"The despicable
The jubilant announcement was being broadcast via a Magic Tool that carried the speaker's voice to every corner of the city.
There were a few spots where the audio crackled, but that was no worse than the speaker's voice occasionally breaking. The celebratory content itself was beyond any doubt.
"Subaru! That just now—"
"Yeah. Sounds like things have finally settled down."
Subaru relaxed his shoulders and let a smile slip across his cheeks in response to Emilia, whose face had instantly brightened.
The reason for his relief was a mixture of reassurance and lingering unease.
"After all, given who our opponents were…"
As long as Capella, the Sin Archbishop of Lust, who possessed the authority of mutation and transformation, was still in play, there was always the possibility—however remote—that the broadcast was nothing more than malicious trickery designed to give the citizens a false sense of joy. It was precisely the kind of evil that stopped just short of certainty, and that was what made the Sin Archbishops so abhorrent.
That said, the voice on the broadcast—the one that had initially identified itself as Kirитака Muse—bore a note of barely concealed excitement and joy, despite the speaker's attempt at formality. Hearing that voice, it seemed safe enough to set aside the worry that someone had been "made to say it" under duress.
"Then that means everyone pulled it off…?"
The broadcast announced that all four of the control towers seized by the Sin Archbishops had been retaken.
At the very least, this meant the worst-case scenario—the total annihilation END where the city would flood due to the opening of the Great Watergate—could be ruled out.
On that front, Subaru could afford to be genuinely relieved. If there was still a problem, it was the other half of his concern—the human toll.
"Regulus's fight miraculously ended without any casualties, at least…"
That battle had also been backed by a formidable force, but the opponents were Sin Archbishops, each and every one of them unpredictable and dangerous. Surviving the fight against Regulus with zero dead was only possible because, as it happened, Regulus was hopeless at actual combat.
The cunning Lust, the inscrutable Wrath, and the deeply entangled Gluttony—their threat as formidable opponents went without saying.
Even if victory was achieved, there was always the fear of what the cost might have been.
"From what Subaru told me, there were Witch Cult Sin Archbishops at the other control towers too. I wonder if everyone else is okay…?"
These were Emilia's words, echoing the same anxiety she saw on Subaru's face, which he couldn't manage to brighten.
Subaru bit his lip and shook his head at Emilia, who had lowered her gaze.
"That's something I'm worried about too… but that's one thing where all we can do is trust the others. I want to confirm as soon as possible that they're safe."
"Yeah, you're right…"
Empty words of comfort wouldn't be enough to dispel Emilia's worries.
Given the enormity of their enemies this time, casualties among their allies were inevitable. And yet, while saving the city had required them to accept that possibility, it didn't mean Subaru desired massive harm to fall upon anyone.
Therefore, depending on how things turned out, factoring "Return by Death" into his options as one possible recourse had been part of Subaru's resolve from the very start of this operation.
In principle, Subaru did not approve of building strategies around his "Return by Death."
That was partly due to his resistance to choosing self-death, but it was also connected to what the "Trial" at the
As a fact, Subaru didn't know whether the world truly would keep going after he died, but the Trial had taught him that such a possibility existed. That was precisely why he was absolutely determined never to use "Return by Death" merely to increase the number of attempts.
If Subaru were to voluntarily choose "Return by Death," it would only be when the outcome of pressing forward with his loss was something he could not accept.
And this time, Subaru was considering that possibility.
The Royal Selection candidates and their knights who had challenged the Sin Archbishops, who had sworn to retake the city, and all those involved.
To avoid losing the people he didn't want to lose, he was prepared to endure the pain and suffering of repeating it all.
"…Subaru, you've got a really deep frown between your eyebrows."
"Huh?"
Emilia was staring straight at Subaru's face, which had grown shadowed with gravity. Caught off guard by her gaze, Subaru involuntarily widened his eyes.
Looking at him with her amethyst eyes brimming with worry, Emilia said: "See, worrying is still worrying no matter what. Sorry. I made things harder for you by getting captured when you were already going through so much…"
"No, it's not your fault, Emilia-tan. Even if we took you out of the equation entirely, Regulus still needed to be taken down. And if you hadn't been there, I don't know if we could have saved those brides of his."
To save the brides of Greed, it had been necessary to temporarily stop the hearts that had been forced into the role of "Lion's Heart."
Among their available forces, Emilia was probably the only one who could have pulled that off. After that, there was a slim possibility that
Worst case, without that, the brides might have had to be sacrificed in order to defeat Regulus.
"Well, I wouldn't want to make that kind of choice, and Reinhard sure as hell wouldn't forgive it."
Even if it were a sacrifice necessary to slay a great evil, that wouldn't make it acceptable. That young man, who was essentially a walking embodiment of justice, could never condone sacrificing even a few lives. In that case, the decisive battle with Regulus might not have been resolved so quickly.
"Or maybe I'd have been the one caught in the blast and killed halfway through."
If Emilia hadn't been kidnapped in the first place, the composition of the Sin Archbishop subjugation squad would likely have been very different. There was no way to know what the "right" answer would have been, so dwelling on it was pointless.
Still, he could only hope— "After parting ways with us, Reinhard should have headed to where the others were. That way, the damage would have been minimized… I want to believe that."
"Yeah, you're right. —And we need to confirm that soon."
Emilia nodded with a serious expression in response to Subaru's words.
As they resumed their stride toward the city hall, Subaru quietly placed a hand over his own chest. He could feel his heartbeat quickening ever so slightly—and there, Subaru harbored yet another concern beyond the resolve of "Return by Death."
Nestled right beside his heart, shamelessly close, was an inexplicable sense of blackness—an alien presence.
It was a foul impurity that had slipped inside Subaru at the very moment he confirmed Regulus's "death," slithering in without resistance. Subaru had a vague idea of what that impurity truly was.
—the "
The impurity connecting the Witch Cult to Subaru was most likely something called the Witch Factor.
He had experienced the same discomfort in his body immediately after defeating
The Witch Factor was deeply connected to the Sin Archbishops and the Witches of Sin alike.
And for some reason, it was corroding Subaru from within as well.
If that was the case, then this too surely had something to do with the "Witch of Envy," who was the cause of his "Return by Death."
It was not something he could view as a positive influence, not by any stretch.
"No matter how many foul things latch onto me, I'm still me. …That should be enough, right?"
No matter how much the Witch Factor's influence grew, it would never shake who he was.
Not even if the Witch Factor eroded him further with every Sin Archbishop he defeated.
Besides— "When Beako wakes up, she's gonna chew me out if I don't tell her about this."
Regardless of what the Witch Factor did, Subaru didn't have to carry this burden alone.
He had a partner who would listen to his worries, help him figure out a solution, and work through it together.
Surely, they would find a way forward.
"Subaru? Did something happen?"
Emilia turned toward him, concerned by how quiet he had grown. Subaru shook his head with a "nah," brooded for a moment, and then— "Now that I think about it, from that broadcast just now, it sounds like Kirитака made it back safely. If Liliana hears that, she's sure to be happy."
"Kirитакa was missing?"
"He was listed as missing in action, presumed dead, after protecting Otto. I don't know why, but I never really felt like he was dead, so I wasn't all that worried."
"Then we have to be even happier for him. It'd be sad not to be."
As if kicking aside the gloomy worries hanging over them, Emilia pursed her lips at Subaru.
Rather than fixating on the possibility that someone might have been hurt, choosing to celebrate the fact that someone had been saved.
Perhaps that, too, was the right mindset for where they were now.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The two of them hurried onward, trying not to look too directly at the anxiety that clung to every step. But the scene that greeted them was far from anything that allowed for optimism.
"…This is rough."
Standing before what had once been the city hall, Subaru stared at the collapsed building reduced to a mountain of rubble, his spirits sinking.
The words that finally escaped his dry lips were a blunt assessment of the sight.
The city hall was a five-story building—unusually tall for architecture in this world—but its former grandeur had been utterly demolished. The destruction had reached all the way down to the building's foundation, and where the hall had stood, the ground had caved in at its center, forming a massive crater.
Nothing short of a devastating blow to the building's structural base could have caused this level of collapse.
Drawing that inference from the wreckage, Subaru noticed that Emilia was surveying the surroundings with a worried expression.
"That broadcast just now—it must have been using a Magic Tool inside this building, right? But if the building ended up like this…"
"—! Now that you mention it…"
Alarmed by Emilia's concern, Subaru hastily scanned the area for threats.
The destruction of the city hall was no trivial matter. It was undoubtedly the result of the Witch Cult's meddling. And the hall hadn't just housed the broadcast Magic Tool—it was also where Otto and the others who hadn't joined the control tower assault squad had remained, along with the victims of Capella's authority.
If the city hall had suffered this much damage, a battle had certainly taken place here. And if that was the case, what had happened in a building full of noncombatants?
Even Kirитака's broadcast—the very fact of it—now seemed precarious.
But just as Subaru and Emilia's worries were mounting— "Oh, I thought someone might be coming—it's finally you two."
"…
A familiar girl's voice suddenly reached them from above, where they stood frozen with tension.
Looking up, they saw Beatrice descending from atop the rubble heap, lifting the hem of her fluffy dress as she walked. She came down to stand beside the wide-eyed Subaru, looked him up and down, and then— "Hmph. You don't seem to be hurt, so Betty is relieved. If you had gotten hurt while Betty wasn't around, she wouldn't be able to let you go to the bathroom alone anymore."
"I never planned on being a toddler who needs that much looking after… Seriously though, Beako, what are you doing here?"
Subaru was surprised to see Beatrice standing there with her short arms crossed, chin raised with an air of cool superiority. That haughty demeanor was exactly like her usual self.
"I thought you'd been forced out of the fight from overusing your Mana. At the very least, you weren't supposed to be able to participate in this battle."
"Don't make it sound like Betty was the one at fault for overusing her Mana! If not for Betty's dedication, your legs would be half the size they are now, Subaru. You're lacking in gratitude, appreciation, and hugs, aren't you!"
"I know, I know."
Subaru rubbed Beatrice's head with practiced ease as she puffed out her cheeks in indignation. Despite her displeasure, she took one step closer to Subaru and silently enjoyed the head-rubbing.
Then, watching this exchange between contractor and Spirit, Emilia gently interjected.
"Beatrice."
"…Emilia. It's good to see you're safe too. If something had happened to you, Ni-chan would have been upset. And because of that, Subaru ended up doing something reckless like fighting without Betty. Perhaps this will teach you not to get captured again."
"Yeah, thanks. Sorry for worrying you."
"Betty wasn't worried about you even a little bit!"
Beatrice turned her face away with a snort. Emilia watched her with an affectionate smile. Then, taking in Beatrice's entire appearance, Emilia's round eyes narrowed gently.
The ornate dress and the carefully arranged curls.
On both, tiny splatters of blood and mud were visible—proof that this Spirit girl had not merely woken from a peaceful slumber.
Subaru's absence and the destruction of the city hall.
Those unexpected developments and Beatrice's awakening could not have been unrelated.
"——"
Meeting Emilia's knowing gaze, Subaru tucked his chin slightly.
Then, looking down at Beatrice, who was still being petted— "Looks like you really gave it your all while I was away. Thanks as always. Sorry for being such a burden."
"Subaru being a burden on Betty is already factored in as a given, so there's no need to worry about it. Well, actually, Betty will worry about it a little. She'll worry—and be grateful."
"Understood, understood. …But even if you gave it your all, this is a bit much. Leveling an entire building is overkill."
"Wait, Beatrice did this?"
Emilia pointed at the mountain of rubble and stared at Beatrice in astonishment.
"How long would it take to fix something like this… Subaru, do you have any idea?"
"With Beako's allowance, we're talking decades of reconstruction. That much I can tell you."
"What kind of serious-faced nonsense are the two of you saying! Betty didn't do this! Betty only saw this building after it was already reduced to rubble!"
"I know, I know. You're way too sensitive when you feel accused. What a cute little thing."
Subaru chuckled at Beatrice's indignant protest against the accusation. Emilia was going "W-wait, which was it?" but for now, that was fine.
If Beatrice was here, lingering around the ruins of the city hall, then— "So at the very least, there's no sign of the Witch Cult causing trouble in this area. In that case, what happened to Otto and the others who were supposed to be in the city hall?"
"Hmm, that's a bit complicated to explain. But the people who were inside the hall…"
"We all managed to evacuate just fine, so no need to worry!"
A voice cut in over Beatrice's reply—a voice speaking
Turning toward it, Subaru spotted a small figure making their way around the rubble. For an instant, something about their appearance seemed off—and then he realized it was because the hair she was smoothing with her fingers was dyed a different color from the one he remembered.
"Anastasia…?"
"What's with the questioning tone? …Oh, right. My hair is a different color now."
Her soft lavender hair was now dyed a deep green.
Even just that change gave an entirely different impression to the kimono-clad Anastasia. She looked at Subaru, Beatrice, and then Emilia, and nodded with a satisfied smile.
"Mmm, Natsuki-kun brought Emilia-san back safe and sound, I see. I'd heard from the Sword Saint, so I wasn't too worried about that part."
"Reinhard made it to you all properly?"
"He came flying in like whoosh. Right now he's off hunting down Witch Cult remnants… or rather, he's actually escorting Ferris around on shelter rounds."
"Shelter rounds… that's the Healer showing off their skills, huh."
Even after repelling the Sin Archbishops, restoring the damage the city had suffered would require enormous effort. For the city's functions to recover quickly, Ferris's role would be critical. And it seemed Reinhard was currently being used as Ferris's legs.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble too… but what happened on your end, Anastasia? Your hair, this building…"
"Right, right. Changed my hair color for a makeover, something easy on the eyes? I think it suits me, but if you knew the old Anastasia, it's definitely jarring."
"You sure have a knack for meaningless flattery, Natsuki-kun. But this was just a little dye job for the operation. And it was all for nothing… in fact, I ended up in a terrible mess, as you can see."
Twirling the ends of her hair around a finger and gazing at the ruins of the city hall, Anastasia sighed. From the sound of it, she had been involved in the city hall's destruction to some degree.
"Ferris is safe, right? What happened? What about the others?"
"The story is simple… After everyone left to attack the Sin Archbishops, some nasty character came slithering in to take advantage of the opening. So we twisted them up good."
"'Twisted them up'—it doesn't look like it was that simple…"
Despite Anastasia's light tone, it was clear a fierce battle had taken place.
The assault on the city hall—a brazen attack exploiting the gap left by the departure of their fighters. It was almost certainly the work of either Lust or Wrath, but the more likely candidate was— "Was it Lust?"
"Just like I'd heard—absolutely vile personality. I got chills when I ran into her."
An opponent you wouldn't normally dismiss with just "chills," but there was no trace of fear or terror in Anastasia's composure. Her nerve in facing a Sin Archbishop head-on was remarkable.
Subaru wanted to commend her for it, but more than that, he felt a twinge of self-reproach.
"Sorry. They broke away from the control towers and launched a surprise attack on the city hall… I should have anticipated that."
"No need to worry about it. It just means we were doing whatever we wanted in the spots where Natsuki-kun couldn't be. If anything, the fact that it came to nothing is more embarrassing."
From Anastasia's tone, Subaru gathered she had anticipated the surprise attack. The green-dyed hair had likely been a ploy as well.
Once he connected the deep green hair with someone Capella might be fixated on, he could vaguely piece together the strategy they had devised.
"You were disguised as Crusch-san, and Anastasia-san served as the bait? And you two drove off Lust with just you and Ferris? That puts us to shame."
"That would have been awesome, but there was one more person—Priscilla-san's knight."
"…Al?"
The unexpected name made Subaru's eyes go round.
Of all people, Al had been the least enthusiastic about the city reconquest. And he was supposed to have gone with Priscilla and Liliana to confront Wrath.
If he had stayed behind to defend the city hall, that meant the Wrath subjugation squad was riddled with gaps in both manpower and composition.
"Just so you know, the Wrath squad came back in one piece too."
Reading the questions on Subaru's face, Anastasia added that clarification. With a bitter smile, she glanced in the direction of the control tower that Wrath had occupied.
"Priscilla-san returned without a scratch. And the songstress Liliana—believe it or not—she came back with the prince, and everyone was stunned."
"The prince… you mean Kirитakа? The two of them challenged Wrath together and came back with someone who was MIA? How does that even happen?"
The mysteries were piling up—Priscilla returning unscathed from the Wrath assault, the reunion of Kirитака and Liliana. Subaru would have liked to hear more details, but what mattered more right now was the big picture.
"That broadcast from Kirитakа just now—we can trust it, right?"
"———"
"The recapture of the control towers was a success. The remaining question is the status of everyone who went into battle. What happened there?"
The city hall was in ruins, but the broadcast Magic Tool had likely been carried out beforehand.
That meant there was no need to suspect the broadcast was a trap. The only remaining concern was the same one he'd been carrying from the start—the damage that had actually occurred.
And to Subaru's question, Anastasia replied: "You can rest easy. You guys were the last ones to come back."
"We were the last… and everyone else?"
"Relax."
Subaru was slightly on edge, and Emilia and Beatrice watched with anxious faces. To the three of them, Anastasia smiled and nodded, and said: "Everyone made it back safe and sound. Not a single casualty."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Chief! You made it back in one piece!"
In place of the collapsed city hall, the nearest shelter had become their new gathering point.
The one who called out and came running over when he spotted Subaru and the others was a golden-haired youth—Garfiel.
"Oh, Garfiel… wait."
Subaru started to raise his hand in greeting, then froze at the sight of him approaching.
Garfiel was bare-chested, and his entire body was covered in blood. Yet his expression was somehow buoyant—it was clear he'd had a brutal fight, but it seemed he had fulfilled his role completely.
Seeing that much, Subaru quickly shifted his expression from shock to a grin.
"You don't look so great yourself, man. You've got a hell of a look on you."
"Can't really argue with the chief on that… well, actually, I guess I can't deny it. But hey, the chief really showed some guts, didn't you? Emilia-sama, you brought her back safe."
"You bet."
Subaru thrust out his fist, and Garfiel met it with his own.
That was all they needed to acknowledge each other's efforts.
"Still, I heard Lust showed up at the city hall. Who were you fighting, and where?"
"Obviously—it was against
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"The one I fought was just a corpse, after all. I'm pretty sure when he was alive, he wasn't like that. So it doesn't really feel like I won."
A forbidden art that reanimated the bodies of the dead and utilized them as warriors.
There was no doubt the Witch Cult had employed this secret technique in their machinations this time. Even so, a reanimated warrior's power was diminished compared to when they were alive. Perhaps a warrior of Garfiel's caliber was particularly sensitive to that kind of difference.
Maybe that was what was bothering him—because Garfiel seemed to carry a sense of incompleteness that was separate from the victory itself.
A feeling Subaru could understand all too well.
"You're upset because the enemy wasn't strong enough?"
Not understanding that feeling, Emilia tilted her head at his words.
In response, Garfiel first celebrated her safe return—"Glad you're okay, Emilia-sama"—before roughly ruffling his own short blond hair.
"It's not that I'm upset they weren't strong. It's hard to explain. Emilia-sama, you're a woman, so…"
"Something a woman wouldn't understand? Then does Subaru get it?"
"In a vague sort of way. But even among men, there's this invisible wall between the strong and the weak—a proposition you can't quite grasp. …Though I think that's a result of Garfiel being strong, so maybe you're overthinking it?"
"Overthinking it, huh…"
Emilia didn't quite get it, and Subaru's answer wasn't exactly full agreement. Taking that in, Garfiel looked down with a somewhat weary expression.
When it came to things like "strength," Garfiel was always wrestling with himself. That was true of his decision to challenge Reinhard alone, and it was equally connected to the devastating lesson the Witch Cult had given him afterward.
A problem that no amount of thinking could solve—one of those kinds of issues, perhaps. And so, regarding that— "Hey, Garfiel. Even if you keep thinking about it—"
"Oh! There's Garf! Don-doko-dooon!"
"Gah!?"
Before Subaru could offer his advice, a small shadow slammed into Garfiel's midsection with a noisy crash, sending him flying. Subaru barely caught sight of the small figure colliding with Garfiel's waist, but it was too late to stop the tumbling.
Looking at the fallen Garfiel, Subaru saw the cat-eared girl sitting unscathed on his chest, wagging her tail happily.
The girl's ears stood straight up, her adorable face beaming with delight.
"Fu-ha-ha! That was totally zen, Garf! The real enemy is inside your own heart! And inside your heart, there are always important people! In other words, manpai!"
"Dammit, someone's sitting on my chest…"
"Heheheh, Mimi heard it from a lady! Something about sitting on a man and drawing out love or whatever! Mimi didn't really get it, but she sat on you! That's what she said, so I tried it!"
The one laughing merrily atop Garfiel was Mimi.
The grievous wounds and bloodless complexion she'd shown before were nowhere to be seen. She had made a complete recovery, and Subaru breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mimi, you're back to normal?"
"Yeah, big brother! Big brother! Mimi was totally knocked out, but it sounds like everything was super crazy while she was sleeping—great job! Mimi slept really well! But Garf, you tried super hard too, right? Great job!"
"Glad to see you haven't changed a bit. Right, Garfiel?"
Mimi had sustained her injuries shielding Garfiel. He had carried her in, half-dead, and had been devastated to learn her wounds wouldn't heal. Now that Mimi had made such a full recovery, he must have been enormously relieved.
But when Subaru addressed him, Garfiel—still pinned beneath Mimi—just scratched his nose and said: "Yeah, she's recovered so much it's actually a problem. I keep telling her, making all this noise while she's just getting back on her feet…"
"Hm? What'd Garf say? …Oh!"
Leaning close to Garfiel's face, Mimi suddenly gasped and looked down inside her own robe. After checking the inside of her white garment, her round eyes went wide.
"Garf, bad! Your wound opened up again! There's blood!"
"You idiot! That's exactly what I've been trying to tell you! Crap, I gotta redo the bandages and reapply the healing magic! Come on, over here!"
"Ow ow ow! It huuurts!"
Despite the worsening injury, Mimi seemed perfectly fine as Garfiel dragged her deeper into the shelter. The whirlwind of a commotion was enough to leave even Subaru speechless.
"Heh… Garfiel, at least you won't have time to brood with her around."
Standing beside the stunned Subaru, Emilia suddenly covered her mouth and burst out laughing. Watching the two of them retreat into the distance, she referenced Garfiel's earlier dilemma.
Well, Subaru had to agree.
"They make a good pair, those two."
"Mimi is cute and she really seems to like Garfiel a lot… But Garfiel is in love with
"Yeah, true… Wait, Emilia-tan is commenting on romantic relationships!?"
Even if it was a fairly obvious example, Subaru was genuinely surprised that Emilia could speak on such matters.
This was the same Emilia who, upon receiving Subaru's own confession, had reserved judgment on the grounds that she didn't really understand romance between men and women—yet here she was, commenting on other people's love lives.
"Mmm, Subaru, I feel like you just said something incredibly rude."
"I thought it was pretty on the mark, honestly. …Could it be that Emilia-tan has changed without me knowing? You're in a wedding dress and everything!"
"I did totally wreck it, though."
The fact that she'd ripped apart the dress because it was hard to move in suggested she wasn't particularly worried about that sort of thing.
"Oh my. A bunch of little kids trying to look grown up—am I the only one who sees it that way?"
"You're the one who looks the most like a little kid, so I don't think you should be the one saying that."
With Beatrice delivering the punchline to the exchange, Subaru cleared his throat. Then, seeking the answer to the question that Mimi's recovery implied, he let his gaze wander through the shelter— "——"
In a corner where people were celebrating their reunion, he spotted the quiet figure of the old swordsman, standing alone in silence.
At the sight of the Sword Devil sitting with his eyes closed, Subaru swallowed hard.
"Subaru…"
"Sorry. I'll be right back."
Answering Emilia's concerned look, Subaru left her and Beatrice behind and slowly made his way toward the figure he'd spotted.
First, how should he address him? But that concern proved unnecessary.
"—Are you Sir Subaru?"
"…Yes, that's right."
As Subaru approached, hesitating over his opening words, Wilhelm opened one eye and met his gaze. Looking into those quiet blue eyes, Subaru understood the futility of silence.
Wilhelm had his back against the cold stone wall, blending into the scenery. Subaru drifted to stand beside him and glanced at the old swordsman's appearance.
He was battered, still resonating with the aftermath of fierce battle.
His light clothing, taken off from the jacket, bore the residue of slash marks everywhere. The white hair that had been tied back was now loose, cascading down his back. Most painful to look at was the blood-soaked cloth wrapped around his right thigh—evidence of a wound so deep it could have been life-threatening.
But what caught Subaru's eye even more was not Wilhelm himself.
It was the jacket carefully placed beside him, bundled around something.
"Wilhelm-san, that's…"
"——"
Without thinking, he almost reached to check what was inside the bundled jacket. Following Subaru's words, Wilhelm's gaze turned to the parcel.
The old swordsman was silent for a moment, then moved his dry lips and said: "…Just as you've surmised. It is my wife."
"——"
"Shortly after she fell, her remains turned to ash. It seemed too cruel to simply scatter them to the wind, so I wrapped them in my jacket, however inelegantly. …I want to at least lay the ash properly in a grave and give her a proper funeral."
So this was the secret technique's final form—reanimating the dead, and when it ended, nothing remained but a pile of ash.
It was a desecration of the soul after death, and the shock it inflicted on those connected to the person used in the technique was beyond measure. Considering what must have been going through Wilhelm's heart, his suffering must have been unimaginable.
"Forgive me. It's a pointless, sentimental attachment."
"Not at all!"
"———"
Hearing the self-reproach in Wilhelm's voice, Subaru blurted out his response.
Aware of his own rising emotion, Subaru looked Wilhelm straight in the eye. Wilhelm, too, opened his eyes slightly and gazed back at Subaru.
"Whether it was back with the
"Sir Subaru…"
"Wilhelm-san, you're a remarkable person. Wanting to put your wife in a proper grave… wanting to give her a proper funeral—there's nothing wrong with that. I can't put it into words well, but it really is something."
He meant every word.
This was Subaru's honest, unvarnished feeling—the kind of truth he never wanted denied.
Back during the White Whale battle and now, with this sorrowful reunion, fate had been far too cruel to Wilhelm.
And yet the Sword Devil had struggled against that fate, upheld his own will, and tried to carry his love through to the end. Not every outcome of that had been rewarded.
Regret and remorse might never end. But what he had done was right.
Wilhelm's love—the love with which he had loved his wife to the fullest—was entirely, unequivocally right.
"There's nothing shameful about it. Please, give her a proper resting place. And if the opportunity comes and it wouldn't be an imposition, let me visit her grave too."
"——"
"Because that's what I want to do, and I think you're someone who deserves that."
His words came out clumsy and emotional, and Subaru chided himself for it.
It was a selfish imposition of his own feelings. Wilhelm would be within his rights to laugh it off, and he'd have no grounds to complain if Wilhelm dismissed it outright.
But Wilhelm, hearing Subaru's raw appeal, let his lips soften into the faintest smile.
A small crack appeared in the rigid, tense line of his profile. And then: "…Yes, please do, Sir Subaru. I would also like you to speak to my wife. You, of all people."
"! Y-yes. That's… an honor."
It was less that permission had been granted and more a testament to Wilhelm's magnanimity.
Hearing out Subaru's unreasonable request, Wilhelm let a faint sigh escape. Sensing that Wilhelm's expression was asking for no further conversation, Subaru bowed his head.
He should leave Wilhelm alone with his wife for a while.
But before departing, there was one last thing he wanted to know.
That was— "Wilhelm-san. —Did you get to… properly… with your wife?"
"———"
Had they reached a conclusion? Had it turned out the way he'd hoped?
Of course, being forced to have his wife present as a deceased party was never the outcome anyone would have wished for. And yet, no one but Wilhelm could have been allowed to stand there in that moment—and Wilhelm had sought that resolution with full knowledge of the circumstances.
If that was the case, then hoping for that resolution was something Subaru surely wasn't alone in feeling.
"My wife…"
Wilhelm stopped and turned to face Subaru. But the words broke off after that first phrase. His gaze drifted—just slightly—away from Subaru. It landed on the jacket that cradled his wife's ashes.
For an instant, a torrent of vast emotion passed through those eyes, and then: "—Yes. I exchanged words with my wife to my heart's content, and I said my goodbye."
"Words" was surely metaphorical.
Wilhelm's wife—the previous Sword Saint—and the crossing of their blades. For the Sword Devil, that had been the most meaningful exchange possible, and the blade of resolution had been the parting word.
Therefore, that resolution must have been the result of Wilhelm's choice— "I love my wife. —I believe that much was conveyed to her."
"…I see."
Wilhelm's quiet declaration of love.
Despite the modest volume of his voice, the sheer intensity of what he carried scorched Subaru's heart. Letting out a deep breath, Subaru closed his eyes.
Emotions surged like violent waves. He pressed each one down and opened his eyes.
The Wilhelm before him was wearing a sad but unmistakable smile at the corner of his mouth, and seeing it, Subaru felt a sense of relief wash over him and allowed his own lips to curve upward.
"Wilhelm-san. You fought well."
"———"
"I'm sure things are going to get hectic again soon, but until then, please rest. I'm going to go around and check on some people."
That last line—he wasn't sure it was the right thing to say, so the words came out in a rush. Scratching his cheek, he turned his back to Wilhelm out of embarrassment.
From behind him— "Sir Subaru—"
"Hm?"
Subaru stopped mid-step and turned back at the call. Wilhelm wore a slightly surprised expression, then quickly shook his head.
"My apologies. It was nothing of consequence. Please, don't worry about it."
"If you say so… but saying that actually makes me more curious. Well, all right then. See you later."
Smiling ruefully at Wilhelm's atypical reaction, Subaru walked away.
When he returned, Emilia and Beatrice were both wearing expressions of subtle relief—enough to show that his face had been noticeably different when he'd left versus when he came back.
Subaru was aware of that much himself.
Reuniting with the dead was never a joyful thing.
And yet, at the very least, Wilhelm had reached a conclusion with his own hands, and he was at peace with the result. The knowledge that this small comfort had been achieved felt like a quiet salvation.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Sword Devil watched the retreating back of the black-haired youth with narrowed eyes.
His lips pressed together tightly, as if holding something back.
It was the collapse of a facade he had held together through sheer willpower—just moments ago, he had been suppressing his true feelings behind an iron mask. If he relaxed even slightly, the pressure might have been enough to bite through his own clenched lips—the passion that churned beneath.
The reason he had gone to such lengths to hide the full truth of his heart from that boy was surely— "Sir Subaru… you…"
In a voice so low it was barely a murmur, the Sword Devil whispered the boy's name.
"If you were to, my—"
He cut himself off there, closing his eyes as if severing his own weak heart.
What remained unspoken would never be heard by anyone.
And those words would never be uttered from the Sword Devil's lips.
That much, the Sword Devil would absolutely never permit himself.