Arc 5, Chapter 28 – “A Strategy Meeting Covered in Wounds”

 

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All rights belong to Tappei Nagatsuki, the original author of the Re:Zero series. This is an English translation of the free web novel which is available at:

http://ncode.syosetu.com/N2267BE/

Translated by:

• Nanashi-tan
• Phantaminum

Proofread by:

• Phantaminum
• SSCaide

Art Source:

• wawaka1212
• Setowi

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Subaru: [Wait, let’s calm down. First, can we sort through what information we’ve got, is that okay?]

Ferris’s words had pushed the limit of what Subaru was able to handle at the moment. Ferris and Ricardo nodded at Subaru’s raised hand, as they considered the new information that had been broadcasted.

Subaru: [Moving anywhere… will be pretty difficult with so many injured people.]

Ferris: [Well, most people have already received first aid, and there shouldn’t be any myore people showing up, but still.]

With a sense of professionalism, Ferris gave his opinion on a change of location. Subaru took a moment to examine the conditions of the field hospital, his first concern.

Minimal lighting, and a ground made out of cold stone. From the unique feel of its air, Subaru judged the place to be underground—— almost like the parking lot of a large department store.

Subaru: [Are we still in Pristella?]

Ferris: [It’s one of Pristella’s shelters. The broadcast this morning mentioned these, remember? In Pristella, they’re always concerned about flood damage in the case that an issue with the waterways ever occurred, so there are shelters all over the city. This is one of the shelters on First Street.]

Ricardo: [The square where I found ya’s nearby. After a rough start, we managed to bring bro and those other refugees to safety!]

Talking over Ferris, Ricardo gave his proclamation as he pounded loudly on his thick breastplate. Ferris glared intently sideways at Ricardo, who had not lowered his voice no matter how many times he was warned.

Ferris: [It’s lucky that Ferri-chan was also here, with so many people wounded. This dog-faced mister wouldn’t have been able to handle any of the treatment.]

Ricardo: [Yup! Now I don’t need to have any regrets! Gahaha!]

Ricardo’s usual attitude and his laugh were refreshing, even if they were out of place for this somber hospital. Even among so many injured people, if one person kept a positive attitude, everyone could maintain hope and feel saved.

Ferris: [So, what happened to Subaru-kyun…?]

Subaru: [Ah, right. There were two Sin Archbishops in the square, Greed and Wrath. The one who destroyed my leg was Greed, he was the one who abducted Emilia… However, he was not the one who injured the legs of everyone else around me. That would be Wrath.]

Ferris: [How did that happen?]

Subaru: [The Archbishop of Wrath… It’s a little difficult to explain, but her Authority is one that makes other people feel someone else’s wounds and feelings.]

He chose his words carefully, attempting to give a simple explanation of Sirius’s Authority. Ricardo had his head tilted, and Ferris’s complexion changed as he realized the implications of her ability. He looked to the wounded, and then looked towards the bandages wrapping Subaru’s right leg.

Ferris: [So… that’s the reason why Subaru-kyun and everyone else had such a similar injury. I had a bad feeling already, but…]

Subaru: [Ah…]

Absurd emotions often accompanied a distorted character. However, with Sirius, this absurdity was also physiological in nature, reflected in her Authority.

Subaru was so disgusted, and yet he had still more to say.

Subaru: [And Greed’s also very troublesome.]

Ferris: [Ahhhh~… Ferri-chan’s already tired as is, I don’t have the energy to hear about more troublesome things.]

Subaru: [Sorry, I don’t think that’s possible—— That damned Greed, his ability can nullify any attack even though he has no idea what he’s doing. It’s also apparently applicable not only to himself, but also those he is touching.]

The unconscious Emilia, in Regulus’s arms, had been defenseless. She should have been exposed to Sirius’s flames and other attacks, but Regulus had flawlessly defended both himself and Emilia. Rather than saying that he had fought bravely, it would be more correct to say that he had made Emilia invincible with his inexplicable ability.

In that case, it would prove to be an incredibly tiresome situation.

Ferris: [A guy who can pass nyon injuries, and a guy who’s invincible… Ah, you’ve gotta be kidding me.]

Subaru: [That former Sin Archbishop… Petelgeuse’s ability to use multiple Unseen Hands was quite powerful, but this guy’s on a completely different level.]

That said, Petelgeuse’s ability had ended up not being effective on Subaru. Considering his ineffectiveness as a Sin Archbishop, Subaru had thought of him as a simple lunatic rather than a Sin Archbishop proper.

Thus, this would be his first formal battle with the Witch Cult.

Subaru: [And the Archbishop who just introduced herself the same way… I think it’s safe to assume that Lust’s abilities are probably just as troublesome.]

Ferris: [Worst of all… there could be five Sin Archbishops here.]

Subaru: [Five…!?]

Ferris uttered a hypothesis which was terrifying beyond Subaru’s wildest imagination. What had happened, to give him such an idea?

Ferris sighed and straightened his finger at Subaru’s subdued eyes.

Ferris: [Listen. Think of that broadcast, what Lust said. She said they have secured the control towers of the waterways in this city, right?]

Subaru: [Ah, right, they said that, which means that they could be planning to sink the city… So, that’s a very dangerous situation…]

Ferris: [And there’s the possibility of an Archbishop occupying each… Already, there are three Sin Archbishops gathered in one place, which is completely unprecedented. So the worst of the worst possible situation comes to mind… because there are four control towers.]

Subaru: [Four… Tch.]

Speaking the number out loud, Subaru finally understood what Ferris meant. There were four control towers, placed north, south, east, and west, which controlled the watergates of the city of Pristella. Occupying all of them implied――

Subaru: [So it could be that each tower has an Archbishop guarding it? In that case, that should make four Sin Archbishops…]

Ferris: [Subaru-kyun, consider what just happened—— The broadcast just now used a magical device that is only present in the City Hall, at the center of the city. The enemy is occupying five places that manage the city’s functions, meaning that they’ve captured five strongholds.]

Subaru: [――Hk.]

The increasingly hopeless speculation left Subaru breathless.

Like Ferris said, the City Hall must have been taken to deliver that broadcast. In addition to the Sin Archbishop of Lust, who occupied it, there were at least two other Archbishops.

The only fathomable explanation for that would be a coordinated mass attack from the Witch Cult.

Subaru: [Aside from the square I was in, has there been any other commotion? Have there been any other attacks?]

Ferris: [————]

If this were a great offensive by the Witch Cult, it would be difficult to imagine that they would only target a single location. In the face of Ferris’s silence, Subaru could only pray that his worst fears of casualties would not become reality.

Absentmindedly, Ferris cast his gaze downward, falling silent. Ricardo gave a cough, a set of sharp teeth visible on the beastman’s dog-like face, and Subaru widened his eyes.

Ricardo: [Honestly, the only situation we know’s our own. We don’t even know where the other shelters are, nor their situation. However, it ain’t a good idea to go take a stroll outside.]

Subaru: [Why? Shouldn’t we look for allies so that we can collaborate? Aren’t you worried about them… That’s right!]

As he spoke, Ricardo gestured with his hands, and Subaru hurriedly looked up at Ferris.

In this shelter of wounded people, it was odd that Ferris and Ricardo were the only acquaintances of Subaru’s. Especially considering Ferris.

Subaru: [Where are Crusch-san and Wilhelm-san? It’s unusual for you three to be separated. Are they in another shelter?]

Ferris: […You’re asking a difficult question, Subaru-kyun. The only ones you know here are Ferri-chan and this mister, and as you can see——]

???: [——Do not bother Subaru-sama too much, Ferris.]

Ferris replied with a sense of unease, and Subaru felt deep anxiety rise within himself.

Then, a gentle voice relieved that intense atmosphere. Suddenly hearing that voice, Subaru looked up and around. However, no matter where he looked, he was unable to locate its owner.

???: [I’m sorry. It seems like he is surprised. Ferris, please do not tease Subaru-sama too much.]

Ferris: [Yes. But Crusch-sama is such a meanie.]

Subaru: [What? Huh?]

Ferris, who was conversing with his invisible master, reached into his dress. Subaru’s already widened eyes became even wider, as Ferris pulled out a familiar object from his bosom.

The source of his little trick dawned on Subaru.

Subaru: [Wait, this is…]

Ferris: [That’s right. It’s part of the loot from a year ago. We used them too, remember?]

Ferris replied, revealing a hand mirror in his grip.

At first glance, the mirror lacked any defining characteristic, but rather than show a reflection, its face reflected a beautiful woman with green hair and a gentle face—— without a doubt, that was Crusch.

This magical device, known as a Conversation Mirror, was more or less this alternate world’s version of a cell phone, which lets it owners speak through paired mirrors. A year ago, they had played a role in the battle with the Witch Cult, and they had been brought to this city as well.

Crusch, on the other side of the mirror, frowned slightly before the silent Subaru.

Crusch: [Ferris. Subaru-sama seems a little troubled. Did you hide this from him?]

Ferris: [Syorry about that. But, but, I didn’t think our next call would be so soon, so I didn’t think it’d be important to tell him yet.]

Subaru: [W-wait. Give me a moment. Thanks to the Conversation Mirrors, you’re in contact with Crusch and others, who are at another shelter, is that right?]

Crusch: [Indeed.]

As Master and Knight talked, Subaru took a moment to sort through his confusion. The Conversation Mirror explained why the Crusch-fanatic Ferris was so calm, confirming her safety.

For the time being, it was fortunate that he was able to confirm that Crusch was safe. Then, Subaru looked at the mirror in Ferris’s hands.

Subaru: [Thank goodness… it’s difficult to say right now with what’s happening, but we’re lucky that we could get in touch. Crusch-san, are you hurt at all?]

Crusch: [No, thank you for your concern. Fortunately, I managed to find a shelter in time, without suffering any injury. I heard that Subaru-sama received a serious wound. How are you doing?]

Subaru: [I can’t say that I’m completely fine, but it’s good enough. I’ll do something about it. I can’t stay and rest, I have to do something as soon as the wound’s bandaged… Ferris, don’t glare at me like that.]

As Subaru announced his intent, he felt Ferris’s harsh glare stabbing into him for the betrayal of his prescription for complete rest. However, although he was being ungrateful, Subaru could not sit by in idleness. Breaking the deadlock they were in was of utmost urgency.

He could not lie around obediently, waiting for conditions to deteriorate.

Subaru: [We’ll talk about this later… Crusch-san, how’s the situation in your shelter? Who else is with Crusch-san?]

Crusch: [Yes. There are several others with me…]

???: [I’m also here, Subaru. Fortunately, everyone who remained at the inn made it here.]

From somewhere behind Crusch, an elegant voice joined the conversation, interrupting her.

The moment he heard it, Subaru froze briefly, before giving a sharp shake of his head. He did not want to be a fool who did not realize how encouraging that voice was.

Subaru: [Your presence there is kinda reassuring, Julius.]

Julius: [I was worried upon hearing that you ended up being carried into a shelter, unconscious. Since your usual liveliness has returned, it seems that my worries were baseless… Is it true that Emilia-sama was abducted?]

Subaru: […It’s true. Sorry. I’m so useless.]

Julius: [You were facing two Sin Archbishops. I am not so heartless as to blame you for a lack of strength. Anastasia-sama and Crusch-sama are both here, as well as a few members of the Iron Fang. Ah, two of Felt-sama’s followers have joined us here as well.]

He quickly confirmed Emilia’s status, without holding Subaru accountable, and carried on with the conversation. Although the kindness from the other side of the mirror was touching, it amplified Subaru’s feelings of guilt. While listening to his words, Subaru looked around, and confirmed the presence of a certain face in the refuge.

Subaru: [Right, you should tell Felt’s people that their friend is here. He’s wounded, but away from mortal danger.]

Julius: [I see, that’s good to hear. I will be sure to pass it on. They are trying to act brave, but their worries are obvious—— Well then, Subaru.]

After Ton and Kan had been informed of Larkins’s safety, Julius lowered his voice, changing the atmosphere of their conversation.

Julius: [What do we do?]

Subaru: […I have no clue as to why you’re asking that of me.]

Julius: [Remember that time with Sloth. Dealing with the Witch Cult is likely to be your specialty. Maybe you could come up something unexpected and solve this dilemma?]

Subaru: [What sort of unreasonable expectations are those? Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not some kind of expert on the Witch Cult.]

Julius: [That is regrettable, but there’s also Emilia-sama. There is no doubt that your heart is most anxious. I sincerely want to know what you are planning to do.]

Subaru’s reply obviously had not answered Julius’s expectations, but he was not discouraged. He understood that thinking of Subaru as some miraculous Witch Cult slayer would be too much to look for.

Rather, the latter half of his sentence held his true question, the true topic.

Subaru: […Emilia was taken by Greed. Even now, his own hair-raising, self-serving beliefs chill me to the bone. I don’t want to leave Emilia with that bastard for even a second.]

Julius: [That is to say, to rescue Emilia from Greed is your responsibility.]

Subaru: [Of course… Did you just say responsibility?]

Julius spoke in a subdued tone as adjusted his bangs behind the mirror. Then, the Knight spread his palm towards the mirror, showing his five fingers raised.

Julius: [Listen, Subaru. Ferris should have clarified that the Witch Cult has occupied five key locations in Pristella. Taking into account that there should be someone on the level of a Sin Archbishop at every place, it’s tantamount to a battalion. And so, allocation of battle forces is a very important issue.]

Subaru: […You’re saying that because the city will drown if the water gate is tampered with at just one location?]

Julius: [That’s right. The condition for defeating the Witch Cult is to attack each of those five places at the same time. In the meantime, we must reestablish contact with our forces, who are scattered across the city… You understand how difficult that is, right?]

As long as they were unable to get in touch with their comrades at the various shelters, it would be difficult to string together all the combat forces in the city, as Julius said. Originally, the magic of the city was responsible for maintaining contact with those places.

However, when the City Hall had fallen, everyone had been separated and had sought refuge in different shelters. Each of the shelters needed to judge the situation and act accordingly, independently of each other.

Ferris: [By the way, this mister here has confirmed there are Witch Cultists roaming in the city. Also, there’s seemingly a mob of people who have lost their minds wandering the city.]

Subaru: […Witch Cultists and that bastard Sirius’s bullshit. This is looking more and more desperate by the second.]

Hearing Ferris’s unwelcome piece of information, Subaru scratched his face in agitation as more bad news came to light. At the very least, there had to be a way of getting in touch with all the existing combat forces——

Subaru: [Otto and Garfiel are missing, and Emilia’s also missing in the sense she’s been kidnapped by Greed. What a mess…]

Julius: [Joshua and the three Deputy Captains of the Iron Fang are all missing, as are Wilhelm-sama, Felt-sama, and Reinhard. Priscilla-sama, too…]

Subaru: [I don’t know where that middle-aged garbage man Al’s at, but Priscilla should have been in the city park before the commotion started. I don’t know what happened to her after that… Damn it, Liliana should be with her too. I wonder if they’re safe.]

Priscilla was not normal in any sense of the word, and Liliana was also honestly very strange. Subaru did not want either of them getting hurt. Taking into account Priscilla’s proclaimed luck and that Songstress’s character, Subaru assumed that they would be fine.

Patrasche had also been in the Water Plumage Pavilion. Subaru thought her smart enough to avoid drawing attention, but he was worried about her nonetheless.

Constant sources of worry plagued Subaru, and he felt that launching simultaneous attacks at five different location was outside of the realm of possibility.

No matter how it was said, it would be impossible. There were not enough combatants to attack five locations, not to mention that they would be facing Sin Archbishops. The only thing most people could bring to such a fight was hope.

Subaru: […Wait. Why do we have to go after all five places at the same time, in the first place?]

Julius: [What do you mean? It is as we have already said. The Witch Cult can do tremendous damage from any of the locations they currently occupy. Leaving one of those places in their hands…]

Subaru: [No. It’s not like that though, right? I understand that we need to seize all four towers eventually. But why at the same time?]

Julius: [Once they discover that that one of the locations has been sabotaged, it would be only natural that the other Sin Archbishops would take action, no? That must be why they launched such a coordinated attack on the city.]

Julius gave a coherent response to Subaru’s train of thought.

While listening to his words, Subaru pondered their accuracy. Of course, Julius’s logic was clear and sound. But the opponents they faced were not normal ones.

In that square, Regulus and Sirius had fought each other with intent to kill. Regulus had not been serious, and so the damage was minimal, but Sirius had definitely been intending to incinerate him. Regulus should have been able to rip her apart her in minutes without Subaru in the way.

Those guys, were they really working together to capture the city?

Subaru: […Do they have any real sense of cooperation? Of course, they said that they could manipulate the watergates on those control towers, but can they stay organized and in touch with each other every step of the way? I don’t think so.]

Julius: [On what basis?]

Subaru: [In the square I was at, two of the Sin Archbishops were trying to kill each other. They only stopped because they were given new instructions from the Gospel. If that were not the case, one would probably have killed the other.]

Julius: [So they can’t coordinate properly…?]

Julius still appeared faintly uncertain at Subaru’s wishful thinking. Subaru understood his concern, however.

Subaru: [Is there anyone with access to the outside?]

Julius: [A couple of the Iron Fang’s members are scouting the towers… What are you thinking?]

Subaru: [Although this could just be conjecture, but if they wanna keep in touch regularly, wouldn’t the simplest way to do that be launching magic into the sky? The control towers are far apart, and the city is complex, so verbal communications is troublesome. At the very least, it would take a long time without a Conversation Mirror.]

Julius: [The likelihood that the Witch Cult brought any such mirrors is low. If many of those had been brought, the Spirits would react to the communications. My Quasi Spirits would doubtlessly have detected them already—— Right, that’s it.]

They reached the same conclusions simultaneously. Subaru prefaced with an “Ah”.

Subaru: [If they don’t have regular, clear communication, there’s a good chance they won’t act unless there’s a visible disturbance when one of their location is attacked. There’s no way that they will strike, if they’re unaware of it in the first place. And so, that reduces our need to disperse our combat forces.]

Julius: […The only problem with this proposal is that one place is different from all the others.]

Subaru: [——The City Hall. That building can inform the other towers of the attack using that magical device. So we’d have to start with that one.]

First, they had to focus on capturing the City Hall at the center. They would have to go there and defeat the existing force there and make the Witch Cult there withdraw, then crush the forces at the other towers one-by-one.

Even then, it would be a test of speed, but the risk would be much lower than that of attacking all five locations at once. Subaru wished to believed so.

Julius: [————]

On the other side of the mirror, Julius fell into thoughtful silence. Subaru’s proposal was based on the poor relationship between Regulus and Sirius, optimistically assuming that the cooperation between members of the Witch Cult was a mess among messes.

Of course, if the Gospel had given a command like “Kill Everyone in Pristella”, that hope would be fundamentally subverted. If that were the case, he should have attempted to ask for the content of the Gospel back then——

???: [——My deepest apologies for being late, can everyone hear my voice?]

In the middle of a heavy silence, another voice suddenly joined the conversation. The weather-beaten, aged voice of a swordsman which Subaru looked up to was more reliable than anything else in the present situation.

The face of a grey-haired old man was reflected in the Conversation Mirror.

Subaru: [Wilhelm-san! You’re okay!]

Ferris: [Wil-jii! Thank goodness. You didn’t get in touch, it made people worry!]

Not only Subaru, but Ferris also heard a familiar voice. At their welcome, Wilhelm, reflected in the mirror, opened his eyes with a surprised face, and bowed gently.

Wilhelm: [My apologies, I was caught up in some trouble and could not find a calm place. Now, finally, some citizens and I have arrived at a shelter. Subaru-dono and Ferris, seeing your safety gives me peace. And Crusch-sama?]

Crusch: [I am fine. Wilhelm, I am so glad for your safety.]

Wilhelm: [Do not worry about me… it was due to my powerlessness that I was not at your side in this situation. Please allow me to trouble you to wait quietly. I will definitely come to pick you up.]

Subaru: [Amazing, this feeling of relief isn’t normal…]

As Crusch and Wilhelm spoke through the mirror, Subaru, finding that the dialogue between master and subordinate held an overwhelming sense of security, sighed with admiration for Wilhelm.

Then, while he was happy for his safety, Subaru ruminated on his prior conversation with Julius, as he attempted to organize a summary for Wilhelm. However,

???: [There are several things to be said, but this is the most urgent of those.]

At that moment, Wilhelm vanished from the mirror, the old swordsman replaced by a beastman―― a kitten wearing a monocle. It was a Deputy Captain of the Iron Fang, Tivey, who seemed to have joined forces with Wilhelm. His expression was unusually anxious.

Ricardo: [Hey! If it ain’t Tivey! Your safety is better than anythin’ else.]

Tivey: [You too, Captain… But, we’re not safe right now. Is onee-chan with you right now?]

Ricardo: [Mimi? I haven’t seen her, did somethin’ happen?]

At Tivey’s feeble voice, Ricardo squinted into the mirror. From Tivey’s side, someone cut into the image, and——

Hetaro: [Captain! Onee-chan! Onee-chan …!]

Ricardo: [Hetaro? What’s the panic for?]

The one who had flown into view was Tivey’s identical brother, Hetaro. He was usually a mellow youth, but, right now, his face was distorted in pain. Tears filled his round eyes, and his voice shook as he gazed into the mirror.

Hetaro: [O-our Divine Protection of Trisection activated, it’s coming from onee-chan! H-her wound was so serious… The wound is being transferred into me and onii-chan… Hk!]

Tivey: [Onii-chan, calm down… It’s as he said, Captain. Onee-chan was wounded, and the injury is being transferred to me and onii-chan, so…]

Ricardo: [——Okay, both of ya, wait there. I’ll find Mimi immediately. Don’t cry, just wait.]

His voice lower than any Subaru had ever heard from him, Ricardo spoke into the mirror. In that smooth sound, Subaru felt a pressure unlike any he had felt ever before, and he stepped back, trembling.

The beastman’s eyes were full of anger, and his open mouth revealed a row of sharp canine teeth. He drew his blade, a large hatchet, his large muscles tense.

He almost appeared to be searching for the missing girl in that very moment.

Anastasia: [——Wait, Ricardo. I can’t allow such a selfish action.]

However, a voice from another mirror was the one that stopped Ricardo from charging out immediately. Ricardo turned back to face Anastasia, who had claimed the mirror.

He frowned, lifting his hatchet towards his employer.

Ricardo: [Don’t stop me, lady. I’m not kiddin’ around right now.]

Anastasia: [Ricardo, our long bond and relationship’d show that I’m not kiddin’ around. Don’t make me say it again. Right now, random actions cannot be allowed. Even for Mimi’s sake.]

Ricardo: [Are you askin’ me to abandon Mimi!?!?]

Opening his mouth, the rage expelled from Ricardo’s mouth shook the air of the shelter.

That intensity was no laughing matter. Subaru stumbled several steps backward, away from the beast who emanated shock waves of rage. Ricardo fixed his glare on Anastasia, the signs of a carnivore exuding from his body.

Through the mirror, Anastasia met it unflinchingly.

Anastasia: [You should understand, Ricardo. These are unforeseen circumstances. You are one of my most important weapons. I cannot let you leave without permission.]

Ricardo: [You’re sayin’ this to me? Who do you think you’re talkin’ to, Ana-bo… Tch!]

Anastasia: [You, of course. Don’t’cha forget, dog monster.]

The two spoke names only old acquaintances would recognize. His skin tingling with electricity, Subaru searched for a place to interject. But there was none.

He wanted to support Ricardo’s emotional decision. But he could also understand Anastasia’s sound opinion. And he was an outsider. Anastasia, someone who was not, someone who held a close relationship with them, chose to prioritize the safety of the city over Mimi.

Subaru realized that there was nothing for him to interrupt. Ricardo, too, should understand her point.

Subaru: [————]

In this way, time trickled on.

If Ricardo forced his exit, Subaru, who was injured, and Felix, who was a non-combatant, could not hope to stop him. Anastasia, who looked coolly into his eyes from across the magic mirror—— only she could do anything.

However, Ricardo suddenly turned his head away from the mirror’s gaze.

Anastasia: [Wait, Ricardo!]

Ricardo: [——Stop, don’t rush to make a conclusion.]

Seeing Ricardo’s movement, Anastasia spoke. Ricardo gave a quiet response. He turned back and sniffed at the entrance to the shelter.

Ricardo: [Somethin’s close by. What’s this… the scent of blood?]

Subaru: [The scent of blood…?]

Among so many wounds, he seemed to be able to detect a fresh scent of blood.

Alert, Ricardo pointed his hatchet to the entrance of the shelter, glaring. Subaru and Ferris swallowed, watching Ricardo’s judgment.

???: [——!]

A shadow rushed into the refuge of the shelter with heavy footsteps.

In that moment, the patients in the shelter, intimidated by the insolence of the intruder, held their collective breath. It was none other that Subaru who broke that silence.

——Standing there was a familiar short, blond acquaintance.

Subaru: [Garfiel!?]

Garfiel was sweaty and out-of-breath. Suddenly noticing Subaru, he ran over with a strange wobble in his step.

Then, Subaru noticed. The reason behind Garfiel’s wobbly movements, was being held in his arms.

Garfiel: [————]

Everyone was lost for words as Garfiel reached Subaru. There, he bowed his head before Subaru and collapsed, kneeling.

Garfiel: [Sorry, captain… hk! My amazin’ self’s… worthless…! Incompetent… hk!]

After saying so, Garfiel raised a cry of sorrow.

——Embraced by his bloodied arms was the figure of a dying Mimi.