Chapter 613 — Arc 9, Chapter 25 – “Emilia was Enraged”

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Emilia: [Right now, I’m reaaally angry, so I won’t be holding back even if it’s you, Al.]

Speaking thus, the Witch of Glaciation, having transformed the vicinity of the Prison Tower into a wintry snowscape, cast him a stern gaze.

The irate emotions ablaze in those amethyst eyes, spurred a dry sensation in Aldebaran’s throat.

Even in the Empire, many a time had he borne witness to the sight of her kicking her long legs with all her might, doing battle with a look of seriousness on her beautiful countenance. But, that look of seriousness had always been deeply tinged with her courage and thoughtfulness, never colored with the hue of fury.

Hence, this was the first time.

Aldebaran: [――――]

The first time that he had come across a scene where Emilia’s eyes were filled with anger, casting an intense gaze upon somebody.

Not to mention, to think it was a moment in which that anger was directed fully and entirely unto himself, even the act of imagining that.

Aldebaran: […To say that I never even imagined it… guess that’d be asking for too much.]

Hijacking the dragonhusk of the Divine Dragon Volcanica, and mobilizing the Witch of Envy with the objective of halting the Sword Saint Reinhard, he was an enemy of the world. ――Even before all that, the moment he sealed away Natsuki Subaru, even if not on the scale of the whole world, there were a great number of people who thus became enemies of Aldebaran.

Emilia was at the forefront of that list. This confrontation was the inevitable price he had to pay for the decision he had made.

???: [What’s this~, how peculiar? It seems like you’ve angered her quite a bit~, uncle. That onee-san is terrifying when you anger her, did you know~?]

Aldebaran: [Shut up.]

???: [Ohh, scary, scary.]

Carried on Aldebaran’s shoulders, the immobilized Roy sneered in ridicule.

The circumstances of Roy’s capture had been through combat with Natsuki Subaru’s group at the Pleiades Watchtower―― naturally, Emilia was also present there. It made sense for him to know her.

Even before that, Roy had eaten many Names and Memories in Pristella, and it would not have been strange for some of those among them to have known Emilia.

Hence, what he currently ought to focus on was not Roy’s slimy persiflage, but rather――,

Aldebaran: [――. Yo, what a coincidence to run into you here, miss――]

Laboring to select the words for his first vocalization, Aldebaran opened his mouth.

But, unfortunately for the effort he had spent to select those first words, it had been meaningless.

That was because――,

Aldebaran: [――Hk.]

Halfway through Aldebaran’s utterance, which aimed to examine his opponent’s approach, Emilia pitched forward, ushering an explosion of the snow accumulated by her feet, her silver hair fluttering as she kicked off the ground.

Amidst his snow-blanketed vision, directly after he perceived the glisten of her fluttering silver hair――,

Emilia: [Hiyaah!!]

――Sparing no measure, a gauntlet of ice was driven directly into Aldebaran’s solar plexus.

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――Rewinding time a bit before that blow to the solar plexus.

???: [Subaru and everyone else…!]

???: [That’s the word from one of my people. Everyone in the Tower has been taken out.]

The one who informed them of this was Felt, who was staying in the Royal Capital at the time.

It was their first reunion since the events of the Watergate City of Pristella, but they had no time to catch up on old times.

To begin with, Emilia’s reason for visiting the Royal Capital was not a pleasant one―― she had to report to the Royal Castle that Priscilla Barielle had lost her life in the Vollachian Empire.

Emilia was deeply grieved to have to bring back news that would significantly affect the Royal Selection and, above all, sadden the many who knew and loved Priscilla.

What Felt had told Emilia was a huge blow.

Emilia: [Al…]

Why would he do something like that? Those were words Emilia could not bring herself to say.

If Al were to do something reckless now, there was no way it would not be related to Priscilla’s death. Al’s devastation at losing someone so important to him placed him into an unbearable state, which was why Emilia and the others listened to Subaru’s plea and saw them off to the Pleiades Watchtower.

She believed that this would give Al a chance to recover―― or at least a chance to move forward.

But despite that――,

???: [――Felt-sama, may I ask you for more details?]

Next to Emilia, who was biting her lip and clenching her fists, was Otto, who had come to the Royal Capital with her, and asked Felt.

In contrast to Emilia, who was overwhelmed by the devastating news, Otto’s expression, with his eyes fixed on Felt, was calm, and his voice was steady. But Emilia knew what it meant when Otto acted like this―― that he was at his angriest.

Felt sensed the quiet pressure emanating from Otto’s anger, which was well-known to everyone in Emilia’s camp, and crossed her arms, replying, “Yeah, sure,”

Felt: [The Knight nii-chan and the little Spirit are being held captive by the helmet bastard. I don’t know how, but it seems he doesn’t intend to kill them.]

Otto: [No intention to kill…? What about the others at the Tower?]

Felt: [Flam contacted me and said they’re okay. Meili and Emilia-neechan’s maid are safe. But our Sensei and that Garfiel guy got pretty beat up. It looks like he didn’t take their lives.]

Otto: [――. Is that so? Thank you.]

Felt: [That ain’t something to thank me for. I would have felt worse if I knew how they were and didn’t tell you.]

After telling her everything without hesitation, Felt looked at Emilia, who was still clenching her fists. Struck by the intensity of Felt’s gaze, Emilia gasped.

Then, Felt continued as Emilia’s cheeks stiffened.

Felt: [We’ve decided on our plan. We’ll use Reinhard to get back to our territory as quickly as possible. We need to consult with Rom-jii and figure out what we need to do next.]

Emilia: [Isn’t that the Astrea Domain? If so, it’s close to the Augria Sand Dunes, so we can go with you, Felt-chan――]

Otto: [――No, we should not do that, Emilia-sama.]

Emilia: [What?]

Emilia leaned eagerly forward, but Otto’s calm voice stopped her.

However, Emilia was confused, as she did not understand why she was being stopped. After all, she had to rush to the Tower where Subaru and the others were in trouble.

Emilia: [Is it because Reinhard will have a hard time if there are more of us? Well, it would reaaally be difficult to lighten up anymore, but I’ll do my best…!]

Felt: [Even if Emilia and Zodda Bug-niichan join in, it won’t make much difference to that guy’s workload. But that’s not what you’re saying, right?]

Otto: [Regardless of your perception of me, Felt-sama… yes.]

Felt and Otto nodded to each other, while question marks flew above Emilia’s head.

However, although Emilia was unable to keep up with what the two of them were thinking, she held no doubt that those thoughts were correct and had been thoroughly considered.

Emilia: [Felt-chan, be careful. Tell Reinhard as well. As for Al…]

Felt: [Naturally, when it comes to the helmet bastard, I can’t make any promises. Sorry ‘bout that.]

Emilia: [――. No, I’m glad you clearly told me that you cannot make any promises.]

Their reunion was short-lived, and the content of their conversation had not been pleasant in the slightest. Still, Emilia gave Felt a parting hug, and saw the girl, whose expression had become strange, off from the Royal Castle.

Afterward, Felt and the others had been flown to the Astrea Domain by Reinhard, thereupon, it was a matter of performing a large variety of tasks that would be absolutely vital, even so…

Emilia: [Subaru…]

After Felt’s tempestuous departure, Emilia remained in the royal residence with her gaze cast downward.

Even now, she had not been able to relax her tightly clenched fists. Felt had said that everyone sent to the Pleiades Watchtower had suffered terribly.

However, among them, the one Emilia was most anxious about was her Knight, Subaru.

Even in the Empire, he had put in a great effort for the sake of Rem and Spica, he had fought alongside Abel, had been shrunk down to a child, had grown big again, and yet he had not been able to save Priscilla.

The way he had punished himself, by having his many friends from the Empire beat him up, was something she could not bear to watch. And yet, the kindness Subaru had shown in consideration of Al was betrayed――.

Emilia: [I…]

A strange sensation had been lit deep within her chest, and it bubbled forth, making Emilia aware of the heat within her own heart.

A feeling that was neither sad nor heartbreaking, it was an emotion that Emilia had rarely harboured, and was thus greatly perplexing to her.

A sensation like this, within her chest, in the depths of her eyes, at the very core of her heart, this feeling as if vigorously boiling, the last time she had felt this way was―― during her confrontation with Regulus, back in Pristella.

At Regulus who had bound the hearts of his brides, Sylphy and the others, for utterly selfish reasons, Emilia had been truly, truly furious. The same rage as back then, or perhaps one even greater, now burned within her.

Otto: [Emilia-sama, thank you for granting my plea.]

Emilia: [Otto-kun…]

Emilia, who had realized that she was greatly furious, to the extent of being nearly unable to contain it, had intuitively understood that Otto, who wore a calm expression, was also feeling the same.

That was to be expected. After all, being worried for Subaru and the others, Otto was one among those who had accompanied Emilia and the others to the Empire. This state, could not be allowed to continue――,

Emilia: [Eeep!]

Making a loud thwack sound, Emilia slapped her own cheeks with both hands. It was an act so unexpected that Otto exclaimed “E-Emilia-sama?” in astonishment.

Feeling sorry about that, Emilia lowered her hands from her stinging cheeks,

Emilia: [Just now, my mind was going haywire, and I didn’t feel like I would be able to speak properly, that’s why. But now, I feel alright…! Well, the alright part was a lie, but I can speak properly.]

Otto: […Is that so. In that case I too shall――.]

Emilia: [Yikes!]

As Emilia nodded, a thwack resounded as Otto also slapped his own cheeks the same way she did. Having done so with such a strength, Emilia was startled by the sound that was loud enough to invoke doubts about an impending nosebleed.

However, Otto did not get a nosebleed, but his cheeks were likely just as red as Emilia’s own,

Otto: [――. I shall explain the reason behind why we did not accompany Felt-sama. It is because there would be no point to us going and… to prepare for an unlikely possibility.]

Emilia: […Please continue.]

Emilia did not interrupt the explanation that Otto, with both his hands upon his cheeks, was giving.

She had questions. She had plenty she wanted to say. But first, she would listen to everything the other person had to say. For Otto would have already prepared a proper reply for nearly everything Emilia was concerned about.

Otto: [If Reinhard-san is on the front lines, then there is no point sending in anyone based on their military might. Felt-sama must also understand that. Then, the reason why she still decided to return to her domain would be――]

Emilia: [――That’s… so she could prepare?]

Otto: [Correct. Just think about it. Aside from Natsuki-san and the others, if Felt-sama’s companions in the Tower were attacked, Reinhard-san would obviously appear. Despite all of that, Al-san… That man took the plunge.]

Finally, Emilia began to understand what Otto was trying to say.

Reinhard was overwhelmingly strong. Most likely, of the people Emilia knew―― no, even including the people she did not know, Reinhard was the strongest in the world. Puck had said so himself, so it had to be true.

Understanding that he would clash against Reinhard, it was strange to expect that Al had nothing prepared. Meaning, Al had definitely prepared something, and so even Reinhard could be in danger.

Emilia: [Felt-chan was worried about Reinhard, so she went back in order to prepare… But then, what about us? If we were preparing, we probably should do so with Felt-chan and all of the others…]

Otto: [We are the ones after Reinhard-san, that Felt-sama and the others have prepared for.]

Emilia: [――. I see. If he knows Reinhard is coming, and he was preparing for that, and she is planning for that preparation… Umm.]

Otto: [That’s right. Of course, if we begin talking about preparing for preparations, then there would be no end to the discussion. The reason behind that man’s reckless actions is because of what happened in the Empire… even if his plan is thorough, it does not seem likely he would have had much time to prepare.]

Emilia: […Mm, yeah, that’s right.]

Thanks to the careful and detailed explanation, Emilia’s understanding had caught up to Otto and the others. While Emilia admired the depth with which he thought, she could not help but feel terribly and profoundly sad when Otto intentionally shifted from calling him Al-san to “that man.”

Otto had a strong sense of camaraderie. Among Emilia’s friends, his was surely the strongest. It was what made him so reliable, but it also forced him to make painful compromises.

Nevertheless――,

Emilia: […I too, don’t know what to think, Al.]

He had a reason. There had to be one. But, even if he had a reason, there were some things that she could not allow or forgive.

She was worried about Subaru. Was Beatrice okay? She had heard that Garfiel was injured. Petra and Meili were undoubtedly filled with anxiety. Subaru’s beloved Patrasche, she might also be crying. ――With roaring flames, the inside of her chest grew hot.

Otto: [――This is my fault.]

Like that, in front of Emilia, whose heart was set ablaze with emotions, Otto suddenly muttered this.

Not understanding the contents of his utterance, Emilia’s eyes unconsciously widened, as she became lost for words. Otto covered his face with the hands that had been resting on his cheek up till now, and stared up at the ceiling. Because he was taller than she was, when he did this, Emilia was unable to see his face.

However, the trembling of that voice, she understood that it came not just from simple anger.

Otto: [I thought Natsuki-san was getting too involved. Moving for the sake of what Priscilla-sama’s death had left behind, I forced myself to agree in order to save him with a distraction from himself. I tried to convince myself that it would be fine if Beatrice-chan, who had been separated from him, would be by his side. The care and follow up, I thought I could leave it to the brave Petra-chan.]

Emilia: [Otto-kun…]

Otto: [Above everything else, I entrusted everything to Garfiel. Those things that we should have done, we forced onto our straightforward, ever honest, sensitive Garfiel.]

Emilia: [Otto-kun!]

The moment the tremble in his voice bordered on a complete breakdown, Emilia grabbed both of Otto’s arms, and lowered his face with her hand, so that she could face him head-on. Then, she saw it.

――For the first time ever, she saw Otto’s blue eyes moist with tears.

Otto: [Damn it… why am I always so thoughtless…]

Emilia: [――――]

Otto: [When my hands cannot reach, when my feet cannot even make it in time, I have no choice but to use my head to make up for those shortcomings. Even though I act like I understand that, even though I pretend to be clever, at the most critical moments I always――]

Emilia: [――!]

No longer did she want to hear any more of Otto’s continuous self-blame, with that tearful face twisted in sorrow.

So Emilia, without releasing the arm she had been holding, drew him towards herself and hugged Otto’s head against her chest. Perhaps it was the suddenness of Emilia’s unexpected action that rendered Otto frozen without a sound. In the meantime――,

Emilia: [Don’t talk about yourself like that! Otto-kun is always doing his best! We all understand that. And that’s why we want to properly hear what Otto-kun has to say.]

Otto: [Emi… lia-sama…]

Emilia: [I know! Even though I say this, Otto-kun probably understands it too, right? But I only have my own words, and I can only say what I am thinking, so I can at least say it with my own feelings. So――]

Otto: [――――]

Emilia: [Nothing is over yet. We reaaally can still do so much more!]

Emilia spoke with a resolute declaration as she tightly held Otto’s head in her arms. It was as though she were telling this to herself, yet at the same time, she still carried the belief that her words were true.

It was something that none other than Emilia’s Knight, Natsuki Subaru, had woven into her being time and time again.

Together, Emilia and Subaru had crafted this unshakable trust to be the very thing they took the greatest pride in.

Emilia: [We are reaaally bad at giving up.]

Indeed, they were not good at it: at holding their heads down in distress, curling up and fleeing from it all. And, precisely because they could not do that, they had no choice but to unyieldingly press on and do their best without ever giving up.

Perhaps Emilia’s appeal had found its way to him. Suddenly, Otto’s body, which had been rigid until this moment, relaxed, and then,

Otto: […Please let go of my arms, or Natsuki-san will definitely kill me.]

Emilia: [No, no one is going to die! It’s precisely for that reason that we are doing this…]

Otto: [I understand! I understand, so please let go of me!]

Emilia begrudgingly let go of the squirming Otto’s arms. She watched him intently, as if to ensure that he had truly recovered. Otto wiped his brow with a handkerchief and let out a sigh.

It was a large, deep sigh.

Otto: [I know it is not the time for this, but I just remembered.]

Emilia: [What did you remember?]

Otto: [――The reason as to why I am giving my assistance to Natsuki-san and Emilia-sama.]

Otto spoke these words calmly, using his handkerchief to lightly wipe away the remaining traces of his tears. The expression he held now was a stark contrast to the anger that had once contorted his features just moments before, for whatever he had just recalled had now conjured a newfound face of bravery.

Otto: [The enemy has abducted both Natsuki-san and Beatrice-chan. There must be a reason as to why they did this. The aim of abductions is generally to threaten their related parties, or perhaps even the abductees themselves…]

Emilia: [So, it’s either us or Subaru, right?]

Otto: [Yes. If the Divine Dragon truly is involved, it will prove to be an issue for the entire Kingdom. Whatever role we must fulfill, let us do so in the Royal Capital.]

Emilia: [――. Yes, let’s do that. We have to move chipperly.]

As she listened to Otto’s future plans, Emilia was doing her best to suppress her own impulses.

Emilia: [――――]

These delayed impulses were an overwhelming urge to rush out at once to help out Subaru and the others. Things that Otto’s rationale had constructed, such as Reinhard’s presence and Felt’s readiness, her fervent desire threatened to push them all away.

She wanted to touch him. She wanted to look at him. She wanted to hear his voice.

When he got hurt, when he surely wanted to lower his head, she yearned to be by his side.

Emilia: [――Subaru.]

Anger was not the emotion that scorched Emilia’s chest, yet she could not grasp what it was that stirred within her whatsoever.

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Emilia: [Hiyaah!!]

Diving in without so much as listening to a word, she drove a strike carrying every fiber of her being into Al’s solar plexus. ――All of this was in accordance with the instructions of Otto, who had dispatched Emilia here.

Otto: [Please suppress the urge to listen to the opponent’s pleas or side of the story. All of that can be sorted out in due time, but for now we must ensure the opposing side does not play their hand.]

Otto, who had urged Emilia onward as she bolted out, had been invoking his Divine Protection of the Soul of Language to trace the whereabouts of Al and his accomplices, causing his already pale complexion to blanch into the deathly pallor of a man beset by illness.

She did not want him to be reckless. But, when it came time to do so, there would be no other choice but to be reckless. Emilia, too, did not live in a way so bereft of recklessness that she could stop him.

That was why, in order to bring an end to that recklessness even a little sooner, Emilia was doing her best.

Emilia: [How about――]

This! As Emilia began to formulate those words, she felt a peculiar sensation in her ice-hardened fist.

The gauntlet should have made contact with Al’s bare skin, but the recoil was making it feel as though she had punched a hard, steadfast wall――,

Al: [How abrupt…!!]

Al uttered these words as if wringing them out from his throat, his torso shielded by a coat of stone armor.

This was the preemptive strike that Otto had told her to perform, but it had failed. Still, this was not the time to dwell on it. If the first strike did not connect, then she would just have to try again a second and a third time.

Al: [The fact that you ain’t even gonna lend an ear is kinda cold.]

Emilia: [That’s! Al’s the one who―― mmphh.]

Al: [Mmphh?]

Emilia: [I promised not to… SAY――!]

Though Al’s stone armor had absorbed the punch, the impact had flung him backward; as he said those things, Emilia had forcibly shut her own mouth mid-retort, then formed a two-handed hammer of ice, sweeping it at him in a horizontal strike.

The one-armed Al was bearing a small figure slung over his right shoulder. Whilst thinking it unfair to exploit that handicap of his, Emilia deliberately aimed a blow toward Al’s left side.

The strike, unleashed at her full strength, was going to be very painful if it landed. But painful was not all that it would be.

Al: [Tch!]

Al caught Emilia’s underhanded attack with his left arm―― a limb of stone forged through magic. But despite blocking the attack, he clicked his tongue, and promptly destroyed and discarded the arm he had gone through the trouble of creating.

The reason for this was that the area struck by the ice hammer was beginning to freeze over, the encroaching frost having been about to reach Al’s body.

Otto: [If we set aside our emotional concerns, capturing that man alive is an absolute necessity in order to rescue Natsuki-san and Beatrice-sama. In that respect, your fighting style is a compatible fit, Emilia-sama. Nonetheless――]

Emilia: [――I promised that I wouldn’t be reckless like Subaru!]

Keeping that exchange and the promise she had forged with Otto before her departure close to her heart, Emilia conjured a new set of twin ice swords. ――Emilia’s Ice Brand Arts, her usage of it had gained a new variation.

Her weapons of ice would freeze her opponents upon impact, robbing them of control over both their body and weapon. It demanded a modest increase in Mana consumption in comparison to her ordinary weapons, but was within the standard error deviation so long as she would not be fighting too much.

To stop an opponent without taking their life. ――The possibility of this new martial art, was what Emilia had desired.

???: [Ah-haha~! Uncle, it seems you’ve gotten yourself into a real pickle, haven’t you~?]

Al: [Shut it!]

Casting aside the artificial arm that had begun to freeze over, Al shouted at the heckler he was carrying.

Upon seeing that the person that Al had gone through such lengths to carry was none other than Roy Alphard, who had been held in captivity in the Prison Tower, Emilia bit her lip.

Roy, the Sin Archbishop that Emilia’s comrades had done their utmost to capture at the Pleiades Watchtower with the help of Anastasia’s own group. Julius in particular had exerted the utmost of efforts, and his decision to not take Roy’s life, as well as Anastasia’s courage to accept that, were things that Emilia had looked exceedingly favourably upon.

Emilia: [But now, they’ll both be so disappointed…!]

Whatever his reasons might have been, Emilia would halt Al here and now. And alongside him, she would also detain the one whom Al brought out, Roy.

Al: [I ain’t got a single reason to go along with your intentions, though.]

Immediately after vocalizing such enthusiasm, Al’s feet underwent a sudden upheaval, and the two runaways were launched into the sky.

In such a manner, he was distanced from Emilia, and made an attempt to flee from the scene. With a late start, Emilia would be unable to catch up to him even were she to extend out her ice.

But――,

Emilia: [――Icicle Line.]

A barrier of ice and snow was deployed around the Prison Tower, preventing his escape.

With a cry of “Gwoah-!?” ringing out across the sky, Al’s escape sequence ended in failure, thwarted by the canopy of ice spreading out to completely cover the area surrounding him.

Then, as Al’s head collided against the glacial ceiling, he was left to plummet upside down; Emilia circled around to the spot where he would hit the ground and slammed her twin swords of ice into the suspended Al――,

Emilia: [――Hk!?]

The twin swords parried by a hard sensation, Emilia’s eyes widened, her breath catching.

If Al had received the blows with a prosthetic arm, as he had done earlier, it would not have surprised her. Al had indeed created a new arm, but that was not all that had been created. ――Manifested there were twin swords, fashioned from rock.

Al: [Earth Brand Arts, or something like that.]

Emilia: [You copycat…!]

Al: [It was Natsuki Subaru who came up with this, yeah? In that case, I’ve also got the right to use it.]

Before Emilia, her eyes wide open, Al spun from the recoil of their clashing twin blades of frost and stone; as distance opened up between them, he once again landed upon the snowy ground.

Giving rise to sound in his vicinity, stone weapons began to form one after another around Al. Bracing herself at the fact that Al could essentially replicate her Ice Brand Arts with his Earth Magic, Emilia realized something.

With a stone-forged arm, Al wielded stone-forged armaments―― but Roy, who was supposed to have been on his shoulder until a moment ago, was nowhere to be found.

Emilia: [Don’t tell me…]

Al: [Ah, I let him get away in the turmoil just now… it would’ve been cool to say that, but I couldn’t let it happen either. I just discarded him ‘cause he was getting in the way. Over there.]

Emilia’s shoulders had been jolted, but Al just shrugged and jerked his chin. He motioned toward the pillar of earth that had risen earlier, to which Roy was affixed upside down in the center.

Covered in a quilt of earth, Roy was bound to the pillar, cackling upon receiving Emilia’s gaze,

Roy: [Do your best, Onee-san. If Onee-san doesn’t win here, we’ll have no choice but to do whatever that uncle says~. Wait a sec~? But even if Onee-san wins, we’ll still have to go right back into that Prison Tower… haha-, guess it doesn’t even matter who wins, ri~ght?]

Emilia: […If you can wake up and reflect on your actions, then do that.]

Giving that answer to Roy, whose gaze fixedly clung to her, Emilia felt relieved for having not let him slip away, and she turned back to Al.

Roy, having been freed from the seal that had encased him in magic, was exceedingly dangerous, but with his time having been frozen as well, they had been unable to make him reflect. Thus, Emilia’s compromise had been manifested: she was going to confine him in an environment from which he could not escape, and while his consciousness remained, he would be forced to reflect on everything he had done.

Emilia: [All that can come later, once everything here’s all sorted out.]

Al: [That’s all fine and dandy, but… what, you finally feel like talking to me now?]

Emilia: [Ah…! From here then. From here on out, I won’t say another word.]

Al: [How cold. Lil’ miss, I figured you’d understand if I just talked to―― whoa!]

Al was eager to continue speaking, but towards him was hurled a stake of ice from Emilia; a proclamation of her intent. Al leapt sideways to evade it, and Emilia circled around to his side, thrusting a spear of frost into his flank.

The tip of the ice spear was caught by the blade of a rocky sword, shattering both simultaneously.

Instantly, the two forged their subsequent weapons, Emilia a rapier of ice, and Al a sword of stone, thus the clashing of their blades commenced; ‘twas a duel in which blades would be forged upon shattering, and blades would be shattered upon forging.

Roy: [How nice, so nice, quite nice, very nice, perhaps it’s nice, isn’t it nice, it’s probably nice, because it appears to be nice-! Gluttonous drinking-! Gluttony-!]

The sound of Roy’s voice as he licked his lips could be heard as he watched over Emilia and Al engage in a sword fight of frost and stone.

Whilst deliberately ignoring him, Emilia unleashed a multitude of nimble attacks; attacks that she was certain would strike true, and yet, Al had precariously dodged each one, with each narrow evasion filling Emilia with a growing sensation that something was amiss.

Her attacks would not hit even when they seemed like they would. It felt akin to driving a kick into formless water.

Above all else――,

Al: [――I don’t wanna praise it too much, but that’s a well refined technique. I envy your mutual love and understanding, Lil’ Miss.]

At that remark that had gone too far―― Emilia was enraged.

She resolved to do whatever she must to rid the land of that evil and ruthless king. ――Remembering that cliche stock phrase that Subaru had told her that people used when they got angry, Emilia was enraged. [1]

She did not want Al to speak about herself and Subaru in such a manner.

But what had infuriated Emilia even more was the knowledge that Al did not genuinely believe his own words. He had been merely prodding her in a deliberate attempt to invoke her fury.

In addition――,

Emilia: [I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but why do you look so lonely when you talk to me, Al?]

Al: [――. You said you wouldn’t speak with me…]

Emilia: [Don’t bring that up only when it’s convenient for you! Also, one more thing!]

Raising her voice, Emilia lifted her greatsword of ice high aloft and swung it down, prompting Al to position his stone sword above his head to receive the strike―― then suddenly, somebody latched onto Al’s legs and waist.

Gasping, Al realized that what had latched onto his body was none other than the owner of a pair of icy arms―― a soldier of ice.

At the presence of the ice soldier sculpted in the likeness of Subaru, on whom Emilia so deeply relied, Al grit his teeth with a “That’s the worst…!”

Thereupon, Emilia raised her foot, clad in a slipper of ice, overhead――,

Emilia: [――When you talk to me, look at me properly!!]

This time, her whole-hearted kick pierced through the rocky defenses, slamming directly into Al.

△▼△▼△▼△

???: [――――]

Yae’s reaction, slightly raising her eyebrow with a twitch, did not go unnoticed by Felt’s perceptiveness.

It was not as though she held conviction. Only, in a pathetic situation where she could not do a thing, she would attempt to cling to every last shred of hope, believing any further disgrace to be insignificant.

One such shred, whilst recalling a previous occasion on which she had “been instilled with the resolve to die”, was the hope that this conversation between herself and Yae was perhaps being eavesdropped on by an insignificant something,

Yae: [Be quiet.]

Opening one of her usually-narrowed eyes, Yae advanced towards the door of the room.

The pressure of that demand possessed enough power to convince Felt that if she took any careless actions, the thread fastened to her neck would enact her execution.

Ergo, leaving the immoble Felt there, Yae reached out her hand to open the door―― that instant, the sharp point of a sword pierced the door with nary a sound, mercilessly surging towards Yae’s throat.

Felt: [――Hk.]

Felt’s breath caught, and visible to her was the sight of Yae’s white throat, sword piercing through―― but it did not. The tip of the sword came to a halt just barely before it could slit Yae’s throat.

It was not that her opponent had stopped. By binding a thread to the tip of the sword, Yae had narrowly averted the attack.

By a hair’s breadth, she had narrowly snatched survival from the jaws of death, however, the crisis befalling Yae did not end there. ――A sword distinct to the one that had been curbed erupted with a flash of light, cutting down the door as its shining steel ran amok.

Yae: [――――]

Faced with the oncoming storm of swords, Yae leaped backward as she brandished her threads.

A sword for one, and a thread the other, nevertheless did the clash between the two weapons spark the clangour of steel on steel throughout the room, scorching the eyes of the onlooking Felt with the scintillation of swords.

With skillful control over her hands, Yae released a volley of thread attacks that blanked all sight, tearing apart the room’s luxurious interior design. However, her opponent also put on an impressive display of swordplay with both hands, clearing away her ferocious onslaught head-on, and forcefully sweeping aside the threads that had entangled their own sword――,

???: [GYAHHHHH!!]

Yae: [――Guh.]

Unleashed was a front kick, landing squarely upon Yae’s slender waist. Promptly twisting her body, Yae did a half-spin whilst being blown away; planting her feet on the wall before landing on the ground, her hands clutched her stomach.

Then, training her gaze upon the intruder who had performed those acts,

Yae: [To so suddenly deliver a kick to a lady’s stomach, what a relentless guest you are~!]

???: [――Was such a thing necessary? Relent, for a shinobi such as yourself?]

Yae: [Isn’t that discrimination against shinobi? That’s not very gentlemanly behavior, now is it?]

???: [Unfortunately, I possess no recollections of ever deserving to be called a gentleman. No matter where the wind blows me, I cannot be anything more than a swordsman, with no talents save swinging the sword.]

With those words, the individual shook the threads off both their swords, turning their calm, blue eyes towards Yae――  hearing that self-assessment, Felt softly muttered “Stop spewing that crap”.

To be sure, she did not know if he was a gentleman or not. Only, the evaluation of “swordsman” alone could not encompass his entirety. There were many who would not accept such as a description of this man on its own, this Felt knew.

After all, this man, styling himself as a swordsman, was the Sword Demon who had once surpassed the pinnacle of the sword――,

???: [――Wilhelm Trias. Upon catching wind of the predicament driving the Kingdom into ruin, I came at once to offer what little help I could.]

Upon hearing that introduction, Felt retreated to a corner of the room, and sighed.

At the arrival of an unthinkable reinforcement, she was filled with terribly complicated emotions――,

Felt: […Zodda bug-niichan, you really do whatever it takes, don’t you…? What the hell is wrong with all these guys from Emilia-neechan’s place?]

With that, she muttered in equal parts exasperation and admiration.

Translation Note:

[1] – This is a reference to a Japanese short story by Osamu Dazai, entitled 走れメロス (“Run, Melos”) and published in 1940, it is a widely read classic in Japanese schools. The story opens with the sentence “Melos was enraged. He resolved to do whatever he must to rid the land of that evil and ruthless king.”