Arc 7, Chapter 75 "I know"
--The cheerful smiles and voices are so out of place in such desperate devastation.
The kimono was burned to a crisp, and the left side of his face was charred black, but Cecilus's attitude as he peeked in was just the same as usual.
He's not the only one. --All the people surviving on the island now are freaks.
All decent people must surely be dead by now.
Cecilus in front of him, Todd in pursuit, Arakiya killing around, and Subaru, the great sinner.
Not all of them are upright, so they can live like this shamelessly.
So--,
"Ceci......"
"The Lizard Man is dead there, and at this rate, the Deer Girl and other friends in the 'union' will probably be wiped out as well."
"--"
"Oh, you didn't admit he was dead yet, did you?"
Cecilus reads through the trembling of Subaru's eyes to see his feelings.
Instantly, he became angry. If he can mimic like that, like reading minds, why can't he be at all close to Subaru's feelings right now?
Why does he wonder how Subaru would feel if he was told so, that Hiain was dead.
Why does he say he died so lightly?
"He's dead, he's dead to the ground. ......Just not a bad look of death."
"Even, though, he's dead......"
"Are you of the opinion that there is no such thing as good or bad? I guess that is a difference of opinion. If there is a good way to live, there is also a good way to die. Let's not be so tactless as to meddle in how the recipient feels. That lizard man had a good way to die. This face is proof of that."
"----"
"I wish I had a face like that when I die."
Subaru could not say anything to Cecilus, who was regurgitating a lot.
He didn't feel talked out of it, he felt it was pointless. He doesn't want to see Hiain die, and he doesn't think he'll ever be able to understand Cecilus.
So there is not a shred of reason to go along with his argument.
"I'm sorry to meet you here, but I'm actually in a bit of a rush. I'm in the middle of a confrontation with a half-naked woman who is running amok on the island."
Cecilus stretches his bent back and continues to speak on his own.
He didn't have to think twice about who he was talking to to find out that it was Arakiya.
Arakiya begins her massacre at Todd's behest. The only thing cute about Todd is his lack of outstanding fighting ability, but when he teams up with her, that disappears and he becomes completely and utterly evil.
He hadn't seen her since she started water-ballooning the gladiator's head, but apparently it was Cecilus who was holding her back.
So the same "Nine Divine General" who can stop the "Nine Divine Generals", even if they are rotten.
"However, as you can see, they are struggling. No, there's someone I can get along with. I thought the road to the Heavenly Sword could only be climbed by one person."
"......Why"
"Yes? What?"
"Why, it looks like fun, what the heck......"
Literally, it was an outburst that came out of his mouth at the end of a painstaking effort, as if he was squeezing out his soul.
Yes, he's just taking it out on him. He hates Cecilus for laughing in this hellish situation, on this island where Weitz, Tanza, Idola, Hiain, everyone is dead.
Why is it funny? What in the world is funny about this situation?
"Why......!"
"Oh, it's the opposite of cause and effect. We're not laughing because we're having fun; we're creating a situation where we're having fun because we're laughing."
"--ah?"
"In this cruel world, everyone pursues his or her own ideal of happiness. Everyone has his or her own philosophy, but in any case, one must have the right kind of faith. And this is what I stand for."
As he says this, Cecilus touches his burnt left cheek with his right hand. The tattered, charred skin peels away, but Cecilus's smile does not falter in the face of unimaginable pain.
Cecilus continues to smile, not resorting to such cheating that he doesn't feel pain.
"If only I were a florid actor in this world! Let the script lean on me instead of leaning on it. If you ask me why I laugh, I'll tell you."
"----"
"Whoever smiles, it is for your own good. --Let the heavenly observers see when and how you do it, and do not be ashamed of it."
"----"
"Now, Bassu, what credo do you stand for?"
The philosophy of Cecilus, who, while half-burned, never ceases to smile.
It was something Subaru could not understand at all, but he felt such a strange kind of faith that he was hesitant to let his emotions kick him in the foot.
The spectators and Cecilus had mentioned the same thing before.
As if to say that someone or something unworldly is watching them.
It's hardcore to be able to say that even under these circumstances, and I'm sure no one can bend them.
So--
"Oops, looks like break time is over."
That said, his smile did not disappear when he saw Arakiya descend into the lower corridor.
She was covered with flames all over her body, and he is sure that none of the gladiators could have beaten her, but the tree branch in her hand was broken and the eye patch covering one eye was gone.
Hating to be seen under her eye patch, Arakiya covered her left eye with her free hand, her often emotionless face contorted with very mixed emotions.
"Cecilus......"
She grits her teeth and glares at Cecilus, her eyes flickering with anger and confusion.
Wings made of flame flapped down her back, and the firepower shook and burned as if linked to her emotions, filling the aisle with a furious heat.
The air smells of burning, and everything around her is on fire.
The walls and floors of the aisles, the candelabras and doors, and even the corpse of the fallen Hiain--.
"--"
"Would I be rewarded by burning to death here with the others? What an outlandish thing to say. Stay or go, as you please."
Cecilus's voice falls in bits and pieces on Subaru, who turns pale as he sees Hiain's body igniting. Gulp, Subaru put his arms on the floor, pulled himself off the ground, which began to get a little hotter, and stood up.
He has a headache. Not enough blood. He feels helpless, his chest is crushed.
Yet, why is Subaru still standing? Why not burn to death here, or chew the "pill" he keeps behind his back teeth?
"See you on the other shore."
Not knowing why he was even running, Subaru turned his back to the burning passageway.
Running, limping, too slow.
If only he had been able to reach this speed earlier, he would have saved Idola and Hiain, Weitz and Tanza, from dying, or so he regretted.
Subaru still continued to run and escape.
△▼△▼△▼△
"--Well, now that Bassu is gone, too"
"----"
"Good grief, they seem to hate me a lot."
Cecilus chuckled and closed one eye as he felt the faltering running sign fade away.
He knows that the flame-clad woman who glares at him so intensely, he knows that the source of her anger is him, but he is not quite sure where the source of that anger comes from.
However, he doesn't feel that she is angry because he is hostile or because she interfered with him killing the gladiator.
Perhaps there are more reasons.
However--,
"I have a knack for offending most people I come in contact with, and as usual in such situations...... I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"--tsk, how far you've gone, you've got to be kidding me......!"
"Well, you think I'm joking. May I ask, for your information, which part do you think is a joke?"
"What? What's the figure......?"
She stares at him with red eyes and point out his figure.
Even though she was the one who baked the half-baked bread, he was not the only one who did so.
"But maybe that's not what you meant. Maybe you and I had something to do with it?"
"Just kidding......"
"I can't give you any evidence to make you believe me, so I have no choice but to insist. But when I think about it that way, a lot of things seem to make sense."
As he said this, Cecilus nodded as he twirled with the raised finger of his right hand, turning the eye patch he had taken from her during the fight.
In any case, his memories of the time before he started rampaging on the Gladiator Island are not clear. This is true as Subaru asked him before. It is also true that he doesn't pay much attention to it. However, just as he was thinking that there must be something going on, she appeared in front of him with a knowing look on her face.
If she was in the vanished memories, it felt somewhat like a waste. There was an expectation that if she was someone who could do so much, maybe she could.
On the road to the Heavenly Sword--.
"That's how...... nobody, tells me, anything......!"
"Oh?"
But before Cecilus could think, she began to shake her voice in frustration, mixing anger and confusion with a strong bitterness.
The flame on his back changes its color from red to blue. Good taste.
And so she exhaled painfully as she brought about a tasteful change,
"The Princess, Your Excellency, and I are always...... hiding......"
"You think I'm having a hard time leaving you behind?"
"--tsk"
Her expression became tense, as if a casual remark had hit the bull's-eye.
Looking into those shimmering red eyes, he feels a tingle of feelings in the blurry beyond, or not so much, and in the end, he's not sure what his relationship with her is.
"I think it's strange that they would try to kill you if you had a good relationship, and let's assume that they must have been very close to each other. And it fits perfectly with this situation!"
"Cecilus......"
"Long stories bore the audience. It's time to move the stage. Unfortunately, I can't give you any answers, but I might be able to get a few things off your chest."
He hides the half of his body that is slowly aching, clutch the eye patch he had been wearing, and face her.
In response to her desire to end the conversation and engage in an area of dialogue that was beyond the reach of words, she was silent for a moment and then slowly lowered her left hand.
Beyond that, Cecilus chuckles as he is confronted by lightless red eyes.
"I'm serious. --You always only cook half a fried egg."
"--tk"
"What was that? Did something just come out?"
Cecilus tilts his head as he wonders to himself about the one word that came out of his mouth reflexively.
However, it seems that this has resulted in more and more anger on her part.
"----"
Fiercely, erupting blue flames burn the lower layers of the island.
Without a moment's thought for his surroundings, Cecilus turned himself into a "blue lightning bolt" and dove into the flames.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Hah, hah......"
Feeling the air heated by the flames on his back, Subaru desperately flees from the lower level.
Running away, yes, running away. Not resisting, not struggling, but running away.
There is no excuse for saying it was a strategic retreat, or a courageous escape to make it to the next stage.
Because there is nothing beyond this to connect.
Everyone was dead and no one could get them back.
Weitz and his friends risked their lives to let him go, but he can't do anything.
He thought he could do everything, everything well.
In fact, when he got through "Sparka" twice and was able to rescue both his friends in the "union" and those in Hiain, he was going to be able to do it over all difficulties.
What a misunderstanding.
To begin with, Subaru had died many times. When he died, it was only because he had a chance to start over, and it worked out well, only for it to go wrong, and here he is.
If he was a truly capable person, he could do everything well without ever dying.
That's exactly what that horrible being, Todd Fang, is like.
The ability to overcome every situation on your own, without the right to die and start over.
It is the same with Subaru that he does not have outstanding fighting ability, so why can't Subaru do the same with Todd?
Because he can't do that, Subaru has to kill a lot of people, and he can't do that--.
"Damn it......"
As soon as he stepped out of the island's lower level and into the open air, his frustration swelled unbearably. Subaru slapped the outer wall he was leaning against and cursed himself for his weakness.
Small fists, feeble body, a head that would not turn, and useless authority. If he began to count, he could think of endless reasons why he had lost.
Rather, what's in it for him, the little shit with just a bad look in his eye, and he knows it--.
"--"
Subaru's throat, which stopped and cursed himself in frustration, stifled a scream at the unexpected noise.
The noise at this scene, the worst imaginable, made his whole body tremble. Idola must have caught up with Todd, who was trying so hard to slow him down.
However--,
"Mr., Schwarz......"
"--Tanza?"
The gravelly voice that followed the noise brought surprise, not fear, to Subaru.
Weakly and breathlessly, Subaru called for Tanza, who had been thrown down the aisle by Todd and whose subsequent safety was unknown.
She is limping, soaking wet all over, and has taken off her kimono and is wearing a white lintel. One of the two horns on her head was broken, and she was in shreds.
And yet--,
"Mr. Schwarz, you're safe and sound......"
Subaru's round eyes shook with relief, and he felt a deep sense of bitterness in his heart.
The wet look on her face told him that she had been thrown down into the lake from the upper levels. The lake is said to be inhabited by aquatic, ferocious magical beasts, and the broken horns are evidence that this was more than just an accident.
It is natural for them to cry out and cling to adults, crying out for pain, suffering, and help.
And yet Tanza found Subaru and lowered the corners of her eyes and said, "Thank God."
Finding Natsuki Subaru, who can't do anything, like this--.
"--ah"
That was the moment he thought.
The strength in his legs slips away, and Subaru slumps to the spot. The taut threads that had been holding him up were cut, and the contents of his head, which had only been ranting and raving, suddenly became quiet.
It was a relief to see Tanza alive, not.
It wasn't a sense of accomplishment in finding some kind of breakthrough or shaking off his fear of Todd.
--It's just, to himself, he was so disgusted with it.
"Mr. Schwarz......?!"
Seeing Subaru on his knees, the bloody Tanza comes running towards him.
The way she was running was strange and she might have injured her leg. If you look closely, the sides of her wet white lintel are also slowly turning red.
She's worried about Subaru, even though she has such a very, very painful wound.
That, when he realized that he could not live up to Tanza's expectations or anything else, he lost strength.
Resignation takes over his heart.
"----"
It was neither pain nor fear.
It wasn't that kind of obvious pain that made Natsuki Subaru despair.
Failure to live up to the expectations and wishes that have been placed upon him.
That is what made Natsuki Subaru the most desperate and venomous of all.
"Mr. Schwarz, please be careful...... the others, like Idola and Hiain are......."
He worries about the two of them without Tanza, who reaches to his side and touches Subaru's shoulder.
Weitz's name was not called. No wonder. Tanza, too, had seen Weitz killed in front of her eyes. And even the two people who were not here must have had a bad feeling about it.
That hunch was impossibly accurate.
"They're both dead......"
"--"
Both Idola and Hiain covered for me......."
They all died. Just not being saved, they saved him.
Weitz, Idola, and Hiain, all three died protecting Subaru. Tanza almost died because she tried to protect Subaru, who was unable to move.
Everyone died because of Subaru.
Everyone was killed because of Subaru.
This whole catastrophe on the Gladiator Island was Natsuki Subaru's fault.
"Mr. Schwarz...... let's get out of here. Right now, we need to hide somewhere."
"Hiding won't help...... He will find you soon anyway."
"Even if it is! Are we just going to sit here and wait to be killed without anything being done? Then, for what purpose did all of you in the 'union' lose your lives!"
"----"
Tanza shook her head and yelled frustratedly at Subaru, who was unable to move.
Her tearful plea, however, did not make Subaru's heart hot, but only brought cold conviction.
Yes, the Subaru that the three risked their lives to protect was of no use.
In other words, he let three people die in vain. All because they tried to protect Subaru.
He failed to live up to expectations. He even lied and deceived them.
He should never have told that lie. If he couldn't fool them to the end, if he couldn't take anything home with him by lying, then he shouldn't have lied.
Then the three of them would not have tried to die in Subaru's place.
Not for the son of the emperor, not for Natsuki Schwarz, not for Natsuki Subaru.
Come to think of it, there's another person he's fooled, with the same lie.
"Mr. Schwarz! If you don't fall down here--"
"......It's all a lie, Tanza."
"----"
"The emperor's illegitimate son is a lie. I'm the child of a great, great-looking father, but...... I'm not the emperor's child."
Turning over, Subaru confessed himself to the lie that he had tried to rely on so easily, a false expectation.
If only he had done this earlier --No, he shouldn't have lied like that in the first place.
"----"
With round eyes even rounder, Tanza was immensely impressed by Subaru's confession.
It was obvious. What a lie she had told in this situation, making Subaru himself want to curse her. There was nothing wrong if she let her anger get the better of her, that she had been deceived.
Rather, it was inevitable that he would have been killed at the hands of Tanza.
And so did everyone else.
The chance to punish the cheating Subaru for the legitimate rights of the cheated was eliminated.
Then, Tanza, even if it did.
"......Mr. Schwarz."
"----"
"Let's move quickly from here. I'll carry you."
"Huh......"
Subaru, who had closed his eyes and braced himself for whatever was to be said, looked up at Tanza's words.
Tanza's thin lips were knotted and she tried to pull Subaru's arm. Seriously, she tried to move from here with Subaru on her back, and a voice said, "Wait," at such a move.
He told her everything. He told her it was a lie.
"You didn't hear that, did you...... I!"
"I heard that you are not the illegitimate son of the Emperor. More on that later......"
"Later, no shit?! I have nothing to do with the Emperor! Then there's no reason for you to help me anymore......"
There is nothing. It was Subaru's crime to make it appear as if there was something that was not there.
It would take the lives of three people and then some--.
"--Mr. Schwarz, do you really think so?"
Subaru's movement stops as he tries to shake off the small hand touching his shoulder.
In front of him, the crouched Tanza was staring at Subaru's eyes from the front. He could not take his eyes off of her eyes and could not digest the meaning of what was being said.
He doesn't think so or anything, it's all true as it is.
"Do you really think that Weitz, Idola, Hiain, and all of them risked their lives to protect Mr. Schwarz because of a lie you told?"
"B-because...... because I'm the emperor's child."
"I believed it, and they all believed it. But do you really think that those three...... cowards, losers, and liars would risk their lives out of loyalty and patriotism to the Empire?"
If Subaru is the illegitimate son of the emperor, then he is a prince of the Empire.
So it is only natural that the three of them, as Imperial citizens, would try to protect Subaru. But he think about Tanza's words again, chewing them over slowly.
Hiain was a coward and tried to escape out of self-pity.
Weitz, cowardly, outwitted his surroundings and struggled to survive.
Idola tried to manipulate everyone by lying and making himself look big.
He didn't feel like he could get along with anyone. The three of them must have felt the same way.
And yet, in the end, the three of them risked their lives to protect Subaru. They protected him. They let him go.
Why? Because the three of them thought that Subaru was the illegitimate son of the Emperor.
But if. --If they don't.
"W-why......"
"Because Mr. Schwarz is the one who can properly stand by the three of them."
"----"
"It's because you spoke properly, you answered well, you tried to understand...... and in that way, you were there with all of them."
"I don't know," Tanza tells Subaru, who has his doubts, with a look in his eyes.
She is trying to tell him the answer to what Subaru did and why the three of them wanted to help Subaru.
And yet, Subaru has no idea what Tanza is talking about.
Because--,
"I'm not doing anything special. I didn't do anything special."
It is natural to talk to and try to understand those with whom we cooperate.
There are, of course, things that we were not able to do. There are things that we try to do, but can't. But that's normal for everyone. But everyone takes such things for granted, and it is nothing special to be there for them.
"I know how everyone feels. I was saved by Yorna, and she was there for me. I am sure the three of you feel the same way."
"----"
"But that alone means risking one's life. ......Yes, sometimes it makes you think."
It was a cheating, unfair word.
If this had been just Subaru, he could have told Tanza straight up that it couldn't be. But Tanza told him that her experience was something that Yorna had done for her.
Yorna Mishigure, the Empress of the Demon City where many races live - the kindest woman in the Empire as far as Subaru knows.
It's preposterous that he is the same as Yorna. It is beyond awe-inspiring.
Tanza overbuys Subaru.
But--,
"----"
But what about those three, Hiain, Weitz and Idola?
Subaru probably knows more about those three people than those three people think.
He knows about Hiain's self-hatred, Weitz's false accusations, and Idola's fall.
He knows that they have all come to this island because they have been through hard times, sad times, and have no one to turn to.
He thought it was too much. He thought the three of them should have a chance.
He thought he would die here and that would be the end.
"I wanted to help everyone."
"I was saved. So much so that I was willing to protect Mr. Schwarz with my life."
"No, you're wrong. That's not what I meant......"
Maybe Tanza is right.
Perhaps, more than Subaru thought, the three of them thought of him as a friend.
Subaru could, perhaps, have saved the hearts of the three of them.
But the heart is not enough.
He doesn't think he'd done it by saving only the hearts. He wants to save them all.
Subaru wants to save everyone, both in mind and body, who is on Subaru's side and who treats them well.
If he can't do that, he's not Natsuki Kenichi's son --No.
"--I don't like it."
A world that cries out that it can't help itself, and then everything around it dies out and it's over.
At some point, the Gladiator Island was enveloped in black smoke, and even though it was an island floating on a lake, it burned, burned, and spread, seemingly trying to end all the lives it held within it.
"This is......"
He can't admit it. He doesn't want to admit it. He doesn't want to break his knees in such a settlement that no one can be saved.
He can't agree to let everyone throw their lives away and be done with it.
He's not convinced. So--,
"--I don't want to lose to you."
"I don't really care if I win or lose."
Behind the rising black smoke, a man tapped his shoulder with an axe in his hand, tilted his head and replied.
△▼△▼△▼△
For a moment, it was almost as if he were a different person when he appeared, carrying a bloody axe.
The bandana, his trademark, was off, and his orange hair was down, giving a very different impression from the man we had seen before.
However, his twin eyes - green eyes that cannot hide their evilness - make it seem as if he is not who he says he is.
"Todd......"
"You have bad luck, too. It took us a long time to catch up because of the fire in the passage. I told Arakiya to use the water."
"----"
"Apparently, Arakiya is also in over her head. She's useless at the critical moment."
Todd, who said this with a look of impatience, lacked cheerfulness, perhaps due to his let-down hair. The air of good-natured youthfulness that deceived him when they first met has vanished, and all that is left is a chilly, thirsty aggression.
Even the aggression might have been a misunderstanding on their part, and might have been false.
A man who will lie and take advantage of those around him if necessary, a Todd-like deception--,
"Please don't come any closer......"
Glaring at Todd, who was about to take a step forward, Tanza picked up a stone that was close at hand.
With Tanza, whose arm strength is not that of a child, even a mere stone throw is enough of a deadly weapon. However, when the opponent is Todd, a pebble is not as reliable as a stone.
In fact, Todd wasn't even scared, squinting his eyes,
"You're a stubborn little girl, even after I dropped you in the lake. Are you the same as those who just came in?"
"......If that's what you 'union' folks are about."
"That's a nasty look you're giving me. I'm not going to take the mortal danger lightly, either. If that happens, we'll be stuck with each other, and that's a pain in the ass."
As he said it, Todd ran his hand through his own hair. The gesture conveyed that it was to the credit of the remaining idlers that he had lost his bandana.
We didn't beat them, we didn't wound them, we just took their bandanas.
Still, Todd is wary of Subaru and his team because Idola has taken a shot.
"What is it...... that you want?"
"--? I just want to go home?"
That was the answer to Tanza's question to Todd, who stopped in his tracks.
Without a shred of mischief or mischievousness, Todd said what he wanted without hesitation. He just wanted to go home, that's all he wanted, Todd said.
And maybe that's not a lie or anything.
"--tsk"
"Tanza, you don't have to talk to him anymore. I'll talk to him."
Subaru stalls Tanza, who has a stern look in the corner of his eye, and looks at Todd quietly.
Todd shrugged his shoulders in front of the two ragged children.
"I ain't got nothing to say to you, kid."
"You should go out with us while we're looking for an opening. Or are you afraid of a dying child?"
"That's scary. A kid who would still provoke me in this situation, that's scary."
He does not take advantage of any provocation, does not let his guard down one iota, and does not cut corners even if the opponent is a child.
It really is a nasty opponent to no end, and it seems only natural that he was cornered. But then he thought to himself, "What a way to be cautious, to be wise, and not to be overconfident."
"You're trying to do everything all by yourself."
"--. I can't do everything. I know what I'm capable of."
"I came here with Arakiya and with my people, and I don't trust that at all."
Todd's attitude shows no concern for Arakiya.
It is not because he trusts in Arakiya's strength and thinks she cannot be defeated, but because he does not care about Arakiya, regardless of her strength or weakness.
It's not just Arakiya. Todd thinks that everything around him is.
So all of its actions, thoughts, and ideals are complete on their own.
"I don't want to lose to you."
"It's not about winning or losing. Nothing. As long as you die, you win."
"My loss will not be my loss alone. It will be the loss of Tanza, of Hiain, of Weitz, of Idola, and of everyone in the 'union'."
He absolutely hated that.
Subaru and his team were all in a 'union' to fight, defy, and win.
That's why they're going to win. --They are all going to win.
"----"
With his dying body, Subaru kneels down and puts his hand on his own chest.
Todd raises his eyebrows at these words, but he cannot bypass Tanza's warnings. Of course, even Todd would have moved to stop Subaru if he had made a visible move.
But Subaru kneels there and does not move. He cannot move.
"Todd."
And he didn't even have to move. --He just said one word - just one word.
"--I am going to 'return by death'."
Stepping over the slightest hesitation, Subaru utters it.
With his hand on his own chest, Subaru made it clear that he was prepared for what would happen if he said it.
And then--,
"......What?"
There was a moment of blankness, and Todd's brow wrinkled deeper at Subaru's words.
He did not understand the meaning of those words, and the same sign of doubt returned from Tanza. Their reactions, and his own painless chest, made Subaru realize the cause of the glitch.
Memories of pain that cannot be forgotten, even if his body is shrinking.
If he speaks of it, disaster is sure to befall Subaru. The black shadow that rules the world where time has stopped, and the excruciating pain inflicted as punishment for breaking the taboo.
It does not come. Why? --The "Witch" has lost sight of Subaru.
The keep of the Red Lapis Castle, the "Sparka" on the Gladiator Island, the massacre started by Todd --The spiral of "death" that occurred at every turn, and the glitches that accompanied it.
Instinctively, unknowingly, Subaru understood this.
Just as a bird does not forget how to fly. May the fish not forget how to swim.
Natsuki Subaru never forgets how to use his authority.
Is it because of being sent to the Vollachia Empire, or is it because of the ongoing "infantilization"?
There would have been room to notice much, much sooner.
Even in "Sparka" and during the massacre, when the unleashed gladiatorial beasts - the magical beasts - did not rush to Subaru, he was sure that the "witch" was out of the picture.
So he shouted.
"I'm 'returning by death'!"
"--You."
"I'm 'returning by death'! 'Return by Death'! Don't you understand, I'm 'returning by death'!"
--"Return by Death" is not to be confided in anyone.
Because it has a penalty of unbearable pain, and more than that, because it may also be in direct contact with heart-cracking despair.
He doesn't even expect to be able to abuse that mechanism to take the life of the person he let hear it.
He doesn't even let Tanza cover my ears. He is also giving Todd information he doesn't want him to hear.
But his true love was not Todd or anyone else on the island.
"--I'm 'returning by death'!"
Looking up at the sky, Subaru raises his voice to the cloudy sky where black smoke is rising.
He was a wreck, and his own loud voice was visceral and painful. He's going to die. But this was not the kind of pain Subaru was prepared for or looking for.
Cecilus left the spectators embarrassed by the secularism.
It is hard to believe that Subaru and Cecilus have the same person in mind. To begin with, it is highly possible that Cecilus's is just a delusion. But the delusion made him realize it.
The same spectators that Cecilus is aware of are the ones that should be watching Subaru.
If that being that is supposed to be watching Subaru is still watching him without leaving, such a hopeless, "loveless" loop will not happen.
"--I'm 'returning by death'!"
I'm here. Find me.
I know it's a bit of a bugger. But I'm trying to help everyone.
My, Natsuki Subaru's authority is not enough.
So--,
"......Find me, Satella."
"--I love you."
She called out his name, that was the moment.
"----"
The world suddenly lost its color. The ringing in his ears, which had been echoing noisily, vanished into the distance.
Limb motion. Tongue is thirsty and numb. He will not be able to move his eyes or breathe. All of it, the crippling compulsion, the slow, heartbeat-disturbing threat.
--The lovely "witch" in a dress woven with jet-black shadows appears before him.
"I love you."
As she speaks, the black clutches of the "witch" reach out to him.
It caressed Subaru's cheek, slid quietly and lovingly down his neck, traced his collarbone, descended his dove tail, and reached the promised land.
"I love you. I love you. I love you."
Whispering the familiar love in his ear, her fingers slip through Subaru's, the child's breastplate, softly wrapping the institution of life that is carefully stored inside.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
She's sure something must have gone wrong with Subaru.
He couldn't wait for all of it: the countless whispered words of love, the fingertips that wrapped around his heart's guts to betray them, the end-of-the-world suffering that awaited him ahead.
So--,
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
--Even the horrifying words that fill the world cannot destroy Natsuki Subaru.
△▼△▼△▼△
The world regained its color, the missing ringing in his ears came back, the feeling in his limbs and the numbness in his tongue left him, and time started moving except for Subaru, breathing wildly.
"Guh"
And as Subaru grunted, clutching his chest tightly, neither Todd nor Tanza would have understood what he meant.
But the changes that followed should have been noticed by both of them right away.
"What the......?!"
Eyes sharp, expression shuddering and tightening, Todd looked around.
The cause is not what they can see, but the sound they can hear --a whimpering. The magical beasts surviving on this Gladiator Island are all howling at the same time, as if in unison.
It was also excited at an unusual rate, and with a swagger that seemed to have lost its mind.
"--"
A moment later, Todd, who felt a sense of crisis, immediately saw that the cause was Subaru.
Even Todd did not seem to understand what Subaru's shout of "Return by Death" meant. But he dismissed it as something he didn't need to understand, and immediately put his murderous intent into action.
Wary of Tanza's counterattack, Todd's body rushes toward him furiously.
Facing Todd, Tanza threw a stone in her hand at a high rate of speed. The stone flew straight into the middle of Todd's body.
But--,
"Damn it......!"
Todd grunts quietly and bites his back teeth at the pain in his left arm from the stone.
Not wanting to miss, Tanza's aim became the largest target, the torso. Not one to miss, Todd sacrificed his left arm to minimize the damage.
As it was, Todd swung his axe with his right hand and tried to reap Tanza's small body.
But Subaru would not let that happen.
"Mr. Schwarz?!"
Tanza exclaimed as she was pushed from behind by a shoulder and fell to the side.
It is Subaru, sheltered by her small back, who pushes her away. Tanza disappears from the range of the cleaving axe, but Subaru gets in there instead.
For a moment, Todd's pupils narrow, but the momentum of the axe does not stop, and he swings away.
The blade, slowly closing in, blew Subaru's head off --it was a moment.
"--?!"
A hard thud and a heavy thud, which echoed dully, sent Todd's body flying through the air.
Todd, who had been blown up and rolled over, quickly got up. But his knees were smiling widely, spilling drops of blood from his grandly cut mouth.
"Goho......now, that's......"
Todd's eyes go black and white as he has no idea what just happened.
Subaru pointed his finger at Todd and said--,
"--Invisible Providence."
He carefully explained to him what the blow was that had smashed through the gaping jaw.
"Next time, I'll blow your head off."
"----"
Said Subaru, withdrawing his hand, which had been poked with his finger, and raised his middle finger.
Todd's eyes narrowed as he spit out the unstoppable blood from his shattered jaw. As it was, he thought he was going to start retaliating for the broken jaw.
"----"
With his eyes fixed on Subaru, Todd slowly backed up behind him. He put his back foot into the rising black smoke and disappeared into it without hesitation.
As soon as he saw that the odds were against him, he threw everything away, even his unfinished business, and chose to run away.
"Well, I thought I would, but......"
"Mr. Schwarz!"
After watching Todd disappear, the bloody Tanza rushed to Subaru. Before he could take Tanza's hand, Subaru collapsed on the spot.
Even just getting here was a near-death experience. The jump with Idola and Hiain was a serious injury that probably broke several bones in his body.
The use of the power of "Sloth," which has been too long since its last use, is still very stimulating to Subaru's brain, and his nose starts to bleed, and he cannot stop.
But in any case, it didn't make much difference if the nosebleeds didn't stop.
Todd's, final axe blow shattered and pierced Subaru's right shoulder.
The fact that he did not inadvertently blow his consciousness was proof that Subaru's life had already gone away to the point where pain and nothing else mattered.
"Mr. Schwarz, Mr. Schwarz......!"
Subaru feels deeply sorry as he clings to the sobbing Tanza.
He had to leave behind this little body of hers, who sincerely cared for Subaru and desperately tried to keep her alive.
It's just--,
"This, is......"
"--, a curse tool?"
From his pocket, he pulls out a black sphere and places it in Tanza's hand.
It wasn't something he had in mind. Anyway, he has to leave Tanza whatever he can, even if Subaru is already dead."
"Cessy, is...... over there, and Arakiya and......."
"I-I understand......! I, I know, so......"
"You don't, have to...... worry, about Todd, anymore."
Personality-wise, he could not believe that Todd would set him up once he had been dealt a painful blow. That is what makes him so hateful and at the same time a credo that can be trusted and used.
So Tanza treats Subaru with sobs as he struggles to put words together.
Until the very end, he desperately needed to do something for Subaru, who was worried about him.
But it's not.
The order is all over the place.
Tanza did well first. It made Subaru reconsider everything.
Natsuki Subaru reminded her that they didn't have to give up until the very end.
And because of that, he can still, again, fight.
So--,
"--Next, time."
Tanza's eyes widened at Subaru's small statement of determination.
But to her, it must have sounded like the dying Subaru's last will and testament.
With tears in her eyes, she held her emotions still, and Tanza's small hands, slender fingers gently wrapped around Subaru's trembling hand.
And then--,
"Yes, that's right, Mr. Schwarz. Next time, I will not lose."
Tanza said tearfully, not wanting to tarnish Subaru's last wish.
They don't mesh, not really. But their desire to save each other is engaged.
That was enough.
That, with enough thoughts and feelings of this moment--,
"--I'll take care of everyone."
--I will save you.
With that decision as the final straw, Natsuki Subaru's life burns to the ground--.
△▼△▼△▼△
--A dark, dark, dark world to all intents and purposes.
It is a space where only darkness exists, where no light shines through, and where prayers and wishes cannot reach the farthest reaches.
The place was always a cursed precipice that ate away at the heart, imposing a sense of helplessness and bringing lamentation and sorrow.
But I think this time, this moment, was waiting to be visited.
"----"
The darkness, which cannot compete alone, tries to swallow everything and carry it away.
Even though I feel helpless, abandoned by everything around me, even I almost give up on myself, and a sense of defeat burns through me that there is nothing more I can do.
"--I love you."
"--Not all of it. But, I know."
Not many things can be accomplished alone.
I'm not that big of a person. So, I make mistakes and my resolve gets twisted.
But--,
"--I love you."
"I know. --I know."
There are some things you can finally understand when you are about to let go.
At the same time, I don't know how to keep the emotions I have been feeling.
But I want to understand, because I can think properly.
I know exactly what the most important thing is.
"Thank you. --I'm going to go."
In order not to lose any more, in order not to have our precious things trampled on, Natsuki Subaru will return to the land of the dead water where all lives will be destroyed.
--The Second Coming, I shall do.
△▼△▼△▼△
--Feeling the rattling, and the sway of the carriage drawn by the gale horse on his hips.
It was not a very comfortable trip.
Not talking about ride comfort, but about comfort. When it comes to ride comfort, it is probably one of the most preferential treatment in the empire. He doesn't really feel grateful for that.
The uncomfortable thing about opulent carriages is that they have few windows and no reins. Of course, both of these are room in exchange for ease of targeting, so it depends on which one you prefer.
Simply that he doesn't like to leave it to others to respond in a delayed manner.
The carriage itself is solid with earth-magic protection, and as far as vigilance of the surroundings is concerned, it is being handled by someone with much better senses than himself.
"I'm sure it's perfect. Except for the fact that it's an unwanted trip."
In a country where the strong are always respected, the way in which "generals" are praised is extreme.
In other words, he is on the strong side, but he really feels that this in itself is a nuisance.
It is his theory that unless you are at the top of the world, you have more to lose than to gain by being perceived as strong. It is much easier to be perceived as weak.
This is why he concludes that this kind of treatment is uncomfortable.
"--Are you bored?"
Suddenly, a voice calls from the roof, and he slowly opens his closed eyes.
The owner of the voice he hears is on the roof, and the carriage is empty except for him. It is fine to be unattended because the presence of others is stifling, but the un-civilized accompanying people are too much to look at.
However, it is not someone he can talk to. Education and discipline can be done by someone else.
She does not intend to stay in a relationship with him for very long. As for revenge, which she seems to think she is being kind to him, it would be fine if he made up the head of the appropriate person as the avenger.
"Are you listening?"
"I can hear you. I was just thinking. You remember what you're supposed to do?"
"I can remember that much."
He sounded as if he was out of his mind, but there was room for doubt as to whether he could be trusted.
He had never heard of a "general" who throws policy to his subordinate, a mere private, because he is not good at thinking. He's been told to stop using polite language, and he's given him what he wants, but he has no idea what he's thinking.
Maybe they miss him. If you think of it as a female version of Jamal, it doesn't seem much different.
It's more of a hassle than Jamal to find a place to dump it, though.
"I see it, the island. Ready?"
"As long as you haven't lost the Prime Minister's letter, all you have to do is follow the instructions of the rumored viceroy. It's an easy job that doesn't require any trouble with anyone."
Arakiya asks, looking at the destination of the carriage on the roof and across the drawbridge.
He answers that, feeling the letter in his pocket as he answers it. Yes, it is a role like a messenger, just to have them follow the written orders.
However, if it is really just a message, there is no reason to bother sending Arakiya.
That was the only point that stuck with him.
"It's supposed to be an easy job."
"......The objective is to annihilate the island. Can you do it?"
"If only the Governor would be mature enough to agree to invoke the curse rule."
The governor of the island, Gustav Morello, who controls the island, has laid down absolute rules called the "curse rule" to rule over all the gladiators gathered on the island.
The curse rule is a truly useful device that is triggered when a target with a curse mark engraved on it by Gustav violates the rules and takes its life without question.
The curse tool is said to have been created by one of the "Nine Divine Generals", and the spell rules originate from it, but the conditions for its activation are simple and clear, they must be activated by the "Curse Master"--,
"--Anyone who leaves the curse tool for a predetermined distance will die."
"......The islanders, are they okay?"
"The whole island is probably a safe zone. In any case, if you try to sneak out without breaking the curse seal, you will die. If we threaten them and they cross the drawbridge, we can still stop them from escaping. It's enough of a deterrent to keep them inside."
In fact, if they let even one of the gladiators die under the effects of the curse rule as an example, no one will follow up to make sure it happens. No one would be such a daredevil fool.
It is a curse that is activated without bothering to look the person in the eye or work on them in any way. He is honestly impressed that it is a well-designed binding device due to the characteristics of the island.
However, if they realize that the curse rule is not at their disposal, they will quickly call for a revolt.
"Well, then we're going to annihilate them all, and all we have to do is throw the curse tool into the lake."
The lake surrounding the Gladiator Island is deep. The island is so isolated that it is impossible to cross to the shore without a large drawbridge, but the distance to the bottom of the water is even deeper.
If you throw the curse tool into the lake, by the time it reaches the bottom of the lake, it will be well within the activation zone of the curse rule.
Worst case scenario, if the Governor is uncooperative, they can look into throwing the recovered curse tool into the lake.
"It's important to be prepared for the worst in everything. Including where to hide the spells."
You can't be proud of your work and be goofy about it if you're not good at it.
It would be best if they could help them kill all the gladiators in a mature, peaceful, and uneventful manner. That's how he wants to get the job done, fulfill the purpose of this trip, and return home as soon as possible.
"Katya......"
Because of the long separation, the little reunion made the obsession stronger.
It is a cruel imitation, like a drop of water on a parched throat. He wants to drink water until his stomach is ripped out. That is the natural human emotion.
As soon as possible, he will finish his work and return to the Imperial Capital. To do so--,
"--No matter what the cost."
Yes, it was when he shifted one of his wedges toward the wild side.
"--Todd, something's wrong."
When his name was called, the man --Todd looked up and said, "What?"
Her voice lacks seriousness, but she is usually like this. Nevertheless, her ability to rise to the rank of "Nine Divine Generals" is hard to underestimate, and it is also true that she has a judgmental power that ordinary people cannot perceive.
She pointed out that they are slowly approaching their destination, the Gladiator Island--Already halfway to the drawbridge, and the carriage is about to be transferred from the two banks to the island side of the bridge. In other words, the call came just before entering the other party's pocket, and a bad premonition filled her with a sense of foreboding.
And then--,
"--Stop!"
"Huh?"
"Now! Stop! Turn around!"
The soldiers on the governor's platform were puzzled by Todd, who exclaimed as soon as he looked at the path through the window.
Tongue-tied at the delay in his reaction, Todd quickly mounted the governor's platform, took the reins from the soldier, stopped the carriage, and hit the tether to reverse the horse into a galloping horse in a great hurry.
Then he turned his head back to the roof, leaving the driver to look around.
"Arakiya, watch the island! If you see movement, fire at will!"
"--. Okay."
"T-the Prime Minister's emissary has sent me to......"
"----"
"ah, ugh......"
The meekly following Arakiya, and the driver, speaks of a sense of mission. The former, however, stared at the latter, who was not very understanding, up close, and Todd quietly narrowed his eyes.
At the look in Todd's eyes, the driver, whose momentum has waned, chokes up.
It was the right thing to do. If he had still persisted, he would have pushed him into the lake.
It was a good thing they didn't lose the driver on the way back, and credit to Arakiya for noticing the anomaly before they crossed the drawbridge. --It seems that things were already working.
"Todd."
"It seems that Prime Minister Berstetz's fears were correct."
In response to the short call, Todd reversed his galloping horse and headed back the way he had come.
They can't afford to have the drawbridge pulled up. The drawbridge on the other side of the river, and those who control it, are not necessarily in favor of the other side.
After all--,
"--Well, if they're ready and waiting for you, they're in for a rude awakening."
"Can't win? Even with me?"
"Yeah, I know."
Quietly, Todd nodded as he listened to Arakiya's increasing nervousness.
She was horrified, with a feeling of dread running down her back.
"--Not a winnable opponent. At least, not today." she said.
△▼△▼△▼△
"......I knew you'd pull back, but you're too quick to cut your losses."
A sigh of sadness escapes her as she watches the carriage reverse in the middle of the drawbridge and turn back without hesitation.
She is both stunned and impressed by the speed of his decision, but that was to be expected. If they were serious about deceiving them, the first thing they would have done would have been to maturely bring the other party to the island.
However, in that case, neither they nor the other party will be unscathed.
Knowing the catastrophe that would occur if they were brought in, they could not take such a big gamble.
--The only thing that could have made the difference was the fact that he had already taken the biggest gamble he could have made.
"Mr. Schwarz, the messengers are......"
"Oh, they left. As you can imagine, it's strange to see so many people waiting to greet you. I wanted them to think so, so I called their bluff."
"Oh, really. ......I'm relieved that I don't have to deal with 'Two'."
A kimono-clad girl lined up next to Subaru, who was looking at the drawbridge, creating a shelter with his hands. Gently patting herself on the chest, the girl, Tanza, was relieved at the success of the operation.
That, both horns on her head are still in good shape, and there are no noticeable scars on the infant's jade skin.
She has no problems at all, and she is a perfect Tanza that is healthy and strong.
"--. Oh, um, Mr. Schwarz?"
"Yeah?"
"No, I was wondering why you are patting my head......"
"Oh, sorry, sorry, my mistake."
At Tanza's embarrassed question, Subaru realized that he had unintentionally stroked her head and apologized. But even after apologizing, he did not stop patting her head.
Subaru then continues stroking, and Tanza's lips are tied as she is left to her own devices.
Subaru thought that his reluctant face was also adorable, and he thought that unless he was shaken off, he would continue petting her, even if it was at his own will--,
"--Geez, how long are you going to keep doing this? What are you kids doing flirting with each other?!"
"Whoa"
A commanding voice immediately behind him stopped Subaru's stroking hands. Meanwhile, Tanza slinked away and Subaru turned around, his lips curved.
At Subaru's gaze, a skalengeck who drawled, "W-what the......" - Hiain - looked alternately at the two on the side as if looking for help, and then said,
"Why the hell do I have to look at you like that?! I was just stating the obvious! Am I right?!"
"I suppose it's called saying it and not saying it in between. I could not have said it better myself."
"I'm better than you....... Give a little consideration, lizard boy......"
"Ngah?!"
Betrayed by the two on either side - Idola and Weitz - Hiain's eyes go black and white.
Idola laughed and Weitz snorted at such a reaction from Hiain. The sight of the three of them side by side also made Subaru deeply moved.
Idola raised his eyebrows at Subaru's gaze, and then he looked at him.
"Schwarz, I'm curious about that somewhat thoughtful look you're giving me......"
"It's nothing. I just thought we've come this far."
"--?"
Idola tilted his head dubiously at Subaru, who rubbed the bridge of his nose with his finger. But beside Idola's reaction, Weitz crossed his strong arms and muttered, "Farewell......"
Weitz stared out over the drawbridge, the ghastly tattoos on his body contorted.
"We chased off the messenger from the Imperial City....... Now we have no way out. Right......?"
"--. Not exactly, but it's right, too."
"Not exactly......?!"
The most understanding look falls off his face, and Weitz looks at him. Subaru chuckles at his reaction and is proud that the impression the three of them have of him is different from the emotion Subaru is holding.
The three of them--No, not all of them, they don't know anything, but that's okay.
Properly, Subaru remembers everything.
And then--,
"--It appears that the ruling has been made."
A heavy, stern voice turned to the person who had been waiting for the messenger at the drawbridge embankment.
He watches as the carriage carrying the messenger turns back and finishes crossing to the other side of the river, and then he looks at Subaru intently, with a frightening expression on his face, as if he were a demon.
Slowly, Subaru shrugged his shoulders, feeling the intimidation of the large man coming toward him, and feeling the slight pressure of the hearsay behind him.
"Now do you trust me?"
"There is no doubt about it. It is time for the fulfillment of the imperial decree that His Imperial Highness the Emperor has given to this office. In other words--"
"In other words?"
"All the gladiators of the solitary Gladiator Island Ginunhive join me under your banner. --Your Highness Schwarz."
The man who said this and put his four arms, hands and fists together in front of his chest was Gustav Morello, the administrator of the Gladiator Island, who showed his majestic posture.
At Gustav's statement, the guards look at each other and the guards who follow him take the same posture at once.
"I don't like this......"
Weitz mutters in frustration at the attitude of Gustav and the others.
When Subaru turned around, Weitz closed one eye, sucked in his chin, and said,
"I don't want it to be assumed that all of the gladiators will follow....... Even if it is the Governor who is in charge of the island......"
"Weitz Logun, I take your opinion to heart. But there are some things that take precedence over the will of the individual. I would remind you that the profession has a way of making you do what it says."
"You want to give it a try......?"
Weitz sniffs, and Gustav too has a quiet intentness in his eyes. They seem to be going at it, before Subaru intervenes.
"Viceroy, let's not be hasty. Weitz, you...... are short of words. That's what's causing the misunderstanding."
"I don't give a damn if I get in trouble for it......"
"The rest of the world gives a shit! Oh, for God's sake! Viceroy, I'm not going to be so gullible as to take orders from you!"
Idola holds Weitz back, and Hiain, advancing in his place, says in a tone of voice.
Hiain, who could not even look Gustav in the eye if the odds were stacked against him, did not show any sign of weakness, but he proudly indicated Subaru with his hand.
"We'll go with Schwarz without any strange threats. Hey, isn't that right? You're not scared, are you?!"
"Don't make me laugh, you lizard!"
"Who's freaking out, who?"
"Oh, oh, let's go, Our Imperial Prince!"
"We're going to beat up my lousy father and build our own empire-!!"
A loud, loud call for Hiain, and many voices answering the call.
One after another, from all around the island, the voices of the gladiators who had come to greet the messenger were heard.
The voices of the bloodthirsty men are mixed with those of Orson and his friends at Hiain, as well as the rare Old Man Null, who has come out of the healing room.
It's literally the Gladiator Island Ginunhive all together.
"--Thank you."
Hearing the cheers of those around him that were boiling over, Subaru held his own chest and muttered to himself.
It is gratitude to the friends around him, to himself, and most of all, to the person who gave him the opportunity.
Then, Subaru would raise his radiant face with both hands on his cheeks, and said,
"So, we're going, but what about Cessy?"
"--Hahaa, yes."
Subaru tilted his head and saw a shadow spinning and falling. The one who landed with a light thud was Cecilus, who had been watching from a height to see what was happening.
He looked at Subaru and the crowd of people around him as he had when half of his body was unscorched.
"......This is indeed a great turnout. I didn't expect it to go this far, I have to say. However, I have one question."
"Heh? What is it?"
"I commend you for your skill in courteously going around and around and getting everyone on your side. But you know what? --I wasn't hit on."
Cecilus, hiding his hands in his sleeves, asks him with a look of sincere wonder on his face.
Unable to understand, Cecilus's ever-present smile disappeared. Seeing his face, Subaru looked at him lightly and then nodded in satisfaction.
Certainly, Subaru did not seduce Cecilus.
Gustav, Hiain, Weitz, Idola, Orson and the others, and Old Man Null, Rex and Mirzak, Cashew and Moizo, Dilloy and Krigkin, Kodrow and Fenmel, even that stone-headed, lone wolf Joslo, all hit on him, but Cecilus went through with it.
Because--,
"--I just wanted to see the look on Cessy's face."
It is Cecilus that has been striking out at Subaru at key points in the past.
He's not stupid enough to take that risk, but after much thought, he decided that for better or worse, this would work best for Cecilus.
And in fact, Subaru tells Cecilus, who rolls his eyes when he is told this.
"I'll rub you the wrong way right now, but will you come with me?"
"Ha, hahaha, hahahahaha! Ahhahahaha!!"
Subaru shrugged his shoulders and winked at him as such. As soon as Cecilus heard that supercilious invitation, he opened his big mouth and laughed hysterically, arching his back.
Cecilus flails around on the spot, moving his feet and laughing hysterically. He laughed so hard he was wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingers.
"No way! No way! No way, not me! Cecilus Segmunt, the 'Blue Lightning'! The world's most famous actor! I'm the star of the world! Please let me go with you! That's that's...... outrageous, Bassu!"
"......So, what will do you?"
"Of course I'm with you! I'd like to say that I'm not happy about being taken for a ride, but it's amazing that I'm not at all upset about being forced into it! Oh, amazing! I'm so happy!"
With a big clap of his hands, Cecilus took full advantage of Subaru's speculation. Relieved at his boldness, Subaru put his hand to his chin.
In fact, that's exactly what he thought from the very beginning, but--,
"That term Bassu doesn't ring a bell at all."
"Oh no, headwinds! I said I would go along with you, and it's not very open and airy for us to break up over it, but what would you like me to call you?"
"Yes......"
As Cecilus leaned forward, Subaru thought for a moment.
He let his mouth get used to the name Bassu a few times, and suddenly he thinks to himself, "I'm not so bad." And then, feeling that the thought was not so bad, Subaru laughed with a bad look on his face and said,
"--Boss."
"----"
"You can call me boss from now on."
He doesn't mean to be pretentious, but it's surprisingly not a bad idea to keep up with Cecilus's narrative brain.
Cecilus sighs in response to Subaru's answer, and says, "Hoho."
'Boss, boss, boss boss boss...... this sounds pretty good! I have no idea what it means, but I don't hate it, in fact I like it."
"It means the leader. Just right, huh?"
"Yes, boss! Then let's get started!"
Subaru nodded with an "ah" at Cecilus's lively laughter and bravado.
Subaru then looked around at Cecilus and his fellow "union" members, Hiain and Weitz, Idola and the gladiators, and also at Gustav and the guards he was bringing with him.
At the end of an epic, epic experience, with a group of friends who came together as one--,
"--Let's go, guys! I'm going to punch that motherfucking father in the Imperial City in the side of the head!"
" "Ohh--!!" "
The Gladiator Island itself responds loudly to Subaru's call.
Feeling the violent momentum that seemed to shake the entire lake on which the island floated, Subaru suddenly noticed Tanza's gaze staring at him.
"Rest assured, Tanza."
The only one who knew that Subaru was not the illegitimate son of the emperor, Subaru nodded to her emphatically and decided to go from the west to the Imperial Capital at once.
He pushes forward as the son of Natsuki Kenichi and as the self that his friends believe in.
Hence, from this time on, Natsuki Subaru--,
"--This time, we will win."
--Since being summoned to another world, he has trampled the Vollachia Empire as the most powerful being.
You do not have permission to view link
Log in or register now.
--The cheerful smiles and voices are so out of place in such desperate devastation.
The kimono was burned to a crisp, and the left side of his face was charred black, but Cecilus's attitude as he peeked in was just the same as usual.
He's not the only one. --All the people surviving on the island now are freaks.
All decent people must surely be dead by now.
Cecilus in front of him, Todd in pursuit, Arakiya killing around, and Subaru, the great sinner.
Not all of them are upright, so they can live like this shamelessly.
So--,
"Ceci......"
"The Lizard Man is dead there, and at this rate, the Deer Girl and other friends in the 'union' will probably be wiped out as well."
"--"
"Oh, you didn't admit he was dead yet, did you?"
Cecilus reads through the trembling of Subaru's eyes to see his feelings.
Instantly, he became angry. If he can mimic like that, like reading minds, why can't he be at all close to Subaru's feelings right now?
Why does he wonder how Subaru would feel if he was told so, that Hiain was dead.
Why does he say he died so lightly?
"He's dead, he's dead to the ground. ......Just not a bad look of death."
"Even, though, he's dead......"
"Are you of the opinion that there is no such thing as good or bad? I guess that is a difference of opinion. If there is a good way to live, there is also a good way to die. Let's not be so tactless as to meddle in how the recipient feels. That lizard man had a good way to die. This face is proof of that."
"----"
"I wish I had a face like that when I die."
Subaru could not say anything to Cecilus, who was regurgitating a lot.
He didn't feel talked out of it, he felt it was pointless. He doesn't want to see Hiain die, and he doesn't think he'll ever be able to understand Cecilus.
So there is not a shred of reason to go along with his argument.
"I'm sorry to meet you here, but I'm actually in a bit of a rush. I'm in the middle of a confrontation with a half-naked woman who is running amok on the island."
Cecilus stretches his bent back and continues to speak on his own.
He didn't have to think twice about who he was talking to to find out that it was Arakiya.
Arakiya begins her massacre at Todd's behest. The only thing cute about Todd is his lack of outstanding fighting ability, but when he teams up with her, that disappears and he becomes completely and utterly evil.
He hadn't seen her since she started water-ballooning the gladiator's head, but apparently it was Cecilus who was holding her back.
So the same "Nine Divine General" who can stop the "Nine Divine Generals", even if they are rotten.
"However, as you can see, they are struggling. No, there's someone I can get along with. I thought the road to the Heavenly Sword could only be climbed by one person."
"......Why"
"Yes? What?"
"Why, it looks like fun, what the heck......"
Literally, it was an outburst that came out of his mouth at the end of a painstaking effort, as if he was squeezing out his soul.
Yes, he's just taking it out on him. He hates Cecilus for laughing in this hellish situation, on this island where Weitz, Tanza, Idola, Hiain, everyone is dead.
Why is it funny? What in the world is funny about this situation?
"Why......!"
"Oh, it's the opposite of cause and effect. We're not laughing because we're having fun; we're creating a situation where we're having fun because we're laughing."
"--ah?"
"In this cruel world, everyone pursues his or her own ideal of happiness. Everyone has his or her own philosophy, but in any case, one must have the right kind of faith. And this is what I stand for."
As he says this, Cecilus touches his burnt left cheek with his right hand. The tattered, charred skin peels away, but Cecilus's smile does not falter in the face of unimaginable pain.
Cecilus continues to smile, not resorting to such cheating that he doesn't feel pain.
"If only I were a florid actor in this world! Let the script lean on me instead of leaning on it. If you ask me why I laugh, I'll tell you."
"----"
"Whoever smiles, it is for your own good. --Let the heavenly observers see when and how you do it, and do not be ashamed of it."
"----"
"Now, Bassu, what credo do you stand for?"
The philosophy of Cecilus, who, while half-burned, never ceases to smile.
It was something Subaru could not understand at all, but he felt such a strange kind of faith that he was hesitant to let his emotions kick him in the foot.
The spectators and Cecilus had mentioned the same thing before.
As if to say that someone or something unworldly is watching them.
It's hardcore to be able to say that even under these circumstances, and I'm sure no one can bend them.
So--
"Oops, looks like break time is over."
That said, his smile did not disappear when he saw Arakiya descend into the lower corridor.
She was covered with flames all over her body, and he is sure that none of the gladiators could have beaten her, but the tree branch in her hand was broken and the eye patch covering one eye was gone.
Hating to be seen under her eye patch, Arakiya covered her left eye with her free hand, her often emotionless face contorted with very mixed emotions.
"Cecilus......"
She grits her teeth and glares at Cecilus, her eyes flickering with anger and confusion.
Wings made of flame flapped down her back, and the firepower shook and burned as if linked to her emotions, filling the aisle with a furious heat.
The air smells of burning, and everything around her is on fire.
The walls and floors of the aisles, the candelabras and doors, and even the corpse of the fallen Hiain--.
"--"
"Would I be rewarded by burning to death here with the others? What an outlandish thing to say. Stay or go, as you please."
Cecilus's voice falls in bits and pieces on Subaru, who turns pale as he sees Hiain's body igniting. Gulp, Subaru put his arms on the floor, pulled himself off the ground, which began to get a little hotter, and stood up.
He has a headache. Not enough blood. He feels helpless, his chest is crushed.
Yet, why is Subaru still standing? Why not burn to death here, or chew the "pill" he keeps behind his back teeth?
"See you on the other shore."
Not knowing why he was even running, Subaru turned his back to the burning passageway.
Running, limping, too slow.
If only he had been able to reach this speed earlier, he would have saved Idola and Hiain, Weitz and Tanza, from dying, or so he regretted.
Subaru still continued to run and escape.
△▼△▼△▼△
"--Well, now that Bassu is gone, too"
"----"
"Good grief, they seem to hate me a lot."
Cecilus chuckled and closed one eye as he felt the faltering running sign fade away.
He knows that the flame-clad woman who glares at him so intensely, he knows that the source of her anger is him, but he is not quite sure where the source of that anger comes from.
However, he doesn't feel that she is angry because he is hostile or because she interfered with him killing the gladiator.
Perhaps there are more reasons.
However--,
"I have a knack for offending most people I come in contact with, and as usual in such situations...... I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"--tsk, how far you've gone, you've got to be kidding me......!"
"Well, you think I'm joking. May I ask, for your information, which part do you think is a joke?"
"What? What's the figure......?"
She stares at him with red eyes and point out his figure.
Even though she was the one who baked the half-baked bread, he was not the only one who did so.
"But maybe that's not what you meant. Maybe you and I had something to do with it?"
"Just kidding......"
"I can't give you any evidence to make you believe me, so I have no choice but to insist. But when I think about it that way, a lot of things seem to make sense."
As he said this, Cecilus nodded as he twirled with the raised finger of his right hand, turning the eye patch he had taken from her during the fight.
In any case, his memories of the time before he started rampaging on the Gladiator Island are not clear. This is true as Subaru asked him before. It is also true that he doesn't pay much attention to it. However, just as he was thinking that there must be something going on, she appeared in front of him with a knowing look on her face.
If she was in the vanished memories, it felt somewhat like a waste. There was an expectation that if she was someone who could do so much, maybe she could.
On the road to the Heavenly Sword--.
"That's how...... nobody, tells me, anything......!"
"Oh?"
But before Cecilus could think, she began to shake her voice in frustration, mixing anger and confusion with a strong bitterness.
The flame on his back changes its color from red to blue. Good taste.
And so she exhaled painfully as she brought about a tasteful change,
"The Princess, Your Excellency, and I are always...... hiding......"
"You think I'm having a hard time leaving you behind?"
"--tsk"
Her expression became tense, as if a casual remark had hit the bull's-eye.
Looking into those shimmering red eyes, he feels a tingle of feelings in the blurry beyond, or not so much, and in the end, he's not sure what his relationship with her is.
"I think it's strange that they would try to kill you if you had a good relationship, and let's assume that they must have been very close to each other. And it fits perfectly with this situation!"
"Cecilus......"
"Long stories bore the audience. It's time to move the stage. Unfortunately, I can't give you any answers, but I might be able to get a few things off your chest."
He hides the half of his body that is slowly aching, clutch the eye patch he had been wearing, and face her.
In response to her desire to end the conversation and engage in an area of dialogue that was beyond the reach of words, she was silent for a moment and then slowly lowered her left hand.
Beyond that, Cecilus chuckles as he is confronted by lightless red eyes.
"I'm serious. --You always only cook half a fried egg."
"--tk"
"What was that? Did something just come out?"
Cecilus tilts his head as he wonders to himself about the one word that came out of his mouth reflexively.
However, it seems that this has resulted in more and more anger on her part.
"----"
Fiercely, erupting blue flames burn the lower layers of the island.
Without a moment's thought for his surroundings, Cecilus turned himself into a "blue lightning bolt" and dove into the flames.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Hah, hah......"
Feeling the air heated by the flames on his back, Subaru desperately flees from the lower level.
Running away, yes, running away. Not resisting, not struggling, but running away.
There is no excuse for saying it was a strategic retreat, or a courageous escape to make it to the next stage.
Because there is nothing beyond this to connect.
Everyone was dead and no one could get them back.
Weitz and his friends risked their lives to let him go, but he can't do anything.
He thought he could do everything, everything well.
In fact, when he got through "Sparka" twice and was able to rescue both his friends in the "union" and those in Hiain, he was going to be able to do it over all difficulties.
What a misunderstanding.
To begin with, Subaru had died many times. When he died, it was only because he had a chance to start over, and it worked out well, only for it to go wrong, and here he is.
If he was a truly capable person, he could do everything well without ever dying.
That's exactly what that horrible being, Todd Fang, is like.
The ability to overcome every situation on your own, without the right to die and start over.
It is the same with Subaru that he does not have outstanding fighting ability, so why can't Subaru do the same with Todd?
Because he can't do that, Subaru has to kill a lot of people, and he can't do that--.
"Damn it......"
As soon as he stepped out of the island's lower level and into the open air, his frustration swelled unbearably. Subaru slapped the outer wall he was leaning against and cursed himself for his weakness.
Small fists, feeble body, a head that would not turn, and useless authority. If he began to count, he could think of endless reasons why he had lost.
Rather, what's in it for him, the little shit with just a bad look in his eye, and he knows it--.
"--"
Subaru's throat, which stopped and cursed himself in frustration, stifled a scream at the unexpected noise.
The noise at this scene, the worst imaginable, made his whole body tremble. Idola must have caught up with Todd, who was trying so hard to slow him down.
However--,
"Mr., Schwarz......"
"--Tanza?"
The gravelly voice that followed the noise brought surprise, not fear, to Subaru.
Weakly and breathlessly, Subaru called for Tanza, who had been thrown down the aisle by Todd and whose subsequent safety was unknown.
She is limping, soaking wet all over, and has taken off her kimono and is wearing a white lintel. One of the two horns on her head was broken, and she was in shreds.
And yet--,
"Mr. Schwarz, you're safe and sound......"
Subaru's round eyes shook with relief, and he felt a deep sense of bitterness in his heart.
The wet look on her face told him that she had been thrown down into the lake from the upper levels. The lake is said to be inhabited by aquatic, ferocious magical beasts, and the broken horns are evidence that this was more than just an accident.
It is natural for them to cry out and cling to adults, crying out for pain, suffering, and help.
And yet Tanza found Subaru and lowered the corners of her eyes and said, "Thank God."
Finding Natsuki Subaru, who can't do anything, like this--.
"--ah"
That was the moment he thought.
The strength in his legs slips away, and Subaru slumps to the spot. The taut threads that had been holding him up were cut, and the contents of his head, which had only been ranting and raving, suddenly became quiet.
It was a relief to see Tanza alive, not.
It wasn't a sense of accomplishment in finding some kind of breakthrough or shaking off his fear of Todd.
--It's just, to himself, he was so disgusted with it.
"Mr. Schwarz......?!"
Seeing Subaru on his knees, the bloody Tanza comes running towards him.
The way she was running was strange and she might have injured her leg. If you look closely, the sides of her wet white lintel are also slowly turning red.
She's worried about Subaru, even though she has such a very, very painful wound.
That, when he realized that he could not live up to Tanza's expectations or anything else, he lost strength.
Resignation takes over his heart.
"----"
It was neither pain nor fear.
It wasn't that kind of obvious pain that made Natsuki Subaru despair.
Failure to live up to the expectations and wishes that have been placed upon him.
That is what made Natsuki Subaru the most desperate and venomous of all.
"Mr. Schwarz, please be careful...... the others, like Idola and Hiain are......."
He worries about the two of them without Tanza, who reaches to his side and touches Subaru's shoulder.
Weitz's name was not called. No wonder. Tanza, too, had seen Weitz killed in front of her eyes. And even the two people who were not here must have had a bad feeling about it.
That hunch was impossibly accurate.
"They're both dead......"
"--"
Both Idola and Hiain covered for me......."
They all died. Just not being saved, they saved him.
Weitz, Idola, and Hiain, all three died protecting Subaru. Tanza almost died because she tried to protect Subaru, who was unable to move.
Everyone died because of Subaru.
Everyone was killed because of Subaru.
This whole catastrophe on the Gladiator Island was Natsuki Subaru's fault.
"Mr. Schwarz...... let's get out of here. Right now, we need to hide somewhere."
"Hiding won't help...... He will find you soon anyway."
"Even if it is! Are we just going to sit here and wait to be killed without anything being done? Then, for what purpose did all of you in the 'union' lose your lives!"
"----"
Tanza shook her head and yelled frustratedly at Subaru, who was unable to move.
Her tearful plea, however, did not make Subaru's heart hot, but only brought cold conviction.
Yes, the Subaru that the three risked their lives to protect was of no use.
In other words, he let three people die in vain. All because they tried to protect Subaru.
He failed to live up to expectations. He even lied and deceived them.
He should never have told that lie. If he couldn't fool them to the end, if he couldn't take anything home with him by lying, then he shouldn't have lied.
Then the three of them would not have tried to die in Subaru's place.
Not for the son of the emperor, not for Natsuki Schwarz, not for Natsuki Subaru.
Come to think of it, there's another person he's fooled, with the same lie.
"Mr. Schwarz! If you don't fall down here--"
"......It's all a lie, Tanza."
"----"
"The emperor's illegitimate son is a lie. I'm the child of a great, great-looking father, but...... I'm not the emperor's child."
Turning over, Subaru confessed himself to the lie that he had tried to rely on so easily, a false expectation.
If only he had done this earlier --No, he shouldn't have lied like that in the first place.
"----"
With round eyes even rounder, Tanza was immensely impressed by Subaru's confession.
It was obvious. What a lie she had told in this situation, making Subaru himself want to curse her. There was nothing wrong if she let her anger get the better of her, that she had been deceived.
Rather, it was inevitable that he would have been killed at the hands of Tanza.
And so did everyone else.
The chance to punish the cheating Subaru for the legitimate rights of the cheated was eliminated.
Then, Tanza, even if it did.
"......Mr. Schwarz."
"----"
"Let's move quickly from here. I'll carry you."
"Huh......"
Subaru, who had closed his eyes and braced himself for whatever was to be said, looked up at Tanza's words.
Tanza's thin lips were knotted and she tried to pull Subaru's arm. Seriously, she tried to move from here with Subaru on her back, and a voice said, "Wait," at such a move.
He told her everything. He told her it was a lie.
"You didn't hear that, did you...... I!"
"I heard that you are not the illegitimate son of the Emperor. More on that later......"
"Later, no shit?! I have nothing to do with the Emperor! Then there's no reason for you to help me anymore......"
There is nothing. It was Subaru's crime to make it appear as if there was something that was not there.
It would take the lives of three people and then some--.
"--Mr. Schwarz, do you really think so?"
Subaru's movement stops as he tries to shake off the small hand touching his shoulder.
In front of him, the crouched Tanza was staring at Subaru's eyes from the front. He could not take his eyes off of her eyes and could not digest the meaning of what was being said.
He doesn't think so or anything, it's all true as it is.
"Do you really think that Weitz, Idola, Hiain, and all of them risked their lives to protect Mr. Schwarz because of a lie you told?"
"B-because...... because I'm the emperor's child."
"I believed it, and they all believed it. But do you really think that those three...... cowards, losers, and liars would risk their lives out of loyalty and patriotism to the Empire?"
If Subaru is the illegitimate son of the emperor, then he is a prince of the Empire.
So it is only natural that the three of them, as Imperial citizens, would try to protect Subaru. But he think about Tanza's words again, chewing them over slowly.
Hiain was a coward and tried to escape out of self-pity.
Weitz, cowardly, outwitted his surroundings and struggled to survive.
Idola tried to manipulate everyone by lying and making himself look big.
He didn't feel like he could get along with anyone. The three of them must have felt the same way.
And yet, in the end, the three of them risked their lives to protect Subaru. They protected him. They let him go.
Why? Because the three of them thought that Subaru was the illegitimate son of the Emperor.
But if. --If they don't.
"W-why......"
"Because Mr. Schwarz is the one who can properly stand by the three of them."
"----"
"It's because you spoke properly, you answered well, you tried to understand...... and in that way, you were there with all of them."
"I don't know," Tanza tells Subaru, who has his doubts, with a look in his eyes.
She is trying to tell him the answer to what Subaru did and why the three of them wanted to help Subaru.
And yet, Subaru has no idea what Tanza is talking about.
Because--,
"I'm not doing anything special. I didn't do anything special."
It is natural to talk to and try to understand those with whom we cooperate.
There are, of course, things that we were not able to do. There are things that we try to do, but can't. But that's normal for everyone. But everyone takes such things for granted, and it is nothing special to be there for them.
"I know how everyone feels. I was saved by Yorna, and she was there for me. I am sure the three of you feel the same way."
"----"
"But that alone means risking one's life. ......Yes, sometimes it makes you think."
It was a cheating, unfair word.
If this had been just Subaru, he could have told Tanza straight up that it couldn't be. But Tanza told him that her experience was something that Yorna had done for her.
Yorna Mishigure, the Empress of the Demon City where many races live - the kindest woman in the Empire as far as Subaru knows.
It's preposterous that he is the same as Yorna. It is beyond awe-inspiring.
Tanza overbuys Subaru.
But--,
"----"
But what about those three, Hiain, Weitz and Idola?
Subaru probably knows more about those three people than those three people think.
He knows about Hiain's self-hatred, Weitz's false accusations, and Idola's fall.
He knows that they have all come to this island because they have been through hard times, sad times, and have no one to turn to.
He thought it was too much. He thought the three of them should have a chance.
He thought he would die here and that would be the end.
"I wanted to help everyone."
"I was saved. So much so that I was willing to protect Mr. Schwarz with my life."
"No, you're wrong. That's not what I meant......"
Maybe Tanza is right.
Perhaps, more than Subaru thought, the three of them thought of him as a friend.
Subaru could, perhaps, have saved the hearts of the three of them.
But the heart is not enough.
He doesn't think he'd done it by saving only the hearts. He wants to save them all.
Subaru wants to save everyone, both in mind and body, who is on Subaru's side and who treats them well.
If he can't do that, he's not Natsuki Kenichi's son --No.
"--I don't like it."
A world that cries out that it can't help itself, and then everything around it dies out and it's over.
At some point, the Gladiator Island was enveloped in black smoke, and even though it was an island floating on a lake, it burned, burned, and spread, seemingly trying to end all the lives it held within it.
"This is......"
He can't admit it. He doesn't want to admit it. He doesn't want to break his knees in such a settlement that no one can be saved.
He can't agree to let everyone throw their lives away and be done with it.
He's not convinced. So--,
"--I don't want to lose to you."
"I don't really care if I win or lose."
Behind the rising black smoke, a man tapped his shoulder with an axe in his hand, tilted his head and replied.
△▼△▼△▼△
For a moment, it was almost as if he were a different person when he appeared, carrying a bloody axe.
The bandana, his trademark, was off, and his orange hair was down, giving a very different impression from the man we had seen before.
However, his twin eyes - green eyes that cannot hide their evilness - make it seem as if he is not who he says he is.
"Todd......"
"You have bad luck, too. It took us a long time to catch up because of the fire in the passage. I told Arakiya to use the water."
"----"
"Apparently, Arakiya is also in over her head. She's useless at the critical moment."
Todd, who said this with a look of impatience, lacked cheerfulness, perhaps due to his let-down hair. The air of good-natured youthfulness that deceived him when they first met has vanished, and all that is left is a chilly, thirsty aggression.
Even the aggression might have been a misunderstanding on their part, and might have been false.
A man who will lie and take advantage of those around him if necessary, a Todd-like deception--,
"Please don't come any closer......"
Glaring at Todd, who was about to take a step forward, Tanza picked up a stone that was close at hand.
With Tanza, whose arm strength is not that of a child, even a mere stone throw is enough of a deadly weapon. However, when the opponent is Todd, a pebble is not as reliable as a stone.
In fact, Todd wasn't even scared, squinting his eyes,
"You're a stubborn little girl, even after I dropped you in the lake. Are you the same as those who just came in?"
"......If that's what you 'union' folks are about."
"That's a nasty look you're giving me. I'm not going to take the mortal danger lightly, either. If that happens, we'll be stuck with each other, and that's a pain in the ass."
As he said it, Todd ran his hand through his own hair. The gesture conveyed that it was to the credit of the remaining idlers that he had lost his bandana.
We didn't beat them, we didn't wound them, we just took their bandanas.
Still, Todd is wary of Subaru and his team because Idola has taken a shot.
"What is it...... that you want?"
"--? I just want to go home?"
That was the answer to Tanza's question to Todd, who stopped in his tracks.
Without a shred of mischief or mischievousness, Todd said what he wanted without hesitation. He just wanted to go home, that's all he wanted, Todd said.
And maybe that's not a lie or anything.
"--tsk"
"Tanza, you don't have to talk to him anymore. I'll talk to him."
Subaru stalls Tanza, who has a stern look in the corner of his eye, and looks at Todd quietly.
Todd shrugged his shoulders in front of the two ragged children.
"I ain't got nothing to say to you, kid."
"You should go out with us while we're looking for an opening. Or are you afraid of a dying child?"
"That's scary. A kid who would still provoke me in this situation, that's scary."
He does not take advantage of any provocation, does not let his guard down one iota, and does not cut corners even if the opponent is a child.
It really is a nasty opponent to no end, and it seems only natural that he was cornered. But then he thought to himself, "What a way to be cautious, to be wise, and not to be overconfident."
"You're trying to do everything all by yourself."
"--. I can't do everything. I know what I'm capable of."
"I came here with Arakiya and with my people, and I don't trust that at all."
Todd's attitude shows no concern for Arakiya.
It is not because he trusts in Arakiya's strength and thinks she cannot be defeated, but because he does not care about Arakiya, regardless of her strength or weakness.
It's not just Arakiya. Todd thinks that everything around him is.
So all of its actions, thoughts, and ideals are complete on their own.
"I don't want to lose to you."
"It's not about winning or losing. Nothing. As long as you die, you win."
"My loss will not be my loss alone. It will be the loss of Tanza, of Hiain, of Weitz, of Idola, and of everyone in the 'union'."
He absolutely hated that.
Subaru and his team were all in a 'union' to fight, defy, and win.
That's why they're going to win. --They are all going to win.
"----"
With his dying body, Subaru kneels down and puts his hand on his own chest.
Todd raises his eyebrows at these words, but he cannot bypass Tanza's warnings. Of course, even Todd would have moved to stop Subaru if he had made a visible move.
But Subaru kneels there and does not move. He cannot move.
"Todd."
And he didn't even have to move. --He just said one word - just one word.
"--I am going to 'return by death'."
Stepping over the slightest hesitation, Subaru utters it.
With his hand on his own chest, Subaru made it clear that he was prepared for what would happen if he said it.
And then--,
"......What?"
There was a moment of blankness, and Todd's brow wrinkled deeper at Subaru's words.
He did not understand the meaning of those words, and the same sign of doubt returned from Tanza. Their reactions, and his own painless chest, made Subaru realize the cause of the glitch.
Memories of pain that cannot be forgotten, even if his body is shrinking.
If he speaks of it, disaster is sure to befall Subaru. The black shadow that rules the world where time has stopped, and the excruciating pain inflicted as punishment for breaking the taboo.
It does not come. Why? --The "Witch" has lost sight of Subaru.
The keep of the Red Lapis Castle, the "Sparka" on the Gladiator Island, the massacre started by Todd --The spiral of "death" that occurred at every turn, and the glitches that accompanied it.
Instinctively, unknowingly, Subaru understood this.
Just as a bird does not forget how to fly. May the fish not forget how to swim.
Natsuki Subaru never forgets how to use his authority.
Is it because of being sent to the Vollachia Empire, or is it because of the ongoing "infantilization"?
There would have been room to notice much, much sooner.
Even in "Sparka" and during the massacre, when the unleashed gladiatorial beasts - the magical beasts - did not rush to Subaru, he was sure that the "witch" was out of the picture.
So he shouted.
"I'm 'returning by death'!"
"--You."
"I'm 'returning by death'! 'Return by Death'! Don't you understand, I'm 'returning by death'!"
--"Return by Death" is not to be confided in anyone.
Because it has a penalty of unbearable pain, and more than that, because it may also be in direct contact with heart-cracking despair.
He doesn't even expect to be able to abuse that mechanism to take the life of the person he let hear it.
He doesn't even let Tanza cover my ears. He is also giving Todd information he doesn't want him to hear.
But his true love was not Todd or anyone else on the island.
"--I'm 'returning by death'!"
Looking up at the sky, Subaru raises his voice to the cloudy sky where black smoke is rising.
He was a wreck, and his own loud voice was visceral and painful. He's going to die. But this was not the kind of pain Subaru was prepared for or looking for.
Cecilus left the spectators embarrassed by the secularism.
It is hard to believe that Subaru and Cecilus have the same person in mind. To begin with, it is highly possible that Cecilus's is just a delusion. But the delusion made him realize it.
The same spectators that Cecilus is aware of are the ones that should be watching Subaru.
If that being that is supposed to be watching Subaru is still watching him without leaving, such a hopeless, "loveless" loop will not happen.
"--I'm 'returning by death'!"
I'm here. Find me.
I know it's a bit of a bugger. But I'm trying to help everyone.
My, Natsuki Subaru's authority is not enough.
So--,
"......Find me, Satella."
"--I love you."
She called out his name, that was the moment.
"----"
The world suddenly lost its color. The ringing in his ears, which had been echoing noisily, vanished into the distance.
Limb motion. Tongue is thirsty and numb. He will not be able to move his eyes or breathe. All of it, the crippling compulsion, the slow, heartbeat-disturbing threat.
--The lovely "witch" in a dress woven with jet-black shadows appears before him.
"I love you."
As she speaks, the black clutches of the "witch" reach out to him.
It caressed Subaru's cheek, slid quietly and lovingly down his neck, traced his collarbone, descended his dove tail, and reached the promised land.
"I love you. I love you. I love you."
Whispering the familiar love in his ear, her fingers slip through Subaru's, the child's breastplate, softly wrapping the institution of life that is carefully stored inside.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
She's sure something must have gone wrong with Subaru.
He couldn't wait for all of it: the countless whispered words of love, the fingertips that wrapped around his heart's guts to betray them, the end-of-the-world suffering that awaited him ahead.
So--,
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
--Even the horrifying words that fill the world cannot destroy Natsuki Subaru.
△▼△▼△▼△
The world regained its color, the missing ringing in his ears came back, the feeling in his limbs and the numbness in his tongue left him, and time started moving except for Subaru, breathing wildly.
"Guh"
And as Subaru grunted, clutching his chest tightly, neither Todd nor Tanza would have understood what he meant.
But the changes that followed should have been noticed by both of them right away.
"What the......?!"
Eyes sharp, expression shuddering and tightening, Todd looked around.
The cause is not what they can see, but the sound they can hear --a whimpering. The magical beasts surviving on this Gladiator Island are all howling at the same time, as if in unison.
It was also excited at an unusual rate, and with a swagger that seemed to have lost its mind.
"--"
A moment later, Todd, who felt a sense of crisis, immediately saw that the cause was Subaru.
Even Todd did not seem to understand what Subaru's shout of "Return by Death" meant. But he dismissed it as something he didn't need to understand, and immediately put his murderous intent into action.
Wary of Tanza's counterattack, Todd's body rushes toward him furiously.
Facing Todd, Tanza threw a stone in her hand at a high rate of speed. The stone flew straight into the middle of Todd's body.
But--,
"Damn it......!"
Todd grunts quietly and bites his back teeth at the pain in his left arm from the stone.
Not wanting to miss, Tanza's aim became the largest target, the torso. Not one to miss, Todd sacrificed his left arm to minimize the damage.
As it was, Todd swung his axe with his right hand and tried to reap Tanza's small body.
But Subaru would not let that happen.
"Mr. Schwarz?!"
Tanza exclaimed as she was pushed from behind by a shoulder and fell to the side.
It is Subaru, sheltered by her small back, who pushes her away. Tanza disappears from the range of the cleaving axe, but Subaru gets in there instead.
For a moment, Todd's pupils narrow, but the momentum of the axe does not stop, and he swings away.
The blade, slowly closing in, blew Subaru's head off --it was a moment.
"--?!"
A hard thud and a heavy thud, which echoed dully, sent Todd's body flying through the air.
Todd, who had been blown up and rolled over, quickly got up. But his knees were smiling widely, spilling drops of blood from his grandly cut mouth.
"Goho......now, that's......"
Todd's eyes go black and white as he has no idea what just happened.
Subaru pointed his finger at Todd and said--,
"--Invisible Providence."
He carefully explained to him what the blow was that had smashed through the gaping jaw.
"Next time, I'll blow your head off."
"----"
Said Subaru, withdrawing his hand, which had been poked with his finger, and raised his middle finger.
Todd's eyes narrowed as he spit out the unstoppable blood from his shattered jaw. As it was, he thought he was going to start retaliating for the broken jaw.
"----"
With his eyes fixed on Subaru, Todd slowly backed up behind him. He put his back foot into the rising black smoke and disappeared into it without hesitation.
As soon as he saw that the odds were against him, he threw everything away, even his unfinished business, and chose to run away.
"Well, I thought I would, but......"
"Mr. Schwarz!"
After watching Todd disappear, the bloody Tanza rushed to Subaru. Before he could take Tanza's hand, Subaru collapsed on the spot.
Even just getting here was a near-death experience. The jump with Idola and Hiain was a serious injury that probably broke several bones in his body.
The use of the power of "Sloth," which has been too long since its last use, is still very stimulating to Subaru's brain, and his nose starts to bleed, and he cannot stop.
But in any case, it didn't make much difference if the nosebleeds didn't stop.
Todd's, final axe blow shattered and pierced Subaru's right shoulder.
The fact that he did not inadvertently blow his consciousness was proof that Subaru's life had already gone away to the point where pain and nothing else mattered.
"Mr. Schwarz, Mr. Schwarz......!"
Subaru feels deeply sorry as he clings to the sobbing Tanza.
He had to leave behind this little body of hers, who sincerely cared for Subaru and desperately tried to keep her alive.
It's just--,
"This, is......"
"--, a curse tool?"
From his pocket, he pulls out a black sphere and places it in Tanza's hand.
It wasn't something he had in mind. Anyway, he has to leave Tanza whatever he can, even if Subaru is already dead."
"Cessy, is...... over there, and Arakiya and......."
"I-I understand......! I, I know, so......"
"You don't, have to...... worry, about Todd, anymore."
Personality-wise, he could not believe that Todd would set him up once he had been dealt a painful blow. That is what makes him so hateful and at the same time a credo that can be trusted and used.
So Tanza treats Subaru with sobs as he struggles to put words together.
Until the very end, he desperately needed to do something for Subaru, who was worried about him.
But it's not.
The order is all over the place.
Tanza did well first. It made Subaru reconsider everything.
Natsuki Subaru reminded her that they didn't have to give up until the very end.
And because of that, he can still, again, fight.
So--,
"--Next, time."
Tanza's eyes widened at Subaru's small statement of determination.
But to her, it must have sounded like the dying Subaru's last will and testament.
With tears in her eyes, she held her emotions still, and Tanza's small hands, slender fingers gently wrapped around Subaru's trembling hand.
And then--,
"Yes, that's right, Mr. Schwarz. Next time, I will not lose."
Tanza said tearfully, not wanting to tarnish Subaru's last wish.
They don't mesh, not really. But their desire to save each other is engaged.
That was enough.
That, with enough thoughts and feelings of this moment--,
"--I'll take care of everyone."
--I will save you.
With that decision as the final straw, Natsuki Subaru's life burns to the ground--.
△▼△▼△▼△
--A dark, dark, dark world to all intents and purposes.
It is a space where only darkness exists, where no light shines through, and where prayers and wishes cannot reach the farthest reaches.
The place was always a cursed precipice that ate away at the heart, imposing a sense of helplessness and bringing lamentation and sorrow.
But I think this time, this moment, was waiting to be visited.
"----"
The darkness, which cannot compete alone, tries to swallow everything and carry it away.
Even though I feel helpless, abandoned by everything around me, even I almost give up on myself, and a sense of defeat burns through me that there is nothing more I can do.
"--I love you."
"--Not all of it. But, I know."
Not many things can be accomplished alone.
I'm not that big of a person. So, I make mistakes and my resolve gets twisted.
But--,
"--I love you."
"I know. --I know."
There are some things you can finally understand when you are about to let go.
At the same time, I don't know how to keep the emotions I have been feeling.
But I want to understand, because I can think properly.
I know exactly what the most important thing is.
"Thank you. --I'm going to go."
In order not to lose any more, in order not to have our precious things trampled on, Natsuki Subaru will return to the land of the dead water where all lives will be destroyed.
--The Second Coming, I shall do.
△▼△▼△▼△
--Feeling the rattling, and the sway of the carriage drawn by the gale horse on his hips.
It was not a very comfortable trip.
Not talking about ride comfort, but about comfort. When it comes to ride comfort, it is probably one of the most preferential treatment in the empire. He doesn't really feel grateful for that.
The uncomfortable thing about opulent carriages is that they have few windows and no reins. Of course, both of these are room in exchange for ease of targeting, so it depends on which one you prefer.
Simply that he doesn't like to leave it to others to respond in a delayed manner.
The carriage itself is solid with earth-magic protection, and as far as vigilance of the surroundings is concerned, it is being handled by someone with much better senses than himself.
"I'm sure it's perfect. Except for the fact that it's an unwanted trip."
In a country where the strong are always respected, the way in which "generals" are praised is extreme.
In other words, he is on the strong side, but he really feels that this in itself is a nuisance.
It is his theory that unless you are at the top of the world, you have more to lose than to gain by being perceived as strong. It is much easier to be perceived as weak.
This is why he concludes that this kind of treatment is uncomfortable.
"--Are you bored?"
Suddenly, a voice calls from the roof, and he slowly opens his closed eyes.
The owner of the voice he hears is on the roof, and the carriage is empty except for him. It is fine to be unattended because the presence of others is stifling, but the un-civilized accompanying people are too much to look at.
However, it is not someone he can talk to. Education and discipline can be done by someone else.
She does not intend to stay in a relationship with him for very long. As for revenge, which she seems to think she is being kind to him, it would be fine if he made up the head of the appropriate person as the avenger.
"Are you listening?"
"I can hear you. I was just thinking. You remember what you're supposed to do?"
"I can remember that much."
He sounded as if he was out of his mind, but there was room for doubt as to whether he could be trusted.
He had never heard of a "general" who throws policy to his subordinate, a mere private, because he is not good at thinking. He's been told to stop using polite language, and he's given him what he wants, but he has no idea what he's thinking.
Maybe they miss him. If you think of it as a female version of Jamal, it doesn't seem much different.
It's more of a hassle than Jamal to find a place to dump it, though.
"I see it, the island. Ready?"
"As long as you haven't lost the Prime Minister's letter, all you have to do is follow the instructions of the rumored viceroy. It's an easy job that doesn't require any trouble with anyone."
Arakiya asks, looking at the destination of the carriage on the roof and across the drawbridge.
He answers that, feeling the letter in his pocket as he answers it. Yes, it is a role like a messenger, just to have them follow the written orders.
However, if it is really just a message, there is no reason to bother sending Arakiya.
That was the only point that stuck with him.
"It's supposed to be an easy job."
"......The objective is to annihilate the island. Can you do it?"
"If only the Governor would be mature enough to agree to invoke the curse rule."
The governor of the island, Gustav Morello, who controls the island, has laid down absolute rules called the "curse rule" to rule over all the gladiators gathered on the island.
The curse rule is a truly useful device that is triggered when a target with a curse mark engraved on it by Gustav violates the rules and takes its life without question.
The curse tool is said to have been created by one of the "Nine Divine Generals", and the spell rules originate from it, but the conditions for its activation are simple and clear, they must be activated by the "Curse Master"--,
"--Anyone who leaves the curse tool for a predetermined distance will die."
"......The islanders, are they okay?"
"The whole island is probably a safe zone. In any case, if you try to sneak out without breaking the curse seal, you will die. If we threaten them and they cross the drawbridge, we can still stop them from escaping. It's enough of a deterrent to keep them inside."
In fact, if they let even one of the gladiators die under the effects of the curse rule as an example, no one will follow up to make sure it happens. No one would be such a daredevil fool.
It is a curse that is activated without bothering to look the person in the eye or work on them in any way. He is honestly impressed that it is a well-designed binding device due to the characteristics of the island.
However, if they realize that the curse rule is not at their disposal, they will quickly call for a revolt.
"Well, then we're going to annihilate them all, and all we have to do is throw the curse tool into the lake."
The lake surrounding the Gladiator Island is deep. The island is so isolated that it is impossible to cross to the shore without a large drawbridge, but the distance to the bottom of the water is even deeper.
If you throw the curse tool into the lake, by the time it reaches the bottom of the lake, it will be well within the activation zone of the curse rule.
Worst case scenario, if the Governor is uncooperative, they can look into throwing the recovered curse tool into the lake.
"It's important to be prepared for the worst in everything. Including where to hide the spells."
You can't be proud of your work and be goofy about it if you're not good at it.
It would be best if they could help them kill all the gladiators in a mature, peaceful, and uneventful manner. That's how he wants to get the job done, fulfill the purpose of this trip, and return home as soon as possible.
"Katya......"
Because of the long separation, the little reunion made the obsession stronger.
It is a cruel imitation, like a drop of water on a parched throat. He wants to drink water until his stomach is ripped out. That is the natural human emotion.
As soon as possible, he will finish his work and return to the Imperial Capital. To do so--,
"--No matter what the cost."
Yes, it was when he shifted one of his wedges toward the wild side.
"--Todd, something's wrong."
When his name was called, the man --Todd looked up and said, "What?"
Her voice lacks seriousness, but she is usually like this. Nevertheless, her ability to rise to the rank of "Nine Divine Generals" is hard to underestimate, and it is also true that she has a judgmental power that ordinary people cannot perceive.
She pointed out that they are slowly approaching their destination, the Gladiator Island--Already halfway to the drawbridge, and the carriage is about to be transferred from the two banks to the island side of the bridge. In other words, the call came just before entering the other party's pocket, and a bad premonition filled her with a sense of foreboding.
And then--,
"--Stop!"
"Huh?"
"Now! Stop! Turn around!"
The soldiers on the governor's platform were puzzled by Todd, who exclaimed as soon as he looked at the path through the window.
Tongue-tied at the delay in his reaction, Todd quickly mounted the governor's platform, took the reins from the soldier, stopped the carriage, and hit the tether to reverse the horse into a galloping horse in a great hurry.
Then he turned his head back to the roof, leaving the driver to look around.
"Arakiya, watch the island! If you see movement, fire at will!"
"--. Okay."
"T-the Prime Minister's emissary has sent me to......"
"----"
"ah, ugh......"
The meekly following Arakiya, and the driver, speaks of a sense of mission. The former, however, stared at the latter, who was not very understanding, up close, and Todd quietly narrowed his eyes.
At the look in Todd's eyes, the driver, whose momentum has waned, chokes up.
It was the right thing to do. If he had still persisted, he would have pushed him into the lake.
It was a good thing they didn't lose the driver on the way back, and credit to Arakiya for noticing the anomaly before they crossed the drawbridge. --It seems that things were already working.
"Todd."
"It seems that Prime Minister Berstetz's fears were correct."
In response to the short call, Todd reversed his galloping horse and headed back the way he had come.
They can't afford to have the drawbridge pulled up. The drawbridge on the other side of the river, and those who control it, are not necessarily in favor of the other side.
After all--,
"--Well, if they're ready and waiting for you, they're in for a rude awakening."
"Can't win? Even with me?"
"Yeah, I know."
Quietly, Todd nodded as he listened to Arakiya's increasing nervousness.
She was horrified, with a feeling of dread running down her back.
"--Not a winnable opponent. At least, not today." she said.
△▼△▼△▼△
"......I knew you'd pull back, but you're too quick to cut your losses."
A sigh of sadness escapes her as she watches the carriage reverse in the middle of the drawbridge and turn back without hesitation.
She is both stunned and impressed by the speed of his decision, but that was to be expected. If they were serious about deceiving them, the first thing they would have done would have been to maturely bring the other party to the island.
However, in that case, neither they nor the other party will be unscathed.
Knowing the catastrophe that would occur if they were brought in, they could not take such a big gamble.
--The only thing that could have made the difference was the fact that he had already taken the biggest gamble he could have made.
"Mr. Schwarz, the messengers are......"
"Oh, they left. As you can imagine, it's strange to see so many people waiting to greet you. I wanted them to think so, so I called their bluff."
"Oh, really. ......I'm relieved that I don't have to deal with 'Two'."
A kimono-clad girl lined up next to Subaru, who was looking at the drawbridge, creating a shelter with his hands. Gently patting herself on the chest, the girl, Tanza, was relieved at the success of the operation.
That, both horns on her head are still in good shape, and there are no noticeable scars on the infant's jade skin.
She has no problems at all, and she is a perfect Tanza that is healthy and strong.
"--. Oh, um, Mr. Schwarz?"
"Yeah?"
"No, I was wondering why you are patting my head......"
"Oh, sorry, sorry, my mistake."
At Tanza's embarrassed question, Subaru realized that he had unintentionally stroked her head and apologized. But even after apologizing, he did not stop patting her head.
Subaru then continues stroking, and Tanza's lips are tied as she is left to her own devices.
Subaru thought that his reluctant face was also adorable, and he thought that unless he was shaken off, he would continue petting her, even if it was at his own will--,
"--Geez, how long are you going to keep doing this? What are you kids doing flirting with each other?!"
"Whoa"
A commanding voice immediately behind him stopped Subaru's stroking hands. Meanwhile, Tanza slinked away and Subaru turned around, his lips curved.
At Subaru's gaze, a skalengeck who drawled, "W-what the......" - Hiain - looked alternately at the two on the side as if looking for help, and then said,
"Why the hell do I have to look at you like that?! I was just stating the obvious! Am I right?!"
"I suppose it's called saying it and not saying it in between. I could not have said it better myself."
"I'm better than you....... Give a little consideration, lizard boy......"
"Ngah?!"
Betrayed by the two on either side - Idola and Weitz - Hiain's eyes go black and white.
Idola laughed and Weitz snorted at such a reaction from Hiain. The sight of the three of them side by side also made Subaru deeply moved.
Idola raised his eyebrows at Subaru's gaze, and then he looked at him.
"Schwarz, I'm curious about that somewhat thoughtful look you're giving me......"
"It's nothing. I just thought we've come this far."
"--?"
Idola tilted his head dubiously at Subaru, who rubbed the bridge of his nose with his finger. But beside Idola's reaction, Weitz crossed his strong arms and muttered, "Farewell......"
Weitz stared out over the drawbridge, the ghastly tattoos on his body contorted.
"We chased off the messenger from the Imperial City....... Now we have no way out. Right......?"
"--. Not exactly, but it's right, too."
"Not exactly......?!"
The most understanding look falls off his face, and Weitz looks at him. Subaru chuckles at his reaction and is proud that the impression the three of them have of him is different from the emotion Subaru is holding.
The three of them--No, not all of them, they don't know anything, but that's okay.
Properly, Subaru remembers everything.
And then--,
"--It appears that the ruling has been made."
A heavy, stern voice turned to the person who had been waiting for the messenger at the drawbridge embankment.
He watches as the carriage carrying the messenger turns back and finishes crossing to the other side of the river, and then he looks at Subaru intently, with a frightening expression on his face, as if he were a demon.
Slowly, Subaru shrugged his shoulders, feeling the intimidation of the large man coming toward him, and feeling the slight pressure of the hearsay behind him.
"Now do you trust me?"
"There is no doubt about it. It is time for the fulfillment of the imperial decree that His Imperial Highness the Emperor has given to this office. In other words--"
"In other words?"
"All the gladiators of the solitary Gladiator Island Ginunhive join me under your banner. --Your Highness Schwarz."
The man who said this and put his four arms, hands and fists together in front of his chest was Gustav Morello, the administrator of the Gladiator Island, who showed his majestic posture.
At Gustav's statement, the guards look at each other and the guards who follow him take the same posture at once.
"I don't like this......"
Weitz mutters in frustration at the attitude of Gustav and the others.
When Subaru turned around, Weitz closed one eye, sucked in his chin, and said,
"I don't want it to be assumed that all of the gladiators will follow....... Even if it is the Governor who is in charge of the island......"
"Weitz Logun, I take your opinion to heart. But there are some things that take precedence over the will of the individual. I would remind you that the profession has a way of making you do what it says."
"You want to give it a try......?"
Weitz sniffs, and Gustav too has a quiet intentness in his eyes. They seem to be going at it, before Subaru intervenes.
"Viceroy, let's not be hasty. Weitz, you...... are short of words. That's what's causing the misunderstanding."
"I don't give a damn if I get in trouble for it......"
"The rest of the world gives a shit! Oh, for God's sake! Viceroy, I'm not going to be so gullible as to take orders from you!"
Idola holds Weitz back, and Hiain, advancing in his place, says in a tone of voice.
Hiain, who could not even look Gustav in the eye if the odds were stacked against him, did not show any sign of weakness, but he proudly indicated Subaru with his hand.
"We'll go with Schwarz without any strange threats. Hey, isn't that right? You're not scared, are you?!"
"Don't make me laugh, you lizard!"
"Who's freaking out, who?"
"Oh, oh, let's go, Our Imperial Prince!"
"We're going to beat up my lousy father and build our own empire-!!"
A loud, loud call for Hiain, and many voices answering the call.
One after another, from all around the island, the voices of the gladiators who had come to greet the messenger were heard.
The voices of the bloodthirsty men are mixed with those of Orson and his friends at Hiain, as well as the rare Old Man Null, who has come out of the healing room.
It's literally the Gladiator Island Ginunhive all together.
"--Thank you."
Hearing the cheers of those around him that were boiling over, Subaru held his own chest and muttered to himself.
It is gratitude to the friends around him, to himself, and most of all, to the person who gave him the opportunity.
Then, Subaru would raise his radiant face with both hands on his cheeks, and said,
"So, we're going, but what about Cessy?"
"--Hahaa, yes."
Subaru tilted his head and saw a shadow spinning and falling. The one who landed with a light thud was Cecilus, who had been watching from a height to see what was happening.
He looked at Subaru and the crowd of people around him as he had when half of his body was unscorched.
"......This is indeed a great turnout. I didn't expect it to go this far, I have to say. However, I have one question."
"Heh? What is it?"
"I commend you for your skill in courteously going around and around and getting everyone on your side. But you know what? --I wasn't hit on."
Cecilus, hiding his hands in his sleeves, asks him with a look of sincere wonder on his face.
Unable to understand, Cecilus's ever-present smile disappeared. Seeing his face, Subaru looked at him lightly and then nodded in satisfaction.
Certainly, Subaru did not seduce Cecilus.
Gustav, Hiain, Weitz, Idola, Orson and the others, and Old Man Null, Rex and Mirzak, Cashew and Moizo, Dilloy and Krigkin, Kodrow and Fenmel, even that stone-headed, lone wolf Joslo, all hit on him, but Cecilus went through with it.
Because--,
"--I just wanted to see the look on Cessy's face."
It is Cecilus that has been striking out at Subaru at key points in the past.
He's not stupid enough to take that risk, but after much thought, he decided that for better or worse, this would work best for Cecilus.
And in fact, Subaru tells Cecilus, who rolls his eyes when he is told this.
"I'll rub you the wrong way right now, but will you come with me?"
"Ha, hahaha, hahahahaha! Ahhahahaha!!"
Subaru shrugged his shoulders and winked at him as such. As soon as Cecilus heard that supercilious invitation, he opened his big mouth and laughed hysterically, arching his back.
Cecilus flails around on the spot, moving his feet and laughing hysterically. He laughed so hard he was wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingers.
"No way! No way! No way, not me! Cecilus Segmunt, the 'Blue Lightning'! The world's most famous actor! I'm the star of the world! Please let me go with you! That's that's...... outrageous, Bassu!"
"......So, what will do you?"
"Of course I'm with you! I'd like to say that I'm not happy about being taken for a ride, but it's amazing that I'm not at all upset about being forced into it! Oh, amazing! I'm so happy!"
With a big clap of his hands, Cecilus took full advantage of Subaru's speculation. Relieved at his boldness, Subaru put his hand to his chin.
In fact, that's exactly what he thought from the very beginning, but--,
"That term Bassu doesn't ring a bell at all."
"Oh no, headwinds! I said I would go along with you, and it's not very open and airy for us to break up over it, but what would you like me to call you?"
"Yes......"
As Cecilus leaned forward, Subaru thought for a moment.
He let his mouth get used to the name Bassu a few times, and suddenly he thinks to himself, "I'm not so bad." And then, feeling that the thought was not so bad, Subaru laughed with a bad look on his face and said,
"--Boss."
"----"
"You can call me boss from now on."
He doesn't mean to be pretentious, but it's surprisingly not a bad idea to keep up with Cecilus's narrative brain.
Cecilus sighs in response to Subaru's answer, and says, "Hoho."
'Boss, boss, boss boss boss...... this sounds pretty good! I have no idea what it means, but I don't hate it, in fact I like it."
"It means the leader. Just right, huh?"
"Yes, boss! Then let's get started!"
Subaru nodded with an "ah" at Cecilus's lively laughter and bravado.
Subaru then looked around at Cecilus and his fellow "union" members, Hiain and Weitz, Idola and the gladiators, and also at Gustav and the guards he was bringing with him.
At the end of an epic, epic experience, with a group of friends who came together as one--,
"--Let's go, guys! I'm going to punch that motherfucking father in the Imperial City in the side of the head!"
" "Ohh--!!" "
The Gladiator Island itself responds loudly to Subaru's call.
Feeling the violent momentum that seemed to shake the entire lake on which the island floated, Subaru suddenly noticed Tanza's gaze staring at him.
"Rest assured, Tanza."
The only one who knew that Subaru was not the illegitimate son of the emperor, Subaru nodded to her emphatically and decided to go from the west to the Imperial Capital at once.
He pushes forward as the son of Natsuki Kenichi and as the self that his friends believe in.
Hence, from this time on, Natsuki Subaru--,
"--This time, we will win."
--Since being summoned to another world, he has trampled the Vollachia Empire as the most powerful being.
Last edited:
