"—Tell me, Subaru. From now on, you need to understand that you're always on the verge of dying."
"Oh boy, that's a pretty grim joke for a little lady like you to crack."
"I'm not little, and it's not a joke! I'm being serious!"
When
He was right in the middle of receiving a lecture from Teacher Beatrice, sitting seiza on a beautiful carpet with her short arms crossed, but the conversation wasn't exactly making progress.
Mainly because Subaru kept interjecting with wisecracks every chance he got— "But this is all because Beako is just too cute..."
"Just when I thought you were being serious, what kind of thing is that to say! ...Well, Betty being cute is a well-known fact at this point, so I suppose that can't be helped..."
"The moment that event passed, your dere指数 skyrocketed."
"That's the rudest deflection I've ever heard!"
Beatrice stomped her foot in frustration, letting her anger show. It looked like the same attitude as always, but Subaru's feelings toward her were completely different.
Before, they would clash often, and she gave off the impression of a neighborhood stray kitten that just wouldn't warm up to you. But now, for Subaru, Beatrice was— "An irreplaceable beloved cat I want to bury my face in her belly and spend all day with."
"I'm going to—ask you—seriously!"
"Nekomata—kyuu!"
As Subaru murmured with deep emotion, Beatrice's palm struck him with a jolt that sent him flying. He plastered against the wall before crumpling to the ground, and she shrugged with a look of exasperation.
"How many times do I have to say this? This is important, I suppose. If you miss this, it'll really, truly be dangerous. —It's about your Gate, I suppose."
"...The Gate."
Subaru sat up lazily and cross-legged right where he was.
He gently touched his own chest, thinking about the organ inside it—one that couldn't be seen or touched.
The Gate was a vital organ that existed within living beings, necessary for casting magic in this world, which operated under rules different from Subaru's common sense. Its quality determined a person's aptitude as a magic user, and in Subaru's case, he apparently had a Gate that wasn't particularly outstanding.
The past tense was because that Gate had already been lost.
"To be precise, it wasn't lost—it was destroyed, I suppose."
"That's what happens when you go around overusing it even though you were told not to. Man, next time I see
"How endearingly oblivious of you. ...There might not even be a next time, I suppose."
He had completely ignored the warnings of Ferris, who had been tasked with repairing the Gate he'd overworked. Subaru shrank at the thought of being scolded like a demon by that adorable face and voice, but Beatrice's gaze was even more grave.
"As a result of your Gate breaking, you can no longer properly expel mana, I suppose. But even so, as long as you're alive, mana is produced and absorbed, building up inside your body. However, since you have no way to let it out..."
"You're not about to tell me I'll bloat up and pop or something, are you?"
"——"
"W-Wait, Beatrice!? The silent treatment is scary, you know!"
Subaru's voice rose as Beatrice averted her gaze and fell silent with an awkward expression. Seeing him finally look like he was taking this seriously, Beatrice raised a finger and said, "Listen well, I suppose."
"I'm not joking—that assessment is correct. If this continues, the gradually accumulating mana will destabilize your condition, and eventually, you'll go 'boom' from the muddled mana, I suppose."
"That's terrifying! Is there no way to fix this!?"
"That's where Betty comes in, I suppose. Fortunately, Betty is contracted with you... with Subaru, our very souls connected. As I've said, Betty is a little different from other spirits in that she requires mana from others. In other words..."
"You—you'll take care of the mana that builds up in me!"
Hearing Beatrice's revolutionary idea, Subaru sprang to his feet and scooped up her small body in one go.
"Nkyaa!?" Beatrice shrieked as Subaru held her aloft and spun around in place.
"You're amazing, Beako! No wait—I owe my very existence to you! This officially makes us in this together, body and soul!"
"That—that's not the end of it! From now on, every time you upset Betty, you'd better remember that your life will be hanging by a thread. If you don't want to die, you'd better devote your entire being to keeping Betty in good spirits!"
"Hah—so basically I should keep doting on you with everything I've got. That's more on you to keep shining, you know. Big responsibility, Beako."
"Why is Betty the one who gets told that!? That's not acceptable, I suppose!"
As Subaru spun around and around with Beatrice in his arms, she shouted with a flushed face.
Round and round, round and round.
Round and round, round and round, round and round— △▼△▼△▼△ Yes, and then the sensation of the world spinning came to an abrupt halt, and consciousness returned.
The drowning agony from moments before vanished in an instant, and what struck Subaru instead was the discomfort of a disrupted breathing rhythm and the vastness of the earth pressing against his back.
"—Ugh, *cough*"
He cleared his throat and sat up, recalling what had happened to him.
At the same time, he looked at the center of his chest—there was no sign of the arrow that should have been embedded there. Beyond that, even the scrapes from brushing against trees had vanished.
Of course. He'd taken that devastating blow straight through his chest.
"Did I... die?"
A chill ran through him as he felt the dizzying sensation beneath his feet—the ground threatening to give way beneath him.
In terms of events, it had been barely a dozen minutes since he'd been swallowed by the black shadow at the
He stood up, once again understanding just how precarious his position was. Stabilizing his unsteady body as best he could, Subaru surveyed his surroundings.
And then— "Damn it, this is the worst..."
Confirming that he was smack in the middle of a vast green meadow and that the person he'd wanted to see was nowhere in sight, he cursed his own misfortune.
The location was unmistakably the same meadow where Subaru and the others had been blown from the tower.
The problem was that
Being strangled by Rem on his back and losing consciousness was the restart point.
The fact that Rem hadn't woken up, and the fact that the final loop of the Pleiades Watchtower still happened—both of those things, in and of themselves, were good news, or so he wanted to say.
Or if he could return to that final loop in the tower, maybe he could exchange words with her again, the one who had vanished—such a fragile hope wasn't entirely absent, but— "What an idiot. No, I really am an idiot."
If he had that much lingering regret, then he should have made more time for her, found more moments to be with her, while he still had the chance to talk, to touch, to listen to her thoughts.
The
Right now, what mattered was— "—Find Rem."
He had to chase after Rem and clear up her misunderstanding.
If the reason Rem had fled was the residual scent of the
The chances of her paying him any attention were even lower than before. But Natsuki Subaru's past year wasn't so light that he could give up on her for that reason.
"Besides, someone killed me. ...That arrow definitely wasn't Rem's attack."
At the worst, Rem might launch an attack on Subaru, but he couldn't imagine her putting together that kind of weapon in such a short time.
Moreover, a bow and arrow weren't things you could just quickly whip up.
"The arrow that pierced me had an arrowhead and fletching... Because it went straight through my heart, I didn't feel much pain, but..."
Against that powerful archer, even Rem wouldn't stand a chance.
With her legs immobilized, Rem couldn't exactly run away either. He absolutely had to get to her before she fell prey to those arrows.
Even if Rem, without her memories, didn't consider Subaru an ally.
"Let's go, Natsuki Subaru. —Show what you're made of."
He slapped his cheeks, temporarily forgetting the shock of his recent "death" and the pain of being rejected by the precious girl. Whether he could link up with her after finding her was uncertain, but first he had to find her.
Anger and grief were luxuries reserved for the living.
"——"
Taking a deep breath, Subaru traced the trail of flattened grass that Rem had left behind—the same way he'd done before—and plunged into the forest.
He did, however, seriously debate whether he should call out loudly while searching for Rem.
That arrow ambush had likely happened because the enemy had found him in a defenseless state.
The identity and purpose of his attacker were unknown, but since they'd gone for a killing blow in one shot, it was hard to consider them a friendly party. If found, it meant death—he should treat them as such.
"Still, since they're using a bow and arrow as their tool, it's not some magical beast—it's a human."
If the opponent was also human, there was a possibility that negotiation could prevent a fight to the death. That said, whether the other party would even sit at that negotiating table was anybody's guess.
When it came to Subaru's total death count from "Return by Death," roughly half had been at the hands of humans and half from magical beasts—maybe a slight lean toward humans.
Just because the opponent was a person who could communicate didn't mean he could expect a friendly relationship.
More people meant more chances of finding Rem, he thought, but— "—Cor Leonis."
Closing his eyes, Subaru activated his inner Authority while driving away stray thoughts.
The new power that had wreaked havoc inside the Pleiades Watchtower—Cor Leonis was a search ability that located allies of Subaru, the "Little King," who were nearby, pinpointing the positions of those who supported him.
He desperately hoped he could use it to pinpoint Rem's location.
However— "...No good. No response. They either went really far away, or... Rem doesn't consider me an ally."
The exact range of Cor Leonis was unclear, but within its effective radius, he couldn't sense even a faint glow from anyone who might be his ally.
The two likely reasons were distance and the nature of the relationship.
Even for acquaintances, he couldn't determine the positions of those like Reid inside the tower or the Archbishop of Gluttony.
He could confirm that Cor Leonis was activating.
To put it simply, the ally radar's power was on, but there was no signal. The reasons were that Emilia and the others were outside the effective radius, and Rem—who should be within it—didn't fall into the category of "ally" in Subaru's book.
—And the fact that Louis, who was presumably with Rem, was also undetectable was proof of that.
"There's no way I'd ever consider that brat an ally. That's why she doesn't show up on my radar—the radar of a guy who's head over heels for Rem."
Now he regretted the disastrous communication during his encounter with Rem.
As long as Subaru was wrapped in the Witch's residual scent, he had no idea what words could have earned Rem's trust. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to say anything like "I'll protect Louis" or "Let me take you with me"—even if it was a lie.
"Damn it, damn it all... why...! She finally woke up, so why do I have to..."
Have to play this game of chase like this.
He had waited so long for the day she could stand and move freely on her own two feet, but now that she actually could, Subaru couldn't help but curse the circumstance.
When he thought about who he should blame for this, all that came was rage at the Archbishop of Gluttony—including Louis.
"——"
With these spiraling thoughts, Subaru pressed carefully through the forest.
Moving low to the ground was a desperate measure to avoid a second encounter with the one who had killed him—for convenience, let's call them the "Hunter."
He knew he should smear some mud on his face, camouflage himself with leaves, do something to blend in, but unfortunately he didn't have time for that.
If only he knew exactly how much time had elapsed since he'd been separated from Rem, the search would be much easier.
"Think, think... This clever little head of mine is made for this kind of thing, isn't it? Rem has forgotten everything. But she still retained the ability to pin me down and to sense the Witch's residual scent. That means it's an episodic memory loss."
Memory loss—the kind that frequently appears in manga and games. In most cases, the type depicted is what's known as episodic memory loss.
It was the same condition Subaru had been in after losing his memories through his encounter with the Archbishop of Gluttony in the tower—no, not exactly the same, since that Subaru had only lost his memories from after arriving in this other world, so strictly speaking it wasn't identical, but it was close.
In other words, Rem still remembered the names of things and instinctive reflex actions baked into her body, but she had lost the memories that defined herself and others—the content that constituted personal recollection.
Rem referring to herself as "I" and instinctively guarding against Subaru because of the smell she detected were proof of this.
"Rem must be confused too. She can't run forever. If I can create enough distance and give her time to calm down and reflect on herself, even a little... Especially since that Louis is with her."
It was a ridiculous thing to pray for, but he honestly wished that Louis would be a serious hindrance to Rem's escape.
If Louis threw tantrums, refused to walk at times, and generally made a nuisance of herself, it would give Subaru the chance he needed to catch up.
Or, it'd be fine if Rem had already seen through Louis.
If Louis proved too much to handle and Rem couldn't be bothered anymore, that would also— "...I don't know."
Whether Rem would abandon Louis—who at least appeared to be a helpless young child—was impossible to predict.
Having lost her episodic memories, Rem could be said to have lost the sense of self that came from being born as
Ram's stability, despite Rem's absence from existence, was abnormal. Would Rem experience the same kind of emptiness?
A Rem who had no connection to the pride or inferiority of being Oni, who wasn't Ram's sister, and who had no feelings whatsoever about Natsuki Subaru— "——!!"
The instant he imagined it, a searing sensation burned through his chest, and Subaru pressed forward.
A branch, stomped on in frustration, screamed and snapped. Slipping on the muddy ground, nearly falling forward, Subaru ducked under the tall grass ahead— "—Huh?"
The forest suddenly opened up, and once again Subaru found himself back on the meadow.
Had he somehow circled through the forest and ended up at the same spot? His blood ran cold—but after looking around carefully, he realized that wasn't the case.
It was similar to the first meadow, but the height of the grass underfoot was different.
Compared to the initial meadow, the grass here was slightly taller. Also, the first one had been surrounded on all sides by forest, but here, only the forest Subaru had just exited bordered it.
Beyond the meadow's edge, visible across the open grassland, stretched a vast horizon. The sky seemed impossibly far away and high, creating an almost hypnotic illusion that drew the gaze downward.
But it wasn't just the distant sky that caught Subaru's eye.
Closer in, carved out of the meadow, was a small clearing with camping equipment laid out—in short, traces that someone had been here.
"——"
In an instant, Subaru's entire body tensed with alertness, and his field of vision narrowed sharply.
Fortunately, the makeshift campsite was empty of people. All that remained were the signs that someone had camped here, and it didn't look like a trap.
The question was—who had made this camp?
"The most likely candidate is the one who killed me... right?"
The Hunter who had taken Subaru down had likely set up this base camp for hunting in the forest.
If that was the case, Subaru should immediately leave and secure his safety.
Whether in the forest or on the meadow, the Hunter was undeniably dangerous.
He'd heard stories of hunters in the mountains mistaking humans for deer and accidentally shooting them—but given the Hunter's skill, "I was searching for someone while shouting at the top of my lungs and they mistook me for a deer" didn't seem plausible.
The Hunter was a dangerous enemy. He should act accordingly.
However— "...If I could just swipe a knife or something..."
The density of the trees could be called a proper jungle, and he wanted the help of tools to move through it. Unfortunately, all Subaru had on him was his trusty whip—the Guilty Whip, made from a powerful enemy's materials.
His sand-sea gear happened to be somewhat useful for jungle navigation, but even so, having a single blade to cut through the undergrowth would make a dramatic difference.
If he could get even one useful tool from the campsite, things would look considerably better.
Having finished this brief deliberation, Subaru walked toward the campsite.
He could have turned back into the forest right away, but given his objective, he didn't want to return empty-handed.
Listening carefully for footsteps and staying alert to his surroundings, Subaru infiltrated the camp.
"Traces of a fire, and—cheap, but is this a sleeping spot?"
At the center of the campsite were the remnants of a campfire, and beside it, a bed made of cut grass. Someone had definitely stayed here.
The surface was bare and there was nothing else—but— "At least, if I could find a knife or something close to it—"
"Oh? In need of a blade, are you? You've appeared in a remarkably convenient spot."
Just as Subaru finished surveying the campsite and was about to search for usable tools, he froze at the voice from behind him and the cold sensation pressed against his neck.
Holding his breath and slowly lowering his gaze, he saw that a sword blade—its surface beautifully polished—was pressed against the right side of his neck.
"——"
Subaru swallowed deeply, understanding that he had ceded the power over life and death to the other party.
But at the same time, his mind was in turmoil over the fact that someone had gotten behind him undetected. He was on guard. Completely, desperately on guard—because this was a life-or-death situation, no calculation involved.
Of course, among the superhumans living in this other world, there were those who moved at speeds beyond Subaru's perception, and some could even teleport.
However— "To think I'd encounter one of those rare exceptions here? ...How unlucky can I get?"
"Fool. Who gave you permission to speak? Every word you utter, choose it carefully. Do not forget that your life is in my... in my hands."
The voice from behind was merciless toward Subaru, who cursed his own misfortune.
The other party was right—one wrong move and his head would be severed. Subaru felt the absolute certainty of that threat, even as he frantically searched for a way out.
The voice belonged to a man.
He sounded fairly young—perhaps Subaru's age, or a little older. His manner of speech had its quirks, but oddly, it didn't feel out of place.
And above all— "I can see you're running through all sorts of plans behind that silence. But you're not attempting a suicidal counterattack, I see. Hmm."
The man possessed the insight to read Subaru's mind from his silence alone.
With a thoughtful exhale, the man seemed to deliberate on Subaru's appearance, then said— "An outfit I don't see around here. Doesn't seem suited to the climate of
"I am—urk"
"Silence. Who told you to open your mouth? If you offend me again, I'll let you try talking after your head and body are separated."
Subaru learned the hard way that the man had no intention of engaging in conversation as the blade bit shallowly into the side of his neck.
A sharp sting, and blood seeped down his neck, but the man's scrutiny of Subaru was far from over.
"That whip at your waist would be useless in a forest. Your arms and legs have some training, but not enough to line up among wolves. ...You don't seem to have come here to hunt me."
"——"
"What are you silent for? If you have nothing to say, shall you die here?"
"Huh?! Now it's okay to talk?! This is a mess!"
Protesting the man's irrationality, Subaru flinched as the piercing gaze from behind sharpened against the back of his head.
Realizing he'd spoken out of turn, Subaru tensed—but the stiffness finally broke when the sword pressed against his neck was withdrawn.
However— "—Turn around slowly. If you try anything..."
"You'll decapitate me?"
"No. I'll sever your limbs, gouge out your heart, and burn it all before your eyes."
"That's an excessively evil threat!"
With a threat that conveyed nothing but pure menace, Subaru raised both hands to show he had no intention of fighting back, and slowly turned around.
Then, locking eyes with the man who now stood before him— "...Seriously?"
—He found himself staring straight at a man with his face wrapped in tattered rags.
△▼△▼△▼△ It was a truly peculiar-looking man.
He stood slightly taller than Subaru, with a build that seemed slender to the point of being hazy. His long, lean limbs gave him an elegant posture, and in his hand he held a saber or rapier—a slender blade that had barely grazed Subaru's neck.
His clothing was that of a nobleman, even more out of place than Subaru's own attire. Upon closer inspection, the rags wrapped around his face had likely been a mantle at some point.
Whether he'd suffered a facial injury or simply didn't want to show his face, it was impossible to tell—but— "What is it? That vacant expression of yours."
"Vacant, fine—but my features are something I was born with, so that's not really an insult... In any case, can you blame me for making that face when I see what you look like?"
"Whatever. I, too, upon seeing your face, am reconsidering whether you might be an assassin after all."
"You can't judge a book by its cover! And besides, my role is the exact opposite of an assassin. I'm on the defensive, not the offensive."
Keeping his guard up, the man—no, the masked man—kept his sword pointed at Subaru. Subaru studied the man's equipment and the luggage behind him, furrowing his brow.
The impractical outfit for camping and forest activity was one thing, but what caught Subaru's eye was the bundle of belongings behind the masked man—much like the man himself, it seemed to have appeared there suddenly, out of nowhere.
On top of that, there was the masked man's equipment. —No bow and arrow.
"...Doesn't look like you're the Hunter."
"The Hunter?"
"Just thinking out loud. Incidentally... can you maybe teleport or turn invisible or something?"
"——"
The instant Subaru posed that question, the black eyes visible through the mask narrowed.
But the reaction wasn't anger or dismissal—it was interest in Subaru.
In fact, the masked man let out a soft "Oh?" and said— "What led you to that conclusion? Give me your reasons."
"...Well, before I approached this spot, I was scanning the area. I know there are plenty of people who could blow past my awareness without breaking a sweat, but you're not one of them."
"How can you tell?"
"Don't get mad when you hear this, but I happen to run into the strong—the so-called superhumans—pretty often. Compared to those extraordinary types, the vibe I get from you is... well, normal."
If the man had been an exceptional warrior, that remark would have undoubtedly earned Subaru his ire.
But facing the man directly, that was genuinely what Subaru felt. The atmosphere emanating from the man before him suggested he could handle a sword, but the training behind it seemed ordinary.
In Subaru's eyes, knowing Reinhard and Garfiel, Wilhelm and Julius—there was simply no comparison.
"That rules out the theory that you flew in from outside my perception. So either you teleported behind me, or..."
"—You used 'Concealment' to become invisible. One or the other."
"——!?"
The instant after, the man who had been standing before Subaru vanished from sight, and Subaru was stunned.
But the shock didn't end there.
"He disappeared... but he's still right here?"
"Correct. 'Concealment' cannot erase your presence entirely."
Having received Subaru's question and answered it, the masked man reappeared in exactly the same spot.
So he hadn't actually disappeared—he had simply become invisible. And the fact that he returned the instant he spoke meant— "It解除s when you touch someone or become conscious of them?"
"It's a perfect tool for hiding in wait, so long as you hold your breath."
Saying this, the masked man lowered the sword that had been aimed at Subaru and pointed it toward the edge of the campsite—toward the bundle of belongings.
"The bed was a decoy. I was hiding just beyond that, a short distance away. I could see you sneaking up from the very beginning. It was quite comical."
"Being cautious really does look stupid from the side, huh... Wait, that's not the point! You lowered your sword, which means..."
"You are not a pursuer. I don't understand your reasons or intentions in the slightest, but you are clearly just lost. If so, I have no reason to loudly denounce you. Nor do I need to make you understand at blade's point."
To demonstrate that he had no intention of fighting, the masked man sheathed the sword he'd drawn. Only after watching this did Subaru finally let the tension leave his body.
And the moment it did, he remembered his original purpose.
"Wait—I can't afford to relax right now. Hey, I'm sorry for only asking questions, but have you seen a girl with blue hair? She got separated from me around here."
"Blue hair? No, I haven't. The first person I set eyes on in this place was your ugly mug. How are you going to make it up to me?"
"I'm not gonna make it up to you!? I'm not gonna make it up to you, but... damn, another dead end. Hey, by any chance, would you maybe help me find her..."
"——"
"...Right..."
His witness testimony had turned up nothing, and his lifeline was cut before his eyes.
Receiving the masked man's cold, piercing gaze as his answer, Subaru turned to head back into the forest to recover his lost time— "Wait. If you became separated in this forest, you won't easily find each other again. Wouldn't it be best to prioritize your own survival?"
"—. Sorry, but I can't do that. She's a girl more important to me than my own life. No matter what, I have to find her again. No—I have to bring her back."
"More important than your life, you say? You're not some bard crooning ballads—saying it out loud, it sounds like empty bravado. Though I'll admit, your eyes are interesting."
When Subaru shot a sharp look at the man's dismissive attitude, the man pointed directly at those very eyes. Subaru flinched, thinking for a moment he was about to be stabbed in the eye, but the masked man gave a small laugh.
"They're not the eyes of someone telling lies. I couldn't be certain if you were actually weighing your life against it, but at the very least, you're not just piling on pretenses right now."
"So... so what if that's the case? If what I'm saying is true, then what?"
"—Then it piques my interest somewhat. I'll lend you my wits."
The masked man tapped his own temple with his finger.
Hearing this, Subaru nearly barked "Don't screw with me"—but the insult didn't leave his throat.
Oddly—or perhaps because it was itself something wondrous—Subaru felt no impulse to distrust the man. No, he was suspicious, certainly. But there was something more persuasive than that suspicion.
It was probably the man's innate charisma.
"Tell me the details of what happened. I'll find a way to search."
"...She and I were suddenly blown here."
Without realizing it, Subaru had begun answering the man's questions.
He hadn't trusted the masked man, nor had he placed his faith in him. —It was simply grasping at straws. When you felt that way, it didn't matter if the person was less trustworthy than a straw—you clung anyway.
That was probably all there was to it.
△▼△▼△▼△ "You screwed up."
Those were the masked man's first words after hearing the full story, and they were blunt.
At the masked man's prompting, Subaru had recounted the events involving Rem—omitting the complicated surrounding circumstances—and explained them in detail.
That Rem's memories were in disarray, that she had knocked him unconscious and fled, and that a dangerous young girl was with her.
"I know that. I was a complete idiot. But something like that can't be the end of it, right? It's not like she'd just expose my recent dark history, laugh at me, and call it done..."
"Don't be a fool. Why would I waste my precious time to mock a clown like you? —That girl, she's reasonably quick-witted?"
"A—yeah, she is, probably."
Overwhelmed by the masked man's aura, Subaru nodded obediently.
Rem served as an omnipotent maid, active in all manner of daily situations, but high household ability alone wouldn't earn that kind of respect.
She could assess personnel and deploy them effectively based on their capabilities. —Even in combat, she would read Subaru's rhythm and move in sync without a word.
Rem was clever. Even if her memories had been lost.
"If that's the case, then it's highly likely you've been manipulated."
"M-Manipulated? You're saying I was tricked? How could that..."
"At this point, the presence or absence of memories doesn't matter. The important thing is that she's aware of being pursued, and that she has the capacity to think strategically about her pursuer. For example—"
The man paused, and his black eyes swept Subaru from head to toe.
Under that gaze, Subaru felt chastened for his own thoughtlessness, and his shoulders shrank slightly.
Watching him, the masked man narrowed his eyes— "For example, she could have deliberately left tracks heading toward the meadow to misdirect her pursuer."
"——"
"She knocked you unconscious and fled. When you woke up, you must have been desperate. The moment you thought you had to find her immediately—if there were obvious tracks right there, what would you do?"
You'd chase after them like a dog trailing its own drool.
That was exactly what had happened, and it was the answer to the man's mocking gaze. Of course, Subaru could argue that was wrong—but— "...Okay, fine. The tracks did disappear from the forest entrance deeper in. But maybe the terrain was just rough, and that was the reason..."
"Would you deny facts that are inconvenient to you?"
"I already know I'm an idiot. But my one saving graces are adaptability and sheer stubbornness—that's the consensus between me and my other self."
It was something that probably wouldn't translate, but that was Subaru's answer to the masked man.
In truth, the man's theory was sound. Looking back, the tracks left on the grass had been almost too obvious.
In the wild, some foxes and rabbits employed techniques like deliberately leaving visible tracks and then diving into a thicket to confuse predators.
If the traces Rem had left on the grass were the same kind of cunning trap to throw Subaru off— "She sent me in one direction, then went the other way...?"
"In such cases, the direction the person chooses is almost always the opposite. Psychologically, choosing the path that leads farthest away is the most logical approach. —Understand?"
"...I hate to admit it, but you're right. Damn! Rem, you..."
If the masked man was correct, and Rem had deliberately left obvious decoy tracks, then she had most likely fled in the opposite direction.
But having figured that out, if he simply headed into the opposite forest, he might catch up—it was a reasonable calculation. It did make him feel a bit like the villain, though— "I'm already used to looking like the bad guy by my face and smell. I will catch her, absolutely!"
"Quite the bold claim. —Here, take this."
"Huh?"
As Subaru stood up, ready to sprint off, the masked man rummaged through his bundle of belongings and tossed something at him.
Subaru caught it instinctively—a small knife in a leather sheath.
His eyes went wide, and the masked man shrugged.
"This isn't a forest where you can get by with just a whip. At least use this effectively."
"That's incredibly generous, but... I can't give you anything in return."
"It's fine. Every now and then, I'd like to play the benefactor. Or would you rather try robbing me of everything I have with that knife?"
The tone was almost joking, but the fact was that he'd just given Subaru that capability.
The masked man's skill was decent, but not so far beyond Subaru that an upset was impossible. In that sense, this was something of a gamble.
However— "—My name is Natsuki Subaru. This is unquestionably a debt I owe you. I'll repay any kindness, mark my word. I won't be ungrateful."
Subaru tucked the knife firmly at his waist and bowed deeply. The masked man gave a small "Hmph" through his nose and said— "I've already shown you the way. Be on your way. Do everything in your power to earn the trust of the girl who ran."
"You really helped me out! Oh wait—also—"
"What?"
Subaru waved gratefully and was about to dash into the forest when he stopped just short. His hurried manner drew an exasperated tone from the masked man, but Subaru pointed at the forest before him.
"I'm going back through here to return to the original meadow, but you shouldn't use this forest too much. There's a terrifying hunter inside. They snipe from a distance with a bow, and no amount of lives will be enough. If you're going somewhere, I'd recommend going around this forest."
"—. Understood. I'll hold onto that information."
"Yeah, please do. —See you!"
Hearing the masked man's reply, Subaru succeeded in preventing the unpleasant scenario of his benefactor falling into the Hunter's hands.
Then he plunged headlong into the forest at full speed, running toward the original meadow.
"—Great edge!"
Fortunately, returning to the original meadow required no great effort.
The knife from the masked man had an impressively sharp edge, and it proved invaluable in cutting through the branches and leaves that blocked his path.
Normally, a knife of this size would chip badly under heavy use, but he felt no such inconvenience. It might very well be a fine blade.
"The things he had on him looked expensive too—who was that guy...?"
Wondering about this, Subaru made it back to the original meadow in record time. Then, deliberately searching the area where he'd been knocked down, he found— "—Found it. These are the real tracks."
Right in the opposite direction from the obviously planted tracks, he discovered uneven footprints left in the grass. Someone had tried to erase them, but while Rem's tracks could be removed, Louis's apparently couldn't be.
Since there was evidence of effort to conceal them, these couldn't be decoys.
In other words— "—Finally, I've got your tail, Rem...!"
Uttering a line worthy of a full-blown villain—just as he'd worried about earlier—Subaru desperately chased the trail that would serve as his new guide. The tracks continued intermittently all the way to the forest's entrance, same as before, but a broken branch at the entrance and muddy footprints couldn't be hidden.
"I found her! Now I can—"
Confident he could catch up to Rem, Subaru eagerly moved to follow the muddy footprints.
And then, in the very next instant— "—?!"
As Subaru's attention fixated on the muddy tracks, a tied vine snapped beneath his feet. The branch it had been restraining sprang forward with full force, and a devastating blow struck Subaru's side from the side.
"Ugh!"
Taking a full horizontal strike from a branch as thick as his arm, Subaru went flying spectacularly. He rolled across the muddy ground, groaning in pain, and couldn't stand for some time.
His vision flickered, his consciousness spinning like a police car's rotating light from the unexpected ambush— "That... that was..."
After a while, the pain subsided enough for Subaru to stand. He could still feel it in his knee, and the inside of his ribs had taken severe damage.
But there had been an even greater impact.
"—A trap?"
While fleeing, Rem hadn't stopped at merely fleeing.
That was the terror of the girl who, even with her memories gone, fought with everything she had—Rem.
Natsuki Subaru finally understood.
—This was the beginning of his second all-out battle against Rem since coming to this other world.