Snow falls…
The world had shifted.
Where moments ago the air had been heavy with blood, now—
Snow.
Soft, silent flakes drifted down, falling in slow spirals through the open sky. The temperature had plummeted. Frost clung to twisted tree bark and scorched soil alike. It wasn't just a change in weather—it was a rupture, a sharp turn in reality itself.
A thin blanket of white had begun to settle across the battlefield, clinging to the corpses of the cultists—each one frozen solid, limbs twisted at unnatural angles, jagged ice spears piercing their skulls, chests, and throats.
It was impossible to mistake it for a natural phenomenon.
This was magic.
And neither he nor Rem had cast it.
Someone—or something—did.
Tanaka stared, his breath misting in the frozen air. His thoughts spun, but he pushed them aside. Now wasn't the time to think.
He staggered as he tried to rise. The pain in his shoulder flared sharply—the knife still lodged deep into the muscle, its hilt slick with half-frozen blood.
He clutched it with a trembling hand, muttering, "Alright, you bastard…"Then yanked.
"FUCK!"
The word tore from his throat like the wind itself had been sliced. He gasped, one hand flying to brace against a nearby tree as the pain pulsed through his chest. His breathing turned shallow and ragged, a grimace etched into his face.
Still—he moved forward.
Each step was heavy. Off-balance.His boots crunched through snow-dusted gravel and bloodstained ice. But he didn't fall.He couldn't fall.
Rem stood not far away, her shoulder heaving slightly, a matching knife buried in her own flesh. Her right hand hung limply, blackened with burns—the aftermath of shielding herself from that fire spell. Her usual calm expression had fractured into one of exhaustion and tension.
Tanaka reached her, eyes scanning her wounds.
"You alright?" he asked, voice hoarse.
Rem gave a small nod, though her knees seemed just as unsteady as his. "I'm fine," she said softly. Her gaze drifted across the field of frozen corpses. "Tanaka… did you do this?"
He paused.
"…No. At least—I don't think so," he answered, voice low. "But that's not important right now."
He stepped closer, raising a hand between them as a faint light shimmered near his shoulder. The spirits had appeared, wordlessly floating beside him like calm fireflies in the snow.
"Let me treat your wounds," he said.
Rem blinked, surprised. But before she could respond, Tanaka reached toward the knife in her shoulder.
"This is going to hurt," he warned.
She nodded, bracing herself. Her face remained mostly calm, save for the sharp inhale and tightening of her jaw as he gripped the blade.
Tanaka's hands were steady—despite the pain throbbing in his own shoulder, despite the way the cold made his fingertips ache.
With one pull, the blade slid free. A faint trickle of blood followed, staining the fabric of her cloak.
Rem let out a soft gasp, eyes fluttering—but she stayed upright.
"Tanaka-Kun… stop," Rem said quietly, her voice trembling despite its firmness. "We don't have time for this…"
He didn't stop. His hands glowed brighter with healing light.
"It's okay," he said, eyes locked on her injury. "I'll be done in a few minutes. Then we'll go after Subaru."
"Tanaka-Kun, listen to me..."
Her voice was soft and calm despite the current predicament.
Tanaka looked up, catching the expression on her face.
The quiet sorrow. The resolve behind her eyes. And suddenly, the implication hit him like a hammer.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "No."
"Tanaka-kun… please listen to me…"
"No! No, Rem, I can't let you go alone! You'll die!"
His voice cracked.
The healing glow above his shaking hands flickered.
This wasn't guesswork...
The loop before this. Subaru's breakdown. The way he clung to Rem, the way he kept muttering numerous names.
In this deviation in this timeline, Rem must have died. Fighting the Witch Cult.
Alone.
How could he have forgotten?
Tanaka's thoughts spiraled. The mansion was a target, always had been.
The territory was going to get attacked no matter what.
He had known this.
He grit his teeth. 'How could I be so stupid?' So many moments he could've acted. So many choices he could've made.
The spirit light in his hand trembled with him.
Rem noticed.
She reached forward gently and placed her hands over his. Her skin was cold, but her touch was steady. She looked directly into his eyes—calm, but urgent.
"Tanaka-Kun," she said softly, "please help my sister."
He froze.
Rem didn't let go. She took a breath and continued, her voice low but clear.
"What I felt earlier—my sister is fighting. Right now. The village is only thirty minutes away if Tanaka-kun runs for it. You have to warn Emilia-sama… and help Nee-sama."
Tanaka opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
He was stunned—because for all the time they had spent together since the mansion incident, Rem had been nothing if not fiercely protective.
And now… she was relying on him.
In a situation where anyone—even someone strong—could die, she was entrusting him with something this heavy. With her sister's life. With Emilia's safety.
He never imagined she'd place that kind of faith in him.
"Tanaka-kun is stronger than me," she said gently, a small, knowing smile lifting the corners of her lips.
Her blue eyes softened as she looked up at him.
In that moment, she saw him more clearly than she ever had before.
When they first met, he was quiet, closed-off, rough around the edges—someone who felt impossible to approach. But behind that wall, she had discovered someone entirely different. A boy who still stood despite his wounds. Who acted before he thought when others were in danger. Who burned silently with guilt and kindness in equal measure.
Someone selfless. Someone who would throw himself into the fire without hesitation.
"You'll be okay… because you have the spirits," she continued. "But I'm faster. I can follow Subaru-Kun's trail. I can catch up before they disappear."
She took a breath, her gaze fierce with conviction.
"I trust you."
Tanaka's breath hitched.
Rem squeezed his hand gently and added, "That's why… I want you to trust me too. I will save Subaru-Kun. No matter what."
She began to move, trying to rise to her feet—but Tanaka's grip held her back.
He didn't pull, didn't force—just held her hand, firm and warm in the cold.
His eyes locked onto hers.
"No," he said quietly. "You will save him… and you'll come back to the mansion. Alive."
His voice, though soft, carried the weight of iron.
"And when you do," he added, "I'll be there—with your sister. We'll both be alive. Waiting."
Rem stared at him, lips parted. For a moment, words failed her.
But then… she nodded.
"Mm."
The faintest smile returned to her face, not of confidence—but of hope.
Then, without another word, they parted.
The snow continued to fall around them—soft, silent, and cold.
*********************************************************************************************************
"Hah… Hah…"Each breath clawed its way out of Tanaka's throat, ragged and heavy, the sound mixing with the crunch of snow beneath his boots. Steam rose from his lips in the frigid air, the heat of his battered body fighting to stay conscious.
His injuries ached with every step. The shoulder wound pulsed with pain, his mana reserves felt like drained batteries, and his body—never trained for endurance—screamed with exhaustion.
But he kept running.
Miserable didn't even begin to describe what he felt.
He had lost everything—His home. His family. The world he once knew. Gone.
He would never hear his mother's voice again. Never sit in his room. Never feel the warm buzz of city life through his window. Everything he worked so hard for—his dreams, his future, his stability—it had all crumbled into dust the moment he came here.
There were days he hated his life but it never reached this extent, the idea of death felt like relief.
And yet… he kept going.
Because it wasn't just about him anymore.
Beatrice.Emilia.Subaru.Ram.Rem.The villagers.
They mattered.
Even if his own life felt worthless, even if he bore that quiet, soul-numbing ache of someone waiting for the end, Tanaka didn't want anyone else to feel that same hollow misery.
He wanted them to be safe.To laugh again.To live.
That was enough to make his feet move.
That was enough to keep his heart beating.
Then he saw it—A black column rising in the distance.
Smoke.
Thick, ominous, snaking into the sky like a signal of everything he feared.
His blood turned to ice.
He'd seen this before.
That smoke. That sky.
This was the moment Subaru lost his shit—the moment everything shattered for Tanaka.
Tanaka knew what came next.
And still, even knowing, he ran faster.
He braced himself.
Because the real nightmare was just beginning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fire and blood.
The stench hit first—charred flesh, scorched earth, and the acrid sting of burning homes. Smoke coiled like a living thing through the village, devouring everything in its path. The once tranquil place had become a slaughterhouse.
Burned bodies lay scattered—limbs twisted unnaturally, faces frozen in agony. Torn flesh clung to broken walls. The snow, so pure moments ago, had turned black and red.
It wasn't a battle.
It was a massacre.
A genocide.
They hadn't spared anyone—men, women, the elderly… children. It didn't matter who they were or what they had done. The Witch Cult showed no mercy. Only madness.
Tanaka stumbled forward, chest heaving. His lips quivered. His fists clenched so tightly his fingernails bit through the skin of his palms. Blood dripped freely.
His heart was beating so hard it hurt.
Despair. That hollow, suffocating kind that weighed down his every step.
Guilt. Because maybe—just maybe—he could've done something. Said something. Acted sooner.
But most of all... Anger. A searing, unrelenting fury boiling inside his chest, threatening to tear him apart.
His teeth ground together as his body trembled—not from fear, but from the unbearable pressure building within him.
Then—
A sound. A breath.
He turned sharply to the left—just in time to see a cultist step from the shadows, blood dripping from their robes. Tanaka stumbled back a few steps out of pure reflex, only to feel a presence behind him.
He spun around.
Another one.
Then more.
They emerged like ghosts from the smoke, silent at first, until the chanting began.
That same damned phrase. Whispered. Repeated. Guttural. Sinister.
It was unintelligible, but every syllable scratched against his brain like glass across stone.
His head began to ring, a sharp, high-pitched scream only he could hear. His hands clamped over his ears. His vision blurred.
"The Star King… betrayer of Aurora… must die…"
Again.
And again.
And again.
His knees buckled.
"Shut up," he growled through gritted teeth.
The cultists stepped closer, weapons drawn.
"Shut up…" His voice trembled.
The ringing grew louder.
"SHUT UP!"
And then—Silence.
Blinding white flooded his vision.
When his eyes opened again, they were all dead.
Dozens of them.
Impaled. Frozen in grotesque poses. Ice shards pierced through skulls and hearts. Their chanting had stopped forever.
Tanaka stood in the center of it all, breathing hard. His hands were still over his ears, but now, there was only quiet.
His heart pounded violently in his chest. His stomach turned.
Again.
It had happened again.
Just like earlier.
He didn't know how. He didn't know why.
And it was driving him mad.
His vision began to swim again, but then—
A voice.
Cracked. Weak. Familiar.
"…Tanaka…?"
The ringing ceased instantly.
His eyes snapped toward the sound.
There—through the thinning smoke and falling snow—stood Emilia. Her silver hair was tousled, her white and purple robe dirtied with soot and blood. Her violet eyes were wide with disbelief.
Tanaka slowly lowered his hands from his ears.
She was alive.
He didn't even hesitate. He stumbled forward, almost tripping over the dead, until he stood before her—and without a word, wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"Thank god…" he whispered, his voice cracking. "Thank god you're alive…"
Emilia's hands hovered in the air, unsure of what to do, her body stiff with confusion. Her eyes searched his face. Her lips parted in disbelief.
"Tanaka…? What… what are you doing here?"
He pulled back slightly, his face pale and smeared with sweat and blood.
"Rem… sensed something was wrong with Ram," he said quickly, breathlessly. "So we turned back… to check on the mansion… and that's when they attacked. The Witch Cult… they ambushed us."
He paused. A flicker of self-awareness struck him as he glanced down at his bloodstained sleeves, the ragged hole in his shoulder.
"Sorry," he muttered, wincing. "This must be weird… Me showing up like this after what happened."
Emilia blinked, slowly lowering her arms. Her voice softened. "No, it's okay… I just—I didn't expect you to be here."
He straightened, though the pain was clearly weighing on him. "What about Ram? Is she—?"
"She helped evacuate some of the villagers," Emilia answered. "She should be at the mansion now."
Tanaka exhaled sharply. "So she's alive... Good."
Then her voice wavered. "Tanaka… what about Subaru?" The question came out softly, hesitantly, like she was afraid of the answer.
He hesitated—then nodded, grim. "He's alive. But the Witch Cult took him… Rem's gone after them."
Before Emilia could respond, a familiar voice rang out behind her.
"Well, It's a miracle you made it this far."
Puck materialized, floating with a casual flick of his tail. Tanaka's eyes narrowed.
"It's thanks to you, isn't it?" he said. "That ice back there… that wasn't me. I figured it had to be you. But—why didn't you show yourself until now?"
That was the only logical conclusion, Tanaka knew that he was capable of magic but it was never autonomous for him so the thought of him doing it subconsciously and at a high scale without bleeding out or passing out, it was out of the question. Which leaves, the only person he knew who was capable of such a feat would be Puck.
Puck blinked, puzzled. "Huh? What are you talking ab—"
He didn't finish.
A thunderous crack erupted from the forest. Trees swayed violently, then snapped, crashing down like dominos. The snow-covered ground quivered.
Tanaka's instincts screamed. His minor spirits floated up in alarm, forming shimmering barriers layer by layer.
"Emilia, behind me!" he shouted, moving protectively in front of her.
But the forest was… empty.
No footsteps. No breathing. Just the crushing sound of something massive approaching—yet invisible.
Then Puck's voice snapped like a whip: "Emilia, look out!"
Tanaka reacted instantly, grabbing her and diving to the side. A force like a battering ram smashed through the barriers—shattering them like glass.
Puck, mid-air, was struck by an unseen blow and sent hurtling into the trees with a yelp.
"Puck!" Emilia shouted as the small spirit was sent flying meters away.
They saw nothing, but something was clearly there, the same thing that stuck Puck and shuttered
"What the hell is going on?!" Tanaka gasped, scrambling to his feet.
Panicked, he scooped a handful of snow and hurled it toward where Puck had been.
The snow hit something.
It clung to what looked like an enormous, semi-visible finger—part of a hand. A hand impossibly large, now outlined by snow clinging to its translucent form.
An invisible giant.
Tanaka's eyes widened in horror.
The hand twitched—and then snapped its attention to them.
Tanaka's heart skipped a beat. He didn't have time to curse. "Move!" he shouted, shoving Emilia back as his hands lit up with frantic magic. The spirits around him wailed—a high, chiming chorus of warning—as he conjured barrier after barrier, each one forged hastily, desperately.
Emilia froze. Her eyes widened like a startled child's, her legs refusing to move. She clutched at her dress, trembling, her breath shallow and erratic. "Wh-What is that—!?" she gasped, her voice cracking with panic. Her body curled slightly, instinctively shrinking behind Tanaka like a frightened child hiding behind her older brother.
The hand lunged.
It slammed into the first barrier—crack!The second—shatter!The third—obliterated.
Each impact sent a shockwave of pressure and force that made the snow burst around them. Tanaka's legs buckled. He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw screamed. A jolt of pain shot through his head. He tasted metal.
Blood spilled from his lips.
Still, he didn't stop.
His fingers twisted mid-air, drawing every last bit of control he had over the spirits, their desperate magic forming layer after fragile layer.
And then… silence.
The hand recoiled. The snow fell again, slow and peaceful, as if nothing had happened. The pressure lifted.
For a single second, they could breathe.
But then—
A high, shrill cackle echoes out.
Chest heaving, mouth agape, drool dribbling down his chin as he hoots, the young green-haired man violently musses her hair.
His repulsive behavior—and more than that, the mad gawk of his bloodshot eyes—makes it clear: this man has long since abandoned even a shred of human decency.
"To love! Of love! By love! In love! To repay love—IS WHAT EVERYTHING AMOUNTS TO! Aaaah!Oh Witch! Oh Witch, My Well-Beloved! Oh Site of My Love's Harbour!"
Falling to his knees with arms raised to the heavens, tears gush from his eyes as he extols the virtues of love.
All around this deranged man lie the bodies of the dead, strewn in a sea of blood. Limbs torn off, necks ripped open—human dignity utterly desecrated.
Blood pools across the ground of Arlam Village.
The slaughter was carried out by something invisible—death wails echoing one after another as the survivors were hunted down.
"What else can my diligence be called? What can the slaying of the slothful be named, if not a DEED OF LOVE!? Aaaah! The fidelity of my love, the creed of my love, unwavering and eternal! Receive it! Accept it! May it be YOUR ENSCONCER!"
This man, crying out in twisted adoration, weeping in a sea of blood.
When—
Tanaka's hands twitched.
Behind him, he felt her trembling.
Emilia gripped his coat, her fingers digging into the fabric like a child reaching out for safety in a nightmare. "Ta... nah, ka?" she stammered, her voice hoarse, uncertain—terrified. "Please… What do I do?—Puck is—?"
Her violet eyes shimmered with confusion and fear. Her body shook as if it could crumble under the weight of the moment. Her lips trembled, and Tanaka could feel it: she wasn't just afraid.
She was breaking.
It was the first time he had ever seen her like this.
And as much as Tanaka wanted to reach for her, to calm her, he couldn't blame her. Even he—who had never seen this man before—felt the hairs on his neck stand up. Every fiber of his being screamed at him that this creature—this thing—was not normal.
Suddenly—
A gust of howling wind. A blast of snow erupted in front of them, obscuring their vision.
???:"Lia! Big trouble—the Witch Cult! It's the Sin Archbishops! Why now!?"
But unlike her, Puck flies out in a panic.
He darts around her, locking his sharp gaze on Betelgeux—the only one left standing among the corpses. His black eyes brim with fierce wariness and hostility.
"Lia! Right now! Get away, now! Meeting that thing—meeting a Cardinal of Sin—is an absolute don't! The Trial will begin! And if it does, it'll be something truly terrifying!"
"Puck?"
"I remembered... just now. Meeting him finally brought it back. Why did I ever forget? So many things I still can't recall, but unless it's like this—I'm not allowed to remember... but if that's the case..."
He stretches his small body skyward and screams—
"You lied to me—ECHIDNAAAA!!"
Tanaka blinked, startled. That name—Echidna? Why now? Why here?
His cry echoes, ragged with panic and loathing. Emilia stands speechless, shaken by the dramatic change in the spirit she knows so well.
Betelgeux slowly straightens up, having heard the scream.
"What have we here...? Why, I am pleased to meet you!"
His upper body jerks violently as he tugs at his hair, ripping out chunks with such force that droplets of blood dot his scalp.
Emilia's eyes flash with horror and revulsion.
"I am the Witch Cult's Cardinal of Sin. Bishop of Sloth—Betelgeux Romanée-Conti!"
Tanaka snapped to his senses. He threw his shaking arm protectively in front of Emilia, stepping halfway between her and the maniac. His eyes narrowed, body tense like a blade drawn tight.
"...Incredible."
He exhaled, awestruck. His mouth hung open, saliva threading from his lips.
Clap—the sound of hands meeting. Betelgeux begins to applaud.
"INCREDIBLE! A form so fit to be the vessel! A visage so reminiscent of the Witch Herself! If such a vessel was prepared, then there is NO ROOM FOR DEBATE! The Trial must begin—to see if the Witch Factor shall take root!"
"Shut your damn mouth, madman! Try taking a step closer to her—I'll make you regret ever being born!"
"In the face of love—pain, fear, sacrifice—none of it matters! YOU OFFER NO REASON TO HALT!"
The madman approaches slowly—but Puck trembles, unable to act.
"Wh... why... does it have to be now...? No, that's wrong. I'm... remembering...Wrong... no—right? No... wrong! I—I..."
"Tanaka! Puck! Wh-what should I do!? I___!"
"The Trial! I declare this the TERMINUS for this diligent soul! A vessel already occupied will resist the SOUL INJECTION! These insides—ARE UNNEEDED!"
As Emilia pleads with Puck, Betelgeux keeps advancing, twiddling his fingers grotesquely, licking his lips. Every instinct inside her screams to flee.
Seeing the madness in his eyes, Emilia gasps—
"No... Dad, I'm scared..."
A whisper, frail and desperate.
But Betelgeux ignores it, arms outstretched—ready to unleash his UNSEEN HANDS and take her.
And then—
"—Get your filthy hands OFF my daughter!!"
A towering wall of ice explodes into existence between Emilia and Betelgeux.
"What—!"
"I forgot everything… No. That's not right. I remembered… wrong. Some of it…"
Tanaka turned toward him, frustrated and confused.
"Puck! What the hell is going on?! Who is that freak?!"
Puck's breathing steadied. His gaze slowly shifted to Tanaka. And for the first time, there was clarity—and something different—in his eyes.
"You know…" Puck muttered, quietly. "Now that I think about it… you and I never really got along. Guess it's that stubborn streak in both of us."
He smiled faintly—only to let it fade again, replaced by solemnity.
"But one thing's for sure—you hate that lunatic as much as I do…"
"What the hell are you even blabbering about?" Tanaka said. "You put up that wall—good. Now we run while he's distracted—"
"No, I finally remembered the most important thing. If it's to protect her, then contracts, bindings—none of it matters. Even if it means breaking the confine."
The madman's voice trembles as Puck stares him down, all trace of confusion gone. The spirit's expression is firm, freed.
"I remember now—why I'm like this. To protect my daughter. That's all."
"Puck, w-wait—!"
Emilia reached toward him in desperation—but froze.
A sudden pain bloomed across her chest. Her hand hovered over the crystal pendant nestled above her heart—the one that tethered her soul to Puck's.
It glowed faintly… once.
Then—
CRACK.
With a soft, crystalline chime, the pendant shattered, scattering motes of light into the wind like dying fireflies.
"Th... wh-why!?"
"I broke the confine. So... the cost's begun. From the start, this outcome was factored in...But even so—"
Floating down to eye level, Puck meets her gaze. His expression softens, like one looking at their most precious treasure.
"Lia... this is goodbye."
"Wha..."
"The bond is broken. I can't stay in this body anymore. Even the price to remain by your side has been taken.—I'm sorry."
"No—Puck, please... Everyone's gone. Subaru, Tanaka, I... everyone is gone! If you leave me too, I'll be alone forever... I don't want that..."
Her voice cracks like a child's. Tears stream down her face.
Puck brushes her tears away with his long tail, then gently touches his lips to her nose.
"Listen carefully now," he whispered. "Ram is still at the mansion. Beatrice is there, too. And Tanaka… he's here with you. You can rely on him now."
"Although—It's unfair for Betty to ask her like this. But she will eventually forgive me if Tanaka stays by her side."
Tanaka, standing behind Emilia, clenched his fists.
"What the hell are you talking about…?" he muttered.
'Why would you entrust her—the most important thing in your existence—to someone like me?'
Puck glanced at him, expression unreadable.
"Just… from now on, stay by their side."
There was no anger in his voice. No command.Only trust.Undeserved, perhaps—but real.
Tanaka opened his mouth—but nothing came out.
He didn't understand where that trust came from. But in the face of it… he couldn't argue anymore.
"Someone else... I can't rely on anyone else but you..."
Her voice shook like a house in a storm, desperate to pull him back. But it was too late.
"—Goodbye, my dearest in the world. My beloved, lovely Emilia."
"Wait—"
Before she can finish, Puck swings his small body at them—
—and in an instant, a tear in space swallows them whole.
"Wh—"
In the blink of an eye, they vanished from the village.
Puck didn't move. Didn't blink. He simply watched the spot where they had disappeared, the emptiness echoing louder than any scream.
"Sorry for letting you take all the burden, Tanaka."
His voice was low, barely more than a whisper.
Puck turned, slowly, to face Betelgeuse Romanée-Conti.
"You just sat there and watched... pretty polite for a religious maniac."
"Had I raised a hand, you would've destroyed me. Proceeding to the mansion will produce the same outcome. No need for provocation."
"Cracked as you are, your head's not completely shattered." Puck scoffed, venom leaking into his voice. "—You damned scum."
Neither attacks. They maintain distance, facing off.
"There's no time. Let's begin. Let's finish. Everything else—I leave to him."
"Your tempo HAS CHANGED. For a spirit, you reek of humanity."
"—Yeah. Probably do."
He rubs his nose, smirking cynically.
"This is me now. But once, my arms and legs were longer...And believe it or not—my face? Pretty damn handsome. When your daughter's that cute, it's only fair, right?"
"...Your statements ADDLE ME."
"Well, never mind that. You don't need to understand... because you're dying here anyway."
Puck pointed his arm toward Betelgeuse. His body had begun to turn white. His mana was running out. The form he held onto was dissolving. This was likely due to his severed contract with Emilia—and perhaps the breaking of that other "confine" he'd mentioned.
Either way, his outline was already starting to fade—
"Before I'm gone, you're gone. And out of all people, my partner in death being a religious nut? Gross."
"I REGRET TO INFORM YOU that merely abolishing this body does NOT constitute true—"
"I'm freezing your soul along with it. —If I do that, then what happens?"
Until now, Betelgeuse had worn an unshakable, twisted grin. But now—his face froze. His wide, maddened eyes shot open even further, trembling. And Puck smiled, utterly pleased.
"Ahaha—now there's the face I wanted to see, moron."
At the same time that Puck's form unraveled into motes of white light—A brilliant white radiance erupted forth, and—
*********************************************************************************************************
A sharp pulse of magic tore through space—and then, silence.
Tanaka blinked.
The cold, bloody village was gone. The chaos, the howling wind, the distant screams—gone. In its place was the dim hush of the forbidden library, bathed in the warm flicker of candlelight and the scent of old paper and dust.
He staggered slightly, catching his balance. Something soft and trembling pressed against his chest.
Emilia.
She was still clutched in his arms, her body shaking with quiet, broken sobs. Her face was buried in his torn cloak, her fingers twisted tightly into the fabric as if anchoring herself to him—to anything.
Tanaka held her close, even as pain lanced up his side from reopened wounds. His shirt was damp with blood, every breath a struggle—but he tightened his arms around her all the same.He bent down, resting his chin lightly atop her head, his voice barely above a whisper:
"It's okay… You're safe now."
"I'm here…"
The words poured out, soft and steady, but they were just that—words. They couldn't reach her. Couldn't pull her out of the grief swallowing her whole.
She didn't respond—only gripped him harder, as if he might vanish too.
A faint rustle drew his eye.
Across the room, between rows of towering bookshelves, Beatrice stood in silence.
Her arms were folded, her usual bored expression etched across her porcelain features—but her eyes… Her eyes told a different story. Tired. Deep.
Tanaka met her gaze for a moment, Emilia finally let go of him as he stood up. His throat tightened with guilt. He tried to speak.
"Beatrice, I'm sor—"
But she cut him off, her voice low and hollow.
"I don't care anymore, I suppose. I gave up on all of it a long time ago."
The words struck harder than any blow.
His heart clenched. This… this was the worst possible outcome.
Tanaka felt his breath catch in his throat. He looked to Emilia, still curled in on herself, her face blotched with tears, her body trembling.Then back to Beatrice.Two very different reactions. Two very different hearts.
But the same, unmistakable wound.
Loneliness.
They were both alone.
And he could recognize it so clearly… because he was feeling the exact same thing.
Without a word, Tanaka slowly lowered himself to the floor between them. The motion sent a sharp pain ripping through his ribs, but he didn't care. He sat back, spine pressed against one of the tall bookcases, and let out a long, cracked sigh. His breath rasped—hoarse, shallow, labored.
His gaze drifted up to the ceiling.
"Emilia… Beatrice," he murmured. "Listen to me…"
His voice was raw, barely more than a whisper.For a moment, he hesitated.
There were some words he never thought he'd say. Not to anyone.
But here he was.
He closed his eyes… and let the truth spill out.
"I'm lonely."
It sounded small. Vulnerable. Human.His voice cracked, and he swallowed thickly.
"I lost everything. My mother, my father… my sister.I don't have a home to go back to. Not anymore."
He laughed bitterly under his breath. There was no humor in it.
"It has been so long that if I didn't have their pictures on my phone, I would have surely forgotten how they would look like."
He has never shown this side of myself to anyone before. Never told anyone how much it hurt. Because… what's the point?Talking about pain doesn't fix it. Weakness gets exploited.Even if someone is trustworthy, what do words ever change?
And yet… here he is.
He let his head fall back against the bookshelf, eyes half-lidded, his voice trembling.
"I'm so lonely that it's scary."
A soft sniffle. A faint shift of cloth.
She raised her eyes to him, red and glassy—but clearer now. More focused.
"…You told me you'd found a way home," she said, her voice muffled and strained. "Back in the capital…"
He didn't meet her gaze.
"…I lied," he said softly. "I found out the truth right before the royal selection."
"I lied because I didn't want to drag anyone down. I didn't want to be pitied. I didn't want to be… a burden."
His hands curled loosely in his lap.
"I'm not Puck. I'll never be him. I'm not here to replace him—and none of you will ever replace my family."
He glanced toward Beatrice now, his voice gaining a little strength.
"But even so… Puck trusted me. I don't know why. But he did."
"Still, that's not why I came back."
"It's not why I'm still here."
He leaned back just enough to see them both. Emilia's tear-streaked face. Beatrice's unreadable one.
"I'm here… because I don't want to be alone anymore."
His voice trembled again.
"The time I spent with you—Betty, Emilia, Ram, Rem, Subaru…
It's been a long time since I've felt even a sliver of happiness.
And I want to protect that."
"I want to protect you. Both of you."
"No matter what. Even if I have to crawl to do it."
Silence.
Then—
"Hmph. Not very convincing in your current condition," Beatrice muttered, arms still folded. "Covered in blood and barely able to stand, I suppose."
Tanaka gave a weak chuckle, the sound dry and aching.
"Heh… I was somewhat useful earlier, y'know."
He winced and cradled his side.
"Though… yeah, you've got a point. You're way more capable than I am."
He gave her a faint, crooked smile.
"That's why I need to keep my promise to you. That deal we made—it still stands."
"I admit it—I don't have a plan. No leads."
His fingers brushed over his chest, feeling the faint pulse of mana left in him.
"But I'll figure it out. Somehow."
He looked from Beatrice to Emilia again—this time meeting both their eyes.
"Until then… I promise."
"I won't leave your side."
For a moment, there was no sound but the quiet snow falling outside.
Beatrice opened her mouth as if to say something—but nothing came out. Her lips parted, then closed again. She hadn't expected those words. Not now.
Tanaka slowly pushed himself to his feet. It hurt—his muscles protested, his ribs flared with pain—but he stood.
Wavering slightly, he turned to Emilia and extended his hand.
Emilia looked at his hand, eyes still wet, shoulders still trembling. She hesitated—her fingers twitching in her lap.
But then, with shaky breaths and a silent nod, she reached out.
Their hands touched.
Hers was cold, but familiar.
He gently pulled her to her feet.
Then, step by step, he approached Beatrice.
She narrowed her eyes, watching him approach, arms crossed tightly—but not in defiance. More like… fear. Fear of hoping.
Tanaka stopped just in front of her and extended his other hand.
"We'll figure it out. Together."
His voice was steady. Grounded.
"No more secrets. I'll tell you everything I know."
He took a breath.
"So… will you allow me to stay by your side?"
Beatrice's brows twitched, and her lips quivered into a frown.
"You say that now, but… you'll leave, just like everyone else," she said sharply—but her voice cracked halfway through.
Tanaka didn't hesitate.
"I won't."
Her eyes welled up. She shook her head, trying to fight it.
"You will. You'll die or disappear, and I'll be alone again."
"I won't!" he interrupted. "You have my word. I don't want to run away anymore."
For a long, heavy second, nothing moved.
Then, with a trembling breath, Beatrice reached forward—hesitating, just a hair's breadth away—before finally placing her small hand in his.
Her fingers curled tightly into his palm.
It was subtle, but her head tilted down, face half-hidden beneath her blonde bangs. A shimmer in her eyes betrayed the emotion she was holding back.
Tanaka stood still—one hand holding Emilia, the other clutching Beatrice.
And just like that… the weight in the air lifted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The silence lingered.
A beat passed. Then another.
And suddenly, it dawned on him—how weird this was.
'This is… kind of awkward'
There he stood: bloody, bruised, barely able to breathe, awkwardly holding hands with two beautiful girls, one on each side like some kind of a bizarre fantasy.
The weirdest part about it is that none of the two found this situation embarrassing.
Emilia let out a soft, hiccup. Beatrice sniffed, still trying not to look directly at anyone.
There were still urgent things that needed to be done, on top of that list was rescuing Rem and Subaru.
"Uhm… we still need to find Ram. I'll be right back—"
Tanaka tried to break this awkward silence,
He tried to take a step forward, but neither girl let go.
Their hands stayed firm.
Tanaka glanced down at them, then back up, mouth twitching.
"I… kinda need my hands to walk."
Before he could wriggle free or finish a proper sentence, Beatrice raised her hand.
"There's no need for that, I suppose."
Mana rippled through the air near the far end of the library, and the massive door clicked open with a slow creak. Magic hummed in the air like the sound of turning pages.
Someone stood just outside the threshold.
Familiar. Sharp-eyed. Pink-haired.
Ram.
She froze mid-step, one foot inside the library, clearly confused. It looked like she had just opened a door in Roswaal's mansion—and somehow ended up here.
Her crimson gaze swept across the room, taking in the surreal sight of Tanaka holding hands with both Emilia and Beatrice.
"Tanuki…?" she said, one brow arching. "What in the world are you doing?"
Tanaka blinked. His mouth opened. Closed. Then opened again.
"It's… a long story."
His voice was hoarse, but there was a tired, almost grateful smile on his face.
His eyes quickly scanned over her—Ram's outfit was dirtied, her skirt torn at the hem, blood staining the edge of her sleeve. A small cut ran down the side of her cheek, and there was a dried trail of crimson beneath one nostril.
"You look like hell. What happened?"
Ram exhaled sharply through her nose, tucking a blood-streaked lock of hair behind her ear with deliberate calm.
"Ram was helping the villagers take shelter. We were guiding them toward the mansion when…"
Her voice trailed off, the words caught somewhere between exhaustion and frustration. Her crimson eyes, usually sharp and indifferent, softened with a flicker of something rare—concern.
"Tanuki… What happened to Rem and Barusu?"
Tanaka's jaw clenched. The light in his eyes dimmed.
"Rem…" he started, voice rough. "She came with me. But we were ambushed."
His hand curled into a fist at his side.
"The Witch Cult." He swallowed thickly, his throat burning. "They took Subaru. Rem chased after them. I… I ran. I ran back here to warn you."
Before anyone could speak, a sharp jolt of pain spiked through his skull. It hit like a bolt of lightning—brief but blinding. He winced, eyes squeezing shut.
"Tanaka?" Emilia stepped forward quickly. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head with a weak exhale, one hand pressed to his temple.
"It's nothing. My head's just been… ringing lately. It comes and goes. I'll be fine."
But the grimace on his face said otherwise.
Tanaka turned to Ram, steadying himself.
"Can't you find her? Can't you track Rem?"
Ram's gaze darkened.
"It's easier for Rem to find me. She's always been better at it."
She crossed her arms and glanced toward the shimmering doorway.
"Normally, I'd use clairvoyance through animals nearby to scan the area, but…"
She hesitated.
"Most animals in the area are dead."
She stepped toward the door.
"I'm going back out."
Tanaka took a step in front of her, holding up his hand.
"No. You going alone is suicidal."
Ram narrowed her eyes.
"It's none of your business, Tanuki."
"It is my business!" he snapped. "I care about Rem too! Maybe not as deeply as you do—but I care. And Subaru is out there."
His voice softened, but the tension stayed.
"I know your endurance. You've been pushing yourself since this started. One look at you, and I can tell—you're at your limit."
She didn't answer. Her jaw tightened.
And he knew—knew from the way she didn't look him in the eye—No words will convince her.
"I'm coming with you..." he added, "I can't let you go alone and I'm the only one who last saw them, so you need me."
Tanaka fulfilled his end of the bargain with Rem, the village did not survive but Emilia is safe, Beatrice is safe and her sister is safe.
Now he has to make sure she keeps her side of the deal.
A pause.
Then a small voice spoke beside him.
"Then we're going too," Emilia said.
She stood taller now, no longer trembling, her voice laced with determination.
"I can use spirit arts. I'm not helpless."
Tanaka opened his mouth to object, but Beatrice cut in as well.
"I'm going as well, I suppose. Someone has to keep you from doing anything idiotic, after all."
Tanaka blinked at both of them, lips parted in silence.
They waited. He didn't say anything.
He just looked... conflicted. Guilty. Torn.
And that was enough to make Emilia frown.
"Tanaka," she said, stepping closer. "You're not thinking of going alone, are you? Not after everything you just said?"
He rubbed the back of his neck and gave an awkward, lopsided smile.
"I mean… technically, I could. Despite how I look right now, I'm really hard to kill."
"Do you even hear yourself?" Emilia said, exasperated.
Beatrice's eyes narrowed.
"You're an idiot, I suppose."
Tanaka turned to her in mock offense. "Do you suppose, or do you know?"
Beatrice huffed. "In many instances, Tanaka has proven to be a liar. In fact."
Tanaka chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. His expression softened—not with amusement, but with something like warmth. Familiarity.
"What's so funny?" Beatrice asked, blinking at him.
"Nothing," he said. "It's just… that's the first time I've ever heard you call me by my name."
Beatrice stiffened. Her face turned a shade pinker.
"It's not the time for that, I suppose!"
Tanaka gave her a smile. A real one. One that wasn't forced.
"Right… Sorry."
The tension between them ebbed, just a little. But the moment didn't last.
As the group turned and began walking toward Ram and the shimmering doorway, something shifted.
Tanaka staggered.
At first, it was subtle—his foot dragging slightly behind the other.Then he muttered, confused,
"Huh...?"
His knees buckled.
He collapsed.
"Tanaka!" Emilia cried, rushing to his side.
At first, they assumed he'd simply overexerted himself. After all, he had taken a beating and hadn't rested. But as he tried to push himself up, it became clear—this was something else.
Tanaka's fingers twitched. Then stopped.
His limbs were... gone.
Not physically—but the sensation. His body had gone numb. A familiar numbness.It was exactly like what he felt when stepping into the Shadow Garden.
His mind raced.
"Subaru… did he die? Am I about to loop?"
No—this wasn't that.
He could still see. Still hear the voices around him.
But his body was paralyzed.
Suddenly—Pain.
Not the dull, aching pain of fatigue, but something sharp and cold, stabbing through the center of his chest.Like a frozen needle being driven inward, slowly—deliberately.
He gasped. Or tried to.
"Ah…"
His voice barely escaped his throat—strained and broken. His mouth hung open, trembling.Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes without him realizing.
And then—Blood.
It spilled over his lips, thick and vivid red, painting his chin and dripping down his neck.He collapsed fully onto his back, coughing violently, choking on the metallic taste that filled his mouth.The agony in his chest worsened.
Something was piercing him from the inside.
Cold.So cold.A chill unlike anything he had ever felt.
Emilia knelt beside him, grabbing his shoulders.
"Tanaka?! TANAKA, stay with me!"
Ram was already moving, appearing beside him in an instant, eyes wide with shock.
Beatrice's voice trembled, cracking through the panic.
"H-He's bleeding! He's… Something's wrong with his gate—!"
Tanaka wanted to speak. To say anything.
But his body wouldn't move.His voice was gone.
His eyes.
Where once they were a warm amber, now they shimmered with a cold, icy blue glow.Alien.Unnatural.
Beatrice leaned over him, tears spilling freely from her eyes.
"Betty is… I-It's Betty's fault…!" she whimpered."Tanaka… You promised! Don't die, please!""Please… Don't leave Betty alone!"
Her tears splashed onto his cheek.
He wanted so badly to reach for her.To lift a hand.To move.To comfort her.
But he couldn't.
All he could feel was the cold.
Everything was fading—sound, light, sensation.
Then—suddenly—
A glow.
From within his chest, a white sphere of light slowly began to emerge.It pulsed, faintly at first, then rose out of him like a soul being drawn skyward.
Time seemed to slow.The room dimmed.
The light hovered above his still body—serene, pure.
Then it spoke.
In a voice gentle and echoing:
[???]: "Do not cry, my children."
The sphere of light pulsed softly, as if breathing. Then, slowly, its shape began to shift.
Wisps of glowing energy peeled away like strands of mist, revealing a form within.
Limbs emerged—tiny, rounded.
A head.
Small ears. A snout.
The brilliance faded, shedding its veil of divine radiance. And there it stood—
A creature, no taller than a toddler. Its fur shimmered between white and silvery grey, the texture like soft snow kissed by moonlight.Its eyes glowed with a light far older than its appearance suggested.
Not feline like Puck, nor graceful like the lesser spirits.
No—this was a cub.
But not just any cub.
A polar bear, if one had to compare it to anything—only ethereal, with tufts of light trailing from its paws and back like vapor. It radiated power in waves, and yet, it exuded a calm, motherly presence.
Ram and Emilia widened their eyes in confusion, the spirit in front of them floated out of Tanaka's chest all of a sudden but they couldn't recognize it. Regardless, it was clear that it wasn't any ordinary spirit.
The aura that it was exuding, was one of a great spirit.
Beatrice's eyes widened in sheer disbelief, her lips trembling.
"Wh… What—what are you doing here, Oddglass!?"
The spirit turned its head gently toward her, its deep sapphire eyes glimmering like stars under frozen water.
"Rest assured, Betty," it said with a voice that could calm storms,"I will not let him die."
Then, it said something that sent a chill down every spine in the room:
"I am mama bear after all. This world shall perish before I ever allow my children to die."
A subtle vibration rippled through the floorboards.And then—
It began to grow.
Slowly at first—its paws stretching, its frame widening, the air around it crackling with pure mana.
Then with a low, earthshaking groan, its transformation accelerated.
Fur darkened into a glowing, star-dappled white. Claws of crystal protruded from massive paws. The ceiling began to creak and split. Its form towered—no longer a cub.
But a force of nature.
Ram's heart dropped.
"We have to get out of here," she snapped, urgency slicing through her voice.
Without waiting, she grabbed Tanaka—still limp, still bleeding—and heaved him up as best she could.
Emilia was at her side in seconds, arms under his shoulder.
"Beatrice—let's move! Now!"
The spirit didn't stop them. It merely watched with those fierce, ancient eyes, its form continuing to rise and expand, filling the library with blinding light and coiling wind. It pierced through the ceiling, through the upper floors—its glowing silhouette breaching the very roof.
As they reached the door, Tanaka blue eyes were locked at the creature.
The being behind them no longer resembled anything familiar. Not an animal, not a spirit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And this time, with his vision fixed and motionless, Subaru saw something.
--It was a beast, standing on the ruins of a collapsed mansion.
A beast with grey fur flowing all over its body and shining golden eyes.
The sight of it standing on all four limbs was mystical.
And above all, the beast had such a powerful build that it could have been mistaken for a mansion.
Watching this from afar, Subaru realized the cause of the mansion's collapse.
That beast had suddenly appeared from within the mansion. With such a huge body emerging from within, the mansion naturally couldn't withstand the pressure.
Turning its body and glaring at its surroundings was a huge grey-furred beast that seemed to be of the feline family.
It spews sharp fangs from its mouth and breathes like a white blizzard, painting the world into a pure white hell that freezes all living things.
What on earth was that? His eyes began to grow pale and dark, and Subaru suddenly realized his throat had become blocked.
The coldness I had felt so far had disappeared, and I even felt warmth.
The temptation to entrust himself completely to that warmth flickers before his eyes, and Subaru forgets everything - the hatred that burns his body, the sorrow that tears his soul apart.
Forget, forget, consciousness sinks into oblivion, into the freezing warmth.
"Sleep - With my daughter"
Just before he fell asleep, he thought he heard someone's voice.
Everything, everything, became insignificant as Natsuki Subaru sank and dissolved into the pleasure.
It melted, melted, melted, and then it disappeared.
*********************************************************************************************************
Elsewhere again…
The darkness swallowed Tanaka whole.
Then, just as suddenly, it spat him back out.
He blinked. The world reassembled around him.
He was in a hallway.
Standing… motionless.
For how long? He didn't know.
He didn't even realize he had stopped breathing until a voice pierced the silence.
"Kazuki Tanaka, is everything alright?"
The voice was soft—measured, but close.
He turned.
Crusch stood before him, her amber eyes focused directly on his own. Concern gently furrowed her brows. But then, her expression shifted.
She leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a whisper."…Your eyes."
Tanaka was confused, he wanted to blink but he couldn't, he wanted to ask her, but he couldn't.
She didn't clarify—but he saw it.
Reflected in her eyes—his own.
Icy blue.
Not amber.
And then—he saw the tears.
They streamed down his cheeks silently.
He hadn't noticed them.
Crusch's face paled, her lips parted in shock as her gaze shifted from his eyes to—
"You're bleeding."
A single line of crimson trailed from the corner of his mouth.
Tanaka looked down, suddenly lightheaded.
And before he could utter a word—
he collapsed.
The floor met him with a distant thud.
And then—
darkness.