Arc 6 – 68, 'The Woman of Scorpius”

Arc 6 – Chapter 68, “The Woman of Scorpius”

ーーWhen he had first heard of Shaula’s name, it’s not as if he had thought nothing of it.

It was not because he possessed some emotional attachment to the name『Shaula』.

It was because Subaru had memories of that word.

『Shaula』was the name of a star which glowed in the sky Subaru was acquainted withーー the single term which bestowed meaning to the Scorpius.

To think the true identity of the one who took upon the name of the Scorpius was the scorpion clad in a jet black shell, that answer was something truly straightforward and simple. So straightforward, that one would actually grow suspicious of the one who chose that name.

However, at present, the first candidate for that lack of sense was the one she referred to as “Master”, Natsuki Subaru.

The problem here was how unlikely it was that Subaru got the chance to bestow her with that name regardless of the presence or absence of his memories and how they had no leeway to confirm that right now.

“ーーーー”

Before his eyes, the tag team of Emilia and Ram continued their fierce battle with the Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』, Louis Arneb. Interposing in the space of that battlefield, in the interior of the aisle the jet black titanic scorpion let out a fiendish sound by clanking its huge pincers and stared towards them with deep red compound eyes.

The ominous huge pincers had evolved for the purpose of slaughter, wielding such sharpness that gave rise to the conjecture that they possessed enough strength to easily cut apart bones or internal organs of the human body with a single clank of its edges.

Red compound eyes, two ominous huge pincers, multiple legs supporting its large frame, a shell boasting the strength as that of an iron armour, all of them were symbols of refinement for the purpose of destruction and violence.

The truth was its fighting strength did not contradict the sense of ferocity its outer appearance gave.

Time and time again, Subaru had confirmed that with his very eyes through the conflict till now, through the world he had seen till now, rather, he had experienced it’s true feeling with his own body.

Subaru: “Y......”

The moment that realisation spouted within him, certain happenings of a previous loop appeared before Subaru.

Driving away the brutal attack of the titanic scorpion, the moment they thought they had somehow managed to temporarily withdraw Subaru and the others had bathed in the explosion caused by the parting gift of that evil beast, resulting in Beatrice and Echidna, the two of them being deprived of their lives.

The intolerable rage he felt back then was something he was incapable of forgetting.

The wrath he embraced directed resentment towards the powerlessness of his own self, and at the same time he also had that rage pinning down the titanic scorpion who had been behind that slaughter.

ーーThe subject of that wrath, the titanic scorpion, its true identity had been of one who was supposed to be his comrade, Shaula.

Now that he knew that, what occupied Subaru’s mind was merely violent emotion with no place to belong accompanied with suspicion.

Why, had Shaula taken the form of the titanic scorpion.

Why, was Shaula attacking Subaru and the others, and trying to kill them.

Why, did Shaula reveal her true nature at this stage of the game, and was interrupting in between the battle.

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, whyーー.

Beatrice: “ーーSubaru, calm down, in fact. First, take deep breaths, I suppose.”

“ーーーー”

Subaru was tormented by such thoughts after greeting such shocking truths. Softly calling Subaru’s name who was in that state and restoring him back to sanity was Beatrice, standing next to him.

With his hand grasped by her tiny palm, Subaru noticed for the first time, that he had forgotten to even breathe. Abiding by the command Subaru slowly inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

And,

Beatrice: “Keep it up, in fact. ーーIs it true, that that thing is Shaula?”

At Beatrice’s question, once again, Subaru affirmed to himself.

『Cor Leonis』ーー though the Authority, a characteristic unique to him, had just blossomed within him and he had only recently managed to get a grasp on it, it conveyed the whereabouts of his comrades to Subaru and took over the inferiorities in the physical form of allies, that alone was unquestionable.

Henceforth, Subaru could vaguely catch onto the locations of all his comrades within the tower, Emilia, Ram, Beatrice, Julius, Meili and Echidna.

And that faint, warm sensation he could feel from those comrades of his, he could feel the same from the titanic scorpion.

If the relative positions of all his comrades within? the towers were to be considered, no other candidate came to mind.

Henceforth, that titanic scorpion was unmistakablyーー,

Subaru: “It’s Shaula for sure. I don’t know why but, she’s turned into a huge scorpion......”

Beatrice: “ーー. It is true that she was a girl with an uncertain true identity in the first place, in fact. That true identity, being that of a slightly big bug isn’t even worthy of astonishment, I suppose.”

Subaru: “Amazi~ng courage you have......”

Asserting the scorpion to be a mere bug, Beatrice warded it off with not the ability to comprehend but the ability to respond to the call. Coiling his tongue at that approach of coping with the situation, Subaru at that moment glared at the titanic scorpion for once.

Red compound eyes with the aim of their gaze unknown, stabbed by the scowl coming from the opposite direction,

Subaru: “How about you give some answers! Your true identity has been uncovered already, you bastard!!”

“ーーーー”

Subaru: “Making excuses or flicking your tongue before the prey, there must be something? you have to do...... ~hk.”

When he raised his harsh voice, he felt his head ache with the weight of the atmosphere and inferior physical form. However, Subaru ignored that pain and sought a response from the titanic scorpion.

However, the titanic scorpion, maintaining its outward appearance which suggested its inability of will and communication, never even once tried to respond.

Subaru: “Are you, not going to make a single excuse......”

Murmuring powerlessly, Subaru thought while fighting his urge to vomit.

Just like the memories he had recalled earlier, Subaru had been made to taste hardships time and time again by this titanic scorpion.

With unruly naivete, the one who had continued to show her courtesy and affection to Subaru without ever attempting to conceal it, Shaulaーー having gotten cheated by her, deceived by her, that truth piercingly stabbed through his chest.

How her smile, her words, her attitude, anything and everything had been made-up fakes.

How she had deceived Subaru and others, and had been a traitor.

Subaru: “No......”

Traitor, sadly expressing that notation, Subaru stiffened his cheeks with a dicey sense of unease.

Shaula betrayed them. ーーThat thought itself was a conclusion which could not be helped considering the existing situation. However, whether or not everything relating to Shaula had truly been fiction had room for argument.

Of course, it is plausible that all of Shaula’s words and deeds till now had been acting and that her smile, bonding, anything and everything were all just swindles for deceiving them.

It was plausible. But, for whatーー?

Had she intended to crawl into Subaru and the rest’s trust through her acting, her intentions would pose her as an opponent to Subaru and the rest.

However, had Shaula aimed for that she must have obtained chances to chop off their sleeping heads time and time again even without having to do something like diving into the battle at this stage of the game.

Precisely that, whilst she crawled into gaining such deep trust from Subaru and the others, she must have had infinite chances to slowly and secretly poison them as well.

Missing those chances, why did she unconceal her betrayal now.

That, could never be a completely rational enemy.

Going out of her way and putting up a dubious pretense and becoming a comrade for Subaru and the others, what could be the point of all that.

Listening to Subaru’s requests and even cooperating in stopping Meili, sisplaying hyper magic against the hordes of Witch Beasts from the balcony, it was unknown what meaning all that held.

None of it, made any sense, did it.

Subaru: “The reason why I end up thinking that, is it because I got mesmerised by her fair legs visible in her hot pants?”

Beatrice: “If Subaru’s thoughts are becoming blurred by that, then Shaula’s plan has not been discarded completely, in fact.

Subaru: “Right. My feelings are aligned with Emilia-chan...... argh, the end!”

Just when they jointly felt discomfort towards Shaula’s conduct? he suddenly had his arm pulled by Beatrice. It was not objection, but an action of overbearing extrication.

Overhead Subaru, who had unintentionally stepped upon that foot bellow, a white corona striked through and he picked up his life from within the breadth of his hair.

Beatrice: “It seems, there’s no time to sit and chatter, I, suppose!”

While saying that, raising Subaru’s hand other than the one which she had grasped, Beatrice’s environs gleamed faintly.

Clad in the violet light which evolved along with sharpened pointed tips in large numbers. As if enclosing Subaru and Beatrice, the violet arrows unfolded, facing the titanic scorpion directly, and were shot.

At that moment, the white corona from the same frontward came flying and clashed with the violet arrows and the light performed a boisterous dance.

Subaru: “U~o~o~o~o~o~o~!?”

Beatrice: “Duck down, in fact! It won’t be good if you receive a direct hit, in fact!”

The glittering violet light raged on and a sound like that of shattering glass beautifully chained through the aisle.

On the other side of the spectacle where the glitter seemingly grilled his eyes, the flash fired by the titanic scorpionーー no, that attack by the sharp tail stinger had been established? to relentlessly take away Subaru’s life.

The single arrow possessing that advancing intent to kill was warded off and repelled away by the hundred arrows stemming from the magic Beatrice had spun, making her protect themselves by jumping.

However, that resource consumption had been overwhelming.

Beatrice: “Gh, not good, in fact......! At this rate, our mana will get exhausted in no time, I suppose......!”

Subaru: “What’ll happen if it gets exhausted!?”

Beatrice: “Betty and Subaru will get pierced through by that single arrow together, in fact!”

Being together aside, he could not come to accept that circumstance.

Against the assailing attack Beatrice’s remaining strength could not last for long, that was what she had reported herself. With their circumstances continuing to deteriorate, there was a need to somehow defeat the situation before they were crushed by the pressure.

And at the moment immediately after Subaru gritted his teeth due to the impending sense of crisisーー,

Emilia: “ーーSwishing that right above someone’s head, it’s dangerous, you know!”

The sound of silver bells chimed potently and a large rock of ice energetically struck the shell of the titanic scorpion. A hammering sound echoed and surprise was reflected in the emotionless compound eyes of the scorpion.

The one who managed to draw out that reaction was the one who created a wall of ice in the aisle and subsequently kicked it, decisively plunging into the bosom of the scorpion, Emilia.

Her silver hair fluttering, leaping upon the scorpion with magnificence she wielded a longsword of ice,

Emilia: “Targeting Subaru and Beatrice...... bullying the weak ones shows you are a coward!”

“ーーーー”

With the sword slash capable of slashing down anything with a single hit, she brushed away the large pincers and the titanic scorpion made a speedy withdraw using its multiple legs, wriggling like a worm. However, Emilia pursued the retreating large build and in the cramped aisle thus commenced the three-dimensional battle between the beauty and the scorpion.

Emilia: “Hiyah! Eyah! I~ya~h!”

The longsword, twin sword, lance, large hammer hence given shape to smashed to a light report, and the falling, glittering ice shards flutter around the gracefully dancing Emilia.

The potent pincers of the titanic scorpion, the strength they had was their highlight as they easily shattered the weapons of the enemy they had come to accept and hid their herculean cutting strength. However, that destruction of weapons did not pass on to Emilia.

Emilia’s Ice Brand Arts was an ability capable of creating countless weapons through her magical power.

The disposable weapons of ice were no greater than trifling articles to Emilia. No matter how many times were they to be smashed, shattered, it neither hurt nor itch Emilia.

Emilia: “Hi, ya~h!!”

The pincers and tail stinger waving about and Emilia, who had dodged them, launched the picket of ice floating midair. It collided head on with the corona shot by the scorpion, resulting in light scattering across.

It was the overwhelming offence and defence of the two, one human and one inhuman.

What was worth admiring was Emilia’s sense against an enemy for whom a coping method different from those used against people was required, having jumped in without any hesitation whatsoever and continued hanging on.

For Emilia, who readily took upon an instinctive battle style, the form and shape of the enemy were not absolute. Not by piling up strict disciplining but the greater than sufficient battle sense within her body told her of her enemy.

Henceforth, the offence and defence of Emilia and the titanic scorpion was taking alternately favorable and unfavorable turns, and gave rise to a stalemate.

Running alongside Emilia who was shouldering Subaru, Ram and Beatrice exchanged thoughts on the situation.

What Ram had asked demanded confirmation of what Subaru had previously convicted. Hearing that, Beatrice gave a sidelong glance to Subaru and nodded,

Beatrice: “That is what Subaru believes, in fact. That, attack of firing light also coincides, I suppose.”

Ram: “......The attack seen from the balcony, or during the time of exiting the sand, is it.”

Hearing Beatrice’s analysis, Ram furrowed her eyebrows. She then glanced towards Subaru, speaking to Subaru who was being carried Emilia’s arms.

Ram: “Barusu, whatever you are doing, disconnect it. At that pace......”

Subaru: “I-I will have to endure it? I’ll say this, I’m a man, you know. Enduring and being patient, is the special right of us men......”

Ram: “Quite a thing to say after being in such a tattered state and being carried by Emilia-sama.”

Subaru: “U~ghu.”

At Ram’s words, he was unable to voice even “Ugh” properly.

The truth is, due to the effect of taking over Ram’s inferior physical form, ignoring his spirit, even breathing was painful for him. The burden increased each passing second and the exhaustion felt as if it were some curse that would eat away his life.

At the strong act being put up by that Subaru, Emilia whispered “As I thought”,

Emilia: “Subaru, you’re doing something?, right? Midway through, my body also became re~ally light, and the parts where I was damaged and wounded ndidn’t hurt either...... Beatrice, in case you are having Subaru push himself.”

Beatrice: “It’s not Betty, in fact. This is what Subaru is doing by himself...... through an Authority, I suppose. Even Betty wants to stop him if he can be stopped, in fact.”

Emilia: “Authority......?”

Against Emilia, who had offered her frank advice, Beatrice denied her involvement and made an astringent face. Emilia and Ram furrowed their eyebrows together in response to what she had pronounced.

Calling it an Authority, Beatrice gave the impression that she had an idea about the power Subaru was usingーー,

Ram: “Beatrice-sama, what would be an Authority?”

Beatrice: “ーー. Something like, the backwards compatibility of a Divine Protection, I suppose. Subaru is pushing himself quite a bit and using it, in fact. That is the cause behind Emilia and Ram’s states as well, I suppose.”

“ーーーー”

Hearing that, Emilia inhaled while Ram sharpened her gaze.

Though she was physically supposed to be fine, what dwelled in Ram’s light crimson eyes was powerful rage. With such eyes, she glared at Subaru,

Ram: “Taking up Ram’s burden as how you please, when did you become so admirable?”

Subaru: “My bad...... I’m a gentleman. That’s why, I end up smartly taking the girls’ luggage......”

Ram: “And as a result of that, become a girl’s luggage instead? It can be said countless times, you’ve got it backwards.”

Ram’s continued sighs somewhat felt as if she had given up on Subaru’s attitude. She must have understood as well, that Subaru had no intentions of returning that burden.

Honestly speaking, possessing it forever would be tiresome, but even so, at least while they are in the middle of the conflictーー,

Subaru: “ーーThat’s, it.”

Thinking that far, at last, Subaru finally turned his consciousness towardsーー not the internal organs within the depths of his abdomen, but something else.

His consciousness passed through the body of what was his self, and largely spread out to the scope perceivable to him. And, grasping onto『Cor Leonis』, he connected to the conditions and positions of his comrades.

Without any change, in『Taygeta』were Echidna and Rem, along with Patrasche. Slightly away from? them was Gyan at a lower floor, and thenーー,

Subaru: “I knew it.”

Emilia: “I knew it? What did you know?”

Subaru: “Meili is, even now, obstructing the Witch Beasts from the balcony......”

Though faintly distant, the flickering, blurry light on the balcony of the fourth layer was Meili. Though the situation was that Shaula had broken away, she was mobilising her own strength and was dealing with the large hordes of Witch Beasts.

He held the deepest admiration for the strenuous efforts she was making, and he felt grateful as wellーー,

Beatrice: “That girl was not attacked by Shaula is what that would mean, in fact.”

Subaru: “Exactly.”

Subaru affirmed what Beatrice had stated, while on top of Emilia’s shoulders.

The moment immediately after the battles had broken out in each of the respective places, Subaru had left dealing with the Witch Beasts advancing towards the watchtower to the two of Meili and Shaula.

Thereafter, with Shaula unraveling herself in form of the titanic scorpion to attack Subaru and the rest, of course, the well-being of Meili, who was supposed to be with her became a matter of concernーー but Subaru could feel her safety.

In other words,

Subaru: “Shaula turned into that after parting with Meili. At any rate, Shaula hasn’t laid a finger on Meili......”

How relevant that was to the present situation, he could not think about that with an exhausted mind.

On top of that, even if they continued running at this rateーー,

Emilia: “We need to solve the problems rising up, otherwise we’ll just get cornered no matter how much we run!”

With a shout similar to a cry, Emilia perfectly expressed the present condition of Subaru and the others.

The first of the five problems, the hordes of Witch Beasts, for that was Meili, the titanic scorpion and『Gluttony』were continuing trying to devour each other, and he felt no signs of the arrival of the jet black shadow.

However, Reid Astrea, equipped with absurd violence like the hammer of god, wasーー,

Ram: “ーー~hk, kindly stop!”

“ーー!?”

Ram, who was running and leading the vanguard, stretched her hand towards the rear and restrained Emilia and the others. In front of the momentarily stopped three a shockwave pierced through the following instant.

The shockwave diagonally bisected the aisle seemingly made of stone, creating an entrapment of rubble and smoke. Seeing the destruction of the watchtower which had professed itself as indestructible, taking into account Subaru’s memories, this would be the third timeーー but if being crushed by the shadow was to be kept out of the picture, this would be the first.

And, the true identity of that destruction wasーー,

???: “Miss Ram...... along with Emilia-sama and Beatrice-sama, is it.”

Subaru: “Julius!?”

Evading the erupted smoke, flying backwards greatly, the figure with a white outfit contaminated by blood and dust was the good-looking man, Julius Juukulius.

Stepping onto that place and the cause of the shockwave, he quickly turned his yellow eyes backwards and glanced into the dark-coloured eyes of Subaru, who was sitting atop Emilia’s shoulders,

Julius: “Though I believe it has only been a few minutes since we parted ways, it seems you were damaged quite harshly, isn’t it.”

Subaru: “Shut u~p...... For once, I’m unhurt.”

Julius: “I do not see the cold sweat of an unhurt human, though......”

Julius closed a single eye at Subaru, who had a pallid face and blurted out rough words with a faint breath. Even he, who possessed good judgement, had not been able to understand the effects? of the Authority of『Cor Leonis』, as expected.

And unfortunately, no longer remained any time for them to calm down and converse about it.

Subaru: “I’m begging you, please say you slashed Reid’s throat......”

Julius: “Reporting what differs from reality, is an extraordinarily difficult? choice as a knight.”

Beatrice: “......That, already makes for the answer, I suppose.”

Subaru’s wish, which seemed more like a prayer, had been implicitly repudiated by the excessively serious response. While feeling his hope turn into despair, Subaru made a bitter expression.

He felt his earbuds hurt, by a sound as that of crushing of the wall’s fragments,

???: “Hah! So ya’re greetin’ all the women ya’ve gathered in here, you. It was jus’ startin’ to get a bit borin’ after walkin’ ’round freely. So are y’all gonna be my opponents, aye?”

Ram: “......The worst progression of events, isn’t it.”

Following Julius, the one who showed his form through the smoke was the great man with long red hair, casually dressed on only a single side, with a tall figure built with muscularity?ーー red violence, Reid Astrea.

At the form of Reid, boldly stepping into the aisle of the fourth layer and not the second layer, Ram commented with a low voice. With identical astonishment Emilia said “You......” with a quivering voice.

Emilia: “Why are you on this floor? Aren’t you supposed to be unable to exit from there......”

Reid: “Heyhey, don’tcha be makin’ me laugh, fiercely frizzlin’. I live where I wanna live, slash down those whom I wanna slash down, and sleep with women I wanna sleep with. As if I’ll be abidin’ by the customs of others.”

Beatrice: “......Just how cheap is this guy, in fact.”

Beatrice, whilst trembling with fear, smacked her lips at Reid’s self-centred philosophy.

However, it was fact that Reid had appeared in this place and was standing in the way of Subaru and the others, obstructing them.

With this was, Reid at the main gate, and『Gluttony』and the titanic scorpion at the rear gate. ーーThis was the location of a tremendous battle.

Subaru: “Though it may be useless to just talk...... Right now, everything happening in the tower is......”

Reid: “Ah, I know it’s becomin’ quite the ruckus, ya know? But, it ain’t concernin’ me. If the ones that got in will be gettin’ in my way then I’ll slash ’em down, or if they’ll open my way then I won’t kill ’em at least. ーーWoops, well those takin’ part in the『Trial』gotta be a special case. Though that still ain’t different from pickin’ a fight with me.”

Subaru: “Then......”

Reid: “ーーHey, young fish. Don’tcha say any borin’ shit now.”

Twisting his words, Subaru tried to somehow extract information? out of Reid. With his spirit of the sword losing its proper way, he made him shut his mouth.

“ーーーー”

As if an electric shock, pressure which caused physical numbness jolted Subaruーー no, not only Subaru, but all four standing in the aisle. Otherwise, it may have jolted the entire tower itself.

This merely brought the displeasure of the lone man. So this was just his sense of intimidation.

Upon Pleiades Watchtower were threats aside from this giant manーー,

Subaru: “The way to deal with one of『Gluttony』and that shadow hasn’t been found either, and still......”

Julius: “ーーSubaru, regarding that, I have a good news and bad news from my side.”

Said Julius, preparing to use his knight sword, commencing with his words. At his commencement, with words as those from some overseas drama, Subaru stiffened his cheeks.

Good news and bad news, though it was an expression common in literary works, hearing those words in reality like this gave a terrible feeling of his chest being scratched apart.

Gulping down saliva for once, Subaru affirmed the words “Good news and bad news” in his mouth,

Subaru: “Then, say the good news first.”

Julius: “Regarding the Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』nowhere to be seen whom you are getting anxious about, there is no need to be on the lookout for him. I can assure you regarding? that.”

Subaru: “ーー? I don’t know on what basis you’re saying that, but it’s certainly good news. Then, what’s the bad news?”

Whether he found his tracks, or whether he got hands on proof of him having not arrived in the first place or having exited the tower, Subaru raised a single eyebrow in response to what Julius had pointed out.

If there was to be only one Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』, then certainly the problems they had to deal with would reduce by one.

If the cards in their hands and the cards in the hands of the opponent were to be seen and compared, what would be the ideal course of action, Subaru considered that with his body in a horribly bad state.

Before that Subaru, Julius softly exhaled, and continued.

Julius: “The Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』, Roy Alphard is over there.”

Subaru: “......Ah?”

With an earnest tone, Julius turned the leading edge of his knight sword towards the front.

What stood ahead of the pointing tip of that knight sword, was only the great man with the smile of a ferocious shark.

It could not mean anything else. ーーThe man with the smile of a shark, was standing there.

However, Julius continued his words, as Subaru and the others stood stunned.

Julius: “The one before our eyes, the first generation『Sword Saint』, Reid Astrea. ーーHe is, Roy Alphard.”