CHAPTER 67: WARLOCK
The only answer Subaru has to the scene unfolding before him is 'incomprehensible'.
Ram submerged in a puddle of blood, and a headless dead Garfiel. At the side of their overlaid corpses stands the one who bare-handedly accomplished this, Roswaal, wiping at his trouser cuff. Even though having witnessed the incredible martial feat, Subaru cannot believe that it was Roswaal who achieved it.
Roswaal L. Mathers was the representative court magician of the Kingdom of Lugnica, who freely manipulated extremely high-level magic, and possessed combat strength equatable to a weapon of war—is what Subaru had heard. Repeatedly heard. And because he had heard it, he had never imagined that Roswaal would exhibit such destructive capability when unable to use magic.
Roswaal: “Magicians are incapable of martial combat, woooooould be entirely a preconceived notion. Should there have been any who meant to face me as an enemy, naturally all would have figured the same. ...As to what happened to those inflexible thinkers, your eyes caaaaaaaan see.”
Subaru unwittingly swallows his breath at Roswaal's perfect reading of his thoughts and his answer. Roswaal traces his finger over the slight bloodspatter on his face, painting over his blue eyeliner with crimson as he smiles.
Subaru: “Wh, y...”
Roswaal: “Hmmnm?”
Subaru: “Why, did you kill them... kill Ram? Garfiel's, killing Garfiel's... killing him was, necces...”
Roswaal: “It seemed Garfiel being present would be an impediment fooooooor speaking with you. Regarding Ram, I do believe what I did was inexcusable. But, I'm not so strong as to fight Garfiel in diiiiiiiirect confrontation. My managing to kill him now was because I struck when he was unguarded.”
Which meant skewering Ram and Garfiel both. In hearing Roswaal casually announce his reason for killing the two, Subaru's emotions discard their fury, conversely returning to coolheadedness. Ridiculous answer for a ridiculous situation. If Roswaal is attempting to jangle Subaru around in the palm of his hands, then flying into a rage would be exactly what Roswaal'd want.
Subaru: “...”
Roswaal: “Hrmmmm, uuuuuuunexpected. I had thought that saying that would undoubtedly anger you?”
Subaru: “It's done a whole loop around and the anger's flipped. ...It isn't that I'm not angry. Of course I am. Of course.”
Roswaal: “I wooooonder. While this attitude is one I would call desirable, in these circumstances the boy I know as Natsuki Subaru would more thoughtlessly burst howling into a furious insane rage. Wooooouldn't he, Natsuki Subaru-kun?”
Closing his eye, yet again only Roswaal's yellow iris captures Subaru. Roswaal does this, closing one of his eyes, and looking at the other person always with the yellow. The thought that Subaru himself is being reflected in that blazing yellow is terribly unnerving, and prevents him from keeping calm.
Subaru: “I know that I was stupid, but it's not like I'll never mature. I can at least figure out that flying into a rage here won't accomplish anythi...”
Roswaal: “Noooooo, but that iiiiiiiiisn't it, Subaru-kun. Subaru-kun. Natsuki Subaru-kuuuuuuuun.”
Roswaal smooths down his navy hair with his unbloodied left hand. The grossness of Roswaal's attitude makes Subaru feel something arcane and unfamiliar, but he doesn't retreat. In fact Subaru steps forward, glaring at the clown.
Subaru: “What do you want to say.”
Roswaal: “What do I want to say, is what you ask me and so here is what I would like to tell you. — Congratulations. My welcome. I've been waiting. For you to be standing there, that is.”
A chill like damp fingertips strokes down Subaru's spine. Roswaal gazes at him, his expression exactly in like with his words, delighted. At that attitude, that delight, Subaru feels an incomprehensible disgust. Nothing sarcastic at all, Roswaal is overjoyed with Subaru.
Subaru: “You were waiting... for me to be standing here?”
Roswaal: “'In this room in in that spot', wooooould be the kind of tedious misunderstanding I'd appreciate you toooooo discard. I am sure you're capable of understanding that is not what I meant. Since the only one who should be capable of understanding it iiiiiiiiiis you.”
Subaru: “That only I... can under, stand.”
Bit by bit Subaru's brain pieces together the guide-bereft puzzle. Quietly, steadily, and confused, he links the bits together until he finally starts dimly seeing the completed picture. Focusing his attention on that picture, the thought of no way pierces through Subaru.
Roswaal: “You doooooo understand, yeeeeees, Subaru-kun? Why is it that after witnessing their deaths you can remain calm, maintaining your composure absent any outburst of rage? ...In truth you dooooooo know the reason.”
Subaru: “—”
Roswaal: “You see, their deaths hit you with no great impact. You are surprised that they lost their lives. You surely must be iiiiiiiiiiindignant. But you feel no woe. Which is why you are incapable of angering, aaaaaaaand directing at me your fists.” Subaru opens his mouth to object, but winds up repeatedly closing it without saying anything. <What the hell would you know!> <You think I'm not sad at their deaths!?> <Good fucking on you, killing Ram and Garfiel, you goddamn fiend!> Many contenders come to mind for what to shout.
And in truth, those explosive feelings had already risen inside Subaru multiple times, repeatedly rushing to fly out his throat but instead fading to nothing. He was mad. He was surprised. He was sad, or should be.
Should be, but the reason Subaru cannot refute Roswaal is— Roswaal: “—Because they're recoverable, wooooooould be what you're thinking?” Subaru: “You...” A shiver enough to freeze his throat clutches Subaru about the heart.
That goes without metaphor, as Subaru truly mistakenly feels his heart being grasped. That is how great of a shock it is. Raising his head, Subaru reflexively looks about the room, dreading that the black hand may show itself to convey its punishment. This would be the first penalty since rejecting the WITCH OF ENVY. Just imagining what terror the shadow will bring with it overwhelms his heart with a twisting, wrenching pain. But,
Subaru: “...Won't, come.” Roswaal: “I don't know what you're so wary about, but... Aaaaaaha, this may be related toooooo your contract. Iiiiiiiii see. In that case, the oddities in your actions and statements until now do make sense.” Subaru: “Make sense... or no, before that!” Roswaal nods, hand to chin. Subaru's face pales as his lips tremble.
Roswaal's statements are unmistakably hitting on the core of Subaru, which is to say, Subaru: “You... noticed my—noticed, what's going on with me!?” Roswaal: “So long as it stays within the writ, then yes. —You have acquired means to redo.
Woooooould be the case, yes?” Roswaal plainly reveals that he had already known about RETURN BY DEATH. Subaru swallows his breath, immediately noticing that this situation is dangerous.
Because now the conditions are exactly the same as in Echidna's tea party.
If Roswaal proceeds to talk casually on about RETURN BY DEATH, the disaster of shadows consuming SANCTUARY will unfold again. It wouldn't be strange for the witch to, before it happens, in this very instant even, come and snatch Subaru away.
His swallowed breath sinks to his stomach. Subaru gives a deep exhale to get it out, confirming that time has not stopped. Meaning, the witch's penalty of squeezing his heart isn't occurring. This eliminates the possibility which although unbearable for Subaru, is the most peaceful. The remaining possibility is—
Roswaal: “—Silence is proven admission, is a phrase I wonder just whoooooo left to the ages.”
Subaru frantically engages in risk aversion as he forces his jumbled head to think. Roswaal seems to get tired of waiting for him. That statement must have held a rather large meaning to Roswaal, as well. Subaru's wordless ignoring of it makes Roswaal furrow his brows in unusual discomfort.
Roswaal: Weeeeeell, it's all a silly baseless story. Iiiiiiiiiiis the kind of tiresome obfuscation which in doing you could perhaps say decreases myyyyyyy rectitude.
Subaru: “Y—”
Roswaal: “Oooop, there's fine. My mentioning it is whatever it may be, but should you voice an assenting reply, it will almost certainly prompt nothing good. Which is why you've been unable to reveal your circumstances until tooooooday. Although.”
Subaru bites his lip. Roswaal sends him a glance, his mouth relaxing sickeningly.
Roswaal: “You might've been frightened, of how revealing it would make others regard you.”
Subaru: “—hk”
Roswaal: “Well ooooooof course. Aaaaaaaafter all, a power to redo the world is an outrageous, asinine thing. Interfering with time is the pinnacle of the pinnacle of yin magic, and only barely. Creating a stoppage is the best even Beatrice can manage. Running counter to it is surely a dream wiiiiiiithin a dream.”
His unintended true thoughts read into, Subaru remains unable to refute anything. When the sudden reference to Beatrice prompts his face to stiffen in shock. Subaru's mind flashbacks vividly to that final expression on her face.
Roswaal: “—Seeing that reaction, iiiiiiiiit would seem that Beatrice fulfilled heeeeeer role.”
Subaru: “Role... you, about her... right.”
Taking advantage of the conversation's shift away from RETURN BY DEATH, Subaru pulls up his near-overwhelmed consciousness to take a bite out of Roswaal's unruffled face.
Subaru: “So you knew that she was suffering? Always tied to that mansion, clinging to an old promise through some damn contract... which utterly wore her down and she shrank herself up, you knew about her!?”
Roswaal: “Ooooooof course I knew about her. Beatrice and I have known eeeeeeeach other for a long time. Since birth, in fact. The solitude in her heart is something I have aaaaaaaaaaalways known about.”
Subaru: “Then...!”
Roswaal: “Why didn't I do something about it, iiiiiiiis something I'd rather not hear. You should know that her sorrow isn't something others can dooooooo anything about.”
Roswaal's good logic smacks a bordering-on-yelling Subaru about the heart. Subaru could reproach Roswaal, screaming to tell him of Beatrice's grief. He could, but it would be utterly pointless.
Beatrice was already dead, and no one could heal her heart's sadness. Only Subaru, who possessed the sole means to reset, could face Beatrice's final moment indefinite times. But, how to heal her four hundred years of sorrow? Four hundred years—Not even Subaru had means to travel back that far.
Roswaal gives a small shake of the head.
Roswaal: “Enviable, iiiiiiiindeed.”
Subaru: “—Enviable?”
Says Subaru, voice low. Roswaal doesn't notice and nods.
Roswaal: “Yes.”
Roswaal: “She's enviable. Beatrice fulfilled her dearest wish and managed to disappear. That you're here would meeeeeeeean exactly that, yes?”
Subaru: “Dearest wish... what? That... dying like that, was her dearest wish—you! You're seriously goddamn saying this!?”
Roswaal: “That would be exactly what Beatrice haaaaaaaad desired. Others have no right to grouse about it, and nobody is able to deny the values of another. Neither you, nor I, have any pardon to sully Beatrice's death.”
Tenable words. Sensible logic. No right, and that was truth. Beatrice and Subaru were strangers, he didn't understand her wish, and he had never possibly thought in the slightest to attempt to grant it. But, even so, was Beatrice truly happy with this?
—If she was, then why at the very end did she protect Subaru?
Roswaal: “Beatrice's wish was granted. For me, that is entirely enviable. —As it appears that my wish is not going to be granted wiiiiiiiith me.”
Subaru: “—” There's something offputting about that phrasing. It's not definite where it is. But it is definitely there.
Subaru: “Your... dearest wish, is...?” Roswaal: “I cannot say. I am in contract where I cannot say, is the only thiiiiiiiing I can say.
Speaking this much already is pressing the maximum limit of what I can compromise with the contract. Buuuuuuut, this I can say.” Subaru: “—” Roswaal: “I am always, always, always devoting my utmost to fulfilling my wish. Not a single one of my actions is without purpose oooooooor brings me shame.”
Says Roswaal magnificently. The bold attitude hits Subaru with a shock. And slowly, inside Subaru a dark, grungy anger boils. Subaru: “Necessary, you're saying... killing Ram and Garfiel, covering SANCTUARY in snow, all of it... was necessary, you're saying?”
Roswaal: “Hrm, as for the former... no, that would hamper coooooonversation. As for the latter, you are exactly correct, is hoooooow I'll be answering.” Subaru: “Why!!” Baring his teeth, waving his arms about, Subaru shouts. Subaru: “Why the fuck are you doing this! Making it snow in SANCTUARY, pissing around to make the citizens suffer... for what purpose! What is the point in doing this! Go ahead and tell me! Roswaal!!” Roswaal: “It's entirely obvious. —To isolate Emilia-sama.”
Subaru: “—Wh, haa?” Roswaal: “I will repeat. Snow falls and the residents suffer. Emilia-sama is isolated, and she degenerates into an incredibly unstable mental state. That would be the present situation?”
Says Roswaal as if he's seen it all. Emilia's condition in the tomb is exactly as Roswaal intended. Subaru has no intentions of nicely conveying this truth to Roswaal. Most importantly, Roswaal's statements here are the biggest 'I don't understand' yet.
Roswaal: “This is a witch-related locality, and Emilia-sama is in the middle of taking the TRIAL to liberate SANCTUARY. Shooooould a natural disaster local to SANCTUARY occur during this... just how will Emilia-sama be perceived?”
Subaru: “You...”
Roswaal: “It's at these junctures that guileless Garfiel is useful. He of anyone would immediately doubt Emilia-sama, and proponent that distrust loudly. With the volume of his voice, anyone would think it. —Emilia-sama's actions brought about this disaster.”
Roswaal's readings are correct. Garfiel was dancing right in the palm of his hands. The foundations for aiming all hostility at Emilia regardless of the presence of SOMEONE ELSE WHO COULD DO IT were present in this locality, in this world. That was the demon called prejudice which had tormented Emilia for years.
Roswaal: “What happens with the isolated Emilia-sama? Despite everything, Emilia-sama is truly a weak person. It would be no mystery if she wished to entrust all her faith to somebody who would give her approval. And supposing there were some person who also wished to put their everything into supporting Emilia-sama, perfect.”
Subaru: “Wait... wait.. wait, wait waitwaitwait...”
Subaru holds out his arms, attempting to stop Roswaal's talk. Right now, it felt he was hearing something unbelievable. Right now, it felt an outrageous truth was being spoken. Right now, it felt something he mustn't hear was—
Roswaal: “You cannot distance a dependant Emilia-sama. Of course not, you love her. Should your loved Emilia-sama entrust everything to you, you cannot dismiss it.”
Subaru: “That—”
Isn't possible. That should not be possible. Subaru had just this loop withstood drowning in a clingy Emilia. Withstood it, and came here.
That did not mean he entirely rejected her temptations, whispers of love. But, knowing that she did not truly mean it, that creeping engrossment was—
Roswaal: “Is not the present, would likely be your answer. To me, that is merely something unfortunate. There are just a few too many superfluous things with your present self, it'd be then.”
Roswaal takes a single, silent step forth. His foot lands in the pool of blood, pealing with watery noise. Subaru's body unconsciously freezes. Subaru clicks his throat at Roswaal's approach.
Subaru: “Thinking to, kill me, then?”
Roswaal: “Killing would be quiiiiiiiiiite the bloodthirsty thought iiiiiiiindeed. Your dying would be a terrible predicament. As regardless, I need to have you conduct yooooooooour re-dos.”
Subaru: “Whe—?”
For just an instant Roswaal's words dumbfound Subaru. But he immediately notices the discrepancy.
Roswaal knows that Subaru can REDO, but not that it is a RETURN BY DEATH which uses DEATH as the trigger. Thus, his intention is to corner Subaru until he willingly elects to redo. Although that might come alongside more agony that just being instantaneously killed. If Roswaal has no will to kill Subaru, there's a chance.
Subaru: “—Everyone, inside!!”
Raising his arms, Subaru yells. The instant that Roswaal's brows furrow, the room's doors and windows, as well as those in the room adjacent and the lounge, simultaneously break. Flying in alongside the frigid wind are small silhouettes—twenty of them swooping down at once, all pink-haired little girls.
Seeing the assembled line of samefaced girls, Roswaal closes an eye as he looks at Subaru.
Roswaal: “I had thought the command right was in Garfiel's possession?”
Subaru: “I was diving into where you the maybe-mastermind'd be. —Bolstered my playable cards.”
—Leaving the tomb, after his exchange with Garfiel. Subaru persuaded a Garfiel who had intended to immediately proceed to question Roswaal, went to the Lewes Crystal, and overtook the command right from Garfiel. From there he readied the doubles in wait around Roswaal's recuperation hut, prepared for them to burst in at any moment.
Garfiel's hostage Rem was entrusted to the representative Lewes personality, who brought her to the cathedral where both the evacuees and residents were taking refuge. Subaru had conceived everything for Roswaal being the perpetrator. —Although, he naturally hadn't conceived that Roswaal would kill Garfiel and Ram.
Roswaal: “Now what are you planning to do wiiiiiiiiiith me surrounded?”
Subaru: “That you're that strong barehanded's a surprise, but here you're outnumbered. If you say Garfiel's transformation's crazy, then numbers'll be tight for you too, though...”
Roswaal's simultaneous piercing of Ram and Garfiel happened because he could not secure victory in a direct fight with Garfiel. That said he is unmistakably much stronger than Subaru, but—
Subaru: “There's twenty so with that strength we'll subdue. Beat you up, pin you down, and have you talking wholesale about everything you're still hiding.”
Roswaal: “Being under conditions yourself, you should know how important uuuuuuupholding a contract is.”
Subaru: “Bad news, but being that my case's the other guy's just gone off and established it on me, it's the type where attempts to break it get forcibly punished. That it's not coming now means, I'm in the safe line!”
With twenty people gathered in the cramped room, the place is packed. The blankfaced Lewes Meyer doubles follow in accord to Subaru's shout, all with vacant expressions as they leap at Roswaal.
The most that unarmed Roswaal can combat at once is of course two. His manipulating of the weather outside backfires on him, and all that's left is for a magic-incapable Roswaal to be overwhelmed by numbers. It's a narrow victory, but a confident one. However,
Roswaal: “—While indeed I am outnumbered.”
Subaru: “—”
Roswaal: “Confronting a magician opponent with numbers is quiiiiiiiiite an incredibly foolish decision.”
Flames race sideways across the room, burning the Lewes Meyer double above its path to nothing. The wall of fire immolates the small, advancing bodies, scorching them head to toe, turning them to garbage and hailing them back into mana.
To Subaru's sight, it was like a wave of red light and heat had swept through the room for only an instant.
Subaru: “You, using magic shouldn't be poss...”
Roswaal: “If I'm manipulating the weather, that is. Uuuuuuunfortunately, I no longer have any reason briiiiiiiing about snowfall. And so, I'd already stopped a while ago. I will say that I'm sorry about noooooooot mentioning it.”
Subaru: “Wha—ghhu, gaaeh.”
Roswaal flashes to Subaru's side in his instant of confusion, and grabs his throat. Just where do those skinny arms keep all that strength as they easily lift Subaru off the ground? Roswaal pitches the struggling Subaru back and—
Subaru: “Hhgg—”
Subaru crashes back-first through the half-shattered windowpane as he plummets outside the building. The thrown Subaru lands on the snow, tumbles, bashes against a wall to a stop.
Subaru spits the muddy snow from his mouth, shaking his head as he looks up.
The remaining doubles quietly follow Roswaal out from the house. Being that they were under no orders, the doubles are lost on what to do. But Subaru is also lost on what it is he should tell them.
Roswaal: “This much, and you still haven't REDONE. Ooooor perhaps you already have? Thinking about it, what happens to my consciousness when the REDO occurs is a complete unknown. This has become a biiiiiiiiiit of a predicament.”
Walking over to Subaru's side, Roswaal tilts his head. Amid the pain and choking as he looks up the clown, a sudden question arises on Subaru's tongue.
Subaru: “Rhouz, wahl... you're, asking over and over for me to REDO, but...”
Roswaal: “Hm? You have something important to say? Let's hear, let's hear.”
Subaru: “It's you I've got question with. Acting with presupposition of someone else's REDO, is insane. ...The truth for you, is also?”
Having means to bring your memories over, perhaps? It was that way for Echidna in her castle. Perhaps Roswaal also was bringing over memories from previous worlds where Subaru had RETURNED BY DEATH. If he wasn't, then Subaru couldn't comprehend his untouchable attitude of desiring a REDO.
Subaru: “If that's right then, fine. But, if it is, then we could...”
Collaborate, couldn't they? Being that Roswaal's objectives are mysterious and unknown, he has done many unforgivable things. Subaru would surely had no intention to forgive him for killing Ram and Garfiel, or for cornering Emilia. However, Subaru is not blessed enough with conditions where he can rationalize Roswaal's strength as unneeded. Actually, he is very pressured. As well be hanged for a sheep than a—or however the saying goes, assuming it applies here, then Subaru is prepared to be hanged for a sheep.
Roswaal: “—It doesn't appear that wiiiiiiiill be happening.”
But Roswaal snaps Subaru's thin strand of hope with a shake of his head. Roswaal's gaze has separated from Subaru and his downcast eyes, and his pointing finger—
Roswaal: “Goa.”
—gives rise to a small flame, which sets the region of the forest Roswaal is looking at alight. Subaru blinks at the sudden act of destruction, the trees creaking and crackling as they burn, when mixed in with the noise he hears something else. —That was the death wail of a very, very small animal.
Subaru: “—No, way.”
Roswaal: “Iiiiiii see. ...So this is how the end comes.”
Springing to his feet and pale-faced, Subaru gazes around the surroundings. Equally while changing his position on the spot, Roswaal gives multiple sharp clicks of his fingers, each one resulting in the stench of burning flesh and a shrill animal cry running through SANCTUARY. When the scorched thing smoulders and drops before his eyes, Subaru understands clearly.
Subaru: “Sizeable, hare...!!”
It's one of the Sizeable Hare. As the hares begin creeping out from the forest, Roswaal burns them one-by-one with his magic. Groups of them can come out at once, but they are still Roswaal's prey. Faced with a multitudinous opponent, Roswaal lacks the combat power to win. Watching on, a terror grips Subaru's heart and doesn't let go.
He closes his eyes, for the memory of those sharp teeth shredding him to arise. Having his fingers, body, organs, all consumed was a woeful experience beyond description. Subaru hears his soul shrieking at the arrival of the offending witchbeast.
Subaru: “But, it's still the fifth day... there should've been over half a day left!”
Roswaal: “It's the snow.”
Subaru: “Snow—!?”
Roswaal: “It was magic enough to disrupt the weather. Naturally, the mana filling the atmosphere is overwhelming. Further, the snow means everyone in SANCTUARY has gathered in the cathedral. For a nearby witchbeast, it's an iiiiiiiiiiincredibly visible hunting ground.”
Subaru shivers.
Subaru: “Then...”
Following that logic, the most dangerous place in SANCTUARY right now is,
Subaru: “Th-the cathedral! We have to hurry to the cathedral!”
Roswaal: “It's too late. The instant they appeared before us and our small number, it meant the arrival of those who had failed to already obtain food. —Eeeeeeeeveryone's gone.”
Subaru: “But! That's where...!”
Rem is. He had entrusted her Lewes, and she took Rem to the cathedral. With the residents of SANCTUARY and all the Arlam evacuees, there would be over one hundred people there. He didn't want to think that en-masse they'd been—
Subaru: “Roswaal! Truce! Okay, to the cathedral! We'll collect the survivors, find them somewhere safe to...”
Subaru closes in on Roswaal, grabbing his collar and yelling. But Roswaal gently pushes Subaru's arms away.
Roswaal: “Flee? Where? There's a barrier. The people of SANCTUARY cannot flee.”
Subaru: “Th-that's...”
Roswaal: “There wasn't enough time, Subaru-kun. The residents cannot exit SANCTUARY if the TRIAL is not conquered. Meaning, your wish will go ungranted.”
Crushed, Subaru falls rear-first to the snow. The Lewes doubles crowd around the fallen Subaru, on standby waiting for orders in a rather humorous scene. Subaru belatedly notices it.
Notices that Roswaal, who had been burning away all the witchbeasts he spotted, had now completely stopped the activity.
Subaru: “Rho-Roswaal! If you slack... you couldn'tve, run out of mana...”
Roswaal: “Noooooo, I truly haven't? Since in a sense, my mana is iiiiiiiiinexhaustible. It doesn't run out so easily. ...What has run out is my reason to live.”
White living fluffballs begin slinking out from the forest. They leave little tracks in the snow, same white as their fur, as they indeed approach.
Subaru: “E-even saying I can redo, in this fashion... it should be after we've talked more properly! But maybe you're okay leaving that to the next...”
Roswaal: “It seems you're miiiiiiiiiisunderstanding something, Subaru-kun.”
Subaru: “Ah?”
Roswaal: “Even should you redo, I cannot. The present me will not be the me existing beyond your redo. This is my end. —But, thaaaaaat is fine.”
Roswaal's words strike Subaru dumb. The redo won't apply to me, is what Roswaal himself had said. Meaning that Roswaal is merely someone who knows the potentiality that Subaru is RETURNING BY DEATH, and him dying here would mean the end of this Roswaal's awareness. He accepts that and furthermore is ordering Subaru to redo. Even though he knows that he will not exist in what comes after Subaru returns. That style of thinking was incredibly,
Subaru: “That's not... how humans think.”
Subaru's consciousness continues. Roswaal is unlike him. Roswaal's consciousness does not continue. If he dies, that's the end. Recognizing that end, and accepting it like it were ordinary, was abnormal.
Roswaal: “The time will come when you truly outdistance me, Subaru-kun.”
Subaru: “Rhos...”
Roswaal: “Liiiiiisten now, Subaru-kun. —It's what's important. The one single thing which is truly, truly important to you. Scour everything but that away. Let go of everything except it, and think only of protecting your single important one to the end.”
Subaru: “—”
Roswaal: “You do that, and—”
Roswaal with his fingered raised for lecture. At Roswaal's wrist is an approached hare, teeth clamped down. Blood scatters, Roswaal's right arm is gnashed to bits at the wrist—when other jaws sink their fangs into his elbows, shoulders, swooping all down his body, alongside noise of ripping flesh.
Subaru: “ROSWAAAAAAL!!”
Roswaal: “—Even you can be like me.”
The body of a hare with its mouth open wide obstructs view of the clown's smile. A swarm of hares cloaks Roswaal's body entirely. He falls to the ground, giving no resistance as they devour his flesh. As they devour. Devour. Blood showers, meat strews, the white snow dyes with crimson. The hares pain to part even with the crimson snow as they rasp it up too, consuming everything.
Subaru watches simply, silently, as Roswaal becomes nothing. He watches the being known as Roswaal disappear from the world, ingested.
—He watches.
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