The moment I swung my fist was the moment I regretted shrinking away the most.

More than the tragedy of Gladiator Island that we all overcame together, more than the ‘Spalca’ event to recruit Gustav, and even more than the conversation with Cecilis under the moonlight, at this moment, I regretted not being able to hit stronger with a bigger body.

“You…!”

The Emperor, bloodied from the punch delivered by young Subaru, opened his eyes wide in surprise.

His gaze was on the floor, watching Subaru, who had fallen after failing to land. However, there was no anger in his expression, only shock was strong enough to overshadow the humiliation.

The Emperor pressed his hand against the cheek where Subaru’s fist had landed and exclaimed,

“Don’t you care for your life!? If you raise your hand against me, the flames of the ‘Sun Blade’ will scorch you…”

“Oh, I don’t care! Compared to letting you get away without me punching you right here and now, dying in flames doesn’t scare me at all!”

“W-what…?”

I glared back at the Emperor as I sprang up in front of him and bravely declared.

In that instant, my exhausted body staggered, and I bumped into the door, but it turned out to be just right. Leaning back against the door, I spread my arms wide and stood against the Emperor.

Saying I don’t care for my life is a downright lie.

But in a battle of wits, I didn’t want to show a single sign of weakness.

I had to retort, either with words or fists, to the Emperor who had freely spouted his thoughts.

“You guys are right. I think I’m completely confused. Even I don’t know on what basis I’m acting.”

“…you guys?”

Biting his lip, the Emperor furrowed his brow at Subaru’s glare.

Lowering his hand from his cheek, smeared with Subaru’s dripping blood, the Emperor pondered whom Subaru’s statement, directed at multiple people, was aimed at aside from himself.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, he wouldn’t figure it out. The man before him was the Emperor, and the other was merely an unranked soldier.

Yet the wounds inflicted upon Subaru by either party were essentially the same.

“I want to prioritize and protect the ones I care about. That’s my honest feeling. But even if it’s someone I don’t like or don’t know, if they’re in danger in front of me, I…”

Todd said Subaru was choosing whom to help based on his subjective likes and dislikes.

Abel said Subaru was choosing whom to save in a reckless, erratic manner, beyond likes and dislikes.

Both statements were correct, and in being correct, they were both wrong.

Because—

“But is that really so bad…?”

“What?”

“Is it wrong? Without a resolve that would carry through my entire life or any grand meaning behind it, is it wrong to impulsively help someone right in front of me?!”

With a loud voice, Subaru stomped his foot as the Emperor’s black eyes widened.

Although his unusual behavior and expressions continued on, Subaru pressed on.

“You were right! I’ve been thinking within the limits of what I can see and reach, and I’ve done that up to today. What’s wrong with that!”

“You dare to act defiantly!? What’s wrong? It’s clear! Why don’t you look at the bigger picture, moving solely on your selfish emotions? Why do you not make use of the powers bestowed upon you!?”

“I’m using everything! I’m standing here because I’m making use of it! Don’t be so emotional!? Don’t spout nonsense! It’s my choice how I use my emotions!”

“Then for heaven’s sake, at least adhere to those emotions! If you’re deciding others’ lives and deaths based on likes and dislikes, don’t try to twist that method! Your way of being is filled with distortions!”

“If it’s your conclusion that you’re living straight, then I welcome the idea that your guts are all twisted!”

While continuing to scold Subaru, the Emperor was kicked back in retaliation as Subaru repeatedly kicked into his shins, unleashing all his pent-up anger.

The Emperor grimaced at Subaru’s tantrum and declared,

“This is pointless.”

And with that, he tried to unilaterally interrupt the conversation once again.

So, while attempting to leave behind the severed sense of value, the Emperor grabbed Subaru’s shoulder. With a grip that couldn’t be resisted due to the difference between adult and child strength.

Therefore, Subaru bit down with all his strength on that hand.

“—You bastard!”

“Ha ha ha, you’re not getting away with this!”

Without holding back, he bit down, leaving a mark and wound on the Emperor’s right hand. Blood flowed from the forced release of the Emperor’s right hand, and with the knife wound combined, he bled from both hands.

It was a fate surely leading to Subaru’s execution, having drawn blood from the precious Emperor of the Empire.

“That’s if the kingdom survives, you bastard!”

“What… ugh!”

The moment he was released, Subaru leaped up, tackled the Emperor from the front, and pressed his head against his stomach, sweeping his legs away. It was the street fighting technique taught by Vaits.

Moreover, he advanced into the application of Vaits’ teachings, securing the strongest mount in street rules.

Overbearing the Emperor who fell on his back, Subaru grabbed his chest with both hands and slammed him down onto the ground. No matter who it was, if their head hit the ground repeatedly, they would be knocked out in no time.

However—

“Don’t get carried away!”

The first time was surprise, the second time was confusion. He succeeded in striking the back of the head, but the third attempt was simply stopped by the sheer gap in strength, and he was dragged down forcibly by the hair.

“Gyaah!” he cried as he was rolled onto the floor while the Emperor stood up, attempting to go towards the door again.

“Not gonna let you do that!”

Subaru leaped onto the Emperor’s knee from behind, trying to forcefully halt his body heading towards the door. But with the momentum, he ended up pushing the Emperor forward, causing him to fall.

The result—

“Bam!”

A dull sound resounded as the Emperor’s face slammed into the door.

“———”

The sound of his face pressing hard against the door echoed, and the Emperor, who had crashed onto the door, lifted his body up and turned to glare at Subaru, grabbing his shirt with both hands.

“Ugh!” Subaru grunted in pain as his back slammed against the door, pressing him against it.

The Emperor, with a red nose and forehead, glared at Subaru, who had his feet lifted off the ground.

“What do you want? What’s your goal? What do you desire?”

“I want to punch you! Punching you is my goal! Punching you is my desire!”

“You bastard…!”

“What the hell do you want? What’s your goal? What do you wish for!”

“———”

With his nails digging into the Emperor’s hands gripping him, Subaru spat back in fury.

Turning his neck, he tried to bite the Emperor’s hand again, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reach. To compensate, he gathered up saliva and spat on the Emperor’s hand.

As the Emperor’s hand was sullied by Subaru’s spit, he gritted his teeth, hardening his expression for a different reason than the humiliation.

“What is my wish…?”

“Exactly. Surely there’s something you want to do aside from your grand ideals. Otherwise, you wouldn’t bother coming to me at such a busy time.”

“———”

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand yourself the most. In what you said earlier, what you put the most effort into, what you felt the strongest about, that’s your most important thing.”

The talks about the evacuation situation from the Imperial Capital and Subaru questioning whether he was a ‘Star Reader’. The treatment of Emilia and others from the Kingdom, to the breakdown in understanding Subaru’s existence.

Come to think of it, there were no comforting words when Subaru woke up from being unconscious, nor anything about their reunion since the Magic City.

But leaving all that aside, the topic that carried the most heat was obvious.

“……Chisha.”

“…Why, Natsuki Subaru?”

Just before, the heat built from their struggles ebbed away, replaced by a cold yet sharp question.

If that violence bore red flames, then that question was a blue flame.

With those blue flames in his eyes scorching Subaru right before him, the Emperor inquired.

“It was I who instigated that. With that, it could function identically to me without a hitch. If anything, it could even be said that it surpassed me in terms of military might.”

“———”

“There was no difference in ability between me and Chisha. Regardless of who remained, we would both take on the fight against the ‘Great Calamity’ and do our utmost. —Why is that?”

The black eyes of the Emperor, no, Abel, trembled as he stared into Subaru’s.

Sworn never to avert his gaze, it was likely that the mask of the Emperor would soon be removed, exposing the face of Abel.

And not as the Emperor of this nation, but as a singular individual who lost someone precious, Abel could not help but ask Subaru.

“Why did you let me live, whom you loathe, and let Chisha die, Natsuki Subaru?”

Aware of what he himself wanted to ask Subaru, Abel threw that same question at him as before their scuffles.

The pain and tenderness hidden in that voice were beyond anything expressed moments ago.

The Emperor Vincent Volakia had been using all he had for the Empire.

As the Emperor ruling over one of the four great nations of this world, known for its vast territory, Vincent Volakia had seen everything.

For the Emperor Vincent Volakia to ask a question as a mere human, not for the sake of the Empire, held weight that matched the Empire itself.

Subaru felt that weight in his skin, blood, brain, and soul, shaking his heart.

Simultaneously, contrasting Abel, whose emotions were swelling, Subaru’s feelings were calm.

“———”

Why must Chisha die?

Unknown to Subaru, the scales of fate weighed both Abel and Chisha, trapping them where only one could survive.

And Abel had intended to share his fate with that crumbling scale.

Yet, that fate was rewritten — likely, by Chisha herself who had perished.

—From when had Abel resolved himself to face his own death?

Once born, life must come to an end someday. That’s a fact everyone knows but unconsciously chooses to ignore, yet the circumstances are entirely different.

The resolve for death that’s been foretold is no different from Subaru facing the reason for his ‘Return by Death.’

Abel had been confronting his own death that would eventually come.

With the same resolve that Subaru fought, believing that the approaching death could be changed or must be changed. Abel had been continuing the fight.

If Subaru did not survive, then Emilia, Rem, Beatrice would die.

Otto, Tanzer, everyone from Shudrak, and Flopp — numerous humans would perish. If he could save everyone at the cost of his own life.

If Abel had poured every ounce of his resolve into that, then—

“I’ve finished preparing for my own end. And yet—”

Emilia, Rem, Beatrice lived on in Subaru’s stead.

Otto, Tanzer, everyone from Shudrak, and Flopp, someone among the numerous humans had survived to save Subaru.

This despair must be grasped by nobody else, but Natsuki Subaru cannot overlook it.

He must not flatly deny the despair Abel was experiencing, having been the one to overturn that possibility and reshape reality with his powers.

Understand it, swallow it, and then convey it.

“—I’m not a ‘Star Reader,’ Abel.”

“———”

The words conveyed were likely perceived as betrayal at this point by Abel.

At this juncture, Subaru withheld the answer Abel craved. But no matter how much Abel doubted Subaru, the truth remains unchanged.

Perhaps Subaru could do what the ‘Star Reader’ could.

Perhaps Subaru possessed a means to intervene in fate greater than the ‘Star Reader.’

Still, he was not omnipotent. He could not be omnipotent.

It would be great if he could be omnipotent, but being omnipotent alone isn’t enough.

“That’s why I can’t save the Chisha you speak of. I don’t even know how to help. But there’s one thing I can say.”

“…What is it?”

“…If I truly had the kind of power you describe, I’d rather choose to help you, whom I dislike, over saving a stranger. It’s not because I foresee anything, it’s just how I’d act. That’s what I would do.”

Truly, Subaru thought he had an irreparably flawed nature.

But that was the result of Natsuki Subaru’s understanding of his limitations in the domain of his own abilities.

“———”

Slowly, the grip on Subaru’s collar loosened, and his body was released.

As he slid down against the door, Abel’s hands remained on Subaru’s chest. However, the pressure that had turned his fingers white had come undone.

If he wanted to, it could be easily released, but Subaru didn’t let go.

Not letting go, he simply called his name, “Abel.”

“If you claim you’re not a ‘Star Reader’…”

Weakly, Abel spoke those words.

Yet even Abel himself seemed uncertain of that utterance, unable to follow up. His black eyes began to wander, searching for the words he truly desired.

To verbalize his feelings.

Perhaps that was something even a child could do, but it was something the Emperor of the Empire had never done.

“No matter what you do to me or how you try to rescue me…”

“———”

“In a crisis that threatens the survival of the Empire, you concern yourself over trivial matters…”

“———”

“I—! From the very moment I saw your existence…”

“———”

All his words got caught in his throat.

None of them, no matter how emotional or earnest, adequately expressed Abel’s true heart. As he stumbled over his own words, he corrected himself repeatedly, and Subaru didn’t rush him.

“You despise me and view me as your enemy…”

As if realizing that there was no answer at the end of his faltering words, Abel repeatedly attempted to phrase the things he was supposed to say.

Declared to be the wisest Emperor in the history of the Volakia Empire, a man esteemed for his wisdom by all.

And repeatedly, at last, he arrived at it.

“I…”

“———”

“I have been prepared for my own death. …But I have not prepared to lose anyone.”

While having honed his mindset to leave behind, he had not polished the mindset to be left behind.

Perhaps he’d even thought about the final words he would leave behind. If searched, his last will could possibly be found scattered about.

All of that was for those who would come after him, and he had never considered turning into someone who would be left behind himself.

“Why…?”

A trembling voice inquired.

Even as he said it with a quivering voice, Abel pulled his hands away from Subaru’s collar. He took the blood-stained hand to his face, covering it.

The Emperor, who never even closed his eyes in public, was now hiding his face with both hands.

“Why did Chisha die, leaving me behind…?”

With his face covered, trembling voice mourned, possibly with tears welling in his black eyes, Vincent Volakia knelt.

Having lost someone precious and dear, there may have been no time for lamentation for the man, who, in his power, was free from the burden of being Emperor, now knelt before someone he despised.

Watching that, Subaru breathed out a long, deep sigh.

“—I’m sorry.”

Thus, he conveyed a word that would not provide comfort to one fighting against unjust fate, a comrade who fought desperately and was hurt.

△▼△▼△▼△

When Subaru swung to hit Abel as he tried to leave, what floated in his mind was the memory of Otto, who once slapped him hard in a similar fashion.

“You are amazing. I could never be as smart as you… I’ll never tell you this though.”

Fueled by resentment and embarrassment, he definitely didn’t want to tell him directly.

Maybe when Otto is on his deathbed someday, he’d consider telling him, “I actually think you’re pretty amazing.” If he actually did that, even at his last moments, he could expect Otto to retort, “Why the hell did you keep that to yourself all this time?!”

Anyway—

“———”

Sitting heavily on the ground, Abel leaned his back against the wall of the room, drawing one of his knees up, while casting his gaze into the dimly lit room.

Subaru, similarly sitting cross-legged beside him, silently savored the stillness.

The initial thanks and teasing directed at Otto was undeniably Subaru’s true feelings.

At some point, when Subaru felt he was about to collapse under the weight of it all, Otto had slapped him and hurled some necessary words at him.

He told him not to play it cool in front of friends. —That experience had given Subaru the courage to bounce back from the depths.

That said—

“You and I aren’t friends or anything.”

“—Of course not. Don’t say anything so disgusting. I have no time for friends… No, I don’t need any.”

“So you’re not incapable of making friends, but just refusing to? I used to act like that when I thought I was all alone, too, but it was obvious to everyone around me.”

“Your disrespect knows no bounds.”

While sitting next to each other and not facing one another, Subaru and Abel exchanged words.

The energy of their struggles was no longer present, yet neither side could politely cut off the conversation and leave.

Subaru was covered in blood, from his face, clothes, and hands.

Naturally, Abel was also splattered with blood on his face, hair, and various parts of his attire.

The room was stained with blood on the sheets, and a knife lay on the floor. Blood splattered here and there, creating signs of a disturbance and bloodstains all around.

Although it didn’t have enough blood to be called a murder scene, it certainly had the appearance of a crime scene.

“But even after going off like that, we couldn’t break anything in this room. That’s the limit of us as individuals.”

Even after Subaru and Abel rampaged without holding back, they could only manage to break some furniture.

If the truly dangerous individuals of this world were to lose control, this room would be wrecked in the blink of an eye. I wonder how long it would take for Emilia, with her cute face and sweet hands, to break this room apart in a charming way.

“Even if you and I were to clash, it wouldn’t be cute at all.”

“…What are you even talking about?”

“What about you? What are you even trying to address? Let me tell you, because your line of thought is so all over the place, I can’t tell what your point really is.”

“———”

Abel went silent, lost in thought.

It was likely because he knew how scattered his topics were that he remained silent. Blinded to the call of his true feelings, he had instead focused on the pleasant-sounding, easy-to-digest topics, resulting in a disjointed conversation that bore no fruit.

That was the essence of Abel’s previous discussions, and he was aware of his own shortcomings.

As Subaru awaited how he would try to redeem himself—

“Natsuki Subaru, what you said about not being a ‘Star Reader’ is true, isn’t it?”

“…It’s true. I’m no ‘Star Reader.’ All that talk about foreseeing the future is much more suited to the Witch Cult. I have a terrible relationship with them.”

“I’ve heard that two Archbishops fell at Lugnica.”

“It’s not public knowledge, but it was three. I don’t know for sure if ‘Gluttony’ was defeated or not, so forget about that one. About Lui, though… Ah!”

“What is it?”

“You haven’t done anything to Lui, have you? I still haven’t forgiven you for what you said about killing her.”

The incident in the Magic City Chaos Frame had set the stage for Subaru to diverge from Abel and the others due to Abel’s stubborn stance towards Lui.

When Abel revealed the fact that she was a Sin Archbishop, he had stated that he wouldn’t allow her to stand.

That was the reason Subaru had split from Abel and ended up isolated with Lui, heading toward Yorna’s castle—

“After everything that happened, I still haven’t forgiven you.”

“What foolishness. It was you who outright loathed that girl.”

“That was the past, and this is the present. Besides, if I held onto first impressions, I’d start doubting my sanity with the members I’m getting along with now.”

“I have been questioning your sanity ever since the incident at Shudrak’s village. —There’s no need for concern.”

“Huh?”

“I have done her no harm. What I intended to say back then wasn’t to immediately execute someone I doubted to be a Sin Archbishop.”

“W-what…?”

“You made a premature assumption. Think it through.”

Being told that it had been an unnecessary caution left Subaru speechless. However, even if it were true, the reason Subaru had jumped to conclusions stemmed from Abel’s indifference and coldness of attitude.

The accumulation of Abel’s behavior had led to distrust at that time.

“That was due to your attitude…”

“It was necessary. I didn’t want you thinking for a second that I desired for you to live.”

“———”

“All of this was based on the supposition that you are indeed a ‘Star Reader.’ You’re accomplishing feats unparalleled in the Kingdom that only a non-human could achieve.”

“That…”

“To be clear, there was no need to deliberately tarnish your reputation. You, in reality, are exactly the type of person I despise most. Disgust and contempt are genuine feelings that overflow within me.”

“Y-you bastard…!”

Whether it was lies or truths, goodness or evil, Subaru felt the veins on his forehead pop with Abel’s words.

But just as Subaru was navigating the ice with caution to gauge his relationship with Abel, so too was Abel crossing a tightrope as he interacted with Subaru.

Subaru on the ice, Abel walking the tightrope — such a relationship was destined to falter.

Both were so focused on their own footing that they failed to regard each other’s faces.

“…I don’t know Chisha. I was just disguising myself as you while trying to kick you off your throne. I only met you as an Emperor in the Chaos Frame.”

“———”

“I don’t know what that person was thinking, or what schemes they had to drive you from your castle. But I can sense that you regret losing them so much, and if they had lived, you’d have died in their place instead.”

Thus, Subaru hesitantly vocalizes his thoughts.

Since it had become an unspoken agreement not to face each other directly, he could not see the expression on Abel’s face as he talked. That thought terrified him.

The fact that Abel would regret losing someone to the point of losing his emotional balance disturbed him.

That such a significant person would wind up the crux of emotional turmoil was a concern.

Yet Subaru was determined to speak.

“That Chisha—what a remarkable person.”

Raising his face, he let out a bright voice, which might have been out of place.

It wasn’t an attempt to sound bright; rather, it was sincere admiration from the depths of Subaru’s heart.

How many people could there truly be, who could successfully subvert the plans of this wise Emperor, reigning over the Volakia Empire, crafting every circumstance in his mind, and get things to unfold as intended?

To achieve just that would be more than worthy of praise.

On top of that, it seemed that Abel remained in a mopey state, perhaps as part of that very plan.

“You claimed that it wouldn’t matter who remained, you or that person. If that were true, then there is one clear reason for why they created this situation.”

“…What?”

“Chisha was annoyed by your wish to kill him and by how you resigned yourself to your fate.”

“—What?!”

“There’s the idea that one wishes for the other to live, even at the cost of their own life. But I don’t think that was the case with you. You don’t lead a life where someone would think that highly of you.”

While it’s easy to understand the sentiment of wishing for someone to live on after one’s own demise, it requires a strong reason and deep feelings towards that person.

For Abel, who had been determined to stand firm for the sake of those who followed after, to be thought of in such a way was nearly unbelievable.

Thus, Subaru’s reasoning held true.

“Chisha was annoyed with you. So, they proved it.”

“Proved it? What are you saying… That I’m naive enough to be fooled, that I’m foolish?”

“You’re probably already aware that Flopp and Mizelda both know you’re an intelligent fool. No, it’s about the length of fate’s arm.”

“Fate…?”

As though surprised to finally hear that term, Abel rolled the unfamiliar word over his tongue.

In reality, for someone like Abel, who had faced all manner of circumstance and continuously fought against his aspirations, every obstacle was something that could be put into words. He might not have realized he was up against something intangible and immense called ‘fate.’

Yet without a doubt, the enemy Abel unconsciously recognized was fate.

Simultaneously, Chisha used their own life to prove that he could live.

“Fate can be fought against. —There’s no reason to give up!”

“———”

Abel silently drew in a breath, struck by the words conveyed to him.

If he had never seen his enemy as ‘fate,’ he likely had never believed that he could struggle or resist against it. He might not have even considered it.

But if he understood unequivocally who that ‘enemy’ was, what would happen then?

What would the eminent Emperor of the Volakia Empire do if he found out the true identity of his enemy?

“—Abel, I’m not a ‘Star Reader.'”

“———”

“But—”

Beside the silent Abel, Subaru placed his hands on his knees.

Being questioned, denied, then questioned again. Denied, then questioned, and again denied.

Although he could neither explain nor prove the truth of his ‘Return by Death,’ Subaru had resolved within his heart something amid this exchange.

That dealt, perhaps, with a response to his counterpart who could only take a beating and never retaliate, Todd Fang.

“As long as it’s within my reach, I’ll rescue as many as I can. Yet, if there are lives I truly can’t save, then that…”

“…Wouldn’t that be a defeat against fate?”

“—I can’t achieve complete victory. I’m not the only one fighting fate.”

He had not been able to save everyone.

And so he could not declare that he would manage to save everyone from here on out.

While swaggering as if to boast about fighting fate, as he vowed to continue struggling against it, even so, for the lost lives, Natsuki Subaru would lament and grieve, time and again.

That’s why, to minimize the chances for regret or tears—

“Lend me your power, Abel. If you do, I’ll lend you my power, too.”

“———”

“From here on out, I’ll team up with you completely! …Though, I can’t say that without consulting Emilia and the others first, but that’s my resolve. So—”

Saying that, Subaru struck his knee firmly before standing up.

Without looking at Abel’s face, he slowly moved around the room and approached the bedside. Casting a glance at the bloodstained and disheveled sheets, Subaru reached for the fruit basket.

There lay a half-split Linga, which Abel had cut in two. The white inside was browning due to exposure to air, but he grabbed it without a second thought.

And then—

“I’ll help you finish off that Linga you split.”

He tossed one half of the Linga to Abel and chomped down on the remaining half.

A delightful crunch followed, followed by the sweet juice spreading across his mouth, and Subaru looked at Abel, who was sitting on the floor.

Receiving the tossed Linga, Abel looked down at it, hesitated for just a moment, and then took a bite.

A pleasing crunch followed, and the sweet and sour taste must have spread in his mouth as well.

Whether liked or disliked, loved or hated, it didn’t matter when it came to that taste.

Between living beings, there was no difference in the experience of sharing the Linga’s flavor.

“Natsuki Subaru.”

“What is it?”

“I do not like you.”

“Whoa—”

“—But I need your power.”

Slowly, Abel rose from his place, still holding the half-eaten Linga in hand, and stared at Subaru with his black eyes.

As he masked all the emotional hues he had shown in this room behind his sense of self as Emperor, a slight trace of that emotion tinted his eyes and voice.

“I apologize for my numerous indiscretions. Knight of the Kingdom.”

As he witnessed the Emperor of the Holy Volakia Empire bow his head, Subaru couldn’t help but laugh.

Laughing as he took another bite of the remaining Linga, he replied,

“I won’t apologize for my many disrespectful acts, Emperor of the Empire.”

Thus, he took that first step to correct the misaligned relationship that had been flawed from the very beginning.