“Alright? There are a total of four people inside the mansion who need rescuing. All of them are girls.”

On the moving dragon carriage, Subaru raised four fingers to explain.

The scenery rushed by at high speed along the bumpy road. Despite that, the carriage remained steady, and the wind didn’t touch them. Subaru thought about how strange that sensation was while nodding seriously at the two who were watching his raised fingers.

“One of them is Frederica. You know, Garfiel’s sister. If attackers show up, Frederica is the one who could buy us some time.”

“Sister, huh? Honestly, I haven’t seen her in over ten years.”

Garfiel tugged at his short blonde hair, looking awkward.

Garfiel, who had stubbornly stayed in the “Sanctuary,” must find it difficult to face Frederica, who he assumed had abandoned the “Sanctuary” to go into the outside world.

“Are you serious? It’s been ten long years since you last saw her? From what I heard from the Marquess and Rem, there seemed to be plenty of trips between the mansion and the ‘Sanctuary.'”

“She must have had her reasons to avoid seeing me. She never followed that bastard Roswaal… Though she did send a lot of letters.”

“Sent a lot, you say?”

“I just handed them all over to my old lady without reading them.”

Garfiel averted his gaze, looking sulky. His attitude toward his awkward sister was that of a complete child. Their reunion will surely be quite emotional.

As Subaru let out a sigh, Otto, their last companion who seemed to share a similar sentiment, pulled on the reins.

“So, the second one is Petra, right?”

“Yeah, she’s the new maid everyone is counting on at Roswaal’s Mansion. A bit too mature for her age, Petra is the second one. She’s totally just an innocent village girl with no hidden skills, so if she’s targeted, it’s a hundred percent dangerous.”

Indeed, currently, Petra’s mortality rate in the event of an attack on Roswaal’s Mansion was a hundred percent.

Of course, the mortality rates of the other three were similarly high, but in Petra’s case, the fact that she had no combat skills often led her to be dealt with quickly.

If they were going to protect her, they needed to find her right away.

“The next one is Rem. She’s Ram’s sister. You probably don’t remember her, though.”

“I’m still half in doubt about it, leader. They say she’s Ram’s identical twin, but how could I forget someone I’ve known for so long?”

“That would likely be part of a ‘curse’ so severe that even Ram has forgotten her. It’s a different story regarding solutions to that… Anyway, worrying about Rem isn’t urgent. The assassin targeting the mansion—Elsa—most likely doesn’t know Rem exists since she wasn’t the target during the request.”

“Still, if Elsa finds Rem sleeping in the mansion, it won’t end well, right?”

“…That much is certain.”

It was Elsa after all.

Even if Rem wasn’t included in the request, if she were found, she would be just a toy to her. In fact, there were instances in loops where Rem was killed without Subaru having seen it.

All they could do was hope Rem isn’t inside a room that Elsa happened to check.

“In any case, relying on their actions isn’t the best strategy,” said Subaru.

Relying on you guys while also counting on the enemy—this is the ‘Natsuki Subaru’ style of military strategy, aptly named “Reverse Wind Forest Mountain.”

“C-Cool…!”

Garfiel clenched his fists and sparkled with excitement.

Such high expectations for a half-baked statement stirred a rare feeling of guilt in Subaru. He would make sure to properly teach Garfiel the real “Wind Forest Mountain” when he had the time.

As Subaru resolved this, he furrowed his brow and looked at Garfiel.

“By the way, I’ve been watching you this whole time, and it’s a bit scary—does that really work like that?”

“It’s urgent! I can’t afford to sit around! I’d prefer a better method, but this is what we have now.”

Garfiel responded with a frustrated look at Subaru’s hesitance.

While Garfiel’s reasoning was sound, Subaru’s concerns were valid as well. After all, Garfiel was currently hanging on to the outside of the dragon carriage, conversing with Subaru and the others through the window.

Holding onto the window frame, Garfiel was dragging his feet along the ground, being pulled by the moving dragon carriage while balancing precariously next to the high-speed rotating wheels.

For Subaru, who had previous experience of smashing a detested enemy into the wheels, this situation looked like a reenactment that could happen just from a slip of Garfiel’s hands. It was something he couldn’t watch with a calm demeanor.

“If by some mistake you get turned into a pancake, I’ll have immediate PTSD and there won’t be anything left to do with the mansion!”

“Come on, leader. Aren’t you being a little too worried? I’m fine, I said! Look, look! See?”

“Stop it!! You’ll kill me!! I’ll die before you do!!”

Using the window frame as a pivot, Garfiel spun around with just his arm strength. This acrobatics was possible only because of the “Windbreaker’s Protection” and Garfiel’s superhuman grip. In fact, the window frame he was gripping had deformed from the strain, and it was easy to imagine Otto, the owner of the dragon carriage, lamenting later.

In any case,

“The influence of ‘Earth Spirit’s Blessing’ only activates when grounded. That means Garfiel has to arrive at the mansion in top shape, so there’s no choice but to accept this as necessary.”

“I get that rationale, but you do realize it looks like you’re trying to throw someone off a dragon carriage from the outside, right? And the reality is more like—tossing a fourteen-year-old boy out of the carriage and dragging him on the ground while sprinting at high speed.”

“It’s not exactly normal to say it that way, you know!?”

As Otto tugged on the reins, he likely wished to avoid being seen in such a light. The two earth dragons, Patrasche and Furufuu, pulling the carriage rolled on tirelessly, seemingly oblivious to the driver’s intentions.

Garfiel’s acrobatic maneuvering was thus due to the situation.

Major injuries had been healed thanks to Emilia’s magic before they left the “Sanctuary,” but the mana and blood lost from his body needed time to recover.

The distance from the “Sanctuary” to the mansion was about half a day. Even if Patrasche and the others were going full speed, how much of that time could allow Subaru and the others to recover their stamina?

Garfiel, gathering strength from the earth through “Earth Spirit’s Blessing,” remained their trump card. Subaru and Otto were merely facilitating a setting for him to fight with all his might.

“Speaking of which, that conversation was interrupted, leader.”

“Huh?”

“From earlier. We need to rescue four people, and so far we’ve only covered three. We haven’t heard the name of the last one. Who are they, anyway?”

Garfiel lifted his body, peering into the dragon carriage. He directed the same question at Otto, who shook his head and shrugged.

“Sorry, but I haven’t seen that last person. I’ve been at the mansion for about a week… and there was no chance to bump into her during that time.”

“To be hated by someone you’ve never even seen? Are you okay, brother?”

“I really want to believe it wasn’t for that reason!”

Garfiel looked at Otto with pity, who desperately protested.

Amid the noise of their bickering, Subaru hit the seat with his fist and exhaled.

“The last one is… Beatrice. I probably have to be the one to get her out.”

“――――”

At Subaru’s words, Otto and Garfiel closed their mouths and turned to look at him.

Given the serious tone in his voice, they believed him without needing to ask further. What reliable allies they were.

“I will get Beatrice out. I have to do it. It’s necessary.”

It’s something Subaru must do himself.

Even if on the surface, Beatrice seemed not to want it.

“If you say so, then it must be true.”

“Should we also evacuate the folks in nearby Araham Village, if possible? It’d be prudent to avoid confusion. I could do that smoothly.”

In response to Subaru’s determination, the two men expressed their support in their ways.

Subaru had to do his part. And they would each do theirs.

They truly were dependable comrades.

“Thanks, you fools.”

“Can you maybe just say thanks honestly, you idiot!?”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

The battle escalated quickly, wreaking havoc in the luxurious mansion.

“――Oooh!!”

“Aaaa!!”

Sounds of steel clashing, whispering sparks of friction, and the impact of parried slashes and blows all began to tear the normalcy of Roswaal’s Mansion into pieces under the moonlight.

Windows scattered with a light sound, the shock of the floor being smashed made the carpets rise, and paintings hanging on the walls were shattered with a roar.

“You’re amazing; you really are!”

“Don’t say that unless it’s Ram!!”

Garfiel’s right arm holding a shield shot forward, piercing through beside the evasive woman and embedding itself in the wall. Still following her as she slid away, Garfiel turned sharply and struck with his left arm on the quick return.

“Unfortunate!”

“Still not done yet!”

Dodging, the woman lifted her blade while Garfiel’s left strike had already silenced her movements. He pivoted again and removed his right arm from the wall to launch another hit. The woman interrupted her downward knife motion and flipped backward with the recoil of raising her arm—Garfield’s strike pulverized the air she had just vacated.

“Raahh!!”

Left backfist.

Right strong fist.

Left spinning kick.

Right jab.

Left roundhouse kick.

While spinning, he unleashed successive attacks, not letting the woman retreat. In time, the woman, busy avoiding Garfiel’s endless barrage, realized that her retreat had led her to the end of the corridor.

“Get crushed!!”

Garfiel stepped forward, releasing both arms.

The air was torn as his fists launched forward, and the silver violence reflecting moonlight rushed to the woman in the dark corridor.

If a human received that direct hit, they’d undoubtedly be reduced to mincemeat. The woman pressed her back against the wall, lightly bend her knees, and pressed her right foot against the wall.

Then, aiming for the approaching fists, she offered her curved knife’s tip to pierce through at the moment of impact. Once again, steel ground together followed by the blade being wedged between the gaps of both shields. However,

“Do you think something that cheap would work—!?”

The woman’s plan was to insert her knife between the shields and skewer Garfiel with it as he charged through. But Garfiel’s brute strength couldn’t be easily overpowered by a single slender arm.

Instead, the curved blade bent and broke, unable to pierce the guard.

Just before that moment,

“How about one more little trick?”

Using the foot braced against the wall as a pivot, the woman’s body turned vertically.

In an instant, her left leg kicked the hilt of the knife wedged against the shield, slightly opening a gap between the shields.

Through that opening,

“And here’s the main event.”

“――Gah!?”

The woman, now upside-down, gripped a different knife in her left hand. This was the third wickedly shaped curved knife; how many blades did she conceal?

The thin knife slipped effortlessly between the spaces of the shields, tearing through the air without making a sound, poised to fatally strike Garfiel’s neck—this was the prime spot for a fatal injury, even for her sudden transformation.

Yet Garfiel reacted with a monstrous means.

“Lovely.”

“――What!?”

The woman, whispering sweet nothings, saw Garfiel’s face spear toward her.

His sharp canines were literally biting down toward the knife in her left hand. Blood dripped from the barely split edge of his mouth, mixed with the iron scent of the blade.

“Gross!!”

With clenched jaw, Garfiel instantly crushed the knife.

Exhaling the shattered pieces from his mouth, he drove his foot up into the woman’s head from below unreservedly, using no restraint.

The thudding sound of her head breaking echoed, and Garfiel followed with a kick that sent the woman, covered in blood, crashing into the wall.

As the massacre proceeded, Garfiel spun around, facing her again as a trickle of red sprayed out from her wounded head.

“Seems like you could get away with just one arm, huh? Man, my mouth hurts.”

“…Thank you… It hurts, it hurts. I feel alive now.”

“What?! You actually like being cut and cut again? I can’t understand that. Not that I ever would want to, but—”

Despite oozing blood, the woman smiled beatifically; a natural nauseating sensation welled up in Garfiel as he clashed his shields together. Then, noticing her moving further back,

“Hey, sister. Are you still just standing there? I’ve shown off enough cool moves to know you can’t do it. Get on with it already!”

“…Yes, you’re right.”

Frderica nodded reluctantly at Garfiel’s words.

It wasn’t that she had been silent; she simply couldn’t move. Their battle was so high-level that she couldn’t intervene.

At least, had Frederica joined in now, she likely would have been eliminated in the initial exchanges. The skills of both opponents were exceptionally advanced.

A glance towards the back of the woman showed that Frederica was now looking at the intended room—Rem’s slumbering room. It was merely a few meters away; however, she could not envision reaching the room before the woman did.

If she could reach the room, she would be able to carry Rem inside to escape through the inner window.

“There’s no need to be so wary, dear sister.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m utterly engrossed in your brother right now. I won’t care what room you’re going to or what you’ll do there; I have no interest whatsoever in anything else.”

“――――!”

Without even turning, the woman assured the safety of Frederica’s actions.

There was no lie in her words; she did not seem like the type to deceive her opponent, nor was there a need for her to do so. Above all, the truth of her latest comment resonated clearly.

The woman’s focus was now entirely on Garfiel.

Frederica was nothing more than an afterthought.

Yet, the aura emanating from the woman filled the room, nearly overwhelming Garfiel. The menace she had initially posed felt like child’s play alongside the dense deathly intent saturating the area now.

“Sister.”

“――I trust you.”

In Garfiel’s short statement, Frederica conveyed her trust in equally short words.

Even while filled with the murderous aura surrounding the woman, Frederica pushed through, reaching her destination room and—

“――――”

Giving one last glance at Garfiel before sliding into the room.

Having witnessed that, Garfiel let out a deep breath.

“Letting sis get away was no sign of confidence…”

“You think I’d be unperturbed with an opponent of this caliber before me? I’m interested in only you. —Ah, it’s simply divine.”

With an intoxicating allure mingling with the scent of blood and deadly energy, the woman grinned wickedly.

Garfield, absorbing the passionate gaze, assumed a low stance.

“Honestly, gives me the creeps. I’ll chew you to bits.”

“I promise, I’ll remove your intestines without causing any damage.”

With her left arm hanging loosely, the woman twirled the knife in her healthy right hand.

And as she bent forward, almost touching the floor,

“I am “Intestine Hunter” Elsa Granhilt.”

“…The super strong shield, Garfiel Tinsel.”

As the names were exchanged, the woman moved first.

Her smile—Elsa’s smile—melted into the darkness, her movements showing no signs of the injuries she had sustained. With a snap, her foot pressed against the floor, the sound echoed through the chamber as if it were a storm brewing.

She kicked the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, leaping towards Garfiel with a speed that left no room for sight. The erratic unpredictability of her movements defied logic and disturbed the very nature of both human and beast.

Above all, what was most startling was that her speed was clearly faster than before any injury.

“How interesting—!!”

As the shadow leapt forward, Garfiel bared his fangs and went on the offensive.

If the opponent was going to come at him with trickery, then he’d retaliate with the same fervor. As she leaped through the air, Garfiel slammed down on all fours against the ground, channeling his explosive charge.

Garfield transformed into a mass of human-sized destruction, bursting through the mansion’s straight hallways.

The winds of the shockwave from his charge blasted the broken glass and debris from the walls.

“Gaah!!”

Without confirming the aftermath, Garfiel roared as he thrust his arm into the floor to halt himself, immediately flipping to regain his beastly stance with his rear foot smashing the floor.

The sound of the explosion shook the mansion, with carpets flapping chaotically amid the destruction. Garfiel flew, a ragged piece of red fabric tangled around his body—just then,

“――――!!”

“Aha ha ha!!”

The descending blade of Elsa from the ceiling clashed against Garfiel’s shield as he dashed straight down the corridor. The violence of the strike cracked through the air, violently shaking the moonlit hall.

With a laugh, Elsa was rebuffed, spinning sideways at high speed. The force of the slash caused Garfiel to stray off course, and he tumbled headfirst into the side wall, crashing through the stone wall into the guest room.

“Bam!”

Rolling onto the floor, Garfiel quickly grabbed onto the leg of the nearby bed. His arm’s muscles bulged, easily lifting the nearly hundred-kilogram structure, and he threw it towards the hole he had just made. The resulting boom split it in half, and from the wreckage, the cloaked black-clad woman hurled a silver blade.

Garfield deflected it with his left shield while using his right shield to obliterate the face of the approaching Elsa. Yet, he merely managed to graze the back of Elsa’s hurriedly ducked braid. Just after the tips of her black hair tickled his nose, Garfiel dove forward recklessly as a shiver traveled down his spine.

He barely avoided the downward slash and, feeling the arc of the blade slicing close behind him, smashed through the door to return to the corridor, where the battle raged on.

With barely a moment’s breath, Elsa flew out after him. Garfiel targeted her slim waist with a kick, which struck dead on—but there was no sensation. The woman skillfully dodged, twisting her way to evade the force of the kick. Following this, her blade rushed forward, cutting through the air towards Garfiel as he halted in his kicking posture.

While the previous strike had come from an awkward stance, this time the speed and power posed a mortal threat; should Garfiel misjudge his counter, he would be cleaved in two.

Instinctively, he slid his right shield to intercept the incoming blow, redirecting it before the left shield caught it and deflected the attack again.

The harsh grinding noise resonated. Buds of red and yellow sparks erupted. Garfiel’s black eyes widened in astonishment as did the woman’s, who had just been pierced.

Yelling, Garfiel again slammed his kicking foot against the floor, balanced himself and aimed to plunge his canines deep into Elsa’s side, displaying his ferocity with that grand name and spilling her insides.

“———!”

However, he had to cease the blow he was about to unleash; it was sheer instinct surging through him.

Garfiel’s left ear was shot off due to miscalculation, and blood sprayed as he deftly rolled away. With a foot grounded, he ducked the slashes aimed at him, retreating to evade again and again.

He thrust his arm to smash the ceiling, causing part of the upper floor to collapse, thus creating some space while evading the relentless pursuit of Elsa, and finally managed to escape.

With his hands and feet planted on the carpet, Garfiel pressed down on his upper half to stem the flow of blood from his missing ear.

Gasping for breath and muddled with burning pain, Garfiel clenched his teeth. Then, cutting through the thick fog, he smiled at the emerging figure of Elsa.

“Looks like you’ve lost any use for that left arm I crippled, huh?”

“Indeed, it hurt. But injuries on a person’s body heal after all.”

“In my narrow understanding, an arm turned to mush wouldn’t heal in just two minutes—what you’re claiming is hardly human.”

Or perhaps, she exceeded the boundaries of a living being.

Even Garfiel’s “Earth Spirit’s Blessing” would necessitate hours of rest to get that shattered arm functional again—the mana drawn from fertile soil while taking a full rest.

But in the thick of battle, with barely any time to recover? Mere thoughts of such recovery felt absurd.

He had heard from Subaru beforehand that “you can’t kill her no matter what,” and in that moment, Garfiel’s suspicions about her began to crystallize.

“So no need for long explanations. You’re not human, are you? No clue about your origins, but you can go ahead and stop with that.”

“You’re surprisingly sharp for one who doesn’t seem like it!”

“You don’t need to take offense if it’s Ram complimenting you, right? I’ve got an inkling about your abnormal healing abilities.”

Garfiel pointed directly at her, formulating his hypotheses.

Believe it or not, Garfiel enjoyed reading. In that dreary “Sanctuary”, devoid of any capable opponents, reading became a critical leisure activity for him.

However, he preferentially read adventure novels, myths, and folktales while sadly neglecting more informative fields.

“In the books I’ve read, there are monsters and heroes that seem unbelievable beyond consideration. And among those, I recall characters very much like you.”

“…It’s troubling to think of being compared to mere fantasies in storybooks.”

“These aren’t just fairy tales; they’re proper novels. …True, there may be illustrations, but that doesn’t matter. Besides, it can’t be dismissed as mere fantasies.”

Calmly, Elsa listened to Garfiel’s revelations.

Thinking that the conversation had gone on long enough, he was determined to uncover the truth.

“After all, there was a witch from long ago who bore a similar physique.”

“――――”

The swaying motion of her blade stopped completely.

Elsa’s black eyes now rested on Garfiel with casual focus. Pointing directly, he proclaimed,

“—That physique is what you call ‘vampire’!”

“Well, I’m not one to suck blood, if you’re asking.”

Upon hearing this decisive claim, Elsa’s body shot forward.

Her left and right arms—having fully healed—armed with curved knives rushed at Garfiel. Shielding himself, Garfiel raised his left shield to catch the diagonal slash while simultaneously launching his right foot high for a direct kick—this time, with Elsa too, a kick was fired from the same trajectory, sending them both flying backward with the clash of their soles.

“I don’t like this! So your left hand’s back to normal, huh!”

“Yours too. Your precious left ear was likely treated while you took your time.”

“Oh, so you noticed how I patched up my ear while chatting, huh?”

It was embarrassing to admit had Garfiel been relentless the entire time.

During their conversation, he had used healing magic with the left hand that was otherwise occupied. The injury to his left ear, while healed, still required time to fully recover.

Returning to the fight, it had only been moments, but recovering completely was impossible.

Despite hearing from Subaru about her not being able to die, Garfiel’s hypothesis was forming solid conclusions in his mind.

“Then let’s get straight to the point. You aren’t human.”

“A little surprising, and I have to say…you’re quite observant.”

“It’s less flattering when the adjustments are prompted by villains. You’re hardly the term ‘human’ if you expect to happen to be one.”

“How around the term ‘vampire’ then?”

“I’m simply fascinated by the beauty of the intestines, preferring to see colorful viscera to touch warm organs.”

“Honestly, that’s even scarier.”

Before Garfiel, Elsa slowly peeled off her troublesome black mantle.

Seeing this, he decided her newfound enthusiasm could only spell more trouble, and Garfiel bared his teeth once more as he hammered his shields.

“The world’s a big place… it’s a bit rough, but you’re in for a fun ride, huh, leader?”

So saying, Garfiel tensely braced himself as Elsa charged in howling.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

When the door opened, a flood of paper scent wafted from inside the room.

The enveloping odor hung thickly, perhaps due to its length of time spent at that location. Or, if painting this “Room Stopped in Time” holds any merit, time could matter little.

“Just had a number of thoughts while in the ‘Sanctuary.’ I’d like to hear your response now,” said Subaru.

“—Why?”

Without gaining permission from the master, Subaru boldly stepped into the library.

The air remained cloaked in a haunting quiet punctuated by a rather dismal atmosphere. The windows, despite letting light in, had no ventilation. Spending a long time in there would surely make one feel uneasy or depressed.

Looking up to greet Subaru was a girl whose face was utterly exhausted.

“How is it you’ve come to be in this room again? I don’t remember calling you.”

“Sorry, but I just happen to appear whether I’m invited or not. I’ll never forget how I crashed a friend’s birthday party when I wasn’t invited in middle school, causing an awkward silence.”

Even Subaru, known for his lacking sense of timing, decided he ought to keep that memory to himself next time.

However, he had also resolved to make a loud scene to return that year henceforth never garnering an invitation again.

“Let’s not dwell on how my chest aches with bittersweet nostalgia.”

“Considering you just brought it up yourself, what more can it matter? You really are a selfish person.”

“Ah well, I’m selfish. So no matter how much you hate it, I’ll keep coming here.”

In front of him, the girl’s breath caught.

As she looked back at him, Subaru bowed respectfully and declared,

“I’ll get you out of here, Beatrice. —This time, I’m going to drag you out into the sunlight, and make sure you get that dress all muddy and dirty while having fun.”

Upon hearing Subaru’s bold words, the girl—Beatrice—remained seated on her ladder, wrapping her arms around herself.

Her trembling eyes clutched a black-covered book while she gazed intently at him.

 

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