「――スバル！！」

The voice calling out to Subaru burst through the entrance of the cathedral as it was kicked open.

It was Emilia, standing before the altar, dressed in a pure white bridal gown.

Her long silver hair was elegantly styled, and her figure adorned in the pure white dress was stunning—so beautiful that it felt like it could blind me. If possible, I wanted to see that bridal figure with my own eyes before anyone else, but…

「E.M.T. can wait for later; it seems I’ve interrupted the wedding ceremony.」

「From the looks of it, the ceremony wasn’t proceeding smoothly at all. It seems I won’t be treated as an unwanted interruption.」

Subaru murmured this as he watched the glaring standoff between Emilia and Regulus from a distance. The ceremony apparently teetered on the brink of collapse, making it an opportune moment to barge in.

Hearing those two’s remarks, Regulus, who was already looking grumpy, turned red with anger. He opened his white tuxedo and twisted his lips with disdain.

「I’m sorry to say this, but for you uninvited guests, this joyous occasion is about to turn into a mourning event. You should probably prepare your hearts to transition from guests to mourners… Ah, but I suppose that won’t be necessary since you’ll soon switch from sending to receiving.」

「Whoa, whoa, you’re pretty bold. Before the bride announces “Naritai Divorce” at the airport, she’s already been rejected during the wedding vows. You should be blushing a bit more, you know? And didn’t you even bother to ask who’s next to me?」

Subaru provoked Regulus, who bore a murderous intent with a low growl, while shooting a glance at Reinhardt. Regulus looked puzzled at the look he received, letting out a faint sigh of, “Oh.”

「What was it again, Sword Saint? I’ve heard that name before. Isn’t it just a title for someone who can only swing a sword? What are you planning to do bringing someone like that along? Ugh, feeling like you’ve won through authority is just laughable. It’s a bad custom of outdated traditionalism to think the history accumulated means strength or pride in bloodline. Such things are sure to be swept away by new winds, ending in disgrace. You want to demonstrate that?」

「To say I can only swing a sword is apt, indeed. In fact, a significant part of the role I’m expected to play is precisely because of that. However, there’s just one problem.」

Reinhardt responded to Regulus, who maintained an audacious attitude, without being offended. He reached gently for his waist, where his holy sword, marked with the scars of dragons, was secured. Gripping the hilt, Reinhardt shook his head.

「What is it, Reinhardt?」

「This ‘Dragon Sword Raid’ has been passed down in the Astraea family since its first generation, but it has one flaw: it can’t be drawn unless the opponent is worthy.」

「Meaning?」

「It seems that, for him over there, the conclusion of the sword is that he’s not worthy of being drawn against.」

「――ッ！！」

Whether Reinhardt meant it or not, it was an extremely painful and humiliating remark for Regulus. Subaru understood that Reinhardt’s words were not false, given that the sword couldn’t be drawn even against Elsa.

Yet, knowing this didn’t change the humiliation Regulus felt.

「What could the Sword Saint possibly do without drawing his sword against me? Don’t get cocky, you punk. You and I exist in completely different dimensions. I’m a finished individual, while you just keep floundering with your unfinished aspirations. You fools who can only determine your worth through comparisons to others have no right to assess me.」

「What I’m trying to say is, you’re like this:」

Subaru said half-amused, gazing at Regulus’ hateful eyes ignited with rage.

Ignoring the threat for a moment and only focusing on his statement, he continued,

「That’s a bit of a boomerang effect, don’t you think? You talk about being “complete” and yet, you can’t help but measure yourself against others.」

「――っ！ An incomplete loser lecturing the fulfilled me!」

Enraged by Subaru’s words, Regulus finally moved to act on his threats.

As the madman kicked the floor in front of the altar, the wooden floorboards were violently ripped up. A torrent of destruction surged towards Subaru and the others, with splintered wood and stone crumbling into dust due to overwhelming force.

「――Whoa！？」

「Subaru, over here!」

Just before the destruction hit, he found himself grabbed by the scruff and yanked sideways.

With a light leap that seemed to slice through the air, Subaru was swiftly pulled away from the impending destruction. It was Reinhardt who lifted Subaru in one hand and evaded the attack in one bound.

Gently setting the disoriented Subaru down, Reinhardt simultaneously bent his knee and prepared to charge at Regulus. However,

「Don’t move! If you do anything funny, the ladies won’t survive.」

「――――」

Regulus glared at Reinhardt, turning both hands toward the walls of the church.

There lined up were beautifully dressed women, the guests of the wedding. All of them wore expressions devoid of emotion, showing no response to Regulus’ actions as if they were prepared for the scene unfolding before them.

「Now that I think about it, who are those women? I’d rather not know, but…」

「They’re all my precious wives. They love me and respond to my love, my beautiful princesses. Are you really going to let such innocent women die? How could you entertain such cruelty!?」

「Crap… I kind of had a hunch, but this conversation isn’t working.」

Regulus’s logic was utterly nonsensical, trying to use his beloved wives as hostages. The worst part was probably that he almost didn’t doubt either that they were “innocent” or that “Regulus would kill them.”

This absurd hostage strategy was functioning perfectly against Subaru and the others.

「I don’t want to see them die! But if you resist any longer, I’ll have to kill them. One by one, in order. How terrible it is to force me into such cruelty!」

「I don’t think this will amount to much, but I have no memory of threatening you.」

「Don’t make excuses! It’s me who will directly kill them. But it’s your hands on the trigger. Your murderous intent will cause their deaths. That means it’s your murder using me as a tool. You’re the ones responsible for killing them. Don’t you dare try to escape from that responsibility, you wife-killer…!」

Regulus, grinding his teeth, glared at Subaru and the others with eyes filled with malice. The abominable reasoning he kept spouting didn’t seem to register as odd to him in the slightest.

As he attempted to prolong the conversation, Subaru shot a glance at Reinhardt. However, given that they had a madman who didn’t reveal how the explosion would trigger, and with about fifty hostages, even Reinhardt would struggle if both sides attacked simultaneously.

「――――」

The situation remained in a stalemate—but no, it seemed to be progressing as Regulus desired.

Just then…

「Promise you won’t forget me, okay?」

「What?」

Next to the distracting Regulus, a pale blue light burst forth.

The light instantly permeated the church, and in the next moment, a high-pitched sound interfered with the world. The light, along with the intertwining sounds of resonance, filled the church with a natural symphony.

And just after the blink of an eye, a massive ice barrier formed inside the church.

The shimmering blue ice barrier spread throughout the church, centered around Emilia standing before the altar, creating a thick wall protecting the women hostage held by Regulus.

Not only that, the ice froze Regulus’s lower body, pinning him to the floor, while an ice sword—held by Emilia—was pointed at his exposed neck.

「You let your guard down. I wasn’t going to fight you without a plan. I prepared to freeze you just for this moment. You’ve lost.」

「…You know, I feel like you don’t understand how to read the room. Right now, I was just about to corner those guys! This was supposed to be a crucial moment to firmly take them down, proving I was correct. My wives all believed in my victory and hoped for it… What are you doing?」

「Release me and the others immediately. Not everyone is saying this, but there are definitely those who are following you because they’re scared. Treat those who wish to be with you with care, and then…」

「――You really don’t know who you’re talking to, do you? It was a good call not to make you my wife.」

「Huh?」

「Emilia! No! Don’t do that, or he won’t stop!」

Logically speaking, it was obviously a decisive moment, and it was no wonder Emilia would make that judgment.

The only difference in the conditions was that “the opponent isn’t normal.”

「――っ！」

With a sigh, Regulus slightly twisted his body and moved his feet. Just that action was enough to easily shatter the ice that had firmly frozen him from the waist down.

With a nonchalant ease, the icy constraints were finely smashed apart. Just after Emilia gasped at this, Regulus grabbed Emilia’s narrow neck with his palm, lifting her body with one hand.

「So brutal, and on top of that, you don’t even know how to let a guy shine. Being mentally unfaithful means your heart and body being untouched as a virgin means nothing. You’re a whore—a potential whore. I can’t believe you would toy with my pure heart and then threaten me like this. I’ve never seen a woman so wicked before.」

「L-let go of her! You bastard!」

Regulus spoke about Emilia, whom he held aloft, with cold contempt. As Subaru, unable to stomach those unbearable words, shouted, Regulus’s soulless gaze pierced him.

「The real fool is you. Don’t you see what’s going on? Or are you giving up on making an effort to understand? Do you need me to explain this all? Isn’t that just a type of giving up on your thoughts and relying on the other’s kindness? You can’t figure out the situation? Shouldn’t you be thinking as hard as you can with your full abilities and putting yourself in the other’s position? Isn’t that a bit off for you as a human?」

「Let go of Lady Emilia! I will hear your demands!」

While Subaru gasped, Reinhardt spoke to Regulus.

Regulus raised an eyebrow at those words, perhaps judging that Reinhardt was more capable of conversing than the hotheaded Subaru, and he grimaced.

「Yes, yes, that’s just the humble approach I appreciate. There’s a means to steer the conversation in the direction we both desire, so we should make effective use of that. There are far too many idiots out there who misunderstand that and just try to push things through by force, which is really tiresome. They think they need to flaunt their power, even when they could just speak about it. But, those types tend to be pretty mediocre and have actually lost to non-warriors like me, don’t you think that’s pathetic?」

「No long-winded speeches are necessary. Just tell me your demands. My friend and I are both suffering as well if you continue to torment Lady Emilia.」

「I see. Then, here’s a quick demand for you. Take your sword off your hip and step a little closer to the altar.」

Emilia’s face turned pale, and Regulus lifted her higher to show off, causing her struggling legs to flail while the ice sword slipped from her hand and stabbed into the floor.

Seeing this, Reinhardt didn’t hesitate. He unsheathed the Dragon Sword and handed it to Subaru.

「…If it comes down to it, I’ll draw this and attack him.」

「That’s one option, but unfortunately, I think you wouldn’t be able to draw it. Don’t worry; I’ll definitely get Emilia back.」

Whispering reassuring words, Reinhardt complied with Regulus’s order.

When the unarmed Sword Saint stood in the center of the church, Regulus commanded him, “That’s far enough,” causing him to stop. Though the distance was about five meters, it could be covered by Reinhardt in the blink of an eye.

The problem was that Emilia, held by Regulus, would likely have her neck snapped the instant he charged in. Moreover, Reinhardt didn’t have any clue about the true nature of Regulus’s invincibility.

Freeing Emilia from his grasp, the repeated base destruction occurred for mysterious reasons. I thought that might hold the key to understanding the true “invulnerable” aspect of his ability.

「――――」

Holding his breath, Subaru focused intently on Reinhardt’s movements.

Given that there was currently no clear way out of this predicament, Reinhardt’s thoughts were all that he could rely on. Of course, Subaru was also making efforts in vain, but the effects were minimal.

「Is this all right? Just as promised, what do we do from here?」

「While it’d be easy for you to just let me kill you, I think that’d be too much. The reason you stepped forward for my wives and that whore illustrates a lack of sincerity in your beliefs. I don’t want to force any unfairness. I don’t want to be mistakenly seen as a selfish guy. I want you to understand that I’m just a regular citizen filled with daily little happiness.」

「――――」

「So, the condition for me to release the hostages is straightforward. I want you to take one attack from me right now. Do it defenselessly, without dodging. If you do that, I’ll release the hostages. Let’s let go of the cowardice of trying to attack me two-on-one.」

「One attack, you say.」

At Regulus’s proposal, Reinhardt stroked his jaw in contemplation.

Seeing his pondering back, Subaru mentally shook his head that it was an outrageous proposal. Regulus was trying to play it off, but the power of his strike was evident from earlier.

There was no way Reinhardt could withstand a strike that could reduce building materials to dust. Even if he survived, if he were put in a situation where he could no longer fight, continuing the battle would be out of the question.

「Understood. I will take it.」

Yet, contrary to Subaru’s rising agitation, Reinhardt easily accepted it. Subaru’s eyes widened at his response while Regulus nodded deeply.

「That’s a good resolution. I respect you for that. Even if you’re someone who tried to kill my wives, you still possess a minimum level of pride as a human.」

「Without any doubts, you take hostages while thinking you’re invincible…」

A chill ran down Subaru’s spine as he heard Regulus spouting seemingly eloquent words. Regulus, seemingly unfazed, pointed his right arm at Reinhardt while still gripping Emilia with his left.

「R-Reinhardt… you’ve got something planned, right?」

「Subaru, it’s a promise. You’ll cover for my shortcomings, right?」

「You’re telling me something ominous…」

Expecting Reinhardt to have some plan, Subaru did not receive a clear answer before Regulus swung his arm at Reinhardt.

It was invisible. The tips of his fingers sliced the air, and probably something was unleashed at Reinhardt. However, that destruction was obscured, almost like an “invisible hand”—an indeterminate attack aimed at Reinhardt.

There was no time to confirm whether that assumption was reality.

「――――」

Reinhardt’s body, standing in front of Subaru, fell, splattered with blood.

His body was cleaved, seemingly hit with a diagonal slash, rolling about violently, the once gallant figure no longer discernible.

「Eh――？」

A copious amount of blood flowed from Reinhardt’s body, further staining the rug already tarnished red. His body trembled as if displaying shock symptoms right before death.

When that finally calmed down, there lay his lifeless form entirely.

It was the undeniable death of Reinhardt Van Astraea.

「No matter who they are, death comes so abruptly. Whether a person leaves behind great achievements or is a villain who has committed abhorrent sins, death visits them all equally, stripping away life. Amidst a world rife with inequality, that is an equal occurrence.」

Regulus shook his head, having killed Reinhardt and witnessed his demise.

The madman spoke earnestly, critiquing the results of his actions as if they were someone else’s.

「Knowing that an end will surely arrive someday, living people must seek happiness while they still can. That’s why I take great satisfaction in how low the bar is for my own happiness. If I had been “greedy,” wanting for everything without fulfillment, I might not have achieved happiness during my life. But fortunate for me, I was born with a sense of appreciation for small joys.」

Placing a hand over the arm that had just struck down Reinhardt, Regulus laughed.

And then,

「With my satisfaction, I want to ask: did you die satisfied? If you did, congratulations. If not, my condolences.」

「U-oh oh oh――！！」

Just after Regulus finished his nonsensical remarks, Subaru let out a war cry and sprang into action.

He lifted a chair from the church and hurled it at Regulus. Nonchalantly, Regulus swatted the flying chair away like swatting a fly. The chair shattered upon impact and splintered, causing a grimace to spread across Regulus’s face.

「Compared to that one who was so clean about it, you’re quite noisy and unsightly, aren’t you?」

「I’m confident in my stance as a knight who doesn’t act like one!」

Stepping on the blood-soaked carpet left by Reinhardt, Subaru reached behind him. Grabbing his whip, he flicked it forward with vigor.

In response, Regulus displayed Emilia as if showing off, raising her high,

「Do your eyes not work? There’s a hostage here, you see?」

「――That’s funny. According to you, you should be freeing the hostages.」

「――っ！？」

The moment that voice resonated, Regulus’s expression shifted to one of shock.

His gaze, which had been focused on Subaru, jolted back to the tall figure standing in the blood pool, freezing his throat in shock.

「What――」

「――『The Blessing of the Phoenix』」

A short voice responded to Regulus’s shock, and in that moment, three shadows moved frantically.

Subaru’s whip snagged the golden-haired woman lurking behind the altar, drawing her in.

Emilia, seizing the opportunity, kicked the ice sword toward Reinhardt with her outstretched leg.

Reinhardt dashed out, catching the ice sword, hefting it up to face Regulus.

As the women caught in his crosshairs dodged, the Sword Saint wielding the ice sword showed no hesitation.

「――――」

In an instant, sound vanished from the world—then, the blue light violently exploded through the church.