"--Commander Marcos, I have something to report."
A guard rushed in and saluted as he spoke, just as the day's talks were drawing to a close, after they had finalized the details of the treaty governing the selection of the king.
The young soldier, his shoulders rising and falling in a panic, turned pale when he noticed the faces gathering around him in the place he had stepped into, and was terrified by the rudeness he had displayed.
The guard's blood ran cold so fast you could hear it. Marcos moved to shield him from the attention of the people in the room.
"I apologize to my subordinate for his rudeness. It is my fault for not leading him properly."
"The matter was resolved well, and the person in question also showed signs of remorse. If the lord, my superior, says so, then there is no reason for us to blame him."
In response to Marcos' gratitude, it was Crusch who showed generosity on behalf of the people in the room. She ran a hand through her tied-up long green hair, then took a deep breath and said, "More importantly,"
"He has forgotten the current situation and come on board. It must be something serious."
Crusch tilted her head and asked the question, to which the guard nodded without hesitation. The guard then opened his mouth to speak, but then looked afraid that what he was about to say would be revealed to the public.
"Commander, there is something I want to tell you in confidence."
"...I'm not impressed with your attitude in front of everyone."
"But still."
Marcos was persuaded by his subordinate's subtle words of reprimand, and he instinctively decided that something "bad" had happened. Sensing that much, Marcos decided to ask the people in the room to leave and listen to the report outside, but...
"You must not leave your room, Marcos. I will not allow it."
Before he could form a sentence, Priscilla, sitting in a luxurious chair, blocked his way. She had no idea of Marcos's intentions, and with a sadistic expression on her face, she seemed to say that she just did it for fun.
"I will forgive your rudeness in disrupting the situation. However, I will not be satisfied until I hear the cause of it all. So please give us your report. Please speak loud enough for everyone here to hear."
"With all due respect, Priscilla-sama, there are many things that do not need to be shared with your ears. This is one such case..."
"An old man who merely managed to sneak into the castle gave the young girl, who had been nothing but a coward up until that point, the courage to show off. --So, I guess that's not such a small thing, right?"
Covering her mouth with a folding fan, Priscilla sent a sidelong glance at Felt, who was sitting across the room from her. Felt, who had been mocked, curled her lips into a frown,
"Stop making such strange accusations, you foolish woman. I had originally intended to bring old Rom with me, but he got separated from me in the castle. Then, a soldier who had made the effort to find him brought him to the hall. Of course not."
With her arms folded and facing away from Priscilla, Felt looked up at the bald, large man standing beside her - Grandpa Rom, and asked for his agreement. "Hey," she said.
With his eyes closed and an expression of enduring pain, the old man responded to her request with a weak voice, "...I guess so," and Felt, with a hint of sadness in her red eyes, refused to comment any further, thus cutting off Priscilla's sarcastic pursuit.
"Princess, princess. It's only just begun, so can you stop making enemies? I'm already missing an arm, so I have to work twice as hard as other people to make ends meet, it's a real problem."
"Hmm, well, okay."
Priscilla was still prepared to continue bullying Felt, but she reluctantly gave up on her intentions at the suggestion of her attendant Al. Then she turned to Marcos once more,
"However, my pursuit of you has not ended. Please report loudly so that we can hear you. I will permit it. No, I will not permit anything else."
"...Commander."
"It can't be helped. Follow instructions."
In response to Priscilla's arrogant and insolent command, the guards asked Marcus for his opinion, but in a tone of reluctance, Marcus accepted the request.
Having received two orders, one from his superior and one from a person who might carry the country's future, the guard did not have the courage to refuse.
He stiffened his expression, and straightened his posture, his eyes flickering with confusion and impatience.
"I have something to report. After the meeting in the hall ended, Knight Julius requested use of the parade grounds. This was accepted, and now, at the parade grounds, Knight Julius and..."
In the middle of the report, the guard's gaze was suddenly directed towards the corner of the room - where Emilia was standing, looking lost.
Receiving his gaze, Emilia blinked, feeling abrupt as if the topic had suddenly come up.
Her surprise turned to a question, and before she could put it into words and make sense of it, the guard provided her with the correct information.
"--- Lady Emilia's attendant, Natsuki Subaru, is conducting a mock battle with a wooden sword."
"...I see."
Standing tall, the guard spills out what he has just seen.
Hearing this, Al put his hand to his chin and let out a sigh of admiration. The others, too, had more or less emotions other than confusion in their eyes or on their faces.
Amidst all of this, Emilia was the one who clearly couldn't express any emotion other than bewilderment.
"...picture?"
Not understanding the meaning of what she was being told, Emilia let out a breathless yell, blinked her large amethyst eyes, and ceased to think.
Stay calm and organize the information reported one by one.
Basically, it was like this. In a place called a military training ground, Julius and Subaru were dueling with wooden swords for some reason - I thought I'd sorted it out, but I couldn't understand it.
"Wh-how did that happen...!?"
Unable to feel any understanding, Emilia puts into words the doubts that have arisen in her mind.
He stepped forward and approached the guard standing on the other side of the desk,
"The parade ground is inside the Knights' building next to the castle, right? So Subaru and Julius are… fighting there?"
"Excuse me, but this is a mock battle. It would be a disgrace to the knight Julius if it were thought that this was started out of personal grudge."
With a trembling voice, Emilia clearly corrects him, stating that this is one point she will not give in to.
Hearing his words, Emilia could not bring herself to pay attention to such trivial information. The clash between Subaru and Julius had had such an impact on her.
Emilia regretted that she had been so preoccupied with her own affairs that she was unable to keep a close eye on Subaru, who had been ushered out of the hall.
Subaru had embarrassed himself in front of everyone because of his impulse. He couldn't deny that he felt a small amount of relief when he led the dejected Subaru out of the hall.
Perhaps the price of such selfish thinking is now coming back to haunt us.
To begin with, Subaru probably didn't have a very good impression of Julius.
Subaru's monopoly in the hall - it was his knight who had thrown a damper on that by bringing reality into the situation, and yesterday at the guardhouse in the royal capital, Subaru had seemed to resent his son's attitude, which was so much like that of an aristocrat.
Subaru had still not clearly revealed his origins, but judging from the way he treated Julius, Emilia vaguely wondered if he had reason to harbor hostility towards the so-called upper class.
The reason why this influence is not seen on Roswaal may be because Roswaal himself is quite an unusual aristocrat.
There was no denying that issues that had not surfaced until now, and therefore had been put off, were the spark that sparked the current situation.
Once your thoughts start going in a bad direction, they just keep on rolling back to rock bottom.
Emilia's imagination followed suit, and a look of obvious sadness appeared on her beautiful face.
"Anyway, we have to stop them right away. Take me to that parade ground..."
"Oh, I'm not sure about that."
He rushed to the scene and mediated between the two.
While Emilia was thinking that, a girl with a distinctive tone of voice interrupted her.
Ignoring Emilia, who was frowning after her initial thwarted attempt, Anastasia, her long blue hair shaking, pointed her finger at the guard, who was still standing upright, and prefaced her statement with, "I just want to confirm something,"
"About that 'mock battle', do you know who proposed it?"
"I have heard that he is the knight Julius. As a result of Natsuki Subaru accepting this, the current situation at the parade grounds is..."
"Ah, sure, sure, no need to make excuses. If Julius was the one who brought it up, then that's enough."
No matter how they tried to explain it, it would likely be judged as a private fight. The guards tried to do whatever they could to put Julius at a disadvantage, but Anastasia waved them away. However, she was not going to ignore the guards' intentions,
"--If the mock battle was Julius' suggestion, then I'm against stopping it."
Anastasia then appeared to affirm her attendant's decision, and faced off head-on with Emilia, who was about to move in to stop her.
Emilia gasped, and as Anastasia shrugged her shoulders, she asked, "Why?"
"Subaru and Julius… well, your knight and an acquaintance of mine are clashing, you know? Aren't you worried?"
"Are you worried? What? That Julius has gone too far and now I have to pay for your child's medical expenses?"
Anastasia tilts her head in confusion as she answers, leaving Emilia at a loss for words.
However, Priscilla, with a mocking look on her face, seemed to be mocking her shock.
"Indeed. From what I can see, he is a fool who doesn't know when to quit. By now he may have become too stubborn, and his already unattractive face has become something no one can look at."
"That's true. I was really impressed by the courage he showed when he gave his speech in the hall, but he was so light that I felt like I might fly away just by looking up at him."
Anastasia followed Priscilla's sarcasm and they exchanged nasty smiles.
Seeing the two of them, Emilia put her hand to her forehead, her amethyst eyes filled with confusion.
"Oh, you guys... don't you have anything else to say?"
Subaru: "Let's discuss… Ah, shall we make a bet? Umm, Natsuki Subaru, was it? Let's bet on how well he can hold his own against Julius."
"I think normally you bet on whether you win or lose."
"That wouldn't be a bet. If the bookmaker gets all the money, that's fine."
When Anastasia made a ring with her fingers and smiled mischievously, Priscilla cut her previous statement short with a bored look on her face, saying, "That's pointless."
Emilia was left speechless by the two's consistent attitude of being "bystanders." From her perspective, their way of thinking was difficult to accept even from the very concept of it.
However, as she gasped and lost for words, he continued to press on her.
"If you're questioning the merits of the mock battle, I don't approve of stopping it midway either."
Even Crusch, who had been watching quietly with her arms folded up until then, stopped Emilia, who was about to step in to mediate, with a contrary opinion.
"Why?" Emilia's eyes clouded over when Crusch, who she had thought would be more sensible than the other two, said this. Crusch closed her eyes in response to the silent question.
"If it had been Lady Emilia's squire who had requested the duel, then it would be right for Lady Emilia to offer to mediate. However, if it was the knight Julius who requested the duel, and it was your squire who accepted, then it would be unreasonable for me to intervene."
"Why? Because Subaru is my..."
"If you don't understand that, no amount of explaining will do you any good -- and it's a bit hasty, but it's necessary."
He spoke with such forceful tone that Emilia was unable to press Crusch any further. Crusch, too, had nothing left to say to Emilia, and she pursed her lips.
She hadn't been coaxed into saying this, but with the other three agreeing to "stand by" Emilia couldn't help but wonder why they had made the decision they did. If she spoke without thinking, it would mean they would see that she wasn't on the same stage as them.
Emilia was lost in thought, her lips trembling, her face pale and somewhat pale. Seeing the exchange that had just taken place, Felt whispered to Grandpa Rom who was standing next to her,
"I don't get it at all, so do you know what Grandpa Rom means?"
"I don't know what that boy did before I came to the hall. So I can only guess based on what I've just heard."
"What did that big brother do... what do you think he did?"
In response to Felt's question, Old Man Rom put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment, "That's right,"
"He was reckless and acted silly in front of everyone, making bold statements, earning ire from everyone with his verbal exchanges, and in the end, unable to find a response, he was ordered to truddle away from the room――that's the sort of atmosphere I could sense."
"That's amazing, Grandpa Rom. Maybe you were watching?"
Felt praised Old Man Rom's guess, which was almost spot on. In response, Old Man Rom frowned and touched his bald head, saying, "I raised a slightly worse possibility than the worst case scenario, but..." The old man then nodded as if he understood,
"If it's as I imagined… then the knight in question is probably a very nasty person who is obsessed with aristocracy. Or…"
Old Man Rom was about to suggest the other possibility, but, betraying Felt's eager anticipation of what he would say, someone made a sound that completely shook the atmosphere.
A hard, sharp step made a dry popping sound on the conference room floor, shaking the hearts of the people in the room, which had been filled with silence.
The person who was receiving the stares, filled with surprise, or perhaps even faint discomfort, was the one who had caused the noise - Al, who was shaking his shoulders in response to the stares directed at him, and flicking the edge of his metal helmet with one arm, making a sound.
"Sorry, sorry. Look, I've got no arm, so I can't clap my hands to get attention. So I tap my feet instead."
"Sorry, sorry," Al said with an unashamed expression of gratitude, chopping his hand, then he turned around on the spot and stepped forward, pointing straight ahead,
"Well, well, well, the story is getting a little off-topic, have you noticed? It's just that when two men who don't like each other get together, they're going to end up fighting. It's complicated with status and all that, but before you know it, they're knights or self-proclaimed knights, they're men."
"I don't think it's that simple though..."
"You're making a simple matter too complicated, miss. And the problem isn't the fact that you're fighting, it's the reason you've brought up such a secret here that's the problem."
Al shook his finger and responded to Emilia before pointing at the person he was pointing at―― that is, the young guard who had brought the report here,
"If you're just fighting, you can just report it after the fact. Why are you acting so panicked that you came to call the commander again?"
Upon hearing Al's question, the guard's face turned pale, clearly visible to anyone watching. Unsure of how to respond, he looked around confused, and his eyes met with Priscilla, who was smiling sweetly next to Al.
Her lips were parted to the side, and her expression of ecstasy mixed with cruelty in her adorable angelic smile.
The guardsman looked at Marcos one last time for help, but Marcos only replied with a cruel shake of his head.
"The reason I came to call on you, Commander, is..."
"Speak clearly, loudly, and articulately, please."
"The mock battle between the knight Julius and Natsuki Subaru-sama was... far too one-sided, so I came here to ask for instructions!"
The guard straightened his back in response to Al's spiteful request and spoke in a half-desperate voice. Hearing what he said, Marcos' expression changed to one of suspicion, which was unusual for him.
"...What do you mean, one-sided?"
"I think that Knight Julius was being gentle, but... it's just too much to bear."
The guard looked at Emilia with an awkward look in his eyes, unintentionally reminding everyone there of the horrific scene he had just witnessed.
The bitterness in his attitude made Emilia realise too late that the situation had gotten worse than she had imagined, and she cast aside all of her previous hesitation.
"We have to stop it...!"
Emilia muttered in frustration, leaping to the side of the guard standing by the door, and ran out of the room into the hallway that led to the Knights' barracks - the parade grounds in question.
"Please wait, Lady Emilia! Hey, chase Lady Emilia!"
"--Yes, yes!"
He has his subordinates chase after Emilia, who has run out, and the guards follow her as she runs through the corridor, and they follow her outside as well.
As a result, Marcos turned to the people in the room who were left behind.
"I apologize for the fuss. I will do my best to resolve the situation right now..."
"No, that's fine. Anyway, why don't we follow her and go watch the mock battle?"
Al stopped Marcos, who was about to bow his head, and said so nonchalantly, then shrugged his shoulders and said, "Hey," to Priscilla, who was standing nearby, as if asking for her agreement.
"You like it too, right Princess? Watching shows where weak creatures are tortured by wild beasts."
"Don't misjudge me with your selfish imagination, Al. ...Well, I do love you."
Conditionally agreeing with what her attendant had said, Priscilla rose from the chair she had been leaning on, leaning her back slightly and shaking her ample breasts,
"It's fine. It's just that this boring story dragged on for a bit and made me feel uncomfortable. There's nothing wrong with looking down on the ugly behavior of a bunch of fools and ridiculing them."
Priscilla closed the fan with a clang and pointed the tip at Marcos, who was standing by the door.
And, with the same arrogance and haughtiness,
"Take me to this military training ground. It is my command."
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Blood trickled from the shallow gash on his forehead and landed in his good eye, staining his vision red, but Subaru roughly wiped it away and spat out his frustration.
I've already lost count of how many times I've been knocked to the ground and rolled.
His swollen left eye was completely closed, and the taste of blood was so strong that it was impossible to tell if his lip or the inside of his mouth had been cut.
The pain is not felt strongly.
Depending on the severity of the injury, if the injury is too severe, it is common for the brain to refuse to accept it and the pain not to be transmitted to the body.
In fact, ever since he was summoned to this world, Subaru had been familiar with life-threatening injuries. As someone who had actually suffered life-threatening injuries many times, he could say that there really was such a thing as pain that you couldn't feel the pain.
It was a phenomenon that could easily be explained away using modern knowledge such as being caused by an excess of adrenaline secreted within the brain, but if one were to describe the current situation in more primitive terms――the thing that had made Subaru forget his pain was the pure emotion of 『Rage』.
"--- A shitty, shitty, wet, shitty puddle of shit."
Spitting out foul language, Subaru was overwhelmed by the oppressive feelings that were spreading throughout his heart.
It was anger towards Julius, who stood before him with a cool expression on his face, anger at his own incompetence for not even being able to strike back at such an opponent, and anger at the childish tantrums he was having at the situation he couldn't control.
Anger. Nothing but anger. Anger was everything to Subaru right now.
Subaru, who had just had the wooden sword slammed into his stomach with great force, was now vomiting and reluctantly stood up from the ground where he had been sitting.
My knees were shaking, my breathing was rough, and my vision was blurred and red from the blood that hadn't been wiped away.
But even so, driven by an endless rage, Subaru refuses to stop facing an opponent he has no hope of winning.
"It's time to admit your limitations."
Julius responded to Subaru's extraordinary spirit not with praise, but with amazement.
His face was still as fearless as ever, not even a speck of dust or sweat on it, and he shook the tip of his wooden sword, still bearing the strong traces of having repeatedly struck Subaru.
"You must have realized with your own body the unbridgeable gap between you and me. You must have also come to understand the true nature of the 'knights' you insulted."
The appeal did not appeal to Subaru's heart, but rather sought to break it.
That's only natural. For a duel to end in mutual recognition would not have happened unless there had been at least some mutual affection between the two.
Julius continued to strike Subaru simply to demonstrate the essence of a knight, and Subaru, in turn, demonstrated this by continuing to stand up in powerless resistance to the reality that Julius was thrust upon him.
There was no room for anything to come from that. Even after fighting each other for so long, nothing was ever going to come from them.
"Do you think anything more than this could be life-threatening?"
"ah?"
Julius's provocations changed direction, as if he was trying to change Subaru's attitude. However, Subaru responded with clear anger on his tongue,
"There's no way I'm going to die from this. Don't act like you know what I'm talking about."
"You speak as if you've experienced it."
"I'm the man who knows that more than anyone else in this world."
Subaru said this without any bluff or joke.
A total of seven times―that was the number of times Subaru's life had been trampled on since he came to this world.
Whether he looked around his previous world or this one, no, anywhere in the three thousand worlds, there was no one who had faced his own death as hard as Subaru was now.
That feeling is telling me.
It hurts so much it's painful, so difficult it's painful, so frustrating it's painful it's painful, but a human being will not die from something like this.
"I don't know."
Subaru spits blood as he yells, but Julius shook his head and let out a sigh.
He glanced at the staggering Subaru,
"Why are you so stubborn? You should already know very well that you are no match for me. No, I know that you are already aware that you cannot win against me."
"...what"
"There's no need for pointless exchanges. Your aim is no longer victory. That's not right. Perhaps it's fair to say that you and I have different visions of what constitutes victory."
With the silent Subaru in sight, Julius waved his arms as if making a speech.
Lift your chin slightly, as if to let everyone around you hear your voice.
"Your condition for victory isn't to defeat me, but to 'get revenge', isn't it? Whether that means landing a wooden sword on me even once, or even getting a foot on me, I don't know, though."
「――――!!」
Biting his lip, Subaru desperately tried to suppress the scream that threatened to burst out from the back of his throat.
That was true.
The truth is, the punishment was cruel because it hit a sensitive spot.
Humiliation, shame, stained Subaru's heart, and his trembling lips tried to spin excuses, but he somehow managed to endure it with all his might, his pride.
"Hmm, I thought he might come up with some excuse that would be unbearable to hear... but it seems he had the sense to realise that. Although."
And so, as she watched Subaru squeeze out every last bit of pride,
"You underestimated your opponent's skill, and then lowered the conditions in the middle of the battle, lowering your own self-worth to such an extent. I can only say that you have an excessive amount of pride."
"--You!!"
Julius's gestures of exasperation had been so repeated throughout the matches up to this point that he had become accustomed to seeing them.
Seeing this, Subaru's thoughts were filled with rage, and coupled with the frustration of having his inner thoughts guessed, he exploded.
He ignored the pain of the blows being showered all over his body, the blurred red of his vision, and leapt forward with all his might, swinging his wooden sword up towards that calm faceーー,
"It's not beautiful."
Just before the sword was swung down, a thrust was fired, piercing the wrist of Subaru's right hand which was gripping the sword.
The sharpness of the blow sent the wooden sword flying from his clenched hand, and just as he instinctively followed it with his eyes -- the second strike sunk into Subaru's solar plexus, knocking him down with ease.
Out of breath and unable to defend himself, he rolled on the dirt, and after experiencing the world being turned upside down five times, he ended up sprawled out on his back.
Subaru was literally vomiting blood, and right next to his face the wooden sword had been blown away and was falling, spinning as it hit the ground, mocking its owner's pathetic suicide attack.
"Just admit it."
Subaru coughed in agony, struggling to cough up blood and gravel. Looking down at him, Julius once again gave the same urging to surrender that he had repeated countless times before.
"You cannot reach me. No matter how many times you try to redefine the conditions for victory over me within yourself, it will be the same. — I will never allow you to achieve them."
"――――"
"I will completely break your heart, crush you, and make you regret your actions. I will make you reflect on your actions and words that show you have no regard for your place in the world. Then, I will let you make a decision."
"――――"
"You must withdraw from Lady Emilia's side!"
「――――!?」
Subaru, who was panting and breathing weakly, lifted his upper body with ferocious force at Julius's one word.
His chest was in pain and the pain made his whole body scream, but he didn't care. He twisted his body and bared his teeth.
"Don't mess with me... What right do you have to do something like that..."
"Of course, I have no authority over how you are treated. Therefore, I have no say in your future. That's why I'm just saying this."
Staring straight at Subaru, Julius took a breath, then,
"--You should leave Lady Emilia's side of your own accord."
Subaru was speechless, and Julius prefaced his remark with, "Listen,"
"Your actions and words are doing nothing but leading Lady Emilia into a difficult situation. After seeing our exchange in the square earlier, and your behavior here, I am convinced of that."
"What on earth are you doing..."
"You are selfish and self-centered, and above all, your thoughts are shallow, naive, and too naive."
One by one, Julius shattered many of Subaru's rash thoughts.
"To Lady Emilia, you are nothing but a nuisance and a burden. There is nothing you cannot do or can do for her. Up until now, I have relied on Lady Emilia's kindness and may have been allowed to be by her side."
Subaru had experienced that feeling of powerlessness many times.
Ever since coming to this world, Subaru had struggled time and time again, suppressing his frustration at the inescapable reality due to his own lack of power.
"However, from now on, she will not be allowed to have someone by her side who merely depends on her. From now on, she will walk the path to the throne. There will be many high obstacles in her way, and it is easy to imagine that all kinds of hardships will befall her."
And yet, Subaru has overcome the many misfortunes that have befallen him up until now.
When you feel that you lack the strength to do so, ask for help from those around you, or use the only advantage you have - information about the future - to rearrange the situation.
"Those who join us on this journey should have the resolve and strength to overcome the hardships together. They should be able to give us a strong push as we aim for ever-greater heights."
And it all started with his love for one girl.
No matter how painful it was, how difficult it was, how sad it was, how frustrating it was, how inadequate it felt, how out of reach it was, how painful it was, the reason Subaru had been able to come this far without giving up was because of his feelings for just one girl.
Thatーー,
"We must never take advantage of kindness and cling to it, or hold it back."
This guy does that.
"You shouldn't be by her - Lady Emilia's - side."
Is this man trying to take away the very meaning of life from me?
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!"
His emotions exploded, and he leapt to his feet, pulling out the wooden sword he had been sticking out of his chest, and using the momentum of his body to spin, aimed the sword at Julius' upper body.
The tip cuts through the wind, and the centrifugal force of the blow can easily shatter bones if it hits.
It was a single blow, literally gambling on everything, filled with all the frustration that had been building up during the exchange up until that point―― and it crushed Julius' nose.
—The sound of the bones in his wrist shattering from the blow echoed high and high to Subaru, as if it had happened in a silent world.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his right arm gripping the swinging wooden sword, its tip intercepted by the tip of the waiting wooden sword and shattered into pieces.
The wrist was now facing completely the other way, the protruding bone had broken through the flesh, revealing its white tip, and within a few seconds it would begin to bleed painfully.
Calmly confirming this, Subaru's attention turned to the slowly moving Julius.
It was strange that only Julius was able to move slowly and soundlessly in this world.
In a desperate situation where he was close to death, Subaru was seized by the sensation of the world slowing down, and was completely astonished at his own stupidity, which had led to such inappropriate thinking.
Before his very eyes, Julius was about to launch a follow-up attack on Subaru, who was making a disgraceful face—every single movement of his was so graceful that it brought vivid emotions to Subaru.
"--I just pity you."
The wooden sword's strike sent countless shockwaves throughout Subaru's entire body in an instant.
His arm was broken. Several of his ribs were also broken, and it was unclear whether there was any part that wasn't cracked. His forehead, which had only been split open, was now completely shattered, and the tip of the wooden sword had ripped through the inside of his mouth, tearing off several permanent teeth. The blow to his throat also left an unspeakable mark on Subaru, and the final blow was a swing that wasn't a thrust, hitting him directly in the stomach, making a dull, watery sound as if his internal organs had been torn apart.
He was sent flying, spinning so fast he couldn't tell up from down, and a tremendous amount of blood was spewed out, the reddish-brown earth of the training ground turning a deeper crimson from Subaru's blood.
The result was so brutal that no one, including Julius, could speak up.
The parade ground was still crowded with knights and guards who had gathered to witness Subaru's public lynching by Julius. Despite this, everyone in the crowd kept their mouths shut, remaining silent as they gazed upon Subaru, who lay there like a rag.
The enthusiasm took over their bodies until the first few exchanges.
A disrespectful man who mocked the status of a knight and insulted the very royal election that would determine the kingdom's future. Then he was beaten to death by Julius, the leader of the Royal Guard, and he apologized in pain for his actions - that was the scene that everyone gathered here had hoped to see.
In fact, for about ten minutes after the start, they had cheered, or looked down on Subaru's ugly state with mocking looks, and given generous praise to their peer Julius.
However, things began to change when everyone realized that the public lynching was nothing other than a real public lynching in the literal sense of the word.
There was an enormous difference in ability between Subaru and Julius.
Compared to Julius, who was ranked among the top of the Knights in terms of swordsmanship, Subaru's sword skills were no more than an amateur's, to put it mildly. And yet, as someone who didn't possess any special abilities, Subaru's fighting style was nothing more than a threat, akin to a child's play with a long weapon that he was only somewhat accustomed to.
Subaru's attacks were blocked, and in return the gaps in his clumsy defenses were exploited, causing him to be knocked to the ground again and again.
The first few times, ridicule dominated. After ten times, sighs of exasperation began to echo. And when I started to get tired of counting,
"That's going too far."
"Why doesn't he just give up?"
"That's stupid and pointless stubbornness. Shit, you're showing me something disgusting."
Subaru shouted foul language at them, but still managed to stand up, causing them to cover their faces with their hands.
This is what I mean when I say it is unbearable to watch. So weak, so ugly, the disgrace of the situation arouses feelings of shame in those who are watching.
It would be better if they just stopped. The outcome was already clear to everyone, and everyone could confirm the superiority of the existence of a "knight". Any further battle would be meaningless.
However, Julius showed no mercy to the wooden sword that continued to strike Subaru.
Ferris, who has the right to stop the fight as an observer, shows no sign of stopping it, no matter how injured Subaru gets.
And Subaru himself, shook off the pleas of the knights and continued to stand up.
What is the point of this fight, this conflict?
Without a word, the spectators simply looked down at Subaru being beaten down in a humiliating manner, searching for a meaning to the scene below.
Everyone knew it. There was no meaning or significance to this conflict.
All there is is a completely shameful, disgraceful and worthless stubbornness.
Then, at the very least, we must see how that determination will be resolved.
The knights and guards who had gathered there were faced with a scene that made them want to look away, yet they still refused to leave because they felt a sense of responsibility as people who were involved, even if only as spectators, in the event that was unfolding before their eyes.
The bleeding from the broken wrist and the copious amounts of blood vomited stained the ground in red.
Subaru's body trembling slightly as he lay face down, his insane fighting spirit now fading, he was no longer in a state where he could fight at all.
Everyone thought this was finally the end.
Seeing Subaru completely defeated, everyone sensed the end of this one-sided brutality. However, Julius, his blood-stained wooden sword in hand, remained in his stance.
As he gazed upon Subaru, whose consciousness was likely unclear, he continued to maintain his fighting stance without the slightest wavering in his fighting spirit.
Seeing his firm stance, the spectators surrounding the two of them held their breath, reading his knightly intent.
It wasn't over yet. There was a reason why this battle couldn't end with just one side being defeated. That was――
"--That's enough."
It was a voice that had never been uttered during all the carnage that had taken place at the parade grounds.
The audience cheered, and gradually began to sigh. Julius demonstrated his knightly presence with calm passion. Ferris, who was presiding over the occasion as witness, occasionally let out sighs that were neither admiration nor gloom.
The lone young man who had continued to remain silent was in the center of the parade ground――――standing between the fallen Subaru and the ready Julius.
The red-haired young man's handsome features lost all expression, and his blue eyes, driven solely by righteous indignation, pierced Julius.
"If you intend to continue this, then I'll be your opponent."
He just muttered one word, nothing special.
However, just hearing those words sent chills through the knights' bodies, even though they were not even involved in the incident. They were surprised by the frightened reaction of their own bodies, and their minds were soon hit with the aftereffects, as if they had frozen in pain.
『Sword Saint』 Reinhard――The strongest being in the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica, no, the most powerful being in the entire continent, the intimidating presence he possessed, enveloped the entire parade ground and would not let go.
Even the mere aftermath was like this. If he were to actually be on the receiving end of this intimidating presence, he wondered how Julius would feel as he faced the man's blue gaze head-on.
However, just as the audience's assessment of Reinhard was extremely underestimated, their assessment of Julius was also vastly underestimated.
Reinhard's fighting spirit made even knights who were prepared to sacrifice their lives in battle tremble in fear - yet Julius remained composed. The same could be said of Ferris, who was standing beside him, and it was clearly proven here that they too were in a class of their own.
Ignoring the thoughts of the crowd, Reinhard simply turned his gaze towards Julius, who remained motionless, and narrowed his eyes slightly,
"I repeat, Julius. Anything more than this would be nothing but an act of violence. As a Royal Knight… no, more importantly, as a human being, I cannot overlook this."
"――――"
Julius' eyebrows, which had been expressionless up until then, twitched in response to those words.
Reinhard frowned suspiciously at Julius' reaction, but Julius, still in his usual stance, lightly waved his free hand at Reinhard,
"Reinhard, I consider you a very good friend."
Then he spoke words that left Reinhard even more confused.
Reinhard's brow furrowed in suspicion, but Julius shook his head slightly and continued.
"Your nobility as a knight is outstanding even among the Royal Guard. Your loyalty to the kingdom is beyond doubt, and your skill and effort in fulfilling that duty are impeccable. If you asked me what a hero is, I would answer without hesitation that it is my friend, Reinhard van Astrea."
"...That's an overestimation."
Without even understanding what Julius was trying to say, Reinhard declined his evaluation with a look that showed more of his true feelings than humility,
"I also consider you a good friend before being a colleague. That's why I don't want you to humiliate yourself with your actions any more…"
"No matter what anyone says, even if you don't think so yourself, you are a hero, Reinhard."
Reinhard was about to continue his persuasive speech, but Julius interrupted him again.
However, although the content was one of praise, the tone of the words was by no means pleasant.
"You are too much of a hero. You were given the blessing of the Astrea family at birth, and you have shown yourself in the most appropriate way. And your soul is so noble and pure that there is no reason to doubt it - that is why you are a hero."
"What are you trying to say, Julius?"
"You are a hero. --You can only become a hero."
Shaking his head weakly, Julius told the confused Reinhard.
Then he raised the tip of his swinging wooden sword and gestured behind Reinhard,
"You, who can only live as a hero, will surely not understand the meaning of this battle. You will also not understand why I am not drawing my sword, and..."
Sensing a stirring presence behind him, Reinhard turned around with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
There,
"Why is he still standing?"
There, Subaru stood, moving slowly like a ghost, but still dragging his injured body.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Right in front of me, I saw Julius and Reinhard exchanging words.
Thanks to the massive expulsion of all the impurities from within my body, I felt much better.
The pain continues intermittently, my limbs still feel heavy as if filled with lead, and worst of all, my right hand, which was trying to touch the ground, is destroyed in a horrible way.
Still, the fatigue that had robbed me of the strength to stand up had disappeared, and my body, albeit slowly, was beginning to move according to my will.
Unable to use his right hand, he rubbed his elbow to his shoulder on the ground and used his left arm, which was still usable, to pull himself up. He channeled his rebellious spirit into his trembling lower body, and after a long time, he somehow or other managed to stand up.
And finally, as he left the ground, his left hand hit a wooden sword that had fallen nearby. He picked it up, used it as a walking stick, and just barely managed to stand.
"ーーSubaru."
When I looked, I saw the redhead's bold face looking at me, so close I could almost feel his breath.
There was a clear look of concern in his eyes, but at the same time, I could see a flame of righteous indignation smoldering in them.
Worried about Subaru, Reinhard stood in front of him, facing Julius.
His normally clumsy mind quickly came up with the answer. As soon as he came to that conclusion, a half-moon smile slowly spread across Subaru's lips.
The inside of my mouth was severely cut, and I was missing several teeth, so laughing was painful. But how could I not laugh?
"There's no need to push yourself. I will avenge your death. This is far too unfair. It is absolutely unforgivable."
While still conscious of us, Reinhardt's gaze turned towards Julius, who was facing him.
Julius just looked at Reinhard with sad, quiet eyes.
I don't know what kind of conversation took place between the two of them. I don't know, but there is one thing I do know.
"Subaru, anyway, leave this to me…"
"Reinhard"
Calling the name of the young man standing before him, Subaru gazed clearly into the blue sky-reflecting eyes of the young man with just one eye.
This was the third time he had protected me and stood in front of me like this.
The first time, when I had humiliatingly called for help, the second time when my life was narrowly saved, and now this time.
By the third time, Subaru had begun to feel optimistic that if he left it to him, things would work out somehow. The repeated trust between the protector and the protected - something that certainly existed within Subaru - once again presented the best way to get through this situation.
Just take the hand that is offered to you and entrust everything to that strong back.
If he did so, the pain and mental anguish Subaru had experienced would all be sublimated in the best possible way by the young man before him.
Hurrah. A happy ending. Everyone is happy, and it looks like a hugely happy development.
that's why,
"--Get out of the way."
"...picture?"
"…I know that you're an incredibly good guy, that you have no ill will behind this action… no malice, and that all of it was done purely out of pure goodwill. …I know that."
But,
"...That's just not okay. Just give in here... okay?"
Subaru had started it. Subaru had accepted the challenge.
There is a will that only Subaru can get through, and a conclusion that only Subaru can reach.
It was Subaru's duty to witness this end.
We must not abandon our obligations, leave it to others, and end up sinking.
To put it more simply, in just one word,
"Boys have their own sense of purpose---"
With bloodshot eyes, dripping lips, and a face stained red with blood, Subaru felt like he was about to vomit blood, and simply stuck to his stubborn, hopeless attitude.
That unexpected answer left Reinhard speechless, and unable to hide the shock in his heart, he blinked several times.
"Stubbornness, you say? For something like that..."
"--Eldona."
The mana in the air reacted to the chant faster than the trembling total negation could be spun.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
The mana that fills the air reacts to the chanting that transforms it, and the effect is activated according to the will of the caster.
"----!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath Reinhardt's feet erupted, and a lump of earth rose up from the crack, its sharp tip peeking out. It shot up from its toes, aiming for Reinhardt's torso, approaching to deliver a powerful blow to his body――
"--Ha!"
The ground rose up like a giant beast charging, and Reinhardt's step exploded―― The impact rippled through the air, giving Subaru, who was standing nearby, the illusion that a gust of wind was hitting his entire body.
Subaru's eyes widened in shock, and before his eyes the earth was crushed underfoot before it could fully rise, returning it to its normal state without ever accomplishing its purpose.
And so, having countered the magical technique with brute force, Reinhardt lightly flew backwards to soften the impact of the collision, brushing off his hair as he landed, and returned to his normal state as if nothing had happened.
And then, with even more seriousness in his eyes, he turned his gaze diagonally upwards - towards the being that had leapt towards him, and a grim expression appeared on his face.
"What are you planning?"
"What are you planning?"
As he spoke, the man who landed, kicking up a cloud of dust, was the man in the jet black helmet――Al.
He placed one arm on the hilt of the large sword attached to his waist, his neck bones cracking loudly as he let out a weary groan, "Uaah."
"You're just as much of a troll as me, playboy."
With a sound, he pulled out his great sword and pointed the dull, glowing tip towards Reinhardt.
The blue dragon sword, which had a strong sense of wear and tear, would have been the perfect prey for Al, who had only one arm but a thick, muscular one. Even so, it was hard to imagine it would pose a threat to Reinhard.
In fact, Al himself must have been aware of that.
"You can't beat me. I don't think you're so inexperienced that you can't see the difference in our abilities."
"Even I wouldn't normally challenge an opponent I can't beat. My motto is, if you're unsure whether to do something or not, don't do it...But after seeing what just happened, I can't do that."
Al swung the tip of his blue dragon sword around aimlessly, pointing at each of the people present,
"Read the room, playboy. Can't you see how lame the atmosphere is?"
"You've lost your cool...?"
Hearing this, Reinhardt looked around with a puzzled expression. Then, too late, he finally realized.
The knights and guards looking their way - in the eyes of the several dozen spectators, I could see a mixture of enthusiasm, rational emotion after the enthusiasm had subsided, and also a wave of vague emotions.
"It seems you really don't understand. I see, knights are..."
Al started to speak, but then he stopped.
He looked around, taking in Julius, Ferris, and the other knights who were watching the situation, then shook his head.
"No, knights are not the right category. Ah, heroes are bad."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I don't have anything I want to say. Is it true that there isn't even a topic between you and me that we can discuss that would produce anything meaningful? After all, our values are so different."
Al shrugs and answers Reinhard's question with a unilateral denial. Al remains in his fighting stance, but still has his fighting spirit under control, a contradictory attitude.
He ignored the suspicious Reinhard, and looked towards Julius and Subaru, who had once again found themselves facing each other as the young man had moved away,
"Well, go on. I'll hold back any superhumans who can't read the situation."
"I thought you and him knew each other?"
Seeing how Al was uncertain what to do, Julius slightly raised his eyebrows and gestured towards Subaru with a movement of his head. Seeing how Subaru was covered in wounds and hadn't been able to react properly since Al had appeared, Al deftly scratched the back of his own neck with the tip of his blue dragon sword,
"In a way, we're more than friends, but not quite lovers."
"In that case, isn't there an option to do something about this situation for the sake of friendship?"
"I don't think there's a better decision for friendship than what I'm doing now. After all, no matter how much your mind and body are hurt, they'll heal in time, but I'm helping those who are hurt in ways that can't be healed."
"I see"
At Al's muffled response, Julius tilted his chin in understanding,
"appreciate"
"I don't need it. Please express my gratitude in money."
While keeping Reinhard in check, Al answered Julius coldly.
In response, Julius' consciousness was no longer with them, as they were not involved in the incident.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"While I was off guard just now... if that were true, I could have killed you ten times..."
Subaru, still tongue-tied and covered in bruises, responded to the brief expression of gratitude.
As Julius re-positioned his wooden sword, Subaru abandoned his broken right hand and took the sword in his left, tightening his grip on the hilt.
Seeing this, Julius quietly became convinced.
--The next encounter would be the final exchange of blows in this pointless conflict.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--The next blow would probably be the last, Subaru had concluded in his mind.
I feel the limits of my body. My injuries are so severe that it's a wonder I can even stand. I'm only able to stand on my knees thanks to my filthy guts, but I wonder how long I can keep up.
If you are hit, the levee that is only supported by willpower will crumble in an instant, washing away your consciousness, pride, and everything else.
Conversely, even if he were able to slam into it, there would be nothing left inside him to carry him further. The torrent of pain and fatigue would surely drown Subaru.
If so, why challenge it?
If the outcome that awaits at the end of the journey is the same, why continue to try?
The answer was still unclear. Even now, the only thing driving Subaru was an anger that felt like he was taking his frustrations out on someone else.
I don't like the man in front of me, looking at me with a straight face. I've tried to break his dignity many times, but in the end, other parts of me have been broken and crushed.
So I've decided. I've decided now.
The reason why I'm challenging him is because I want to put a stop to his pride.
I'll give it one shot, I'll give it one shot for sure. If that happens, I don't care what I do.
My lungs hurt just breathing in. My mouth hurts terribly when I breathe out.
As the pain cleared his mind, Subaru mustered what strength he had left in his body and waited for his chance.
The moment Julius's attention was diverted, the moment that would crush his dignity, the moment when heaven's power could arrive, that one small moment, must not be missed.
It hurts, it ...
Julius's gaze wandered for a moment.
The moment he saw it, Subaru's body leapt forward.
There is no sound. Everything is left behind.
Without even the time to let out a roar, Subaru raised the wooden sword he was gripping tightly and approached Julius. The knight, who had briefly taken his eyes off Subaru, still did not react.
What had caught his attention? He had put all his brain cells into thinking about it.
"----!!"
I think I heard a voice.
A world where no sound can be heard, where the scenery and everything else is supposed to be left behind, a world where nothing should exist except for yourself and the person you're supposed to hit.
I heard a voice.
Someone's voice was heard. Subaru heard someone's voice.
"---Ru!"
It became a sound. It became a definite sound.
I feel like my consciousness is being dragged away. I want to paint everything over with my rage and forget everything.
Right now, Subaru's sole purpose in life was to face the thing before him.
"---Bal!"
It starts to become clearer. It starts to make sense.
Once that is clearly heard, there is no going back.
And so, as if to shake it all off, in order to escape the overwhelming fear that was drawing so close to him, Subaru mustered all his strength and soul――and shouted.
「――――Subaru!!」
"--Shamak!!"
He chanted it loudly, betraying the voice of the silver bells he had clearly heard.
Black clouds paint the reddish-brown earth of the parade ground.
A world of incomprehension unfolded before him. Subaru ran through it, doing as his brain told him to in a world he couldn't understand.
Visibility is not guaranteed.
The brain no longer recognizes the purpose.
The mind can no longer see anything.
--He simply swung his left hand, his raised left arm, down in front of him.
It was an act beyond his comprehension, but his left arm had already begun that movement before being consumed by the black cloud. Therefore, the action would be carried out regardless of whether he was conscious or not.
Subaru had lost sight of everything, and now that he had shut himself off from the world, he had no idea what outcome his decisions and actions would lead to. He shouldn't have known.
However,
"So this is your trump card---"
In a world where I shouldn't be able to hear, that voice clearly vibrated my eardrums.
The next moment, a blade approached from behind the clear black clouds, and Subaru's body was violently and mercilessly slammed back onto the ground.
It wasn't pain, but surprise.
The enormous amount of black clouds that had erupted suddenly dissipated, and the sky was filled with an annoyingly clear blue sky, not a single bit different from before.
Subaru finally realised that he was sprawled out on his back.
"I didn't expect you to use 'Yin' magic. I'll admit I was taken by surprise."
A voice comes from above.
Subaru, his vision still dominated by the sky, listened to it in a daze, his hands full trying to take in the reality that was washing over him.
"But your training level is too low. Above all, low-level 'Yin' magic would only work on opponents of a lower rank than you, or on unintelligent beasts. This plan would not have worked on me, or even on any of the Royal Guard."
Negative words rain down.
I can't move. I can't move.
Even though my consciousness was clear, my body was no longer listening to me.
"Even when I play my trump card, this is it. You already know that."
A voice of pity was heard.
Voices were raining down on Subaru, telling him to give up everything, hammering at his heart.
I thought I could change the situation.
I clung to what I could and let out what I could, and I thought I could do it.
And yet――,
"You are powerless and helpless. You are not worthy of her."
Wanting to deny those words, Subaru moved his creaking neck and shifted his focus from the sky. Somehow, he tried to glare at the man standing at the end of it all,
"――――"
--My gaze met with the silver-haired girl's amethyst eyes.
She was leaning out over the narrow passageway that connected the building next to the guardhouse to the royal castle. Behind her were other familiar looking women, each with their own emotions in their eyes as they looked down at the parade grounds.
But that didn't matter anymore.
No matter what anyone else thought, Subaru didn't care about anything at all.
If only one person, just one person, in this world, the person he least wanted to see such a scene, had not been standing there.
Subaru heard a snap, as if a thread had snapped inside him.
With that as the last thing, my consciousness suddenly began to fade away.
His consciousness, which had been so clear up until then, was cut off, and the world began to rapidly dim. This time, Subaru truly left everything behind, and his consciousness fell into the depths of the abyss.
"ーーSubaru."
I felt like I was being called in a murmur that I shouldn't have been able to hear, and then everything disappeared.