— When I first heard the name Shaula, it didn’t leave me completely unphased.

Not that I held any special affection for the name “Shaula” itself.

It’s just that Subaru had a vague recollection of it.

“Shaula” is the name of a star that shines brightly in the night sky, signifying the constellation of Scorpius.

The identity of the person bearing the name Scorpius being a giant scorpion clad in pitch-black armor is a refreshingly straightforward answer. It’s so simple that one might question the naming sense of the person who gave it.

However, the current prime suspect for this lack of creativity is none other than Natsuki Subaru, treated as “Master” by those around him.

It’s problematic that, regardless of my memories, I can’t imagine having any opportunity to name Shaula, and we certainly don’t have the luxury to leisurely confirm that now.

“——”

Before my eyes, Emilia and Ram are fiercely battling Louis Arnebe, the Archbishop of Gluttony. In the midst of this battlefield, deeper down the corridor, the giant scorpion is snapping its cruel pincers, gazing straight at us with its crimson compound eyes.

The natural scythe evolved for slaughter, its ominous, grating blade sounds suggest a sharpness that could easily sever bone and organ alike.

Those red compound eyes, ominous double pincers, multiple legs supporting its massive frame, and the shell boasting a strength that rivals iron—all of it symbolizes refined destruction and violence.

In fact, its combat power does not betray its savage appearance at all.

Subaru has confirmed this time and again through battles here, in this world, both with his own eyes and through his own body.

“O…”

The moment this realization hit, flashes of the previous loop rushed through Subaru’s mind.

Right after they managed to fend off the giant scorpion’s relentless assault, Subaru and company were caught off-guard by an explosion left behind by the feral beast, claiming the lives of Beatrice and Echidna.

That unbearable rage I felt at that moment is unforgettable.

The anger I felt stemmed from my own helplessness, torn apart by my own inability to act, and simultaneously, it was also directed towards that giant scorpion.

— The giant scorpion, the very object of my wrath, was supposed to be one of my allies, Shaula.

Understanding that now, my heart is filled with rage that seems to have nowhere to go, mixed with a storm of disbelief.

Why does Shaula take the form of a giant scorpion?

Why is Shaula attacking us, trying to kill us?

Why is Shaula revealing her true nature in this situation, intervening in the fight?

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why――.

“—-Subaru, calm down. Let’s take a deep breath, shall we?”

“——”

Subaru, whose thoughts are filled to the brim with these shocking truths, is brought back to his senses by Beatrice’s gentle call of his name.

Clutching his small hand, Subaru finally realizes he has been holding his breath. Following her instruction, he takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.

And then,

“That’s right. — Is it a fact that that is Shaula?”

Beatrice’s question makes Subaru reevaluate for himself.

“Cor Leonis” — born of a nascent power, it’s a force that has just barely taken root. It undoubtedly allows Subaru to perceive the locations of his allies and take on any distress they experience.

Therefore, Subaru can faintly grasp the whereabouts of his comrades within the tower, including Emilia, Ram, Beatrice, Julius, Meily, and Echidna.

And, strangely enough, he also feels that gentle warmth emanating from that giant scorpion.

Considering the current positional relationships of the comrades in the tower, there are no other candidates.

So that giant scorpion is undoubtedly —

“It has to be Shaula. I don’t get why, but she’s transformed into a giant scorpion…”

“–. It’s true that she was originally a girl of unknown identity, so it shouldn’t be surprising that her true form is just a slightly larger bug.”

“That’s some guts you have…”

Declaring a scorpion as a bug, Beatrice brushes off the shock not with understanding but with adaptability. Admiring her way of handling it, Subaru once again glares at the giant scorpion.

Those red compound eyes staring blankly somewhere, Subaru thrusts his gaze directly at them and shouts,

“Why don’t you answer me already?! Your true identity is already out in the open, you know!!”

“——”

“You’ve got excuses to make, or maybe you ought to lick your lips in front of your prey or something…!”

As he raises his angry voice, a sharp pain grips his already sluggish body. Ignoring the pain, Subaru demands a response from the giant scorpion.

However, the scorpion maintains its uncommunicative appearance and doesn’t respond in any way.

“Not even a single excuse for me…?”

Weakly murmuring, Subaru battles against the urge to vomit as his thoughts swirl.

True to the memories that resurfaced, Subaru has endured painful experiences at the hands of that giant scorpion multiple times.

The carefree and unrestrained Shaula, who never hid her fondness or affection for Subaru — the fact that she had been deceiving and plotting against him pierces painfully through his heart.

Was that smile, those words, that attitude, all fabricated lies?

Was she truly a traitor who deceived Subaru and the others?

“No…”

The thought of ‘traitor’ causes Subaru’s cheeks to stiffen, feeling a nuanced discomfort wash over him.

It makes sense to conclude that Shaula has betrayed them, given the current situation. But is it genuinely true that everything about Shaula was a lie? That’s up for debate.

Of course, there’s a possibility that all her previous actions and words were all an act, and her smiles and intimacy were mere tools of deception.

It’s possible. But for what purpose—?

If she sought to act, slipping into Subaru’s trust, the reason would be hostility towards Subaru and the others.

Yet, if Shaula had that intent, she could have picked her timing long before to attack them, having been so deeply embedded with them.

Considering how deeply she had entwined herself, she must have had countless opportunities to stealthily inject poison into their trust during leisurely moments.

So why would she expose her betrayal at this junction?

That makes absolutely no logical sense.

What is the point of pretending to be an ally all this time?

The fact she helped thwart Meily when Subaru requested should also lack any sense.

That’s just nonsensical.

“Is it because I’m enthralled by those white legs visible from her hot pants?”

“If that makes Subaru’s judgment naive, then Shaula’s strategy is not to be thrown away.”

“Yeah. My feelings are locked on Emilia-chan, though… wait, what!?”

Just as Subaru shares his unease over Shaula’s actions, Beatrice suddenly yanks on his arm, not in protest, but in a forceful rescue action.

As Subaru stumbles backward, a blinding light pierces above him, narrowly saving his life.

“Looks like we don’t have time for chit-chat!”

Saying this, Beatrice raises her hand, and the area around her begins to glow faintly.

Emerging is a torrent of crystals enveloped in purple light, sharpened at the tips and aimed at the giant scorpion, enveloping Subaru and the others in a protective barrier.

In an instant, those purple arrows intercept the dazzling white light rushing forward, and the spectacle erupts into a chaotic interplay of light.

“Whaaaaaat!?”

“Bow your head! Getting hit would be bad news!”

The shimmering purple light goes wild, with sounds akin to glass shattering beautifully resonating through the corridor.

Contrasting this dazzling display, the flash released by, no, the sharp strike of the scorpion’s tail is mercilessly aimed to impale Subaru’s life.

It’s Beatrice’s magical prowess, weaving a curtain of spells to deflect, strike, and repel the countless lethal attacks from that scorpion.

However, the sheer volume of those attacks is overwhelming.

“Guh, this is bad…! At this rate, our mana will run out in no time!”

“And if it runs out, what happens?!”

“You and Beatrice end up skewered on one needle!”

Regardless of the “best buddies” label, that scenario is far from desirable.

As the onslaught continues against them, Beatrice’s remaining strength will not last long as she admitted. Before they get overwhelmed with exhaustion, they need to find a way to break this deadlock.

Just after this sense of crisis strikes Subaru’s mind—

“—Hey! It’s not cool swinging around dangerous stuff right above my head!”

A melodious voice rings out, slamming a colossal ice shard into the giant scorpion’s shell. The cannon blast reverberates through the corridor, and the scorpion’s emotionless red compound eyes seem to display shock.

The one who triggered that reaction is Emilia, who kicked off the ice wall she created and charged with determination into the scorpion’s nest.

Her silver hair flowing, she leaps dramatically at the giant scorpion, wielding a long ice sword and shouts,

“Attacking Subaru and his friends… picking on the weak is cowardly!”

“——-”

With an overhead attack using her ice sword, the scorpion attempts to deflect it with its massive pincers, quickly retreating on multiple legs. But Emilia pursues it fiercely, exemplifying the three-dimensional combat with a beautiful girl against a massive scorpion.

“Take that! Ha! Here we go!”

Creating ice swords, twin blades, spears, and hammers, they are effortlessly shattered, and amidst the scattering glittering ice shards, Emilia dances around gracefully.

The robust pincers of the giant scorpion, exuding incredible strength, are capable of easily shattering and severing even the weapons it meets. Yet, for Emilia, that weapon destruction holds little sway.

Her Ice Brand Arts allow her to generate countless weapons with her magic.

Those disposable ice weapons are temporary favorites for Emilia. No matter how many are shattered or severed, she feels no pain or itch from them.

“Here I go!!”

The pincers and tail strike are swung around, and Emilia, dodging the attacks, shoots ice stakes into the air, colliding head-on with the white light released from the scorpion, bursting into shards of light.

It’s a confrontation between man and beast, comprised of beings possessing overwhelming power.

What astonishes is Emilia’s instinct, diving into battles with remarkably different tactics from humanoid foes, unfazed and steadfast.

For Emilia, the enemy’s form is not absolute. Instead, it is her abundant combat sense built through training that highlights her skills.

Thus, the seesaw battle between Emilia and the giant scorpion culminates in a stalemate.

However, as Emilia fights against the giant scorpion, a different battle situation becomes heavily impacted.

For instance, that battle against Louis Arnebe, the Archbishop of Gluttony, which had only been possible through their simultaneous assault — now rests solely in Ram’s hands.

“Ram!!”

“I can hear you without you shouting. Be quiet, it’s distracting.”

Ram, facing off against Louis in the center of the corridor, emanates tremendous pressure while her back is turned towards Subaru.

Naturally, Subaru anticipates the situation will become more difficult without Emilia present, but—

“Shush!”

“Ughah! Sis, that’s just terrible!”

The titan grins with a sticky smile, shaking its head backward.

An elbow to the face sent it staggering back. As the giant retreats to dissipate that impact, Ram swiftly approaches the “Fist King” in fierce close-combat.

The combat techniques Louis employs bear lethal qualities befitting the “Fist King.” Yet, Ram overwhelmingly counters these with an almost supernatural sense.

Even now, her white fists are mercilessly striking right at his centerline.

“Amazing! Incredible! You’re way too strong, Sis! What is this? How can you move like that!?”

“Don’t speak as if you know anything, just shut up and die.”

Louis, beaten mercilessly, writhes in pain while emitting delighted cheers.

Currently, Louis had his right arm shattered, rendering one of his arms useless. In that condition, no matter how much he excelled in hand-to-hand combat, he could not express his full potential.

The warrior’s experience cultivated by the “Fist King” lays wasted before the unrestrained Ram.

Ram’s innate abilities are so utterly overpowering.

However, the more Ram pushes ahead—

“Ugh, buh!”

A feeling of nausea wells up, an unendurable rise in body temperature. Amidst the invasive thundering noise that feels like a gavel hammering in his head, Subaru battles with an overwhelming weariness.

This is what Ram must endure daily—the leviathan of discomfort.

It gnaws unmercifully at Subaru’s psyche and body. Instead of acclimatizing to the pain, with every passing second, the coldness grows heavier, particularly as Ram’s intensity escalates.

“——”

Yet, Subaru endures the nausea, headaches, and weariness with gritted teeth.

Thanks to this ability, he can take on Ram’s suffering and provide her the strength to fight. The extent of Subaru suffering here is an acceptable tradeoff.

No matter how utterly exhausted he feels, with limbs heavy, the ringing in his ears unbearable, the gnawing pain from his torn thigh, the agony from his battered abdomen, rising in breath due to fatigue, and vision flickering between red and white.

— This level of struggle is nothing compared to his efforts.

“—-Foolish.”

While down on one knee behind Beatrice, he catches a glimpse of Ram murmuring something quietly.

However, his ability merely bears burden; it doesn’t allow him to comprehend everything.

The succinct words she mutters go unheard, only leaving Subaru with furrowed brows.

But—

“Hurry up and fall already. If this drags on, our maid will faint.”

“Too cold, too cold; it’s really too cold! Sis! Sis! Let’s keep playing! This is too much fun! We’ve never wrestled like this, even as sisters!!”

“—-Then, I’ll grant that wish.”

With a cold narrowed gaze, Ram delivers a palm strike across Louis’ cheek.

Fluidly transitioning, she follows up with an elbow strike to the same cheek and unleashes a barrage of blows on Louis’ entire body.

With Ram shifting to offense, she launches Louis’ chin sky-high, grabs the front of his shirt, and slams his face into the wall with force, before delivering a delicate knee strike to the back of his head.

“Pweh!”

Blood splatters as Louis has his face crushed against the stone wall and collapses. Ram then, without hesitation, turns her palm towards the exposed nape of his neck.

Within that palm churns a tiny, powerful blade of wind. Don’t underestimate that small size; that vortex of wind blades is more than sufficient to pierce a vital point.

No need for grand destruction; a minimal attack to pierce vital points will finish the job. With that aimed at his neck, even the “Fist King’s” thick neck wouldn’t withstand it.

As Ram’s decisive strike approaches—

“—-Tch! You little troublemaker, playing while I’m taking a nap. You’re too needy; my position as older sister has to agree with that too, right?”

“—-!”

The moment the blow lands on the nape, Louis’ form shifts, and Ram’s palm strike misses.

Moments later, the slim figure of Louis, now drastically smaller, is replaced by Rai Batenkaitos, who delivers a back kick directly into Ram’s front.

“Switch…!?”

“No, no, no, that wasn’t on purpose! I just happened to wake up right at the moment my sister was pinned down! You get that, right? It’s like when your sibling is playing a game badly, and you just can’t help but take the controller away!”

Stretching his tongue, the shady Rai smirks at Subaru.

Behind Rai’s smile lies the aftermath of Ram receiving a kick to her waist, staggering her back. She responds with a twisted expression and heavy breaths.

At the same time, Subaru perceives the cause that halts her advance, an energy force that he takes on.

And then—

“Agh, gaahhhh—!”

A searing pain begins to blossom in Subaru’s abdomen, forcing him to shriek in unbearable heat.

It feels as though he’s being scrambled inside with a poker. As the shock clears his vision to white, he feels every organ inside him scream in unison.

“Huh? I thought you couldn’t move, sis! Looks like you could muster a bit of movement because I’m here?”

Rai taunts, while Subaru cries out in pain.

From his abdomen, Ram’s blood flows, soaked by the blade hidden beneath Rai’s kick.

Subaru suffers as he takes on the stabbing pain from Ram.

There might even be some poison smeared on that blade. A chill races through his body as his temperature plunges, and from all over, beads of cold sweat cascade down like waterfalls.

“Subaru!?”

“Subaru, stop that!”

Beatrice gasps in disbelief, while Ram calls out in alarm as the situation sinks in.

With an abdomen pierced and blood flowing from the wound, the pain should ease if it becomes ineffective, so it’s only natural for him to feel off. However, Subaru shakes his head desperately.

He cannot allow that pain to reach Ram. The moment he passes it back, she won’t be able to move.

It’s an expected conclusion. It’s best if all that pain remains with Subaru. Should it remain that way, no one would lose. They could still fight. He could still help them fight.

“Not yet…”

“Beatrice! Get Subaru out of here! He’s just a hindrance now!”

With disjointed words slipping out, Ram makes swift judgments.

She wraps her discarded coat around the stab wound to staunch the bleeding and chooses to continue fighting, but insists Beatrice help Subaru withdraw from the scene.

In light of Ram’s decision, Beatrice pulls on Subaru’s sleeve to comply.

“Subaru! Do what Ram says! Just get out of here!”

“N-no! If I leave this place…”

Shaking his head against Beatrice’s insistence, Subaru refuses to yield to retreat.

If he departs from their fighting range now, the effectiveness of “Cor Leonis” will dissipate, and the strength holding Ram’s battlefield together will suddenly collapse.

If that happens, what meaning does it hold for Subaru to abandon the fight?

“Gah…! Emilia! Come here for a moment!”

“Huh? Oh, okay! Got it!”

Noticing Subaru’s determination to stay, Ram calls for Emilia.

Emilia, who was focused on battling the giant scorpion, dramatically leaps back and, as the scorpion tries to chase after her, is intercepted by a tremendous ice wall that fills the corridor.

Naturally, the ice wall won’t hold against the scorpion’s pincers, even for a single second, but that single second is more than enough for Emilia to make her retreat.

And then—

“Hey, hey, hey! Wait, wait, wait! I won’t just sit back and watch while you guys stroll on back like that—!”

“—Shut up.”

“Hieep!”

With a smug grin, Rai raises a dagger behind Emilia just as she tries to withdraw. However, Ram approaches from a low posture and executes a sweep kick, sending Rai stumbling backward.

Emilia gracefully leaps over Rai, as if vaulting a hurdle. Consequently, as Rai stands back up in the corridor—

“—–!”

“Cheh! Hahaha! What the heck, you guys are something else!”

The giant scorpion, chasing after Emilia, crashes into the obstructing Rai. While its compound eyes are primarily targeting Subaru, it cannot overlook the unnecessary nuisance in its path.

The scorpion swings its pincers, while Rai deflects the attack with amazing dagger skills. The flimsy edge would likely shatter beneath the brute’s strike, but Rai’s technique pulls it off with ease.

Without worrying about the clash of titans behind him, Subaru shouts,

“Emilia! Get Subaru out of harm’s way!”

“Leave it to me!”

Hearing Ram’s shout, Emilia lifts up the battered Subaru. As Subaru’s eyes grow wide in surprise, he exclaims, “Gwah!”

“Sorry! Act a little more passive for me!”

“Being carted by a girl? My pride is wounded…”

“Your pride should be non-existent right now! Act like the load you’re supposed to be!”

Carried by Emilia, who refuses to slow down, Subaru familiarizes himself with the situation disregarding his pride.

Behind them, a fierce battle rages between Rai and the giant scorpion, and you can expect them to continue their standoff for a little while longer.

Nonetheless—

“—-Shaula’s target has to be Subaru! It’s dangerous to take my eyes off her; I don’t know when she might strike again!”

“That’s a problem, Beatrice! — Is that really Shaula?”

While racing alongside Emilia, Ram converses with Beatrice regarding the disturbing situation.

Ram’s inquiry is a confirmation regarding the identity of the giant scorpion Subaru is sure of. In response, Beatrice nods while looking at Subaru.

“Subaru is confident it’s her. The attacks sending out light also line up.”

“…Those are the same attacks that came from the balcony and the dunes, right?”

Hearing Beatrice’s analysis, Ram furrows her brows in thought. After a moment, she looks towards Subaru, and with a tap on Subaru’s forehead, says,

“Subaru, whatever is going on, stop it. If you don’t, then…”

“Do you mean I’ll give out? I’m a boy, you know. Putting on a brave front is our exclusive right…”

“For someone so battered, you don’t have the gall to say that.”

“Ugh!”

Ram’s words leave Subaru speechless.

The truth is, due to taking on Ram’s distress, he feels weariness from head to toe, making even breathing seem like a challenge. Each second, the fatigue rises, gnawing away at his life like a curse.

Hearing such nonsense pouring out of Subaru’s mouth, Emilia whispers, “I knew it,” before she continues,

“Subaru, you’re doing something, right? This whole time, my body feels so much lighter, and the wounds don’t even hurt… Beatrice, if Subaru is being forced…”

“It’s not Beatrice. It’s a result of Subaru’s own doing… using that power of his. Even Beatrice herself would like to put a stop to it if possible.”

“Power…?”

Looking at Emilia’s concern, Beatrice shakes her head, sporting a grim expression. Emilia and Ram furrow their brows at the mention of “power.”

They both seem to have a hunch about the abilities Subaru wields and their ramifications—

“Beatrice, what is this power about?”

“— It’s like guidance, an upper-level variant of ability. Subaru is using it recklessly. The condition of Emilia and Ram likely corresponds to this.”

“—”

Emilia gasps while Ram’s expression sharpens.

Though the situation should statistically yield relief, anger boils in the light pink of Ram’s eyes. Fixing her glare on Subaru, she speaks,

“How dare you steal the burden of my responsibility without permission. Since when did you get so high and mighty?”

“Sorry… I’m a gentleman. That’s why I smoothly carry a lady’s burden…”

“And the result of that is you turning me into a burden? I’ll say it again, that’s totally absurd.”

Ram’s sigh carries both resigned exasperation and disillusionment toward Subaru’s character. She sensed that Subaru had no intention of returning this burden back.

To hold it forever is undeniably exhausting, but still, at least during battle—

“—-That’s it.”

Just as Subaru considers this, he finally redirects his focus deep within—shifting from those whining inner organs to a different place.

His awareness transcends his physical being, vastly expanding detectable range, and connects to the condition and locations of his comrades, a knowledge gleaned from “Cor Leonis.”

Undoubtedly, the “Taygeta” still holds Echidna and Rem, as well as Patrasche. A brief distance down below lies the Giant, and then—

“Just like I thought.”

“Just like you thought? What do you mean?”

“Meily is still holding strong on the balcony against the magical beasts…”

Though separated by a short distance, the faint light flickering on the fourth-floor balcony belongs to Meily. Even without Shaula present, she fully mobilizes her powers, dealing with the throngs of magical beasts.

Subaru feels deep admiration and gratitude for her commitment, however—

“That means she isn’t being attacked by Shaula.”

“Correct.”

With Ram’s concise confirmation, Subaru nods as he looks to Emilia.

After the battles started earlier, he had assigned the task of dealing with the marauding magical beasts to Meily and Shaula.

With Shaula now attacking from the form of a giant scorpion, concern about Meily’s fate easily arose—but through his senses, Subaru could tell she is alright.

In other words—

“The transformation of Shaula happened after separating from Meily. In any case, it seems Shaula isn’t going after Meily…”

What connection that has with the current situation is beyond Subaru’s mental reach.

On top of that, even while making a run for it—

“If I don’t resolve the pressing issues, I’ll only find myself cornered while running away.”

Emilia’s lamenting cry perfectly encapsulates the current circumstances faced by Subaru and the others.

Out of the five pressing threats, Meily is managing the hoard of magical beasts, the giant scorpion is presently engaged in a tremendous battle with “Gluttony,” while the ominous shadows are yet to make their appearance.

However, the unreasonably powerful force called Raid Astraea is—

“—-Stop right there!”

“—-!?”

Ram, who had been leading, extends her hand back to stop Emilia and the others. Just as all three halt promptly, a shockwave blasts forward.

The shockwave tears through the stone path with a diagonal strike, sending stone debris and smoke swirling into the air.

This was the third time the supposedly indestructible watchtower had been compromised — yet, unlike the others, this one had no contributions from Shaula’s pressure.

And the source of this destruction was—

“Lady Ram… and, Emilia and Beatrice, right?”

“Julius!?”

Shattering through the smoke, the handsome man in white, Julius Euclius, appears strangely bloodied and dust-laden.

He paces to ease the shock felt, shooting a fleeting glance behind him. When he spots Subaru on Emilia’s shoulder, a frown crosses his face.

“I thought we separated for just a few minutes, but you seem to have been in quite the battle.”

“Shut up… I’m still unscathed…”

“You don’t look like an unscathed person, sweating like that…”

As Subaru, pale and haggard, retorts with a bitter tone, a knowing smile surfaces on Julius’ face. He’s clever enough that the implications of the “Cor Leonis” ability likely elude him.

Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to calmly discuss this further.

“For the love of everything, please say you’ve taken Raid’s head!”

“It would be a severe struggle for a knight to present inaccurate reports.”

“…That answer was more affirming than disheartening.”

Subaru’s prayerful plea is utterly crushed under Julius’ serious rationale. Drowning in the sensation of hope morphing into despair, Subaru wears a bitter expression.

The sound of Zori crunching on broken stone reaches his ears as he hears—

“Ha! You gals lined up for welcoming me? I’m only getting bored, so what’s it gonna be? You wanna step up and take me on?”

“…This is the worst situation possible.”

Following Julius’ appearance was none other than Raid Astraea, the red-haired behemoth with one sleeve ripped off, his muscular physique rippling.

The figure of Raid stepping boldly into the corridor stands at the second floor level, drawing a growl of incredulity from Ram. A similarly shocked expression adorns Emilia’s face as she gasps, “You…!”

“What are you doing on this floor? Weren’t you supposed to be sealed away back there…?”

“Hey, hey, don’t play me, hot babe. I go where I wanna go; I slice up what I feel like slicing, and I embrace the gals I feel like embracing. I ain’t gonna follow nobody’s rules.”

“…He truly is an outlier.”

Shivering with terror, Beatrice clicks her tongue at Raid’s self-serving philosophy.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that Raid is now a tangible presence that stands to obstruct Subaru and the others.

Now, both the front gate, Raid, and the rear gate—the giant scorpion and “Gluttony”—have converged here. It’s a chaotic melee.

“I know it may be futile to say this, but… whatever’s happening in the tower…”

“Yeah, I know there’s a huge ruckus going on, but it’s not my problem. If any of those idiots interrupt me, I’ll slice them down, and if they don’t clear the way, I’ll chase them down and slice them too. Except for the ones dicking around who are up for ‘tests’—those are a special case that caught my eye.”

“So, what then…?”

“—Oi, fry. Don’t go blabbering on about pointless stuff.”

Struggling against the unrelenting force, Subaru attempts to negotiate some leverage against Raid. His mouth gets silenced by a dreadful pressure radiated from Raid.

“——-”

A strange ache spreads—so powerful it’s enough to induce a sense of paralysis as it engulfs Subaru and—no, not just him, but everyone standing in the corridor. Or perhaps the entire tower.

Just one man’s displeasure creates this intimidating aura.

Within the Pleiades Watchtower, not only is Raid a significant threat—there are others as well—

“Still, we haven’t figured out how to handle “Gluttony” and that shadow yet…”

“—-Subaru, I have good news and bad news regarding that matter.”

Weakly muttering, Subaru glances at Julius, who stands rigid, and adjusts his knight’s sword.

As he begins his overseas drama-style remarks, Subaru feels his brows tighten.

Good news and bad news are often seen in stories, but hearing it in actuality sends a shudder down his spine.

Once, he swallows, and then verifies in his mind the verbal distinction of “good news and bad news.”

“Then, let’s hear the good news first.”

“Regarding the invisible “Gluttony” Archbishop you’ve been worried about, there’s no need to be too cautious about him. I can assure you of that.”

“—-? Not sure what your basis is, but that’s definitely good news. So what’s the bad news then?”

Sudden optimism offers relief, but also makes Subaru raise an eyebrow at the weight of the words.

If only one of the “Gluttony” Archbishops remained, it would indeed diminish the targets to deal with.

Comparing hands with theirs while pondering the best approach with a soundless mind, Subaru ruminates.

And with a hint of breathlessness, Julius continues on.

“The Gluttony Archbishop, Roy Alphard, is right there.”

“…Huh?”

With a serious voice, Julius points the tip of his knight’s sword straight ahead.

Standingly in the direction it indicates is a man with a ferocious shark grin—a formidable figure, exuding an air of danger.

And within this, the meaning behind the sight is simple. — A man smiling like a shark stood there.

Then, addressing the stunned group of Subaru et al., Julius continues calmly.

“Standing right before you, is the first ‘Sword Saint,’ Raid Astraea. — He is Roy Alphard.”