The first thing that entered Subaru's consciousness was a feeling of discomfort.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
There was a foreign sensation in his mouth, like biting gravel, and the smell of earth dancing on his tongue was compounded by a bitter taste, and Subaru coughed it out as he opened his eyes.
My vision was reduced to darkness, and I felt a cold, chilly sensation all over my body. When I turned my attention to the hard sensation and the direction of gravity, I realized that I was lying on my side. Then, I slowly looked around, and as my vision became slightly accustomed to the darkness, I realized that I was in an old ruin that I had seen many times before.
"Inside the tomb...?"
I took a bite to confirm it, and when I spat out the gravel in my mouth, the taste was still fresh in my memory.
I remember having woken up like this before and had gravel in my mouth.
"Right after the first Trial, then...? Going back here... No, that's better."
If this was truly their return from the Trials, in other words, their break with the past, then Subaru wasn't the only one lying here,
"ーーEmilia!"
He spots a silver-haired girl collapsed in the darkness nearby.
Stepping over to him and laying him down beside him, Subaru saw that his expression was one of anguish, and for just a moment he hesitated before laying his fingertips over the sleeping face.
Subaru, who had accompanied Emilia to observe the Trials a number of times already, knew that if anyone touched her while she was asleep, whatever state the Trial was in would be interrupted and she would return.
For this reason, there is no guarantee that a third party will not make a mistake just before the Trial is completed. Touching Emilia inside the tomb requires extreme caution. However,
"I know this time won't work..."
Shaking his head, killing any hesitation, Subaru gently picked up Emilia, her sleeping face burned into his memory, and took her into his arms. In that instant, the pained expression on Emilia's face quickly faded away, and her consciousness was led to awakening――
"S-S-S-S-?"
"Ah, that's right. It's me, Emilia-tan. Are you okay?"
Emilia called out in a sleepy voice as she woke up, her consciousness slow to awaken. Subaru replied with a reassuring smile, waiting for Emilia to acknowledge the current situation.
He waited for her to remember the situation she found herself in, accept the results of the Trial, and begin to wail like a child.
I knew I would break down in tears, but I was so weak that I couldn't do anything.
Despite this, she remains brave and stands up, showing her nobility.
Holding her tenderly so as not to break her at the very least, Subaru held her tightly in his arms until she calmed down.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
It was only after he'd carried a crying Emilia to Lewes' house and made sure Ram had put her to bed that Subaru was able to calmly process the situation, realizing that she had used "Return by Death."
Those around him, including Ram, Otto, and the others, wanted to hear what was going on inside, but he had refused, telling them he would have to wait until Emilia woke up first, and had left them alone for the time being.
Leaving them beside him, who seemed eager to say something, Subaru gazed at the night sky outside Lewes' house, feeling the breeze, complex thoughts tangled in his mind.
"Even so...again?"
Touching the left side of his stomach, he checked with his fingertips for a wound that should not have existed there.
The wound was so deep that it felt as if the blade had dug into it, causing his internal organs to spill out. It was rare in one's life to have the opportunity to see one's own internal organs, but Subaru's experience with this had far surpassed that of the majority of people in the world.
"Whether or not I'm happy about it is another matter. I don't have the perverse sensibility to feel hunger or ecstasy when looking at my own tripe... but that's something that exists."
As he spoke those words, the words that crossed Subaru's mind.
"---I told you, didn't I? I made a promise, didn't I?"
I think it was a seductive woman's voice. Stained with blood, the voice took on a terribly immoral seductiveness, the voice of a deranged person who climaxes by watching lives being lost.
And Subaru was all too familiar with that voice, that promise, and that strangeness.
Furthermore, this wasn't the first time his stomach had been ripped open like this.
"So this is where the 'Intestine Hunter' comes in again... Give me a break..."
Subaru placed his hand on his forehead and looked up at the sky in despair.
Behind his eyelids, a jet-black beauty with long black hair just like Subaru's, wielding a vicious blade, was the murderer who had taken Subaru's life twice.
The threat that had pushed Subaru into a corner the most during the first loop, and was driven away by Reinhard, was Elsa Granhiert.
"I couldn't see her, but there's no doubt it was Erza. I don't want to think there's anyone else like her. Let's go with Erza."
It felt like more than two months had passed, but in real time it had only been a little over a month since they'd met. The wounds she'd received back then hadn't been minor, but it seemed the aftereffects hadn't been an obstacle to Subaru's murder.
Is the difficulty level too low, or has it already been cured?
"It's probably safer to assume that there are no injuries. If you think about recovery magic, it seems like anything can happen in this world except death. If you start talking about that, I've died many times myself... No, I actually have died."
There have been so many cases where people nearly died but managed to survive, and so many cases where people nearly died but then just died, that it's hard to really understand where I stand.
In any case, Subaru had concluded that the threat that had attacked the mansion was Elsa. With that being said, the problem that arose was--
"Why was Elsa at the mansion, and what happened to Frederica and the others?"
When Subaru arrived at the mansion at night, there were still some signs of life remaining. The lights in Petra's room and the entrance hall were on. The study was excluded because it was used as an escape route, but the lights in those two places suggested that
"At least, nothing had happened until that night... right?"
I wonder if it is too early to reach such a conclusion.
It's possible that the lights in Petra's room, the entrance hall, her study, and other places were left on all day, leading Subaru to mistakenly believe that everyone was safe until that night. However, one factor that refutes this assumption is the duration of the lights.
"Unlike ragmite ore, crystal lamps need to be charged with mana from the atmosphere during the day. I know from experience that if you leave it on, it won't last even half a day."
During a lesson on learning to read and write at the mansion, the crystal lamp that had been forgotten to be turned off suddenly went out at night. Subaru made a fuss, suspecting that it was a wrapping phenomenon, but Ram blew him away, Rem gently caught him, and Emilia shivered in the corner of the room, and the memory brought a smile to Subaru's face. But now, rather than reminiscing on those memories, he picked out only the important parts,
"If it was on all day, it's odd that the light was still on at night. The mansion has been vacant since the day before, so the line should have been turned off. In that case, the limit is... the night of the sixth day. Since it's the night of the second day, that means four days from now. No, three and a half days."
In terms of time, Subaru had about eighty-four hours left.
The role that Subaru was assigned to use that limited time was,
"The defense of the mansion that was attacked by the 'Intestine Hunters', or ensuring the safety of the people inside the mansion."
There is no way to be certain that they would have been able to escape safely from that snake-like, spider-like murderer. It is unclear where that escape route led, but if Frederica and the others who escaped from the mansion were heading for them, it must have been to the Sanctuary, where they could meet up with their master, Roswaal.
And yet, Subaru and Frederica had not encountered each other on their way to the Sanctuary.
"That evacuation route was an absurdly long tunnel that led to an unknown location and they fell in there. Or..."
I don't want to think about it, but this was a case where escaping was impossible.
Considering the difference in strength between their sides, Subaru frowned at the high possibility of the latter option, something he didn't want to consider.
But in reality, Subaru had seen just how powerful Elsa was. After having seen many powerful people and having had a fair amount of experience in another world, he still believed this.
If we were to measure that murderer purely by his fighting ability,
"More than Julius, less than Wilhelm-san… or maybe not. There's no way I could stand up to him even if I tried a little harder."
Subaru's basic abilities are already low. If you compare them, the difference in strength is like that between a cat and a tiger, without using metaphorical expressions. The possibility of him winning alone is close to zero.
In the previous offensive and defensive battle, too, chance played a large role in the end.
"It would be great if the invincible Reinhard happened to pass by again this time... but even if he's a handsome character with heroic bias, it would be too selfish to have him show up at this stage."
If this were a story, Subaru would abandon such a plot twist, since it would be too convenient. However, in reality, if he was faced with hardship, it would be a plot twist he would welcome with open arms.
Unable to escape reality like that, Subaru sighed and drove away the complaints,
"The reason why Elsa came to the mansion… is, as I thought, to disrupt the royal selection, just like last time. After all, who hired her to get in the way of Emilia?"
Felt had stolen Emilia's badge in the royal capital. The client was Elsa, and there was a mastermind who had hired Elsa behind the scenes. Considering the circumstances under which they had tried to steal Emilia's badge, which qualifies her to participate in the royal selection, Subaru had assumed that it must have been someone from another camp.
"After seeing the other candidates... I can't say that for sure."
First, there is the perspective of hiring an assassin to steal the badge.
At that point, Crusch was eliminated as a candidate. Having seen the outstanding woman with his very own eyes, Subaru could proudly declare that she was definitely not the type of person to do such a thing.
Given the circumstances, Felt was also naturally ruled out as a candidate. Only Priscilla and Anastasia remained, but――
"Priscilla… does that arrogant and haughty young lady really want to get into this kind of secret struggle? If I'm not mistaken, she is the kind of person who seriously believes she is the center of the world. I don't think she would take such a proactive step. That leaves Anastasia…"
A floating purple-haired merchant woman.
His gentle features shine with the keen sense of smell of a hunter, and he is conscious of his own movements and can respond perfectly. --So much so that Subaru was able to make use of those qualities.
She may choose a rational way to bring others down. She may also be skilled in the unusual imagination to gleefully take on the forbidden tactic of hiring an outsider with money. The only thing that could refute this theory is that
Subaru: "I can't imagine that Julius would overlook that, can I? No, it's not like I think highly of him or anything. Yes, well, it's just that I have a feeling that way."
Or perhaps he was hiding it from the ``best knight,'' but the question of whether he would go so far as to cause an irreparable rift in their harmonious master-servant relationship remained.
As a result, the Anastasia camp's involvement was also passively scrapped,
Subaru: "There are no candidates left. However… even so, there is still plenty of room for thought. Considering the way Emilia is being treated."
If the client wasn't a royal candidate, then it's possible that the person in question was from a faction that simply wanted to exclude Emilia from the royal selection process. This would also make sense if someone who hated her as a half-elf had chosen such a short-sighted approach.
The idea that she would go that far shows that Subaru is being naive. That is how deep-rooted her resentment towards her half-elf bloodline is.
"However, if that's the case, it will be virtually impossible to uncover the client's identity. Unless Elsa herself reveals it."
And I don't have enough power to make him spill it - it's a vicious circle.
In the end, the only thing that could possibly deal with Elsa's attack is,
"I feel sorry for the weakness of our camp. I'm completely useless. Otto is also useless to count on. Emilia can fight well if Puck is still in good health, but considering that it may be a long battle, Ram's stamina is a concern. Roswaal is injured and basically useless. We don't know how well Frederica will do, and Petra is set up as a cheat character with hidden powers… that's just impossible. So…"
Subaru can think of two solutions.
One was to return to the mansion, take Frederica, Petra, Rem, and Beatrice, and escape to the "Sanctuary" to avoid Elsa's attack.
And the other one is,
"--What on earth are you moping about in a place like this?"
Subaru was sitting on the ground, leaning his back against the wall, when Garfiel came outside and looked down on him. It was rare for someone of his short stature to look down on him, and while enjoying the novelty, Subaru shook his head and said, "No."
"There were some things I wanted to sort out, and I was thinking about it. Where is Emilia?"
"The princess is still fast asleep. I hope it doesn't turn out like "Mororoku's nap lasts all day and night."
"I don't know what it is, but Molorok is dozing off too much."
Subaru stood up and turned to Garfiel, remarking at the usual incomprehensible idiom.
Half a head shorter than Subaru, with short blonde hair. Sharp eyes and a white scar on his forehead. Sharp canine teeth and a ferocious, beast-like aura emanating from his entire body - the confidence in himself that only the strong possess.
Of the two methods that came to mind for dealing with Elsa, the other was this young man.
If they could overcome the Trials and free the Sanctuary, they could get him out of this place. And if his strength was as he boasted, he could be a valuable opponent to Elsa. Considering that fleeing would only be a temporary solution, it would be best to repel or defeat him.
"Hey, Garfiel."
"Hmm."
"You're the strongest, you know that right? You're confident that you can't be defeated by anyone, right?"
「Huh? No way. Whoever it is, I'll crush them, blow them away, kill them and gloriously triumph.」
Although Garfiel responded to Subaru's question in a slightly sulky mood, his confidence remained unshakable. Subaru felt encouraged by his response and nodded,
"Once we leave this 'Sanctuary', I believe there will soon come a time when we will need your strength. When that time comes, I think I will need to rely on you at your strongest."
"You mean?"
"Please prove what you say. That would be the most reliable thing."
Subaru tapped Garfiel on the shoulder, who had a confused look on his face, and then went inside Lewes' house. As Subaru opened the door and entered, the eyes of the three people inside - Ram, Lewes, and Otto - were focused on him, but as he was receiving their attention, Subaru turned towards the bedroom where Emilia was sleeping,
"Balus, Lady Emilia is still..."
Subaru: "Nnya, she should be awake by now. —Emilia-tan, I know it's hard for you to show your face, but let's talk. Everyone is waiting for that."
I called through the door and heard faint breathing from the other side.
There was a slight hesitation, and after a few seconds the doorknob was timidly turned, and Emilia appeared from the bedroom, looking down.
She looked up at Subaru, who was standing in front of the door, her lips trembling,
"Well... I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. Both in the tomb and now..."
"The trouble I cause you, Emilia-tan, is not a trouble, it's just something I want to do, so I don't mind. But more importantly, does anything feel heavy or painful? If there's anywhere that feels strange, I'll gently stroke and rub it to soothe you."
"Hmm. I think I hit my lower back when I fell and it's tingling a bit..."
「Okay, I get it. Let's go and check that area thoroughly right away… Ram-san? Ram-san? The tip of your cane is stuck right near my liver!?」
As Subaru was about to make a flippant remark mixed with sexual harassment, Ram crept up behind him and poked him with the tip of her wand. Having been pointed out, she silently pushed the tip of her wand further into him, hurting him to his heart's content until he whined like a puppy and jumped back, then,
"Lady Emilia, are you feeling alright? Please forget Barusu's rude remark and clearly inform Ram of your own condition."
"You're amazing for getting through all of this without a word! Look, you're really bleeding. How much force did you have to use to pierce this fairly thick clothing?"
Subaru protested as he rubbed his hips, which still felt painful, and Ram shot him a sidelong glance, snorting, "Ha," as she then turned to Emilia again,
"So, is it alright? If you're not having any problems with your condition..."
"Y-yes, it's okay. We still have to talk about the... "Trials" inside, you see."
Before Ram could speak, Emilia nodded and stepped forward to the center of the room. Shortly after, Garfiel also entered the house, and Emilia was surrounded by the aforementioned group of people.
And so, under the gaze of everyone, Emilia haltingly explained the Trials and announced the results, following the same flow as last time. If there was one thing different from last time, it was that
"So, how come Natsuki-san was safe when she went inside?"
Yes, Otto raised his hand slightly and voiced his question on behalf of the group.
That doubt was raised, but Subaru hadn't interjected any information of his own into the conversation. This was also to gauge Emilia's thoughts on the Trials,
"I told you, right? I was given the 'qualification' to enter. If you want to ask where I got it, it was probably at the tomb during the day. So, as for what happened once I entered… I underwent the same 'trial' as Emilia-tan. In the end, it seems I passed."
Subaru's words caused a stir in the room.
Among them, Emilia, who had also attempted the Trial and failed, was particularly astonished. She gazed silently at Subaru with a look of confusion in her amethyst eyes.
Subaru nodded to her,
"Let me say this up front. It's not like I was better than the others and that's why I passed the Trials. The Trials were about facing my past. For me, who had come to terms with it to a certain extent, it was just a bonus stage."
"I don't know what this Bonus is, but if Su-bou has passed the 'Trial'... hmm, that's surprising."
"But, from what Emilia-sama said earlier, it seems that the 'Trial' won't end with just one, right? The word 'first' suggests that there will be more to it."
Subaru nodded in response to Lewes's acceptance and Ram's words, but he glanced over at Emilia. She remained silent, with complicated emotions floating in her eyes.
Imagining the thoughts going through her mind, Subaru shook off his sweet feelings.
The time limit that was set and the difficulty of Emilia's Trials due to her past. If you weigh these two against each other, you won't have many options.
"I heard this when I conquered the Trial... but apparently if two people take the Trial at the same time, they can't move on to the next Trial. They can't enter until another day."
"...Hmm, so what do you mean?"
"If Emilia-tan and I enter the tomb together, Emilia-tan's 'Trial' will only begin, and I won't be able to take the 'Trial'... the second one."
"Wa-wait a moment, Natsuki-san."
Otto quickly cuts Subaru off, interrupting him. Not noticing the confused look Subaru is directing at him, he runs his hand through his greyish hair,
"Based on the way you've been talking, does that mean you're also planning to take on the Trials, Natsuki? Originally, this was meant to be credited to Emilia-sama…"
"You idiot, Otto."
As Otto spoke impatiently, someone called out his name to stop him, but it was too late. He reflected on what he had said, realizing that he had said something he shouldn't have, and quickly covered his mouth. However, everyone had already heard what he had said - including Emilia.
Otto looked uncomfortable, and Subaru looked at him with disdain. Emilia, watching the two of them from afar,
"What did that just mean?"
Subaru: "Emilia-tan, let's calm down. That was just…"
Subaru: "Don't deceive me, tell me properly. ――Please, Subaru."
Emilia begged Subaru with pleading eyes.
It would not be a boy who would not respond to the tearful plea of a beautiful girl, and if it was Emilia's, it would not be Natsuki Subaru who would not respond. He should have been able to brush it off with his strong will, but Subaru slumped his shoulders and let go of his regrets,
"If Emilia-tan could complete the Trial, the people of Arlam Village would be freed from their hostage status, and the people of the Sanctuary would be able to say goodbye to their lives tied to this land. If I could overcome the Trial, I should be able to gain the support of both camps... that was my true intention."
"...That's it. Did you know, Subaru?"
"No, I hadn't even noticed until you mentioned it."
In front of Emilia, who couldn't hide her agitation, he puffed out his chest and lied boldly. Otto and Ram looked at Subaru with a bitter look in their eyes at his brazenness, but they shut him down with a quick glance.
Subaru then turned to face Emilia once more,
"It's all Roswaal's plan. To be honest, I even suspect that his injury was part of that performance."
"Even Roswaal can't say that much. Considering the current situation, that's the only thing he could do."
"It's annoying to go along with that plan... That's just a joke as to why I'm asking, but it's part of the reason. But more importantly..."
Emilia looked a little confused. Subaru bent down in front of her as she bowed slightly, gazing at her beautiful face from below. Seeing her long eyelashes trembling in surprise,
"I want to give you strength. I don't know what you saw when you faced your 'past'. But if you look like you're in that much pain, crying so much, and experiencing the pain that feels like your heart is about to break… then I want to reach out to you."
"...Subaru."
"If all it takes is accepting the 'Trials' and liberating the 'Sanctuary' then there shouldn't be any problem with me doing it. If you want the credit, then I'll give you everything that belongs to me. My achievements are yours. Everyone has a 'past', but… it's no good to assume that all of that is something that you have to come to terms with."
These were the words Garfiel had spoken to me in the previous episode, before I died.
Emilia struggles to face her past, but Subaru and the others continue to push her to take on the Trials, so Garfiel explains the necessity of overcoming the past.
To Subaru, this way of thinking was a bolt from the blue.
Emilia's eyes widen in shock, and she bites her lip, looking thoughtful.
I understand the reason for her conflict. Deep down, I'm sure she is also feeling reluctant to face her "past" that she doesn't want to face. Her conflict is great precisely because she is a strong and noble person who would never even consider forcing a difficult role on someone else.
He couldn't be sure that the remaining "trials" wouldn't hurt Subaru's heart, just like the "past" that had assailed him.
"If you're worried, that's fine. I know it's not something you can decide on right away. --If that's the case, that's fine, but I want you to at least give me one day tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, one day...?"
Subaru: "Either way, there's no way that a demon instructor would take an exhausted Emilia-tan to the tomb again tomorrow and tell her, 'Now, take the Trial!' In that case, I should take on the second 'Trial' while I still have some leeway. If that means I can prepare for it first, then it will be a bonus for me if I am able to pass the 'Trial' as a result."
In this way, they could buy one more day, and if they could somehow get through the shortest distance, at the earliest they could liberate the ``Sanctuary'' the day after tomorrow.
This would be the best way to accomplish his goal without putting a burden on Emilia, and still make it in time to rescue the mansion.
It was clear that Emilia was wavering at Subaru's suggestion.
He felt a little reluctant to deceive her in her current weakened state, but it was a negotiation technique in which he presented a major condition first, and then offered a smaller, more desirable condition.
The second concession was made after she had not accepted the first condition, and in her current mentally unstable state, she did not have the mental capacity to get through it without agreeing.
Tomorrow and the day after, Subaru would accept and overcome the Trials. Emilia would surely be given another chance to take her time and stand as Emilia.
This time is bad. There's no time. If I hesitate, another unreasonable fate will await me.
"If you just shut up and listen, he'll continue the conversation as he pleases."
Just before Subaru's underhanded plan could be accomplished, a voice called out from behind him, telling him to wait.
The intruder had golden hair, narrowed his jade green eyes ferociously, and while clicking his overly sharp canines he stepped forwardーー,
"Sir, that Princess... I am against anyone other than Emilia-sama undergoing the Trials. At the very least, I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely do not want you to be the one to set me free."
「Wha――?!」
An unexpected word, an unexpected statement.
Subaru swallowed the meaning of the words that were spoken, but unable to connect the speaker with what was being said, he could only let out a cry of confusion.
And before Subaru, whose eyes were filled with confusion, the person leaned forward again, as if to slam the incomprehensible reality into his face,
「Okay? I'll say it again. I won't allow anyone other than Emilia-sama to take the Trial. Think of this as a condition I won't let even an old hag bend.」
Yes, Garfiel spat it out, his nose furrowing and in a completely sulky mood.