“――――”

A magnificent red-haired giant, Reid Astraea, has appeared on the scene.

The unexpected arrival of this man, with his sharp blue eyes and complete disregard for our shock, leaves everyone— even ‘Gluttony’— utterly speechless.

“Hey, hey, what are you all staring at, huh? Is it that surprising that I’m here? Should be obvious, right?”

Reid observes the frozen expressions of Subaru and the others, then taps his closed left eye with his finger and kicks the floor with his sandals.

This gesture signifies his authority over the entire tower.

“Can’t even take a proper nap with all this racket going on outside and inside. It’s boring as hell with no drinks, and I ain’t putting up with this!”

“…That’s your problem, not ours. Can’t you see we’re busy with our own matters? Don’t complicate things for us.”

“Hah! A bunch of guppies talking big, huh? Sorry, but your voices are too tiny for me to hear. Even if I could, it wouldn’t matter, would it?”

“Such a pain in the ass…”

Not just his attitude, but the timing is terrible as well.

Subaru finds himself at a loss for words, both his weak protest and his fear of Reid surging through him, his fists clenched tightly.

His soul feels a sense of defeat in the face of Reid’s presence.

It’s not just because of the terrible experiences Reid put him through during that suspicious period of uncertainty. He faced Reid’s astonishingly brazen demeanor in the last loop as well.

At that time, Subaru’s feelings towards Reid weren’t nearly as fear-ridden as now.

So why does it feel so hostile at this very moment?

It’s—

“Because my soul recognizes you as an enemy, clear as day.”

“Fine by me, guppy. Don’t mistake me for some convenient backup, but I’ll give you credit for not getting that twisted.”

“Even if you tell me to be grateful for being backup, I wouldn’t exactly see you like that.”

“Pfft! You’re something!”

Exposing his fierce teeth and grinning like a shark, Reid stares at Subaru, who tries to hide the cold sensation in his chest.

Reid’s declaration feels like a certain sense of despair. But Subaru never thought of Reid as an ally.

This mere clarification affirms it. —He is not mistaken.

Just as the exchange between Subaru and Reid wraps up—

“Hey, Reid Astraea.”

The character referred to as ‘Gluttony’ suddenly recovers his wits and calls out to Reid.

In the frozen corridor right between Subaru and Reid, the crazed Archbishop of Sin, glinting with nefarious intent, looks at Reid, who turns his glare in ‘Gluttony’s direction, annoyance flaring in his expression.

“Oh, what’s up, shorty? …You look pretty dirty. What’s with the grime, little brat?”

“Aren’t you the first ‘Sword Saint’? What’s with your presence here? According to our memories, you shouldn’t be able to come down from the upper floors, right?”

Ignoring the humiliating name-calling, ‘Gluttony’ throws a question at Reid.

It’s infuriating to realize that this ‘memory’ is clearly Subaru’s. The content of the question is something Subaru and the others also pondered.

—The examiner on the second floor, Reid Astraea, reaching the fourth floor.

This is something Subaru witnessed in the last loop and considered one of the five challenges they needed to overcome.

The mechanics behind Reid roaming freely within the tower are entirely unclear. However, this phenomenon can’t happen outside of this moment. —If someone were to claim that he could have roamed freely before but simply chose not to, that would be absurd.

“Is there some weird trick going on, or did the rules of the tower change? Either way, having you here is unexpectedly outside the plan. I’ll have to rethink a lot of courses. You start with appetizers, then main dishes, and finally desserts, right?”

“Quit your babbling nonsense, you filthy little brat.”

“――――”

“You think I can’t come down? Open your damn eyes and see, will ya? You gotta know how foolish your words are, huh?”

While saying this, Reid leans aggressively towards ‘Gluttony’, baring his white teeth and glaring at him like a thug.

However, the pressure emanating from him is far beyond that of a mere street punk, nearly overwhelming anyone who stands nearby.

If I had to describe it, it’s as if a tiger, bear, lion, and dragon all fused into a single beast.

With a menacing aura of violence, Reid bares his fangs.

“Quit messing around! I’ll do whatever I want! I’m not taking orders from anyone, you hear me? What gives you the right to come in here and cause a ruckus? Hey, you listen here!”

“Oh, how amusing! Just incredible! This is off the charts!”

Transforming the ice holy sword he held into icy shards, ‘Gluttony’ flips his long bangs out of the way.

Even ‘Gluttony’ finds it hard to deal with someone who can’t be reasoned with this far. Even the unyielding Emilia poses some challenges for Reid.

However, ‘Gluttony’ continues despite facing an adversary he can’t negotiate with.

“The prey is exquisite! It’s really hitting my ‘gourmet’ appetite! Bite him! Tear him apart! Lick him clean! Savor him! Gluttony! Devour!”

Roaring and crazed, ‘Gluttony’ drops to all fours, glaring intently at Reid.

Peeking out from between his white fangs, a long tongue flails about, as if driven by an insatiable appetite to devour the memories of others that ordinary folks wouldn’t comprehend, drool dripping onto the floor.

And then—

“—I am the Witch Cult Archbishop of Gluttony, Rai Batenkaitos.”

Whether this title exudes pride or hubris, in either case, ‘Gluttony’—no, Rai Batenkaitos introduces himself, and in the next moment, he dashed away at arrow-like speed across the icy floor.

It resembled a fierce chase scene of a ferocious quadruped, so wild and primal that it felt surreal.

“Ugh, what a hassle.”

Reading into the vigorous Batenkaitos barreling towards him, Reid stuck his fingers into his ears, sounding weary.

“Then, I am the swordsman, Haurroi Larial.”

“Who the hell is that?”

“He was the guy living next door to my home.”

Subaru unintentionally shouted, taken aback by Reid’s audacious alter ego, to which Reid casually replied. He then pulled his fingers from his ears and glanced down at the approaching Batenkaitos.

“—I’m going to dig in!!”

“Not that I’d be thrilled to hear it from a little dirty brat like you but—”

“—Ugh!”

In that instant, as Batenkaitos lunged with his mouth wide open, his body violently swerved sideways.

It was the result of Reid’s right foot, kicked carelessly, striking Batenkaitos’s torso, slamming him against the wall down the corridor.

“Guh…!”

“Don’t squawk out like a chicken when it gets the ax, you filthy brat! Just so you know, while eating chicken is delicious after it’s slaughtered, I don’t intend to eat you, glutton or whatever you think you are!”

“Guh, aah!”

“Jumping on an adult? You better be prepared to get punished, huh!”

Saying this, Reid pressed his kicking leg against Batenkaitos’s body, racing down the icy corridor with a single leg as if it were nothing.

Naturally, Batenkaitos, pinned against the wall, couldn’t resist due to the uneven icy surface they slid along. The damage inflicted was vast and utterly destructive.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

“Hey, don’t scream like that! At this rate, this isn’t even worth talking about; this is just some rough play. Back in my time, this was child’s play. Kids these days are not only dirty but also weak; hey, hey, hey!”

Saying this out of sheer boredom, Reid quickly spun around right there.

As the foot pinning Batenkaitos to the wall disengaged, the Archbishop slid down as his anchor foot transitioned, launching a left spinning kick that powerfully smashed into Batenkaitos’s side, sending his small frame flying as if made of rubber.

“———”

Batenkaitos tumbled at an extraordinary speed, unable to brace himself. Spraying blood in a furious whirling dance, the Archbishop weaved between the frozen-stiff Emilia and Julius, rolling down the corridor toward its depths.

His posture, sprawled face down, not at all reflecting the earlier vigor.

It looked as if he might have died.

“That guy was supposed to be a tough opponent just a moment ago, right? Emilia-chan and Julius were struggling to handle him two-on-one?”

“…That’s right. However, it’s more that he’s an outlier. Thus, it can be stated that the situation possibly worsened.”

“It’s just switching the matchups.”

“More like a worse opponent, if you ask me.”

Looking over at the now motionless Batenkaitos, Betelgeuse’s pulse quickened. Emilia, realizing the shift as well, stood warily in front of Reid with Julius flanking her.

The battlefield was no longer about ‘Gluttony’; it was morphing into a contest with a new powerhouse.

Amidst this environment—

“Thanks for taking care of the Archbishop! Really appreciate it… but that doesn’t mean we should be buddies now, right?”

Emilia was the first to address Reid amicably. In response to her characteristic peaceful gesture, Reid shook his head, shrugged, and kicked the floor.

Clearing her offer with sheer physicality, Reid scratched his head.

“Don’t you throw stuff like that at me, woman… Whatever, you, what’s with the sheer hotness, huh!? What’s going on with that? This can’t be right! Just how are you even here in a place like this? Quit horsing around and pour me a drink tonight, will ya?”

“Um, it’s my second time asking…”

“—Sorry, but she can’t join you for drinks. Why?”

“Hmm?”

“Because you’re a mere illusion, and a peaceful night won’t come to you.”

Suddenly cutting in, a man with a knight’s sword drew forth, positioning himself protectively in front of Emilia—Julius stood vigilant, sharpening his gaze.

As Reid met his yellow eyes head-on, he displayed a slight shift in expression.

“…What’s this? You’ve upgraded your face just a tad, huh? Did something good happen to you? Is it a woman? It’s a woman, right?”

“I won’t deny that various happenings have had an effect on me, but I must clarify that it’s not solely regarding women. An embrace can mend a fractured heart, just as a well-placed friend’s admonishment can also act as a balm.”

“You haven’t changed your roundabout way of talking. What’s the point?”

“Basically, the reason I hold this sword now is thanks to my friends—!”

In response to his reply, Julius suddenly lunged, sweeping upward with his knight’s sword, tracing an incredibly stunning arc, hurling an attack aimed straight at Reid’s neck.

“———”

There’s no need for pointlessly nitpicking that the enemy hadn’t yet shown hostility.

Standing here, it’s clear what Reid’s thoughts were— pressure radiating like an electric current even making the observers’ skin prick.

There’s no way someone who emanates this kind of charged spirit would keep his weapon sheathed.

—Reid is ready for a fight, same as in the previous loop, ignoring the circumstances.

Thus, Julius boldly launched a preemptive strike.

That choice was the right one. While Reid appeared surfeited with leisure, aiming to cut that nonchalance down a peg was precisely a decisive blow to tackle this former ‘Sword Saint.’

The problem is—

“—Are you aware of what being too relaxed means?”

“———”

“Simple— it means no matter what happens, I can handle it easily, no matter how many tricks you try, it won’t matter, fool.”

— The moment Julius’s preemptive strike was halted, Reid caught it between two chopsticks.

“Ugh…!”

“Not bad at all. If you weren’t up against me, you might’ve landed a hit. —Now, here I go!”

“Shit!”

With the thrust defended, Reid grinned at the groaning Julius.

Then, grabbing the chopsticks in both hands, he stepped in, unleashing a chopstick strike. The impact rang out, smashing against Julius’s knight sword with a powerful sound.

“———”

The thin wooden stick, far shorter than the sword, in the hands of a master like Reid transformed into a lethal weapon, wreaking havoc.

A resounding noise echoed just as the shockwave blew Julius’s hair and clothes, shattering the frozen parts of the corridor in a flurry.

—Exactly an anomaly, outrageous, and a glitch in the world.

Seeing this impossibility before his eyes left Subaru speechless.

The existence of such a monster in the world, along with the utterly malicious nature of the tower designers who’d made it a requirement to surpass such a beast, made him feel nauseous.

But—

“—Wow, color me impressed for real.”

While it still remained unclear how much of Reid’s full power was packed into that chopstick strike.

Reid seemed to find it unexpected that Julius could redirect even that single blow, applauding his fighting spirit.

With blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Julius narrowed his eyes and replied,

“I have no choice; if I can’t defeat you, all our plans will fall apart.”

“You really think you can win, don’t you? You’re barking big.”

“Absolutely. But let’s entertain this for a moment!”

In an instant, Julius’s sword struck out, and Reid brutally deflected it with his chopsticks.

The force behind the blow diverted inward, but nothing else about Julius changed—his stance remained stable. The knight sword flowed into the counter as if perfectly premeditated, launching into the next strike without any delay. This continued seamlessly.

An elegant, refined dance of swordplay began, devoid of any wasted movements, akin to a shimmering stream.

“———”

Watching that dancing conflict of countless exchanges, Subaru held his breath.

In his perspective, this was only the briefest of glimpses, yet it showcased the will and training of Julius Euclius striving to reach the pinnacle of the ‘Sword Saint.’

—If Reid’s sword presence is described as a blazing flame, then Julius’s sword presence is like flowing water.

In purely contextual terms, water generally extinguishes fire, but if the flames burn bright, then it follows the adage—a stone in the water is useless—water will merely evaporate into nothing.

It’s likely that most water-wielding swordsmen would dissipate before Reid’s fiery sword presence.

However, at least in this moment, Julius contradicted that principle, expelling unyielding offensive moves at Reid.

And then—

“Don’t think it’s just Julius!”

“Pfft! I won’t forget that hotness! Your face is too memorable to overlook!”

“Thanks for the compliment! But, honestly, there’s only one person I truly remember!”

Emilia, bearing an armor of ice, joined the fray alongside Julius as they ensured Reid faced both of them, splitting his attention. Whether this was enough to form a strategy or not, Reid’s power utterly crushed that naive value.

In that twisting dance of water and flame, the ice crashed in, causing the scene around them to poetically change once more.

As the cast of the swordplay shifted, replacing Batenkaitos with Reid as the enemy, the clumsy coordination of Emilia and Julius continued—no, it evolved.

Perhaps the enemy grew stronger, or maybe the two had come to harmoniously adjust during the small window they had. Their movements began to synchronize perfectly, morphing their coordination into a tangible, flawless collaboration.

“Julius is adopting to Emilia’s rhythm.”

“Can you tell?”

“There’s a hint of personality compatibility. Emilia got far bolder, allowing Julius to be more himself. Perhaps it was wiser for Emilia to abandon the idea of conforming.”

“A rather impressive observation.”

Still, if it yields success, then that judgment must have been spot on.

In the end, Emilia needed to remain relayed to her own pace, and Julius excelled in adapting to show off while working together.

“Ha-ha! This is fantastic! I’m genuinely enjoying myself now!”

“Hyah! Here! Take that! Huyah huyah huyah!”

With joy ringing out, Reid deflected the two’s strategic collaboration with an uproarious laugh. Amidst that, Emilia’s carefree voice called out, accompanied by strikes of unexpectedly deadly skill, though they didn’t remain decisive blows.

Water, fire, and ice intertwined in a beautifully captivating dance.

The echoes of knightly steel rang out, the sticks imitating swords glancing off with resounding delight, and each one broke and regenerated as they clashed and parried—a symphony of clatter.

The elegance of the situation almost made one mistake it for a graceful dance— until—

“—Shahhh!”

Abruptly, a discordant intrusion of noise brutally merged with the symphony of battle.

“Damn it!”

Batenkaitos, who should have been half-dead from Reid’s kick, rudely interrupted the intense combat.

He stood up as if no harm had befallen him, lunging directly into the fray.

Wielding daggers strapped to his wrists, Batenkaitos combined his short limbs with deft movements, unleashing a torrent of deadly strikes towards the trio.

In their respective irritated states, Emilia, Julius, and Reid deflected the barrage while,

“You’re really not knowing when to quit, are you, Archbishop?”

“Ha-ha! Don’t just try to hog the fun all to yourself, brother! You’re always being selfish, huh? Not fair at all!”

“Reid! Can’t you see we can’t waste time fighting amongst ourselves? Can you at least help us out or just keep your cool for a bit?”

“You’re one clueless woman, ‘Hotness’. I’m actually having my fair share of fun right now! Even if stars started falling from the sky, that doesn’t change my mind!”

“———”

The four battled furiously, launching attacks in all directions, everyone unwavering in pushing their will against one another.

It was an action-packed vista, filled with the scent of blood, convergence toward no easy compromise nor conclusion.

Who has the upper hand, who falters, who prevails, and who loses—it’s hard to judge from outside.

All they could do was hope for their allies to triumph, yet—

“—Ugh!”

“Subaru!?”

In the midst of clenching his teeth and only able to spectate in frustration, Subaru suddenly clutched his chest and knelt, surprising Beatrice.

As he bowed down, gasping for breath, she placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to check his face.

“Subaru, Subaru! What’s wrong? Are you okay?!”

“…No, this is… what is this?”

“Subaru?”

At Beatrice’s urgent calling, Subaru blinked several times while gripping his chest.

He had no intention of brushing it off or dodging the question; it was simply something he couldn’t comprehend. A bizarre abnormality, a sense of discomfort—an unbelievable heat surged within him.

His heart felt as if it might explode, and every drop of blood rushing through him seemed to be pleading for attention, ringing alarm bells in bright red in his mind.

“———”

He was baffled. What was happening to his body?

This phenomenon had not occurred before in any of the loops. Had he perhaps encountered some underlying condition or magic interference?

Frantically scouring through his knowledge to find the worst possible outcome, he shook his head.

No, it was probably not something bad. This alarming sensation was possibly a signal.

“Ha….”

Exhaling deeply.

Until just earlier, the worries flooding Subaru’s mind were not solely for the battles in front of him, nor the confrontations between Reid and Batenkaitos.

Rather, it was his diminished ability to do anything while standing aside helplessly merely observing.

In that midst, Subaru was compelled to confront the persistent, pressing challenges he still had before him—five of them. There were still two remaining.

—Five challenges.

One was a horde of magical beasts surrounding the tower. One was the Archbishop of Gluttony attacking the tower. One was Reid Astraea roaming freely inside the tower. —Currently, that makes three.

The remaining two were a massive scorpion rampaging within the tower and a terrifying shadow looming ominously, pressing toward the tower.

If he couldn’t tackle these two, he couldn’t resolve the encroaching problems upon the tower.

As this moment unfolded behind the valiant efforts of Emilia and Julius against the foes, the pressing potential for the tower to collapse weighed heavily on Subaru, causing his chest to heat and forcing him to his knees.

With powerful heartbeats surging strong.

Focusing his consciousness on his heartbeat, Subaru began to breathe slowly, shutting his eyes. Instinctively, he felt like he ought to proceed just this way. Following that instinct, he closed his eyes.

“———”

Seeing Subaru shrink inwards, Beatrice instinctively ceased her calls.

She likely lacked certainty, but she showed understanding. Grateful to have such a perceptive ally, Subaru saw his luck as fortunate.

Then, a strange sensation began to swell behind the eyelids of Subaru.

—It manifested as a soft glow gently rising within the haze of darkness.

“——?”

A warm, dim light floated around Subaru—a single glow right beside him, with two more sitting a distance ahead. Even more strangely, Subaru realized that there were also lights shimmering behind him, even without turning to see.

Over there, four glows flashed brightly. One further along from there, and then—

—And then, one looming directly overhead.

“—Beatrice!”

“Hyahn!”

Showered in this sensation, Subaru instinctively reached for Beatrice, leaping from the ground in a rush.

Embracing the light form of the girl in his arms, he didn’t hesitate to tumble over the stone floor— until he felt a searing heat grazed over his thigh, eliciting a cry.

“Guh, gaaaaahhhhh!”

He recognized immediately that it was because of the gaping wound on his leg, evidently reeking from the deep digging. Subaru instinctively turned away from the conscious pain as he still bore Batenkaitos.

And then, opening his blurred vision, he finally saw.

“—I knew you’d show up, you damn scorpion!”

With disdainful words spat, the colossal scorpion stood looming ahead, a creature providing a second shocking reunion.

The scorpion, decorated with dark shells and red dot-like eyes, crawled along the wall, glaring menacingly at Subaru and Beatrice.

“—Ah!”

Gazing upon that horrid mass, Beatrice’s eyes widened. The target of her gaze was the scorpion’s pincers, which had sunk deep into Subaru’s flesh. Its pincers gripped Subaru’s spasming leg, leaving pools of blood pooling on the floor.

—The feared colossal scorpion had invaded.

Concentrating his attention upon the five stubborn obstacles ahead, they now reached critical mass in this very vicinity.

“———”

This is bad. Bad, bad. Bad, bad, bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Subaru endeavored to find a way through the glaring pain engulfing his thoughts.

Yet, he still lacked clarity on how to redirect the ebbing tides of misfortune.

With Batenkaitos, Reid, and the immense scorpion all present—

Even with Meily and Shaula handling the magical beast horde, it felt like they lacked the capacity to focus on anything else. This won’t work.

The current course of action is unacceptable. I need a different approach—.

“—Subaru!” “Subaru!” “Subaru!!”

The voices of three could be heard through his throbbing ears.

Beatrice’s anxious voice, Julius’s urgent tone, and Emilia’s plea all wove together, calling for Subaru. Then—

Each of Batenkaitos, Reid, and the giant scorpion moved.

Natsuki Subaru and his allies were converging forces to obstruct their path; however, even sooner—

“———”

—A tremendous quake and an ear-splitting roar reverbated through the entire tower.

“———”

That alone toppled Subaru, sending him crashing to the floor, scattering Emilia and the others amidst frantic combat, crushing even the giant scorpion’s shell, leaving the world itself collapsing.

Beside him, a small body clung to him in a manner seemingly intended to shield him. Embracing that tender form, Subaru opened his eyes wide amidst the chaos.

“—I love you.”

—Blinded by the pure heat of love alone, darkness tried to consume Subaru whole.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

—In that moment, everything in the world—a tumult of black and white, light and shadow, male and female, love and hatred—was an overwhelming rupture in sensation, as Natsuki Subaru was swept away.

“—Subaru!”

“—Ah!”

“Hyahn!”

As he called out, reaching for Subaru, he cradled the origin of the voice into his arms.

Instantly, the body within his arms squirmed and looked up at him in nervous surprise.

It was—

“Beatrice…”

“Oh, is that so? You startled me there! I’m not saying I dislike it! But I just came back from the book and was worried… I was so relieved you said Betty first.”

“———”

So, Beatrice held Subaru tightly as she mumbled towards him. Listening to her soft voice, Subaru glanced around, bewildered at his surroundings.

What had happened? He had been down in the corridor only moments ago, his leg wounded, only to be swept into that black, black darkness—

“…The library?”

“Whether you’re still foggy or not, clarifying that much helps us as well. Isn’t that so, Natsuki-kun?”

Surrounded by countless bookshelves, Subaru was jolted back to the present, finding that familiar voice belonged to Echidna, with a faint smirk. Behind her reclined Meily, looking relaxed as if lazily declaring, “You’re finally awake.”

“———”

“W-Whoa! Subaru! Subaru, what’s wrong?! Are you feeling sick? What did you see in the book? Can you tell me?”

“Ah, no, um, yeah. I do need to tell you that…”

Firmly holding onto Beatrice’s slender figure while basking in her warmth, Subaru recognized the undeniable truth.

—He had returned. At this very moment.

 

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