake Satella encouraged her unsteady steps toward me, who lay upside down.

“Are you okay!? That was too reckless!”

“Eh, eeeh… it’s all good, right? That was a scene worth being reckless! I was the only one who could move, and I kinda knew where she would strike.”

As the anxious fake Satella leaned closer, I raised my hand and lightly rubbed my abdomen, where I’d taken the blow. An unnatural bruise showed through my ripped shirt, turning a deep purple.

“Ugh,” I stuck out my tongue at the horrifying sight, then flipping my upside-down self upright, I stood up.

“Now she’s completely gone, right?”

“I’m sorry, Subaru. That was my negligence. If it weren’t for you, we would’ve been in danger. If she had managed to hurt her… I would…”

“Hold on, hold on! Let’s leave the guilt trip behind. After making such a fuss, don’t make me feel unrewarded by handing this off to someone else.”

Stopping Reinhardt as he began to apologize, I smiled at him. Then I slowly turned and met the gaze of the silver-haired girl who looked up at me.

She fidgeted, then stood up. The distance between us was just two steps apart, close enough to reach out. I reminisced about the journey that had brought me here.

Suddenly, as Reinhardt closed his eyes and fell silent, she wore a face as if saying something.

But before she could open her mouth, I swiftly shot my finger upwards.

With my left hand on my hip and my right hand stretched out towards the sky, completely disregarding the astonished gazes around us, I loudly proclaimed.

“My name is Natsuki Subaru! I know I have tons of things to say and countless questions to ask, but let’s put them aside for now and just hear this!”

“W-what is it…?”

“I just saved your life from a deadly blade! Is that understood!?”

“Okay…?”

“‘Okay’ is a respectable sentiment. So let’s seal the deal with an ‘okay’!”

Acting out the letters O and K with my upper body, the silver-haired girl responded with a strained “O-okay.”

Pleased with her attitude, I nodded and continued.

“As your lifesaver, a rescue for you, it’s only fair that you show me some gratitude, don’t you think?!”

“…I get it. I’ll do what I can, but only under conditions.”

“Then my wish is one and only—just ONE!”

I pointed a single finger at her, overly emphasizing it. Then with a little cue for her anxiety, I cleared my throat dramatically, nodding my head while wearing a tragic expression, causing her to smile back at me with a look of intrigue.

“Indeed, my wish is—”

“Yeah?”

Showing my bright smile, snapping my fingers, and giving her a thumbs up, I declared,

“I want you to tell me your name!”

With a face that seemed utterly flabbergasted, her deep purple eyes widened.

A moment of silence took over the space, and as I maintained my ‘serious face,’ I felt an undeniable wave of embarrassment sweep over me.

The chance of overdoing it was definitely there, and I needed to hold fast until her reaction came.

So, being quiet, I awaited her move.

Bring on the ice chunks, ice pillars, frozen beams—anything but a frozen beam, please.

“Hehe.”

Such a moment of intense anxiety shattered with a light laughter that reached my ears.

Covering her mouth with her hand, her pale cheeks flushed as she shook her silver hair while laughing.

It was not a smile of despair, nor one of melancholy resignation—just pure joy. It was a smile that was simply happy.

“—Emilia.”

“Eh…?”

Following her laughter, the name she shared made me exhale softly.

She stood tall, correcting her posture, mischievously laughing with a finger to her lips, and said, “My name is Emilia. Just Emilia. Thank you, Subaru.”

“For saving me,” she extended her hand.

I looked down at the offered white hand and cautiously reached for it. Her fingers were slender, and her palm was small, delicate, and warm; a living girl’s touch.

—Thank you for saving me.

That feeling wasn’t hers alone; it was how I felt too. I was the one who had received her benevolence first. Thus, this was merely my way of finally returning the favor.

After all the bloodshed, after all the sorrow, after all the pain, after battling for life, the reward for it all was her name and one smile.

Ah, what a—.

“Oh man, what an unbalanced trade.”

As I said that, I, too, laughed, firmly grasping the girl’s—Emilia’s hand.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

— If only it could have ended here on a good note.

“Still, Subaru, I’m glad you’re okay.”

It seemed Reinhardt waited for the perfect moment to finish our exchange with Emilia.

He, having been forced into silence earlier, quietly expressed his surprise at my survival. Even from his perspective, Elsa’s final blow was tremendous.

I lightly pressed my pained abdomen and pointed to the stick lying on the floor.

The spiked club had certainly acted as a great shield, just as it appeared stout and robust. Though not its actual use, I hoped he would understand.

“I barely managed to guard with this. If I hadn’t, I’d have been sliced right in half!”

“That’s true. If you hadn’t had that—”

If that stick hadn’t existed, there’s no way we’d have avoided BAD END 4, Subaru laughed nonchalantly. In response, Reinhardt chuckled and nonchalantly picked up the fallen stick.

“Hey.”

The club slipped through his fingers, revealing a smooth cut where it had been cleanly severed, landing with a dull sound.

It had been cleaved in two right down the middle, completely fulfilling its purpose.

Slowly, Reinhardt cast a sorrowful glance in my direction.

Feeling his gaze, I rolled up my jersey’s hem, already sporting the same ugly bruise with dark purple coloration, but I noticed something had changed.

—Suddenly, a red line had been drawn across horizontally.

“Oh no, that’s bad; I can see what’s coming.”

A sharp pain ignited.

And in the next moment—my abdomen split open horizontally, a torrent of fresh blood gushing forth.

“—Hey, Subaru!?”

Just nearby, I heard Emilia’s panicked voice.

Ah, just when I finally got to hear her real name, I might be done here again.

—Even if that’s the case, I’ll definitely return here.

My vision tilted severely. I must have collapsed.

With anxiety written on Reinhardt’s face, just close by, Emilia’s features twisted into a painful expression.

—Ah, even in a panic, she’s genuinely cute; the fantasy of another world is unreal.

With a thought much like those from previous times, the piercing pain and shock washed over me like furious waves, carrying my consciousness away.