――Think.

Think, think, think, think. I must think.

“――――”

Hugging the hard, rough scales with my whole body, Natsuki Subaru thinks.

What is happening to him, what is about to occur inside the tower, the people trying to kill him, the people trying to kill someone else, the distinction between enemies and allies――.

“Subaru, that’s enough, okay? Have you calmed down yet?”

“――――”

Suddenly, a voice called from the back of Subaru’s tangled thoughts, and he sluggishly turned around. There sat Beatrice on a bed of vines.

The girl, her face showing displeasure, glared at Subaru while holding Emilia’s hand, her legs swinging back and forth. That gaze made Subaru’s cheeks tighten slightly.

As if he were directed a fraction of negative emotion—

“Hey, Beatrice. Don’t say it like that. Subaru was surprised to wake up and hug a girl, it’s only natural.”

However, Emilia, smiling, denied Subaru’s misguided thoughts. On hearing her, Beatrice turned her face away, saying,

“It’s not that I’m angry. I’m just a little dissatisfied. Betty and Emilia were worried about Subaru too, and it’s not like that earth dragon is special or anything.”

“Fufu, that’s right. You did make us worry, though.”

As Emilia gently patted the head of the averted Beatrice, she looked to Subaru with lowered eyebrows. Seeing the sparkle in her deep purple eyes, Subaru’s breath caught.

A profound gaze full of affection made his chest ache. At the same time, a strange sense of impatience welled up.

He remembered. He was wanted here as “Natsuki Subaru.”

And he became anxious that he could not bear that weight.

But, however――,

“Uh, sorry for making you worry. I’m sorry, really sorry. Honestly, me hugging a girl right after waking up isn’t my character, so consider it a form of embarrassment.”

Softening his stiff cheeks, Subaru answered with a relaxed smile. In response, Emilia and Beatrice exchanged glances.

“But Patrasche is a girl too, you know?”

“Wha!? No, you see, Patrasche is a special case, I mean, it’s a bond different from being that kind of target, or like a seed entry qualifying for the second round without conditions.”

“Hm, that’s something I can’t ignore. I can’t accept that just that earth dragon is treated specially. Should I demand an explanation on this?”

“Don’t put us on the same level! I mean, that earth dragon…!”

Beatrice began to show an increasingly dissatisfied face, while Subaru carefully observed the reactions of both of them.

It seemed they didn’t feel any major discomfort with that exchange.

Feeling relieved by that, Subaru turned to the lizard――no, to the earth dragon Patrasche, who continued to rub at his neck.

“Really, you’re the only special case, huh, Patrasche?”

“――――”

A small sound came from the black earth dragon as he closed his eyes, and Subaru pressed his forehead against Patrasche’s head.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“Hey, Subaru, are you really feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, totally fine, no problems at all. Sorry for making you worry. I think I was just a bit tired. Falling asleep is a pretty common thing for me.”

“I see… But if you’re tired, just tell me, alright? Don’t push yourself.”

As Subaru answered cheerfully while lightly moving his arms and legs, Emilia pressed him on that point. To that, he responded playfully, saying, “Understood, Commander,” while his thoughts turned fully active.

Now, Subaru was walking with Emilia and Beatrice on the fourth floor of the tower.

Their destination was the large hall on the fourth floor, and their purpose was to eat―― which means, the three of them were walking without any urgent matters at hand.

This time, Subaru was deliberately trying to act differently than he did in previous times.

Namely―― he hadn’t revealed to Emilia and the others that he had amnesia.

“――――”

In other words, it was akin to impersonating someone else.

Licking his dry lips from growing tension, Subaru closely observed the emotions of Emilia and the others.

He still hadn’t fully grasped what the “Natsuki Subaru” was like to them. In such a state, it would be impossible to trace someone else, but if the condition of “impersonating myself” held, then the narrative would be different.

――No matter how far one goes, “Natsuki Subaru” could only be “Natsuki Subaru.”

Even if he spent a year in another world, the essence of that humanity wouldn’t change. Therefore, as long as he was careful of the relationships, he should be able to trace the same figure effectively.

And while tracing “Natsuki Subaru,” he would discern what would happen.

What would occur in this tower, who would kill Subaru, and who would be killed by whom.

For now, by concealing the fact of his “amnesia,” Subaru tested the potential trigger that could lead him to “death.” Namely, whether enemies aimed to kill Subaru because he had amnesia or it didn’t matter at all.

That said, to be honest, he wasn’t very hopeful about it. The existence or lack of Subaru’s memory―― wouldn’t hinder him, but it was hard to imagine a situation where not having it would be problematic.

However, there were some exceptions.

“What if the culprit is someone who would be troubled if my memory returned?”

That’s something he remembered from a movie he had seen once.

The eyewitness to a murder loses their memory due to some shock. The culprit, worried they were seen, then tries to kill the eyewitness.

Such a situation happening to Subaru was plausible. After all, the circumstances of how Subaru lost his memory remained unclear――,

“Emilia, I passed out in the library on the third floor, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. You were lying on the library floor… Beatrice and I hurriedly carried you to the green room.”

“Well, since Emilia so easily helped carry Subaru, Betty was just cheering from the back.”

With a sigh, Beatrice supplemented, to which Subaru glanced at Emilia’s slender arms.

As he thought about it, the mystery remained on how those two managed to get Subaru from the library to the green room. Beatrice didn’t seem likely to be of any help in heavy lifting, and believing Emilia could effortlessly carry Subaru based on her previous statement felt dubious.

“――? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing, really. Anyway, thanks for saving me. I’ve said it many times, but I’m sorry.”

“Rather than ‘sorry,’ I’d prefer ‘thank you.’”

As he lowered his head in apology, Emilia pressed her palm against Subaru’s forehead as he tried to bow. Surprised by the smooth touch of her fingers, Subaru managed to respond, “That might be true.”

He had thought this before, but Emilia’s sense of distance was a little too stimulating for Subaru. She came close and touched him rather casually.

When he thought back to when he initially awoke, he had put both hands around her neck. Even so, she had simply looked at him with a blank and calm expression.

“What kind of life would one have to live here to develop such an intimacy with this girl…?”

Or perhaps, despite her extremely refined appearance, Emilia was just unnaturally familiar. She probably treated everyone kindly and had grown up beloved, having no feelings of distance.

A sheltered daughter who knew no hardship―― if one thought of her this way, then the distance made sense.

If she had never experienced pain or carried any regrets, she could believe in others’ goodwill and maintain those pure eyes. Or perhaps, that too was just a disguise.

“――――”

As he observed Emilia and Beatrice sitting beside him, Subaru sunk deep into contemplation.

If thought of simply, when considering the tragedy of the last tower and Subaru’s demise, the two most suspicious individuals were Emilia and Beatrice.

He had seen the corpses of Shaula, Echidna, Ram, and the bodies of Julius and Meily.

Saved by Patrasche, Subaru was taken outside the leaning tower, where he was beheaded by someone standing behind him, leading to his death. He hadn’t seen the deaths of the two.

Of course, even if the two conspired, it was uncertain if they could kill the remaining five. Subaru believed it was probably difficult.

But what if a third person were to join them――?

“――Next, try and guess, Hero.”

He remembered the voice that had spoken to him at the end.

Amidst turmoil, amidst the maelstrom of confusion, desperately wishing for it all to end, he had heard that voice.

That voice belonged to a third party cooperating with Emilia and Beatrice―― the identity of the invisible third person who had carried him from the library to the green room.

So the two made up such an absurd lie――,

“Ah, Subaru, you’re going a bit too far, aren’t you?”

“Uh, oh?”

Thinking while walking, he seemed to have passed the room they were looking for. Emilia stopped at the door and grabbed Subaru’s shoulder to halt him.

In an instant, Subaru felt an odd sense of discomfort and looked at Emilia’s hand gripping his shoulder. Then, he took her hand and offered a handshake.

“Subaru? What are you doing?”

“No, just a little experiment… Emilia, wanna have an arm wrestle?”

“Eh, I think it’s dangerous so maybe we shouldn’t…”

While Emilia showed no resistance to the handshake, she displayed reluctance toward the arm wrestling. Encouraged by that attitude, Subaru grew more confident and said strongly, “Please.”

If Emilia had no strength to carry Subaru, then his previous speculation would be significantly solidified. And now, Emilia surely wouldn’t think she was being suspected.

This was the only chance to make use of that advantage.

“Please, it’s necessary.”

“…If you’re that serious, it must be important, right?”

Upon Subaru’s plea, Emilia pressed her lips together in thought, then nodded with a determined expression.

Seeing that, Subaru internally clenched his fist, thinking, “I’ve got her.”

All that was left was to prove her lack of strength, and Subaru’s conjecture would advance significantly.

“Then, let’s make it safe and do a tug of war. How does that sound?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“Got it.”

Following Beatrice’s instructions, Subaru and Emilia kept holding hands while separating some distance between them. Clutching each other’s right arms, they both gazed straight into each other’s eyes.

And――,

“Ready, go!”

With Beatrice’s shout, Subaru pulled Emilia’s arm with all his might.

“Whoa-oh-ohhhh――!!”

He poured all of his strength into it: the grip of a person crushing an apple, the continuous swinging of a shinai with no target, and the push-ups he did here and there; all the physical differences between men and women came pouring into this challenge.

――Emilia’s arm didn’t budge in the slightest.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Subaru’s conjecture of doubting Emilia and Beatrice was back to square one.

However, that only confirmed that Emilia could carry Subaru to the green room without needing a third party, and didn’t mean their suspicions had cleared. As always, Subaru hadn’t seen the two’s corpses.

Regarding that tower massacre―― it wasn’t yet determined whether someone else was the culprit.

“Is it that the one who appeared last was the culprit?”

There’s no doubt that this person had killed Subaru.

But were they also responsible for the shadow that swallowed the tower or the massacre that preceded it? The way everyone was killed was different after all. How would that explanation unfold?

The deaths that looked obvious were those of Echidna, who was cut down decisively, Julius, who had overlapping wounds, and Meily, who had bled to death.

There was no doubt everyone had fought someone before they died.

“So what was all that fooling around about?”

Subaru was lost in thought, when a voice, sounding almost incredulous, reached him.

It was Ram, who was preparing breakfast. As she joined them, she served preserved food and water while inquiring about Subaru’s experiment―― the arm wrestling with Emilia.

The arm wrestling as a means of proving his conjectures concluded with Subaru barely losing to Emilia. Ram, who joined just then, provided the cue for that conclusion.

Upon seeing Subaru’s reddened face, she remarked, “Are you an idiot?” and that ended that.

“That was something Subaru asked me to do. I don’t quite understand it, but it must have some super important meaning. Right, Subaru?”

“Is that so? To Ram, it just seemed like you wanted an excuse to hold Emilia-sama’s hand.”

“That’s an overly interpretive viewpoint! How about you take up the challenge and arm wrestle me instead of him?”

“Pervert!”

“Why!?”

Ram bluntly remarked against Subaru, who tried to deny it. When Subaru urged back to clear the misunderstanding, it further worsened his position. Truly a vicious cycle.

“Ha!”

Having laughed that off, Ram redirected her focus back to serving. As Subaru observed her retreating figure, he secretly felt relieved as it seemed he hadn’t given off any signs of estrangement from “Natsuki Subaru” as they knew him.

As he felt that relief, he also found it kind of absurd.

If he didn’t shift his thoughts in another direction just a little――,

“Ugh!”

Subaru choked, resisting the urge to vomit.

The cause was Ram, who was busily working with her back turned to him. Her back seemed to overlap with the sight of that death, clashing with every blink of his eyes.

From the back, a horrifying strike had taken her life.

The rage and regret cemented on her death mask had twisted her lovely expression, etching a mourning that wanted to tear apart everything seen into his soul.

The one whose face bore that mask now moved right before his eyes, alive.

Honestly, when he first encountered her in the hall, he had been desperate to accept the mismatch and discrepancy with reality.

Thanks to having tensed muscles during that arm wrestling with Emilia, he was lucky to come up with an excuse for feeling dizzy and collapsing.

However, he had overlooked seeing Ram’s expression.

“――――”

Gritting his teeth, Subaru made a strong mental effort to stop himself.

From here on, more and more figures associated with the tower would gather in the hall. He couldn’t afford to overlook the expressions of each and every one of them. After all, it just might be the key to solve the situation.

“Wow, it smells great! Luxurious breakfast on a refreshing morning! I totally feel like I’m living for this!”

As if reading his thoughts, the first person to enter the hall hopped in with that loud declaration.

With long black braids swaying, a voluptuous beauty unabashedly revealed herself――none other than Shaula, who now stood in the hall connected at the neck.

She was admiring the food prepared by Ram, but upon noticing Subaru at the back of the room, her expression brightened.

“Master! Good morning! Did you sleep well last night!?”

With a puppy-like energy, she rushed over, grabbing Subaru’s arm and pulling him into a tight hug against her chest.

“Ugh…”

“By the way, I slept super well! It was the first time in ages I even had dreams! It was me, Master, and my mom… and then, and then…!”

“Ah, alright, hold on there, I’ll listen to your dream story later. But, did you notice anything about me this morning?”

“Eh? That’s a pretty vague question! You’re amazing as always, Master!”

Managing to wriggle out of the embrace, Subaru escaped while also asking questions. In response, Shaula smiled innocently, showing no malice.

“To be honest, I didn’t notice anything in particular about Master. Always the same as before, looking as charming as ever! Waiting four hundred years for a proposal!”

“Now that’s a long wait… but joking aside, if there’s nothing to note then that’s good.”

“――? Is that so? Well then, I won’t worry about it~”

With the desired response not forthcoming, Subaru felt a bit disappointed, but more significantly relieved as he shelved his doubts about Shaula.

While he was thinking that, the next suspect, Meily, entered the room.

“Yawwwn… Good morning. I’m still a little sleepy…”

The girl who walked through the entrance placed a hand over her mouth, giving a cute yawn. Even so, she had obviously taken care of grooming enough, showing that her sense of beauty left Subaru in awe.

Unlike Subaru, who was okay with just washing his face and scruffing his hair.

That aside――,

“Good morning, Meily. You were a lazy one this morning, huh?”

“Honestly, if you think about it, I don’t really have to get up to match my elder sisters. This tower isn’t really my concern.”

“Now, that’s quite a nasty thing to say. Haven’t Betty and the others failed their tests to exit the tower? Isn’t your exit tied to theirs, too?”

“Well, that’s true, but… ah…”

As Meily puffed her cheeks at Beatrice’s comment on her yawn, she noticed Subaru and Shaula by the wall and waved at them with a smile.

That made Subaru raise an eyebrow and wave back.

“After all, is it truly excessive to even question a dead child…?”

“Master, when in trouble, return to the basics. First, you should practice your jabs.”

“…What kind of teaching is that?”

“Your teaching, Master.”

“Figured it was useless.”

Hearing Subaru’s muttering, he felt quite nervous as he avoided Shaula’s cheeky remark.

In any case, he did not receive the necessary response from Meily. That left only two individuals to test if this tactic would bear fruit――,

“――Good morning.”

Then, the last two members of the group entered the hall together.

It was Echidna and Julius. Echidna, wearing a white fox scarf, strode into the hall with Julius in tow.

One by one, Emilia and Ram greeted her, exchanging morning pleasantries.

Amidst that.

“――――”

Julius, who had followed behind Echidna, saw Subaru standing in the back of the room, and his cheeks hardened. Then, he abruptly averted his gaze, pushing Subaru out of his consciousness.

“――You…”

That reaction was precisely what Subaru had been hoping for.

And seeing as none of the others showed even a hint of such a response, the strongest possibility pointed to him as the one who had reacted so overtly.

“…Shaula, I need a little favor.”

Softly, Subaru murmured.

Emotions of unending rage and distilled resentment lingered within him.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

――Breakfast in the hall had turned into a conference regarding Echidna and Anastasia.

As he observed the astonished reactions of Emilia and the others, Subaru internally marveled at how, without mentioning his “amnesia,” the world seemed to progress in such a way.

So far, the reality’s absurdness and misrecognition of the facts piled up, preventing Subaru from fully grasping his unique trait of “returning by death.” He understood, much like in typical time travel stories, issues unrelated to him progressed uniformly, while matters he engaged with altered.

In other words, until this point, he had been at the core of the narrative concerning “amnesia,” thus he hadn’t been able to dive deeply into the subject of the existence of Echidna dwelling within the girl named Anastasia.

Then again, even this time, there would be no discoveries or methods of resolution emerging from it. Changes would only occur through Subaru’s actions.

If he wanted to drastically impact the course of events, he had to take active measures and engage with them directly.

Thus――,

“——Julius, I need to speak with you.”

Having finishing breakfast and each person preparing to exit the hall, Subaru called out to Julius. Upon hearing, Julius stopped in his tracks and turned to face Subaru.

As he was slightly taller, when they faced each other, Subaru found himself looking up at him. However, in spite of that intimidating presence, Subaru set his chest out and glared back at Julius.

Seeing that determination, Julius let out a tired sigh from his thin lips and asked,

“What is it? Emilia-sama suggested that we rest until noon.”

Julius’s response came as a result of Emilia’s suggestion made during breakfast.

It seems Emilia took Subaru’s fatigue and resting in the library seriously, caring for what seemed to be accumulated weariness from the group.

In fact, although he couldn’t remember, this party had only just crossed the desert days ago.

That desert, where, in just a few steps, Subaru had collapsed, yet managed to accomplish it through considerable effort. There were no objections to Emilia’s plan.

In some sense, this could be considered a change brought on by Subaru’s words. A single small comment could disrupt the day’s schedule. He must remain cautious with his words and actions.

Considering that reflection in his heart, Subaru faced Julius directly. With resolve, he lowered his chin and spoke.

“I’d like to discuss last night.”

The impact of that single statement was formidable.

“――――”

Upon hearing Subaru’s words, a complex storm of emotions surged through Julius’s golden eyes.

Seeing that undeniable reaction, Subaru grew more certain in his hypothesis.

“Alright, let’s find somewhere else to talk.”

“――Understood.”

Julius glanced up at Subaru’s invitation, seemingly resigning himself.

Like that, Subaru led Julius to a secluded room on the fourth floor for their discussion. Of course, it was kept confidential, not allowing any others to intrude.

“Well then, where to begin…”

Inside the relatively small room, Subaru turned around to face Julius.

There was a slight sense of tension in the air, but he didn’t want to show any mistakes. Subaru was convinced he should hold some degree of psychological advantage.

On the other hand, Julius’s expression was intricate, and it was difficult to read his innermost feelings. However, it seemed he was still carrying a feeling of unease from the breakfast gathering.

“For starters, let’s talk about last night.”

With gestures almost as if he were making a preface, Subaru abruptly cut to the main topic.

While he may currently hold a psychological advantage, the informational advantage decidedly lay with Julius. After all, regarding the events from last night, Subaru had far too many unknowns.

However, it was likely that Subaru and Julius had some incident in the library last night.

He was thinking that perhaps that “something” led to Subaru’s memory loss.

“Last night, you say?”

Echoing Subaru’s words, Julius closed his long-lashed eyes. With the beautiful man before him in a meditative state, Subaru consciously took long, deep breaths.

He couldn’t afford to be consumed. At the very least, he couldn’t allow himself to lose the psychological battle.

“I believe that conversation ended at that place, but do you think differently?”

“――Yeah. No, not at all. I’m completely unsatisfied.”

As Julius joined the discussion, Subaru matched his wavelength.

Julius’s voice bore no inflection, in other words, it was all too careful not to reveal emotions unnecessarily. Naturally, the recipient of that had Subaru take a combative choice in response.

“Unsatisfied, you say. I see that suits you well. So you wish to set aside our feelings to focus purely on your problems? That seems a bit selfish, doesn’t it?”

“There seems to be a slight misunderstanding. It’s not that I want to just ignore your concerns, but you’re saying your own feelings have been dismissed? We’re both carrying unresolved frustrations right now, and you want me to act like I’m unaffected? How is that possible?”

“――Then what other options do you have?”

Calmly, Julius suppressed his emotions. However, it seemed that emotions began to seep out slowly.

Subaru too, despite not knowing every detail, felt the overwhelming passion in Julius’s expression and tone, making his stomach clench with irritation.

It was Subaru who wanted to ask what options existed.

Bearing that passion, what choices had Julius taken, and how had Subaru made him choose them?

“My feelings are as I conveyed last night. Beyond that, I have no intention of sharing anything further. I hadn’t noticed your affair with Anastasia-sama… and Echidna.”

“My affair with Echidna…?”

The unexpected revelation left Subaru momentarily stunned.

From the information thus far, Subaru had been a part of a group led by Emilia. Julius and Echidna – or rather, One might say that the true owner of Echidna’s body, Anastasia, was the master of the two and, in a broader sense, they were considered foes.

But to think that the two of them would be involved in some kind of affair.

“I know you had no malice. With Echidna too, I exchanged words with her, though barely. She is trustworthy… no, I have no other choice but to trust her.”

“――――”

“To rescue Anastasia-sama, we can pursue no other possibility… even if, by the time we manage to find what we’ve lost, she might not remember me.”

In a tone tinged with a certain sadness, Julius voiced those words.

Subaru had heard about Julius’s situation.

Like Ram’s sleeping sister and the many others in different towns, Julius too had suffered from a curse of being forgotten by others.

Even if Echidna managed to return control of the body, it was likely that Anastasia wouldn’t have any memory of her knight, Julius.

And yet――,

“――My course of action hasn’t changed. I don’t know what it is you truly hope to extract from me, but I’ll go ahead and convey only this much.”

“…What is it?”

“Please… don’t make me feel more miserable before you from here onward.”

Subaru found himself momentarily at a loss for words at that weak, pleading voice.

“――――”

Inside, adrift, he felt a deep turmoil stirring within him, causing Subaru to silence himself.

Julius, seeing Subaru in this way, seemed to breathe out softly, relaxing his lips, saying,

“It seems we’ve reached a point where continuing with this is fruitless.”

After saying that, Julius turned his back on Subaru and began to exit the room. Just before leaving, he paused for a moment.

And without looking back, he remarked,

“When you speak of last night, I felt a bit frightened. What happens when you speak the words of apology.”

“If I apologize…?”

“Should that time come, I’d like to know what I replied to you. Unfortunately, I can no longer recall that.”

The hint of self-derision threading through his murmured words lingered as Julius exited the room.

Watching him disappear from view, Subaru released a long breath. It felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on his shoulder, and sweat began to bead down.

He felt as if he had become a person he loathed intensely.

“—Master, was that okay?”

Just as he experienced this shift, the door to the room opened and Shaula peeked inside. Subaru let out an exasperated sigh at her carefree demeanor.

Then he placed a hand on his forehead, shaking his head, and replied, “I’m good. I’m fine.”

“From the look of it, I think Julius might not have anything to do with the library after all… Though, my distrust in myself just grew a bit more.”

“I don’t quite understand, but was I of any help to you, Master?”

“——. Yeah, I was helped. Thanks to you, I could face Julius without reservation.”

“Yay! Then, that’s good~. Now, now, Master, Master…!”

With her cheeks flushed, Shaula approached Subaru, twisting her body with excitement. Then she shyly spread her arms and said,

“For a reward, I want you to hold me tightly!”

“No way.”

“Eh!? That’s terrible! Master said that as long as it remained within the realm of rewards, you’d do what I asked, right!?”

“That wish crosses the line of my decency…”

Subaru firmly rejected Shaula’s excessive demands for physical contact.

Still, it was true that her being around gave Subaru the mental space he needed during his confrontation with Julius.

When calling Julius, Subaru had positioned Shaula as the hidden aid waiting in the adjoining room.

The reason for choosing her was that, among the other girls, she seemed to have the most athletic aptitude and, due to her fondness for Subaru, she was likely to fulfill any request he made without hesitation.

Additionally, as the one who first discovered the corpses, she was also seen as the one least likely to pose any danger among the suspects.

In any case――,

“Seems I was mistaken about Julius potentially being the one behind the memory loss in the library…”

Subaru initially thought he had near certainty based on Julius’s reaction when they spoke in the morning, but that notion proved to be wrong.

No matter what had occurred in the library, Julius hadn’t touched upon the topic at all, and his emotion, if it had been an act, seemed too genuine.

As for the affair with Echidna, what motives “Natsuki Subaru” had by pursuing it remained unclear, but at the very least, it was quite the adequate reason for Subaru to harbor distrust towards the previous night’s self.

Including the implication that before losing his memory, there had been some sort of volatile exchange with Julius and Echidna.

“Just what were you getting involved with, ‘Natsuki Subaru’…?”

“Master, how about you jump into my chest instead? I’ll hug you tightly with this bouncy body of mine!”

“That wish crosses the line of decency.”

“You’re so mean, Master!”

Subaru was baffled by Shaula’s strange affection towards him.

Why had she grown to like him and adore him to such an extent, and it seemed neither Emilia nor the others understood either. They claimed it was solely for convenience―― was that really true?

Echidna, the affair, the haziness of last night’s actions, and their relationships with one another — all of which contributed to the complexity of his feelings that made “Natsuki Subaru” the most unknown entity.

What intentions did he have in dealing with them?

――Was “Natsuki Subaru” truly their ally?

“It’s dangerous; my thoughts are spiraling out of control. I think I’ll head over to Patrasche now.”

While considering that, when Subaru visualized the one he could think of to find peace and think deeply, the first to come to mind was that dark earth dragon.

After risking so much to keep Subaru safe, he had no choice but to believe in him, regardless of memory.

“Eh, you’re going to see that earth dragon? I don’t like that earth dragon looking at me with those glaring eyes.”

“Don’t speak ill of Patrasche. Even if everyone else is slandering others in this world, I won’t allow a single bad word against Patrasche.”

“Master, how deeply is that earth dragon capturing your heart!? ”

While Shaula cried out with a shocked voice, Subaru ignored it.

In any case, he wanted to ponder comfortably beside Patrasche. Either way, after lunch, the original plan of taking on the tower was set to begin.

Given he had to keep his memory loss a secret, he had no way to halt that.

“So that’s why I’ll be parting ways here. I’ll see you later.”

“Eww, the reward has gotten so vague. But no matter, I won’t be discouraged. I exist to be the convenient girl for Master!”

“――――”

As they were about to part ways in front of the room, Shaula made that statement and saluted him sharply. In response to her words, Subaru felt the wind leave his lungs.

Turning away from her, he bowed his head to the ground and closed his eyes.

“…Is there really any value in ‘Natsuki Subaru’ reaching that extent?”

“――? Master?”

“——! Ugh!”

Unable to contain his rising irritation, Subaru began scratching his head and turned back toward Shaula, who had tilted her head inquisitively.

Then, walking up to her, he opened his arms and hugged her slim body tightly.

“――…”

“I told you not to think about being someone convenient; I was the one at fault.”

Trying to use her just for selfish reasons had drawn Subaru toward becoming the same as “Natsuki Subaru.”

Rejecting that, he embraced Shaula tightly while encouraging her to sink into silence.

Shaula was tall and not much shorter than Subaru. While her body felt thin when he wrapped his arms around her, her softness and pliability were completely different from his own body. Still, at that moment, there was no room to contemplate such thoughts.

“Master…”

“I’m grateful to you for being here. That’s all.”

“――――”

Subaru might have been hugging her for a solid thirty seconds or so.

Then, feeling it was about time, he gently released his embrace from Shaula. Truthfully, while it was somewhat embarrassing, the sense of accomplishment overshadowed that feeling. Rather than becoming someone who merely reaped benefit from others,

Rather than becoming the same as “Natsuki Subaru”――,

“Master…”

Seeing Subaru deep in thought, Shaula approached him with flushed cheeks. Her eyes glistened, her breath had a certain heat to it, and her gaze was locked onto Subaru’s lips.

“Master, are you finally feeling like you might love me…?”

“Crossing the line of purity!”

“Geh!”

As her chin was raised by his hand, Subaru brought Shaula back to her senses.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“After granting a reward, she suddenly gets carried away… what a tricky girl…”

Managing to calm the excited Shaula and averting a disaster, Subaru sighed.

In the end, Shaula remained dreamy for some time, but she eventually conceded, saying, “Knowing where to withdraw is a condition of being a good woman. Secretly, I am a makeup-wearing woman!”

Honestly, that wasn’t quite the case, but bringing that up felt tedious.

“There are times in life when you just need to not hold back.”

Anyhow, despite the lighthearted incident continuing, Subaru’s situation wasn’t particularly rosy.

At the very least, he had hoped to glean what had transpired in the library by pricking Julius, but with that having also misfired, he had effectively returned to square one.

Or maybe, as initially presumed, no one else was involved in the loss of Subaru’s memory. The only one whose expression he hadn’t been able to see was Ram――,

“If it turns out she was about to cry, but it was all fake tears… then I really wouldn’t know…”

Subaru had firmly resisted believing Ram’s story about him losing his memory.

Of course, there still was the possibility she was acting or refusing to acknowledge she had played a role in some way, but then that would just spiral into the unknown.

If he didn’t believe something, it would be impossible to begin doubting other things.

That fundamental point for Subaru now was――,

“――For now, it’s Patrasche.”

After solidifying that conclusion, Subaru felt a bit ridiculous, recognizing he had fallen into deep distrust of humanity.

In fact, that aspect was undeniably strong. Not only did he find it hard to trust others, but he could no longer even believe in himself, leading to a deep-rooted “mistrust of humanity.”

“I’d be happier living in a paradise where only Patrasche and earth dragons exist…”

“――Ah, I just heard that.”

“Wha!?”

The moment those dreary thoughts crossed his mind, a girl bounced around the corner of the hallway. Meily, with her blue braids bouncing, stifled laughter while putting her hand over her mouth.

Subaru’s shoulders drooped in realization that he had been caught muttering empty thoughts.

“Just a joke! Kind of nonsense! There’s no way I’d ever take that seriously!”

“Well, that’s fine then. But I wouldn’t laugh even if it were your true feelings. I think that if I had a place where I could effortlessly live just with all the bad animals, I’d be perfectly fine in it.”

“…Hmm.”

In response to Subaru’s awkward defensive remarks, Meily pinched the hem of her skirt, adopting an ambiguous yet charming demeanor.

Even after receiving that response, Subaru wasn’t sure how to reply. It seems that her discontent with the half-hearted reply was clear, as she voiced,

“Ah, if you’re gonna give me empty responses, that’s proof you’re a bad boy. After all, I was being so serious with you, Master!”

“I apologize for that… But are you by yourself? Not together with Beatrice?”

“No way! Why would I ever be with Beatrice-chan? That question’s more something I’d pose to you!”

Subaru thought it was simple enough for two girls of similar ages to hang out together. Apparently, that wasn’t the case here.

Indeed, Beatrice frequently acted alongside Emilia―― thus, regarding suspicions, the two tended to be inseparable in deliberation.

“Well, in that case, that’s fine. However, I don’t really have time to play around with you. I’m sorry, but if you want someone to talk to, go find someone else. Shaula’s over in that direction.”

“Talking to that half-naked lady is tempting, but I need to talk to you now, big brother!”

“What about me?”

Having been interrupted in his time of thought about meeting Patrasche, now Subaru was suddenly taken aback by Meily’s unexpected proposition.

Recalling that just like Shaula, in Subaru’s mind, Meily occupied a position where it was easy to interact compared to Emilia and others. During his last moments, her corpse hadn’t been terribly mangled.

She had appeared as if peacefully sleeping when she had died and, therefore, Subaru didn’t have severe flashes of that image while interacting directly with her. His heartbeat remained steady.

“What do you need from me? Is it something simple to deal with?”

“Yeah, I won’t take up much time.”

The sense of security he felt led Subaru to listen intently to Meily’s words. Noting Subaru’s attentive posture, Meily placed her index finger on her lips, licking it softly.

That gesture seemed entirely mismatched with her youthful appearance, causing Subaru to raise an eyebrow.

“――Concerning last night, how seriously should I take what you said?”

With a sultry smile still on her face, the girl addressed Subaru.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

・

“——Huh, what?”

Suddenly, Subaru felt a peculiar sense of encumbrance lifting from him as he placed his hand on his neck.

There was a tightness in his throat like something was stuck, and he began to cough.

“Cough, cough…”

Feeling around his throat, Subaru experienced an ache of thirst as he coughed repeatedly.

Then abruptly realized.

“Huh, what was I…?”

――What was it that he was doing?

Certainly, just prior, he had been having a conversation with Julius, followed by the tea party with Shaula, and was on his way to see Patrasche when he met Meily on the way――.

“Ouch…”

While pondering this, Subaru rubbed at his arm and winced from a sudden jolt of pain.

Looking at his hands――both of them. He bore scratches near the wrist on both right and left arms, with painful blood oozing from the marks.

“What the… are these scratches…?”

The wounds were relatively deep, yet the shape of the injuries looked odd.

While the description of a scratch fit decently, they were not simply made by a sharp blade. The marks were deep, as if someone had dug their claws into him with tremendous force.

What kind of injury was this, and where had it come from――？

“――Huh?”

With a grimace from the pain, Subaru glanced around, seeking anything that might explain this condition. Then, recognizing he was in one of the many similar stone rooms on the fourth floor, he quickly took note of something.

“――――”

On the floor, white feet were sprawled out.

The feet were immobile, lax and drooping. Slowly directing his gaze upward from the toes, he saw the skirt first, then the upper body appeared, and finally—

And then――,

“――Huh?”

Then he saw a girl who laid there, utterly still, lifeless.

――Meily lay dead, collapsed right before Subaru’s eyes.