Chapter 664 — Arc 10, Chapter 13 – “Mustn’t Stain with Blood”

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――Within the Noble District of the Royal Capital of Lugunica, the residence of Miklotov McMahon, a member of the Council of Wise Men, had a subdued appearance reflective of the disposition of its lord, known for his frugality.

Many among the nobility were fond of evening parties and banquets, holding such events to flaunt their own influence again and again, but Miklotov chose not to uphold such conduct typical of the aristocracy. Having distinguished himself as a civil servant of the Kingdom from his days of youth, the wise elder who had been highly valued for his abilities, as if to demonstrate his attitude of devoting his entire life to the Kingdom, never took a wife and tirelessly wore himself to the bone for the Kingdom.

Therefore, the McMahon residence in the Noble District had never once been dominated by eye-catching gaudiness. ――At least, not until this very moment today.

It was not until this very moment, this horrific scene where the lives of so many had been mercilessly cut down with the perfume of blood and death wafting up from the corpses, having brought even the life of Miklotov McMahon to an end.

Aghast, an unbelievable spectacle before him, Natsuki Subaru found himself unable to move.

Subaru: [――――]

Though he had been invited to the McMahon residence, he had yet to encounter a single living person within its premises until now. The thirteen dead had most likely been guards and servants of the mansion, each and every one slain with but a single blow; ascertaining those whose lives had been stolen, he had arrived at this innermost room.

From the desk and bookshelves that furnished the room, this place was likely Miklotov’s office.

A room where the wise elder likely used to spend time anguishing over the future of the Kingdom, racking his brains and putting it to work in order to deal with various problems, it was a place rife with history―― against its inner wall, the aforementioned Miklotov was now slumped.

Legs splayed, back against the wall, his form was like that of a child who lay asleep after being worn out from playing; this description was not entirely incorrect. ――The wise elder had indeed fallen into a slumber.

Covered by the severed and fallen flag of Lugunica, it was a slumber from which he would never wake again.

And there, beside the wise elder who had breathed his last――,

Subaru: [Crusch… san…?]

Collapsed, the eyelids on Miklotov’s deeply wrinkled face had closed. With that lying by her feet, the other individual half turned towards him, and bearing witness to that sight, Subaru’s voice trembled pathetically.

Standing there was a beautiful woman clad in a navy outfit resembling a military uniform, with long green hair and an eye of amber hue―― her left eye concealed by a large eyepatch, it was Crusch Karsten. Possessing a poised posture, she was an individual Subaru knew quite well.

Crusch: [――――]

Crusch narrowed her amber eye at Subaru’s faltering call. Readjusting her grip on her slender sword, she sharpened her gaze whilst she opened her slim lips, and,

Crusch: [A wind of fear blows around you, Natsuki Subaru. ――What is it you fear?]

Subaru: [F-fear…? Afraid… me? That’s…]

Crusch: [To begin with, what was your purpose in visiting this place? Is that to say there was some personal connection between Miklotov McMahon and yourself?]

Subaru: [That’s, well, I was invited by him, and I had things I wanted to ask…]

Crusch: [On this day? Incomprehensible. What is it that you wished to ask of him? Something involving the Royal Selection, or perhaps some other secret discussions? It is not as though I have hit the mark, but on the other hand, your agitation continues to spur the wind. Once again, allow me to ask you anew. ――Pray tell, are you truly the real one I know?]

Subaru: [――Hk.]

Overwhelmed by the shower of questioning from Crusch like billowing waves, he was unable to follow up on his words well.

While Subaru still had yet to finish processing the information before his eyes, Crusch’s words scathingly cut into him, pressing into him as if truly blades.

Sternly as ever, Crusch began to cut open Subaru’s chest with that gaze of hers, but――,

???: [――That’s enough, I suppose.]

???: [Yeah, this isn’t an agreeable sight.]

Unable to stand back and watch the exchange between Subaru and Crusch in silence, two individuals intervened from the sidelines. They were Beatrice, present there alongside Subaru while holding his hand, and Tiga, who had accompanied them.

The sensation of Beatrice’s small hand and Tiga stepping forward diagonally and blocking Crusch’s line of sight both brought the overwhelmed Subaru back to his senses.

Thanks to that, Subaru remembered to breathe, and a cold sweat that belatedly broke out cooled his fervor.

Meanwhile, Tiga, wielding a crescent-shaped curved sword, faced off against Crusch. He lowered the brim of his hat, and whilst concealing his eyes, he called out with a “You know”,

Tiga: [You should be aware that this situation is prone to causing misunderstandings in more ways than one, Duchess-san.]

Crusch: [Misunderstandings?]

Tiga: [That’s right, misunderstandings. After all, we’re amidst a scene where so many people have lost their lives, and where a leader of the Kingdom has passed away. If you’re to stand there with sword in hand, just about anyone would think it. ―― “The one who killed the people in this mansion, wasn’t it Duchess Crusch Karsten?”, you know?]

Despite stubbornly not deviating from his typical manner of speech in the slightest, it was a direct question. And, it was a truth that Subaru also wanted to confirm above all else.

Crusch: [――――]

It was just as Tiga said.

Amidst this hellish sight that had unfolded at the McMahon mansion, the prime suspect in the massacre of everyone present, including its lord, Miklotov, was undoubtedly Crusch.

However, Subaru, who knew of Crusch’s character, wished to reject such suspicions outright.

Crusch was a virtuous individual, an outstanding figure capable of acting according to sound judgment.

Even after losing her Memories and needing to reconstruct that dignified nobility, her innate integrity left at the core of her being and her decency as a human would never be able to be fully devoured by Gluttony.

It was inconceivable that someone like her would stain her hands in such violence. It should not have been conceivable.

Thus, Subaru wanted to hear words of clear denial from her own mouth.

He wanted Crusch to say that just like them, she had also noticed something wrong with the McMahon residence and had rushed in, but by the time she had arrived, it was too late. With that remorse and rage in their hearts, they would find the culprit who had killed Miklotov and everyone else, and together they would make them pay for their sins.

To that end, the words of denial that would emerge from her lips were――,

Crusch: [It appears that you are the kind of person whose disingenuity knows no bounds.]

Indifferent to Subaru’s prayers, Crusch trained her gaze upon Tiga with an unchanging countenance, and declared so. On the receiving end of that, Tiga lightly shrugged his shoulders, and,

Tiga: [A harsh assessment, but I’ll accept it without complaint. So, how about it?]

Crusch: [――――]

Tiga: [Were you the one who killed Sir Miklotov McMahon? ――Duchess Crusch Karsten?]

Crusch: [――That is correct.]

To Tiga’s repeated question, asked directly this time, a brief response was given.

It was the worst possible answer, affirming their suspicions and betraying Subaru’s prayer-like hopes―― Subaru’s throat involuntarily produced a husky sound as the brief reply just then echoed repeatedly within his skull.

As if to exacerbate Subaru’s fervent agitation, Crusch, lowering her her chin slightly,

Crusch: [The staff who were here at this mansion, and Miklotov McMahon, were slain by my own hand. These people conspired against the Kingdom; traitors, all of them.]

Tiga: [――That, Duchess, would be yourself!]

Subaru: [Wai――hk.]

In an instant, the roaring Tiga closed the distance in a single leap, swinging his curved sword―― his shamshir, and delivering a fluid sword strike upon Crusch.

It was an opening attack with such little hesitation that it did not even give him the chance to finish saying “Wait”, and yet Crusch brushed it aside with an upward swing of the sword in her grip, the clangor of steel striking steel resounding throughout the office.

At the cue of that single sound, screams of steel and sparks began to erupt between the two of them.

Subaru: [――――]

A duel that scattered sparks commenced, the two swordfighters demonstrating their skill to one another upon the stage of the spacious office.

What Crusch wielded was the swordsmanship mastered by one who had earnestly devoted herself to the sword―― both in the battle with the White Whale before losing her Memories and the battle in Pristella after losing her Memories, the unbending nature of the strokes of her sword that she drew had never wavered, and the sharp flash of her sword had cut and leapt through the air from every direction.

On the other hand, Tiga’s swordsmanship was peculiar, as he kept his body low, spinning like a top.

Starting with Crusch, whom he now faced, those possessing superior swordsmanship whom Subaru knew included Julius and Wilhelm, as well as Cecilus. With the exception of Reinhard, of whom he had a stronger impression of striking with fists and kicks rather than a sword, they were all swordfighters who had refined their techniques in a manner that ought to be considered legitimate.

If their swordsmanship could be called orthodox, then Tiga’s would be considered an unorthodox article―― it did not cut down his foes straightforwardly, but mercilessly targeted the hands and feet, mixed artifice and honesty, and gave priority to catching his opponents off guard: the technique of someone avariciously coveting victory――,

Tiga: [Seyah――!]

Holding the shamshir in a reverse grip, the strike of his sword, together with a rending shout, flashed forth towards his opponent from an unusual trajectory. When Crusch bent her body to evade it, it was followed up by Tiga’s long and flexible leg, unleashed like a whip.

The kicks interwoven between the strikes of his sword functioned as a sequence of movements almost like a dance, and it gave rise to an unceasing gale of blades that assailed the opposing Crusch.

At that rapid combo attack reminiscent of a spinning top, Crusch’s countenance remained unchanged, and, keeping her distance with nimble and precise footwork, she aimed to seize the initiative in the blisteringly fast exchange with a single swing of her sword.

As if he had even prepared steel plates in his boots, his feet failed to be harmed by Crusch’s sword as she parried his kicks, and the unorthodox swordsman displayed a fighting style that refused to back down by even a single inch against Crusch, who had realized the pinnacle of orthodoxy.

Crusch: [How skillful. Does the Church of the Divine Dragon teach how to wield a sword in such a manner?]

Tiga: [Sorry to say, but I’m self-taught. Since way back, I’ve had bad habits with both my hand and footwork]

Crusch: [What a courageous wind. It does not seem to be a lie.]

Sidestepping Tiga’s kick right before his eyes, Crusch launched a splitting, vertical blow. Tiga blocked it with his curved blade in reverse grip, the two of them exchanging words as they locked swords.

The tide of the battle ebbed and flowed, and as each were superbly skilled combatants, neither one could claim dominance――,

Beatrice: [――Subaru! Get a hold of yourself, I suppose!]

Subaru: [――Aah.]

Beatrice: [It’s only natural that you are shocked, in fact. However, you can’t just stand there dazed, I suppose!]

Saying so, Beatrice sprang up and struck his cheek, leaving Subaru wide-eyed.

Receiving an impact that seemed to rebound him, Subaru realized he had once again stopped thinking, enthralled by the battle between Tiga and Crusch. ――To Beatrice, he was profoundly grateful.

Certainly, he was in shock. If he were to calmly reflect on the situation, there was no way he could maintain his presence of mind. So now, before he calmly faced this situation, there was something he ought to do.

Tiga: [My friend.]

As he had watched, he had witnessed the lips of Tiga, swords locked with Crusch while capturing the exchange between Subaru and Beatrice in the edge of his vision, form a soft sound

That address had lacked any specific object, yet Subaru could still sense Tiga’s intentions. That which he sought was neither support or backup, but rather――,

Subaru: [――Outside.]

They must inform others of this situation, and stop Crusch’s rampage.

Fortunately, the Royal Capital currently possessed a great number of forces that Subaru could rely upon. Garfiel and Wilhelm, and even Reinhard were all present.

Since this was the Noble District, there ought to have been knights and guards stationed at estates other than the McMahon residence. By calling upon such individuals, it would be possible to apprehend Crusch.

And then――,

Subaru: [――――]

――And then, would Crusch be punished? As a traitor to the nation, who had murdered Miklotov?

Crusch: [I shall have you remain here. I have yet to come to a final judgment on you.]

The instant an inescapable hesitation had flashed through a corner of his mind, the wind of her sword sailed over Subaru’s head.

With a “Whoa!?” Subaru instinctively ducked. The wind of her sword, which missed and flew off into the background even as it grazed the very tips of his upswept hair, struck the upper portion of the room directly behind him, destroying the ceiling and walls around the entrance with slashing wind, and the resulting collapse blocked the room’s entrance.

Subaru: [The way out…!]

As soon as he comprehended he had been blocked off, Subaru was made to realize that, whether he liked it or not, his options had been pared away, plunging him into a situation where the cards in his hand were far too scarce.

Subaru [――Hk.]

His escape route being blocked meant that there was no longer the choice to withdraw from this location.

In this high-stakes situation, there was no time to slowly clear the rubble and secure a path of retreat. Minya, a Yin Magic spell, was lacking in physical firepower, and could not be expected to have the force to blast open the entrance in one shot.

In other words, Subaru and Beatrice had two choices for what they could do: either stand by or intervene―― under these circumstances, there was absolutely no way idly standing by was an option.

However, intervening would mean――,

Subaru: [――I’d have to fight? Against Crusch-san?]

The meaning of that, he did not understand.

The reality of that, he could not comprehend.

What he had seen with his own eyes, he could not accept.

After all, was it not the case? The one present there was Crusch Karsten. Subaru respected her. Despite being in an opposing camp in the Royal Selection, it was natural to acknowledge her virtues. Crusch was an individual of eminent nobility, a person of outstanding character never lacking in effort or devotion as a stateswoman, and the first figure to enchant Subaru in the sense of her caliber as a ruler. No one could deny, nor would he let them deny, just how profoundly significant it had been to the life of Natsuki Subaru when she had recognized his meritorious achievement in the White Whale Subjugation with her own words.

His loving devotion to Emilia had taken precedence. However, back then, Subaru had certainly thought it.

That Crusch Karsten was undoubtedly an individual worthy of becoming the Monarch of the Kingdom of Lugunica.

Subaru: [――Please stop this already, Crusch-san!]

Thus, it must be said that the choice Subaru made then and there, was craven to the utmost.

Crusch: [――――]

Crusch, engaged in a furious duel, did not respond to that quavering plea from Subaru. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead upon Tiga, in opposition to her.

And yet, believing she could not possibly ignore him, Subaru raised his voice.

Subaru: [Lower your sword! Please! I don’t know what to do! I don’t know, but I’ll talk to you! Please, let’s try to talk and see if we can work something out!]

Before he could even realize, his hand, opposite to the one being held by Beatrice, had begun to tightly clutch the black orb hanging from his neck. ――With many of the words he needed to exchange with Al still left unsaid, all he could do for now was to forcefully bottle up that intent of his.

The death of Priscilla, which had served as the trigger for Al’s outrageous deeds, had engraved into Subaru the weight of absolute loss, where that which had been forfeit could no longer be reclaimed.

Without even being able to form a conversation, it was possible for him to lose those whom he knew. ――For the Natsuki Subaru of the present, that was something far more terrifying than even his own death.

Subaru: [I don’t want to end things like this! I don’t want this sort of… without even understanding anything, I don’t want to part ways with the people I love!]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Subaru: [Please! Oh please! I’m begging you… please… stop this…]

However crestfallen his face might have been as he pleaded, he caught a glimpse of Beatrice’s irises trembling as she bit down on her lip, watching Subaru’s side profile as he wrung out that voice.

He was feckless. He was pathetic. Even though his partner was the Great Spirit Beatrice, he was completely unable to put her clever and outstanding abilities to any use whatsoever; the only thing he could manage to do was cry out in such a manner.

Subaru: [Please…]

Indeed, even if he understood his own helplessness, Subaru would never choose to go down that route. The notion of fighting Crusch just because he could not run away, he could never bring himself to think with such a pragmatic mindset.

Until now, he had indeed experienced great changes in his relationships with people after their initial meeting.

However, the majority of those were in the sense of overwriting a negative impression with a positive one.

The only exceptions to that, were the cases of Todd and Al. ――The thought of adding Crusch to that list, was simply unbearable.

Subaru: [――――]

Subaru’s inept, faltering pleas were so fragile that they were threatened to be drowned out by the sword fight which was growing so fierce. In all likelihood, it was to the extent that it seemed like Subaru’s presence upon this battlefield would be disregarded entirely, unable to even reach Crusch’s ears.

However――,

Crusch: [――It appears there are no lies in your words.]

Subaru: [――Hk.]

Indeed, a murmur that seemed to have been convinced was audible, and Subaru’s eyes shot wide open in surprise.

With Tiga interposed precisely between them, Subaru crossed gazes with Crusch, who was looking toward him from across the unorthodox swordsman.

Confronting that amber eye, Subaru entertained a glimmer of hope that his words had gotten through to her――,

Crusch: [In that case, let us postpone your matter here for now.]

――In an instant, a violent gale swept throughout the room, emanating from Crusch, who had just uttered those words.

Subaru: [Wh――]

As soon as he felt the force throughout his whole body, his feet were out from under him, and due to the wind Crusch had given rise to, Subaru intuited that it was the result of her signature sword art―― One Slash, One Hundred Felled, being released in all directions without aim.

Normally, the powerful blade of wind would be fired all together in a single direction, but with it having been expanded in all directions without being bundled together, the pressure it generated unsparingly quaked the office scarred from battle, lifting and flinging thick books, orderly documents, and even the perished corpse of the wise elder.

However, that was as far as Subaru’s grasp of the circumstances went.

Subaru: [Gah―― Hk.]

His body was defenselessly lifted up and smashed into the ceiling with violent momentum, knocking the wind out of him. He instantly pulled Beatrice close, holding her to his chest to protect her, but that was all he could do.

Holding Beatrice tight as she screamed “Subaru!”, Subaru’s body rode the winds, slammed against a wall, and was ungracefully dumped onto the floor without being able to break his fall.

Subaru: [――Uuh.]

His whole body was covered with unsparing, creaking pain, and as a final breath spilled out from his lungs, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation in the back of his head, and instinctively knew it was bad.

It was different from Death. And yet, his consciousness was fading. It was retribution for prioritizing Beatrice’s safety too much, and neglecting his own. It was as if a hole had been punched in his head when he had hit it, and his consciousness was gushing out. ――This is bad, this is bad, this is bad.

Subaru: [No, good…]

If he were to lose consciousness now, just who would speak out to Crusch?

Tiga did not know. He did not know Crusch’s nature, that she was actually a person with a virtuous heart. It was a misunderstanding. He must stop this. Crusch was a good person. If they could just talk, such would be made clear.

Because it was something that could be understood, if only they could just talk.

Subaru: […I… know… so…]

So, I’m begging you, please don’t close your ears to my words. ――Indeed, as his consciousness faded away while he continued to plead until the very end, Subaru’s mind sank into a deep darkness.

It sank, and――,

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???: [――That is correct.]

Subaru: [――――]

At the moment of the sudden revival of his consciousness, Subaru verged onto losing his equilibrium.

His brain failed to comprehend the disparity between his self who had existed an instant prior and his present self who had succeeded it in a matter of moments, and this affected his limbs, inciting panic.

His feet were set upon the floor. It was only natural, but he was standing. Standing. Naturally. Was that really so? Was standing his natural state? Because it was not so, what he tasted in this moment was a sensation akin to heaven and earth being overturned――,

Subaru: [No.]

What Subaru must direct focus onto right now was not the overturned heaven and earth. Instead, it was onto the origin as to why he felt heaven and earth to have overturned.

And, this origin needed not to be spelled out. ――Time, had been turned back.

Subaru: [――――]

His knees bereft of nearly all strength, what entered Subaru’s sight was the office of the McMahon residence prior to being tempestuously laid to waste, and the cadaver of Miklotov embosomed by the diagonally slashed flag of the nation. Before his cadaver was a green-haired lady halfway turned back, and the back of a youth almost half a step in front of Subaru.

Crusch and Tiga’s confrontation. Furthermore, this exchange had taken place when――,

Crusch: [The staff who were here at this mansion, and Miklotov McMahon, were slain by my own hand. These people were conspiring against the Kingdom; traitors, all of them.]

When the irrecoverable, fatal affirmation was bestowed upon his question.

Tiga: [――That, Duchess, would be yourself!]

Before Subaru, whose blood glaciated with shock, Tiga caterwauled a screech of fighting spirit and plunged forth.

The swords dance of Tiga’s backhand-gripped shamshir commenced, which Crusch accepted head-on, a duel of swordsmen treading the paths on opposing sides of orthodoxy.

Sparks flew with the chaining notes of steel; beholding their boisterous dance of battle in the office, Subaru felt a bout of vertigo for a different reason than the sense of disequilibrium that he had endured before.

Subaru: [No… it can’t be…]

One hand placed over his mouth, the voice he suppressed leaked outward. It felt as though an impact as unremitting as blood oozing from the mouth of a wound was clangorously pounding Subaru’s mind from the inside.

――Return by Death. He had Returned by Death.

Right before his consciousness had ceased, what had blown Subaru away was wind invoked by Crusch, after which he had crashed into the wall and the ceiling and got knocked down onto the floor, causing it to cease. ――Thereafter, the fact that Subaru had now returned to this moment meant that he had Returned by Death before ever awakening.

If Subaru’s life was reaped while he was unconscious in that situation, then the executioner must have been――,

Beatrice: [――Subaru! Get a hold of yourself, I suppose!]

Subaru: [――Hk.]

Beatrice: [It is only natural that you are shocked, in fact. But, you can’t just stand there dazed, I suppose!]

Subaru, petrified for a different reason than before, was pulled back to reality by Beatrice, with the same encouragement as before. His cheek slapped by her tiny palm, the pain and heat returned Subaru to being himself.

Subaru: [My bad, Beatrice.]

Caressing his slapped cheek with the back of his hand, Subaru grated his teeth to the point of creaking.

Including the Death in the middle as well, the chaos and discomposure riddling Subaru due to this situation faded naught. Yet, should he repudiate the events that had occurred as falsehoods, and wail that he would not acknowledge them, the results would remain unchanged.

Unable to muster the courage to intervene in Crusch and Tiga’s battle, and pathetically whimpering about his woes, Subaru would die. ――His life would be plucked, by Crusch’s hand.

Subaru: [No good.]

He must not, allow that.

He must not allow Crusch Karsten to take Natsuki Subaru’s life. Subaru could not allow her noble purity to descend due to his own frailty.

Crusch’s hand must not be sanctioned to be stained with Subaru’s blood.

Subaru: [Beako, lend me a hand!]

Beatrice: [――! No need to be told, in fact!]

The pieces of the puzzle called reason were still scattered by panic and shock.

However, Subaru took as many pieces as he could of that scattered puzzle from which he could see a definite shape, and tightly gripped back the hand of his partner from which he felt nothing but reliability.

The clash resuming before his eyes, Crusch and Tiga’s battle was on equal footing in ability, exhibiting a true image of the ebbs and flows of battle.

From the perspective of Subaru, who was acquainted with Crusch’s ability, he would marvel at Tiga’s proficiency that demonstrated swordsmanship rivaling hers, but the decisive blow that would overcome this status quo―― One Slash, One Hundred Felled, that technique Crusch was endowed with, was a distinct disadvantage for them in what she equipped.

Regardless of whether Tiga was wise to that or not, it was thanks to his battle style opting for close-range that Crusch was not granted the time to charge wind. But, Subaru knew from experience that Crusch was stockpiling wind that would go on to repaint this situation in the intervals between these sword strikes.

Thus――,

Subaru: [Don’t rely on magic, my friend!]

Tiga: [I can’t use it in the first place, my friend!]

Was how the voice responded to his call; unknowing of whether that prospect was reliable or unreliable, Subaru hoisted his arms upward and held Beatrice to his chest. And the two, close enough for their cheeks to touch, firmly capturing the same duel in their eyes――,

Subaru & Beatrice: [――EMT!!]

An overlapping chant, and what simultaneously unfurled throughout the office was the expansion of an invisible field with Subaru and Beatrice at its heart―― all constructed spells of Mana would come undone, nullified, neutralized; their original move ought to be labeled as anti-Magic magic, it was EMT.

Within its field, using magic would be a fool’s errand, and even Meteors and Magicreation tools that used Mana as fuel would malfunction and get all messed up. Though when he asked Beatrice, it seemed like it would be a different story if the techniques were constructed to adapt to the situation in which they got all messed up.

Beatrice: [It’s easy to create an opening enough to slap Roswaal across the side of his surprised face, I suppose!]

Subaru: [Not to mention if it’s his first time seeing it… he wouldn’t know what’s what!]

The efficacy of the deployed field swallowed not just Subaru and Beatrice, but also the two exchanging sword strikes, engulfing them in its influence.

EMT did not cause any effect to Tiga’s battling style, who could not use magic as per his own testimony, but the same did not go for Crusch, who had been concocting wind for her trump card.

Crusch, who seemed to brace herself for something to come upon Subaru and Beatrice’s chant, glanced with her singular eye towards them once the effect of EMT’s field was exerted upon her. ――Before Returning by Death, Subaru had interlaced his gaze with Crusch’s as well.

Though with the expectations of then betrayed, Subaru had dourly parted with his life――,

Subaru: [Please surrender, Crusch-san! Your way to victory is gone! One Slash, One Hundred Felled can’t be used! I won’t let you use it! This is as far as it goes!]

Varnishing over the tremors in his voice with a bluff, Subaru acted out an unbending, powerful will.

He knew painfully well that powerlessness, a nearly weeping voice, a morose entreaty would not make reality reciprocate. What was necessary here and now was a powerful soul of language that transmitted his will.

He must pour his soul into the soul of his language. ――From the bottommost depths of his heart, he would deceive both the opponent and himself.

Make her believe that Natsuki Subaru is not an opponent worth fighting.

Crusch: [――――]

The glint in Crusch’s singular amber eye straightforwardly vied with Subaru’s black irises. During that time, the swords exchanged a powerful blow, and Crusch and Tiga’s sword strikes came to a pause.

Wielding the curved sword, with half of his body braced, Tiga remained stanced in a position to defend Subaru and Beatrice behind him,

Tiga: [Such is the warning my friend has given you. If I could add to it, I would surmise this friend of mine was perhaps a friend to you as well… what do you say, will you open your ears to listen?]

Subaru: [Tiga…]

Tiga: [If I may be frank, I do not have the power to one-sidedly take your sword and gain control over you. If I were to try and apprehend you, that would require the readiness for my body to be slashed, and worst case scenario, it would mean death. That is something neither I nor the two behind me wish for.]

As Tiga imparted this, his gaze was fixed on every single slight gesture of Crusch’s without ever letting his guard down.

It might have been that he joined Subaru’s bandwagon because getting Crusch to break even slightly would have been to his benefit. Yet, what Tiga had conveyed indisputably simplified Subaru’s will and made it easier to digest.

It was not possible for Tiga to have a grasp on the events that had transpired between Subaru and Crusch.

If anything, it would be appropriate for him to have the preconception that they were members of mutually opposing factions if he were familiar with the Royal Selection. But, from the short span of Subaru’s words and deeds here, Tiga had simply conjectured that his relationship with Crusch was not merely that of opposition.

He would take advantage of Tiga’s astuteness. ――He would seize and subdue Crusch.

Everything would follow after subduing her. He would think of a way for it all to work out after that.

Crusch: [I am――]

Beatrice: [――Minya.]

Whilst Subaru’s innermost heart was deluged in prayer, in the moment Crusch opened her mouth to speak, Beatrice’s hand was held aloft whilst she was carried by Subaru, and bluish-purple luminescence pierced at Crusch’s feet.

A strike of violet arrows impaling her feet crystallized the office floor, causing it to develop fissures.

Beatrice: [Refrain from heedless movement, I suppose. Even inside EMT, Betty and Subaru are the sole exception who can still use magic, in fact. Will you be able to function as our opponent in the middle of exchanging blows with that loose-lipped man, I suppose?]

Tiga: [I’m quite hurt at being assessed as a loose-lipped man just now, but I see, so you two can still use magic. Such foul play.]

Subaru: [That’s the concept after all. But, that’s how it is.]

Her forestall to Beatrice’s feint that asserted their superiority now surmounted, Crusch’s expression became slightly taut, he could tell. That was her reaction to now including Subaru and Beatrice as definite objects of vigilance after not counting them as threats until now.

To be regarded as such had its own pain as well. However, it was fortuitous to be deemed as a threat. If she were to be at a disadvantage, she must be able to make the right decision――,

Crusch: [I see.]

Said Crusch, as she swung a nonchalant arc with her sword, cutting a trajectory through an empty space where nobody was.

An unexpected move, although perhaps one to ascertain EMT’s effects. A swordgale that ought to have been birthed remained unborn, and she assented to One Slash, One Hundred Felled being punctured.

Furthermore――,

Crusch: [――Natsuki Subaru, what are you so fearful of?]

Once again, Crusch’s query flew at him.

However, this time was different than the first. He could grit his teeth and brave it, failing to be ingested into a daze.

Crusch: [Is it the result of the battle? Is it the safety of yourself or those in your vicinity? The Kingdom’s future? Or is it.]

Subaru: [――――]

Crusch: [――Or is it, my own sanity?]

It was a question steeped in nuance, requiring consideration.

Even in response to that question, Subaru used the entirety of his facial muscles to preserve the present situation. As to not convey even a fragment of his frailty, his recoil, or anything such, he forged an expression with all his might.

What would Crusch have seen in Subaru’s visage, an expression infused with his whole soul?

Crusch simply, briefly, faintly opened her lips,

Crusch: [Is that so.]

Was all she whispered.

Tiga: [Duchess, we have conveyed our demands. How will you respond?]

An interlude was born between Subaru and Crusch, a momentary hurricane of emotions impossible to manifest into words. As though consciously disregarding it, Tiga once again enquired of Crusch with an unsparing timbre.

The tension suffusing his voice plainly informed that this was his final ultimatum. Swordly aura acutely reemerged, and exposed to which, Crusch then looked at Tiga.

Crusch: [I understand your demands. Under these circumstances, with my wind forbidden, it is I who is at a disadvantage. Therefore I should surrender; am I correct to take that as your insistence?]

Subaru: [――. That’s right. Hereon out, Beako and I will also join in. Your chances of winning are…]

Crusch: [――None, to make that assertion is precipitous, Natsuki Subaru.]

Inundating Subaru with a blizzard of words as though trampling upon his bluff, Crusch slowly elevated her left hand which gripped no sword. ――What her slender fingers, attired in a white glove, touched was a large eyepatch which concealed her left eye.

An eyepatch that covered a large part of the left side of her face, was the part he had heard was being cured by the power of the Sacrament that Filóre used with the effect of Dragon’s Blood, that had not yet completely healed. Witnessing her slender fingers being placed upon it, as though plucking to rip it off, Subaru gazed on in stupefaction.

After all――,

Crusch: [Not a guise I wish to show for long. ――I too am a woman, after all.]

As she enunciated so, Crusch’s left eye that was now laid bare with the eyepatch removed, was incongruous to its original amber hue, sheening in golden luster. A reptilian-esque slit pupil, and lines of light like capillaries stretched under her eye―― beholding this, certain words bolted through Subaru’s mind.

Subaru: [――Ah.]

He knew not, whether it was correct or incorrect.

Merely, witnessing Crusch’s inhuman golden eye, he had a thought.

Crusch: [――――]

――That Crusch Karsten’s left eye, had become as Dragon’s Eye.