[Otto: Just like we discussed, the villagers will evacuate while I distract Garfiel. Natsuki-san said not to worry too much about buying time, but I'm feeling a little more greedy than that... so, can I count on your help?]
After parting with Subaru, and before setting out with the two bait carriages, Otto spoke with Ram in a corner of the village.
Ram crossed her arms at Otto's rather unconfident query, then leaned into a wall and closed her eyes. Met with her silence, Otto tried to suppress his impatient agitation at the urgency of the imminent battle,
[Otto: Uhm, sorry, but... we really don't have much time...]
[Ram: Impatient men are repulsive. As I said before, it would depend on the conditions]
Opening a single eye, Ram promptly rebuffed Otto's imploring gaze.
This "before" she mentioned was referring to three days ago: the night Subaru challenged Roswaal to a bet, and Otto asked Ram to fight alongside him.
Roswaal had asked Ram to leave the room so he and Subaru could be alone.
And as Ram came out of the building, Otto was waiting for her outside. He had accurately predicted that Roswaal would ask her to leave before discussing the crucial matters of the Gospel, and so he managed to catch her in a moment when she was free.
Simply put, three days ago, Ram and Otto had been no more than shallow acquaintances.
They could count their interactions on a single hand, and Ram hadn't a shred of interest in any man except for Roswaal. Other than the familiar faces from Roswaal's Mansion, Lewes and Garfiel were probably the only people she talked to in the Sanctuary.
And so, when Otto called out to Ram, and she looked at him as if she was looking at a pebble on the side of the road, he had to start by building their cordial relations from scratch.
[Otto: Greetings, uhm... Ram-san. It sure is a nice night out]
[Ram: ――――]
[Otto: Hello?]
[Ram: ――Ah, I was wondering who you were. So you're that lackey who follows Barusu around everywhere. I wasn't used to seeing you without him, so I had some trouble identifying what creature you were]
[Otto: I'm not even human anymore!? The fact that you have that impression seriously hurts! Although, well, I can kind of understand why I'd be treated like Natsuki-san's accessory...]
[Ram: A man who accepts being anyone's accessory is worthless. Begone]
[Otto: So harsh!?]
Ram's unapproachable attitude swiftly tore Otto's friendly overture to pieces.
Without showing the slightest interest in Otto, Ram leaned against the side of the door and crossed her arms.
[Otto: So uh… do you have a minute to talk?]
[Ram: Regardless of whether I'll remember it, but haven't you even considered starting a conversation by presenting your name? Regardless of whether I'll remember it]
[Otto: Why'd you remind me twice that you might not remember it? Hhaah... my name is Otto Suwen. I'm just a humble travelling merchant, but I'd appreciate it if you could memorize my face and name]
[Ram: That would depend on how interesting this talk is]
Otto despondently gave his name, while Ram refused to concede any of her domineering attitude.
Although she indicated that she was willing to listen, she would immediately put a stop to it should it turn out to be pointless. Otto pumped himself up once more and decided to broach it from a different angle,
[Otto: This would be related to what Natsuki-san and the Margrave are currently discussing, but... Ram-san. Would you be interested in helping Nastuki-san and myself release the Sanctuary from its Barrier?]
[Ram: ――That's enough. Ram's only desire is to fulfill Roswaal-sama's most earnest wish. For as long as I respect Roswaal-sama's will, liberating the Sanctuary that way would be pointless]
[Otto: But that's assuming everything proceeds as the Margrave intended... correct? Ram-san, are you aware that events have already diverged from that path?]
[Ram: ――――]
It was Otto who proposed, at the end of his conversation with Subaru, that they drag Ram in as an ally.
Subaru was overwhelmingly reluctant about it, but, going from what he said, Otto judged that it was a bet with good chances of victory.
Opening her eyes, Ram's emotionless, pink irises fell on Otto.
She uncrossed her arms as the fingers of her lowered right hand grazed against what must've been her wand beneath her skirt.
How he chooses his next words would decide whether or not he incurs her wrath in the form of her wind blades.
Holding his breath and wetting his lips with his tongue, Otto showed the same fearless smile as he would when making a challenging business deal.
The stiffness of his body disappeared as his accelerated pulse fell to a more comfortable pace.
Now, just as always, it was time to stand firm.
[Otto: Events have diverged from the Margrave's plans―― and for the first time, you have a chance to realize your true wish. And I believe Natsuki-san and I can help you with that]
Ram's fingers wavered, hesitating―― and then left her wand. Seeing this, Otto determined that his sales pitch was nothing to be scoffed at.
After she's heard Otto's proposal and learned the details of his plan, Ram presented several conditions.
Honestly, revealing their entire plan to Ram was a rather huge gamble for Otto and Subaru. If they misjudged their proposal's impact on Ram's heart, then all their plans would be leaked to Roswaal. But there was enough value in getting Ram on their side to take this risk.
Ram laid out several conditions in exchange for her cooperation, and, finding them entirely reasonable, Otto accepted.
Otto didn't mention the details of her terms to Subaru. Because he needed her maximum cooperation, and it was necessary to keep some of the actions he had to take secret.
If Otto had told him, Subaru would have stopped them. If Subaru gave in to his emotions and ruled out this plan, it would've meant leaving the rest of their fate to chance.
[Ram: You have an unfortunate personality, you know that? I have no idea what you do for a living, but you'd make a terrible merchant]
[Otto: You totally remember I was a travelling merchant, right!?]
Ram remarked with a snort at Otto's secret determination, as a pained wail echoed throughout the Sanctuary.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
――Faced with the pressure of the beast's overwhelming aura, Otto was surprised that his body wasn't trembling.
The abhorrent figure looming before him was a colossal monster four meters in length.
Crooked, razor fangs extended like sabres from its enormous mouth as its claws curved in brutal crescents like life-reaping scythes of Death. Every strand of golden fur coating its body was a wire thick enough to tangle any mortal blade that struck it.
Only the glint in its eyes, golden as its fur, retained vestiges of what it was before its transformation. But the lack of commonality between now and what was there only moments before made all of it seem unreal.
It was Garfiel, after he'd shed his human body for the form of a ferocious tiger.
Vile smelling breaths escaped his throat in growls, exuding a pressure enough to freeze the hearts of every creature in the forest.
[Otto: ――――]
Consciously forcing his lips to smile, Otto wished he could say something, anything, to lighten the mood.
But no voice escaped his frozen throat, and even his supposedly smiling cheeks ignored him and remained rigid.
And, belatedly, Otto realized why he wasn't trembling.
――It was not because he wasn't afraid. Rather, it was because, in the face of certain "Death", Otto's body had given up on improving his chance of survival.
After all, trembling in the face of fear is the body's mechanism to ignite its instinct to survive.
It is the soul screaming to the body: "Do not give up!"―― but, in a situation where this would be entirely pointless, it was only natural that his body wouldn't tremble.
He had heard about it. And he had imagined it.
He knew that Garfiel possessed both beastman and human blood alike, and that he could transform into a monster.
But reality surpassed Otto's flimsy imagination and manifested a creature so far beyond human understanding that it devoured his spirit to its core.
To think that, in the presence of such a creature, he could have uttered something so foolish as "We bought enough time, but why don't we try and beat him?". Of course he shouldn't try to beat him. As if he stood a chance.
And yet,
[Ram: Garf transformed... we've met all the conditions now]
Muttered the small girl beside him, her voice entirely unchanged in the face of the overwhelming presence before her.
He hadn't even the mind to ask "What conditions?". But, with a movement so mechanical that his neck creaked as it turned, Otto looked to the girl―― to Ram.
Ram's lips relaxed slightly, and, for the first time, she showed Otto something like a smile.
[Ram: Garf made a mistake by picking this obvious choice. ――We've won this fight]
[Otto: ――――]
You damn sure about that? Otto quipped in his mind, forgetting his usual politeness.
――Ram gave Otto roughly three conditions for her cooperation.
[Ram: Regardless of the divergence from Roswaal-sama's plans... and from the Gospel's writ, you must preserve Roswaal-sama's will to live in this world, whatever it takes]
This term was already fulfilled when Subaru challenged Roswaal to their bet.
Roswaal, who had been ready to abandon everything, again donned his war-paint and, with eyes brimming with life, resolved to take on the world once more.
[Ram: Secondly, Emilia-sama must not lose her determination to challenge the Trials. If this world is to continue despite diverging from Roswaal-sama's plans, then she will inevitably have to stand for herself. ...She must be tested before the day of reckoning comes]
This one would have to be left entirely to Subaru and Emilia, but, judging from the fact that Ram was willing to hear his proposal, she probably considered this condition as good as cleared.
When Otto heard that Emilia had gone missing, his first thought was "We're completely doomed", but Ram doesn't seem to think so. However, since Otto was afraid that she might change her mind if he asked her why, he decided to leave well enough alone.
So then,
[Ram: If you can guarantee these two things, I will be willing to help you. ...But as for the part that we'll be keeping secret from Barusu, I still have a few finer requirements]
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[Otto: Let's hear it, as long as it's something I can do]
[Ram: If I am to join the fight against Garf, you'll have to at least broaden the prospects of victory. First, you must disable Garf's nose. Then, deal a certain amount of damage to make him lose his composure. I will not enter the fight until the decisive moment, so you'll have to accomplish these things yourself. Surely, seeing you've gone out of your way to propose this plan, you must have at least one trump card hidden up your sleeve?]
[Otto: Well... there is a little something, yeah]
[Ram: I see, just as I thought. In that case, here's the last condition…]
[Otto: Right]
[Ram: Make Garf transform. ――This is the final requirement for attaining victory]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
[Ram: His sense of smell, is it still disabled?]
[Otto ...]
[Ram: Pathetic]
[Otto: Gheuh!]
Seeing Otto so stricken that he couldn't even answer her question, Ram mercilessly jabbed her elbow into the side of his waist. Wailing at the sharp, gouging pain, Otto gasped as he suddenly remembered to start breathing.
[Otto: A, aghh... I-I thought I was gonna die... just now, thought I was gonna die from that pressure!]
[Ram: Even a soft and flimsy meatshield is better than nothing, so snap out of it. His sense of smell, is it disabled?]
[Otto: I'll pretend I didn't hear that first part, but, yeah, it is. Makoil pollen is an extremely powerful animal repellent, even humans would pass out if they smell it from up close]
[Ram: And even more so for Garfiel, with his many times more sensitive nose. Then that's one of the benefits of his beast-form nullified. The timing and the damage dealt to him before his transformation... is all going according to plan]
Exhaling a light breath, Ram tipped her heels off the ground as she shifted onto her toes. From there, she dropped her heels, lifted them, and began repeating that motion in a simple leg exercise.
Otto furrowed his brows at Ram's strange behavior, and with [U-uhm?], he tiled his head.
[Otto: R-Ram-san? What're you doing?]
[Ram: I'm warming up. Slightly loosening my body before I start. As much I loathe to admit it, Barusu is right about this being efficient]
[Otto: Uhm, no, that's not... I meant, what're you doing these exercises for?]
[Ram: That's simple]
Casting the stuttering Otto a glance from the corner of her vision, Ram finished her warm-up exercise and closed her eyes. Then, opening her eyes again, her feet carried her forward―― with a casual gait, as if she were taking a leisurely stroll, she began closing distance with the beast.
[Otto: W-wait!?]
[Ram: Be silent]
Otto's eyes bulged as he watched her bold advance. But Ram rejected his call, not slowing her speed in the slightest as she headed towards the tiger.
The beast stooped low as it glowered at the prey before its eyes. Surprised by the little creature's action, its body stiffened for a moment, but immediately, it judged the behavior to be an insult to itself.
Rage arose in its golden eyes as it raised its hefty fore paw, thicker than Ram's torso, and swiped with vicious claws outstretched. A single strike from these claws, each as wide as the delicate girl's arms, would carry enough force to instantly transfigure her limbs into shreds of gore with a graze.
The wind screamed as the Reaper's Scythe in the shape of claws swung to claim Ram's life from this world.
――But, just before that could happen,
[Ram: You're too soft, Garf. ――Who do you think you're facing?]
Crouching down and letting the mighty claws pass overhead, Ram said to the tiger with pity.
Having thrown its entire body behind that swing, the tiger floundered as Ram's tiny figure dived for its chest. Bending her knees, Ram sprung out her body as she shot out her readied fist――
[Ram: When have you ever won in a fist-fight against me?]
[Garfiel: ――――RR!]
The fist lunging into its torso from below sent the several-hundred-kilogram beast into the air.
Its body arching from the force of the strike, a pained wail spilled from the beast's gaping maw. Shock waves crashed against the forest as Otto heard the sound of the air bursting.
[Otto: No, way]
A girl a head shorter than he was had just punched a beast so tall that looking up wasn't enough to see the whole thing. And just like that, with her fist still buried in the tiger's torso, Ram used her offhand to slap the animal around even further.
Blows alternated from one hand to the other as they beat the enormous beast shrieking in retreat. With fangs bared, it lunged its great jaw at Ram, but the girl leaped, setting her foot upon the tiger's nose, and, with a forceful kick, she sent the beast's face slamming down to the ground.
Scraping against the earth with its roar cut off, the colossal beast writhed, frantically attempting to tear apart the limbs of the girl toying with him. But Ram danced through the air like leaves in the wind, mockingly evading the tiger's strikes, driving attack after piercing attack into the shallow points in its fur.
Her heel into its throat. Her hand into its flank. Her fist punching aside its paw, opening the way for a direct kick to the beast's unguarded face.
Witnessing her dominate the vicious tiger in close-quarter combat, a surreal sensation as if he were reading a picture-book gripped at Otto's heart.
What on earth was he watching?
Seeing Garfiel shed away his human form had stricken Otto with so much despair that his body gave up on living. And yet, what on earth was he watching here?
With every swing of the girl's arm, the beast's body bounced back from the force of the blow. This colossal monster, whose very roars could slaughter a living creature, was unable to land a single hit on her.
Its furious paws blindly mowed through the trees, gouged into the earth, transforming the forest with chaotic violence, and yet the constantly changing landscape caused Ram no issue at all.
They could win, like this.
He felt stupid now for having doubted Ram's pre-battle remarks.
Her statements about purposely getting Garfiel to transform now held definite credibility.
As a beast, the power of the transformed Garfiel is overwhelming, but its advantage lay in situations where he's fighting multiple opponents. His very mass is a weapon in itself, and even against single individuals, there was no reason he should lose.
But, when his opponent is someone with inhuman combat abilities, it's a different story.
His cumbersome body becomes a target, his powerful, tree-felling claws are fraught with openings, and his devastating strength leaves him clumsy and unbalanced, unable to shift between attack and defence.
Calmly analyzing the situation would make all of this become clear.
However, this simple solution would only be valid if there was an "Overwhelming individual" to carry it out.
A friendly wildcard who could counter a transformed Garfiel―― securing this precious resource for their team was Otto's greatest contribution to this fight.
[Otto: We can... we can do it! At this rate, Garfiel can be...!]
Clenching his fists, Otto cheered as he saw the first hope of victory.
As if propping up that hope, Ram's fist slammed into the side of the ferocious tiger's face, sending the creature skidding magnificently across the ground, scraping up plumes of dust.
And――
[Ram: ――Bhg]
Leaking an unsuppressible groan, and with profuse blood streaming from her forehead, Ram's body swayed as if about to fall.
With the streaming blood dyeing her vision true-red, Ram's frantic steps barely managed to keep her body from collapsing.
Sharp, piercing pain flashed just above her brow―― at the very center of her forehead. Clicking her tongue, she rued the throbbing ache emanating from the faint-white scar.
Behind her, Otto's broken voice shrieked. So annoying.Ram didn't need anyone to tell her how much the situation had deteriorated. It wasn't that any of Garfiel's attacks had hit her. Against those thoughtless, wide-open swings, it'd actually be harder to try to get hit. Those screams are annoying. Wanna hit him.
[Ram: ――hhu]
Expelling a short breath, Ram's unsteady feet kicked off of the ground.
Immediately, the tiger's claws gouged into the earth where she'd just been standing. Clods of dirt sprang up like a shotgun blast, mingling with vivid red droplets as Ram spun, dancing to evade.
She was clearly on borrowed time, but somehow, she could still move. Sighting an opening, she kicked the tiger's jaw from below, sending the beast wailing in pain as she followed with another kick from her other leg. She rode on the momentum to backflip out of harm's way, but the instant she landed, her stance immediately crumbled.
[Ram: ――a]
[Garfiel: ――――WRR!]
Literally by a hair's breadth, Ram evaded the claws late enough for them to shear off a tuft of her hair, sending strands of pink dancing through the air.
It was pure coincidence that she dodged that strike. If her feet hadn't just happened to slip, Ram's head would've doubtlessly exploded like a red fruit.
Tasting the closeness of death, feeling something indescribable rushing up her spine, Ram's red lips opened into a grin as she snarled.
The exhilaration of battle. The scar on her forehead throbbed, sending something between pain and an itch flooding down her entire body.
Her broken horn. Her proof of being an Oni. In order to release her full potential, Ram needed her horn to draw mana from the inexhaustible supply within the atmosphere around her. After losing that organ, her body could not unleash even a tenth of its true power.
She knew beforehand that she'd be punished for overtaxing her body like this.
Still, she had thought that if the conditions were right and she manages to end the fight quickly, there was no reason she'd lose. And yet,
[Ram: ――You've gotten stronger, Garf]
Ram's murmur was overflowing with an emotion she rarely showed to others.
Naturally, Otto had never seen it, and even Subaru only saw it on a few occasions. It was the kind of emotion she'd show to her only family, the one who had vanished from her memory.
With the tender smile still etched upon her lips, her lunging fist mercilessly smashed into the tiger's face.
She felt its tough skin bouncing off of her knuckles. Her fist, having lost its firmness, directly felt the recoil of the impact, breaking the bones in her hand. It felt good. She was fighting. She was living. The exhilaration of killing and being killed flooded her with overwhelming euphoria. More, more. There's more after this. There is yet another dimension to reach.
Her right hand shattered, no longer capable of forming a fist. The tiger with its crushed face bellowed. Breath like a windstorm pressed towards her as her left hand sliced through the wind and gouged into the thin hide on the tiger's neck. Blood spouted, her fingers tore out chunks of flesh as more blood spouted forth. Gory specks sprayed onto her white cheeks as she savored the intoxicating taste of iron on her tongue.
If her shattered right hand was useless, then she'll choke him with her arms. One arm wasn't nearly enough to wrap around the neck far wider than her own body. Soaring, grappling, throwing in her legs as well to strangle the beast's arteries, she dodged the claws closing in to swipe her away. Shifting with all her weight, one of her fingers snapped. The shriek felt good, like she was back home.
[Ram: Bh, phh, agh]
The dance was so much fun, yet the haziness of her head was too aggravating. The blood streaming from her forehead showed no signs of stopping, and it began to overflow from her nose and mouth as well.
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She was past her limit, and her body was beginning to break. Her nerves were controlling her body based on its full potential, but, with no mana to sustain it, her body was gradually failing to keep up. Ram continued to move at blazing speeds, still evading Garfiel's claws. So overwhelming was her combat ability that not even a single strike could graze her. But the wicked hands of collapse continued gorging upon her body, and the end would come before any claws or fangs could reach her.
[Ram: ――hg, phh]
After pausing for a deep breath, overflowing liquid burst from her mouth.
Clots of blood splashed to the ground, and, as if it'd been Ram's very life force, her body instantly lost its strength.
Her shoulders slumped, her legs collapsed. The beast would surely not overlook this moment. Its beaten and enraged visage bared its fangs as it swung its paw towards Ram's slender body.
But――
[Otto: Uwaaaah! DONA!!]
Alongside that throat-tearing chant, a wall of earth shot up from the ground.
It cut into the space between Ram and the tiger's paw, dulling the attack's force for just an instant before immediately being smashed to dust.
But in that single instant, a hand dragged Ram's body back and, with all its strength, flung her backwards.
――Somehow, she had a feeling that this was the second time she'd been thrown like this.
Soaring through the air, she stared at the sky in a daze as that out-of-place sentiment popped into her mind. The impact of crashing back-first into the ground robbed her of her breath, but she swiftly raised her head to register the situation.
There, in front of her, in the spot where she'd just been tossed from, now stood Otto who should've been cowering on the side. It seems he saw that Ram was in danger and threw himself in.
But even so, surely, there is nothing he can do――
[Garfiel: ――――WRR!]
The beast, enraged by this powerless creature who had intruded into its battle with Ram, blasted the pale-faced youth with a forest-shaking roar. If he froze here, he would surely become food for those fangs. At this juncture demanding immediate action, Otto clenched his hands into fists, stomped his foot into the ground, and――
[Otto: ――――WWRRR!]
――From his slender throat came a roar exactly like the beast's.
This was the Divine Protection of Anima Whispering Ram had heard so much about. Otto had always boasted that as long as it was an intelligent life form, whether it was a dragon or a critter, or even an insect, he could speak with it. It seems to also allow him to communicate with Garfiel who'd transformed into this irrational beast.
Ram couldn't tell what Otto must've heard from Garfiel's roar.
And she couldn't tell what Garfiel thought of Otto's reply.
But this exchange of roars did create a brief delay before the beast resorted to its claws and fangs.
That opening was more than enough for Ram to understand Otto's true reason for throwing her.
[Garfiel: ――――WWRRR!]
[Otto: ――WWRRR! Aaukh! That's, my throat's limit...!]
Struggling to sustain the literally blood-spewing shriek, Otto held his throat as he coughed.
With the conversation at an end, the tiger lifted its paw, aiming to annihilate Otto with a single strike. Otto raised his hands before him, and with a determined expression, he unleashed the desperate scream,
[Otto: EL DONAAA!!]
A thick wall of earth spread out in front of Otto, and, without waiting to watch it rise, he turned and began sprinting backwards. The tiger's paw crashed through the wall behind him, sweeping up a whirling plume of dust as it closed in on Otto's fleeing figure―― a direct hit knocked the wiry body flying like a dead twig, plunging nonstop through the bushes and trees.
Whether he lives or dies would depend entirely on Otto's fortitude.
Ram paid no attention to the results of his decision and actions. She determined that to pay it no heed was the most appropriate way to repay Otto for what he had done.
[Ram: Garf. ――You made a mistake by transforming after all]
Ram announced to the tiger who was turning to attack her next.
Leaning against a tree, freed from the exhilaration of bloodlust, Ram's head steadily cleared. Gripping her wand in her barely-operational left hand, she aimed its tip at Garfiel.
Mana began to shift.
[Ram: If you had even a speck of sense left, you wouldn't have overlooked me]
[Garfiel: ――――]
The tiger warily scrunched its nose.
But did nothing further. It had no idea what was coming.
The eyes of that senseless beast did not understand what it meant that Ram was "Standing in a mass of white light".
To the residents of this forest, this man, who transformed into a monster and ravaged the earth, the trees, and the forest in its attempts to strike Ram, was a violent and irredeemable villain――
[Ram: I'm not bungling this the way he did]
[Garfiel: ――――!]
Realizing something, the tiger stooped low and charged towards Ram.
But it was too late.
[Ram: ――Al Fula]
Mana from the rage of the forest's residents converged at the tip of Ram's wand, exploding into a burst of light.
――And the battle for the Sanctuary's forests was over.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Getting the feeling that he'd just heard a beast's roar, Subaru stopped and glanced behind him.
[Subaru: Nah, no way]
It's way too early for that, Subaru naively decided.
It had been perhaps twenty minutes since he asked Otto to buy time and left him. It was doubtful whether Otto had even departed with the carriages yet, and there was no way the situation could've progressed that far.
He figured his anxiety must be making him hallucinate, but that was actually the more terrifying thought. Just how subconsciously anxious was he?
[Subaru: Gotta believe, gotta believe. Otto's doing his best to buy time. He did say he'll spill everything once Garfiel catches him... and we didn't tell the Arlam villagers anything they didn't need to know, so they shouldn't become targets]
Each time Garfiel attacked Subaru or the villagers as they tried to leave, Subaru had confronted Garfiel about the Lewes clones beforehand. Which means, by Subaru's speculation, Garfiel didn't want the truth about the Lewes clones to be leaked outside.
Subaru didn't know what the underlying reason for this would be, but it seems Garfiel could not be at ease until he has eradicated everyone who knew that fact. The loop where he slaughtered all the villagers except Subaru was probably the result of his inability to determine whether Subaru had divulged it to any of his fellow escapees.
Whether Garfiel would believe him when he says he never told them would be yet another gamble, but somehow, Subaru had a mysterious conviction that if he sincerely emphasized that fact, Garfiel would accept it.
Garfiel doesn't seem to be the type who could handle complicated concepts very well, so Subaru figured he would just have to present him with something he wouldn't need to think too hard about.
[Subaru: And if Otto's right, then we've got Ram on our side. Worst case, as long as he's not cornered, he shouldn't lay his hands on her...]
If there was anything to worry about, it's that Ram would provoke Garfiel more than necessary.
The two have known each other for a long time, and they share a past of which Subaru knew nothing about. If something fractures between them because of that shared past, it could lead to unimaginable consequences.
But the reason Ram had agreed to help them was so that Roswaal would keep living in a world that had diverged from his Gospel, and she would tirelessly work to forge that path. Or at least, that was how Subaru interpreted it, and he figured she needed his and Otto's help to achieve it.
Even if she wasn't impressed by Otto's sales-pitch, she'd surely go along with it.
[Subaru: I believe in you, Big Sister-sama! No matter how useless Otto is, please work with him!]
Clapping his palms together, Subaru prayed his utmost for their safety.
Unaware that the two had gone off and made a decision to skirt the boundaries of life and death, Subaru concluded his prayer, and,
[Subaru: Well then, time for me to do my part]
Tugging his own cheeks to psych himself up, Subaru gave his head a shake and resumed his stride.
The moment his foot stepped inside the gaping entrance, the unpleasant feeling of free-falling through the air―― and of his guts floating upwards assaulted him.
[Subaru: Eughh...]
Holding his hand to his mouth, Subaru forced back the surging nausea as he pressed onward.
That unshakable floating sensation made every step he took feel like the phantom step at the end of a staircase. His organs churned as his blood seemed to flow backwards, and it was as if the air was slathering its tongue around his eyeballs.
Savoring the sense of rejection as if the entire world was refusing Natsuki Subaru, he drew deep breath after deep breath, his face pale, pressing his hands to the wall as he dragged his feet forward.
[Subaru: Don't… be so cold... I'll… feel hurt, you know...]
Having anticipated this, Subaru had emptied his stomach beforehand. Nevertheless, this gut-wrenching nausea caused stomach acid to surge to his mouth.
Subaru pushed the feeling down and forced his eyes to open as he desperately crept step after step through the darkness.
And――
[Subaru: Ah, thank goodness. ――I've finally found you]
Having made his way to the end of the short distance that felt like an eternity, Subaru's shoulders slumped in relief.
In front of him, leaning against the ancient wall of the dusty corridor, the girl sitting there hugging her knees looked up at him with an astonished expression.
[???: su… baru?]
Though her voice was faltering, the fact that she called his name filled him with satisfaction.
Then, Subaru bent down beside the girl on the ground, and――
[Subaru: Say―― let's talk, Emilia-tan]
Using the same icebreaker from back then when he couldn't bear to face his mistakes, this time, it was Subaru who spoke the words.
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