My eyes barely opened, feeling as if my blood vessels were clogged and my circulation was failing.

Yet the blood dripping from my nose and wounds showed no sign of stopping. I wonder if I have enough blood left? Perhaps losing a bit more would be just what my too hot head needs.

Dazed from getting hit too much, I, Subaru, shook my head and thought such things.

It felt like an eternity spent standing just to be struck.

I didn’t intend to stand still, but every time I tried to strike back, my attacks just wouldn’t land. Every time I got hit, I would spit blood, biting back the pain, and stand up with an unexplainable grin as if to say your attacks didn’t hurt. I repeated this cycle.

There’s no way it didn’t hurt.

My body, both inside and out, felt like it was falling apart, as if all my organs were mixing and bursting inside me. I felt as if my bones supporting my body had shattered in many places—it’s a miracle that my limbs still obey my consciousness.

But none of this was a miracle.

Every time I felt like my consciousness would slip away, every time I was about to lose it, a fierce reprimand clawed at me, dragging my fading awareness back to reality.

A searing pain scorched like fire from my pocket—my Spartan training was frying my brain.

Even though I asked for this, my cheeks twisted at the total lack of leniency.

I dodged all loss of consciousness with tricks. Still, Garfiel had plenty of means to stop me.

Yet, the reason he couldn’t inflict enough damage to incapacitate me completely was a decision made solely by Garfiel himself.

If I were to take even a single full-force blow from a healthy Garfiel, I wouldn’t stand a chance. One hit and my body would turn to mush!

Of course, the reason that didn’t happen involved Otto and Ram’s valor, inflicting significant damage on Garfiel. However, even injured, Garfiel could kill Subaru with one bite or slash me with a single swipe of his claws.

That it hasn’t happened is due to Garfiel’s own judgment—not being able to unleash a fatal blow on others, no matter his condition.

After all, Garfiel was too kind—this seems to be the case.

Ryuzu, Frederica, and even Ram all rated Garfiel that way.

His usual rough temper and coarse behavior were a stark contrast to the delicately tender heart he carried. While he made violent proclamations, his power had always been cultivated inwardly, aimed to protect.

This was something unforgivable to me, something that could destroy the “Sanctuary.”

Even when faced with such an opponent, he couldn’t make the decision to take a life.

Subaru was acutely aware of how he was taking advantage of Garfiel’s nature.

After all, utilizing his personality when facing Garfiel was a fundamental premise. If I had a Garfiel unable to kill out of kindness, I had a kind of assurance that I wouldn’t be killed.

Nevertheless, facing a battered Garfiel in this situation where I’ve received nothing but hits.

If I had faced him in full health, it would have been completely different. I had to thank Otto and Ram for struggling outside my plans.

—Were both of them not dead?

Given Garfiel’s nature, it seemed unlikely he had killed the two of them. If that were the case, Garfiel wouldn’t be able to hide it in his demeanor.

Above all, if he had killed Ram, there would be no reason for him to come to stop Subaru in human form. It would be natural for him to appear in a beastly form.

He likely couldn’t bring himself to kill, and for Subaru, that thought wasn’t denied.

Then, the outcome of the battle between Otto and Garfiel… that was everything.

“—Ooooooo!”

The figure of Garfiel, clutching his own body, began to change before Subaru’s eyes.

His arms and legs swelled, becoming thicker and larger, and his torso increased in size and girth. Claws and fangs sharpened like blades, and his appearance transformed from that of a human to a wild feline predator with a loud shift.

Golden fur enveloped his exposed skin, and he grounded himself with four limbs planted in the earth.

—What stood there was a great golden tiger reflecting Subaru in its narrowed pupils.

I couldn’t stop Subaru unless I killed him.

After swinging my fists many times, Garfiel finally arrived at that conclusion.

And in order to kill Subaru, Garfiel made his decision.

Awakening the blood and beastly instincts sleeping within, he transformed into a tiger and prepared to take Subaru’s life.

In the form of a beast devoid of reason, so as not to witness the moment of his resolve.

“But that’s wrong, Garfiel.”

Not being able to kill my opponent and unable to swing my fists is kindness.

In order to protect myself and those around me, the decision to safeguard the place called “Sanctuary” is also kindness.

However, trying to escape to a place where one might avoid seeing the act of killing someone they couldn’t actually bring themselves to do—that has nothing to do with kindness. It’s merely Garfiel’s weakness.

And Natsuki Subaru would not hesitate to exploit that weakness.

“Please, body of mine. Don’t collapse on me now!”

Garfiel, now in his beast form, reflected his rising hostility onto Subaru.

The feeling of his limbs trembling signaled the impending pounce of the feral beast aiming to tear Subaru apart.

Therefore, the moment of decision could only be here. Subaru clenched his molars and, with his awareness connecting to his core, raised his voice.

“—Shamaaaaaak!!”

“—”

Just as the great tiger opened its mouth, the scream infused with all Subaru’s being resonated with the world.

A burst of black smoke erupted between Subaru and the beast, enveloping the colossal body that loomed above him. Just before being swallowed, the arm reached out as if to shake off the smoke, but it vanished beyond it.

When it was consumed by the expansive darkness, the forced ignorance dragged life toward its end.

“Ugh, ah…!”

In the next instant, a shock hit Subaru’s head like a violent strike.

It felt like being drilled from inside out, and the piercing pain made his vision bleed red, scattering the light. Unlike the dull pain of being punched by Garfiel, it was an intense agony that felt like it was peeling away Subaru’s very soul—somehow, he swallowed it down and chewed on it.

Don’t use it, they said, the gate was overused.

From the wielder of the highest healing magic in the Royal Capital, the words that warned him he might never use magic again rang in his ears, yet Subaru betrayed those words and used it once more.

The caustic sensation of the invisible gate burning burned into him. The core at the center of his body vibrated violently, and something tore away from a distant place, separate from Subaru’s flesh.

Laced with agony, the pain was forcefully stripped away.

Accompanying an irreversible sense of loss, it brought understanding to Subaru’s heart.

“Thanks for everything.”

Thus far, the lines he had relied upon were cut.

It didn’t matter. The choices that should never have been in the first place were simply lost in the truest sense.

Even so, it was thanks to that power that he had come this far, and for that, he was grateful.

Therefore, this is goodbye.

“—”

He looked ahead.

The last spell he squeezed out failed to fully envelop Garfiel’s gigantic form. Most critically, its head was covered, yet his right half peeked out.

Even exerting all his strength, that was as far as he could go.

He exhaled from his nose. In the process, a clot of congealed blood spilled out. Wiping it away haphazardly, he staggered forward.

His hand reached into his pocket. He grasped something hard, secretly relieved that it hadn’t broken amid the chaotic fight. If he had lost this, there’d be no hope nor chance, none at all.

“—”

Before him, the black smoke began to fade gradually.

How many seconds had passed since casting magic? Ten? Five? Maybe even less. The truth was, he had never had the talent for it. But right now, he wanted to be thankful for that.

He could see Garfiel’s right half. Entangled in a world of ignorance, his body was immobilized.

Now that the spell was imperfect, it ironically stole any need to hesitate from Subaru.

Therefore, he didn’t hesitate in the direction he stepped forward.

Right leg, left leg. It was too slow to be called running. Yet, with momentum, he trudged forward.

He approached the massive body until they were nearly touching.

“Come down to my ring—Garfiel.”

He pushed and pierced the blue crystal that he had drawn from his pocket into Garfiel’s broad right shoulder.

And light burst forth.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“After cutting ties with Emilia, you’ll revert back to being a free spirit… that’s correct, right?”

“Well, that’s how it’ll be. But even as a free spirit, I’m undeniably very powerful. Average spirits can’t supply the mana to sustain me. And no matter the opponent, I have no intention of forming a contract with anyone other than Rea.”

“So this mana you need to maintain… what, is it scarce under ordinary circumstances?”

“Indeed. For instance, if Subaru were to try to command me, even with mana from the atmosphere… yeah, I’d probably dry up in about a day, I reckon.”

“Huh…? That sounds more sustainable than I thought. So, you can fight with me then?”

“That one day refers to the time when you haven’t taken me into your physical form. If I materialize, I’d probably be drained dry in seconds. Wanna test it out?”

“No thanks. But speaking of that, what happened to our compatibility with spirits?”

“I might need to second that ‘only with average spirits’ disclaimer. Plus, even apart from that meaning… I’m in a bit of a special situation. I’m a spirit in the truest sense that belongs to Rea.”

“—”

“The plan to catch Rea by summoning me after cutting our contract has been foiled.”

“I didn’t pitch it in order to pull off a surprise prank with her or anything like that. But yeah, I guess it’s turned out awkward.”

“I’m sorry. Moreover, if it were feasible, there’s the vessel problem… ah, but this place can handle it easily.”

“When you say ‘vessel’… do you mean something like the crystal hanging from Emilia’s neck?”

“That crystal is special in its own right. Fortunately, there should be similar materials in this place. If I borrow one of those, it’ll work out. Still, even if I were to confine myself within a crystal, I’d need mana to keep it in there…”

“—Hey, I’m curious about something.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“If you’re not contracted, can you still be contained within a crystal with my cooperation? You know, as long as you provide the mana?”

“That could happen, yeah. But that mana supply is a tough one. Because in my case, it literally drains from you until… you can’t function.”

“—”

“…Subaru?”

“Hey, Pack.”

“Yeah?”

“Where’s the substitute for that crystal you mentioned?”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—The blue crystal embedded in Garfiel’s right shoulder emanated an incredible light.

It held a shine akin to something stripped away and unrefined, piercing into the beast’s skin and greedily absorbing the very essence of life itself.

“—AUUUGH!”

The light surged, casting Subaru backward as if blown away by strong winds. Falling on his backside, he saw that the beast, still shrouded in black smoke, remained oblivious to the changes occurring within its own body.

The crystal, graspable in his palm, voraciously siphoned mana from the living beast. Merely keeping it tucked away elicited a heavy sense of fatigue from Subaru.

What would happen if the effects were directly applied to the body? —The answer lay before him.

“—AH, Huh!?”

The smoke began to disperse.

The confusion born with the black smoke and magical constraint evaporated.

When freed from both, the mighty beast—Garfiel—was nearly returning to the form of a young man, shedding almost all the beastly attributes.

His fur fell away in clumps, and his limbs, resembling bundled logs, reverted to normal proportions. His fangs and claws retracted, and his skeletal structure clicked back into a human shape.

Of all people, Garfiel looked on in disbelief at his own transformation.

His eyes widened in astonishment, he lifted his hands, staring with his trembling golden gaze at the palms of his now human form.

“W-what… what the hell is this…?”

“I told you, Garfiel. —I don’t fight battles I can’t win.”

At Subaru’s words, Garfiel looked up, jolted.

Subaru, who had dusted off the dirt from his backside, stood with a swollen face, grinning wickedly. Watching this, Garfiel began to comprehend the vast pressures on his own body and the persistent strain inflicted on it. His neck turned as he noticed the foreign object still lodged in his right shoulder.

“What the hell is this…? No, this is…”

“You recognize the glow, don’t you? Both you and I should know what this is about.”

“Where the hell did you get this…!? You bastard!”

“Of course. —It’s Ryuzu Meier’s crystal. One of the crystals accumulated to maintain its functions.”

—In the depths of the forest was a laboratory.

Ryuzu Meier, the one who safeguarded the “Sanctuary.” The crystal that confined her to eternal stasis depended partially on a replica to fuel its function.

Regularly, the replicants of Ryuzu would swap the power source of the glowing crystal’s lower section. Naturally, those crystals were not limitless. As long as one remained inside the “Sanctuary,” there would come a day when it would eventually run dry and cease functioning.

“That had been brought in alongside foodstuffs regularly. If one of Roswaal’s supports was that, I’d easily have had the chance to swindle one.”

“But For such a simple item to have pierced me like this… how can it possibly drain me like this!? What kind of trick is at play here…?”

“Who knows… maybe there’s a famished monster locked inside that very crystal?”

Breathing heavily, Garfiel’s words sputtered out, broken.

He reached for his right shoulder, attempting to pull out the crystal embedded there, but the blue gem refused to budge, acting as if it were deeply rooted in his flesh.

Exhaling deeply, Subaru slackened his body, tilting his neck back.

Above, Emilia stood silently, observing their fierce battle. Until a moment ago, to her eyes, Subaru most likely looked like he was in a desperate situation.

Even so, she hadn’t tried to stop Subaru from fighting. Once, she had urged him to stop, fighting out of a misguided sense of honor.

Standing before her now was something that couldn’t be labeled merely as trust.

What that something was remained an unspoken connection between them.

The crystal trapped Garfiel’s movements.

Seeing its glow might have urged Emilia to a realization. Whether she had understood it or not, it was alright not to know. The moment was all that mattered.

“Look at me, Garfiel.”

“Huh…?”

“If you want to stop me, do it with your own hands. Don’t leave it up to the blood within you that goes haywire, don’t you ever belittle others like that.”

With that, he stepped forward.

His whole body creaked, and blood began to drip from somewhere.

Life was seeping out. Yet he held no intention of stopping, nor could he.

“I will stop you from trying to stop us—Emilia challenges the Graveyard. The ’Sanctuary’ will be liberated. There’s no time to dawdle!”

“Don’t just spout whatever’s on your mind! Who asked for this!? Who gave permission!? It’s fine for this place to remain as it is, unchanged!”

“What do you mean, unchanged and stagnant? Surely someone ought to have noticed well before it remained like this for centuries.”

“There’re those who wish for things to not change! Who’ve wished for permanence!”

“Yet your insistence on guarding everything without change will allow you to reign eternally in this place… But no matter how much you try, there are things you simply can’t reach.”

Time and the ages will eventually leave Garfiel behind.

The force needed to maintain the unchanged “Sanctuary” would one day falter.

“There will come a time when we, as a collective force, put you in a corner; times when you alone cannot handle it. Even now, in this moment.”

Subaru strode closer to Garfiel.

Clutching the crystal embedded in Garfiel’s shoulder, the battered beast locked eyes with Subaru, refusing to let its will fade. The gaze was met with a firm glare from Subaru.

They both knew well that merely exchanging words wouldn’t suffice any longer.

Therefore—

“Get knocked out, Garfiel! Experience the strength of numbers!”

“Could’ve said that more gracefully!”

Garfiel roared.

An upward swing prompted a punch to rise from below. But it was slow. That force-siphoning crystal meant Garfiel had scarcely any power left. He tilted his head, so he wouldn’t be struck. The impact met the side of his face. His vision swayed wildly.

“You oughta just knock off and sleep already! Then afterward, I’ll smash the Graveyard and put you, and everyone else, to rest!”

“You plotted something like that, huh…?!”

In retaliation, Subaru pressed his knee into the ground, extending a punch upward. Impacting Garfiel’s face, it marked the first clean hit from Subaru’s side since this battle began.

It was a sloppy punch—wobbly, without any form, lacking proper extension.

Obviously, it didn’t carry the power one would expect; however, for Garfiel in that state, it was more than sufficient.

“—Gah!”

Overwhelmed by numerous injuries, he felt the mana sustaining his body drain away. For Garfiel, who stood on the verge of collapsing, Subaru’s strike was the decisive blow that could push him over the edge.

Yet—

“It wouldn’t matter if it hurt!”

“Guh!”

Planting his feet solidly into the ground, Garfiel’s elbow jabbed into Subaru’s ribcage. A grunt escaped him as he thrust his forehead into Garfiel’s brow again. The impact made them both recoil and instinctively return their heads while swinging their fists, striking one another.

With their fists embedded in each other’s cheeks, blood burst forth from both their noses.

Subaru approached the physical limit of damage, while Garfiel neared a mental breakdown.

The brightness of the crystal on Garfiel’s right shoulder began to gradually fade.

This was a sign of Garfiel’s mana depletion, thus indicating the battle’s imminent conclusion.

“—Guh!”

“What’s with you getting distracted?!”

In a moment of loosened focus, Garfiel took a strike to the face, snapping his head backward.

In this moment of relaxation, his consciousness slipped away. Subaru gritted his teeth, where one of his cracked molars crumbled amidst the strain, awakening him to reality.

The little tricks he had used to avoid slumber were now powerless. Instead, they had contributed to the dread accompanying the unyielding pain. He had no choice but to endure.

Complacency, arrogance, absurdity.

Subaru was always the weak one, the challenger—never someone standing in an advantageous position.

“So… there’s no way I’m backing down!”

“Gah!”

Garfiel’s dagger-like claws wrapped around Subaru’s neck, dragging them both down to the ground. Battling through pain, Subaru grimaced as he tried to push himself back up. That left arm, resting on the earth, was pierced by a fierce agony.

Looking down, he saw Garfiel’s fangs deeply embedded in his upper arm.

“A-agh!”

“Grrggh…”

“Let go! That hurts, you idiot!”

Subaru swung his fist at Garfiel’s snout to pry his teeth free. With a horrendous sound, his left arm was freed, but the arm was immovable due to the bone-deep injury. And his right arm—

“I… I got you!”

Garfiel’s palm latched onto the shoulder Subaru had extended in a bid to reclaim his left arm. Whether the strength to strike or kick was lost, Garfiel maintained his grip.

The godlike force of his grip demolished Subaru’s right shoulder.

A dull cracking sound echoed, prompting a soundless scream from Subaru.

His left arm was marred by a gash from the elbow, while the right shoulder was shattered beyond use. He lost both arms, his eyes wide. Garfiel then kicked Subaru down.

“This is over! There’s nothing you can do now! From the start, I should’ve turned you into a jumping bug!”

As Subaru curled up on the ground, writhing in pain, Garfiel twisted a crude smile, relishing victory. Stumbling to his feet, he gazed skyward with a mighty roar.

A beastly cry of triumph rang out, and to deliver the finishing blow to Subaru, he readied himself to stomp down.

“I’ve told you before, you don’t get to dictate my ending!”

Garfiel’s face, contorted in disbelief, lifted from the ground but was met with a sudden headbutt rising from below, crushing his nose as he spun in disbelief.

Subaru stood, arms limp at his sides. It was unbelievable! Absurd! The power of will was much more than just a trivial matter.

“Neither my end nor yours… it’s not over yet!”

“Don’t… you dare… you can’t stand.”

Garfiel’s face warped in misery as he took a step back from Subaru.

As if terrified of the swordsman who couldn’t move, Garfiel retreated a single step.

“What good will pushing yourself do?! Every single one of you is now trapped in this puddle of despair! You’re all cast out without a place to return to, here, you can only remain! What will happen to those locked outside?! What will become of them?!”

“Get outside and be someone. If you’re going to remain here, then go on, end it! Either way, you have no chance of remaining here!”

Despite Garfiel exhibiting all his power and fighting fiercely, there were realities he couldn’t change.

Alone, he couldn’t halt the oncoming doom of the Great Rabbit, which interpreted the “Sanctuary” as a feeding ground. No matter how hard he fought, there would always be straying slackers, and with each instance, he would lose power, ultimately faltering before an insatiable hunger.

Perhaps conveying this future might shake him from this state.

But that wouldn’t change his outlook.

It was merely a temporary override of his physical form. His heart remained imprisoned within the “Sanctuary.” Once he learned to weather it, he would merely return, soaking back into blissful stagnation.

With eyes closed, Garfiel Tinsel continued to pretend to mourn his mother’s death, comforting his own heart.

“Break through that wall, Garfiel. There’s no wall out there that you need to fear.”

“A wall exists! I am that wall! I am the absolute barrier separating the inside from the outside! I, along with Granny and the others! We’ve come to a standstill! And that, that’s the end!”

He had given up once, holding fear about connecting with the world outside, the residents of the “Sanctuary” retreated into what they considered paradise, neglecting any contact with the world beyond the forest.

Thus, Garfiel fought to safeguard that closed paradise, claiming it as his own.

That was akin to completing their existence entirely—by himself!

“Then I’ll smash that wall… right here and now!”

“That brother is sleeping! Ram’s snoozing too! I’ll put you to eternal rest soon enough! You think we can’t be found anymore? You and everyone else—it’s finished!”

“Do you really think giving up aligns with wisdom? It’s clear that not giving up looks way cooler! Once you start to give up and stand still, that’s it! You’re supposed to shake off the weariness and keep moving! The winds already blew towards you long ago!”

The “Trial” had resulted in fears about the outside world.

After learning about that “Trial,” Ryuzu and Frederica had continued to care for Garfiel.

Stepping into the outside world, one way or another, Frederica chose the path to create a home for the people living inside when the “Sanctuary” fell.

Frederica turned, reaching out to Garfiel.

She had stretched her hand toward the stopped Garfiel, urging him to move again.

It was natural; after all, she was Garfiel’s elder sister.

If their little brother sat there crying and still, it was referred to as elder sister instinct to extend a hand.

“You said Frederica went out into the world, abandoning you. But, that’s wrong! You’re mistaken, Garfiel! You were never bound by the barrier. If you wanted to give chase, you could have taken off at any moment! You didn’t do so, that’s on you!”

“…I…”

“You were the first to let go, Garfiel! Just stop making excuses about your sister! Don’t you feel shame?”

Something ignited inside him—something he couldn’t quite express.

Deep within his belly, something black twisted and writhed.

The supernatural opened portal connecting Subaru with the outside world was now defunct.

So now, deep within this body, what was it that had begun to assert its presence?

Without understanding his own head, his body, or even this man before him, he screamed.

“Always, at any time, I want to try! I want to change! When I think that way, that’s the starting point!!”

In the face of setbacks, having lost everything, having stopped moving, he curled and squatted down.

Disappointment in himself, the desolation from those around him, the loneliness from being abandoned by important people—the overwhelming sensation stained him completely, making him feel utterly worthless.

“Yet why should anyone tell me I ought to stop looking up and start walking that road ahead?!”

Give up, stop, crouch down.

It was trivial, nonsensical. The whispers were meaningless enough to drown out with silence.

If there was someone who had crouched, and who wanted words as comfort, they should really just cheer.

Keep going. Just do it! Whatever comes, when you stand up and start running, you’ll surely get somewhere.

—The heat within rose higher.

“That’s right, Garfiel…!”

He called the name of the weary-looking young man before him, whose eyes flickered with uncertainty.

—The contents of his stomach burned.

“That’s right, Emilia…!”

He called out to her, standing behind, someone straddling the line of weakness and strength.

—Something flowed from deep within his gaze.

“Hey—Isn’t that right, Rem?!”

He lifted his head, opened his mouth, widened his eyes, calling out the name of the one who gave him the push to stand.

When he thought he would give up and cease to move, there shouldn’t have been an end right there!

The power he received then was meant to reach everyone should Natsuki Subaru desire it.

“—”

A force not belonging to Subaru thrummed deep inside, crying with passion.

It welcomed his birth warmly, celebrated his emergence into the world.

Through Natsuki Subaru’s existence, it reconnected with the world.

Heat surged forth.

The warmth erupting from the center of Subaru consumed everything.

It bled and wept, swirling before Garfiel’s bloodshot eyes, transforming and intervening with the world around them.

“I—!”

A shout erupted, as Garfiel’s body was hurled backward.

Claws raised, fangs bared, Garfiel moved not with words but through every action denied Subaru’s claim.

Unable to utter anything further, his thoughts now limited to merely reacting with his instincts.

He had no other means. Thus, Garfiel extended his claws in search of Subaru.

As the heat flooding from the wounded Subaru stretched toward him, he failed to take notice.

Right before him was a bizarre fluctuation, a crack in a reality that ought not to exist.

—What extended from it was overwhelming power, unknown to him.

Of course, how could he know? No one else could see it either.

Because it was an “invisible hand” that only Subaru could influence.

“—”

The world appeared in slow motion.

This feeling was too familiar for Subaru. The moments before impending death, right before taking a fatal blow, the setting for speaking forbidden words—each had been rife with pain.

But outside of those moments, this surge of awareness blossomed now to act for Subaru.

Garfiel’s hunting form was clear in focus.

A raw display of hostility—yet it resembled a child’s tantrum let loose.

Subaru focused his gaze on the tip of Garfiel’s jaw.

For some reason, understanding dawned on him. Before acting, he came to a realization.

Locking onto the target, he simply had to release whatever he had pulled taut within him.

That alone would bring resolution.

—So, Subaru did just that.

“—!?”

The unleashed force roared, and the unguarded body of Garfiel was astonished as it was struck from below.

A torrent of energy surged forth, the shape of a fist formed from it, the arm extended— it blasted the leaping Garfiel’s face from below and sent his form soaring high into the air.

“—Aah, ha!”

Garfiel was struck down, tumbling into the ground with no chance of cushioning himself.

Sprawled on the ground, he finally recognized that he had delivered a finishing blow.

At the same moment, an utter storm of something immense was ejected from within him.

“Ugh, uoh!”

Kneeling, he bent over and vomited, expelling everything from his body. Yet, not a drop of blood vomited forth. Neither saliva nor blood remained in his body.

It was the outcome of pouring everything he had into that last flare.

The force that crashed Garfiel descended right at that moment before vanishing.

Perhaps the source remained within Subaru, but he couldn’t sense it. At least for now, Subaru couldn’t produce anything beyond that.

To invoke that technique again, he’d need to invest even more into it.

However, as the battle was now over, there would be no need for that—.

“Oh come on… no way.”

“—Aah, don’t underestimate me!”

Having crumbled down, Garfiel felt as if his consciousness were slipping away completely.

The edges of his vision whitened as fatigue enveloped him so intensely that he could hardly tell which blink would be his last.

Having expended all of his life force, Garfiel Tinsel stood with torrents of blood pouring from his nose.

“Just how tough are you, anyhow…?”

“As long as I don’t bend… it won’t end, I’ll never… never concede!”

He was half-conscious now.

His focus was dull as he gazed at Subaru, but it wasn’t truly directed. Only a fixation propelled Garfiel back to his feet, stubbornly refusing one final push.

It was clear that a mere punch from Subaru could send Garfiel crashing down.

Yet, Subaru bore no strength left to deliver a single blow. He felt the numbing sensation of losing consciousness that would overtake him in seconds.

Both had expended their entire strengths, returning to their limits.

If Otto and Ram hadn’t chipped away at Garfiel, Subaru wouldn’t have even made it this far.

So they had some hidden trump card in the blue crystal that looked like a hope. It was naïve to think also that consciousness would be summoned to the front.

The blue crystal continued flickering on Garfiel’s shoulder.

It felt as though it rallied the unfurling defeat-bearing Subaru, a notion that made him chuckle lightly despite everything.

Subaru, the crystal, Otto, and Ram.

Even when pooling this much strength, Garfiel undeniably stood as a formidable opponent.

Deep down, he comprehended that truth entirely. So—

“You… will… this…”

“Don’t take it the wrong way, Garfiel. We will smash the walls ourselves,” he proclaimed.

“No one—ever…”

Garfiel approached Subaru, staggering around.

Weakened, his left arm quivered as the snarling, blood-soaked claws lunged toward him.

If those claws reached, it would all be over.

“He expended all of that energy into one last strike.”

His focus was solely on that single blow.

Therefore, he remained oblivious to the sound building up, as the earth trembled closer.

—The final push that would overpower Garfiel and send him into the abyss.

“It’s over…!?”

“—!?”

A smaller, high-pitched roar of the Earth Dragon exceeded even his.

The jet-black Earth Dragon barreled in, crashing into Garfiel unguardedly from the side and sending him sprawling across the ground.

“—Guh!?”

Caught entirely off-guard, Garfiel was sent careening just like a small stone tossed around.

The half-beast rolled onto the earth, tumbling twice, thrice, as it raised dust and ultimately collapsed, coated in mud.

That very body now couldn’t move an inch.

Witnessing Garfiel’s stillness, the merciless one responsible for delivering the final blow raised his voice.

“How’s that, Garfiel…?”

Next to Patrasche, who championed victory, Subaru called out to the toppled Garfiel, uncertain if he could even hear it through the fading sounds of battle.

As he reflected on the turning point that had determined their odds, he grasped the essential truth.

It was simple.

The strong Garfiel fought alone, while the weak Subaru did not.

That is to say—

“This is the power of numbers!”

“Could’ve said that better!”

The motionless Garfiel gazed resentfully, reacting to Subaru’s words.

At which, Subaru offered a small, fond smile, replying softly,

“Then it’s the victory of our bonds, the strength of unity!”

“Ooh… So that’s what you meant by ‘Quain’s stone can’t rise alone’… huh?”

Garfiel muttered as he fell silent for the final time.

Observing this, Subaru finally comprehended the surety of their victory, gazing skyward as he muttered,

“Finally, I heard something like a meaningful saying…”

With a feeling of satisfaction, he cast away consciousness and collapsed.