――When the aurora faded and visibility returned, the state of the church had completely transformed.

“I swear I feel like I’ve said this before…”

Witnessing the scene, Natsuki Subaru let out a small sigh.

He brought his sleeve to his mouth to avoid the swirling dust and flying debris.

The church was now thoroughly ventilated, and bathing in the night breeze, Subaru stomped his feet and pointed forward.

“You’re the real monster here!”

“I find that quite offensive, Subaru. If you keep saying such things, even I can be hurt, you know?”

“Is this the time to be talking about feelings? Just focus on your body! What the heck was all that?!”

Subaru held his head in his hands, once again struck by Reinhardt’s abnormal capabilities.

Then Reinhardt, with a wry smile, turned back as the ice sword in his right hand shattered. Despite being just one swing, the durability needed to withstand the strike of the Sword Saint was quite commendable.

And Emilia, who created that weapon, was cradled in Reinhardt’s left arm.

In that fleeting moment, he had rescued Emilia who had been grabbed by Regulus.

As a result, only Regulus was blasted away from the strike.

It was not a bad outcome for a first hit, but――.

“That was cutting it close. Are you alright?”

“——-”

The lady Subaru was concerned about was the same one who had been pulled close to Reinhardt just before the strike. She was a beautiful woman with golden hair, but there was something unsettling about the emptiness in her eyes and expression.

Realizing how shocked she must have been, Subaru met her gaze and said,

“Sorry for startling you. I had to do that to take advantage of his opening. If you’re hurt anywhere, please let me know. I’ll make it right.”

“——-”

The woman did not respond to Subaru’s call.

Though concerned, Subaru couldn’t dwell on her alone. He left the seated woman behind and headed for what used to be the altar.

The church, which was built similarly to the ones Subaru knew, had now collapsed utterly due to Reinhardt’s strike.

The entire front of the building―― the altar and the corridor leading to the adjacent rooms, was all engulfed in auroras and debris. The only things left standing were the outer edges and the back of the structure. Fortunately, the seating of the women who were present remained unharmed, thanks to Emilia’s ice wall.

He rushed to where Emilia and Reinhardt stood, both by the decayed altar. Emilia had separated from Reinhardt’s arm and was coughing slightly with difficulty.

“Emilia-tan, are you alright?”

“Cough cough… Yeah, I’m fine. Just my throat’s a bit sore…”

“You weren’t hurt? Did he say anything weird? That guy seemed like the type to lick a girl’s cheek and do something sleazy; you weren’t violated, right? That bridal gown looks super cute, though! No way you changed for Regulus, right? Damn it, that bastard, I will never forgive him. But I think the dress choice is great. You’d look cute in anything, Emilia-tan.”

“W-wait, Subaru, calm down. I have no idea what you’re saying.”

Subaru, with breath heavy from concern, was checked over in detail by Emilia, who let out a breath and smiled softly.

“Thank you for coming to help. I knew you would come for me, Subaru.”

“I believed you were waiting for me to come too, Emilia-tan. I was worried about not making it to the wedding in time.”

“It’s fine. I have no intention of marrying that guy. If I marry anyone, it has to be someone I truly love.”

“Right! I’m glad to hear that! So that person you love is…”

“Ah! Reinhardt! Are you okay with that injury!?”

Just as Subaru was about to probe, Emilia called out looking at Reinhardt.

Seeing Emilia’s sudden curiosity directed at Reinhardt, Subaru scratched his head and frowned as he looked over too.

Reinhardt, who released Emilia, looked surprisingly wounded.

The front of his white robe was tattered, besmirched with a pool of fresh blood. It was as if he had been struck by an explosive.

“Whoa, gross! Are you alright?!”

“Yes, it’s quite a serious injury! Let me treat it, show me!”

“Thank you. However, there is no need for worry. The wound is already closed.”

Reinhardt chuckled at the two in a panic and wiped the blood off his chest with his white sleeve.

Indeed, the traces of his injury disappeared from where he wiped, revealing Reinhardt’s unscathed body.

“No injuries… But you did take a hit, huh? Wait, what’s going on? Did you secretly prep some fake blood on the down-low?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb! Or are you for real? I was silently watching how you’d respond since I didn’t know how you’d handle Regulus’s ridiculous hostage declaration, but how the hell did you survive!?”

“That’s true. I’m grateful you kept silent. If you had drawn unnecessary attention, it could have triggered his wrath.”

Reinhardt replied nonchalantly to Subaru’s irritated inquiry. The response felt a bit out of place, causing Subaru to sigh.

“I just figured you’d have a way out. When you collapsed, drenched in blood, you really looked dead, I was panicking hard…”

“Still, you acted. I’m glad you trust me.”

“Because you always say something vague at crucial moments like leaving things to me.”

Bumping Reinhardt’s shoulder, Subaru reacted with some disdain. Emilia looked wide-eyed at their banter.

“You two managed to cooperate just like that?”

“Emilia-tan, you handed Reinhardt the ice sword, didn’t you? Same thing.”

“That was a big help; I had a bad feeling about getting close to him without a weapon. The effectiveness was more than enough.”

“Considering you just half-destroyed the building, you gotta be kidding about that. Well, it’s a survival flag though.”

Given the previous encounter with Elsa, he wasn’t overly optimistic.

Even now, while conversing, he was keen on keeping watch against Regulus.

“So, Reinhardt, what’s the verdict on the trickery from earlier? A clone or a substitution technique? Please don’t start saying ninja or something.”

“I don’t know what a ninja is, but it’s not a big deal. It’s called ‘Phoenix’s Blessing’; it allows one resurrection from a dead state once. So yeah, you were exactly right about me looking dead. In fact, I briefly did die.”

“You what?! What are you, an idiot!?”

Subaru could do nothing but feel flustered by the responses that were more unexpected and beyond imagination.

To be able to die once due to the ‘Phoenix’s Blessing’; what did he even think death was? Though it wasn’t something he could easily scold anyone for—no, rather, it was a notion better directed at Subaru himself.

“What are you trying to do, reclaim my thunder…?”

“――? I apologize. But I thought what I did was the best way to draw the attention of the Archbishop of Sin. It did end up working. However, I’d prefer not to die again.”

“I can’t help but feel incredibly guilty if you’re saying you died to save me…”

“Ugh.”

“Why does Subaru look like he’s in so much pain?”

The barrage of boomerang responses quickly escalated into a mental burden.

Continuing the conversation seemed increasingly dire.

“――Subaru.”

“I get it.”

Reinhardt, narrowing his blue eyes, called to Subaru.

At the call, Subaru looked up, and Emilia followed suit, glancing in the same direction as Reinhardt.

――In that line of sight stood a sinister, ominous figure radiating malevolence.

The ominous figure looked down at them from the debris of the collapsed church, engulfed in heaps. With white hair, white clothes, and a white expression, the malevolent figure twisted its mouth into a sneer.

“Did you enjoy your little chit-chat without me? Still, it’s odd how you remain so calm after all this. It’s as if you don’t possess any humanity. Or is it that you feel nothing after stomping on ants? Blowing me away is no different than squashing bugs? What do you think about that!?”

As he wildly exaggerated his emotions, Regulus descended from the ruins back into the church.

At the moment of landing, he straightened his white tuxedo’s collar and extended his starched sleeves. He flicked his trousers of the same color while glaring back at them with a calm demeanor.

He appeared completely unchanged from just before Reinhardt’s tremendous slash.

Rather than being injured, not even a single wrinkle appeared in his garments.

“I see. Just as Subaru said, this is a peculiar opponent.”

“Earlier, you mentioned the Archbishop of Sin… is this guy?”

Reinhardt and Emilia remarked as they stared at Regulus.

Hearing that, Regulus glared at Emilia with a look seething with hatred.

“Ah, that’s right. I am Regulus Corneas, the Archbishop of Sin, responsible for ‘Greed.’ By the way, not knowing the identity of someone you were about to make the marital bond with is not just a hilariously bad couple, it’s incompetent and atrocious! Goodness gracious, what a defective woman you are!”

“Deficient or not, you never told me anything. As for being atrocious and immoral, I’m not aware of that either. If you’re part of the Witch Cult… the Witch Cult, the Witch Cult…?”

As Regulus hurled filthy insults, Emilia’s complexion darkened as she tried to counter.

She placed her hand on her head, furrowing her brow as if contemplating something.

“Witch Cult, Archbishop of Sin… you’ve met me before, haven’t you…?”

“Huh? I don’t know. In fact, saying it’s a fateful encounter now feels ridiculous. Though you’ve got the looks, being mentally unfaithful isn’t flattering. I wouldn’t mind you being someone else’s because you’re such a shameless too.”

“Shut it, you pest.”

Subaru interrupted Regulus, who had started to prattle on.

Regulus turned his irritated gaze in Subaru’s direction, glaring at him, but it was evident that the mark remained unwounded.

“It appears I need to dissolve this ‘invulnerability’ mechanism to have a proper fight…”

“The slash, the whip, and even magic from Emilia didn’t work either; it may be challenging to defeat him. Subaru, I’m counting on you.”

“What the hell are you going on about!?!”

Subaru tilted his head, suddenly getting his shoulder tapped by Reinhardt who then disappeared.

The next moment, a front kick from Reinhardt impacted Regulus’s body, sending the nefarious figure flying back toward a mound of debris.

“I’ll handle him. Subaru, I want you to discover the method to break that ‘invincibility’ mechanism. I’ll buy us time.”

“Okay. It’s fine to buy time, but… I could also take him down right here, you know?”

“If possible, I’d like to finish this quickly. Subaru, get the women to a safe location. This site will soon become a battlefield.”

“Wait, Reinhardt! I may not have much, but please use this!”

Emilia, who had attempted to step forward, called out to Reinhardt. In her hand was an ice sword she had conjured.

“I worked really hard to make this, so I think it’ll be sturdier than the last!”

“I appreciate it.”

Accepting the ice sword that Emilia offered, Reinhardt bowed respectfully.

Then, as he turned to face forward, he dashed outside the church in pursuit of Regulus. With a single leap, he vanished from sight.

Soon after, Subaru could feel the impact of yet another shockwave through the atmosphere.

Realizing as he did, Subaru turned back to Emilia.

“Emilia-tan! Let’s get the women out of harm’s way! Everyone, outside… wait, are all of them Regulus’s wives?”

It was a tad late, but he couldn’t help but notice the eerie presence of the unmoving women beyond the ice wall.

If they were indeed wives of Regulus, then they must be members of the Witch Cult. Just a quick glance showed nearly fifty of them, and contemplating the chaos that would ensue if they all attacked together raised doubts about how much Subaru could resist without Beatrice.

But Emilia shook her head, denying Subaru’s worries.

“It’s fine. Everyone is a wife of Regulus, but I think most of them are obeying him out of fear. So there’s no need to worry.”

“I see. That’s true. If they were enemies, Reinhardt wouldn’t let them go… Wait, watch out! There have been some wild bullets flying by since earlier! Yikes!”

Outside the church, a wild battle raged between Reinhardt and Regulus.

The impact from the clashes sent debris and stones flying around, like bullets being hurled in their direction. If a single strike were to fly close enough to their ears, he couldn’t afford to assume they were safe.

While Reinhardt was overwhelmingly dominant in this clash, Regulus’s abilities did not seem likely to just fade away. They needed to devise a plan before the threat was directed toward them.

“Hey, are you okay? You’re not hurt, right?”

While Subaru pondered, Emilia shook the shoulder of a blonde-haired woman.

The woman was the one saved earlier by the whip. Standing before the altar, she took a different position from the other women. Yet, her expression remained as lifeless as ever.

The woman looked up at Emilia as she spoke, gently shaking her head.

“I… we will stay here. You’re free to leave if you want.”

“Stay here? Why? Are you injured? If you are, I can heal you right away. The others won’t be safe under that flimsy ice wall. We have to get out of here!”

“I must decline. You are the only one permitted to leave this place.”

“Why!? If you stay here, you’ll get caught up in this! Regulus surely won’t hesitate to attack even if you’re here. If you don’t escape—”

“――I was not instructed by my master to leave this place.”

The woman’s ice-cold voice cut through Emilia’s desperate plea.

She stared back at Emilia with an unwavering gaze, piercing her violet eyes.

“If you disobey my master’s orders and act on your own, you’ll surely incur his wrath. That outcome is the same.”

“That’s… unfair…”

Subaru resonated with the emotional turmoil Emilia felt from being left speechless.

Speaking on behalf of the women was none other than a profound sense of resignation.

She―― no, they had already given up.

Their hearts had been shattered to pieces by Regulus, leaving them unable to think about anything without considering him.

It was akin to violence—a curse that rendered all speech and action futile.

“The one facing Regulus is none other than the ‘Sword Saint,’ Reinhardt. You may tremble in fear before Regulus, but Reinhardt will definitely cut him down. So, it’s pointless to risk your lives here.”

“No matter who the opponent is, it is the same. ‘Sword Saint’? Don’t make me laugh. Who could possibly stand against my husband… Regulus Corneas?”

The woman dismissed Subaru’s reasoning with a scoff.

That was her first display of emotion, and it felt almost like the bitter laugh of an adult dismissing the fantasies of an innocent child.

――At this point, Subaru could do nothing but understand the twisted relationship.

Regulus Corneas’s wives held an unwavering belief in his strength.

It was an unwavering bond stronger than a hurricane, so steadfast that not even the ‘Sword Saint’ Reinhardt could shake it.

Regulus held their hearts tight with his unparalleled and overwhelming power.

Wives believe in their husbands; husbands hold their wives’ hearts and never let go. An ironically idealistic image of marriage at play.

Yet, for all appearances, it was insidiously perverse.

“Damn it…”

It dawned on him. He could neither persuade nor sway them with words.

The opinion of the woman before him was shared by all the other women present, affirming the same consensus that brooked no opposition. The resolute silence of the women seated in shared meditation was proof of that.

If he attempted to forcibly drag them out from here, he would have to knock each of them unconscious and carry them out individually, but no one in this place had the luxury to do so.

“――Reinhardt! Change of plans! Execute plan I first!”

Giving up on persuading the women, Subaru dashed toward the crumbling altar, calling for Reinhardt. The dusky city streets, now dimming, revealed Reinhardt running up the walls of the building defying gravity. As he did so, Reinhardt’s gaze briefly met Subaru’s.

‘Executing plan I first? Subaru, what about their evacuation?’

“――!? What!? Where the heck is your voice coming from!?”

‘It’s the Blessing of Telepathy. I can convey my voice to friends I can see within range.’

“Why are you pulling away from humanity more and more!?”

Subaru couldn’t hide his tremors as Reinhardt displayed moves that were beyond human capabilities.

Kicking off the wall he was running on, Reinhardt leaped into the air, performing a rapid spin.

Just as his body was about to descend, he opened his clothing’s hem to decelerate and swung his long legs, creating a gust of wind across the ground.

Dust swirled up, lifting the bricks of the cobbled street, and at the terminus, the white nefarious figure got struck—Regulus was uncontrollably sent flying amidst the debris.

“What was that, a bizarre circus act!?”

‘He’s throwing rocks and sand at us. I’m dodging between all the airborne particles to avoid them.’

“Sounds like I’m playing dodgeball with the rain here. Anyway, we need to change locations! Those women are frozen in fear! They can’t even move because of Regulus!”

‘Got it. Let’s give it a try.’

As Reinhardt’s tone lowered, he leaped toward Regulus.

Regulus, standing back up, kicked the ground and kicked up pieces of wood and grains of sand. However, Reinhardt closed in, avoiding these movements with minimal energy, brandishing Emilia’s preserved ice sword and launching Regulus’s body upward.

The howling scream of the malevolent man harmonized with the snapping sound of the shattering ice sword.

“Subaru! Wait! What are you planning to do?!”

“I’m going to lure that bastard up… Whoa, Emilia-tan, that’s bold!”

“Because this dress, while cute, is hard to move in…”

Ahead of Subaru’s gaze, Emilia stood with her bridal dress, now ripped to allow for easier movement. In return, her long white legs were exposed to a rather scandalous degree.

“Details aside, what do you want Reinhardt to do?!”

“This is one of the plans I thought of before we got here. I still can’t tell how that bastard’s abilities work. So… I’m going to eliminate all conceivable possibilities one at a time.”

Saying that, Subaru just nodded at Emilia before grabbing Reinhardt’s beloved sword, then he made his way alongside Emilia chasing after Reinhardt’s battlefield.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“Ha! This little pest—!!”

Shouting in anger, Regulus swung his arm.

His target was Reinhardt, who was bouncing zigzag into the air, using stones scattered on the ground.

Considering gravel typically offers only the worth of a mere nuisance at best, it could be viewed as disgraceful to use such tactics in a duel—yet, in Regulus’s case, that singularly cowardly approach carried explosive power.

The fragments of gravel shattered the night cityscape, rampaging and demolishing its surrounding structures.

“——Tch!”

Facing the onslaught of gravel, Reinhardt took exaggerated evasion actions.

Lowering himself near the ground, he sharpened all senses while having an exhilarating speed. Surprisingly enough, despite his clumsy appearance, his movement was too fast for ordinary human eyes to follow.

Thus, Regulus, aiming haphazardly, could only strike at shadows.

“You! Where do you think you’re going, you little pest!?”

His missed threat caused Regulus to lash out randomly in every direction.

Subaru could feel the electric tension in the air, the prickling sensation warning him of impending danger—the innate survival instincts inherent in living beings flashed alerts regarding their foes hovering nearby.

It didn’t matter if he felt actual menace from the threat. If one were alive, they’d invariably possess that instinct. Regulus too could feel the cries echoing from his nerves.

――However, the ominous dread was coming from the forth direction, which amplified the mystery.

“What the hell are you!?”

“I’m a knight serving Candidate of the Royal Selection, Felt. I hope you’ll be favoring Lady Felt!”

“――!?”

A calm voice emerged that felt almost mockingly composed in the chaos they were enveloped in.

An undeniable thud and impact reverberated onto Regulus’s head as the sound of hard metal crashing into him rang out. In an instant, his head spun due to the brutal surprise.

Subconsciously, Regulus glared at Reinhardt.

“This—how could you be so concerned!?”

The clashing between the Sword Saint and the greedy could clearly be seen by all present—they were certainly not equally matched.

Reinhardt revealed a strength starkly incomprehensible and unfathomable to anyone witnessing, even managing to toy with the Archbishop of Sin, leaving everyone in awe. And yet, it didn’t stop there.

“Don’t you see the winning hand’s already been dealt? For someone who can only serve themselves at the expense of others, how far could that type of strength possibly lead you? You’re just a pitiful creature who built your happiness on the corpses of others! No matter how many lives you’ve trampled underfoot, for those destroyed, none of that matters. The sinner deserves to die right here for attempting to grasp that which isn’t theirs.”

“Honestly, talking to you is like looking in a mirror. Subaru said not to pay much mind to your words; is that the reason why?”

“By the way… it seems you were the one there earlier who stole my bride—this rapist, the bastard… while I can dismiss the sellout, you can’t be allowed to live either. Someone like you who comes along stealing things from others, deserves some appropriate punishment—”

Before he could complete his words, the world around Regulus flipped upside down.

In an instant, Reinhardt, who had approached in a mere heartbeat, gripped Regulus’s left ankle and swung him around. In a dizzying whirl, Regulus was slammed against a wall where dust and debris erupted and crumbled.

“I figured touching you directly was a dangerous gamble, but I’ll just go all out on this.”

“What!? Are you saying it’s acceptable if it’s about a friend? You’re sounding more like a hypocrite now—why would someone like you even have friends, regardless? No one could form bonds with someone called a rapist—”

“Forget it; I’m done playing nice. Listening to your nonsense is unbearable. Especially when it comes to disparaging friends.”

A gust of wind roared around the two, while an accelerating sense of weightlessness swallowed them.

Before they realized it, they floated beneath the night sky, right beside the shining full moon. Reaching out, they could almost touch its gentle glow, but as Regulus lick the moonlight he clicked his tongue in irritation.

“This isn’t about fists and the like. Hitting from a height, as if that were enough to clinch victory—do you think I’m that foolish?”

“If power could settle it, I could take you down by diving into the ground like a quake—but that’s not what I want. It must be fun.”

“What’re you trying to-”

Embracing empty air in their grasp, Reinhardt expertly turned the tables as he plummeted. Regulus remained held fast, spinning through the air from momentum, realizing he had been lifted above in a shocking display.

“No way…”

“So! For the record, this should be your introduction. I wish you may come away from here having enjoyed my visit!”

Reinhardt’s sarcasm was unusual, but Regulus was left with no capacity to process it.

The body grabbed in Reinhardt’s grip was hurled directly downward with surprising force. Spiraling downward from the incredible inertia, Regulus’s body landed like a cannonball, carrying the full weight of gravity—plummeting towards the shallow waters below.

“I could care less about liquid restraint…!”

Spinning out of control, Regulus thrust his arms out to prepare for impact. Reinhardt, defenseless,moved to land in the same spot as Regulus.

Perhaps Regulus could have retaliated in that moment to shatter that confident smile.

Yet, that thought drifted as—

“—Emilia! Hit him!”

“Uru-Huma—!”

Just as the unwelcome sounds reached them, and a couple of irritating pairs caught their eye.

One black-haired boy pointed towards them, and the silver-haired girl quietly recited an incantation.

The next moment, sharp ice pillars shot forth from the center of the demise, their tumultuous impacts seeking Regulus’s moving frame.

Ice spikes succeeded in capturing Regulus’ limbs, hindering the flaps of his tuxedo, and a final pierce struck dead center on his back, freezing his body solid.

Five ice shafts had ensnared Regulus’s hands and feet, ultimately freezing him solid, which sent him rebounding into the waterway. Further, the icy grasp expanded, freezing the flowing water’s current around his landing point—creating an icy tomb that filled the waterway.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“――The Pool-Water Drop operation, a.k.a Plan I, has been a complete success.”

“Let’s hope this yields some effect.”

Watching the frozen waterway, Subaru paced near Reinhardt who was basking in moonlight while landing.

Once Regulus had been tossed, it didn’t quite seem to create a descent that could dodge what fell into the depths. Yet it wouldn’t be appropriate to nitpick now.

The very notion of taking off into the air—Reinhardt’s capabilities were a musing, unsurprising as always.

“I trapped him, dropping him into the water and freezing him in place. It should be impossible for him to swim back up from here, right?”

On Reinhardt’s opposing side, her expression was one of worry, seeing the figure of Regulus seated upon the floating ice.

Subaru sought to freeze Regulus’s body—no holds barred, arching ice pillars pierced both his limbs and torso inches from his flesh, poised to deliver mortal blows to those crucial targets.

However, at the point of impact, the ice pillars hadn’t yet penetrated Regulus as he fell into the water; and much like earlier in the church, all they did was awaken his surface.

It uncovered the unsettling reality—nothing magical nor physical was effective against Regulus.

It achieved no result, just as swords and whips had previously been ineffective—their intents met an invulnerable wall.

“When he nullified the flames of wrath, I had a hunch… In which respect, the basic principle of his invincibility doesn’t seem to be specialized in either physical or magical countering.”

“So the things I wanted to verify via Plan I have been confirmed to an extent?”

“We’ll need to get a little closer to ascertain…!?”

In response to Reinhardt’s words, the water surface below appeared to shift.

The cracked, fissured waters caused whirlpools to emerge elsewhere. The swirling center grew stronger, pulling the ice that Regulus stood upon towards it.

“Water Dragon—!”

From the center of the whirlpool, a dragon lunged forth, bearing its fangs aimed squarely at Regulus on the ice.

A water dragon that swam freely through the channels of the city, was meant to be tamed; it had been trained not to pounce on people. And yet, the dragon now closed its jaws around Regulus’s relatively slender waist in a fierce gauntlet.

Or perhaps that dragon, too, had been somewhat affected by his flames of wrath. An event that was usually impossible; however, its jaws never closed.

“——”

Subaru choked at the horrific scene unfolding.

How could he even articulate the events as they transpired?

――The moment the water dragon latched onto Regulus, its jaws turned askew.

Almost as if it engaged in a game of stacking daruma dolls, the dragon’s lower jaw pulled away.

With its momentum driving it toward Regulus, it slid across his form without adjusting as the upper and lower jaws misaligned, splitting furiously apart.

The water dragon, bifurcated in two from its jaw, dissolved, spilling its crimson across the water.

Moments later, only the remnants of the bloodied and insides-laden carcass of the dragon surfaced, presenting a wholly shocking slaughter.

“Emilia! Could you create a spear? If possible.”

“…Eh?”

“A spear. Can you conjure an ice spear?”

As Emilia stared blankly, her mind scrambled to catch what Reinhardt had murmured. Regaining her senses, she hurriedly concentrated her mana.

After a few failed attempts, Emilia fashioned an ice spear and brought it to Reinhardt. Testing the weight and feeling of the ice spear, Reinhardt then said,

“Excuse me.”

Withdrawing the ice spear, he tossed it towards Regulus.

The spear launched directly toward Regulus—yet the tip was not directed at him. It was propelled sideways, colliding with him head-on across the base of the weapon.

And indeed, that spear hit Regulus from the bottom half, shattering and dropping into the waterway.

“What was the purpose of that…?”

“Wait… so that’s what you’re getting at, Reinhardt.”

Witnessing the results of the broken spear, Emilia tilted her head. Next to her, Subaru recognized the massive significance of Reinhardt’s actions and trembled at the implications.

As Subaru appeared to grasp Reinhardt’s intention, Reinhardt took a step back.

“Did you see what happened at the point of the spear that struck him?”

“It shattered, right? Ice spears don’t bend like real ones, and it crumbled so hitting with that much force would inevitably cause it to break…”

“No, the spear didn’t break. It passed through where it struck him. It cleaved apart there. Instead of having fragmented into two, it became three.”

Reinhardt explained, delivering the answer to what happened to the spear and the water dragon.

Both objects that struck Regulus had been unable to pass through his form, leaving the points of impact abandoned. In that way, if this were just a wall, the portion hit should either rebound or shatter; but none of that happened.

Regulus’s body manifested a complete rejection of anything that made contact.

“――By being overly lenient and nurturing, this is what your negligence yields.”

As the three of them came to a shared understanding, Regulus broke occasionally into listless mutterings.

His calmly spoken voice sounded gently soft, betraying a sinister intent within the suggestion. Subaru felt an unprecedented shiver run down his spine.

“You really don’t get it; you really, really don’t get it. This is futile. No matter what you do, you have no chance of winning. You can’t reach me. No matter how much you struggle, it’s meaningless. Why can’t you even grasp that? I’ve shown and told you what I could, and you still can’t understand…”

Continuously mumbling to himself, Regulus leaped from atop the ice. He lacked the power, sending himself into the water, vanishing for a moment. But in an instant, he resurfaced, pulling himself onto the street and glaring back at them.

“——My body is not soaked. I’m breathless. No shards of ice cling to me, nor is there even a trace of blood. My clothing remains wholly intact. Not a single droplet of water is present.”

Observing Regulus staring over at them, Reinhardt swiftly communicated with Subaru.

Setting his eyes on the unsettling figure before him, Subaru had to forcefully suppress his astonishment while nodding in recognition. It seemed he had, in fact, gleaned all the elements of the work he aimed to inspect in Plan I.

However, what he desired—the result was an absolute zero, resulting in nothing less than the worst of assumptions.

“Subaru, hand me my sword.”

“Right on it…”

Complying with Reinhardt’s request, Subaru delivered the sword he had been holding onto the whole time for Reinhardt. As he tested the hilt, Emilia hesitantly inquired.

“Can you even draw that sword?”

“No, the hilt’s stiff. Seems like he isn’t planning to indulge me… however, I suspect this weapon might be crucial for facing him.”

“Facing off with a sword you can’t pull; what’s your plan? To use the sheath to knock him out?”

“Not quite. However, it’s not far off.”

Reinhardt said in a chummy tone, inching closer to Regulus while shielding Subaru and Emilia.

“Subaru, I’ll continue buying time for you. Keep unraveling the mechanics behind his powers.”

“This just upped the difficulty, but I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll do my best too!”

“Well then, I’ll do my best as well. Here I go!”

Declaring so, Reinhardt lunged forth.

In contrast, Regulus awaited with a calm demeanor, preparing to confront him.

“Didn’t you notice? What happened to that lizard? And what about that spear attack? Aren’t you imaginatively lacking if you think that will finish me?”

“They say you can’t see the forest for the trees; that was a warning from my master.”

“Is that so?”

In response to Regulus’s humdrum sigh, Reinhardt’s strike collided with his form.

The sounds echoed—flesh and bone, alongside something even more solid crashed together, as Subaru instinctually swallowed hard. Reinhardt had swung his blade, slamming Regulus with the hilt of his weapon.

“——Well, it doesn’t seem that mindless.”

The sound of impact resonated, signaling a different outcome from the results against the water dragon and the ice spear. At the very least, Reinhardt’s blade had remained intact despite colliding with Regulus.

Yet still, Regulus appeared undamaged by the clash. Previously, even when Reinhardt’s attacks yielded no visible wounds, Regulus reacted in a way that suggested he was affected by them at any rate; this time, however, the reaction didn’t seem to happen.

“You are certainly free to show off. It seems I am the second to make you draw the Blade of Dragons, Raid.”

“That just sounds like mockery; don’t you think you’ve belittled me enough? Using the sword in that way isn’t proper; casting your scornful gaze and the contempt in your voice are obvious to anyone who can read the room.”

“That was far too much violation.”

While Regulus remarked as angrily, Reinhardt boldly leaned into fierce close-quarters combat.

He ducked beneath the outstretched fingers of the ominous figure, with even faster movements deployed by Reinhardt enabling him to evade.

But suddenly, Reinhardt abruptly halted. No, it was as if he had been stopped.

With a shift in balance, a knee buckled as Reinhardt collapsed onto one knee.

Regulus’s leg exploded, trailing a stream of blood down Reinhardt’s limb.

“Did you get hit!? What was it!?”

Subaru exclaimed while Reinhardt furrowed his brow in pain and confusion.

Both Subaru and Reinhardt—one from a distance, the other from experience—could not immediately comprehend what was happening next. The answer came from Regulus, who was ready to taunt him.

“With those monstrous eyes and movements, you evaded the sand and the splash of the water well enough. But tell me, wouldn’t you think it wise to mind your breath? You sighed a moment ago, didn’t you?”

“Was that… something so meticulous?”

As Reinhardt crouched, Regulus’s unrelenting kick bore down on him.

Should he have taken the hit, the sheer force from it could likely tear Reinhardt’s body in half. Before that impact, Reinhardt found himself without any defensive measures.

Reacting immediately, Reinhardt raised the sword in his hands to guard against the blow with the dark, protective sheath—and it shook immensely.

“Guh…!”

“What an annoying sheath you have there. I simply do not understand why someone would even bother carrying around a weapon mismatched for their own size.”

Defensive maneuver unsuccessful, Reinhardt’s entire frame was launched back like a rubber ball propelled by the kick.

The kick that had failed to tame Reinhardt’s momentum sent him crashing down the street, rolling toward buildings and thoroughly dismantling everything before him.

At just that moment, the impact propelled Reinhardt’s body beyond what he could comprehend.

“Now then.”

“———!”

As he gazed after Reinhardt’s spinning form, Regulus called out once more in delight, his attention snapping back to Subaru and Emilia.

“So what’s the status of this situation? I could have sworn I told you to tread lightly, given what you’ve got yourself into. Should you end up trying to escape, perhaps I’ll overlook it.”

There, Regulus reached into the body of water, catching sight of the decapitated dragon that had succumbed mid-fight.

With a mischievous grin on his face, he seized the tail of the water dragon’s half-corpse and turned back towards them, grinning.

“By the way, Subaru… I have an exceedingly ominous feeling about this.”

“We’re on the same wavelength. Truthfully, I feel the same.”

It was unclear precisely what Regulus intended to do, but it was obvious that neither of these actions would yield pleasant outcomes or consequences.

Thus, Subaru and Emilia quickened their pace.

During that moment, Regulus looked upward, giggling mischievously as he lunged once more. He landed atop a nearby building and hopped upon the rooftops, scaling even higher while ultimately descending upon a tower-like structure.

They were distanced enough that they each looked like mere dots in comparison.

Though they’d stepped back considerably, Subaru could still make out Regulus’s visage.

――It was the twisted laugh of the malevolent figure as he gleamed with malicious glee.

“Now, if you’re capable, catch this and try to avoid it! Here’s the gift I offer you both—a rain of blood sent to the tarnished bride and the sick man who harbors her!”

Raising both arms gripped tightly around the dragon’s remains, he mercilessly twisted them.

Shredding the dragon’s flesh with audible sounds, its blood spilled out copiously, and Regulus spun the sanguine remnants in a splendid display above him.

The torrent of the dragon’s blood rained down as if wielding reality-shattering malevolence.

The downpour was so fierce that it leapt across the distance spanning between them, hurtling toward Subaru and Emilia.

“——Subaru!!”

“Run, run, run, run, run—!!”

The blood rain wreaked havoc and destruction upon the city, the indiscriminate black-and-red downpour chasing after them with ominous intent.