This translation is dedicated to Erifuru, a translator and friend who will be deeply missed.
This is a just barely in-time update for the annual April Fool’s Day project!
The story this time is part of the IF Story series that have been released up till now, but it is a slightly different type of story. Of course, I wanted to write it, so I wrote it as I liked.
What kind of story could it be? I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing you in the afterword!
――It was probably an instance where a single misstep sent the entire journey astray.
With but a single misalignment of gears, the tale twisted askew, and the rails of fate changed course with ease.
When the expected flow of events shifted, the torrent of destiny tossed people around like leaves from a tree.
And yet, what if they still finally found their way unto that changeless shore on the other side, unyielding?
Surely, it was only when a strong, unwavering desire utterly deceived that Commandment.
It was precisely within that once-in-a-lifetime lie that the meaning of that man’s life dwelled.
△▼△▼△▼△
???: [Haa, haa… hk!]
The girl panted as she fled, desperately clutching the child’s hand.
Despite running with all her might, the girl’s speed was lacking. For, within this unfamiliar land, one of her legs was impaired. ――Nay, if one called it an unfamiliar land, then for this girl, the whole world was strange.
This was a place she did not recognize whatsoever, these circumstances were beyond her comprehension, and as for her current situation, she could fathom naught.
Thus――,
???: [Uu! Uu, aau!]
Dragged by the girl’s hand, the child, whose name she did not even know, had been continuously wailing inarticulate cries.
Girl: [――Hk.]
Tightly biting her lips, the girl banished the weakness within her mind and faced ahead.
Indeed, at this moment, everything was unknown to her.. However, certain truths were clear. She knew that she must not let go of this child’s hand, and that she must continue to run forward.
In the midst of this world awash with unknowns, the girl’s instinct cried out for her to flee. Escape was the sole means by which the girl could express her will to resist; a protest permitted to her present self.
Girl: [That, person… hk.]
Whilst experiencing a pain that seared her breath-starved lungs, the girl’s bewildered mind envisioned a single figure. It had the appearance of a boy with black hair and mean-looking eyes, and its very presence evoked both negative impulses as well as strange feelings――,
???: [――Oh, it’s really an Oni. That’s unusual.]
Girl: [――Hk.]
That carefree voice suddenly intruded on the girl’s thoughts, sending a tremor throughout her body, and she sharply whirled about.
Mirrored in the girl’s pale blue eyes was a one-eyed woman wearing an eyepatch who was running―― nay, flying beside her. She was a beautiful woman with the animal ears of a dogperson and much of her brown skin exposed to the wind. At the entrance of the woman cutting through the air with a long branch in her grasp, the child that was being dragged behind the girl let out a shriek.
The moment she heard that scream, the girl reflexively attempted to fend off the woman with her free hand.
However――,
Woman: [――? That didn’t connect. It’s a shame, but…]
Off-balance, her swung arm was seized effortlessly, and in turn, she found herself pulled in.
Their faces had drawn so near to one another that the tips of their noses were about to touch, and in the woman’s red eye uncovered by an eyepatch, the girl beheld her own visage in its reflection.
It was an unfamiliar face. ――That was the face of a girl who did not understand the world, let alone herself.
Woman: [I was told to capture you.]
Girl: [――Ah.]
The instant the girl beheld her reflection, the woman lightly tapped the center of her chest with a finger, and the girl felt a minute shock course throughout her entire body.
The action had effortlessly stolen the strength from the girl’s limbs, forcing her to collapse to her knees.
Girl: [Ugh!]
Woman: [That child, too.]
Beside the collapsed girl, the brave child leapt at the woman.
However, the woman caught the strike with the ease of twisting a baby’s hand, and then, that same shock the girl had endured was delivered to the child’s brow, and with an “Aauu?”, she flopped and toppled over as if all her strength had been sapped away.
As a result, the chase sequence starring the girl and the small child reached its anticlimactic conclusion.
Girl: [You, are…]
Woman: [Don’t worry, no harm will… well, I’m not sure. Sorry.]
As the girl crawled toward the dazed child, straining her voice, the woman offered words of apology. But, that was by no means a consolation, as there was no sense of being saved by that apology.
Whether she ought to deem it sincerity or clumsiness, the girl could choose neither.
Slowly but surely, as the child before her slipped into unconsciousness, so too did her own reality begin to fade away.
Woman: [Let’s go, Oni girl.]
Girl: [I, am…]
The sensation of being picked up by the woman was an action she could not resist. As her consciousness gradually faded to white, the girl’s lips trembled feebly.
Being called an Oni failed to resonate with her. That being said, there was another way she had been called――,
Rem: [――Rem.]
That name had been spoken by the black-haired boy enveloped in that dreadful, abhorrent stench.
Perhaps, it was some kind of illusion. ――That above all else, that name somehow felt familiar to her empty self that lacked anything.
△▼△▼△▼△
――Things had taken a troublesome turn.
A combination of dread and vigilance coursed like lightning through Natsuki Subaru’s mind, compelling him to act urgently.
Why, why, why; he had not even a moment to spare in order to ponder such a question.
He organized his thoughts concerning recent events: the arrival of the opportunity for a long-awaited reunion, and the bitter sorrow that came thereafter when reality had failed to meet his hopes. Suppressing that grief, focusing his mind on the precious people he had been separated from, he steeled his resolve to escape this irrational, senseless impasse―― at least, that was what he ought to do.
And yet――,
???: [Kakakakka! Ya young’uns really are terrifyin’! Even I’ve never seen one with this much recklessness, impossibility, and sheer madness. Amazin’, amazin’.]
The hoarse voice rang out in a hearty laugh, accompanied by a knifehand thrust like steel that struck his heart.
His back was pierced by the knifehand, and as he beheld his own heart torn from his chest, in a tempest of agony and shock, Subaru died instantly.
× × ×
???: [How did a friggin’ human like yourself slip past the watch of us dragons? I don’t know how the frig’ you did, and that fact I don’t is the height of friggin’ disrespect!]
Bearing a sweet outward appearance, the tantrum of this destructive being was clad in a tempest with a single swing of her arm.
That slender arm did not even need to make contact with him, stirring up a gale which seized the boy’s body and hurled him against the castle walls. Tasting the pain of all of his bones shattering, Subaru died instantly.
× × ×
???: [Deceived… my eyes. Do not understand… how? Scary.]
The shapeshifting statue in the beautiful garden voiced its dread, swinging down an arm that resembled a marble pillar.
Once, then twice, he had managed to evade the arm, but he could not do so forever. The third blow grazed his leg, robbing his body of all mobility, followed by the fourth strike landing a direct blow on him, and as he was compressed to a tenth of his original size, Subaru died instantly.
× × ×
???: [――! Who are you! Don’t you realize whose castle this is, you fool!]
With a gallant, inflexible, righteous fury, sharp thorns flashed like blades.
His whole body was ensnared by purple vines covered in thorns, and as every bit of his flesh was rent asunder, as Subaru’s consciousness was shattered by the unbearable pain of his spilt blood and how the thorns on the vines writhing like they had a will of their own were gnawing at his wounds, he breathed his last.
× × ×
???: [There he is! Don’t let him get away!!]
???: [You villain!]
???: [Do you think you can get away with this!?]
He was cornered by bearers of steel who had flushed out their prey, holding a will to fight that had been honed.
Surrounded on all sides, with neither a place to escape, nor anyone who would lend an ear to his excuses, the thrusting blades pierced his entire body, and suffering all of those mortal wounds, Subaru collapsed and breathed his last.
× × ×
Subaru: [In the first place――]
Subaru gritted his teeth, wondering if he had erred in his choices from the outset, having repeated Death five times.
Subaru had already been alone at the new starting point of Return by Death. ――It may have been a mistake to end up here alone in the first place.
When he thought about how she might be suffering the same things he had even at this very moment, that alone was enough turmoil to crack and shatter his heart.
What was it that he needed?
What possibilities must he secure?
Where was the checkpoint that he must reach?
Walking a tightrope that was far too narrow and unreliable, having to reach the other side no matter the cost, what exactly was it that Subaru must be able to fulfill?
Subaru: [――――]
It was a situation where he must attract attention, yet if Subaru moved carelessly, he would be obstructed by a tough opponent that was far and away beyond his own abilities, and they would take his life all too quickly.
There were a great many enemies. And not a single one had a shred of mercy. ――Subaru’s path was blocked by individuals who had absolutely no qualms about killing their opponents.
In order to break through that, to surmount it, that tiny, minute gap in the possibilities, he would――
Subaru: [――――]
Running over carefully tidied lawns, Subaru headed in a different direction than all the other routes which had been closed off to him, and found an opulent detached palace.
Gaudy and beautiful, yet less gaudy compared the castle that Subaru had just been trying and failing to escape, and he would hope that it had a bit less stringent security.
Accordingly, he should be able to obtain at least a single piece of information. ――With such an intention, Subaru smashed a window in a place void of any signs of people, unlocked it, and tumbled into the Imperial Residence.
In the next instant――,
???: [――You fool.]
He had climbed over the window frame and just put the tips of his toes on the floor.
As soon as he heard that weighty, stern voice, Subaru’s legs were clipped from the side, and he was mercilessly slammed headfirst into the floor.
Subaru: [Oguahh!]
The instant he let out a shriek of pain and his vision flickered red, the worst scenarios flashed through his mind.
After all, up to now, Subaru had repeatedly ended up having his life stolen away from him by completely different people in different ways, all in the span of around ten minutes.
That’s why it was no wonder that, in the midst of the pain, he had resigned himself to it being the same again.
However――,
???: [You, how did you manage to evade the security and get in here?]
The expected arrival of the shock of Death did not befall him, but instead, a question was asked of him.
While grimacing in pain, Subaru lay sprawled out spread-eagle on the floor, and he caught a glimpse of the person who had raised that query to him―― the one who had intercepted Subaru sneaking into the Imperial Residence.
Subaru: [――――]
Standing there, with black hair and black eyes, was a handsome man with tidy features that gave off the impression of a frightening intellect. That individual wearing a crimson outfit that conveyed the quality of its tailoring with a single glance was warily looking down upon Subaru with a gaze as sharp as that of a bird of prey.
That glare usurped his conscious thought, and Subaru froze like he had been pinned down. ――And yet, it was not simply the gaze of the handsome man that had immobilized Subaru.
Handsome Man: [Did you not hear my question? It would be irreverent to not provide any answer.]
With an austere voice and words, the handsome man was about to callously decide Subaru’s fate.
However, rather than this cruel reality, Subaru’s awareness was seized by the strange phenomenon before his eyes―― the profound mystery within the full-length mirror placed beside the handsome man looking down on him.
Upon the mirror, the reflected image of the dark-haired handsome man was different. ――Reflected there was a man, taller than the handsome man with black hair, possessing white hair, white clothes, and a pale face.
As Subaru gasped at the peculiarity of that, the handsome man in reality shut one eye and tapped his foot.
And then, as if an ultimatum, he asked a question once more.
Handsome Man: [There shall not be a third time. Take care, and answer my question.]
Subaru blinked at the overlapping images, and then his consciousness returned to reality.
Then, the figure of the man in white who had just been visible within the mirror a moment prior was nowhere to be seen, and all that remained was the form of the handsome man who stared at him with a dreadfully overbearing attitude.
Seeing this, Subaru swallowed his breath, and then spoke.
Subaru: [――My name is Natsuki Subaru.]
It was an inadequate answer to any of the questions that the handsome man had asked.
Thinking back on it later, even Subaru himself could not think of a proper reason why he had given his name here, had introduced himself without falsifying his identity.
He could only assume that it was an intuitive answer, drawn from his brain which had become confused due to erratically and reflexively accumulating absurd and irrational Deaths over and over again within a short span of time.
Hearing that answer of Subaru’s that could easily strike a nerve with someone, the handsome man――,
Handsome Man: [――Lugunica’s… Lolimancer, is it?]
Yes, he raised his finely shaped eyebrows, and with a hint of bewilderment that did not suit his face, which was like the embodiment of an arrogance that placed all the events of the world within his own palms, he muttered so.
――This itself, was the first misstep.
Natsuki Subaru, who had unexpectedly been sent to the Sacred Vollachian Empire, and “Vincent Vollachia”, the pinnacle of the Land of the Sword Wolves―― it was the meeting of the two whose destinies should never have crossed paths in the first place, comrades who would deceive fate.
△▼△▼△▼△
???: [――I’ve brought them.]
Saying that, the one who brazenly stepped into the office of the Imperial Residence was a young girl with a strangely revealing outfit that showed off her brown skin, dog ears, and an eyepatch over her left eye; she was overloaded with character traits.
Subaru was taken aback by her appearance, but when he saw that she was carrying Rem upon her slender shoulders and an extra person under her arm, he exclaimed “Rem!” as he hurriedly rushed over.
Subaru: [Are you hurt anywhere?… Opossum!]
Eyepatch Girl: [Don’t do that so suddenly, it surprised me.]
As he tried to ensure she was safe, toes drilled into his defenseless solar plexus and he fell in agony.
The girl with the eyepatch had only casually lifted her bare foot, but it was not a matter of the strength of her legs, but rather of the skill to precisely gouge his vitals―― no, it was a brutal, instinctual kick without any such calculation behind it.
However, despite having his organs bored through by the shock, Subaru staggered over to Rem, slung over the girl’s shoulder, and after confirming her breathing and the tinge of red on her cheeks, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Subaru: […It seems like nothing bad. She’ll actually wake up, right?]
Eyepatch Girl: [I only put her to sleep. She’ll wake up soon. This one too.]
Subaru: [I don’t care about that one. If anything, I’d rather she’d stay asleep forever.]
Eyepatch Girl: […Your relationships are… complicated?]
Subaru: [Not at all. Rem is important, that one isn’t. That’s all.]
Subaru glared at the blonde girl being held under the girl’s arm opposite to Rem.
At his declaration, the girl’s one red eye widened and her lips twitched. It seemed like Subaru’s answer was not to her liking in some way, but unfortunately it was his true thoughts.
But it was impossible to mend things between them. ――Unlike the courageous, gentle, hard-working, and compassionate Rem, that girl was a monster who had piled up a mountain of unpardonable sins.
Subaru: [――Louis Arneb.]
With a whisper, Subaru muttered the girl’s―― the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony’s name.
Right now, she seemed to be sleeping, but she was one of the enemies who had thoroughly tormented him during the battles at the Pleiades Watchtower and made him experience hell. It was a mystery as to why she, who was supposed to be an incorporeal entity, had manifested with a body in reality, but there was no way she was up to anything good.
In any case――,
Subaru: [Thank you for not hurting Rem. You are…?]
Eyepatch Girl: [Arakiya.]
Subaru: [Thanks, Arakiya-chan! I’m in your debt!]
Bowing deeply, Subaru expressed his gratitude toward the girl―― toward Arakiya.
Although she probably did not hold a favorable impression of Subaru due to his treatment of Louis a moment ago, for his part, Subaru felt a strong sense of gratitude and debt toward Arakiya.
And the person who had ordered Arakiya to do this for him was――,
Subaru: [Thank you for saving us. Umm…]
???: [――Vincent Vollachia.]
Subaru: [――――]
Vincent: [Seventy-seventh Emperor of the Sacred Vollachian Empire, Vincent Vollachia.]
The one who introduced himself once again was the handsome man with black hair, sitting behind an ebony desk.
This person was the one who had confronted Subaru when he had snuck into the Imperial Residence and had come one step short of striking him down for his insolence. And, if the name he had just given was the truth, he was the most powerful man in the Empire.
Subaru: [Arakiya-chan?]
Arakiya: [It’s true… or a bit of a lie?]
Subaru: [A bit of a lie?]
Vincent: [Arakiya, do not talk out of turn. ――If you wish to regain what you truly desire, take care to conduct yourself in a manner that does not upset my good graces.]
Arakiya: […Nnh.]
Arakiya, who had responded to Subaru and his attempt at confirmation, was rebuked by that handsome man―― by Vincent, and she nodded with a look of slight discontent.
Arakiya lowered Rem and Louis onto a sofa for guests, and let them sleep. As for Subaru, he wanted to separate the two sleeping there as much as possible, but since he lacked the situation or the standing to make such a request, he simply clenched his fists tightly and endured it.
After all, this was the Sacred Vollachian Empire.
Subaru had spent a year learning the culture and general knowledge of this other world; and this was the neighboring nation of the Kingdom of Lugunica, which differed from it starting from the soil on up, the Imperial Capital where a figure of most august rank resided.
Vincent: [So? Lolimancer, explain it to me once more.]
Subaru: […Rather than that, could you please refer to me as Natsuki Subaru? As you can see, I don’t have the lovely, charming, pretty girl that makes me worthy of the title with me right now.]
Arakiya: [What about this child?]
Subaru: [She’s a girl who’s not lovely, nor charming, nor pretty.]
Subaru gave a curt response to Arakiya, who had inquired thus while pointing at Louis. Then, he turned his gaze back toward Vincent once again, and the Emperor closed one of his black eyes.
Vincent: [Speak, Natsuki Subaru.]
Subaru: […No matter how many times you ask, it won’t change much. We were at the tower of the Sage, in the far east of Lugunica. A lot happened at the tower, but I’ll leave that out… In the end, part of the Witch of Envy overflowed from the shrine near the Great Waterfall and swallowed us. Then, the next thing I knew, I was flung to the grounds of this castle…]
Arakiya: […Your story sounds like a lie. Are you lying?]
Subaru: [I get what I’m saying is totally suspicious, but on the other hand there is no reason for me to give you a story that is nothing but lies, so I’d like you to believe me…!]
He had thought he had laid out the facts, but Arakiya was rightly suspicious.
However, it was the person concerned, Subaru, who wanted an explanation of the situation. After finishing the battle with the Gluttonies at the Pleiades Watchtower, and then losing a companion he did not want to lose under the pretense of a Trial, and just as his frayed heart had begun to settle, this had occurred.
Subaru: [I’m sure Emilia-tan, Beako, and the others are quite worried right about now… Something like, “I can’t believe you, you ended up in the Empire somehow, and on the grounds of the castle of the Imperial Capital no less.”]
Vincent: [That you are a spy quite lacking in the skill of your excuses, contrary the skill of your infiltration, is currently the most likely explanation. If there is a point of note, it is that you identify yourself as Natsuki Subaru.]
Subaru: […It’s not a lie, I’m telling the truth, but was that really that significant to you?]
Vincent: [It is well known to the Empire that the Lolimancer is one of the Knights to a Candidate for the Royal Selection. The menaces of the Witch Cult and the Three Great Witchbeasts are not something that even Vollachia is isolated from.]
Subaru: [I see…]
Vincent: [A non-aggression pact was signed between the Empire and the Kingdom. I could insist that your mere presence here has shattered that agreement, however…]
Subaru: [No, that’s, well you know, I plead for your forgiveness.]
It would be terrible if Subaru carelessly giving out his name was the cause of the two nations plunging into a state of war. In the first place, this was truly an unfortunate misunderstanding, an unforeseen accident.
Subaru had no way to explain it, and it was shameful that he could do nothing but desperately insist that the truth that appeared to be a lie was, in fact, the truth, but――,
???: [My ohhh~ my, that’s just a bit too much of a threat, now isn’t it, Your Excellency? I don’t think we can afford to deal with the Kingdom right now, myself.]
Subaru: [――! W-who are you!?]
Subaru’s shoulders twitched at the unexpected voice of a third-party, and he turned around. When he did, he found that the office door had opened slightly, and his eyes met with the suspicious person peeking through the opening.
The suspicious person whom he had made eye contact with waved at Subaru, and opened the door with a defiant smile. Then, with broad strides, he brazenly stepped foot into the office.
Suspicious Man: [In accordance with my commandment, I have been called here, Your Excellency.]
Vincent: [I do not remember calling for you.]
Suspicious Man: [I didn’t saaay~ that, though? I said, in accordance with my commandment. I rarely get the chance to, so when the odd opportunity comes, I need to act as a proper Stargazer.]
The one who responded with a frivolous smile to Vincent, the Emperor, was a gentle-looking effeminate man with long ashen hair.
He seemed to have a different air about him than the soldiers he had seen in the castle, or the transcendental beings he had come across, and as far as Subaru could see, he did not seem to be a fighter.
Subaru: [Umm, this person is…]
Arakiya: [I hate him.]
Subaru: [I don’t want to know who you like or dislike, I want to know what his position is.]
Suspicious Man: [Ah, sorry, sorry. I’m not very attentive at times like these. My naaame~ is Ubilk, and I’m technically a Stargazer at this Crystal Palace. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Stargazer-san of the Kingdom.]
Subaru: [Stargazer… of the Kingdom?]
Subaru tilted his head at that unexpected sound when he was called such by that effeminate man―― the man who named himself as Ubilk, with a frivolous smile still on his face.
However, before Subaru could find out what that meant,
Vincent: [Natsuki Subaru is a Stargazer? Are you certain?]
Ubilk: [If you’re asking me if I’m certain or not, I have no way of confirming it since the Kingdom is outside my jurisdiction, but… I’d wager Your Excellency has come up with a similar theory regarding it.]
Vincent: [A puppet of the stars such as yourself would pose a conjecture as to my speculations?]
Ubilk: [Of course nooot~, I don’t have such a high view of myself as to believe myself capable of guessing the thoughts of Your Excellency, Emperor Vincent Vollachia… I’m just giving a recommendation.]
Vincent: [――. You may speak.]
Ubilk: [I have recited the stars. ――He will beee~ of great use to you, Your Excellency.]
Jerking his chin, Ubilk made that evaluation of Subaru in a light-hearted tone. In response, Subaru pointed at himself and instinctively said, “Me?” out loud.
Truthfully, combining this treatment as a Stargazer, the details of which was still unclear to him, with the discussion about Subaru, made him feel like this exchange being had was going over his head.
Ubilk: [Considering our relationship with the Kingdom, the intention to sever that anxiety of what may come could well give birth to a pretext that will not vanish. If that‘s the case, I believe it would be wise to add him to your hand instead. You have some perfectly convenient hostages, don’t youuu~? It’s a quick way for you both to reach an agreement, no?]
Subaru: [Convenient hostages… Wait, you’re not talking about Rem are you? No way!]
Ubilk: [Ha haah~ ha, you really are an honest person. If you had insisted that this young lady who accompanied you here wasn’t valuable as a hostage, things would have changed a bit.]
Subaru: [Guh, nnn…]
Ubilk: [Ooor~, would you like me to rephrase that just now? The young lady who accompanied him is worthless to Natsuki Subaru…]
Subaru: [Ha? Rem is so precious to me that I would sacrifice my life for her without regret.]
After he replied exactly like that, he witnessed Ubilk’s smile deepen, and Subaru brought his hand to his forehead as he completely fell for the trap.
That said, he could not lie here and say that Rem was worthless to him.
Subaru: [I’m not Otto. I really can’t say something I don’t mean.]
Otto: [I can’t agree with you calling strategy in a time of crisis proof of a bad character, though!]
Subaru sighed, an imaginary Otto shouting in the back of his mind. Dismissing it with a wave of his hand, Subaru looked toward Vincent.
Vincent placed a finger on the tip of his slender chin, and looked like he was examining Ubilk’s current proposal. Although, from the look on his face, Subaru could guess that he had already arrived at his answer.
And sure enough――,
Vincent: [――Natsuki Subaru, the situation you have been placed in is far from bright. Regardless of the veracity of your prior poor explanation, the fact remains that you have stepped foot into my country. And beyond that, this is while the Empire has entered wartime and is in the middle of an unparalleled national crisis.]
Subaru: [Wartime… There’s a war!? With who… where!?]
Vincent: [Here.]
Without censuring Subaru for panicking and forgetting to use respectful language, Vincent tapped the floor with his shoe. Subaru blinked, as he momentarily did not connect that response to his question.
But soon the implication reached his mind…
Subaru: [By here… No way, a civil war in the Empire?]
Vincent: [Precisely. The Emperor and the rebels shall fight over the throne of the Empire.]
Subaru: [――――]
At the confirmation of the reality of a war, a civil war at that, Subaru was involuntarily lost for words. Extending his hand toward that speechless Subaru, Vincent thus announced.
Like a bird of prey, with a gaze and expression of absolute power, the Vollachian Emperor thus announced.
Vincent: [No matter your circumstances, should you want to survive, you shall have to join me, Natsuki Subaru. ――In order to leave the Empire as it should be, in the hands of Vincent Vollachia.]
――Seriously, things had taken a troublesome turn.
Subaru: [――――]
Vincent Vollachia’s declaration caused Subaru to explode in rage with all his heart at the greatest absurdity of fate since he was first summoned to this world.
So far he had encountered many unreasonable situations. It could be said that he had been beaten down by countless absurdities, such as the hardship he had suffered at the Pleiades Watchtower.
And yet, there had still been continuity between them. It could also be said that there had been reasonable logic in how those situations had slowly gotten worse and worse, until it had been driven into an absurd situation.
Yet this time, it was not that way at all.
Subaru’s arrival in the Vollachian Empire, without any warning, had been absurd. If it had not been the Imperial Capital of Vollachia, but a more remote region, or perhaps the Kararagi City-States or the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko that he had been sent to, it would not have been so strange, and yet, it was here.
If he could not call this absurd, then just what could he call it――,
Arakiya: [Ah.]
???: [Uuh, nnn…]
Suddenly, Arakiya noticed something, and let out a sound, followed by Rem on the sofa beginning to stir.
Realizing this was a sign of her awakening, Subaru turned to look at Rem with a snap. Then he knelt next to her on the sofa and waited for her eyelids, framed by her lashes, to slowly open. He could vaguely see himself reflected in her pale blue eyes, and…
Subaru: [Rem! Thank goodness, are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere? Are you injured, or feeling sick? If anything is unusual anywhere, let’s immediately…]
Rem: [――Hk, why are you here!?]
Subaru: [Ghwow!]
After that brief period of him worrying about her condition, the awake Rem immediately shoved Subaru away. Subaru was blown away by the unrestrained power of that strike, and Ubilk lay in his trajectory.
With a “Huuuh~?”, a wide-eyed Ubilk was caught up by the flying Subaru, and the two of them tumbled to the edge of the room, entangled.
Ignoring Subaru and Ubilk, Rem sat up on the sofa and scanned her surroundings.
Rem: [W-where is that child… and you! From before!]
Arakiya: […Your Excellency?]
Vincent: [――. This is the Imperial Residence of the Emperor. This is far too noisy for such a place.]
Witnessing Arakiya before her, Rem became even more wary. Seeing Rem’s gaze, Arakiya turned her sleepy eyes toward Vincent, and the Emperor quietly lamented so.
As the Emperor had said, the situation was somehow lacking tension, and yet――,
Louis: [Uuu?]
The scene with the least tension was when Louis woke up late, rubbed her eyes, then tilted her head quizzically.
△▼△▼△▼△
――Trespassing upon the Imperial Residence inhabited by His Excellency Vincent Vollachia, located within the Crystal Palace at the northern end of the Imperial Capital Lupugana of the Sacred Vollachian Empire.
The crime committed by Subaru and Rem would definitely get them executed around seven times over.
Subaru and her were convicted criminals by Imperial law, but the reason they were not executed was due to the considerate discretion of the Emperor overflowing with mercy and compassion―― of course, that was not the case.
???: [As far as I am concerned, I would prefer to place individuals such as yourself that are inconvenient to deal with under house arrest until the issues of highest priority are dealt with, and remove the option of adding you to the discussion.]
Subaru: [You’re being super clear that I’m a nuisance, huh?]
???: [You are aware of this yourself, are you not? Under these circumstances, giving your name as that of a Knight involved in the Royal Selection of Lugunica, regardless of the veracity of that claim, only invites needless disaster.]
Subaru: […Unfortunately, my fame in the Kingdom is only around the level where passersbys on the street will wave at me.]
Having said that, Subaru was also starting to contemplate on whether it had been imprudent of him to have carelessly given his name. However, if he had done or said anything other than giving the name Natsuki Subaru at that time, he feared he may have left himself under Vincent’s discretion without any negotiation.
It had probably been the correct decision to confront Vincent in proportion to the willingness to listen he had displayed.
Subaru: [The others came to take my life without any questions…]
???: [If anything, I am impressed your neck is still so well connected to your body… The fact that you headed straight toward the Imperial Residence where His Excellency was at is also a point that adds to my suspicions.]
In that regard, it had been a process of elimination where every other route had been a beeline toward disaster, but it was clear that he would not be able to convince this old man with slits for eyes with such an explanation.
Imperial Prime Minister, Berstetz Fondalfon. ――That was the name and title of this old man with slits for eyes, and it was easy to understand the reasons why he was wary of Subaru, an outsider.
Subaru: [No matter what I say, you’ll think what you do, but I’m really not plotting or scheming anything. To be honest, I want to return to Lugunica soooon.]
Berstetz: [As you stated, it does not matter what you say to me. With the present state of affairs where border crossings are already restricted, it is unfeasible to be rash and send you back there when you have yet to be cleared of suspicions of being a covert agent.]
Subaru: [A torrent of sound arguments…]
Subaru sighed and his shoulders drooped at Berstetz’s strict words.
This place was a corner of the Imperial Capital, Lupugana, and it was here where Berstetz’s manor lay. Subaru had received a gracious verdict for his crime of trespassing upon the Imperial Residence, and he was being kept at the estate of the Prime Minister for now.
Berstetz, who was well-regarded by the Emperor, Vincent, was properly complying with the order to hold custody over his person, although he did not relax even one ounce of vigilance toward Subaru. Subaru too, had no major complaints about his treatment, despite feeling the sharpness of Berstetz’s attitude of unconcealed distrust.
If he had to say anything, it would be that it was almost frustrating that he had been so thoroughly strung along by Vincent’s calculations and had been unable to take any proactive steps to return to the Kingdom.
Or perhaps, the greatest reason Subaru and the others had been entrusted to Berstetz’s mansion, which had even stricter security than the Crystal Palace or the Imperial Residence, was due to that――,
???: [――I’m friggin’ back.]
En route back to his assigned room after finishing his interrogation by Berstetz, Subaru witnessed a flying dragon enveloped in a shroud of wind alighting in the garden of the mansion and a petite figure dismounting from its back.
The one there was a young girl in an adorable outfit, with two black horns that sprouted out of her sky-blue hair―― yet in contrast to that cuteness, she was a dragonkin who possessed unbelievable strength.
Subaru: [Madelyn-chan.]
Madelyn: […You friggin’ human. Don’t be so friggin’ casual and use “chan” for this dragon.]
The returning dragonkin girl, Madelyn, took notice of Subaru calling her name, and sniffed softly.
Madelyn seemed to be under Berstetz’s patronage, just like Subaru and the rest, and he often had the chance to cross paths with her in the mansion and interact. However, whenever they did, her bearing was harsh in this way, so he could not say they had established a good relationship.
Her harshness was not only directed at Subaru, but everyone at the mansion as well, however――,
Berstetz: [General First-Class Madelyn, how did it go? Those seeking the emancipation of General First-Class Goz are…]
Madelyn: [I friggin’ kicked them away. Let me say this now, us dragons don’t have any friggin’ obligation to take your insignificant circumstances into consideration, so I really did literally kick them the frig’ away.]
Berstetz: [No problem. His Excellency the Emperor ordered you to quell the revolt, and if you did what you deemed necessary to do so, then that is what is right for the Empire.]
Madelyn: [Hmph, you friggin’ boring senile fool.]。
Madelyn shrugged at Berstetz’s answer, and upon her back she carried an armament around as large as her own petite frame―― a boomerang.
There was blood here and there upon the boomerang that she had failed to wipe off, and there was no doubt that was related to the “quelling” the two of them had discussed.
Subaru: [General First-Class Madelyn Eschart, and General First-Class Goz Ralfon…]
Murmuring that softly, Subaru thought of that which was beyond the walls that encircled the mansion―― of the landscape of the Imperial Capital with its buildings in orderly rows, and organized the various relationships swirling there through his head.
When he had first been sent here, he held almost no knowledge regarding the Vollachian Empire, and could only wander in confusion, but thanks to living in the mansion for the past few days, he now knew a few things.
For example, the one before him, Madelyn, had been bestowed with the rank of General First-Class, which was bestowed upon none but the strongest existences of the Empire, and
was a member of the Nine Divine Generals, an individual of the greatest military ability.
The other was also a member of the same Nine Divine Generals, a character known as the renowned Lion Knight, Goz Ralfon, who had rebelled against the Emperor, and was currently restrained within the prison of the Crystal Palace. The violent actions of Goz, who had a profound bond of trust with his subordinates, had caused much chaos amongst the troops.
It appeared that the group of soldiers Madelyn had just routed had been appealing for the pardon and release of the imprisoned Goz. He could understand saying that such a response was reasonable, since by siding with Goz, who had turned his blade against the Emperor, they too possessed the potential to become part of the rebels.
Subaru: [I’ve thought this day after day, but the culture is just too different…]
The Kingdom of Lugunica was about as safe and peaceful as modern-day Japan―― As someone who had lost their life many times in the Kingdom, this was not something Subaru would ever say. However, clearly different rules from the Kingdom had been imposed by the Vollachian Empire, and it was exceedingly difficult to ascertain the boundary between common sense and senselessness.
However, he could not afford to show weakness.
Subaru: [If I’m discouraged, it would cause trouble for Rem. For Rem’s sake…]
???: [――What about me?]
Subaru: [Uwoh hyoh hoi!?]
Just as he slapped his cheeks to fill himself with motivation, that voice called out to him from behind, and he jumped and spun around with an Acchonburike expression, his cheeks still sandwiched between his hands. And then, with an “Uuu!”, he was embraced with an impact to the front of his waist and he nearly toppled over. [1]
Rem: [Louis-chan, you shouldn’t get too close. He’s just going to say more nasty things to you again.]
Louis: [Uuuau?]
Subaru: [That’s right. It’s as Rem said. I’ll say nasty things to you. Don’t cling to me.]
Louis: [Aaa, auaaau.]
Standing his ground, Subaru pulled off the body of the girl―― Louis, who was clinging to his waist, then casually tossed her to one side. Spinning, Louis handled it with the nimbleness of a cat, then after making a face also like that of a stray cat, she returned to the side of the girl with open arms.
Receiving the return of Louis with a hug, Rem cast a reproachful gaze upon Subaru.
Rem: [How can you be so cold to such a small child. I can’t comprehend it.]
Subaru: [Rem, I’ve said it over and over, but that’s a bomb pretending to be a child. She’s being obedient now, but there’s no telling when she might explode. Please trust me on this…]
Rem: […When you stink so much? That’s impossible.]
Subaru: [――――]
Rem: [What’s with that moved look on your face?]
Subaru: [Nothing, just you telling me “You stink, you stink” is also nostalgic, so it just brought back some deeply moving feelings.]
Rem: [Ha?]
The reaction from Rem as she embraced Louis was cold, and overall, Subaru’s feelings were not taken very positively.
Subaru knew that it was difficult when he just simply told Rem, who had no Memories and a nose that could only perceive the miasma Subaru was clad in, to believe in him, so even though it was painful, he endured it.
Subaru: [Compared to when we couldn’t even have this sort of exchange, it’s seriously a world of difference.]
Rem: […Truly, I don’t understand you.]
Despite her bluntness, it seemed like Rem had indescribably complicated emotions regarding Subaru’s reaction, where the joy seemed to be outweighed by the bitterness.
Even so, the reason she did not completely try to keep him at a distance due to the Miasma, was thanks to the initial incident at the Crystal Palace―― Because she tried to fully accept and understand the dedication shown when, after he had realized they had been sent to a dangerous location, he had volunteered to be a decoy and attempted to help Rem and Louis, well, strictly speaking only Rem, escape.
In actuality, Subaru had ended up Returning by Death so many times that he was really, really relieved that such a threat had not befallen Rem.
That said, he would be overjoyed if they could compromise just a bit more. For example――,
Madelyn: [Oni girl, this dragon has friggin’ returned. Help me with my friggin’ bath.]
Rem: [Of course, Madelyn-san, I understand.]
Something like the relationship between Rem and Madelyn, where unexpectedly, she could calmly respond to those haughty demands with such a tone.
Berstetz: [General First-Class Madelyn and Rem-dono have become quite close.]
Right then, Berstetz said exactly what Subaru had been thinking. Even if he took a glance at the old man’s profile, he could not read anything from his eyes that were so narrow, not even his irises were visible.
Not even whether he welcomes the relationship between them, or dislikes it.
Subaru: [Berstetz-san, you wouldn’t happen to be a demi-human collector, would you?]
Berstetz: [If that means being an antiquarian of precious bloodlines, then I cannot deny it in a broad sense. Powerful species have strong individuals, but contrarily they lack in their ability to protect their bloodlines. For the future of the Empire, we must treat them with care to ensure they are not lost.]
Subaru: [Speaking of the future of the Empire…]
Berstetz: [Are you curious to learn more? Lolimancer-dono of the Kingdom?]
Subaru: [Don’t need to know…]
Lifting both hands, Subaru indicated he had retracted his careless curiosity.
They say curiosity killed the cat, but in the Empire it was a rule that would seriously not go unpunished.
However――,
Subaru: [Setting aside the dragonkin Madelyn-chan, whether Oni are valuable or not, Rem is my Rem.]
Rem: [Ha? Please don’t say that on your own. I can hear you.]
Subaru: [I didn’t say it so you wouldn’t hear me.]
Louis: [Uu!]
Having sharp ears, Rem caught what was being discussed, and made a complicated face upon hearing Subaru’s response. Why was Louis enjoying hugging her waist, beaming while in a good mood? It was annoying when she would cling to Subaru, but it was mentally draining having her embrace Rem in that way.
Then, it was as Subaru was thinking about tearing Louis away from Rem by force.
???: [Natsuki Subaru-dono, are you here!?]
His name called out so loudly, Subaru’s eyes widened as he wondered what was going on.
When he turned around, the figure of a tall individual was standing at the entrance to the mansion. Seeing it was a fierce-looking young man with short green hair, Subaru pursed his lips.
It was not particularly clear, but he recalled the young man’s face. ――He had been killed by him once before.
Subaru: [I am Natsuki Subaru.]
???: [I am Kafma Irulux, General Second-Class of the glorious Vollachian Empire. Natsuki Subaru-dono, you have been summoned by His Excellency, the Emperor.]
The young man who saluted before Subaru―― Kafma, announced this with a polite bow.
Subaru’s breath caught in his throat when he heard that the Emperor had summoned him. For the Emperor, who spent his time always occupied, to call for him for the first time in days, it would not be without meaning.
That is to say――,
Subaru: [Kafma… san, do you know why the Emperor has called for me?]
Kafma: [I do not hold the authority to preemptively convey His Excellency the Emperor’s words. His Excellency will reveal to you exactly what you need to know.]。
Kafma’s answer was the most military-esque of anyone he had spoken to thus far. With his wholehearted faithfulness and loyalty toward the Emperor, now that man known as the Lion Knight had been imprisoned as a rebel, he seemed to be the only Knight in an Empire without any other.
In any case――,
Subaru: [――Rem, I’m going to go out for a bit. I might be home late, so you can eat dinner without me.]
Rem: [Stop saying nonsensical things… Take care.]
Just that one phrase reluctantly and falteringly added at the end was enough to make him blush, as he was filled with unbelievable energy that he felt would allow him to persevere forever and ever.
△▼△▼△▼△
???: […It is true that I carelessly thought I would be able to get through it no matter what, but…]
???: [What. Do you have any complaints?]
???: [Of course, is that not obviously a given?]
Sitting in a luxurious dragon carriage and resting his head on his knees, Subaru retorted with those words to the Emperor whose cruelty was beyond compare, the one who had asked something so obvious.
The black-haired Emperor, shrugging slightly at Subaru’s objection,
Vincent: [You must be aware of your own circumstances, which are not only complicated, but even ominous, no?]
Subaru: [Ominous is an exaggeration. I am aware of my complicated position, and I feel that I should repay how you have overlooked that for me in some way. But that said…”]
Vincent: [――]
Subaru: [Separating me from Rem, and then taking me so far away is another story altogether!]
Exploding with such displeasure, Subaru was currently accompanying Vincent on an expedition.
Kafma had turned up at Berstetz’s mansion and had brought Subaru to the castle. With as few words as always, Vincent had arrogantly decreed, “Accompany me on my travels.”
Before he realized it, he was carried away just like that and put in a dragon carriage, and now he was here.
Subaru: [Kafma-san said that Your Excellency the Emperor would inform me of anything I needed to know, without hiding anything, and yet?]
Vincent: [Kafma Irulux’s remark was correct. I shall not hesitate to disclose any information that is necessary.]
Subaru: [But despite that, other than that our destination is a city called Chaosflame, I have not heard anything else?]
Vincent: [Is it necessary? For you to have more information than that?]
Subaru: [Of course it is!]
Going on an expedition while knowing nothing but the destination was like a variety show of a bygone era. It would be impossible to do now due to compliance violations of the modern age, as well as due to fears that they might be forced to do hard labour overseas; it could be considered close to a modern shady part-time job.
In either case, it would be out of line ethically.
However, instigator in question, the Emperor himself, sniffed softly,
Vincent: [Looking at your current appearance, I cannot believe that you harbor any anxiety over the future.]
He had declared so indifferently, without hesitation.
Subaru understood what Vincent wanted to say. He was probably referring to what was reflected in his black eyes: the current Subaru―― nay, Natsumi Schwartz.
He was wearing a beautiful long black wig and a red toned military uniform styled to conceal his figure. His makeup was flawless, and he appeared as a perfected lady from any angles.
Subaru/Schwartz: [However, I cannot say I like when people point at me and say suggestive things.]
Vincent: […Is there any point in continuing to put up that act before me, when I know your true identity?]
Subaru/Schwartz: [You can never know when you might be found out. Is this not a good thing? They say that God is in the details, which means devoting yourself with sincerity.]
Vincent: [――――]
Subaru/Schwartz: [To begin with, the reason I am accompanying you like this as Natsumi Schwartz is to comply with the wishes of Your Excellency the Emperor. The circumstances are what they are, but I simply cannot leave any records of myself being involved in something such as a civil war of the Empire.]
Subaru/Schwartz did not know every detail about the friction between the two nations, but he knew that so-called intervention in another country’s domestic affairs and collaboration across national borders could invite bad things, even if it were good deeds, depending on the situation.
Put simply, a Knight with ties to the Kingdom lending a helping hand to the Empire when it is in a crisis―― the difference between a fairy tale and the story of reality was that such a moving tale was inexcusable.
Subaru/Schwartz: [Therefore, I am Natsumi Schwartz.]
Vincent: [――. If you possess no doubts about yourself, I care not. As long as you work properly, I do not intend on putting fetters on any individual hobbies or tastes.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [Hobbies…?]
Vincent: [I do not intend to engage in trivial questioning . You were the one who requested an explanation. If you were that damnable Ubilk, he would not have asked anything, but I suppose you are not.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [It troubles me that you put me alongside that person of ambiguous station. Speaking of, who is that person really? A pro jester beside a medieval king who relieves their boredom?]
Vincent: [It is true that that thing is a jester, but its role is not to stave off my boredom. Of course, the role I expect of you is the same. It was he who nominated you for this expedition after all.]
Subaru/Schwartz: […Ubilk-san, nominated me?]
Recalling the face of the frivolous, effeminate man, Subaru/Schwartz tilted his head.
From the beginning, Ubilk had acted with a mysterious sense of distance toward Subaru/Schwartz. Even more baffling was the reactions of Vincent and other authorities who allowed Ubilk to have an influential voice. Stargazer, that was how Ubilk was addressed. ――If that role was a prophetic position as Subaru/Schwartz vaguely conjectured, then it was a common trope in the settings of fantasy stories.
The problem was that there was a good chance there were actual prophets in this world, and according to words of the effeminate man suspected to be a prophet, he feared they might also suspect him to be one of them as well.
Subaru/Schwartz: [I just cannot believe it is the same thing, but it is frustrating that I cannot explain the reason why.]
Subaru/Schwartz’s Return by Death can, in other words, be said to be seen as anticipating the future.
There was a part of Subaru/Schwartz that thought of it as simply cheating the future, but when he learned of approaching threats through Return by Death and worked out the means to avoid them, it was not very strange that others would think he appeared to be a prophet.
Subaru/Schwartz: [In fact, a bewitching and beautiful prophetess buttering up a powerful individual is a classic among classics. Still, it would be problematic to be misunderstood. …As it is, Return by Death has been behaving oddly.]
The grumbling by Subaru/Schwartz was concerned with the strange phenomenon that was occurring to Return by Death.
Subaru/Schwartz had repeated Return by Death many times before encountering Vincent in the Crystal Palace, but the reason this happened was not only because of the Empire’s national character that did not hesitate to kill, but also because the interval of time between when he died and when he restarted had been so limited.
Of course, the closer the restart point was to Death, the fewer options he had, and the less time there was to enact a plan. The result was that Subaru/Schwartz had experienced many horrific Deaths. This mysterious anomaly that had arisen in Return by Death―― Subaru/Schwartz suspected it might be connected to this not being the Kingdom of Lugunica, but rather the Vollachian Empire.
Subaru/Schwartz: [I do not particularly want to put stock in Echidna’s, or rather that ill-natured Witch’s observation, however…]
If it was the Witch of Envy who made Subaru/Schwartz Return by Death, then the physical distance between the Witch sealed in the eastern end of the Kingdom and Subaru in the Empire had widened. If he considered it simply, then could it not be said that it was becoming harder for the Authority of the Witch to reach him?
If so, then what would happen to Subaru/Schwartz’s Return by Death if, for example, he were to lose his life on the western edge of the Kararagi City-States, the Great Nation of the west? ――He had no means to test it, and did not want to find out.
Subaru/Schwartz: [At any rate, I am being brought here even to the point of separating me from Rem. Then at the very least, I want to do my job. Even if it is annoying, please give me an explanation.]
Vincent: [You issue orders to me, whilst knowing I am the Emperor? I was the one who said that keeping up that clumsy respect was unnecessary, but you have switched quite quickly.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [So far, it seems unlikely that I’ll be killed by a guillotine.]
Vincent: [Guillotine, huh? ――It is ironic that I am reminded of Magrizza’s Guillotine here.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [――?]
Vincent: [That was an unnecessary remark. ――My goal in having you accompany me to the Demon City is not complicated. It is to speak with Yorna Mishigure, one of the Nine Divine Generals.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [Yorna Mishigure… If I recall, she is nicknamed the Flamboyant.]
Subaru/Schwartz put the results of him diligently gathering intelligence rather than just playing around into words. With a face that held no real emotion toward that, Vincent said nothing and calmly lowered his chin.
Subaru thought it was likely that the attitude of this Emperor who was truly inept at meeting the needs of his subordinates for approval might have been the cause as for why the person known as Goz had rebelled.
Putting Subaru’s suspicions aside, Vincent began to speak matter-of-factly.
What he said was――,
Vincent: [Arakiya, whom I had sent to suppress the rebels, has not returned. We should assume that in all likelihood, she has either been killed or detained.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [――Hk, Arakiya-chan might have!?]
As this unexpected news was announced, Subaru/Schwartz opened his eyes adorned with straightened lashes in surprise.
Although he had not had a chance to meet Arakiya since that first day, he had felt a one-sided sense of gratitude toward her. ――This was because when Subaru/Schwartz had encountered Vincent, given his name, and the table for negotiations had been laid out, he had asked via Vincent to ensure Rem’s safety, and it was Arakiya who had accomplished this brilliantly.
If Rem had been discovered by any of the individuals who had mercilessly taken Subaru/Schwartz’s life, an unforgivable disaster may have befallen her by now.
That was why Subaru/Schwartz thought of Arakiya as someone he was indebted to.
Subaru/Schwartz: [Why did you not tell me!?]
Vincent: [There should be no expectation I would. She is a General First-Class of the Empire, her actions are a state secret. Think of me informing you like this now as an exception.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [――――]
Vincent: [Since the First cannot be used now for various reasons, Arakiya, who is the Second, was the strongest military force of the Empire. If it has become the case that Arakiya can no longer be used, we need the Nine Divine Generals to be cautious in expressing their positions, including on the matter of Goz Ralfon.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [For that reason…]
Vincent: [Exactly.]
Vincent nodded, arms crossed, as Subaru/Schwartz lowered his head.
In his chest, his heart was resounding coldly in pain, and even now, he still could not fully process the misfortune that had befallen Arakiya.
He could understand Vincent’s point. However, what if Vincent had shared the truth with him immediately as soon as something had happened to Arakiya?
Subaru/Schwartz: [With Return by Death…]
He might have been able to save Arakiya.
Given the matter of her safety was unknown, he knew it was a premature conclusion, but Subaru/Schwartz could not help but have the possibility flash through his mind.
Subaru/Schwartz: [Besides, regarding the individual known as Yorna Mishigure, as far as I know…]
Vincent: [She has raised rebellions against me twice in the past.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [Right!? With such circumstances, is it fine for you to meet such a person face-to-face?]
Subaru/Schwartz had learned over the past few days that Vincent Vollachia’s reign had already lasted eight years, apparently being an exceptionally peaceful era in the history of the Empire up to now, and Vincent was called the Wise Emperor by his subjects, gaining their approval.
During Vincent’s reign, there was one person not easily swayed, raising rebellions in the true sense of the word, and repeatedly clashing with him: Yorna Mishigure, the Flamboyant.
Subaru/Schwartz: [As far as I know, would they not clearly be the kind of person who would take advantage of this situation?]
Vincent: [To make certain of this, is the reason why I am going myself. That is all.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [The one with an irreplaceable position taking the initiative… the spirit of the Empire, it is quite impressive.]
As Subaru/Schwartz’s shoulders drooped in dejection, Vincent said “Speerit?” with a reaction like he was stuck on a word he was not used to hearing.
To exact a modicum of revenge, Subaru/Schwartz decided to not translate the modern language unless asked, and looking out the window of the moving dragon carriage, he kept the work that was expected of him in the Demon City locked up tight in his heart.
Putting aside the expectations of the recommender, Ubilk, Vincent’s expectations of Subaru/Schwartz were, to put it bluntly, more or less as that of a backup plan.
He was unsure the extent of which the achievements of Subaru/Schwartz of the Kingdom of Lugunica were known in the Vollachian Empire, but no matter what embellished or exaggerated rumors had spread, anyone who saw the real Subaru/Schwartz would surely be disappointed to learn that he was not such an outstanding person.
On the other hand, if the facts connected to those deeds cannot be ignored, it could be said that the best role he can be expected to fulfill is that of being a backup plan.
Thus, Subaru/Schwartz wanted to slap his cheeks, but stopped, afraid of possibly ruining his makeup. Instead, while brushing his long, lustrous hair in a feminine manner,
Subaru/Schwartz: [I understand, Your Excellency the Emperor. For now, I shall do everything within my power to bring you back unharmed to the Imperial Capital no matter what happens. Being the back-up is my specialty!]
Vincent: [――. I have no idea what in the world has gotten you so fired up, but endeavor to do so with all you have. Do not forget that what is precious to you is being kept hostage at Berstetz’s manor.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [You do not need to go out of your way to threaten me; Emilia-tan, Beako, and Rem are constantly in the back of my mind at all times!]
He had just started to build up his motivation without any such threats, and yet now His Excellency the Emperor had unnecessarily dampened that motivation. ――Given that he angered the kind Goz Ralfon who was so well-regarded, perhaps it was Vincent’s fault after all.
With that tinge of anxiety in his chest, Subaru/Schwartz completed his journey to his destination of the Demon City Chaosflame with no complications.
And then――,
△▼△▼△▼△
???: [Enemy of my late sister ――Black haired, black-eyed, traveler!!]
She had been a woman with the tips of her black hair dyed blue, and a brave yet fierce hatred within her eyes.
Immediately after the string of her bow that she had drawn back with great force had bent, and the sound of it cutting through the air had been heard, Subaru/Schwartz had been sent flying away from beside the Emperor’s shoulder, and his side had been pulverized by the arrow.
Subaru/Schwartz: [――Guh.]
The welling blood filled his throat, and Subaru/Schwartz fell as he experienced the sensation of drowning.
Witnessing this scene, the Emperor who had been protected ――Vincent Vollachia, grimaced as he rushed to Subaru/Schwartz, whose blood spread upon the bare earth.
Vincent: [Natsumi Schwartz! You… are out of character…!]
Subaru/Schwartz: [You say… that it is… out of character… It is my… motto to do one good deed a day…]
Vincent: [Even now, you do not stop running your mouth… Tch, this is a severe injury.]
Placing his hands over the open wound to try and stop the oozing blood, and then perceiving that the flesh of the side he touched was not all there, Subaru/Schwartz regretted his awareness of his wound.
The side of his abdomen had been blown away. No matter how he looked at it, it was a fatal wound, one he could not expect to survive. However, Vincent picked up Subaru/Schwartz’s body, and began to move.
Subaru/Schwartz: [What… are you doing… If you do not… run…]
Vincent: [I have no objections. Hence, I am doing exactly that. You can just admire the sky.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [The sky… Your unnecessary comments… just make my injuries worse…]
While he answered with a hollow voice, Subaru/Schwartz looked up into the skies of Chaosflame.
The city of Chaosflame was unique in how the great diversity of tribes that lived in the Demon City and all their respective architectural styles had become intertwined as if they had forgotten the spirit of compromise, with their implementation of urban development like a potpourri. ――Now, it was a mere shadow of its former self.
What swept across the city now was not a scene of the liberation of freedoms accumulated on top of each other, but a battle of transcendent beings beyond all human understanding that demolished, twisted, and shattered those streets.
???: [Kakakakka! I never thought we’d clash like this, Araki!]
???: [If you don’t like it, back off.]
???: [Are you giving orders like you own this city? Who do you think is the lord of this place?]
Numerous flaming explosions spread throughout the air, and the shadow of a monstrous old man used the roof of a building as a foothold as he soared about. Flying after him in pursuit was a doggirl whose legs below the knees had been replaced with flames. And the two who were clashing together were interrupted by a courtesan-like foxperson who used an undulating steel tower as a foothold to remold the town――,
――The Vicious Old Man, Olbart Dunkelkenn.
――The Spirit Eater, Arakiya.
――The Flamboyant, Yorna Mishigure.
Known for their unrivaled prowess, these fierce warriors were among the apex of the Vollachian Empire, the Nine Divine Generals.
All three were a part of different camps, and their battle unfolded upon the stage of Chaosflame.
Vincent: [Certainly, I never thought Arakiya would join them. ――Not foreseeing her participation, was mine own error.]
Bathed in waves of heat and force that churned through the atmosphere, Vincent ran through the rough streets while carrying Subaru/Schwartz, in an attempt to get away from the battlefield.
The strongest asset that Vincent had brought with him to the Demon City was Olbart, who had no leeway to pay attention to them, laughing as he aimed for the lives of the two women.
Meanwhile, the mistress of the Demon City, Yorna, was working to fulfill her duty of nonaggressive defense.
Finally, Arakiya, who had been sent out to suppress the rebels, but had been believed to be lost in action, was――,
???: [――Vincent Vollachia!]
Vincent: [――――]
His name called out, Vincent stopped in his tracks and turned around.
Ahead of him, the owner of that voice stood motionless atop the rubble of a collapsed building. ――Oddly enough, it was a slender man with black hair adorned in red attire, just like Vincent. However, he hid his true identity with a mask that resembled the face of an Oni, and was the leader of the rebels.
This man in the oni mask, who was believed to have conspired with General First-Class Goz Ralfon and intended to take Vincent’s throne, had paid a visit at the same time as Vincent and Subaru/Schwartz had arrived in Chaosflame to inquire as to the intentions of Yorna, the Seventh.
And then, he tried to invite Yorna to become his ally in the war that he led to steal the country.
Needless to say, they could not afford for negotiations between Yorna and the man in the oni mask and his party to go well. Subaru/Schwartz and the rest had to obstruct the negotiations, and headed to the location of the discussions――,
Vincent: [What do you call yourself, you traitor?]
Masked Man: [――Abel. My current self, is Abel.]
As he confronted Vincent, the man in the oni mask―― Abel, declared his name, and the air was set alight.
The heat of the tense atmosphere between them emitted a scorching aroma, and the fighting spirit of Abel, accompanied by Arakiya, who had supposedly disappeared, caused the Demon City to collapse.
If it was the case that Yorna Mishigure, taking an uncertain position, would not declare her position in joining either the Emperor or the rebels, then the best policy was to ensure that she would not fall to the other side.
The moment that possibility passed, the battle between those transcendental beings had begun.
Vincent: [Abel…]
Vincent narrowed his eyes, and uttered the name as if to confirm it.
Having lost copious amounts of blood, Subaru/Schwartz was on the brink of losing his life; he had no way of guessing what was going through Vincent’s mind right now.
However, Abel’s other companion did not overlook that moment of hesitation.
???: [――――]
As Vincent faced Abel, a merciless assassin jumped out from behind some rubble to his rear, sneaking up on him without any sound or presence.
He aimed his axe at the neck of the motionless Vincent from behind――,
???: [――Your Excellency!!]
Just before the axe could sever Vincent’s slender neck, it was intercepted by a fierce surge of purple thorns.
The one who had raised his voice, saving the Emperor from the surprise attack, while bleeding profusely all over his body, was Kafma. Kafma, the final member of Vincent’s escorts, had put to good use the special characteristics of the Insect Cage Tribe, using the insects he had taken into his body to pursue the enemies who had attempted to commit regicide against the Emperor.
However――,
???: [OOORAAAA!!]
The enemy jumped and ducked, avoiding the extending thorny whips, and a new figure landed beside him, swinging the two longswords in his hands, cutting the thorns head-on and mowing down the threat.
They were a man wearing a bandana with an axe and a rough-looking dual-wielding swordsman with a patch over his right eye. ――Both were members of the rebels who had accompanied Abel.
Bandana Man: [――My bad, my bad.]
Rough Man: [Tch! Oi, don’t mess up your only skill!]
Bandana Man: [Saying it’s my only skill hurts, you know? But your backup saved me. Can I continue to count on you?]
Rough Man: [You’re a hopeless bastard. ――General Second-Class, Kafma Irulux. For an opponent, I can’t complain.]
The dual-wielding swordsman laughed as he cracked his neck, and the man in the bandana beside him turned his frigid eyes toward Vincent and Subaru/Schwartz. As if to block their view, a battered Kafma stood between the two enemies and Vincent.
Kafma: [Please leave this place to me! Your Excellency, take Miss Schwartz!]
Vincent: [Do not overextend yourself. Olbart’s hands are tied. There are also the eyes of the Shudraq.]
Kafma: [I understand, sir! …I will not let the lives saved by Miss Schwartz, let alone His Excellency Vincent, be scattered in vain!]
Kafma, wounded all over his body, took on his task with vigor, and so Vincent left that situation to him, and began to run.
This time, he was prepared to leave no matter what Abel said, and perhaps because he understood this, Abel did not say anything more atop the rubble. With that, the two enemies vying for the throne departed that place.
And then――,
Vincent: [――Natsuki Subaru, Stargazer of the Kingdom. If you were to die, I know not with what to fill this gap. Therefore…]
Subaru/Schwartz: [――Ugh.]
The battlefield was far off, and as he heard his ears ring loudly, yet the sound of his heartbeat grow quiet in contrast, Subaru/Schwartz saw Vincent put his hands to his own face.
As Vincent shut his eyes like that, despite his consciousness fading to white, Subaru/Schwartz suddenly realized something. ――Until now, he had never once seen Vincent close both of his eyes.
But then, those thoughts immediately vanished due to a series of strange occurrences.
Vincent: [――Mask of the Blue.]
As he murmured that, Vincent’s face peeled off before the eyes of Subaru/Schwartz.
While producing a sound that would make one wince just from hearing it, like flesh tearing off the bone, like skin tearing off from flesh, Vincent’s face peeled off.
The flayed face of Vincent, pulled off like a “mask”, slowly disintegrated in his hands and turned to dust.
Subaru: [――――]
The scene was just like a nightmare during a restless night, or a glitch in one’s brain as they were about to face Death. However, the Emperor, now stripped of his face, brought his other hand to his face and put on the next “mask”.
The next moment, Vincent’s body made a noise, his skeleton began to thin, and his height began to shrink. Not only that, but his hair color and style, that form was slowly remade――,
Subaru/Schwartz: […Ferris?]
A beat later, standing there was a distinctive face he recognized, with adorable features and cat ears, who should have been constantly attending to his lord in the Kingdom of Lugunica; it was the form of Ferris.
Subaru: [――――]
――Vincent had turned into Ferris.
Subaru/Schwartz was left speechless by that sight, which could only be described in such a manner. However, the person in question paid no heed to Subaru/Schwartz’s confusion, placing a pale hand over his wound.
Immediately after, a faint light flowed out, and the side of Subaru/Schwartz that had been blown away began to heal. ――That transcendental healing power that seemed to turn back time was unmistakably Ferris’s.
The flesh near at the opening of the wound swelled, and the restoration of his internal organs and muscle fibers commenced. The blood that had poured out did not return, but his body, being invigorated, entered a phase of blood production, and his circulation remarkably improved.
His consciousness, which should have been fading, began to steadily regain its color, and Subaru/Schwartz ――no, Natsuki Subaru, while still pretending to be a woman, reached up with his hand to the shoulder before him.
He grabbed that thin shoulder and pulled it close, and glaring at the person healing him,
Subaru: [You… Are you, Capella?]
“Ferris”: [For what reason, such doubts have arisen, I cannot fathom, but… no.]
That face and voice were Ferris’s own, and yet the language was that of Vincent. Subaru’s breath caught at that sense of incongruity and he slowly shook his head.
In the instant Ferris lowered his gaze, cracks suddenly formed across his face.
Subaru: [――Hk!]
The cracks began on the cheeks, and then expanded bit by bit, slowly damaging Ferris’s sweet face.
“Ferris”: [I shall use the stagnant Mana within you that has had no place to go. If things had continued this way, the plug would have failed and burst anyways. I shall hear no complaints.]
However, seeming to feel no pain himself, and paying Subaru’s reaction of astonishment no heed, the fake Ferris ignored the cracks on his face and continued to heal Subaru’s side.
The faint light of recovery, healed, healed, healed the wounds, and shortly――,
“Ferris”: [It is done.]
As soon as he stated that, the cracks reached the entirety of the face of the fake Ferris.
Just as the peeled face of Vincent had turned to dust before, the face of the fake Ferris also crumbled from the edges, becoming dust as well.
Although his wounds had been healed and his life had been saved, Subaru could only lie there while facing a nightmare not all that different from one that had threatened his life before.
From beneath the face of the fake Ferris that flaked away, a new face ――neither Vincent nor the fake Ferris, but instead an unknown face emerged. ――No, it was not unknown to him.
Once before, only for a brief moment, had Subaru caught a glimpse of that face.
Since he had been in the middle of a crisis, he had not questioned that optical illusion very deeply, but he had seen that face in a mirror in the Imperial Residence.
A tall figure with long white hair and white skin that seemed to have lost all of their color, while his whole body was composed of simply white, only his irises sparkled with the hue of gold. This person was――,
Pale Man: [――Chisha Gold.]
Subaru: [Huh?]
Chisha: [You seem to have confused me with another individual, therefore I responded.]
A man of nothing but white appeared ――introducing himself as Chisha Gold, Subaru belatedly realized this was his answer to Subaru’s mention of Capella earlier.
That power, which allowed him to transform his appearance to someone else in front of Subaru’s very eyes, and even heal a fatal wound in the form of Ferris, was no mere imitation or disguise.
Subaru: [Wait, Chisha Gold, isn’t that one of the Nine Divine Generals…]
Chisha: [Allow me to confirm that. I have been bestowed with the rank of the Fourth, of the Nine Divine Generals, and therefore I am made to serve to the best of my meager ability as a General First-Class of the Empire.]
Subaru: […Are you, the Emperor’s body double?]
Chisha: [When emergencies arise. That said, that would not be correct in this case. The most suitable way to describe me currently, that would be――]
In front of Subaru, frozen and wide-eyed, Chisha, with his only dress still being the clothes of the Emperor, narrowed his golden eyes with an expression full of hard to read emotions, and made a declaration.
Chisha: [――Usurper of the throne of the Vollachian Empire, and rebel who mocks the Sword Wolf.]
That was truly the first meeting of Natsuki Subaru and the White Spider, Chisha Gold. ――It was the true first meeting of those two, who by all rights should have never had their destinies converge, companions who would deceive fate.
△▼△▼△▼△
Chisha explained that his power to change his form was called Noh. [2]
He said that its detailed principles were difficult to explain, but by stealing the color of a target he wanted to become and wearing the “mask” produced, he could take on their very identity itself.
Using this, Chisha had acted as the Emperor in the guise of Vincent Vollachia, and even completely healed Subaru’s wounds using the “mask” of Ferris, whom he had a previous connection with.
Hearing this explanation, for now, Subaru was simply relieved to confirm that Chisha was not the Sin Archbishop of Lust, Capella, but another thought crossed his mind.
Subaru: [If I’m not mistaken, doesn’t this mean that that Goz Ralfon person who’s being held as a rebel got in your way because he figured out you replaced the Emperor?]
Chisha: [I shall confirm that. General First-Class Goz is the most loyal and brave man in the Empire, therefore he will not listen to me no matter what I say if he knows I am against the Emperor. Thus, there was no other choice but to temporarily remove him from the board as I did.]
Subaru: [Of course, I had a feeling! No wonder, no matter how much information I gathered, I could only come to the conclusion that this Goz person wasn’t someone who would betray the Emperor. In reality, he didn’t betray him!]
Snapping his fingers, Subaru smiled in satisfaction that he was correct in his thinking. ――But after a moment of gratification, that smile faded.
After all, Chisha had clearly told Subaru. ――He was the usurper of the throne, and the mastermind of a rebellion that was causing the Vollachian Empire to fall into chaos and futility.
Subaru: […If it’s the way of the Empire that the strong preying on the weak is allowed, is challenging the Emperor, challenging Vincent Vollachia, due to your ambition as a man of the Empire?]
Chisha: [Hmm, I do wonder what you think about that. My motive, is it ambition?]
Subaru: [――. I think that’s probably incorrect.]
In the first place, if the way of the Vollachian Empire was such that by defeating Vincent with his own hands, Chisha could replace the summit of the country of the Sword Wolves, then it was a flawed system. Despite that, Chisha had taken the form of Vincent, hidden the absence of the Emperor, and maintained that situation.
There was no sense of sincerity toward a simplistic objective like usurping the throne in that.
Subaru: […Ultimately, your goal isn’t the throne… but I can’t figure out the rest.]
Chisha: [I inquire of you, is that the result of you listening to the words of Observers in the heavens above―― of the Stars?]
Subaru: [The stars? …No, I mean I like stars, but I’ve never been able to speak with them. That was just my impression based on experience and my idealistic desire.]
Chisha: [Desire, you say.]
Subaru: [Yeah, desire. The hope that the person I defended to the point of having my side blown off isn’t a complete villain, and the desire that the person who healed that blown away side isn’t a complete fiend.]
He was aware that both of those were somewhat fragile lifelines to fully depend on. But Subaru had faith that the Chisha who had saved him and even purposefully revealed top-secret information would not do something so meaningless as suddenly changing his mind and attacking him.
In response to Subaru’s convenient question, Chisha calmly lowered his chin, and,
Chisha: [In order to save the Empire from a future of ruin, I am employing the necessary means.]
Subaru: […Shouldn’t that be something you do together with the Emperor?]
Chisha: [His Excellency Vincent is an extraordinarily wise individual, however he is someone who knows not how to change his mind after he has made a decision. There is no doubt it shall be the most efficient method, and the one that shall deplete the fewest resources, therefore no one can defy His Excellency.]
Subaru: [But you… Chisha Gold, you disagree, is that right?]
Chisha: [Indeed.]
As Chisha nodded in agreement, Subaru touched his own side, and thought it over.
By saving Subaru with his trump card, Chisha had exposed his own schemes. If there was some lie or artifice there, Subaru could not maliciously doubt him. There was nothing about Subaru worth devoting that hand just to lay a trap for him.
From beginning to end, Chisha saw value in and had determined the Emperor and Empire as that which must be saved.
His actions that no one could comprehend stood upon two pillars of certainty.
Subaru: [There’s just one thing I want to confirm.]
Chisha: [If it is something I can answer, I do not mind.]
Subaru: [That Noh, it’s the power to change into another person, but is it something that can be used anytime, or any number of times?]
Chisha: [――I am afraid, I must deny that.]
Chisha informed him of this in a hushed voice, and Subaru sighed with an “I thought so.”
The “mask” of Vincent he had torn off and the “mask” of Ferris that had cracked, both had vanished in the end by turning into dust. He had a sense that it had been something that should be called a disappearance or loss, that it was not the type of ability where it could be used over and over again; somehow he had possessed that intuition.
Chisha’s goal was the existence of Vincent Vollachia.
For that purpose, Chisha, who had been wearing the “mask” of Vincent, put on the “mask” of Ferris that could heal even fatal wounds with its vast restorative power, and relinquished both “masks”.
One that was essential for that goal, and one that could become an emergency trump card, respectively.
If he had gone that far to save his life, it would be impossible for Natsuki Subaru. ――Impossible for him to not feel any sort of gratitude toward the one who did so.
Subaru: [Please, tell me more, Chisha-san.]
Chisha: [――――]
Subaru: [I don’t believe you did something like this on a whim or for show. ――If there is a future of ruin approaching like you said, it’s not just someone else’s problem. After all, my Rem has been taken hostage in this country. I’m also someone who has a reason to do something about the Empire.]
More than aware of that unreasonable logic, Subaru declared this to Chisha.
If there was ruin on the horizon that Vincent Vollachia, renowned as the Wise Emperor, and Chisha Gold, who was clearly clever, were both trying to oppose, then surely there would be an opportunity for Subaru with his meager power to assist them. ――No, Subaru would go and seize such an opportunity with his own limbs.
That was because――,
Chisha: [――The Great Disaster.]
Subaru: [Great Disaster… as in a large calamity?] [3]
To Subaru, who ruminated over that murmur, Chisha nodded in confirmation with a “Yes”.
A large calamity ――For a description of the apparent future of ruin awaiting the Vollachian Empire, there was probably no more suitable name.
Having said that, Chisha looked straight at Subaru and continued.
His face lacked all color, yet his voice harbored a certain fervor.
Chisha: [I shall take measures to save the Vollachian Empire from this Great Disaster. Therefore, there is a board and pieces I must set up for that purpose.]
Subaru: [I understand.]
He had decided his position. As it happened, the journey to find out where Yorna Mishigure’s heart lay now brought Subaru a similar chance to decide.
He was deeply concerned over Emilia, Beatrice, and everyone else in the Kingdom. He wanted to see everyone again soon. Even though she had no Memories, he wanted to have them all meet the awakened Rem.
However, whether he wanted to or not, he could not abandon the Vollachian Empire and Chisha.
Subaru: [There is no way I can’t, so I’ll help too. ――Bring it on, O inevitable fate.]
△▼△▼△▼△
???: [――Excuse me, Governor, could you please not make me repeat myself? This is a direct order from His Excellency the Emperor, Vincent Vollachia!]
???: [I understand your grievances. However, I have been given peremptory orders in my capacity, and am in the position of assuming the responsibility of the governor of this island. I cannot make a decision so lightly concerning an action that twists the enforced traditions.]
???: [Urghh! You rockhead! Big head! Who do you take me for!? I am the woman who will be His Excellency, Emperor Vincent Vollachia’s Empress!]
With a big thump on his artificial chest, Natsuki Subaru―― no, having become Natsumi Schwartz once again, Subaru/Schwartz boldly spread such false information.
In front of Subaru/Schwartz, who was shamelessly using such means, was a person with such a scary face that a child remembering it during the night might be unable to get up to go to the bathroom: Gustav Morello, who had closed his mouth that his fangs protruded from and crossed his four burly arms with a stern look.
With a physique like a professional wrestler, blue skin, and more arms than the usual two, Gustav was from a race of demi-humans known as the Multi-Arm Tribe.
However, to Subaru/Schwartz, the most important thing about him was his position, which was――,
???: [――Governer of the Gladiator Island Ginunhive, Gustav Morello-dono.]
Gustav: [Correct, that is my title. I thank you for the reminder, General First-Class Chisha Gold.]
Chisha: [No, that should be my line. Or rather, I purposefully called you such because I wanted the individual I brought with me to understand.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [Mmm, what do you mean by that General First-Class Chisha? Surely you, no more than a mere General, are not criticizing me, one who receives the affection of His Excellency? You are forgetting your position, no?]
Closing his fan with a snap, Subaru/Schwartz scowled at the pale face sitting across from him―― the profile of Chisha’s face, and haughtily declared so. Gustav raised his brows that lacked eyebrows at those words, but the one in question, Chisha, shrugged his shoulders with an unconcerned look, and,
Chisha: [It is criticism, I suppose. Simply put, Governor Gustav’s stance is an expression of his sincere attempt to fulfill the orders of His Excellency the Emperor… in other words, it is nothing but devotion to His Excellency whom Natsumi-sama loves and reveres. It is my humble belief that those who would not understand this would not be acting in accordance with His Excellency’s wishes.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [Nnn…!]
His face turned red with anger, and Subaru/Schwartz’s lips trembled. Toward that behavior, Chisha shut one eye and looked at Gustav, seeing the Governor had clenched his hands at the ends of his crossed arms into fists, then moved them behind his back as if to hide those fists, and gave a small cough.
If one thought this was deserved, then Gustav had a surprisingly good personality. ――Subaru/Schwartz was also putting in a lot of effort, and playing the role of an unpleasant villainess was worth it.
Chisha, who was sincerely close to the hearts of the soldiers in the field, and the Empress Consort candidate who was ignorant of the realities of the field, Subaru/Schwartz. This carrot-and-stick (Subaru/Schwartz) strategy was necessary to put a stop to the steady expansion of the rebel’s might and increase the odds of the Emperor’s side winning.
――It had been some time since Subaru and Chisha united under an alliance to oppose the Great Disaster.
The strife in the Demon City of Chaosflame had subsided, and Olbart and Kafma had somehow managed to survive. Arakiya and the two men led by Abel also withdrew, and the battle ended in a draw.
However, Yorna Mishigure, with her stronghold in Chaosflame, announced her intention to take neither the Emperor’s nor the rebel’s side, and elected to erect defensive lines around the crumbling Demon City and seclude herself there.
In the end, part of Subaru’s abdomen had been blown off and Chisha had lost the “mask” of Vincent that had been essential to his plans; it could be said that all had been in vain.
Subaru: [To make matters worse, Berstetz-san had Madelyn-chan assault a place called the Fortress City without permission…If Berstetz-san knows that Chisha-san’s disguised as the Emperor, shouldn’t you be more in sync with each other?]
Chisha: [Unfortunately, while I am in agreement with Prime Minister Berstetz on our course of action, there are issues we are fundamentally incompatible on. Ultimately, that elder is nothing more than a Sword Wolf of the Empire, and therefore there is a risk that our final conclusions shall clash in the end. As such…]
Subaru: [Might as well ignore it until there’s a conflict at the very last minute and continue as usual?]
Chisha: [Currently, we are busy handling the growing momentum of the rebels. For now, I think we can assume Prime Minister Berstetz shall have no room to take notice of you or me.]
Chisha’s opinion could be called wishful thinking in such a hopeless situation.
Berstetz, who was surprisingly quite hot-blooded despite his appearance and demeanor, had commenced an assault upon the rebel stronghold in the Fortress City the minute he had heard of the turmoil in Chaosflame.
The Fortress City was almost annihilated by a one-sided aerial onslaught by a flock of flying dragons commanded by Madelyn. There were also rumors that the insurgents had abandoned their base and scattered, but the one who brought them together, Abel―― the true Emperor, according to Chisha, would not be defeated so easily.
Abel and his allies spread rumors that the Emperor in the Imperial Capital was a fraud, throwing the public opinion into chaos. The best way to deny this was none other than to have Vincent Vollachia appear before the masses, but Chisha, who had lost the “mask” of the Emperor, could not do so.
As such, they could only respond to the situation by denying the rumors of the rebels with words and arresting those spreading such rumors as a way to deal with it.
In addition, the difference in military strength between the Imperial Army and the rebels was becoming a bit of a problem.
Chisha: [Even though he managed to survive, I anticipate it shall be some time before General Second-Class Kafma will return to the front lines. General First-Class Olbart also lost one of his arms, and failing to ally ourselves with General First-Class Yorna was a serious blow.]
Subaru: [Olbart-san, huh…]
Chisha: [I do not believe you need to wear such a gloomy face. Without your quick wit and advice, it is very likely that General First-Class Olbart would have lost more than a single arm, and General Second-Class Kafma would have lost his life. If the two of them had fallen, I am not sure we would have returned safely.]
Chisha consoled Subaru, whose face had become depressed, but his complicated feelings remained. In the unexpected struggle of life and death at Chaosflame, he had gotten mixed up in a battle between transcendent beings who did not know the meaning of restraint, and had ended up accumulating many Return by Deaths.
The most shocking occurrence of all, was that Olbart, the man called the Third who was supposed to be ranked number three in the Empire, had lost his life on several occasions from surprise attacks in the middle of the battle with Arakiya. Similar predicaments had befallen Kafma, and Subaru had attempted to prevent it over and over again.
Subaru: [Each and every time, that bandana bastard…]
Often it was Arakiya’s strike that took Olbart or Kafma’s life in the end. And yet, it was always that bandana bastard who made the decisive blow that created those situations.
The reason he could only call him names that sounded like insults was because despite repeatedly Returning by Death and clashing with him, he had been that thorough in not disclosing any information about himself. The bandana bastard had never let his name be called out, even by the rough-looking twin-sword wielder who seemed to be his partner.
In all honesty, he was shocked that Arakiya, who he had considered someone he was indebted to, had turned against them, and he could not conceal the shivers of fear he felt when he thought of her dreadful power as the second strongest in the Empire.
And yet, strangely enough, Subaru was more afraid of that bandana bastard than Arakiya.
A man with total murderous intent and eyes so lacking in warmth it was creepy―― where could the Emperor, chased from his throne by Chisha and reduced to a rebel, have found such a man and enticed him into supporting him.
In any case――,
Chisha: [Simply Arakiya alone as an enemy, would be liable to nullify numerical advantages on the battlefield.]
Subaru: [What nonsense… is of course what I wouldn’t say after seeing the battle in Chaosflame. Such absurd power, how in the world did Arakiya-chan…?]
Chisha: [I can only say that such is her lineage, however, her title as the Second is not merely for show. In addition, although there is not much information to go on, it appears the rebels have received strong reinforcements.]
Subaru: [Arakiya-chan alone was already way too much of a problem, and yet… Hey, isn’t there too much resentment toward Emperor Vincent-san? Will it be okay to return his throne to him?]
Chisha: [I calculate that I will be able to balance things out in the end.]
He would like to believe it since that calculating Chisha said so, but why did he keep dodging Subaru’s questions regarding the Emperor’s humanity?
If the conduct and speech of Chisha when he was wearing the “mask” of the Emperor were the conduct and speech of the actual Emperor himself, it was easy to understand the reasons why he was reluctant to speak about it. Perhaps Vincent Vollachia was such a brilliant man that mere words cannot do him justice. Those beneath him sure had it rough.
Subaru: [So, what do we do? We could put out some kind of cool announcement, to focus the soldiers and prevent betrayal… Or maybe we should just try telling the imprisoned Goz-san everything?]
Chisha: [There is a strong element of a gamble in that. Nonetheless, coming up with countermeasures for Arakiya is troubling.]
Subaru: [A brave soul who can contain Arakiya, huh? By the way, Chisha-san, you’re also one of the Nine Divine Generals, but your abilities are…]
Chisha: [I have some experience, but if I faced Arakiya, I would be dust within seconds despite that.]
Subaru: [It’s obvious you’re the resourceful type. As expected… Though, thinking of the Nine Divine Generals, what’s going on with the other Nine Divine Generals besides Yorna-san who aren’t in the Imperial Capital and aren’t cooperating with Abel’s side?]
Suddenly, Subaru became interested in what the positions of the Nine Divine Generals were in the first place, and tilted his head.
They were called the Nine Divine Generals, so naturally there were nine individuals in total. There were a few exceptions among the Generals such as Kafma, but generally only a General First-Class could face another General-First Class on equal footing. Each and every one of them were transcendent beings equivalent to a thousand warriors, and so if discussing a countermeasure for Arakiya, one should start from within their ranks.
Chisha: [The Ninth, Madelyn Eschart, is under Prime Minister Berstetz. The Eighth, Moguro Hagane, is unable to leave the defenses of the Imperial Capital for certain reasons. The Seventh, Yorna Mishigure, is holed up in the Demon City, and the Sixth, Groovy Gumlet, is part of an expedition to the west to deal with some important matters.]
Subaru: [And then, the Fifth, Goz Ralfon-san, is a prisoner on false charges, the Fourth, Chisha Gold-san, is an insurrectionist, and the Third, Olbart Dunkelkenn-san, is injured. The Second, Arakiya-chan, is out of our control after betraying us… Huh? What about the First?]
Chisha: [――――]
Subaru: [The First hasn’t come up much now that I mention it. If I’m not mistaken it was, umm, Cecilus Segmunt-san?]
Chisha: [Regarding the subject of Cecilus, well, it is fine.]
Subaru: [It most certainly isn’t! I mean, if we’re talking about stopping Arakiya-chan, it’d be strange if his name didn’t come up immediately, right!? Pit the First against the Second! I’ve pitted “the strongest” against “the invincible” before! I’m very knowledgeable about it!]
Wondering why he had not thought of it before, Subaru was struck by what might have been the good idea of all good ideas.
At the very least, no rumors that the foremost of the Empire had betrayed Chisha as the Emperor or joined Abel’s rebellion had reached Subaru’s ears.
Then he must exist. The strongest of the Empire, the Blue Lightning of Vollachia.
Subaru: [I’ve heard he’s a bit of a problem child, but it’s a risk we should be prepared for if we want to contain Arakiya-chan…]
Chisha: [A bit? Problem child? I cannot accept that sort of perception toward that thing.]
Subaru: [That thing? Umm? Chisha-san?]
Wondering what aspect of Subaru’s thoughts Chisha could not stomach, Subaru’s eyes glazed over as Chisha continued despite the break in his sentences. Chisha suddenly leaned in close, unmistakable hardship and anguish bleeding from his thin face devoid of all color, and,
Chisha: [I would love to hear about the “bit of a problem” Natsuki-dono has heard of, given how much effort I have made to this day to restrain Cecilus in his role as General First-Class.]
Subaru: [Yikes, I flipped a strange switch! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It was an outsider’s opinion!]
Chisha: [No, seeing that we have already opened up our hearts to each other, you and I are in the same boat now, Natsuki-dono. I would say that it is inevitable that we will have to reconcile our perceptions of each other. Well then, let us start with myself. The amount of stories I should tell of Cecilus numbers far more than I could count using all my hands and feet twice over, however――]
Subaru: [Help! Heeelp!!]
――Then, despite being drowned by a waterfall of the various emotions Chisha held toward Cecilus, sure enough, Subaru ultimately came to the conclusion that he was necessary.
Afterwards, Subaru and Chisha devised a plan, announced that Vincent Vollachia, who could no longer make appearances in public, had fallen ill, and left Berstetz to deal with the imperial citizens’ reactions as they heated up into absurd arguments such as “one who collapses during a civil war lacks the qualifications of an Emperor” and “If a disease was what brought down the Emperor, then is the disease supposed to inherit the throne?”, and ran off to various places.
Subaru: [Rem! Was everything okay while I was gone? No injuries or inconveniences or anything? It’s really frustrating that I can’t take you with me, but if there is anything, please don’t hide it and talk to me. Is there anything you’d like to tell me now while you can?]
Rem: [You came back really suddenly, what happened? To begin with, you should already be finished with that errand, so why are you still in women’s clothes?]
Subaru: [The situation of it being problematic if it’s known that I’m involved in the Empire’s quarrels is still ongoing, so it’s inevitable that Natsumi Schwartz would return to the stage. It’s a necessity.]
Rem: [――. ――――. ――――――――. Is that so?]
Subaru: [That pause seems to imply you don’t understand!]
Rem: [It’s nothing. Anyways, more than anything I’m glad you’re safe.]
Subaru: [Oh! Well, half my stomach was blown off and I almost died, but…]
Rem: [Ha?]
Louis: [Uau!]
Of course, it was critical that he made sure to check in with Rem and confirm there had been no changes in her condition when he returned to the Imperial Capital.
Although there was still some numbness in her legs, Rem seemed to have reached a point where she could move around quite well, and she showed her innate caring nature doing as she pleased at Berstetz’s mansion. Subaru’s heart was filled to the brim with warmth as he saw glimpses of Rem despite her lack of Memories.
However, it was vexing that Louis was still scampering around as usual.
Rem: [Speaking of, this Natsumi Schwartz…]
Subaru: [Ah. Huh, what is it, what is it? Do you have something to say about Natsumi Schwartz? Like she’s cute or something?]
Rem: [Incorrect… I happened to hear a rumor. That is, something like, you becoming the Empress Consort.]
Subaru: [Oh that? Rather than becoming, we’re spreading rumors that it seems like I’ll become that. It’s part of the strategy. For various reasons, it’s hard for His Excellency the Emperor to act, so I will be his representative… or more accurately, something like his representative’s representative.]
Rem: [――. Isn’t that dangerous?]
Subaru: [I’m not saying there isn’t danger. Still, for outsiders like me and you, Rem, the Empire has always been a lion’s den whether we jump in or not. In order to brazenly escape from this lion’s den, I will face any danger. If at all possible, fight in the way that gives the greatest chance of victory!]
Rem: [So your way of fighting with the greatest chance of victory is crossdressing?]
Subaru: [Indeed… Huh, isn’t it cute?]
Rem: [――. ――――. ――――――――. Please take this seriously.]
Receiving that support from Rem, Subaru/Schwartz headed out on a pilgrimage to secure military forces.
The purpose of the journey was to pacify and inspire the troops garrisoned all over, and Natsumi Schwartz, the candidate to become Empress Consort of the Wise Emperor, who up until now had never taken a single wife, was paramount.
His behaviour was brimming with confidence, he declared himself the representative of the Emperor, and to assuage any lack of persuasiveness, since he was accompanied by Chisha Gold of the Nine Divine Generals, it was sufficient.
And with everything going smoothly, Subaru/Schwartz and Chisha headed to their destination――,
???: [――Oya oya oya, it’s rare for a guest from the outside to pay me a visit! I don’t believe I’ve yet to properly participate in one of the island’s performances, but nevertheless, rumors must have already spread, that’s me for you! After all, it’s hard to keep the brilliance of the starring actor of this world hidden!]
Indeed, upon the Gladiator Island, they ended up coming face to face with Cecilus Segmunt, a boy who chattered louder than a lit firecracker―― and with a more youthful appearance than rumored.
Chisha was quite opposed to calling upon Cecilus as a means to compensate for their lack of a decisive blow, but there are no replacements for those that are called the strongest existences.
Thus, Subaru/Schwartz was eager to implore Cecilus to join the swing of the sword to defend against the Great Disaster that would befall the Empire, and then――,
△▼△▼△▼△
???: [Well, well, well, what a big event! Those far away, heed my voice!! Those near, come see for yourself! It’s the debut of the leading actor, Cecilus Segmunt!!]
The wind howled thunderously, and an unarmed Cecilus made a cheerful display, standing upon the island side of the drawbridge that connected the island and the mainland. ――He was facing the mass of black shadows that were descending upon the Gladiator Island.
Knowing in the very core of his being just what kind of existence it was and just how dangerous it was, Subaru/Schwartz could only gasp and be overwhelmed by Cecilus’s composure on stage.
――Cecilus Segmunt, the First of the Nine Divine Generals; the plan to extract him from the Gladiator Island had become exceedingly more difficult.
Gustav Morello, the governor entrusted with the management of the island, was unusually stubborn and inflexible, and he had adamantly refused to agree to the appeals of Subaru/Schwartz, who had been accompanied by the embodiment of persuasiveness that was Chisha.
He had been ordered by the real Vincent to not let the island’s criminals ――that is, the Gladiators, leave the island, and so he still displayed resistance to the proper procedures, causing trouble for Subaru/Schwartz and Chisha.
The “curse rule” that brought an end to any Gladiator that attempted to forcefully leave the island was particularly troublesome.
Transmitted by a Curse Tool possessed by Gustav, that cursed law had the entire island within its range, and it was applied to Subaru/Schwartz and his companions who had stepped foot on the island without knowing, preventing escape.
As a result, Subaru/Schwartz ended up being forced to face numerous unforeseen struggles, but the predicaments on the Gladiator Island did not end at Gustav.
The objective, Cecilus Segmunt, was also a difficult person that wouldn’t cooperate so easily.
Cecilus: [It’s surprising, but I don’t consider freedom to be unconditionally good. People have the freedom to draw pictures or compose words upon paper without constraints, but the likelihood of that which is put on paper carelessly or without thought becoming a masterpiece of literature or art is exceedingly low. Every masterpiece requires passion and a unified direction.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [Stuff like client demands and delivery deadlines?]
Cecilus: [I like that. When I converse with Empress Consort Candidate-sama, my inspiration is violently stirred by your unfamiliar words and it raises my mood! And perhaps what Empress Consort Candidate-sama says is correct! They are necessary for stories. A destination to aim for.]
Subaru/Schwartz: [If so, then alongside us…]
Cecilus: [I’m still unable to determine if I can do so alongside Empress Consort Candidate-sama! After all, I’m a leading actor in great demand… for even now, the many words of support from the ladies and gentlemen who continue to have great expectations for my success are striking my heart like raindrops!]
Thus, despite seeming to lend an ear to Subaru/Schwartz’s persuasion, he was not about to lend his support.
Cecilus was one or two sizes smaller than he had heard, but the part of him at his core that was difficult to deal with seemed to be alive and well, and a pain rivaling even Gustav lay there.
Even so, Subaru/Schwartz, together with Chisha, had struggled to overcome Gustav and Cecilus, the two greatest obstacles to conquering the Gladiator Island.
And then, after all of that――,
???: [――Is that… the Witch?]
As the surging waves of the billowing lake crashed down and Cecilus bathed in the spray, behind him, Gustav watched the shadows alongside Subaru/Schwartz and let out those words in a voice stifled with astonishment.
The Witch, indeed, it was the Witch. With unparalleled strength, it was an unmanageable threat of the most formidable class―― that was what had emerged at the Gladiator Island, and now stood in the way of Subaru/Schwartz and everyone else.
As Cecilus laughed, Subaru/Schwartz and Gustav trembled.
And finally, Chisha collapsed in Subaru/Schwartz’s arms, tears of blood spilling down his face while showing the most pained expression he had made until now―― just moments before, the White Spider had donned the “mask” of Subaru/Schwartz.
Subaru/Schwartz: [Don’t tell me, could it be because you wore my “mask”?]
The Witch of Envy had long forbidden Subaru from revealing Return by Death.
Knowing the horror of the penalty that came when he transgressed this taboo, Subaru had abandoned disclosing Return by Death and worked hard to prevent the victims of his Authority from expanding beyond himself.
It had never even occurred to him that the same taboo would be applied to Chisha wearing his “mask”.
Chisha: [――Hk.]
Strictly speaking, Chisha, who was shedding tears of blood, had not worn Subaru’s “mask”. He had attempted to wear it, but the moment he had activated Noh, it had rejected Chisha and the “mask” had shattered into pieces.
However, the Witch was not so forgiving that she would turn a blind eye due to a failed attempt. When he came to, the color of the sky had changed, an ominous wind had begun to blow, and the world had started to come apart.
And like that, the Witch slowly arrived at the island as a herald of the end――,
Cecilus: [The world is vast, magnificent, and full of the unexpected. ――It’s getting entertaining now, isn’t it, everyone?]
Cecilus boldly declared so in a voice devoid of even a tinge of bravado or pretense to Subaru/Schwartz, whose body was being pummeled from the inside by his furiously pounding heart.
This predicament, his distress, the demise drawing ever close at hand; Cecilus Segmunt greeted it all with a laugh. That made Subaru/Schwartz’s heart tremble. ――Whether that was out of horror or perhaps an impulse closer to admiration, he could not even make such a distinction.
Chisha: [This threat, there is no mistaking it… however, there appear to be… slight fluctuations…]
Subaru/Schwartz: [Chisha-san!]
Chisha: [I am most embarrassed to frighten you so… I would also like to avoid being looked down upon by Cecilus when he is that size.]
This was grumbled in a tone that was clearly full of bravado and pretense, and supported by Subaru/Schwartz, Chisha sat up and got on his feet.
Wiping away his bloody tears with a finger, leaving behind traces of blood on his white face, Chisha slapped Gustav, who was standing motionless, on the back, bringing the Governor of the Gladiator Island to his senses.
Gustav: [General First-Class, Chisha Gold… In my capacity…]
Chisha: [There must be a role that none but you can play. What is it that His Excellency Vincent Vollachia has ordered of you?]
Gustav: [That――]
Chisha: [We are here. ――Fulfill your duty, Gustav Morello!]
Gustav caught his breath at that forceful statement, his fanged mouth stiffened, and then he turned and rushed resolutely toward the center of the island.
Upon the Gladiator Island, there were many Gladiators alongside those who managed them. Gustav was the only one who could mobilize everyone appropriately to prevent them from being harmed.
And then――,
Chisha: [Might I suggest that you also withdraw to a safe location?]
Subaru/Schwartz: [A safe location… Where could I find that on this island?]
Shaking his head at Chisha’s proposition, Subaru/Schwartz also rose to his feet and responded.
As if sucking up the dark water of the lake, the Witch’s shadows swelled to the size of a small mountain and approached, so formidable that it threatened to engulf everything, no matter where one was on the island.
This penalty for violating the taboo, was it a similar development to when she had swallowed everything, upon his disclosure of Return by Death to Echidna in the Tomb of the Sanctuary? On that occasion, if he had not had Petra’s handkerchief that Echidna had implanted with light, he would have been in a predicament where even suicide would not have been possible.
However, at this very moment――,
Subaru/Schwartz: [If it will be the same no matter where I go, I will see it through. ――No matter how many times it takes.]
Chisha: [A baffling way of putting it, but it is marvelous the impact it has.]
Holding his own elbow, Subaru/Schwartz resolved to not move from that spot.
In truth, there was no escape. And if those who held the strength to oppose the Witch were unable to completely resist her, then Subaru/Schwartz would simply create an opportunity and prepare a way to break out of the situation.
Before Subaru/Schwartz, who was resigned to Return by Death, Chisha stepped forward, standing alongside the blue-haired youth at the front line, and――,
Cecilus: [The long-awaited climax, the grand stage, in the spotlight! Can I expect that your resolve is set if at this moment of truth, you’re standing alongside me, the flash of lightning that illuminates the world?]
Chisha: [Even when you are this size, your prattling does not shrink too… What resolve?]
Cecilus: [Hahaha, I don’t care whether you lie! Haven’t you been avoiding me since you came to the Gladiator Island? Empress Consort Candidate-sama tried all sorts of tricks and wiles to woo me, but you drew my interest by not interacting with me! I don’t know whether that was intentional or not! With that premise, I can’t help but have expectations when it comes to this situation!]
Chisha: [Expectations. ――Hearing you say that, I feel revolted.]
Having assumed his young form, Cecilus had completely forgotten his connection to Chisha. Chisha accepted this fact as if he expected it, and was likely intimately involved in Cecilus’s current condition.
While thinking about that matter, Subaru/Schwartz also thought this of the two standing side-by-side:
Subaru/Schwartz: […Dependable.]
――This was the sight that Vincent Vollachia had seen.
No matter how formidable an enemy stood before them, if Chisha and Cecilus stood together before oneself, therein lay the confidence to believe that those two would crush them, force them to yield, and clear a path forward.
In front of Subaru/Schwartz, who was convinced by his heartbeat within, Chisha made the first move.
Slowly, Chisha brought his hand up to his own pale face, and put on a “mask”――
Chisha: [――Mask of the Lightning.]
His bones creaked loudly, as his constitution, the thickness of his flesh, and the structure of his body all began to change.
While seeing this grotesque Noh transformation of sorts before his eyes, Subaru/Schwartz had the transformation sequence of a hero of justice in his head.
It was undoubtedly a transformation sequence, in the sense that it created anticipation of what was to come. And when that transformation sequence ended, what was there was――,
Cecilus: [Oh, oh, oh! Well well, such a handsome young man, I couldn’t help but be captivated! For some reason, it has the flavor of the appearance of someone I recognize, but what’s this?]
Chisha: [I am impressed by your unwavering thoughts.]
Next to Cecilus, who had raised his voice, there stood Chisha, who had changed appearance to that of a young man with long blue hair. Standing behind them, Subaru/Schwartz knew who it was with a single glance, thanks to the object of comparison being next to him.
――Reproduced via Noh, this was the original form of Cecilus Segmunt. This was the presence of the Blue Lightning, the strongest of Vollachia, before he shrunk.
Chisha: [We shall attack the seams. Can you keep up?]
Cecilus: [Oh hoh, you took the words right out of my mouth! Don’t believe that you’ll be able to leave me behind just because you happen to have a beautiful face that catches eyes and etches itself into your mind. The Empress Consort candidate too, don’t even blink!]
Responding to the provocation by Chisha in his own true form, and while briefly showing consideration to Subaru/Schwartz with the final words at the end, Cecilus poked the ground of the island with his zori. [4]
Beside him, Chisha made the same gesture―― Two Cecilus’s, big and small, exchanged glances, and in an instant, two bolts of lightning arced in a flash across the island and launched at the incompletely manifested Witch.
It was undoubtedly a legendary scene worthy of being majestically narrated at length in an illustrated story.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime, truly eerie and wondrous performance upon a grand stage, where two surging bolts of lightning clashed against a specter of black shadows.
△▼△▼△▼△
???: [――I suppose the proper clash shall begin tomorrow.]
Chisha muttered while holding a sake cup, admiring the gleaming Crystal Palace from the balcony of the Imperial Residence.
Illuminated by the light of the night, the beautiful, dazzling rays danced upon the castle in the distance. Subaru also held a sake cup in his hand―― though its contents were milk, he stood next to Chisha, saying “I see…” with a sigh.
Chisha: [――――]
An awkward silence fell, and Subaru struggled to hold back the complicated emotions in his chest. However, to the extent one could somehow do so with superficial effort, this struggle was not a foe that could be so easily overcome.
Ever since Chaosflame, where he had saved Chisha and been saved by Chisha in turn, then made the decision to take his hand and support his aims, thus becoming involved with the affairs of the Empire, there had always been a lingering unease that would not fade; it was precisely this sort of troublesome foe, one that continued to force Subaru to reexamine himself.
Next to Subaru, who was fighting a battle of attrition with that troublesome foe, Chisha brought his sake cup to his mouth, his tongue moistened with alcohol, and called out, “Natsuki-dono,”
Chisha: [You have helped me quite a bit. Once again allow me to convey my gratitude.]
Subaru: [Oioi, you’re being sentimental. Someone saying stuff like that before a battle like they’re putting their affairs in order, may very well tip a flag that they’re gonna mess up at a crucial moment.]
Chisha: [A flag… Would that be like what Cecilus calls “foreshadowing”? ]
Subaru: [Yeah yeah, like Ceci.]
Cecilus’s characteristic way of wording things was difficult to understand, but when deciphered, Subaru found there was a lot to be impressed by in how he perceived the true nature of things and how his way of thinking got to the heart of matters.
Even if it was an imperfect manifestation, Cecilus had repelled the Witch who assailed the Gladiator Island along with Chisha, and had exclaimed, “My long-awaited grand performance!” as he cheerfully left the island, and for better or worse had been waiting in the Imperial Capital for his turn on stage without a care in the world.
The specific particulars on how Cecilus had gained a young form were unclear to him, but if even things such as his ways of thinking or feeling had also been made young, Subaru wondered if it might be the case that when he one day returned to his original form, he might lose his current vibrant sensibilities. If that was the case, he thought that would be regrettable.
Chisha: [Do not worry yourself, I suppose Cecilus has always been that way.]
Subaru: [No kidding. Then I’m… well I can’t say I’m relieved, since I’ll be worried in the opposite sense. The First, Ceci is like that, the Second, Arakiya-chan is how she is, Vollachia sure managed to keep running, huh?]
Chisha: [All of that is due to His Excellency the Emperor Vincent Vollachia’s management. ――Consequently, I am not confident in the success of this endeavor. In truth, I suppose it has been riddled with unforeseen occurrences.]
Subaru: [Like my appearance.]
Chisha: [You said it yourself.]
The corners of his mouth relaxed, and Chisha gave a small chuckle at Subaru’s words.
Talking about unforeseen circumstances, Subaru would not lose out to Chisha. From the beginning, since they were sent to the Vollachian Empire, not a single thing had gone as expected.
Subaru: [If I had to say anything, it’s that Natsumi Schwartz’s existence has been proven to the Empire after the Kingdom, I guess.]
Chisha: […I do not believe I possess the qualification to say this after so thoroughly using it, but I do doubt whether you learned those skills in the Kingdom.]
Subaru: [Ahh, the level-up of my skills was developed in Lugunica, but I acquired those skills elsewhere. In my hometown, beyond the so-called Great Waterfall… Oops. Beako kept getting upset with me, saying that putting it like that would cause misunderstandings, but I did it again.]
Chisha: [Beyond the Great Waterfall. ――I see, I understand now.]
Subaru felt his fingers tremble from a lack of Beatromin, and beside him Chisha nodded as if he was impressed in some way by what he had said. Based on the flow of the conversation, it wasn’t regarding Subaru/Schwartz, but rather the topic after that. ――It was probably about the Great Waterfall.
Chisha: [All along, I have held some doubts. As a citizen of the Kingdom, it was natural that your values differed from ours in the Empire, Natsuki-dono, but even so, the divergence was too large.]
Subaru: [The divergence was… too large?]
Chisha: [To speak bluntly, you overvalue the worth of lives. ――Or, to be more precise, I suppose I should say the worth of other people’s lives.]
Subaru blinked as Chisha spoke those words while he traced his own slender jaw with a finger.
The worth of lives, of course such a thing would have great significance. Everyone had but a single life. There may be exceptions, but setting those exceptions aside, that was an absolute truth.
And it was for that reason, he wished that no opportunities would be stolen from any lives.
Subaru: [Even you, Chisha-san, saved me in Chaosflame, you know? Back then, thanks to you tearing off the “mask” of the Emperor and donning Ferris’s, you linked together the unforeseen circumstances of unforeseen circumstances.]
Chisha: [That was simply due to the fact that there was merit in using you, Natsuki-dono. If I were to speak using my own standards of value, it was simply that the loss of allowing you to die there felt far greater. However, you do not see things in such terms of advantages and disadvantages. I suppose the reason for this is the sense of values at your core.]
Subaru: […I get that things like the soil and water you grew up with can change how you view the world. Since I hate the Empire.]
Chisha: [Haha, you say it so clearly it is almost refreshing.]
Subaru: [I hate the Empire. I hate it, but I can’t bring myself to completely hate everyone on that soil. That’s the sort of standards of value I have, though.]
That was not a particularly special mindset, or at least Subaru did not think so.
Of course, Subaru was well aware that his ideals were naive compared to the values of the Kingdom of Lugunica, much less the values of the fierce and harsh Vollachian Empire. Even after living in another world for over a year, he did not feel like he would ever get used to the exchange of lives.
To a certain extent, he accepted that it was inevitable that this would be used as a reason for disappointment. On the other hand, when used as a reason for praise, he couldn’t help but think it was not such a big deal.
Subaru: [First of all, you believe me, Chisha-san? That I came from beyond the Great Waterfall?]
Chisha: [Words I have never seen nor heard before, your way of thinking, some skills, and those values. A Witch Cultist who managed to learn social skills while being raised in a senseless environment―― Well, if I had to use such a dreadful description, I would more easily preserve the tranquility of my heart by saying they were a visitor from beyond the Great Waterfall.]
Subaru: [Seriously? Is it information that, If you don’t convince yourself to that level, you can’t balance the scales?… I should’ve taken Beako more seriously…]
For Chisha, it was apparently a story on the level of him only believing it because it was preferable to Subaru being a Witch Cultist.
Even the Emilia Camp tended to be the type to more or less let Subaru’s history go in one ear and out the other, so he was grateful that Chisha believed him, even if it was through dubious logic, but from now on, he intended to be much more careful in how he broached such subjects.
Subaru: [I’m sure glad we had this talk before I carelessly reminisced about my past with Rem. I’ve been slowly building just a bit of momentum, but my favorability almost crashed again. Even though I’m already at rock bottom.]
Chisha: [It has been oddly low up to now.]
Rem’s feelings fluctuated and were hard to evaluate, and Chisha’s comment was sympathetic to that.
Over the course of opening up to each other, he had told Chisha that Rem had become a victim of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, and as a result had forgotten her connection with Subaru.
Though, now that he thought about how the previous conversation regarding his connection to the Great Waterfall had been received, there was also the possibility Chisha had only believed this since it was preferable to Subaru being an evil stalker with a complicated attachment to Rem.
Chisha: [Originally, I had had no intention of recalling Cecilus.]
Subaru: [Huh?]
Subaru’s eyes widened as he was caught off guard by the atmosphere of the sudden change in the flow of the conversation.
When he looked, Chisha had placed his sake cup on the railing of the balcony, and while opening and closing his now vacant hand, with his golden eyes he gazed upon the Crystal Palace―― no, the very Imperial Capital itself.
Given the change in atmosphere, Subaru also set down his cup and looked out upon the same scene.
Chisha: [As you may have already grasped, I changed him into that youthful form with my Noh. It was for good reason that I sent him to the Gladiator Island like that. And that, along with everything else was――]
Subaru: [To prepare for the coming Great Disaster, right? I don’t get what you stood to gain from shrinking Ceci and tossing him onto an island, but… Ah, wait, maybe, was it the same as with Goz-san?]
Chisha: [You are not far from the mark, thus I shall leave it at that. After all, no one can stand on the same level as Cecilus Segmunt. ――Aside from the Sword Saint and the Admirer and such.]
Subaru: […Your name is coming up even here, you are truly worldwide, Reinhard.]
As a matter of fact, Subaru had seen with his own eyes that Cecilus’s strength was something that deviated from the norm.
During the battle against the Witch that had unfolded, the true value of the Blue Lightning had certainly been demonstrated. ――However, it had not been the young Cecilus himself who had demonstrated this, but rather Chisha, having donned that “mask” and played the role of an adult Cecilus.
To Subaru’s eyes, as one who had seen Reinhard’s transcendent combat up close twice before, he certainly believed that the ability of the adult Cecilus could be placed in the same realm of the transcendent.
However――,
Subaru: [If we’re only talking about strength, then sure, but there are more qualifications beyond just that necessary to stand alongside him.]
Chisha: [――. What do you mean by those words?]
Subaru: [Well, when Chisha-san and Ceci challenged that huge shadow on Ginunhive, it might have just been due to me having the heroine mentality of Natsumi Schwartz, but I could feel it. ――That these two, standing side-by-side, are the strongest of the Empire.]
Chisha: [――――]
Subaru: [I’m not just saying this because you had transformed into an adult Ceci, Chisha-san, got it? The dependability I felt then wasn’t that sort of thing. It’s like, the reason you win isn’t just because you’re strong, that sort of perspective is completely different… I can’t put it into words very well!]
Scratching his head, Subaru searched for a way to convey the passion of that moment.
Unlike just being strong because they were strong, and also unlike equating them because they were both the same strength, it was more like one plus one not equalling two, but some much greater number; it was that sort of extraordinary feeling.
Subaru: [Honestly, you’ve been so selfish. Even supposing he found out Chisha-san’s true intentions, His Excellency the Emperor might get so upset he would never forgive you. For my part, I believe Emperor Vincent is a lucky man though.]
Chisha: [His Excellency is a lucky man, you say? On that, I suppose we agree.]
Subaru: [Oh, not being humble about that?]
Chisha: [An accurate grasp of the capabilities of others, not to mention my own, is an essential measure of my role in the Empire. Above all, those who do not intend to make their true strength known shall only be devoured in this land of Sword Wolves.]
Subaru: [A society of super-efficiency, a super-meritocracy, a principle of super-competitiveness… I get it, but I have a bit of hope that Vollachia isn’t a place only defined by that.]
Saying that, Subaru spun around and leaned his back against the railing, looking up at the night sky.
The Imperial Capital of Lupugana was modeled as a star-shaped fortress, with the shimmering Crystal Palace placed at its north, and a sky full of stars that sparkled above. Subaru squinted at those stars, whose names he did not know.
He did not know their names, these stars he did not recognize or have any connection with, this starry sky that by all rights he should never have seen, yet they seemed to him to be exactly the same as people he had met in Vollachia.
Subaru: [Berstetz-san is surprisingly passionate. You evaluated him as an ultra-imperialist, Chisha-san, but I think he’s a passionate person. Probably the type that secretly treasures promises and such. Madelyn-chan doesn’t often open up her heart to me, but I think she’s quite caring. I think it was good to have someone by her side. I get the sense that she’s kind of lost on what to do with such compassion, I guess?]
Chisha: [Well, well, I feel like that is somewhat too soft of a viewpoint… However, you have me quite intrigued, so I suppose I would like to hear more.]
Subaru: [It’s nothing outrageous. Even after losing one of his arms, Olbart-san hasn’t shown even a bit of tragic heroism, probably due to the wisdom of his years. He may act viciously, but it seems like he has a surprising amount of compassion for young people. I haven’t had the chance to properly chat with Mogurocchi yet, but truthfully I have high expectations that he might be the most honest person in the Empire.]
After accompanying them to Chaosflame, Olbart seemed to have taken his feelings of guilt into consideration, wondering if he could attach a weapon where his lost arm had been. Since Subaru was constantly outside the city, he had had little contact with Moguro, who was in charge of guarding the Crystal Palace, but he was caring in a particularly quiet way, and often worried about Arakiya, who had left their side, and Goz, who was imprisoned.
Subaru: [As for Kafma-san, ever since the healing magic Rem remembered how to use worked on him, he’s become Rem’s biggest fan, which is honestly hilarious. But, given how much I’m running about, I’m grateful that there are those like Madelyn-chan who care about Rem. And, as for Ubilk… ah, well, how can I put it? He acts as a lubricant for the organization…]
Chisha: [If you cannot think of anything, I do not believe you should have to search for any good points in vain.]
Subaru: [Well, Ceci is Ceci, so I’ll skip that… And then there’s you, Chisha-san.]
Chisha: [――――]
Subaru: [It’s been one thing after another since I was sent to the Empire, but Chisha-san was always saving me… Or manipulating me? I was forced to go along with it…]
Chisha: [Wherever you fall on the matter, you shall not get any regret from me.]
Chisha stated so with a sigh toward Subaru, who was still uncertain in his evaluation.
Putting any manipulation or forced accompaniment aside, even the evaluation that he had been saved was deemed as vexing; Chisha Gold just had that sort of hard-to-please disposition.
However, that too, was a part of the partner whom he had spent so long with in such a short time.
Subaru: [For better or worse, you’ve been involved in eighty percent of my events in the Empire, Chisha-san. To me, the Vollachian Empire equals Chisha Gold.]
Chisha: [Discourteous. This is the Land of the Sword Wolf, and the Vollachian Empire is none other than the land of His Excellency, Emperor Vincent Vollachia himself, thus I pray you shall amend your belief.]
Shrugging his shoulders while joking, the rebel who ousted that very Emperor Vincent Vollachia from the throne, and threw the Empire into chaos due to his own wishes said such a thing.
To that, Subaru responded with “Nice joke,” and the two laughed together for a moment.
And then――,
Subaru: [This may well also be a flag or foreshadowing, so I’m unsure whether I should say it, but… well, after you achieve your goal, what will you do, Chisha-san?]
Chisha: [What, do you mean?]
Subaru: [Well, since you’ve done what you’ve done, even if you were to reveal everything, we don’t know whether Emperor Vincent would forgive you, right Chisha-san? That’s why… you know. If there’s no place for you left in the Empire, I could show you around the Kingdom this time!]
Chisha: [Hoh, you, Natsuki Subaru from beyond the Great Waterfall, shall show me the Kingdom of Lugunica?]
Subaru: [I’ve been living in the Kingdom for over a year now, so I can at least show you around the area!]
At any rate, if he was able to bring Rem back to the Kingdom of Lugunica, he wanted to not only help her recall her Memories, but also to journey around to the places she had been acquainted with.
Of course, since there was also the matter of Emilia’s Royal Selection, he did not have a lot of free time. Subaru felt it would not be so bad if Emilia, Beatrice, and a white Sword Wolf driven from the Empire were a part of such a journey.
Chisha: [As it is, in the position of supporting someone burdened with the complications of being a half-elf, I believe the way you extend your hand in that manner is perhaps a bit too unprincipled. If it is to this extent, I suspect the coordinator of the camp you are a part of, Natsuki-dono, surely has a lot of trouble piling up.]
Subaru: [Guh… It’s fine! It’s his own nature to take on troubles, and ‘cuz he told me to say anything without worrying about appearances!]
Chisha: [“‘Cuz”, huh?]
He had responded with a pretty reasonable rebuttal, and Subaru frowned.
Did the way he changed the topic ultimately mean Subaru had been rejected? Of course, he knew offering a prospect after being chased out of the Empire to Chisha, who was standing firm for the future of the Empire, was an insensitive topic.
Subaru: [I don’t like it when people try to do something somehow by putting themselves in a so-called heroic last stand, where they have nowhere to return, or nowhere to belong. That’s why I will offer the hand that I want to offer.]
Chisha: [Natsuki-dono…]
Subaru: [There! Flag building on the eve of a decisive battle is over! That’s all I wanted to discuss… Ah, thank you for taking care of Rem’s life. Doing that for me really saved me. …It’s super complicated, but I’d also like to thank Louis for that.]
While Subaru was away from the Imperial Capital, it seemed like the bond between Rem and Louis had grown deeper and deeper.
So far, she had not committed a single Sin Archbishop-like evil, and if anything seemed to be devotedly dedicating herself to Rem, but he could not fathom the root of those actions. ――Even if she was not what she appeared to be, it was going to be a headache to figure out what to do with her when he brought Rem back to the Kingdom.
Perhaps how to deal with this headache was a matter to consult Otto about.
Chisha: [――――]
Then, while Subaru was planning to make Otto’s stomachache even worse in that way, Chisha furrowed his brow, which was unusual, then opened his lips like he was going to say something, before closing them. Opened, then closed. Three times.
This seemed to be born of some kind of hesitation, and Subaru tilted his head.
Subaru: [Chisha-san, did that raise some flags?]
Chisha: [――. No, in fact I suppose it is the opposite. I nearly uttered something that could have been foreshadowing, thus I restrained myself. Cecilus and you almost got me there, Natsuki-dono.]
Subaru: [Ceci and I are in the same category!? Seriously!?]
Subaru’s eyes widened, taken aback by what Chisha had said with a chuckle. Without saying much about Subaru’s response, Chisha picked up the sake cup he had put on the railing and took a sip of the alcohol.
A man who, unbeknownst to anyone, had worked out a plan to repel the Great Disaster that would shake the very Empire, and perhaps may have to bear living with fingers pointing at him even after the truth became clear; the fruition of his battle, in which he had deceived even his own lord that he devoted his loyalty to, was now soon at hand.
While praying that wish would be successful, at the same time, a clear path to return to the Kingdom of Lugunica was finally in sight, Subaru also clenched his fists.
Then, driven by the heat welling up within him, he raised those fists up, and,
Subaru: [Let’s do it Chisha-san. This battle will be our victory!]
Chisha: [I am not the sort of person who can get that heated, but… I value that spirit.]
Saying so, Chisha raised his sake cup into the night without any momentum and brought his own fist up to Subaru’s.
This was a mutual struggle―― no, a relationship of complicity, born out of an absurdity neither desired. For the great liars who deceived the Vollachian Empire, it was a night of firm oaths.
――And it would be Natsuki Subaru and Chisha Gold’s final night together.
△▼△▼△▼△
With his shoulders shaken and his cheeks tapped, Natsuki Subaru was brought back to consciousness, only to find the place he had awoken was not his bedroom in Berstetz’s mansion, but to his astonishment, the inside of a cramped crate.
???: [Uuu!]
The one who had played a part in rousing Subaru with that high-pitched voice was Louis Arneb, who was stuffed into the jam-packed space just like Subaru.
Seeing Rem’s figure behind the beaming Louis, Subaru sprang up. He smacked his head hard against the ceiling of the box, the pain and heat making him yell “Owwww!”
And then――,
Rem: [――We are inside a dragon carriage headed toward the Kingdom of Lugunica. I heard them say so.]
Subaru: [Ha-, huh? But, why would we be? Because… no, because! The rebels are already here!]
Rem: [I don’t know either! It happened so suddenly. We were forcefully crammed into this dragon carriage, and… you wouldn’t wake up at all.]
Subaru: [Don’t be ridiculous, I’m good at getting up, so if there was a commotion like that, I’d immediately…]
Wake up, he was about to say, before confronting the reality that he actually had not. When he did, what flashed through Subaru’s mind was the milk he had drank the night before.
The milk he had been drinking while chatting with Chisha on the balcony of the Imperial Residence; it had been prepared by Chisha for Subaru, and right after they finished talking, he remembered being struck by sudden drowsiness. He had stumbled back to his assigned room, slept like a log there, and then――,
Subaru: [Chisha-san set me up…! What was I thinking… Am I an idiot? No, I am definitely an idiot. It’s obvious what Chisha-san is planning.]
It was certain. Chisha’s goal in orchestrating this situation was clear.
Chisha intended to do it alone. Up to this point, Chisha had been borrowing Subaru’s help to arrange the pieces on the board, and at the final moment, he had decided to remove Subaru from the game board, just like he had done to the Emperor, and begin the final battle against the Great Disaster by himself.
Had he intended this from the very start, and where such deception had come from; such cowardly and futile complaints whirled through his head―― and he shut them out.
At this very moment, there was no use in lamenting that which disappointed him.
Subaru: [We have to get out somehow…]
Rem: [I think that will be difficult. I’ve tried several times, but this box is sturdy, and it won’t budge at all. We’ll be released once we’ve crossed the border with the Kingdom… or so it seems.]
Subaru: [But then, we won’t make it in time for the decisive battle at the Imperial Capital! Hey! Heeey! Someone! Open this up! Open it! I am Natsumi Schwartz, the Empress Consort candidate of His Excellency, Emperor Vincent Vollachia!!]
Despite banging on the walls of the crate and protesting as Natsumi Schwartz, no response occurred in the dragon carriage. Obviously, they had been ordered by Chisha, who had orchestrated all of this, to not lend an ear to anything Subaru or the others might say upon waking.
Subaru: [――Tch, Invisible Providence.]
Gritting his teeth, Subaru activated the invisible arm within himself―― Invisible Providence, and intended to destroy the crate.
However, unlike the Sin Archbishop of Sloth who originally possessed this power, Subaru’s version was not much different from simply being a third arm, aside from it being unable to be seen. If Subaru could not break the walls with his two actual arms, then it would be just as impossible to do it with this one.
Subaru: [If only the box had a simple lock, I could have opened it with a bit of In Prov, but…]
Feeling nothing but his body creaking in recoil, Subaru gritted his teeth at the failure of his plan.
Beside the struggling Subaru, Rem wore a tense expression, having already repeatedly gone through a similar struggle and made several dents in the wall the size of the tip of her pinky finger. ――She, too, did not believe it was right to leave the Empire at a time like this.
Rem had been placed at Berstetz’s mansion as a hostage for Subaru, but during her life there, she had recalled how to use the healing arts, and became highly prized as an invaluable asset in the Empire.
Feeling that her work was fulfilling, Rem had been making relationships in the Empire in her own way. He had also heard that she had been able to make some friends as well.
Rem: [Madelyn-san and Katya-san, they will remain in the Imperial Capital, but I…]
She probably had not even been allowed to say farewell..
For Subaru too, he could not help but feel like the final words he exchanged with Chisha had been “I have to go to the bathroom before bed.” His extreme drowsiness aside, what a pathetic state of affairs.
Subaru: [Shit! Let us out! At least… at least talk to me about it! Don’t just go deciding things on your own!]
Louis: [Aaa, uu?]
Subaru: [Shut up! It’s always the case, but right now I really don’t have the time to deal with you!]
Subaru snapped at Louis, who had peered over from beside him with a look of concern as he slammed on the walls. He was aware that it was nothing more than him venting his anger, and even if she was a Sin Archbishop, he felt disgust rise up within himself for making her the target of his outburst.
Instead of Subaru, pathetic as he was, Rem softly hugged Louis from behind after she was yelled at.
And then――,
Louis: [Uuu?]
Rem: […I’m… not okay. I want to insist that I’m okay, so I don’t make Louis-chan worry, but right now… Both I, and this one…]
Louis: [Uau, eu. ――Aaa, uu.]
Held in a tight embrace, Louis blinked at the words of Rem, who had tears welling in her eyes. Then, as her expression seemed to stiffen slightly, she reached out her hand and touched Subaru.
Subaru clenched his teeth at that sensation. ――It happened immediately after that.
Subaru: [――Ah?]
In the next instant, his vision suddenly seemed to blur for a split second, and Subaru found himself plopped down on the road.
Subaru: [Eh, ah, eh? Out… outside, but this is way too far outside!]
Yelling in sheer incredulity, the flustered Subaru scrambled to his feet. And Subaru was not the only one taken aback by the unexpected phenomenon. Rem, who had been holding Louis, was also sitting there.
The three of them, in the same positions as in the box, were on the road――.
Subaru: [That was, a warp… a teleport? No way.]
Louis: [Uu!]
In front of Subaru, who intuitively knew the answer, it was Louis who was enthusiastically raising her hand.
That was the power held by Louis―― No, the power of the Authority of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. One of the Gluttonies at the Pleiades Watchtower had devoured the ability to teleport over short distances from someone. Using that, Louis had taken Subaru and Rem and slipped out of the dragon carriage.
Rem: [Louis-chan, amazing…]
Subaru: [It annoys me to straightforwardly praise you by calling it amazing, but in this case you did great! You, can you use that warp to return us all the way back to the Imperial Capital in one go!?]
Louis: [Uuu? Au, uuuauu.]
Subaru grabbed her shoulders eagerly and rocked her back and forth, causing Louis’s eyes to roll back in her head as she shook her head. Understanding that her response was a denial, Subaru felt a wave of bitter vexation.
He was grateful they had managed to escape the dragon carriage, but in all likelihood, they had probably already been taken quite far from the Imperial Capital. How long would it take to return to the Imperial Capital on foot now, especially accompanied by Rem, whose legs had yet to fully recover?
If anything, although he would feel bad for Rem, he could have her continue on past the border, while he returned to the Imperial Capital on his own―― it was as he thought of this plan.
Rem: [――――]
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound emitted from Rem, making Subaru spin around in surprise. Looking closer, he saw that the mysterious high-pitched note had come from something like a small whistle that Rem had brought to her lips.
As he wondered what it was, Rem informed the wide-eyed Subaru, “It’s a dragon bone whistle,”
Rem: [I received it from Madelyn-san. Back when I mended Madelyn-san’s clothes, she said she wanted to reward me, since those clothes were very precious to her. If I blow this whistle――]
Subaru: [If you blow that whistle… hey, whoa!?]
The answer to the call of the dragon bone flute Madelyn had gifted her came swooping down from the sky.
Could it have been one among the many flying dragons commanded by Madelyn, a dragonkin? Flying dragons have a ferocious temperament that made them entirely untamable by humans aside from a particular method of raising them; this one knelt before Rem, who still held the flute in her hands, and lowered its head, showing its intention to obey.
Perhaps, it had been instructed by Madelyn and ordered to obey Rem.
Subaru: [If this guy will give us a ride, then off to the Imperial Capital!]
Rem: [Just a moment ago, weren’t you making a plan to leave Louis-chan and me behind to return to the Imperial Capital alone?]
Subaru: [I’m sorry! But I didn’t mean anything bad by it! You’re just so important and dear to me!]
Rem: [Ha? I’m not giving you a ride though?]
Subaru: [I’ll say it as little as possible from now on! Just give me a ride!]
His inner conflict revealed by his impatience and agitation, a flustered Subaru pleaded with Rem. Sighing at Subaru’s remarks, Rem pulled Louis close with an outstretched hand, and,
Rem: [I have no clue how fast it will go. Please hold on tight.]
Subaru: [Gotcha! Despite everything, this is the first chance I’ve gotten to ride a flying dragon, but I guess now isn’t the time for that!]
Riding atop a living creature flying through the sky and soaring freely across the heavens, such was not a common experience. So far, the only time Subaru had flown through the sky under similar conditions was with Roswaal.
While harboring such trivial emotions, Subaru hugged Rem and Louis’s waists from behind, and suddenly hoisted the two of them up as he leapt onto the flying dragon’s back.
Then, offering a quick apology to the “Hey!” in protest from Rem,
Subaru: [We’re coming back, Imperial Capital! Don’t think we’ll just end our story by dropping out like this!]
△▼△▼△▼△
???: [――Chisha-san, the time is at hand.]
Right before the decisive battle at the Imperial Capital commenced, Ubilk, who had paid a visit to Chisha, declared this revelation.
Regarding the position of the Stargazers, those contacted by the heavenly Observers, who they call “stars”―― those existences who established the principles of this world and uphold absolute separation; Chisha felt disgusted.
Chisha: [Contacted, and so on, it is all the influence of Natsuki-dono.]
Conscious of the words murmured in his own head, Chisha suddenly relaxed his lips.
Last night, Subaru and his companions Rem and Louis had been put to sleep and smuggled out of the Imperial Capital, and were now headed straight for the border between the Empire and the Kingdom. The soldiers, deeply loyal to Chisha, accepted the task without any explanation and unhesitatingly obeyed their orders that took them far from the battlefield.
Unexpectedly, Chisha was deeply moved by how much he had been blessed by the people around him.
???: [Of course, of course that would be the case! No matter what anyone says, I myself have come alongside you, so there is absolutely no room for doubt on that front!]
Chisha: […I am certain I already gave the orders to deploy, so I suppose I must wonder why you are still here.]
Then, Chisha furrowed his brow at the childish figure of the Blue Lightning whom he had encountered in the corridors of the Crystal Palace. However, holding out his hand as if such a question was naught but foolishness, Cecilus exclaimed, “Nonsense!”
Cecilus: [You know of me, don’t you? As one who strives to be the leading actor of this world, it’s guaranteed I‘ll certainly be on time to assume the spotlight. Indeed, it’s for such a reason I’m properly present here at the scene of a great battle that will shake the Empire!]
Chisha: [Is that not because Natsumi Schwartz-dono and I came to fetch you?]
Cecilus: [That! Right! There! I am telling you that it was guidance visiting me in my time of need. Hypothetically speaking, you know? Say, even if it hadn’t been you and Ma’am who came to get me! Or even if no one had come to get me! I surely would’ve ended up at this battlefield regardless. No matter what twist of fate may have come!]
Chisha: [As ever… Even a Stargazer conveys the messages of the stars in a slightly more refined way, but it matters not what is said to you.]
Cecilus: [Of course. How could someone with a weak, spineless character ever be loved as a charming leading actor? Even if one doesn’t carry a sword, everyone carries their own convictions. That’s not just limited to me, you and Ma’am are the same.]
Sternly thrusting his finger at him, Cecilus spoke with his usual tone. It was so overwhelmingly his usual self that, for just a moment, Chisha forgot the boy before him was currently shrunk in size.
Natsuki Schwartz, or “Ma’am” as Cecilus called him―― and by extension, Natsuki Subaru, certainly possessed the kind of conviction that could be called “naivety.”
If so, did Chisha Gold possess it? ――Conviction?
Cecilus: [You do. ――Since you are also one of the actors I have acknowledged.]
Chisha: [You were not the one who chose me. Allow me to make that much clear.]
Cecilus: [Gosh, how harsh. Ohoho, looks like the battle is about to begin, huh?]
Sniffing with his nose as he gazed out the window, Cecilus narrowed his blue eyes.
Chisha had no way of knowing whether it was merely a part of his performance, or if he had genuinely gotten a whiff of the scent of combat.
However, to the one who had spun around and was heading to conquer the battlefield as he had just been ordered to, Chisha called out “Cecilus” and――,
Chisha: [Forgive me, as I have already conveyed what I wanted to convey once already, but since it is important, there is one more thing.]
Cecilus: [Hoho, what might it be? Please give the leading actor a lively send-off before he heads out onto the battlefield!]
Chisha: [Those were surprisingly pleasant days, driving the dragon carriage with you and getting its wheels stuck in a rut. ――I pray for your good fortune in battle, Cecilus Segmunt.]
Cecilus: [――――]
Yes, his own voice had sounded far calmer than he had expected, and Chisha quietly digested his surprise. At those same words, Cecilus’s eyes widened, before a familiar smile broke across his face and said,
Cecilus: [――Perfect!!]
△▼△▼△▼△
He had continued to fool, fabricate, lie, trick, ensnare, entrap, and deceive and deceive and deceive.
He did not like to deceive. However, it was his expertise.
It was an accident that Noh had come to dwell within Chisha Gold, but when he thought of the results it had brought about, he could not help but feel it was inevitable ――no, that it was “foreshadowing”.
Was it perhaps a bit too narrative brained to believe so?
Chisha: [However, it cannot be helped. How long have I spent alongside Cecilus, and been exposed to that cheerful and endless flood of words?]
Even if he did not empathize with that point of view, there were many ways in which it had influenced him.
Nothing, not even all of Cecilus’s views, could be simply dismissed as absurd. Surprisingly, Cecilus’s words were not void of any deeper meaning.
In particular, he understood the idea Cecilus espoused that everyone was an actor, and had their part to play upon the stage. ――If so, then what was the role of Chisha Gold?
???: [Contrary to my expectations, I do not feel any strong emotions. ――Even as I look up from below like this at the throne I was driven from.]
Chisha: [――――]
Chisha narrowed his golden eyes, and as he received the man who had arrived from upon the throne, that man brazenly strode across the red carpet spread out before him, as if it was his own.
The man who appeared was beautiful, with black hair, and wore a mask that was modeled after an Oni. Ironically enough, the one he faced was Chisha, whose occupation was wearing “masks”, and this man was the leader of the rebels who drew near to the Imperial Capital―― no, he was the one and only true Emperor of the Sacred Vollachian Empire, Vincent Vollachia.
Vincent: [――Did you realize your desires by joining forces with Berstetz and exiling me?]
While overcoming much and suffering numerous trials, Vincent had returned to his own castle.
He was by no means outstanding physically, he had no one to rely upon in his position of being ousted from the throne, and truly his only weapons should have been his own ingenuity and the power of his words; it was the triumphant return of such an Emperor.
The peak of the Empire, Chisha Gold’s lord, asked if his desires had been realized.
Chisha: [Unfortunately, I regrettably must say that they have not been realized yet. Therefore, I would like to ask for Your Excellency’s cooperation for just a little while longer.]
Vincent: [You have taken this much, yet you still desire something more from me? You have an even greedier side of you than I thought. ――However, ‘tis a deception.]
Chisha: [――――]
Vincent: [What you thought you would get from removing me from the throne was no more than insubstantial mist. The fires of war have spread pointlessly, and these needless flames continue to consume the Empire. ――There is a way to extinguish it all immediately.]
As he said this, Vincent brought his hands to his face, and removed the oni mask.
His true face laid bare in this way, which Chisha could no longer even meet in a mirror, having lost that “mask”, was undoubtedly that of his lord’s. It was probably due to the fair amount of hardship he had accumulated, but compared to when he was on the throne, his complexion was a little paler, his cheeks were thinner, and the bones more prominent.
Still, when comparing his fatigue between when he was working hard as the Emperor and his days of running around trying to reclaim his throne, it was apparent that Vincent had been neglecting himself too much.
――Yes, His Excellency, the Emperor had been neglecting himself too much.
Vincent: [I――]
Chisha: [――Your Excellency.]
He interrupted as Vincent tried to continue, and Chisha called out his lord’s title.
In that moment, despite not closing his eyes, the faces of a great many people flashed by in his mind’s eye. Everything he had erred in, the feelings of guilt in his heart for having deceived all of them; Chisha let out a breath, and,
Chisha: [――Taking too much of a grand view of the game board, that is your greatest weakness.]
In an instant, Chisha brought his hand from behind his back to cover his face, putting on a “mask”. With a creaking sound, Chisha’s body was transformed, his height shrunk, his sinewy physique deformed, and his chest swelled. And so, his trump card manifested before Vincent――,
Chisha: [――Mask of the Sun.]
Prisca Benedict.
In those days, she was called by that name, but the person who was now a candidate in the Royal Section of the neighboring country of Lugunica had another name; wearing the “mask” of Vincent Vollachia’s greatest weakness, Chisha laughed.
Kicking off the floor, Chisha leapt at Vincent, who was left speechless by this inconceivable reunion. As if he was dancing unburdened, Chisha reached out toward the frozen Vincent’s face, and――,
Chisha: [――Mask of the Wise Emperor]
Swiftly, he molded a new “mask” of Vincent with Noh, then casted off the “mask” of Prisca he had only just put on, donning the new mask.
As the sound of his substitution rang out once more, Chisha took further action against the frozen Vincent, while enduring his transforming body.
He snatched the oni mask Vincent had removed, and concealed the Emperor’s true face with it once again.
Vincent: [You――]
For what, for whom, why?
The voice of the Emperor who was too wise trembled as if seeking an answer to the events that had occurred. However, without Chisha’s words, the Emperor surely could not reach that answer.
It was just as he had informed Vincent a moment ago.
He looked at the board from a grand perspective, thought through things efficiently, and indiscriminately defined the value of every piece.
The true intentions behind Chisha’s actions would likely never be conveyed to Vincent, who lacked the awareness that he himself was also an actor upon the stage.
But that was fine. It did not matter whether his true intentions were conveyed.。
What he desired, was the outcome.
Would that outcome be that Chesha Trim, a being that had an inconsequential minor role, put on the “mask” of Chisha Gold, and thus deceived even everything he had gained to get what he desired?
He could not confirm it himself, but he was sure.
If he could fool the Observers, ensnare the Great Disaster, and even deceive Vincent Vollachia to the very end, then what Chisha desired would surely shine through.
Therefore――,
Vincent: [――――]
As he was pushed away, Chisha could faintly make out through the oni mask that his cheeks stiffened.
It was a look that many would undoubtedly mistake the true meaning of. The Emperor, who was too wise, and thus often omitted words that should not be omitted, was laconic even with that expression.
He suspected that he was probably the only one who could correctly interpret the meaning of that expression, given his many years alongside the Emperor.
Chisha: [Ahh, and yet――]
By some chance, maybe, perhaps, he had held some expectation.
That maybe there was someone who could look head-on at this Vincent Vollachia, a magnificently wise Emperor, and an all too foolish and self-deprecating man.
He could not help but think so.
Chisha: [――――]
When light broke through the castle wall, missed the form of Vincent as he was pushed away, and pierced Chisha’s chest as he wore the “mask” of the Emperor, he saw it outside the window.
――An accomplice who should have been far away, was riding a flying dragon and flew toward this place.
None may live, having had their hearts pierced.
Consequently, that was an event inevitable, the terminus of fate as was bound to arrive.
Chisha: [――――]
The man had died.
He was Chesha Trim, became Chisha Gold, and finally as Vincent Vollachia, the man had died.
Before the lord he had devoted his loyalty to, and the accomplice who had assisted him in deceiving that lord, he had died.
――And that was the entirety of what had transpired, in that moment.
△▼△▼△▼△
――And so, the story has converged to the form it should have originally taken, and the time of the Great Disaster has come.
The hordes of the resurrected dead, commanded by the Witch desiring the destruction of the Empire, shall set the world ablaze.
Despite the gathered Nine Divine Generals joining different camps than they should have, or even having the conclusion of their whole lives changed, to exhibit their greatest valor, they shall set their lives ablaze.
The girls crossing into a neighboring country to search for the cherished boy they were separated from shall witness a heroic turning point that will arrive in the Empire, and without losing hope in the midst of it all, shall set their bonds ablaze.
And the woman like the sun, possessing one half of the two Yang Swords which should have never existed, in order to respond to the horde of the dead whose existence has been twisted and the Witch baring her rage toward her, she shall shine with her unchanging arrogant beauty and set her soul ablaze.
At the core of this story painted with flames and flames and flames, those who witnessed the death of the man who deceived all until the end, with their voices hoarse, tears of blood shed, and souls cracked, they shall set fate ablaze.
???: [――Stand! Don’t give up! Giving up is the one thing I will never allow! You should have known a long time ago why that guy lied to you!!]
???: [Silence, foolish commoner. What in the world can you say about me? I am――]”
???: [You are!!]
Both: [The 77th Emperor of the Sacred Vollachian Empire, Vincent Vollachia.]
With trembling knees about to buckle, the man rose.
Desperately keeping his sobbing heart in check, the boy clenched his fists.
A young girl, blaming herself for her lack of power, told herself there is still more she can do and raised her head, while a child grabbing onto her pointed toward the Great Disaster shaking the Empire and howled.
There was a large hole in the castle walls, and looking down from there, two men lined up.
Side by side, their gazes met, Natsuki Subaru and Vincent Vollachia, two people who joined together with the karma that they should have met far sooner, two people entrusted with this by the man who deceived fate until the end, they shall destroy the advancing Great Disaster, and to seize the future that man desired, they shall face forward.
Vincent: [I am your Emperor, Vincent Vollachia. ――One of the Sword Wolves of the Empire.]
Subaru: [My name is Natsuki Subaru, just a passerby shaking the realm like roaring thunder, but I am the accomplice of the great liar, Chisha Gold!]
The two of them declared their positions, the air of the Imperial Capital resounded with loud and strong voices.
Natsuki Subaru grimaced as he relayed how they had assembled the game board so that the greatest amount of military power would be concentrated in the Imperial Capital when the coming Great Disaster and terrifying hordes of enemies descended upon them.
And then――,
Subaru: [I took the baton you passed me against my will. ――Bring it on, oh inevitable fate!!]
△▼△▼△▼△
――It was probably an instance where a single misstep sent the entire journey astray.
With but a single misalignment of gears, the tale twisted askew, and the rails of fate changed course with ease.
When the expected flow of events shifted, the torrent of destiny tossed people around like leaves from a tree.
And yet.
And yet, what if they still finally found their way unto that changeless shore on the other side, unyielding?
Surely, it was only when a strong, unwavering desire utterly deceived that Commandment.
It was precisely within that once-in-a-lifetime lie that the meaning of that man’s life dwelled――,
Chisha: [――If this is my one and only chance for a starring performance, then I shall close the curtains like so.]
Fin.
With that, that was our annual April Fool’s Day project!
He was a man who had little time on stage in the main story, and only revealed his true intentions at the very end.
He was a character who had nothing revealed except the important parts since he had almost no contact with Subaru. However, if they were to encounter each other in an alternate timeline ――This became the seventh chapter of IF.
In this timeline, the characters involved here and there are different, the development of events Subaru follows changes, and there are individuals he can be deeply involved with and those he can’t, overall it is quite interesting. And yet, in either route, Subaru cross-dresses. It is his fate.
Anyways, thank you for joining me again this year!
I’m glad, since I only wanted to do this on April Fool’s Day, after the Empire arc was done.
How much do the positions of the characters or who survives change between the main story and Azamuku? I think I will bring up these matters again at another time, perhaps in an activity report!
Well, thanks! Have good dreams!
Translation Notes:
[1] – A gag from a classic manga by Osamu Tezuka called Black Jack. A character called Pinoko would make a face where both hands were squishing her cheeks while saying “Acchonburike!” when surprised.
[2] – Chisha’s power, Noh (『能』), literally means talent or ability, but is a reference to Noh theater, written with the same kanji. See here for more information on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh
[3] – Subaru does not seem to recognize the word 大災 (Great Disaster) at first, since it is a rare term. He repeats the word in katakana (タイサイ), which indicates he is likely sounding it out before then realizing what it means. One potentially funny interpretation is that he may have initially thought Chisha said bok choy, since one term for bok choy in Japanese is a homophone.
[4] – A zori is a traditional Japanese sandal.
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