While feeling the prickling pressure of Roswaal, Subaru understood that his current statement had touched the core of Roswaal’s intentions.

Roswaal’s smile was reminiscent of the one he had when he half-revealed his plans just before being devoured by the Great Rabbit in the snow.

That expression, neither resignation nor joy, was enough to prompt Subaru’s caution.

“Why do you think that?”

Subaru clicked his tongue at Roswaal’s evasion, who was clearly not in the mood to proceed smoothly with the conversation. Then, with a preface of “No matter how you look at it,” he added,

“I thought it was pretty dishonest to use the whole ‘opening the Sanctuary’ as a condition. Naturally, I can’t help but be suspicious.”

“I thought I had provided a logical explanation for that. After all, in order for us to continue cooperating in the future, it’s necessary to establish proof. To lend power to Emilia-sama, you being by her side as the one able to derive the optimal solution—that is what I want you to convince me of. The condition for that is the ‘opening of the Sanctuary.'”

“Not just opening, but I think there are plenty of ways to escape from here. If the chance to establish proof comes up later, it can be prepared anytime…”

“I actually want to ask you in return.”

As Subaru pressed on, Roswaal raised a finger in contradiction. When Subaru fell silent, interrupted by Roswaal’s words, Roswaal nodded nonchalantly and continued,

“On your side, aren’t you a bit hesitant regarding the ‘Trials’? It’s as if you don’t want to open the ‘Sanctuary’ for a reason that’s all your own.”

“Why would I not want to open it? I want to smash through this barrier, ripping out the problems we can’t solve on the inside… But—”

“But?”

Subaru instinctively repeated himself, realizing he was getting pulled into Roswaal’s conversation. If he let his words get heated and spoke thoughtlessly here, the battle of wits would obviously tip in Roswaal’s favor.

Choosing his words carefully to remain calm, he said,

“I don’t want to see Emilia get hurt by tackling that ‘Trial.'”

“That’s precisely your ability, isn’t it? If Emilia-sama stumbles on the ‘Trial’, you should step in for her. There’s no problem with that. What matters is the fact that it was opened, just like you said.”

“Nnn…”

Falling for his own words, Subaru bit his lip, searching for the next phrase. But the insistence was riddled with contradictions, making it hard to form a coherent argument.

“I know it’s not about whether I or Emilia can overcome the ‘Trial.’ I get that. But that thing that digs up past wounds is just too harsh for Emilia. I should be the one to take her place… The thing is—”

“You aren’t suggesting that the ‘Trial’ is tough for yourself, and you’re looking for an escape route, are you?”

Roswaal’s gaze sharpened, his tone turning piercing.

Subaru faltered, and Roswaal continued, “Surely you’re not saying your affection for Emilia-sama is just a pretense? If you truly love her, wouldn’t it be a given to swallow all the pain and suffering? If Emilia-sama is the most important thing to you, you should prioritize her above all else and see everything else as merely trivial…”

As Roswaal fluently lined up his words in a lecturing manner, Subaru felt the air around him shifting, consuming him.

Roswaal’s words were quite extreme, yet they represented one of the conclusions anyone who understood Subaru’s ‘Return by Death’ might reach.

Or perhaps, if it had been Subaru before his true feelings were laid bare in that witch’s tea party with Satella, he might have ultimately agreed with Roswaal’s conclusions.

—Ah, that’s probably it.

Subaru had declared that he wouldn’t become like Roswaal, who told him to discard everything but that one important thing.

But if he had taken Echidna’s hand during that tea party later on, Subaru would have ended up living the very life that Roswaal had wished for.

He would abandon thought process, crush all options, seek only results, disregarding everything in the process.

No matter how much pain he endured, if the desired future awaited him — if Emilia and everyone’s smiles were there — he would have been fine with that.

But would Natsuki Subaru, who chose only to endure such adversity, be able to genuinely smile beside them in the final moments?

—Wouldn’t he simply be forced to wear a dry smile, spurred only by a sense of obligation?

“…You’re right in a sense, Roswaal.”

“In what sense?”

Roswaal squinted an eye, tilting his head at Subaru’s enigmatic reply.

Gazing into those yellow eyes, Subaru spat out,

“As you say, if I could callously throw everything away and just run to protect Emilia alone… Then I guess I could certainly save just her. But that’s not enough.”

“Not enough…?”

“I will save Emilia. But I won’t be satisfied with just her. I want to save Rem, Beatrice, the people in the Sanctuary, and everyone who helped us in the Royal Capital… I want to gather them all up and lift them together.”

“——”

“A life where you’re satisfied with just one person, like you do, I can’t manage that. Whether it’s my greed or yours, I honestly don’t know.”

To continue to think solely about one person and throw away everything else for that sake could indeed be deemed beautiful.

To say one lives for ‘love’ encapsulates it nicely as a precious deed.

Roswaal’s way may very well be a perfected path of life for a single man.

However, to imitate that required an intense resolve, a life spent whittling away the important things as if to carve out one’s soul, something Subaru seemed incapable of.

Once again, he found himself as the small, selfish child he truly was.

“…It seems your resolve hasn’t been sharpened enough, huh?”

“……”

“I was hoping… just a bit, that maybe I’d catch a glimpse of what I desired. But… it seems that’s not going to happen.”

Roswaal shook his head, expressing disappointment.

Through this exchange, it became clear to Roswaal that Subaru hesitated in making the resolve Roswaal had in his own schemes.

For Roswaal, who sought an unwavering determination for confrontation, Subaru in his current state was nothing less than a disappointing failure. This, in turn, indicated that he had seen the end of his own life.

“How many more times… will you leave me disappointed, I wonder?”

“If you think so, why not be a bit more cooperative with me? If you’d lend me a hand without holding back, most of these problems could be solved.”

Subaru retorted sarcastically toward Roswaal, who was hiding no trace of disappointment.

Indeed, for Subaru, who had no combat strategies, Roswaal’s power was desperately desired. The overwhelming magic that poured from him in the Forest of Magical Beasts and his precise techniques in taking down the attacking Great Rabbit—these were indispensable to face the threat posed by the Great Rabbit.

Conversely, if Roswaal could be pulled to Subaru’s side, half of the issues on the Sanctuary’s end could be cleared.

However, Roswaal shook his head at Subaru’s straightforward yet certain demand, saying,

“Unfortunately, I cannot do that. There’s too little benefit for me to cooperate with you in your current state. Let’s say… hypothetically, that you managed to get through this situation by borrowing my strength. You and Emilia-sama would inevitably hit a wall somewhere along the way, with your resolve still vague… When that happens, will you come back to me for help? Pushing back the resolve you should have received here, getting caught in an irreversible situation?”

“……”

“Subaru-kun, you see… for my purposes, I cannot lend my strength to someone I cannot trust. A relationship where I am merely leaned on is something I do not need for my goals. Therefore, I need you to completely convince me and show me you have the resolve to move forward.”

“Your purpose…”

“Seems like this time, it didn’t play out that way. I shall look forward to the next opportunity. When you can truly accept your own power correctly.”

With that, Roswaal released the tension in his body and lay back on the bed.

For Roswaal, the meaning of his existence ‘now’ had been lost. With the feeling of a mere debriefing match, he likely intended to watch Subaru’s failed attempts until he took his leave.

If the conversation ended this way, Subaru would leave here without achieving a single thing he had intended.

Seeing Roswaal’s dismissive hand gesture signaling him to leave, Subaru frantically turned over thoughts in his mind,

“…What does it mean to demonstrate my resolve in a way that convinces you?”

“Hmm… to be honest, I would like you to glean that through interacting with me, but repeatedly going back just for that seems excessive.”

As Subaru’s words caught Roswaal’s attention, he raised his torso, resting his chin on his hand.

“As a broad outline, the point would be the ‘opening of the Sanctuary.’ But reaching that ‘opening’ requires your actions, which must come with a resolve to redo things as many times as needed. The fact that the ‘Sanctuary’ opens is thus proof that you determined your resolve.”

“Why does it have to be that way? Certainly, that might be the closest answer, but if that’s all there is… Overcoming the ‘Trial’ would have nothing to do with my resolve to toss everything aside. Emilia herself has the potential to overcome the ‘Trial’ too…”

“That’s impossible.”

Roswaal’s statement felt excessively extreme, prompting Subaru to quickly refute it. Nevertheless, Roswaal’s answer was both succinct and chilling.

As Subaru found himself at a loss for words, Roswaal waved his finger, saying,

“Your fleeting hopes will never come to fruition. Emilia-sama overcoming the ‘Trial’ is unthinkable. She does not possess the strength of heart to manage that.”

“…’She,’ huh?”

“Exactly. While there may be influence from her upbringing and traditions, she cannot manage alone. She is a weak, fragile, small child. Seeing her act driven by guilt and self-recrimination is so pitiful that it evokes sympathy.”

Roswaal calmly delivered an evaluation of Emilia that Subaru had never heard before, leaving him speechless.

Emilia, who was earnest, hardworking, kind-hearted, and dedicated. Even now, despite her unfortunate circumstances, unable to find an answer to the ‘Trial,’ she possessed the strength to overcome her past with time, and Subaru believed she could surely lead to the ‘opening of the Sanctuary.’

The only reason Subaru had intended to take on the ‘Trial’ in her place was because he felt there was no time for her to secure what she desperately needed, and because he couldn’t bear to see her hurt.

It was not because he had given up on the belief that Emilia could conquer the ‘Trial.’

“Yet you say Emilia is impossible… If so, then why are you here?”

“Because you are here. With your existence, even a powerless half-elf can aim for the throne. No, she can achieve it. That’s only natural. You will eliminate every road that leads to otherwise. You will fulfill her desires. You possess that strength. If Emilia-sama has value, it’s because she has gained the strongest card in you.”

“I’m… the strongest, card…?”

Subaru was bewildered by Roswaal’s successive declarations and the notion that he was the strongest — it felt unreal.

That adjective felt worlds apart from his own powerlessness. Furthermore, Roswaal’s words were far too derogatory towards Emilia’s existence to be acceptable.

“Don’t mess with me! Do you realize how hard Emilia has worked, how much she cares, and how she struggles to face the ‘Trial’? She’s digging up her past that she doesn’t want to see and still… she’s giving it her all! And you—!”

“If no results come, it’s all for nothing. And you already understand that fact far better than I do. If Emilia-sama’s efforts were yielding results, there’d be no reason for you to have returned here.”

“———!”

Even as he raised his voice in anger, it did not faze Roswaal, whose composure remained intact. Instead, Subaru felt as if a bucket of cold water had been splashed onto his heated thoughts, leaving him momentarily speechless.

The truth was, Roswaal’s words revealed a part of the reality.

From what Subaru had witnessed, Emilia had never been able to conquer even the first ‘Trial.’ Despite her earnest attempts, the walls of her past stood firm against her, shattering her heart each time as she faltered.

Unable to lean on Pack, the only one she could trust, Emilia ultimately began to confuse her dependence on Subaru with affection, leading her to ruin.

Knowing that future, Subaru could only respond to Roswaal’s statements with emotional denial. Yet, he couldn’t possibly overlook the words that insulted Emilia.

Roswaal looked down on Emilia while placing excessive expectations on Subaru’s ‘Return by Death.’ How to shatter that presumptuous front—just as that thought flickered in his mind, Subaru shouted,

“I get what you’re saying! But know this! Your plans won’t come to fruition!”

“Oh? And what do you mean by that…?”

“You want me to break through the ‘Trial’ in Emilia’s place, don’t you? But Echidna has stripped me of the qualifications to take on the ‘Trial!’ You can’t extract the results you expect from me anymore! Too bad—!”

As Subaru boldly proclaimed this to the nonchalant-looking Roswaal, it was a devastating piece of information for Roswaal’s plot as well. Subaru almost smiled maliciously, expecting Roswaal to lose his composure at this revelation.

“—I’ve been stripped of my qualifications?”

Roswaal’s voice, almost a whisper, was eerily fragile, so much so that it took Subaru a moment to realize it had originated from him.

Before him, Roswaal, slumped on the bed, stiffened at Subaru’s words. He opened his dual-colored eyes in surprise, trembling at the lips.

All the usual air of confidence, the prescient demeanor that seemed to see through everything—everything had seemingly peeled away.

“What do you mean…?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like.”

In a hoarse voice, Roswaal’s invocation triggered Subaru to involuntarily raise his tone.

Overwhelmed by a voice that felt as though it belonged to someone else, Subaru swallowed his dry throat, and with dry lips, he added,

“Echidna took away my qualifications. Right now, I’m in a situation where even if I try to lead the replicas, just attempting to enter the Graveyard makes my head spin. …You and I are now in the same position for trying to get in.”

“W-why…? No, how could this happen? You have to take on the ‘Trial’ in the Graveyard… If that doesn’t happen, the ‘Sanctuary’ won’t be opened, her true wishes will…!”

Covering his mouth, Roswaal muttered as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

In that moment of unexpected intensity, Subaru felt a sensation beyond mere retaliation. Roswaal’s panic was something that must have occurred for the first time since they met, leaving Subaru baffled over what had so deeply shocked him.

Yet, Subaru inhaled sharply and asked,

“Did your scripture mention that I would clear the ‘Trial’?”

“—”

“I know you intend to discard everything if your records aren’t followed properly. So if you declared that it was my role to break through the ‘Sanctuary’… then that desire is impossible.”

Just like the previous instances where the witches seemed to have passed on memories by overcoming their ‘Return by Death,’ that greedy witch’s castle existed outside the world’s laws.

Even if he were to die and return to the Graveyard, those memories and feelings exchanged in that castle would not dissipate. That’s why Subaru had felt a sense of salvation there and harbored significant affection and expectations towards Echidna. —Thus, it was clear now.

If he were to die and go back to the Graveyard right now, the qualifications wouldn’t return to him.

To reclaim what had been lost would require Echidna’s permission, and to gain Echidna’s permission would necessitate entering the Graveyard, and you couldn’t enter without the qualifications.

—In other words, Subaru’s method to challenge the Graveyard’s ‘Trial’ was completely lost.

“The way to regain my qualifications is…”

“If there is one, you know it better than I do. If you claim you don’t know, then I don’t know.”

As Subaru replied to Roswaal’s weak voice, internally, he was aware of the possibility.

Echidna must still be observing Subaru’s struggles and pain from inside the Graveyard. It was likely a form of annoyance, having stripped him of his qualifications, watching over him as he took Satella’s hand, waiting to see what he could achieve.

In that process, if Subaru accumulated failures and found himself hopeless enough to cry and cling to Echidna for help, it was likely that witch would extend her hand to him.

—Yet, if he were to take the hand offered by Echidna then, it would mean discarding everything he had conveyed to Satella and everything he held in his heart at this very moment.

Delivering Emilia to the best possible future, ending his own journey right there.

Still, that might well be better than a conclusion that shatters mid-way.

“The idea of going back before being stripped of my qualifications…?”

“You seem to be mistaken. It’s not that kind of all-powerful ability. It isn’t something you can deal with so casually without consequence… And besides, wherever you would return to is already too late. If you go back, you’ll come back after being stripped. Not being able to enter the Graveyard remains unchanged.”

“I see…”

In response to Subaru’s answer, Roswaal’s voice sounded weak, and for a moment, Subaru thought he looked visibly aged.

The Roswaal until now had always projected an air of agelessness rather than youth. Yet now, the outline of his slightly slumped shoulders, with that aura seemingly vanished.

What remained was a face that resembled a human tormented by emotions forged over a long time, struggling against something that was out of reach.

For the first time, Subaru could view Roswaal as a fellow human being, a recognition that lay hidden behind his clownish makeup.

However, that realization likely brought him no resolution and was probably, for Roswaal, nothing he wished for.

“I’m just as stuck as you are, Roswaal. I think we should discuss things more closely and find a solution together.”

“———”

“Pulling out results that fit into your scripture may get difficult, but the records don’t just end there. As long as the details align in broad strokes… you might not be satisfied with that, but if there’s a compromise…”

“…There wasn’t one.”

“—Huh?”

Subaru attempted to use words to coax some concessions from Roswaal with a compromise proposal. However, Roswaal, with hollow eyes as if he hadn’t heard what Subaru had said, softly muttered something.

Startled by the sound, Subaru stepped forward.

What exactly had Roswaal just said? Had he heard wrong?

Then, as Subaru moved forward, Roswaal’s murmur slipped into his ears. It was,

“—I see, my method of pressuring you wasn’t forceful enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure of the circumstances, but the fact that Echidna has changed the terms means she must have exchanged some sort of dialogue with you. Originally, you should have solidified your resolve and faced the ‘Trial’ before such a rift developed between you and her… Yes, I was at fault for that.”

“———”

“If I had pressured you more… If I had shown you that reaching out for too much would cause you to lose your precious things… this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Wait, Roswaal. Hold on.”

Feeling like he was on the brink of hearing something definitive, Subaru hesitated to hear what Roswaal was about to say.

If he heard those words, Subaru was certain he wouldn’t be able to stand there any longer.

He had an inkling.

In fact, he had long suspected that there was an element of truth buried within those thoughts.

But even so, he hadn’t articulated that rising doubt because he had thought there was no reason to do so, and because he still harbored a fragile trust in Roswaal.

Now, all that trust was about to shatter with the words about to leave Roswaal’s lips.

Before that could happen, Subaru needed to say something. Yet, as he searched for the words, he found nothing to cling to, and time cruelly flowed on,

“The fact that you called forth you and Emilia-sama to the ‘Sanctuary’ knowing Garfiel’s nature…”

“———”

“Knowing the horrors of the ‘Trial’, you sent Emilia-sama in there to confront it, hoping to spur you into action by showing you her wounded self…”

“Wait, stop, please. W-”

“And by losing what’s important while it’s out of reach, you planned for it to help you complete your journey… everything was still lacking.”

—Roswaal confessed that he had pulled the trigger for the mansion’s tragedy.