The first day of their assault on the
Once night fell, the longest of the three daily "Sand Times" would visit — the one lasting the longest stretch of hours. Forcing one's way through miasma-laden sand risked corroding the body and losing the path entirely.
If they couldn't even glimpse the
"By the way — I know this is a random time to ask, but does the anti-monster measure keep working even while we're asleep?"
"Of course it doesn't, dummy. Imagine getting your butt gnawed on by the very creatures you brought along — now that would be the height of humiliation, wouldn't it?"
Having learned firsthand of the Augria Sand Dunes' ferocious monsters, Subaru was somewhat — no, significantly — less than eager. Meili sniffed disdainfully at his cowardice, nose held high.
She'd been visibly in high spirits ever since the sandworm incident — perhaps delighted at having proven her usefulness. Subaru had also come to realize that keeping her in a good mood was worth risking his life for, so he resolved to take her concerns more seriously going forward.
In any case, it was nighttime.
For the time being, they used a wide, open stretch of sand within the dunes as their base and began making preparations against the sand, centering the dragon carriage. That said, the preparations didn't need to be anything elaborate.
The burden on any one person aside, the method was quite simple.
"Alright,
"Okay, stand back for a little. — There!"
With the same casual ease as when she'd thrust that tower of ice into the ground, Emilia cast her spell accompanied by a halfhearted shout. An ice wall materialized to cover the east side of the parked dragon carriage, functioning as a barrier against the sandstorm, shutting out the sand completely.
There was no worry about the ice melting, and it even offered some protection against minor monsters. The cold — both visually and physically — was a drawback, but if one was willing to overlook that, the results were more than satisfactory.
"I do feel somewhat uneasy about continuing to rely on Lady Emilia's power like this, though…"
"It's fine. Like I said — Subaru and Julius have been doing their best for us during the march. And like I also said, I'm feeling reeeally good right now."
"Apparently it usually makes your chest feel sick, so that's concerning in its own way…"
Julius sighed, gazing at the ice wall. Emilia flexed an arm, showing off her bicep. Noticing the soft-looking white upper arm out of the corner of his eye, Subaru thought he needed to keep an eye on Emilia's condition as well.
In truth, the air of the dunes — said to be permeated with miasma — had a peculiar "heaviness" to it.
That heaviness was affecting Subaru's body in subtle ways, and it could well be the reason
On the other hand, the ones who seemed to be in good spirits were Emilia and Meili, whose demeanor hadn't changed at all.
He didn't see what those two had in common, but given how extreme the differences in their reactions were, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Honestly, he wanted to get through the dunes as quickly as possible.
"Patience is essential. I understand your desire to press onward, Subaru — I don't mean to pretend otherwise."
"——"
Julius addressed the silent Subaru, who was staring up at the eastern sky blocked by ice. Feeling as though his inner thoughts had been seen through, Subaru snorted and turned his back to the ice wall. Just then,
One thing after another — Subaru managed a wry smile.
"Even you're trying to calm me down now?"
"I didn't particularly mean to. It's not as if I was stealing a march on you or anything."
Beatrice pressed her back against his, looking up at him meaningfully from below, then turned her face away.
Was his anxiety really that obvious? Subaru scratched his head. Looking over, he saw Emilia watching him with gentle eyes, and when their gazes met, she gave a little wave.
Feeling suddenly embarrassed, Subaru clapped his hands together.
"Alright — thanks to Emilia-tan, we've got a place to sleep. Let's prepare for tomorrow. The 'Sand Time' ends around dawn, so until then…"
"Before that, we need to treat Ram."
"Ah, right. Yeah, we do. So — Emilia-tan and Beako, I'm counting on you."
He tried to gloss over the topic in a rush, but Emilia stopped him before he could slip into his routine. Both Emilia and Beatrice nodded at Subaru's request, and the treatment began with the men left outside.
As for why Subaru and Julius were made to leave before treatment could begin — "Nn…"
Even through the closed door, they could faintly hear that the treatment had started.
A voice straining against pain, tinged with a strange heat — it was Ram's. Inside the dragon carriage, a faint light rose as healing was administered through mana channeled from all four attributes.
Mana was being poured into the wound where her horn had been, and while Ram's condition during treatment looked painful, there was undeniably something alluring about it as well.
That was precisely why, ever since they'd witnessed the treatment on the first day, the men had declined to be present.
"For the life of me, I still can't figure out what Roswaal was thinking, trying to make you do *that*."
"It's certainly a role one could consider an honor, in a certain light. Lady Ram is lovely and charming. But when you consider whose gaze she's fixed on, it's hard to feel genuinely pleased about it."
"Roswaal knows that too, so why put us through this? …Rather, in this case, the real question is why Ram still goes along with it."
"The bonds between people are something you can't fully judge from the outside. All the more so when it comes to a man and a woman. To put it in extreme terms — you and I didn't exactly get off to a great start either. At least, I'd never have imagined we'd one day be walking a life-or-death road side by side."
"…Fair point."
Faint sounds of treatment drifted from behind them. Subaru's cheeks reddened slightly as he rubbed his nose.
Julius maintained his composed expression, but for a wholesome young man like Subaru, it was quite the stimulus. Still, they couldn't move far enough away that monsters might sniff them out. There was no choice. It was necessary.
"Oh my, I can just see Natsuki-kun's inner turmoil."
"Woah!!"
Subaru had been quietly straining his ears when a breath tickled the inside of one, sending him jumping. He lost his balance and tumbled onto the sand — and there was Anastasia, who had circled around from the back of the dragon carriage. Julius, who'd been on guard at Subaru's panic, softened his expression at the sight of Anastasia, then looked at the one sprawled on the ground.
"That's perhaps a touch too surprised, isn't it? You look as though you'd been thinking something unsavory."
"Huh? I wasn't thinking anything unsavory at all! Wait, I have no idea what you're talking about. No idea whatsoever. Not a clue. Anastasia-san, what can I do for you? I'll do anything you ask!"
"Your deflecting game is terrible. Well, fine. Natsuki-kun might be all curious about the goings-on inside, but I've got something important to discuss."
Breaking free of Julius's withering stare, Subaru gave Anastasia a thumbs-up. She let out a small, wry laugh, then stamped her boots in the sand.
"Ugh, this is hard to walk in. You guys handle this way too easily."
"We've trained for it. I won't claim it was specifically for this moment, but…"
"When your footing's uncertain, don't test each step slowly — instead, trust the stiffness of your sole and push through with momentum. This is the Krindo method."
A basic technique for traversing rough terrain, learned from Krindo — the all-purpose butler — during Subaru's parkour training.
Anastasia nodded, impressed, then pulled down the collar of her robe, revealing the lower half of her face that had been hidden. She let out a deep breath.
"I get the sand thing, but I can barely breathe. I want to get to a place free of sandstorms as soon as possible and take a real deep breath."
"Agreed. Also, I want a bath. My head's already caked in sand."
Now he understood why people in desert regions wrapped turbans around their heads.
Sand protection, plus measures against heat and cold. The way of life for people surviving in this harsh land was, naturally, perfectly rational. Subaru had wrapped himself in cloth to some degree, but it clearly wasn't enough.
"A bath — I agree with that too. If only the 'Sage's' house had a bath…"
"…You don't happen to know that much, do you?"
"Even if
Anastasia pulled her robe collar down further, revealing the fox fur collar she wore without ever removing it. Echidna-the-collar was this journey's guide — that was the fundamental premise of everything.
There was no point doubting her, but it was something he wanted to pin down.
"By 'something important,' you mean something about the future, right?"
"Of course."
"Then I'm all ears."
Subaru and Julius straightened up to listen as Anastasia puffed out her flat chest. Accepting this posture, Anastasia turned to face the dragon carriage with an air of deliberation and spoke.
"Starting today, we'll be sleeping in the carriage — but you two boys will be sleeping in the front seats, got it? It's a tight, enclosed space with women, so don't get any funny ideas."
"Oh, come on — not that again!"
"Hey, I'm just trying to ease the tension… Well, fine, whatever."
In the first place, sharing a room for the night was something Subaru had long since stopped caring about. He already knew his own lack of courage and their lack of wariness well enough.
Setting aside Subaru's silent inner outcry, Anastasia got to the point.
"Today we spent the whole day advancing toward the Watchtower… How would you say the progress was?"
"Progress? Honestly… we didn't exactly achieve much."
Subaru tilted his head at the question and looked back on the day.
They'd arrived at the Augria Sand Dunes by midday, weathered the morning "Sand Time," and then spent nearly half a day on the move. They'd made it past the afternoon "Sand Time" and into sunset — and that brought them to the present. The day's accomplishments, such as they were — "The tower really is a perfect landmark, plus I had Emilia-tan mark our return path. And Meili's effectiveness turned out to be even greater than expected — I guess that's about it."
"We were fully prepared against the 'Sand Time' thanks to the groundwork and Subaru's quick thinking. The problem is the Pleiades Watchtower itself — we can't see the route to get there… is that right?"
"Can't see the route?"
Julius had taken over the thread of the conversation, but the conclusion he'd reached didn't match Subaru's, and Subaru frowned. Julius let out a soft sigh. "You didn't notice?"
"Indeed, up to this point, the journey has proceeded without any notable problems. I share the view that as long as the momentum continues…"
"Stop beating around the bush — it's a bad habit. Just tell me straight."
"Very well. — Subaru, have you not noticed the anomaly with the tower?"
"——"
At Julius's quiet question, Subaru held his breath.
Then he stared at the Watchtower — the colossal silhouette that loomed through the far side of the ice wall, asserting its presence even in the dead of night.
Even with Julius pointing out the anomaly, Subaru couldn't see what was wrong with the Watchtower. He'd been staring at that tower all day long, and it should have been exactly the same as when they'd first arrived at the dunes.
— It should have been exactly the same.
"!?"
"You've noticed, then. That tower is clearly neither closer nor farther. We've been walking toward it this whole time… but the distance hasn't changed."
As Julius pointed out, Subaru finally recognized the abnormality.
The Pleiades Watchtower, visible in the distance, continued to sit there at the same overwhelming scale — impossible to overlook — without the slightest change in its appearance.
"No way…"
"Subaru, I understand the impulse to panic. But please, keep your composure—"
"So you're telling me everything we did today — all that suffering, all that sand — was for nothing!? This is too much of a pain in the ass to conquer—!"
"…Hm?"
Julius faltered as Subaru kicked the sand at his feet and raised his voice. Subaru crouched before the bewildered Julius, scooped up a handful of sand, and pouted.
"Wait, wait, wait — seriously? Now that I know, I'm suddenly exhausted. Being told all your effort was for nothing really, really hurts. Ugh, this is the worst."
"He seems less mentally exhausted than I expected."
"Where are you looking!? I'm clearly suffering! I'm devastated! I had a terrible time! If you knew, you should've told me sooner!"
"I was going to keep quiet until I was certain. I didn't want to disappoint you."
"You guys always do this…"
He let the sand fall, dusted off his hands, and stood. Looking up from below at the downcast Julius, Subaru declared with indignation: "Please stop being so cryptic like that! It's fine if you just blurt things out — I won't get mad! In fact, we might find a clue that way! What is this 'I'll keep it locked in my own heart' mentality of yours? Has that ever actually improved a situation? At the very least, there's never once been a time I was glad I kept quiet!"
"Y-You're right. I'm sorry."
"Even the tiniest thing — say it right away. I told this to the practically unkillable Ram too. Do I really have to say it to every single person?"
Subaru's exasperation at their halfhearted communication was met with a chastened expression from Julius. Having rare ground against the "finest knight," Subaru managed to pluck one positive from the sea of misfortunes, then turned to Anastasia.
"So — it's safe to assume you have some idea what's causing this phenomenon?"
"I should reflect on my insufficient explanation… but more than that, I'd been only half-convinced myself, and today's journey confirmed it. I'd appreciate it if you could see it that way."
"Tell me next time the moment you're only half-convinced. That's final. Now — what's going on?"
He stuck his tongue out at the preemptive excuse-making, then urged her to continue. Anastasia prefaced with "I need you to stay calm while I tell you this," and then — "The sand plain between these dunes and the Watchtower — I'm pretty sure the space itself is warped."
"The space is warped…?"
"Meaning — despite how it looks, it's not actually continuous ground. Even if you keep walking straight, chances are you'll never arrive. Ever."
She revealed this shocking fact with a breezy tone. Since she was pretending to hear this from Echidna-the-collar, that meant Anastasia-as-Echidna had known this from the very start.
"So that's why Reinhard and all the previous challengers couldn't reach it?"
"The destination is clearly visible. All you have to do is close the distance… but after fighting through a nest of monsters to get here, the last thing you need is to find out one more step is impossible to take."
"——"
He could somehow sense the frustration of adventurers who collapsed halfway, with their goal in sight.
An obstacle that prevented anyone from reaching the Watchtower — even Reinhard had given up the assault. A warped space, and a sea of sand at the end of which you could never actually arrive — so that was the trick.
"How do we break through it?"
"…'Breaking through' might not be the right way to put it. This is a natural trap born from the miasma. No human force is at work here."
"A natural trap!? This!?"
On the rarest of occasions, nature devised traps that seemed to embody nothing short of murder in its very existence.
Mirages frequently seen in desert regions, snow-covered paths leading to cliff edges in areas of heavy snowfall. On a broader scale, even bottomless bogs and the ebb and flow of tides could steal a person's life.
But the existence of this Watchtower — surely — "This is a trap nature set up? That's going a bit too far, isn't it?"
"The Watchtower was originally built in a place where this phenomenon occurs. If you think about it that way, it's perfectly natural. And it's rational."
"Rational? What do you mean?"
"You mustn't forget — the dunes connect to the Watchtower, but the Watchtower isn't the only thing beyond them. What purpose does the Watchtower even serve?"
Julius gently reprimanded Subaru's rising agitation and urged him to think. This time, the answer came to mind immediately. The Watchtower's purpose — the sealing of the
And the impassable trap of the dunes would serve as an extremely effective deterrent against the
No one could fairly blame the Watchtower for that.
"!…I get it. Anyway — the question of why that tower was built there and for what purpose doesn't matter right now. The problem is something else. It's how to get past the warped space."
"You can't exactly destroy the root cause — I get that. This is just the way this land is."
"Fine. I've got the lay of the land and its specialties down. Next, let's find the weak point. Since you volunteered as our guide, I'm assuming there has to be one — a way through."
"There wouldn't be much of a conversation if there wasn't, would there? …Whether it counts as a 'way through' is debatable, though."
Anastasia smiled wryly at Subaru's relentless probing, then struck a deliberately dramatic pose. She glanced at Subaru and Julius, both watching her intently, nodded, and spoke.
"During the 'Sand Time' itself, there should be a moment when the space connecting to the Watchtower frays. If we pass through that point, we enter the real sea of sand. That's the condition for breaking through."
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ — The days following their assault on the dunes brought one extremely difficult situation after another.
Anastasia had revealed the path to the Watchtower, and the condition was shared by all. That meant the marches leading up to each "Sand Time" were largely dead time, during which there was little to do.
However, this worry was — "Even when the 'Sand Time' does come, whether we reach the fray in time is a matter of luck. When you think about it that way, staying put in one location isn't such a bad idea."
"And if we stay in the same place for too long, the local animals might remember our scent. I'd be fine, of course, but — if by some chance I got separated from you, I'd chase you down no matter how far you went."
Thanks to the opinions of both Anastasia and Meili, the crisis was averted — in a manner of speaking.
The former's reasoning was somewhat unreliable, but the latter's carried the weight of genuine, life-threatening consequences. It wasn't a situation he wanted to dwell on, but turning away from danger was nothing more than cowardice. True courage meant deliberately facing one's fears and still standing firm — and that was what made it precious.
"Right, Emilia-tan?"
" — Hm? Yes, that's right."
"Lady Emilia. You might not want to take that too seriously. That's his stupid face."
Subaru exchanged words periodically with the others inside the dragon carriage, but even after learning the day's march had been in vain, his motivation hadn't flagged.
They still had plenty of food and water that had been prepared in Milool. The miasma's effects were being mitigated by Emilia and Beatrice's spirit arts, so he wanted to believe there was nothing to worry about.
"That said, not knowing how many days this will take really does pile on the stress."
"Subaru — gravel in your mouth should be spat out, not swallowed. Even if it's not much, it could be miasma-laced sand. If you're careless about it, you'll pay the price later."
Beatrice admonished Subaru, who had grown used to the taste of sand in his mouth and was letting his guard down. As always during the dragon ride, she sat in the crook of his arm, produced a water container from within her robes, and — "Here. Rinse your mouth. Since we can't bathe, the least you can do is keep your mouth clean."
"Yes, yes… Now that I think about it, you stay clean without ever taking a bath, don't you, Beako?"
"Most of Betty's body is composed of mana, you know. Naturally, cleanliness is maintained at all times. Being cute no matter when or where — it's simply second nature for Betty."
"Uh-huh. Cute, cute."
At Subaru's perfunctory response, Beatrice puffed out her cheeks. He patted her head and toyed with the vertical curls tucked inside her robe. Today they were braided.
"Oh — another pack of monsters spotted. …They're keeping their distance like that, so they just look like ordinary animals."
"If they stray too close to me, that big brother of yours will chomp them down in an instant. But it's strange — all the animals around here keep staring at you, big brother."
Patrasche pulled up alongside the carriage as Subaru watched the monsters gathering in a wide berth off their path. Meili tilted her head and stared at Subaru with a puzzled expression, murmuring, "Weird."
It seemed she couldn't sense whatever the "remnant fragrance of the Witch" was that clung to Subaru. He'd thought it was something akin to the miasma, but in the end, the true nature of it remained unclear. In any case, the scent hadn't faded from him, and the monsters' instinct to be drawn to it hadn't disappeared either.
"Oh — wait, is that one of those familiar monsters? Ram, look!"
"Don't speak of those things as though they're fond memories. Ram — and Barusu by extension — only have memories of being put through hell because of them."
The pack of magic dogs watching them from a distance were the same species that had attacked the old Roswaal mansion. Subaru's spirits rose involuntarily, but Ram's attitude was as sharp and cold as ever.
"Don't say that. Those things were, in a way, the catalyst for my relationship with you — and with
"Stop inflaming yourself and then putting out your own fire. It's pathetic to watch, miserable to listen to, and disheartening to even think about."
The monsters' presence brought back the anguish of a year ago. Ram sighed at the heating-up Subaru, closed the dragon carriage window with a snap, and cut the conversation short.
It was regrettable, but there was nothing to be done. In Ram's mind, the incident from a year ago had been rewritten — as though she and Subaru had solved it together in Rem's absence. Without Rem, it was unclear how they could have defeated the monster pack, but apparently the memory alteration left no feeling of inconsistency in its wake.
If Ram's memories of Rem resurfaced, the missing pieces would fall into place and the conversation would start making sense. Though when that happened, he had a feeling she'd be just as hostile toward him.
"Whoa!! The 'Sand Time' is here! The 'Sand Time' is here! The sandstorm is bad!"
"I — I made the ice as transparent as I could, but tell me if it's not enough!"
"It's already really bad! The ice-is-omnipotent theory is dead!"
And then the moment of truth — the "Sand Time" arrived. They charged into the sandstorm, searching for the spatial distortion that led to the tower, but were overwhelmingly battered by the sand's ferocity beyond anything they'd anticipated.
The biggest miscalculation was the ice wall that had supported their adventure this far with such powerful performance — its complete defeat.
"We went to all the trouble of making an ice wall and now sand is plastered all over it — I can't see a thing in front of me! No, wait — the wind is so strong that using a large ice surface to block it is basically suicide!"
"Huh!? What!? Subaru, did you say something!? I can't hear you at all!"
"The wind is so strong it's basically suicide!!"
"Huh!? You want to die!? Don't say that! Don't be so negative!"
"I'm not — uuaaaah!! Sand just got in my eyes with brutal force!!"
"Huh!? What did you say!? Say it again! Subaru? Subaru—!"
"Say it again — that's such Spartan — uuaaaah!!"
"Subaru—!?"
The sandstorm had intensified into a full-blown sand gale.
Though the ones facing it were deadly serious, their exchanges played out like a scene from a comedy.
Even holding a thin sheet of ice purely for sand protection — in the face of wind blowing head-on, it was nothing short of suicide. Rather, the wisest course was to completely cover the body in cloth, crouch down along with the earth dragons to minimize their profile, and reduce the volume of wind they had to endure.
However, the bottleneck of that strategy was — "Come on! Come on, Gian! Your horsepower is all we've got!"
"——"
An earth dragon, thrust headlong into the sandstorm, bearing its full brunt. After several days of assaulting the dunes, the bond that had formed between them was now reflected in the names they called each other.
In short, they had named the Gairas-type earth dragon pulling the carriage "Gian."
And it was Gian's tireless effort that held the key to breaking through the sandstorm. After all, there was no way to make the carriage carrying the women any smaller against the wind.
As a result, the only strategy left was for Gian to pull the carriage with every ounce of strength, refusing to lose to the wind.
"I don't like pushing an earth dragon this hard… but right now, you're the one I'm counting on."
"Come on, keep going! I don't want to go back to that endless sand plain again!"
Julius gripped the reins, and Meili, seated beside him, also cheered Gian on.
They were the two who had watched Gian's efforts up close more than anyone — that was why they could place their trust in its hidden strength and shout their encouragement.
"——"
Though the windows couldn't even be cracked open in the wind, Subaru could believe that Emilia and the others inside the dragon carriage were watching with worry and praying.
As a last measure against the sandstorm, Subaru had asked Emilia to modify the carriage with ice. But placing a plate of ice across the front would withstand the sand yet crumble against the wind's onslaught.
So Subaru's desperate measure was to shape it with wings and sharp angles — an image of a single lance plunging headlong into the storm.
"It's like applying what I learned from modifying the mini four-wheel drive. I can't shave off weight without it being fatal, but I've done everything I can. Now go — Gungnir — pierce through!"
"!"
As if answering Subaru's cry, Gian surged forward with tremendous force. The dragon carriage, transformed into a single lance, tore through the rushing wind — forward, forward.
At last, the carriage bearing the name of that divine spear drove itself into the wound it had carved through the wind, tore through the fury of the sand, and broke through.
"——"
The instant they emerged from the sandstorm, what struck Subaru was a terrifyingly sharpened silence.
The wind that had been roaring in his ears, the sand that had been grinding against every inch of his body, the miasma that had been inciting the monsters to activity — all of it vanished as though it had been nothing but an illusion.
"——"
The end of a "Sand Time" was always abrupt, but this time there was even less lingering resonance than usual.
Normally, the sand-laden wind would gradually lose its force, and like a receding tide, slowly fade away, leaving behind only the distinctive scent of sand.
But this time, it hadn't happened that way. This was proof — conclusive evidence that this ending was something different from every "Sand Time" before it.
"——"
Feeling a dryness in his mouth, Subaru turned around.
There, he found Julius and the others — just as dazed as he was, having emerged from the sandstorm. Naturally, Gian and the dragon carriage were with them.
" — Julius."
"Yeah."
At Subaru's call, the stiffened Julius lowered his chin. Then, without a word between them, they raised their fists and clasped them together, celebrating their breakthrough through the "Sand Time."
Beside Julius, Meili could be seen brushing the sand from her body and praising Gian. Gian had unquestionably earned the distinguished service medal of this journey.
They needed to express their gratitude, their praise, their reward in full — but — "For now — we did it! We broke through! We did it — we—"
"Enough! You've been screaming in my ear for ages, haven't you —!!"
Subaru's chin was struck from directly below by Beatrice's palm.
The devastating blow sent his vision spinning, and he toppled backward off Patrasche, landing unguarded in the sand. His head buried itself in the grit, and having swallowed a mouthful of sand, Subaru sprang to his feet and went after Beatrice.
"What are you doing all of a sudden!? I was just celebrating and you suddenly — I was so startled I swallowed a ton of sand!"
"You were hugging Betty while getting loud and worked up all by yourself! Something about downforce and offroad and genshift and burning soul — none of it made any sense! My ears have been ringing this whole time!"
Still straddling Patrasche, Beatrice fired back furiously.
Subaru had his own explanations, but he had to admit he'd gotten a little carried away and started screaming nonsensical terminology. What even was "Gungnir" supposed to be?
"Ahem. …Anyway, we've safely made it through the 'Sand Time.' Let's celebrate that first. Come on — hurray!"
"…Hurray, is it?"
Setting aside Beatrice's sulky attitude, the fact remained that they had broken through the sand barrier.
He stroked Patrasche's neck, expressing his gratitude to the loyal earth dragon whose regal face showed no hint of weariness.
Then Subaru ran to the dragon carriage, ready to share the joy — " — Big brother."
"Hm? What's up? You could stand to celebrate a little more, you kn—"
"Be quiet."
The sharp word stopped Subaru mid-stride as he turned back around. What it carried was an unmistakable sense of danger.
Subaru wasn't so oblivious that he misread what that implied.
"——"
As Subaru fell silent, Meili pressed a finger to her lips, nodded, and with her free hand, slowly — very slowly — pointed straight ahead.
Subaru, and Julius, and Beatrice — all followed the direction of her finger and looked forward.
They had crossed the "Sand Time's" sandstorm and cleared the warped sand sea up to the Watchtower.
As a result, the silhouette of the Watchtower rising before them was now, unmistakably, larger and more distinct than it had been before.
He could tell — a concrete distance to their goal had finally been established.
But — "…What the hell is that?"
Covering the sandy ground leading to the Watchtower, stretching as far as the eye could see, a garden of flowers in every color imaginable spread out before them.