I felt something precious slipping away from within me.

It was different from the gate that creaked and bore witness to the end of its existence.

There was something entirely separate, a different entity squirming inside Natsuki Subaru’s body.

A heat that I couldn’t tell if it was hot or cold.

An amorphous form whose existence was uncertain.

What could be described as a black murk darted around Natsuki Subaru’s body, exuding joy at the prospect of bursting forth and then disintegrated.

However, remnants of it still continued to linger within Subaru.

In response to this alien sensation, Subaru felt something indescribable. It was neither something familiar nor something he had ever felt before. Yet, he recognized it as a part of his awareness.

Thus, while questions of “why” and “how” remained, there were no inquiries about “what” or “for what purpose.”

There was no need to agonize over what exactly it was. The questions that should be asked were “why,” but for now, there was no one who could be confronted with those questions.

So, there was only one thing Subaru needed to consider.

“Invisible Strike,” “Unseen Hand,” “Out of Perception Shock.”

All of these sound awkward or like second-rate ideas, lacking in stylishness.

A pitch-black arm visible only to Subaru.

An arm that no one else could manipulate, that—

“‘Invisible Divine Will’… let’s call it ‘Invisible Providence’…”

“…Huh? What did you just say?”

Half-opening his eyes and with his hazy consciousness, Subaru accidentally let slip a piece of his thoughts from his lips.

Immediately, the one who reacted with wide eyes was the silver-haired beauty right in front of him.

After blinking a few times, Subaru realized that he had returned to reality from the unconscious world. He quickly connected the soft sensation under his head with the nearby presence of Emilia.

“Oh… I’m getting a knee pillow from Emilia-tan again.”

“Right. How many times has it been now? Loaning you my lap like this while you’re unconscious, I mean.”

“Considering the various circumstances, I think it’s the third time. It’s a paradise you can only reach after overcoming the big trials.”

“Y-you really seem to be feeling sharp now… Do you remember anything before you fainted?”

“Oh, I remember it clearly. I slowly started to recall when I spoke and looked at Emilia-tan’s face…”

While cracking jokes, Subaru pushed aside the weight in his mind to organize his thoughts. He then recalled the intense shocks he experienced right before losing consciousness and understood.

Subaru immediately touched his own face with both hands, kneading his cheeks as he looked up at Emilia.

“This is bad. By the way, I feel like I got hit a lot. Is Emilia-tan okay? My face isn’t in such a horrific state that no one can look at it, right?”

“It’s okay. You don’t look that different.”

“That sounds like an answer with no ill intentions!”

As Subaru watched Emilia tilt her head in confusion, he removed his hands from his face and lightly checked each joint. He felt some tightness and slight numbness around his shoulders, lower body, and neck. However, most external injuries appeared to be closed up and seemed to have healed.

“Subaru, if you keep moving on my lap like that, it tickles.”

“Oh, sorry! No! It wasn’t meant to be lewd or anything! I didn’t do it intentionally, but… can I check again just to be sure?”

“No. If you keep saying stuff like that, I’ll immediately kick you off my lap. Stop saying such clever things!”

“I haven’t heard ‘too clever’ in ages…”

Seeing Emilia’s gaze grow stern made Subaru smile wryly, and he rose from her lap. Though he felt reluctant, he couldn’t keep relying on her.

His physical condition was around sixty percent of what it should have been—far from perfect, but he was thankful for Emilia’s healing.

“Thanks for fixing me up. Even without Pack, you were able to heal me, right?”

“Even if the contract with Pack ended, I still have contracts with the minor spirits. Plus… I don’t say this lightly, but I can use magic too.”

“Is that so? I’ve heard that magic users and spirit users handle mana from a different system, so I thought they couldn’t coexist.”

Previously, he recalled hearing about it when Pack or Roswaal lectured him at the mansion.

Magic users can only use the mana stored in their bodies, while spirit users can use the abundant mana in the atmosphere, so once they surpass the stage of communication with spirits, they can use magic freely.

Thinking that, Subaru found it a bit surprising that Emilia could use magic.

At his question, Emilia lowered her gaze slightly.

That’s a strange response, Subaru thought, frowning. She sighed softly and said,

“I thought I couldn’t do it either, but… I mentioned before that my memories are starting to return, right? Among them, there are also knowledge about using magic… it seems like I sealed that away too.”

“Emilia’s memories sealed away that she could use magic?”

“Yes.”

The way she nodded, hesitantly, indicated that the meaning behind it wasn’t clear. Subaru couldn’t grasp why she had locked away her ability to use magic. With the current amount of information, he couldn’t come up with any guesses.

Regardless, it was a fact that she had healed him using magic.

“Whatever the reason, I’m grateful it could be done. But what about the others…”

He was about to say “the others” when it hit him that he shouldn’t be relaxing in a place like this.

He should have recognized the problem as soon as he recalled the cause of his unconsciousness.

Garfiel, who had confronted him, along with Otto and Ram, who had apparently faced Garfiel before Subaru emerged. What about their safety…?

“I don’t think it got too dangerous, but before it becomes fertilizer for the forest, I need to help them…”

“I appreciate the concern, but you don’t need to assume such terrible situations.”

“Oh!”

As Subaru abruptly energized himself and prepared to dash into the forest from the graveyard, a slightly exasperated male voice halted him. Stumbling slightly, he turned around to see Otto sitting on the stone steps of the graveyard, raising his hand.

“Oh, ohhhh!?”

“I’m glad you’re surprised. Sorry for worrying you both; let’s say we’re even for that.”

“Geez—!”

“Gyaah!?”

After confirming each other’s safety and seeing Otto wear a somewhat satisfied smile, Subaru charged at him. He didn’t lose momentum and jumped, intending to land a flying drop on him.

Trapped between the stone steps and Subaru, Otto let out a scream.

“It hurts! My head’s been scraped against the stairs… it hurts! I’m going bald! This is the kind of pain that makes you go bald! What the heck, Natsuki-san! What are you doing!?”

“Shut up, you idiot! Stop trying to act cool! What, are you trying to give off a vibe like, ‘Look at me, I did my part’? Who asked you to do anything beyond buying time? Thanks to you, my entire plan almost went down the drain! But I guess I wouldn’t even have reached the Garfiel takedown without your backup, so I’m not entirely ungrateful!”

“I can’t understand what you’re saying!!”

As they grappled on the stone steps, Otto kicked Subaru away, who then fell flat onto the ground and stood up, groaning,

“Anyway, I’m glad everyone is okay. If you died, I reckon you’d stand at my bedside and be loud about it.”

“I’m confused as to what bizarre custom you’re talking about… More importantly, why didn’t you lead with that sentiment first?”

“Don’t praise me, it’s me!”

“I know that!”

Subaru was unrepentant, and Otto wore an exasperated expression, placing a hand on his forehead when he noticed Emilia silently watching their exchange.

“Oh, and sorry, Emilia-sama, I neglected you for a bit. Everything, including this situation, is Natsuki-san’s fault.”

“Yeah, I saw it, so I get it. It’s all good.”

“I have no allies… no, I understand that it’s because there are so many allies that it’s come to this. —By the way, if you’re safe, then Ram is okay too, right?”

Exchanging looks and nodding, Emilia and Otto stuck out their tongues at each other, and Subaru then asked about the whereabouts of the other invisible ally. To this question, Otto nodded, saying, “Of course.”

“When I came to after fainting and found Ram, given her state, I was pretty tense… Thankfully, she wasn’t as badly wounded as she looked. She woke up while I was carrying her over here, and she told me off quite a bit…”

“I get that. She gets really tough on anyone who’s not family. …So, how’d you manage to persuade her?”

“That information is one of the conditions for your cooperation, so I can’t tell you.”

Otto placed a hand over his mouth, indicating he wouldn’t speak.

Subaru pursed his lips in dissatisfaction at that attitude, but he knew Otto wouldn’t bend his will over something like this, so he quickly gave up on pressing for answers.

If he was a person who would spill secrets under a little straight questioning, he wouldn’t have stuck around to help Subaru with such impractical plans risking his life.

Honestly, he was a troublesome, stubborn, and good friend.

“Damn it.”

“It hurts! Why did I get hit just now!?”

Ignoring Otto’s complaints, Subaru turned back to Emilia. Then, he noticed Patrasche had appeared beside her, swaying its large body and pressing its snout against Emilia’s silver hair, playfully interacting with her smiling face.

“Hey? When did Emilia-tan and Patrasche get so chummy?”

“While you were asleep, a lot happened… And I got helped by this little one. Such a good kid.”

“Right? Right? This is my proud partner, really. Hey, Patrasche!”

Moving closer, Subaru reached out to pat its back. However, just before his fingers touched, the earth dragon twisted away, avoiding his hand.

“Oof!?”

“――――”

Its flung tail struck Subaru right on his rear, and he yelped half in pain. He shot a protesting gaze at Patrasche, which sharpened its eyes even more, lowering its head and growling in annoyance.

“Need a translator?”

“No, even I can understand without a translator this time.”

Shaking his head at Otto’s concern from behind him, Subaru let out a small breath.

“—Can’t you just tell me not to worry, right?”

“Also, don’t get too cocky. There won’t be a next time. You might want to consider it from my point of view too. That’s an acceptable level of anger to add in there.”

“Seriously, what’s up with your heroine power? You simply joining the heroine race?”

As Subaru stretched out his hand, this time he finally touched Patrasche’s hard hide. The earth dragon, apparently resigned, accepted it, and he felt immense gratitude for this splendid creature that had stood by him in the battle against Garfiel.

Despite his ongoing inadequacy, each time he faced a new mountain, he had to keep borrowing from others. He wondered when he would ever repay all these debts.

Though he had no confidence, he realized he had no option but to do it.

“So, what’s next after overcoming the mountain of borrowed debt? What about Garfiel?”

“Garfiel is currently being treated and is over there. But it might be better not to disturb him.”

“Disturbing… you mean?”

Emilia placed her finger on her lips as she gazed at Subaru.

“He’s being looked after by Ram right now—just so you know.”

“***”

“Awakened? Garf?”

When Garfiel opened his eyes, the familiar face of a girl was right before him.

It was a mixed feeling, one he wanted to see and didn’t want to see at the same time.

The only thing he couldn’t deny was the slight flutter in his chest, so after clearing his throat once, he said,

“Ah… I’m awake now.”

“Right. Then hurry up and get moving. My legs are getting numb.”

“Ow!”

The moment they could communicate, Garfiel was released from the soft sensation and let his head drop to the ground. He wasn’t expecting such a brisk response, but it still hurt more than he thought it would.

Especially right then, when his pride was wounded by the girl he had feelings for.

Rubbing his head as it hit the ground, Garfiel glared at Ram with resentful eyes. Sitting sideways in the grass, Ram swept away the place where Garfiel had recently laid his head, responding to Garfiel’s gaze with a disgruntled, “What?”

“It’s nothing, but you’re really a woman lacking any kindness.”

“If the situation calls for being nice to someone important, then I’d be kind. Since it’s not, it’s just not the moment.”

“…Then I’m not worth it, huh?”

“I can see through what you want to hear. That’s why, like Balus, you’re no good. If you want to hear a woman’s true feelings, you need to be more inventive.”

Ram flicked Garfiel’s forehead sharply, causing him to lower his brow.

The place where she flicked him was right atop the white scar that Garfiel couldn’t help but touch when anything happened. He exhaled slightly while his finger brushed the mark on his forehead.

“Now that I think about it… this scar, you gave it to me, right?”

“—I had to do my best to quell your mischief. Do you think I enjoyed smashing your face against the stone pavement?”

“I think you laughed while you beat me up just like you did today…”

“Ram has her limited life, you know. If I had to do something I didn’t want to, it would be better to convince myself it was enjoyable. It’s a last-ditch effort.”

“What’s it like to laugh while splitting a brow? What about the emotional scars of the one who gets hit? Hey!”

At Garfiel’s words, Ram continued to sigh with a bored expression.

Naturally. She would never admit to being wrong, nor would she bend her strong mindset for anything. Proud, noble, firm, and resolute.

That’s why Garfiel admired her presence and strongly desired it.

“…Does Ram have any physical injuries?”

“Who knows? For the time being, the visible injuries were treated by Emilia-sama, but it might be impossible for me to avoid leaving some scars. What will you do about the responsibility for marring me?”

“I’ll take you as my bride…”

“Not happening. Find another way to repay me. —You strut around, thinking so much of yourself, considering how you left me to my fate when you lost.”

“…”

Under Ram’s stern gaze, Garfiel fell silent.

The rage in her eyes signified an accusation against Garfiel, who had tempered his blows at the end of the fight.

For not delivering the final blow to the fallen Ram or the upside-down Otto stuck in the bushes, it was indeed Garfiel’s decision, and maybe it was a tarnish on his pride as a warrior.

Yet even so, Garfiel could never bring himself to swing his claws at her when she was unconscious. Excluding the fact that she was his beloved, no matter the various other factors, he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to do it.

After all, he didn’t possess the essential courage that mattered most to a warrior.

“In the end… you evaded the magic Ram set for you quite well.”

“…I didn’t do it on purpose. I just had a bad feeling when I was about to revert from beast mode after getting hammered. My body moved before my mind could catch up, that’s all.”

The last-ditch effort Ram and Otto had made.

Just as the forest’s mana converged for the activation of the strongest wind magic, Garfiel resigned himself to throw himself into escape, surrendering everything to his instincts to avoid the blade of wind.

He dodged it, relying on the sensation of invisible winds skimming a few millimeters from his skin, while continuing to evade, dodging a range attack that could cut down all the nearby trees.

And returning to find Ram and Otto down.

If Garfiel were a true warrior, he would’ve proudly taken his survival and seized the two lives instead. However, giving in to the urge to take another’s life simply because he had survived was an impossible act for Garfiel, who couldn’t help but let the blood of a beast within him dictate his actions.

“…So I…!”

“—”

He wasn’t a warrior. He was just a false pretender, wearing the guise while putting on a facade.

Even as a fake, he had stubbornly believed that strength could suppress everything and protect the things he wanted without giving life to another in doing so.

Yet that belief had been half refuted.

He had thought he possessed the strength to combat the outward forces of the world.

But the reality was that Garfiel was defeated by merely three people—adding the earth dragon, he was overcome by three individuals and a creature, who were essentially non-combatants, each for their reasons.

If even a warrior with hostility visited the “Sanctuary,” Garfiel would have been more easily overcome. The boundaries of the “Sanctuary” felt far more haughty and imposing than this.

—Using his insufficient head, he had thought and thought a lot of things.

In battle and not in battle, he had used his sluggish mind at all times.

Where was the best strategy? What would be the best for everyone? Was there a choice where no one would be hurt? If it does hurt, would it be alright if it was just him?

The days spent believing that had been nothing more than flimsy excuses to conceal his weakness.

“Garf!”

“…”

“One piece of advice from Ram. Listen well.”

“…Yeah.”

With no spirit left to assert himself, Garfiel lowered his chin.

What words would be hurled at him from Ram, the one he loved? While she often threw harsh words, she’d never fully pushed him away before.

She must have included him, despite her long-standing relationship with Garfiel, in her spectrum of things closest to her heart.

However, in this instance, she had explicitly taken an opposing stance against Garfiel. Given this situation, it probably meant he was no longer included in that framework.

Thus, the words she was about to speak now would signify the true farewell from Ram to Garfiel—

“Garf… you’re an idiot. Thinking just leads to waste. A waste of time. In other words, a waste of life.”

“…Huh?”

“Didn’t you just say it? Garf, when you acted without thinking, you managed to evade Ram’s magic. That’s completely true. It seems you didn’t realize it, but when you fight without thinking, you’re way stronger. When you’re acting like a complete fool, you’re far stronger.”

As a series of comments poured out, Garfiel stared wide-eyed.

He hadn’t expected to be critiqued from such an entirely different angle.

“I’m not saying to throw away your reason and go berserk. To clarify, your beast form makes you weaker when you transform. It makes you a larger target, slower, and thus easier prey. Stay in human form, keep your eyes on the opponent, and fight without thinking.”

“Wh-what’s that!? When did I—”

“This is important. —Because, Garf, from now on, you’ll need to fight alongside Ram and Emilia-sama in many situations.”

“—!!”

Garfiel’s throat tightened with excitement at the words hurled his way.

His face flushed red as he ground his sharp canines.

“Don’t screw with me! After all you’ve done to me, after opposing me and trampling over my intentions… and yet you expect me to forgive you, and allow you to forgive me!?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not saying to forgive you; I’m saying you have to serve. If we forgive each other and make things equal, then I’d have to ask for your help. Don’t be foolish. Ram and the others are the victors, Garf is the loser. And I won’t forgive Garf, so this is an order. Do you understand?”

“That makes zero sense!”

Raising his voice, Garfiel bared his fangs and stood up.

Just a moment, his body staggered, but nearly all of his injuries had healed. Remembering the fact that he had been treated added a wave of humiliation that clawed at his heart.

“I admit I lost! That’s a fact! But falling from grace and this is an entirely different narrative! I lost, I got beaten, I understood! But I’m still alive! If you really want to proceed without me, then you should have killed me! The moment you failed to do that, you’re both vulnerable too!”

“That’s completely missing the point. If you let Garf die when such power is needed, the purposes are all upside down.”

“…That’s why I—!”

“Stop whining!”

Ram stood up ahead of Garfiel and yelled as he was about to shout back.

With her light red eyes flaring with rage, she glared up at Garfiel from below.

In that fierce face, Garfiel instinctively felt overpowered and shut his mouth.

“You lost, didn’t you? You declared defeat. Then, for a defeated foe, you should comply with the victor. What’s your deal? Keeping up a weakling mentality, shattering the ground in front of the girl you like? How much longer are you going to be miserable, Garf? You transformed from blaming others to blaming yourself the instant you lost—how foolish.”

“Ugh…!”

Being overwhelmed by her words steered straight into the mark left Garfiel speechless.

Before the fight, he had pushed the problems onto others, only to dive into the depths himself as soon as he lost. It showed that his shameful weakness had remained the same.

He had ceased howling outwardly and started turning inward the moment he had to realize he was weak.

“But what am I supposed to do!? Am I supposed to laugh and just line up with you guys!? There’s no way I could ever do that! I’ve come to terms with losing, but that doesn’t mean I’ve accepted what you’re saying…!”

That was no excuse. That was Garfiel’s true feelings.

He admitted he had lost. The sheer number of others had no bearing on the matter. There was no end to finding the reasons behind his loss.

But the core issue remained: within Garfiel, there hadn’t been a solid affirmation of Natsuki Subaru’s arguments.

Ultimately, despite everything he’d held onto and solidified in his thinking, he could not concede with a simple nod whenever someone suggested he fight alongside them.

“If I could, from this half-baked state…”

“If you hate being half-hearted, prove that you’re not standing still.”

“…What?”

With heavy breaths still heaving, Garfiel stared at Ram before him.

She had returned to her usual calm expression and was gazing right up at him.

In those eyes, he beheld the weaknesses hidden within him.

Even though he wanted to avert his gaze, Ram’s watchful eyes wouldn’t grant him that retreat.

“I’m not sure what Balus told you, but I can roughly imagine. So, Garf… you should find out for yourself.”

“That I should find out for myself… what?”

“Whether Garf can change, or if he’ll remain a little child, unable to move.”

Finally recognizing what she meant, Garfiel was overwhelmed by a sensation he had never experienced before.

A cold flush flooded his back, enveloping him almost instantly.

His pulse began to spike, with an unending ringing in his ears that echoed throughout his mind.

As the abnormal sensations rippled across his body, Garfiel’s psyche was shackled by a trauma that pierced through him like a thorny chain.

He felt a shiver of dread as he turned to gaze upon the graveyard that remained imposing before him.

—To find out. What to discover at that place.

Even if he entered, what was to be discovered there?

Confronted by the past he wished not to see, what sort of answer did Ram expect him to conjure when faced with the same moment again?

Nothing had changed and could never change.

Yet, knowing that, why was he caught up in pondering whether he would say “I’m not going” or “I will” instead?

“…What will I learn by entering?”

He felt swept away. Thoroughly.

Even though he didn’t believe anything would change, still, he felt the pull of wanting to find out.

His body stiffened with fear, and his heart screamed in rejection, yet still, the essence of Garfiel was roaring.

He wanted to find out. He had to find out.

If Natsuki Subaru, the boy who had collapsed while coughing up blood, had spoken the truth.

If all his time until now had been in error.

“You look determined now.”

Realizing his chattering teeth and pounding heart had settled, he noted that the tension dripping with cold sweat had evaporated from his skin.

Without a word, Garfiel turned toward Ram.

He wasn’t certain what expectations she had when urging him on.

In truth, Ram likely didn’t pay as much attention to whether Garfiel would become an ally.

Being so long acquainted granted some faint understanding.

At the core, Ram truly sought for Garfiel to reach a conclusion about how to live.

What followed after that could be secondary.

How grateful and blessed it made him feel.

“Well, you’re going to be alright, Garf.”

Noticing his silence, Ram, sounding a bit warmer than usual, lightly patted Garfiel’s shoulder.

“If you face something terrifying enough to make you want to cry, I’ll comfort you. —Because of our old friendship, you know.”