——If he closed his eyes, the scene would come rushing back to
A forest choked with overgrown trees, muddy ground, and the heavy, menacing air of brutal men.
That atmosphere was shattered by the roar of a magical beast and the rising fighting spirit that heralded the start of battle. And directed at the one who had invited it all — Natsuki Subaru — was a fierce killing intent.
This was an act Subaru had chosen to carry out consciously, deliberately, of his own will.
He had placed a scale inside himself, weighed what mattered against what didn't, and acted on that judgment.
He had resolved to cause harm, and he had followed through.
What would happen to people unaccustomed to fighting magical beasts when forced into battle against one — he didn't know.
They might have subdued it in an instant. Some might have been gravely wounded.
It was a thought he didn't want to entertain, but it couldn't end there — someone might have lost their life.
——No, he should assume someone had.
To justify his actions, and having decided to do it, he had to accept the truth: Natsuki Subaru had tipped the scales and set into motion a plan in which people could die.
These were not
If that was the case, then this was only natural, inevitable, fitting.
The consequences of Natsuki Subaru's actions would have to be paid by Natsuki Subaru himself.
△▼△▼△▼△ "——Now, now, Danna-kun, that scowling face won't do you any good."
"———"
"A sunny disposition brings fortune to those who smile, Danna-kun!? — Why are you—?"
The moment the tip of an axe bit into his skull, the world went white — then, with a sharp crack, his vision cleared.
The first thing that came into focus was Flop, pressing his fingers between his brow.
The long-framed, slender-faced young man — Subaru recalled the events of seconds before that beautiful head had been split open, and involuntarily clapped his hand over his mouth, dropping to his knees on the spot.
The rising urge to vomit, the cascade of violent, murderous events that had befallen him — his heart hammered as though it would explode, his insides clenched tight, and the incessant ringing in his ears tormented him.
Flop's worried voice reached him from far away; the words didn't register at all.
"——Todd."
Through the violent ringing in his ears and the screaming of his organs, Subaru's lips shaped a short name.
It was the name of the man he'd met in the Volakian Empire — the first person Natsuki Subaru had ever directed genuine hostility toward — and, moreover —.
Moreover, the brutal raider who had just carried out that horrific massacre.
"———"
The tavern burning, black smoke billowing.
One after another, the drunken patrons had fallen prey to the axe, because the smoke contained an irritant substance — probably something like an improvised tear gas bomb made with potent spices. But the effect was devastating.
Using a magic stone to start a fire, sealing off the exits and funneling the survivors toward the back door. Then, when they broke through the door and felt a moment of relief, he took out the most capable fighter first with a surprise attack.
And then, protecting himself from the smoke with a dampened cloth, he killed Subaru directly and decisively.
His last words, his voice — above all, the eyes Subaru had glimpsed through the cloth — all of it revealed the man's identity.
That was Todd. — The man who, in the Badoheim jungle, was supposed to have died.
"No…"
That, too, was merely unconfirmed information.
The imperial soldiers' camp had been devastated by the attack led by Abel and the "People of Shudrak." Over a hundred casualties, Subaru had heard. Terrified of being hurt himself, he had shut out any further information.
And he had decided to leave with
So he hadn't even considered the possibility that survivors from the attacked camp might exist.
Much less that this would apply not only to the camp's survivors, but also to Todd and his companions — the very people Subaru had personally chosen to attack, unrelated to the Shudrak assault —.
"If this is the nearest town to the jungle, it's only natural that survivors would flee here."
Imperial soldiers whose camp had been attacked, who had barely escaped with their lives, would inevitably head for
And yet Subaru, without even considering that possibility, had blindly walked right into the city where enemies were waiting. And he'd brought Rem along.
"…Enemy."
The word surfaced in his mind, and he rolled it across his tongue, tasting its bitterness.
Back in his original world, "enemy" had been a word that only existed in manga and games. Even after being summoned to this other world, his targets had been only Witch Cultists and magical beasts — hostile creatures.
So calling someone who was none of those things an "enemy" was a first for him.
And this particular "enemy" was none other than the one Natsuki Subaru himself had created through his own actions.
"——Ghk!"
With a sharp grinding sound, Subaru clenched his back teeth hard.
The flesh of his cheeks was pierced, and the sharp pain and taste of blood seized his consciousness by the collar, forcibly dragging him back to reality. If that wasn't enough, he'd bite off every scrap of meat inside his mouth — he didn't care.
The squeezing of his organs, the ringing in his ears, his trembling limbs and numbed brain — none of that was needed right now.
He couldn't afford to be beaten down by murderous terror. Even if it was a bluff, he couldn't let it crack until the situation changed.
"Danna-kun, pull yourself together! Would you like some water?"
"I-I'm fine. Sorry, Flop-san, I worried you…!"
His complexion and voice were anything but fine, he was sure, but Subaru told himself otherwise and slowly got to his feet.
The trembling in his knees and the queasy unease in his gut remained. But he couldn't keep crouching forever. While Subaru indulged in that vulnerability, time kept moving.
Todd's attack plan was still progressing, inch by inch, like a tiger stalking its prey.
"Hey, I've got a favor to ask, Flop-san. Could you go back to the inn and pick up my chronic condition's medicine from Rem?"
"Medicine? Danna-kun, are you ill with something?"
"Yeah, my chronic shin-shine disease is getting pretty bad."
"My word! I've never heard of such a disease!"
Flop's eyes went wide at the nonsensical diagnosis Subaru fed him. Taking advantage of the man's good nature didn't feel great, but Subaru bit down on his guilt. Right now, the priority was getting Flop as far from Subaru as possible.
If Todd's aim was revenge, then the moment Subaru and Flop split up, Todd would have no choice but to go after Subaru.
Once Flop's safety was secured, Subaru could focus on protecting himself.
He still hadn't figured out the right course of action, but —.
"Meet up with Rowan at the tavern, leave the tavern to avoid a surprise attack, and then…."
It was going to be pretty improvisational no matter what. But since there wasn't time to stop and deliberate, the only option was to execute the best move he could think of and pray for luck.
"If it's Rem…"
If Flop went back to the inn to fetch medicine for an unknown illness, Rem would sense that something was wrong — wouldn't she? He wanted to believe she would.
In that case, she'd hold Flop back and not let him return to the scene. That's what he wanted to believe.
It was nothing but wishful thinking, but it was the limit of what Subaru could conceive right now.
"Flop-san, please!"
"I-I understand! Wait here! Keep your spirits up, Danna-kun!"
Moved by the desperate sincerity in Subaru's words — no act, pure genuineness — Flop retraced his steps back toward the inn. Watching Flop go, Subaru turned and hurried toward the tavern instead.
He would sober up Rowan as fast as he could, slap down gold coins, and rehire him. Rowan had been knocked out by a surprise attack, but he was strong in a straight fight — Subaru wanted to believe that too.
He kept clinging to fate like a lifeline, but please, Rowan, be the strongest in Volakia —.
"——Huh?"
About to break into a run with a prayer in his heart, Subaru suddenly heard a hoarse voice behind him.
It was an empty alley; the voice could belong to only one person. The question was, what kind of sentiment had produced that voice, and what would it lead to.
But he understood almost immediately that it would lead to something far from good.
"Uuaaahhh——!!"
What followed the hoarse voice was Flop's shrill, inverted scream.
Subaru whipped around and spotted Flop collapsing at the far end of the alley. Lying face-up, Flop's raised right leg had been pierced through the thigh by a small knife.
The blade was embedded all the way to the hilt, robbing Flop of the ability to run.
"Flop-san!"
From a sprinting start, Subaru twisted around. His foot slipped on the ground, and he bit his lip. Kicking off the ground, he dashed over to Flop, who was writhing from the pain in his leg.
Once again, his assumptions had been shattered in an instant.
If they split up, he'd assumed Todd would naturally target Subaru first. But Flop had been attacked without warning — that was completely outside his calculations.
For that matter, Todd launching an attack immediately right here and now was itself unexpected.
"Flop-san! I'll get you somewhere you can be treated!"
Carrying all his accumulated regrets and self-reproach, Subaru rushed to Flop's side. The man was groaning in pain, but there was no time for immediate treatment.
If he offered his shoulder and dragged Flop toward a populated area — no, that could lead to the same situation as being run over on the main street. Even if he had to drag Flop bodily, the tavern was the best destination.
The one stroke of luck was that the knife had struck his leg. As long as a major blood vessel hadn't been severed, his life shouldn't be in immediate danger —.
"———"
That was as far as his thoughts went before a question suddenly popped into Subaru's head.
It was good news that Flop's life wasn't in danger. But why had Todd done it this way? Judging by the massacre at the tavern, the enemy was well-versed in the art of killing.
Yet he had limited his attack on Flop to a leg wound. Why?
This was manga knowledge, but it was about snipers' combat tactics.
A sniper who hid and attacked targets from afar would, when facing a group, deliberately wound rather than kill a target. Then, when comrades rushed to rescue the fallen, the sniper would pick them off one by one, their murderous intent unmatched.
A nightmare tactic that exploited comrades' inability to abandon the wounded.
Why did he remember that at this exact moment? Because — .
"Oh sh—"
The instant the premonition of dread struck, a dark glint flashed in the alley right next to where Flop lay.
A split second later, Subaru raised his arm to shield his head on instinct, and a sharp blow slammed into him from the front, sending him flying.
"Gwah!?"
Taking the full force of the impact, Subaru was blasted backward, his skull hitting the ground. His vision whited out, the ringing in his ears screamed back to life, and he used the momentum of the blow to roll backward once more.
Putting distance between himself and the source of the attack, he reached for his forehead, which was burning from the blow that had split it open. His forehead was likely cut — .
"Huh?"
His right hand, which had been reaching for his forehead, was gone — severed between the wrist and the elbow.
"Gy—aaaaahhhh——!!"
The ugly stump of his right forearm was exposed, white bone and pink muscle fibers visible, blood gushing out in time with his heartbeat. He frantically pressed his left hand against the wound to stanch the bleeding, but his left hand was no better — the palm was split vertically, his mangled fingers pointing in different directions.
It was ugly proof that he'd taken a direct hit from his opponent's attack.
If he wanted to talk about mistakes, the real error had been rushing to Flop's side without any defense at all.
Mistake, mistake, mistake-mistake-mistake-miss-miss-miss-miss — .
"——Hmm."
As Subaru pressed against his spurting blood, sinking into panic from the pain and the sense of loss, the man who stood before him — the one who let out a small grunt of acknowledgment — was an axe-wielding figure who stepped out of the alley: a young man with orange hair bound by a bandana.
Todd.
This time, he wasn't hiding his face.
Those murderous eyes Subaru had witnessed at the tavern — the truth behind them was no misidentification after all.
Todd had come to kill Subaru, just as he'd predicted.
"Ugh, ghhhh…!"
Subaru's clenched back teeth cracked. Bloodshot, he glared at Todd.
Was the emotion in that glare anger? Hatred? Or something even more pathetic — a plea for his life? Even Subaru himself didn't know the answer. But Todd's reaction was ice-cold.
Wearing an expression devoid of particular emotion, Todd traced a finger along the axe blade that had destroyed both of Subaru's arms.
"Guess I need to sharpen this thing properly. Bad, bad."
In a flat, detached tone, he commented on his own failure as though making a mental note for next time.
"Ghh, aa…"
"Right then."
Subaru's eyes were wide, his trembling tongue struggling to form words. But Todd paid no attention to Subaru's attempt to speak, and with a casual motion, raised the axe once more.
As though Subaru's words and history held absolutely no interest for him — .
"Uuaaahhh——!!"
"Whoa—"
But before Todd could bring the axe down, someone lunged at his body.
Not Subaru, who was groaning with his arms shattered and in agony. The one who threw himself at Todd to protect Subaru — the man who had been rendered combat-incapable in a single blow — was Flop.
The kind-hearted merchant who had taken a knife to his right leg, who should have been fighting through searing pain, clung to Todd's back, gripping him tight, and looked at Subaru over his shoulder.
"Danna-kun! Run! Get out of here right now—"
The desperate plea on Flop's slender face was answered by Todd's elbow smashing into his chin.
Todd drove his elbow into Flop and brutally tore himself free. The young man who had never known violence was flung aside effortlessly.
Then, turning toward the retreating Flop, Todd raised his axe.
"Stop—"
"Here we go!"
Before Subaru could halt him, a light cry rang out followed by a sickening, sharp, wet sound.
Todd's elbow had lifted Flop's face skyward — and the axe blade struck it. The young man's head was split apart, face and all, and he collapsed into a lifeless heap without a moment's hesitation. Blood flowed, brain matter spilled, and his limbs twitched.
Watching the alley floor slowly darken with spreading blood, Subaru hung his mouth open.
But pain, confusion, and the resurgence of primal fear had already stripped away his capacity for rational thought.
What in the world was this man standing before him?
"You…"
"Hmm?"
"You're right to hate me… I understand that…"
Dodging Flop's blood, Subaru turned to face Todd and spoke through the mess.
Tears and snot streamed freely. Blood poured from his broken teeth, and he was drenched in the blood spraying from his right arm — Subaru was in a wretched state.
He hadn't lost control of his bladder, but that was no comfort.
Once again, he had let Flop die.
The means he'd tried to use to save him — his own insufficiency — had killed Flop again. With that death-face too horrible for even his little sister Medium to see, Flop was gone.
"But don't drag… don't drag others into this…!!"
There was reason to be hated.
Even if it couldn't be called just, there were circumstances between Subaru and Todd that made this outcome seem inevitable.
So Todd coming after him was natural. But dragging bystanders into it was against the rules. It was cowardly. It was the furthest thing from fair. That was wrong. Wasn't it evil?
Subaru's ability to articulate even his own accusations was beginning to crumble.
Listening to Subaru's plea, Todd let out a small "Ahhh," and said: "You — what are you even talking about, 'hate'?"
Standing there in the blood-soaked alley, wiping a fleck of blood from his cheek, he tilted his head in genuine puzzlement.
That dumbfounded attitude and that answer made Subaru's breath catch for an instant. But then an unbearable surge of fury rose up, and he spat out between clenched teeth: "Lying in wait… setting traps… hunting me down, over and over…!"
Over and over and over, relentlessly cornered.
No matter what Subaru did, Todd had anticipated it, preemptively positioning himself, meticulously setting traps to ensure a kill.
To be so fixated on killing Subaru and then to play dumb here — it was pointless stubbornness.
It was blasphemy toward Flop's death. Was he trying to humiliate Subaru, venting his frustration?
"You…!"
"I don't know what you think you know, but there's no grudge or anything. I found a dangerous guy in the city. Obviously I've got to take him out, no questions asked."
"———"
"Killing a venomous snake isn't about grudges — it's about fear. So you kill it with whatever works."
No more, no less — that was all there was to it, Todd said, calmly peeling strands of hair and bits of skin from his axe blade. Those would be fragments of Flop's shattered skull, but Subaru could only stare in stunned silence.
The faint smile on Todd's face, the composure in his voice — there was no deception in any of it.
Todd's previous attacks on Subaru had proven it. His words were sincere.
Todd saw Subaru as a threat, and intended to kill him. Period.
That was why he hadn't asked anything, hadn't allowed anything, hadn't tried to make Subaru say anything.
And he didn't even hate Subaru for what he'd done in that jungle. The impression Subaru had left on Todd through that act was simply this: Subaru was a dangerous person.
Therefore, Todd would not become emotional. He would kill Subaru with cold, steady detachment.
"You and I are the same kind of person. — I won't give you time."
As he spoke, Todd pressed the sole of his boot against Subaru's chest and kicked him backward. Subaru toppled onto his back without resistance. Todd stepped over him and raised the axe.
Subaru's eyes went wide, searching for the right words.
"Return by Death" — starting from any scene, tracing connections backward through every possible outcome — that was how Subaru found his path to victory. But even that hadn't worked against the Archbishops of Sin. There were moments when it simply didn't apply.
And that was — .
"—Ma—"
"Won't give you time."
——That was when your opponent was a cold-blooded killer.
△▼△▼△▼△ "——Now, now, Danna-kun, that scowling face won't do you any good."
"—"
"A sunny disposition brings fortune to those who smile… Wh-why? Why did your face just go completely pale?"
Most people's faces would drain of color at the sight of an axe falling straight toward their head.
Subaru involuntarily touched his own face, confirming the icy pallor of his bloodless skin with both hands — hands that were, mercifully, still intact — and a flood of relief and terror churned through his emotions.
"How many more… how many more…"
Subaru had absolutely no idea what to do.
By the clock, everything that had happened to him had taken barely twenty minutes. In those twenty minutes, Subaru had already died five times.
At the
This time, he didn't.
The accumulated deaths of Natsuki Subaru didn't seem to be contributing to victory in any way.
If there was one thing he could say — .
"——He's still watching."
Todd was already monitoring Subaru, who was still with Flop.
That was why the instant Subaru and Flop split up, Todd had mercilessly used Flop as bait.
If Subaru had the cold-bloodedness to use Flop as a decoy, the calculus would be different. But since he couldn't do that, if Flop was attacked, Subaru would throw everything into saving him.
This was different from the time he'd weighed Rem's safety against Todd and his group's.
Flop had been nothing but kind to Subaru and the others — complete strangers. The option of letting him die was simply unthinkable inside Subaru's head.
So the strategy of splitting up with Flop was unworkable.
At the same time, Subaru had been stripped of the option of returning to the inn.
Todd might have discovered Subaru at any point, but if he'd spotted him on the way to the tavern, then the inn's location — Rem's location — hadn't been revealed.
Yes, Rem's location was safe. He could believe that fairly firmly.
If Todd had known where Rem was, he would have used her, leveraging her to kill Subaru in a more calculated way. That Subaru could trust in Todd's cunning was, ironically, proof that Rem hadn't fallen into his hands.
"Either way…."
Biting his lip, pressing his palm against his face, Subaru forced his brain to spin.
Time. Time was what he lacked.
If he split up with Flop, Todd would attack immediately.
Could he counter by anticipating the attack — no. Even if he dodged the first strike, it wasn't the kind of opponent he could beat. Without a weapon, Subaru would need to disable Todd in a single blow. Impossible.
If he fled into the main street, Todd would send a dragon carriage careening out of control to run him over.
Even if he dodged the runaway carriage, Todd would likely seize the ensuing chaos to make his next move. Plus, innocent bystanders would be caught in the carnage. Impossible.
If he tried to use different streets, every alley in the city was Todd's hunting ground.
Watching every direction simultaneously was impossible, and even if he dodged the initial attack, he'd face the same problem — his combat ability was insufficient. Impossible.
The best option was still to rush to the tavern with Flop, get their own forces in order before Todd could launch his tavern assault, and meet him head-on.
The sticking point was how much use a blackout-drunk Rowan would be. But of the patterns Subaru could think of right now, this had the highest chance of working. He couldn't come up with anything else.
"Damn it, damn it…."
What a troublesome enemy he'd picked a fight with.
If this were an Archbishop of Sin, those power-reliant types had a certain endearing vulnerability — their strengths could become weaknesses once you figured out the mechanism behind their Authority. Unraveling the trick would expose their fatal flaw.
But Todd had no such thing. He used whatever was available. Just as he'd said himself.
He relied on nothing special and didn't care about collateral damage.
As for what he'd say to everyone after killing Subaru — even that was a complete unknown. He hadn't given it a single thought.
The terror of a man who killed what needed killing without any extraneous thinking.
"Danna-kun? Are you alright? If you're feeling unwell, we should head back to the inn…"
"N-no! We can't do that! We absolutely cannot!"
Subaru answered too forcefully, and Flop's eyes went round.
The moment those words left his mouth, Subaru genuinely cursed his own mental fragility. If he acted strangely, Todd would grow suspicious.
That would wipe out the advantage of "Return by Death."
Since he was already being watched, the only opening Subaru could exploit was Todd's assumption that Subaru didn't know he was being watched.
Ambushes and traps, escapes and counterattacks — whichever method he used, Subaru had to make sure Todd never realized that Subaru was onto him.
That was — .
"——Wait."
In the midst of desperately strategizing against Todd, a thought flashed through Subaru's mind.
A Todd who used whatever tools were available without caring about collateral damage to bystanders. — But what he didn't care about was damage to "others." Not to "himself."
In fact, his willingness to minimize damage to "himself" was precisely what drove his preference for surprise attacks.
Hadn't he said it himself, with his own mouth?
"Killing a venomous snake isn't about grudges — it's about fear."
If that was the case — .
"——Todd! I know you're out here!"
"W-whoa!?"
Following through on the lightning-bolt idea, Subaru raised his voice in a shout.
Flop jumped in surprise at the sudden outburst. But Flop wasn't the only one who'd be startled.
Todd, who had been tailing them through surveillance and shadow, would be startled too.
Riding on that surprise, Subaru narrowed his eyes, twisted his features into something vicious, made the meanest face he could manage, and swept his gaze across the surrounding area.
"You just don't quit, do you, you bastard! I thought you were dead for sure after that, but you're still kicking — you've got guts! But I'm not letting you get away this time! I'll kill you for real!"
He poured malice and hostility into every syllable, his voice dripping with menace, hurling abuse into the air.
No matter where Todd was hiding in the alleys, the voice would carry clearly — and the message would get through: Natsuki Subaru was aware of your existence.
"You think you can beat me? What a joke! Laugh it up — ha ha ha ha ha! Watch me again — watch you crawling away like the coward you are, you piece of trash!"
Putting on a double act of provocation and mockery, Subaru stood in the center of the alley and laughed uproariously.
He was grateful — genuinely grateful — that he had the nerve for performing on a stage. Otherwise, the tremor in his voice, the fear on his face, the terror in his eyes would have given him away.
That none of it showed was thanks to the fundamental rottenness of Natsuki Subaru's character.
"D-Danna-kun…?"
"Shh. Flop-senpai, stay quiet."
Shushing Flop, who was dumbfounded by Subaru's sudden transformation, Subaru gripped the man's arm and strode forward with exaggerated confidence.
He wouldn't retrace his steps. Todd was almost certainly hiding in that direction — or so he believed.
So, midway through his walk, he stopped, turned only his head to glance back down the alley, and called out: "Sure, come at me anytime. Like I said — I'll tear you to shreds."
Whether it was understood or not, Subaru raised his middle finger in a final act of provocation.
And so, Subaru walked toward the end of the alley with a fearless grin on his face, concealing the thunderous pounding of his heart.
"———"
Honestly, it was a complete gamble.
It was entirely possible that Todd, enraged by the provocation, would charge out from the alley swinging his axe. — But Subaru believed he wouldn't.
Todd didn't lose his temper. He was the type to stay calm and seek the optimal move, over and over.
That was precisely why Subaru believed his current bluster would work on Todd.
Tracing back through Todd's thinking — spotting Subaru in the city, deciding to kill him — the root goal was eliminating the dangerous element that was Subaru. If the method of achieving that goal aligned with a surprise attack, fine. If not, he would choose another approach.
Todd was not fixated on one particular method.
That was what separated him from the Archbishops of Sin. And that flexibility was exactly what Subaru intended to exploit.
"What comes next…."
He'd acted on impulse, but what to do from here was still unknown.
If Todd had heightened his caution toward Subaru, then the gap before his next attack would widen. In that window, Subaru had to choose: fight or flee.
If he fought, he needed Rowan at the tavern. Since no other option presented itself, borrowing the man's strength was the best available choice.
If he fled, he had to go to the inn, take Rem's hand, and get out of the city. Regrettable as it was, he'd have to insist the others come along too — they'd be in danger otherwise.
And if fleeing the city was the choice, where Subaru could go was — .
"So… that's what this is."
"Danna-kun?"
Keeping his guard on the alley behind him, Subaru's eyes went bloodshot at that moment.
For just this instant, he forgot Todd's terror, his guilt toward Flop, his worry about Rem, his love for
Forgetting everything, he seized the sensation that had risen to the surface, and Subaru squeezed his eyes shut.
And — .
"——We're leaving Guaral. Right now. Before my bluff gets seen through."
△▼△▼△▼△ After settling on his next course of action, Subaru moved fast.
Even after they emerged from the alley and began moving, Todd didn't attack. That Subaru's provocation had succeeded in making Todd more cautious was all but certain.
But that kind of bluff was only a stopgap.
"He'll see through it in no time. I need to get somewhere out of his reach, right now…"
He had to run.
With that resolve, Subaru gave Flop only the barest explanation, turned back to the inn he'd left before dying five times, and raced up the stairs.
Then he knocked on the door of the room where Rem and the other women were and burst inside.
"Rem! You're okay— whoa!?"
"Whoa—! What the— oh, it's you guys! I almost killed you!"
As Subaru threw the door open, a cold blade pressed against his neck. Medium, who was gripping the barbarian sword, apologized with a "Sorry, sorry!" and withdrew the weapon.
Behind Medium, deeper in the room, Rem was watching the exchange with wide eyes.
"Wh-what is going on? I thought you'd just left, and now you're back already…—"
"Rem!"
"—!"
Rem's surprise at Subaru's blood-soaked return quickly turned to a sharp retort. But Subaru didn't catch half of it. He closed the distance in a few quick steps, wrapped his arms around Rem's body, and held her tight.
Being embraced from the front, Rem flinched and held her breath.
Then — "…Please let go."
"…S-sorry. I just… got overwhelmed for a moment…"
"I understand. Looking at your current state, I can see something serious has happened."
Having confirmed she was safe, Rem calmly pulled Subaru away.
He'd braced himself for her to berate his impulsive behavior, but Rem let out a long sigh and asked "So?" — skipping over his breach of propriety entirely.
"What happened?"
"…I ran into a dangerous person. I bought some time for now, but we can't stay. I'm sorry we just got here, but —"
"We're leaving the city? Understood. Louis-chan, please grab the bags."
Sensing that Subaru didn't have time for detailed explanations, Rem absorbed the situation with startling ease.
Even Louis, upon receiving Rem's instruction, said "Mm!" and happily hoisted the bags onto her own back. — No. Wait. Something was wrong.
"Why are the bags still packed? We just checked into the inn…"
"———"
"Don't tell me — Rem, did you…?"
Rem said nothing. Her silence in the face of Subaru's questioning gaze was itself an affirmation.
"…Is that how it is? No wonder you were so willing to come along…"
"Danna-kun, I'm sure you have thoughts on that, but this isn't the time for them, is it?"
"Flop-senpai."
Subaru felt conflicted about Rem's behavior, but Flop tapped his shoulder. The serious expression on Flop's face urged Subaru to act.
The grand, once-in-a-lifetime performance Subaru had just staged had bought them time. He couldn't waste it.
"Sister! These three and us — we're all leaving the city together! Apparently there's some dangerous home-wrecker targeting this Danna-kun! We can't let the wife and niece get caught in the crossfire!"
"Whaaat, really, big bro!? But — I already took my boots off!"
"Put them back on, sister! Boots are the one thing you can wear again and again! That's their strength!"
"Whoa! That's amazing, big bro! Are you a boot genius!?"
Persuaded by Flop's impassioned argument, Medium hastily laced her boots back on.
It was a sibling exchange, so outsiders had no business interjecting, though Subaru highly doubted this explanation would actually fly. Still, he scooped Rem up into his arms.
"Hey! At least carry me on your back—"
"This is an emergency evacuation! Your backpack was loaded onto Flop's cart anyway — Flop-senpai! Where's the cart!?"
"In the inn's stable! Let me tell you, Farrow's Botercklef is basically our third sibling! A precious little brother we absolutely cannot leave behind!"
"Big bro! Boter-chan is a girl!"
"She's a cute little sister, then!"
"Mm! Mm!"
Despite the urgency, the commotion was deafening. Subaru dashed down to the first floor with his entourage in tow.
"Sorry for all the noise! Keep the change for the inn bill!"
Passing the front desk without bothering to request a refund for the nights they hadn't stayed, Subaru and company burst outside.
They headed straight for the stable and located the belongings they'd left in the cart hitched to Farrow.
"How fast can Farrow go at full speed!?"
"Haha, I've never actually pushed her to her limit. Sister, what do you think?"
"No idea, but probably faster than big bro!"
Taking this less-than-reassuring answer at face value, Subaru pushed Rem up into the cart bed. Then he tossed Louis in beside her and threw open the stable entrance.
With Flop and Medium climbing onto the driver's bench, the escape was ready.
All that remained — .
"Um, what's this about a home-wrecker? What exactly did you tell Flop?"
"There's no time for that! Flop-senpai, make Botercklef go full speed!"
"Consider it done! Run, Botercklef!!"
Rem tugged at Subaru's sleeve with narrowed eyes from the cart bed, but Subaru ignored her questions and called out to Flop's back instead.
Receiving the signal, Flop cracked the reins and struck the back of the brave牛 — Botercklef.
And the cart started moving. Slowly.
"That's not fast at all! We could walk faster!"
"Botercklef! Run! Listen to your big brother, Botercklef!"
"She doesn't seem to recognize you as her brother…"
Rem's observation felt spot on, but Botercklef's speed — no, her walking pace — didn't change. At this rate, it would be faster for Subaru to carry Rem on his back and have everyone run on foot.
And as Subaru's sense of urgency mounted — .
"Boter-chan! Run faster! Or else you're going to be dinner tonight!"
"—!!"
Medium raised her unsheathed barbarian sword overhead, scraped the blades together, and screamed.
Was it the unwavering sincerity in Medium's beaming grin that got through? Because the very next instant, Botercklef let out a deep, thunderous bellow and broke into a furious gallop.
"Wooooaahhh!!"
The violent acceleration and bucking threw Subaru around in the cart bed, and he screamed.
Bursting out of the stable and onto the main street, Botercklef took a near-drifting turn, nearly throwing Subaru off the cart. Rem caught his hand at the last second.
"Whoa, close one! Thanks, Rem! Your hands are soft, by the—"
"Huh?"
"Don't let go suddenly!"
The accidental comment cost him — when Rem released her grip, Subaru's head slammed into the cart bed. But thankfully he wasn't thrown off, and the entire group remained aboard the speeding Farrow cart.
The cart tore down the street, drawing every eye, swerving left and right past other dragon carriages, ox carts, and dog carts as it made for the main gate.
"If we follow the main street all the way, we'll hit the checkpoint at the front gate…"
"No, it doesn't look like it'll be that simple."
"What do you mean — wait, whoa whoa whoa whoa!"
Ahead of the speeding Farrow cart, Subaru's eyes went wide at what Rem was pointing to.
Spread across the main road, blocking their path, was a formation of armored men bearing the imperial sigil of a sword-wolf. Imperial soldiers, arrayed to cut off Subaru's group.
" Todd…! He changed tactics and called for backup!"
The soldiers' formation didn't include Todd himself, but there was no doubt his involvement was behind this blockade.
Faced with Subaru's provocation in the alley, Todd had determined he was at a disadvantage acting alone and gathered his forces. A perfectly rational and inevitable decision. Annoyingly precise — .
"——You bastards! Don't you think you're getting out alive!!"
And standing at the front of the deployed troops in Todd's absence was a familiar face.
A rough, brutish-looking man with an eyepatch over his right eye — Jamal. The man who'd been with Todd and whom Subaru had trapped in the jungle.
If Todd was alive, it was no surprise Jamal was too — .
"You used a magical beast against us, you little shit! I'm gonna kill you!"
"…He's genuinely angry at me in a straightforward way. That's actually kind of reassuring."
Jamal's bloodshot eyes and furious screaming felt more human, and paradoxically more comforting.
That said, Jamal's presence didn't make him any less of a threat. Jamal and the imperial soldiers together formed a purely military obstacle.
How were they supposed to break through this?
"Big bro, hold the reins tight. Got it?"
"Go get 'em, sister!"
But before Subaru could choose his next action in the time available, Flop and Medium Okoeru on the driver's bench had already provided the answer.
Without a moment for Subaru to stop them, Medium planted a foot on the edge of the driver's bench, leaned forward — .
"——BOOM!"
— and kicked off with the sole of her boot, launching herself forward like an arrow.
Barbarian sword drawn, she plunged straight into the enemy formation.
"Outta my way!!"
Scraping the ground with her heel, Medium came to a violent halt in the middle of the enemy lines and swung both arms.
The barbarian sword howled as it carved through the air, unleashing a devastating shockwave. Imperial soldiers in full armor were sent soaring bloodily into the air.
"S-she's amaaazing—!!"
"Is that supposed to be a compliment toward a woman?"
"What else would I say?! That IS a compliment! Medium, you're incredible!"
Receiving Rem's cold correction alongside his honest admiration, Subaru marveled at the unexpected combat asset he had.
Hearing Subaru's voice, Flop on the driver's bench smugly wiped a finger under his nose.
"There you have it — that's my sister's true power! I'm hopeless in a fight myself, you know! But together, we complement each other — "
"You're covering her weaknesses! I finally understand what that means!"
"You get it!"
Pleased with Subaru's response, Flop's eyes lit up, showing his white teeth.
It was secondhand information from Flop, but Subaru witnessed it with his own eyes as fact.
The rampaging Medium cut down the imperial soldiers blocking the road one after another, clearing a path for the Farrow cart to break through.
"If we keep this up—"
"——Don't get cocky, you bitch."
"Uwah!? Just when things were looking bright, Subaru clenched his fist — .
At that instant, a flash of white steel lunged at Medium. She blocked it with her barbarian sword, but the impact sent her body tumbling lightly through the air.
Medium staggered in shock. The man who'd knocked her away was wielding dual swords — Jamal.
"My numbers are already down enough as it is! You think I'm gonna let you lot chip away at the rest of me?! Get the hell down — get on your knees right now!!"
"Uwah! W-whoa! Big bro, this guy's strong!"
"You're kidding!"
Showering abuse through clenched teeth, Jamal swung his twin swords and pressed the attack on Medium. She parried, but the difference in martial ability was obvious even from the sidelines.
This was Subaru's first time seeing Jamal fight properly, and the man was far more skilled than Subaru had assumed. — Or perhaps, it was none other than this man who had defeated the Elgina that Subaru had unleashed in the forest.
"This is bad! We can't keep any distance!"
Thanks to Medium's fierce fighting, the number of soldiers blocking the road had been reduced.
The Farrow cart's momentum could plow through — but only if Jamal, standing firm in the center of the road, wasn't there.
As long as Jamal held his ground, escape seemed impossible.
"——Sister!"
At that moment, Flop shouted.
Medium, being driven back, glanced toward her brother's ringing voice. Perhaps everyone expected some brilliant tactical advice — .
"——Do your best!!"
What came out was, without question, pure guts.
Subaru's mind went blank. Jamal looked equally dumbfounded.
But Medium Okoeru, bound to her brother by blood, reacted differently.
"I'll do my best—!!"
Fueled by her brother's encouragement, Medium's barbarian sword unleashed a ferocious roar.
Shifting from a purely defensive stance, she launched into a savage offensive. The whirlwind of her blade raged over Jamal's entire body.
"You think brute force is gonna work against an imperial army officer…!?"
"Ugh!"
But Jamal deflected the onslaught with his twin swords and counterattacked, driving a strike toward Medium.
She took cuts on her arms and legs, blood streaming down as she grimaced in pain. Yet she funneled the hands she'd been using for defense into attack, fighting to keep Jamal in place.
Did she seriously intend to stay here and hold Jamal? Subaru was about to scream "You can't!" — .
"Take this."
"Whoa!? Rem, what— is that a rope?"
Into Subaru's chest, Rem shoved the rope from the cart bed.
It was a long, thick cord used for securing cargo — sturdy and well-made. But what was he supposed to do with this? Before Subaru could process his confusion — .
"——Eyepatch man!"
Rem shouted, stood up, hefted a wooden crate from the cart bed, and with a mighty heave, hurled it straight at Jamal.
Jamal turned at the shout — "Huh?" — and upon seeing the incoming crate, waved his arm dismissively and sliced it cleanly in half.
The spices packed inside the crate burst outward, showering his entire body.
"Gwah!? Wh-what is—?"
The cloud of powder blinded him, and Jamal flailed in distress. The momentary opening was all Medium needed — she lunged to strike at his back with her barbarian sword — .
"Medium!"
But faster still, the Farrow cart reached the battleground between Medium and Jamal. Subaru swung the rope Rem had given him and flung it toward Medium.
Seeing this, Medium prioritized catching the rope over attacking Jamal.
"Got it!"
"Right on!"
The instant Medium's voice rang out, Subaru braced against the weight on the rope with his entire body. He planted his feet against the cart bed, supported Medium's weight, and helped haul her back.
Medium swung herself toward the cart bed using the rope — With Medium recovered, they could break through the main gate and escape — .
"Like I said, don't think you're getting away!"
In that instant, Jamal burst through the spice cloud, his face twisted in fury.
Still in the middle of her leap, Medium was exposed — and Jamal aimed his twin swords at her back, striking without mercy.
Just one more blow and Medium would sink into a sea of blood — .
"Tch."
"This is payback for the riverside!"
A flying backpack struck Jamal square in the face.
The backpack that Flop's group had supposedly left behind slammed into Jamal's face and shattered into pieces, fulfilling its purpose completely.
Jamal toppled over, and Medium made it back to the Farrow cart. She tossed her barbarian sword onto the cart bed and collapsed flat on her back.
"That was close, that was close, that was so close! Big bro, that was close!"
"Oh yes, it sure was, sister! Danna-kun and the missus did great too! We made it!"
"Really, really, thank you! We made it!"
"N-no, nothing — we're the ones who should be thanking you!"
Medium back on the cart, Flop cheering — but the siblings' gratitude was misplaced. Throughout this entire ordeal in the city, the Okoeru siblings had been saving Subaru's group from start to finish.
To top it all off, he'd dragged them into his own mess. How could he possibly apologize?
"Halt—! Stop! Stop — whooooa!?"
A gate guard tried to block their path and was forced to leap aside at the last second.
The Farrow cart shot past without slowing, carrying Subaru and company straight toward Guaral's main gate. Cutting through the confused lines of the checkpoint, they burst out of the city in a single sweep.
Time spent in Guaral: barely three hours. An absolutely insane turn of events.
But they'd broken through the checkpoint and cleared the main gate. Now Botercklef needed to keep running at full speed and stay ahead of any pursuit.
After that, he'd need to talk to Flop and the others about what came next — .
"———"
Amid violent shaking, they cleared the main gate and emerged outside the city.
The view opened up — a vast plain stretching to the horizon. The moment of escape was at hand.
— That was when a figure, axe raised high, descended from directly above the gate toward Subaru.
"Gwaaah—!"
The downward axe blow fell toward the crown of Subaru's skull in a clean overhead strike.
It was a blow that none of them — Rem, Medium, Flop, or Louis — could have reacted to. Impossible to defend against without forewarning — a nightmare strike.
But — .
"——I was expecting you."
Subaru caught the descending axe with the barbarian sword Medium had dropped on the cart bed.
He'd predicted this: that Todd would target the exact moment their escape seemed certain, when their guard was at its lowest, and try to bury an axe in Subaru's head.
——Todd would do exactly that. Five experiences of terror had made Subaru sure of it.
"See, I really should've killed you first!"
"Gh…!"
Eyes burning with killing intent, Todd forced the axe down, trying to cleave Subaru in two.
Subaru had blocked the blow, but the impact had gone straight up both arms. Losing his grip was only a matter of time.
Neither Rem nor Medium could reach them in time for this desperate clash of blades.
They'd dodged the fatal blow, only to be killed by Todd at this final moment — .
"Aaah—uuuugh!!"
"Whoa!"
The pressure of Todd's axe suddenly weakened.
Subaru looked up — Louis had thrown herself at Todd's body. Hair wild, she fought desperately to stop his rampage.
"Out of my way, shrimp!"
Todd shook Louis off and drove his elbow into the girl's face without hesitation. The elbow strike sent Louis crashing to the ground with a scream.
"——You son of a—!"
Seeing that, Subaru gritted his broken teeth and shoved the axe back with everything he had.
Todd lost his footing from the unexpected resistance, and the locked blades separated them by a step. But that distance was actually within Todd's range — he raised the long-handled axe for the next strike.
Before he could bring it down — .
"——You're watching, right?! Do it, Kuna! Holy!!"
Before Todd's blow could fall, Subaru screamed with the force of someone vomiting blood.
He had no idea how far that scream carried across the plain.
But — .
'Got it, Subaru. Don't forget — I'm watching you.' 'Sure thing!' That voice echoed through his skull like a reply. In the same instant, a tearing wind sound split the air.
The wind-blade shot straight into Todd's flank — .
"Kh—"
With a faint groan, Todd's body lurched violently sideways and was blasted away.
Unable to stay on the cart, he was thrown spinning through the air, tumbling off the Farrow cart and hitting the hard ground without a chance to break his fall.
Two rolls. Three rolls. He spun away, farther and farther into the distance.
"Hah… hah…"
"Wh-what just happened?"
Todd gone, the cart bed fell quiet. Subaru dropped the barbarian sword where he stood and sank to his knees, while Rem helped Louis to her feet.
Rem wore an expression of bewilderment, unsure of what had just occurred. But Subaru had felt a certain certainty — that if he made it past the gate, help would come.
The basis for that certainty was — "…That nasty piece of work of an emperor… when I get back, I'm definitely going to punch him…"
Collapsed on the cart bed, Subaru muttered through his exhaustion, the face of that scheming, foul-hearted man filling his mind's eye as he spat out his words with undisguised spite.