——'Mukatsuku Abel.' That slogan was how Subaru intended to approach 'Iridescent' Yorna Mishgrey.
After all, this was a woman who had repeatedly attempted rebellion over the years and even earned the label of "death-seeker" from the upright Zikr himself.
When requesting an audience with her, Subaru had put forward the policy that "a suitably powerful figure secretly wishes to discuss matters in order to raise a banner against the current Volachia Emperor."
The three of them were to play the part of visitors to Crimson Lapis Castle carrying that power broker's personal letter.
To be blunt, there wasn't a single lie in any of that.
The "current Volachia Emperor" was none other than the person who had driven Abel out and stolen his name and position. And the "suitably powerful figure" who "secretly wishes to discuss matters" was, in truth, the legitimate emperor who ought to be sitting on the throne — so their words held not a shred of falsehood.
Their sole objective was to get Abel's letter delivered. If that required piling up lies — eight hundred or eight thousand of them — they'd do it without hesitation.
——'This is Natsumi Schwartz's stratagem!!' That declaration had won rapturous applause from Al and Medium for its sheer audacity.
However— "— Rebellion against His Excellency, you say?"
The cover story Subaru had pitched to Yorna was exposed, and the air in the great hall began to freeze over.
Radiating hostility so intense it could be mistaken for a literal chill was the man who had been the most worked up in this room from the start —
The severity of his gaze made it clear that a peaceful exit from this situation was now impossible. Subaru understood that much.
——He had never felt the truth of the saying "drown in one's own stratagem" more acutely than now.
"But the poor timing and the lack of information sharing aren't Abel's fault…?"
"Shut that mouth. — Yorna Mishgrey."
Kafma silenced Subaru as he cursed Abel for being thrust into this absurd predicament. Then, fixing Yorna with that piercing stare, he spoke: "You knew, and yet you seated His Excellency alongside this lot?"
"————"
"I demand an answer!"
Kafma's voice rose. His fury was not directed at Subaru and the others, who were tensing up at the confrontation — it was aimed at Yorna, the one who had manufactured this collision.
Not because she bore the responsibility.
It was simpler than that. It was proof that Kafma did not consider them a threat.
Indeed, the fighting spirit radiating from the man who had risen to his feet bore the same quality as the pressure Subaru had felt from
There was no doubt the man had the strength to be assigned as the emperor's escort.
From his perspective, it was only natural that Subaru — and likely even Al and Medium — were judged unworthy of vigilance.
"So we're on the outside looking in, huh? Is that a good thing or a bad thing…?"
Subaru shared Al's muttered complaint, but the tense exchange continued without them. Yorna, cornered by Kafma's interrogation, placed her pipe between her lips and exhaled a plume of violet smoke.
Then, shaking her vivid hair ornament, she tilted her head and said, "Hmm?"
"Knew — what exactly do you mean by that?"
"How brazen of you…! As I've told His Excellency numerous times, you are dangerous."
"Stating the obvious, aren't you now? All those atrocities I've accumulated… Could it be that my lord was unaware of them?"
"——!"
Yorna's attitude — which could only be described as provocative — made a vein bulge on Kafma's forehead.
Strange as it was, watching the exchange, Subaru's sympathies actually leaned toward Kafma. Honestly, even from Subaru's perspective, Yorna's personality was abysmal.
He had steeled himself to some degree based on her reputation, but her malice exceeded even that.
Still, it didn't seem like her scheme was simply to hand over Subaru and his group — who happened to be rebels — to the Vincent party that had happened to pass by.
If this were merely the scene of presenting rebels to the emperor, the atmosphere was far too taut.
And above all— "— Same disgusting taste as always."
It was Vincent who cut through Yorna's inclinations with a single remark.
At those cold words from Vincent, Yorna arched her well-shaped brows ever so slightly: "Oh my, His Excellency did not find it to his liking?"
"Foolishness. If it were one-sided, that would be the same as setting a rabbit to hunt dogs. I haven't grown so weary of the Empire as to amuse myself with mere cruelty."
Spoken flatly, yet imbued with unmistakable intimidation — Vincent's words.
Yorna received them coolly, the fox ears hidden amid her tied-up hair trembling slightly. Subaru could not read what emotion that signified.
But neither could he read Vincent's heart.
"————"
Facing the man head-on, with rebels thrust between them — what kind of storm raged within?
Understanding his true feelings was, at this point, even harder than imagining the real emperor's heart — since they knew the man before them was a counterfeit.
Having driven Abel out, the fake must surely think ill of Abel — but— "He would never be foolish enough to show that outwardly…"
"You—"
"Gah—!"
Subaru's breath caught as Vincent's black eyes pierced straight through him.
In an instant, looking away was forbidden, and Subaru found himself locked in a stare with this formidable enemy, wholly unprepared.
How had they crafted it — that face, identical down to every detail of the genuine article?
Both the real and the counterfeit shared those sharp black eyes that tried to see through everything about the person before them. That quality made Subaru's chest itch with unease— "If you have something to say to me, go ahead and say it."
"…An infuriating gaze, isn't it?"
"What…!?"
"Ah! No, that's not — I didn't mean — That just slipped out!"
At the worst possible timing, the fake emperor's question and Subaru's muttered frustration overlapped.
A direct insult to the emperor — Kafma's face contorted in complete shock. Subaru waved his hands frantically in explanation, while Vincent himself closed one eye and fell silent.
He was surprised, but at the same time, his gaze carried the weight of appraising Subaru.
It was the same quality as the look the real Abel had directed at Subaru in the Bodheim Jungle, in the Shudrak settlement, and at Guaral's city hall.
"Um, in any case, we…"
Behind him, Al and Medium were watching with bated breath.
Given Subaru's explosive outburst, the two of them must be feeling considerable pressure as well. The hall's air had turned glacial, ready to shatter with a single additional misstep.
The fundamental problem was that their position was dire.
Yorna, certainly, and Kafma too — neither was an opponent Subaru's group could handle.
Then wouldn't the best play be to retract the opinion he had voiced about Yorna, bow his head and say they were no rebels at all, and retreat even at the cost of killing the mood?
Thinking this through, Subaru relaxed his mouth corners to force a pleasant smile— —and noticed Yorna's gaze, fixed on him, watching intently.
"————"
With the pipe still at her lips, Yorna observed Subaru's every move in silence.
It was an utterly ambiguous look — perhaps indifferent, perhaps not. Like the uncertain wisps of violet smoke rising from her pipe, it seemed a phantom that would dissolve if you tried to grasp it.
Relying on that? He thought it was deeply foolish.
But Subaru intuited that this was the watershed moment. That gaze — the one that was on the verge of losing interest in them — was not so perverse as to consider reclaiming something once let go. An opinion discarded here could never be scooped up again.
In other words, Yorna Mishgrey's cooperation would be lost forever.
That was tantamount to slamming shut even the thinnest road to a shaky victory.
Therefore— "— Listen carefully and answer. What is it you mean to tell me?"
"That is—"
At Vincent's question, Subaru took a beat — a beat that felt far too long — and raised his head.
The fake emperor's eyes narrowed, and Kafma beside him also turned his attention to Subaru. Behind him, Al and Medium's tension swelled, while Yorna held the violet smoke in her lungs.
Taking in all of those changes from the corner of his eye, Subaru fixed his gaze on Vincent and spoke: "As Yorna Mishgrey says. We hereby declare war upon you."
Yes — clinging to the piece he could not afford to retreat with, the line he could not afford to yield.
To make sure
Faced with a direct declaration of hostility, Vincent's black eyes wavered ever so slightly.
But whether that emotion fell under joy, anger, sorrow, or delight, Subaru's perceptiveness could not decipher it. What he did feel was his tongue drying with terrifying speed from the heat of his own words.
Of course. The emperor of the vast Volachia Empire — unlike Abel, who had lost his power — the fake emperor before him held that authority firmly as a weapon in his hand.
Indeed, had Vincent not raised his hand in a small gesture to restrain them, Kafma, having heard that outburst, would have exploded, and Subaru's life would have scattered in every direction.
But that did not happen. Vincent did not allow it.
"Heh heh…"
From the upper seat, looking down on the standoff between Subaru and Vincent, Yorna let out a faint hum of amusement.
Smoke leaked from the corners of her smiling mouth as her shoulders shook. She looked thoroughly entertained. Subaru's life-or-death declaration had at least succeeded in staving off her boredom.
"What are you laughing at, Yorna Mishgrey?"
"First, because our guest failed to rein in that tongue of his. And on top of these three — there is the possibility that they may endanger His Excellency's person… What shall be done?"
"An incomprehensible woman. You, who make it your creed to defy me — even you must understand my intentions."
At Yorna's provocative sidelong glance, Vincent responded without changing his expression.
Then, looking again at Subaru, who had declared himself an enemy with those black eyes: "This is the land of sword wolves. Only those with the nerve to aim for this head can truly call themselves citizens of the Empire."
"How very… kind of you."
"Hmph."
Vincent let out a snort and dismissed Subaru's sarcasm with a laugh.
That response, too, was a perfect trace of the real Abel's behavior. Even if the genuine article had been present, Subaru felt he would have responded in exactly the same way.
In fact, it almost made him question whether the Abel who had been traveling with them was the counterfeit.
He would very much prefer not to entertain that possibility, since it would mean he was completely cornered.
"But my head is not so cheap as to hand it over to you easily."
"…Then what do you intend to do with us?"
"That is the question."
Restraining Kafma, who was on the verge of erupting, Vincent acknowledged Subaru's group as open rebels with that remark. But following through on those words, the cold stare he turned on his adversaries did not change.
Even if he admired their nerve, there was no reason to show mercy to those who meant him harm.
The black eyes of Subaru and Vincent ground against each other, and the air in the room seemed to scorch and char.
"Oh my, I am a sinful woman indeed. Watching men fight over who gets to be my shield — it truly makes my blood stir."
"You say that as if it were someone else's problem… Besides, most of them over there are women. 'Men' is rather wide of the mark."
"Heh heh."
Yorna made the most absurdly misplaced comment during the standoff between Subaru and Vincent, and when Kafma pointed it out in irritation, she laughed through her nose in response.
That reaction only made Kafma's expression darken further with anger: "Your Excellency! Please give me the order! Those people—"
"— Kafma, now. You've been awfully noisy for a while now, haven't you?"
Growing tired of the stalemate, Kafma attempted a direct appeal to Vincent. But the voice that cut him off belonged neither to Vincent nor Yorna, but to someone else.
"Aah—"
Turning toward the source of the voice, a sigh of surprise escaped Subaru's mouth involuntarily.
That was how far outside Subaru's awareness the speaker had been — so much so that the fact they had spoken at all startled him.
It was one of the three people Vincent had brought as bodyguards — not Kafma, but a small figure who had settled cross-legged on the plank floor with a heavy thud.
"If His Excellency thinks it through, he'll work things out better than any of us could, right? So if we keep yapping, we're just getting in his way — that's the honest truth."
The speaker was a deeply wrinkled old man with white-dyed hair and long, extended eyebrows.
Both his manner of speaking and the content of his words were carefully crafted to radiate an aura of "what a hassle." A glance at him revealed a truly striking appearance — and Subaru wondered how he had gone unnoticed until now.
No — he had been within sight. He simply hadn't registered in anyone's consciousness.
He had, in the truest sense, erased his presence.
To this observation, Kafma turned and replied, "However—"
"Eliminating inconveniences for His Excellency is also a loyal retainer's duty, Lord Olbart!"
"Hearing someone call himself a loyal retainer — doesn't that sound like the opening act of a guy who gets purged for overstepping? I don't like it. Don't want to be the one cutting down a promising young man's head."
"Guh…"
Whatever pressure Kafma felt from that gesture, his cheeks stiffened.
But Kafma was not the only one whose face had gone rigid. Subaru, hearing the name spoken, had done the same.
"Olbart… Dunkelkenn…"
"Oh? That's me — you know who I am? I'm fairly well known, y'know."
"…Yes, if you're aware of your own fame, I'm sure you are."
Subaru's lips trembled as he uttered the name, and Olbart reacted to the shock on his face.
Subaru had first heard Olbart's name at Guaral's city hall, then again during the journey to the
Yorna was one of them. And so was— "'Vicious Old Man' Olbart Dunkelkenn…!"
"That name — I'm not too fond of it, honestly. 'Vicious Old Man' is just too harsh, innit? Do I look like that kind of rotten geezer? …Well, if someone asked me directly, I couldn't say no. Can't say no, right? Ah ha ha ha!"
The old man opened his mouth wide and laughed, displaying white teeth surprisingly well-kept for his age.
But Subaru was in no mood to laugh. — Having come here to win Yorna as an ally, he had instead encountered the fake emperor Vincent, who had brought Olbart along.
That meant, as things stood, Olbart was also on the enemy side.
"Arakiya, Chisha, and now Olbart…"
These were all members of the "Nine Divine Generals" who appeared to have already been taken by the enemy, and all of them high-ranking at that. Subaru wanted to clutch his head.
The problem wasn't just what lay ahead — the situation before him was accelerating toward catastrophe.
Kafma alone was already more than they could handle, and now Olbart of the "Nine Divine Generals" had joined the fray.
This many bad conditions — you couldn't assemble them this perfectly on purpose— "— Hey, old man. You remember me by any chance?"
"Huh?"
Sweat beaded on Subaru's forehead, trickled down his cheek, and dripped from his chin.
In the thick of that tension, it was a sudden strike — Al had thrust his voice forward. He had reached out from behind Subaru.
Leaning forward, Al's action made Subaru's eyes go wide: "Al?"
"What are you doing all of a sudden—every single move is under scrutiny right now!"
"You're still talking like a girl in this situation, Natsumi-chan, but I didn't jump in without thinking either. Well, okay, I did think about it a little… Hey, old man! It's me, me!"
"That's the most confidence-scam-sounding introduction…"
It would be naïve to assume that a trick like that worked just because the other party was elderly. Indeed, at Al's call, Olbart tilted his body with a "Hmm~?" and grunted.
"Now that's a pretty distinctive look you've got there. Even if I'm an old man, I'd hardly forget someone who looks like that. You and me — are we really acquainted?"
"Well, maybe not 'acquainted' exactly, and I wasn't wearing the getup last time we met. But I didn't have this arm, and we did have a little chat."
"Me and a chat with an armless guy…?"
"Yeah, that's right. — Arakiya was there too."
Lowering his voice slightly, Al dropped the name of Arakiya — the same "Nine Divine General" as Olbart, and the terrifying girl who had given Subaru and his companions so much trouble.
Subaru had no idea what Al was talking about, but the moment Olbart heard that name, his eyebrows shot up and his voice brightened: "Ohh!?"
"So you're that guy! The one who helped Araki take the island back! Now that you mention it, the build is similar. Ah ha ha ha — can't believe you're still alive!"
"Oh yeah, alive and kicking. The stars were kind enough to spin my way."
"And now, by some twist of fate, you've ended up as His Excellency's enemy. Maybe I should've put in a good word for His Excellency back then, huh? Ah, that's a miss, a miss."
Olbart laughed heartily, and Al chatted back in a casual tone.
Unable to fathom the relationship between these two, Subaru could only stare blankly. He couldn't even tell whether things were turning in their favor or not.
"— Olbart. So you know this one."
It was Vincent who seemed ready to put an end to those questions. Arms crossed, the fake emperor put his inquiry to Olbart.
"Oh, yeah," Olbart replied. "A couple — no, about three years ago, there was a time when rebellions broke out everywhere right after His Excellency ascended the throne, remember?"
"Lord Olbart, His Excellency's coronation was eight years ago…"
"Eh? Wasn't it about three years? Whoops, whoops — for me, the last ten years all feel like 'recent,' so I get mixed up sometimes."
"Just continue. Eight years ago — what happened?"
Vincent steered the conversation back on course each time Olbart veered off. Following that correction, Olbart pointed at Al and said: "That rebellion that happened in Gnuhnhaib — the one who stopped it was the fellow in the helmet over there, and Araki."
"Oh?"
At Olbart's account, Vincent's gaze turned toward Al for the first time.
It was hard to tell whether that was favorable or unfavorable, but whatever the case, Al's performance evidently hadn't warranted immediate execution.
With that, Al took one step forward to stand alongside Subaru: "Your Imperial Majesty — I'm sure Lord Olbart has told you, but eight years ago, I actually did you a service and have yet to receive my reward."
"He said he didn't want it, though."
"Olbart, keep quiet. — Go on, clown."
"— That reward, I'd like to collect today."
The air in the great hall froze with a sound Subaru could almost hear.
With brazen audacity, Al demanded his reward for a deed performed eight years ago. That impudence, combined with the circumstance that the person who knew the truth of Al's actions was present — it was indeed a gamble worth taking.
The fake emperor Vincent, who had not chosen immediate execution upon hearing Subaru's declaration of war, had his reasons for acting as Volachia's emperor — and the resolve to back them.
And if Abel's words were true, "just rewards and certain punishments" was among his principles.
Then— "What do you seek? My head?"
"If you'd actually give it to me, that would be the biggest coup of my life — but I'd need some real courage to say I want that. So…"
Speaking, Al glanced back over his shoulder at Subaru. Sensing what was expected of him, Subaru drew an envelope from inside his coat.
It was the letter containing Abel's message — delivering it had been their purpose all along.
"This letter — our objective is to deliver it to Lady Yorna. If you would be so kind as to reward my companion's service, please permit it."
"A letter?"
"A love letter… from our master, to Lady Yorna."
Hesitant to use the word "master," Subaru stuck his tongue out mentally at what followed.
At the word "love letter," Yorna let out a "Heh heh" from the upper seat. Her interest had been captured. And Vincent's reaction was not unfavorable either.
Vincent narrowed those black eyes, pondered for only a few seconds, and then spoke: "It has been eight years, but the matter of the Sword Slave Island was a fine service."
"O…"
"If it is a reward you desire, I shall grant it. Take that letter of yours and give it to Yorna Mishgrey."
Chinning toward Yorna, Vincent indicated the woman.
It took a moment for the meaning of Vincent's words to register. But when Subaru realized it meant Al's gamble had won, the three of them exchanged glances.
All or nothing — Al's judgment in striking out had been correct, and— "— However."
"Hm?"
Just before they could raise their voices in triumph, Vincent held up a single finger.
Turning to face them, the fake emperor shut those black eyes into deep darkness: "What I am permitting is the delivery of the letter. You understand what that means, yes?"
He said it deliberately, as if biting into each word.
Hearing this, Subaru's eyes widened. Then, clenching his back teeth, he turned around. His gaze fell on Yorna, who was watching the proceedings with a smirk.
Their goal was to deliver the letter to her and receive her reply— "If I may deliver the letter — when might I expect Lady Yorna's response?"
"Let me see…"
When Subaru asked, Yorna let her gaze drift into empty air for a moment.
Then she turned her pipe upside down, tapped the ash into a jar prepared by a bald attendant at her side, and spoke: "I am a woman, after all… I would not want anyone to see me tearing open a love letter the moment I receive it, now would I? And so… after our guests have left my castle, I shall take my time to read it and write my reply."
"— So once we've left the castle, you'll read it?"
"I am the mistress of this city, and I do not lie in front of my attendants."
The light in her blue eyes — whether it was sincerity or childlike playfulness, Subaru, who did not know her, had no way of judging. But he had no other cards left to play.
For instance, if he changed Al's reward demand to simply leaving the castle safely, Vincent would likely have granted that too.
But that option would, like before, sever the possibility of allying with Yorna.
In other words— "Al, Medium."
Before steeling himself for what came next, Subaru called the names of his two companions.
What was about to happen — and what they needed to do — required their cooperation. So it was only right to seek their consent before acting.
Subaru turned around. Meeting his gaze, Al and Medium each nodded.
"Well, I did say I'd lend my brother a hand."
"And Onii-chan asked me too! To look after Natsumi-chan!"
Al cracked his neck. Medium gave him a firm answer.
Drawing courage from their responses, Subaru nodded back to them.
Then, slowly, he stepped forward toward the front of the great hall — toward the upper seat where Yorna leaned on her armrest, smoking her pipe.
With that bewitching beauty up close, amid the drifting sweet fragrance, Subaru held out the letter.
"Please — a letter from our master."
"You've worked hard. Though mind you — the hard part begins now."
"Yes, I'm well aware."
Graceful fingers accepted the letter, and words laced with a smile doomed Subaru and his companions' future.
But Subaru answered her with a resolute composure, and turned around.
And then— "— Your Imperial Majesty. Presumptuous though it may be — we will be taking your throne."
He declared a new, even more direct declaration of war — head-on.
△▼△▼△▼△ In that instant, what happened was nothing short of dramatic.
"Well barked, you insolent wretches — !!"
Straightaway, following the declaration of war, Kafma's eyes flew wide open.
Having received Subaru's proclamation — the height of discourtesy and disrespect — Kafma Irulux resolved to prove his loyalty to the emperor with his own power.
— The result: Kafma's jacket burst apart as both arms extended, and a countless mass of thorns surged toward Subaru.
The thorns, a deep green, writhed like serpents as they closed in, their overwhelming mass filling Subaru's entire field of vision. An inescapable face-off — each vine bristled with barbs as thick as Subaru's own arms, a lethal technique designed to constrict prey and squeeze out every last drop of life.
A strike that brooked no reaction from Subaru — like a snake swallowing a mouse whole, the thorns engulfed him without ceremony— "— Nice going, brother."
Bracing for the excruciating pain of being pierced through, Subaru hardened his body.
But what struck him was not pain — it was the jolt of being yanked backward into a fall, and Al's voice as he stepped in front of Subaru and caught the thorns on his Blue Dragon Blade.
Shielding Subaru behind him, Al deflected the enemy's assault with the broad blade he had drawn in a single motion. Not all of it was blocked — blood seeped from his shoulder and side.
Even so, Al had protected Subaru from that overwhelming onslaught.
"Wait — Medium!?"
"Waaaaah! That was close! If I hadn't done exactly what Al-chin said, I'd be dead!"
Rapidly turning, Subaru saw Medium standing right beside him, twin swords drawn, shouting at the top of her lungs.
She had both swords positioned high and low, cutting aside, catching, trampling, and blocking thorns that converged from every direction.
Her solid skill and the fact she was unharmed brought a sigh of relief from Subaru. But it was too early for relief — this was only the first wave— "How terribly extravagant magic, I must say."
"—!"
Behind Subaru and his group — who were bracing for more — Yorna, who should have been within range of the thorns as well, maintained the posture of having received the letter. She drew a bald attendant into the crook of her arm and exhaled violet smoke.
There were signs the thorns had approached her too, but they had been deftly redirected around her — curving unnaturally as if avoiding a circular space with Yorna at its center.
Whether Kafma had intentionally bent them aside or Yorna had done something to deflect them, there was no way to tell— "My apologies for the disturbance. We shall take our leave now."
"Do travel carefully. Should the three of you fail to leave the castle…"
"The letter will not be read. I understand."
Even one who was slow on the uptake would understand Yorna's intent when it was spelled out so clearly. Vincent's deliberately transparent terms for this gamble— "The match is whether we can leave the castle. — Al, Medium!"
"On it!"
"Got it!"
"To the right!!"
The instant the firm responses came, Subaru bellowed his command.
Hearing it, both companions grasped Subaru's decision in an instant, and three blades swung into motion.
A one-armed Blue Dragon Blade and supple twin swords — they tore through the thorns with savage force, blowing away the mass that blocked both vision and path, and the three figures burst free of the green wall.
They landed on the plank floor, gathering speed and momentum.
"You think I'll let you escape!!"
But one step forward, and what grazed Subaru's nose was a needle the thickness of a thumb.
Different from the thorns, it flashed past in a blur — for an instant, it looked like a shard of white bone. It was no mere warning shot. That strike was meant to pierce through his temple.
At the last instant, Al thrust his blade into the needle's path — and Subaru would have died otherwise.
"Thorns and needles — are these guys freaks!?"
"That's the 'Insect Cage tribe'! They use insects they've put inside their bodies to attack!"
"That's not the Aburame Clan!"
They argued pointlessly even as Subaru dropped his center of gravity, pressing forward under the cover of Al and Medium's support. Their heading was not the hall's exit— Heading that way would mean retracing the long path back up to the keep. Being exposed to Kafma's attacks for the duration was simply not an option.
In other words, they needed a major shortcut.
Therefore— "Medium!"
"Ready!"
"Do it!!"
"— I'll do it!!"
The instant she received his encouragement, Medium's entire body sprang, and her momentum surged.
Her long hair billowing, she swung the twin swords in both hands and, in complex, extraordinary arcs, swept aside the thorns that bore down on them.
Of course, this drew on Medium's own skill as well. But beyond that— "Right! Right knee! Neck! Sexy hips!"
"Ha! Toh! There!"
Al's blood-curdling shouts — as if he were coughing up blood — served as a guide, marking the precise targets of the approaching dangers. Medium responded in an instant, deflecting or dodging the barbed thorns just before impact.
It was unclear how much Al could perceive, but the extraordinary survival instinct he had shown against Arakiya was not limited to saving himself — it extended to others as well.
Riding on that advantage, Medium reached the hall's window. A single swing shattered the wooden railing, and her long leg kicked the wall apart.
Below — the great hall of the keep, at least thirty meters above the ground, opened up before them. The magic city's blue sky filled their entire vision, and the wind met them with savage force.
This was no mere gamble anymore— "— Once we're outside the castle!"
Yorna would lay hands on the letter.
Having agreed to this condition, Vincent and the others should cease any further interference. Probably. Perhaps. There was no written guarantee, after all.
But with nothing else to rely on, that was their only hope— "Natsumi-chan!"
Medium, who had blasted through the wall, called out to him, and Subaru sprinted with everything he had, all pretense abandoned.
He was grateful he hadn't ended up in a skirt. If his cause of death turned out to be cross-dressing, he would never face the many predecessors who had fought so hard.
Throwing caution to the wind, Subaru kicked the floor so hard it seemed it might crack through— He caught up to Medium, and together they leaped from the broken wall— "Sorry about this, but I do have to do my job, y'know."
"Gah—!"
In that instant, the old man materialized as if he had fallen from the sky, interposing himself directly between Subaru and Medium. His spear-hand thrust pierced both their chests head-on.
The impact struck like a hammer. Subaru's consciousness fractured, having taken a direct hit from one of the "Nine Divine Generals." The cracks spread, threatening to shatter everything apart.
But— "Natsumi-chan! You're fine!"
"Eh!?"
Called out by the loud voice beside him, Subaru snatched back the consciousness he had nearly released. Frantically looking down at his chest, he found no wound from Olbart's strike.
There was no blood, no sign that his heart had been ripped out without a drop of blood.
"Let's go, Natsumi-chan! Don't bite your tongue, okay!!"
As Subaru's vision swam with confusion, Medium seized him by the collar with a hearty grip. She then strode through the broken wall without hesitation and hurled them both from Crimson Lapis Castle.
Into the blue sky, Subaru and Medium tumbled together. The exhilaration of the leap vanished in an instant, and a second later they were dumped into a freefall.
"Uwaaaaaa—!"
Screaming in a high-pitched wail, Subaru clutched Medium close and groped at his own waist. From the familiar shape there, he drew his weapon — the whip.
Jumping without any preparation would be nothing more than suicide.
He hadn't been able to prepare many advantages, but between Yorna's provocation, the declaration of war on Vincent, and the back-and-forth with Kafma and Olbart, the gambles had come in rapid succession.
He had managed to survive all of it — now he had to believe he could survive this last one too.
"Graaaagh—!"
Wrapping one arm around Medium's slender waist, Subaru lashed out with the whip. Its tip extended not into empty air, but toward one of the beams that spanned across the magic city — the web of structural supports crisscrossing like a spider's web, one of which reached the outer wall of Crimson Lapis Castle.
He caught the beam with the whip's hook, using it as a foothold to swing outside the castle grounds. That was the only half-decent idea Subaru had managed to come up with in the chaos of the great hall.
"—!"
He felt the pull on his arm, and Subaru wound the whip around his wrist with all his strength. Even if his grip failed, the worst case would be a broken wrist bone — painful, but enough to hold his weight.
Now all that remained— "Al is—guh!?"
"Sorry!"
The instant the whip pulled taut, Al slammed into Subaru's back with tremendous force. He too, it seemed, had managed to jump outside the castle.
Their reunion mid-air was less than gentle, and all three of them clung together, their combined weight — nearly a hundred and fifty kilograms — hanging from Subaru's single arm.
"Guwaaah—!"
His arm, wrist, elbow, shoulder — the entire right arm screamed, and Subaru traded his own cries of agony for its pain. Their bodies swung in an arc beyond the outer wall of Crimson Lapis Castle, pivoting on the beam where the whip was anchored.
At this point, the best plan was to wait for the momentum to die down and climb back up the whip one by one. As Subaru compared the time that would take against the prospect of his right arm going necrotic, he clenched his molars— "—Ah."
The instant he was about to pour every ounce of strength into the effort, Al and Medium spoke in unison.
Before he could even ask what was wrong, the load on his right arm vanished. — No, that wasn't quite right. The load hadn't vanished — the beam the whip was hooked to had been snapped.
By the thorns that burst from the broken wall of the keep, their furious mass too great.
"Uwaaaaaaaah—?!"
Their screams trailed behind them as all three, still tangled together, tumbled through open air. In the same parabolic arc created by the whip's rebound, they were flung outward.
It was better than jumping from the keep, but being hurled from a height of over twenty meters meant that Subaru and Al — both ordinary humans in body — would not survive the fall.
Crying out in trailing screams, Subaru searched desperately for some way out. Images flashed through his mind —
—With a tremendous crash, the three of them burst through the roof and plunged into the stables below the castle, landing in a heap atop the hay.