――After completing the second “Return by Death,” Subaru was overwhelmed by an unprecedented fatigue that struck him from head to toe.

Witnessing his own madness twice had taken a heavy toll on his mind.

Especially the second time, right before dying, he could clearly feel everything from his thoughts crashing down.

The waves of terror, shaking him to his core, swept away Natsuki Subaru as a person, shattering his already fragile spirit.

Most likely, the cause of his death this time was a heart attack induced by fear-driven insanity. Or perhaps it was Sirius showing mercy to the Subaru who had completely turned into a machine that leaked bodily fluids.

He had taken on the challenge alone to save Rusbel, paying an outrageous price for it.

However, even though Subaru had died twice in just thirty minutes, it wasn’t without its harvest in the end.

As if as a memento for dying, Sirius went out of her way to explain kindly what had happened to her and Rusbel.

This means,

“…The emotions of fear escalate between each other… It’s like resonance, right?”

Subaru felt Rusbel’s fear, and then Rusbel felt Subaru’s fear, creating a cycle of endless terror that overwrote each other, ultimately growing into an absolute fear that could lead to death.

It was safe to say that the flow towards death this time was caused by such things.

The first death and the now second death.

Considering the events leading up to that point and Sirius’ remarks, coupled with the fact that she was the Archbishop of Wrath, gave Subaru a rough idea of her abilities.

Mistaking moments that should invoke anger and disgust for scenes of joy and pleasure.

Sirius, who felt the boy’s fear as if it were her own, led to that fear acting similarly on the opponent.

――Sirius of “Wrath” was an abnormal individual who maliciously manipulated the emotions of others.

It was likely a special ability belonging neither to any magical form of this world nor to anything familiar, akin to Petelgeuse’s “Unseen Hand.” A power possessed by the archbishops of the Witch Cult.

True to “Wrath,” it was a capability closely tied to emotions.

It could be said to be a power that reflected the maliciousness characteristic of an Archbishop of Sin.

But after dying twice and gathering that much information, the most Subaru could clearly state was to that extent.

The issue at hand was the activation conditions of that power— in other words, the solution to counter it.

Petelgeuse’s “Sloth” power was somewhat easy to crack once its seed was split.

Essentially, his powers lay in “Unseen Hand” and “Canceling Others’ Actions through Sloth,” and Subaru had resistance to both.

He still didn’t know what caused either of those resistances in the first place. Even now, having unwittingly acquired his own version of “Unseen Hand” called Invisible Providence, he remained in the dark.

Given that “Return by Death” had no effect from the witch’s scent or the fog of the White Whale, Subaru had somewhat optimistically thought, “Isn’t it possible that I’m immune to the Witch Cult’s cheating tactics!?,” but considering he was still being killed by Wrath’s powers, it seemed he was off the mark.

Reflecting on the two previous encounters with Wrath, in the worst-case scenario, her power’s activation condition could even be “contact with Sirius.”

If merely hearing her voice or seeing her form was already falling into her trap, the method for overcoming her was extraordinarily severe.

To put it bluntly, it would likely be quickest and most certain to utterly obliterate the Chronicle Tower from the outside with magic.

As it stood, the only possible moment to identify her location and launch a preemptive strike was right after this “Return by Death.”

However, that option required sacrificing a courageous boy, and Subaru had no intention of choosing that path until he truly reached a limit.

Who could preach that it was a necessary sacrifice?

To lose one life for the many is still akin to losing everything from the perspective of that one life. How could Subaru, who could not accept the sacrifice of his own life, be selfish enough to count someone else’s life as mere numbers?

Thus, the course was set. Rescuing Rusbel. No pointless deaths. Having to do both was the painful reality for Natsuki Subaru.

“I have to save Rusbel… and then, I have to defeat Sirius.”

Once Subaru rescued Rusbel, it was expected that he would find himself in the same situation as before. Regardless of how he struggled, engaging Sirius alone was nothing short of suicide.

However, the true horror lay in Sirius’s independent combat power—likely employing the chains from her arms, as she had shown considerable skill by countering Subaru’s whip ambush.

Even discounting Subaru’s unskilled strike, the speed of one lash wasn’t something an amateur could track with their eyes. Just matching the thin chain’s tip to an unexpected attack would take incredible skill.

Subaru had no intention of underestimating his opponent.

In other words, what Subaru needed now was a force capable of overwhelming Sirius purely in strength, one who would act alongside him believing in Subaru’s words, and on top of that, someone who had resistance to Sirius’s Wrath abilities—a Sirius killer.

“No way something that convenient exists…”

Mulling over such a convenient thought, Subaru sighed to himself.

However, the notion of a “Sirius killer” immune to the powers of Wrath didn’t seem too far-fetched.

Just like how Subaru had proved immune to both of Petelgeuse’s Sloth powers, there might exist someone whose body that Wrath’s powers couldn’t affect.

If that were the case, Subaru would have inadvertently become a Petelgeuse killer, but perhaps this trait led to a glimmer of hope.

At the very least, it was reasonable to assume no one at the initial plaza had been swayed by Sirius’s speech—it could be assumed no such “Sirius killer” was present there.

Among those ready to fight Sirius in that plaza were four individuals, including Subaru, who had been singled out by Sirius first— and at that moment, Subaru finally realized.

The significance of Lachins having been there.

“――Reinhardt!!”

Subaru had scolded himself for thinking about something so convenient, but at last remembered a man who truly embodied that very notion of convenient.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Subaru himself did not intend to defend his actions, but it surely took time to connect Lachins and Reinhardt because of the very short intervals of “Return by Death.”

Immediately after “death,” the fifteen minutes before and after his insanity had struck.

In that state, if someone insisted it was natural to calmly explore all means to choose the best option when faced with an imminent crisis, Subaru would have yelled at them to take his place and “Return by Death.”

Subaru didn’t particularly want to experience it again.

If allowable, he’d rather seclude himself in the mansion along with Emilia, Rem, and Beatrice, living like a plant.

However, Subaru was not permitted the mundane life of idly intertwining the stamen and pistil. That was the only reason he was struggling day by day.

Thus, even now at this moment, Subaru desperately attempted to persuade the opponent.

“I finally found you, and I won’t let you escape! Please, immediately call Reinhardt here! It’s an emergency!”

“Shut up! Why the hell would I need to summon that red-haired jerk, especially when I might get nagged? Enough of this crap!”

As the two exchanged heated shouts, onlookers gathered around them, their gazes bolted with a dramatic atmosphere threatening to turn to a brawl, their shouts like spectators cheering for a performance.

Having recovered from the shock of “Return by Death,” Subaru had promptly moved into action.

As before, he had left Beatrice behind to guard Emilia, using a shopping trip for sweets as an excuse to leave the park. He had managed to reach the problematic plaza and sought out Lachins who would serve as a contact for Reinhardt, finally entering negotiations.

Initially, he had struggled to find Lachins, and roughly grabbing his shoulder led to this argument.

Nonetheless, being pushed in retaliation, Subaru was equally unsettled, which was the raw truth.

In any case, the argument had already spiraled out of control. With impatience crawling into his speech, he pointed at Lachins, who glared back.

“Listen up! Just calm down and hear me out. I’m not joking around here. If you don’t want to die, you have to call Reinhardt immediately!”

“Huh? You think a snot-nosed brat like you can talk about killing? I don’t need that Reinhardt jerk. I’ll smash you, you punk!”

“Oh come on, that’s not what I mean…!”

Lachins took Subaru’s words as provocation, his anger only escalating.

In the first place, a friendly rapport hadn’t been established between Subaru and Lachins. Moreover, it seemed Lachins didn’t hold a favorable impression of Reinhardt, who was supposed to be on his side. He had been obstinately refusing Subaru’s requests due to both that and his discontent with Subaru.

“You stubborn brats…!”

Holding his head in frustration, Subaru gritted his teeth at Lachins’s attitude.

Of course, Subaru felt guilty for having failed in negotiation. Still, when outright refused with such stubbornness, it was only natural to feel resentment.

From Lachins’s perspective, it wouldn’t be conceivable to comply with Subaru’s claims, but Subaru too had his reasons for not being able to disclose all the information.

――But it couldn’t be helped at this point.

Holding down his instinctive fear, Subaru placed his hand over his chest and said,

“Lachins. This isn’t a joke. The reason I need Reinhardt is because some troublesome individuals are going to cause havoc.”

“Troublesome individuals? Don’t throw around nonsense.”

Lachins snorted derisively.

At the expression, Subaru averted his gaze and took a deep breath before speaking.

Hoping against hope, he added, “—It might be those Witch Cult guys coming.”

“———!?”

The moment he uttered it, Subaru widened his eyes while Lachins changed his expression almost simultaneously.

Right after saying it, Subaru looked down at his chest, but nothing changed. Disclosing some of the information learned through “Return by Death” hadn’t triggered any penalties.

His relief led him to let out a sigh.

――For Subaru, it had been a year since he last experienced “Return by Death,” but the penalties associated with that experience were still firmly in effect.

Especially when he had decided to unburden everything to Beatrice, he had genuinely faced a hellish suffering unlike anything before.

During the farewell at the witch’s tea party in the “Sanctuary,” the “Witch of Envy,” likely the perpetrator of that dark hand, had sent him off with an admirable resolve.

For this reason, Subaru still hadn’t opened up about “Return by Death” to Beatrice or anyone else thus far.

Of course, he had intended to share knowledge with his partner Beatrice within the limits that wouldn’t draw penalties.

Since that instance would take too long to elaborate, I’ll skip it for now.

What’s important is that without crossing into penalty territory, Subaru successfully conveyed a legitimate reason for summoning Reinhardt to Lachins.

In fact, even Lachins looked considerably contemplative after hearing the Witch Cult’s name, narrowing his slit-like eyes in deep thought.

“Hey, kid.”

“Natsuki Subaru. Stop calling me kid all the time, Lachins.”

“It’s Lachins. Damn Subaru. How reliable is your story? No villain would dare use the Witch Cult’s name as a bluff.”

Lowering his voice, Lachins directed a hostile glare at Subaru.

In this world, the names “Witch of Envy” and “Witch Cult” carried immense weight. They were firmly rooted as symbols of “absolute evil,” proving the keywords of “witch.”

Even someone like Lachins, who typically wouldn’t show such a serious demeanor, questioned Subaru with serious intent, meaning Subaru had no choice but to respond earnestly.

“It’s neither a joke, nor a moment of folly, nor pure nonsense. The Witch Cult is coming here. Many people will end up in dangerous situations.”

“Where’d you hear that…? Ah, crap. Right. You guys took out the Witch Cult’s ‘Sloth,’ didn’t you? Damn, so you have some credibility, then…?”

Before Subaru could present any evidence, Lachins gathered evidence based off his own knowledge. Although his assumptions were off the mark, they surprisingly helped align information in Lachins’s mind.

“Is this place a city? Or are they coming specifically to this plaza?”

“Will you believe me?”

“It was you who said this isn’t a joke, damn Subaru. I’d hate getting nagged by Reinhardt, but I’d much more hate facing death. If my mood relies on what you can do, you better watch your words.”

Leaving doubts, he began to outline details just in case for the worst.

Surprised by how rational Lachins’s judgment was, Subaru took a breath and presented what he had to offer.

“Understood, my bad. The Witch Cult’s ‘Wrath’ is attacking this plaza. The location is the Chronicle Tower, and they’re targeting everyone here, not just one individual.”

“What a typical Witch Cult move. Damn it, how much time do we have?”

“Probably not even five minutes. So for real, just call him right now.”

“Five minutes!? You’ve got to be kidding! Why didn’t you say this sooner?!”

“I asked you just five minutes ago!”

Raising his voice at the urgency of time, Lachins was essentially making Subaru’s point; he had already cursed enough over the current tightrope situation.

If given the chance, it would be much more certain to run through the town, calling out for Reinhardt and locating him. But time wouldn’t allow it.

“Anyway, if you can call him, I sincerely beg you right now. If I recall, the method you mentioned yesterday was similar to shooting off fireworks, right?”

“What? Fireworks?… For Reinhardt to see, you shoot magic up into the sky as a signal.”

“…That’s simple enough, but what if someone else shoots something into the air by accident?”

“No need to worry about that. That red-haired jerk is apparently able to differentiate which magic was cast by whom just by looking at the fired spell.”

Subaru grasped, even without knowing precisely how abnormal that was. It further helped him realize that Lachins had improved himself to the degree of being able to cast simple magic over the past year.

Considering how infrequently it seemed plausible that they could use magic at the start of their meeting.

“Hey! This is no performance! Get lost, you onlookers!”

Lachins seemed to finally be on board with calling Reinhardt after Subaru’s persuasiveness.

Spitting at the spectators who were eagerly waiting for a brawl, Lachins weaved magic with his fist raised high.

As Subaru watched the red mana—fire magic known as Goar accumulate, he felt an auditory illusion of the situation shifting.

This should drastically change circumstances.

Having persuaded him, Subaru felt joy that Lachins was acting upon his words. Although the underlying desire for self-preservation or the basis behind Lachins’s reinforcement was wildly off, the outcome still felt obtained.

For having defeated Petelgeuse in the past, the progress Subaru had shown over the past year, and a slight change in Lachins led to this result.

Subaru and Lachins would not have reached this point without having changed over the past year.

That is why it felt like the outcome would lead to the right answer.

Reinhardt was coming to this place.

If he did, dealing with “Wrath” would be a simple task. No matter how powerful she was, in the face of the Sword Saint, her strength would fade significantly. Subaru felt mysterious confidence that Wrath’s powers wouldn’t affect Reinhardt either.

“Goa!”

Lachins spun the words of power, and a red flame shot up from his raised arm.

It soared straight up, bursting with a dry sound in the center of the blue sky.

Admittedly, it was a lackluster display that grudgingly resembled both fireworks and magic, but even that effect would suffice for the hero.

Perhaps it was because of a vague sense of security.

It was far too obvious; how had he missed such a fundamental thing?

Maybe it was because he’d lost sight of everything around him, believing summoning Reinhardt would improve every situation.

“――Ah. There’s a fireball in the sky. What a beautifully shining sight.”

If a commotion unfolded outside the Chronicle Tower, the enemy would certainly be aware of it too.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Sirius, appearing atop the white tower, was still covered in bandages, making her expression unreadable.

Yet it was easy to tell she was smiling, as her voice reflected a lighthearted, bouncy mood, akin to enjoying a spring day accompanied by birdsong.

Sirius sheltered her eyes from above, squinting at the glory of the ascending Goar.

Delightedly appreciating the spectacle of the fireworks, Sirius clapped her hands.

“Okay! Well then, everyone, I apologize. Good morning!”

The overwhelming sound of applause echoed, and the crowd fascinated by the Goar reflexively turned their gaze toward Sirius.

Even Subaru was among them. Thus, he couldn’t blame them for their reactions.

“Don’t look!”

Catching a glimpse of the bandaged, villainous grin from the corner of his eye, Subaru immediately raised a warning.

Yet not a single person followed that caution to divert their gaze. Of course, Subaru himself had felt that same sensation during their first encounter.

Even when turning away, the left cheek turned toward Sirius felt her presence.

The dangerous wave of threatening existence laced their lives.

How could he turn away from a gaping predator? Turning away from sharp fangs is only done when one has resigned themselves to death.

As long as they continue to reject death, it’s an unavoidable instinct that they, as humans, wouldn’t be able to bypass.

“Oh? You all went quieter than I thought. Perhaps it’s thanks to the two of them who caught everyone’s attention before I showed up. Thank you! Let’s give a round of applause for those two!”

With the sound of applause from her lips, Sirius indicated toward Lachins, who still had his arm raised, and Subaru, who was desperately trying to avert his gaze.

A chill ran down Subaru’s spine as he bit his teeth together, forcing himself not to react to Sirius’s gaze.

It was impossible to pull Lachins’s focus from Sirius’s sight now that words had escaped him. At this point, anything Subaru might say would fall on deaf ears, and furthermore, he had no confidence that – if he attempted any dramatic action from here – he would not become ensnared by Sirius.

In truth, Subaru couldn’t even cover his ears.

Once he perceived Sirius’s presence, he anticipated he would inevitably surrender to her control. That was why he had averted his gaze initially, plugged his ears, and intended to expose himself in an effort to endure mental manipulation.

However, the countermeasures he had already contemplated before turning away failed to hold.

Covering his ears was meant for what purpose? Obviously, to avoid hearing Sirius’s voice.

Yet, why did he have to go out of his way not to listen to Sirius’s voice? Hearing her voice was all too pleasurable of an experience.

“――――”

Before he realized it, Subaru had returned his gaze to Sirius.

Seeing him return her gaze, Sirius happily clasped her hands together and swayed side to side. The sound of chains clinking against the floor seemed like the sound of Subaru’s mental defenses crumbling apart.

“Alright! It took nineteen seconds for everyone to look my way. I apologize. But it’s a source of joy. And it seems there are some here who, unexpectedly, love me even more than I anticipated, which also makes me happy. Now then, I have to introduce myself.”

In the spiral of gazes, looking up at her in awe, Sirius elegantly bowed her head.

Then raising her face, her bulging eyes scrutinized around the crowd.

“I am the Witch Cult, the Archbishop of Sin ‘Wrath,’ Sirius Romanee-Conti.”

An ominous declaration fell.

A name that should be spurned and pushed away as a symbol of disgust and terror.

Yet, the crowd below welcomed that very line as though they were hearing the name of a dear neighbor.

“Thank you. I apologize for taking up your time like this, but it will all be over quickly, so please rest assured.”

“――Oh, is that so? Then it seems best for me to finish up quickly too.”

That voice resonated deeper and softer within Subaru and the people gathered in the plaza than Sirius’s feigned affection, striking their hearts.

“――――”

Sirius’s gaze lowered, and the gazes of Subaru and the others simultaneously turned to the side.

All eyes were directed toward the waterway flowing behind the plaza. The gentle flow of water in that stream started to foam violently, rising due to something rushing back at an incredible speed.

It burned a bright red like flames.

Its owner bore clarity in their eyes, as blue as the sky.

It possessed a form so refined that every existence couldn’t help but be entranced.

It was the very embodiment of what every human envisioned when they thought of a hero.

“It took longer than I anticipated to find a shortcut. My apologies for the delay.”

Apologizing for not arriving in five seconds but thirty, the hero, the Sword Saint, appeared after executing the amazing feat of running across the surface of water.

His gaze scanned the scene before him, and upon recognizing “Wrath” looming above them all, the hero let out a breath.

“I see now why I was called. My judgment was accurate, Lachins. Or did you call me, Subaru?”

Stepping from the water to the dry ground of the plaza, Reinhardt, who consoled the frozen Lachins, patted Subaru on the shoulder.

The feeling of his presence conveyed through that touch made Subaru’s breath hitch and his body tremble.

“R-Reinhardt…?”

“That’s right, it’s me. The emergency situation should be clear just by looking at this. The one up there is… the Archbishop, isn’t it?”

In a focused gaze, Reinhardt nodded firmly.

He furrowed his well-crafted brows, clearly intending not to face Sirius. Apparently, Reinhardt grasped the danger represented by her at first glance.

“That one has mind control abilities. It’s somewhat manageable now, but… if you hear her voice or see her face, eventually—”

“I understand. It’s not just the voice or appearance. It seems just sensing her presence might also have an effect. I may not be able to remain calm for long either.”

“No way, you…!?”

Reinhardt’s words seemingly tinged with vulnerability sent Subaru into despair and left him speechless.

Driven by baseless confidence that Reinhardt would be fine, hearing him imply that Sirius was beyond his control shattered Subaru’s hope.

If that were the truth, it was increasingly difficult to even imagine how to confront that wickedness.

“Sorry if I’m mistaken. But aren’t you the famous Sword Saint? If so… what a wonderful day it is!”

“Indeed. I am Reinhardt Van Astraea, the one saddled with the title of Sword Saint. Unfortunately, I still consider that title overly generous.”

“Not at all! But that’s fantastic! Having you here is such joy! You bear the highest trust and expectations as a knight in this country. Everyone loves you, and you love them in return. You manifest hope, embodying ‘love’ itself!”

“Is that so?”

In a display of sheer joy, Sirius reveled, while Reinhardt, even as he didn’t face her, maintained a back-and-forth dialogue with her.

If communicating leads to madness, Reinhardt’s behavior was akin to tightening a noose around his own neck.

Subaru became anxious.

“H-Hey, Reinhardt… it’s bad to keep talking like that. That should be bad. I think it’s bad. I’m not too sure why, but…”

“…It seems so. This isn’t just a matter personal to me. Considering the impact on those around me, I shouldn’t let this linger.”

Although he had been anxious, Subaru soon lost sight of what he was worried about. As Subaru tilted his head, Reinhardt took a step forward.

And then,

“Reinhardt?”

“I can’t hold on much longer. –So let’s take care of the problem quickly.”

Right after he asserted this, Reinhardt lightly bent his knees and leaped.

As if to clear a small puddle before him— yet it generated explosive results, creating shockwaves that stole the breath of those surrounding.

That shock lingering, Reinhardt transformed his explosive power into ascension,

“Uhuhu! Ah, how exceptional—!”

The kick from the Sword Saint, coming from below, sent Sirius, who had crossed her arms to block the strike, soaring effortlessly into the heights far above the white tower.

“`

 

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