Subaru’s fingers gripped tightly around the slender, white neck.

With all his might, he tightened his grip and felt the creaking of the cervical vertebrae as he had an utterly irrelevant thought—what a thin neck, like that of a girl.

“…A, u”

Pinned down, Ram let out a moan as Subaru strangled her with all his force.

Her delicate features contorted in pain, and he could see drool sliding from the corner of her pink lips. Inside her mouth, her red tongue flickered, flailing her limbs in a desperate attempt to resist.

“――――”

If Ram genuinely resisted, Subaru wouldn’t stand a chance.

In the “Sanctuary,” he had managed to knock down Garfiel in a mere moment, and she was supposed to have at least learned basic self-defense. Naturally, she must have various ways to counteract being overpowered by a man like this.

However, that was all dependent on the fact that at least one of her limbs was free.

“――Invisible Providence”

“…!?”

While tightening his grip, Subaru unleashed the dark emotions swirling inside him.

The shadows invisible to the eye took form, now effectively pinning Ram’s limbs. With her four limbs restrained, Ram couldn’t even fight back effectively. If he continued to exert pressure on her neck, it wouldn’t be long before her breath failed her.

If that happened, Ram would undoubtedly regret her previous harsh words.

Subaru could make her pay with her life for the baseless, selfish comments she made that thoughtlessly hurt his feelings about Rem.

“You’re the one to blame! You! You! You!”

He hated Ram. He hated her. He hated her.

Little grievances piled up, overflowing after a significant trigger.

Hatred charged through his fingertips strangling her neck, sinking his nails into her white skin, causing blood to dribble down.

“Haah…”

Experiencing the warmth of blood on his fingertips, he breathed heavily, as Ram glared at him with eyes full of hatred.

With her life fading away, what was with the intensity in her pale pink eyes, gazing at Subaru as if to say she wouldn’t die just from having her life taken?

After strangling her to death, he would gouge those eyes out. That was his resolution.

“I’ll tear you apart, you damn woman. Thinking that face, so similar to Rem’s, could look at me—it’s sickening.”

“……..”

“Huh? What’s wrong? I can’t hear you. If you have something to say, spit it out clearly—”

“…Ra”

As Subaru’s threat ended, Ram’s voice quietly interjected.

At that moment, while Subaru pinned her down, the sandy earth exploded, and both their bodies were sent flying.

“What, huh!?”

“Guh!?”

Caught off guard by the sudden blast of wind, Subaru was showered in sand, which filled his mouth and stung his eyes. Ram was caught in the explosion just the same, and her small frame took the brunt of the impact, tumbling away from him.

She sustained injuries from the explosion, blood spilling from the sand, dotting the ground.

But the fact remained, Ram had escaped Subaru’s grip. That’s the reality.

“Ram! You used magic, didn’t you…!”

“If I had just a moment to breathe… I could chant now…!”

Kneeling and struggling to rise, Ram gasped out those words, barely able to breathe as she was still being strangled. Despite the pressure around her neck, she managed to barely chant the wind spell, “Hura.” But she had to aim right where she was pinned down.

Resulting in her own explosion, she dragged Subaru into the blast, narrowly escaping herself.

“Tch—!”

“――――”

Before Subaru could fully comprehend that fact, he reached behind his waist and grabbed his whip. At the same time, Ram drew a small staff from her pocket, brimming with battle intent.

Ram might have the upper hand in destructive power as a mage, but when it came to speed, Subaru wouldn’t be left behind. The swift strike of his whip could take down even the most formidable opponents in this world. If he cracked that whip across her smug face, she wouldn’t be able to show her face again.

“Even if you cry and apologize, it’s too late now!”

“That’s my line! A heartless seducer like Balus isn’t worth meeting Rem. You should be sliced up and left to wither in the sand!”

“Keep talking!”

The silent murderous intent flared between Ram and Subaru, each ready to engage. With the faint glow of the fallen lantern illuminating their standoff, they circled each other, glaring.

Just a few seconds before the battle was about to erupt—

“—Alright, that’s enough!”

“—!?”

A loud clap echoed, making both Subaru and Ram’s heads snap up. The interloper, Anastasia, looked down at them from atop her dragon.

Still perched on Patrasche, she eyed both participants who had been ready to kill each other, her expression shifting to one of annoyance.

“That’s enough now. You’re the same team, yet glaring at each other with those scary faces isn’t acceptable. There’s gotta be a limit to that.”

“Limit? Oh, there’s a limit, alright! And it was crossed when she said things that shouldn’t have been said! So now, she’s gonna pay for that!”

“C’mon, no need to get fiery. What do you think, Ram?”

Anastasia pointed at Ram, looking exasperated at Subaru’s outburst. She turned her attention back to Ram, but the pink-haired girl’s response was not far off from Subaru’s.

She aimed her staff at Subaru warily, maintaining a combat stance as she spoke.

“That’s a foolish question. Balus’s attitude is intolerable… I’ve had enough. If you care so much about yourself, I’ll just let you fall into darkness, just like you wished.”

“Wow, how quaint. Shut up and die already.”

“Right back at you. What even are you? You’re so far out of your league here…”

Ram’s unwavering grudge against Subaru only fueled his rage further.

Exchanging sharp glares, Anastasia shrugged, looking defeated. Meanwhile, Subaru’s irritation with Anastasia began to boil over.

Why did she act as if she was just a bystander?

It began with her leading them to the Augria Sand Dunes, igniting the strongest motivation to reach the Watchtower, and yet she was treating them like they were all strangers.

And now, she perched atop Patrasche, looking down at him—

“Hey, you. Why the condescending lecture? Get down!”

“…Ouch, is that how it is?”

“Before you spout off, how about you come down to my level? Then we can talk. If you can’t do that, don’t bother talking down to me!”

With a whip crack, Subaru whipped the air, sending sand flying.

If it hit, it would break skin open, leaving horrific wounds. Even if Anastasia was Echidna inside, injuring her host’s body wasn’t exactly her goal, surely.

Indeed, following Subaru’s words, Anastasia hesitantly dismounted from Patrasche. As she landed cautiously in the sand, she tilted her head and asked, “So?”

“Of course, I’m gonna make that idiot take back what she just said. If she’s not gonna apologize, then there’s only one thing left to do.”

If Ram sincerely and genuinely apologized and retracted all her words, Subaru might consider being lenient.

But Ram’s reaction to that was unmistakably clear.

“Well, you’re saying that, but what about you, Ram?”

“Honestly, I don’t see anything that I need to retract. It’s such a perfect conclusion that it’s hardly even a discussion.”

She snorted, dismissing Subaru with utter contempt.

That was her answer. Thus, the opportunity for forgiveness was permanently lost.

“Did you hear that? Stand back. That face, the only one of its kind in this world—I’ll ensure it stays that way.”

“――――”

“Ah, hey? Cat got your tongue?”

“This is just a thought, but talking to an idiot makes the idiot contagious. So I’m not gonna talk.”

Veins throbbed in Subaru’s forehead, and his patience was wearing thin.

As he charged straight at Ram, eager to tear her apart, Anastasia jumped in front of him, arms outstretched.

“Easy there! Calm down! It’s too early to reach a conclusion!”

“Get out of my way! Should I take you down first!?”

“Just let me handle this, okay? Now, Ram…”

As Subaru readied himself to step forward, Anastasia blocked him and walked toward Ram. The silent Ram continued glaring at Subaru, reluctantly shifting next to Anastasia.

However, it was hard to believe she would change her mind. In fact, Ram looked like she had no intention of doing so, just fulfilling a formality to be near Anastasia.

“Well, Ram, I know the atmosphere’s tense and everyone’s on edge, but…”

“That’s beside the point right now. More importantly, that idiot—”

“—Yeah, let’s drop it, shall we?”

Ram tried to dismiss the conversation with a frown, finally turning to face Anastasia directly.

The trigger was shocking. The impact hit Ram’s left chest — it was caused by the thick, brutal knife in Anastasia’s hand.

“Ah, ku…?”

“Based on who’s more useful, I made my choice. Just bear with it, okay?”

With a twist, the knife was yanked out, leaving a vivid display of skill.

Ram gazed down at the mortal wound on her left chest, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. Then she looked up at Anastasia, who was smiling with a casual wave, before collapsing.

Ram’s body fell lifelessly into the sand, her blood soaking into the dry earth.

“Huh…?”

Subaru could only watch helplessly.

His hands, gripping the whip, trembled from rage, his teeth grinding in anger.

“Why the hell…!? ”

“If you keep dragging your feet, it would’ve turned into a killing match, right? If both of you got hurt or even died, how would I get out of here by myself?”

Anastasia tilted her head innocently as she answered Subaru’s rage.

That made sense, but what about the raging emotions in Subaru? The impulses he’d directed toward Ram were still misdirected, not yet released.

“Or are you suggesting I should take it out on you?”

“――――”

“Isn’t it absurd to lose sight of your purpose over petty anger? Let’s not reduce our numbers this time just for something trivial.”

Anastasia’s words slowly doused Subaru’s rage, much like cold water calming a fire.

She was right; it was foolish to lose focus now. Besides, Anastasia, or Echidna, was meant to guide them to the Pleiades Watchtower. While her knowledge was questionable, it would be a shame to waste.

Unlike Ram, who only spouted irritating comments and was of no practical help, Anastasia was a valuable asset.

“…Fine, I’ll play along with what you say for now.”

“Good, that’s great. I’m relieved.”

Feigning oblivion, Anastasia patted her chest, wearing a radiant smile. She then precariously approached Subaru, extending her hand.

A handshake, perhaps?

“Let’s shake on it as a truce and continue from here.”

“――――”

Looking down at the innocently extended hand, Subaru pondered for a moment.

Anastasia’s true intentions—though it came from Echidna’s heart, he couldn’t fathom what she was plotting. Subaru wasn’t so naïve or optimistic to believe everything she said was genuine.

She had just killed Ram with a concealed knife.

Indeed, a knife that could easily cut to the bone.

That was something he had packed along with his survival supplies, so it was practical. However, Anastasia had kept it hidden and only used it when needed. Nay, it may not have even been self-defense.

“Hey, Natsuki-kun?”

“――――”

“Why don’t you take my hand?”

The offered right hand was empty, but the left still clutched the knife. The range at which they could shake hands was also the distance where that knife could reach.

If he took her hand, at least one of his would be ineffective. It didn’t take a detective to figure out that, at this range, the knife had the advantage over the whip.

Shouldn’t one kill before being killed?

“Is that so, Natsuki-kun?”

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

Subaru smiled faintly and reached for Anastasia’s right hand.

The moment they gripped hands, the perfect opening would arrive.

“—Invisible Providence.”

The “Invisible Hand” quietly activated once more, black magical claws slowly zeroing in on Anastasia’s slender neck.

He wouldn’t make the mistake he did with Ram this time. This time, he would mercilessly crush her throat with his dark hand.

He would show the woman who thought herself superior just because she had the knife.

But then, she would never see this hand coming—

“――――”

And so, Subaru gripped Anastasia’s outstretched hand, feeling the delicate touch of her fingers, her smile growing wider.

At the same time, a sinister grin crept across Subaru’s face.

“Well then…”

Here it was, he was certain.

Before Anastasia could say anything or swing the knife toward him, he would activate the powers of the shadowed grasp. Her slender neck would be seized by the black fingers, and in an instant, her vertebrae would shatter—

Just before that moment, a gust of wind slashed through and cleaved Anastasia’s torso in half from behind.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

It felt like a gust of wind had passed by—it was the moment of realization.

Before his eyes, a spray of red erupted as Anastasia blurted out a startled “Eh?” Her body split cleanly at the middle.

Pools of blood splattered onto the white sand, where the cold air was mixed with steam from heated guts and waste, creating a putrid odor that filled the hollow grounds.

Pink intestines and other internal organs rolled across the sand, turning it into a grotesque exhibition of a young girl’s innards.

“—Ah?”

Seeing that sight, Subaru looked down at his hands.

There dangled Anastasia’s body, bloodied and only holding onto him with her upper half, her wide-open eyes gazing blankly at Subaru.

Behind her lay the lower half of her body, severed at the waist, twitching like a doll, the muscle spasms resulting in a stream of bodily fluid soaking the ground.

“Ah, ahhh—!?”

Witnessing Anastasia’s grotesque state, Subaru’s throat let out a scream.

Just as he tried to pry himself free from her grip, the strength in her grip was unreal. Struggling was futile; Subaru could only swing her half-destroyed form as blood spewed from the wound, with the intestines connecting them swaying erratically, spraying the area around him.

“Let go! Let go!”

“No! I don’t wanna die…!”

“You’re already dead! There’s no saving you now!?”

The brutal clarity of life and death rose up in Subaru, screaming back to her.

Her body had been separated into halves, blood and guts pouring out. It was impossible she wouldn’t have died. It was absurd that she was still gripping him as well. Everything felt wrong.

“Let go! Let go! Let go! Let go! Let go!”

“No! No! Don’t leave me…!”

“Now you tell me!? Guh!?”

Anastasia clung on as Subaru attempted to toss her aside, biting into his shoulder, twisting with a knife still grasped in her left hand, desperately trying to keep him from escaping.

The sharp blade pierced through his left shoulder, cracking down to the collarbone, the burning pain screaming through Subaru’s body.

“Gahhhh—!? You idiot, just die already!!”

“D-don’t…!”

Roughly grabbing Anastasia’s face, Subaru wrenched her off him. He barely managed to throw her away, her voice rising in tears as she stumbled back.

Given her petite frame, she felt impossibly light as her body was reduced, rolling onto the pool of blood he had created.

“Hah, hah, haah…!”

Ignoring that, Subaru pressed a hand to his pierced shoulder. The anguish blurred his vision, and blood loss quickened his heartbeat. Yet it wasn’t a life-threatening injury.

As he was overtaken with nausea, the realization of something from earlier struck him.

That strike that had killed Anastasia—

“—Balus!”

“Ku, gah!”

As he sat down in the sand, gasping in pain, a shadow loomed over him.

In the meager light from the lantern half-buried in the sand, a slender girl stained with blood stood before him—Ram.

Thought dead after being stabbed by Anastasia, she was still alive. And with that will, she had enacted the spell that killed Anastasia.

“…You idiot. If you’re gonna die, die alone.”

Looking up at the staggering Ram, Subaru spat out in irritation.

Ram wasn’t just bruised; she was a complete mess. The stab wound from Anastasia was undeniably fatal. Blood continued to pour from her chest, staining the hem of her skirt. She would soon succumb from blood loss.

But before that, she could at least take Subaru down with her.

“Damn it…”

Subaru looked around for his whip, seeking his weapon. But even if he found it, his right arm was injured at the shoulder. His left hand couldn’t handle it like his dominant hand could.

Then there was nothing left but this.

“Invisible Provi—…!?”

Having already relied on this trump card far too many times in such a short span.

Just as he attempted to unleash the invisible black hand again, a burning pain seared through his brain, erupting in a torture akin to a drill boring into his skull.

“Gah!? Aah!? Gwaah!?”

Cascading waves of pain forced vomit from his mouth.

It was perhaps the cost of trying to exceed the limits of his trump card, fracturing his consciousness among the hellish banquet within his skull. The pain radiated through his right shoulder, making it seem trivial.

Searing through his skull and brain, the feeling of his soul being maimed sealed off Subaru’s awareness.

Not even curling his whip in resistance, Subaru writhed in agony on the ground, a prime target.

Ram, on the brink of death, just fuelled solely by her hatred, moved her bloodied staff slowly toward Subaru.

“Fuh…”

“Ahh! Gyaaa!?”

Clutching his head, Subaru rolled around in the pool of Anastasia’s blood.

Looking down at him, Ram’s lips quivered as she began to chant.

And that chant was—

“Ra—”

“――――”

The chant completed, a blade of wind unleashed that cut through Subaru.

Just before that happened, a sound echoed inside the cold sandy hollow, like something solid being crushed.

That grating sound continued—a mix of splatters and meat being shredded.

“Ah…ah?”

Death, dismemberment; he had been certain of his fate.

But the inevitable end that should have come didn’t arrive. Gradually, the heavy breathing, which had earlier dragged him down, began to lighten from his head.

“Ah, ha, ah?”

Covering his face with his left hand, Subaru shook his sweaty head violently. A dull pain lingered, but the sharp, knife-like pangs had faded. He gasped for air and struggled to sit up.

Though it took forever just to get his upper body up, Subaru wiped the wetness from his cheeks.

His palm stained deeply red, he realized through his eyes—he had been shedding blood tears.

Blood streamed from his nose too, and the lower half of his face was probably a mess. A pain akin to a drill stabbed into his brain was surely the price of using the “Invisible Hand.”

That was the common story—feedback from an extraordinary ability.

“What…?”

Wiping his face roughly with his sleeve, Subaru looked around.

He had no clue how long he had been writhing in agony. But it was hard to believe he had the time to suffer.

Something had happened, and by it—he was—

“Patrasche?”

“――――”

Next to the stunned Subaru, the black Earth Dragon had come close.

Squatting in the sand, Patrasche turned towards Subaru, shaking its long tail slightly, signaling its survival.

“You’re okay? Uh…?”

Suddenly, the events replayed in his mind.

Anastasia being cleaved in two, and Ram targeting him with that cold gaze.

It seemed certain he would have ended up cut to pieces by Ram.

“Yet…why is Ram…?”

Had she collapsed from exhaustion?

It was a ridiculously convenient turn of events, but Ram too had suffered a mortal wound. It wouldn’t be strange if she had succumbed.

“Am I lucky, or is it bad luck…?”

Having nearly died, saying he was lucky felt far-fetched. But considering that he could’ve been dead by now, he couldn’t exactly claim he was unlucky either.

In any case, there was no time to reflect on such things. If the obstacles were gone, he had to escape this place and head for the Watchtower.

“Patrasche… Sorry, let me ride you.”

“――――”

“Patrasche?”

When he called out and touched its back, the Earth Dragon didn’t respond.

In fact, Patrasche remained crouched, never once turning to face Subaru. It merely settled its great bulk into the sand and continued breathing in a heavy manner beside him.

“Hey, Patrasche. Can you hear me? Hey!”

Gradually, irritation boiled within him.

It was similar to what he felt toward Ram and Anastasia—an unexplainable spiral of negative emotions piling up at an alarming speed.

He felt the urge to lecture the Earth Dragon on its position.

“Hey, Patrasche, turn this way! Hey!”

“――――”

“This jerk, doesn’t listen to a word from the start…”

Roughly slapping its back, as Subaru raised his voice, Patrasche finally lifted its head. In that moment, Subaru noticed something red, like a flag signaling something wasn’t right.

Patrasche’s mouth, dyed in blood, stood out alarmingly.

“――――”

That crimson was a shade familiar to him in this brief time.

It stained Subaru’s own body in patches, still dribbling down from his shoulder. The rancid smell in the vicinity was unmistakable filth, the telltale sign of something that should not exist.

But he didn’t want to accept it, nor should he have.

“――――”

Patrasche’s mouth turned towards him, exhibiting countless strands of “pink hair” caught between its teeth.

“Hi—”

Behind the massive body of Patrasche, Ram lay lost to sight.

Her body, unmoving, made it impossible to tell if she was facedown or on her back. One only needed to check her head, but the results would be gruesome enough that he preferred not to look.

Her skull, crushed apart by wicked fangs, had robbed Ram of her identity. Like Anastasia, she had spilled her insides.

And the creature who had done that to her now stared at Subaru.

Those reptilian yellow eyes were sharp, glinting maniacally.

“—Stop…”

The last sight he saw was the gaping maw of the dragon before him.

In the moments before consciousness slipped away, Natsuki Subaru heard the sound of his own body being crushed. The crushing of his skull, the silence that followed, yet still echoing through his senses.

Where he heard those sounds was bewildering, almost funny, but with no mouth left to laugh, and not a single moment to spare—it was simply hopeless.

He had been crushed to death by his companion.