Having finished his conversation with Wilhelm, Subaru felt a quiet sense of relief.
Including Garfiel, the two who had been tasked with handling "Lust"—those were, by all accounts, the pairing expected to face the toughest fight.
In the end, "Lust" had abandoned the control tower, leaving Theresia, Wilhelm's wife, and some former hero named
"———"
Of course, both Garfiel and Wilhelm must have had their own feelings about it.
In truth, Garfiel had voiced that unease, and it was easy to imagine the indelible wound carved into Wilhelm's heart.
And yet, even so— Subaru was glad that both of them had returned safely after the fight was over.
If there had been casualties among their own, Subaru might have steeled himself to use "Return by Death." So their safe return also meant a relief at not having to resort to that.
But that relief at surviving was also tied to a single conviction.
That one should not keep relying on an unnatural power like "Return by Death."
He had used "Return by Death" over and over, throwing himself at the challenge again and again to carve out a better future. People might scorn him for leaning so heavily on his ability and then turning around to say what he was about to—but that was precisely why.
Having died so many times, overturning the future each time, Subaru alone could arrive at this conclusion.
In the first place, "Return by Death" should not have been necessary.
Even without "Return by Death," there had to be a way to obtain the desired future. Just like now—everyone cooperating toward a single goal and actually achieving it.
"Subaru, is Wilhelm-san going to be okay...?"
"Yeah, I think he'll be fine. He had plenty of wounds, sure... but the scarier one—the wound in his heart—he seems to have mended that on his own."
"I see. ...That's obvious, but he's a strong person, isn't he?"
"Yeah. He really is. That's why he'll be fine."
Subaru nodded emphatically again and again at Emilia's words. Watching his repeated nodding, Emilia blinked her eyes before letting a small smile escape her lips.
When Subaru furrowed his brow at that unexpected reaction, she brought a hand to her mouth and said: "Sorry about that. Whenever it comes to Wilhelm-san, your attitude changes so much compared to how you are with everyone else. Like, I can really tell you admire him to the max."
"That's not really something you hear every day..."
Subaru gave a wry smile at Emilia's old-fashioned expression, then scratched his cheek with a finger.
He had tried to play it off, but he understood what she meant. And it was something he himself was well aware of.
"Wilhelm-san is, like, in a special category for me. I can honestly respect him as an incredible person, so, yeah, it's like that."
"I know he's amazing, but then Reinhard and the others meet the same criteria, don't they? And yet..."
"Seeing someone from your own generation versus someone from a bygone era just hits differently. The gap you feel against a peer can feel crushing, but the distance between you and someone older—well, that's something to aim for. Someday, I want to age coolly and dashing like Wilhelm-san, with that kind of gravitas."
"Mm, got it. Fufu. I'll let you have that one."
At Subaru's lighthearted deflection, which was half-masked embarrassment, Emilia nodded knowingly.
He felt a bit one-upped by her attitude. Honestly, he wasn't even sure what to call the emotion he felt—the sentiment that welled up inside him when he thought about Wilhelm.
It was probably the kind of thing that didn't need to be put into words.
"Betty doesn't think a beard would suit Subaru at all."
"That wasn't really what we were discussing, but fine, I'll take it. I'll only grow a beard when
"...Well, let's see if that day ever comes. The delicate coexistence of cuteness and hairiness is a realm that only someone with Ni-chan's caliber could pull off. Perhaps you should train."
"Sure, sure."
While Emilia and Beatrice each helped him shift gears in their own characteristic ways, Subaru let his gaze drift to a corner of the shelter that had suddenly become noisy.
It was a cluster of evacuees who had been inside the shelter, and the faces gathered there were uniformly freed from the terror and anxiety of the city's occupation. However, there was a brightness to their expressions that couldn't be explained by that alone. The cause was— "Da-da-da! Allow me to sing for you once again! Listen now—my new song—'Burning City Hot Anthem'!"
"That noisy one is Liliana, huh?"
At the center of the frenzy was a small, dark-skinned girl. Wildly tossing her yellow hair, the singer energetically strummed her lute—there was no mistaking that impact-first appearance, that razor-sharp originality that even "Lust" couldn't replicate. It had to be Liliana.
"She really is a noisy girl."
"But Liliana fought one of the Sin Archbishops too, didn't she? Um... I can't even imagine how she fought, though..."
Having noticed the same thing, Emilia and Beatrice both relaxed their shoulders.
Since she was up and about like that, Liliana must have returned with all limbs intact. Her battlefield—the assault against "Wrath"—was perhaps the place where the most unusual outcome could have been imagined, given both the method of attack and the disparity in forces.
Subaru had considered the possibility that Liliana's singing could help seal Sirius's Authority, but he had no idea how it had actually been employed. He was curious about what exactly had happened on that battlefield, though.
"Approaching Liliana right now is going to be a pain. Let's put it off."
"Agreed. Besides, Liliana's song is probably what's needed most right now. It wouldn't be right for us to take that away. Let's talk to her later."
"I concur. Betty has no interest in conversing with that exhausting girl."
Watching Liliana play and sing with booming clarity, the three of them reached that conclusion. The singing voice slipping into their ears was pleasant, soothing to their wounded hearts.
Truly, if you isolated just the singing, the title of "Songstress" suited her perfectly. He could see why Emilia had said the city needed her now more than ever.
"———"
Looking over, he spotted Kirataka standing beside the performing Liliana.
His expensive suit was stained with blood and mud in places, and claw marks remained here and there. According to Otto, his fate had been unknown—this was the result of his having waded through that crucible as well.
"Not a single person had it easy on the battlefield, huh..."
Noticing Subaru's gaze, Kirataka gave a small bow in his direction. Subaru waved back, then set off to continue exploring the shelter in search of his next acquaintance.
As he walked, Beatrice came up alongside him.
"It's not a big deal, but Betty wonders if that man was the one who woke her up."
"Kirataka?"
"He shattered a precious Grand Magic Stone to do it. Whether that was out of a sense of duty or for someone else's sake, Betty has no interest. But that's how it was."
"Oh, I see. Good man, Bea. Thanks for telling me."
"Hmph."
Hearing about this unexpected assist, Subaru patted Beatrice on the head. She puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, but it was obvious that was just a pose.
From what Anastasia had briefly told him, Beatrice's performance after waking up had been an indispensable contribution to the final result. If Kirataka had played a part in that, then he had fulfilled the responsibility befitting his position as a city executive.
"Subaru. The injured people seem to be further inside the shelter."
As Subaru chatted with Beatrice, Emilia peered toward the back of the shelter and reported what she saw. Looking into the dim interior as she indicated, sure enough, the space was still set up like a field hospital from all the commotion.
Mattresses and blankets laid directly on the floor, with several wounded people lying on them. This had been Felis's first destination upon evacuating, so the people resting here must have been those out of immediate danger, if not fully healed.
"So even Felis couldn't fully heal this many people?"
"No matter how skilled someone is with healing magic, the mana a single person can hold has its limits. Healing everyone you come across would drain it in no time. It was a wise judgment."
As Beatrice answered while glancing at the line of wounded, there was a faint hint of frustration in her expression. Despite keeping it on the surface, she was a kind-hearted spirit girl with deep empathy. Her healing magic, while not quite on Felis's level, was still quite potent. But that was only if she had mana—and the amount Subaru could supply was nowhere near enough.
It was only natural to feel bitter about such powerlessness.
"I wish I could cast healing magic on everyone too..."
"Emilia-tan has a different role. So let's put that on hold for now."
"Yeah, I know."
Getting swept up by momentary emotions and failing to achieve the greater goal would get them nowhere. Subaru urged Emilia to exercise restraint, then cut past the people groaning in pain to search for one of their own among them. Before long, he found who he was looking for.
"Natsuki-san, over here."
"Yo, Otto."
At the far end of the line of wounded, a figure waved toward them. Spotting the familiar young man's face, Subaru and the others approached with relief.
Reclining on a ready-made cot, blue-faced and wearing a weak smile, was
"I feel like I just heard a pretty unacceptable evaluation in my head just now."
"No, you didn't, 'combat-capable civil official.' Word is you went wandering around the city again, hunting for trouble because you wanted to see blood. You really never learn."
"Are more ridiculous rumors going to spread? Please stop spreading baseless gossip!"
As Otto lay there, Subaru traded light barbs with him in lieu of a proper greeting. When Otto let out an exasperated sigh and drooped his shoulders, Subaru crouched down beside him to examine his condition.
He didn't seem to have any life-threatening injuries, but both legs looked painful. They must have been treated with healing magic and bandaged, but from the thighs, dark red was still seeping through. He must have sustained serious wounds.
"How are your injuries, Otto-kun?"
"I can't walk easily until they heal, but otherwise there are no notable external wounds. ...It's kind of pathetic that my injuries are worse than Lady Emilia's, given that she was in a more dangerous situation."
"That's not true at all. You fought as hard as you could, didn't you? Being a civil official isn't your job, Otto-kun, so I'm just glad you're not in worse shape."
"Right now, Lady Emilia is the only person who has a proper sense of what a civil official's job entails."
"Huh?"
At Otto's earnest murmur, Emilia tilted her head with a puzzled look.
Setting that aside, Subaru asked Otto for a detailed explanation of how he'd gotten injured. Originally, Otto should have remained at the city hall, waiting in the command center for reports from various locations.
"You weren't injured because the hall collapsed, were you? According to Anastasia, the ones who stayed behind were her, Felis, and Al."
"I don't know what exactly the three of them did. I left the city hall and headed to the canal district, where I, well... ran into 'Gluttony.' And this is the result."
"Gluttony... that bastard. Damn it, between 'Lust' and now, they just won't quit screwing with us."
Hearing the name of that loathsome enemy made Subaru's blood boil.
The
"Fortunately, thanks to
"It was a one-sided affair—nothing you could just watch happen, I suppose."
"Yep yep. Seriously, thank you so much."
Beatrice puffed out her chest slightly as Emilia gently stroked her head.
Their exchange was heartwarming, but what Subaru was focused on was what Otto had been doing. Setting aside the result of the encounter with "Gluttony," the real question was why he had left the hall in the first place.
Even if he was removed from the formation to intercept "Lust," he could have just stayed put in the shelter. There was no need to leave and wander around the city.
"There was a certain book among the Witch Cult's demands that needed to be secured first."
Sensing Subaru's question, Otto answered quietly.
The book the Witch Cult demanded—he had been vague about it, probably out of consideration for Emilia, who was listening from behind Subaru. Grateful for that thought, Subaru nodded.
"The restoration specialist—Darts-san's place, right?"
"Indeed, Darts. No one should have known I'd commissioned him for a restoration, but... I wanted to be absolutely sure. In the end, I ran into 'Gluttony' before I could reach Darts, and here we are."
So this was why Otto had left the hall and ventured through the city teeming with Witch Cult threats. Once again, he had tried to fill the gaps that Subaru had missed.
The assault on the hall, the recovery of the Book of Wisdom—his thinking had been inadequate on both fronts.
"You could've at least consulted me. We're friends, aren't we?"
"Lady Emilia gets kidnapped, and on top of that you're shouldering the fate of the entire city like some kind of hero, and you want me to pile on even more troublesome errands? No thanks. I have no intention of dumping that kind of impossible burden on my friends."
"Tch."
What was meant as a light jab came back as a surprisingly gratifying reply, and Subaru swallowed. Watching their exchange, Emilia and Beatrice exchanged glances and let out a deep sigh.
"They're both so stubborn, aren't they?"
"That's just how the two of them are. But then, that book...? We should be the ones to go retrieve it. Um, where is it..."
"Ah, I'll handle that. Or I'll send Garfiel. Emilia-tan, don't worry too much about that book, okay?"
"Okay?"
He didn't want Emilia to get too close to anything related to the Book of Wisdom.
It was an upgraded version of the Gospel and also a relic left behind by a
"Anyway, so it was Felt and 'Dragon's Scale' who ran into 'Gluttony.' Those white mercenaries aside, I thought Felt was hiding somewhere."
"I can't really picture her staying still, though..."
"That, I agree with."
They had heard that Felt and the others were restraining and keeping watch over Reinhard's father, Heinkel. So they shouldn't have participated in the recapture of the control tower—but apparently, that reasoning didn't apply to Felt.
"So, where's Felt now?"
"She was worn out but didn't have any serious injuries. She dashed out of the shelter to recover the attendants she'd brought along."
"Always jumping into things recklessly. But from the sound of it, those three actually did pretty well."
They were a memorable trio, for better or worse, but no harm done. They had technically been killed by them at one point, though—someday he'd settle that score properly and let bygones be bygones.
In any case, confirming that camp's safety was a收获. The Book of Wisdom-related tasks could be dealt with later. As for the next issue— "Natsuki-san. ——Watch out for the adjacent shelter."
"The adjacent shelter...?"
As Subaru thought, Otto spoke in a low voice. The uneasy emotion contained in those words naturally drew Subaru's own voice lower in response.
To that reaction, Otto gave a slight nod.
And then: "One of the Sin Archbishops is being held there."
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "What's this, you unfashionable thing? How dare you show such an unsightly face before us. That nerve of yours goes beyond audacity—it's genuinely admirable."
Leaving the shelter-turned-field-hospital and following Otto's directions, they crossed into the adjacent shelter.
Compared to the previous one, this shelter was considerably smaller. If the last one had been as big as a department store parking lot, this one was a bicycle parking area at best.
As Subaru mused vaguely about the different purposes behind the evacuations, a red woman stationed at the building's entrance called out to him.
The woman's name was Priscilla Bariel.
Among the royal selection candidates gathered in the city, she was the most conspicuously uncooperative of the lot.
That said, even she had been a valuable ally in this crisis. What's more, Priscilla had been tasked with handling the mysterious "Wrath"—Sirius.
Her feat of defeating that threat and returning was, quite simply, praiseworthy.
"You not liking my face is a matter of personal opinion, so that's fine. Either way, good work out there. Glad to see you made it back in one piece—no sarcasm."
"My personal opinion is the most exquisite aesthetic judgment in the entire world. By that standard, you aren't even worth evaluating... but fine. Though I have no words of defense for the sheer lack of discernment it takes to call me 'fine' when looking at my current state."
"Huh? Are you hurt or something?"
At the building's entrance, Priscilla sat on a folding chair, fanning herself. Subaru looked her up and down, but couldn't find any visible injuries.
No, it wasn't a matter of simply having no injuries. Priscilla's white skin was unblemished, and not a speck of dust or grime could be found on the dress she wore. If there was any difference between before the battle and now, it was limited to the accessory at her neck and her loosened hair.
"Did you lose your collar and hair clasp somewhere?"
"Hmph. Even a blind commoner would notice, were he accompanied by a woman. Don't call it a 'collar'—such a graceless term offends me. The enemy took them, if you must know."
"You're not actually upset about the accessories, are you..."
At Emilia's guileless words, Priscilla snorted and replied.
Indeed, the ornate jeweled necklace and the elegant orange barrette that had been holding her hair were both gone. With her hair let down, the alluring fragrance she exuded only intensified—a truly sinful woman.
Of course, Priscilla's allure was close to that of a poisonous flower. Get too close, and you'd get stung.
"And getting stung is something I'll pass on. So why did you come to a place like this shelter? I didn't take you for the type to volunteer as a guard."
"Fool. As if I would deign to perform such menial tasks. I would rather not be at such a venue either, but the current state of my appearance is unacceptable to my aesthetic sensibilities. This was a compromise to avoid public scrutiny. Besides, Al was insistent."
"If he were here, he'd deny that vehemently."
Imagining the iron-helmeted man's exaggerated denial, Subaru turned his gaze toward the shelter's entrance. The helmeted man in question was nowhere to be seen, but he had been told Al was here. In other words, he was inside the building—next to the Sin Archbishop.
"So Al is keeping watch inside?"
"That's right. If left unattended, who knows what that hideous creature might do. So I've posted Al to watch over her. He should be able to handle it."
"...You didn't want to kill her. That surprises me."
"If you want to do it, go ahead. I won't stop you."
Seeming to tire of the conversation, Priscilla covered her mouth with her fan and yawned. That was her way of expressing indifference to his question.
She made no move to stop him from entering the building. Subaru stared at the shelter's entrance and pressed a hand to his chest, where his heartbeat was quickening.
"Subaru, if you're scared, you don't have to go in..."
"That's right. I don't think there's anything to gain."
As Subaru hesitated, Emilia and Beatrice each offered gentle counsel. He wanted to take advantage of their concern. But the moment that thought arose, Subaru caught Priscilla's cutting gaze from the corner of his eye.
It was a look that dismissed all of his hesitation and waffling as nothing more than a tedious farce.
Whether he retreated or pressed forward, Priscilla's evaluation of him wouldn't change. He had already been graded the lowest of the low—fair enough.
Fair enough, but he wouldn't let the two people with him be judged by the same standard.
"Let's go. Either way, running away isn't going to fix anything."
"———"
As Subaru made his decision, neither offered agreement or objection. They simply stood beside him, respecting his will.
Leading the two with him, Subaru stepped into the dim shelter. Priscilla had already turned away, not even bothering to see them off. That was just like her.
His dry footsteps echoed as he moved through the stone building. Before long, he could see the end of a hallway, and at the far end of the path branching to the left— "So it's you, little brother. Heard the princess's voice and figured someone was here."
Crouching in the corridor with a blue dragon-blade resting on his shoulder was the iron-helmeted man—Al. When he spotted Subaru and the others approaching together, he directed his attention toward Emilia.
"Oh hey, the broad made it back in one piece too. Nice going, little brother."
"Emilia-tan's safety was the bare minimum condition for a clear. You're the one who had it rough, from what I hear. Especially with Priscilla pushing you around."
"Yeah, absolutely mental. Even I was wondering what was going on this time. Although, I mean, I'm usually wondering what's going on, so that kind of loses its impact."
"But, Al... you don't exactly look like you minded it?"
"———"
About to let slip something resembling a complaint about his mistress Priscilla, Al was caught off guard by Emilia's innocent remark. Hidden behind his helmet, you could practically imagine his mouth twisting into a flat line.
At the end of the day, Priscilla was the kind of woman who drove everyone around her half-crazy—and yet she still wanted her vassal at her side. That was a relationship no outsider could truly understand.
Al spent a moment scratching his head with a thoroughly outwitted air, tapping his own shoulder with the spine of his blade, then suddenly looked down the hallway.
"Since you've come this far, I'm guessing it's obvious, but... you're here to talk to the Sin Archbishop?"
"Can you think of any other reason? Betty and the others are not so idle that they'd come all the way here just for idle chitchat with a guard."
"Touchy, aren't you, little miss. No need to get so riled up, Bea—co... I mean, Beatrice."
"———"
At Beatrice's icy, razor-sharp stare, Al waved his head dismissively. Subaru restrained Beatrice—who looked ready to lunge at him despite the height difference—and glared at the man who had delivered the unnecessary provocation.
"I know you're in a bad mood for whatever reason, but please don't provoke us. And don't egg her on either, Bea. Handle this with some adult dignity."
"Betty will only tolerate being called that by Subaru. If you use that name again, a fate most terrible awaits you."
"Sure, sure, I know. You're so cold."
Saying that, Al pressed himself against the wall and made way. Straight ahead, down the corridor, a door was visible. The Sin Archbishop was probably being held in there.
Suddenly, the back of Subaru's neck began to prickle with tension.
"The Sin Archbishop's in there. She's restrained so she can't cause trouble, so I don't think it'll turn into a murder-suicide situation right away. ——But with that said, let me give you one word of advice."
"Advice?"
"You, the broad, and that spirit of yours. I'm telling you, don't talk to her. Just turn around and leave. Getting involved won't do you any good. Just walk away."
"...That's not something I can do."
His tone low and sincere, Al's words carried genuine weight. Subaru shook his head at that counsel, refusing the proposal.
And at Subaru's answer, Al let out a sigh-like "Yeah, I figured."
"It's not like anything I say carries much credibility anyway. And there's no way I can make excuses for how I acted here this time."
"That's not the reason. You were uncooperative, sure—fair enough—but that doesn't mean I can't talk to her. Don't get the wrong idea."
Catching Al's oddly self-punishing tone, Subaru pointed down the corridor toward the door at the end. The person inside was his business and his alone.
Apparently, his determination got across. Al dropped heavily to the floor right where he was, and with just a tilt of his head toward the door behind him, said: "Try not to lose yourself while you're talking."
"Roger that. If anything happens, feel free to come help—no need to hold back."
"Yeah, if that happens, I'll send the princess in. Whatever happens, just pass on peacefully."
After that last exchange—the most "them" conversation they could have had—Subaru and the others headed toward the door under Al's watchful gaze. A strange sense of pressure hung around the door leading to the sealed room.
There was no point dithering now. With that resolve, Subaru gripped the doorknob and threw the door wide open.
——It was a narrow room, filled with dusty air.
There were few light sources, making it dim, and the shelter had been set up with the barest of essentials. A cramped room where five or six people would feel packed in—you could even feel the stuffiness.
And in the center of that room, there she was.
"—Ahaha. You came. Thank you for going to the trouble, you know? I appreciate it."
Bound from head to toe in chains, seated on an old chair—the abnormal figure of Sirius was waiting.