"————"
Seeing his own face reflected in the mirror, Subaru's throat froze.
It was a familiar face — yet one that felt wrong to call "familiar." And for good reason: the face staring back at him from the mirror was a relic of the past, one that existed only in his fading memories.
Because there, reflected in the glass, was the face of a young
"What… the hell… is this…"
The hand holding the hand mirror trembled, causing the pale, childish face to shake in small increments. With his other hand, he patted his cheek tentatively, and a pair of fingers far too small for an adult — matching the child's face — came into view through the mirror.
Based on his features and height, he looked to be about ten years old.
During elementary school, Subaru had been so mischievous and active that his height was easier to count from the front than the back. Now, with his fully grown limbs, he barely scraped by at the Japanese average — but back then, he had undeniably been a shrimp.
By that standard, he would have loved to grow up faster — but— "What the hell is this?!"
In the mirror, his lips and eyes wavered — and it wasn't just from his trembling hands.
It was clear, unmistakable proof that his very soul was rejecting the sight before it.
A nightmare. A scene worthy of being called one.
If one were to bluntly label this as "rejuvenation," there might be no shortage of people who'd dream of such a thing — but Subaru, fresh in his teens, had absolutely no desire for it.
And even if someone harbored such ambitions, he'd at least want some say in the timing and circumstances.
That was just how absurd this emergency was.
"I-I can't just stand around…"
It took a long moment to collect himself, then Subaru bolted for the bedroom door. There was no way the inn's complimentary perk was "rejuvenation." The natural conclusion was that some hostile entity had attacked them.
He had to hurry, warn his companions staying at the same inn, and figure out a way out of this— "Everyone, something crazy happened! I know it's sudden, but don't freak out…"
"Ah, I knew it — Subaru-chin really did get smaller!"
"Huh?"
The instant Subaru twisted a doorknob that felt heavier and higher than usual and threw the door open, he was greeted by the unexpected — no, the entirely predictable sight waiting beyond.
In the common room outside the bedroom, where several people had gathered, a girl greeted him with a beaming smile. She had adorable features, a cheerful grin, and was waving both hands enthusiastically.
Clear blue eyes and a distinctive braided style of golden hair — that unmistakable sun-like radiance easily connected the girl in front of him to the woman in Subaru's memories.
"M-Medium…?"
"That's right~! I woke up small too, and I was so surprised! But I'm actually relieved that Subaru-chin got small too. Companion, companion!"
She raised both arms overhead like a victory pose, bouncing with excitement as she spoke — a girl wrapped in a thin cloth over bare skin, looking about twelve or thirteen years old. She introduced herself as
Medium had been quite tall for a woman, but caught in the same phenomenon as Subaru, she had shrunk considerably too. Even so, she still had about half a head on the now-tiny Subaru.
Regardless— "It's great that we found each other, but this isn't really a situation we can just celebrate— Uwah!?"
"Uwooooh!"
Just as Subaru was trying to process the initial shock, a force from the side sent him flying. He flipped over, and someone pounced onto his chest.
The pressure elicited a strangled, frog-like squeal from Subaru.
"Aaah! Louis-chan, I told you no! Subaru-chin is tiny!"
"Aaah, uwoh!"
"Kyaa~! I'm too small too, I can't lift Louis-chan up~!"
Medium frantically tried to pry the wriggling beast off Subaru's chest, but with her diminished arms, she couldn't stop the rampaging creature's onslaught.
Just as young Natsuki Subaru was about to be utterly trampled— "Louis, you mustn't! Subaru will be crushed!"
"Ah—"
With a sharp rebuke, the heavy monster atop his chest was removed. When Subaru looked, the one being pulled away from him — wearing a pained expression for reasons unknown — was Louis.
Lifting her by the side was Taritta, her hair dyed blue-black — and in form and stature, she was the same Taritta Subaru knew.
"Haah, thanks, Taritta-chan! I was totally out of strength~"
"I-I-I-I-I-I'm… fine… A-Are you… unhurt… S-Subaru?"
"Ah, yeah, you saved me. …You're okay, Taritta. Also—"
Taking Medium's offered hand, Subaru sat up and looked toward the back of the room.
There, seated on the sofa and silently watching the entire commotion unfold, was a black-haired man with his face hidden behind an oni mask — Abel.
His refusal to lift a finger was understandable, though Subaru had his thoughts about it. Still, there was a relief in it.
"Abel, you're fine too…"
His appearance — mask included — hadn't changed from yesterday.
Whether that was a blessing or not, Subaru honestly couldn't tell at this point.
But the fact that Abel, face hidden though it was, was not welcoming this situation was evident from the irritable aura emanating from behind his mask.
In proof of his displeasure, Abel turned his gaze toward Subaru and— "How pathetic," he said, dismissing the whole sorry state in a single phrase.
"…I actually think I'm kind of cute and charming, personally."
Receiving this brutally blunt assessment, Subaru reflexively shot back with a barb. But even he knew it was nothing more than a hollow retort.
The abnormal phenomenon that had befallen Subaru and Medium seemed not to have affected Abel, Taritta, and Louis — which meant— "That leaves one more…"
"—Oh, glad you're worried about me, bro. Was starting to think you'd forgotten."
"—!"
The instant Subaru worried about the last of their fellow inn guests, the answer presented itself.
Eyes wide, Subaru turned around. Standing before him, having emerged from another bedroom, was a black-haired boy around his age — about ten years old. His bizarre appearance was immediately striking.
Because the boy had torn strips of cloth and wrapped them around his face to hide his features.
"You're… Al, right? …What's with the mask?"
"My helmet doesn't fit anymore, so this was the best I could come up with. Just some cloth wrapped around — don't read too much into it."
"Even if you tell me not to read into it, I'm gonna read into it…"
As he spoke, the masked boy Al waved his right hand at Subaru with a lazy flutter. Unlike the helmet he usually wore, the cloth covered less of his face, so his tied-back black hair was visible. Abel had also hidden his face behind cloth before donning the oni mask, but Al's wrapping was far more haphazard.
He looked like a discount slasher-movie killer.
"…I get that you can't wear the helmet, but couldn't you have put a little more effort into hiding your face?"
"Whoa now, that's a pretty insensitive thing to say, bro. The helmet's not some fashion statement or hobby — it's a sign of my complex. Even if I look like a kid and have the mind of an adult, that doesn't just go away. —It's not like my arm grew back. Which means the scars on my face haven't disappeared either. Same goes for you, right?"
"What you…"
As he spoke, Al held out his left arm — still missing from the bicep down, exactly as before. It was proof that his understanding of his current situation was correct.
Subaru, Al, and Medium had all involuntarily rejuvenated. But this wasn't time having been turned back — it was a clear, physical transformation.
"————"
Accepting Al's words, Subaru lifted his baggy shirt and confirmed that the old scars covering his body hadn't vanished. His small child's body was etched with all manner of wounds one would rather not look at. —The time he had spent in this other world had not been erased.
He'd never really considered that a day might come when he'd feel relieved at the existence of scars.
But the scars told him something. This was functionally the same as his limbs simply having been shortened.
Still— "Just having your limbs shortened — there's no way that kind of bizarre fate just happens out of nowhere."
"Yeah~. Hmm, this means I might not be able to help with big brother's work anymore. Big brother's frail as it is — this is a huge problem~!"
"The Okoell siblings' business is definitely taking a massive hit, that's for sure…"
Beyond the long-term business implications, there were plenty of immediate problems too.
Right now, Subaru's biggest issue was not having clothes that fit, which was a mere inconvenience. But for Al and Medium, it was far more serious.
"Al, you said your helmet doesn't fit — but what about your weapons?"
"You're right to ask. But there's no way I can swing those things around with these cute little arms."
"I might be able to manage one sword, but two is pushing it… ugh!"
"Careful!"
Medium drew one of the twin blades from the scabbard at her side, but the sword slipped from her grip and nearly split Subaru's knee.
The blade barely grazed him before plunging into the floor, sending a chill down his spine.
"Whoa, Subaru-chin, sorry…"
"D-Didn't get stabbed… but that was way too close…"
Medium's shoulders drooped as she carefully pulled the sword from the floor and sheathed it. The weapons she had handled with ease just yesterday were now practically unusable. For Medium, who was expected to contribute as a fighter, this was a crisis that shook her very foundation.
Setting aside her combat capabilities, the same applied to Al.
"So right now, the only person who can actually fight is Taritta…?"
"No way! I'm gonna try my best even though I'm small!"
"I admire your spirit, but you don't meet labor-safety standards…"
Medium's refusal to be discouraged was admirable, but they also needed someone who could look at the situation realistically.
With both Al and Medium in this state, only Taritta could hold her own in a fight. —Even if her strength was proven, being in enemy territory with just her was as reassuring as walking a tightrope.
"I-I'm… the one…?"
Indeed, Taritta felt the pressure squarely.
Because the roles that should have been distributed among them couldn't be divided, and she had to bear it all on her own shoulders.
On that front, Subaru felt sorry for Taritta, but— "We're putting a huge burden on you. But what do we do from here? There's probably someone watching — do we try to flee from
"…You thinking that perverted lordess was behind this, bro?"
"Since the three of us were the only ones affected."
At Al's question, Subaru quietly nodded.
The common thread between Subaru, Al, and Medium was obvious: they had all gone to the Crimson Divination Castle as envoys the day before. Suspecting Joruna's involvement in their shrinking was, if anything, the most reasonable conclusion.
"It seems you haven't quite panicked as much as I expected," Abel interjected into their conversation, having been silently mulling things over.
It was true — right after waking, Subaru had nearly spiraled into panic, but encountering Al and Medium, who shared his predicament, had significantly eased his agitation.
In a sense, Medium's earlier mention of "companions" was the truth of it.
Still— "Maybe I just missed the window for panicking. Once I discover all the ways this body is inconvenient, maybe I'll realize just how much my height and weight mattered."
"Even shrunk, you haven't shut your mouth."
"Adaptability and cleverness are my few selling points."
He was sure Abel would dismiss this as even more lip-service, but Subaru said it anyway. Sure enough, Abel's gaze sharpened behind his mask, and he muttered, "Lip-service…" with visible exasperation.
But he didn't stop there.
"You can discard your suspicions about Joruna Misgret. The phenomenon affecting you is different from the arts she commands."
"…Are you certain?"
"As far as I can determine. Whether to believe me is your choice."
Abel flatly denied the very suspicion Subaru had just harbored. However, the basis for that denial seemed to exist only within Abel himself. He'd tossed it out with a "believe it or don't," and Subaru's mouth pressed into a dissatisfied line.
But he didn't have long to deliberate.
"…Got it. But if it's not Joruna's doing, then who is it?"
"The one responsible is most likely
"Olbart… that old man from yesterday?!"
Swallowing his dissatisfaction and choosing to trust Abel's reasoning, Subaru listened as Abel named the architect of their situation.
The name belonged to the diminutive old man they had encountered at the Crimson Divination Castle — one of the so-called "Nine Divine Generals" accompanying the false emperor.
Among the empire's strongest, he held the third-highest title. Subaru had anticipated formidable ability, of course — but— "I never thought he'd be the kind of person who could cause something this incomprehensible…"
"His depths are unknown to me as well. But the event itself cannot be denied. …If we're talking purely about disguising appearance, there are others besides Olbart who could be responsible."
"…Unfortunately, the hallucination angle doesn't seem to work."
He'd already tried pinching his cheeks and every other method of waking from a dream.
The possibility that magic or drugs were distorting his perception was almost certainly nil. The shortened limbs and the fact that Louis's strength and weight had overwhelmed him were proof enough.
The physical changes to Subaru's clothing and the size of Al's helmet couldn't be ignored either.
Abel had likely thought as much too. He offered no particular counter-argument to Subaru's insistence that the effects were real.
"At least we don't have to flee with our tails between our legs anymore… but this is a mess. Even you, Abel — an emperor — didn't know how that old man fights? What the hell is he?"
"He is the leader of a faction that has mastered the special arts known as '
"Shinobi… ninjas?"
"—What is that?"
Subaru let slip the word without thinking, and Abel furrowed his brow in response.
Hearing "Shinobi," one would reflexively associate it with "ninja" — its equivalent. But to Abel's ears, the term apparently sounded novel… or peculiar.
To Subaru, though, it felt like one of those rare moments — similar to when he'd first learned about
"So these Shinobi — do they use ninja techniques, carry out espionage in the dark of night, assassinations, that sort of thing?"
"I have no knowledge of this 'ninjutsu,' but the primary duties of a Shinobi are as you understand. …That said, it should be information not easily obtained on the surface?"
"Back where I'm from, people with similar jobs are called ninjas. Right, Al?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, yeah. That group of four witty turtles."
Whether Al had the same hang-up or was simply lost in thought, his answer missed the mark entirely — referring to characters from a classic animated show Subaru didn't dislike.
In any case, explaining the details would be meaningless to Abel, and he seemed to regard it as a topic not worth digging into.
In its place, Medium's eyes went wide with a sudden realization: "If it was that old man from yesterday, maybe it's this! You know, when we were escaping from the castle…"
"Escaping…? Oh—"
"Subaru-chin and I both got poked in the chest at the same time!"
Medium's exclamation was phrased a bit awkwardly, but it jogged something in Subaru's mind.
That had been during their escape from the Crimson Divination Castle — while fighting tooth and nail to fulfill Joruna's malicious condition. Pursued by Olbart's strike, they had been trying to break through the keep's outer wall when— The blow from the "Nine Divine General" had pierced each of them.
But that attack had brought them no harm whatsoever.
At the time, they'd accepted it and moved on. But it should have had some effect.
"You can't just predict something like this…! Besides, even if it explains things for me and Medium, what about Al? Why did he shrink?"
"Sorry, bro. I tussled with the old man a few times before bailing. He probably got me somewhere. I figured any wound that wouldn't kill me was a no-go."
A low voice — low only in the sense of a pre-pubescent boy — grumbled as Al berated his own carelessness.
But Al had no reason to blame himself. He had fulfilled his role and ensured that Subaru and Medium survived that desperate situation. The same was true for Medium.
Which meant the one who should have been more aware was Subaru.
If he couldn't contribute as a fighter, he should have kept his awareness tuned to every possible development.
The result of that negligence was the "pathetic state" Abel had pointed out.
"I can't let
"Even if I'm the one who shrank, I seriously doubt the lady's gonna dote on me like she does Schult. This whole development just feels pointless."
"You all seem remarkably composed… I'm the only one still bewildered…"
Taritta, her face pale, confided her inner feelings to Subaru and Al, who were discussing their diminished bodies.
Still holding the squirming Louis in her arms, Taritta — now the sole combatant — wore her confusion openly. She almost seemed to feel guilty about being unaffected.
Naturally, she was the only one present who was physically and mentally normal.
"Honestly, if I weren't cracking jokes, I feel like I'd start screaming."
"I-Is that so…?"
"Yeah. …It's that repulsive."
Not because of being in a child's body.
It was the violation of having one's body altered without consent. The collapse of one's self-definition — that was what was truly revolting.
"————"
Up to now, Subaru took pride in the fact that he had endured all manner of ordeals in this other world.
The experience of "death" was foremost among them, but the sheer density of events packed into the past year and a half was incomparable to anything an ordinary person might face — richer in color, flavor, and weight.
Yet among all those experiences, the indescribable revulsion of having one's very self remade was unmatched.
"Is this… what the victims of 'Gluttony' felt?"
Clutching his thin, small shoulders and grinding his molars, Subaru heard a flutter of wings echo in his mind.
It was the sound from the Watergate City — the fluttering of those afflicted by the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony's authority, whose bodies had been transformed into flies, still awaiting salvation.
If the mere act of being turned into a younger version of himself produced this much dysmorphia, then the tragedy of those who had been transformed into entirely different organisms utterly surpassed Subaru's shallow understanding.
An act that inflicted such a sensation was nothing short of— "—Depraved, one might say."
Abel, arms crossed, had perfectly read Subaru's inner thoughts, and his words caught Subaru's breath.
Meeting Subaru's unsteady gaze, Abel continued: "Olbart's epithet is 'Depraved Old Man'… true to that name, he employs Shinobi arts to carry out every manner of foul deed and special operation."
"Special operations, huh? Does that include turning your target into a baby?"
"Don't be absurd. —Though, looking at this sorry state, perhaps even that isn't beyond him."
"————"
A quip from Abel, yet one carrying a weight that could not be laughed off.
The reality was simple: since Subaru, Al, and Medium had been reduced to children, it was impossible to even speculate on what Olbart's arts could and could not achieve.
With that understanding established, the thing that weighed most heavily on their minds was— "This… can be reversed, right?"
"I cannot say with certainty. But it is natural to assume that a means exists."
"What… what's the basis for that?"
"The only reason to administer a non-lethal poison is to negotiate with the target."
Hearing Abel's reasoning, Subaru silently conceded.
This phenomenon — he would call it "infantilization" for convenience's sake — resembled being poisoned, and Abel was deducing the intent of whoever had done it based on the fact that it hadn't killed them instantly.
If this was a ploy to extract some concession…
"Then if the other party makes contact…"
"I'll say it again: I cannot speak with certainty. But—"
Abel looked at the wide-eyed Taritta and warned that overconfidence was poison. Just as he was about to continue— A knock sounded at the door from outside.
"!"
Given their previous conversation, everyone's attention and tension snapped toward the door.
Subaru braced himself — could this be contact from Olbart, the one behind their infantilization? But— "—Good morning. I come bearing a message from Lady Joruna Misgret."
The voice delivered through the door was, for the moment, an anticlimax.
The deflation of expectations caused Subaru's heightened tension to slacken carelessly. It took a beat to realize that a messenger from Joruna meant a reply to yesterday's letter.
And another beat to recognize the voice.
"That voice — it's the deer kid from yesterday. See? It's
"Seems like it. Alright, then… we should let her in, right?"
At Medium's signal, Subaru turned to Abel for approval. Abel was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Seeing that, Subaru moved toward the door to receive the visitor.
"N-No, I'll handle this."
Stepping in front of Subaru and taking the lead was Taritta. She handed Louis to Medium, waved Subaru and the others back, and approached the door.
On this point, Subaru had to concede his own lack of vigilance. Without thinking, there was no way he could have opened the door carelessly — and in his current shrunken state, his guard was as good as nonexistent.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion. I come to deliver Lady Joruna's words."
With a polite bow, the one who stepped across the threshold was, as expected, the deer-girl Tanza.
Just as the day before, the girl in her kimono entered the room, took in the stares of those who greeted her, and came to a halt.
It was unclear what the mostly expressionless girl thought of this unusually child-heavy space. But it was worth noting that her gaze lingered longest on the suspicious-looking man in the oni mask.
In any case, the girl scanned the room before asking: "Where have the envoys from yesterday gone?"
"Um… they're out on business. Should I call them back?"
"—No, you may relay it to them later."
Tanza's attention kept drifting toward Abel at the back of the room. Subaru had thought her almost too perfect a servant, but seeing her unable to tear her eyes from something interesting revealed a surprisingly endearing side.
All the same, the report she carried would have major implications for their immediate future.
With quiet tension, everyone waited for Tanza's words.
And then— "Having read the letter, Lady Joruna will provide a formal reply. Therefore, we ask that you all present yourselves at the Crimson Divination Castle."
"…She actually read it."
Relief escaped Subaru involuntarily at Tanza's bowing words.
It might have been rude of him, but after everything that had happened, he had harbored doubts that Joruna might have simply torn the letter to shreds on a whim.
It was the same unsettling feeling he got dealing with high-maintenancé cats or Priscilla — when you couldn't find the right approach, that was the impression left.
"I won't deny that the princess is difficult to handle, but surely she knows the time and place— No, actually, I'm not so sure about that either."
Al began to defend Priscilla after reading Subaru's expression, then gave up halfway. That too was evidence of how much trouble Priscilla was to deal with, even for someone who'd known her a long time.
Regardless, at least one part of their pressing situation seemed to be progressing smoothly. That was a relief.
Now the only major problem was their infantilization— "The author of the letter and the envoys from yesterday are requested to attend the tower keep."
"—Gwah."
"?"
At the involuntary groan that escaped him, Tanza tilted her head with a slight droop of her round eyebrows.
Trying not to betray his panic, Subaru forced a pleasant smile, shook his head saying "Nothing, nothing," and forcibly deflected Tanza's suspicion.
Seemingly satisfied — or perhaps simply uninterested — Tanza returned her head to its upright position.
"Awaiting you at the Crimson Divination Castle, when the fire-hour bell rings."
"Understood. A pleasure. You may leave."
"—Very well. Pardon me."
The fire-hour bell — that essentially meant around noon.
Having conveyed the meeting arrangements, Tanza bowed and turned to leave. Just as she did, Subaru called out, "Um."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Just to confirm — the main invitee is the person who wrote the letter, and the envoys from yesterday are extras, right? So if, for whatever reason, the envoys can't attend…"
"Lady Joruna has expressly requested that the envoys also be present."
"————"
"In this魔都, there is no going against Lady Joruna's words."
Her tone was measured, yet it carried an absolute, unshakable resolve.
Leaving those words behind, the messengers girl departed, and Subaru closed the door. Only after doing so did he take a deep breath and turn around.
And then— "…Do you think we currently meet the condition she just described?"
He extended his own drastically changed arm and posed the question.