— An incomprehensible situation ravished Natsuki Subaru’s shrunken mind.

It was so shocking that it could hardly be understated.

Without any awareness of “death,” Subaru found himself back in the middle of establishing rules with Roswaal — he had no choice but to acknowledge it.

Subaru had lost his life and returned to this moment, having “reset” after his death.

And it was—

“…during a game of Hide and Seek, where I shouldn’t have died.”

Covering his mouth with his small palm, Subaru desperately tried to recall what had happened.

The game of “Hide and Seek” with Roswaal had begun, and he had managed to overcome the old man’s malicious intentions once, successfully finding the hidden Shinobi in the first room — “Behind the Eyelid.”

Riding on that momentum, they had stepped outside of the inn to identify the next hiding place of the old man. Suddenly, the world went dark.

And when he came to, he was back in this place.

“——-”

“If you accept my proposal, we need to clarify the rules.”

“Oh? What do you mean by that?”

“You yourself said it. If it’s more advantageous for us to win, we shouldn’t leave much leeway for any last-ditch efforts. — We should be clear about what we both want.”

“…… Hahaha.”

While Subaru was lost in thought, his negotiation with Roswaal progressed to the next stage. The conversation between Abel and Roswaal was developing, and what awaited them was the selection of the method of challenge, which would serve as the premise for establishing rules — in other words—

“—It’s Hide and Seek.”

Thus, Abel declared decisively.

— Afterward, the conditions of the “Hide and Seek” agreed upon with Roswaal.

The content remained as Subaru knew it. No new conditions would be added, nor would any necessary details be stripped away. Inevitably, they would remain the same.

Nevertheless—

“Just to confirm, Roswaal, you’re only hiding, right? You’re not planning on sneaking attacks on us or anything…”

“Oh come now, that’s a bit too suspicious, kid. Let me tell you, what I want to test with you is your quick thinking and your awareness. If it were just about brute strength, what happened in yesterday’s main tower would prove that, wouldn’t it?”

“——-”

Roswaal’s words, intended to reassure him, were not something Subaru could digest straightforwardly.

The fact remained that Subaru had lost his life and had “reset” back to this moment. The closest threat to him and his companions was none other than Roswaal before them.

Had he violated the rule of non-interference and targeted Subaru and the others?

“Well, well, you’ve quite the suspicion of me, don’t you?”

“It’s not like I’m in a position to trust you, old man. That would just be presumptuous.”

“Hahaha! That’s quite true. You were nice to me eight years ago, but now you’re so cold.”

Perceiving Subaru’s silence, Roswaal shrugged, revealing his teeth in a grin while chuckling, which prompted Abel’s pointed remarks.

Naturally, Abel remained silent, seemingly dissatisfied with Roswaal’s words.

Regardless—

“Roswaal, it’s obvious, but your hiding spots won’t mean a thing if they’re places we can’t physically reach. Don’t pull any clever tricks.”

“I got it, I got it. You folks are such picky types. I’d have acted underhandedly if you hadn’t said a thing.”

The same point that Subaru had raised earlier was brought up again by Abel. Once Roswaal accepted it, the declaration to start the challenge was reiterated.

That meant the hint for the first hiding place was about to be given.

“So, where do you plan on hiding, old man?”

“To test the waters first… I’ll hide near this inn, in ‘Behind the Eyelid.'”

For a moment, uncomfortable tension stretched taut within Subaru, but it turned out to be unfounded.

He feared that a different hideout would be picked this time, but that was not the case. Following that, as Roswaal confidently turned his back, Talitta and Al suppressed the impulse to spring at him and had no choice but to watch him leave, echoing the overall flow of the previous events.

And then—

“What’s wrong, bro? You look a bit pale.”

After lowering her bow at Abel’s directive, Talitta turned to the side to check on him, and that was when Al spoke up. His tone differed slightly from their earlier conversations.

Originally, he had been voicing complaints about joining the challenge against Roswaal, but now he seemed to be worried about Subaru’s color — no, rather, about his reduced ability to speak.

Naturally, it made sense. Subaru himself was still reeling from confusion and chaos.

The sudden “reset” and the mental shock it caused left him unable to recover.

“No, it’s okay. In the middle of our conversation, I just suddenly felt an overwhelming fatigue… that’s all.”

“Come on, get yourself together, please. Unlike me and Medium-chan, whose abilities have diminished from shrinking, your strengths should still be intact even if you’re smaller, right?”

“My strength, huh…”

“Of course! What makes Subaru awesome is your brains! You’re amazing, just like big brother! Even if your chest shrank, it doesn’t matter!”

Following Al’s encouragement, Medium chimed in cheerfully.

While still holding Lui, she playfully patted her own now-flat chest. Subaru’s eyes widened at their antics, and he exhaled a long breath.

They were right, those two.

Originally, whether shrunk or not, there was hardly any scenario where Subaru would be physically useful. Therefore, it was true that being shrunk had the least impact on Subaru.

He shouldn’t be dragging out his mental exhaustion any longer.

“…So stop looking at me like that. If I’m going to maximize the effect of this demon mask, then the ‘cognition hindrance’ function would be more than enough.”

“Has your perception somewhat returned? But I must admit, I was quite surprised. I thought you were the sort who wouldn’t notice the effects of this mask.”

“…I wouldn’t be surprised at all if you wore that mask just for your antics.”

Revived from the encouragement of Al and Medium, Subaru bravely retorted back at Abel.

The condescending look Abel bore when seeing Subaru as useless seemed to fade, and it appeared he swallowed his displeasure at him regaining the spirit to stand up.

Though sensing that as a form of concession hinted at Abel’s poor communication skills, Subaru was too pressed for time to discuss it now.

“So, you said you wanted to test the waters first, but even just around the inn yields numerous hiding spots. Do you have any strategies, brother and Abel-chan?”

Turning to face Subaru and Abel to shake up the situation, Al stepped forward.

In response, all Subaru could provide was information about Roswaal’s first hiding place — in precisely this room where they were currently chatting.

Since Roswaal’s hints were the same, there was no need to worry about the situation changing.

The issue lay in what would happen after they found Roswaal and when they would have to step outside the inn.

“Well, it’s not exactly a strategy, but I can imagine where ‘Behind the Eyelid’ might refer to.”

“Eh, are you serious? That’s incredible, brother!”

“…It’s just, there’s a high possibility a different problem than ‘Behind the Eyelid’ will arise.”

Subaru — no, the group of them was being targeted by some sort of threat, which he needed to share with Abel and Al, who knew nothing about it.

However, given the scant information he possessed, he hardly had any solid opinions to relay. If there was anything he could say—

“In the promise made with Roswaal… the one about not intervening, is there a chance Roswaal might break that?”

“Huh? Are you implying he might break the initial terms?”

“Yeah, I think it’s possible…”

“—No, that’s not possible.”

Drawing from the fact that they had been attacked right after leaving the inn, Subaru subtly tried to draw his companions’ attention to Roswaal. But his warnings were dismissed categorically by Abel.

Staring wide-eyed at Abel’s response, Subaru noticed Abel crossing his thin arms while saying,

“There’s nothing Roswaal could gain by doing such a thing. Therefore, it is impossible.”

“B-but, Roswaal was even considering taking out the Emperor! You didn’t think that was the case… then what?!”

“The idea of gaining posthumous fame isn’t something I personally consider. However, I understand that such a notion exists, and there may be those who desire it. Still, that’s another matter entirely.”

As Subaru was fixed with Abel’s sharp gaze through the mask, he felt a nauseating sensation in his gut.

It wasn’t that Abel was radiating more intensity than before, but still, the feeling of being pinned in place lingered, causing Subaru to be out of breath.

Meanwhile, Abel continued, “Understand clearly that both you and the masked jester have confirmed what I said: Roswaal Dunkelken has no reason to harm us. If he’s really targeting the Emperor, then he’d desperately want my information.”

“Ah, I agree with Abel-chan, brother. That old man has been ordered by the Emperor not to lay a hand on us. If he’s got a mind to break that, then it wouldn’t matter if we were inside or outside the inn. No, right?”

“Yeah, that makes sense…?”

“Brother?”

“Oh! No, yeah! For sure, I think so too. Definitely.”

Caught off guard by the chain of reasoning from Abel and Al, Subaru took a few seconds to connect the dots.

However, it all made sense once laid out properly, and Subaru nodded in agreement.

While Abel and the others were unaware of it, Roswaal had a record of killing Subaru and his friends.

Yet within Roswaal’s own logic, it seemed coherent, and the reasoning behind that was something Subaru could agree on. At that moment, the timing was the only mistake.

Therefore, by this reasoning — the flow of Subaru and his companions getting killed right after leaving the inn was indeed an unusual story within Roswaal’s rules.

As Al mentioned, if there was an intention to kill, it would have made more sense to act before they even left the inn where they could go unnoticed. Perhaps there was some desire to kill them in a place where they could be seen, but that made no sense either.

It might just be that Roswaal figured killing them when they thought they were safe would cause more surprise and pain.

“In that case, wouldn’t he show his face more clearly?”

If Roswaal was indeed aiming to disturb Subaru’s group’s mood out of spite, surely he would want to watch the disappointment and despair paint their faces.

If that wasn’t the case, Subaru couldn’t envision a motive for Roswaal to execute them outside the inn.

In other words—

“What does that mean…?”

“Hey, hey, Subaru, what’s worrying you? Are you worried about outside?”

“Eh?”

In a frenzy to piece together the situation, Subaru fell silent, and Medium peered up at him.

Right before him, her round, blue eyes popped out, and Subaru instinctively leaned back in surprise. Seeing Subaru’s reaction, Medium promptly grabbed his hand.

And then—

“Alright, alright, Subaru, stay calm, stay calm.”

“—Aah?”

She pulled him closer, enveloping Subaru’s head against her chest.

As Medium gently stroked his back, he could feel the rhythmic beat of her heart against his forehead and cheek, the softness of her heartbeat shattering the rigidity that had nested within him.

“When my head gets all jumbled up, I have my big brother do this too! He used to do it for me when I was small.”

“…I feel calmer.”

“Yay! That’s great! Then just stay like that and tell me? What’s troubling you outside, Subaru?”

Medium’s voice raining down from above held no urgency to push him for answers.

He felt an urge to lean into Medium’s innocence and kindness, which remained unchanged even after his physical regression, but Subaru was well aware that time didn’t permit such indulgence.

Therefore, balancing his thoughts while being cradled by Medium, he stumbled over his words.

“Um, it’s just that… outside the inn, I feel like the situation is dangerous…”

“The outside is dangerous?”

“Yeah, right. It feels like someone is targeting us…”

Nodding along while taking heed of Subaru’s vague assertions, Medium listened attentively. To be frank, he acknowledged that his own words lacked persuasion and foundation.

If he couldn’t deliver a more concrete explanation, it wouldn’t only be Medium who would get it; Al and Abel wouldn’t buy into it either. For instance—

“If we actually stepped outside and got killed—”

In that instant, the world froze.

“———”

The heartbeat of Medium, once clear and present, faded into eternity, her face and breath slipping beyond reach.

Everything felt distant.

Colors faded, sounds dissipated, the flow of time lost its course, and the freedom to move was restrained.

He couldn’t move. He didn’t move. He couldn’t be moved. He couldn’t make a move.

And then, from the corners of his consciousness, something horrifying, terrifying, and dreadful crept slowly closer.

Why had he dared to touch the forbidden? A black shadow mourned as it inched its way forward.

Why had he allowed this to slip from memory? Thin fingers of the darkness smoothly glided into his chest.

Why did he feel the need to repeat it all over? The voice of the “Witch” echoed, threatening to engulf everything.

“—I love you.”

That voice, which felt so damn familiar, dragged Subaru down into the abyss.

Gripped around the heart, a stunning pain ripped through Subaru’s frozen body, tearing him apart. Tormenting. Ravaging. Violating. — Never forget again.

And then—

“—Ugh!”

“Subaru?!”

Suddenly, the colors, sounds, and flow of time returned with a rush, and he felt a surging torrent of blood coursing throughout his body.

Subaru’s head pressed against Medium’s chest picked up not her gentle heartbeat but the restart of his own blood flow, his pulse inexplicably heightened from the shock.

Voiceless and overwhelmed with light and understanding, Subaru felt the wrath of the “Witch” for having touched the forbidden, burning within him.

Why did he tread such painful, agonizing paths?

There could never be a “reset” shared with others.

He couldn’t even utter a word that could hint at that notion.

Should he attempt to convey that intent, those dark, sinister hands — the “Witch of Envy” would surpass any obstacles to claw into Subaru’s heart.

Not to mention—

“That was close…”

Whispers escaped him as he turned to ensure he could see Medium, as well as Abel, Al, Talitta, and Lui standing around him, each of their presences confirmed.

The warmth rising in his eyes was an overflow of relief that they remained unharmed. — This confession of “returning from death” carried with it the most frightening risks he could imagine.

That is, that dark hand could reach for someone other than Subaru, and instead of threatening him, it wouldn’t hesitate to snuff out another’s life in the process.

If that were to occur, and he, alone, had to endure the pain then that was the second-best result.

Of course, it couldn’t be denied that it would be best if Subaru didn’t experience any suffering at all.

“Medium… thank you, I’m fine now.”

“Really? You look even worse than before…”

“If it’s just me suffering, then that’s at least the best scenario considering everything.”

Saying that, Subaru lifted his face, breaking free from Medium’s embrace. She wore an expression of reluctance, but with his firm refusal, she said nothing more.

While he appreciated her concern, current circumstances wouldn’t allow it. Besides, it was indeed true he had been saved thanks to Medium, without exaggeration.

“Sorry for my awkward way of expressing my worries. But I seriously feel something is off outside…”

“Don’t go outside? But that won’t work for the challenge against Roswaal. Of course, we could choose not to engage him, but—”

“——-”

“If that’s the case, then any negotiation with Yorna Mishigure will certainly fall apart too. This journey would end up being nothing more than a trip where you regressed along with the clown and Medium.”

“Well, there are some who’d love to wish for results, gaining youth as they go, perhaps.”

At Abel’s cold remarks, Al added in a weak attempt at humor, but his point was directly contradicted by Roswaal’s earlier statements.

Though it was unclear, the “childlike regression” that had attacked Subaru and the others seemed to be accompanied by some disadvantages. It was not a mere regression to youth.

In short, this “childlike regression” remained a ticking time bomb.

“In any case, we can’t stay shrunk for long. Having decided not to pummel that old man, we’ll have to win at Hide and Seek.”

“I know. I’m not throwing in the towel. It’s just—outside is really dangerous. So—”

“So?”

“If we’re going to go outside, I want to be cautious. Oh, and I want you to believe me when I say something really strange.”

“——-”

With an unwavering gaze directed upward, Subaru appealed to them.

He noticed Abel narrowing his eyes behind the demon mask at his straightforward statements. Al’s subtle confusion became apparent as well.

Certainly, they lacked persuasion, and he was stammering through his attempts to convince them.

“But, Subaru does have a point. We could fall into an enemy trap, and this place could easily count as enemy territory. Thus, raising our caution wouldn’t hurt.”

“Yes, yes! I agree with Talitta-chan! Let’s be careful! If we get any smaller, we won’t be able to stop Lui-chan!”

“Auu—”

To this, Talitta and Medium agreed with Subaru’s concerns. When Lui voiced her thoughts, her intent remained unclear, but it was evident it wasn’t aimed at Subaru with hostility.

Talitta and Medium saying they were merely echoing sensible talk emphasized merely keeping attention to sharpness due to the unpredictable nature of their circumstances.

The only reason Abel seemed reluctant must be based on nothing more than his disdain toward Subaru.

“If you’re bothered by me, then I’ll provide you with evidence.”

“Evidence?”

“What I mean is, neglecting my opinion would yield consequences. I can reveal where Roswaal is hiding. The place he’s chosen, ‘Behind the Eyelid.'”

“Do you think that would make a good trade? Either way, you’ll have to reveal it. Keeping it hidden would only harm you as well.”

“Ugh…”

However, Abel was relentless, firmly refuting Subaru’s claims. Subaru grimaced, caught off guard. Al then stepped in with a casual interjection.

“Hey, hey, Abel-chan, look, brother’s offering his insights. It’s true, what brother said was rather sudden, so I’m still stuck with a question mark over my head. But, brother being oddball isn’t something new, right?”

“——-”

“If we don’t hear brother out now, what’s the point in even having him along? If we disregard brother’s input, I’m not happy about that either.”

“Oh?”

Standing protectively in front of Subaru, Al squared up against Abel.

Despite his boyishly youthful voice, the tension in the air grew thick. Subaru couldn’t help but inhale sharply at the coldness in Abel’s gaze.

Until now, he hadn’t paid much attention, but the relationship between Abel and Al was much more tenuous than Subaru had initially realized.

Originally, Al had joined Subaru on the road to the Magic City, likely out of a sense of camaraderie toward him. And just like Subaru, he had little invested in Abel’s quest for the throne.

If anything, the only one who had a vested interest was Priscilla, who was Al’s master.

Thus, Al had no personal reason to take sides with Abel in this instance.

It now seemed that this was manifesting as a clear fracture in their relationship.

Physically, Al had shrunk to a size of about ten years old, but could Abel still win against this young version of Al? Given the uncertainty surrounding Al’s abilities in this state, any continued stare-off was ultimately a waste.

So—

“Stop fighting! I got it, I’ll back down! I surrender!”

Subaru dashed out from behind Al, raising his voice high in a plea.

Continuing to argue amongst themselves wouldn’t gain anything. It would be far better to let Subaru take the role of the villain than to get caught up in such futility.

But in any case, the alarm had been sounded.

Talitta, Medium, and even Al would likely remember Subaru’s statement. When they stepped outside, they were sure to keep an eye out.

The problem was what would happen if “death” crept up on them in a way that couldn’t be simply averted.

If that time came, Subaru would simply have to throw himself on the line.

“We can’t dawdle! Everyone, let’s prepare!”

“—So, where do you think you’re saying ‘Behind the Eyelid’ refers to?”

“That is…”

In any case, Subaru asserted that they should avoid wasting time in the current situation. At last, Abel exhibited a positive response to Subaru’s words.

Seeing that alone was a testament to Emperor Abel’s communication shortcomings, a matter he should have been more adept in.

Regardless, Subaru decided to answer honestly.

Roswaal’s original hiding place was—

— “Next time, I’ll pick a hiding spot that offers more resistance!”

“Wait, old man! …Damn, he’s already gone!”

Roswaal flung open the room’s window and leaped outside.

Al hurriedly chased after the sprightly old man, but by the time he reached the window, the skilled Shinobi had long since melted into the bustling streets.

His speed in escaping left nothing less than admiration and exasperation.

“Subaru, what’s the next hiding spot for that man…?”

“Yeah, yeah, do you think Subaru might know? Can you figure it out?”

The pieces followed a similar trajectory as Subaru casually discovered Roswaal’s first hiding place; Talitta and Medium turned their expectant gazes towards him.

Unfortunately, however, the answer to the second hiding place — “The Scenic Pit” — remained obscured.

Unable to provide a bright response, Medium and the others let their shoulders slump, nevertheless rallying back, repeating the flow from earlier.

“So, what does Abel-chan think? Brother accurately pinpointed that old man’s hiding spot.”

“There’s merit in having achieved results.”

“…That’s it?”

“We’re still under time constraints. We need to unearth Roswaal’s location twice more. What else do you have?”

“…So it is.”

Perhaps due to their previous conversation’s impact, Al’s shoulders drooped at Abel’s response.

While Al’s feelings were appreciated, Abel’s reaction was expected. He could hardly recall a time when Abel had made much of a comment based on their results before.

In fact, it was hard to imagine him gushing over anything, not just Subaru.

This event merely fit into a narrative mode that portrayed Abel in just that light once again.

“Given how ‘Scenic’ is interpreted, it likely considers heights, wouldn’t you think?”

“But a pit is a hole, right? Holes are on the ground, aren’t they?”

“I think you both have a good point. To find that answer… Abel, didn’t you want to go to a crowded place?”

“——-”

Talitta and Medium each speculated about Roswaal’s next hiding place.

To further advance that discussion, they hoped to implement Abel’s strategy that had been left undeveloped last time. He had originally aimed to lead them to a crowded tavern.

With that trajectory in mind, they had just left the inn when death suddenly struck.

This indicated that the moment of confrontation was drawing closer by the second.

“Hey, Abel?”

“—Your thoughts are correct. A place where many come and go… particularly one frequented by outsiders would be ideal.”

“So, a place often visited by outsiders would be a…?”

“A spot to drink… a tavern, if I recall.”

The conversation flowed seamlessly forward as they identified the word Subaru had conjured of his own accord, prompting Abel to strongly nod in affirmation.

Thus the entire party departed the inn in pursuit of the tavern — but—

“Let’s avoid the front entrance and head out via the back door.”

It was none other than Abel who first branded that statement.

Subaru responded with a bewildered, “Huh?” while Al and Talitta both gazed at him, wide-eyed.

“Wait, Abel-chan, does that mean you believe what Subaru said?”

“It’s better to err on the side of caution. Since we’ve identified Roswaal’s location, it certainly warrants consideration. That’s all there is to it.”

“…You know you have an awful personality, right?”

When Subaru said that with an air of resentment, Abel merely snorted in response.

Setting aside that haughty attitude, Abel’s judgment was indeed a relief for Subaru. Just like that, Subaru had also been wanting to guide everyone toward the back door.

“Just to confirm, are you acknowledging the merits of brother’s contribution?”

“…It seems so. I mean, it’s not like it hasn’t been that way all along.”

For reasons unknown, Subaru found himself beginning to doubt Abel’s view on commendation and punishment.

If he could comprehend the thread of thought, his approach to Abel should’ve been clearer, proving that this relationship came with a hefty learning curve.

It felt as though he was obliviously relearning how to interact with Abel entirely.

“That said, nailing down the old man’s location was impressive. How did you manage it? —It’s like you read a guidebook or something.”

“Guidebook? Man, that brings back memories. Sure, that would be handy if that existed, but, nope, nothing like that — that was just experience coming into play.”

“Experience? At playing Hide and Seek?”

“Something along those lines. Before… before?”

As Subaru was digging into the triumph of discovering Roswaal’s position, his thoughts froze.

It was those types of people who play by certain patterns that allowed him to see that Roswaal was hiding in the first room.

However, he was certain that someone had previously pulled off that particular bit of sneakiness.

Therefore, Subaru should’ve clearly remembered that piece.

“Just a lapse? People forget that; it’s usually the elderly. How odd it is that someone would forget when they’ve gotten younger? That’s quite the strange story, brother.”

“Lapse in memory…?”

“Was it not? If it had been someone other than you, then it’d have to be someone from your family. It wouldn’t be the silver-haired girl, and not the little one you always have with you—”

“—Beatrice!”

“Whoa!”

Jerked to attention, Subaru shouted loudly enough to send Al quaking in shock.

Yet, there was no time to engage with Al’s startled reaction. How could there be?

“No more jokes…”

It all seemed too absurd.

Beatrice, Beatrice. Subaru’s partner, his beloved Great Spirit. Her first prank on him had led him to discover Roswaal’s hiding spot.

That find would count as an achievement for both Subaru and Beatrice.

Yet, for that memory to slip his mind, well, that was just unfathomable.

It could not happen.

“—Subaru! Al! Come here, please!”

Abruptly, Talitta’s sharp voice called him back from his stupor.

Glancing up to see her, he found that she had moved to the back entrance of the inn, peering cautiously out from behind the opened door, her profile donned with utmost vigilance.

The cause of her vigilance was likely due to the “death” that had stalked them all—

“—We’re already surrounded. There are nearly a hundred opponents out there.”