Arc 7, Chapter 46 "Childish Savagery"
"The people of the city have the same power as Yorna......?"
While running hard along the path, Subaru's eyes widened at the words Abel had told him.
The fox woman that he met in the keep of the Red Lapis Castle, a woman who seemed to have an unfathomable presence - an existence that could be called the empress who ruled this Demon City, the extent of her power Subaru does not know.
However, since he was selected as one of the "Nine Divine Generals" and has survived and been kept alive no matter how many times he rebelled against the emperor, there is no doubt that he is very strong.
It's hard to believe that everyone in the city has the same amount of power as that very strong Yorna.
"What kind of horror story is that? There's no such thing as 'soul marriage'......"
"You think I'm just leaving things up to you? If that's the case, how do you explain the events that caused your limbs to shrink? The kingdom and the empire are different in terms of the foundation of their techniques and the studies they have cultivated. Some of them may naturally cause events that you cannot imagine. There is no end to the number of techniques that have been lost."
"That's not what I'm talking about......"
The difficult words were laid out, and Subaru bit the inside of his cheek in frustration and turned over.
He felt his feet tangle and he almost fell, but he held it together so that he wouldn't be left behind by his friends. Because of their shrunken bodies, none of them, Subaru, Al, or Medium, had shoes that fit their feet perfectly. So, their feet are wrapped in cloth, like improvised tabi.
If you fall or untie yourself, you'll stop. That's no good.
Even if he couldn't keep up with the conversation, he had to at least keep up with his body.
"I've been thinking about it, but I never thought it would happen."
"......So, in your defense, Abel-chan didn't know that the sister was a user of the 'soul marriage technique'?"
"Even now, I doubt there is any other way. It's such an insane thing to do."
Abel, who is lightly breathing and running with his demon face looking straight ahead, answers. Al growls in his throat at the words, and Medium's face turns to Abel.
Even though he is smaller, he seems to be the most physically energetic of Medium's. I'm still okay, but Subaru won't be far behind, and I'm sure he'll be out of breath. It's hard to keep running away all the time.
"Stop. It looks like we've scattered the ones that were around the inn."
It doesn't seem he cared about that, but unexpectedly Abel made everyone stop in their tracks.
With the exit of the alley in sight, the five of them ducked behind a miscellaneous row of scrap wood and caught their breath while keeping a wary eye on the street.
"I hope you're okay, Taritta. You're much more mobile than I thought you'd be."
"What? Oh, yeah, that was amazing. He was jumping up and down and shooting bows and arrows......"
"Bro, are you doing that on purpose? Or......"
"Deliberate about what?"
He tilted his head and frowned at Al's question.
What did he say that was so funny? He was just praising Taritta's hard work in his own way to match Medium's admiration.
In response, Al shook his head and replied, "Nothing," as if it were nothing, and then turned his head toward Abel. And then,
"What did you mean earlier when you said I was insane?"
"--. I told you, the art of "soul marriage" involves giving away a part of your soul to another person. The soul is the Odo at the root of the thing."
"Odo...... that cession."
Ruminating on the words, Al's voice trembles at the realization.
Odo is, as Abel said, the root of the being - the center of not only the body, but also the more spiritual part of the being, like a wellspring of mana.
In this world, it is often treated as the same thing as "soul". So, I guess you could say that the "soul marriage technique" is also the "odo marriage technique". I'm not so sure.
"But why do souls become stronger when they're attached?"
"A close example is the relationship between a sorcerer and a spirit, where the sorcerer and the spirit enter into a contractual relationship that connects them to each other's roots. In this way, they can draw power from each other. Physical separation has nothing to do with it. You know what I mean."
"I can see where you're coming from with the drawing power, but......"
When the story of the Spiritualist was cited, Subaru clutched at his chest.
It's not something I'm too proud of, but Subaru is also a spiritist. He has made a contract with Beatrice, the girl in the pretty dress, and can do many things with her help. It's not much, though.
And, yes, Emilia is a necromancer, too. I haven't seen that little kitty in a while, though.
"But what's wrong, Subaru-chin?"
"Oh, well, you know, it's a lot of work to make a promise to a genie, so you're doing something similar, and with a lot of people! That's a little......"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Well, I think it might be difficult."
Medium is a good listener who doesn't rush him, but politely asks him out, and Subaru honestly tells her what he thinks.
A contractual relationship with a spirit is very important, and it is difficult to do the same with many others. At least, Subaru can't do it with anyone but Beatrice.
Not only was Beatrice originally such a promised child, but I'm afraid she couldn't have done it otherwise.
Then, hearing Subaru's question, Abel nodded, "That's it."
"That's why I said it was insane."
"Is that what you mean when you say 'soul marriage' is a bad idea?"
"'Tamamonjutsu' itself can be thought of as a kind of contract that can be made with a spirit regardless of the subject. However, it is hard to believe that he did it to many and unspecified people."
"----"
"I said some, but it's a cession of the soul, no matter what. It is nothing more than tearing apart the very foundation of who you are and handing it over in a senseless manner. It's not an unusual thing to do to maintain your ego. Or...... is this too much to ask?"
Shaking his head loosely, Abel tells the story of the unusual nature of Yorna's "soul marriage technique".
To be honest, he didn't understand the situation as clearly as Abel, but Subaru managed to understand that it was very frightening.
In Subaru's case, it's like sharing your soul with many people other than Beatrice. Of course, there are people in Subaru if you think they won't misbehave if you give them your soul.
Surely, Medium here and Al wouldn't do anything wrong either. But if you ask if he can give it to Abel, he'd say no.
There's something else.
"Ooh-......"
"--ah"
He plucked at Subaru's hem, and was distracted by the owner of a small growling voice.
Louis, with his long golden hair tucked behind his head, has been quietly following Subaru and the others on their escape so far. --No, it's not just this far.
Louis is a surprisingly good listener and does not raise his voice, which I was worried about. He doesn't use it to attract the attention of the enemy, and he does what he needs to do in a timely manner.
And...
"----"
Even now, he was picking at Subaru's hem, not to make Subaru deal with his own anxiety, but as if he was looking for a way to be close to Subaru's anxiety.
"You are......."
He's a jerk, he's scary, and he's unforgivable.
He's been thinking about that for a long time, more than enough, and he doesn't doubt it.
The reason why he hadn't tried to abandon her on the spot when they were sent to the Vollachian Empire together was because that girl, Rem, was trying to take care of Louis.
Even now, Subaru don't want Rem to hate him, that's the only reason he's with Louis.
And yet--
"But, hey, I guess that clarifies things, doesn't it?"
He can't shake off Louis's hand, and Al suddenly says so while Subaru is having a hard time thinking.
Al's gaze turned to Abel, where two people, one demon masked and one masked, one adult and one child, were facing each other. As Abel looked down at him, Al pointed with his thumb to his chest.
"The people who attacked us are under the influence of Yorna's Soul Marriage Technique. If that's the case, then it was Yorna who made them attack us, and that means she's Q.E.D."
"That is the most likely answer. That's the best answer I can give you as I see it."
"You're talking nonsense. If the people coming here are using Yorna's power, there's no other choice.
"Well, that's not quite right......"
"Oh?"
When Subaru gently interrupted him, Al reacted in a rough voice. When he saw Subaru's shoulders tremble at the sound of his voice, Al said, "Sorry," and touched the sheath of the Seiryuu sword on his back.
"I didn't mean to freak you out. You said you could be different?"
"......Beatrice and I are in a contractual relationship, but I'm not connected to her all the time. No, we're connected, but I don't know what she's doing right now, so..."
"You mean I can just borrow your power and sneak around?"
Subaru nodded his head in resistance to Al's blunt statement.
Even if we don't know for sure the scope and conditions of the Soul Marriage Technique, it may be possible to do such bad things. Then it would be impossible to know if Yorna is really a bad person.
"If the enemy turns out to be Yorna Missigre, we will have no other choice but to flee the Demon City. The game with Olbart will not be able to continue."
"We're being targeted from all over the city. I agree with you there......"
"If we can get one of them, things will change."
Abel muttered to himself as he touched his cheek through his demon face.
Hearing this, Subaru also opens his mouth with an "ah."
"Oh, sure! If we could just hear from one of the people on the other side, it would be clearer! I don't know why I didn't think of that!"
"Oh, my God! Abel, you're a genius! That's it, that's it!"
Of course!"
The answer seemed to clear the cloudy sky, and Subaru and Medium jumped for joy. They clapped their hands together and looked back at Abel and the others with great joy.
However, their joy is interrupted by Abel and Al, who don't show their true faces.
While Subaru and the others were excited, Al slumped his shoulders and said, "I'm sorry.
"If you can do that, you'll have no trouble. But that's the hard part, you know. The other party, after all, is all receiving the power of Sister Yorna."
"Oh, I see......"
"I could've done it if Taritta was here."
Medium was very disappointed with their lack of ability, as they stomped on the ground on the spot.
Subaru felt the same frustration at her words. He lacked the information to take another step forward in this situation, and he didn't have the means at hand to obtain it.
"Something, anything at......."
Putting his hand over his mouth, Subaru tried his best to remember what he had done so far.
Since arriving at the Chaos Flame, various events and troubles have occurred in this magical city. The encounter with Yorna and the fake emperors at the Red Lapis Castle. The next morning, the sudden "infantilization", the "hide and seek" offered by the "vicious old man", and the scary people waiting in ambush--.
While Taritta is stalling them, they have to find a way to break the ice.
If they didn't, no matter how many Taritta there were, those many people would catch them and make them feel terrible--
"--What"
"Subaru-chin?"
While he was pondering this and that, Subaru blinked his eyes as he felt a strange tug. Medium, noticing Subaru's condition, looked into his face.
However, he didn't have time to answer her call. He was in a hurry to figure out what it was that he was stuck on now, and he had to get to it.
What stuck with him was Taritta, who was doing her best. --No, not Taritta herself, but the people facing Taritta, the scary hundred people who targeted Subaru and the others.
He watched from a distance as the hundred of them fought the Taritta. There was something strange about it. It was probably...
"In fact! You can't even tell if it's really the Soul Marriage Technique, if the enemy is Sister Yorna or not, or if the old man Olbart isn't lying!"
"What--"
Subaru was surprised to see Al barking that while roughly scratching his own neck. However, Al didn't seem to notice Subaru's surprise, and kicked the wall impatiently.
He can't help but notice that Al's composure is slipping. His original posture of being a willow branch that could take anything in stride seemed to be a mirage.
And Al, in his frustration, quickly crowded Abel.
"What are you going to do, Abel? I can't go out with you like this. I'll tell you what, I've got more priorities than Abel's restoration. So ......"
"I'm not interested in what you want. But there is a way to be sure."
"Check what?"
"I want to know if their toughness is due to the Soul Marriage Technique."
Abel said to Al, who was crowding him, and pointed outside the alley.
Outside in the darkness, he could hear the sounds of people passing by, footsteps, and talking from the street. However, it doesn't mean that anyone is noticing and peeking in.
Just a hustle and bustle, that's all there is to it.
"What's on the Street?"
"Pick one that passes by and harm it at random. Then we can see if Yorna Missigre's 'soul marriage' technique will surround everyone in the city or not."
"----"
"If the wound heals, you are under the influence of the Soul Marriage Technique. If you are wounded or die, you are not under the influence of the soul-marriage technique, so the assumption that you are a user of the soul-marriage technique can be dismissed as false."
Abel continued, nonchalantly, pointing down the street.
The noise and outrageousness of the content left Subaru speechless and unable to say anything. His brain was numb and he had given up even thinking.
No one would take such a ridiculous story seriously.
"I see....... but there is a pattern like us that the residents are excluded. What if I pull it?"
"You can tell the difference between a resident and an outsider by looking at their footwear. It is possible, of course, that only those who surround the outside of the inn are under the influence of the Soul Marriage Technique. In that case, it will be a proof that Yorna Missigre has consciously set up here."
Abel nodded as if he could get the information anyway, and he could see that Al was silent just to give it some thought.
It was a difficult discussion for Subaru to understand because it was summarized in a complicated logic. But even in the midst of the incomprehensible discussion, there were things that were understood.
That means that if they don't, someone else will get hurt.
"That's not--"
"What if I refuse? Try to come up with an alternative."
"......."
Abel looked down at Subaru, who reflexively tried to bite him, as if he were trying to get ahead of him.
Subaru's face became hot as he felt like his thoughts were being read and he was being called shallow. But he couldn't be silenced. He doesn't want to just shut up and back down.
"You don't have to hurt anyone else. There are other ways......"
"If you have an idea, say it. If you have any ideas worth considering, I will listen to them. --But it would be unreasonable to expect you to do so now."
"That's it!"
"You are especially afraid of sacrifice."
A cruel voice pierced through the hot Subaru as if to cut through him.
Feeling the pain as if he had really been shot through, Subaru bit his back teeth and looked down.
Sacrifice, someone getting hurt or dying.
The less people die or are injured, the better for both friends and enemies. The reason Subaru thinks that way is because he is sweet, blue, and weak.
But why shouldn't it?"
"It's not a denial. It's just a fact. If you want to get the most out of what you want, you need to be intelligent or capable. If you don't have enough, you have to compromise by cutting back on the desired outcome. That is the bloodless castle you spoke of, and the process and results that took place in it."
"----"
"If you want neither the dead nor the wounded, you must have the power to bring about the result. --If you truly desire it, it would be a contradiction to withhold it."
Subaru's cheeks hardened and his eyes blinked as he was told that he was being stingy.
He doesn't know the intention of Abel's words. However, the black eyes through the demon face look at Subaru, and in the depths of the eyes with an incomparably weak light, they are trying to find out Subaru's true intentions.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
Really, I don't know. What is it that Subaru is holding out on us? He's trying very hard to think about it with his head that won't turn, but he can't seem to come up with a way to do anything about it.
With his short limbs and small lungs, he could not fly or jump like Taritta. The whip he brought with him was too thick and heavy for him to handle.
Still, if he doesn't want anyone to get hurt, that's why--
"Well, then you'd better hope I get hurt!"
His mind was all over the place, and Subaru was yelling at Abel about it.
He knows he's not strong enough, and he knows he's not thinking straight. It was a problem that had always existed before Subaru's body was reduced to this size.
He felt something hot rising from behind his closed eyes.
Before it could clearly turn into tears, Subaru turned away and started running.
"Bro?"
"Subaru-chin!"
Al and Medium let out a scream at the sudden movement.
However, not stopping at their call, Subaru threw himself out of the alley and into the street.
I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't want them to die.
Subaru lacks both the ability and the wisdom necessary to do so. If something is to be exchanged to make up for this lack, it is Subaru himself.
Make sure. Bring back information that can change this situation the moment you can get it back.
To that end--
"Come on! I'm here!"
Subaru ran out into the street, arms outstretched, shouting at the top of his voice.
A high-pitched child's voice drowned out the noise of the street, attracting the attention of the startled ones. Caught by a number of wide-open eyes, Subaru felt his heart shrink in pain.
"Oh."
If you do something prematurely, you'll regret it after you've done it.
The eyes of the people around him, looking at the child who was doing something stupid, made him feel a sudden sense of shame and fear. As it was, Subaru wanted to hold his breath and go back to the alley...
"Wait."
Someone grabbed Subaru's arm as he stomped on the ground, impatient.
Subaru's shoulders bounced as he turned around, and taking his arm was a short figure. A boy with short, frizzy hair dressed in simple light clothing - no, his hair is not shortened, it just looks short because it has a strong habit and the ends are curled.
Subaru's eyes widened at the appearance of the boy, who was roughly the same age as the current Subaru, and he tried to open his mouth to ask why he had stopped him.
"I'm sorry."
--The next moment, he was lightly thrown away by a boy with a burning right eye.
"--e?"
He was swallowed up by his spinning vision and couldn't tell what had happened.
Suddenly, the boy threw Subaru away. With a swinging motion of one arm that he had grabbed, he easily and easily threw him into the sky.
"Wha, whaaaaa--!?"
He ran out into the street with such enthusiasm that he would rather someone else get hurt.
And yet, instead of immediately regretting it and trying to go back, he was thrown off and screamed at because he couldn't even make it through that run back.
Why, why, why? Questions bounced around in his head, and his insides felt like they were being squeezed.
The ones who were fighting Taritta had the same burning eyes as the boy. If that was the effect of the Soul Marriage Technique that Abel had mentioned, then he had been given a portion of Yorna's power. In order to confirm this, he had jumped out of the car with great vigor, saying he would sacrifice himself.
All of them were incomprehensible to Subaru, who was spinning and falling into the blue sky.
It was a miracle that the spinning body did not hit any of the surrounding buildings or decorations. It was a miracle that it didn't hit the surrounding buildings and decorations.
He was just afraid of the obstacles that were passing by the edge of his vision at a great speed, and he fell into the blue sky, praying desperately that he wouldn't be hit - and then it would suddenly stop.
Slowly, the body of the thrown Subaru reached the top of the height, and now it was falling headlong from there to the ground.
"Ahhhh!"
The voice that had left the ground now echoed as it approached the ground.
He did not know how high he went, but he had to take a fall. But he couldn't remember how to do it at once. In the first place, he wondered if he could manage to catch himself when he fell from a great height. If he fell to the ground, his whole body would fall apart, his head would be crushed, his neck would be broken, and he would die.
--He felt that 'death' was coming close to him again.
"Al-chin!"
"I know!"
Immediately afterwards, he heard a knowing voice trying hard to blend in with Subaru's own screams.
As it is, the sound of something tense being slashed and the sound of several long, thin things falling down form a chain, and without knowing what it is, Subaru's body falls to the ground - before being caught.
"Wha, whaa, whaaa...... Whabu!"
The softness of the touch took him in, but he couldn't stop the momentum, and Subaru's body rolled over the softness with quite a bit of force. When he reached the edge of that softness, his thrown body rolled on the hard ground, causing a moan and the taste of sand to spread in his mouth.
His body aches here and there. But--
"Am I, alive......?"
Subaru let out a cry of dismay at the fact that he didn't die.
When he managed to pull himself up, he finally realized what had happened. --Al and Medium, the two of them had saved Subaru with their quick decision.
In order to catch Subaru falling from the sky, they jumped onto the tent of a store on the street, detached the tent's fixture, and stretched it out to make an instant cushion.
Thanks to this, Subaru was not knocked to the ground and his life was saved.
But...
"Ah, it hurts......"
"Agh......."
The two people who did their best to catch Subaru were not safe.
"Oh, Al! Medium!"
Subaru woke up and saw the two figures lying in the street.
Of course, Al and Medium, who were under the influence of "infantilization," could not work as usual. They set up a tent to catch the falling Subaru, and were blown away by the impact.
And the bad reports still continue--
"I was hoping you'd be done with that......"
As he said this, the boy who had thrown Subaru away was distorting his face in pain.
He looked around at Subaru and then at Al and Medium, who had also fallen, and covered his face with his palm, which was filled with bitterness. --The flames that could not be covered were still in his right eye.
"Oh, you're......."
"It's necessary. This city...... can't afford to lose Him."
"--?"
He managed to raise himself up and draw the boy's attention to me.
He was determined not to let Al or Medium get their hands on him, but the boy's answer was outside Subaru's imagination and far from his understanding.
However, the boy is desperate, and another thing that makes Subaru's heart flutter.
"You too......."
It was the same thing that had stuck with him when he was struggling to get his head around the alley.
Taritta, who is fighting to help Subaru and the others escape, and the people who were facing her with their one eye burned, their expressions--
--They all seemed to have the same pained look on their faces as the boy.
"I'm sorry. Don't ask me to forgive you."
Shaking his head, the boy slowly steps forward in front of Subaru with hesitation in his eyes, but the hesitation is gone from his expression.
He tried to crawl behind him to escape, but he couldn't get down. He couldn't move his legs.
So at least, he stares at the boy's face, trying not to look away, and realize.
There is a little thing peeking out from the side of the head in the boy's habitual hair - a small horn.
He looked at his white habitual hair and horns and thought he looked out of place, like a sheep.
With that, the hand of the boy with the burning eyes waved wide--
"----"
Frowning and keeping his eyes open, Subaru watched, trying not to miss the boy's actions.
"Ughh!!"
The blonde girl who interrupted Subaru was sent spinning away like a leaf, with a dull sound and red blood sprinkled on the ground.
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"The people of the city have the same power as Yorna......?"
While running hard along the path, Subaru's eyes widened at the words Abel had told him.
The fox woman that he met in the keep of the Red Lapis Castle, a woman who seemed to have an unfathomable presence - an existence that could be called the empress who ruled this Demon City, the extent of her power Subaru does not know.
However, since he was selected as one of the "Nine Divine Generals" and has survived and been kept alive no matter how many times he rebelled against the emperor, there is no doubt that he is very strong.
It's hard to believe that everyone in the city has the same amount of power as that very strong Yorna.
"What kind of horror story is that? There's no such thing as 'soul marriage'......"
"You think I'm just leaving things up to you? If that's the case, how do you explain the events that caused your limbs to shrink? The kingdom and the empire are different in terms of the foundation of their techniques and the studies they have cultivated. Some of them may naturally cause events that you cannot imagine. There is no end to the number of techniques that have been lost."
"That's not what I'm talking about......"
The difficult words were laid out, and Subaru bit the inside of his cheek in frustration and turned over.
He felt his feet tangle and he almost fell, but he held it together so that he wouldn't be left behind by his friends. Because of their shrunken bodies, none of them, Subaru, Al, or Medium, had shoes that fit their feet perfectly. So, their feet are wrapped in cloth, like improvised tabi.
If you fall or untie yourself, you'll stop. That's no good.
Even if he couldn't keep up with the conversation, he had to at least keep up with his body.
"I've been thinking about it, but I never thought it would happen."
"......So, in your defense, Abel-chan didn't know that the sister was a user of the 'soul marriage technique'?"
"Even now, I doubt there is any other way. It's such an insane thing to do."
Abel, who is lightly breathing and running with his demon face looking straight ahead, answers. Al growls in his throat at the words, and Medium's face turns to Abel.
Even though he is smaller, he seems to be the most physically energetic of Medium's. I'm still okay, but Subaru won't be far behind, and I'm sure he'll be out of breath. It's hard to keep running away all the time.
"Stop. It looks like we've scattered the ones that were around the inn."
It doesn't seem he cared about that, but unexpectedly Abel made everyone stop in their tracks.
With the exit of the alley in sight, the five of them ducked behind a miscellaneous row of scrap wood and caught their breath while keeping a wary eye on the street.
"I hope you're okay, Taritta. You're much more mobile than I thought you'd be."
"What? Oh, yeah, that was amazing. He was jumping up and down and shooting bows and arrows......"
"Bro, are you doing that on purpose? Or......"
"Deliberate about what?"
He tilted his head and frowned at Al's question.
What did he say that was so funny? He was just praising Taritta's hard work in his own way to match Medium's admiration.
In response, Al shook his head and replied, "Nothing," as if it were nothing, and then turned his head toward Abel. And then,
"What did you mean earlier when you said I was insane?"
"--. I told you, the art of "soul marriage" involves giving away a part of your soul to another person. The soul is the Odo at the root of the thing."
"Odo...... that cession."
Ruminating on the words, Al's voice trembles at the realization.
Odo is, as Abel said, the root of the being - the center of not only the body, but also the more spiritual part of the being, like a wellspring of mana.
In this world, it is often treated as the same thing as "soul". So, I guess you could say that the "soul marriage technique" is also the "odo marriage technique". I'm not so sure.
"But why do souls become stronger when they're attached?"
"A close example is the relationship between a sorcerer and a spirit, where the sorcerer and the spirit enter into a contractual relationship that connects them to each other's roots. In this way, they can draw power from each other. Physical separation has nothing to do with it. You know what I mean."
"I can see where you're coming from with the drawing power, but......"
When the story of the Spiritualist was cited, Subaru clutched at his chest.
It's not something I'm too proud of, but Subaru is also a spiritist. He has made a contract with Beatrice, the girl in the pretty dress, and can do many things with her help. It's not much, though.
And, yes, Emilia is a necromancer, too. I haven't seen that little kitty in a while, though.
"But what's wrong, Subaru-chin?"
"Oh, well, you know, it's a lot of work to make a promise to a genie, so you're doing something similar, and with a lot of people! That's a little......"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Well, I think it might be difficult."
Medium is a good listener who doesn't rush him, but politely asks him out, and Subaru honestly tells her what he thinks.
A contractual relationship with a spirit is very important, and it is difficult to do the same with many others. At least, Subaru can't do it with anyone but Beatrice.
Not only was Beatrice originally such a promised child, but I'm afraid she couldn't have done it otherwise.
Then, hearing Subaru's question, Abel nodded, "That's it."
"That's why I said it was insane."
"Is that what you mean when you say 'soul marriage' is a bad idea?"
"'Tamamonjutsu' itself can be thought of as a kind of contract that can be made with a spirit regardless of the subject. However, it is hard to believe that he did it to many and unspecified people."
"----"
"I said some, but it's a cession of the soul, no matter what. It is nothing more than tearing apart the very foundation of who you are and handing it over in a senseless manner. It's not an unusual thing to do to maintain your ego. Or...... is this too much to ask?"
Shaking his head loosely, Abel tells the story of the unusual nature of Yorna's "soul marriage technique".
To be honest, he didn't understand the situation as clearly as Abel, but Subaru managed to understand that it was very frightening.
In Subaru's case, it's like sharing your soul with many people other than Beatrice. Of course, there are people in Subaru if you think they won't misbehave if you give them your soul.
Surely, Medium here and Al wouldn't do anything wrong either. But if you ask if he can give it to Abel, he'd say no.
There's something else.
"Ooh-......"
"--ah"
He plucked at Subaru's hem, and was distracted by the owner of a small growling voice.
Louis, with his long golden hair tucked behind his head, has been quietly following Subaru and the others on their escape so far. --No, it's not just this far.
Louis is a surprisingly good listener and does not raise his voice, which I was worried about. He doesn't use it to attract the attention of the enemy, and he does what he needs to do in a timely manner.
And...
"----"
Even now, he was picking at Subaru's hem, not to make Subaru deal with his own anxiety, but as if he was looking for a way to be close to Subaru's anxiety.
"You are......."
He's a jerk, he's scary, and he's unforgivable.
He's been thinking about that for a long time, more than enough, and he doesn't doubt it.
The reason why he hadn't tried to abandon her on the spot when they were sent to the Vollachian Empire together was because that girl, Rem, was trying to take care of Louis.
Even now, Subaru don't want Rem to hate him, that's the only reason he's with Louis.
And yet--
"But, hey, I guess that clarifies things, doesn't it?"
He can't shake off Louis's hand, and Al suddenly says so while Subaru is having a hard time thinking.
Al's gaze turned to Abel, where two people, one demon masked and one masked, one adult and one child, were facing each other. As Abel looked down at him, Al pointed with his thumb to his chest.
"The people who attacked us are under the influence of Yorna's Soul Marriage Technique. If that's the case, then it was Yorna who made them attack us, and that means she's Q.E.D."
"That is the most likely answer. That's the best answer I can give you as I see it."
"You're talking nonsense. If the people coming here are using Yorna's power, there's no other choice.
"Well, that's not quite right......"
"Oh?"
When Subaru gently interrupted him, Al reacted in a rough voice. When he saw Subaru's shoulders tremble at the sound of his voice, Al said, "Sorry," and touched the sheath of the Seiryuu sword on his back.
"I didn't mean to freak you out. You said you could be different?"
"......Beatrice and I are in a contractual relationship, but I'm not connected to her all the time. No, we're connected, but I don't know what she's doing right now, so..."
"You mean I can just borrow your power and sneak around?"
Subaru nodded his head in resistance to Al's blunt statement.
Even if we don't know for sure the scope and conditions of the Soul Marriage Technique, it may be possible to do such bad things. Then it would be impossible to know if Yorna is really a bad person.
"If the enemy turns out to be Yorna Missigre, we will have no other choice but to flee the Demon City. The game with Olbart will not be able to continue."
"We're being targeted from all over the city. I agree with you there......"
"If we can get one of them, things will change."
Abel muttered to himself as he touched his cheek through his demon face.
Hearing this, Subaru also opens his mouth with an "ah."
"Oh, sure! If we could just hear from one of the people on the other side, it would be clearer! I don't know why I didn't think of that!"
"Oh, my God! Abel, you're a genius! That's it, that's it!"
Of course!"
The answer seemed to clear the cloudy sky, and Subaru and Medium jumped for joy. They clapped their hands together and looked back at Abel and the others with great joy.
However, their joy is interrupted by Abel and Al, who don't show their true faces.
While Subaru and the others were excited, Al slumped his shoulders and said, "I'm sorry.
"If you can do that, you'll have no trouble. But that's the hard part, you know. The other party, after all, is all receiving the power of Sister Yorna."
"Oh, I see......"
"I could've done it if Taritta was here."
Medium was very disappointed with their lack of ability, as they stomped on the ground on the spot.
Subaru felt the same frustration at her words. He lacked the information to take another step forward in this situation, and he didn't have the means at hand to obtain it.
"Something, anything at......."
Putting his hand over his mouth, Subaru tried his best to remember what he had done so far.
Since arriving at the Chaos Flame, various events and troubles have occurred in this magical city. The encounter with Yorna and the fake emperors at the Red Lapis Castle. The next morning, the sudden "infantilization", the "hide and seek" offered by the "vicious old man", and the scary people waiting in ambush--.
While Taritta is stalling them, they have to find a way to break the ice.
If they didn't, no matter how many Taritta there were, those many people would catch them and make them feel terrible--
"--What"
"Subaru-chin?"
While he was pondering this and that, Subaru blinked his eyes as he felt a strange tug. Medium, noticing Subaru's condition, looked into his face.
However, he didn't have time to answer her call. He was in a hurry to figure out what it was that he was stuck on now, and he had to get to it.
What stuck with him was Taritta, who was doing her best. --No, not Taritta herself, but the people facing Taritta, the scary hundred people who targeted Subaru and the others.
He watched from a distance as the hundred of them fought the Taritta. There was something strange about it. It was probably...
"In fact! You can't even tell if it's really the Soul Marriage Technique, if the enemy is Sister Yorna or not, or if the old man Olbart isn't lying!"
"What--"
Subaru was surprised to see Al barking that while roughly scratching his own neck. However, Al didn't seem to notice Subaru's surprise, and kicked the wall impatiently.
He can't help but notice that Al's composure is slipping. His original posture of being a willow branch that could take anything in stride seemed to be a mirage.
And Al, in his frustration, quickly crowded Abel.
"What are you going to do, Abel? I can't go out with you like this. I'll tell you what, I've got more priorities than Abel's restoration. So ......"
"I'm not interested in what you want. But there is a way to be sure."
"Check what?"
"I want to know if their toughness is due to the Soul Marriage Technique."
Abel said to Al, who was crowding him, and pointed outside the alley.
Outside in the darkness, he could hear the sounds of people passing by, footsteps, and talking from the street. However, it doesn't mean that anyone is noticing and peeking in.
Just a hustle and bustle, that's all there is to it.
"What's on the Street?"
"Pick one that passes by and harm it at random. Then we can see if Yorna Missigre's 'soul marriage' technique will surround everyone in the city or not."
"----"
"If the wound heals, you are under the influence of the Soul Marriage Technique. If you are wounded or die, you are not under the influence of the soul-marriage technique, so the assumption that you are a user of the soul-marriage technique can be dismissed as false."
Abel continued, nonchalantly, pointing down the street.
The noise and outrageousness of the content left Subaru speechless and unable to say anything. His brain was numb and he had given up even thinking.
No one would take such a ridiculous story seriously.
"I see....... but there is a pattern like us that the residents are excluded. What if I pull it?"
"You can tell the difference between a resident and an outsider by looking at their footwear. It is possible, of course, that only those who surround the outside of the inn are under the influence of the Soul Marriage Technique. In that case, it will be a proof that Yorna Missigre has consciously set up here."
Abel nodded as if he could get the information anyway, and he could see that Al was silent just to give it some thought.
It was a difficult discussion for Subaru to understand because it was summarized in a complicated logic. But even in the midst of the incomprehensible discussion, there were things that were understood.
That means that if they don't, someone else will get hurt.
"That's not--"
"What if I refuse? Try to come up with an alternative."
"......."
Abel looked down at Subaru, who reflexively tried to bite him, as if he were trying to get ahead of him.
Subaru's face became hot as he felt like his thoughts were being read and he was being called shallow. But he couldn't be silenced. He doesn't want to just shut up and back down.
"You don't have to hurt anyone else. There are other ways......"
"If you have an idea, say it. If you have any ideas worth considering, I will listen to them. --But it would be unreasonable to expect you to do so now."
"That's it!"
"You are especially afraid of sacrifice."
A cruel voice pierced through the hot Subaru as if to cut through him.
Feeling the pain as if he had really been shot through, Subaru bit his back teeth and looked down.
Sacrifice, someone getting hurt or dying.
The less people die or are injured, the better for both friends and enemies. The reason Subaru thinks that way is because he is sweet, blue, and weak.
But why shouldn't it?"
"It's not a denial. It's just a fact. If you want to get the most out of what you want, you need to be intelligent or capable. If you don't have enough, you have to compromise by cutting back on the desired outcome. That is the bloodless castle you spoke of, and the process and results that took place in it."
"----"
"If you want neither the dead nor the wounded, you must have the power to bring about the result. --If you truly desire it, it would be a contradiction to withhold it."
Subaru's cheeks hardened and his eyes blinked as he was told that he was being stingy.
He doesn't know the intention of Abel's words. However, the black eyes through the demon face look at Subaru, and in the depths of the eyes with an incomparably weak light, they are trying to find out Subaru's true intentions.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
Really, I don't know. What is it that Subaru is holding out on us? He's trying very hard to think about it with his head that won't turn, but he can't seem to come up with a way to do anything about it.
With his short limbs and small lungs, he could not fly or jump like Taritta. The whip he brought with him was too thick and heavy for him to handle.
Still, if he doesn't want anyone to get hurt, that's why--
"Well, then you'd better hope I get hurt!"
His mind was all over the place, and Subaru was yelling at Abel about it.
He knows he's not strong enough, and he knows he's not thinking straight. It was a problem that had always existed before Subaru's body was reduced to this size.
He felt something hot rising from behind his closed eyes.
Before it could clearly turn into tears, Subaru turned away and started running.
"Bro?"
"Subaru-chin!"
Al and Medium let out a scream at the sudden movement.
However, not stopping at their call, Subaru threw himself out of the alley and into the street.
I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't want them to die.
Subaru lacks both the ability and the wisdom necessary to do so. If something is to be exchanged to make up for this lack, it is Subaru himself.
Make sure. Bring back information that can change this situation the moment you can get it back.
To that end--
"Come on! I'm here!"
Subaru ran out into the street, arms outstretched, shouting at the top of his voice.
A high-pitched child's voice drowned out the noise of the street, attracting the attention of the startled ones. Caught by a number of wide-open eyes, Subaru felt his heart shrink in pain.
"Oh."
If you do something prematurely, you'll regret it after you've done it.
The eyes of the people around him, looking at the child who was doing something stupid, made him feel a sudden sense of shame and fear. As it was, Subaru wanted to hold his breath and go back to the alley...
"Wait."
Someone grabbed Subaru's arm as he stomped on the ground, impatient.
Subaru's shoulders bounced as he turned around, and taking his arm was a short figure. A boy with short, frizzy hair dressed in simple light clothing - no, his hair is not shortened, it just looks short because it has a strong habit and the ends are curled.
Subaru's eyes widened at the appearance of the boy, who was roughly the same age as the current Subaru, and he tried to open his mouth to ask why he had stopped him.
"I'm sorry."
--The next moment, he was lightly thrown away by a boy with a burning right eye.
"--e?"
He was swallowed up by his spinning vision and couldn't tell what had happened.
Suddenly, the boy threw Subaru away. With a swinging motion of one arm that he had grabbed, he easily and easily threw him into the sky.
"Wha, whaaaaa--!?"
He ran out into the street with such enthusiasm that he would rather someone else get hurt.
And yet, instead of immediately regretting it and trying to go back, he was thrown off and screamed at because he couldn't even make it through that run back.
Why, why, why? Questions bounced around in his head, and his insides felt like they were being squeezed.
The ones who were fighting Taritta had the same burning eyes as the boy. If that was the effect of the Soul Marriage Technique that Abel had mentioned, then he had been given a portion of Yorna's power. In order to confirm this, he had jumped out of the car with great vigor, saying he would sacrifice himself.
All of them were incomprehensible to Subaru, who was spinning and falling into the blue sky.
It was a miracle that the spinning body did not hit any of the surrounding buildings or decorations. It was a miracle that it didn't hit the surrounding buildings and decorations.
He was just afraid of the obstacles that were passing by the edge of his vision at a great speed, and he fell into the blue sky, praying desperately that he wouldn't be hit - and then it would suddenly stop.
Slowly, the body of the thrown Subaru reached the top of the height, and now it was falling headlong from there to the ground.
"Ahhhh!"
The voice that had left the ground now echoed as it approached the ground.
He did not know how high he went, but he had to take a fall. But he couldn't remember how to do it at once. In the first place, he wondered if he could manage to catch himself when he fell from a great height. If he fell to the ground, his whole body would fall apart, his head would be crushed, his neck would be broken, and he would die.
--He felt that 'death' was coming close to him again.
"Al-chin!"
"I know!"
Immediately afterwards, he heard a knowing voice trying hard to blend in with Subaru's own screams.
As it is, the sound of something tense being slashed and the sound of several long, thin things falling down form a chain, and without knowing what it is, Subaru's body falls to the ground - before being caught.
"Wha, whaa, whaaa...... Whabu!"
The softness of the touch took him in, but he couldn't stop the momentum, and Subaru's body rolled over the softness with quite a bit of force. When he reached the edge of that softness, his thrown body rolled on the hard ground, causing a moan and the taste of sand to spread in his mouth.
His body aches here and there. But--
"Am I, alive......?"
Subaru let out a cry of dismay at the fact that he didn't die.
When he managed to pull himself up, he finally realized what had happened. --Al and Medium, the two of them had saved Subaru with their quick decision.
In order to catch Subaru falling from the sky, they jumped onto the tent of a store on the street, detached the tent's fixture, and stretched it out to make an instant cushion.
Thanks to this, Subaru was not knocked to the ground and his life was saved.
But...
"Ah, it hurts......"
"Agh......."
The two people who did their best to catch Subaru were not safe.
"Oh, Al! Medium!"
Subaru woke up and saw the two figures lying in the street.
Of course, Al and Medium, who were under the influence of "infantilization," could not work as usual. They set up a tent to catch the falling Subaru, and were blown away by the impact.
And the bad reports still continue--
"I was hoping you'd be done with that......"
As he said this, the boy who had thrown Subaru away was distorting his face in pain.
He looked around at Subaru and then at Al and Medium, who had also fallen, and covered his face with his palm, which was filled with bitterness. --The flames that could not be covered were still in his right eye.
"Oh, you're......."
"It's necessary. This city...... can't afford to lose Him."
"--?"
He managed to raise himself up and draw the boy's attention to me.
He was determined not to let Al or Medium get their hands on him, but the boy's answer was outside Subaru's imagination and far from his understanding.
However, the boy is desperate, and another thing that makes Subaru's heart flutter.
"You too......."
It was the same thing that had stuck with him when he was struggling to get his head around the alley.
Taritta, who is fighting to help Subaru and the others escape, and the people who were facing her with their one eye burned, their expressions--
--They all seemed to have the same pained look on their faces as the boy.
"I'm sorry. Don't ask me to forgive you."
Shaking his head, the boy slowly steps forward in front of Subaru with hesitation in his eyes, but the hesitation is gone from his expression.
He tried to crawl behind him to escape, but he couldn't get down. He couldn't move his legs.
So at least, he stares at the boy's face, trying not to look away, and realize.
There is a little thing peeking out from the side of the head in the boy's habitual hair - a small horn.
He looked at his white habitual hair and horns and thought he looked out of place, like a sheep.
With that, the hand of the boy with the burning eyes waved wide--
"----"
Frowning and keeping his eyes open, Subaru watched, trying not to miss the boy's actions.
"Ughh!!"
The blonde girl who interrupted Subaru was sent spinning away like a leaf, with a dull sound and red blood sprinkled on the ground.