2
A short time later, Julius and the others who had ventured outside returned to the designated shelter.
“B-Big Sis, hang in there…!”
“Keep fighting, Big Sis…”
Concerned for their unconscious sister, Hetaro and TB continued calling out to Mimi. Feeling their sister’s wounds due to their shared blessing even now, both brothers had pain and grief carved onto their faces in equal measure.
“Every second counts! Keep pressure on the wound to stem the bleeding… Argh! This method is so outdated…!”
Ferris was too worked up for anyone else to get a single word in. Everyone present understood what was at stake. Critically wounded, Mimi could be entrusted to none but him.
“Sir Subaru.”
It was then that Wilhelm called to Subaru with an austere expression.
Sensing unconcealable anguish from the man’s subdued voice and seeing the deep creases marring his forehead, Subaru nodded. He had a pretty good idea what was upsetting the elderly butler.
“Mimi’s wound won’t close. It’s probably…”
“…It is almost certainly due to the blessing of the grim reaper.”
Picking up where Subaru left off, Wilhelm spoke those words with resolve.
The blessing of the grim reaper was a terrifying power that afflicted any wound caused by the bearer of the blessing with a curse that kept it from healing. Based on what they had seen, there was little doubt this was why healing magic had no effect on Mimi’s injury.
Additionally, from all Subaru had heard, there was only one individual he knew who possessed such a blessing.
Theresia van Astrea, the prior generation of Sword Saint—Wilhelm’s departed wife.
“I’m scared to ask this…but, Wilhelm, is your arm…?”
“ ”
When Subaru asked, Wilhelm stripped off his butler’s jacket without a word. The old wound on his left shoulder was concealed under bandages—it was the unhealed gouge that his wife had left upon him.
The bandages wrapping the wound that had been carved in him by the blessing of the grim reaper were faintly red and wet.
“If that’s still bleeding, then…”
“My old wound has reopened. It seems that I cannot pretend to be uninvolved.”
Putting his jacket back on, Wilhelm quietly murmured. Subaru couldn’t think of anything to say to him. However, what dwelled in Wilhelm’s eyes was neither hope nor relief, but anger.
Even though he’d discovered the possibility that his wife, the one he had supposedly lost so long ago, might still be alive—
“—My wife passed away fifteen years ago. That fact has not changed.”
Pushing down the roiling emotions he must have been feeling, Wilhelm refuted what Subaru had been thinking as he leveled his gaze directly at him. That moment, Subaru thought he could feel a small part of Wilhelm’s surging desire to fight.
“Someone out there is involved in her death, in the desecration of her soul. I swear upon my sword and the days I spent together with my wife—they shall pay.”
With an indomitable resolve, the Sword Devil had become as tenacious as hardened steel.
Anyone who set eyes upon this man would realize that there was nothing else to be said. Cheap condolences and consolations would only be an affront to his determination.
“ ”
Standing beside Wilhelm, Subaru quietly took a breath.
Ferris continued doing everything he could while Hetaro and TB stayed huddled at Mimi’s side. Ferris soon shooed away the rest, sending them to an adjacent waiting room. Subaru and the others continued discussing plans as they changed locations.
He was still deeply worried about Mimi’s condition, but the city’s situation didn’t allow him to focus on Mimi alone. The most pressing issue they needed to discuss was—
“—As you have all heard, the Archbishop made a second broadcast. The lives of the hostages at city hall may not have very long.”
One of their group raised a hand and shed the jacket of his white suit as he kicked off the conversation.
He was a man with meticulously combed hair and an elegant face—however, his expression was taut. This palpable desire to deal with the formidable problem left before them belonged to none other than the president of the Muse Company, Kiritaka Muse.
Right up until moments before, Kiritaka had been doing his best to get a grasp on the situation while suppressing disorder across the entire city as one of the Council of Ten, but after hearing the earlier broadcast, he decided to participate in the urgent meeting that was currently being held.
Given that he was a central figure in the city, Subaru had wanted to confirm something with him right at the start.
“There’s no time, so I’ll get straight to the point—Kiritaka, could you give us an explanation about the Witch’s bones?”
It was Anastasia who cut to the chase without the slightest hesitation, taking a position at the front of the waiting room. She discarded the demure attitude she usually adopted, turning a sharp, serious look toward Kiritaka.
Realizing from her keen gaze that Anastasia was serious, Kiritaka nodded and assented to her request.
“I suppose there is no point hiding it at this juncture. Therefore, in brief… The Witch’s bones do exist, and they are here in the city. Only the people on the Council of Ten know where they are… Of course, I am one of them.”
“…So the bones seriously exist?”
When Kiritaka confirmed as much, everyone present drew in a small, short breath. It was tangible proof that the establishment of the city four centuries prior had indeed been related to a Witch.
But Kiritaka met their general reaction with a “However” before continuing his explanation. “I must say this bluntly. The Witch’s bones absolutely cannot be moved. Accordingly, we cannot comply with the opponent’s demand. The bones cannot be used as a bargaining chip.”
“Master Kiritaka, is it simply your opinion that they should not be moved?”
“No. I am not saying they cannot be moved due to custom or adherence to ancient history. In a situation where human lives hang in the balance, such things are not even worth considering.”
“Then are you saying that…?”
“They physically cannot be moved.”
Kiritaka’s reply to Crusch’s question was firm, but his follow-up to Subaru’s words was mostly listless.
It was an oddly roundabout way to ultimately say they could not be moved even if someone wanted to. The Witch’s bones—if Al’s murmur was to be believed, the chance that they were relics of Typhon was high. She’d been a young girl and barely any different from Beatrice in stature, so it was hard to imagine that the difficulty in moving them was due to size or weight.
There had to be another reason.
“Maybe it’s more about where they’re currently located or the role they play?”
“That would make sense. If the Witch’s bones truly do exist but they’re kept a secret from everyone except the city’s council, there should be a fairly important reason for it.”
Anastasia quickly agreed with Subaru’s conjecture. The pair’s hypothesis made Kiritaka visibly tense up before letting out a resigned sigh.
“…As you have surmised, special power dwells within the Witch’s bones—power sufficient to serve as the foundation of this city. Without the bones, the Water Gate City is unsustainable.”
“What happens if they’re moved?”
“It seems that all present are aware of how this city was founded. Should the bones be moved, the city will undoubtedly sustain damage on par with that legendary event… No, it would likely be an even greater disaster than that. The result would be the same as if the Witch Cult flung the water gates of this city wide open.”
“…I see. And that’s why you can’t move ’em.” As he made that remark, Subaru glanced at Crusch. She shook her head side to side in response.
The power of the blessing of wind reading allowed Crusch to tell whether the words of others were truth or lies. There were a number of loopholes, but it was a pretty safe bet that this meant Kiritaka’s statement was not willful deception.
In other words, handing the Witch’s bones over was tantamount to destroying the city. By including such a terrible condition in her proposed deal, Lust had clearly miscalculated.
“Or perhaps we should assume that she came up with her terms knowing full well what it would mean for the city.”
It was then that Julius murmured an alternative explanation with a faint crease in the brow of his forehead. Having returned with TB and joined the renewed meeting, he swept his hair to the side when he noticed all attention gathering upon him.
“After visiting several shelters, I can safely say that the residents of the city have endured well. Even so, there will be no end to the number of people who find this current situation hopeless. Without understanding the consequences it will entail, some may even demand that the Witch’s bones should be handed over.”
“You mean Lust is getting off on seeing the city rip itself apart? …That’s a sick joke.”
It was a pessimistic bit of speculation, but at the same time, it was difficult to rule out. When Capella, the Archbishop of Lust, made her broadcast, all of them had gotten a glimpse of the joy she got out of sadistically toying with people’s hearts.
Perhaps the real objective of making the entire city hear her voice was simply to tyrannize the hearts of others—
“—We ain’t handin’ over those bones, and we sure as hell ain’t entertainin’ their stupid demands. It wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
It was a quiet declaration. The tenor of that voice made Subaru lift his face with a strong sense that something was off.
He found the quietness of that voice deeply unsettling. This was because the one who just spoke was always so strong and spirited—a far cry from the impression of the subdued, muted emotion the voice gave off now.
Sporting charred-brown fur and a large, muscular frame, the demi-human dog-man Ricardo was normally bold with his words and his actions. Like Julius, he had returned from his excursion and now stood in silence with his thick arms crossed, seemingly thinking hard about something.
Then he slowly walked over to the wall and broke the silence again.
“I didn’t say thanks yet. Bro, if ya hadn’t brought Mimi here, there’s no doubt in my mind she’d be dead. I owe you one. Big-time. Seriously, thank you.”
Ricardo sank down and sat cross-legged, pressing his head to the floor as he conveyed his gratitude. His words were directed at none other than Garfiel, who was still slumped against the wall, his head hanging like a rag doll’s.
“ ”
Despondent, Garfiel had only barely managed to do as Subaru instructed and cast healing magic upon his own wounds. He opened his jade eyes, revealing a frail, clouded gaze filled with bewilderment and remorse.
Based on what Garfiel had wailed when he brought Mimi in, it was clear he felt responsible for Mimi’s condition. As her guardian, Ricardo had a right to blame him for what had happened.
And yet instead of accusing Garfiel, Ricardo had chosen to bow his head. Ricardo’s sincerity stabbed deep into Garfiel’s heart, driving the boy further into the grasping hands of guilt.
“Well? Shouldn’t we stop dancin’ around the issue here and ask what we need to ask?”
It was Al who pointed out their inactivity from his seat at the long table. Fiddling with the seams of his helm, he surveyed all those present.
“That nutty broadcast earlier can’t be unrelated to those two rushing in here all a mess. They’re crucial live witnesses who just returned from city hall. That’s a big deal, am I right?”
Though wounded, Garfiel jerked his chin up. Al shrugged with a familiar disinterest. His aloof demeanor came off as insensitive, but he asserted that was what the situation called for.
There was no doubt that Garfiel and Mimi had confronted their enemies at city hall. Perhaps that had been a hasty decision, but the two had tried in their own way to do the best they could.
And they’d paid the price—in fact, Mimi was still paying for it even as they spoke.
“Garfiel, it might be tough to talk about it, but please tell us what happened. I get that no chump could’ve put you through the wringer like that. But…”
“ ”
“…we have to give a serious thrashing to all the morons who attacked this city. We’ll need your strength to make that happen. I can’t afford to let you stay down in the dumps like this.”
He knew it was a cruel demand to make. But Subaru gave it to Garfiel straight and spoke from the heart.
Garfiel had challenged the enemy based on his personal judgment but had failed to protect Mimi. It was easy for Subaru to imagine what crushing regret and responsibility must have weighed on Garfiel’s chest.
That was only natural. Subaru himself felt the exact same way Garfiel did.
“…We heard…that broadcast. Me and the runt headed for the center of the city all because I wanted to give that bastard broadcastin’ out of city hall a good beatdown.”
Haltingly, his face still angled toward the floor, Garfiel began to speak. Suspending his treatment, he clenched a fist so hard that it nearly broke the bones in his hand. That was the only way he could keep his churning emotions from exploding.
“There were a whole lotta dead people in front of city hall. I think they were city guards. The ones who did them in were a pair, a big man and a thin woman. Both fought with swords, and they…”
Garfiel’s fangs trembled as his words trailed off. What he had left unsaid were no doubt Garfiel’s defeat and the cause of Mimi’s wound, which refused all attempted treatments.
What made Subaru want to doubt his ears was that it was a complete mystery who that pair might be.
The fact that they were acting in concert with Lust meant they were definitely Witch Cultists. But as Subaru knew, no Archbishops matched the physical characteristics that Garfiel had mentioned.
They were unknown Witch Cultists who weren’t even Archbishops. What’s more—
“Both of ’em are a match for… Actually, I think they’re stronger than me.”
Garfiel seemed weak, seemingly shrinking in on himself as he agonized over that thought. His awe at his opponents’ might and his guilt for letting Mimi get hurt left Garfiel looking incredibly small.
“—Looks like ya got a pretty good grasp on the strength and weakness of your opponents.”
“Ricardo…”
Ricardo had kept his head pressed to the floor right up until he made that comment. An instant later, a terrifying, ferocious, and bestial presence filled the room.
“Tell me, Bro. Of the two ya mentioned, which one is it? Which one do I cut apart to avenge Mimi?”
If Ricardo’s exhaustive thanks were sincere, then he was equally sincere in just how far he would go to rip and tear his enemy to sate his thirst for vengeance.
Taken aback by that daunting show of brutality, Garfiel hesitated slightly.
“…It was the woman who got the runt. It happened when Mimi covered for me.”
“That was Mimi’s choice. I ain’t gonna criticize her decision.”
“I get it. I get ya. No one… Not a single person’s blamin’ me…but I do! That’s why I gotta give it to that woman…!!”
Practically flying to his feet, Garfiel wore a mournful look on his face as he shouted his desire for retribution. Rising in turn, Ricardo stared down at the boy across their difference in height.
“That was a good howl. A man never goes back on his word. Now stand up and fight.”
“Yeah…yeah! Damn right I will! I’m gonna do it…!”
Garfiel howled as if he was tearing into something with his jaws as the light returned to his clouded eyes. There was some bravado at work, but now angry, Garfiel had sworn to Ricardo that he would avenge Mimi.
Acknowledging his resolve, Ricardo nodded and glanced momentarily toward Subaru. Though it should have been Subaru giving Garfiel that extra push he needed, Ricardo had thoughtfully acted in his stead.
The captain of the Iron Fangs was as good at helping people back to their feet as Subaru expected.
“Thanks to Garfiel’s report, we now know the degree of danger that awaits us at city hall…and have learned about the sacrifices made by the guards who fought with the resolve to die in defense of the city. Next…”
Now that Ricardo had lit a fire under Garfiel, Julius pulled the conversation back on topic, faintly narrowing his yellow eyes as he looked at Subaru.
“Subaru, what would you do?”
“…Whoa, that’s an awfully sloppy way to pass the reins over to someone else.”
Subaru grimaced at Julius’s uncharacteristically haphazard manner of speaking. Julius’s only response was a smug chuckle.
“I was simply thinking back to the battle with Sloth. I was hoping that you might be particularly effective against the Witch Cult once again. As such, I reasoned that you might come up with a plan that would not have occurred to me.”
“Don’t get carried away, man. If I was that effective against ’em, my leg wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“That is unfortunate. However, there is also the matter of Lady Emilia. Surely, you do not wish to leave her in her current predicament. I simply wish to confirm what you intend to do.”
It may not have been the answer he hoped for, but Julius didn’t seem particularly disappointed. Of course, he of all people hadn’t expected Subaru to turn out to be some kind of mystical Witch Cult killer.
Subaru himself immediately understood that it was the second issue Julius had brought up that was the real point.
“…Greed is the one who kidnapped Emilia. Even now, his selfish pet theories have every hair on my body standing on end. I don’t wanna leave Emilia with that bastard one second longer than I have to.”
“By that, you mean you are prioritizing Lady Emilia’s rescue?”
“Damn right I am—is what I’d like to say, but…”
When he tried to give Julius’s question a confident answer, Subaru broke off with a sigh.
He did want to get Emilia back as soon as possible. That was, without question, Subaru’s true feelings on the matter. The idea of leaving Emilia in the hands of someone with such warped thinking for any period of time made him want to hurl.
But the city’s dire state and Lust’s demands did not permit Subaru to act out of emotion.
“We can’t let Lust do as she pleases. If we don’t stop her, she’s gonna wreak absolute havoc with people’s minds— Plus, that metia is a serious problem.”
“Agreed. The metia in city hall is a chain that binds everyone in the city.”
A voice that could reach every part of the city was plenty menacing enough. Lust was clearly aware of its efficacy, but Subaru had a different concern in mind.
There was someone else inside the city, someone with an Authority that amplified emotions and made them resonate with those of anyone in the vicinity. If that ability was augmented to a despairing degree by that metia, what would happen?
A pandemic of explosively irresistible madness would spread, and the city would be annihilated.
To save Emilia, they had to prevent the destruction of the city and regain control over that metia. Both goals required defeating Lust at city hall.
Accomplishing this was the first step on the path to rescuing Emilia from Greed’s clutches.
“The enemy has seized the four control towers as well as the municipal offices at the center of the city. That said, the priority target is obvious. Getting Lust out of city hall comes first. Plus, if Lust was serious during that broadcast earlier, the lives of the people inside city hall are more at risk the longer we wait.”
“I see… A most valuable opinion. It largely matches my own thoughts.”
When Subaru detailed his plan, Julius nodded in apparent satisfaction.
In all likelihood, the handsome knight had internally come to the same conclusion much sooner. Perhaps making Subaru say it out loud was to test whether Subaru had lost his cool and reached a hasty conclusion.
“Good, good. Let’s review and take stock.”
Lightly clapping, Anastasia resumed her self-appointed duty as master of ceremonies. Spreading her hands, she fixed Subaru with her round, light-blue eyes.
“I support following Natsuki’s plan. I agree that leaving the broadcast metia in that person’s hands is dangerous… The longer we let her be, the greater the chance the city’s residents might lose the will to carry on and force our hand.”
“I also concur with the two of you. If we allow the enemy free rein, our options shall gradually diminish. If we are making our move, the sooner the better.”
With a crisp posture, Crusch agreed with Subaru and Anastasia’s conclusion.
Just as she had said, they were currently well staffed and ready for a fight. The Muse Company was currently housing Garfiel, Ricardo, Julius, and Wilhelm, distinguished warriors all.
Adding in the Iron Fangs and Kiritaka’s private forces, the White Dragon’s Scale, would enhance their strength even further.
However, Kiritaka interrupted that line of thought as he shook his head side to side with a grim face.
“I am very sorry. Currently, my personal troops are carrying out a different mission at my direction. They are securing the members of the Council of Ten and escorting them here.”
“Shit, that’s… Nah, that’s something you need to do. If one of them blabs, the city’ll be destroyed by something other than the water gates. That said, I’d love to improve our chances somehow…”
If it was possible, Subaru would’ve preferred to face the enemy at the same strength they’d been able to field during the battle with Petelgeuse—at minimum. After all, they were currently facing no less than three Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins, so by simple arithmetic, he assumed the fight would be three times as tough.
“—Nah, you probably don’t need to worry about that, right?”
“Al? What do you mean?”
Al suddenly interrupted Subaru’s train of thought. Twisting his neck, he said, “Well, you know?” as a preamble. “Bro, you’re worried about city hall turning into a haunt for the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins, right? But didn’t they say in that last broadcast that they’ve set up camp in each of the control towers?”
“? What of it? Is there something odd about that?”
“!! Ohhh, I get it now! Yeah, you’re right!”
Ricardo voiced his confusion, but Subaru grasped what he was getting at.
Apparently, they’d each stationed themselves in different control towers—and what did that expression imply?
“The Archbishops took over the control towers at the same time…but I don’t think they’re working together like a big happy family. They’re the kind of people who’d be willing to start turning on one another even as their enemies close in on them.”
Subaru pointedly recalled how Sirius and Regulus had nearly gone for each other’s throats.
Had it not been for Subaru being in the way, the falling-out in the time-tower square would probably have ended with one of them going down. In the first place, the terms harmonious and group activity didn’t suit them in the slightest.
Could such hyper-individual personalities really rein it in and coordinate properly?
“The fact that no one else spoke during Lust’s broadcast seems to support that theory. They’re all way too keen on promoting their own causes to leave something like that to anyone else.”
“I cannot call that anything other than a very subjective opinion… However, it is oddly convincing.”
Subaru’s conviction left Julius furrowing his refined eyebrows as the man shut one eye and considered the plausibility of it all.
There was no question that this was the most speculative theory they had discussed so far. However, Subaru was certain in his deductions. Having come face-to-face with three Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins and having had indirect contact with a fourth, Subaru Natsuki believed wholeheartedly in their warped character.
Then just as their counterattack on city hall suddenly seemed genuinely within reach—
“—Whew. Somehow, I managed to finish the treatment.” The door to the adjacent room opened, and Ferris emerged, covered in a sheen of sweat as he tottered forward. Covered in bloodstains despite having already changed clothes once, he wiped his brow with a towel as he gave Anastasia his report. “Lady Anastasia, I have done everything I can. The rest…”
“How’s Mimi? Can ya save her? You will, right?”
Ricardo’s breathing was ragged as he talked to Ferris over Anastasia’s head, hoping for good news. Behind Ricardo, Garfiel stared at Ferris as if clinging to his every word.
With their gazes and earnest pleas focused on him, as well as the attention of everyone else in the room, Ferris lowered his eyes.
“The wound still isn’t closed. For now, I did what I could and stopped the bleeding using primitive methods… Then borrowing the power of the blessing shared between Mimi and her little brothers, we’re somehow keeping her going for the moment.”
“By ‘blessing,’ do you mean the blessing of thirds? What’s that gonna do to them?”
“That blessing gives the power to share wounds and fatigue between the three of them to begin with, right? They forced that bond to strengthen, taking a greater share from Mimi’s wounds than they normally would. That’s extended our time limit, but…”
“—When Big Sis’s life runs out, it means we will die as well, I presume.”
From the door to the other room, someone behind Ferris cut in with a voice that was short of breath.
When Ferris moved to the side, everyone could see Hetaro and TB sitting on the floor of the adjacent room. A simple cot lay between them, and resting on it was Mimi.
Their older sister continued to sleep as the two younger brothers gently held her hands— However, their free hands were pressed to their own chests in obvious signs of pain.
“—Ya pair of fools. I swear the both of you don’t have a lick of sense.”
“…When I think of this as Big Sis’s pain, I feel a little bit happy I can share it with her.”
“I am not quite as taken with this as my older brother seems to be. Therefore, captain, I trust that you will do something about this as soon as possible— After all, should we die, the three of us will absolutely haunt you.”
Shouldering a portion of their sister’s wounds, the two little brothers braved the same mortal danger. Their courage made Ricardo’s fangs tremble. In an attempt to console him, Ferris put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Don’t be angry with them. These kids are just desperate to help Mimi.”
Ferris was standing up for the choice that the two cat-people made. But really, his voice was thick with his own regrets over his lack of ability.
“It isn’t your fault, Ferris. Besides, I’m guessing those two came up with that idea on their own, didn’t they? These children are such a handful. They never stop to think whenever their beloved big sister is involved.”
With a thin smile, Anastasia indicated that she understood her subordinates’—her family’s decision.
Then Anastasia seemed to slowly bite down on her teeth.
“Ricardo.”
“If we’re gonna do it, we do it fast. Otherwise, there ain’t no point. Am I wrong, boss?”
When called upon, Ricardo replied without hesitation. From his low growl, it was clear there was no one capable of calling a halt to his determination to fight—nor was there anyone who failed to comprehend the feelings urging him onward.
With a click of his heels, Julius straightened his back and gave Anastasia a reverent knight’s salute.
“Lady Anastasia, should you command it, all members of the Iron Fangs can move at once.”
“Thank you. Our Iron Fangs will secure the route to city hall. After that, ideally, the elites will launch their assault and take control of the building without delay. Our enemies are a looming man, a slender woman, and the Archbishop of Lust.”
“On our side, we’ve got Garfiel, Ricardo, Wilhelm, and Julius, right?”
“—I shall participate as well.”
It was Crusch who raised her voice.
Her long, green hair was tied back, and a longsword hung at her hip. She retightened the straps of her boots as she boldly volunteered for the front lines.
“Are you sure you’re up for this, Crusch?”
“I may not be as I once was, but I have retrained with Wilhelm as my teacher. I also have the power of the blessing of wind reading. I have no intention of weighing anyone down.”
Before she’d lost her memory, Crusch had been mighty enough to be one of the heavy hitters during the battle against the White Whale. But now Subaru wasn’t sure where she stood in strength. If he was blunt, even her gravitas didn’t compare with the old Crusch, and he didn’t think her current personality was suited to fighting, but—
“Lady Crusch’s natural talents have not waned whatsoever. Her strength with the sword is sufficient. I guarantee it.”
Apparently wanting to dispel Subaru’s concerns, Wilhelm gave his firm stamp of approval. Touching a hand to the hilt of his own sword, he turned both of his blue eyes toward his master.
“However, please do not overexert yourself. I respectfully ask that you prioritize your own safety.”
“It is a noble’s duty to stand before the masses, endure the rigors of combat, and shed blood, if need be. Shirking that responsibility in the name of self-preservation would only cause the blameless populace to suffer instead. I will fight, Wilhelm.”
“…What a headstrong liege I serve. Of course, this is exactly why I have pledged my sword to you.”
Crusch held strong even as Wilhelm cautioned her. Seeing him stand straighter in approval at his master’s reply, Ferris swiftly raised a hand.
“Yes! Yes! Me too! Your lovely Ferri will accompany you! Please let me come along!”
“Ferris, go to the other shelters and treat whoever is in need. I am happy you are thinking of me, but even if it is for my sake, do not lose sight of which battlefield you should be attending to.”
“Uuuuuuurgh…”
His request denied, Ferris desperately racked his brain for some way to protest. But unable to find any fault with Crusch’s eminently reasonable argument, he soon gave in with a tearful face.
“Old Man Wil, take care of Lady Crusch. You absolutely have to keep her safe.”
“Of course. I shall see it through, even if it means I will meet my end in this land.”
Wilhelm’s reply was brimming with powerful, noble determination.
In the end, with Crusch added to the mix, the core force tasked with retaking city hall numbered five people.
Just as he was reviewing their roster, Subaru noticed Al sitting on the stairs.
“Can we depend on you for the coming fight? I’ve never seen you duke it out, but…”
“Weeell, actually, about that… This pep rally is real inspiring and all, but…”
“? What’s up?”
Al scratched the back of his neck as he stood up. Then while pressing a palm against the scabbard of the falchion resting on the back of his hip, he turned his head and looked somewhat uncomfortable.
“Sorry about this, but I can’t go to city hall. The situation’s changed. I’ve gotta split off from you guys to go find Princess and link up with her.”
“Huh?! The hell are you talking about at a time like this?!”
“I said sorry, didn’t I? I really am about all this.”
When Subaru was taken aback by his sudden declaration, Al gave a vague apology, but this wasn’t something that could be settled with a quick apology. He wanted to know what in the world Al was thinking.
“For starters, weren’t you the one who said you didn’t need to worry about Priscilla?”
“That was before I got all sorts of new data and had to revise everything. Besides, even if I’m there, I ain’t no use in a boss fight at city hall. If I’m just gonna hold the crew back, I might as well not be there. Am I wrong?”
“Y-you…”
When Al asserted his own powerlessness, Subaru couldn’t do anything but gape.
Al had been a full participant in the meeting up until that point, so he understood exactly what was at stake. If they didn’t take back city hall and send Lust packing, the entire city would be in danger. There was no way he didn’t understand that.
“—Sir Al, you will not reconsider?”
Setting Subaru’s bewilderment aside for the moment, Julius took the opportunity to pose an additional question toward Al. Turning to address The Finest of Knights, Al simply said, “Yeah,” and nodded without enthusiasm. “Sorry, I won’t be changing my mind… Unlike you guys, I haven’t been able to hook back up with my master.”
“It is only natural for a vassal to think of his liege. I shall not criticize you for that.”
“That’s appreciated. I’m glad you understand.”
Al’s reply to Julius’s elegant words somehow came off as cold. It was just that he seemed guilty for going against everyone’s decision and opting to act on his own. Then he looked at Subaru once more.
“This isn’t exactly what I was talking about, but you’re in the same position, right, Bro? I think I’ve gotta prioritize a woman who’s important to me over going to city hall.”
“ ”
“That said, I’m pretty sure there’s a limit to what you can do with that leg anyhow.”
Al’s assertion made Subaru’s face crumple as if he’d sustained a painful blow.
In a sense, Al’s position was totally reasonable. Whatever spin Subaru might put on it, Emilia’s safety was not assured whatsoever. It was completely possible that she was in peril that very moment.
And with his leg so badly injured, Subaru had few sane choices to pick from.
—In response to Al’s words, there wasn’t much Subaru could do.
“Aaarghhhhhhh…!”
“W-wait—Subawu?! What are you doing?!”
Enduring the excruciating pain in his right leg, Subaru somehow managed to rise to his feet. Seeing Subaru exert his grievously hurt leg so terribly, his physician, Ferris, hastily rushed over and slapped him on the head.
“Owww, that hurts.”
“Of course it hurts! I told you, you have to rest, so why do you keep being so reckless?! Do you have a problem with Ferri’s diagnosis? Because it wouldn’t be strange if your leg fell right off!”
“I, uh, wanted to prove my resolve, or something like that. Ferris, you of all people should understand how I feel.”
“Uuugh…”
Caught by Subaru’s intense black eyes from up close, Ferris pouted and struggled to form a response.
This was Subaru’s reply, both to Al’s words and to his companions who were heading toward a place of death. If his choices had decreased due to his leg wound, he would simply have to push through on grit and guts alone.
Al had cited his lack of power as a reason not to participate. That undoubtedly applied to Subaru as well. But Subaru had the heart of a trickster. If he could at least support the others with that, then—
“—There’s meaning in pushing myself. This is what I can do for Emilia’s sake.”
“…Are you saying even if you lose your leg, you’ll have no regrets?”
“Of course I’d have regrets. But they’d only get worse if I back down here and now.”
“Sigh… If you’re going to go this far, you might as well have kept acting cool right up until the very end.”
Sighing in exasperation, Ferris reached a hand toward Subaru, who was breathing hard as he endured the pain. Then he stroked the thick bandage over his patient’s right leg.
“I’ll use my special trick, then.”
“What’s that? Er…wait a— Ow, that hurts! That hurts a lot! Wait, ow, ow, ow! It really…doesn’t…hurt?”
Gradually, his leg was enveloped in the faint light and heat coming from Ferris’s hand. Bit by bit, the stabbing pain was drawn out, and soon, it felt better than ever.
“Hey, are you serious…?! If you had such convenient magic all along, don’t be stingy and just use it sooner! Yes, yes, yes! I can move! I can…”
With the pain completely gone, Subaru emphatically stomped on the floor several times. After that, he slapped his leg where the wound had been. When he did so, he felt something wet on his palm. He saw that it had become deep red.
His right leg’s wound had split open and was bleeding with a fair bit of force.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, it’s not healed?!”
“I never said I healed it. I only asked if you’d regret losing the leg. All I did was remove your sense of pain. If you try hard enough, you should even be able to run around.”
Subaru was stunned by how much he was bleeding as Ferris tied a fresh bandage over the wound. Just like he had explained, his leg didn’t hurt at all.
It was painfully obvious that this rather unnatural state did mean he could push it to some extent.
“Any strain you put on your leg will absolutely have serious effects, so try to be careful!”
“…Got it. This is a huge help. I owe you.”
“…There’s absolutely no way Subawu is going to listen to what Ferri says, is there?”
As Subaru checked the condition of his leg and nodded, Ferris puffed up his cheeks and turned away in a huff.
Subaru would have loved to protest and say, That’s not true, but he had no idea what he’d resort to until the choice was upon him. He had learned not to make promises he couldn’t keep.
“All right, I’m adding myself to the team that’s mounting an attack on city hall. Just letting you know in advance, there’s no use trying to stop me. It’s true that I can’t exactly contribute a ton in raw power, but even I have stuff I can do…”
“What do ya mean, ‘try to stop ya’? A guy like you is worth a hundred men. We’re dependin’ on ya.”
“I can do things like… Wait, what?”
Expecting a hail of objections, Subaru was ready to justify his presence, but Ricardo accepted his proposal without any hesitation. Noticing that Subaru was surprised by his reply, he elaborated and said, “Bro, I saw how hard ya worked, both during our rumble with the White Whale and when we fought Sloth. It ain’t just Julius and Wilhelm who rate ya highly.”
“ ”
Ricardo’s unexpected appraisal left Subaru struggling to find words. When he looked around the room, seeking answers, he saw Julius shrugging and Wilhelm nodding deeply.
It seemed that neither had any objections. On top of that, Crusch was faintly smiling as well.
“Needless to say, I would be glad to have your support. By all means, Master Subaru, join us.”
“You serious? This seems a little weird, but…”
Subaru was totally confused, unaccustomed to being counted as someone who could contribute in battle without question.
“Geez, you gonna be that reckless here…?”
When that string of exchanges brought a grumble spilling out of Al, Subaru turned toward him.
“I get what you’re saying, but I still think this is the best call. I do feel sorry, though.”
“No need to say sorry to me. You should just do what you want, Bro. I’ll be doing the same— Ah, I will give ya one piece of advice, though.”
“Advice?”
When Al abruptly raised a finger and said something unexpected, Subaru cocked his head. Then in a voice that sounded totally emotionless, he said one thing.
“—If Gluttony shows up, don’t say your real names.”
A shudder ran up Subaru’s spine.
That word of caution had come with no warning, and simply hearing it was enough to claw at his heart.
Eyes wide, Subaru stared straight at Al. Glancing at his dumbfounded face, Al shrugged nonchalantly.
“Hope the two of us meet again safe and sound, Bro.”
He left him with those carefree words.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login