“Listen up! Right now, this tower is in a bad situation. I’m talking worse than when you lose all four corners in Othello!”

“That sounds… really bad.”

With a finger raised, Subaru solemnly explained as Ram’s expression darkened. She wasn’t the only one feeling the serious atmosphere; Emilia and Beatrice, who were listening to the same explanation, shared the sentiment.

‘Othello’—technically known as Reversi, is a board game where white and black pieces compete for an 8×8 = 64 grid.

Of course, this knowledge from Subaru’s original world was quite familiar, and it was relatively easy to replicate in this world, leading to its adoption in Roswaal’s Mansion early on and sparking a massive movement, particularly receiving rave reviews from Emilia.

That’s why even with his current explanation, the severity got across to Emilia and the others. In Othello, losing all four corners essentially spells doom.

While Ram didn’t participate much, she was frighteningly strong when she did, which made sense.

“Four corners, that’s a crazy situation… Even for a handicap, it’s over the top.”

“With that many corners lost, even I might win with just a little flailing…”

“Don’t hear ‘flailing’ these days, do you…?”

“—! Subaru, say that again!”

“Later. Later.”

Emilia clung to Subaru’s signature comedic banter, only to be sadly rejected. An inkling of guilt prickled at him, but their playful flirting would have to wait.

First, tackling the situation took priority. For that—

“The four corners… they represent the two ‘Gluttony’ entities within the tower, and the horde of beasts they summoned. And it’s a bit awkward to say this, but… our comrade—well, whether it’s appropriate to call her that is debatable.”

“—?”

As he hesitated to mention the fourth corner, Subaru momentarily lost words.

He struggled to figure out how to best describe the girl who stood as an unintended fourth corner.

They weren’t just acquaintances; their bond wasn’t as thin as the saying ‘sharing a boat’. Yet, could they truly be called comrades? At the very least, for Subaru, she fit the model of an unconscious and unruly apprentice.

However, what did that mean for Emilia and the others?

But in the space of Subaru’s hesitation—

“Is there something wrong with Shaula, our comrade?”

“—”

“—? Subaru?”

“No, it’s nothing. That’s right, it’s about Shaula.”

Subaru casually brushed it aside, nodding towards Emilia. Not just her—Beatrice and Ram were unaffected by the oddity of Emilia’s recognition.

No one questioned Shaula’s position in their minds—a friendly one, indeed.

“I’m such an idiot. No, I’m just foolish.”

Falling into such obvious pitfalls was one of Natsuki Subaru’s bad habits. He reflected deeply, and then learned to act on those learnings—this was Subaru’s redeeming quality.

If you criticize one thing, you should praise another; ideally, when you criticize one, you should praise a hundred.

That seemed just right. The true ideal was to not criticize at all and to praise a thousand times.

“Anyway, regarding Shaula… but first, do you remember the rules within the tower? Those rules we must not break? There was an explanation about them, right?”

“Yes, there was. There were rules like ‘Don’t finish the test, don’t break the test rules, show respect to the library, and do not damage the tower… those were the violations, weren’t they?”

“Exactly right.”

Ram snapped her fingers smoothly, and Subaru pointed down at his feet in a repeating gesture that represented the entire tower.

“Those several rules… breaking them will bring about the fourth corner. I don’t know exactly which one is broken, but something will be. Then…”

“As mentioned, they’ll show their fangs to Ram and the others. –That’s troublesome.”

With her arms crossed in her usual pose, Ram speculated on the worst-case scenario, closing one eye.

Subaru, having experienced firsthand how dangerous Shaula’s combat prowess was, was well aware, as were Emilia and the others who had faced relentless sniping in the sandy sea.

“That clueless girl has considerable power, after all. Being hit from far away is preferable, but having her as an enemy is still poor timing.”

As Ram and Beatrice frowned, Emilia, with her world’s cutest face, raised a hand, unaffected by the burden.

“But it’s Shaula, right? Can’t we persuade her through talk? She’s been really attached to Subaru, so if he speaks earnestly…”

“I wish for a peaceful resolution too, but it seems unlikely she’ll join the negotiation table. Just saying she’s attached to me means… it hasn’t changed in the broadest sense.”

“So, Balus will be targeted. That narrows it down greatly.”

Ram’s perspective reflected Subaru’s thoughts. It could be construed that they were targeting weaknesses—much preferred to the unpredictability of foes hidden throughout the tower.

Summarizing the problem—

“—Two instances of ‘Gluttony’ and the horde of beasts, plus the attacking Shaula’s four corners.”

“We’ve already dealt with two of those corners. Thanks to Beatrice’s strategy.”

During Subaru’s time cramped in the ‘Taygeta’ library, the smart and adorable Beatrice coordinated efforts with others to counteract the damage the tower endured.

She had sent Meily to the balcony overseeing the beast horde, while Emilia joined Ram to fetch the still inebriated Rem from the green room—unfortunately, along the way, their paths crossed with Rai, leading to Emilia losing her ‘name’.

“No, it’s fine. Thanks to you remembering, I’m all good. You often forget promises, but you remembered me, and I’m really happy about that.”

“Why did I feel a sudden stab in the back?”

“Looks like your daily antics are showing. That girl seems to know you well, perhaps not as well as Betty.”

“Don’t compete! You lovely little brat.”

As Subaru patted Beatrice on the head, he repeatedly nodded, feeling loved. As he got lost in nostalgia, Ram called him.

“Balus, you mentioned two corners were dealt with. I get that Meily is handling the beast horde, but what about the other?”

“—It’s Julius.”

In response to Ram, Subaru grabbed the collar of his shirt, focusing on his heartbeat.

The power of ‘Cor Leonis’ was still there, and not only did it relieve the burdens he took from Ram, but it also conveyed the presence of the comrades scattered throughout the tower directly to Subaru in real-time.

Among them was a light that appeared to be Julius, whose location was—

“—On the second floor, right in the midst of fighting.”

“The second floor? You don’t mean…?”

“Yeah, you guessed it.”

Subaru nodded back to Emilia, who had suddenly changed color.

Blocked by the ceiling, he couldn’t directly see what lay above. However, he could certainly sense the presence of fierce fighting taking place somewhere atop.

—The rematch between Julius Euclius and Reid Astraea had begun.

“—”

In the end, it seemed an inevitable conclusion awaited them.

While Subaru, kneeling, struggled to stand, it was Beatrice who directed the comrades, ensuring Julius would eventually face Reid Astraea.

Naturally, there was also Roy Alphard—having taken over the body of the ‘Archbishop of Gluttony’, Reid had sought resolution with Julius.

Yet, through multiple encounters with ‘Death’, regardless of whether desired or not, Subaru had traversed many possibilities.

—Meaning, however infuriating, it acknowledged the existence of ‘destiny’.

Regardless of circumstances laid out, a rigid reality termed ‘destiny’ rested before them.

Such twisted histories suggested that outcomes were predetermined, as if the prior outcomes had been set in stone, leading all processes to converge there.

They were ties of various wills joined in a bid for their desires, tightly intertwined, too closely to unravel.

However, at the same time, could that not signify a glimmer of hope?

The clash between Julius Euclius and Reid Astraea was unavoidable. Then—

“Reid… despite having merged with one of the ‘Gluttony’ entities and nearly completed the takeover, leave the resolution with Reid to Julius. We will handle the others.”

“That works, Balus.”

“—? What’s what?”

At Ram’s inquiry, Subaru tilted his head, taken aback. But then Ram murmured lightly,

“I can greatly understand why Balus is Balus. You’ve surely become a nuisance. We have no choice but to rely on Balus’ guidance.”

“I don’t quite understand, but I know I’m being mocked.”

“Huh? No, no, I’m praising you. I rely heavily on you, Balus. Hehe, I have to do my best now, right?”

“…Emilia, later there’ll be a discussion from Ram.”

At Ram’s nonchalant words, Emilia replied, “Okay!” with a bit of excitement.

Even in such a situation, it was refreshing for Emilia to not use honorifics with Ram, and that probably thrilled her. With their master-servant relationship now lost, Ram’s attitude toward Emilia seemed more like that of a friend, or a caring older sister.

Given that her real sister was a handful, it was hard for Ram to find opportunities to act as an older sister. It seemed that much was owing to Emilia’s strangely positive outlook.

“Anyway, that’s the situation in the tower! The next step is to strategically assign the best possible personnel to the optimal locations. This sorting affair is the stage of Natsuki Subaru!”

“That’s too mundane…”

“Mundane or not, it’s an essential role! This is what you call a subtle yet crucial impact. It’s a job only I can do… yes, it’s something only I can manage! This is my battle… Ouch!!”

“Just hurry up and sort!”

Due to his lengthy preamble, he received a slap to the face from Ram. Taking that hit, Subaru glanced around at the three—plus the dragon—faces looking back at him.

From here on was a full-scale battle, genuinely a total war. The distinction between man and dragon was negligible, especially since Patrasche assisted Subaru more than anyone.

With super Subaru joining, the potential would multiply greatly.

“One for all, all for one. Everyone needs to band together for a singular purpose. If anyone’s missing, that won’t do. We’re not going to lose anyone but strive for victory. Because we are—”

“—Here to recover what we’ve lost.”

“That’s it.”

Cracking his fingers, Subaru started to nod at Emilia, re-adjusting his determination.

Then—

“First, we’ll deal with Gluttony’s Rai Batenkaitos—”

△▼△▼△▼△

“—Balus.”

“Huh?”

As they wrapped up discussions, just as they were about to head to their respective posts, an unexpected hand grabbed Subaru by the collar, stopping him.

However, the effort behind that grasp was far from painful.

That consideration likely had a reason. It was—

“Trying to watch me, you’re way too nice, sister.”

“If you tried observing a fly in your palm, you’d struggle to do so without exerting pressure. It’s similar to this. …I’d never put a fly on my palm. That’s disgusting.”

“Don’t say it and then deny it yourself.”

Subaru shrugged at Ram’s trademark wording. In front of him, Ram casually opened and closed her palm, repeatedly checking the feel.

The slight surprise in her action was quite rare, as Subaru usually viewed her as unfazed.

Seeing Ram confused and troubled was a privilege, and that little joy made it easier to bear the overwhelming weariness weighing down on him.

“—”

Ram’s continual burden from ‘Hornless’; Subaru relieved that with the activation of ‘Cor Leonis’, providing her enough leeway to move freely.

That was an utterly indispensable trick for taking on this tower.

While the intricate mechanics were irrelevant, he had already summarized the gist of the unfolding events to Ram.

In brief, the load from Ram had transitioned to Subaru, lightening her physical burdens. Meanwhile, Subaru was the one who would struggle, wishing for a swift conclusion.

“If you simply imagined Balus suffering, Ram wouldn’t mind how long it took.”

“But considering it’s a joint effort between us, I really want to finish this as soon as possible!”

“It’s too much of a stretch to say that.”

Well, her throwing around digs was very Ram-like.

Suppressing his urge to vomit, Subaru accepted that.

“Oh, you’re too kind.”

She still pouted when expressing it, yet that’s what made her still endearing.

“—Balus, I’ll not hold back.”

“—”

Of course, the more on task Ram performed, the more stress would pile back onto Subaru. Yet if he wished for Ram to maintain her pace, then he braced himself to take on the increased burden entirely.

Simply existing and breathing put plenty of strain on Ram. So it was fine to vent that often.

And then—

“Ram is too kind, huh?”

The assessment that Rem always voiced rang in Subaru’s ears. He hadn’t grasped it fully back then, but now he finally understood what she meant.

If said in the Ram way, setting this up first was quintessentially Ram.

“Balus?”

“Nothing. –Just don’t hold back. I can measure how hard you go by feeling the degree of my own struggle. What torture this is.”

“So the more uplifted Ram feels, the more Balus suffers.”

“Feels like giving a nuclear switch to someone who shouldn’t be trusted.”

Yet, should Subaru entrust anyone with that nuclear switch, it could be no one other than Ram.

“Otto was close too, but there’s a risk he might trip and inadvertently push the button… so if you’re talking about using it wisely, sister is by far the safest choice.”

“Hah! Flattery won’t get you anywhere. …Look after Beatrice and Emilia for real. Anything else can happen to Balus. I already know it’s going to be hard.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it. Just about Rem…”

“—Ram is the one who worries the most about Rem.”

She stated, as if it were obvious.

As Subaru stifled a gasp at the strength behind that statement, Ram narrowed her crimson eyes.

“Balus worries about Rem too, right? That means you wouldn’t let a single hair on her head go unscathed.”

“…I wouldn’t want her to die.”

Having exchanged intentions, Ram turned her back to Subaru.

There were a multitude of things she wanted to express, yet she effortlessly cut through those endless words and switched gears quickly.

Indeed, that was the true essence of what made Ram, Ram.

“Balus, take care. If you die, you won’t be able to meet Rem again.”

“Yeah, I love you too.”

Responding to Ram’s honestly reluctant worry, Subaru replied with jest.

And as he waved goodbye to her vanishing figure, he joined Emilia and the others who’d been patiently waiting at the corridor.

“Sorry for the wait. Let’s get moving.”

“Yes, let’s do so. Is Ram okay?”

“She’ll probably be fine. …If I said something especially foolish, she’d surely get upset.”

“Don’t think you’ve ever trusted Ram this much.”

“That goes for you too or even more so. So don’t sulk.”

“I’m not sulking!” Beatrice puffed out her cheeks, clutching his hand tightly, and Subaru glanced sideways at Emilia, pondering whether she was worried about Ram acting solo.

However, Emilia’s profile possessed little hint of worry.

“Emilia-chan?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just feel really reassured about this.”

“—. Funny enough, I actually feel the same.”

Though Emilia’s statement lacked any concrete basis, Subaru viewed it as an incredible boost of morale.

His expectations to be far greater than reservations. Rather than depending excessively, he could trust. Looking forward enabled him.

Even though no problems had been resolved yet,

“Trusting your comrades is a given, and believing in myself as one who relies on them too. Coming to this sandy tower, it’s the clearest I’ve ever felt.”

“—Is that face, perhaps the one Beatrice likes the most?”

Upon seeing evolved determination from Subaru, Beatrice smirked confidently. This made Emilia cover her mouth, laughing softly.

To Beatrice’s reaction, she quipped, “What is it now?”

Shaking her head, Emilia dismissed it saying,

“Beatrice doesn’t seem to recall, but I thought so too.”

△▼△▼△▼△

With a powerful grip on its hind leg, a giant form swung around before being unceremoniously smashed against the floor and wall.

“—”

Such a robust blow powered by strength beyond human limits inflicted a heavy impact, resulting in a grotesque wailing that echoed out. It was a cheese-grating dissonance, akin to a multitude of babies crying at once.

“—!”

That despair-ridden screech emanated from the horrendous beast with a bizarre appearance—Natsuki Subaru recognized it as a Centaur. Yet, those who had previously encountered this creature used a different moniker for it—The ‘Starving Horse King’.

“—!”

The Starving Horse King’s massive body was tossed aside, rolling over the sand tower’s balcony. Though battered, the sea king of the sand immediately stood up, emitting flames from its mane.

In the next moment, its upper half transformed into two fiery swords wielded in a manner unbecoming for a beast, striking its adversaries in its fiery fury.

However—

“—!”

Just as the fiery mane howled, bright light pierced the core of the Starving Horse King. The impact forced it back significantly, but it withstood it.

Determined, the beast readied to retaliate with a counterattack. Then— the white light embedded within it exploded.

The white light transformed into a mountain of swords inside the Starving Horse King, tearing the beast apart from within at a torturous level.

Regardless of how resilient that creature might be, were all vital organs shattered from the inside out, death was unavoidable. The Starving Horse King met such an unfortunate end before the light.

“—”

And the one to complete that killing blow—Shaula’s massacre had no end.

With her uniquely braided brown hair flying wildly, Shaula kicked the ground powerfully, leaping across to the balcony at eye level.

With hands extended enveloped in light, she targeted two beasts—monkey-like enemies with lizard scales along their bodies, and that was when the light burst forth.

Had Subaru been watching, he’d probably call it a pile bunker strike.

Snatched by her palm, the facial surfaces of the two monkeys perished instantly beneath the burst of white light before they could even retaliate. In a fluid motion, Shaula twirled and crashed her long legs into the attacking monkey, knocking it down, and the contact shredded its face against the ground.

The scene of Shaula engaging the beasts was unfolding on the fourth floor of the Pleiades Watchtower. Its balcony, overlooking the sandy sea, was perched hundreds of meters high, but among the beasts, many possessed wings or could scale walls effortlessly.

One by one, such climbers fell to their demise, and the terrace had turned into a veritable sea of blood.

“—”

Despite the intense slaughter, Shaula showed no signs of fatigue.

The number of beasts swarming toward the Pleiades Watchtower was ludicrously enormous, but due to her overwhelming fighting power, the critical situation of incompetently bursting in had yet to unfold.

Yet this dangerous equilibrium that Shaula safeguarded was—

“—Shaula!”

“Ugh, ughhhhh!”

A high-pitched voice called for her name, but Shaula offered silent resistance. Rather, she twisted her face in agony as she caught a flying winged beast, smashing it down beneath her feet.

Followed shortly by white light piercing through the air, it erupted into a shower of red blossoms, and the pursuit of the beasts came to an abrupt stop. Yet in that moment, Shaula’s demeanor faltered. Clutching her own face, she stomped her feet in frustration.

Among Shaula’s fingers— numerous black, bulging eyes were splitting, throbbing with vibrant intensity. This indicated the appearance of compound eyes, signaling Shaula’s transformation.

“Someone… someone broke the rules…”

Covering her face with her hands, she struggled to fend off the approaching beasts, using her long legs to strike them away, her sharp rear kick pulverizing an enemy’s torso.

“This isn’t good. She’s reaching her limit. Meily! How about you—?”

“Just like you see, I’m too busy dealing with the ones flying here! If Sister’s gonna be out of commission, we’ll definitely fall short!”

“That figures. This is getting pretty tough.”

Glaring at Shaula’s agony, the light purple-haired girl, Anastasia—possessed by Echidna juxtaposed with Meily, who possessed dark blue hair and used her gifts to somehow maintain the kingdom’s balance, stood by.

The trio consisting of Shaula, Echidna, and Meily resisted the encroaching beasts entering the Pleiades Watchtower fiercely. However, Echidna was pretty much as useful as a piece of trash compared to Meily blessed with the ‘Magical Manipulation’ and sheer firepower of Shaula.

Neither hesitating to return to ‘Taygeta’ nor keen on retreating into the tumultuous tower where they’d just become a hurdle, their position fell indeed into a passive scenario.

However—

“We might not be able to remain complacent for long…”

With delicate fingers, Echidna focused on the Odo within her—the magic energy was limited in Anastasia’s body, unable to absorb any mana due to the gate malfunction. Only the inherent Odo remained to perform any magic.

This equated to treating Anastasia’s life like currency. Hence, Echidna didn’t wish to utilize this approach unless it was truly a life-threatening scenario.

However, waiting for the death warrant seemed to yield cowardice, so she best acted before down succumbing to it. At least in regards to Echidna’s knowledge of Anastasia, she’d theorized accordingly.

Everyone gambles with the cards they have. Thus, victory or defeat is determined by how you play your hand.

“—”

The turmoil Shaula faced likely stemmed from something deeply rooted within her.

A sort of unchangeable chain existed there. Echidna knew well given she shared a comparable experience, being an artificial spirit—wills couldn’t simply alter certain things.

If what she said earlier was true, the regulations of the Pleiades strengthened by Shaula had been violated. Thus she must proceed as the Watchtower’s guardian to set matters right.

Yet the motive behind that resistance was this: Shaula genuinely wished to—no, likely didn’t want to hurt Natsuki Subaru.

“How unfortunate.”

Because she’d stood as a guardian within this watchtower, she had the chance to reunite with someone she had longed for so dearly.

But as a guardian of this tower, she would be compelled to injure the very person she wished to meet. In truth, she embodied the pain of the created.

Only perhaps Beatrice, who similarly belonged to the realm of the created, could fully understand the depth of her suffering.

So—

“—Here I come!!!”

With exuberance, a figure dashed out from the corridor connecting the tower to the balcony, prompting Echidna to gaze in disbelief, wide-eyed as she inhaled sharply.

△▼△▼△▼△

The moment he burst onto the balcony, Subaru was astounded by the differences between the familiar scenery and the current situation, immediately grasping that an intense battle was taking place right there.

“—”

Numerous corpses of beasts sprawled about, the fourth-floor balcony stained a sea of blood.

That grandstand overlooking the sandy sea became stained with crimson as countless beasts brazenly attempted charges toward the watchtower. If left unchecked, they would invade and thrown the pandemonium into overdrive.

The greatest contributor keeping such damage escalation at bay was—

“—Shaula!”

“Master…?”

Responding to Subaru’s shout, Shaula turned around, eyes wide as if frozen in time—those eyeballs were now splitting, preparing to become six compound eyes, three on each side.

Subaru recognized this transformation, having previously witnessed it once. It signified that with the rules of the Pleiades Watchtower compromised, her duty as guardian was being executed.

As a result, Shaula was compelled to metamorphose into a Giant Scorpion, preparing to annihilate the challengers within the tower—namely Subaru and the others.

So—

“Master, please… command me!”

“—”

“Someone broke the rules! If things continue like this… I—I’LL… hurt you, Master! Before that happens, you must——”

Wrapping her arms tightly around her body, Shaula desperately begged Subaru for a command.

Instinctively, it appeared Shaula had shed the function of self-destruction. What she sought here was final encouragement to harm herself.

If such a decree came from Subaru’s lips, she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice her own life. With even just a command from Subaru, the threat of the Giant Scorpion would collapse.

Thus, Subaru nodded resolutely and declared,

“Shaula.”

“Y-yes… for you, Master…”

“I keep saying it, but I don’t remember giving you the right to call me Master.”

“—!”

For a moment, Subaru’s response filled Shaula’s compound eyes with despair.

After four centuries of waiting, finally having met her awaited one, she recoiled at the denial, trembling as she appeared like a child.

Seeing that fear, Subaru inhaled and exhaled deeply.

“So, whether I call you my pupil or not, that can wait. Just now…”

“I won’t say to die. I won’t let you cry anymore. I won’t allow you to finish your four centuries here!”

With enough time passed, Subaru gathered the ‘memories’ he’d almost lost.

He understood well that characters in this world had too much patience for waiting. They wouldn’t drain so much time, waiting four hundred years for someone. You should seize whoever it is you long to see forcibly.

“I’m going to do just that! I won’t simply obey someone else’s whims! Oh, whatever this fate is, bring it on!”

“—”

With clenched fists, Subaru asserted that with great strength.

Seeing him reach those words, Shaula stood dumbfounded. Meanwhile, an unbearable crash of impulses likely erupted within her.

But in this moment, what mattered most for her was neither the rules of the tower nor the swelling desire building inside her—

“Master…I love you!”

Perhaps that was the impulsive emotion erupting, exhausted after longing for four hundred years, to meet her loved one.

“—”

The instant she vocalized those feelings, Shaula fully transitioned.

Her slender white hands amplified to form a giant claw, her womanly, voluptuous body detonated, and flesh and blood erupted, reassembling her figure in reverse like a tape rewinding. A black exoskeleton emerged, fiery red compound eyes glaring at the world. Several legs grounded themselves firmly to create the administrator of the sand tower.

“—!”

The Giant Scorpion released its shrill cry, issuing warnings to punish those contradicting tower rules. The compound eyes first spotted to their irony—the black-haired youth who came to be attached to the previous guardian.

With relentless targeting, deadly strikes were about to be unleashed towards him—

“—Hey! Die!”

With that, from the side, an overzealous flying kick smashed into the Giant Scorpion’s body.

“—”

The immense force collided forcefully, launching the giant figure of the scorpion off the ground.

Wildly tumbling on the stone floor, the Giant Scorpion rolled amid their chaos, hurtling the middle beast alongside it, as it crossed the barrier and into the open sands.

Nonetheless, the Giant Scorpion wasn’t about to stay put. Instantly extending its tail needle, it drove into the walls of the watchtower and leapt upward ferociously. Wrapping its form mid-air, the Giant Scorpion prepared to dive back toward the balcony.

“—Murak!”

That comeback was halted by a single word of incantation.

A directed mana spell interfered with reality, generating unnatural effects that would not naturally arise in the world. The result it included was obstructing the return of the Giant Scorpion.

Summoning swirling winds, the gargantuan beast tried to land back on the balcony. However, its form was caught up in the blast and drifted off course significantly.

Estimates had to be in the hundreds of kilograms, and how strong did the winds have to be to lift such a mass? But it did not matter.

‘Murak’, a kind of dark magic, manipulated gravity affecting the target.

Put plainly, if the Giant Scorpion’s weight decreased to dust, it would only follow that its bulk would struggle to behave as expected due to its appearance.

And so, with a distressed noise, the Giant Scorpion was again thrust back beyond the balcony.

In that moment, it rattled its tail sharply, frustrated, seeking to target someone from the top of the tower’s border.

But that was a stroke too late.

“Fly, Earth Dragon!”

A high-pitched order issued forth by the girl’s voice commanded swift assaults upon the windswept Giant Scorpion.

Darting in were creatures sporting feathery wings, the majority of which had horns blossoming on their heads. These beasts repeatedly inflicted strikes upon the seamless exoskeleton of the Giant Scorpion venturing forth, knocking it further from the tower.

“—”

Even for the mightiness of a Giant Scorpion, bereft of support, it would be unable to lift its vast bulk. And with that, it’d be swept away by the winds only to have its spell removed, plummeting toward the ground.

Dropping some hundreds of meters—naturally, they wouldn’t take down the creature, but that bought them enough time. Using that precious moment—

“Meily! Echidna!”

“Natsuki-kun! Have you recovered… or perhaps?”

Meily turned at Subaru’s shout as she raised her head, furrowing her brow while she fixed a thoughtful expression, continuing her sentence.

“The ‘Memories’ have returned?”

“Quick on the uptake! But how did you know?”

“I can tell. With Beatrice beside you, no way she could keep that proud smirk off her face.”

Echidna motioned with her chin at where Beatrice stood with Subaru’s hand clasped in her glee.

Indeed, it clearly illustrated Beatrice’s morale taking a turn, revealing her honest self to make things loveable.

Of course, it wasn’t surprising that Echidna’s analytical skills shone through, as she looked toward Beatrice alongside her, poised with glowing confidence, shaking hands with her.

“And the unfamiliar girl is…?”

“She’s a Gluttony entity. The damage this child’s taken is similar to Julius… the surroundings forget while she recalls. Her name is Emilia. My tough and charming princess.”

“Let’s appreciate the swift sharing of information. However, the chaos within and outside the tower is intense. If you don’t mind but ask, what’s the plan here?”

“Yeah, I have an answer ready.”

Nodding determinedly, behind Subaru, Emilia opened her hands wide, summoning countless ice shards above to the sky.

Faced in one sweep, tremendous force assaulted both the ground and the airborne beasts.

It wasn’t visible to Subaru, but he knew the fallen Giant Scorpion was likely receiving pursuers now. The overwhelming number of beasts, however, remained like a drop in the bucket against the multitude.

“Echidna, your part is inside! Head straight to where Julius is battling on the second floor! What happens after that has been told to Emilia!”

“—. I don’t mind tagging along with her, but what about you, Natsuki-kun?”

“A task has been delegated to Beatrice and me.”

A pause gripped until Echidna suggested, responding to Beatrice, who glanced up at Subaru and, with a firm grip of his hand said,

“We’re going to confront that Giant Scorpion here. I’ll have to be gentle and not take it down, which is going to be a real pain!”

“To talk so plainly, you live up to my expectations as my Beatrice.”

“Ehe, or so they say!”

Projected a forceful sentiment toward her contractor, Beatrice stuck her tongue out playfully.

Having watched their exchange wide-eyed, now Echidna shook her head. Rather than squandering time on banter, it appeared she’d prefer to rely on what she believed to be the best methods.

That clarity resembled Anastasia as a mirror.

“During every facet of this tower, Natsuki-kun’s insights have saved us from peril. Hence trusting you here remains our best bet… to that end.”

“That’s quite the honor. Resentment lingers over you being a creature named Echidna.”

“Perhaps when it’s over, we should devote some discourse regarding that issue once matters have settled down. —Was there a message for Julius?”

“—”

Trading playful jabs, as Echidna prepared to turn away, she added those words in passing.

Currently, due to the continued effect of ‘Cor Leonis’, he could feel Julius engaging in the battle overhead without end—realizing this now meant he’d united with every ally within the tower save for Julius.

And seeing as Julius was among those concerned with Subaru for having lost his ‘Memories’, it was necessary to inform him accordingly—

“No, nothing of the sort.”

At present, there were no reassurances from Natsuki Subaru for Julius Euclius, who wrestled with Raid Astraea.

In truth, Subaru’s game plan was to optimize the positions of his crew in the dire situation. Thus, personnel shifts were critical, where Julius didn’t require such reassurances.

—Julius’s area was indubitably with Raid Astraea.

“Should he be found here, I’m sure we should term him admirable. Even without my prompting, he would stand forth ready before Raid.”

Thanks to that, he managed to converse with Shaula before she became the Giant Scorpion.

In that last moment, her familiar words of love imbued incredible strength in Subaru, lighting a fierce fire in his heart.

Thus—

“—What should be said earlier is addressed from me and those that preceded me. There’s nothing more to add now. After all, he is Julius Euclius.”

Natsuki Subaru now firmly recognized that an unyielding ‘Destiny’ existed within this world.

The many dilemmas surrounding this Watchtower were indelible, readily baring their fangs towards Subaru and his companions. However, mere evasion did not indicate it couldn’t be surmounted.

If Raid Astraea intended to block Julius, the future it dictated was inevitable.

Slashing through the revived Raid Astraea would be none other than Julius Euclius.

“—. Got it. I’ll convey this as is.”

“Oh, something else came to mind. Things are tough for the others, so finish quickly and go support someone else.”

Waving a hand, Subaru contributed to Echidna’s bemused smile. Watching her leave, Subaru turned toward Emilia, who was carving down two beasts with her ice sword.

“Emilia-chan! Let’s proceed as discussed! You’re my key!”

“Yes! I’ll leave it to you! But don’t die!”

“Sure thing!”

Responding to her obvious words, Subaru raised his fist with determination, more keenly than any usual response.

He didn’t want to die. —This basic principle remained ever so valid, yet the innate risks couched within the current situation made ‘Return by Death’ increasingly perilous.

Should the starting point remain unchanged, Subaru would return to precisely before the moment when he severed Lui Arnebe from his Witch Factor. Should he go back there, what kinds of inconveniences might present themselves—none, not him nor anyone else, could offer even a shadow of a clue.

Was Lui still absent from him? The downside of ‘Memory Corridor’ held its unique jurisdiction, yet the ‘Return by Death’ influences remained uncertain.

Everything was ambiguous.

In summary—

“—We’ll settle this now!”

Responding to Subaru’s declaration, Emilia captured Echidna and left the balcony.

They would bring their fight to their battlefield. Meanwhile, Subaru and his crew entered theirs.

Thus—

“So, what’s the deal? I’m utterly confused and lacking explanation—so are you going to fill me in or not?”

Patiently waiting, Meily spoke once Subaru and Beatrice were the only ones left on the balcony.

The moment he caught Meily’s thumb up, a wicked smile spread through Subaru.

The sole reason Subaru hadn’t spoken to Meily at such a critical junction was because she, like Julius, was one of the optimal candidates in this very scenario.

“Sorry to pull you in, Meily. It’s the three of us—me, Beatrice, and you—to deal with the beast horde and Giant Scorpion—two corners!”

“That’s not an explanation!”

“—Onward now!”

As Beatrice and Meily puffed up their cheeks, no time was left for lengthy clarification. In the following moment, resonating with Beatrice’s call, a vast figure leaped from the tower’s outer wall to the balcony.

It manifested in dark armor with a monstrous pair of claws and vivid red compound eyes—

“So, a recluse for four hundred years, eh?”

With a burst of anticipation, Subaru hoisted Beatrice into a carrying embrace. Together with Meily, they marched straight toward their looming Giant Scorpion foe.

Drawing near, glaring back at their adversary, he grinned.

“A battle between hermits, huh? That one has gone recluse for four centuries—while we’ve got a combined four hundred one.”

“Wouldn’t it be correct to say three of us make four hundred two years?”

“Meaning we’re going to win!”

“Besides the win part, your words make no sense at all!”

Together with her in his arms, Beatrice barked at Subaru and Meily’s synchronized banter. As they braced for the sudden tension, Subaru exhaled slowly, fixing his gaze upon the Giant Scorpion.

Things finally settled into the matchup he anticipated. All that remained was—

“—I’m counting on you, Emilia-chan. You hold all the keys.”

—The battle against the ‘Four Corners’ enveloping the Pleiades Watchtower was about to commence in earnest.