Arc 10 Chapter 33: A Triple Axel of Frantic Confusion, and the Automatic Washing Machine Won’t Stop Rinsing

Chapter 33: A Triple Axel of Frantic Confusion, and the Automatic Washing Machine Won’t Stop Rinsing

—Round and round, round and round, round and round.

—His vision spun, the world spun, his consciousness spun.

'—ru.'

—Round and round, round and round, round and round.

—Everything spun, every conceivable thing revolved, all things turned without cease.

'—ru!'

—Round and round, round and round, round and round.

—Spinning without end, spinning without limit, spinning without respite.

'—baru!'

—Round and round, round and round,

roundandroundandroundandroundandroundandroundandrouuuuund.

'—SUBARU!!'

Into the endlessly revolving consciousness, into all the ceaselessly spinning things, into the boundless whirl of everything that would not stop turning, something foreign intruded.

Something that was not spinning.

Somewhere in the depths of that revolving world, beyond all the endlessly turning things and the infinite expanse of their motion, he understood that this foreign presence consisted of a desperate cry, a frantic shaking, and an adorable face glistening with tears.

And somehow, without his noticing when it had begun, that presence had introduced a distortion into the endless rotation that consumed his vision, his world, and everything within it.

'Get a hold of yourself, I suppose! Subaru!'

Sharp little slaps struck his cheeks. His shoulders were shaken, and everything that had been happening to him was suddenly overturned and made new.

For so long, so very long, he had done nothing but spin, consumed by thirst and hunger, caught in a rotation that never ceased.

But at last, it had been interrupted.

And Rubasu Kitsuna—no, Tsukiba Rusuna? Sutsuba Rukina? Rutsusu Kinaba? Bakitsu Rusuna—

BALS had returned.

Magnificent!

From the realm of eternal rotation!

He had made his triumphant return!

'G-Gray Star! Please, calm down! Don't bite your tongue!'

'What happened? What's going on? Why's he suddenly gone completely mad out of nowhere? Kuhahahaha! Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?'

'As if this could possibly be a joke! Black Dog, lend us your assistance! Hold his arms down!'

There seemed to be an awful commotion going on around him, but there was no need to beat around the bush. Bals was feeling positively splendid, overflowing with vitality and vigor, and no matter how the people around him panicked, he certainly wasn't going to let his head spin over it.

Wahahahaha! Looking around, Bals could see a whole circle of people wearing terribly earnest expressions, gathered all around the immediate surroundings of this very Bals. Spinning. Not spinning. I said they're not spinning!

'Natsuki Subaru, loosen your grip. At this rate, Beatrice's hand will…'

'Betty is perfectly fine, I suppose! This much doesn't hurt at all, in fact! This is proof that Subaru is asking Betty to save him…!'

'Which part of that face looks like he's asking for help? He looks delighted! But he's absolutely drenched in puke! Flooding from both ends, upstairs and downstairs, and he's disgustingly filthy!'

'Black Dog, just be quiet already! Why would something like this happen so suddenly…?'

From right to left, from left to right, the words passed between them like a baton whirling around a relay race.

How wonderful! How incredible! Bals wanted to join in too!

Here we go! Next up! Coming through! Right here, right now!

'—Aaaaaah…'

WOO—HOOOOOO!!

NAILED IT!

A magnificent reversal, spinning and turning and revolving through the greatest comeback of all time! Behold Bals's glorious inversion of heaven and earth, the overthrow of the established order, the dawn of civilization, the abolition of feudal domains, and the Permanent Privatization of Newly Cultivated Lands Act! Bals had now unleashed a paradigm shift, and his Copernican passion was receiving a standing ovation at the very gates of execution, with heads rolling and severed heads displayed for all to see!

'—Aaaaaah…'

'Damn it, we're getting nowhere like this. Ferris! Treat him immediately—'

Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful cheers and encouragement!

Bals would dearly love to make a grand tour of gratitude, spinning across every corner of the country to offer his personal thanks. A round of visits to relatives, a round of visits to friends, and even a round of visits to complete strangers whose names he'd never heard!

'—Ferris?'

Suddenly, a voice seemed to circle around to the far side of his consciousness. A voice that had wound its way through all the roundabout emotions, dispatched itself to the other side of his revolving heart, and was now attempting to pass a circular notice around to somebody in Bals's vicinity—without so much as consulting Bals himself!

How lonely!

He couldn't allow himself to be outspun by everyone else!

Come now, let's all chant together!

SAY, BALS! BALS! BALS! BAL—

'—Where is Ferris?'

—Unfortunately, it seemed that the others were rather too occupied with something else to join in.

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'—Aaaaaah…'

Sensing the sudden uproar around him, Bals found himself a lap behind everyone else. Even as astonishment, bewilderment, and shock made their rounds through the minds of those surrounding him, Bals continued his valiant struggle to demonstrate to everyone that he was not spinning. Unfortunately, it seemed the others could no longer devote their undivided attention to the affairs surrounding Bals.

'Blue Snake has… disappeared?'

'Oi, oi! When? Where? At what time and in what manner? That Blue Snake bastard—or little lady, whichever you prefer—where in the world has that one gone and vanished to?'

'What could have… No. There is one thing we must establish before anything else.'

Amid the rumors and questions flying back and forth, one of those exchanging them continued holding Bals's body down with a single arm. With her free hand, she drew an elegant knight's sword in one smooth motion and immediately pointed it toward someone nearby. Then, disregarding all unnecessary circumlocution, she put her question to the others, who caught their breath at the sudden threat.

'—White Sheep. Were you responsible for what happened?'

'Eh…? N-no, I wasn't!'

'—Then Black Dog, what of you? Do you know anything about this situation?'

'Kuhaha! Have you lost your mind, or were you mad to begin with? Didn't do it! Wasn't involved! Don't know a damn thing!'

'Both answers are true. Neither of you is lying. In that case, Ferris is in danger.'

The woman—Shucru! Shucru!—withdrew her sword from those around her and rose to her feet. Some of the weight pressing upon Bals disappeared. Immediately, the girls—Tricebea and Shite Wheep—went pale.

'Emerald Beauty!? Where are you going…? Gray Star is still—'

'Ferris is in danger, just as Natsuki Subaru is. His abilities are indispensable to our forces. If someone has abducted him—'

'Well, well! There's one thing, two things, ten things you've overlooked, my lady!'

'What?' At Shucru's quiet but dangerous question, another person rose from among those surrounding Bals. It was the large-bodied Dlack Bog. Another burden lifted from him. Dlack Bog, who had been responsible for that particular weight, pointed directly at Bals.

'Just look at him! Look at this sorry sight, this miserable state! Obviously, plainly, unmistakably, there's nothing normal about him! But if nobody beat or kicked him into this madness, then we're talking about magic or something of the sort. And here's the thing. —There's one missing person who's a magic user and is always touching other people! Now that's suspicious!'

'Are you suggesting that Ferris did this to him? For what purpose?'

'Who knooows? I don't know the first, last, or middle thing about that one! Maybe somebody waved a pile of money in front of his face?'

'—Withdraw that accusation. Otherwise—'

The danger in Shucru's bearing rose another degree, spreading in turn toward Dlack Bog. Faced with two people whose blood seemed to be rushing to their heads far too readily, Shite Wheep cried out.

'W-wait! Please, both of you, stop! This isn't the time for something like that, is it? Not when Gray Star is in this condition! You can't start fighting now… Sniff…'

'Do not cry, White Sheep. There is no falsehood in your tears. But I have already stated the condition upon which I will lower my sword. What remains is—'

'What remains? What comes next, eh? If I don't do as you say, you'll let that sword do the talking? Well, well, that's quite something! If you'd become queen, we'd have had ourselves a dictator! Good thing you were destined to lose the election! The whole kingdom can breathe easy!'

'—You have been warned.'

In the next instant, within the vision of Bals lying upon the floor, a flash of steel and a burst of light whirled together. A tremendous impact erupted.

'Subaru!'

Little Tricebea immediately threw herself over him. Through the gaps around her small body, Bals caught sight of Dlack Bog leaping rapidly backward, with Shucru pursuing close behind. Moving with startling speed, Dlack Bog exchanged the mask upon his face for a spare attached to his robe. Green flames sprang to life in both his hands, and he prepared to intercept Shucru as she circled toward him.

But he was too roundabout.

—No.

Too slow.

'YOU BITCH!!'

'For the first time, I have heard words from your mouth that were not spoken in jest.'

Dlack Bog’s furious roar reverberated along the corridor. A violent impact, accompanied by a spray of blood, hurled his body against the wall. He collapsed backward against the stone, his head dropping limply.

'Kyaaaah! Black Dog! Black Dog!'

'I have not taken his life. Tend to his wounds.'

Shucru delivered those words to the screaming Shite Wheep. Beneath the eyepatch she had removed, her Dragon's Eye shone as she turned her gaze toward Bals and Tricebea.

'I shall search for Ferris. You two must reunite with Russell Fellow.'

Leaving those direct, unambiguous instructions behind, she pivoted sharply and kicked off the floor. Before anyone could attempt to stop her, Shucru was already racing away. Tricebea could only watch her retreating figure in stunned silence, plainly unable to comprehend what had just happened.

But then—

'Librarian!'

Shite Wheep's sobbing voice dragged her attention back.

'U-uaaah! Black Dog… Black Dog is… P-please, help him!'

Beside Dlack Bog, who lay slumped against the wall, Shite Wheep had covered her face and collapsed into tears. Tricebea frowned at the chaos surrounding her. Leaving Bals where he lay, she hurried toward them.

'—What has gotten into all of you, I suppose!? Why is everyone suddenly behaving like this…? Subaru! Stay still, in fact! You mustn't bite your tongue!'

Almost immediately, a pale radiance began to circulate around the wounded man as she commenced healing the injuries inflicted by Shucru's sword.

'—Aaaaaah…'

Still lying upon the floor, Bals watched the scene from the corner of his eye. And his thoughts began to spin. Everyone around him was rushing about. Everyone around him was getting terribly worked up. For the sake of those people surrounding him, Bals felt that there was something he could do.

Something he had to do. That, at last, his turn had come around.

'—Aaaaaah…'

It was an exceedingly peculiar thing.

His consciousness, his heart, and his thoughts were spinning round and round. Yet his unconscious mind, his body, and his instincts were not spinning along with them.

And so he stood up without difficulty.

He walked without difficulty.

Why had he stood?

That was the question.

His thoughts revolved, his ideas circled, and understanding began to turn.

'Shu… cru…'

Escaping the full-blown Armageddon of happiness, Bals struggled to set his uncooperative tongue in motion.

And understanding finally came around.

Shucru.

It was Shucru.

The direction in which Shucru had run.

The depths of that corridor.

That was bad.

She must not go that way.

That way—no, not that way.

After all his circling and turning, that was the direction Bals had gone earlier. The direction that had condemned Bals to turn and turn and turn, endlessly, for so very long. That was why no one must go that way.

'Shucru… Shuc… ruru… Shucu…!'

He desperately tried to make his tongue turn, to call her back and make her turn around. But his tongue caught, trembled, convulsed, and refused to shape the sounds. His uvula tightened. Every muscle around his tongue seemed swollen and stretched to its limit. He could not send the feelings he wanted to convey around into words. Bracing a hand against the wall, he began following the figure that had disappeared ahead.

He rounded the corner—

No.

He turned it.

He reached toward the back of the woman rapidly receding ahead of him. He tried to call out to her, as loudly as he could manage with a tongue that would scarcely move.

And—

'————'

His voice did not come out.

—No.

That wasn't right.

It had come out.

Yet it had made no sound.

Not because his tongue had seized.

Not because his throat had dried out.

It had simply failed to become sound.

'————'

He touched his throat.

Pressed his palm to his cheek.

Opened his mouth wide and screamed with all his strength, intending to make his voice resound through the surroundings.

And still, there was no sound.

He was producing a voice, but it would not become sound.

—And his voice was not the only thing that had ceased making noise.

There was no sound when he slapped his cheeks.

None when he clenched his teeth together.

None from his stumbling footsteps.

None when a broad-bladed weapon pierced his body from back to abdomen.

'————'

There was an impact.

If it had possessed a sound, it would have been a heavy thunk.

What followed would have been a wet splash, and then a shriek of GYAAAAH!

Indeed, Bals felt the heavy impact, blood erupted from him in a spray, and he screamed at the top of his lungs. But not a single part of it became sound. It was like watching an old silent film, its reels turning with a dry clatter, as Bals writhed upon the floor in complete silence.

'————'

There was no sound. But the pain was undeniably real.

There was no sound. But his scream was accompanied by blood spilling quite literally from his mouth.

There was no sound. But if he was going to warn his companions, this was his only chance.

'————'

His voice could not reach the figure disappearing into the distance. Because it made no sound.

His voice could not reach the companions he had left behind. Because it made no sound.

Then, beside Bals as he silently thrashed about in a pool of his own blood, another broad blade, identical in width to the one that had pierced him through the back, embedded itself in the ancient outer wall. The blade twisted violently. The cracks already running through the stone spread in a single instant, and shattered masonry collapsed outward from the castle, taking clouds of dust with it.

Without a sound.

Beyond the ruined wall lay the black expanse of a world that had never known a god of creation.

His body trembled. But even that made no sound.

Stop.

No.

I don't want this.

Nobody could hear any of it.

'————'

And then, without anyone hearing him, he was kicked through the broken wall.

Without a sound.

'————'

Round and round, round and round, round and round. His body spun as he fell. Nothing in the entire sequence of events had produced a sound. It was as though someone had forgotten to turn off the mute function during a clumsily managed video stream, leaving only the images to continue playing.

Without a sound.

'————'

It's dangerous.

Run.

There's an enemy.

Not a single warning reached anyone.

And without any of them reaching their intended recipients, Bals—

Subaru—

Continued falling.

He fell toward that place which was neither sky nor anything else. The same place where, after hours or days of falling, he had eventually died of something—suffocation from lack of oxygen, dehydration when every trace of moisture had left his body, or sheer exhaustion and physical deterioration. Whatever the cause had been, he was falling toward that place once more.

Spinning.

Falling.

Without a sound.

'————'

But this time, it seemed unlikely to take days.

Blood was pouring soundlessly from the wounds in his back and abdomen. The agony was so intense it seemed to set his brain ablaze, yet his consciousness was already beginning to fade. And within that dwindling awareness, he understood. Something identical had happened once before. Before Subaru had fallen for days on end, the same thing had happened to everyone.

'————'

Not even the breath with which he wished to lament that realization could become sound. He thought of his companions, scattered and lost to silence. The thought that one's voice could never reach another person was unbearably terrifying.

And so, next time—

'————'

His resolution reached no one.

It, too, remained without sound.

And Natsuki Subaru, enclosed in silence, fell into the colorless void and disappeared.

Without a sound.

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Without a sound.

'What are you muttering about now, I suppose? Come along, this way. Don't go getting yourself lost.'

'UWOOOOAAAAAAAHHHH!!'

'GYAAAAAAH, I SUPPOOOOOSE!?'

A sudden deluge of sound engulfed Subaru, like the volume of a television being abruptly turned up to its maximum. Overwhelmed by the shock, he screamed. Startled by Subaru's outcry, Beatrice let loose a shrill scream of her own.

'W-w-w-what happened!? Both of you, why are you suddenly screaming like that…?'

'B-B-B-Betty only screamed because Subaru startled her, in fact! Subaru was the one who suddenly started shouting at the top of his lungs, I suppose! He's taking his practical jokes much too far!'

'Frankly, I was startled myself… But was it truly a practical joke?'

Beatrice, who had been frantically defending herself, turned toward the speaker with a puzzled 'Eh?'Before her, Subaru had dropped to one knee upon the castle's stone floor, desperately struggling to restore his sense of balance. His mind, body, and consciousness had all been thrown into disarray. His breathing was ragged, his heart pounding furiously.

He could hear the blood rushing through his veins.

—He could hear it.

Sound.

'It's… come back. Sound…'

'Subaru, what in the world happened, I suppose? What's wrong?'

'Ah… Beako, let me hear more of your voice…'

He wanted to beg her to keep talking, to let him hear the voice that could restore some measure of the peace the silence had torn from his heart. But the memory of that silence, and of the endlessly revolving world that had preceded it, held him back.

That was right.

This was not the time to seek warmth and reassurance.

—This was the time to fight.

'—!'

Grinding his molars together, Subaru forced strength into his knees and rose to his feet. Looking around, he found himself in a passageway enclosed by stone outer walls. They were still inside Kugelschreiber Castle, presumably on their way to retrieve the possession Beatrice had left behind.

In other words, Return by Death had brought him back to a point shortly before the events that had led to his death.

'Never enough time… Every damn time…!'

He knew he was being greedy.

But Return by Death was not a power he had sought or willingly obtained in the first place.

Surely there was no harm in wishing that an ability forced upon him might, at the very least, be extravagantly convenient when he needed it.

Whatever the case, another decisive moment had arrived. He would have to confront it with everything he possessed—every scrap of physical strength, every reserve of willpower, and every ounce of his determination to survive.

'Everyone, be careful! We're not alone here. Somebody else is—'

He was about to say here. But when he turned toward the companions standing behind him, he noticed something.

—Someone was missing.

There was Beatrice, watching him anxiously.

Crusch stood with her arms folded.

White Sheep held her hands out in a flustered, uncertain gesture.

And Black Dog was pointing at his own head, twirling a finger in the familiar gesture for someone who had lost his mind.

—But Ferris was nowhere to be seen.

Of course. That was right.

Even during Subaru's earlier bout of madness, the others had been discussing Ferris's disappearance.

'Where's Ferris!? What happened to Ferris!?'

'Where, you ask…? Well, now, this is quite the surprise! Meow, meow, meow, where has our dear little Blue Snake gone and slithered off to?'

Subaru's frantic question finally drew everyone's attention to Ferris's absence. Ferris had been walking at the very back of the group. Yet surely he had been participating in their conversation until just a moment ago. At least, Subaru thought so. He did not remember noticing that anyone was missing.

'What could have… No. There is one thing we must establish before anything else. —Gray Star, why did you scream just now? What exactly happened?'

'Eh? Ah, no, that doesn't matter right now—'

The reaction immediately following Return by Death—the moment when his experience of death connected to his renewed existence—was something Subaru could not explain, even to Emilia and the others closest to him.

But he could not afford to let that become a distraction.

It might appear connected to their present predicament, but pursuing the matter would lead them into a hole with no useful answers.

However—

'—The wind carries the scent of a lie.'

'Ngh…! It's difficult to explain, all right!? It's not completely unrelated, but it's sort of like an allergic reaction telling me that something terrible has happened!'

'An… allergic reaction…?'

'It's true, Crusch, I suppose! Subaru wouldn't lie about something like this, in fact! He understands better than anyone that this isn't the time for such things!'

Beatrice spread her arms and stepped protectively in front of Subaru. But Subaru had no intention of hiding behind her. He moved diagonally forward to stand beside her, facing Crusch together. Crusch narrowed the amber eye left uncovered by her eyepatch as she regarded the pair.

'—Very well. Neither of you is lying.'

'Glad you understand. In that case—'

'—White Sheep, were you responsible for what happened?'

Subaru's relief lasted only an instant. Crusch had redirected her attention toward White Sheep. At the question, White Sheep's eyes widened, and she hurriedly shook both her hands and her head.

'Eh…? N-no, I wasn't!'

'—Then Black Dog, what of you? Do you know anything about this situation?'

'Kuhaha! Have you lost your mind, or were you mad to begin with? Didn't do it! Wasn't involved! Don't know a damn thing!'

'Both answers are true. Neither of you is lying. In that case, Ferris is in danger.'

Having received their replies, Crusch lowered her voice and spoke those grim words. Yes. That much was undeniable. Ferris, who had been walking at the rear of the group, had apparently been abducted without any of them noticing. Ordinarily, such a thing should have been impossible. But Subaru had experienced firsthand a phenomenon capable of making the impossible possible.

'That silence…'

The unnatural silence had prevented Subaru not merely from raising his voice, but from producing any sound whatsoever. It had concealed lethal attacks and even the destruction of the castle itself. Unless Subaru's ears had somehow ceased functioning at precisely the same moment his mind had fallen into chaos, that silence had been real. And the mere inability to produce or hear sound had been enough to bring about the destruction of their entire party.

'Librarian, I must ask you to abandon your search for the time being. We need to determine immediately where Ferris… where Blue Snake has disappeared to—'

'Oi, oi! Hold it, stop right there! Don't go making decisions on your own. Can't you understand? We're already right in the middle of an enemy attack! Forget Blue Snake! We're retreating! Retreating!'

'Wha… How the hell can you say something like that!?'

Crusch had quickly dispelled suspicion from the members of their group and was preparing to search for the missing Ferris. But Black Dog interrupted her with such callous words that Subaru could not help confronting him. Black Dog turned his expressionless mask toward Subaru.

'Idiooot!'

'In a situation like this, you think we can afford to take dangerous risks for one little Blue Snake? Somehow, the enemy's sniffed us out. And we've got no advantage from knowing the terrain! This isn't an environment where we should be fighting at all. As the great Underhanded Mage, there's no way I'm swallowing conditions this rotten!'

'—. If that is your judgment, then act upon it. Mine is different. Blue Snake is an indispensable member of our forces. Without him…'

'Whoa, now! That's a mighty big misunderstanding you've got there, my lady.'

'What?'

Crusch, who had been about to turn away, looked down at Black Dog's hand as he caught her by the shoulder. He tilted his head dramatically.

'You really don't get it, do you? Here's what matters right now. If we're going to make those bastards croak, we're going to need your power. More precisely, your eye. Or, to be even more precise, your Divine Protection. That's the one thing we absolutely cannot afford to lose.'

'…What are you trying to say?'

'Why, surely it goes without saying! When I say we're retreating, that includes you, my lady.'

'————'

Black Dog exchanged his mask for one bearing a weeping expression and pressed his argument upon Crusch.

From the standpoint of a member of Six Tongues, his reasoning was sound. Crusch's Divine Protection of Wind Indication was indispensable for identifying the effects of the Authority of Lust, which continued to torment the kingdom. But that was the reasoning of Six Tongues. And only Six Tongues.

'Allow me to correct one misconception, Black Dog.'

Crusch brushed his hand from her shoulder and turned to face forward. Then, with her back still toward Black Dog, Subaru, and the others, she spoke with unwavering conviction.

'I am cooperating with you, but I have not become your subordinate. I retain the right to act according to my own judgment. And that judgment will not permit me to abandon Ferris here.'

With those forceful words, she took a step forward. She would not abandon Ferris. It should have gone without saying, but hearing her declare it brought Subaru profound relief. He felt exactly the same way.

And then—

'—I see, I understand! In that case, there's nothing for it but to use force!'

In the next instant, green flames erupted from beneath Crusch's advancing foot. A sudden wave of heat and the acrid smell of burning air struck Subaru, singeing his bangs and causing him to recoil instinctively.

But Subaru was merely caught in the aftermath. Crusch was the true target of those flames.

'Black Dog!? Wh-why would you attack Emerald Beauty!?'

'I already told you why! How damn naive can you be!? You think that sinister bastard will forgive us if we let that woman slip away? I'm not about to die because of some cursed brand!'

'But… Even so, you can't do something like this!'

White Sheep, her eyes brimming with tears, tried to protest. Black Dog scratched his head through his hood.

And immediately afterward—

'—Then would you prefer to be cut down by my sword rather than die by your cursed brand?'

The rising green flames were severed. Beyond them shone a brilliant line of gold.

—It was the radiance of Crusch's Dragon's Eye, revealed beneath her removed eyepatch as she emerged unscathed from within the fire.

A feat made possible by the extraordinary combination of Crusch's Dragon's Eye and her supreme swordsmanship.

Magic Cleaving.

'Tch! We're incompatible in every possible way! Bet we wouldn't even agree on food or hobbies!'

'We are hardly intending to live together. If you understand that you are at a disadvantage, why not withdraw?'

'Didn't you hear me the first time? I don't want to die from that damned cursed brand!' '—I see. You have my sympathy. But I shall show no restraint.'

Crusch stepped forward. Black Dog changed his mask once more, kindling blue flames in his right hand while using his left to shove White Sheep toward Subaru and Beatrice.

'Kyaa!'

Subaru caught her as she stumbled toward him. By the time he raised his head, the battle between Crusch and Black Dog had already begun.

'Subaru! This is terrible, I suppose! They've started fighting!'

'I know! That bastard Black Dog… Crusch is a hundred percent right about this… And yet, damn it! Damn it all to hell!'

'…Gray Star?'

Supporting White Sheep where she had fallen against him, Subaru felt anger boil up within him toward Black Dog, who had instigated the conflict. Curses spilled from the corners of his mouth. The man was taking things to an absurd extreme. Subaru understood the reasoning of Six Tongues. He understood why they might need to obey Russell. But none of that justified resorting to such ruthless measures against their own companions.

It infuriated him.

Black Dog deserved to suffer for it.

'Ugh… Sniff… Why…? Why is this happening? This is all so wrong…'

White Sheep leaned back against Subaru's supporting arm, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed. How pitiful she was. Her pleas had gone unheard, she had been pushed aside, and now all she could do was weep. Had Black Dog some personal grudge against her?

And so—

'YOU BITCH!!'

'For the first time, I have heard words from your mouth that were not spoken in jest.'

Crusch severed Black Dog's magic just as he was about to release it. With his defenses exposed, a powerful kick struck his side. His tall body folded in half, and an upward flash of her sword followed, sending him hurtling down the corridor. He slammed into the wall and collapsed. A spectacular defeat. Precisely the sequence Subaru had already witnessed. Evil never prospered in this world.

'Kyaaaah! Black Dog! Black Dog!'

'I have not taken his life. Tend to his wounds.'

White Sheep's knees gave way in Subaru's arms. She reached toward the fallen Black Dog through her tears. Crusch, her eyepatch still removed, cast a brief glance at the scene before turning her uncovered eye toward Subaru and Beatrice.

'I shall search for Ferris. You two must reunite with Russell Fellow.'

'W-wait, Crusch! We'll help look for Ferris too! He's our friend! We're worried about him! So—'

'—Librarian! U-uaaah! Black Dog… Black Dog is… P-please, help him!'

White Sheep's anguished appeal to Beatrice interrupted Subaru's declaration. For an instant, his attention shifted toward her. Crusch seized that opening and broke into a run.

'I leave matters here to you. I am counting on you both.'

With those words, she disappeared into the depths of the corridor. Subaru wanted to chase after her. But White Sheep was still clinging to his arm, and they could hardly abandon Black Dog in his present condition.

'It's his own damn fault, but Beako! Please heal him!'

'Understood, I suppose. …But Subaru, are you all right?'

'HAAH!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?'

Subaru shouted the reply at Beatrice. Then he clapped a hand over his mouth. 'Sorry. That came out way louder than I intended. I really ought to drop dead.'

'—. In any case, Betty will begin treatment immediately, I suppose. White Sheep, you must stop sniveling as well, in fact.'

'Ugh… Hic… I-I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…'

As Subaru gently stroked the back of the sobbing White Sheep, he watched Beatrice begin her work, filled with love and gratitude toward his faithful companion, who had not even become angry after being shouted at so unfairly. She truly was the finest partner anyone could ask for.

A source of pride.

The very best.

Compared to her, Subaru was hopeless.

Worthless.

Utter trash.

'No, idiot! This isn't the time to feel sorry for yourself. Think, think, think! The enemy's here. This is bad. Ferris is in danger. We can't just let Crusch run off alone either. And Black Dog's gone and made everything ten times more complicated. Ah, damn it!'

'Hic!'

'Ah! Sorry, sorry, sorry! That's not what I meant! I'm not saying it's your fault, White Sheep—'

White Sheep flinched violently and turned her tear-filled eyes toward him. Subaru felt thoroughly ashamed. There were too many things he needed to think about, and not a single one of them seemed any closer to being resolved. His impatience and irritation continued mounting. Determined to begin with what was immediately before him, Subaru turned to ask Beatrice about Black Dog's condition.

And then—

The ceiling directly above Beatrice and Black Dog, already severed by an unseen cut, collapsed upon them.

—Without a sound.

'INVISIBLE PROVIDENCE!!'

In that instant, Subaru acted upon his soul before his hands, feet, or even his thoughts could respond. A third, unseen hand shot straight outward. It seized Black Dog and Beatrice, who had been administering healing magic to him, lifting both of them together. With scarcely a moment to spare, the invisible hand hurled them out of the path of the ceiling as it fell upon them in absolute silence.

He had made it.

He must have made it.

But there was no time to confirm their safety.

—The ceiling above Subaru and White Sheep was splitting apart in the same terrible silence.

And it, too, was beginning to fall.

'—UWEH!?'

Subaru sprang upright as though leaping away from the danger. He caught the startled White Sheep by the hand and immediately broke into a run. Having been covering her face and crying, she had not even realized what was happening. Dragging her along, Subaru raced furiously toward the far end of the corridor. All the while, a ceaseless rain of collapsing masonry pursued them in absolute silence, falling just behind their heels.

'UWOOOOOAAAAAAH!!'

Subaru could not spare the time to look back. And because he could hear nothing, there was no way to tell when the destruction might finally cease.

All he could do was run.

Run.

Keep running.

Desperate to avoid being swallowed by the soundless catastrophe.

And then—

'—GRAY STAR! PLEASE, STOP!'

White Sheep's sudden, forceful plea was accompanied by a sharp tug upon his arm. Caught off guard by the strength of it, Subaru stumbled forward. He nearly pitched headlong onto the floor, catching himself with one hand before hurriedly turning to look behind them. But the collapse had not reached this far.

—No.

Apparently, White Sheep had been trying to pull him back for quite some time already. The passage some distance behind them had become choked with rubble. But Subaru and White Sheep remained unharmed.

'Wait, Beako!? And Black Dog, too…!'

'—. They're on the other side of the rubble. I can't tell what happened to them. But I saw the light from Librarian's magic, so I'm sure…'

'Beako's magic… Yeah. You're right. I can still feel our connection, just a little.'

Subaru closed his eyes, suppressing the emotion rising within him as he verified White Sheep's observation. The spiritual connection between contractor and spirit remained intact. Even across the distance separating them, the path linking him to Beatrice assured him that she was still there. That meant she was alive. For the moment, at least.

'Damn it… We knew the enemy was here. How the hell did we let ourselves get played so easily…?'

'Gray Star, you think something was wrong too, don't you?'

'Of course I do! Black Dog spouting a nonstop parade of sarcasm and insults is nothing new, but Crusch wasn't acting like herself either. Even if something happened to Ferris, she's not the kind of person who'd turn her sword on an ally…'

As Subaru spoke, one unnatural detail after another began revealing itself within his memories. Crusch had drawn her sword far too readily. Black Dog had resorted to violence almost immediately. Their actions had been far too hasty, regardless of the circumstances. And it wasn't only those two.

Subaru himself had been consumed by impatience and irritation, while White Sheep had done nothing but cry helplessly, unable to accomplish anything. Every single one of them had been behaving strangely. Indeed, the White Sheep now wiping tears from her eyes before him no longer showed any trace of the helplessness that had overwhelmed her moments earlier.

'Don't tell me… That was another enemy attack?'

'I think so. They made us turn against one another. And we fell for it completely. They managed to split us up…'

'The silence, and then that… What the hell were they doing? Forcing emotions onto us…? No, it wasn't the same as Sirius's Authority. We were all reacting differently—some of us getting angry, others crying…'

Subaru reconsidered everything that had happened to them, attempting to formulate a theory about the power being used against them. For an instant, the Authority of the Sin Archbishop of Wrath crossed his mind. That evil power was founded upon the notion of uniting everyone's hearts, bringing the thoughts and emotions of others under its dominion. But this was slightly different. Each person had exhibited a distinct reaction.

And yet—

'—We couldn't restrain ourselves?'

'That's it! That's the closest explanation! It felt like losing our ability to hear sound, and then having the lid torn off whatever keeps our emotions under control… But do those two things have anything in common?'

'No. —Gray Star, please listen to me. I think we may be in even greater danger than we realize.'

'I already think we're in pretty serious trouble, but go ahead. Tell me.'

White Sheep clasped her hands tightly before her chest and fixed Subaru with an earnest gaze.

Then—

'—There's a very high possibility that at least two of the Beloved Children are here right now.'