“—Huh?”

For a moment, Subaru couldn’t comprehend what was said, his voice coming out blankly.

With wide eyes and gaping mouth, Subaru stared, while Emilia looked at him and began to shape her thoughts into words.

“I’m really happy that you’re thinking of me like that, Subaru, and taking action too. It’s really, really reassuring, and I rely on you a lot. …But seeking an escape route like that is a no-go.”

“Y-you can’t just say that! This is such a one-sided problem being shoved on me!”

“I decided to tackle this myself. There’s a destination I have to reach. It means I have to overcome the hurdles to get there, and I have to push myself to overcome them right now. I don’t want to make excuses about that.”

Emilia’s lips pressed together firmly, a resolve shining in her dual-colored eyes, crushed Subaru with shock.

Her stern face was filled with a strong will. There was no trace of a frail girl who would need Subaru’s help to walk the path.

Why? How? As questions filled his heart, Subaru shook his head.

“I think Emilia’s determination is admirable. But that ‘Trial’ and you are way too mismatched. This battle seems… hopeless.”

“…So you think victory looks hopeless?”

“…………”

Subaru fell silent, words failed him, and Emilia smiled wryly. The slight droop of her brow was a direct result of her taking his evaluation at face value.

Not being able to come up with even a quick follow-up made him feel terribly inadequate.

“Can we at least wait to find a clue? If you give me some time, I’m sure I can… create a better situation. Then, you could feel so much more secure…”

“No, that won’t work, Subaru. I have a feeling that… there’s no shortcut or detour in that Graveyard’s ‘Trial.’”

“—!”

“It’s strange, but I just know it. Even if I take my time, if I don’t have the right mindset to tackle it head-on, then the result is likely going to be the same.”

“Ah…”

Subaru couldn’t voice his denial.

It wasn’t that he knew the details about the nature of the ‘Trial,’ but he agreed with Emilia’s perception of the rules.

No matter how many attempts were made, the contents of the ‘Trial’ and its severity wouldn’t soften or harden. The same conditions, the same contents, would welcome the challengers. The nature of the ‘Trial’ wouldn’t change; only by having a challenger’s heart could they achieve different results—a concept that seemed very much in line with Echidna’s preferences.

Realizing that the comforting words he had spoken were seen through, and that Emilia grasped the essence of the ‘Trial’ more than he could have imagined, brought a genuine surprise to Subaru.

Yet still, as Subaru desperately tried to string words together, Emilia asked,

“Hey, Subaru, why do you want to help me?”

“—！”

The preemptive question held the same important meaning as one asked before.

How desperately Subaru had spent time to convey the answer to that question; how many hardships he had to overcome to communicate it to Emilia.

So, facing the same question again, Subaru was able to respond clearly without hesitation.

“I want to help you because I love you. —I love all of you.”

“—Mm. Yeah, I know. You love me, Subaru.”

“—”

“Your feelings make me so, so happy. You’re so, so reliable. I really depend on you. Just knowing you see me like this, I can surely try my best.”

With a hand on her chest and a slight blush, Emilia closed her eyes.

With all her feelings conveyed, she added,

“Don’t think you have to do something. Just having you watching over me is enough for me to try my hardest. If you want to do something, as long as you’re willing to listen to my selfishness, I want you to stay close. I want you to support my back.”

“Emilia…”

“When I feel like I might stumble, having a hand to support my back will surely keep me steady. I want you by my side when I waver like that.”

“—”

“Thank you for always going ahead of me, clearing the path of stones so I don’t trip, smoothing the way, and cutting through the weeds. But if you only do that, I think I’ll just end up relying on you more and more. After all, I tend to be a bit lazy.”

“Lazy…?”

Trying to engage in their usual banter, but unable to find the words, Subaru struggled to contain the swelling emotions inside him. He couldn’t understand the nature of this feeling, but its presence was overwhelming, so he clenched his jaw and continued to face Emilia.

“Because I’ve relied on you so much… This time, I want to do my own thing. The only thing weighing on my mind is that I might worry Subaru and everyone else with my failures… But I’ll do my best to overcome this as soon as possible.”

With Subaru unable to continue, Emilia wore a brave smile and said,

“Please watch over me as I do my best like that. —That’s my request for Subaru.”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“—!!”

The wind cuts through. My feet tripped forward, my heart racing.

I flew over the rough slope, my cheek scraping against branches, leaving scratches, and I ran as far as my breath allowed, almost tripping again and again.

“—!!”

I raised an unheard voice, straining my throat as if it would tear apart, looking to the sky through the dense green that overshadowed the night, gazing at the hauntingly pale moon and the twinkling stars, and I screamed.

—Doing this, I wanted to expel all the foolishness within me and empty everything out.

—The strong determination in Emilia’s smile remains burned in my memory.

That smile, her declared resolve, and Subaru’s own misunderstanding. The identity of the smoldering impulse within his chest finally clicked when those elements fused together.

And understanding the nature of that impulse, Subaru could no longer restrain himself, impulsively bolting into the forest right after parting ways with Emilia.

Not allowing myself to stop, not even permitting sleep, the passionate emotions flared up every time I recalled Emilia—this emotion is what people call ‘shame.’

Shame consumed every inch of Subaru’s being, refusing to allow him to stand still.

“I… I…!”

I’m such a fool. Truly, truly too foolish, and utterly hopeless.

When Roswaal looked down on Emilia and called her that thing, Subaru exploded with rage and confronted him, refusing to tolerate insults or demeaning words directed at her, bared his fangs.

Right after that exchange, he met Emilia and confessed how he felt he wanted to do for her, only to be rejected, and that’s when he realized it.

—The one who had the least faith in Emilia’s resolve, her determination, and her strength was Subaru himself.

He thought he had to protect her. He didn’t want her to feel sadness or pain.

Subaru held those words high, thinking of ways to distance Emilia from suffering. Trying to shoulder the ‘Trial’ for her, searching for detours to avoid giving her the ‘Trial,’ standing by if that became precarious, considering even the worst-case scenario where he might somehow deal with the Great Rabbit, the cause of the time limit to escape the ‘Sanctuary’. His thoughts were solely focused on ways to prevent Emilia from having to face the ‘Trial.’

While Subaru was scheming self-centeredly to protect Emilia, Emilia was solidifying her own resolve and determination alone that night, choosing to face the ‘Trial’ without running away.

She wished for Subaru’s support in that determination.

None other than Natsuki Subaru underestimated the girl named Emilia the most.

“—!!”

The moment he realized this, he was struck with an unbearable shame, like a punch to the face.

Subaru, seeking an answer from Emilia, left her with an ambiguous reply, avoiding her worried gaze and hurriedly took his leave. And in this situation, he now fled into the forest.

Once in the Royal Capital, Subaru had harmed Emilia with similar self-centeredness.

He hadn’t known about her thoughts or her resolve, felt puffed-up with his newly gained abilities, acted selfishly, and failed to convey his true intentions to her, which bred a rift between them.

Because of that event, he established how to express his feelings and thoughts toward her, which led him to stand in this place now.

—And yet, once again, Subaru went astray.

He felt hurt in place of Emilia, shouldered her burdens, and forged a path for her.

While he didn’t flaunt it to Emilia, nor to others, that approach seemed like an improvement compared to before—but in essence, nothing had changed.

He had merely become better at hiding his wounds.

He had only suppressed the arrogance of boasting about his suffering.

Nothing had changed about the way he forced his self-centeredness on Emilia, screaming that this was the right way.

“I… I…!”

Choking back his breath, he lifted his face just as a thick branch hit his forehead. When the pain made him recoil, the ground beneath him crumbled, leaving him grasping at the air.

He tumbled sideways, rolling across the dirt and falling like a deer on the ground.

With his back against the cold earth that seemed to suck the warmth away, he gasped raggedly while staring straight at the sky. From between the trees, he spotted a patch of the night sky.

In this world without streetlights, the stars glimmered brilliantly against the piercingly clear air. Surrounded by unfamiliar constellations, Subaru felt his own insignificance, the anxiety of uncertainty ahead, and the blended emotions of palpable fear swirling around him.

Fatigue washed over him, and he could no longer hold onto consciousness.

It had been a turbulent time. Not only the fatigue accumulated in his body but also the myriad of mental burdens weighed Subaru down into darkness.

‘Return by Death.’ The Witch’s tea party. Roswaal’s true intentions. And the self-aggrandizement of his own with Emilia, who had resolved to stand alone.

Amidst these thoughts, Subaru contemplated what he should do to find the answer—

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“What a nice little position you have, eh?”

The chill and a nonchalant voice were the first things Subaru felt as he awoke from his sleep.

He fluttered his eyelids against the cold sunlight, squinting. After peering directly at the sun peeking through the trees, tears brimmed in his eyes as he tried to sit up.

“Ugh, hurts…”

With a sound like bones creaking, Subaru groaned in pain.

Lying on the hard ground, his body had turned stiff due to the coldness of the earth and air, and every time he tried to loosen his joints, a dull ache assaulted him.

“No idea what’s going on, but I recommend you don’t sleep in a place without a roof. ‘With a roof and floor, one can manage to live,’ right?”

“Gauraun… wait, more importantly—”

Shaking his head, Subaru looked up at the source of the rough voice, gazing down at him was Garfiel, gnashing his fangs.

At the same time, awareness returned, and Subaru remembered the circumstances he found himself in.

“Right… I crashed and fell asleep yesterday…”

“I was wondering what was up when I caught your stink coming from the woods while going about my morning routine. Thought one of those idiots had jumped you while you were sprawled out like that.”

“If you didn’t do it, Garfiel, then nobody did… What time is it now?”

Lifting his hand to his forehead, he turned his slightly heavy head to ask Garfiel. Garfiel snorted,

“Don’t get all anxious. It’s definitely before breakfast. The only ones awake are the old folks and us early birds.”

“In that case, it hasn’t turned into a fuss about me not returning… I need to get back to the Cathedral before that happens… no, more than that…”

If Subaru hadn’t returned last night, Otto, who returned early, would start getting suspicious. If that were to happen, it wouldn’t be a problem in and of itself, but he wanted to avoid creating anxiety among the refugees in Araham Village. Bringing disharmony due to his own carelessness in a place piled high with problems was the worst taboo.

“…Yesterday, your face looked quite different, didn’t it?”

“Huh?”

As Subaru stood up leaning against a nearby tree and turned his head, Garfiel made that comment. When he turned back, Garfiel was scratching his short blond hair vigorously, and said,

“You’ve got a little ease to you now. Yesterday, I couldn’t tell if you were doing okay, but now you look… kind of refreshed.”

“—”

“Ah, that’s weird. Damn it, I can’t say it right… hey, why are you laughing?”

“Ha, ha…”

Subaru felt his cheek as Garfiel’s remark struck him. He then became aware of the slight smile forming at the corners of his mouth, deep in his throat he let out a trembling laugh.

Low at first, it grew larger and larger until…

“Ha ha ha! I’m feeling refreshed! Really? Is that how I look?”

“What the hell! What’s so funny?”

“Just the opposite, Garfiel! It’s completely, utterly the opposite!”

“Huh?”

Suppressing the impulse to laugh, Subaru pointed a finger at Garfiel.

And then he said,

“I’m not refreshed at all. Inside, I’m jam-packed to bursting, honestly, I feel like I’m about to explode. Everything I tried to do got denied, and all the pressure I felt to do something turned against me… I really don’t know what to do.”

“—”

“When you realize you’re genuinely at a loss, it starts to feel funny in a way. If everything you thought you should do has been proven futile… then it’s back to square one.”

Subaru muttered weakly, letting his shoulders droop.

If he had misunderstood everything from the very start, then all the thoughts he had piled up afterward were errors.

Even with the time limit pressing for him to devise a solution, realizing now that he had miscalculated from the outset felt like having a sense of ‘it’s too late.’ Even worse, it felt like facing a problem he had never been taught how to solve.

Garfiel looked as if he was uncertain what to say to the downcast Subaru, wrinkling his nose. Knowing that questioning him wouldn’t yield any clear answers made it clear this was merely out of jests.

An awkward silence dropped between them — just then,

“—Thinking of what you should do? I could tell you.”

“—!”

Surprised by the sudden voice coming from above, Subaru turned quickly. As he did, Garfiel, who was facing the same direction, looked equally surprised.

Ahead of them, walking through the gap between the trees was—

“…Otto?”

“Good morning! Yes, it’s me.”

Crackling as he stepped on branches, Otto approached with a somewhat forced smile. Stunned by this sudden presence, Subaru’s eyes widened, while Garfiel clicked his tongue and said,

“Just so you know, I found this little guy earlier. Don’t think I was talking to him while forgetting about you.”

“I’m not doubting that. It’s great to see that Natsuki-san is okay. —But, more importantly, could I ask something?”

“…What is it?”

“May I have some alone time with Natsuki-san? There’s something I want to discuss.”

As Subaru stood there baffled by the situation, Otto and Garfiel exchanged knowing glances. Garfiel then ground his teeth and shot a glance at Subaru before saying,

“Don’t do anything suspicious.”

With that, he backed away from the scene.

Stepping on grass, Garfiel made his way back toward the ‘Sanctuary.’ Left in this confused position, Subaru licked his dry lips and muttered,

“Seems like I’ve somehow started communicating with Garfiel without even realizing it.”

“While you were busy, I wasn’t idle. I’ve been building relationships with the locals and the refugees here… well, that’s not what matters right now.”

Otto patiently responded to Subaru’s query, then made a gesture to stop the conversation, fixing his intense gaze on Subaru. No, it was more than a gaze; it felt like he was glaring at him.

“What’s with that…?”

Feeling the weight of Otto’s unsettling stare, Subaru stammered and faltered. Hearing this, Otto let out a small sigh.

“Anyway, I’ve been listening, sort of. You seem to be rather cornered, Natsuki-san, with all sorts of issues.”

“—”

“I’m clearly left out of the details, but it sounds like you’ve hit a dead end. I could hear your weakness in how you talked about what to do.”

“So what are you saying? You were going to throw some advice my way, right?”

While listening to Otto’s harsh tone, Subaru recalled the first remark that interrupted their silence.

Otto had indeed burst in with that exact phrase. What was the true intent of those words?

“You know what I should do…?”

“Yes, I do. It’s simple.”

“Simple…?”

“Do you want to know?”

That tone pricked Subaru’s ears.

After all this struggle and embarrassment, Otto’s words felt patronizing.

“Of course I want to know! If you know something that could help me, then tell me…!”

“In that case, I have a preparation step for you.”

“Pre-preparation…?”

“Yes. First, take a slow, deep breath…”

Offering his hand, Otto gestured for Subaru to take deep breaths. Though unsure of its meaning, Subaru complied, closing his eyes and filling his lungs—

“—!?”

In the next moment, a sharp impact slammed into Subaru’s cheek, knocking him flat onto the ground.

He hit the ground face-first without having time to brace himself, spinning around, and when he looked up, he realized Otto had punched him.

And before his stunned self, the red-knuckled Otto said,

“Stop posturing in front of your friends, Natsuki Subaru.”