In an instant, Subaru’s mind was dominated by complete emptiness.

He didn’t even have a desperate plea to deny the scene before him; all he could do was watch as his thoughts were completely engulfed by a white landscape.

His throat felt frozen, he forgot how to breathe, and it seemed even his heart had stopped beating. The only thing that broke this stasis was the sensation of a drop of sweat trickling down his forehead.

Subaru’s consciousness returned from oblivion at the feel of sweat dripping from his chin to the ground.

However, confronting reality, he could not deny that standing before him was someone he had desperately hoped not to see.

—This is bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!

What filled the void that followed was a jumble of anxiety and confusion that made his thoughts chaos.

He couldn’t think straight. Was the girl standing before him truly Rem, the one he knew? Or was she a fake? The possibility of her being a fake was out of the question; there was no point in that.

“Could it be that you’re actually triplets…?”

Even if that were the case, Subaru understood better than anyone that it would offer him no comfort.

While Subaru’s fighting spirit from moments ago had evaporated, Rem gently stroked her short blue hair with her free hand and said,

“If you don’t resist, I can make this quick.”

“Do you think anyone would say, ‘Oh sure, let’s end this quickly’ at your offer?”

“I apologize. Yes, you are certainly that type of individual.”

The way she politely bowed felt exceedingly out of place in this situation, to the point that one might mistake it for a scene inside a mansion; her behavior had not changed at all.

Thus, the sheer incongruity of the rugged weapon she held in her hand was enormous.

“A girl with a bulky weapon is certainly a romantic notion, but…”

It was an iron chain with a spiked iron ball, a lethal weapon designed to turn its target into mincemeat. The person who chose this truly must have had awful taste.

Subaru had already tasted this weapon’s power once and lost his life. He had experienced first-hand what it was like for her to wield it as she pleased.

He involuntarily gasped, turning the anxiety into beads of sweat on his forehead and struggled to find words.

“Why are you doing this…? Can I say something cliché like that?”

“It’s not difficult. Punish those who are questionable. It’s a maid’s philosophy.”

“I wonder if there’s a phrase that says, ‘Love thy neighbor’?”

“My hands are both occupied at the moment.”

It seemed she had no intention of giving Subaru the time to stall; her gaze never left him for a second.

He had no idea what her plans were. But one thing was clear.

If he moved now, he would definitely die.

Subaru’s instincts, having died five times, screamed out the alert.

It was a scene of one-sided oppression, but Subaru tirelessly churned his brain, desperately trying to wring out any shred of information.

He had to avoid touching Rem’s reverse scale, pique her interest somehow, and extract a topic of conversation. By reminding himself of this, Subaru attempted to momentarily divert his eyes from the hopeless reality approaching him.

Because if he faced it head-on, he wouldn’t be able to hold himself together and would surely collapse to the ground.

“—Does Ram know about this?”

Out of nowhere, the name of her twin sister slipped from his lips.

Ram, who was unfriendly, foul-mouthed, and had a terrible attitude, with abilities that didn’t hold a candle to her sister’s, yet had spent the longest time with Subaru in Roswaal’s mansion.

The thought that the girl he enjoyed bickering with might now be turned against him sent shivers down his spine.

“Before my sister sees this, I intend to finish it.”

Rem’s response was exactly what Subaru inadvertently sought after.

The situation was still bad, but his mood was saved from completely sinking.

Releasing a long breath, Subaru was astonished to realize that it was driven by a sense of relief.

In such a cornered situation, finding something to be optimistic about made him reflect on how soft he had become.

Lifting his head, Subaru stared directly into Rem’s eyes. As he watched her eyebrows slightly furrow in response,

“So, it’s your own decision? Not Roswaal’s orders, then?”

“I will eliminate anything that can stand in the way of Roswaal’s dreams with my own hands. You’re simply one of those obstacles.”

“Can’t you even train your pet? Think of the people passing by who might get bitten!”

“I will tolerate no insult to Roswaal.”

Subaru’s cheek exploded in retaliation as he lightly provoked her to probe into her true feelings.

The impact sent his vision wobbling, and as the sharp pain shot through his cheek, bright red blood soaked the area.

The iron ball still connected to the wall had been wielded like a whip, striking him squarely on the side of the face. His cheek split in a distorted pattern from the chain marks, and blood streamed down into his left eye, crying out in pain.

Just from a single jest, this was the outcome. Yet, it did bear some fruit.

At the very least, Rem’s loyalty to Roswaal was genuine. And it was likely true that she thought eliminating Subaru was for Roswaal’s sake.

Subaru’s departure from Roswaal’s mansion had been judged to be disadvantageous to Roswaal, who supported Emilia in the Royal Selection.

In short, to sum it up, her feelings were—

“Oh, so that’s how it is. —You couldn’t trust me at all, could you?”

“Yes.”

Her answer, nodded without hesitation, pierced Subaru’s chest like a sharp blade. It conjured unpleasant images for Subaru, and affirming that image would change the color of every moment he’d spent up to now.

Thus, Subaru restrained the doubts that had begun to sprout in his heart.

He could only smirk wryly at the foolishness of his own self,

“It’s a joke on me, huh? Acting like I was doing fine.”

“…What about my sister?”

“I don’t want to hear about it! —Take this!”

As he shouted, the moment Rem hesitated, Subaru thrust forward the portable device he had concealed at his waist—at that instant, a flash of white light sliced through the darkening forest, momentarily stopping Rem’s movement.

“—Take this!”

“——!”

He charged forward, delivering a tackle from his shoulder to her small frame, sending her flying.

Despite her outrageous strength wielding that horrifying weapon, in a simple clash, Subaru’s size would give him the advantage.

Without any regard for gentleness, her small body was hurled backward, losing balance and crashing to the ground, while he ran past her without a backward glance.

Gasping for breath and filling his lungs with air, Subaru’s mind raced and feet moved.

If this was Rem’s own decision, there was still a chance to save his life. If he dashed back to the mansion and confronted Roswaal directly, there might be a chance.

However, if Roswaal shared the same desire as Rem, it would be nothing less than foolishness to escape from a lion’s den only to rush into a wolf’s.

“But, what if… Emilia…?”

The one who shone brighter in his memory than anyone else, that silver-haired girl, there was no doubt about her.

If it were her, if it were her, if it were her—

—The participant in the Royal Selection, surely the one who would loathe Subaru’s mere existence the most?

“――――!?”

Suddenly, unease surged within him. Realizing that it was the dark and cold voice of his own thoughts, Subaru was struck with a jolt.

Undeniably, it was he, with his own voice, who had questioned Emilia’s heart.

That straightforward girl, who tried her hardest and wouldn’t hesitate to lose for others, Subaru, who knew that about her, doubted her.

When positions change, so do thoughts.

Just as Rem was now, how could he say without certainty that the others in that mansion wouldn’t seek Subaru’s life?

After all, he had made a mistake in not considering the possibility of an insider during his second death. It was an incident that transpired within the mansion. It was only natural that it would be easiest for an insider to pull off.

Blinded by the surface of their relationships, he had overlooked the consequences of that.

As he pathetically fled through the mountains, he couldn’t even muster a clear breakthrough.

—What was it about collecting information this time that was so deliberate?

When faced with an unexpected threat, he could do nothing but cling to life, even as it poured out.

He had become arrogant. He had thought it would be easy. He had been foolish.

Breathing heavily, scaling the slope, what filled Subaru’s head were not methods to break free of the situation, only his words of regret over and over again.

“I… what was I… even for…?”

His complaints spilled forth, and tears blurred his vision.

His steps faltered, and suddenly, when the forest ended, Subaru saw night approaching the open sky.

And then—

“—Huh?”

A blade of wind from an incredibly high altitude sliced through—blowing away the lower part of Subaru’s right leg.

As he saw the tip of his right foot dramatically jump away, Subaru’s body lost its balance. Wobbling, he crashed to the ground, his cheek bursting with renewed blood from the impact, and his shoulder slammed hard against a tree with a dull noise, pain shooting through him like an electric shock.

Most importantly,

“Ahhhhhhh! M-my legggg!!”

There was no pain; paradoxically, that was a terrifying sensation.

His right leg from the knee down had vanished, and the blasted-off fragments had flown away into the bushes. The wound displayed fresh pink flesh vividly, blood gushed forth as if realizing the dismemberment only now. At the same time, the pain followed suit, invading his nerves.

“――――――――――ッッッ!”

He clawed at the ground, unleashing voiceless pain ferociously.

Holding the wound, thrashing his body, his empty right arm struck the ground, pounded the trees, his nails tore away, and the fiery heat made his consciousness boil.

He suffered, suffered, suffered, and suffered through it all.

The pain scraped at his nerves like a rasp, felt like a plane shave on his brain. Every second, blood poured out with shocking speed, signifying the loss of the source of Subaru’s life.

Then,

“Ah, I finally caught up with you.”

In her maid outfit, Rem appeared, dragging the weapon behind her.

Seeing Subaru rolling on the ground, she registered the absence of his right foot, paused in contemplation, and then nodded.

“It must hurt, and it must be painful. Please, wait a moment.”

Kneeling, Rem reached her white palm toward Subaru’s wound.

His throat had already gone hoarse from a voiceless scream, and the unbearable pain had drained his will to fight.

Subaru shifted his hazy vision to silently observe Rem’s movements. Suddenly, she murmured,

“Water mana, grant this person healing.”

A soft, pale light suddenly radiated from Rem’s palm.

The light gently enveloped Subaru’s right foot, its severed end, and began to alleviate the pain and sense of loss with its gentle glow.

Feeling the presence of healing with a sensation akin to an itch, Subaru pulled back his thoughts from the brink of unconsciousness, staring dumbfounded into Rem’s face.

The pain hadn’t completely disappeared, but a greater shock took control of Subaru.

In such a dire situation, he could not fathom why Rem was healing him. Receiving Subaru’s gaze, a hint of a smile appeared on Rem’s face.

In that, he found just a flicker of hope—and then—

“If you die so easily after surviving, there’s no way I can extract anything from you.”

As her next words struck him, he realized he had been stupidly naive in his optimism.

Rem’s arm was pulled back, the sound of chains echoed, and the iron ball came flying.

It impacted right next to Subaru’s upper body lying on the ground, the closer he looked, the more rugged, crude, and purpose-built for lethal violence it became.

Rem had deliberately placed the iron ball within view, clearly conveying her intent.

Your life is held in my hands, this was an obvious show of force to let him know.

As Subaru’s gaze began to brim with resignation, Rem said, “Now then,” and prefaced her next question.

“Tell me. Are you from the camp opposing Emilia-sama?”

“…My heart is always on Emilia-tan’s side!”

The moment he said that, the slackened chains struck Subaru’s upper body violently.

The clothes he wore had been torn apart on branches along the way, and just as easily, the skin beneath suffered equal cuts, his scream rang through the forest.

“Who hired you, and for how much?”

“For Emilia-tan’s smile, it’s priceless!”

With a flick of her wrist, she dealt him the same punishment again. Having felt the precise technique strike the exact same spot with uncanny accuracy, Subaru praised her skill with his cries of pain.

Then, similar questions received similar answers.

With each hit, the sound of chains echoed, followed by a great symphony of groans and screams.

Each time his consciousness threatened to fade, Rem healed him with her magic, repeating the hell of healing and violence.

His psyche wore thin, and his awareness flickered in and out. Yet, his heart remained unyieldingly strong against Rem’s torments.

Perhaps sensing fatigue from Subaru’s stubbornness, Rem suddenly looked up at the sky and quietly said,

“I should get back soon. Dinner preparations are getting delayed.”

“…Dinner, huh? I wonder what’s on the menu today…?”

“How about minced meat pie or something?”

To Rem, who particularly emphasized the sound of chains to showcase the iron ball’s presence, Subaru could only respond, “I’d rather not have it served for dinner.”

Amidst Subaru’s determination to keep up his quirky banter, Rem finally exhaled an expression of emotion. Then, suddenly falling silent, she looked down at Subaru with even more emotionless eyes than usual.

“—Are you connected to the Witch Cult?”

An unfamiliar term leapt forth, leaving Subaru bewildered as he furrowed his brows.

What kind of situation was this word relevant to? Not understanding Rem’s true intentions, he held off on answering. To this indecision, Rem said,

“Please answer. You are someone who has been ‘enchanted by the Witch’ aren’t you?”

“…The Witch, huh?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!”

With a voice raised in fury, Rem shot Subaru a keen gaze. It was the first time throughout all their interactions, even from their initial meeting to this life-or-death confrontation, that Rem had truly revealed her emotions.

The white mask she ordinarily wore remained calm, but now it blushed with just a hint of anger, gazing down at Subaru with killing intent.

Facing an unsought murder intent head-on, Subaru weakly shook his head.

“I don’t… know… in any case, we’ve always… been irreligious…”

“You’re still playing dumb.—To reek of a Witch so much and claim to be unrelated, that’s a blatant lie.”

Rem swung her arm down in front of Subaru, twisting her lips into an angry scowl. In her previously emotionless expression, Subaru caught a fleeting glimpse of her true self.

Even if no one else had noticed, only Rem could recognize that scent! With revulsion and disdain, she was buried in the remnants of a sinner!

“While Roswaal-sama had commanded me to extend hospitality, I had been keeping tabs on you… but now, the very act of watching is torturous. I know you’re merely pretending to be close to my sister under the guise of caring for her!”

Like a dam breaking, Rem poured forth all the bottled hatred, reclaiming the emotions she had lacked until now and hurling them at Subaru with rage.

Having said her piece, she shook her shoulders and glared at Subaru, her eyes ablaze with anger. Suddenly, her gaze widened in surprise.

It was because Subaru was quietly letting tears flow before her, soaked in resentment.

“I understood… I had imagined all of it.”

He cried, each sob leading to heated drops flowing down his cheeks. Unable to stop those cascading tears, Subaru spoke in a strained voice, “I’ve been through this… Despite being treated kindly, I knew there was a twist… but I really didn’t want to hear that.”

The two who had taught him the basics of housework, who despite being able to ridicule him for not knowing how to wear a butler’s outfit, assisted Subaru while reprimanding him, were them. Ram, who kindly taught him even when he clumsily handled knives and struggled to peel vegetables, while Rem would generously share portions with him every time a dish was completed.

“When skinning vegetables, I no longer cut my hands. I even learned that different materials have different methods for laundry and I’m still learning how to clean…”

In a span of four days, he couldn’t expect more than that.

Yet, having overcome a few intervals of four days, in the days beyond, he knew he could still learn.

“Reading and writing… just simple things, but I’ve gotten better. I could read fairy tales, all thanks to you two…”

“What are you… talking about?”

At the sound of his disjointed voice, Rem lowered her tone as if feeling uneasy.

Subaru, drawing the very breath needed to continue, looked up into her eyes.

“What I’m saying is about the things you gave me…”

“I have no memory of such things.”

“—Why don’t you remember?!!”

In a sudden burst of fury, Rem took a reflexive step back.

Rising to a sitting position, balancing poorly with his upper body, Subaru yelled, baring his teeth.

“Why is everyone abandoning me like this…? What did I do to you…? What do you want me to do…?!”

He couldn’t control his emotions. Even while knowing it was an unreasonable temper tantrum, Subaru’s heart, his very soul, could not stop screaming.

Summoned to this other world and driven out for no reason; he had continued to grit his teeth and endure. But now, he had reached his limit.

“What’s wrong with me…? What’s so bad about me…? Why do you all hate me so much…?”

“—Rem is—”

“I… I care about you all…!”

The shock stopped Subaru from voicing anything further.

His body leaned back from the blow and gently collided with the tree behind him.

He could hear raspy gasps and a sound akin to gurgling water close by, as Subaru’s gaze drifted around. Soon, the source of the commotion made itself apparent.

His throat.

The right half of his throat had been gouged into by something, forcing air and blood bubbles out in a furious spout in the middle of his airway.

His eyes met the stunned face of Rem, who gazed in awe at his wound.

Having seen nothing but that, Subaru’s eyes dimmed, rolling back to show only white.

His voice failed him. It was as if consciousness was abruptly shut down.

He felt distant, devoid of pain. Anger, sorrow, even emotions evaporated somewhere far off.

In the end, all that remained was the lingering whisper—

“—Sister is too kind.”

Seemingly, he heard a faint, sorrowful voice, like a fleeting wisp.