Countless wingbeats left behind, the abyss piles up on the night balcony.
The bird-like constructs spread their wings without fear of taking flight into the dark sky.
It was as though falling into a lonely sky was far easier on the heart than remaining in this place.
If that were truly the case, Subaru would agree completely — this suffocating situation was as unexpected as it was equivalent to the worst possible scenario.
"————"
The location: the Watchtower, a hidden night balcony.
Standing before its entrance, Julius carved confusion onto his refined features, his jaw tight. The gaze he fixed ahead reflected the silhouettes of Subaru and
"What… did that conversation mean?"
In a space strung taut with tension, Julius spoke without missing a word.
The content was unchanged from the one he had muttered moments before in a daze, but a faint strength had returned to his voice. That fact alone was a sorrowful testament to the core of strength within him.
The question was: from where had he been listening?
"————"
At Julius's question, Subaru forcibly restarted his stalled thoughts and reached the critical point. From where had he been listening? That was what mattered.
The content of the conversation he had been having with Anastasia — Echidna — was absolutely not something meant to be overheard without preparation. In the first place, when it came to conquering this Watchtower, the secrets shared between Subaru and Echidna ran far too deep.
The matter touched on the "artificial spirit," the "
Subaru had judged that revealing the details of the situation born from those converging elements to Julius would only cause confusion and suffering. Chief among those details was the fact that Anastasia's spirit lay dormant, and that the one currently inhabiting her body was the artificial spirit Echidna.
And that — "Ahh, honestly, Natsuki-kun, you're hopeless, making it so obvious like that."
"…Huh?"
As Subaru froze, Echidna lightly poked his chest with a finger and smiled sweetly.
Her tone, her mannerisms, every gesture was a perfect replication of Anastasia, and for a moment Subaru's eyes went wide as he stared, dumbfounded.
Leaving the stunned Subaru behind, Echidna pirouetted on the spot like a dancer — "I'm sorry, Julius. But it's not like we were trying to leave you out of anything. We just had a little important talk with Natsuki-kun after getting back from the
"————"
"After leaving the Green Room,
Echidna clasped her hands together and tilted her head. "Forgive me?"
The gesture was lovely, exactly the sort of thing Anastasia might do. But the way she was glossing over the conversation was far too amateurish for Anastasia.
It was surface-level words dressed up with nothing but a veneer of propriety — and in truth, perhaps that was not "merely" a performance at all.
Being caught off guard and caught in an inconvenient moment — that was something Echidna had experienced no less than Subaru. She had simply been able to act a fraction of a second sooner.
And that — "You're not Anastasia, are you."
"————"
"Echidna. I would like you to explain your circumstances. Surely you're not so stubbornly evasive that you would still try to hide things from me at this point."
After a brief hesitation, Julius confronted Echidna head-on. At his words, Echidna started to protest — "That's not—" — but — "Echidna."
Being called by Julius again, she fell silent. Then she turned Anastasia's face toward Subaru, those light-blue eyes trembling with emotions difficult to put into words.
But even Subaru could not think of a way to recover from this.
"Julius, where did you hear it?"
"…From the matter concerning Anastasia's body."
To Subaru's question, Julius responded in a suppressed voice.
That alone was enough to warrant emotional turmoil and panic. Yet Julius had at least managed to maintain his composure on the surface — that much deserved acknowledgment.
Or perhaps he had leapt past the point of mere emotion.
"Ever since the battle with the
Echidna, it seemed, had realized she could no longer conceal the truth once things had reached this point.
Without preamble, in a tone as if simply laying out facts, she began her explanation.
The confrontation with the Witch Cult in Pristella — during it, Echidna had taken Anastasia's place and faced the Witch Cult directly. Afterward, Anastasia's spirit never woke.
She had hidden this from Julius, Ricardo, and the members of
And all of those facts had been shared only with Subaru.
"Why was Subaru the only one you shared this information with?"
"He was the one least affected by the Sin Archbishops' authorities and the furthest removed from the chaos of the situation. Moreover, he is a spirit arts user who had formed contracts with
"But?"
"But… he saw through the fact that I was pretending to be Ana, so I had no choice but to explain."
The sequence of events — how Subaru had come to know that Echidna was inhabiting Anastasia's body — and Echidna's explanation sent a visible tremor of agitation through Julius's eyes.
The reason Echidna had faltered was precisely because she had anticipated that agitation.
It was only natural. The fact that Subaru had noticed Echidna's act meant — "That something an outsider with no personal stake should be able to notice — and yet the self-proclaimed first knight could not…"
"Wait, you idiot! You can't phrase it like that!"
"————"
"The situation… the situation was bad! With everything that happened, you were under pressure too! It's not just you — Ricardo, Mimi, and the rest of them were all the same! I only noticed because… somehow, just somehow, it was a coincidence!"
Subaru lashed out at Julius's self-mocking remark, trying to stop the man from wounding himself with his own words. But he could not find words that would serve as proper consolation — words that would comfort Julius, who was tormenting himself for failing in his duty as the first knight.
But really — what could Julius have done? Was he truly someone to be blamed?
His liege, to whom he had pledged his sworn loyalty; the comrades with whom he had sworn to support their liege together; the fellow warriors with whom he had spent so long as a knight — all of it had crumbled around him like a sandcastle, and yet he was told to stand tall. How could anyone say that?
Be steadfast. Be graceful. Be the first knight. How could anyone demand that of him?
If being a knight meant a life in which one was not even permitted to wound like a human, then being a knight itself was the curse that defined
"Transforming that chance into a certainty — that is the duty of the first knight."
"What… what does that even — if that's what being the first knight is, then throw away that troublesome title —"
"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell me to throw it away. I… as I am now, I am terrified of letting even a single thing slip through my fingers."
Julius easily deflected Subaru's impulsive attempt at consolation against the wall of the chivalric code he upheld. Choked by the tangle of emotions, Subaru could say nothing. Julius shook his head.
"Let's return to the matter at hand. Echidna — what is your objective?"
"…To return this body to Ana. The reason I guided you all to this Pleiades Watchtower was to prioritize that over the damage from Gluttony or Sloth."
"So the current situation is undesirable for you as well. And no means of restoring Anastasia has been found. …Even if I were to cut you down."
Julius rested his hand on the sword at his hip and narrowed his eyes as he posed that dire question.
Hearing it, Echidna lowered her gaze and gently touched her own chest.
"I cannot produce proof to deny the suspicion that I am a malevolent spirit who has concocted various excuses to seize Ana's body. So if you were to declare my words false and attempt to destroy me, I would not be able to stop you."
However, she paused, then continued after a beat.
"Most likely, in that case, the best outcome would be an empty shell of Ana whose consciousness never returns. In the worst case, there could be complications sustaining her life — she could die."
Echidna had given her assessment of Julius's hypothesis — of cutting Echidna down. Having said that, she lightly raised both hands.
"Of course, this could also be the rambling of someone clinging to life out of desperation. I cannot definitively say that my death is not the solution. Part of me feels that if my death would allow Ana to survive, that would be fine. Even though I don't want to die."
"Why are you willing to go this far for Anastasia?"
"Ana and I have an imperfect relationship. So it may not be correct to apply the general model of the bond between a spirit and a spirit arts user, but…"
She paused there, then looked from Julius to Subaru, then back again.
As though envying the two of them — who, despite their differences, each shared a proper contractual bond as a spirit arts user and a spirit.
"I love Ana. I've been by her side since she was still a child. That's why I don't want to abandon her — I want her to be happy. That… is my reason."
"————"
"Julius, the reason I didn't reveal the truth to you was because I didn't want to cause unnecessary confusion. If possible, Ana had wanted to keep my existence hidden, and indeed, she managed to keep it concealed all the way until that scene in Pristella. Thanks to that shrewd girl."
In Pristella as well, Julius had been deeply shaken when the truth of Echidna — whom Anastasia had kept hidden all along — was revealed.
The storm that must have raged within his chest at that moment — prioritizing the rescue of
How many of his liege's secrets — secrets fundamental to Anastasia herself — had been revealed at a timing when they should never have been? How unwilling must Julius have been?
"…I understand your relationship with Anastasia now. I can't believe everything. But I have no choice but to believe. At the very least, acting against you rashly would be unwise."
"Thank you, Julius. I'm glad you're making a rational judgment. Ana would be pleased too, I'm sure."
"————"
Releasing the hilt of his sword, Julius did not respond to Echidna's words. He kept his silence.
That silence was far from agreement — it was tinged with the sting of humiliation. But Julius swept that frustration away with a single blink and — "I need to confirm something. If you continue to manifest by paying with Anastasia's Od as currency… then naturally, the more you exert yourself, the greater the burden on Anastasia's body. That much is certain, isn't it?"
"That's right. Your understanding is correct. Eat well, sleep well, move the body in moderation… It's a rather health-conscious approach, but it's just right for suppressing Od consumption."
"Is that so. Then… why did you do something so reckless on the second floor?"
Having regained a slight composure, Echidna's tone carried a touch of dry wit — and Julius cut in without warning.
His reference was to the events on the second floor, and the "recklessness" he pointed to was, naturally — "The second floor's examiner,
It was the moment of Julius and Reid's first clash.
When Julius had been overwhelmed by Reid's overwhelming swordsmanship, Echidna had wielded an enormous amount of mana and launched a spell at Reid.
Rather than turning the tide, it had instead placed such strain on Anastasia's body that she had collapsed. But the result was not the issue.
Why had she done it? That was the point.
"That episode must have placed no light burden on Anastasia's body. As we've been discussing, that action alone is inconsistent with everything you've claimed. Why did you do it?"
"That's…"
The fact Julius had pointed out was something Subaru had also been curious about.
In that moment, Echidna had acted with a desperate expression to save the beaten-down Julius. There had been no sign of deception in that — no hint of calculation.
What had been there was genuine concern. For Echidna to direct that toward Julius — it was possible, if she had spent all that time alongside Anastasia. But was that all?
However, before Subaru could pursue that question, and before Julius could press further, Echidna said "I'm sorry" and bowed deeply on the spot.
"That… I also feel was a failure on my part. How to put it — embarrassing as it is for a layperson to say — it was a judgment from a strategic standpoint."
"A strategic judgment?"
"At that point, I couldn't tell whether the second floor's examiner truly intended to kill. It was possible that Julius — a vital combat asset — could be lost. I wanted to avoid that. Naturally, for Ana's sake as well. And Reid Astrea, with his back turned to us… from my perspective, it looked like an opportunity. Though it didn't work out, and I ended up causing more trouble instead."
I'm sorry, she added one final time, and slowly straightened her body.
There was no contradiction in that explanation. If it was a miscalculation born from amateur judgment, Subaru had no grounds to deny it — putting aside his emotions.
Could such a story be so easily accepted?
But before Subaru could press the point, before he could close in — "Understood. I ask that you refrain from reckless actions going forward. For Anastasia's sake, if nothing else."
"Noted."
"Wha—!?"
Julius nodded, apparently satisfied, and Echidna nodded in return. Subaru's eyes went wide at the exchange, and he kicked the floor in disbelief.
"How can you accept that with just —"
"Subaru, I have accepted it. Echidna has also promised to refrain from rash actions. What more is there to say? — This is a matter between Anastasia and Echidna, and between me and Anastasia."
"————"
"I'm sorry you were dragged into this due to a strange misunderstanding. But this is ultimately a problem for us — Anastasia's camp. It is not for you to carry."
Julius was trying to shut Subaru out of the matter, and Subaru bit down on his molars at the words.
As if it wasn't for Subaru to carry. As if he didn't get to decide what he felt.
"What I take in and how I take it — that's my business, isn't it!"
"And you intend to take it in, while preventing me from taking in my own concerns? …Just as you did with the matter of Anastasia and Echidna — choosing not to speak of it."
"—"
"I'm sorry. I went too far. …But it's the truth."
Julius's voice came out as a suppressed murmur, his gaze averted. Hearing that tone, seeing that stubborn demeanor, Subaru finally realized.
Julius had not been calm in the slightest.
Far from the storm raging within him, he could not even maintain his composure on the surface.
His very existence had been rendered hollow, his one remaining loyalty to his liege had proven to be a deception, and the promise that should have been respected had been broken — Yet the fact that he could not become emotional was the very nature of the man called Julius.
"I have no desire to argue. To resolve this matter as quickly as possible for Anastasia's sake, we must find a way. Echidna, I will need your full cooperation as well."
"…Yes. Since I couldn't keep it hidden from you any longer, I suppose there's no longer any reason for me to continue pretending to be Ana. Of course, that is — if you can tolerate me speaking in Ana's form."
"That is fine. Looking upon that form will only serve to remind me more strongly of my resolve to restore Anastasia."
Echidna's face grew sad at the intensity of Julius's willingness to wound himself. But Julius, gazing up at the sky, did not see that expression.
It was there that he seemed to notice for the first time that the night sky visible from the balcony was free of corruption, and he narrowed his eyes gently at the light of the twinkling stars.
"There is no reason to linger any longer. Let's go back inside. Tomorrow, we must speak with Emilia and the others about Anastasia's body and about Echidna."
"All right, understood. I'll steel myself as well."
As Echidna said this and began to walk, Julius gently took her hand. It was surely the same gesture he would make toward Anastasia himself.
Regardless of what lay within, his loyalty to Anastasia remained unchanged. — Even if the woman sleeping deep within that body had forgotten all about Julius.
"Julius!"
That sight struck Subaru with something piercing, and he called out instinctively.
Left behind by memories, yet carrying the other person within himself, clinging desperately to that single feeling alone — that was a way of being he understood all too well, painfully so.
Even if forgotten, one could not forget. That feeling alone could drive one forward.
"————"
Julius did not turn around, Echidna in tow.
His spine was drawn unbearably straight, staying upright no matter how broken his heart — and that was precisely what made Subaru inexplicably furious.
"You… don't you have something to say to me?"
He had kept quiet about Echidna. About the truth of Anastasia's body.
Even tonight, he had promised to take turns in the Green Room, yet Subaru had broken that promise, and instead conducted a secret meeting with Echidna out here on the balcony.
He could make excuses. He had reasons. He had no malice in doing so.
And yet — malice or no, reasons or no, excuses or no — the heart is not so easily set free.
So perhaps he should just shout bitter words. Curse, lash out in anger.
Whether it was for the sake of his own guilt, or genuinely for Julius's sake — he did not know.
And surely, Julius would not do it.
He would not raise his voice, nor hurl accusations — "Of course I do."
"————"
"I know. I know what you were thinking, and why you kept the truth from me. There was no malice. Only consideration and concern. I agree with your reasoning. Even if our positions were reversed, I would still have asked you to keep it secret."
"————"
"But… even so."
He gazed at the sky. His voice came as if wrung from his throat.
"I did not want to be thought of as unworthy — not by Anastasia, and not by you."
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ Returning inside the tower required no special procedure.
Just as when they had come out to the balcony, they ducked through the hidden passage below waist height and crawled slowly back into the tower. On hands and knees along the floor, Subaru found himself idly wondering whether Julius, who had gone back before him, had been forced to crawl just like this.
Unfortunately, Subaru could not remember whether Julius had crawled or not.
He had been left stunned by Julius's final words, still somewhat dazed.
"————"
He had honestly expected to be told nothing. — No, that wasn't right.
Subaru had simply assumed — in his own mind — that Julius, tormented by guilt, would never sink to hurling abuse at him. That his nobility would not allow it, and that no anger or resentment would be thrown his way, and that the silence would swallow everything.
But it didn't happen that way.
The words Julius had left behind — they were a thorn that pierced his heart.
He had thought that if he were cursed at, he would feel better. Not that he wanted to feel better, but anything would be better than being told nothing at all.
But reality was not so kind. The thorn Julius had left behind continued to radiate pain, and from the wound where it was still lodged, blood kept flowing. So deeply lodged that he hesitated to pull it out.
"I can't go back to the Green Room… can I."
Echidna had likely been escorted all the way to the Green Room by Julius. After that, it was hard to imagine he would come back down seeking his bed in the carriage below.
Just as Subaru had no face to show, so too would Julius have no face to show Subaru.
The roots of this problem — that they had grown so deep was partly due to Subaru's misjudgment — could no longer be resolved in a single evening. At minimum, time would need to pass, and enough space would need to open up for a calm conversation before any resolution could be reached.
Thinking that much, Subaru felt reluctant to slink back to the dragon carriage. Even knowing Julius wouldn't return, settling cozily under the blanket felt vaguely wrong.
On the other hand, this late at night, there was no one who would accompany the outpouring of Subaru's inner thoughts.
Rem, who was asleep — and
Waking Emilia or Beatrice to listen to him would be far too selfish.
So Subaru wandered aimlessly — "Barusu?"
At that voice, Subaru swallowed faintly and stopped. Turning around in surprise, he saw the stone floor of the fourth-floor corridor, footsteps approaching — and emerging from it was the pink-haired girl,
Ram's faint pink eyes widened slightly as she looked Subaru over from top to bottom.
"You look absolutely miserable. How unsightly."
"…We meet and you go straight for the throat. Anyway, what are you doing up at this hour, Ram?"
"I'll throw that right back at you. …Although I can imagine what Barusu has been doing up this late."
Ram walked right up to him and crossed her arms, and Subaru's expression tightened.
Being told she could imagine what happened made his face cloud over. Ram shrugged wearily at him.
"Let me guess — you were whining to Rem again about things that wouldn't do any good to say out loud? My sister may be sweet and tolerant, but even she has her limits. Stop piling unreasonable burdens on her."
"…Yeah, that's about right. Pretty much."
"…?"
Subaru's eyes widened slightly at Ram's characteristic manner of speaking, and then he managed a bitter smile.
It wasn't that she had seen through his inner thoughts — it was a prediction based on Subaru's daily habits. Ram was right; typically, Subaru spent his nights by Rem's side.
Tonight had been no different. Naturally, Ram would assume he was on his way back from there.
But today, it was more than that — "Stop making that pathetic face."
"Ow!"
"A miserable face, a pitiful look — and a man who's already short enough loses even more stature. At this rate, people will question Lady Emilia's judgment in appointing you a knight. Straighten up."
He flicked her finger against his forehead.
The force behind it brought tears to Subaru's eyes, but the sight of Ram snorting with boredom silenced any complaint. More than that — there was a sense of relief he felt.
"…You really are a big sister through and through, huh."
"Hmph. Spare me the disturbing remarks."
Subaru rubbed his forehead as he spoke, and Ram scowled with undisguised distaste. Being rescued by her — and recognizing that he was the type to need rescuing — felt pitiful indeed.
She wasn't offering to listen to his problems. She wasn't trying to understand what had happened. And yet — "What were you doing up this late, Ram?"
"Something indecent."
"Don't try to shut the conversation down instantly. At least give me a thread to pull on…"
Ram's complete refusal to engage made Subaru shrug. He took a light breath and glanced past Ram — down the corridor from which she had come.
The fourth floor was reasonably spacious, but there were no particularly notable facilities. There was only the Green Room and the cargo brought up from the dragon carriage. And — "…The stairs to the second floor, maybe?"
"————"
"You weren't up there, were you? Alone?"
"Rest assured. I'm not quite that reckless. I may not have seen it with my own eyes, but I'm not so full of myself as to think I could handle Reid Astrea on my own."
Ram snorted derisively, denying Subaru's concern.
In the process, there was a subtle reference to Julius's solo decision that she couldn't quite hide — but touching on that would be a thorn in Subaru's side too.
"So, you had a run-in with Sir Julius. An argument?"
"Am I really that easy to read?"
"Barusu is easy to read, and Ram is simply brilliant. The latter factor weighs more, so don't worry. …Actually, no, do worry about the former too. If you're ever tortured, you'll give away everything about the situation in no time."
"That's an awfully specific scenario to worry about…"
Subaru poked at his cheek, and Ram narrowed her eyes in response. It didn't quite feel like a joke, and Subaru shuddered.
Given Subaru's position, it was not impossible that someone hostile toward the royal selection or Emilia might resort to such violence. He filed that thought away.
"That aside — if you weren't up there, then why are you here…"
"I didn't go to the second floor. I went as far as attempting to go up. That's all."
"I thought you said you weren't reckless. What — a surprise attack while he sleeps?"
If it was a matter of winning by any means necessary, Subaru wouldn't have objected. If Ram had sneaked up to strike while Reid was asleep, he could understand the logic.
The problem was whether Reid, who seemed to be a recreation drawn from past records, actually slept — and even if he did, whether anything could be done about him.
"Unfortunately, a surprise attack is impossible. I turned back halfway up the stairs. That thing is a monster beyond measure. Garfiel looks adorable in comparison."
"Post-taming Garfiel is pretty adorable any time, though…"
"I'm not talking about behavior — I'm talking about the danger level."
That didn't quite disprove the "adorable" part of his behavior, but given the seriousness of the conversation, Subaru chose not to touch on it and instead furrowed his brow.
"I've confirmed it. Once we stop choosing our methods, the other side will stop choosing theirs too. Just as we discussed — we need to satisfy him enough that he won't get serious, without actually making him serious."
"…You went all the way to the second floor just to confirm that?"
"Don't make me repeat myself. I didn't go to the second floor. The second floor is too much for the current me."
Ram acknowledged her purely physical limitations and cautioned that preparation was essential for tackling the second floor. When Subaru heard that it would take time, the recent exchanges with Echidna and Julius came flooding back, and he couldn't help but make a complicated face.
"Barusu?"
"Ah, no, it's nothing. …Well, not exactly nothing, but it can wait. Probably. Once tomorrow comes, we'll have a proper conversation."
"Sublimely cryptic, as always."
"After what just happened, I don't think it's right for me to be the one talking. If I committed yet another offense here, things really would be beyond repair."
Even now, the crack between them was questionable in terms of whether it could be mended. He had no desire to drive in yet another wedge.
Ram, faced with Subaru's weakness, did not appear convinced but withdrew nonetheless.
"In any case, conquering the second floor — conquering Reid — is going to take considerable effort. If only
"Well, she turned out to be unreliable, but don't be too hard on her. If she hadn't helped us at all, we'd all have been charred black under the sand."
Without Shaula, they would never have even reached the "trial" on the second floor. Given that, her disappointment upon entering the tower could be forgiven.
Though borrowing the examiner's hand to clear the trial was quite the extraordinary exception.
"All you do is talk about noble ideals, but eventually you're going to hit a wall."
"I'm not saying I think honesty and purity are always the right answer, you know. It's case by case… this time just happens not to be one of those cases."
"How convenient. …I can't afford to be so laid-back."
Ram clicked her tongue at Subaru's response and shrugged wearily. Then, slowly turning her back — "I should get some rest soon, or tomorrow will suffer. I'm heading back to the carriage."
"Ah, yeah. I, um… I…"
The reasons he couldn't go back were hard to explain, too. Subaru hedged, and Ram only turned her head to glance back, letting out a small sigh.
"Be a dear and sleep. If your fatigue causes you to drag anyone down, I'll wring your neck."
"Sorry about that… wring what exactly, though?"
"That's for you to imagine."
Ram waved a hand lazily and headed toward the stairs leading to the lower level. Not touching on the places that would hurt — leaving the rest to his own effort to recover. That, too, was her way of caring.
That retreating slender back — Subaru raised his hand, knowing she couldn't see it.
"Good night, big sister. See you tomorrow."
"…Ram is not Barusu's big sister. Stop calling me that."
These days, even her refusals lacked force — as though she was simply going through the motions, rejecting only the final acknowledgment.
With those words, Ram vanished from sight. Subaru cracked his neck and muttered, "Now what am I going to do?"
He couldn't go back to the carriage. Going to the Green Room was awkward, too. That left him needing a place to rest comfortably until morning — or at least a place to spend the time productively.
"If I'm just going to sleep, any room would do…"
The most obvious candidate was the room where the cargo was stored.
It was the room where goods from the dragon carriage and the food supplies had been brought in. If he looked, he could probably find something to use as a pillow. The hard floor would make his body ache a bit, but that was about it — and if that was all, he might as well just sleep in the carriage.
After that — "Think about conquering the second floor. About conquering Reid."
Honestly, this was the most constructive course of action.
Many of the current problems would move toward resolution by conquering this Watchtower. Not certainly, but it was undeniably a major factor in turning the situation around.
Conquering Reid, as they had discussed at dinner, meant finding a way to satisfy him — to make him genuinely content — without forcing him to get serious. It was a rather vague approach.
But if there was even a chance to narrow that vagueness, even slightly — "That's it."
At that thought, Subaru snapped his fingers.
The idea that had struck his mind like lightning set his feet in an immediate direction.
"If this works…"
It wouldn't be certain, but it could be a move that dramatically advanced the situation.
Distracted by that inspiration, Subaru hurried off toward his destination.
— In the night Watchtower, only the sound of Subaru's quickened footsteps echoed aloud.
— Only those solitary footsteps.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ The sensation of waking was like breaking the surface of the water from beneath.
A body submerged in the unconsciousness of a dream is pulled upward, and reality is circulated through every limb in the form of breath. Through that, consciousness slowly returns — it splits the water's surface and is born anew.
Sleep is death; waking is rebirth — if one wanted to be pretentious, one might put it that way.
Setting aside such poetic musings, consciousness gradually returned to wakefulness — "Subaru! Hey, Subaru, are you okay?!"
"Wha — whoaa!?"
At the instant he opened his eyes, the beautiful face right beside him startled him so badly that he rolled sideways.
And immediately after rolling, the ground disappeared — he fell a short distance and landed hard on his shoulder.
"Gwahh!"
"Aaah! Subaru, are you alright?! Why did you suddenly roll off like that?!"
"I — I didn't exactly choose to roll on my own initiative…"
He rubbed his shoulder, shook his head lightly, and slowly sat up. Then he blinked, and his expression turned confused.
It was a green room.
The entire room was covered in overgrown ivy that writhed as if alive, completely hiding the walls. It was so eccentric that if someone told him the room was made of ivy, he might well believe it.
And Subaru had apparently been lying in the very center of it — on a bed woven from ivy. That was where he had tumbled off from, and he analyzed his situation with that much clarity.
The reason Subaru could make such a calm assessment was because — "Hmm, it doesn't look like you hit anything too hard. I'm really glad. But you made me so worried, so try not to scare me like that."
"Emilia, saying it like that won't make Subaru reflect on his behavior. You'll have to be harsher — otherwise Betty's concern won't reach Subaru at all."
"You're right. See? Even Beatrice agrees. He went missing, and we were in such a panic, and then we found him passed out and almost cried…"
"You didn't need to say even that much!"
Right before his eyes, a comedic exchange played out.
Subaru nodded along, finding the interaction endearing, and then turned around. Just behind where he was sitting on the ground, there was the presence of something massive.
"————"
It was a giant lizard. A lizard as large as a horse, with skin covered in dark scales. It was, of all things, nuzzling up against him, rubbing its snout against his neck.
Rather affectionate, Subaru thought, gently stroking the lizard's head.
And then he let out a sigh.
"So… this is that thing, huh."
He spoke calmly, coolly, slowly, exhaling the words with his breath.
The two girls facing him tilted their heads in unison.
"Subaru?"
They called his name together, as if they were sisters.
One was a silver-haired girl so beautiful it was almost blinding; the other was a fairy-like young girl in an adorable dress.
A silver-haired beauty, a ringlet-curled young girl, a giant lizard, a room woven from ivy — Subaru opened his mouth wide and shouted.
— Because this was, in other words, that.
"Otherworldly summoning — what the—!?"
At last, we've reached this point.
Chapter 6, "Memory Corridor," the main story begins.