Subaru’s eyes widened as he faced the relentless question thrown by Abel at the boy from the sheep tribe.

The name that came from Abel’s mouth was so unexpected.

“Is that girl from yesterday… Tanzer?”

The image of a deer-girl in a kimono floated in Subaru’s muddled mind. She was Yorna’s attendant, the one who had appeared in yesterday’s castle tower and today at the inn, a child yet composed and unforgiving.

Abel asserted that such a child was the mastermind behind this scheme.

“I-I don’t understand! Why would that girl be… waubuh!”

“Uagh!”

Just as Subaru raised his voice to ask Abel what he thought, he was suddenly tackled and knocked over. Upon looking, he saw a smiling Lui straddling him.

Her wild antics had taken down nearly ten opponents in no time. Subaru gasped at her innocent demeanor.

—The strength she displayed was unmistakably the same as what he had witnessed at the Sand Tower.

It wasn’t power derived from Lui herself but rather strength stolen from someone who had trained hard. In other words, what she used was the strength of “Gluttony”—.

“Ugh, get off!”

“Auu?”

“I said, get off me!”

Pushing down on the girl’s shoulders, Subaru forced himself upright. In the process, Lui fell backward, drawing his gaze to her belly—a white cloth stained red.

Remembering that she had been injured, he exclaimed, “Is she hurt!? We have to treat it…!”

“Auu! A-uwah!”

In a panic, he pulled up her garment to check the wounded area. However, as Lui squirmed and pushed against him, he struggled to get a better look.

Ignoring her resistance, he managed to pull her clothing up and check the wound; he found signs of blood oozing, but no actual injury.

“Is it… healed?”

There were indeed signs of bleeding, yet no actual injury was present.

Feeling as if he’d been tricked by a fox, Subaru was thrown off balance as Lui roughly poked his chest with both hands. If she had been serious, the outcome might have been as evidenced by the figures of several people collapsed in the street.

Regardless—

“Answer me. Where is Tanzer?”

While Subaru confirmed Lui’s safety, Abel’s interrogation continued. The pressure of fear surrounding this interview stemmed not just from Abel’s intense gaze but also the threatening presence of Medium standing behind him. Even if Medium didn’t intend to intimidate, just her standing there had that effect.

In fact, the boy looked between Abel and Medium, swallowing hard.

“Ah…”

“That’s three times now. Answer me. Don’t think there will be a fourth.”

The chilling voice carried genuine menace. Upon hearing it, the boy opened and closed his mouth several times, before managing to gather the flames of resolve in his eyes again.

“I-I couldn’t possibly know! You should know where Tanzer is!”

“—”

“It’s you guys who have Tanzer, so we’re—!”

The boy snapped, stretching his arm out toward Abel. That reckless disregard for his own safety was apparent as his fingers aimed to grip and crush Abel’s throat, but faster than he could react, a small hand pressed against the boy’s forehead—

“Auu!”

With that, the boy’s head was slammed into the ground, knocking him out cold.

Poor thing, with his eyes rolling back, the boy let out a groan as he fell onto his side, losing consciousness.

“L-Lui…”

Once again, in the blink of an eye, Lui vanished and reappeared elsewhere.

The short-range warp she’d demonstrated at the Sand Tower was now under her control, leaving Subaru struggling with conflicting emotions.

The fact that she still possessed this power confirmed that she was indeed Lui—Lui Arnebe.

The girl from that white world who had torn his heart apart, attempting to rob his very soul.

The one who mistook “Return by Death” as a blessing and called Subaru a monster.

“We urgently need to find Roswaal.”

Abel muttered to himself as he stood slowly, the life-threatening exchanges just now not even crossing his mind, nor the fact that he had been saved.

—To find Roswaal.

Subaru agreed wholeheartedly with this plan.

However, he didn’t understand why Abel chose this moment to restate it, especially right after being told confusing things by the boy about Tanzer.

“Al, can you get up?”

“…Y-Yes.”

Medium, who had put her weapon away, extended a hand toward the crouching Al.

Though Al’s face was hidden behind his mask, it could easily be inferred he was pale, his voice laced with dread as he answered.

Leaving that worry behind for now, Subaru finally stood up, brushing off the dirt from his rear. He then approached Abel.

“What was that all about earlier?”

“What question are you referring to?”

“The one about Tanzer being the mastermind, and yet wanting to search for Roswaal? All that stuff! You understand, right!?”

“Hmph.”

Abel snickered lightly, mocking Subaru’s stupidity.

Subaru’s irritation flared at that dismissive gesture. In a fit of frustration, he leaped and forcefully removed the demon mask from Abel’s face.

Revealing his face after a long time, Abel looked down at Subaru with a displeased expression.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“That’s a question I’d like to ask! Stop pretending to understand everything on your own and just explain! We’re allies, aren’t we?”

“—Allies, you say?”

“Uh…”

Facing Abel’s glare with bare faces, Subaru quickly lost his courage.

Although he had uttered “allies,” that expression might have angered Abel. In fact, Subaru had felt somewhat uneasy about using that term to describe him from the start.

It was a thoughtless slip of his tongue he wished he hadn’t made. But, expressing that here would make it seem like he was apologizing.

“That’s right, Abel. We’re allies, so you should tell me what’s going on.”

Medium, who managed to get Al on his feet, filled in for Subaru, placing her hands on her hips and using her little body to protest against Abel. Receiving her straightforward words, Abel narrowed his black eyes.

“All the attackers on the inn are of the subhuman races.”

“Subhumans… You mean the ones with horns, right? What about it?”

“—There’s a history of persecution against the subhuman races. Their horns resemble those of beasts, and it’s in their past to be despised.”

“Huh…”

Subaru’s eyes widened at Abel’s calm explanation.

Subhumans had suffered persecution for the same reason. —That kind of prejudice was painfully close to Subaru, which was precisely why he couldn’t tolerate such hatred.

Emilia, who had been persecuted for similar reasons due to her appearance and heritage linking her to a witch, had been made to suffer by society at large.

And the subhuman races grouped under the title of have equally painful pasts.

“But why are they coming after us? Sure, I get that the horns would make them feared, but still, it doesn’t add up!”

“Even if they’ve become children again, you should at least use your brain a little. For those who have suffered persecution due to their horns, this city… Chaos Frame is a refuge.”

“Refuge… You mean, it’s a good place?”

“—Yorna Mishigure never lets go of what she takes in. Even once, she instigated a rebellion just for a single dead deer-girl.”

His arms crossed, Abel recounted the backstory from the emperor who had faced that earlier rebellion.

Yorna, notorious for her repeated uprisings, had acted against the emperor she served, all for the sake of one singular person.

After listening to that tale, what Subaru thought was—

“So, she’s a good person…!”

“Fool. You can’t simplify it that easily. —Yorna Mishigure fosters those she loves. Conversely, she shows no mercy to those outside her circle.”

“Well, it seems natural to treat someone you like with kindness!”

“I think so too.”

Agreeing with Medium and Subaru’s viewpoints, Lui raised her hand, exclaiming “Auu!” While Abel cast a cold glance at the trio, he exhaled softly.

“What’s important is the fact that the subhuman races, with a history of persecution, have found peace in this city. Moreover, Yorna Mishigure’s existence is indispensable to maintain that peace. So—”

“So?”

Subaru tilted his head, waiting for Abel to continue.

For an instant, Abel looked at Subaru’s cocked head, pausing as if thinking. The meaning behind that was lost on Subaru, but after several blinks, Abel continued.

“In other words, for your kind, our presence seeking to involve Yorna Mishigure in a genuine rebellion against the Empire is a grave enemy that disturbs their newfound stability.”

“Ah…!”

Hearing this, Subaru finally grasped the sheep-boy’s behavior’s true meaning.

The boy who had clutched Subaru’s arm in the street while struggling to throw him away seemed to have a painful expression—no, it wasn’t just the boy; everyone who had set upon them wore distress on their faces.

That was an expression reflecting the guilt of attempting to drive Subaru and his friends away, coupled with anxiety at losing their place in the world. Thus the boy had apologized when throwing Subaru.

“So they were just trying really hard too…?”

“Compassion, or perhaps pity. Either way, it shows they were beleaguered. Don’t forget the fact that these individuals have acted against us. Everyone has their circumstances.”

“Geez, Abel! That line of reasoning is no good! Also, why’re we asking these people about Tanzer? And about searching for that old man too?”

“From their prior conversations, it’s fairly certain these people do not know Tanzer’s whereabouts. For whatever reason, they suspect that we are hiding that information. Why?”

“Why, huh…? I wonder?”

Looking down at the unconscious boy, Subaru pondered how to answer Abel’s question.

Before she knocked him out, the boy had snapped at Abel’s inquiry about Tanzer. It didn’t seem likely that his fierceness was a mere act.

So, the boys believed Subaru and his friends had done something to Tanzer, that was clear.

“So that’s why they attacked us?”

“That would be reasonable. Yet the fact remains, we have not harmed Tanzer. Where then has that girl disappeared to? And where did those hundred subhumans come from?”

“They were waiting outside, right?”

“For whom did they receive orders?”

The rapid-fire questioning left Subaru at a loss for words.

He began to assemble an answer using Abel’s questions as the framework. However, before he could complete it—

“—It was prearranged; that girl had instructed them beforehand.”

Al interjected, having overheard Subaru’s thought process and snatching the answer from him.

Until a moment ago, Al had been mute, and upon turning to him, Subaru greeted the somewhat unsteady version of him with “Al…”

“Sorry, buddy. Didn’t mean to worry you. …Well, things haven’t improved.”

“So you’ve still not gotten back to normal. That’s probably thanks to Roswaal’s magic and abilities.”

“I can’t dispute that. I wanted to discuss it too, but let’s finish the conversation we were having first. About Tanzer.”

Waving his shrunk-down hand, Al spoke in a controlled, emotionally bottled-up tone.

Subaru was concerned about Al’s state but had to address the unfinished conversation. —That it was Tanzer who had gathered their horned friends in advance.

“So, you’re saying Tanzer gathered her horned friends around the inn beforehand to ambush us? But if that’s the case…”

“Then where did Tanzer go?!”

Medium’s question followed right after Subaru’s statement, echoing the same uncertainty in his mind.

Tanzer should have come to deliver instructions from Yorna and then left; however, the reactions of the outside comrades were puzzling.

At the very least, the sheep-boy believed Subaru and the others had done something to Tanzer.

“That means the girl’s comrades haven’t seen her unharmed… Or rather, they haven’t even seen her come out of the inn at all.”

“That makes sense. Thus, they would have thought Tanzer was still inside, considering the possibility that she was talking before we left.”

“But if that’s true, then Tanzer must be hiding somewhere—Roswaal must be helping her too, right!?”

—The subhuman races that attacked Subaru and his friends to rescue Tanzer.

However, since they had mustered outside the inn from the start, it could only be assumed that they had previously coordinated, just in case something had happened to Tanzer.

And within that inn, who else would be able to conspire with Tanzer but—

“—Roswaal Dunkelken, he’s the only one.”

“Of course, there’s also the chance that the inn’s staff was cooperating and hiding her.”

“Certainly, I can’t dismiss that possibility. But I have a conviction.”

“Conviction?”

Abel nodded deeply in response to Al’s questioning.

His solid belief that Roswaal and Tanzer were working together resulted from—

“He has challenged me to a child’s game of hiding and seeking. An old man’s malicious form of amusement.”

“So, it’s like ‘Come find me if you can!’ or something?”

“Exactly.”

Subaru made an unpleasant face at Abel’s affirmation.

Abel’s deduction based on Roswaal’s malevolence sounded eerily accurate. Subaru could feel this instinctively, making the twisted smile intrude.

The mere suggestion of “Hide and Seek” was metaphorically akin to having concealed Tanzer.

“But if that’s why we got ambushed, isn’t that cheating!?”

“Is this a discussion about not inflicting harm on each other? If that guy did it, he’d probably say, ‘I didn’t lay a hand on them.’ And if Tanzer has something to do with it, even more so.”

“Guh…! What a devious attitude…!”

“Thus, it’s paramount to ascertain Roswaal’s whereabouts. With that, we could simultaneously reveal Tanzer’s location as well. However, once the plan is discovered, he may abandon ‘Hide and Seek’ altogether.”

Understanding that Roswaal and Tanzer might be together wasn’t so clear-cut—it wouldn’t mean it would end with ‘Hide and Seek.’

With a frown, Subaru pondered this matter, only for Abel to roughly snatch the demon mask from his hand.

“Ah,” Subaru exclaimed in surprise as Abel put the demon mask back on.

“Roswaal’s objective is to ascertain if we are worth negotiating with. His primary interest lies not with games but with us. Therefore, we can unravel his intentions, making those convoluted steps unnecessary.”

“Ah, I think I get it… maybe.”

“—Your brain’s starting to feel dulled.”

Abel sighed as he whispered, glancing at Subaru, who could barely keep up with the explanation.

Subaru couldn’t dispute Abel’s observation. He was well aware his mind was becoming clearer, yet he struggled to gauge how much so.

It felt like his thoughts were sluggish, his words stuck, and that he was losing intelligence.

“I wasn’t that sharp to begin with…”

“In your case, both your comprehension and creativity have declined. Roswaal’s abilities are unclear, but it’s said that one’s body reflects the ebb and flow of their own Auras.”

“Odo’s influence…?”

“The growth and decline of both Odo and body have a correlation. In other words, Roswaal has interfered with your—no, with all of your Auras.”

Abel observed the three of them, whose figures had been reduced in size—Subaru, Al, and Medium.

Subaru felt lost in Abel’s words. He hadn’t felt anything tangible discussing mana or Aura, which he had never before noticed until now he was struggling to comprehend.

It was merely true for Subaru, however—

“—So, you mean it all comes down to that old man messing with our bodies?”

Al uttered with such intensity it startled Subaru.

Glancing at Al, who touched the forehead hidden beneath his mask, he trembled with frustration. His inability to hold back his irritation was proof that he too was undergoing mental strain.

The mental relaxedness he had in adulthood was now dissipated due to being a child.

“I’ll absolutely make that old man pay…!”

“For that, we must ascertain the location of this ‘Sight of the Abyss.'”

“Right… Speaking of which, we were on our way to the store.”

With a simmering anger beside Al, Subaru suddenly fell silent.

Though they had hit a snag in the street, leaving Tanzer as bait and taking separate actions was their original goal. Although, the intent behind that action had not been disclosed.

Why exactly had Abel prioritized rushing to the tavern?

“The fundamentals of a search lie in numbers. Ideally, those with knowledge of the area are preferred. However, given that every resident of this city might side with Tanzer, it’s appropriate to use outsiders.”

“So, targeting the tavern where outsiders might congregate. Classic Abel thinking.”

“Eh, that wasn’t my intention…”

He almost said “that’s not right,” when Subaru recalled his previous attempts in Gwararu to find a bodyguard.

Just recalling the man who had targeted him, Todd, filled him with dread. When he had sought refuge, thinking about various plans, he ended up heading to a tavern to hire strong guards.

Unfortunately, the drunken swordsman hired back then had been taken out immediately.

“But in order to receive aid, doesn’t that involve money? How do we even have any…?”

“That concern is unwarranted. The reward has already been prepared.”

With that, Abel shook his bag that he had carried all along.

It was something he had taken from the inn, intriguing Subaru about its contents.

Catching Subaru’s gaze, Abel commented, even without opening the bag.

“When leaving Gwararu, I had Zikuru unlock the city hall’s treasury. The most efficient method to gaining cooperation. It’s a chance we can’t pass up.”

“…You’re a slippery one.”

“But isn’t it dangerous to carry a large sum of money while wearing a demon mask? Oh, right…”

Mid-sentence, Subaru realized his erroneous worry after observing Abel tapping his mask.

That demon mask had a “Recognition Obstruction” effect, making the very thought of being conspicuous a misjudgment. For Subaru and his allies, its effect disappeared, leading to their confusion over the discrepancy between their reality and surrounding reactions.

“So, are we doing the same thing? We all head to the tavern, looking for people who will help us find that old man?”

“—Initially, that was the plan. However, circumstances have slightly changed.”

“What’s changed?”

“If Roswaal and Tanzer were involved from the start, we would quickly reach the method to gather more manpower. Alone, Roswaal lacks influence in the magic city, but with Tanzer’s involvement, the situation transforms. She stands as Yorna Mishigure’s attendant.”

Yorna, the highest-ranking figure in Chaos Frame, with Tanzer being her attendant effectively made Tanzer like a secretary—meaning she could hold significant authority in the city.

Alternatively, she could act as if she did.

“If they intend to firmly suppress us, they’d place their forces around the tavern.”

“There’s no need to fall into such an obvious trap. However, it seems there are also rigid methods to break through.”

Amidst a conversation that forced a shift in strategy, Abel’s gaze diverted. Following the turn of his eyes, Subaru’s expression stiffened.

“Uagh!”

Staring back at him from behind the demon mask was Lui, who had been present.

After taking out the attack and mercilessly knocking out the boy from the sheep tribe, Lui stood next to the amiable Medium, weaving her blonde hair rather thoroughly.

Despite her overwhelming combat skills, her innocent demeanor remained unchanged.

That created an eerie sensation in Subaru’s spine.

“Wow, Lui, that was amazing! I can’t believe you were hiding that!”

“Auu Auu.”

“Ehehe, thanks for saving me!”

Ignoring Subaru’s turmoil, Medium patted Lui’s head with no reservations. While Lui received it casually, Subaru’s heart raced.

So much so that he instinctively shouted “Wait!” and grasped Medium’s wrist.

“S-Subaru?”

“Uh, Medium, you should stop getting too close to her…”

“—? Why? She helped you, didn’t she? Just like with you, Subaru.”

“Well, that may be true, but…”

Faced with Medium’s innocent inquiry, Subaru couldn’t find the right words to reply.

In fact, her view was clear and correct. Lui had rescued Subaru. Without hesitation, using her small body, she had defended him.

Subaru desperately pleaded, “Don’t die!”

“It might be time for you to tell us what’s going on.”

Abel’s low voice rang out, sensing Subaru’s floundering.

Underneath the mask, those dark eyes bore into Subaru, who instinctively found himself lowering his gaze. —A few days ago, during their journey to Chaos Frame, he had hidden Lui’s circumstances from Al.

At that time, too, Subaru had been unable to decide how to handle Lui, leaving the answer in limbo.

However—

“It’s not a situation you can gloss over anymore. This isn’t just my problem; it’s everyone’s.”

“—”

“What’s hidden from that girl?”

With the sharp attention focused on him, Subaru instinctively shielded Lui behind himself.

It was not out of a desire to protect her, but rather because he was uncertain how she might react under their scrutiny—no, even that was unclear.

All he knew was that he could no longer dodge the truth.

And, with his memory muddled and dulled by this childlike state, he could not concoct a plausible lie.

So—

“This girl, Lui… she’s the Archbishop of Sin of ‘Gluttony.'”

That was the only truth Subaru could muster.

—The identity of Lui Arnebe.

It was a secret that Subaru had hidden from everyone he met since being sent to the Volakia Empire, including the amnesiac Rem.

The troubles that could arise from the revelation of Lui’s identity as the Archbishop of Sin were unforeseeable, and he anticipated they would extend far beyond what he could imagine.

So, up until this very moment, Subaru had concealed this fact—

“—Archbishop of Sin.”

The tremulous voice repeating Subaru’s revelation reverberated in the air.

If Abel and Al were astonished by the discovery, that was to be expected. They would surely be cautious, seek confirmation, and raise their voices about how ridiculous it was—there was nothing strange about that.

But the first to voice a trembling sound wasn’t Al or Abel.

“Lui-chan is, the Archbishop of Sin…?”

“U-uh?”

It was none other than Medium, whose voice was filled with astonishment.

With wide, blue eyes, she stared utterly flabbergasted at Lui. In response, Lui tilted her head in a naive fashion, seemingly unaware.

That expression was exactly what Subaru feared the most.

Perhaps Medium—no, the Okonel siblings would accept it with a breezy laugh, brushing it off as no big deal, was a desperate optimism he had entertained.

But that wasn’t optimism; it was merely a dreamlike ideal that had proved fundamentally naive.

“—”

It was the unmistakable dread that passed through Medium’s eyes.

“Bro, that’s no laughing matter!”

“I-I’m not joking at all…”

“If you’re not joking, then it’s even less of a laughing matter!”

Fumbling to respond to Medium’s reaction, Subaru couldn’t manage an adequate reply to Al’s subsequent words.

His voice sharpened as Al forcefully yanked free the blue dragon blade strapped to his back. Given its weight, it was more than what a child could wield, landing point-first into the ground.

However, when positioning himself with weight, it was still usable. Filled with stern intent, Al’s gaze sharpened at both Subaru and Lui.

“Carrying around an Archbishop of Sin is sheer lunacy. You didn’t forget what happened in Pristella, did you?”

“I-I mean…”

“None of us, including Princess Priscilla, were harmed. But that was pure luck. Many, including your family or acquaintances, have faced terrible situations. She is one of the reasons for that.”

Leaning against the blue dragon blade embedded in the ground, Al raised his voice, which Subaru could not counter.

Al was absolutely right. There was no mistaking it; Subaru was undoubtedly doing something wrong—he should never have let Lui accompany him, nor allowed her to roam free.

He should have bound her, imprisoned her to keep her under control.

Yet, Subaru had not taken that route. Moreover—

“A-Abel too…?”

He looked desperately towards the silent Abel, wondering if he shared the same sentiment.

Both Medium and Al were clearly filled with fear and anger; now Abel’s reaction was the final bulwark—though for whom that bulwark existed was an uncertain matter for Subaru.

Just the idea that everyone present could choose to oppose Lui weighed heavily on him.

“—”

It seemed Subaru would strike down this hesitance, propelling himself into action.

“I don’t know how they’re treating them in other countries…”

In front of a stunned Subaru, the man wearing the demon mask met his gaze head-on.

Black eyes clashed against black ones, their cold stares piercing through Subaru’s chest. The words he had been waiting to hear, the upcoming content was rejected entirely as a surge of numbness spread through his mind.

That numbness was slowly permeated by a chilling declaration.

“In this Empire, anyone who serves a ‘Witch’ will be executed, regardless of their reasons.”

A resolute declaration from a figure at the peak of the Empire, even if displaced from the throne.

A clear execution sentence was rendered, stating their incompatibility with the realm.

Upon hearing this, Subaru clenched his eyes shut tightly—

“—Lui!!”

“Subaru!?”

At that moment, Subaru cried out her name in an emotional turmoil.

Almost immediately, a pair of tiny hands wrapped around his waist.

Following that, a scream-like voice rang out from Medium, and Subaru felt his feet leave the ground—no, it was Lui who leapt up with Subaru in her arms.

Why had he called out her name, and what feelings lay behind it, he did not know, biting down hard on his jaw as tears welled up.

All he understood was one thing.

“Uagh!”

He could not abandon this girl who clung to him now.

He hadn’t been saved in order to return the favor. It wasn’t out of misunderstanding or sentimentality—it was merely a decision he had to make.

With a mind dulled and shrunk into a child-like state, if he made a decision regarding this girl and regretted it later, he couldn’t turn back.

This didn’t concern Rem or those many others he had encountered; it was fundamentally his own issue.

This was a matter that Natsuki Subaru had to confront wholeheartedly without reservation.

“Bro! Come back! Damn it—!”

Al shouted out while looking upward, but Lui’s feet did not stop from soaring through the air.

With Subaru safely held against her back, Lui leapt, bounding off the walls of buildings facing the street, vaulting into another road, then continuing onto another.

All around the city, where foot-holds were plentiful and patched paths were created in Chaos Frame, Lui’s erratic speed was practically soaring.

“Buhah!”

After several bounces, when she finally released him, Subaru found himself on the ground, panting with hands on his knees as he gasped for air. He had defied gravity multiple times, but it was also exhausting being squeezed hard in the embrace of Lui’s slender arms.

Lui, peering into Subaru’s face from the side, was annoyingly lively.

But this wasn’t the time to find her expression annoying.

“Crap, what about Abel and the others…”

He had acted out of his own volition. Saying he had “strayed” would be too disingenuous.

However, had he remained there, he had no idea what orders Abel would have dished out. From Al’s reaction, it was evident they wouldn’t have simply let Lui go.

It would be unreasonable to count on Medium to lighten the atmosphere either.

But even if he ended up surrendering Lui while swept away, it felt like something within him protested against that decision.

“Uagh?”

Wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his cloth, Subaru looked up only to find Lui staring at him innocently with her azure eyes.

She appeared completely indifferent to the hostility and fear directed toward her, making it seem like Subaru was the fool spinning in circles with confusion.

“What an idiot I am. No, I really am an idiot.”

Indeed, he felt like a fool.

Leaving behind Abel and Medium, escaping with someone as unpredictable as Lui was downright preposterous.

He had no idea what she was thinking or capable of; all of this made her a huge wildcard.

“Yet, if I decide this now, I know I’ll regret it. It’s not something a child should decide.”

This involved a person’s life and death and had substantial implications for the Empire’s future.

Such a significant matter should not be left to a child who was encumbered under the cold gaze of adults. —It felt wrong.

“I’m sure the original me could make the right judgment. Therefore… ”

He needed to lift this “childishness” as fast as possible and evolve from being Natsuki Subaru the child back into Natsuki Subaru the teenager.

If he could do that, he would be able to deliberate properly about Lui, offer satisfactory answers to his friends’ judgments, leading to resolutions that made sense.

“For that—”

“—I’ll search for Roswaal, without relying on Abel and the others—fully committed.”

“A-ah, uuuu!”

Responding to Subaru’s determined expression, Lui raised her hands energetically.

From their aloof perch on high above the scenery of the magic city, they seemed like two small children ready to embark on an adventure, facing off against the residents of Chaos Frame, turning their back on the dethroned emperor as they declared their ambitions to find the leader of the Shinobi.

—Without knowing it, Subaru and the others had essentially become the seekers in a game of “Hide and Seek,” being chased by the tags of “Chase” as well.