Gazing out through the gaping hole torn in the wall of the great hall, Kafma twisted his lips with undisguised contempt.
Below, where the wind whipped through the ruined cityscape and pillars of smoke curled into the sky, he strained his eyes toward the building where the three who had slipped so brazenly out of the hall had disappeared. —They were nowhere to be seen.
"————"
A fractured beam groaned and crumbled, but the fragments were far too distant to crush the insolent wretches below. So much for that hope.
But— "There's no way I'm letting them get away. I'll make them pay for the disrespect they showed Your Excellency no matter what—"
"Hey, hey, now that ain't right. Those three played every card in their hand just to get out alive, didn't they? If we brush that aside on our end, we'd be the ones with no leg to stand on."
"Lord Obāruto!"
Kafma halted mid-stride, teeth grinding, and whirled around. The wizened old man shrugged his narrow shoulders in response, muttering, "Ooh, scary."
Seeing that reaction only sharpened Kafma's glare.
"More to the point—why did you let them go in the first place? With you, apprehending them should have been child's play!"
"That goes both ways, y'know. And it's not like I was holding back on purpose either. That masked brat pulled some kind of trick on me."
"He didn't look all that young to me, actually…"
"Never mind that. See, from where I stand, practically everyone looks like a tottering little toddler. That's the honest truth. I've been an old man since the day you were born, kid."
Obāruto pointed at himself and crinkled his wrinkled face into a grin. Kafma opened his mouth to press the point further, but Obāruto cut in first.
"Might've slipped your mind, but I'm not keeping an eye on that fox girl over there either. No telling when she'll bare her fangs at His Excellency."
"General Yorna… you're right. I was careless."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Now you've got it."
At the reprimand, Kafma hung his head, ashamed of the blood that had rushed to it. The exchange between the young man and the old one drew a reaction from Yorna herself, who had been singled out as a dangerous person. She brought a hand to the corner of her eye.
"What a terrible thing to say! That you would speak of a weak, fragile woman like myself as though I were some sort of dangerous beast… I have never been so humiliated in all my days."
"Oh, give me a break…"
Her mock tears and theatrical performance stoked Kafma's fury even further, but Yorna merely gave a soft "Kufu" at his glare and lowered her hand from her eye.
Then she raised her pipe to her lips, drew a deep lungful of purple smoke, and exhaled a long plume. —The smoke drifted, swaying, toward the great hole in the wall.
When the drifting smoke reached the breach, something extraordinary happened.
The broken wall began to repair itself, slowly, as if in a dream.
The wood used in the damaged sections of the crumbling Crimson-Flowing Castle writhed to life, mending itself the way a living creature heals from a wound. It was a form of architectural restoration, yet it gave the impression not of something mechanical but of something organic—bizarre and uncanny.
At that surreal sight, Kafma, who had been standing near the wall, took a step back, his cheeks stiffening, and turned toward Yorna.
"There—all good as new. And I'm sure Master will be in better spirits now too."
"So that's what gives Yorna General her—"
"The reason you can't just barge into the Demon City with impunity. —Though that's hardly the only reason this woman is dangerous."
Kafma held his breath as Yorna, having finished repairing the outer wall, straightened up and smiled at them.
Supplementing his dread was the fact that Vincent hadn't so much as flinched during the entire commotion. The man who sat atop the Empire cast a brief glance at the restored wall, then fixed his gaze on Yorna.
"They've left the castle grounds. You and I have both satisfied the conditions you proposed."
"Indeed we have. And it would be rather unsightly for us to undo all their hard work, wouldn't it? Surely Your Excellency understands that much."
"————"
"Of course, Your Excellency has your own thoughts on the matter, and I respect them. But do keep it in mind."
Saying this, staring down the silent Vincent without so much as a hint of correcting her posture from beginning to end,
"This is the Demon City. My city. —Even that blue-haired brat's blade cannot reach me here."
It was an appropriate declaration from the master of the Demon City, but to utter it before the Emperor himself was anything but.
To behave as though one's own sovereignty superseded that of the Volachian Emperor—who wielded imperial dominion across the land—over even a single city was not merely disrespectful.
And yet, no one could deny Yorna Mishigure's words.
Whether her claim was true or false in principle, everyone present knew it was a fact.
That in this Demon City—Chaos Frame—Yorna Mishigure held absolute power.
Therefore— "I'll give you one night."
If one wished to call that the Volachian Emperor's defeat, that person understood far too little of his imperial cunning. But the schemes the Emperor plotted behind those dark eyes were not easily discerned, even to those who stood at his side.
Still, one could trust that Vincent's words were not without reason.
"I am grateful. In that case, I shall need time to review my reply to the letter as well."
Her words were gracious, though her posture and expression showed not a shred of meekness as Yorna received Vincent's permission.
Even the escorts—Kafma and Obāruto—had reservations about Yorna's attitude. But the fact that she had been allowed to act this way was, in the first place, the result of their own failure to stop those three from escaping.
Since even Vincent had conceded the point, there was no use belaboring it.
"Still, your attitude is insufferable. Allow me to say so, as many times as it takes."
"Kufu~. When you glare at me like that, I simply cannot stop shivering. Lord Obāruto, won't you do something about him?"
"Oh no, don't drag me into this. I'm a senile old man with one foot in the grave—it's the duty of you young folk to be gentle with me. Wait, hang on—have I just stumbled onto the ultimate argument for getting goodwill out of almost anyone? Could it be? My time has finally come!"
"Lord Obāruto!"
Obāruto's flippant quip drew a怒り露わ response from Kafma. Yorna watched the smoke curl from her pipe and giggled at the sight. The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly at the scene of his "generals" carrying on like this, then let out a small sniff.
Then the Emperor turned and looked at the last person accompanying him—the one who, unlike Kafma and Obāruto, had shown even less movement than Vincent himself.
"You've been awfully quiet. That's not like you."
"…No, it isn't. It's just that there are certain people present who make things… complicated."
The reply came from a young man's voice tinged with a wry smile.
The man wore a deep blue robe pulled over his head, hiding his features from those around him. That much was normal for him, but the fact that he cinched the collar even tighter than usual seemed to have something to do with the guests present.
The man sighed, then shrank back under the Emperor's silent gaze.
"I suppose you could say I've become a clam in this Demon City. —And the Stars seem to desire as much."
"The Stars desire it? How pointless."
"How unkind to say so."
The man gave a bitter smile at Vincent's dismissive remark, then continued, still smiling.
"If Your Excellency truly believed the wishes of the Stars were beneath your notice, I doubt you would have gone out of your way to come all the way out here. At least, that's what I think."
"How dare you speak as though you know what's in my heart?"
"Not at all."
The man shrank further at Vincent's lowered tone, arms crossed.
Then Vincent looked away from the man—the "Star Reader"—and narrowed his eyes toward the sky beyond the now-repaired wall, where the three rebels had vanished.
And then— "…The wishes of the Stars. How pointless."
The words were a whisper, heard by no one, spoken only inside his mouth before they vanished.
△▼△▼△▼△ "Guh! Kgh! Bwagh!"
Choking and coughing in the thick cloud of dust, he fought desperately to force his lungs to work.
His back, which had slammed hard against something, throbbed with pain. Subaru pressed a hand to the injured area to check the damage. When he gingerly pulled it back, there was no blood—it seemed he had gotten away with just a bruise. A miracle.
The wreckage of the building's construction materials and fragments of shattered beams could so easily have impaled him or torn open a vital artery. Just how much luck had been at play?
"That's—no, now's not the time for that… Medium-san! Al!"
"Ah—I'm over here… Oww, ow ow."
He shook his head and called out instinctively for the two who should have been with him. Immediately, a voice answered from beneath the rubble nearby. Subaru hastily pushed it aside and dragged the person out.
Medium, who had been buried, let out a cough and blinked.
"Ohhh, I thought I was gonna die! Is Natsumi-chan okay?"
"I'm… managing. Thanks to Medium-san and Al protecting me… Medium-san, are you hurt? Is there anywhere that hurts?"
"Hehehe, that tickles~! I'm fine, I'm fine! Totally fine!"
When Subaru checked Medium's shoulders and back, she squirmed and pushed away his chest. Not bravado or a lie—she didn't seem to have any notable injuries either. Both of them had been blessed with ridiculous luck.
"As for Al—"
Subaru scanned the surroundings for Al, who hadn't responded.
The dust was finally beginning to settle, revealing that what they had crashed into was an empty stable. The building beside the Crimson-Flowing Castle had apparently been a warehouse storing hay for the Galehorses.
What had saved Subaru and the others from their helpless fall from a great height was the hay acting as a cushion. Without it, Subaru at least would have ended up splattered like a crushed tomato.
Healing magic was rare in Volachia—as long as
Of course, there was also the argument that the Empire's "survival of the fittest" philosophy was dangerously excessive.
"There! Al-chin!"
Beside Subaru, who was peering through the dim interior, Medium made a sudden dash forward.
She crouched beside an overturned cart near the wall. Several carts piled high with hay had toppled into one another, and something was wriggling underneath.
Subaru hurried over as well, and together with Medium, they swept away the dry hay. Before long, a thick arm poked out from beneath the mound, and they pulled it free.
And then— "OW! My right arm's about to come off!"
"Don't joke at a time like this!"
"But Al-chin was alive too! That's amazing!"
Medium chewed out Al for his untimely joke but felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Al, pulled from the pile of hay, was in terrible shape. Unlike Subaru and Medium, who had escaped with nothing worse than bruises and scrapes, Al's body was riddled with lacerations and dark bruises.
He had held back Kafma's thorns, and even temporarily restrained Obāruto. At the end, when he had leaped toward Subaru and the others, he had also been in the most exposed position against enemy pursuit.
—Every injury he bore was one that should have fallen on Subaru and the others.
"————"
"What's wrong, brother…? You're making a grim face."
"That's because…"
"It's a miracle that all three of us survived that no-rope bungee jump, right? But making that kind of face just makes my back injuries feel all for nothing. That's a swordsmanship sin, you know?"
Al rotated his shoulders with a grunt and fired off his usual barrage of self-deprecating words, as if trying to encourage Subaru.
That attitude caught in Subaru's throat, and then he nodded quickly. "You're right."
Al always acted as if everything was someone else's problem, playing the carefree fool with no seriousness about anything—but every bit of his desperate fighting through that ordeal had been driven by his sincerity toward Subaru.
He had sympathized with Subaru's goal and promised to lend his strength.
He had even followed them into a life-or-death battle for that sake. That was the man called Al.
"…I had the wrong idea about you."
"Hm?"
"I always thought you were a flighty, irresponsible type who didn't take anything seriously."
"Whoa, whoa—"
"But you risked your life for my sake. —I won't forget that."
He pressed his hand to his borrowed chest and declared his genuine resolve to Al.
Without him, the
Even if his life came to an end in the very next moment— "Natsumi-chan, Al-chin, if you two keep dawdling…"
"Yes, I know. Let's leave here as soon as possible. Otherwise, Al's sacrifice will have been for nothing."
"It wasn't a sacrifice!?"
Prompted by Medium, Subaru wiped his face with his sleeve and replied firmly.
All three of them had survived, and that was fortunate—but it was too early to relax. They had technically met the conditions laid out by Yorna and Vincent, but whether that meant Kafma and Obāruto would actually back off was another matter entirely.
They had to survive until they knew for certain.
"Let's go immediately. Hide ourselves and wait for their—"
"—There is no need to worry about that."
"Hk!?"
He had been about to step outside, lending a shoulder to Al, when a voice called out to them.
Startled, he let go, and Al toppled backward with a cry of "Gwaah!" But Subaru had no time to attend to him.
In the entrance of the stable stood a figure, and he had to face them head-on.
"You are…"
"Pardon the late introduction. I am Tanzā, a retainer of Lady Yorna Mishigure."
The one who bowed neatly and formally was a person clad in a kimono with the distinctive antler-like horns of a deer-person—the same deer-girl who had stood at Yorna's side.
The girl who called herself Tanzā slowly raised her head and then stood protectively in front of Medium, who had stepped forward to shield the others. She gently shook her head from side to side.
"There is no need for alarm. I will not harm any of you."
"Really? But we went and smashed up the place—your walls and all?"
"The castle and the stable alike, Lady Yorna will repair. —Lady Yorna has recognized all of you as envoys. No one will lay a hand on you anymore."
Tanzā spoke these words to dispel Medium's anxiety. At her words, Medium's tense shoulders relaxed—but Subaru's impression was quite the opposite.
Setting aside the matter of Yorna repairing the walls and the stable, what came next was the real problem.
"'No one will lay a hand on you'—that's quite the bold claim. You do realize the person back there was His Majesty the Emperor, don't you?"
Subaru stepped up beside Medium, since it didn't look right for him to be cowering behind her. Tanzā's gray eyes fixed on him steadily.
For someone with such delicate, almost doll-like features, the girl showed remarkably little emotion on her face. Even foxes were supposed to have an air of charm, but her bearing had a distinctly inhuman quality.
"At the very least, we are individuals who have committed harm against His Majesty the Emperor… and you're saying their entourage will simply overlook that? That Lady Yorna will make them accept it?"
"Yes. No one can defy Lady Yorna in this Demon City. I believe even Lord Vincent is well aware of that."
"…I see."
Tanzā's answer was delivered without hesitation, yet brimming with absolute certainty. Hearing it, Subaru swallowed the words he had been about to say, stunned into silence.
Then he looked up at the stable ceiling they had broken through and confirmed that there was no movement from the Crimson-Flowing Castle. Given the short time that had passed, one would expect Kafma to come charging after them at any moment.
"That's not happening either… It seems we really can trust what she says."
"Lord Vincent will be departing as well. He will formally deliver his reply to the letter tomorrow."
"…Understood."
"Then please, take care on your journey home."
Subaru's sigh of acceptance earned a bow from Tanzā, who then turned her back to the three of them.
She had done her job to the letter and was returning to Yorna. As she walked away, Subaru called after her.
"Tanzā-san."
She stopped and turned back. Staring into her doll-like, immobile face, Subaru asked: "What kind of person is Lady Yorna to you?"
The reason for the question was that Subaru still couldn't get a read on Yorna.
As long as he didn't know she was the fake, her behavior toward Vincent should have been the same as her behavior toward Abel, the one who had been Emperor.
Her brazen disrespect and insolence—could those really be tolerated simply because she was a person of great power? He wanted to know the reason behind that attitude.
Did Yorna harbor affection toward Abel, or enmity? Or something else entirely?
Together with the fact that she had urged Subaru and the others to fight, the depths of her intentions were completely opaque.
Therefore— "I'd like to hear from someone who's been by her side. What is your impression of Lady Yorna Mishigure?"
"She is a person of deep love. She loves her allies and hates her enemies. —She is the beloved of all who live in the Demon City."
"————"
For the first time, a flicker of emotion passed through Tanzā's eyes as she answered without hesitation.
It vanished in the blink of an eye, but to Subaru, it looked as though those eyes held a faint warmth—and he found he couldn't bring himself to say another word.
All he could do was watch the girl's retreating back in silence.
Whether he had gotten the answer he wanted—no, he hadn't.
The enigma of Yorna as a person had only deepened. Tanzā's words hadn't felt like a lie, but at the same time, the idea that she was a person of deep love was hard to swallow.
Ever since arriving in the Demon City, Subaru and the others had been jerked around nonstop.
"Well, well, that's that. …What do we do now?"
"There's nothing to be done, is there? All we can do is go back, trust Tanzā's assurance, and wait for tomorrow's reply."
In the now-empty stable, Subaru once again offered a shoulder to Al, who was sitting on his rear in the dust.
Bracing under Al's weight, Subaru looked up once more at the Crimson-Flowing Castle.
"A flashy castle that dazzles the eyes… is this part of the 'Gallant Color' too?"
As he murmured this, Subaru realized that Tanzā's earlier words had been the truth.
The complexly hued castle of blue suffused with red—the gaping hole that should have been in its keep had, at some point, vanished entirely. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find a trace of it.
△▼△▼△▼△ "So, that's what happened."
"That's all you have to say? 'I'm sorry'? 'My apologies'? 'Forgive me'?"
Subaru limped back to the inn and reported the circumstances of the letter exchange. At Abel's first words, Subaru's face twisted into a scowl and he pressed in aggressively.
But Abel, still wearing his demon mask, pressed the heel of his hand against Subaru's forehead with an irritated push.
"Why should I be the one to apologize? You did well. I was about to commend you for a job well done."
"Commend us! About to commend us! That condescending phrasing! I don't need your praise—we just did what needed to be done. Right, you two?"
"Don't drag me into this."
Abel looked sour, and Subaru stuck out his tongue and turned to the others for support. But Al, who had his legs stretched out on the floor, just waved his hand weakly. "Spare me."
Al, who had done the most work of anyone this time around, had left the treatment of his various injuries to Taritta and was now wrapped head to toe in bandages like a mummy.
Black helmet and white bandages—the sheer surreal quality of the look was beyond description.
"But I'm glad Natsumi and Medium are safe. I was really worried, even though I stayed behind."
"See? Now that's the right response! You should take a lesson from Chief Taritta here, at least in your capacity as Emperor—"
"Please stop, I'm going to die…"
Taritta, who had been held up as an example, shook her head frantically with a face gone pale. She was saying it was too much pressure, but Subaru found it deeply frustrating. Was there no one who could properly put Abel in his place?
At times like these, it was disheartening to know that the only thing he could do was fight wearing someone else's loincloth.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
"Ah! Rui-chan, stop it! See—Natsumi-chan and the others are in the middle of an important conversation!"
"Mmph! Mmph!"
What cut through Subaru's thoughts was the high-pitched screaming coming from the adjacent room. Looking over, he saw Rui and Medium grappling with each other at the door between the rooms. Naturally, Rui had no chance of overpowering Medium—it was like a wrestling match between an adult and a child.
Rui was promptly hoisted up and carried back through the doorway.
"A-ua!"
"…Seriously, what is with that girl? Ever since we got back, she keeps trying to throw herself at me."
"Of course the one she's most attached to would be you, brother. She doesn't even spare me a glance. Not that I'm asking or anything."
Al, looking like a botched Halloween costume come to life, grumbled from his spot on the floor. Taritta was dabbing at his forehead with evident satisfaction nearby—her aesthetic sense was certainly something.
Having found someone who rivaled
It had been nearly twenty days since Subaru had been sent flying to Volachia.
As long as Beatrice and
He needed to find a way back to rejoin Emilia and the others as soon as possible.
"And yet, this guy under the hood won't even tell us the important stuff…"
"Hmph, so you're calling me the guy under the hood. If I'm the guy under the hood, then what does that make you two? A fool and a jester, I'd say."
"More like a botched Halloween cosplay, us three."
Al's words landed with eerie precision on what Subaru had been thinking. Combined with Abel's remark, Subaru could only grind his teeth.
In truth, the three of them—Subaru in women's clothing, Abel in his demon mask, and Al turned into a bandaged helmet-wearing oddity—looked like participants at some kind of costume party. In Chaos Frame, where a dizzying variety of species walked the streets, they might have been trying desperately not to have their individuality buried.
Of course, Subaru's cross-dressing was for practical purposes, not fashion.
"In any case! I was able to meet Yorna-san at the castle, but in exchange we ran into the Emperor's party as well… That was your body double, then?"
Clapping his hands together, Subaru forcibly steered the conversation back on track. He was careful not to speak too loudly, making sure no one else could overhear, but determined to ask what needed asking.
Abel nodded behind his demon mask.
"There may be plenty of people who look the part, but if there is one who can truly embody me, there is only one. —
"Chisha Gold… one of the Nine Divine Generals. He was the 'White Spider,' wasn't he?"
"Correct. Sharp-minded, skilled at commanding large armies. And—"
"The one who betrayed Abel-chan first."
At Al's final addition, Abel, arms crossed on the bed, gave a silent nod of confirmation.
A traitorous Divine General—and the very first among them, one who had surely enjoyed Abel's deep trust. That person now sat on the Emperor's throne as a substitute—no, a usurper.
"Chisha… what do you think the fake Emperor's purpose was in coming to the Demon City?"
"He, too, understands the conditions for victory in a fight against me."
"That the side who recruits more of the Nine Divine Generals wins, right?"
The Nine Divine Generals were the embodiment of military might in the Volachian Empire—securing their allegiance was the decisive key to victory.
It was precisely for that key that Subaru and the others had come all the way to Chaos Frame. But judging from Abel's answer, there was only one purpose that could be inferred.
"So then, they too came to try and recruit Yorna Mishigure?"
"That seems unlikely. Yorna Mishigure… he would hardly be so reckless as to think she would listen to persuasion or negotiation."
"? Then what was he doing there?"
"It's simple. —He came because he anticipated that I would come to the Demon City."
At Abel's answer, Subaru's face scrunched up in confusion.
Al was equally baffled and raised his hand. "Abel-chan, are you seriously saying that fake Emperor over there predicted you'd come to Chaos Frame? If that's real, isn't that kinda terrifying?"
"That man can follow my line of thinking with considerable accuracy. Consider the trajectory from the throne, the fall of the fortress city, the deployment of the Nine Divine Generals… it's only natural that the Demon City would stand out as a key location."
"And he knew that… Wait, don't tell me—!"
Processing Abel's calm explanation, Subaru's eyes went wide. He raised a trembling finger and pointed at Abel, who watched him quietly.
"You—were you predicting that we would run into the fake Emperor? You stayed behind at the inn specifically to avoid a direct encounter…?"
"Don't be absurd. What would be the point of doing that? Casually throwing away pieces when even a winning shatranj game could be thrown into jeopardy…"
"…I suppose that's true, but…"
The only thing that didn't add up was the idea that Abel would deliberately make a move that put himself at a disadvantage.
That was the sole and greatest problem, and until Subaru could demolish that argument, his theory about Abel being an evil schemer would remain nothing more than a conspiracy theory.
But anyway— "So then! Going back—what does that mean? The fake Emperor knew he couldn't recruit Yorna-san. And yet he showed up in the Demon City because he predicted you'd come…"
"He struck first to torpedo any potential peace between Vincent Volachia and Yorna Mishigure. Once he was gone, do you really think the me who arrived later would be able to ascend the keep of the Crimson-Flowing Castle so easily?"
"Ohhh, so that's… y'know, that's some real devious thinking right there, huh."
Al nodded in understanding, and Subaru was left speechless in agreement.
Finally, the gears clicked for Subaru too. Vincent's purpose had been to leave Yorna as a null vote—neither ally nor enemy—and for that, he had gone to the castle himself and orchestrated a decisive breakdown in negotiations with the Emperor.
"…Then, if we had arrived one day later…"
"His plan would have succeeded. That's why I said—a job well done."
"————"
Subaru stared, wide-eyed, at Abel.
So that was his genuine way of praising a subordinate? If so, there were limits to how bad someone could be at giving compliments.
At the very least, the recognition of his own efforts hit harder than Abel's.
"You did really well, you know. …Al and Medium-san too!"
"Oh? Oh yeah, we did good, us three."
"Totally! Natsumi-chan's speech was super cool!"
Having survived a brush with death together, the three of them congratulated one another. Taritta, left out of the celebration, looked a little forlorn—and unlike with Abel, Subaru actually felt sorry for her.
"But there were a lot of things I wish you'd told us in advance. For example, that Yorna-san doesn't dislike you romantically, or something like that."
"Ah, yeah—I was thinking I should mention that too. Come on, Abel-chan. Being gorgeous is one thing since that's just how you were born, but at least pay the handsome tax, will ya?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, jester. And you—don't get the wrong idea either."
"Wrong idea? We literally watched what happened."
He said "literally," referring to Yorna and Vincent's exchange, but it was true that she had directed provocative and flirtatious glances toward Abel.
However, at Subaru and Al's follow-up questions, Abel let out a deep sigh.
"The one Yorna Mishigure has set her sights on is not me. It's the Volachian Emperor."
"…So isn't that you? You're not about to say that you're actually the fake and the Emperor over there is the real deal, are you?"
For a moment, the suspicion that had flared at the Crimson-Flowing Castle reignited, and Subaru glowered at Abel, silently begging him not to joke about that. But Abel swatted that aside as "ridiculous."
"Don't take it at face value. I am indeed the Volachian Emperor—but the Volachian Emperor does not refer to me alone. In the past and in the future, there is a Volachian Emperor."
"That means…"
Taking in Abel's carefully parsed explanation, Subaru's eyes went wide. Beside him, Al let out a dopey "Hehhh."
"So basically, Yorna-chan's after Abel-chan's money or status or whatever?"
"The specifics, he didn't spell out, but that's close enough. What she desires is the pinnacle of the Empire—the Volachian Emperor's consort. It doesn't have to be me."
"…Somehow, that's kind of sad."
"Don't sympathize with me on your own."
In a way, it was a strikingly pragmatic approach to romance.
The Volachian Emperor's consort—that is, the Empress—appeared to be Yorna's goal. In that position, one wouldn't need to be Emperor to control the Empire in terms of both political and financial power.
The beautiful fox-woman's ambition could not be sated by ruling the Demon City alone.
"With the way things went, what did you write in the letter?"
"Oh, something along the lines of 'come to my side and I'll make you my bride,' right? That seems like the quickest path. Plus, she's gorgeous."
"Is 'she's gorgeous' supposed to compensate for all the difficulty…?"
Gorgeous women might get away with certain eccentricities and bad temper, but there were limits—Subaru mused.
Priscilla and Yorna were both stunning beauties, but Subaru wouldn't want either of them as a bride. No matter how many lives he had, it wouldn't be enough, and every day would be a nightmare.
"I have no intention of revealing the contents of the letter. But I can guarantee you this: it will not be a response that betrays your expectations."
"Trust is what makes a guarantee meaningful… Ah, never mind. It's pointless to argue, so let's just drop it!"
Subaru clapped his hands together and forcibly put a stop to the topic.
Abel looked displeased with the resolution, but Subaru said "Oh, by the way—" and steered the conversation to a new subject, glancing at Al.
"That Divine General who was there—Obāruto, I think he was called? The 'Malicious Old Man.'"
"Ah, him. Scary old dude. I've seen a lot of characters, but even among all of them, he was in a class of terrifying all his own."
"According to the rumors I've heard, that old man is ranked 'Three.' And they've already got Alakia-san at 'Two' and Chisha at 'Four,' plus the strategist on top of that."
"Of the Nine Divine Generals, we need to secure at least five—a majority. And yet, while Subaru and the others were still stumbling over the first one, the other side had already lined up three Divine Generals side by side."
"Man, they've locked up all the top-numbered ones!" Al delivered this dire report with a groan.
"If the numbering goes by strength in descending order, then the military disparity is already hopelessly tilted in their favor. Yorna is 'Seven,' so Subaru's anguish was perhaps warranted."
"Stop shouting. …Most likely, Obāruto hasn't actually joined their camp. As it stands, he's simply obeying the Emperor's orders as one of the Nine Divine Generals."
"…What makes you think that?"
"Because Obāruto Dunkelkenn is a man whose moves can't be easily predicted. If you want to shift the situation, you need to get your own winning position sorted first. Alakia might have been swayed, but roping in Obāruto won't be so simple."
"So in the end, you're saying you don't actually have the Divine Generals under control…?"
In other words, since Abel hadn't been the one holding the reins, his body double couldn't hold them either.
That wasn't exactly cause for celebration, and it made the road ahead look uncertain.
"But could that old man called Obāruto potentially be turned to our side?"
"Of course. Sitting down at the negotiating table requires adequate leverage. He's too wily to be taken in easily—once he sees which way the wind is blowing, he'll weigh his options."
"Come to think of it, Al, you know him, don't you? What's your relationship?"
If they needed to find common ground with Obāruto for negotiations, Al seemed like the strongest candidate.
There had been a hint of that possibility in the conversation between Al and Obāruto at the keep.
"The Sword Slave Island, wasn't it? You helped resolve an incident that took place there…"
"Yeah, yeah. Though there's really nothing to add to that story. Eight years ago, I was still a Volachian sword slave, and I got caught up in a rebellion on the island. The island's sword slaves took hostage a high-ranking earl who'd been watching the gladiatorial matches and demanded their freedom."
"That sounds like a pretty big deal… And you were the one who—?"
"Technically it was me and Alakia, who was still a loli back then. And the earl who was supposed to be a hostage—well, the details of that part can wait."
Al trailed off and scratched the back of his neck with a look of discomfort. It was clearly something difficult to talk about, but even without the hidden details, Subaru could piece together the broad strokes.
Al had resolved an incident in the Empire and claimed the reward for it after eight years. That reward was what had enabled Subaru and the others to fulfill their mission and survive.
"Were you okay with using that reward on us?"
"It wasn't a matter of being okay with it—I didn't have any other chance to use it anywhere else, so why not? Honestly, even I never thought it would become this grand of a plot thread. I've got to thank the unmotivated me from back then."
Al laughed cheerfully, making it clear he didn't intend to let Subaru feel any more burdened.
Subaru felt a surge of gratitude for the gesture, and at the same moment, Abel gave a nod of understanding, saying, "So that's how it was."
Abel lifted the chin of his demon mask, tilting it up just enough to reveal his face to Al.
"I'd heard that a sword slave who had worked on Sword Slave Island was involved in the upheaval right after my ascension. I'd also heard he hadn't asked for a reward… So that was you, jester."
"Seems like it. The fact that it reached the Emperor's ears, and that you actually remembered it—now that's the scary part. Probably remember all the casual jokes I made on the road too."
"A job well done. —You will be rewarded for your service. No matter what comes to pass."
"Oh…"
Abel's words, spoken with his true face revealed, carried weight and were adorned with an unshakeable sincerity.
Merit rewarded, crimes punished—Abel's creed. And that creed, once again, gave him the face of an Emperor. Abel's imperial philosophy showed no mercy toward those who rendered great service without seeking a reward.
Al, this time, would not be able to escape without accepting his due.
"Regardless, the letter has been delivered. All we can do now is wait for tomorrow's reply."
"Yes, that's right. There's nothing more we can do from our end. …In the meantime, I did get assurance from the girl who serves Yorna-san—that the fake Emperor's party won't be allowed to touch us."
"If Yorna Mishigure said it, there's no reason to doubt it."
Abel accepted the guarantee conveyed by Tanzā without hesitation. It seemed that there were still things Abel hadn't told them—things Subaru and the others didn't know.
But— "Even if you were to tell me to explain—"
"The selection of what information to share is mine to make. The information you are permitted to know is only that which you can know without consequence. —At least, for the time being."
"For the time being… hm."
For a split second, Subaru's tone slipped back to his normal voice, and he silenced the discord rising in his chest.
It would be easy to dismiss Abel as simply uncooperative. But Abel, too, did not wish for his own defeat. Just as Subaru was doing his best, Abel was doing his best as well.
The only difference was that their methods didn't align when it came to being forthcoming.
"So, is that it for today? Lucky for us, we survived and live to see tomorrow. Plus, we managed to挫 their plans, so as far as results go, I'd call it a success."
With a loud voice, Al broke the delicate tension hanging between Subaru and Abel.
Subaru latched onto the gesture and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
Though they had been thrown into a chaotic situation, the first step toward winning over Yorna Mishigure had been made thanks to Al and Medium, and it was hard to argue that the best possible move hadn't been played.
All that remained was to wait for Yorna's response tomorrow.
"…I really am exhausted."
The moment he concluded that there was nothing more to be done today, his body felt impossibly heavy.
His tension had eased, and his body was finally recognizing its fatigue. An immediate castle visit right after a long journey, the encounter with the fake Emperor's party, then the audience with Yorna—and the final, climactic confrontation.
His overtaxed right arm ached too, and he had to properly maintain his whip as well.
After completing a major task, the maintenance of both body and equipment was essential.
"That said… I'm sleepy…"
Holding his dizzy head, Subaru mumbled in a dazed haze.
Seeing him like this, Taritta propped him up by the shoulder. "Natsumi—"
"After such an important role. I'll take care of the weapon maintenance, so please get some rest early tonight. I'll handle the night-watch as well."
"Night-watch in the middle of the city? That's the most post-apocalyptic thing…"
Subaru smiled faintly at Taritta's concern and decided to accept her offer.
He let out a deep breath and headed toward his assigned room. But just then— "Mmph!"
"Oh, not you again…"
Rui, who had supposedly been isolated in the adjacent room, lunged at Subaru the moment she saw him. She grabbed his arm, and Subaru clutched his head in exasperation.
He didn't mind it when other children pleaded for attention in that way. But when the child in question was Rui, he couldn't let his guard down—especially when he was this tired.
Without a word, Subaru pressed a finger to Rui's forehead and flicked it, sending her back with an "Ow!"
"I don't have the energy to deal with you. Now, move along."
"A-ua!"
"Ah, she's gotten out of bed again! Sorry, Natsumi-chan. Come on, Rui-chan, over here! Stay with me!"
Rui, forehead still stinging, was caught from behind by Medium's arms and carried away. Even then, Rui kicked and struggled desperately, trying to throw herself back toward Subaru.
The sight of her disappeared through the doorway once more. This time, at least, Rui's torment was over for the day.
"Seriously, what is with that girl…"
"She was even more fixated on you than before. My guess? Even if she can't keep up with what's going on, she can feel that you almost died."
"————"
If Al's observation was correct, then Rui's behavior stemmed from worry for Subaru.
Accepting that was, emotionally, something Subaru found difficult. Because behind that act of playing the innocent child, Rui harbored a malevolence that could never be forgiven.
Believing that stubbornly was the fundamental premise of Subaru's relationship with Rui.
"Abel, I'm going to rest in my room. As for you…"
"Don't worry about me. Even if you were here, you'd be of little use in an emergency."
"Don't leave everything to Taritta—keep vigil through the night yourself."
He tossed back a sharp retort to match Abel's unconcerned reply.
He felt bad about leaving Taritta caught in the middle, but for now, venting before bed helped take the edge off.
"Makeup off, clothes loosened off… sleep like mud."
Back in his assigned room, Subaru shook his head and began removing his feminine disguise.
Now that they had left the Shudrak settlement, the wig couldn't be easily repaired. He needed to handle it with the utmost care if he wanted to keep using it.
He carefully placed it in a fine-mesh bag and gently hand-washed it, then washed his discarded clothes and shoes as well.
After taking care of the bare minimum, Subaru collapsed onto the bed.
He closed his eyes, and consciousness slowly began to fade.
"When tomorrow comes…"
The situation would shift once more.
When the situation shifted, what he could see would change. When what he could see changed, a path would open. When a path opened, he could draw closer to his goal. And at the end of that path were all the precious people he had been separated from.
"Rem… Beako… Emilia-tan…"
With a twinge in his chest, Subaru called out the names of his beloved in this foreign land.
Dreaming of reunion, murmuring the names of those dear to him, his consciousness grew dim— △▼△▼△▼△ "————"
Slowly, consciousness returned, and Subaru opened his eyes on the bed.
He wasn't the best sleeper, but yesterday's exhaustion must have been real, because he had slept soundly—so deeply that he couldn't even remember dreaming.
He felt much more rested as a result, but— "What's going on?"
It wasn't the sleep that had roused him, but a commotion.
From beyond the door of his bedroom, a cacophony of voices and bustling sounds filtered in. That noise served as his alarm clock, dragging him from sleep.
—The moment he woke, the uproarious atmosphere told him this was no good omen.
Outside the window, past the drawn curtains, morning light was already streaming in, making it clear that it was well past dawn.
Sensing the already-chaotic air of the Demon City, Subaru glanced at the wig he had hung to dry and debated what to do.
After everything that had happened, the sensible thing would be to dress as Natsumi Schwaltz.
But if something urgent was happening on the other side of that door, there was no time for that. After a moment's thought, he decided that no matter what, confirming the situation came first.
In the worst case, he was just overreacting. If it were truly dire, someone—Al, Medium, Taritta, anyone but Abel—would have come to wake him.
So— "Oof!?"
As he swung his legs off the bed to stand, Subaru's feet hit nothing but air, and he tumbled face-first to the floor.
Sparks exploded in his vision from the impact. Subaru was stunned by what had just happened. He wasn't sick, and he hadn't tripped over discarded clothing.
He had simply—miscalculated the distance with his legs. His foot had swung through empty air.
—The distance from bed to floor, and Subaru's feet hadn't reached it.
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
Subaru knew he was on the short side, but it had never been enough to cause problems in daily life. His body with its short legs had been his companion for eighteen years—he knew it inside and out.
There was no way he would misjudge something like that. He sat up, and then realized.
—Somehow, everything in the room looked strangely large compared to the night before.
"Hey—hey, hey, what kind of joke is this…?"
Subaru's face stiffened as he touched his own cheeks, his voice trembling. His heart was pounding unreasonably loud, and he scrambled to his feet, limbs tangled in his oversized clothing.
He stumbled toward his bag and fished out a mirror—one he needed for touch-ups and getting ready. He raised it before his face, and saw what had become of him.
"What the hell is this…?"
Staring at his reflection, Subaru whispered in disbelief.
The mirror trembled in his hands. The face reflected there was unmistakably Natsuki Subaru.
Except— "————"
—except the Natsuki Subaru staring back at him was a child, nearly ten years younger than he should have been.