“Ah, geez! Healing magic isn’t working! To think I have to resort to this primitive method of treatment…!”

With a gritting of teeth out of frustration, Felix waved his arms, splattering blood on his cheeks.

In front of him, Mimi lay on a makeshift bed, still lethargic, her frail breathing accompanied by a continuous flow of blood from her chest.

He pressed a cloth that had been purified through magic against her wound and wrapped it in bandages, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. If it were a limb injury, elevating the wound above the heart would help stem the blood loss, but Mimi’s injury was directly over her heart.

The time left for her life could only be said to depend on her vitality.

While watching the desperate treatment unfold, Subaru leaned against the wall and kept an eye on Garfiel, who had crumpled down. Unable to look at Mimi, Garfiel appeared despondent, sinking his bloodstained hands into his short blonde hair.

Not only was Mimi bleeding, but Garfiel himself bore several injuries. The sight of the bloodstains around his mouth, along with the gory wounds on his left shoulder and right knee, was particularly painful. His trousers were torn, revealing flesh mangled enough to see the white of his bone beneath.

“Garfiel. For now, we have no choice but to leave Mimi to Felix. You need to treat your own wounds. Can you cast any healing magic on yourself?”

“…Aah.”

At Subaru’s words, Garfiel lowered his chin and sluggishly placed his palm over his wounds, beginning to channel healing mana into his body. As he witnessed the gradual healing of his wounds, Subaru slowly lowered his gaze to the communication mirror he had in hand.

Reflected within was an old swordsman, silent with a furrowed brow and a troubled expression on his wrinkled face.

Subaru believed he could grasp the turmoil in Wilhelm’s heart to some extent. Surely, Wilhelm must have come to the same realization as Subaru.

“That means the wound isn’t healing…”

“Nine times out of ten, that would be due to the ‘Grim Reaper’s’ blessing.”

Continuing Subaru’s thought, Wilhelm expressed the conclusion he had already understood.

The ‘Grim Reaper’s’ blessing holds a fearsome power, placing an unhealable curse upon any wound inflicted by its bearer.

It would be no mistake to think that the reason Mimi’s chest wound wouldn’t close with magic is because of the influence of this blessing.

To Subaru’s knowledge, there was only one person known to bear this blessing.

Of course, it could be said that the same blessing might be held by another individual, but—

“Wilhelm, I’m afraid to ask this, but… how’s your arm wound?”

“——–”

At Subaru’s question, Wilhelm closed his eyes. He then removed his coat and gently revealed his left shoulder to Subaru.

There were no noticeable traces of blood on the well-wrapped bandages. If so, it could be assumed that he was not bleeding.

“Even if that wound was given by someone with the same blessing as my wife, the fact that my wound hasn’t opened means it couldn’t possibly be her. That is only natural.”

“Wilhelm…”

Subaru couldn’t discern if Wilhelm’s tone was one of disappointment or relief.

From Wilhelm’s perspective, he had believed his wife to have been lost fifteen years ago. Even if he had begun to harbor doubts about her death last year, he would have had no hope to cling to.

Though unconditional hope might be difficult, believing in a slight flicker of hope is a facet of human weakness. Subaru felt no shame in Wilhelm possessing such weakness.

That’s why in this moment, Subaru found himself at a loss for words to comfort Wilhelm. Wilhelm likely did not desire easy platitudes or encouragement either.

Thus, while Subaru stood frozen, a change was occurring behind him.

“Big brother. I hate to interrupt the healing, but can I have a moment?”

With that, Ricardo plopped down heavily on the floor.

The beastman beside Felix, who was conducting an urgent treatment, sat before Garfiel, his body fur drenched in fresh blood, glaring at him with sharp eyes.

In response to that glare, Garfiel slowly lifted his head.

“I don’t really know what’s going on. But there’s no doubt that if you hadn’t brought Mimi here, she would have died. So, here’s the thing.”

“——–”

“Honestly, thank you. I owe you one.”

Pressing both fists to the floor, Ricardo deeply bowed his head, rubbing his forehead against the ground in gratitude for bringing back someone so dear to him, leaving Garfiel wide-eyed in amazement.

Mimi was still in critical condition. Garfiel didn’t hold himself responsible for not being able to protect her; that would serve no purpose. Holding him accountable wouldn’t bring any meaning.

Deep down, Ricardo wished for nothing more than for Mimi to return safely. However, finding her in such a state left no room for tranquility in his heart.

Even so, in Ricardo’s posture of bowing his head, Subaru saw the sincerity of his heart.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel an unbearable rage towards whoever had put Mimi in that state.

So,

“Garfiel. It might be hard to talk about, but please tell us what happened. It’s hard to believe you ended up like that. Plus…”

While seeking an explanation from Garfiel, a thought flickered through Subaru’s mind.

It was the thought that had struck him earlier, when sorting through information with Julius and Wilhelm, concerning the dire plight facing Pristella.

The Witch Cult had seized control of five strategic locations throughout the city, holding every life within it as hostage.

If their speculation were correct that five powerful beings were each dominating these strategic locations—then it was highly likely that wrath, greed, lust, and ‘gluttony’ were also in the mix.

—That ‘gluttony’ was certainly a target Subaru could not let slip away.

The ‘greed’ that had taken Emilia, coupled with the ‘wrath’ that sought after Subaru due to his ties to Petelgeuse. And find-inhumanity lurking behind the ‘lust’, along with the ‘gluttony’, an opponent he had a grudge against.

The situation was dire, yet at the same time, it was also an unrivaled opportunity.

Now that they were ensnared in a web of spider silk, they had a prime chance to hunt down the spider.

“We’ve got to take them all down, or none of us will make it out of here safely.”

“——–”

At Subaru’s declaration, Garfiel stared at him wide-eyed in surprise.

His expression was akin to having been unexpectedly struck from a direction he hadn’t anticipated. Subaru nodded firmly in response.

There was still no glimmer of hope. The situation was utterly grim, and they were completely cornered.

However, that did not provide a reason to give up, nor was it anything new for Subaru.

As usual, he would navigate through the conditions that felt like threading a needle, ensuring that everyone emerged safely from the ordeal.

That meant action had to start right then and there.

“…After hearing that broadcast, I headed straight to the city hall with the little ones. I was determined to take down that annoying voice.”

“We were just discussing the same thing, actually. You beat us to it.”

“There weren’t any guards or obstacles on the way to the city hall. So I was going to launch a surprise attack… and that was when…”

Garfiel’s words faltered, his fists and fangs trembling with rage.

It wasn’t fear; it was anger. However, it seemed like that anger was directed not at the enemy, but rather at himself, or so Subaru thought.

Clenching his fangs tightly, Garfiel released a heated breath.

“Two enemies showed up. One was a big guy armed with two massive swords. The other was a small woman wielding a long sword. If it came down to a proper fight, they’d probably be even with me… no, they might actually be stronger.”

“Stronger than you? Are you serious? Is one of them the voice we heard from the broadcast?”

“…I don’t think so.”

It was a hard-to-believe story.

In the Emilia camp, Garfiel was at the pinnacle of their combat power, one of the top-tier fighters dedicated to opposing the Witch Cult.

For Garfiel to claim that two individuals were stronger than himself—the ones he described, if Garfiel was to be believed, were not even the archbishops, but rather ordinary Witch Cultists.

“I didn’t sense any of that sneaky malice like from the voice of the broadcast coming from those two. Even when I was wide open, they didn’t strike. It might have been some kind of… courtesy from them as swordsmen.”

The Garfiel who faced them seemed to carry an awe towards their strength.

It was evident that his usually brash demeanor had deflated greatly, with his thoughts on Mimi weighing heavily on him.

Then, Ricardo, who had been listening to Garfiel’s remarks, slammed his knee with a thud and stood up from the ground. He seized Garfiel by the shoulder.

“I know they’re strong, but what I want to know is if those two are the ones who did this to you. Which one can I slice down to get my vengeance? Just give me a name.”

“…The one who cut the little girl was the woman. But that’s exactly why that woman…”

“—Might I take care of that woman?”

In Ricardo’s thirst for revenge regarding Mimi and Garfiel’s vow for retribution, it was Wilhelm who interjected, having been silently listening through the mirror.

It was undoubtedly information Wilhelm could not overlook. However, it was unreasonable for these two, unaware of Wilhelm’s situation, to grasp that.

“Why are you interjecting, Wilhelm? This doesn’t concern you. No matter how esteemed you are, you have no right to interfere in my family’s retribution.”

“Until I attain certainty, I cannot share my circumstances. However, if that woman is indeed entwined with my past, I absolutely cannot yield.”

“Listen here… Even you, if you push me, I won’t hold back.”

With fur bristling from frustration, Ricardo faced off with Wilhelm, who stood steadfast.

Knowing their circumstances, Subaru understood that he could not declare one of them right over the other. Thus, it was Subaru who sought to end the contention but—

“—Wilhelm, and Ricardo. We cannot afford to quarrel among ourselves. The lives of all the citizens of this city are in peril.”

“Crusch…”

In a resolute voice, Crusch chastised both men, her cheeks tense while speaking with determination.

Wilhelm’s face turned red with shame as he felt reprimanded by his lord, and Ricardo, with his temper flaring, haphazardly crossed his arms.

Taking that moment to avert a potential rift,

“Alright, let’s summarize things up.”

Clapping her hands lightly, Anastasia took control of the conversation and pointed at Subaru.

With a smile aimed at the visibly uncomfortable Subaru, Anastasia fiddled with her fox fur wrap.

“First off, regarding our counterattack plan that Natsuki-kun proposed for the preemptive strike on the city hall. Both I and Crusch-san are in support of it. There should be people in the city hall who are well-versed in the structure of the city, and there might be means to manipulate the waterways even without reclaiming the control tower. That might be a bit too optimistic, though.”

“Yeah, I feel the same way. Plus, if they start moving aggressively, our options will dwindle. The sooner we act, the better.”

“…Wow, you really have grown dependable in just a year. Regardless, as Natsuki-kun mentioned, thanks to this communication mirror, we can coordinate with three locations right now. Luckily, we can mobilize about seventy percent of our total combat power immediately. We should be able to assault the city hall.”

In response to Anastasia’s opinion, Subaru glanced over at Garfiel and Ricardo.

To seize the city hall outright, they needed to expend considerable combat power.

Currently, the forces that could be dispatched for the siege of the city hall included Garfiel and Ricardo from this shelter. Then from another shelter, Julius and Wilhelm could join as well.

If they gathered members from “Iron Fang” and the duo of Ton and Kan, along with adventurers residing in the city, there might still be potential to bolster their fighting strength.

“To be honest, it would be perfect if Reinhardt were around… Is there any way to summon Ton and Kan to bring him here?”

“As for that, it’s an unusual situation…”

Julius, responding to Subaru’s thought of relying on their greatest force, turned his gaze towards the two ruffians.

“Before entering the shelter, those two apparently shot magic into the sky as previously instructed. However, Reinhardt, who was supposed to come running, hasn’t shown up. There’s also a rather irritating bit of information…”

“But what? Honestly, I’d prefer to avoid hearing more bad news.”

“Well, take this without hesitation and feel the same way I do about it. —Felt’s attendants, it seems, had separated from her and Reinhardt just before the incident. Apparently, at that time, the two were conversing with a red-haired man.”

“Red-haired man… don’t tell me it’s that damn scumbag?”

“I can neither affirm nor deny that from my lips.”

Hearing Julius’s refined response, Subaru bit back his angry frustration.

If Felt and the others had met, as he imagined, with Reinhardt’s father—Heinkel—what could the two have had to discuss?

And even now, in the midst of this situation, why were they not making a move?

“But he showed up during Sirius’s lecture last time… What changed? Was it that he could only act before hearing the broadcast?”

Subaru could not clearly discern what made the difference between the conditions leading up to that moment.

Yet, knowing that calling for Reinhardt was currently impossible was more than enough to leave him feeling desolate.

As Subaru’s shoulders slumped at this revelation, Felix returned from the back of the shelter. He was drenched in sweat, his clothing stained a deep crimson with blood.

“…Phew. I’ve done everything I could.”

“So, how did it go with Mimi? Is she going to be okay? She has to be okay, right?”

Felix wiped the sweat from his forehead as Ricardo pressed in eagerly. Behind him, Garfiel remained incapable of standing, giving Felix a pleading look.

To those two urges, Felix coldly shook his head.

“I wouldn’t say she’s hopeless. But her wounds not closing has not changed. For now, it’s about the connection through the protective bond with her little brothers. We’ve forced that connection to strengthen, barely keeping her going…”

“Are you talking about the ‘three minutes’ of protection? What does that mean?”

“Originally, the triplets had the blessing to share fatigue and wounds. By amplifying that bond here, we are making their burdens fall onto the injured girl beyond normal capacity. As a result, her life timer has extended…”

“—It means that when big sister’s life comes to an end, we’ll die too, right?”

From the mirror, a faint yet high-pitched voice was heard, barely audible.

Ricardo winced as he leaned into the communication mirror, where he saw Hetero and Tibby sitting with pained expressions, pressing their hands against their chests.

“You idiots! Seriously, what a bunch of useless fools!”

“…But thinking about it, if this is the pain that big sister’s enduring, then I feel a bit happy to share it together.”

“Unlike my big brother, I’m not as die-hard. So, leader, I believe in you getting us out of this quickly. If we die, we’ll come back to haunt you.”

With the two brothers enduring the same severe wounds as Mimi by sharing her burden, Ricardo took a deep breath as he hefted his hatchet once more.

And then,

“…If we’re going to do this, we need to move fast. Otherwise, it’ll be pointless. Right?”

Ricardo’s low growl was such that no one would have stopped him at that point.

And no one among them was truly heartless enough to misunderstand his elevating emotions.

“I’ll send the ‘Iron Fang’ out to secure a path to the city hall. Then we’ll have the elite forces breach in and take it by storm. For now, the two enemies are that big man and the slender woman. Thinking their presence includes ‘lust’ seems accurate.”

“Our side’s elite is Garfiel and Ricardo, along with Wilhelm and Julius.”

“—I’ll be joining too.”

Stepping forward was Crusch, who’d tied her hair neatly and stood up.

She brandished a sword in her hand, having shed the skirt part of her dress to reveal knee-length pants, signaling her readiness for battle.

“You’ll fight, Crusch? Can you do that?”

“I can’t say I’m as capable as before, but I trained under Wilhelm. I also have the ‘Wind’s Favor.’ I won’t be a hindrance.”

Crusch’s past abilities were undoubtedly sufficient to fight during the White Whale encounter. However, Subaru was unsure of her current capacity after losing her memories.

To be frank, compared to before, she seemed to have taken on a gentler disposition, leading Subaru to think she had lost her aptitude for conflict.

“Crusch-sama’s swordsmanship is intact. I can assure you of that.”

As if to dispel Subaru’s worries, Wilhelm confidently assured him. The old swordsman nodded, looking into the mirror with assurance toward his master Crusch.

“However, please do not overexert yourself. I implore you to prioritize your safety.”

“It is the duty of the noble to bear wounds and shed blood before their people. If the innocent suffer, who could cease their actions for the sake of self-preservation? I will fight, Wilhelm.”

“…Truly. It’s exactly because of what you are that I have entrusted you with my sword.”

Crusch responded firmly to Wilhelm’s counsel, and at her answer, Wilhelm appeared content, lowering his chin with satisfaction. Felix raised his hand swiftly.

“Yes! Yes! Felix will also go with Crusch-sama! Please let me accompany you!”

“Felix, you’ll bounce around the various shelters to use healing magic on those who need it. I appreciate the sentiment, but do not misunderstand your place. You shouldn’t mistake where you ought to be fighting.”

“Ugh…!”

Felix fell silent in frustration, racking his brain for a retort. Yet, he could not argue against Crusch’s sound reasoning and raised a white flag with a defeated look.

“Wilhelm-old man. You have to protect Crusch-sama, absolutely without fail.”

“Yes, I understand. Even if it costs this life—be it that I burn out my life here, I assure you.”

Wilhelm’s response, filled with a solemn determination, radiated an air of seriousness.

Meanwhile, Ricardo lightly swung the hatchet he was carrying, and Garfiel completed his treatment, standing tall against the wall.

Wilhelm secured his sword at his waist, stepping forth boldly beside the newly equipped Crusch, while Julius stood confidently beside them as seen through the mirror.

The combat force heading toward the city hall totalled five members.

At Anastasia’s command, ‘Iron Fang’ would keep the Witch Cultists in check and clear a path.

The time for the decisive battle—then Natsuki Subaru would also—

“Ugh, gooooh…!”

“Wait, wait, Subaru-kun, what are you doing!?”

Biting down his pain in his right foot, Subaru struggled to rise from where he stood.

As Felix rushed over upon seeing Subaru’s reckless use of his now-aching foot, he promptly smacked Subaru on the head.

“Ow! Hey!”

“Of course it hurts! I told you to rest absolutely, so why do you keep doing reckless things! Are you under some curse that makes you oppose my diagnosis, Subaru-kun? You could lose that foot at this rate!”

“Even if I lost it, there are things I have to do! Felix, don’t you understand how I feel? Am I expected to just sit here and wait passively while my comrades head into danger?”

“…Hmm.”

Faced with Subaru’s insistence, Felix pouted his lips and hesitated.

Sending comrades to a potential death trap and waiting for the outcome was something Subaru could not bear. If he could help someone and possibly save them, then lying idle was simply not an option.

“You can heal others, so I should be in the fight as well. Beatrice is protecting me, and Emilia is still in danger from ‘greed.’ You expect me to quietly sit back and do nothing now?”

“…You really can’t say you won’t regret it if you lose your foot, right?”

“I would definitely regret it. But it would be a much greater regret if I didn’t act.”

“Ha. If that’s how it’s gonna be, then just make it cool till the end.”

With a tired expression, Felix placed a hand on his forehead, huffing a sigh of exasperation.

Then he took a deep breath and pressed his fingers gently over Subaru’s wound, causing him to wince in pain again.

“What I’m doing now is just, just a very minimal measure, okay?”

“Minimal measure…? Hey, Felix, it really hurts a lot, so don’t be doing any of that, no, wait, it’s painful, painful, painful… isn’t that painful?!”

Felix’s fingers roughly pressed again, digging into the wound. Yet, suddenly a soft light shimmered, and the stabbing pain like a knife began to quickly fade away.

Taken by surprise by this unexpected magic effect, Subaru glanced up at Felix.

“Last resort.”

“What the hell…! I mean, if you’ve got such a convenient magic, you should’ve used it earlier instead of holding back! Okay, okay, I can move!”

As Felix stuck his tongue out in triumph, Subaru joyfully hopped on his right foot. With no sensation of pain, he reveled in mobility, stepping up and down. Pain? Movement? No problem.

Slapping his palm against the wound, he welcomed the miraculous change when a sudden sensation of wetness filled his hand. Looking down, it was bright red. His right foot’s injury had burst open.

“Whoa, whoa, wait! I thought it got healed?!”

“I never said I healed you. I asked if you’d still have no regrets if your foot got cut off. I just made it so you lost your sensation of pain and touch from your right foot. As long as you watch out not to lose it, you should be able to run around.”

With a sense of distress at his bleeding foot, Felix readied fresh bandages and cast another spell. Subaru’s anxiety swelled as he felt nothing from it, his leg now devoid of sensation.

It was similar to being anesthetized, but unlike anesthesia, it didn’t dull his movements. His ordinary range of motions was still intact—only the sensory feedback from his right foot was diminished.

However, the absence of pain feedback served as a natural limiter meant to prevent physical strain. To remove that limiter for one’s own benefit meant—

“Of course, pushing it at this point is guaranteed to cause problems later. After we get through this chaos, you’ll definitely feel some sort of aftereffects. Be mindful of that!”

“…Got it. I appreciate it. I’ll remember that.”

“…You really don’t listen to Felix at all, do you?”

Nodding as he tested the state of his right foot, Subaru turned to Felix, who puffed out his cheeks and averted his gaze.

Though he wanted to tell Felix that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t know if he could stick to the advice given until the moment came.

It’s best not to make promises you can’t keep. After thanking Felix once more, Subaru dashed over to Garfiel and Ricardo.

“So, I’m heading out too. It’s pointless to stop me. I might not put forth incredible strength, but there’s still things I can do…”

“Stop? Why the hell would I stop you? With you here, it’s like having a hundred more of us! Relying on you, you know!”

“Things I can do… huh?”

Having expected to be turned down, Subaru was met instead with an unexpected acceptance, leaving him a little taken aback.

Looking back at Ricardo, who opened his mouth wide and added,

“I saw you working hard during the White Whale and ‘Sloth’ events. I thought only Wilhelm respected you, but that was a mistake. I see your worth too. Well, whether I like you or not depends on the coin, but still…”

“W-Wait, really? A bit weird to hear, you know?”

Encouraged by Ricardo’s words, Subaru’s participation was smoothly embraced.

Before leaving the shelter, Subaru stopped by Beatrice’s bedside and gently stroked the forehead of the sleeping girl.

“Beatrice, I’m going. It’s my turn to work hard for you since I made you rest. I’ll definitely defeat those guys and get Emilia back. Just stay here and rest easy.”

“——–”

There was no reply. With a serene breath, Subaru straightened up.

Next to him, both Garfiel and Ricardo were also speaking gently to the suffering Mimi. Though Mimi could not respond without consciousness, they all radiated contrasting yet equally powerful determination.

“Once we leave the shelter, we’ll reunite at the grand waterway leading to the city hall. —Everyone, stay vigilant.”

Before departing, they exchanged glances, and all stood to make their respective vows for the battle ahead.

The battle for rescuing Pristella, an assault on the central city hall.

Before them lay two swordsmen and the Archbishop of Sin ‘Lust.’

With their plans in heart, the warriors boldly stepped toward the battlefield.