The lethargy and searing pain were simultaneously swept away, and
"————"
He deserved praise for not letting out a scream the instant he saw the sight before him.
Having undergone a second "Return by Death," Subaru was once again thrust back into the flower field surrounded by demonic beasts. He frantically clamped his hand over his mouth, truly thinking as much.
*Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch.* In the space dominated by the violent fragrance of flowers, the only sound was the rhythmic clicking of Meili's tongue.
The Oiran Bear blocking the carriage's path was captivated by the rhythm from her lips and the gentle movement of her fingertips. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the tense standoff.
Having just witnessed this scene twice moments ago, he'd been dragged back into it once more.
*You've got to be kidding me.* As his mind sketched out what had happened to him, Subaru's brain began spinning at high speed. He needed to switch his focus quickly. He had to forget the desperate situation of being chased by a horde of demonic beasts that he'd just been in, and deal with the problem right in front of him.
The problem right in front of his eyes. What was happening?
*Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch.* The sound was almost pastoral, like coaxing a kitten. The actual situation was anything but cute, and combined with the floral scent, it was obstructing his thoughts.
It stank, it was cloying, it was noisy, it was irritating, it itched, it hurt, it burned—which was the right answer?
"——?"
His mind churned so fast it felt like it was boiling, but not a single concrete plan surfaced. His brain couldn't catch up with the discrepancy between the situation he'd been in just a moment ago and his current one. He desperately tried to adapt to the "now." Then, a slight impact to his chest.
"————"
Looking down, he saw that
Snuggled perfectly into his chest, she lightly raised the reins he'd grabbed in his stead. She must have caught them for him, dropped in the shock immediately following his "Return by Death."
The memory of his previous "death" flashed, and he could hear Beatrice's tearful voice and crying face.
"——!"
Right, yes. That's what happened.
This was the third time Subaru had faced this situation.
He had died here twice. The first time was a death he couldn't comprehend, but the second was a death he could, to some extent, imagine. Yet the suffering of the moment of death was unclear.
The sensation of his insides melting, his thoughts stewing sluggishly in a pot—that was— —No, that wasn't the priority. What was the priority now was— "Ch-ch-ch... Chii."
Just as Subaru's thoughts caught up to his second "death," Meili's provocation of the Oiran Bear came to an end. Drawn by the clicking sound of her tongue and the movement of her fingertips, the demonic beasts' gazes slowly shifted away from the carriage, drawn toward the right side of the group.
If the Oiran Bear simply ambled off like that, there would be no problem. But Subaru knew it wouldn't be that simple.
"————"
The Oiran Bear was moving away, but the earth dragon Gian standing guard before it was breathing heavily.
The pressure from being up close with the demonic beasts, and the continued violent scent of honey—these two pressures were eroding the earth dragon's composure, and the taut thread suddenly snapped.
If the earth dragon started to panic, the agitated horde of demonic beasts would all attack at once. If that happened, it would be a repetition of the two deaths he'd just experienced.
"————"
But no one besides Subaru noticed Gian's agitated state.
Everyone was focused on the immediate threat of the demonic beasts, so even Julius, holding the reins, had his attention away from the earth dragon. Thus, only Subaru could deal with it.
But how? He couldn't make a sound. He couldn't get close or touch it in time.
Calling out to Julius and having him calm the earth dragon carried too much risk. Besides, if he didn't decide immediately, it would be too late. What should he— "————"
Tightly, Subaru used his last moment of thought to shut his eyes. If inspiration didn't strike in this instant, he'd take a gamble and call out to Julius. The memory of the two recent "deaths" flooded back, the demonic beasts' onslaught and the light of the Watchtower searing his mind.
The moment of his second "death," being clung to by a sobbing Beatrice who begged him "Don't leave me alone"—that pierced deep into Subaru's chest—and he realized.
"Beako, I love you."
"——!?"
Hugging the small body behind him, he whispered softly into her ear. Beatrice was stunned by the sudden declaration of love, but he clamped his hand over her mouth to prevent her from shouting.
In his place, Subaru extended a 'hand' toward Gian, diagonally in front.
A 'hand' to gently soothe her, just as he'd wiped away Beatrice's tears right before his 'death.' —Invisible Providence.
Since his lips were whispering words of love, he could only chant the technique's name in his mind.
Instantly, from the center of Subaru's body—a sensation distinct from the one where mana was drawn out through his connection with Beatrice stirred to life, and something black was summoned forth.
It clamored, proclaiming how good it was to have been called, an 'invisible hand' that did not exist in this world, accomplishing its purpose in place of the 'slothful' Natsuki Subaru.
"————"
The black palm that materialized manifested slowly into the world, originating from Subaru's chest. Naturally, its existence was invisible to anyone but Subaru. Since he was hugging her, the 'invisible hand' existed passing through Beatrice, but it seemed it wouldn't function for unintended contact.
While marveling at that fact, he could feel something inside him being shaved away with every passing moment. Was it what was called his soul, or perhaps what was called his sanity? Subaru didn't know the truth. But he couldn't waste much time. He didn't have the will to, either.
The slender black demon hand reached toward the neck of Gian, who looked like he was about to scream at any moment. And the palm slowly stroked the thick neck protected by those heavy scales.
*Twitch.* The earth dragon's massive body trembled at the contact, but its instincts must have sensed the palm held no hostility. Gian's ragged breathing calmed, and the tension drained from his limbs.
"Hmm?"
Then, sensing a slight movement, Julius, noticing Gian's shift in demeanor, pulled the reins and began to calm the earth dragon in earnest. As expected, Julius was skilled, and he quickly subdued the earth dragon that had been on the verge of a violent outburst.
Confirming this, Subaru immediately cut the connection with his 'invisible hand.' Freed, the black palm instantly dissipated, vanishing without a trace into the dry wind of the sand sea.
"Hah, huu..."
Having avoided the immediate crisis, Subaru let out a long breath of relief.
At the same time, he wanted to exhale the black, stormcloud-like feeling that had been gathering in his chest. Of course, things weren't that simple, and the sense of loss—the cost of using Invisible Providence—still clawed at his soul.
Yet, while that sense of loss tore at him, Subaru thought.
Invisible Providence—the cost of using the 'invisible hand,' the resulting breathlessness and sense of loss, was clearly *easier* than before.
The first time Subaru had used Invisible Providence was against Garfiel in the '
This couldn't be excused away by his distaste for the previous wielder of the same power, or by the fact that he'd been beaten to a pulp by Garfiel at the time. It was a fundamental change.
This aberration had been screaming at him, warning him of the danger of using this power—the way he'd acquired this strange ability, or rather, this authority. Thus, he'd never once considered actively utilizing this power.
His Invisible Providence lacked the power and versatility of the original madman's 'invisible hand.' At best, wiping a tear or patting a head was all he could manage.
The cost of losing pieces of his soul for that was an abysmal cost-performance. That's what he'd thought, and it was why he'd half-sealed this method away.
"It's not that I'm getting used to it, is it?"
Relief was overshadowed by a deeper unease at the reduction in his sense of loss and revulsion.
Having more cards in hand was Subaru's personal theory, but there was no point in holding multiple jokers that wouldn't complete a winning hand in Old Maid.
Of course, outside of Old Maid, they were certainly powerful cards, but— "Ugh, ugh, ugh."
"...What on earth has she been doing this whole time?"
"Huh? Doing what..."
As Subaru groaned softly, lost in thought, a suddenly irritable voice cut in. Opening his eyes in surprise, he found Beatrice staring at him with narrowed eyes, her face turned his way.
And Beatrice, in particular, looked utterly bizarre.
"Beako, what's up with your head and your getup?"
"—Because Subaru kept *kone-kone-kone-kone*-ing at Betty's hair and clothes! Why must Betty endure such humiliation?!"
"Me? Really?"
Subaru tilted his head innocently. Before him, Beatrice seethed silently, her face flushed.
Her magnificent ringlets were a tangled mess, and her luxurious dress, along with the white cape meant to protect it from the sand, was styled in a bizarre, avant-garde fashion—the cutting edge that no one else was following.
"—What's infuriating is that you're completely oblivious! I was worried you were anxious, so I overlooked it, but you just kept pushing your luck... In that case, earlier... Ah, you probably don't even remember those words of love, do you?"
"No, I remember those. Me loving Beako is the honest truth."
"Nya!"
Her face reddening at his straightforward words, Beatrice buried her head completely under her cape. The sight was endearing enough to make him want to tease her, but now wasn't the time for playful banter with Beatrice alone.
Thanks to Subaru's unseen efforts, Gian didn't panic, and Meili's ability-reliant carriage procession resumed. However, Subaru squeezed through the gap in the Oiran Bears, guiding
—and proposed a revision of their strategy, citing the two "deaths" as his reason.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "I'm so disappointed in you, Onii-chan. Getting so scaredy-cat over just a little bit of worry?"
"As expected of Barus. I thought becoming
"I just suggested a safe play! There's no need to wound me like that!"
Having somehow retraced their steps through the flower field, Subaru was immediately pierced by sharp criticism from his fiercest critics upon returning to the post-"Sand Time" strategy meeting.
It was Meili, who had tamed the Oiran Bears and cleared the path, and
Gathered in a circle on the sand after stopping the carriage, the one who had halted the march with his decision felt small.
"But I think Subaru's judgment wasn't wrong. I think if we'd just kept going straight through the flower field, something like what happened before would have happened again. And if it did, we might not have gotten out of it as smoothly this time..."
"Big Sister, do you doubt my abilities? Do you trust Onii-chan more than me?"
"We've come this far, so I trust both of you. But, especially, I want to believe what Subaru says. That's my opinion. I'm sorry."
"E-M-M..."
To counter Meili's childish objection, Emilia-the-real-goddess stood tall for him. Subaru clasped his hands together in reverence, and beside him, Beatrice was carefully fixing her tangled hair and outfit.
"So, what are you planning to do in the end? If the demon beast girl's blessing is unreliable, isn't it too reckless to try passing through this flower field? ...If Niichaa were here, wiping out a mere swarm of demon beasts like this would be easy, but that's not an option."
"If Pack were here, yes. Should I try really hard to do it?"
"That should really be the absolute last resort. Besides, wiping out all the Oiran Bears here would just attract other beasts and turn into an endless spawn point. What do you think, Meili?"
Meili, who had been looking sulky, averted her gaze at the pointed question.
Resting her chin on her folded knees with an utterly childish attitude, she said: "What is it?"
"That flower field wasn't just full of Oiran Bears, right? To put it bluntly, even if the Bears were gone, it would just become a den for other beasts."
"...It might not be *wrong*, but it might not be *not wrong* either?"
"Which is it?"
"Okaaay, Onii-chan is right. But what do you want to do about it?"
Meili affirmed Subaru's point but turned the question back on him.
Subaru, receiving her dissatisfied gaze and pulling his lips into a straight line, was shoulder-shrugged by Julius.
"I understand Meili-san's point. Subaru's concern is valid, but wallowing in constant fear of the unforeseeable yields nothing. If we can anticipate and prepare for it, it's not truly unforeseeable."
"That doesn't mean we should just trust blindly in her blessing and charge in headfirst. Besides, that's not in character for you to suggest. That's more like, Garfiel's job."
"Of course, I am in no way advocating for a reckless charge without a plan. We should decide what to do—whether to advance or retreat—through constructive discussion."
Holding up two fingers just as he had before charging into the flower field, Julius stated this.
Subaru snorted, and each began to ponder the situation.
"What if Barus acts as a decoy, gets devoured, and we break through in the chaos?"
"Let's stick together."
"We save Ram and
"I'm the one getting devoured!"
"After all, maybe I should try really, really hard to beat everyone up myself..."
"Emilia-tan, you surprisingly come up with muscle-brained conclusions in situations like this."
"No-brain... Ah, no way, why so sudden? It's embarrassing!"
"For me, which is rare, wasn't that me praising you unconditionally?"
"Entrusting Meili-san's blessing to us and charging as far as we can through the flower field... then launching a preemptive attack when we hit our limit and dashing to the Watchtower—that has too many gambling elements."
"I can't explain it well, but that will fail. I can't explain it well, but it definitely will."
"Hmm... You sound like you have absolute proof."
"Well, maybe. I can't explain it well."
Going through the effort of rejecting the assault strategy without revealing the taboo of "Return by Death" was proving difficult.
Then, during this strategy meeting that was progressing rather slowly, Subaru had a realization and made a move.
The initial shock of Gian and the subsequent retreat through the flower field had distracted him from organizing his thoughts, but the cause of death from the two "deaths" that triggered his return was the real issue.
The first time was too sudden, the second time amidst confusion, so he couldn't say for certain—but both of his deaths were related to the light from the tower in front of them.
"Has anyone seen that tower light up?"
"The Watchtower glowing...?"
Everyone tilted their heads in puzzlement at Subaru's question.
Their lukewarm reaction confirmed that no one else had seen it. It was natural, in a way. Subaru had only seen that light, honestly, right before and after his 'death.' If that light held malicious intent, its witnesses wouldn't return alive.
It was an attack that guaranteed death upon sighting the enemy—that's how it should be considered.
"Natsuki-kun, you mean you saw the tower glow?"
"Huh? Ah, I don't think I'm mistaken, but it might have glowed."
"When was that?"
"...While we were in the flower field?"
His answer to Anastasia's questioning came out as a series of questions. However, since he hadn't been able to raise his voice in the flower field, his silence about the tower's light wasn't seen as suspicious. Since Subaru had only seen the light during periods connected to his "Return by Death," this also risked touching upon the taboo depending on the situation.
It was unfortunate that he could only convey the facts indirectly, but— "If the tower glowed, does that mean the Sage inside was looking at us?"
"Even so, it's nighttime. It's not strange for them to be using a light."
"I see. If the 'Sage' is aware of us, perhaps making a friendly approach to show we bear no ill will is an option."
However, since Subaru had vaguely glossed over the details, Emilia's thoughts were leading in a different direction. Naturally, they were on a journey seeking friendly contact.
If the light's source was the Sage, such an opinion was the expected line of thinking.
But for Subaru, who knew that light was anything but friendly toward them, it was tantamount to rushing headlong toward a cliff.
"Wait, it's late, but let's organize the information. Whether we call out to the Sage comes after that."
"Organize the information?"
"Yes, organize. Because, well, you know. That light might not be the Sage's everyday-use light. It could be more like... a dangerous searchlight-type light?"
"Sa-aarchlight..."
"In other words, Natsuki-kun suspects that the light he saw might be part of some defensive mechanism set up by the 'Sage'?"
"That's it!"
While Emilia looked puzzled at the unfamiliar foreign word, Anastasia=Chinrina grasped the true meaning of Subaru's words. Julius listened and then pondered, murmuring in a low voice: "I'm not sure if the Sage has lived for centuries, an exaggeration aside. Or perhaps some legacy left by the Sage is operating as a device to protect the world."
"O-oh... I hadn't thought that far, but it's possible."
"If that's the case, then the reason they'd reject not only those with designs on the 'Sage of Envy's' resurrection, but even the Kingdom's envoy, makes sense. The Sage, who should be friendly to the Kingdom, committing acts of tyranny all this time had always been a mystery."
Hearing Julius's words, tinged with a hint of relief, Subaru found himself admiring the reasoning. 'So that's one way to think about it.' Indeed, a defensive system left behind by a great figure of the past, remaining for centuries after their death and continuing to repel intruders was a common enough trope. In a world with magical tools, such a system existing wasn't strange.
"Though in that case, I'd hope this journey doesn't end up being for nothing..."
"It doesn't matter if the Sage is dead, as long as their records are left behind. Don't despair so easily, Barus."
"I can't even begin to match your tomb-raiding spirit, Onee-sama."
If Julius's hypothesis were true, the very foundation of their journey would be overturned. But Ram's stance was unwavering in the face of such a possibility, as always.
"Anyway, standing guard for centuries without sleeping... while that's not realistic, if it's that, then it's a possibility. And there's no need to be so pessimistic about the fate of the Sage
"Why do you think so?"
"For long-lived species, it wouldn't be surprising if they're still alive. Even my
Anastasia pulled a white fur boa out from under her robe and smiled. Emilia looked blankly for a moment, then touched her pendant.
"My Pack is long-lived too. Um, he's no less impressive than Echidna!"
"Why are you competing, Emilia-tan? Well, my Beako is quite the old crone in her own way, right? Isn't she?"
"Do you think Betty would answer that with a smile? How disagreeable."
Getting told off by a laughing-behind-her-words Beatrice, Subaru shrugged.
Then, Ram clapped her hands to signal the conversation was going off track.
"The Sage's life or death is outside the scope of our debate. The issue is the identity of the light Subaru saw. Whether it's dangerous, or just Subaru's imagination—we need to reach a conclusion."
"At some point, can we reach a relationship where I don't have to doubt whether your report is true or false?"
"The fact that I'm not outright calling it a lie is me making a concession, Barus."
"That might be true," Subaru absently conceded, which was probably why there was no progress.
Anyway, the discussion circled back to the identity of the light.
"I think... it's dangerous. At least, not friendly."
"Your basis? Just a hunch?"
"...Yeah, pretty much."
"Hmm. —How troublesome."
Subaru was convinced that the Watchtower's light was the cause of his two "deaths," but explaining this fact was extremely difficult. That's why he'd thought pushing it through with a 'hunch' as the reason was a stretch. Surprisingly, however, Ram seriously considered his answer.
And it wasn't just Ram; Emilia and Julius did as well.
"Huh? That was a hunch? Aren't you going to question it more?"
"If it were anyone else's hunch, maybe. But this is Subaru's hunch, right? In that case, rather than doubting it outright, it's worth thinking it through properly."
"Don't be so self-deprecating. You've survived your own share of desperate situations, haven't you? There's a certain intuition that only such a person possesses. You could call it experience-based instinct... but it's never something to be taken lightly."
"They say field mice change their homes before a heavy rain. Barus's hunch isn't something to scoff at either."
"That's plenty of scoffing... Ah, wait."
He caught himself midway through his reflexive self-deprecation, and the venom drained from his words. Subaru felt his shoulders relax.
The injustice of having to hide the truth even from his own people, unable to reveal his source of information. Subaru had faced this situation numerous times before, and each time, he was saved by the concern and trust of those around him, only to repeat the same thing.
In the capital with Rem, in the 'Sanctuary' with Otto and Ram, in
"Even if we were to call out friendly, we have no means. If we make a loud noise, we'd attract the Bears and their friends before the Sage, and that would be that."
"That would be something to avoid. If that's the case, the realistic option might be to deliver Emilia-sama's magic..."
Looking toward the Watchtower, Julius extended his right hand and closed one eye.
It was the gesture of an artist gauging distance. After remaining silent for a moment, he said: "Roughly speaking, the Watchtower is about ten kilometers from here—from the edge of the flower field, firing Emilia-sama's magic is beyond realistic range."
"By the way, how far can Emilia-tan's magic reach?"
"Distance? Um, I've never measured it, so I don't know... But I don't think it would reach the tower from here. It would dissipate before hitting it."
The silhouette of the Watchtower, visible before the 'Sand Time,' was clearly closer from their current location. In fact, during their charge through the flower field, they had nearly reached it.
Still, aiming for the tower from the edge of the flower field wasn't a realistic plan.
"Besides, if just making our presence known was enough to get passage, Reinhardt could probably do it. Couldn't he, like... fire a slash that reaches ten kilometers or something?"
"Whether that's possible, I can only say by asking him. But when Reinhardt attempted it, he likely didn't follow the procedure of passing through the 'Sand Time' first. We only got this far because Anastasia-sama... no, because Echidna knew about it."
"That's true too... Ugh, shit. Isn't there anything else we know?"
Feeling frustrated, Subaru took his annoyance out on Chinrina. Anastasia, playing the part of Chinrina, deftly maneuvered her scarfed form.
"You're putting me in a tough spot. Just being able to declare with certainty that there's a road beyond the 'Sand Time' is a pioneering achievement. You should praise me more, don't you think?"
"You only become a guide once you've actually arrived! You're like a newspaper delivery boy who only half-remembers the route—that's no way to do a job!"
"Hmm, there's a point."
Subaru's crude logic went unchallenged by Chinrina. The scarf fell silent, a contemplative air emanating from it that seemed to infect Anastasia herself. Then, she suddenly looked up.
"That's right. In that case, we should probably consolidate what we know so far."
"What we know..."
"Like Natsuki-kun's dangerous tower light, and the demonic beast flower field spreading out before the tower. And then there are the three 'Sand Times' and... anything else?"
The information Anastasia listed out was what they had determined up to this point.
It was important to lay out the path to a conclusion methodically. Subaru crossed his arms, recalling their journey so far and the glimpsed danger that lay ahead.
"First, we entered during a nighttime 'Sand Time.' Second, passing through that flower field would put too much strain on the earth dragons. Third, Meili has been secretly bringing several beasts with her without telling us."
"Eek!?"
Pointing one by one as he counted, Subaru made Meili jump. Her obvious reaction and shrinking demeanor drew everyone's eyes to her.
Receiving those stares, Meili quickly shook her head.
"W-wait, wait. That's true, what Onii-chan said, but... why does Onii-chan know about that?"
"Just a guess. I was just fishing."
"But Subaru's guess seems to be correct. —What do we do?"
Julius asked calmly, his gaze toward the traitor Meili inquiring about her fate. Meili paled, but Subaru had no intention of escalating things.
He signaled Julius to hold back with a hand and met Meili's eyes.
"Don't worry. I'm not trying to scold you for it. I understand it's your own kind of insurance. It did give them a reason to suspect you, though."
"Sh-should I let them go? If I do, you won't be angry?"
"There's no need to let them go. Actually, if you think it's necessary, use them. They'd be a huge help if we're surrounded and chased by a swarm of Oiran Bears."
"————"
Thinking he was joking, Meili's eyes went wide, and she nodded firmly. Seeing that Subaru turned back to Julius, who still hadn't relaxed his wary gaze.
"She's just a kid. Give her a break."
"If she were only capable of acting her age, I would fully agree. But her power is too great for me to trust her unconditionally. Especially here, in this land of Augria, which is like a sanctuary for demonic beasts."
"Then that's even more reason. We're traveling neighbors, so you should get along."
At Subaru's insistence, Julius hesitated for a moment, then retracted his killing intent.
Then, in place of the silent Julius, Emilia raised her hand.
"So, Subaru. About what we were discussing earlier..."
"Yeah, yeah. The continuation."
"If we decide passing through the flower field is out... what then? Do we try the same thing during a different 'Sand Time' to see if we end up somewhere else?"
"That's an option, but... I want to try something."
"Something you want to try?"
Having no idea what Subaru was thinking, Emilia tilted her head in puzzlement. Matching the angle of her head, Subaru looked toward the flower field—the sea of flowers stretching all the way to the Watchtower—and focused on its edge.
Of course, the edge wasn't visible, but— "If the flower field cuts off somewhere, at least we wouldn't have to worry about being attacked from all sides. It's worth checking if there's an edge, isn't it?"
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ —The plan to check the edge of the flower field was joined by everyone.
"It would be counterproductive if we split up and got separated. Besides, I would be reluctant to advance near the demonic beasts without Meili-san's assistance."
Julius's reasoning won everyone's agreement.
On this, Subaru agreed as well, prioritizing safety over the convenience of going alone.
"Well then, we should get going soon..."
Everyone finished preparing to depart, boarding the carriage and the earth dragons respectively.
Facing left, they made a pact to always keep the Watchtower's silhouette on their right, so they would be heading north.
Of course, this was assuming the rules of north-south-east-west still held within the sand dunes.
"Thinking calmly, this place is also a pretty bizarre dimension, isn't it? Passing through the 'Sand Time' and ending up here... it's close to 'Door Travel'..."
"I understand what Subaru is saying. Warping space and obscuring physical distance is indeed an application of 'Door Travel.' Betty did it to you once, after all."
"You did it to me? When?"
"...I'll never forget. When we first met."
"Our first meeting... Ah! At Roswaal's mansion, when I cleared that seemingly infinite hallway in one go! I'm sorry about that. You'd worked so hard preparing, and I went and stomped all over your efforts... I'm sorry!"
"Somehow, your genuine apology is making me genuinely angry! As if I'd forget!"
"You're the one who reminded me..."
"Muu—! That's why!"
Beatrice, riding with him, suddenly got angry, and Subaru could only furrow his brow at the difficulty of dealing with girls. He hugged her to calm her down, then ordered Patrasche to approach the carriage.
"How's the preparation on your end?"
"No problems. All that's left is for Emilia-sama to do her part."
"Right."
Nodding to Julius, who was ready on the driver's seat, Subaru looked up at the roof. Just as during their march through the flower field, Emilia's position was fixed atop the carriage roof.
Seeing Emilia standing up there, looking quite pleased with herself, Subaru raised his hand and asked her to place another 'marker,' just as before.
"Emilia-tan, over here please. For now, this will be our base camp. As quietly as possible... without, you know, provoking the beasts."
"Yeah, I know. If we wake up the beasts, there'd be no point in leaving quietly, right? Quietly, quietly, so quietly."
As Subaru made a slow, wide gesture with his arms, Emilia perfectly mimicked him, and a tower of ice instantly took shape on the sandy ground.
Their judgment to proceed quietly seemed genuine; the ice tower was created at a gentle pace, and the usual tense sound of the air wasn't heard. It was a bit thin due to her slight timidity, but it looked like it would serve its purpose.
"Is it okay?"
"OK, no problem. You're amazing, Emilia-tan."
He made a big 'O' and 'K' for a visibly worried Emilia, then Subaru peered toward the flower field.
He'd nervously checked to see if the beasts, sensitive to mana, reacted to it, but fortunately, there was no action from the flower field except for the sweet scent of honey.
They seemed to be a pretty dull bunch.
"I'm wondering, but what are they trying to achieve by disguising themselves as a flower field like that? If it's camouflage, wouldn't it be weird to do it on sand?"
"You can't expect that level of intelligence from demonic beasts. They can only do what's instinctively ingrained in them, and nothing more. That's the kind of creatures they are."
"I see. That's quite—"
Beatrice, nestled against him, gave a sharp assessment. Subaru nodded, then looked away from the flower field, about to give the signal to depart—when he noticed it.
At the edge of his vision, directed toward the flower field, something had changed in a place different from the field itself.
The Watchtower had glowed.
"—Emilia!!"
"——!?"
Subaru's sharp cry was directed at Emilia on the roof. The urgency in his voice made her tense up. But the result of the light overpowered that.
"——!?"
With a piercing, high-pitched sound, the ice tower was struck by something and obliterated into dust.
The slender ice tower, over ten meters tall, was by no means fragile. However, the attack shattered the ice as easily as crumbling a sandcastle, returning it to mana.
—Again, he couldn't see it. But he understood.
"That light was definitely an attack—"
"Subaru! The next one's coming!"
As ice fragments scattered around him, Subaru heard Beatrice's shout. Immediately after, the Watchtower glowed again, and he knew instinctively.
The next blow from the light was aimed directly at him.
—The light approached at a speed that didn't even allow a blink, intent on piercing his vitals in a single strike.
He knew the despairing power of that light, having already met his end by it twice.
The moment his brain judged he was targeted by that light, his 'death' was already determined.
"————"
The light thrust straight for Subaru's forehead.
It left even the wind behind, skewering its prey silently—it was death itself. Natsuki Subaru was once again, utterly helpless, brutally killed by it.
"—E.M.M"
"Right!"
—If Natsuki Subaru had been alone at the moment he was targeted.
A clear, resonant sound rang out, and the attack that should have struck Subaru was deflected.
The reason was simple: Subaru's defense exceeded the attack's power.
E.M.M. was the original spell Subaru had developed with Beatrice.
One of its three types, it was the 'Absolute Defense Magic.' During E.M.M.'s activation, Subaru couldn't move, but he became completely impervious to all external interference. It was the result of Beatrice mobilizing all her knowledge and skill in shadow magic to manipulate time and space around Subaru in a limited way.
"It has a similar effect to that sleazebag's... which makes me a bit hesitant, but—Pfft!?"
The Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus, had stopped the time of his body by stopping his heart.
E.M.M. could be called an inferior version of that ability. However, it didn't have the drawback of stopping his heart, and as long as his mana didn't run out, he could remain invincible indefinitely.
Of course, in this situation, it was nothing more than a stalling tactic.
"Just... *cough*!? I can only stall!? Say something *important*!?"
"Hey! Subaru, all you're doing is screaming!? Are you okay!?"
Beatrice's worried voice came from behind him as she moved to shield him with her body. That was understandable, after all, even while defended, the sound and impact still传导ed.
After E.M.M. was activated, the Watchtower's light, perhaps confused as to why Subaru wasn't dying, fired round after round, barrage after barrage, as if confirming his invulnerability.
"*Cough*! *Ack*! Stop it!?"
The rate of fire and precision of aim were abnormal.
The pain and impact of being hit didn't linger on Subaru's body, but sadly, if something hit you, it was human nature to reflexively cry out in pain.
"Subaru—! Enough... Fine!"
Seeing Subaru under concentrated fire, Emilia moved to support him from the roof.
Rising from the sandy ground to shield him from the Watchtower's attack was a massive, thick wall of ice. It was likely the hardest defensive wall Emilia could create in an instant.
It wasn't aimed wrong; it served as a shield against the attacks firing at Subaru—but— "No way!?"
"Even that ice wall can't withstand it?!"
Emilia's scream and Julius's shock said it all—the ice wall was shattered in a single hit.
It wasn't just the incredible power—the light pierced through the weakened remains of the wall and slammed into Subaru. Several deflected beams stabbed into the sandy ground, kicking up white plumes.
The damage to Emilia's ice wall looked less like it had been pierced and more like it had been melted.
"Heat? Did heat melt the ice?"
"That thing that fell to the ground... are those needles?"
Looking at the details of the attack, Emilia and Julius reached the same conclusion simultaneously.
But the attack continued even as they spoke. Subaru was taking an inhuman amount of fire, and even invincibility had its limits.
"Subaru! We have a problem!"
"Doesn't—*cough*!—feel like it! Need to know—*pff*!"
"If this keeps up, we'll get nowhere, and your mana will run out soon!"
"Already!?"
"It's *tick-tick-tick*, Subaru!"
At Beatrice's cry, Subaru gritted his back teeth while being pummeled.
Of course, what Beatrice meant wasn't 'Your mana's running out, so isn't it time to give up?' It was 'Your mana's running out, so shouldn't we counterattack?' "Can you do it!?"
"Is that even a question!?"
To his question, Beatrice didn't respond with 'I can't.' Hearing his reliable partner's answer, Subaru released his clenched teeth and steeled himself.
"The third one is incomplete... We'll use the second one!"
"Right after it hits, deactivate E.M.M."
There was no time.
Subaru exchanged a glance with Emilia, and she nodded in understanding. There was no time to discuss a concrete strategy. But he believed it got through.
"—Gah!?"
Light flashed, and once again Subaru took a direct hit. Since E.M.M. was active, the attack couldn't pass through—but that was about to change.
Original spells could only be used once per day. The moment E.M.M. was deactivated, Subaru would lose his defense against that light.
Before the next shot arrived, he had to execute the counterattack— "Light—"
As if reading his move, the next beam of light was fired with even greater speed.
The speed and power, different from before, were clearly intended to finish him off. Naturally, with Subaru's paper-thin defenses, a single direct hit meant death.
That— "Stop—!"
A vortex of magical power deployed multiple times in front of Subaru, creating six ice walls one after another on the sand. A single layer hadn't been enough, so six were created simultaneously.
Those six defenses swallowed the light head-on. The first was breached effortlessly, the second as well, and the third was broken through as if it wasn't there.
However, the fourth offered slight resistance, and the fifth held for a fraction of a second longer. And at the sixth, the light's speed clearly faltered. —But it could be overcome.
Piercing through the sixth ice wall, the light drove toward Subaru's defenseless forehead.
—At that precise moment, a knight's sword traced a half-circle, catching the slowed light and slashing it away.
"Regrettably, there are many women who would be saddened if he were hurt—"
Julius had rushed over from the carriage, disregarding the danger to sweep the light away with his sword.
Emilia's defense weakened it, and Julius stopped it.
Subaru felt a twinge of jealousy at their combined effort, but his preparations were complete.
"Here we go! The second shot! Absolute Nullification Magic 'E.M.T.'!!"
Flipping up the hood he'd worn for sand protection, Subaru opened his mouth wide to chant.
Then, Beatrice, hidden behind his back, drew mana from within Subaru, combined it with her own magic power, and forged a new spell.
"————"
The next instant, a faint light expanded from Subaru and Beatrice, forming a spherical field several meters in diameter that enveloped the carriage within.
What appeared was, visually, a transparent sphere of light that seemed to encase them.
But its effect was immense.
"This is..."
In front of the astonished Julius, light fired once more from the Watchtower. Catching it in his peripheral vision, Julius instinctively readied his sword, but his eyes widened immediately after.
The light shot straight for Subaru, diving into this sphere of light. The moment it did, it lost all momentum. The overwhelming speed that surpassed a bullet vanished without a trace, leaving only a white, slender, strange object devoid of speed and power.
It was easily deflected by Julius's sword, fell to the sand, and dissipated.
"Needles?"
"Seems so. No, more importantly, Subaru, this magic..."
"Wait, wait, wait! There's a ton I want to say, but we need to retreat now! Everyone, get in the carriage! We're getting out of here! It won't last long!"
"——! Understood! Let's move!"
Hearing the high-urgency call, Julius swallowed his questions and leaped onto the carriage. The instant he grabbed the reins, the carriage turned toward the side beyond the 'Sand Time.' Heading toward the Watchtower now was suicide. He had to believe this was the right call.
"Go! Stay close to me! Stay inside this field of light!"
"Wow, Subaru, you're amazing! Even though so many lights are flying at us..."
On the speeding carriage roof, Emilia clung on, staring at Subaru in amazement.
Even after learning it was ineffective, the light continued to pursue Subaru. But no matter how many times it attacked, the moment the light entered the E.M.T. field, it lost all its previous power and simply fell to the sand. Nullification was complete.
"Still, that's an incredible power. Is this the trump card you and Beatrice-sama possess?"
"One of them! Just so you know, I'm not revealing how it works! More importantly, we need to prioritize getting away from the Watchtower! Seriously!"
"I assume it's an application of shadow magic, but is it nullifying the effects of mana within its range? If so, you'd be the nemesis of mages... no, for anyone who uses mana to augment their skills, you'd be a terrifying presence."
"Let me clarify—I haven't gotten stronger, it just looks like I have an advantage relatively speaking. I'd lose in a straight-up fight against someone who's naturally strong. This ability was developed because I thought someday I'd give Roswaal a nasty surprise."
Hearing Julius's genuine admiration, Subaru felt a bit good about himself.
Of course, that was also helped by the relief of having escaped the Watchtower's attack. In any case, it was nothing but a moment of 'letting his guard down.' But at this point, it was probably impossible for even Subaru himself to realize what consequences that 'letting his guard down' would bring, so no one could be blamed.
"Subaru! Are we heading back to the sand dune in front of the flower field?"
"A bit tough, but let's do it! Anyway, we need to strategize—"
As he said that, racing back toward the swirling sand winds of the 'Sand Time'—the moment E.M.T.'s field touched it, the 'world' tore.
"Huh—?"
"Did we mess up!?"
Beatrice, who had been relaxing her body with relief at surviving the assault, jumped.
She glared at the front view, at the night sand dune tearing apart before them, and her voice shook.
"The spatial distortion is being nullified by E.M.T.!"
"Eh?"
"I told you! The distortion here is like the 'Door Travel' Betty showed you at the mansion! In other words, the warped space is returning to normal!"
"What does that mean—"
Subaru's question didn't finish; he only felt Beatrice clinging to him.
Then, the 'world' was torn apart like a crudely crumpled piece of paper, unraveling, and into its cracks—Subaru and his group with Patrasche, Emilia and her group with the carriage—were swallowed whole.
"This is bad... Emilia!?"
"Subaru—"
Thrown into darkness, losing all sense of gravity, Subaru screamed.
He couldn't tell up from down, left from right, or where the carriage was. All he could hear was Emilia's voice, responding to his cry, fading into the distance.
"This is—"
Before he could even say 'bad,' they were ejected from the other side of the torn space.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "————"
The boundary between the flower field and the sand sea was torn open, and a small group was swallowed into the rift.
"————"
From afar, from afar, gazing upon it, the shadow within the tower writhed.
It stepped away from the window it had huddled at, treading on the stone floor, descending the spiral staircase.
Its steps were slow at first, but gradually quickened, grew eager.
"——Found you."
And it let out a hoarse murmur, as if it hadn't spoken in years.
However, no one would mistake the joy in its tone.
"Found you."
That much was certain.