Arc 5 – 26, 'Spear of Love”

Arc 5 – Chapter 26, “Spear of Love”

— The already dire situation had deteriorated drastically, resulting in the worst of awful conditions.

Subaru trembled under Sirius’s mesmerized gaze and her shuddering, glowing breaths.

The madwoman gave no regard to the heat scorching her bandaged face, her attention focused on watching Subaru — no, not just watching, but staring.

Subaru: “Dear... Petelgeuse?”

That was the name of a madman which Subaru had never wanted to hear again. When Sirius Romanee-Conti had been crying out for her lover, Subaru would be lying if he said that this particular theory hadn’t crossed his mind.

Even so, he was reluctant to seriously consider it, as doing so would combine the existence of the lunatic Petelgeuse and the madwoman Sirius.

He didn’t want to think of a union, the worst possible couple, with Romanee-Conti.

Subaru: “A couple where both lovers are Sin Archbishops is ridiculously disastrous... although it can’t be helped that he’d choose a bride like that...”

Really, the Witch Cult didn’t have a single normal member.

The self-righteous Petelgeuse, Sirius who imposed her love without permission, and Regulus who treated love as superficial fate — they were all scum.

Subaru: “Like how your names are bit similar. Do they all end in an ‘S’ sound?”

Subaru buried the rapid churning of his mind under trivial, pointless thoughts.

Right now, Subaru felt as if he’d found something very awry, although he could quite put his finger on what it was. Try as he might, he couldn’t find it.

Sirius: “Please don’t be so silent, Petelgeuse. You’re such a mean-spirited person. See, you’re already, already, already giving me that usual cold attitude... it makes me really anxious!”

Sirius, unaware of the cause of Subaru’s brooding silence, took her own interpretation of it as she kept her hands on her face and her waist twisting back and forth. The nightmarish scene spread as the crowd around Sirius took up her strange, delusional expression of affection.

Regulus: “... Really, I can’t deal with you anymore. Although his trick just now probably that gave you that kind of idea, it’s still really rather tragic. The correct connection of fate should place you together no matter what kind of obstacles are faced. Like with me and my brides. However, a separation by life and death before results can blossom is not only sad, but very unsightly.”

Sirius: “Yes, thank you very much. I’m very sorry. Now, excuse me, but I’m busy. You know, right? Mutual understanding is important. Mutual concessions are also important. You have completed your purpose, so could you leave as soon as possible? After all, I also have my own private affairs.”

Regulus: “Indeed, my purpose of finding my bride has been fulfilled.”

Sirius’s madness had given way to rationality, and Regulus overlooked that implication as he looked at Emilia, still in his arms. Then he turned toward Subaru.

Regulus: “But the one who wants to kill me and my bride, and who has been annoying since the very beginning been, has yet to allow me proper vengeance in and infringement of my rights. I dislike taking a violent initiative, but in this case, it would only be a just revenge. Yes, this is an act of righteousness. Although I could endure this and leave, I would be doing legitimacy a disfavor. That is to say, leaving would be a loss of justice. I shouldn’t set that precedent.”

Subaru: “Don’t give me that superious tone. Obviously, you don’t like me so you want to kill me. Don’t justify that with some garbage doctrine.”

Regulus: “Actually being talked back to is quite a surprise. Being spoken to as if I were mistaken is even more of a surprise. You, are you the type of people who disagrees with their opponents? In that case, the only thing I can say is that you’re small and superficial. I think that this kind of person, who can’t listen to the words of others with sincerity, will one day earn their just deserts, what do you think?”

Subaru: “Do you have the right to say this?”

Regulus’s eyes widened as if incredibly taken aback.

Perhaps he was sincere, convinced that his speech was justified. No, he was absolutely convinced. If not, he couldn’t be a leading subordinate in that abnormal cult.

Logical conversations were only an illusion. Although they spoke the human tongue, they were creatures belonging to an alien ecosystem.

Forgetting that would lead to being swallowed up by their honeyed words.

Regulus: “Sirius. You seem to have excluded him from your sphere of power. What happened?”

Instead of facing the silent Subaru, Regulus directed the conversation to Sirius.

Frowning at his speech, Subaru discovered that the fear which had been gripping his heart had vanished.

The fact that Beatrice was still slightly trembling on his shoulders proved that they hadn’t left the range of the sphere of influence.

In other words, only Subaru had been excluded. And the reason for that was,

Sirius: “Isn’t that obvious? Since I know that he’s that person, if I continue to share my feelings, they might accidentally transmit to him.”

Regulus: “Don’t give me that shy look, it’s really creepy. Having proclaimed your love, love, love, there’s no point in pretending to innocent. I really don’t understand you.”

Sirius: “Don’t you think that allowing those inexplicable feelings that can’t be expressed with words to be felt in such a manner is tasteless? Until the end of the end, until the very moment I become one with him, I’ll seal that feeling inside me. I’ve already decided so. Yes, for the sake of Love!”

Regulus: “Because of that dishonesty, your important feelings will never be able to reach him, you know? You, Sirius Romanee-Conti, can only miss him with wholehearted continuous thoughts. Don’t you think that using someone else’s family name is rather disgusting? I suppose that, in a sense, it’s like Petelgeuse’s legacy. Well, he’s already dead, so it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Sirius: “I’m in love with that person!”

Hearing Regulus’s amazed speech, Sirius exploded.

The madwoman grasped at her hair in a frenzy, spittle flying from her mouth as she screamed at Regulus.

Sirius: “After all, whenever I gazed at him, he always met my eyes! When I touched him, he didn’t scold me! When I spoke to him, he gave me his attention! When I inhaled his breath, he never told me off! I was allowed to sleep with him! I could freely borrow his things! He allowed me the honor of burning the half-witch! He gave me my name! He smiled for me! Only for me! Only for me, onlyformeonlyformeonlyforme!”

Her breathing grew wild as she sobbed tears of unrequited love.

She made herself clear.

Sirius’s existence was one of dark, twisted, pure love.

Regulus: “Ah, oops. —Dealing with such strong subjective convictions is tricky.”

Shrugging, Regulus spoke as if seeking agreement from Subaru.

Subaru bit back a “do you have the right to say that” to keep Regulus from lashing out. He needed to temper the balance between the two foolish extremists near him.

Facing the two cultists, Subaru saw no light of hope to break the deadlock. Rather, the situation had worsened due to Sirius’s interference.

Even if Subaru had broken away from the shared fear, there would be no marked improvement in his combat power. Obviously, Beatrice would be his main advantage, but she was trapped in an unfavorable condition, her sharp judgement dulled by terror.

At least, only facing Regulus would help.

Subaru: “...Hey, Sirius.”

Sirius: “Yes, what’s the matter, my dear?”

Sirius candidly responded his call.

Although Subaru astonished at the unexpectedly serious response,

Subaru: “I have a little bit private business with Regulus here, so could you wait patiently for a while? Please.”

Sirius: “Do you want me to wait?”

Subaru: “——!?”

Regulus stopped and only turned his head to smile.

Under that smile, Subaru felt as though a blade brushed his spine, and he swallowed, his entire body stiff.

It was impossible to prevent Regulus’s next move.

Regulus: “I think that if my bride finds one of her attendants gone, she’ll be lonely, and if I don’t invite enough people, she’ll be rather fickle. — So I won’t kill you.”

Regulus tapped the ground gently with his toes.

Although it was a gesture of comfort, as if adjusting his shoes, his foot dug neatly into the stone slab as if it were a shovel driving into soft ground.

The wreckage of the slate flew toward Subaru.

Bullets of soil seemed to defy gravity. Some of them brushed the outside of Subaru’s right foot

— and, in the next moment, Subaru’s foot vanished.

Subaru: “—Eh?”

A beast’s claw had torn clear through his foot. On his right foot, the white of bone, pink of flesh, and yellow of marrow were cleanly exposed in a twisted cross section. His veins had all be severed, blossoming with blood.

Before he could comprehend what had just happened, the pain struck.

Subaru: “—hk!? Gah, ahk! aaaaAAHH!?”

The world became pure white, as if his head were being punctuated by countless sharp needles.

A scream lodged in his throat, Subaru was unable to support his own weight as he tumbled to the ground. His outstretched fingers desperately held his right leg. The wound was so large that the palm of his right hand couldn’t cover it.

Beatrice: “Subaru! ? Subaru! Subaru, wait, I suppose! Right now!”

Beatrice fell to the ground with the discovery of the Subaru’s severe injury, and panicked as she began a chant of healing magic. Regulus nodded in satisfaction at the scene.

Regulus: “This is adequate retaliation for your reckless behavior up until just now, so I’ll let it go. Although I did consider the possibility of you doing it again, I think I still want to look forward to your future. This pain is sure to stop you if you considering hurting another person again. Don’t thank me. Just save someone else next time.”

Subaru: “aaaAA—hk! Kah, gah, can’t, kuu, gah!”

Pain, agony, suffering, hurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurt—!

A haze of agony. Molars being ground to dust from gnashing. A flashing world. The absence of an up and down. Was he sleeping? Or was he alive? Or maybe he was dead?

Confusion. Cluelessness. Noideanoideanoidea. Even so, there was something he needed to know.

Subaru: “E-Emili...a! Wa, gah—hk, t—hk”

Beatrice: “Subaru, you can’t afford to mess around! If you have to vomit, turn to the side. If you don’t, your throat will...”

Enduring pain and madness, Subaru moved his head. His heart beat like an alarm bell, and he began to choke up what felt like his organs.

The petite Beatrice, while desperately supporting Subaru’s body, did her best to cast healing magic. However, someone was laughing at her.

Beatrice: “You can’t be serious, in fact.”

Sirius: “I’m sorry. However, this obviously isn’t a joke. Isn’t that obvious?”

Behind Beatrice, in abhorrent whispers, Sirius replied in a dark tone.

Around Sirius, a crowd of people rolled as they screamed in pain.

All of them, with their hands on their right leg wound, desperately sought salvation. Like Subaru, their right feet had been torn off by a beast.

Sirius: “My beloved Petelgeuse would say that feeling pain is living, and that those feelings allows Love to be exercised. I know what better than anyone. However, I believe there is a better way of representing that form of Love until then. Thank you. That representation would be becoming one. After all, Love is a prayer for becoming one! Seeing the same sights, feeling the same emotions, living the same life, ending with the same death, that is Love!”

Opening her hands, her hands hit each other in a burst of clapping.

Sirius gave harsh puffs of air as she fixed her intense, envious gaze on Beatrice.

Sirius: “No matter who, everyone should experience the same feelings as him. However, only you and that dirty half-witch will be denied that experience. Who would grant you such an honor?”

Beatrice: “There’s no other woman out there who would be driven as mad with jealousy as you. But it doesn’t matter, since Betty has long been Subaru’s closest confidante. Betty is Subaru’s.”

Beatrice refused to flinch under Sirius’s cruel words.

Madwoman and spirit glared at each other, until Sirius turned away, breaking the interaction.

Sirius: “Now, I can only entrust him to you. After all, I have to prioritize the Gospel’s instructions. Yes, there is no other way. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You know I want nothing but to return to you as soon as possible.”

At this moment, Sirius still acted mad in love with Subaru. The madwoman left the bloodstained square.

Quite unexpectedly, Beatrice did not give chase. She understood that refusing to allow her to escape would merely result in more sacrifices.

Beatrice: “—Subaru.”

With fluttering eyes, yellow bubbles burst from Subaru’s mouth.

Beatrice pressed her palm against his wound, attempting to stop the flow of blood. The wound was too deadly, any slip in concentration would lead to Subaru’s death.

For Beatrice, saving Subaru was, naturally, her greatest priority. Although, there was another priority Beatrice had to follow.

Subaru: “If you don’t treat the other injured people...”

However, the number of wounded people rolling around the square was over thirty.

They had all suffered the same injury as Subaru, and in a cruel twist, the healing being performed on Subaru hadn’t reached them. She would need to heal every injury individually.

That was the burden Beatrice needed to take up. But, even if she exhausted her store of mana, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Beatrice: “—Subaru, compared to...”

Desperately trying to heal Subaru’s injury, determined to keep a strong facade, Beatrice spoke with a hoarse voice.

A stream of tears flowed down her white cheeks. Beatrice: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry...”

Beatrice voiced a string of constant apologies.

Even though she knew her voice could not reach Subaru, rendered unconscious by pain. Even if she knew that she could solve nothing.

Beatrice: “I’m sorry, Emilia.”

Sirius had created so many victims and left the plaza. Regulus had taken Emilia with his overwhelming power.

— The two Sin Archbishops strode into the city of Pristella.