"I'm making myself some tea and drinking it on my own, but is there anyone else who wants a cup?"
The instant that raspy, aged voice reached his ears, the blood flow throughout
Goosebumps erupted across his skin, crying out in pain, and the air he drew into his lungs froze solid. As though something heavy and sharp had been driven deep into his chest, Subaru's soul was being compelled to awaken.
It was the activation of Return by Death—and a return to the worst possible scene.
"—!"
Before Subaru could even react, Taritta already had her arrow nocked and drawn.
Her aim was, naturally, on the uninvited visitor who had suddenly appeared in the room—Olbart Dunklecken. One of the Nine Divine Generals, and the old man who, just ten seconds ago, had massacred them all.
Even without knowing that, the sheer inappropriateness of his proximity had Taritta's guard up.
But Olbart, seated in the same room at absurdly close range with an arrow aimed at him, merely shrugged with a "whoa, whoa" as if mocking their wariness.
"Now, now, hold it. I don't much like having pointy things aimed at me, you know. Old folks already have to hit the john often enough—don't go scaring me into wetting myself. I'm scared enough as it is, got it?"
"What nonsense—! Who exactly are you—?"
"Olbart Dunklecken."
The man who cut in with the old man's name, drawing attention away from Taritta's seething hostility that Olbart dodged with nonchalant ease, was Abel—the man behind the demon mask.
Olbart's gaze turned toward the masked man who hadn't reacted to his arrival at all and had even hidden his face when named.
And so began what could only be described as an excruciatingly dry battle of wits— "—"
While Olbart and Abel talked, Subaru caught the edges of their conversation while cross-referencing the unchanged scene around him with his own memories.
This was from the last loop—just ten minutes or so ago. He had to find a breakthrough in their fate right here.
*'Can I do it?'* "—!"
The thought searching for a breakthrough was suddenly invaded by a cold voice.
It was the weak voice of none other than Natsuki Subaru himself, born from impatience and frustration.
*'Can you do it? With the way you just wiped out all your companions?'* The more he tried to recall what had just happened, the more relentlessly that voice whispered.
His mistakes. His failures. His irreversible wrongs.
The second chance granted by Return by Death was not meant for undoing mistakes.
The wrongs he had committed could not be undone. What Subaru was permitted was only atonement that could never be fully repaid. That was the sole outcome of the authority Natsuki Subaru possessed— "—!"
"Oh?! What's the sudden commotion?!"
"Wah—! What, what, what?!"
"Wha—?! Ahh, wha—!"
The malicious words whispered so loudly he could hear them—Subaru slapped his own cheeks with both hands, trying to shake them off.
A dry crack echoed through the room, and at Subaru's sudden act, Olbart, Medium, and Rui screamed. Al and Taritta didn't raise their voices, but they were equally startled.
That was understandable. He was sorry. But it had been necessary.
"—"
When he opened his closed eyelids, the swaying vision he'd imagined had become clear. Among the group startled by his outburst, there was one gaze quietly fixed on him.
Only Abel, behind his demon mask, maintained the same composed posture as when Olbart had first appeared—not showing a shred of agitation. Though what was going on inside that mask was impossible to read.
"Sorry for the scare. ...I had to psych myself up."
"Ruddy-cheeked little brat who looks like he's pumping himself up, aren't ya... Hmm? Wait a sec, aren't ya that red-dressed girl from yesterday? Man, you had me spooked for a second there."
Olbart saw through the truth behind Subaru's outburst and raised his thick eyebrows with interest.
Just like last time, Olbart was connecting Subaru with Natsumi here for the first time. If he let things play out as they were, he could confirm Olbart as the culprit behind the de-aging technique and move toward negotiations.
But that would be walking the same path as before. Olbart was a dangerous man.
At the very least, he could not reveal Abel's circumstances and win him over as an ally.
The moment Abel was revealed to be the true emperor, Vincent Volachia, Olbart would bare his long-cherished ambition and come to take his life. He could already be called a potential enemy.
And then— "...That was quite a surprise earlier, but impressive. Even the shinobi leader couldn't see through your disguise."
"Oh, impressive, impressive indeed! I'd love to have the guys from my village learn that kind of act. How about hiring me as a lecturer? I'd welcome it!"
"—"
"Yeah, I guess keeping things friendly isn't really gonna work, huh. Seems like I spooked you all pretty bad, and maybe my entrance was a bit too flashy. My bad, my bad."
Olbart stuck out his tongue and acknowledged his own misstep.
But by now, the atmosphere in the room had long since moved past the point where such a gesture could warm things up. Subaru had no intention of letting his guard down around this old man even slightly.
—Before committing his atrocities, Olbart had said that people's faces were chatty.
This act of playing the genial old man, the casual manner of speaking, the silent infiltration of an undefended room to surprise everyone—these were all techniques designed to draw out the opponent's unguarded reaction.
If the shinobi of this world were the same kind of creatures as the "ninjas" Subaru knew, then every one of Olbart's behaviors was nothing more than a trap, poison, or ninjutsu.
If it served his purpose, he would spare no means.
"But you know, when someone looks down on me like that, I'm a cantankerous old geezer running short on days. When I think about what little time I've got left, I start getting a bit rough."
"Rough...? In this situation, you'd fight us?!"
"Ahahahaha! Well, it is true that having a bow pointed at me makes me a bit jittery. But you know, fighting isn't the only way to achieve your goals."
"Umm, what do you mean? What are you trying to say, Gramps?"
Medium and Taritta pressed Olbart further, the old man muttering wistfully as he curled his small frame even smaller. With the height difference now reversed, the old man twisted his cheeks into a grin.
Then, with his finger, he pointed at Medium, and then at Al, who was trying to cut off his escape.
"Having to shrink everything down must be a pain, huh? That was my doing. A type of shinobi technique. Pretty ingenious, don't you think?"
"You...!"
"Don't get mad, don't get mad, young man with one arm. You should be thanking me, really. If I'd accidentally killed you, I wouldn't have been able to get answers. So I just shrank you instead."
Al lunged at him with a furious retort, but Olbart held him back with those words.
Al's throat tightened, and upon realizing the truth, he fell silent.
Indeed, Olbart's claim was both true and factual.
If he had wanted to, Olbart could have killed them all during yesterday's battle at Crimson Lapis Castle. Not with the de-aging technique, but with a simple thrust through the heart.
That they had survived while shrunken was nothing but the old man's whim.
That was what Subaru had concluded, but— "Well, I tried to kill you all pretty seriously, but you actually blocked everything. So I settled for doing it half-heartedly out of desperation. Right, young man?"
"...I wonder what you mean by that."
"Ahahahaha! Can't talk about the trick, huh? Can't be helped, I suppose. If I could, I'd love to hear the details and record them in a secret technique manual."
"No matter how many times you ask, the answer's the same. 'I wonder what you mean by that.'"
Al answered in a muffled voice through the cloth covering his face.
The response clearly fell short of expectations, but Olbart nodded with "Is that so, is that so," seemingly enjoying Al's reaction.
"—?"
For Subaru, the meaning of their exchange was unclear.
During the fierce battle at the main keep of Crimson Lapis Castle, Al had performed magnificently, saving both Subaru and Medium's lives. Perhaps Olbart, who had faced Al there, had seen something shining in his fighting style.
But even if Olbart's words were true, Al's techniques under the effect of the de-aging technique were useless against shinobi.
Subaru had already witnessed that result firsthand.
And from that, there was an absolute principle that could be derived.
It was simple: under no circumstances must one fight Olbart.
"—"
Olbart lazily fiddled with his teacup with both hands. Taritta kept her arrow nocked and aimed, while Al and Medium took combat stances—but they had been killed without being able to do a thing.
An overwhelming gap in power lay between Subaru's group and Olbart.
If they fought Olbart, annihilation was inevitable. —No, perhaps one or two might escape if they focused solely on running, but even that was like trying to walk a razor-thin thread.
He absolutely had to get Olbart to leave peacefully. But there was no time to discuss this with his companions.
"Why... of all moments..."
He wanted to lament having been sent back to this precise instant, knowing it was futile.
Even though Return by Death had granted him a second chance—he knew it was horribly arrogant and selfish—at least if he'd been sent back to before Olbart's arrival, he could have consulted with his companions.
He remembered how painful it had been fighting Todd in the castle city of
Back then, too, the restart had come when the threat was already upon them.
This time was the same, though the circumstances differed. If anything, it was like being placed in the same cage as a bloodthirsty beast, and that was his starting point.
Originally, the time Return by Death rewound had always been inconsistent, but this was particularly severe.
Or perhaps there was some anomaly affecting the authority Subaru possessed— "—That can wait."
He cursed the lack of time and could not afford the mistake of wasting what little he had.
After all, it was never just Subaru who paid the price for his foolishness.
"Olbart... sir. You..."
"—You said your technique was what shrank these people."
"Oh—"
Subaru forced himself to shift gears and tried to address Olbart.
To navigate this situation, he had to be careful with every word and action. He needed time to establish those boundaries—frankly, it was just stalling for time.
But Abel cut him off, speaking over Subaru's voice.
That preemptive strike caught Subaru off guard, and he grimaced before fixing his gaze on the demon mask. He understood Abel's intent. Without even glancing his way, Abel was taking on Subaru's role—buying Subaru the time he needed by diverting Olbart's attention.
"Oh, that's right, that's right. Forgot we hadn't talked about that yet. Old folks really do tend to go off on tangents. Even my bones ache from it."
"You? Spare me the unfunny jokes. If you truly wish to brand yourself as withered with age, you should resign your position as First General immediately. The fact that you haven't says everything about your true intentions."
"My, aren't you quite the talker. Even though it looks like you can't see much to the side with that mask, you claim you can see right through me?"
"Of course."
Abel nodded without hesitation, and a flicker of interest entered Olbart's eyes.
Abel steering the conversation—his true purpose was clearly not to expose Olbart's nature, but to buy time. That much was beyond doubt.
Why he had realized Subaru needed time, Subaru couldn't say— "There's no point in beating around the bush."
Setting aside the irritation of having his intentions seen through, Subaru racked his brain for how to handle this.
If Olbart learned Abel's true identity, he would act on his ambition to assassinate the emperor. Therefore, Subaru could not reveal their hand.
But with nothing to offer, Olbart would hardly just leave.
"First General, you hold the position of 'Third,' and one could say you stand at the apex of the Empire. However, your nature is greedy. Even that position is far from satisfying you."
"Well, being treated as a washed-up old geezer doesn't bother me much, but being called a greedy geezer doesn't really sit well either. Ahahahaha!"
Abel spoke of Olbart's nature as seen through his own eyes.
Olbart laughed loudly, seemingly enjoying the words—but the darkness hidden in this shinobi's depths was something even Abel himself had misjudged.
—No, to be more precise, he had been unable to fully gauge it.
"So? What is it that this disgruntled old man wants?"
"—The seat of 'the First.'"
"—"
The words left Abel's mouth in a quiet but unwavering voice.
The instant they were heard, the sound of Olbart's breath—like dry leaves rustling—vanished. Beneath his thick, long brows, the old man narrowed his eyes and locked gazes with Abel.
What manner of storm raged within the shinobi's heart, no one could say, but Abel's remark had certainly stirred something deep inside Olbart.
But that didn't mean— "Young man with one arm, no funny moves, okay? And bow-girl—your breathing makes you dead obvious."
—Olbart's attention had become scattered or a gap had opened.
Those words, delivered without even turning his face from Abel, made Al and Taritta hold their breath.
At the moment Olbart focused on Abel, they had likely seized on a faint opportunity. But even the mere gesture of probing for an opening was something Olbart's seasoned eyes never missed.
"—Do you have eyes on the back of your head or something?"
"Call it insufficient training, is what I'd say. The experience gap is just too wide, you know. Though from where I stand, most folks are pretty green. That's the old-timer's theory of invincibility, that is."
Olbart bared his teeth and grinned at Al's groaning, his gaze never leaving Abel.
He could handle their little tricks even without looking—though he never said as much, the posture of a transcendent being made it perfectly clear.
And neither the strength nor the cards to overturn that were in their hands right now.
"Al."
Subaru shook his head, signaling Al not to make a move.
He didn't completely know the extent of Al's abilities and tricks, but he was likely a specialist in defensive techniques. His fights with Arcia, yesterday's battle at the main keep—his ability to survive even while pushed into a purely defensive position against enemy attacks was something Subaru couldn't help but admire.
But in his current de-aging state, Al couldn't perform at full capacity, and he'd be killed.
"Still, hearing that I'm apparently gunning for 'the First' really knocked me for a loop. What makes you say something so far out of left field, masked young man?"
"That much is obvious. Your ambition doesn't run shallow enough to dry up with old age.
"Hmm."
Olbart crossed his arms and gave a short nod at Abel's words.
It could have been interpreted as a miss, but that very lack of reaction actually lent the statement more credibility.
In truth, Subaru knew that Abel's conjecture was wrong.
Olbart's true aim—the shinobi leader's ultimate goal—was the assassination of the emperor, which differed entirely from climbing to the top of the Nine Divine Generals.
But Olbart's reaction was also proof that Abel's remark hadn't been off the mark.
In the end, what Abel had pointed to was the "thirst" Olbart carried within him.
The method Abel had guessed for quenching that thirst—the seizure of the absolute badge of honor among the Nine Divine Generals that Olbart stood shoulder to shoulder with, the seat of "the First"—was hardly unreasonable.
Holding the position of First General, commanding subordinates as shinobi leader, bearing all the accumulated entanglements of a long, long life in old age—how could his ultimate desire be anything other than throwing it all away to assassinate the emperor and etch his name into history as a shinobi?
Arrogant and self-centered, Abel possessed not a shred of consideration for others, yet even he—as the Emperor of Volachia, a being on the throne—prioritized the preservation of his own life.
He recognized that if he was lost, the Empire would be shaken to its core.
This was the inevitable awareness that came with being the Emperor of Volachia—what one might call a "sense of responsibility" that, while thinner by comparison, everyone possessed.
—Olbart Dunklecken did not have it.
If his ambition was fulfilled, he was willing to die. He didn't care if his actions caused havoc around him.
That extraordinary self-destructive mindset was the darkness within Olbart that even Abel hadn't been able to read.
But— "—Olbart, sir. Isn't your target not 'the First,' but the emperor?"
—Natsuki Subaru knew the darkness of Olbart Dunklecken.
△▼△▼△▼△ —In an instant, the color of the air, the scent, the texture of the atmosphere changed.
"—"
Olbart, who hadn't even spared a glance at the killing intent radiating from Al and Taritta—his gaze now reacted to the words of the child-sized Subaru.
With one hand still holding his teacup, the old man stroked his chin with the other and turned to look at Subaru.
He hadn't been able to brush aside that single line Subaru had spoken moments ago.
"Kid, you keep jumping in all bold-like, don't ya? Quite surprising, you know."
"Was it surprising because I suddenly spoke? Or because..."
"Because I hit the mark, and you're surprised about that? If that's for real, then I'm one super scary dude. Ahahahaha!"
"—"
Olbart opened his mouth to laugh off Subaru's words with gusto. But Subaru was certain that the truth inside him was far less serene than he appeared.
He had just pointed out the very ambition Olbart himself had spoken of for years.
More than that—the "darkness" that even Abel's keen eye hadn't been able to detect, just before Olbart had carried out his plan.
"Going after the emperor? Like, killing the emperor? Brother, that's quite a leap. Even if you did something like that..."
"It would be meaningless. Yeah, I know. All you'd get is infamy spreading around—no real benefits."
"Well, infamy over anonymity is one way to look it. Like the one-armed young man said, it's a pretty out-there thought."
"But you're not exactly denying it either, are you, Olbart?"
Al's voice went rigid with disbelief, and Subaru pressed on, undeterred.
Honestly, he understood that pressing further meant leaping into the danger zone—but he couldn't stop.
Abel had been extending the dialogue with Olbart, and in the meantime, Subaru had been running through possibilities.
If Olbart's ambition was the assassination of the emperor, Abel's true identity couldn't be revealed, and neither could the fact that the fake emperor was Chisha. Naturally, the cards they could negotiate with had been eliminated.
When that happened, the method Subaru had conceived to prevent Olbart from ripping off Abel's mask was the exact opposite of "negotiation"— —It was not the revelation of their own cards, but the revelation of Olbart's.
"Our goal is the same as what we discussed at the main keep yesterday. We want to drag down the current emperor, Vincent Volachia, from his throne. That should align with your ambitions too."
"Hold on, hold on—don't go casting me as some rebel against the world. You're a kid who doesn't let his guard down for a second, makes me nervous enough to piss my pants."
"But you're not seriously denying it or stopping us either. Even though you're a direct subordinate of the emperor—one of the First Generals."
Subaru pressed forward, trying to reel in the possibility that his words had snagged on.
Of course, Olbart's threat hadn't diminished, nor had the danger lessened. He knew full well that one wrong move would turn this into a bloodbath.
But Subaru was convinced that this conversation could only happen here.
The previous massacre—Olbart had decided to act only after discovering Abel's true identity.
For Olbart, that had been a kind of suicide bombing: killing Abel would fulfill his life's purpose.
As long as that certainty held, Olbart wouldn't lose his temper during negotiations.
Even if he was a beast of ambition who possessed not a shred of responsibility or loyalty, he would faithfully play the role of a "Nine Divine General" who obeyed the fake emperor's order of "no interference."
"Well, yeah. When the boss right in front of me declares war and then tells me not to lay a hand, what can you do? I'm not like Kafma, who rushes headfirst into things. I think about the consequences, and making enemies of the fox girl in this city wouldn't be very smart."
As expected, Olbart heard Subaru's provocative claim but didn't resort to force.
That said, he wasn't exactly thrilled about Subaru pressing the matter, and his attitude naturally began to make Abel, Al, and the others question the truth of this outrageous shinobi ambition.
And then— "—So that's the inscrutable scheme behind your thoughts."
"Well, well. You folks just don't listen, do ya? At this point, I might as well give up trying to explain."
Among the half-doubtful faces, Abel was the first to absorb the unbelievable content. His gaze pierced Olbart, who tossed out his defense with an air of exasperation. After all, Olbart had no reason to earnestly try to build rapport with them here.
Naturally, that attitude ratcheted up the tension among the combatants—Al, Taritta, and the others— "Now, now, hold it. Starting something will only lose you more. Let me make this clear: the reason I'm not resorting to violence isn't because I'm nice—it's because I was told not to. And also, because if I got hurt first, I'd want to retaliate, and nobody wants that."
"Ggh... that may be true, but..."
A willingness to not fight meant nothing if Olbart decided to strike first. Taritta's cheeks tightened as she bore the weight of Olbart's attention, her sharp eyes sweeping across Subaru and Medium.
Olbart saw this and nodded with an "ahh" of understanding.
"You want me to undo the shrinking on your friends, is that it? That's a bit greedy, isn't it? I was planning to just leave without doing anything."
"But you're the one who shrank us, Gramps! Or is there someone else besides you who can reverse it?"
"Hmm, I haven't really thought about it... Missy, how old are you really?"
"Me? I think I was twenty?"
"Well then, just wait ten years and you'll go back to normal. ...I don't actually know."
Medium raised her hand to ask and blushed at the devastatingly blunt answer. Olbart was being evasive, but that answer wouldn't help them either.
Still, there was no way to extract the answer by force, and no method to restore them.
Even so— "You know we can't just accept that and go home, right, Olbart? I need you to stay and talk with us a little more—"
"No way. Besides, you're the one who treated me like a nasty old man. I'm a cantankerous old geezer running short on time, and I've got the right to choose who I spend what little time I have with—"
"—Then I'll give you the chance to kill the emperor."
Immediately after, Subaru gasped at the shift in atmosphere and looked at Abel, who had spoken those words.
Abel—the man who had placed his own life on the scales—his declaration made Olbart scratch his head with a "now, now."
"How many times do I have to tell you the premise is wrong? You folks have worse memories and forgetfulness than me—that's pretty bad, you know."
"If your aim is truly the emperor's life, there have been countless opportunities before now. But you never acted on them. Because the flames of the Sun Sword protect the emperor."
"Oh—"
"I can tell you how to overcome those flames."
Olbart's expression underwent a change that drew a clear line between his previous pretense and reality.
The old man raised his eyebrows, genuine surprise filling his eyes as he stared at Abel behind the demon mask. In response, Abel rose from his chair and stood there with dignity.
"The flames... of the Sun Sword..."
What that meant, Subaru wasn't entirely clear on.
But for Olbart, the shock was evident enough to shatter the facade he'd maintained up to this point, making the darkness beneath visible right through.
From the flow of conversation, it was some kind of secret protecting the Emperor of Volachia, and it was because of that secret that Olbart's ambition had never borne fruit.
Abel was offering to reveal how to break those shackles.
"—You. I thought you were the type who wouldn't even show your face or spare a thought for us old folks, but who the heck are you? Something like that—joking or not—isn't something you toss around lightly."
"Would someone who spouts sophistry or jokes here be able to overthrow this mighty empire? If so, they'd either be a madman who's lost his mind or a person of extraordinary courage."
"You're saying you're neither?"
"Of course."
Abel answered Olbart's question with stark brevity.
Whether he was being serious or employing sophistry, even Subaru couldn't tell. Perhaps Abel was all three—the real thing, a madman, and an extraordinary figure at once.
"—"
Receiving Abel's response, Olbart fell silent for a moment.
He furrowed his bushy eyebrows and brought the now-cold tea to his lips. After gently setting the empty cup on the table beside him— "If I remember right, it was the bell at the Hour of Fire, wasn't it?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Subaru let out a dopey sound.
But it was Medium who quickly nodded with "That's right~" She pointed out the window with her small body, gesturing toward the imposing silhouette of Crimson Lapis Castle.
"We were summoned by Yorna, and it'd be a problem if we showed up like this while still small."
"Yorna! Ahahahaha! What a gutsy girl, that missy."
"—?"
Olbart tilted his head, struck by Medium's sheer nerve in casually calling even that person "Yorna."
Meanwhile, Olbart seemed equally disarmed, and after glancing toward the castle Medium had pointed at, he murmured, "That's right."
"Well, whether I'm after the boss's life or not, that's one thing, but how to overcome the 'Sun Sword' that protects the Emperor of Volachia—that's something I'm genuinely curious about."
"—! Then—"
"Easy, easy, don't get ahead of yourself. I'm the one who got your hopes up, but I've got a lot of things to think about. So—how about we make a bet?"
"A... bet?"
"That's right, a bet. You like that sort of thing, don't you? Kid."
Olbart thrust his finger toward Subaru's nose as the boy leaned forward, and Subaru froze, unable to even track the motion.
A bet—Olbart prefaced, and would presumably attach some condition.
Whether that condition would match what Subaru wanted—to avoid the massacre and break the stalemate—he had no certainty— "And if I refuse?"
"Well then, you won't get anything you want."
"—"
"For the record, since I want what you've got, I'll be coming after you with everything the shinobi arts have to offer—even losing sleep to do it."
Olbart stated this coldly as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
The old man wore a smile, but behind those thin, cloudy eyes, something dark stirred—and it sent a chill through Subaru's spine.
Beneath the pleasant, friendly conversation, the merciless shinobi way of life—the style that took others' lives without hesitation—was hidden.
"What are the terms of the bet?"
At this point, with the conditions laid out, a contest with Olbart was unavoidable. Recognizing this, Abel asked on Subaru's behalf when the boy couldn't find the words.
Olbart tilted his head at the question and said, "Well, now..."
"There's no time before that fox girl calls us, and I've been told not to lay a hand on you, which does put me in a bind... Ah, but that works perfectly."
"Perfectly for you? Or for us?"
"For both of course!"
Olbart grinned, showing his teeth at Subaru's strained question. Then, facing Subaru and the others who braced themselves, he spoke: "—A game of tag."
"—"
"It's something I always do with the young ones back in the village. Simple and easy to understand—what do you say?"