The battle was unimaginably fierce.

Two men faced each other, exchanging blows head-on.

Hard bones struck flesh, muscles burst, and blood dripped. Moans rose, breaths mixed with bubbles creating unpleasant sounds, imprinting the grimness of the muddy brawl in the onlookers’ eyes and ears.

“…Subaru”

Standing at the entrance of the graveyard, Emilia placed her hand on her chest and called out the man’s name.

Her bewildered eyes, fingertips trembling as if seeking the warmth of something reliable she knew had been lost, continued to bind her heart despite the realization.

Within the graveyard, there were words that Subaru had spoken.

He proclaimed that he liked her, that she was important, and that he believed in her.

Indeed, part of her had been saved by those words. However, there was also an increase in her anxiety.

Even now, the real memories within her, which were resurfacing moment by moment, were troubling her.

Believing the wrong memories were her beginning, Emilia had walked this far. If that starting point changed, how would she end up changing too?

Even after expressing her true feelings in their exchange, anxiety still took root within Emilia.

Subaru had shouted that even if she changed, his feelings would not change.

A boy who would fight through pain and suffering for her—she had no intention of doubting his feelings. He had continuously proven that.

—The one she couldn’t believe was herself.

Having walked the wrong way from the start, her journey had come to a halt while keeping her sights on the destination. Now, she hesitated, pondering whether she had started down the wrong path while aiming for the end.

Her feet had stopped once.

Was she allowed to start moving again?

In that moment, would she be walking a new road or the same one as before?

“———”

Endlessly wandering within a maze of questions with no answers, no exits.

Still unable to speak, aware that she had no right to stop, Emilia continued to watch the battle of the men before her.

“———!”

A pained groan erupted, a blood-splattered sound ringing out.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

The wind cut through as fists were swung.

A fist targeting her face was coming close—sadly, it was incredibly slow.

“Chit!”

No need for an exaggerated dodge.

With a minimal tilt of her neck, she avoided the punch entirely. Taking advantage of her opponent’s wide stance, she unleashed a sharp knee strike that pierced through his abdomen.

Feeling the thin muscles and ribs against her knee, the shock resonated all the way to the internal organs. From a mouth that had already expelled its contents multiple times, a merciless force caused fresh blood to spray forth.

“Ga…ah!”

Clutching his stomach, he staggered awkwardly. After striking down the arms raised in defense, she proceeded to shake him violently from behind.

The body, still resisting the knee strike, couldn’t hold back against the blow coming from the back and fell over easily. She kicked him down onto his back and delivered another blow to his left side before continuing the attack.

Intermittent groans echoed.

The dissonance of ragged breaths mixed with blood and vomit.

Fists, knees, toes. Each impact felt like flesh being worn away, bones cracking.

That sensation, which should normally elicit excitement, now felt unpleasant.

Repeating the same actions over and over—what meaning did this hold?

“Enough already, just give up, damn it!”

She shouted at him, who was coughing and spitting blood in a pathetic display.

He hadn’t lost consciousness. Even after getting hit in the head and kicked in the stomach, annoyingly enough, he wouldn’t concede there.

With such a disparity in strength, understanding the situation still didn’t yield results.

“What a stubborn bastard you are! There’s absolutely no winning for you! You’re overreaching! Swinging wildly! Your body is all over the place; it’s pathetic!”

“…Well, that’s bad.”

“Ugh, how fucking pathetic! Can’t you see? Your stubbornness means nothing! Being a punching bag for me… it’s embarrassing!”

Spitting in rage, she cursed the groggy Subaru, who was desperately trying to rise using his arms.

In front of Garfiel, who was roaring in anger, Subaru, arms on the ground, struggled to stand. His already swollen face was stained with blood from his nose. Some of his teeth were likely chipped or broken. Internally, his organs and ribs might already be damaged.

Pain surged within him, making it a struggle to maintain consciousness.

“What’s the point of this!? You came at me thinking you had a chance! Look at you, you’re a sorry mess… just lie down!”

“—Gah!”

Feeling a dedication that could not be expressed with mere words like stubbornness, Garfiel continued to torment Subaru’s body.

He slapped down Subaru’s arms propped on the ground, driving his toes into the side of his face. Lifting his body up from below, he elbowed him down from above.

Like a ragdoll, Subaru slammed into the ground, sprawled out.

With eyes rolled back, exhaling a deflated breath, his body finally became motionless—Garfiel let out a long sigh, thinking he had finally subdued him.

“What’s with that look of yours? It’s over, isn’t it?”

“———!”

Garfiel, panting heavily, widened his eyes in astonishment at the voice from below.

Before the stunned Garfiel, the man whom he believed to have lost consciousness was somehow swaying and standing up again.

“Joke’s on you…”

“Ah… it’s no joke. After being beaten like this, it’s not funny at all…”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“—Raa!”

Displaying an unyielding tenacity reminiscent of a nightmare, Subaru exhaled sharply, swinging his fist.

Of course, it was a punch born from desperate effort, but to Garfiel, it was akin to a child throwing a tantrum. He simply redirected the punch with a light hand and replied with a powerful palm strike to the gut.

Puncturing through the cavity, the impact reverberated throughout, tightening his empty stomach, causing yellowish gastric fluid and blood to surge back up.

“Ka, ah…”

“We’re right back where we started! How many times do I have to say—”

Holding his stomach, Subaru crumbled back down to the ground once again, prompting Garfiel to issue another surrender demand.

Unable to bear the sheer lack of dignity displayed, Garfiel looked away with a click of his tongue.

“———!”

Just as he was about to say something, a striking fist that hadn’t fallen interrupted Garfiel.

“What the?!”

“Hey, Garfiel. Who gave you the authority to throw me aside on your own…!”

With his left arm extended forward and his right pulled back, Subaru struck a defiant stance showing he hadn’t lost his fighting spirit, causing Garfiel to feel a surge of dread.

He didn’t even consider him a threat.

It was obvious to anyone that he was only posturing, and the overwhelming gap in power between Garfiel and Subaru was unbridgeable by any means.

As long as he kept recklessly throwing punches, Garfiel could easily avoid them, a thousand times if need be; the difference in their raw strength was insurmountable.

Thus, Subaru’s struggles were all futile.

No matter how many times he was hit, kicked, or thrown around, his weakened body would never reach Garfiel.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”

“Oh, really?”

Facing an opponent he couldn’t defeat yet stubbornly standing up, his spirit intact, his determination unyielding. Some might call such a mindset strength, a power that doesn’t rely on the body.

There might be people moved to emotion by such relentless perseverance.

However, if he intended to flaunt this in front of Garfiel in hopes of causing a change of heart, it was the utmost insult.

“Having a heart that doesn’t break, that doesn’t bend. What good does that do?”

“You think that just because you keep insisting on hanging in there, I would eventually pull back? Gonna flog me until I get tired of punching and let you win by pity? Do you really think I’m gonna fall for that kind of shit?”

“———”

“It’s not a joke. This isn’t some game, you know? We’re here to knock each other out; anything else is just nonsense!”

He stomped on the ground.

The powers of the earth elemental protection surged forth, vitalizing his weary body.

When he arrived after his exhausting battles in the forest with Ram and the others, his body was less fatigued now. The fight with Subaru was like a stroll in the shade.

With such a puny influence, Garfiel’s heart would not be shaken.

“You said you’d teach me how weak I am, right? And what’s this pitiful sight!? What’s weak, huh? You’re the one being crushed because you lack strength and you’re the brainless idiot here!”

He remembered every word Subaru had uttered before the fight.

It was all ridiculous. It was all nonsense. Everything about this man was a pile of scams.

“Both that guy and Ram! They had the spirit to challenge me! That’s why I gave it my all against those two! I devised strategies, squeezed out every ounce of knowledge I had to face them… They had the kind of grit I recognized. What about you?”

While he didn’t know all the details, Otto had used his blessing to summon the forest and press Garfiel. By his final spell, Garfiel wished he could applaud Otto’s determination; they truly gave it their all as underdogs.

Though the counterattack led by Ram was similarly a painful betrayal in Garfiel’s heart, the battle itself was all the more impressive.

Both of them fought with everything they had against Garfiel, aiming to snatch victory.

Such a way of living was commendable—He was forced to accept it, even as an enemy.

“And look at you… it’s truly pathetic. You keep getting up, time and time again… So what? No matter how many times you stand up, your heart won’t relent. What does that even mean in a fight without a chance to win?”

“———”

“Do you expect me to be moved? Here you are, bleeding, your feet shaking, scarcely able to keep your eyes open, yet you still stand? Do you think I’m going to be impressed? I will turn you into mincemeat; how dare you belittle me and those who stood for us!”

At this moment, Garfiel was filled with the most intense fury he had ever experienced.

The sanctity of the fight was sullied. He had been disrespected. Moreover, it felt as though he was trying to smear the nobility of those who had earned his respect in battle.

“Just lie down. Step back. You miserable, pitiful piece of trash. The best thing you can do is admit defeat and get some sleep, you fool!”

“………”

Without lowering his stance, Subaru continued to absorb Garfiel’s consecutive streams of insults.

Dizzily shaking his head, with nearly closed eyes, he somehow managed to pin down Garfiel’s image. Although the fighting spirit remained within him, that alone made his ragged appearance even more annoying.

Despite all the words pummeling him, he had yet to bend his resolve—how could he snap it?

If pain wasn’t enough, there was only one answer.

“Why don’t you say it yourself, huh!?”

Turning around, Garfiel pointed to Emilia standing by the entrance of the graveyard.

As she suddenly became the topic of discussion, her slender shoulders flinched, provoking Garfiel’s irritation at her apparent weakness.

“Quit just standing there! You tell him! No matter how much I say, he won’t listen. You should kindly tell him that he looks pathetic, ugly, and it all means squat!”

“…I…”

“What’s that!? Can’t say it? Do your eyes see him as someone with a chance? Or do you want to watch? You want to wallow in the schadenfreude of watching a man who’s infatuated with you become a mess for your sake? What’s your take, huh!?”

“———!”

Eyes wide, Emilia stiffened at the malicious words hurled at her.

Garfiel’s cruel words pierced her as she observed the battle unfold before her.

If Garfiel’s fists couldn’t stop him, then Emilia’s words were all that was left.

If Garfiel breaks his body and Emilia breaks his spirit, then this time, Subaru would surely kneel.

Emilia, watching the beaten Subaru, repeatedly twisted her face in pity.

Unlike Subaru, who had made an inexplicable resolve, her heart hadn’t solidified in the slightest. She was still that crying girl who had lost in the graveyard’s “Trial.”

Garfiel had no intention of blaming her for that.

Yes, losing to the “Trial” was a natural outcome. Who could deny the memories of regrets that haunted her?

The past is something that shouldn’t be thought of as something one can overcome.

To blur the lines between realizable ideals and unreachable dreams is the mark of madness.

The boy standing before them, endlessly chasing mere fantasies, was a genuine lunatic who forced his delusions upon others.

He was like Roswaal, a fool blinded by a singular obsession.

“Just stop! Nothing good will come of this! I’m being toyed with by that damned Witch. That’s all it amounts to!”

“I—”

Garfiel’s words caused Emilia to straighten up as if struck by lightning, her eyes widening.

With a faint glimmer of tears in those enigmatic eyes, she looked at Subaru, who stood pitifully. Her trembling lips, urged by Garfiel, seemed to call out to put a stop to Subaru’s stubbornness.

With that, everything would come to an end.

But—

“Emilia”

“———”

Before Emilia could speak, it was Subaru who called her name first.

Holding a closed mouth which revealed a glimpse of his red tongue, Emilia leaned in to listen to Subaru’s raspy voice. She was desperate not to miss whatever words he had to offer.

Subaru needed to convey just one thing.

“…Watch me.”

That short phrase.

Spoken quietly, barely above a whisper.

However, upon hearing it, Emilia’s eyes shot up, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded, placing her hand over her heart.

“…Huh!?”

In front of Garfiel’s confusion at the exchange between the two, Subaru pointed a finger at him while letting out a long sigh.

“…You’ve been rambling on about nonsense, but you’re mistaken, Garfiel.”

“What did you say?”

“You might think it’s dumb how hard I’m trying even when there’s no chance of winning… but no way. I learned that after dealing with a real beating before, so I’m not doing this again. Ever.”

With his swollen, battered face, Subaru still grimaced as he spoke.

He didn’t know the details of Subaru’s past experience, but it was clearly dreadful for Subaru to remember.

Nevertheless, more urgent than those memories was what he had to say.

“This isn’t even on the level. Not just about ideals or dreams— you can’t even see what’s right in front of you! If you’re claiming you’ll stop challenging a stronger opponent… then what about this situation? What’s this situation, huh!?”

“Obviously, I’ve never… given up on a challenge.”

Garfiel, indignant, was interrupted as Subaru’s consciousness seemed to sharpen.

Raising his voice, Subaru made a statement imbued with newfound strength.

“As long as I can stand, I won’t give up. When I can’t stand anymore, that’ll be the moment I’m killed.”

“…………”

“If I’m going to die, it won’t be at a moment like this when you’re hesitating at that critical juncture. So, you can’t stop me. Little by little, I’m getting closer to my victory. My victory is unshakeable.”

“You’re out of your mind…! Whether I can kill you or not isn’t the issue! How are you going to do it! What’s your plan? Huh!?”

Despite being in a pitiful and battered state, none of those words held weight.

Subaru’s argument was too extreme. The notion of not stopping as long as he wasn’t dead was merely stating his intentions. Even if he believed that premise, it didn’t change the fact that he’d still be moving, and ultimately, he wouldn’t reach Garfiel to inflict a mortal blow.

That scenario was implausible; it was merely a fantasy based on time and miracles.

“I’ll crush your limbs until you can’t do a damn thing anymore! Whether you’re conscious or not, it doesn’t matter!”

Garfiel screamed in a fit of rage.

The earth’s vitality surged up through his feet, revitalizing his battered and exhausted body to nearly half its normal strength. That was more than enough to tear Natsuki Subaru apart.

As he stomped the ground, Garfiel approached the motionless Subaru.

Seeing Garfiel coming near, Subaru made the misguided choice to throw out his punch. How foolish. Too slow. Everything about him was lacking. Easily evaded, Garfiel landed a blow to the gut, followed by a knee knocking his jaw back before throwing his body hard against the ground. He stomped down on Subaru’s flailing body against the earth, and then delivered two or three more stomps until desperate groans escaped him.

Relentless pounding ensued. This would—

“…End, huh?”

“—GAAAH!!! What the hell are you, damn it!!”

Despite logically suffering deeper and deeper damage, Subaru stood back up.

In front of his very eyes, an unknown feeling began to overwhelm Garfiel.

Could he not take him down? Could he not win? It wasn’t merely uncertainty.

Was it really true that, as this man asserted, no matter how much physical damage he inflicted, he could not truly stop him?

“What’s the point of putting your life on the line for this? If you painstakingly somehow manage to defeat me, do you think that half-demon girl can win the ‘Trial’? Do you actually think so?!”

“………”

“Such a miracle could never happen! Life isn’t that convenient! Even if one in a million or one in a billion chances, you defeated me, nothing would change for her! No one is exempt! Anyone holding onto a past they messed up… staring only at their regrets, they’re stuck, going nowhere! Why don’t you get that!?”

“Why don’t you understand—!?”

“———?!”

Garfiel, caught up in a verbal frenzy, was stripped of coherence.

Amidst the chaos, Natsuki Subaru’s voice broke through.

“Quit deciding everything solely based on your own judgment, Garfiel…!”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Don’t you dare dictate Emilia’s limits. She’s not weak!”

In the distance, Emilia gasped at the graveyard entrance.

“Don’t you decide my limits either. To bend my knees, to give up, none of that is determined by anyone but me. Until I give up, it will never happen!”

Coughing out blood, Subaru’s gaze intensified.

And then…

“Don’t you dare just throw in the towel for yourself. You’re not done yet. You can still push further. Don’t cling onto the stubborn conclusions you made as a kid before you even grew into your body…!”

Subaru pointed squarely at Garfiel, openly labeling the beliefs he had stubbornly maintained and kept tied to the “Sanctuary” as trivial.

“———”

Garfiel, opened his mouth to retort immediately.

However, no sound came forth, as if struck mute.

He couldn’t say anything. Nothing came to mind.

His head was blank. It wasn’t that he thought this man was right. There was no way he could be wrong. He knew he wasn’t wrong since he only began after recognizing he’d been mistaken.

He could not afford to be wrong.

Thus, he couldn’t allow this man who claimed Garfiel was wrong to exist.

“Haah… haah… I understand…”

“………”

“I have to stop you. I don’t get any of what you say, but it just feels wrong. So, I will stop you.”

He had to stop him.

For that, the means to do so would probably have to be the same means this man insisted upon.

—Unless he ends his life, this man would never stop.

“Then… I’ll kill you!”

“Can you do that?”

“Don’t fucking joke with me. —I’ve been making sure of how to do it from the start!”

If he needed to kill to put an end to this, he would do it this time.

He’d choose the means to do so.

—He’d choose to embrace the irritating and hated blood of beasts that slumbered within him.

“—Oooooooh!”

Embracing his body, Garfiel was consumed by a seething heat that made all the blood in his body boil.

The overwhelming sensation was so intense it felt like red was pouring out with each breath. His cells writhed, muscles swelled, and his body expanded explosively.

His limbs grew thick as logs, and his torso tore at his waistband as it ballooned. Golden fur sprouted all over, and his sharp canine teeth grew to a razor-like length.

The bridge of his nose jutted forward, and his pupils narrowed, altering the world’s hues.

Thoughts ignited as the spirit of Garfiel Tinsel was completely overshadowed.

The intoxicating thrill of the beast transformation and the sensation of reason drowned out by animal instinct.

When it was all over and he returned, what lay before Garfiel would be the remnants of a shredded body. That would be the final form of Natsuki Subaru.

He hadn’t wanted to go this far to stop him.

He wouldn’t regret it, nor did he intend to repent.

It was the weak who were at fault.

The weak couldn’t take any action. That was all there was to it.

Consciousness faded.

The beast’s instincts roared with joy, ready to sink its teeth into the pitiful prey it’s about to devour——,

——And then the vision of a creature stripped of reason was entirely consumed by billowing black smoke.