Arc 5 – 52, 'The Stars and The Sin Archbishops”

Arc 5 – Chapter 52, “The Stars and The Sin Archbishops”

The collapse was pushing in.

That shower of fresh blood, each drop and every drop, like a malevolent hand grasping gallant destruction, trampled over the city.

Wherever the droplets touched, more so than striking a sheet of paper with the edge of a blade, it unresistingly lost its cohesion. The destructive propagation demolished buildings, and the aftermath, in turn, spread further collapse around it.

Subaru: “Aaaaaaaaaa!!”

Emilia: “――Tsk!”

Fully aware that he was being unreasonable, yet wringing out breath from his lungs, Subaru continued powering through his sprint. Jogging alongside him was Emilia, her gleaming silver hair fluttering through the air and her mouth tightly shut, similarly mid-stride.

However, the scenic water city’s specialty canals stretched out from them in all directions.

Simply put, finding a straight path to properly escape on was proving difficult. In front of the dashing pair spread waterways, while destruction from the rear threatened to swallow them both.

Subaru: “Watch out!”

Emilia: “We’re sailing close to the wind, but......Subaru, grab on!”

As their escape route cutting off caused Subaru to raise his voice, Emilia instantly conceived of a different notion. He grabbed onto her outstretched arm without hesitation, and in that same moment, a chill came over the surrounding air.

It was the effect of both magic borne of the spirits’ borrowed strength and the power of Emilia herself, acting together.

Emilia: “――Please, everyone!”

Once Emilia commanded them so, from each luminous point blue light surged downwards.

In the next instant, the ground beneath was instantly soaked with white, and in the blink of an eye a whole world of frost had spread.

Subaru: “Oouh!? Emilia-tan is amazing! So clever!”

Emilia: “Control is difficult, so don’t let go of my hand!”

Subaru looked up, his right hand still linked with Emilia’s own. Tightly grasped in the half-elf’s raised left fist, was an icicle directed ahead which had shot forward moments before.

Freezing the ground and thrusting from it an icicle, her borrowing of the propulsive force from her magic had thus hastened their escape. Even more surprising was the course of ice formed by the spirits in the air.

On the edge of the waterway in front of them, something like a ski jump had been formed, and the Subaru and Emilia pair, gliding with their built-up momentum, had sailed over the channel.

Subaru: “Eee-yahaa!”

On the other side of the waterway, another course of ice had been created. While she was touching down and skating over it, Subaru honestly praised Emilia’s skill.

Subaru: “Nice, Emilia-tan! I fell for you all over again!”

Emilia: “But, I can’t think of a way to stop! What should we do?”

Subaru: “Eeh.”

Emilia had already released the icicle, but the leftover momentum was still plenty to cause unavoidably high damage once they hit an obstacle. Using only her ice magic, conveniently making something like a cushion for two to absorb the heavy impact wasn’t a possibility.

In the meantime, the pair was drawing closer and closer to a wall. Moments before impact, feeling Emilia’s hand tightly squeezing his, Subaru made a snap judgement.

Subaru: “Emilia-tan! Install curve!”

Emilia: “Cu, curーve?”

Subaru: “A gently-bending kind of wall! In a circle!”

Hearing Subaru’s desperate call, Emilia with her magic meekly obeyed.

Right in front of their sliding forms, a gentle curve formed, and following along it while turning widely, those two avoided impact.

Subaru: “Just like that, don’t let the curves cut off! Twirlー! Twirlー!”

Emilia: “T, twirlー! Twirlー!”

Just so, turning widely like that, as to not cut off at a wall, more curves of ice formed.

Viewed from above, an ice wall shaped like mosquito-repellent coil was created, and the two bodies reaching the midpoint just barely lost enough speed to safely come to a stop.

Subaru: “Huuh, after wasting a bunch of Emilia-tan’s magic, we did it somehow.”

Emilia: “More importantly, the attack from earlier.”

As the stopped Subaru let out a sigh, Emilia whacked her ice formation with her hand and shattered it. Watching the crushed ice returning to mana particles, and turning to see the traces of the destruction they fled from, a shiver ran up Subaru’s spine.

Centered around the tower on which Regulus’ attack had originated, the scenery of the city had changed.

Especially near the center, where the impacts of blood had been strongly felt, the destruction was severe. Further outwards in the perimeter of destruction, deviations in its traces formed. But even then, few buildings still held their original shape. In other words, it was an attack with an abnormally high area of effect.

At Subaru’s location, the attack had crossed the waterway and reached over. That it had barely failed to reach Subaru was the result of chance and a desperate escape――not.

Subaru: “Reinhardt.”

On the building Regulus had stood up to this moment, there was now no one.

Instead, in its vicinity thick smoke was rising, and the sound of tremendous destruction was echoing.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Regulus sent the Water Dragon to its death by tearing it apart, smirking while it sprayed blood.

In that moment, he could already see two small figures desperately trying to escape down an alley.

How puny, how very petty, how truly trivial.

Laughing mockingly as his scattered blood trampled on the city, he eagerly awaited the moment that destruction would catch up to the fleeing duo.

A Prostitute and a Rapist. For them, death in a hail of blood was fitting.

Regulus: “Scatter! Scatter away! You heinous fiends who trampled on my heart!”

Reinhardt: “――My apologies, but I can’t let you do that.”

Immediately after declaring his rage and victory with those words, he was startled by a voice speaking close to his ear.

As he turned around, a head of red hair with the appearance of flames fanned by the wind came into view.

Regulus: “How foolish you look! Getting in the way of someone’s love with such zeal!”

Reinhardt: “If your method was proper and respectful of rights, if once rejected you could promise to pull away cleanly, then I would not even hesitate to cheer for you.”

At Regulus’ infuriated voice, Reinhardt responded with a laugh and a tease.

While that ever-so-composed posture was indeed hateful, what now took hold of Regulus’ feelings was an inexplicable suspicion.――Then, leaping in a single burst, came Reinhardt’s leg.

Certainly, that right leg, on its shin it had suffered a serious injury.

Though not entirely torn off, to say it was held to the ankle with a mere strip of leather was no exaggeration. Far from battle-worthy, it was in no state to bear walking on. That it had left that state meant,Reêad latest novels at novelhall.com

Regulus: “That is so dumb, it’s not just swordsmanship, is healing magic your specialty, too? With all those talents of yours that better than others, just how much did you trample over their hearts on the way here? Shattering the hearts of others without even trying filthy does that feel good huh?!”

Regulus: “Among your misconceptions一In one respect, I will definitely correct you.”

Reinhardt twisted, the wind shrieking as it shrouded his body.

His released spinning kick blew through the air, landing directly on the water dragon’s body wielded by Regulus. That corpse which had already become a simple mass of meat now shattered――,

Regulus: “Wha!”

Reinhardt: “I cannot use any kind of magic, let alone healing magic. It was simply the spirits in the air that came to my aid, hastily healing the wounds on my foot.”

As the force from his leg demolished the body, with a twist of his ankle he rescued it from Regulus’ grasp. Through that very skillful footwork, the water dragon’s remains was not excessively ill-treated, and was then gently tossed onto the roof of a partially-wrecked building.

Then,

Reinhardt: “Perfect.――Next on the checklist, Tactic J will commence.”

Regulus: “Kuaa!”

At the same moment he begrudged Reinhardt’s hypocritical act, his sword’s pommel knocked him upside the head. Smacked away, Regulus’ body rolled down the slope of the roof.

In retrospect, the Water Plumage Pavilion, the customs of Kararagi, Hoshin of the Wastes.

In this world, so many places had been touched by the influence of Subaru’s original world, that he couldn’t simply treat it as a joke. Why had he only realized just now, that the Witch Cult did not originate from here?

Petelgeuse, was Betelgeuse. [The hand of Orion], [Unseen Hand].

Regulus was Leo, [Little King]. Thus, he had a title.

This [Little King], was truly a title commensurate with him-.

Subaru: “Emilia. I have something to ask you.”

Subaru spoke quietly, and Emilia opened her eyes to nod.

Subaru could feel the attention radiating from her snow white face, and closed one eye.

Subaru: “That man grabbed you about by the neck once, right? It’s about that time.”

Emilia: “Mmm.”

Subaru: “Regulus’s hand, was it warm? Or was it cold?”

Emilia: “――――”

At Subaru’s inquiry, Emilia widened her eyes.

And so, she touched a hand to her slender neck, with a tap, and replied.

Emilia: “No. Thinking back on it... I couldn’t feel anything. Neither heat nor cold, there was no temperature.”

Hearing Emilia’s response, Subaru held his breath.

From when he’d been cast into the canal, his undisturbed breathing and unsoaked body. The ineffectiveness of attacking the soles of his feet, the ineffectiveness of the cancellation of his own attacks. Impeccable in both offense and defense.

If this was no simple, mere [Invincibility]-.

Subaru: “Reinhardt!”

He called across the canal, the name of the hero doing battle against the evil.

In relentless battle, Reinhardt determinedly looked toward Subaru.

In order for him to hear, Subaru raised his voice high.

Subaru: “-That man, check if his heart is beating!”

Subaru’s loud words had Emilia, had Reinhardt widening their eyes.

So, Regulus, he-

Regulus-.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Otto also left the City Hall for fulfilling the duty imposed on him after he confirmed the simultaneous raids on the four control places had been carried out, and after each of the parties had departed to conduct them.

Anastasia: “I don’t think it’s strange to think that he should be stopped...... but it is also true that right now, we have to reconfirm where the Book of Wisdom, that the Witch Cult had requested, is. Pitiful, isn’t he, that Otto-kun.”

Was what Anastasia said at Otto’s departure.

It seemed to be true that Anastasia wanted Otto to remain in the city hall as well. It was the place where Subaru and the other camps had already clashed with a Sin Archbishop.

Though the city hall is expected to function as the headquarters, there were not many brains that could scout for information from several different places at the moment.

However, leaving the Book of Wisdom in the hands of others was not something that could be done either.

You can establish a relationship of cooperation with the opposing Sin Archbishop, but once out of that situation, they will return to being an enemy. When that happens, the effectiveness of the Book of Wisdom being watched over by others was something that should be avoided.

Truthfully, it was about the Book of Wisdom being completely away from the situation in which it would be negotiated over– but Subaru and Garfiel were fine with that.

Otto wanted to sigh as he felt his own personality was at fault here.

Otto: “I wonder, when did I become someone who ran around for others like this......”

Hitting his grey hair with his hand, Otto worried over the question that had come to his mind several times in the past year.

The position he stood in was unexpected, his relationship with people was unexpected, his current emotions were unexpected.

What will his family think when they get to know that he is doing all this?

Otto: “If I am fine and successful, I’ll try writing a letter......”

If Subaru was here, he would definitely point out a death flag, saying something strange, as Otto stepped onto the city’s third avenue.

The Sin Archbishops should be concentrated in the control towers, and considering that, they should not be in the city. They should not, be.

Otto: “Ha~a...... ha ~tsk”

Grabbing his chest tightly, Otto felt his heartbeat quicken.

Witch Cult, Sin Archbishop, Witch Cultists — Otto had bad memories of them.

A year ago, Otto recalled his first encounter with Subaru. He couldn’t forget how scared he was of the Sin Archbishop back then.

The eyes of a madman who wouldn’t think twice before taking away one’s life. That madman, the figure of fanatics, who would dedicate their blood and flesh by his own will.

When he truly hoped for help, only the silence and loneliness had dominated.

He had never been as scared at any other time. He had never felt so empty in any other moment.

Comparing the fear of then to fighting Garfiel, facing the bowel-hunter, encountering herds of witch beasts, that was nothing.

The encounter with the Witch Cult dropped an immensely dark shadow on Otto’s heart. Even though he knew how horrible that thing was, it was not something that could be erased so easily.

Emilia, who, due to her similarity with the Witch of Envy, could not escape prejudice due to the witch.

Subaru, who was fated to become her knight and fight for her, and aim for the devils of the Witch Cult.

Beatrice, who fought along with Subaru, and spent all the strength she had in that small body.

Garfiel, who put his everything to his fist in order to protect his family.

Ram, with sweetness that cannot be ignored, but on the flip side, with a stinging tongue.

Frederica, who lived in negative feelings for her brother, and has a sense of responsibility for her position.

Petra, who acted with a clear smiling face with everyone while being treated as a child.

I love everyone.

Though he had not intended to stay in one place too long, unfortunately, it was too comfortable.

Even though he knew to stay away from scary things, he was unable to avoid them.

In order to save this place, I would like to stand by their side and support them; even in my fear, I want to help them where their hands cannot reach. That’s why–,

Otto: “Somehow, I must fulfill my role.”

Saying this, he stepped onto Third Avenue. There stood a small figure in front of him.

Beyond the stone bridge on the waterway there was a square, and that was where the shadow was.

Besides that shadow, several more figures could be seen.

But right now, Otto’s eyes were fixed on only one small phantom.

Sound disappeared. Everything went terribly quiet, and nothing could be heard. A situation where living beings sucked in their breath and held it, trying desperately to conceal their existence, Otto Suwen knew this situation well.

Subsequently, the figure in front his eyes gently clapped its hands and, as it disheveled its long hair, raised its face. But still, his heartbeats were surprisingly calm.

???: “Welcome, onii-san.”

—-

Ley: “Welcome to the Witch Cult’s Sin Archbishop, representing Gluttony...... Ley Batenkaitos’ dinner banquet ~tsu.”

Opening his mouth, full of fangs, the Sin Archbishop who shouldn’t have been there, laughed gruesomely.