——Deep, dark, stagnant waters of consciousness.
For
He vaguely felt that he had been here several times before — that every time he experienced Return by Death, he was forcibly summoned to this black world where infinite darkness stretched endlessly, with no ground and no sky.
Come to think of it, this was a strange place indeed.
Subaru had never once managed to pull memories of this location out into the waking world. It wasn't his first time coming and going, yet whenever he left, he always forgot he had been here.
It felt like a fleeting sensation — like a dream of bubbles, there and gone.
Between the pale darkness and hazy memories, the consciousness that was called Natsuki Subaru in the outside world pawed through the void, slowly swimming through the pitch black.
Floating upward on consciousness alone, with no body, no limbs, no eyes, no ears, no mouth — he was used to the sensation by now.
The helplessness of not knowing up from left, the anxiety of not seeing depth or anything else — none of it mattered to a consciousness consumed by a single thing.
At its core, or perhaps constituting the consciousness itself, was an unbearable, ceaseless passion — no, it was affection, devotion, and profound love.
If he came here, he could meet the source of that love.
The consciousness had learned that much, and it rejoiced at having been able to return here again.
Before an encounter he hadn't experienced in so long, a nonexistent chest swelled with excitement, and nonexistent lips overflowed with a singing joy.
But that sentimental consciousness was — "You seem awfully full of yourself, desu."
"This is no joke at all, you know. You get a little lucky and you're strutting around like you won the whole thing, riding that high nonstop. There's a limit to being shameless. I wish you'd take a step back and look at yourself more objectively. Then you'd probably realize just what an insolent thing you're doing."
Suddenly, voices that should never have reached him cut in, interrupting his reverie.
'——' The consciousness turned around.
In a world without face or body, where direction held no meaning, what purpose could turning around possibly serve? It wasn't searching for a nonexistent meaning — it was an act of creating one.
To turn around, a body was needed. If the consciousness thought of it deliberately and acted on it, the pitch-black darkness had no choice but to grant that to the otherwise empty Natsuki Subaru.
And so, the consciousness that turned around became Natsuki Subaru, given a body to turn around with and a field of vision to survey his surroundings.
But that alone was still insufficient — far from a complete physical form. This Subaru was a poor imitation, nowhere near a true reproduction of the real Natsuki Subaru.
Would hands be enough? Would feet be enough? A nose, a mouth?
—No, creating and reproducing a single human being was not so simple a thing.
To create Natsuki Subaru, Natsuki Subaru knew far too little about himself.
He was not so easy a thing to assemble from one person's knowledge and memories alone.
Therefore, at present, creating more of Natsuki Subaru was impossible.
Yet this incomplete Subaru could not perceive his own deficiencies.
Because of that, this imperfect Subaru — having been given only a provisional body and provisional vision — stood as though his feet did not touch the ground, looked around in a circle, and noticed them.
The presence of other "consciousnesses" in the darkness, apart from Natsuki Subaru's own.
"Abominable and deplorable — this is nothing more than a selfish product, desu! Ah, what a sinful, corrupted existence! It is simply, utterly deserving of contempt!"
"Worse than subhuman — more like sub-creature, the very definition of incomplete, isn't it? And that kind of guy, huh, thought he could kick me out of my satisfaction? If he knew his place, he should've known from the start! Standing before me, blocking my way, getting in my face! Obstructing me! Everything! You're deficient! You're lacking! Think like a rational person for once…! Even for someone below human, even for some lowlife animal…!"
The "consciousnesses" rising from the darkness hurled their abuse in unison at the incomplete Natsuki Subaru.
One raved with madness, the other with malice, each directing their hatred at Subaru.
Unfortunately, for a consciousness-only Subaru, that hatred was incomprehensible.
He lacked the heart, the brain — all the apparatus needed to understand. If he wished to grasp what these "consciousnesses" were saying, he would need to create understanding itself — the way he had conjured a body, the way he had forged vision.
'——' —But somehow, he felt he didn't need those organs.
At least, there seemed little point in equipping himself with such functions to understand the arguments of these two "consciousnesses." More than that, he felt no desire to do so.
Dragging something from nothing was not easy either. At the very least, unless Natsuki Subaru's consciousness truly desired it, he could neither obtain nor create it.
So, the words to answer those two "consciousnesses," and the mind to understand them, would have to be postponed for now. No — truly, there was no other motive.
"What arrogance! What dismissiveness! What contempt! Despite my earnest and diligent appeals, you won't even make the effort to understand, desu!? That is, ah, ah, alas…! Sloth! You, you are slothful, desu!"
"How far are you going to look down on other people before you're satisfied, you animal…! Listen! Who do you think I am? I'm the most satisfied man in this world — I desire nothing but a life of modest, ordinary happiness where no event can disturb my peace. And you go and trample on that. That's an invasion of rights. An act of evil. You've got some nerve kicking someone else's happiness around like that…!"
Sensing that this was going nowhere, the consciousness turned its back on the two "consciousnesses."
Having a body was convenient for wordlessly signaling one's intent not to engage in conversation. Behind him, he could still sense the two torrents of verbal abuse, but if he paid attention, he would see them — so he chose not to.
Vision could work without turning around. In this case, it probably wasn't "vision" per se, but the existence of "eyeballs" that would be needed. If the opportunity arose, he wanted to keep that in mind.
For now, however, he had no time to fuss over such trivial matters.
'——' Because, before Natsuki Subaru's consciousness, the shadow of his objective was making itself known.
'——' In a pitch-black darkness where nothing should have been visible, a shadow draped in black darker still was almost vivid.
A pair of supple arms with slender fingers that could freeze Subaru's heart and make him tremble. Slender limbs that nonetheless conveyed softness, wrapped in a dress of dark hues.
As always, everything above the neck was obscured — indistinct, as if shrouded in thick fog. But Subaru understood with his soul that "someone" was there, the one who stirred those cherished feelings in his heart.
Her silhouette was clearly more defined than during their previous encounter, and the distance between them was closer.
Before, he had only been able to make out the outline of arms and body. Now, he could see the dress she wore and even the bare feet peeking out from beneath its long hem. The body was nearly fully reproduced — the only thing Subaru could not see was the face hidden in darkness.
It was frustrating. But for now, it was enough.
He could feel her presence more strongly, more closely than before. But Subaru was not yet prepared to welcome her as she grew ever clearer.
For now, it was enough to rejoice in being so close.
Surely, someday, those unreliable fingertips would touch his, he would wrap his arms around that slender waist, and they would exchange their love.
'—I love you.' At those words, Subaru tilted his chin — a chin that had only just been formed — and responded.
He could tell that the shadow rejoiced at that alone, and a twinge of guilt stirred within him.
For next time, so that he could speak words of love in return, he would need a "mouth" and a "tongue."
Remembering that sentiment, Natsuki Subaru's consciousness departed from the shadow's garden — ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ Subaru was self-aware that he was a decent waker-upper. On the other hand, he was also painfully aware that he had trouble falling asleep.
For Subaru, waking from sleep was like raising his face above the surface of the water. No matter who the person submerged, once their head broke the surface, they never forgot to breathe.
For Subaru, that breath was the awakening of consciousness, and the "breath" of waking was something he could do as a matter of course.
"I'm jealous of how well you wake up. I'm reaaaally bad in the mornings…"
That was a comment
Incidentally, when it came to Emilia's mornings, her words were neither exaggeration nor modesty — she truly struggled. It was exactly as one might imagine: Emilia had extremely low blood pressure, and it took her a good hour just to get out of bed after waking.
She would sit up in bed in the early morning, drift in and out of drowsiness while waiting for consciousness to fully surface, finally crawl out from under the covers, wash her face, and fix her hair — that was her routine.
On the other hand, she fell asleep like a child, just the opposite of Subaru.
"In the forest, it was just me and
That, too, was a comment Emilia had made during a past conversation.
As for how Subaru had responded to that, he preferred to keep the details private. He now had someone who would stay up late with him, so the past should be forgotten.
Anyway, the ease with which Emilia fell asleep was something Subaru genuinely envied.
Subaru, try as he might, could not stop his mind from racing the moment he lay in bed and closed his eyes in the dark. Most of the time, his thoughts turned to regrets — if only he had done this, if only he had done that.
Whether it concerned that particular day or events much further in the past, regret pursued Subaru without discrimination in timing or method.
Fighting those thoughts, he inevitably could not drift off. That was the cause of his insomnia.
—And so, the events beneath the sand sea would undoubtedly become a fresh seed of regret, thoroughly disrupting Subaru's peaceful sleep from now on.
"…Where…am I?"
The moment he woke, Subaru realized he was not experiencing the same awakening as Return by Death.
First, there was light around him. Unlike waking in the darkness beneath the sand sea, the ability to survey his surroundings was proof of a change. Furthermore, the chill had faded, and his body was cradled in a sensation completely different from sand. The soft feeling pressing against his back was most likely a bed.
Beneath his head was what could only be called a pillow. In other words, Subaru was — "I'm sleeping in a bed…"
Speaking the words aloud, he confirmed that the blanket draped over his rolling body was a white towel blanket.
The sensation of the pillow and bed — if he truly tested his memory — was not unfamiliar. Quite the opposite: in recent times, it was something he had grown extremely accustomed to. He quickly realized it was the bedding installed in the dragon carriage.
This, then, was inside the dragon carriage that had been used for the assault on the
"Wait — how did I…!?"
Realizing he was sleeping inside the supposedly lost dragon carriage, Subaru sat up. The moment he did, he noticed that his right hand was being held by someone.
He turned reflexively. To Subaru's right — kneeling on the floor beside the bed, having thrown herself across the mattress and fallen asleep — was a girl. Her face bore a look of quiet relief as she held Subaru's hand: Emilia, her silver hair gathered into a single bundle.
A faint, sleeping breath. Warmth transmitted through his palm.
That she was truly here — Subaru let out a ragged breath, and the tension drained from him.
"Aha… Emilia, right? You're safe…"
Beside him, Emilia nestled close. Subaru could not quite process her presence and felt lost. His right hand was still held, so he reached out with his left and touched her cheek.
The white cheek was warm to the touch, her skin extraordinarily smooth and soft. Just touching her made affection threaten to explode, and he kneaded her cheek as much as he dared.
"Yep, no mistake — it's Emilia. Cute. Soft. Warm."
"Don't… be too rough with her, I suppose. Emilia was plenty worried about Subaru too, you know. She hasn't slept for two nights."
"Oh hiyah!?"
Savoring the sound of Emilia's soft groan as he fiddled with her cheek, Subaru was startled by a voice that arrived without warning. He jumped, then turned quickly toward the door connecting the sleeping quarters to the living area, where a young girl leaned against the frame with an exasperated look.
"Bea—"
"Shh, I suppose. Betty doesn't care for a Subaru who doesn't know when to be quiet."
"——"
He had nearly blurted out a joyful greeting at their reunion, only to be stopped by
"Close one… Hey, Beako. Come here. Let me hug you."
"What foolish — well, I suppose it can't be helped."
If words could not express his joy at reuniting, then only mutual embrace remained.
When Subaru beckoned, Beatrice sighed and walked over with a thoroughly reluctant air. The girl idly fidgeted with her vertical ringlets as she approached. The moment she was within reach, Subaru swept her up with his free left arm and pulled her tight against his chest.
"Thank god… Seriously, thank god. I was really worried about you."
"…Those are Betty's lines, I suppose. Subaru and the older sister of those two were nowhere to be found. It was Betty and the others who nearly had their hearts stop. It was unbearable, I suppose."
"Is that so. You were worried enough to almost die?"
"Well, it's not exactly that… though perhaps it is. Yes, I was worried. Truly, truly, honestly…"
As Subaru held Beatrice's light body close, the girl bowed her head mid-sentence, pressing her forehead against his chest. He stroked her hair in silence, and for a while they simply confirmed their reunion without words.
After a brief silence, Beatrice lifted her face from Subaru's chest with a refreshed expression and hopped lightly down to the floor beside the bed.
"At any rate, we need to let everyone know that Subaru is awake — besides the sleeping Emilia, I suppose. You're the last one, so everyone has been worried."
"Everyone… Right, everyone is safe, aren't they? The ones who got separated, and the ones who were with me — all of them?"
"You may rest easy. Everyone has returned safely, I suppose."
"That's… that's good…!"
The seal of confidence from Beatrice slowly eased the anxiety Subaru had been carrying. Hearing that everyone was safe — it was more than he could have hoped for, and his heart settled.
But almost immediately, Subaru's expression darkened with an unpleasant sense of déjà vu.
"Wait, Beako. I'm not letting myself celebrate prematurely. Is everyone really, truly okay?"
"Hmph. Betty is offended that you'd doubt her. There's no reason for Betty to deceive Subaru over something like this. Don't be ridiculous."
"I get that you're bristling, but I'm not doubting you. Even if you weren't trying to deceive me, the result could still be deception. …I just experienced that firsthand in Pristella, and it still stings."
"——"
As to what Subaru was on guard against, Beatrice seemed to grasp it just from hearing that much.
During the battle against the
"——"
"The 'everyone' you're referring to is… this everyone, right?"
"…It's fine, I suppose. That's everyone. There's no one Betty has forgotten that only Subaru remembers. I'm certain."
"All right… All right. Then… I really can celebrate for real, can't I?"
Having confirmed what he needed, Subaru carefully considered whether there might be any other pitfalls. Satisfied that nothing had been overlooked, the words "everyone is safe" finally carried their full weight.
"Thank god. Ah, thank god…!"
"Oh honestly, Subaru is too dramatic. The moment the most endangered one — Subaru himself — was safe, it should have been obvious that everyone else was fine."
"You idiot, it doesn't work like that! Even if you know it logically, the anxiety is still anxiety and the worry is still worry. You were crying too, once you found out I was okay, weren't you?"
"I wasn't crying. Betty had her face pressed against Subaru's chest, so there's no way that could have been seen. It's impossible to prove, I suppose."
Hmph, Beatrice puffed out her narrow chest defiantly, but the statement itself practically confessed the truth. On top of that, Subaru pointed at the space behind his own side of the bed — roughly half the mattress — where there were unmistakable signs that someone other than Subaru had slept.
"There are traces of someone having crawled in and slept right here next to me. You expect me to believe you weren't worried, given this ironclad evidence?"
"That's not Betty! This is — it's a complete frame-up, I suppose! I don't know anything!"
"Who else would pull something so shameless? Don't be embarrassed."
"Anyway, it's not true! Ah, Emilia might wake up at this rate…"
They bickered in their usual manner, but Beatrice abruptly steered the conversation in a new direction. Subaru smiled bitterly at her red face, then let out a long — truly long, deep breath.
Everyone was safe. Hearing it in words was enough for the relief to settle in.
Chased by a swarm of Mabeasts on the sand dunes, separated in the chaos, Subaru had been stuck repeating incomprehensible Returns by Death beneath the sand sea. He hadn't known what was happening to Emilia and the others. If things had continued as they were, if something irreversible had happened — "…Come to think of it, that weird suspicion I had — is it gone now?"
"…Huh?"
Beatrice tilted her head at Subaru, who was sitting there with a blank expression, kneading his own face with his left hand. The gesture was meaningless to Beatrice, but Subaru had his reasons. Well, the gesture itself had no inherent meaning — but checking for symptoms was an important step.
"Beako, you're… the same Beako as always. Emilia is cute as always too."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden…"
Beatrice looked exasperated, but there was no trace of the strange discomfort or irritation Subaru had felt before. The same held true for the sleeping Emilia — the only emotion he felt from either of them was fondness and devotion.
The inexplicable hatred that had tormented him underground had vanished without a trace.
"It's probably because we're far from the miasma. An unknown cause with an unknown cure — leaving something that dangerous alone doesn't sit right with me, but…"
"Subaru, if you're still feeling unwell or uneasy about your condition, you may keep sleeping, I suppose. There's no need to rush. We can handle the trial on our own for now."
"…What did you say?"
Beatrice placed her hand on Subaru's bowed forehead, showing concern. But buried in her words was an unfamiliar term, and Subaru caught it immediately.
"Say that again?"
"I said, you should rest. It's not slacking off — if you're feeling sick, even sleeping won't make anyone angry, I suppose."
"It sounds like I've been scolded by that before somehow, but that's not the part I mean! The part after — did you say 'trial'?"
"Ah… yes, I did, I suppose."
At Subaru's追问, Beatrice made an "oh no" face.
It didn't seem like she had been trying to hide it deliberately — more like she had wanted to let him rest first, out of consideration.
But Subaru was not the type to sit quietly once he'd heard something like that, and Beatrice knew it well.
"Beako."
"I know. I'll explain properly, I suppose. I really should have waited until you'd calmed down to talk about it… but the words slipped out."
"An inability to keep secrets is one of the things that makes you cute and wonderful. —Besides, you skipped over the thing I should've asked first."
Beatrice looked genuinely caught off guard at that, and Subaru's faint smile faded quickly. He lowered his voice slightly and asked the question that demanded an answer.
It was — "Where are we? And don't give me some little joke about 'inside the dragon carriage.'"
"I imagine you've already guessed, I suppose."
Beatrice sighed wearily and crossed her arms.
Then the girl looked upward — making a gesture of gazing at what lay beyond the ceiling — and lightly tapped her heel on the floor.
"—The Pleiades Watchtower."
"——"
"That watchtower at the end of the sand dunes. Betty and the others are inside, I suppose."
She said.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ —Carefully, Subaru released Emilia's hand, laid the girl who had been dead to the world for two nights back onto the bed, stroked her forehead, then stepped out of the dragon carriage.
After spending over a month inside it, the carriage appeared unchanged from just before they had been separated.
There were no major damage marks on the body, and nothing seemed to have broken.
"The others weren't so lucky — Betty and the rest were swallowed up by the crack in the sandstorm, I suppose. They ended up in a place different even from that flower field. Finding out that Subaru and the others weren't there with them — that was when everyone looked the most pale."
"You included."
"…Emilia and Julius too, you know. It wasn't just Betty."
With a small pout, Beatrice turned away and opened the door leading outside the dragon carriage. The door creaked open, and they were greeted by a dim space and dry wind.
The wind felt similar to that on the sand dunes, and the darkness of the space resembled the underground beneath the sand sea. But compared to the dunes, the wind carried no sand; compared to the underground, the darkness was somewhat softened.
The cause was likely the magic lamps installed throughout the space, and the palely glowing moss caked thickly along the walls. Subaru was fairly certain he had seen similar moss before, inside the tomb in the
"This is…"
"The sixth floor of the Pleiades Watchtower… or rather, the lowest level, I suppose. If you judge by how the tower looks from the sand sea, the sixth floor is the part buried underground. The part that rises above the sand starts from the fifth floor… though I suppose you can't really tell the difference."
As Subaru stared around at the circular space with wide eyes, Beatrice explained.
The explanation was not particularly clear-cut — likely because Subaru had absolutely no familiarity with the interior or structure of the Pleiades Watchtower.
From what he could see, the inside of the Pleiades Watchtower was an enormously expansive space.
The area Beatrice had called the sixth floor had an entirely stone floor, and the dragon carriage sat alone in the dead center. The circular space radiating outward from it appeared to have a radius of roughly two to three hundred meters.
If the tower had indeed been constructed as a perfect circle — not an ellipse — the precision required and the sheer effort involved were enough to leave one speechless.
"When I think about pointless effort in ancient times, the pyramids come to mind. A single person's tomb to that scale — the epitome of waste. Well, I have heard that it functioned as public works and was a godsend for unemployed people, but…"
"Chattering away about incomprehensible things again, I suppose."
"Gravestones, I mean. Pre-burial funerals are trendy now, but the idea of planning ahead for death goes back to ancient times — same concept."
"…Talking about what happens after death is bad luck, I suppose. How foolish."
At Subaru's insensitive remark, Beatrice turned her face away with a sulky expression. Realizing his faux pas, Subaru scratched his cheek, then lightly patted Beatrice on the head.
Then, as if suddenly remembering, he circled around to the front of the dragon carriage.
"Yo, Garian! Glad to see you're in one piece! Don't die on me, Garian!"
"What is wrong with you, saying such random things all of a sudden, I suppose!?"
"Well, I just felt like I had to say it. But I really am glad you're okay."
Tied right beside the front of the dragon carriage was the dependable earth dragon, Garian.
A Gaira's breed bred for desert conditions — tough was their selling point, and Garian had proven it by surviving that dire situation through sheer tenacity.
"That said, being the first one I confirm alive — it kinda lacks impact if it's just you."
"——"
"Come on, don't make that sad face. I'm happy about it, okay? Here, I'll give you extra food later, so lay off."
"——"
"What's with you? What a fickle creature."
"It's about time you stopped with the little comedy routine, I suppose. It's tiring, so shall we get going?"
Beatrice looked thoroughly done with Subaru's banter alongside Garian. At her reaction, Subaru shrugged — "Sorry, sorry" — and then spoke.
"I'm not trying to cause trouble or anything, but there's something I want to check."
"What is it, I suppose?"
"Well… Garian is here, but I don't see Patrasche anywhere."
As fellow earth dragons, if Patrasche was safe, she should have been tethered here too.
But when Subaru checked the other side of the dragon carriage, that beautiful, pitch-black form was nowhere to be found. The absence of something that should have been there made Subaru anxious — "Don't jump to conclusions, I suppose. That earth dragon… if it's Patrasche, she can't be kept on the sixth floor, so she's on the fourth."
"Fourth floor? Above us? Why?"
"She's injured, I suppose, so she's receiving treatment. The other one who wasn't in the carriage was the sisters' younger sister — Rem. Anyone whose condition is concerning has been placed on the fourth floor."
"Treatment… so Rem can be healed!?"
Stunned by the unexpected news, Subaru lunged at Beatrice.
The ferocity of his reaction startled Beatrice, but she quickly pinched his nose and pushed him back.
"Calm down…! You're going to hurt yourself, I suppose…!"
"How can I calm down!? Rem — she can be healed!? And Patrasche is getting treated too — what's the situation!?"
"To put it simply! There's no immediate miracle or anything! It's just that they're in a better state than being left to sleep! The earth dragon too!"
"…Is that right."
Subaru's momentum deflated as he drooped his head. Seeing his sudden loss of energy, Beatrice's expression turned somber. But the girl clenched her small fist.
"Come on, this isn't the time to mope, I suppose. There has to be a way to fix this. To confirm that, everyone is challenging the Watchtower's trials together right now."
"——"
As if trying to cheer up the discouraged Subaru, Beatrice offered an awkward rallying cry. Her effort broke through his gloom, and he nodded.
"Sorry. I've been so negative. Sorry for all the worry."
"If it's worry coming from Subaru, well, Betty supposes she can tolerate it. But if possible, it would help if you worried somewhere Betty can see you."
"I'll think about it."
Touched by Beatrice's consideration, Subaru scratched her head to express his gratitude.
Beatrice's signature hairstyle was so well-constructed that it wouldn't come undone even when he tried to muss it. In any case, buoyed by Beatrice's encouragement, Subaru looked upward toward the top of the tower.
"This is the sixth floor… so I just need to go up, right?"
"Julius and the others are probably in the middle of their trials right now. So for now, it would be better to meet with the 'Sage' first and hear the details, I suppose."
"The Sage, huh… Oh, that reminds me."
Mid-sentence, something about Beatrice's words snagged in Subaru's mind.
Right — the whole reason they had come to this tower was to meet this "Sage," yet up to now Beatrice had said almost nothing about them.
"Beako, you met the Sage, right? What were they like? Did they glare at us with those white beams they were shooting our way? Did you give them a piece of your mind about that?"
"…Betty doesn't really want to talk about the Sage. No, that's not it, I suppose. It would probably be faster to just meet the Sage in person, I suppose."
"Somehow, I never have pleasant memories attached to the phrasing 'meet them and you'll understand.' I think Roswaal said something similar about Emilia-tan when we first met."
It had been over a year ago, but he remembered the conversation vividly.
Regarding Roswaal, he was fairly certain the explanation had been something like: "It'll be easier to understand once you meet and talk, and I'm sure you'll get along."
In truth, the impact wouldn't have come through without meeting him in person, and their wavelengths did align — but that was all water under the bridge now.
"You'll understand when you meet them."
"…Fine. I'll just go meet them then. How do we get upstairs?"
"A staircase, I suppose. Look closely — there's a staircase right along the wall."
Following Beatrice's gaze, Subaru could make out a stepped structure — a staircase, of sorts — along the outer edge of the circular space. However, the steps were staggeringly numerous, forming a spiral staircase that wound its way around the vast, circular tower.
"Wait… we have to climb that?"
"That seems to be the way, I suppose. If you work at it, it shouldn't take too long."
"'If I work at it'?! How many steps are there to the top!?"
Imagining himself trapped in an endless cycle of ascending and descending, Subaru let out a scream. The sound echoed hollowly through the tower, presumably carrying all the way up before fading mournfully away.
Beatrice, unmoved by Subaru's lament, simply shrugged.
"There's nothing to be done, I suppose. If you could use a bit of magic, there might be various ways to skip ahead to the top… but Subaru doesn't have any other options."
"No, wait — Shamak! Use that to float up lightly all the way to the top in one go! What do you think?"
"I suppose Betty could manage it, but the risk of running out of mana at a critical moment is concerning."
"If I climb those stairs normally, I'll run out of stamina at a critical moment too!?"
Even compared to his shut-in days, Subaru had built up some endurance — but he still hadn't escaped being a scrawny kid by otherworldly standards.
The sixth floor, the lowest level. He didn't know how high the fifth floor above it was, but at the very least, the ceiling was completely out of sight when he looked up. Given that height, this was starting to feel like a small mountain climb.
"Damn it! But if I don't go up, I can't confirm Rem and Patrasche are safe. Guess I've got no choice. Ugh, what a pain."
"That spirit, I suppose. Fight-o. Betty will be rooting for you. —It would be a big help if you called for me once you get to the top, I suppose."
"You're not cutting out on me! You're coming too! Walk! Work up a sweat!"
"Unfortunately, Betty is a cute Spirit, so sweating isn't really —"
Just as Subaru steeled himself for the ascent, Beatrice tried to deflate his resolve. But mid-argument, she suddenly cut herself off and looked upward.
"Beako?"
"It's bad. Subaru, back away —!"
Her sharp change in tone came at the exact moment she launched herself at Subaru. He caught Beatrice as she flew into his chest and scooped her up.
Then Beatrice stared blankly for a moment before hammering his chest with her fists.
"Idiot! I didn't mean carry me — I meant back away!"
"Reflex — sorry…"
Still holding Beatrice, Subaru leaned backward slightly. He didn't know what was coming, but Beatrice's alarm was real. He braced himself — but it was too late.
—An instant later, an immense pressure erupted from directly overhead, and Subaru held his breath.
The source of that crushing force came hurtling down, and the next moment it slammed into the ground before Subaru's eyes — a shockwave shook the colossal tower, and the blast wave and clouds of sand nearly sent Subaru flying.
Had Garian's massive body not been right behind him, he would have been sent tumbling. Shielded by the weight of the dragon carriage and the earth dragon, Subaru fought to keep his eyes open against the blasting sand and gale.
Then, beyond the clouds of debris, the dust at the impact point was abruptly swept away.
A gust of wind tore through the smoke, and from beyond it, a figure boldly revealed itself. As the opponent emerged through the settling sand, Subaru's face went rigid.
He recognized that figure. That appearance.
"You're…"
The tall woman strode toward him, her footsteps ringing against the hard floor.
Dark brown hair, nearly black, tied into a ponytail. An outfit that could only be described as semi-nude — arms, legs, stomach, and back left boldly exposed. With only her chest and lower abdomen minimally covered, and a black mantle draped over the whole ensemble, her attire was strikingly eccentric.
In Subaru's words: hot pants and a black bikini under a long coat.
Long, slender, pale limbs, and a voluptuous chest swayed freely without restraint. She was about Subaru's height — perhaps a touch taller — and her waist was at a level he could not hope to match.
Resting on her white shoulders was a well-composed face, languid yet sharp-eyed — undeniably beautiful.
That was, without question, the last face Subaru had seen before losing consciousness.
The person who had mercilessly attacked and slain that centaur.
And the countless beams of light unleashed at the centaur — Subaru recognized that attack.
"…Are you the 'Sage'?"
"——"
The woman approached in silence. Subaru swallowed his dryness and asked only that.
But the woman offered no answer, drawing closer until she was within arm's reach, then stopped and simply stared at him.
Her gaze swept over his entire body, and frankly, Subaru was unnerved.
He hadn't even heard this person speak. To boot, her strength had been enough to casually dispatch a centaur, and she had descended from an unfathomable height without so much as a scratch — clearly beyond human capability.
If he made a wrong move, being reduced to charcoal in an instant would not be out of the question. With an opponent whose intentions were completely unreadable, all he could feel was fear.
"——"
In Subaru's arms, Beatrice remained rigid and held close. Her tension was palpable, even through her small body.
At the very least, encountering this situation while in contact with Beatrice was fortunate. In the worst case, a fight was not impossible.
Of course, avoiding a fight altogether was far preferable. That effort was worth making.
"H-hey… are you listening? See, my companions are being looked after here, and we have no intention of being hostile or anything… right?"
"——"
"I mean, it gets kinda nerve-wracking when you don't say anything. Could you, I don't know, say something? Or maybe this is a telepathy-only kind of deal? If so, I'm in trouble, haha…"
"——"
The presumed "Sage" stared at Subaru without reacting to a single word.
The discomfort was off the charts. Subaru's bewilderment and confusion were evident from the incoherence of his speech.
At this rate, the sheer hostility of the atmosphere might get him killed.
—And just like that, Subaru's anxiety was shattered.
"…Three."
"Huh?"
"——"
The woman who had been staring fixedly at Subaru suddenly murmured that single word.
Her voice was slightly hoarse, but listening further, it was likely what one would call a husky yet beautiful voice.
Though, for someone as mysterious as this woman — whose thoughts he could not read at all — there was something oddly endearing about it.
And then, before Subaru's eyes, the woman let out a soft breath, and — "Ah, well. Never mind that. More importantly — I found you."
"Uh… what?"
The woman suddenly spoke as if tossing something out, and her expression shifted.
The stern, almost piercing look she had worn — as though trying to peer into Subaru's very soul — slowly, gradually, over a long moment, softened. Like ice melting.
The corners of her mouth widened, forming what could only be called a smile.
And then the woman looked at Subaru and said: "—Master."
"…Excuse me?"
An entirely unfamiliar word. An entirely unearned emotion.
Stunned by a reaction so far beyond anything he could have anticipated, Subaru turned around. There was, of course, only Garian behind him. Was Garian the "Master" in question?
"You — did you just raise an important-character flag out of nowhere!? Is that what's happening!?"
"That's obviously not the case! Open your eyes, I suppose!"
Subaru leaned in toward Garian, only to be scolded by Beatrice in his arms.
Her words were reasonable, but Subaru's mind was spinning. Utterly clueless about what was being said, he turned back to the woman.
"Look, I'm sorry, but I think you've got the wrong person or — mmph!?"
"Master! Finally, finally, finally! I've been waiting so long, ss!"
Mid-sentence, the woman — overcome with emotion — crashed into him. Rather, Subaru was struck by her tackle and knocked flat on his back.
He hit the floor with Beatrice between them, the little girl crying out "Mukyuu!" in protest, but the ecstatic woman refused to let go of the wide-eyed Subaru.
Her long ponytail whipped around as she squeezed him with inhuman strength, joyfully repeating herself over and over.
"Master! Master! It's been so long! I was so lonely! I seriously thought I'd spend the rest of my life just sniping anyone who got close to the shrine!"
"W-wait! Wait, wait! What!? What are you talking about!?"
"It's so mean, ss! Weren't you the one who gave the order, Master? To stop anyone from approaching the shrine… Well, the method was a bit different, ss, but —"
"That's not — I'm your Master!? What the hell are you talking about!?"
He was pressed against the soft skin of a woman, but he was in no mood to enjoy the situation. Trapped in her abnormal grip, Subaru struggled desperately to break free.
But the woman, too, had her own grievances, and she refused to release him.
The result: Subaru and the woman, with Beatrice sandwiched between them, thrashing about on the floor.
"Get off me, at least — we can't even talk like this…!"
"No way, ss! Absolutely no way, ss! You're just saying that so you can sneak off again when I let go! You haven't changed at all, Master!"
"How should I know—!!"
The stubborn woman — apparently carrying some deep-seated trauma — refused to let go no matter what. Subaru grabbed her face and tried to push it away, shouting through gritted teeth.
"First of all — who are you!? What are you!?"
"What are you talking about, ss!? I'm
"I don't remember that—!!"
The woman who had introduced herself — Shaula — shared her name with the title of the tower's "Sage."
There was no way the great "Sage" of the Pleiades Watchtower could possibly be this incomprehensible woman.
Subaru firmly lodged his objection.
But before their tangled stalemate could progress, a sudden change burst onto the scene.
It was — "—Terrible! Terrible! I woke up and Subaru was nowhere to be found! I have to tell everyone quickly and go look for — "
"Oh."
Tumbling out through the carriage door, hair disheveled from sleep, came Emilia. Full of anxious urgency, she burst outside — only to spot Subaru and Shaula tangled up together (and, technically, Beatrice as well). Her eyes went wide.
"Emilia-tan! Thank goodness you're awake! So this one is—"
"Hiyah!"
"Ow!? Emilia-tan, why did you just kick me!?"
"I don't really know, but I felt reeeeally bothered."
Including the newly awakened Emilia, the noisy shouting match continued for some time — In the end, it was only once Julius and the others — drawn by the commotion — converged on the scene that the struggle against the Pleiades Watchtower's "Sage" (provisional) finally came to an end.