――In the crumbling tower, under Raid’s slash, Natsuki Subaru’s life burned away.

　Literally, it would be correct to say he was burned away.

　There are many things I want to say and confirm, like how he managed to secure his footing in a collapsing tower, how he countered the density of the approaching shadows, and what he planned to do afterward, but all that is irrelevant.

　What is certain is that Raid’s final strike swallowed Subaru whole and evaporated him.

　Perhaps, there was no pain, I think.

　Of course, I don’t for a moment believe it was Raid’s mercy, but the fact that pain and fear did not accompany the moment of ‘death’ was a rare occurrence for Subaru, who had died multiple times in a short period.

　Yes, there was no pain or fear.――Only ‘anger’ remained.

“――I――”

　How many times will I continue to experience meaningless ‘death’?

　As long as I have something to bring back, a hint to turn the situation around, Subaru’s ‘death’ is not meaningless, and the repeated ‘deaths’ are not in vain.

　That is a tremendous fallacy.

　It’s just an excuse to avoid facing my own powerlessness.

　I simply don’t want to believe that I died needlessly, helplessly, randomly, mercilessly. So, I seek a reason for my ‘death’ just to assert that I did not die for nothing.

　If only I weren’t weak, it would have been nice.

　If only I were smarter, it would have been nice.

　If only I weren’t like this, but strong, wise, and resilient, it would have been nice.

“However…”

　But here I am, only weak, stupid, and pathetic Natsuki Subaru.

　And nobody has ever tried to leave such a Subaru alone.

　That’s what supports my current, scarred resolve.

“Therefore, I――”

　Therefore, Natsuki Subaru――.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“――If I told you to die, would you die for me?”

　In the moment I uttered that, there was hesitation.

　The reason is, I could not predict how the other party would react to my question.――No, I could only make predictions.

　I had some patterns in mind and assumed it would fall under one of those.

　So then, what was the hesitation I felt in the moment I threw out the question?

“――? If you say I should die, then I’ll die, you know?”

　Shaula answered with a casual tone, pointing her finger at her cheek.

　It hurt, like I was being stabbed, a painful crackle resonating deep in my chest.

“――――”

　Grabbing my aching chest, I let out a deep sigh.

　I had sought out hurt, yet felt absurdly pained by my own discomfort. Seeing the way I was, Shaula looked at me with a puzzled expression.

　Her demeanor was as if she inquired about the dinner menu for today without any ill intent.

　That reaction she showed was the second worst outcome compared to the patterns I had anticipated.

　Shaula, without hesitation, accepted the choice of abandoning her own life.

　It was not a lie or a joke; I could tell at a glance from her straightforward eyes that it was her genuine feelings.

　Honestly, I would have felt relief if there had been a hint of dark calculation or ulterior motive behind it.

　Yet reality did not offer Subaru any such escape route. Whether it was mercy or cruelty, I couldn’t distinguish at this stage――.

“…I see.”

“Master, do you want me to die? Hmm, if it’s your request, I’ll do anything you want, so I’m totally okay with that, but isn’t this a rather weird time for such a bold statement? Things are really messy in the tower right now…”

“I know. I know.”

　Hearing my raspy reply, Shaula tilted her head, her long braid—her scorpion tail—swaying with the motion.

　The scorpion tail. Looking back, that’s quite the ironic name.

　Just like ‘Shaula,’ which means scorpion, she embodies the saying that names reflect their essence. Surely, it’s not just in her name but shows up in various aspects of her being.

　That must be because she has no intention of hiding any of it.

　Therefore――,

“――Shaula, can you transform into a big scorpion?”

　Cutting through the fluff, I directly asked her.

　Five obstacles coming to the Pleiades Watchtower――Among them was the presence of the pitch-black Giant Scorpion, and I was half-convinced that this was Shaula.

　However, I recognized that this perception was merely an instinctive answer deciphered through the unknown power, “Cor Leonis.”

　If I wanted to turn that instinctive answer into certainty, the quickest way was to ask her directly.

　Of course, if I had time, I might have chosen a different approach, and if I couldn’t trust her answer, I would have had to find another means.

　Yet, as my question came to Shaula, she remained tilted her head.

“Well, it’s a bit different when you say ‘transform,’ but I can do it~. Ah, but I don’t really like it ‘cause it lacks cuteness, you see? I think this form that my Mama and Master designed is the best one.”

　Despite the random question, Shaula answered without hesitation.

“――――”

　She had no intention of hiding anything.

　This demonstrated her nature, and I could accept that. At the same time, I gained confidence that the Giant Scorpion that had appeared within the tower was indeed her.

　When the effect of “Cor Leonis” allowed me to perceive where my allies were within the tower, one of those perceptions pointed to that Giant Scorpion, confirming the mechanics behind it.

“Master? Are you okay? You don’t look so good. Would you like to refresh with my knee pillow, arm pillow, chest pillow, or maybe a hug pillow?”

“…Don’t say such things that let my guard down. Besides, you said there’s no room for that.”

“Things have gotten messy in the tower, that’s true, but in my opinion, your wellbeing is way up on my priority list, so everything else is made to take a backseat. So if you want to get all huggly with me in the chaos, I’d totally welcome it. I’d be on fire.”

“Not on fire. Douse me with water!”

“Master, you’re so mean~.”

　Pouting, Shaula gave a sulky look.

　If you just cut this interaction and her expression out, you could easily misunderstand that the current predicament faced by Subaru and the others is peaceful.

“――――”

　However, the reality was anything but kind to Subaru and his friends. It was far from peaceful.

　As Subaru and Shaula leisurely conversed, Emilia and Ram were racing against time to stop Gluttony, while Beatrice had joined the fray to support them. Julius was clashing with Raid = Roy on the second floor, and Echidna had likely regrouped with Patrasche, taking Rem to safety at Taygeta. Meanwhile, Meily was holding back the wave of beasts――every possible effective measure was being taken against the five obstacles.

　However, all this was merely a facade for the negotiation with Shaula.

　Because in this loop, Natsuki Subaru――,

“W-wait, Master? Isn’t there something definitely wrong? If you keep staring at me with those gallant eyes, I seriously can’t hold back anymore after a four-hundred-year wait…?”

　Shaula, who sensed Subaru’s gaze fixed on her, wrapped her thin arms around herself. It seemed like she was trying to maintain a normal facade, but it wasn’t.

　She was genuinely feeling anxious about Subaru’s behavior. It wasn’t like her――No, that didn’t seem right. Perhaps, it reflected her true feelings.

　Even when told to die, she wouldn’t falter, yet if Subaru showed signs of distress, her heart would shake remarkably, just like a naive chick longing for its parent.

“――――”

　When Subaru first tossed that question to Shaula, he had options in mind.

　The worst possibility among them was that as soon as Subaru threw a heartless remark, Shaula would change, revealing her true self, and on a whim, kill Subaru.――If all of Shaula’s attitude up to this point had been an act, and everything was a lie.

　That possibility was not impossible.

　Before the question, I wasn’t certain, but she had transformed into the Giant Scorpion and killed Subaru, Echidna, and Beatrice before. It was also likely that the tragedy of past loops when Subaru couldn’t find any survivors involved her as the Giant Scorpion.

　Thus, Subaru’s initial inquiry was a gamble for him.

　Since after he posed the question, it would have been perfectly reasonable for Subaru’s head to evaporate in that moment.

　Yet he could say he had won that gamble.

　However, gambling doesn’t end with just one round.

　The debts Subaru had unconsciously accumulated, the stakes that Gluttony and the Pleiades Watchtower provided him, to recover from the losses incurred so far, it wouldn’t be enough to stack small victories.

　To achieve a substantial win, you must stake considerably.

　Therefore――,

“Shaula, I apologize for all the questions, but there’s something I need to ask. I heard that the ‘test’ in this Pleiades Watchtower has several rules, right?”

“You’re asking that now, when I feel all flushed?! …Of course! I told you about it before you bumped your head on the toilet, didn’t I…”

“Please, tell me.”

　With a clearly sulky attitude, Shaula subtly pinched her fingers in front of her chest. However, she quickly raised the fingers and muttered, “Um…”

“One, you’re forbidden from leaving without finishing the ‘test.’ Two, you’re forbidden from doing anything that violates the rules of the ‘test.’ Three, you’re forbidden from disrespecting the library. Four, you’re forbidden from destruction of the tower itself.――”

　As she counted off with her fingers, Shaula explained fluently.

　Of course, given that she was sharp-tongued exclusively, it wasn’t surprising she delivered such unblemished explanations. Yet, it caught my attention.

　It was because of the serious tone she used, which was uncharacteristic for her, and the last finger she had started counting with halted.

“――What about the fifth?”

“…There isn’t one. Master, you didn’t hear it? I only mentioned four. You can’t even count, Master? That’s unacceptable~. I’m not great with numbers either, but I can manage that much…”

“Shaula.”

“――――”

　Gradually, Subaru took a step closer to Shaula, creating tension in the air.

　Originally, the two of us were facing each other directly, but now, we were within arm’s reach of one another.――This action was also a gamble for Subaru.

　Of course, the difference in our power levels wasn’t so shallow that closing this distance would change much.

“Master… are you perhaps toying with my heart? I mean, it’s one thing for me to say it, but for you to approach me like this, it means if you want me to spill, well, I wouldn’t mind if you embraced me in this momentum or something…”

“If that would truly make you talk, I might do it. It could be considered a perk of the job… However, if I rely on my unreliable intuition, I’d say that’s not going to work.”

“――――”

“Shaula, I’m asking again. What’s the fifth rule of the tower?”

　Receiving Shaula’s softly reluctant refusal, Subaru pressed on with his inquiry.

　This was not just about physical distance; I had to penetrate towards her heart. Whatever the response was, even if it turned out to be biting, I had to ask.

　With that resolve, I clenched my fists, and before Subaru, Shaula exhaled softly.

“――NG.”

“…NG?”

　Shaking her head, Shaula crossed her arms in front of her ample chest and made a cross sign.

　The motion was childlike, yet the intensity in her eyes was beyond serious.

“――――”

　Gazing steadily at Subaru, who was in a precarious position, Shaula’s eyes filled with a fervor.

　That calm, yet profoundly deep fervor, could be described as a plea, fragile and ephemeral.

　Reluctantly, she shook her head again.

“NG. I don’t want to talk about it. The fifth rule? That’s irrelevant to our sweet moments together…”

“That can’t be true. Both I and everyone else are facing the ‘test’ of this tower. There’s no room for optimism in this situation without understanding the rules of the ‘test.’ So, Shaula.”

“…I don’t want to.”

“Shaula!”

　Like a child unwilling to listen, Shaula clapped her hands over her ears and turned her face away. Subaru, with a strong voice, declared.

“You are you, and I’m sure you have a role in this tower. The tower’s star keeper…? You’ve been doing that for all this time, right? True or not, for four hundred years! If so――”

“――It’s four days, okay?”

“…Huh?”

　The whisper-like voice briefly halted Subaru’s thoughts.

　Comparing it to the years I just pursued, it was an astonishingly short amount of time. Surely, her words were not lies, and Shaula must not have spent much less time in the watchtower than she stated.

　With a look of plea in her eyes, Shaula trembled and continued.

“Since you all arrived at the tower, it’s only been four days. During which, you spent the first two days sleeping, so it’s only been two days since I met you and spoke with you… I waited four hundred years for you! And it’s only been two days…”

“Shaula…”

“In a moment, I thought it’d be enough just to see you for a split second.”

　Already averting her gaze, Shaula quickly stopped herself, as if she were reluctant to move Subaru from her sight even for a moment.――No, thinking back, that had always been the case.

　As far as Subaru could remember, whenever Shaula was near him in the same place and space, she had always been looking at him. It wasn’t out of a arid purpose like monitoring his every move, but surely――.

“Four hundred years I waited at the tower for you. Seeing you once, I thought that would be enough.――But that was a lie.”

“――――”

“Because everything about you is everything to me. Everything about you, everything I feel for you defines me. Even after using all the four hundred years, I still can’t communicate it to you clearly. And now, in just two days… I can’t take that.”

“…So, you can’t tell me the fifth rule?”

　Deeply felt pain enveloped Shaula and shaped her being.

　Four hundred years――that weight, which had only been discerned in name alone, began to take on a real significance to Subaru.

　Because to talk of four hundred years, her demeanor was far too light.

　There was a possibility that she might not even possess the organs to feel pain, sadness, or sorrow.

　That perhaps, down to her heart and mind, she was as soulless as the scorpion.

“A- I don’t want to talk about the rules. It’s NG. Because if I talk about this…”

“――――”

“If I talk about this, you will realize the way to clear the ‘test.’ Because if I speak, if I say it… then my time with you will come to an end.”

　Compelled by the imperative, Shaula embraced her own body, pouring out her emotions to Subaru.

　It was a voice that felt as if she were spitting blood――no, it seemed as if she were choking back sobs.

　That was a response Subaru hadn’t anticipated.

　Like with the first inquiry, he had considered several patterns for the answer to this.

　The true intention behind Shaula hiding the rules of the Pleiades Watchtower.――If she was collaborating with the person who devised the malicious rules of this tower, then perhaps she too had some plot in mind.

　Or perhaps, she had refrained from mentioning the rules, not because of any malicious intention, but out of mere whim or lapse in memory, which bore no greater meaning.

　However, the truth was neither of those.

　Shaula held a desire to keep silent concerning the rules. And that desire bore an earnest wish, unrelated to the ‘sage’ who constructed the tower.

　――Four hundred years, passing through a time of solitude, awaited for reunion with her beloved.

　When that wish came true, she felt joy; hence, she hoped that time could continue for even a smidgen longer.

　If fulfilling such a humble desire would allow for this――,

“Master, would you come to hate me for lying?”

“――――”

“Would you hate me, so much that you’d no longer want to see my face… is that what you think?”

　Why is it that you wear a painful expression now, more than when I told you to die?

　Why do you prioritize whether or not you might be hated over life and death?

　――Why is it that despite having waited for four hundred years, you act as though that’s the conclusion?

“…I wouldn’t hate you.”

“――――”

“If it’s because you’ve been silent, then I bet you’ve put me through a tremendous ordeal, and honestly, there are times when I think things wouldn’t have gotten so desperate.”

　Addressing the silent Shaula, Subaru divulged his honest sentiments.

　There were no lies in this. It was his true feelings. Because of her deliberate secrecy, Subaru had surely failed to engage in necessary reflections and reach conclusions, resulting in him facing numerous brutal deaths.

　Not just for Subaru, but for Emilia, Beatrice, and the others as well.

　He could never forget the despair, disappointment, and powerlessness from those moments.

　Hence, if it were to be the case that there existed a root cause of that moment, Subaru would be unable to forgive that entity.

　Then, could he afford to feel the same way towards the Shaula right in front of him?

“――No.”

　He couldn’t consider Shaula, who had spent four hundred years in loneliness, nor her two days of fulfilling her reason for being born and feeling happiness to be the embodiment of evil.

　If there were indeed a root of all evil, it would be the sheer unfairness of this world, something that conditions the circumstances that lead to such outcomes, this being who commanded Shaula to claim four hundred years as her life——the ‘Master’!

“――Ah.”

　Suddenly, a rasping breath escaped from Shaula’s lips.

“Shaula?”

“Ah, uh… ugh…”

　Noticing a change in Shaula before him, Subaru called her name. Yet, Shaula did not respond and covered her face with her palms.

　From her throat was a painfully trembling voice that was unlike her.

“D-don’t… Don’t do this… Master! Master, Master Master Master Master…!”

“Shaula!? What’s wrong!? So suddenly…!”

“――Someone broke the rules.”

“――――”

　As Subaru rushed toward her, trying to shake her slender shoulders, Shaula instead captured his arm, gripping his wrist painfully with her delicate arms.

　Facing the eyes of Shaula that reflected genuine fear, Subaru caught his breath.

　――Something inexplicably strange had occurred within her round eyes.

　In her round pupils, the dark parts began to split into three, pulsing a vivid red. The transformation occurred simultaneously across the left and right pupils, indicating that the dark parts had divided into six.

　――Three in each eye, a total of six compound eyes.

“Master…! Right now, there’s still time…”

“Time?”

“If you give the command, then I… I can be killed.”

　With her pupils pulsing a fiery hue, white vapor began to rise slowly from her entire body. Shaula’s white skin was gradually tinted red, and a strange, abnormal increase in temperature could be felt by Subaru standing close to her.

　The principle behind it was unclear.――But Shaula’s body was heating up, transforming.

　It was likely the initial stage of her transformation into the Giant Scorpion.

“If I change, it will be too late. I will become a killing machine devoid of blood and tears, and I will kill you. Because, I want you so much… I crave you… So,”

“Before that,”

“Please, tell me to die. …Then, I will—”

　She didn’t finish the sentence with ‘so I won’t kill you.’

　Rather, her eyes, trembling voice, and her entire being seemed to scream the same thing.

“――――”

　A chill indescribable surged through Subaru’s entire body, frightening him. It was likely an instinctive response to a fear that seemed unearthly.

　The ‘human’ Natsuki Subaru was terrified of the ‘monster’ Shaula before him.

　Thus Subaru――,

“Shaula, please tell me the fifth rule.”

“Master, this isn’t the time for that…!”

“If I can hear that――!”

　Interrupting Shaula’s plea, Subaru shouted loudly. Shaula’s shoulders trembled at his steely tone. He grasped her trembling shoulders. It was hot. Her temperature had become so elevated that it felt like she was ablaze.

　Yet, he did not let go. He would not relinquish what was currently incinerating her mind and body.

“If I can hear that, I’ll command you.――Don’t worry. Before you turn into a monster, I’ll give you my command.”

“――――”

　Hearing Subaru’s straightforward declaration, Shaula’s eyes went wide.

　Then she called out his name, saying, “Master,”

“You’re such a womanizer.”

“I have no recollection of that…”

“Then, you’re the one who’s a Shaula charmer. A charmer just for me…”

　With a faint smile, Shaula gently placed her hand atop Subaru’s grasp on her shoulder.

　Then――,

“――Five, you may destroy the ‘test.’”

“――――”

“Look, your eyes changed color.――For my beloved Master.”

　With those words, Shaula shoved Subaru in the chest.

　That unexpected force caused him to stumble backward, unable to hold on to her shoulders. Coughing lightly, when he looked up, Shaula was crouched on the ground, cradling her body.

“Ah, ah… ah…!”

　Crimson vapor billowed from her entire body like blood. The vapor changed color, signaling a dangerous omen. Her pupils lost their dark coloration, and soon they transformed into pure crimson.

“Master… hurry. Before I stop being me…”

“――――”

“Please say it… Tell me to die! If you say that, I…”

　Desiring to end the ‘test’ and wishing not to kill Subaru and his friends, with a sudden plea, Shaula pointed the way for her own salvation.

　Hearing Shaula’s desperate voice, Subaru exhaled.

　Then,

“Shaula.”

“Master…”

“――I’m sorry. What I said earlier was a lie.”

“Eh?”

　At Subaru’s words, Shaula’s eyes widened. After watching her reaction, Subaru held his breath and jumped backward.

　It was fortunate that Shaula had pushed him away.――If she had kept holding onto his wrist, he wouldn’t have been able to pull off such a stunt.

　――Subaru’s body leaped over the edge of the balcony, flying into the open air.

“Wha—”

　Shaula’s startled voice was instantly engulfed by a ferocious gust of sand. Just like that, Subaru’s body plummeted unimpeded hundreds of meters below.

“――――”

　As he fell, he had no way out.

　There was no plan for survival. What Subaru did was a straightforward leap of faith. It was an act that he had never wanted to consider or express, but――he had intended to do this from the start.

　In this loop, if this course of action were permissible, he had absolutely planned to choose it.

　Because with this, Subaru could trust in his choices without hesitation.

　After all――,

“――Master!!”

　Shaula, leaping after him from the edge of the balcony, was trying to catch up to Subaru.

　Her eyes wide open, desperately reaching out, instead of attempting to kill the plummeting Subaru, she was leaping to save him.

　――The Giant Scorpion was Shaula.

　――Shaula was intentionally hiding the rules of the tower.

　――Shaula had killed Subaru and his companions multiple times, standing as one of the five obstacles.

　But――,

“――I can save you, right?”

“――――”

　Even to the very end, transforming against her will and pleading for him to command her to die in order to keep Subaru alive, he would not forget her figure.

　It was a wicked story, but he wanted to ascertain that.

　Who to save, who to abandon, who to defeat, who to protect, who to love.

　He thought he could not move forward without confirming that.

　To whom should he give his love? He no longer hesitated.

“――Masteraaaaaaa!!”

　As Shaula reached out to catch Subaru, her shape in mid-air shifted.

　The stretched arms bloated, transforming into gigantic pincers clad in pitch-black armor. Her once-white skin metamorphosed beyond recognition, shrouded in rough exoskeleton, her very flesh bursting to expand from within.

　In an instant, her agonizing bodily transformation, as if her blood and meat had exploded, converged like winding tape played in reverse until finally, an ominous form took shape――the Giant Scorpion.

　Then, the tail of that Giant Scorpion swiftly aimed itself at Subaru.

　Most likely, from there, that white, light-like tail spike would be unleashed in an instant, with the power to consume Subaru’s life. There would be no way for Subaru to evade the blow.

　Yet――,

“――Since Shaula will cry, I won’t let you kill me.”

“――――”

　The tail spike was released―― before the end of the plummet.

　Both Subaru and the Great Scorpion fell onto the horde of beasts charging toward the sand tower. The result of that encounter could not be witnessed by Subaru.

　Surviving a descent from hundreds of meters was impossible for the existence known as Natsuki Subaru.

　He would burst, and his life would scatter.

　However, in the fleeting moment before his life dissolved, he uttered just one phrase――,

“――I will definitely save you.”

　――It was a message that would not reach the Giant Scorpion, swept away by the sands.