A girl clad in black robes, floating through the air, her long peach-colored hair drifting behind her.
The girl's eyes narrowed to slits — and her ears were slightly long, proving from her appearance alone that she hailed from the Elf race, a lineage reviled throughout this world.
However, that physical trait was, strictly speaking, a misidentification.
Because when tracing this girl's origins, the most defining characteristic was not her elven heritage, but rather the manner of her birth.
A replica created from the elf Ryuzu Meyer as a base, brought into being through a certain magic formula placed within the
Among the many replicas produced, there was one deemed the greatest failure.
It had betrayed the schemes of the "
—That was
"——"
Gazing up at the figure of the "enemy" suspended in the night sky, Roswaal drew in a sharp breath.
An encounter that should never have come to pass — it delivered no small shock to his psyche. —No, let me admit it without putting on a brave face.
It was a full-force blow that threatened to crack Roswaal's heart wide open.
This was a reunion that should have been impossible.
Of all those present, Roswaal had the deepest awareness of the monster overhead. In fact, during the Demi-human War — the very conflict in which Sphinx had wrought havoc — he had faced it in the flesh.
And back then, Roswaal's fist had surely shattered the monster's life.
And yet — "Missing limbs: none. Memories remain intact up to the moment before. My appearance is… fixed in an unsatisfactory state. Self-awareness is rather troublesome. Require: countermeasures."
Stretching one arm out with a grunt in midair, Sphinx spoke in a quiet voice.
Those golden eyes, that pallid, bloodless skin — they were unmistakably those of the living dead, yet Sphinx possessed a far more solid sense of self than any corpse they had encountered thus far.
Whether the living dead retained memories and awareness from their former lives, and what accounted for the variation between them — discerning that had been one of the reasons Roswaal and the others had come here. But it was a miscalculation.
A miscalculation spanning some forty years.
Sphinx's survival was a devastating blow to Roswaal, but what he regretted even more was the presence of
They should never have been allowed to meet.
Setting aside Sphinx's true identity, the thought of those two — who harbored deep feelings tied to that particular form — encountering the enemy wearing that face was absolutely unthinkable.
Concealing that regret behind a blink, Roswaal steeled his heart and — without ever breaking eye contact with Sphinx — "— Garfiel, don't rush ahead."
"— Beatrice, fall back."
"— Roswaal, calm down."
The three voices rang out simultaneously, and a momentary silence fell.
If each had called out to the person they thought most likely to be overcome by emotion, then it was worth taking an optimistic view: all three had moved past the initial shock.
Digging into the state of Beatrice and Garfiel's awareness could wait.
"The air wrapped around her is different from when she talks. Is she a special kind of corpse?"
Unlike the rest of them, Mizelda — who had no reason to freeze up — narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
At her words, Roswaal tucked his chin and opened his mouth before Beatrice or anyone else could address Sphinx directly.
"I hardly want to believe it, but — have you been living on as one of the living dead since the end of the Demi-human War?"
"There is something slightly off about that framing. If 'the living dead' is the appropriate term, then would 'living on' not be an inappropriate expression?"
"I see. You have no intention of answering the question. —As always, you have a talent for getting under people's skin."
"I merely pointed out that the format of the question was inappropriate."
A response steeped in feigned innocence, yet Sphinx's expression did not change in the slightest.
A monster that had never truly possessed anything resembling emotion to begin with, she had only lost whatever flicker of inner warmth remained upon taking on the form of the living dead. One might well call it the coldness of a corpse.
Still, the very fact that she now inhabited a dead body was something Roswaal could barely endure.
The magic formula behind Echidna's replicas employed the same principle as the artificial spirits composed of mana — the same mechanism they had been frantically unraveling alongside Beatrice moments ago, including improvements upon the Secret of the Immortal King.
This monster had grown clearly more dangerous than before.
"Just what the hell are you, huh?!"
Watching the back-and-forth between Roswaal and Sphinx and apparently deciding it was going nowhere, Garfiel cut in.
The boy clicked his sharp canines together, emerald eyes brimming with fury, and — "I know there are other people besides Granny who've got that face and voice. But I know exactly where every single one of those other people besides Granny is — names and locations, every last one."
"——"
"So just what are you?"
What Garfiel had voiced was his suspicion that this being was one of the clones who shared the same origin as Ryuzu — the grandmother he revered — but had been given no role and thus possessed only a faint flicker of self-awareness.
Those clones had all been given names as well, and Ryuzu — now living apart from them — served as their caretaker, with the long-term goal of entrusting them to duties within the camp.
In any case, Garfiel's instinct had apparently led him to see that Sphinx was none of those clones, yet had been born by the very same method.
For Garfiel, this was a blasphemous existence tantamount to the defilement of his own family. Receiving the boy's desperate question, Sphinx quietly lowered her gaze and — "It seems you are the ones who have been disrupting the mana in the atmosphere."
"——"
She completely ignored Garfiel's existence.
As though his question had never happened, Sphinx's gaze shifted to Roswaal and Beatrice. That fact caught in Garfiel's throat, and the intensity of the rage smoldering in his eyes only deepened.
Understanding Garfiel's fury perfectly well, Roswaal still closed one eye — his yellow one — and glared at Sphinx, caught between hurling an insult or issuing a taunt.
"I suppose I can vaguely guess what you are."
"Beatrice."
"Hold your tongue, Roswaal. That is what emerged while Betty was shut away in the Forbidden Library. I will overlook, for now, the fact that you kept this from me. But —"
Having been beaten to the punch by Beatrice's choice of words, Roswaal let out a sigh.
She had seen right through why he had concealed Sphinx's existence. And his further missteps on that front would surely be called to account later.
But for now — "This time, I will not let you escape."
Raising her hand, Beatrice fixed Sphinx firmly within her round eyes. Meeting that fierce determination head-on, Sphinx nodded.
The monster likewise raised one hand toward Beatrice and — "I too have identified the threat. Require: elimination."
The instant those words left her mouth — words that should never have been spoken — the color in both Beatrice and Sphinx's eyes intensified by a fraction — " — Go die."
Before anyone else could react, the magical conflagration Roswaal launched announced the start of the battle.
△▼△▼△▼△ Stopping mid-stride in the corridor of the connected dragon carriages, Subaru found his gaze drawn to the window by a sudden unease in his chest.
The vast, dimly lit night sky stretched over the Empire's plains. He placed a hand against his slightly quickening heart, silently wishing for the safety of the girl he had sent off into that distant horizon.
"Subaru, are you okay?"
Noticing his state, it was
Her beautiful violet eyes narrowed with concern as she leaned in to look at his face. Subaru raised a hand and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
The discussion between Emilia's camp, the leadership of the Volachia Empire, and the
He could be of use if they needed a strategic breakthrough, but when it came to this kind of large-scale, practical logistics talk, Subaru was instantly reminded of his own inadequacy.
"With the
"Mm, I get how Subaru feels. Ideally, I'd want to contribute properly to these meetings too… but I'd just end up dragging Otto-kun's feet."
"Actually, I think
"Oh, come on, that's going too far. Otto-kun has been working incredibly hard for us."
At the evaluation of their indispensable domestic affairs minister, Emilia puffed out her cheeks.
Settling into a calm exchange like this with Emilia, Subaru felt the joy of having truly reunited with her — and, as always, his heart fluttered at just how much of a perfect match she was.
He got butterflies every morning just looking at her, but the impact after such a long time apart was on another level entirely.
"I'd love to fill my heart to the brim with praise for Emilia-tan's cuteness today, but…"
"I'm worried about Beatrice and Roswaal."
"I mean, if it's for my sake, Beako might push herself too hard…"
She had seen right through the reason he'd glanced out the window at the distant sky, and Subaru let out a wry laugh.
He was half-joking, but he also wasn't entirely overthinking it. The fact was, Beatrice had charged out with ferocious determination precisely for Subaru's sake.
His cooperation with Roswaal — against whom he had all manner of complicated feelings — could be called part of that same impulse.
Beatrice and Roswaal, the two subjects of their conversation, had left the connected dragon carriages to rendezvous with a unit conducting delaying tactics against the enemy, and were undertaking a specific verification.
That verification, put simply, was to determine the nature of the living dead.
"In practice, whether these zombies are being revived by that 'Secret of the Immortal King' everyone keeps talking about — or whether they can use magic — is something only people familiar with it can spot."
"Vollachia seems to have fewer magic users than Lugunica, so there are probably things that only Beatrice and Roswaal, with all their knowledge, can pick up on. If we share those findings with Abel and the others, I think we'll be able to follow through on their offer to help."
After saying that, Emilia tilted her head slightly.
"I wish I could have been more useful too, though… I don't really know much about magic. I just kind of use it on instinct, so…"
"Emilia-tan is the intuitive type. Your needs are different from bookworm Beako or otaku Roswaal. You've got your own moments where you absolutely shine, so it's fine. If anything, in my eyes, you're always like the brightest star in the sky."
"Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying."
He had meant to encourage Emilia, who was lamenting her inability to help Beatrice, but his overzealous words had ended up going in circles.
Still, being able to share his worries with Emilia like this, rather than carrying them alone, was a small mercy.
In truth, Subaru wasn't only worried about Beatrice and the others. Garfiel, fighting on the same front, and every member of the Pleiades Watchtower Garrison weighed on his mind too.
Among the garrison, only
They were comrades who had fought through fierce battles together as one.
Including Cecilus — who still hadn't shown up no matter how much time passed — he trusted them. He did.
"But worry is still worry… Please, everyone, don't push yourselves too hard or get carried away…"
With Subaru murmuring that prayer, hands clasped together — "— Subaru, Emilia-sama, there you are."
"Oh, Julius."
The partition door swung open, and the dashing figure who stepped through prompted Emilia to raise her eyebrows. As she had called out, it was Julius Euclius, wearing his rapier at his side.
He gave a small bow, then stepped right up to Subaru and Emilia in the corridor, his expression — which had been somewhat stiff until a moment ago — softening at the corners.
"Back there, we didn't get much of a chance to talk."
"Mm… yeah. You, Anastasia-san, and Echidna too — I worried you all. Thanks for coming all the way out here to find us."
"…That's surprising."
Subaru offered his thanks for the efforts of Julius and Anastasia without reservation, and Julius's eyebrows genuinely rose a fraction.
"To think you'd express gratitude so openly. Could it be that reverting to a younger age has loosened that stubbornness of yours to match your appearance?"
"Oh, shut up! It's not like I'm free of those side effects, but I'd say thank you even if I hadn't shrunk! Do you know where we are? It's hell!"
"It's not hell — it's Vollachia. Saying things like that will upset Abel and the others."
"Really? Because most of why I feel like this country is hell comes down to what he's doing. Doesn't he lose the right to get upset with me?"
Of course, Abel had his own side of the story, and it wasn't hard to imagine him trial-and-erroring his way through running the Empire as best he could. But that was that, and the result was the pain Subaru had endured — so Subaru had every right to say this much.
At Subaru's impassioned complaint, Emilia looked troubled over what to say, apparently finding it hard to deny his sentiments entirely.
Meanwhile, Julius traced a finger over the scar beneath his eye in response to Subaru's blunt words.
"…Thinking back on the meeting as well — Subaru, what is your relationship with Emperor Vincent? Your manner of speaking just now was rather…"
"If you say something about disrespect right now, you'd probably faint if you knew what I did to him. And let me be clear — I'm not running wild because of kid privileges. The reason I turned out like this is because he's an old man who can't hold his reins properly."
"I shudder to imagine it. Emilia-sama, are you aware of the details?"
"Mm. Subaru and Abel are… way closer than you'd expect? I was worried at first whether the two of them would get along, but… honestly, Subaru just makes friends right away."
"Friends, huh…"
Emilia puffed up proudly, speaking as though it were her own achievement — but the truth was, Subaru was still somewhere in the process of figuring out exactly where Abel fit among his relationships.
At the very least, even if they had bared their feelings and thrown punches at each other, they weren't the kind of guys who could hit it off right away like delinquents squaring off at a riverbank.
"— Subaru, do you consider me a friend?"
"Huh? Well, I guess — yeah? I used to think you were a bit much, but for now — we crossed the Sand Sea together, and… I think so. Yeah."
"Good. That's more welcome news after confirming your safety."
Julius made a show of exaggerated relief, and his question seemed to be settled for the time being.
Though for someone whose current state was obvious at a glance, that was the least of his concerns. The most glaring problem facing Subaru — visible to anyone — remained unresolved.
"Subaru, about your body…"
"An old shinobi did this to me. You should try it on me sometime too. I'd like to see."
"I'll pass. I'd rather not face my younger self. Anastasia-sama and Emilia-sama must have been adorable in their youth, though."
"Emilia-tan's! Right! There was that option!"
"Me? Hmm, I'm not so sure. I saw my younger self in the Sanctuary too, but I think the current Subaru and Beatrice are cuter."
Emilia, who consistently underrated herself, said as much — but that couldn't possibly be true. She had grown up to be this beautiful, so she must have been an adorable child. She could probably give even Beatrice a run for her money in that department — "But hearing how you put it just now puts me at ease. It sounds like the path back to normal is already being laid out."
At Julius's words, Emilia nodded in agreement.
She placed her hand on Subaru's shoulder from behind, given the height difference — "The old man who shrunk Subaru seems to be on Abel's side too. He's outside fighting the 'zombies' right now, but once he gets back, we need to ask him. To put Subaru back the way he was. Then…"
"Ah — actually, there's something I need to say about that."
"—?"
Feeling slightly awkward, Subaru looked up at Emilia standing right behind him. Her hand still on his shoulder, Emilia's eyes went wide at his words.
As Julius furrowed his brow from the front, Subaru scratched his cheek with a finger and — "Even if Olbart comes back, I'm not planning to return to normal just yet. I think it'll be more convenient to stay in this small body for a while."
"Ehh!? Why? Oh — is it because a smaller body needs less food? If so, I can share my portions with you…"
"That's an incredibly sweet thought, but that's not it."
Shaking his head, Subaru gently denied Emilia's guess. At his answer, Julius narrowed his yellow eyes with a serious expression.
"It's just like you — I imagine you've determined this is necessary…"
"Yeah. I haven't introduced them to you or Anastasia-san yet, but there's a group I've joined here in Vollachia called the Pleiades Watchtower Garrison."
"Pleiades…"
Given the existence of the Pleiades Watchtower, Julius caught the resonance immediately. But sensing that pressing the point would only derail the conversation, he set aside his questions and gestured for Subaru to continue.
Acknowledging the courtesy with a nod, Subaru went on.
"These garrison comrades of mine — I don't really understand the exact mechanism, but when all of us, myself included, are united in spirit, we become incredibly powerful. And it's not just a matter of willpower —"
"— Emilia-sama?"
"Mm, that part is definitely real. The kids like Tanza-chan, and all of Subaru's other friends — they're all so strong, and they fight so hard."
"And I've been lying to all of them. —I've been lying about being the Emperor's son."
Even with Emilia's confirmation, the revelation that followed made Julius's eyes widen. Emilia, too, pressed a hand to her mouth as a small breath escaped.
"Now that you mention it, that is what you've been calling yourself… but Subaru, you weren't born in Vollachia, were you?"
"Nope. My hometown isn't this kind of hell. It's more peaceful and lovey-dovey."
"…In the fortified city, I did hear talk of the 'Black-Haired Crown Prince.' When I heard 'black hair,' I couldn't help but associate it with you."
"For the record, the mastermind behind that story is Abel, so take your complaints up with him. The important thing is that the garrison members all believe it. So…"
When departing the Gladiator Island, Subaru had convinced the companions who agreed to go with him that he was the son of the Emperor of Vollachia.
At the root of the Pleiades Watchtower Garrison's current unity lay that heavy, weighty lie. Subaru had no intention of deceiving them forever, of course.
Once this unprecedented catastrophe threatening the Volachia Empire was resolved, Subaru would return to his original size, bring
And to bring this battle to a grand victory, the cooperation of the Pleiades Watchtower Garrison was absolutely essential.
"That's why I can't go back yet. I have to stay as 'Natsuki Schwartz' — the person everyone in the garrison believes in. Until this fight to reclaim the Empire is over."
"Subaru…"
Tightening his small fist — one he had long since grown accustomed to — Subaru declared his resolve in no uncertain terms.
Even up to the point of making this declaration to Emilia and the others, Subaru had wavered.
Obviously, a bigger body was more his own than a small one. The desire to return to his original form was strong — he wanted to be able to lift Beatrice effortlessly, to talk with Emilia at eye level.
But that yearning of Subaru's paled in comparison to what was truly needed.
"— Truly, no matter what form you take or where you are, you never change."
Hearing Subaru's resolve, Julius let out a small sigh and said as much. He brushed his bangs aside with one hand, then regarded Subaru with a look that mixed exasperation with understanding in equal measure.
"Always demanding the most difficult and unexpected decisions. Whether it's someone else or yourself, you make no distinction."
"…It's not that dignified of a resolve. 'I still want to stay a kid a little longer' — doesn't that sound like something out of a Showa-era pop song?"
Being told this so directly by Julius, Subaru answered with a sheepish embarrassment. Then, a gentle hand was placed on his head, and when he turned, his gaze met a pair of violet eyes.
Emilia had softened her expression, looking at Subaru with a gaze full of affection.
"You just keep putting me in tough spots, Subaru."
"…Yeah, I really can't argue with that. I mean, I do want to get my body back and flirt with Emilia-tan, obviously. But still…"
"I know. You think about everything, and you choose what you believe is best. I feel the same way about you — Julius and I agree on that much."
Waving her hand back and forth, Emilia smiled at the flustered Subaru. With the hand still resting on his head, she poked his nose with a finger and continued, "But, you know…"
"No matter how small you are, you're still Subaru — I know that. And even if you stay small forever, I'll wait as long as it takes for you to grow."
"I mean, I'd still prefer not to end up stuck like this forever, but… wait, what exactly did you just—?"
"—?"
With that gentle tone and manner, Subaru felt like she'd just said something rather significant, and blinked in confusion. But the speaker herself either didn't understand the weight of her own words, or was completely innocent of any intent — she tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
No, the head-tilt didn't help either. He'd apparently encountered a tiny devil.
"——"
Feeling an involuntary warmth rise to his cheeks, Subaru looked to Julius for help. But the knight merely shrugged at his gaze, cruelly refusing the silent plea.
Inwardly cursing his unreliable friend, and regretting for a split second that maybe they really weren't friends after all, Subaru let his gaze wander — "Huh?"
— and found it colliding head-on with the stare of a girl who had just stepped out of a room off the corridor, her eyes fixed firmly on him.
△▼△▼△▼△ "Huh?"
The voice that had been prompted by Subaru and the others' commotion came from a girl with blue hair and pale blue eyes — and the instant Subaru laid eyes on her, his face lit up.
"Rem, thank goodness. I wanted to talk to you too."
Seeing Rem appear, the events of moments ago flew right out of Subaru's head.
Like Emilia and Beatrice, Subaru had lost consciousness after the altercation in the imperial capital and hadn't managed to have a proper conversation with Rem.
After clashing with Abel, he had relayed what he needed to tell Katchu, then entrusted Rem to her brother before heading into the meeting.
That meeting had reached its conclusion, and this was their long-overdue reunion.
"Um, how is Katchu-san? Has she calmed down?"
"— Under the circumstances, it isn't that simple. However, she has cried herself to sleep, and her brother is watching over her."
"Got it. Yeah… I'm sorry for burdening you with such a heavy role."
"…I did it because I wanted to. Ah, but, there's something…"
Rem answered from right in front of him, her voice dropping slightly. At that preface, Subaru tilted his head in curiosity.
But before Rem could speak — "— Rem-san, you're awake!"
It was Julius, surprised by Rem's presence, who spoke first.
His eyes wide, voice bright with genuine surprise and joy, Subaru nodded emphatically.
"Right. Sorry — I should have told you, and Anastasia-san and Echidna too. After we all got separated, Rem woke up. But…"
"My memories of Rem-san have not returned. Are you in the same situation?"
"Not just that — she's also in a hybrid state, just like Crusch-san."
"…So your own memories—"
At Subaru's explanation, Julius furrowed his well-shaped brows.
He quickly realized this was not a situation for unreserved celebration and appeared to wrestle with what to say. But he closed his eyes for a moment, and when they opened, his expression had returned to its usual keen composure.
"Rem-san, forgive the sudden address. I am Julius Euclius… a knight in service to a certain person, and a friend of Subaru's."
"This person's… friend…"
"I know the emphasis makes you want to push back, but yes. He's also one of the people who helped out a lot when Rem's eyes wouldn't open."
"That's—"
At the revelation of his relationship with the impeccably bowing Julius, Rem's eyebrows rose in surprise. After a beat, she too bowed her head right there.
"I apologize for the concern. I wouldn't say I'm at full strength yet, but for the time being, I can stand and walk on my own two feet."
"That is the most welcome news. For your sake, and for the sake of all those who have been thinking of you."
"— Yes."
It was the same perfectly courteous, considerate manner of speaking — the kind that made Subaru want to grumble. But standing before Rem, who placed a hand on her chest and gave that soft nod, even that petty impulse died on his lips.
In any case, it was good that Julius had also learned of Rem's awakening. He would need to properly inform Anastasia and the others later.
"Still, thanks to Anastasia-san and the others coming all the way to the Empire, I got to see you again, Rem. They were worried about you too."
"Yes. Anastasia-sama was quite distressed on your behalf. Though you may not remember, we traveled together once before — so my joy is genuine."
"Mm, I feel the same. And none of it would have been possible without Subaru working so hard."
Saying that, the smiling Emilia once again stroked Subaru's head.
He understood that it was easy to do given the height difference, but being patted on the head again and again like this made him feel like he was being treated as a child, which was enormously vexing.
It felt wonderful, of course — but Subaru was a man who didn't want Emilia to see him as a kid.
"Hey, Emilia-tan, stop pampering me so much."
"I think you're cute, but I'm not pampering you? I just genuinely think you've been wonderful. As expected of my knight."
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
While Emilia was stroking Subaru's head in that manner, a sharp voice suddenly interjected, and Emilia's hand froze.
Emilia's wide eyes turned to Rem, who was standing on the opposite side of Subaru.
Rem was staring fixedly at Emilia's hand resting on Subaru's head with those pale blue eyes.
"Rem? Is something wrong?"
"No — it's just, I'm a little confused. Emilia-san, may I ask you something?"
"Ask me something? Of course — go right ahead…"
"'Go right ahead'… that's an unusual phrase…"
With her hand still on his shoulder and head, and with Subaru and Emilia both tilting their heads in response to Rem's words, Rem regarded them both with a look of suspicion, glancing back and forth between them.
"…What exactly is your relationship?"
"Mine and Subaru's?"
"Mine and Emilia-tan's?"
At Rem's question, Subaru and Emilia exchanged glances.
Indeed, as things stood, Rem had only just reunited with everyone in Emilia's camp. Subaru had heard that her relationship with Ram had been sorted out, but nothing beyond that had been explained yet.
Ideally, this was something to discuss with everyone present — "Right. To put it simply, Emilia-tan is the head of our camp, and she's going to be the future queen of the Kingdom of Lugunica."
"I'm still working hard to make that happen, so technically I'm a candidate. And Subaru is my most important knight — my strongest ally."
"Most important ally…"
"Yeah, I'm going all-out to help make Emilia-tan's dream come true."
"That's right, he works so hard for me. Not for my sake, though — Subaru is doing it for Subaru."
Beaming with pride, Subaru spoke, and Emilia answered with a bashful smile. Hearing their answers, Rem placed a hand on her own forehead.
Then, after a long moment of quiet deliberation, she said — "I'm sorry. I'm confused, but… is this my doing?"
"— No, I don't think this is Rem-san's fault. Speaking as a third party…"
"Thank you…"
Rem seemed troubled about something, and Julius answered her in that manner for reasons Subaru couldn't quite fathom. Neither Subaru nor Emilia had picked up on Rem's confusion, so it was strange that Julius — an outsider to the camp — was the one reading the situation.
"Did we overwhelm Rem with too much information about Lugunica all at once…?"
"We had mentioned bits and pieces beforehand… Maybe Priscilla filled her head with some nonsense at
"Wait. Why is Lady Priscilla's name coming up? Could it be — is Lady Priscilla here in the Volachia Empire?"
"Um, could someone please address my confusion first?"
In the process of trying to untangle one question, another arose, threatening to spiral into an endless loop.
Subaru felt there were simply too many topics that needed proper sharing with Julius, Anastasia, and the others, and struggled to prioritize.
Rem's confusion should absolutely come first, but — "——"
Just as Subaru and Emilia both turned their attention toward finding a solution for Rem's bewilderment, something caught the edge of Subaru's vision.
It was something that fell from the night sky, dropping from the air toward the plain below.
"Subaru?"
Emilia's questioning voice called to him, eyes round with surprise. But Subaru put off responding, rushing to the window to peer outside.
Under normal circumstances, Subaru would never disregard Emilia's voice. But right now, confirming what he had glimpsed took priority.
Straining his eyes against the passing scenery, he tried to catch sight of the thing that had descended from the night sky once more.
It was — "Why is she here?"
A person who should not have been here — dragging that recognition from the far corners of his memory, Subaru blinked several times before voicing the name.
Standing there was someone who should have been living quiet days in the Kingdom of Lugunica — "— Ryuuz?"
"——"
She likely hadn't heard Subaru's whisper.
The distance was too great, his voice too quiet — and yet, the small figure turned toward him. Their eyes met, and instinct told him they had recognized each other.
That small figure, still locked in Subaru's gaze, moved her lips as though speaking something.
Leaning forward to catch what she was saying — "— Ah."
— the very next instant, a cascade of white light poured down upon the connected dragon carriages, swallowing