It could be called an aerial battle.

Reinhardt swiftly assaulted Sirius, who stood at a high point, lunging towards her and catching the white edge of the Chronicle Tower with the tips of his toes. With just a slight bend of his knees and an extension of his body, he soared like a bullet.

“Hehe! Oh, how overwhelming!”

Sirius, the crimson hero diving toward him, raised her arms in joyous exclamation as the iron chains, wrapped around her own arms multiple times, sliced through the air with a resonating sound.

This chain, wielded both as a bludgeoning weapon in its coiled state and as a whip when unraveled, was chosen not merely for its utility but for its violent appearance and sound, clearly illustrating her deviation from common norms.

The iron snake, already familiar with the taste of blood far beyond mere numbers, roared as it pierced the wind, eager to crush its prey with its iron jaws.

However, little did the snake, moving at speeds approaching the sound barrier, realize—

—That in this world, humans more extraordinary than Sirius exist.

“Chains, huh? A nuisance,” Reinhardt muttered, furrowing his brow at the assault of the chains that left sounds behind.

In the midst of high-speed combat, he spoke those words with an air of casual complaint, as if sharing a simple irritation from daily life.

“Hehe!”

As Sirius exhaled, her heated breath came out in the form of a laugh.

Had she not been forced to find amusement in such a situation? Whether that smile of hers was born of genuine glee or a desperate disguise, it was something all present, including Subaru, comprehended.

Even without Sirius, there was no option but to laugh at this scenario.

“——”

Leaping from below, Reinhardt pursued Sirius into the air.

In response, Sirius swung her chains at Reinhardt with unerring precision. But Reinhardt did not reach for the hilt of his sword.

If the tale I had heard before was true, it wasn’t that he couldn’t draw his sword; it was that it wouldn’t come out for anyone but the appropriate opponent. The holy sword held by Reinhardt apparently could not be drawn without such a worthy cause.

Thus, he was to fight that fearsome figure unarmed. Even Reinhardt would not escape unscathed—could it be that I wanted to believe he was someone we could perceive simply within the bounds of humanity?

If that were so, then this trust was destined to be shattered.

The second strike of the chain aimed at Reinhardt was deflected with a high-pitched sound.

The shockwave generated and the sparks that flew created an illusion for those beneath—a flash of lightning bursting forth.

This act of speed was proof that Reinhardt was a being beyond human comprehension.

Reinhardt met the first strike of the chain head-on, using his long right leg to deflect it.

And merely defending against the attack was still something one could express amazement over—it wasn’t until afterward that he entangled the chain with his ankle, turning it to his will.

It was a trivial matter. Reinhardt welcomed the approaching chain with his right foot, ensnaring it around his leg to fashion an impromptu weapon, repelling the subsequent second strike.

A brief time gap, a fraction of a second in the exchange of attacks was all that it took.

Of course, not everyone present could follow it with their eyes. A number of skilled fighters understood what had transpired while most onlookers only grasped it in the follow-up exchange.

Upon realization, laughter erupted. Tension dissipated as they exhaled, relieved to be on the same side. If he had been an enemy, they would have been losing more than just their shoulders in panic.

“Hehe, hehehe! Ahaha, hehehehe!!!”

Sirius laughed as she spun her right arm like a whirlwind.

With her left arm’s chain occupied by Reinhardt, the beast was left to utilize only its right for offense. The growling, dull-colored snake tore through the air in every direction, but all its strikes were met with loud sounds and sparks, ricocheted off Reinhardt’s right foot.

With each impact, small fireworks erupted against the blue sky, crafting a melody of sounds alongside the reds and yellows swirling in the plaza.

One blow, then another, yet even amid this, the distance between Reinhardt and Sirius closed in, and when the blows truly escalated to close proximity—

“No way… you are truly something extraordinary!”

“Your skills are quite refined as well. It’s just a shame to see them used for nefarious deeds.”

As their attacks collided, both exchanged words.

Reinhardt pulled back his right foot and instead thrust forward with a finger-combined left hand blade. Sirius retaliated by delivering a powerful downward blow, causing the chain to bared its fangs.

The scene of that sturdy steel object being sliced apart by a mere hand blade was utterly moving.

Subaru reflected on a time when he had witnessed someone splitting chopsticks using the chopstick wrapper—it was something he thought Reinhardt might accomplish, cutting steel with mere paper.

The beauty of Reinhardt’s strike was overwhelming enough to cement that belief in him.

The chains were half severed, sent spiraling with remaining energy, crashing into the white walls of the Chronicle Tower, shattering it and propelling debris inside. As Subaru peered at this spectacle, he finally snapped back to reality.

He had been entranced.

Entranced by the battle between Reinhardt and Sirius—not to mention, it was Reinhardt who had captivated him, whether from envy or awe.

“Leave Reinhardt to that. I must…”

Here was not the place to dawdle, simply waiting for the conclusion.

Shaking off the stupor of his gaping mouth, Subaru dashed through the gaps of the crowd into the Chronicle Tower. With Sirius occupied with Reinhardt, the one performing at the tower should have been left unattended.

He needed to retrieve Rusbel, clearing any lingering worries.

In case Sirius attempted to agitate Reinhardt using Rusbel as leverage.

Within the dim, moist air of the Chronicle Tower, Subaru hurried up the spiral staircase.

The visibility was brighter than it had been just fifteen minutes prior, thanks to the damage inflicted by the chains that had departed from Sirius’s right hand.

Easily scaling the spiral staircase, Subaru discovered Rusbel bound at the top level. The sight of the boy lying face down, having wet the floor from his fright, struck a chord deep within him.

“Rusbel! It’s alright now; don’t worry!”

Rushing over, Subaru lifted the boy entangled in chains.

He paid no mind to the clammy, wet sensation. When Rusbel caught sight of Subaru, he desperately turned away, showing fear.

“Mmhm!”

“Don’t get it twisted! I’m on your side. I’m an enemy of that monster, and right now, it’s busy fighting the hero outside. So let’s get you out of here while we can!”

“~~~!”

Desperately meeting Subaru’s gaze with intent, Rusbel’s body gradually relaxed, his tear-filled eyes regaining some composure.

Upon nodding in acknowledgment of that gaze, the boy began to sob for a different reason.

“Hang tight; I’ll get these off you right now!”

Patting the boy’s head, Subaru carefully removed the chains, making sure not to hurt him.

Removing the firmly coiled chains from his shoulders and ankles, as well as the ones wound around his mouth like a gag. Being cautious not to allow the chains to hurt the boy’s delicate skin, he delicately finished unwrapping them.

“Alright, it’s done! Can you stand on your own? If not, I’ll carry you.”

“I-I’m fine… Thank you very much…”

With quivering legs, Rusbel stood tall, expressing gratitude to Subaru. Tears still marked his face, but Subaru couldn’t help patting the boy’s head once more, seeing his strength.

As he turned his gaze toward the ongoing fierce sounds of battle outside, he added,

“Staying here might not be safe either. It’s best to get out of the tower for now. Can you manage? Do you have any pain?”

“My right arm hurts a little from earlier…”

Frowning, Rusbel obediently showcased the wound to Subaru.

The boy’s outstretched right arm bore marks resembling a snake’s constriction and a sharp tear. The gruesome wound seeping blood caused Subaru to wince in sympathy.

“That bastard not only tied up such a small child but went as far as to hurt him!”

“No, wait! That injury… it hurt all of a sudden while I was bound…”

“All of a sudden?”

Hearing Rusbel’s comment about the injury coming up suddenly, Subaru tilted his head in confusion.

At the very least, while he had been freeing Rusbel, Subaru mustn’t have caused any injury to him. He had been cautious, and had he inflicted such a terrible wound, he would have certainly noticed.

—Something felt terribly wrong.

“Let’s go. We can’t stay here.”

Grabbing Rusbel’s uninjured left hand, Subaru urged him to run. Together, they sped down the spiral staircase to the ground level.

Once outside, they were met with the scene in the plaza—

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

The crowd roared with bloodthirsty calls for the execution of the cornered monster.

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

With eyes wild, showing their teeth, people stomped the cobblestones, crying out for blood.

An unyielding hatred toward the heinous act. The disgust directed at the monster that caused discomfort to others. Their natural urge to rid themselves of the unpalatable foe. All those negative emotions summoned a desire to kill.

In summation, can anyone philosophize what that is?

—Humans call it, “Wrath.”

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

Strangers joined together, shoulder to shoulder, millennia of rage converging onto one single goal.

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

In the face of adversity, hearts bind together, questioning humanity’s sense of good and evil amidst the abnormal spectacle.

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

Should they choose to unite amid extreme conditions, then—

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

“To become one… isn’t that ‘Love’? Then, surely this is a scene borne from nothing but ‘Love’, don’t you think?”

Before the scene, resembling a hellish panorama, Sirius whispered in a voice that seemed ecstasy itself.

With her back against the Chronicle Tower’s structure, the monster was being cornered by the hero. The surrounding crowd wished for the monster’s death, while their ally, the Swordmaster, possessed the power to slay it.

Sirius, pressed against the wall, appeared to be losing her left-hand chain as well. If they were to engage under equal conditions, the monster had no means to defend against Reinhardt’s hand blade.

Desperate and hopeless—yet still, Sirius continued to laugh, unchanging.

“Do you have any last words?”

“Thank you. Just a bit of advice: the other Archbishops of Sin are not as docile as I am. If you’re looking to hear a last will, you’re bound to face severe consequences.”

“—I’ll heed that caution.”

Before Reinhardt’s kindness, Sirius spat provocatively. Reinhardt earnestly nodded in return and stepped forward, ready to bring down the hand blade.

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

The crowd’s frenzy rose, and Sirius’s fate was already sealed.

But why was it that—

Standing at the entrance of the Chronicle Tower, Subaru felt a chill clawing at his chest.

What was the cause of this feeling? What did it signify? Even as he desperately tried to verbalize it, his mouth would not move. If it did, Subaru would surely voice words he did not mean to utter.

He feared he might find himself shouting, “Kill him!” as well.

“To meet one another. To compromise. To acknowledge each other. To forgive each other. That’s how becoming one should be, the rightful form of ‘Love’.”

While Subaru fumed with anxiety, Sirius spilled forth this insistent theory.

On the surface, it sounded reasonable, but considering Sirius’s nature, it instantly took on a nauseatingly sinister turn.

“——”

Evidently, Reinhardt shared the sentiment with Subaru.

He stepped forward to prevent Sirius from speaking any further. However, right before Reinhardt, Sirius grinned and extended his arms toward the sky.

In that moment, a sound akin to a spring being released echoed, and chains shot forth—using a mechanism hidden in his sleeve, chains shot out and spiraled around the tower’s apex, rapidly enveloping Sirius.

He meant to escape—Seeing this behavior, Reinhardt charged the ground without holding back.

A gust of wind roared as red flames surged at Sirius, lifted by the chains.

The hand blade raised was a strike more deadly than any ordinary blade.

The moment it connected, Sirius’s life would be severed.

“—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

The crowd cried out, and with a ferocity, Subaru felt trepidation racing up his back. Fueled by this impulse—

“Reinhardt!!”

Subaru called out, his anxiety pouring forth.

“—Kill him!!”

The hand blade unleashed its fury.

Its path traced a white trajectory across Sirius’s form, severing from his left shoulder to his right side.

The strike was so keen that it took a moment before even the severed form could register what had happened. Moments later, as the understanding caught up, crimson blood gushed from the freshly carved wound, causing Sirius’s body to split and collapse.

“…Ah, such a gentle world.”

As his insides spilled forth, Sirius’s form was torn asunder.

The upper half, wrapped in chains, ascended spewing blood and intestines into the air, while his lower half tumbled to the ground, spilling blood like a fountain.

A horrific spectacle unfolded, casting a shadow between heaven and earth.

It was a scene nobody wished to look away from—but they couldn’t tear their eyes from it.

It was beyond simply averting their gaze.

“…No…”

As Reinhardt landed and turned around, he whispered in shock.

His blue eyes trembled with sorrow as despair cast a shadow over his noble visage, something Subaru witnessed.

—That was as far as Subaru could see.

“——”

Subaru stood there, surrounded by a crowd scattered across the blood-soaked plaza.

Exposing the grievous wound running from his left shoulder to his right side.

“——”

Spilling blood and entrails, Subaru’s consciousness was drawn toward death without further understanding of what had transpired. Just before that finality, he felt something.

The grasp of the boy’s left hand, the same hand that had been severed in two, faintly tightened around Subaru’s right hand, as if seeking salvation.

He felt it.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“How about we prepare some sweets for Master Natsuki to enjoy after the song? I think if we set out some delicious treats, it’ll lighten our moods and bring us closer together, don’t you think? Don’t you think?”

“———!”

“Ouch! Ouch! That hurts! It hurts, Subaru!!”

In the blink of an eye, Subaru jumped, startled by the voice that suddenly reached him.

Simultaneously, just before his consciousness shifted completely, the intent to squeeze back tightly echoed in his mind, resulting in Subaru crushing the tiny hand of Beatrice.

In response to Subaru’s sudden aggression, Beatrice’s eyes brimmed with tears as she kicked his shin. The pain grounded him back to reality, and he released her hand, stumbling backward.

“W-what happened? Why were you trying to destroy Lady Beatrice’s hand out of nowhere? Such a cute little hand, it’s so unfair… I could have, I could have licked and sucked it better, huff huff.”

“Enough already! Stop coming near me with that suddenly uncomfortable vibe!”

Reluctantly yielding Beatrice’s hand, Liliana blushed and flashed a flustered expression. Beatrice shrugged that hand off, cowering behind Subaru with a scared face, her kindness not wavering even after nearly being crushed.

However, there were greater matters at hand.

“Subaru, are you okay? You suddenly turned pale!”

“E-Emilia-tan…”

Emilia hurriedly approached him, placing a concerned hand on his cheek. Subaru panted as he gazed into her deep purple eyes, framed by long lashes.

It seemed he had somehow returned.

He checked his shoulders and ribs, confirming his body had not been torn apart. He had experienced grievous deaths—having his belly sliced open, his head crushed, losing confidence that it had all been real. But being cut to pieces was an entirely new experience, the sensation caught up in pain and loss. Even Subaru, expert in the art of dying, found this kind of death easily relatable.

“Like I could accept any of that…”

As recognition kicked in, Subaru was soon overwhelmed by the after-effects of his own death, the realization settling over him.

Though the act of being sliced apart hadn’t been painful in retrospect, the incredible sensations of loss and impact began to crash down on him. And once comprehensible understanding settled, he confronted the ultimate realization of the here and now.

In short, about the cause of his passing—

“What a cheat…”

Needless to say, it was something he understood clearly.

Subaru’s current demise had mirrored the situation of Sirius’s recent death. In simpler terms, Subaru had experienced the exact same demise as Sirius. Merely half an hour before this initial encounter, he had seen Rusbel’s death in joyful anticipation moments prior to his own demise, at a time he had been blissfully unaware of the reason behind the death he’d witness.

—Sirius had some sort of principle whereby he could inflict the same ‘death’ on those who witnessed his own demise.

Not merely influencing emotions or sharing mental states—he was thought to leverage even bodily changes that transpired. Instead of brainwashing, perhaps it was life’s essence that intertwined—‘life washing’ or ‘soul washing’, perhaps it should be termed.

Killing him would mean harming everyone present.

“What should I do…?”

Subaru’s thought process found itself at an impasse, with no solutions in sight.

While calling forth Reinhardt would grant him the ability to subdue Sirius, the cost would be the lives of all present in attendance. In that case, the outcome would remain unchanged compared to if Sirius were to act.

Invoking Reinhardt seemed straightforward and appeared to be the solution, yet it was ultimately the wrong answer. So, what was the right move then?

“Maybe calling Reinhardt to take him alive…?”

Was that even possible? If we were to speak of feasibility, it wasn’t entirely ruled out.

Reinhardt was capable of slaying; therefore, it should be plausible to keep Sirius simply incapacitated. The concern was that even if captured, there was no certainty that the mental hold would be severed.

Having merely contacted Sirius, Subaru had succumbed to the boy’s madness. If that irrationality were to persist, it would prevent him from being captured alive.

If he killed him, the killer too was at risk of dying.

If the monster was kept alive, it risked spreading that maddening influence.

He was akin to a bomb, capable of threatening the lives of others simply by existing. Truly, an Archbishop of Sin.

“Can anything be done…?”

Lost in contemplation, Subaru felt trapped in a corner.

Calling upon Reinhardt might allow him to subdue Sirius, but were they willing to ignore the possibility of madness rampant amongst them?

“—”

As Subaru wrestled with the decisions, time continued to slip by.

Emilia and Liliana glanced nervously at him. He wanted to avoid causing them anxiety and didn’t want them to become aware of the looming peril he felt.

Subaru hastily arranged his expression to appear nonchalant.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just that… this morning’s favorite yakisoba really gets to the chest sometimes.”

“Oh, I understand completely. There are times I mistake a burp for nausea or…”

“Spare me the details! You are still a girl; absolutely don’t go any further!”

Subaru hurriedly silenced Liliana, shooting a smile toward Emilia. Her gaze dropped slightly at his smile, but then she said,

“If you say so, I’ll take your word for it… especially since it’s special.”

“Yeah, thanks. Alright then, I’ll go buy something sweet as per Liliana’s suggestion. Emilia-tan, just enjoy the song.”

Taking advantage of Emilia’s concern, Subaru raised his hand to declare this, then grabbed Beatrice’s hand beside him.

“Beako, you’re coming along for shopping with me! We’ll have fun and flirt while we’re at it!”

“What’s with the sudden—no, I understand now.”

Beatrice, on the brink of blushing, momentarily acting tsundere, saw Subaru’s expression and warmed to it instead. More so, she caught on to his pleading look and accepted it.

Showing only affection for Beatrice, Subaru ushered her along, leading them out of the park together.

This time, he would not leave Beatrice behind, bringing along a dependable companion.

Even still, he remained uncertain about what path forward lay ahead.

“—Hmm.”

The red-haired woman observed the retreating figures of Subaru and Beatrice, her gaze filled with meaning.