※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

The emotions I felt back then are still deeply etched in my memory.

The sword swung, blood sprayed.

Familiar sights were engulfed in flames, and cherished people transformed into silent corpses.

The world was coming to an end. A world that had closed itself off. A world of futility.

It was simply harsh, simply unreasonable, and simply filled with nothing but pain—a world like that.

I stretched out my hand, moved my fingers, trembled my lips, and yet I pleaded.

Even in such a hopeless world, it was all I had.

For a long time, it had only been a world I could peer at from behind someone blocking my view.

Suddenly that wall was removed, and I squinted at the brightness of the world that spread out before me, imprinting everything into my unyielding gaze—the burning heat and colors of the flames, the smell and colors of charred flesh, the beauty of the “horns” dancing in the air—all etched into my sight.

In a world that might end, I wondered what I was thinking at that moment.

The emotions I gained then—I still remember them now.

All of her days that followed were solely an atonement for that emotion.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

For the girl named Rem, being compared to her sister was a painfully daily affair.

Within the subhuman races, the ogre tribe’s strength and mana were among the highest.

With unmatched combat ability, their racial traits as the “Kings of the Forest” further strengthened their supremacy in nature, showcasing their might and earning them recognition as one of the strongest among the subhumans.

There was no other tribe on which one could rely as much for physical robustness and the quality of usable mana.

If there was any weakness the ogre tribe possessed, it was simply their limited population.

A species specialized in producing powerful individuals didn’t allow for many sprouts, and thus the ogre tribe was forced to live in small settlements deep within the mountains.

However, unlike their robustness, they tended to be of gentle temperament, and most did not harbor discontent regarding their lives.

Thus, being a race that lived far from human settlements, there were many strict customs in place.

Breaking the customs would result in punishment, potentially even exile. For those who gathered closely due to their limited numbers, exile meant a lifetime of solitude.

Therefore, the customs had to be upheld no matter what.

For the ogres, twins were considered “cursed children.”

This was one of the strict traditions set among the few ogres that existed.

Originally, members of the ogre tribe were born with two horns on their heads.

In normal times, the horns were hidden within the skull, but when the situation stirred their instincts as ogres, the horns would emerge and devour the surrounding mana.

By dominating the mana in the atmosphere, they greatly enhanced their combat abilities. The horns were organs for this purpose, and for the ogres, they represented their pride as a race.

And twins, against all odds, were born sharing those two horns.

In the ogre tribe, those who lost their horns were referred to as “hornless” and lost their position as a race. Even losing a single horn would incur that disgrace. Yet, twins were born from the start without their crucial horns. How could that be anything but abominable?

Thus, twins were considered cursed children and were traditionally disposed of right after birth.

Their fates should have ended there, had the chieftain not made a difficult decision at the moment of execution, without recognizing the immense magical power possessed by one of the twins—a gift that had not yet been discovered.

The twins were named Ram and Rem, destined to bear their names among the ogres.

Their lives were by no means smooth sailing.

While they had been spared, the fact that they were twins could not be wiped away.

From the very beginning, with the label of “hornless” attached to them, they were treated coldly by their entire clan, including their parents.

Their parents, despite sharing blood ties, maintained a distant attitude. Fellow clansmen expressed their dislike and contempt for the two cursed children. For those who couldn’t yet walk, who did not understand malice or words, it was a dismal environment for growth.

However, just how long did such a poor environment persist? Until they became aware of their surroundings—more precisely, until the twin sister began to establish her self-awareness.

To describe young Ram, one could simply say “prodigy.”

There was no one among the ogre tribe who could rival her extraordinary talent. At such a young age, her mana capacity was exceptional, and above all, the beauty of her horns captivated all ogres.

She was unspoiled by her talent, her power showcased in a straightforward manner, just like the single pure white horn upon her forehead, and everyone in her tribe naturally bowed their heads in respect.

For a girl not yet ten, it was indeed an exceptional treatment.

Even their once distant parents, the clansmen who openly mocked them, and even the chieftain who had once tried to kill them right after birth fell silent in the presence of her brilliance.

Born as a member of the elite ogre tribe, destined to be at the pinnacle of her race.

Ogres, who take pride in powerful individuals, never fail to show respect to those who are mighty. Because of this, their devotion to Ram was devoid of any calculation.

In the shadows of her glorious path, Rem followed behind with clumsy steps.

Lacking exceptional talent. The amount of mana she could handle was average. Her strength as an ogre was simply that of a single horned individual. Unlike her sister, she had no confidence and shrank behind her, behaving like a shadow so as not to get noticed or brought up.

That was her survival tactic as a young one, a defensive measure to protect her underdeveloped heart.

Rem wasn’t jealous of her sister.

She didn’t hate her parents.

She didn’t resent her fellow tribesmen.

Her always-forward sister was ever kind and would repeatedly turn back to offer her outstretched hand to her slow-paced younger sister.

Even their once distant parents began to shower Rem with love as they recognized her sister’s talents.

Many among the village clansfolk would watch as the outstanding older sister’s devoted younger sister struggled to keep up, and their eyes often held anticipation and envy.

An older sister who was kinder than anyone. Parents who placed their hopes in her. Fellow tribesmen who encouraged her to become as great as her sister—each of these things felt like a gut-wrenching ordeal for Rem.

The fact that she resembled her sister that much perhaps weighed heavily on her.

Her height, facial features—all her appearances closely matched, yet the qualities of “ogre” she possessed were vastly different.

Of course, Rem tried to change that situation.

While it was merely the naive and clumsy efforts of a young child, she attempted every means available to edge even a little closer to her sister, to surpass her in anything.

However, her sister eclipsed her in every respect.

Rem realized that there were areas beyond reach, even from the proximity of someone so dear to her.

She could never match her sister.

Always standing in front, her sister received the light that illuminated the world first. Peeking out cautiously from behind her sister’s back, shriveling herself to avoid the dazzling radiance was simply her place in the world.

If she accepted that kind of resignation, every daily struggle could be conceded as easily as grass and trees withstood the passing winds.

How long that resignation continued, she could only guess.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

One night, Rem awoke from a restless sleep caused by the heat.

Lying on her wooden bed, she pulled the blanket off her sweaty body. Glancing around, she suddenly realized her sister was missing from the neighboring bed.

Immediately, she thought she must go search for her sister.

If her sister were awake, she would surely have to follow her imposing figure. Even if it was merely due to a brief awakening for a small need, this relentless compulsion dominated Rem at that time.

As she stepped outside her room—at that moment, she soon realized something too late.

The cause of the heat… was that their familiar home was engulfed in flames.

She withdrew her hand from the hot doorknob, realizing the truth. A suddenly awakened sense of smell detected the stench of burning, and an itch ran across her forehead as her horns emerged.

Immediately unleashing her strengthened body, she broke through the door and dashed through the house engulfed in raging flames. For reasons unknown, her instincts beckoned her to go outside, outside.

Kicking through the weakened wall, Rem burst outside.

Even at this moment, what filled her mind was just one thought: “I must get outside and seek my sister’s guidance.”

That thought quickly shifted when she witnessed the scene before her.

In the village center, there lay a towering pile of blackened corpses.

Houses ablaze, trees reduced to ash, what was once a familiar world had transformed into a crimson hell overnight.

As she spotted familiar faces among the twisted bodies roasting in the flames, Rem’s mind instantly blanked, and she collapsed to the ground.

Slowly surrounding her were figures cloaked in black robes. Their hooded faces were obscured until they drew near, revealing features that were unfamiliar. Yet there was not a trace of friendliness felt from them, and an unsuitable smile appeared on Rem’s face.

That was the expression of a young girl who had been forced to swallow her despair too many times.

Even offended, the shadows paid her no mind.

They raised their hands, bringing down the shining silver blades toward her.

Then, in an instant, their heads all simultaneously exploded.

Blood spattered, and four lives were taken at once; the severed heads flew off, unaware of their own demise, without even a scream.

The familiar flow of mana brushed against her skin, and Rem was certain it was her sister’s doing.

Upon realizing this, Rem stood up.

If her sister was somewhere out there, she must follow her.

Without even needing to search, she immediately spotted her.

With a face almost identical to her own, now contorted in sorrow, her sister hurried toward her and embraced her tightly. After confirming that Rem bore no injuries in her arms, Ram relaxed in relief.

As she returned the embrace, Rem savored an unmatched mixture of happiness and sorrow.

She couldn’t recall much about what happened afterward.

She thought she had entrusted everything to her sister.

That was for the best, and above all, it was right. Everything her sister did was always regarded as the most noble among all possibilities.

Yet, when she became aware, she found herself surrounded.

The number of shadows obscured her vision, and while Rem stared vacantly, she still believed her sister would somehow manage everything.

The back in front of her was fervently shouting something.

With tears flowing and her body curled in, she desperately pleaded.

As she was pushed to the ground, Rem felt troubled. It was unthinkable to look down upon her sister.

She should remain smaller behind her sister and perform her duty to exist.

Her sister screamed. She stood up and spread her arms wide in front of herself.

Mana surged. Her sister’s extraordinary power unfolded and invisible blades sliced through everything around them.

Yet just as it surged forth, her sister turned back to embrace Rem—and the shock hit.

Then, Rem saw it.

A steel blade struck her sister’s head, sending her radiant white glow spiraling through the red sky.

The broken horn spun around and around.

The horn snapped from its base, blood gushed forth, and the high-pitched scream of someone echoed.

What feelings she had while witnessing that, she still vividly remembered.

While she listened to the scream of her beloved sister, who had taken the blow for her, feeling envious of her beautiful white horn—she thought to herself,

—Ah, it’s finally broken.

That was her only thought.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

When Rem regained consciousness, her feet were not on the ground.

A sturdy arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her up. The rough handling did not seem any more conscious than touching a woman.

This was natural, for the owner of the arm was desperately trying to rush elsewhere, showing no signs of being able to spare any attention beyond that.

“—Balus, to the right of the broken tree up ahead! Move faster!”

“Stop saying unreasonable things… Hah, I’m going full speed…”

Familiar voices yelled angrily at each other up close.

As she was jolted intensely, Rem shook her dazed consciousness awake. Then, she trembled her lips.

“…Subaru, what are you—”

“—! You’re awake, Rem!”

As Subaru exclaimed with joy while running, he looked down upon her.

Gazing up with vacant eyes, Rem felt her throat tighten at the severity of his condition.

His forehead was split open, dripping blood painting his face crimson. There were remnants of last night’s injuries white against his body, and various fresh wounds sprinkled over him, bleeding freely. He was utterly battered on top of overextending himself.

“…I’m glad, Rem. You really were a handful.”

With pink hair swaying, Ram slightly smiled while running alongside.

She barely formed a smile, just visible to someone familiar, and gently brushed her hand through Rem’s blue hair.

Just then,

“Fuhra!”

The chant for a blade of wind was spoken, and wind blades erupted, cutting through the forest—slicing the magic beast’s body in half, turning its leaping form into mere remnants.

Immediately, having lost her footing as if suffering a wave of dizziness, Ram lightly bumped into Subaru’s body.

“—It hurts aaaaah!! Ram, do you even know my right shoulder is dislocated?!”

“Be quiet. If I hadn’t pushed myself, the curse would have compounded. Accept that I can serve as a wall for a bit.”

“Do it on the other shoulder! It hurts!!!”

Crying half-heartedly in pain, Subaru shouted.

Seeing Ram bleed from the “lost horn” scar and press her body weight against Subaru.

Rem observed, and abruptly understood her current situation.

She realized why she was in this place, and why she was being carried by the two of them. It was—

“Why…?”

“Huh?”

“Why couldn’t you leave me behind?”

As she was jostled, that question slipped her lips.

Subaru looked down at her with a puzzled expression, and Rem trembled her lips again.

“Sister and Subaru-kun coming along defeats the purpose. Rem… Rem has to do it alone… It’s enough for Rem to be hurt…”

“Then it’s already too late! Both me and Ram are beat up! I’m in worse shape than you, probably!”

While not exaggerating, Subaru declared that with palpable conviction. Ram refrained from engaging in the conversation, seeming to have her own thoughts regarding it.

Feeling rejected by her sister’s demeanor, Rem desperately formed fragmented words.

“It’s, it’s all Rem’s fault. Because Rem hesitated last night… So Rem has to take responsibility… Or else, Rem wouldn’t be worthy of Sister or Subaru-kun…”

“Right now it’s pretty rough, you mind wrapping this up nicely?! If you go off track, I’m gonna be chewed up by last night’s rewind…”

“If Subaru-kun hadn’t hesitated, you wouldn’t have been hurt—”

Even though she was not in the position to listen, Subaru’s ears perked up to what she said.

His face stiffened as he looked at her, and Rem confessed her sins.

While facing the magical beasts in the encounter in the forest last night, Rem had unleashed the “ogre” within and faced the horde. At that moment, her consciousness had fluctuated between surrendering to the instincts of an “ogre” and retaining her self-awareness.

Her injuries had worsened, but had she entrusted everything to instincts, retreating would have been nearly impossible.

It was a limited use of “ogre transformation” under careful deliberation. However, it revealed her immature combat skills and even forced Subaru to take risks necessary to protect her.

Yet, the true apology Rem needed to make wasn’t simply for creating that situation.

In the moment Subaru had shielded her and taken in magical beast fangs all over, Rem should have been able to protect him.

Even if she had pushed him away, compared to Subaru, the magnitude of power when Rem transformed into an “ogre” was incomparable. The impact merely nudged him slightly, hardly a position worth retreating to.

Yet, Rem had hesitated to reach out, inflicting dire injuries upon Subaru.

All of it was due to the overwhelming scent of burnt sulfur that emanated from his body.

“Because Rem hesitated to reach out to Subaru-kun, Subaru-kun nearly died. And you took in so many curses. So—”

“You thought you had to fix it all on your own, huh?”

Subaru seemed to comprehend Rem’s confession even with his ragged breaths.

As he nodded, indicating his understanding, Rem similarly lowered her chin, contemplating her sins.

She had been prepared for scorn, for contempt. This was a sentiment that ought to have been hurled at her before they even entered the forest.

Delaying it was either due to the urgency to save him, or because she had not come to terms with her own weaknesses—likely the latter, she sneered inwardly at her weak self.

“Rem.”

“Yes.”

Called by name, she looked up, bracing herself.

No matter how harsh the words directed at her might be, she had to accept them.

That was the punishment for the crime she’d committed.

At that moment, Subaru’s voice came unexpectedly.

“And so.”

“—!?”

With a jarring clash, the sound of bones striking reverberated, splattering sparks across Rem’s vision.

For a fleeting moment, the sharp pain made her vision flicker, as she pressed her head in confusion. Her current body was no stronger than that of a human’s.

The area struck on her forehead swelled, sure to shine red to anyone outside.

As the bewilderment washed over her, Subaru looked down at Rem, bewildered.

“For now, seriously, are you a fool? No, you truly are a fool!”

“Balus, your head’s bleeding from being hit again.”

“I know, I’m a fool! But, your younger sister is a bigger fool!”

After saying that, Subaru shook his bleeding head. With clarity, Rem realized that Subaru had headbutted her.

It made no sense.

“You’re a fool in many ways, but three particularly foolish things stand out. Got it?”

“What are you talking about…?”

“First, you’re a fool to think you couldn’t save me!”

Spitting while interrupting Rem, Subaru lifted her and pressed his face close to hers, nearly breathing on her, opening his black eyes wide.

“Open your eyes, look closely. Can you see my vibrant manly strength? Sure, I’ve got some white scars here and there, but wounds are medals for a man, so it’s all good. Thus, your sense of guilt is actually a mistake, fool!”

“But, if Rem hadn’t hesitated, if she had extended a hand immediately, then—I wouldn’t have gotten hurt…”

“Hey, don’t talk about ‘what if’! And the second foolish thing is that you tried to shoulder everything alone!”

Forced back into silence, she had no other choice but to accept Subaru’s scolding.

Glancing at her sister for help, Ram showed no signs of intervening, keeping her distant.

Subaru turned his face towards Rem, sticking his tongue out.

“Listen well, in my hometown, there’s a saying, ‘Three women together become noisy.’ That doesn’t relate here, but there’s another saying, ‘Three together have the wisdom of Manjushri.’”

While saying that, Subaru muttered, ‘What is Manjushri…’ scratching his head, then dismissing it with, ‘Ah, whatever!’

“Anyway, gatherings of three are less prone to mistakes than being alone.”

“I’m guessing you’re totally misusing the term…”

“Anyway! Don’t think alone; rely on those around you! You can talk, right? Like me, grasping the heart and—”

Before he could finish, Subaru’s expression suddenly soured.

He instinctively bent forward, laboring to catch his breath, and murmured,

“Is that not too harsh…?”

“What are you—oh, Subaru-kun. Suddenly, the scent of the witch is intensifying…”

Pinching her nose, Rem squirmed as the loathsome smell invaded her senses.

Nearby, next to her, the execrable odor wafted thick—the remnant scent that had kept her from extending her hand.

Its emergence was too sudden—

“Um, let’s switch gears about that. I’m switching too.”

Yet, Rem’s questions were brushed aside by Subaru’s casual remarks.

Stunned, Rem gaped at him, sensing that in the expression he bore, a notion to postpone problems lingered.

“And about the third foolish thing… Damn, time is short.”

As Subaru ran while keeping his gaze ahead, his expression narrowed with heightened tension.

Simultaneously, Ram, cradling her own throbbing head, started channeling mana.

“Ram, towards the village… No, anywhere near the barrier will do. Which way should we run to get out?”

“If we can at least pass the mob ahead, then it’s a full sprint left, but what are you planning?”

Responding to Ram’s question with a lengthy groan, Subaru replied,

“My plan is to shove Rem to Ram and then escape cruelly on my own!”

“To serve as a decoy to lure the Urgalm using the witch’s scent, and while that’s happening, I’d rescue Rem and get her to escape with Ram, understood?”

“Stop revealing my tsundere side so easily, would you?!”

While not slowing their pace at all, Subaru and Ram exchanged such banter.

Hearing their conversation, Rem expressed her despair.

“There’s no way… It can’t end like this. …Please stop! If that’s the plan, then what good is Rem…?”

“Here’s another foolish thing, Rem-lyn. This is the best plan to save everyone, you know? If we make it past the barrier and regroup somehow, then there’s a method unknown to you for taking down the Urgalm. With that approach, a grand conclusion is a piece of cake, right?”

While Rem couldn’t perceive what grand method Subaru had in mind, truthfully, she doubted whether it even existed.

Because before that even, it seemed utterly impossible for Subaru to breach the encirclement alone.

“There’s no reason to do such a thing… Rem can scatter those beasts…”

She refused to let him proceed down such a recklessness, pouring all her strength into herself.

But her limbs sagged, refusing to obey her will. No fighting spirit resonated, and there was not a single part of her body that could heed her words.

Her fingertips trembled. The muscles in her face barely moved. The weapon she was so familiar came nowhere to be found within her grasp.

“Rem’s weapon is…”

“I ditched that heavy thing! How could you expect a dislocated student’s arm to carry both you and that thing?”

Then being told she had no weapon left, despair began to choke Rem again.

She had no recourse, slowly being passed to her sister.

“Don’t drop her.”

“I still have more strength than Balus with his dislocated arm.”

“Then why was I carrying Rem?!”

“Because Balus insisted on bearing her!”

“Such a sarcastic comeback!”

As Subaru covered his face with his palm, as if trying to erase his words.

Looking up at Subaru, Rem felt as if she were witnessing the impossible. Even though she had openly dismissed him, how could he go as far as this?

“Subaru-kun, why go to such lengths…?”

“—Well,”

He closed his eyes for just a moment, then raised a finger with a smile.

“She’s my date for my first ever date. I can’t be so heartless as to abandon her.”

He said that, and with the same hand he raised a finger with, he gently stroked Rem’s hair.

“Alright, I’ll handle some business. —I’m counting on you, Sister.”

“I’m wishing for Balus’s safe regroup too.”

Leaving behind that brief exchange, Subaru and Ram quickly diverged in their running directions.

Ram veered to the right, while Subaru headed left. In the brief moment of hesitation over which prey to pursue among those ahead—immediately, Ram took off, following Subaru to the left.

“—Sister!”

“Balus created this time risking his life. Let’s make the most of it.”

For Ram, having lost her ogre power, her physical strength to support Rem could only amount to what her body originally possessed. Thus, her running speed wasn’t swift.

Feeling that, Rem bit her lip in frustration at her helplessness.

“If only I could transform into an ‘ogre,’ I could protect Subaru and carry my sister in return. It would be easy. I could do it all.”

Yet at such a crucial moment, the “ogre” within her refused to surface at all.

Ram’s priority here was clearly established: “Rem > Subaru.” Therefore, when Subaru suggested the method of using himself as bait, if it appeared to raise their survival odds even slightly, she would make the decision without hesitation.

While Rem respected her sister’s decisiveness, she couldn’t help but cry out through her tears.

“Why can’t you try harder?”

“Why can’t you show us more remarkable things?”

That unreasonable feeling made Rem weep helplessly as she entrusted her whole being to her younger self.

“Subaru-kun… Subaru-kun…!”

“Don’t look back, Rem. You’ll get hurt.”

It was the words of the sister she admired, the sister who was always right.

As long as she followed them, surely her heart would be protected. Since she was always right.

—Then, what value is there in being right?

“—Onii-chan!!”

“—!!”

At the cry of her heart’s yearning, Ram’s expression trembled violently.

With pursed lips and wide eyes, Ram stopped in her tracks. In a split-second, Rem twisted her body free from her sister’s grip and tumbled painfully onto the ground, turning to look back.

In the distance, the run that was too slow to be called running came into view.

The black hair, the tattered appearance, the powerlessly dangling right arm, and the overwhelming shape of Subaru, who wore a face of suppressed emotion.

Confronting him head-on was the formidable Urgalm, forming a wall with its imposing body.

That huge form, larger than its kin, could be the leader of the pack.

Facing such a presence, surrounded by countless magical beasts behind and to the sides, Subaru continued to dash onward.

Her fingertips couldn’t reach him. No matter how much she reached or trembled her heart, it wouldn’t reach him.

Nothing but that, Rem cried out desperately.

The fingertips that had failed to reach that night, the emotions that hadn’t reached out that night, this time she wished fervently for them to reach.

“—Subaru-kun!!”

Whether her voice reached him, she could not tell.

Yet, as if responding to that call—she could see Subaru pulled out a glinting sword with a dull shine from his left hand.

The roar of the magical beasts shook the forest.

And overshadowing them all, Subaru’s throat unleashed a mighty roar.