Arc 6 – 71, 'Count One”

Arc 6 – Chapter 71, “Count One”

ーーWith his final words washed away by the wind, Natsuki Subaru’s consciousness came to an end.

“ーーーー”

Speaking of irony, ironically enough, his『Death』this time had been a『Death』by his own volition.

Perhaps that is why his mind and heart had remained calm at the moment of『Death』ーー of course, that had not been the case, he had possessed uneasiness and nervousness for jumping into the circumstance of『Death』on his own accord.

However, unlike till now, he had faced the『Death』he had anticipated with much more sincerity than his other『Deaths』up to this time.

Of course, he did not believe that him choosing to die had truly saved Shaula.

She did not want to kill him, so she wanted him to command her to die.

Shaula, who had been concerned about Subaru to that extent, had let Subaru throw himself to his death right in front of her eyes. The weight of that impact he did not know and it must have? immensely shattered her heart, which had continued awaiting for four hundred years.

That is why, this was nothing more than Subaru’s self-satisfaction. The worst kind of self-satisfaction of exaggerating and not seeing the result for himself with his own eyes.

Howeverーー,

Subaru: “ーーSo what.”

If all that is fastened to him was nothing but self-satisfaction, nothing but hypocrisy, what was wrong with that.

In the end, the method to catch and halt the impact of all happenings in this world could only be wielded in one’s own weighing scales. Unaccomplished good deeds hold no meaning, and the word known as hypocrisy doesn’t ultimately exist.

ーーAll of them, surviving.

After his discussion with Shaula, Subaru cemented the final objective he had touted.

ーーNo, to be precise, the survival of all of them had been his goal from the beginning. That judgement had merely decided whether to include Shaula in that or not, and Subaru chose to love all of them.

He shall lead the way to solve all of the catastrophes surrounding this sand tower.

For that purpose, he would do anything he could.

That isーー,

Subaru: “The meaning, behind why I am myself. ーーIsn’t that so, 『Natsuki Subaru』.”

Along with that instantaneous decision, he awakened from the deep, deep abyss of『Death』ーー.

※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

???: “ーーSubaru, are you certain of what you said earlier?”

Subaru: “Yeah, don’t be doubtful after coming this far. It’s the information I collected after meeting it face to face and everything. If it couldn’t be made the best use out of, I wouldn’t bring it up!”

Harshly replying to the sideward face of the good-looking man running at an average speed, Subaru dashed while pulling the tiny palm.

Running past the fourth layer’s aisle, they aimed for the second layer of『Electra』ーー loaded with frustration, as Subaru sprinted whilst pulling Beatrice’s hand, Julius’ yellow eyes glanced sideways at him.

Julius: “Subaru, your paleness has not gotten any better. So indeed, the happening in the book was......”

Subaru: “I’m not hiding how worried I am. Don’t even try telling? me I should have quietly caved into the Green Room, you.”

Julius: “I would recommend you to stay calm here if it weren’t for this situation, but unfortunately things are quite bustling. Right now, we must use anything we can, even if they are mere grains of sand.”

Subaru: “You’ve got nothing to say so you’ll call me using grains of sand, eh......”

Julius: “They can be thrown if the wind is meagre enough. If possible, when in a position capable of reaching the opponent’s eyes.”

Narrowing his eyes at the elegant eloquency, Subaru thought of his words about being thrown into the wind to be ironic.

The truth is, in terms of experience Subaru’s『Death』just a few minutes ago had been one of being thrown into the wind. Julius comparing Subaru’s existence to grains of sand was not necessarily a mistake either.

Subaru: “But, grains of sand have their own qualities.”

Beatrice: “On top of that, those grains of sand have Betty with them, I suppose. In other words, they are grains of sand with the cutest companion, in fact.”

Subaru: “What, I guess you’re talking about the sand that got into your shoes.”

Beatrice: “That’s not what that means, I suppose!”

Smiling at Beatrice, who puffed her cheeks, Subaru pulled her body by directing strength into his arm. Beatrice let out a shriek saying “Wa~h ~hk” and her light frame tightly fit into Subaru’s chest.

Running while pulling her hand was something quite romantic, but right now he wanted to prioritize speed. Fortunately, Beatrice’s body was light like an angel’s feather so carrying her and running was an easy win as well.

Subaru: “Well, I haven’t ever carried an angel’s feather, though.”

Julius: “About time, idle talk ends here. ーーSubaru, I do believe it is annoying but”

Subaru: “Yeah, it’s annoying. Though I can’t come up with words telling you to relax even if I rip my mouth apart, but...... it is absolute that that guy Reid, and『Gluttony』will come in contact. We have to go, to hold that off.”

Halting his legs, Julius asked while gazing at the humongous stairway that led to the second layer which lay ahead of them. Interrupting that inquiry, Subaru affirmed that he possessed confidence in it.

It was inconceivable for that to be untrue. After all, this was something he had heard from Julius himself. And, if they could obstruct thisーー,

Subaru: “We can put out a safe, against Reid messing everything up.”

Julius: “......At any rate, it would be better if his trespassing can be avoided in this chaos. Even if it is just for confirming his movements, it is well worth it to make our way here.”

Positioning his legs ahead of the humongous stairway, Julius nodded at Subaru. Returning a nod to that Subaru, whilst keeping Beatrice in his grasp, stepped onto the final level of the stairway.

Andーー,

Subaru: “ーーGugh.”

Beatrice: “Subaru, your condition really is bad, in fact. The book’s effect is visible, I suppose.”

Beatrice looked at Subaru, who had shaken his head violently for a single moment and touched his cheek out of anxiety. Whilst gaining tranquility from the warmth of that small palm, Subaru shook his head, saying “I’m fine”.

Subaru: “Exhaustion from reading did not lower my wisdom. On top of that, it’s just as what I told Julius. This is no time to stay in bed. ーーThis is the time when everyone should put their strength together.”

Beatrice: “......When about to really reach the limit, absolutely tell Betty, in fact.”

Subaru: “......Yeah, I know.”

Responding to Beatrice, who was pressurising him based on her senses, Subaru took in a long, deep breath.

His body felt sluggish. His head felt heavy. His nausea was increasing without pause and he felt congestion in his blood vessels as if in place of blood, coal tar had been poured into them.

All of this, was the result of Subaru taking over Ram’s inferior physical form through『Cor Leonis』.

“ーーーー”

What he had harvested was the aftermath of having strode across『Return by Death』 and the continuation of 『Cor Leonis』. ーーEqual to his uneasiness by the memories of『Death』, what he carried over by the Authority.

Thanks to that he was able to grasp on the positions of his comrades at the current moment. Everyone was abiding by Subaru’s instructions, and had started to respond to each of the respective attacks.

Within those responses of his comrades also existed Meili, in the balcony, and Shaula, struggling fiercely. She was certainly there and fighting for Subaru and the others’ーー no, for Subaru’s sake.

Subaru: “I will, definitely help you.”

Whispering behind him, Subaru followed Julius’ back, who had gone ahead of him.

The humongous stairway, which cleared over the first layer of the tower and went through the layer above that, was lengthy. But neither was this the time to spit up complaints nor the situation to leak whining.

His entire body was sore, his bones had been shattered to pieces, but they were a necessary compensation to break out of this situation.

Andーー,

Julius: “Subaru, let’s advance!”

Julius’ dignified voice resounded, and Subaru raised his face whilst running out of breath. And Julius, who had reached the utmost step, turned half of his body back and gestured to Subaru with his hand.

Abiding by that, the moment he galloped over the stairway he was met with the space that had opened up.

“ーーーー”

The complete opposite arrangement of rooms from the fourth layer, which had multiple rooms dividing the floor like a spherical wineglass that had been shattered. The second layer『Electra』, which divided all of their worth of existence by the『Trial』, is where they had arrived.

And, in『Electra』, where the three of Subaru, Beatrice and Julius had arrived, the first generation『Sword Saint』Reid and the Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』wereーー,

Reid: “ーーHey, you. Is that all ya’ve got, you. It ain’t a joke, you. Didn’t ya come here to entertain me, you. It’s lackin’, you. Don’tcha be makin’ me laugh, you. No, at least be makin’ me me laugh ya know, you. It ain’t amusin’ or anythin’, you.”

They came across the scene where the『Sword Saint』 Reid Astrea went on and on complaining, having grabbed a single leg of the young boy that had been mercilessly struck down onto the floor.

※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

“ーーーー”

Julius: “This is......”

Staring at the spectacle before their eyes, the one to whisper that in blank surprise was Julius. However, Subaru’s mental state witnessing the scene was absolutely the same as what he had whispered.

Then, what scene had they been expecting, was something quite difficult to determine now that if it were to be mentionedーー,

Reid: “A~h? What’s up, you all. Y’all comin’ here too, ain’t that some enthusiasm. Or, do ya have business not with me, but with this guy?”

Gluttony: “Kah, kah, kah......”

Saying that, Reid scratched the area of his chest with his right hand, and with his other hand the leg of the young boy he had in his gripーー the Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』, he lifted him upside down and made a look of suspicion.

Just as mentioned before, what scene they had been expecting was something quite difficult to determine now that if it were to be mentioned, but at the very least, this scene far surpassed what Subaru had assumed.

Subaru: “I had heard that Reid and『Gluttony』were negotiating, but......”

Beatrice: “Negotiating...... this, I suppose? Betty thinks that even an exchange would be a lacking expression for this, in fact.”

Julius: “Yes, I agree. It is difficult to even call this a conversation.”

With that, Beatrice and Julius arrived at the same conclusion as what Subaru had whispered. However, the reaction of those two did not make sense from Subaru’s perspective.

Because the contact between Reid and『Gluttony』, the one to express it as negotiation from what he had heard last time, had been Julius, who must have witnessed? a similar situation.

In any caseーー,

Subaru: “The scene where『Gluttony』got overwhelmingly whipped down, would that be correct?”

Though nobody had asked for it, that is what Subaru worded what he witnessed.

Gluttony: “It ain’t odd, you. To eat or to be eaten, that’s how life works, ain’t that so.”

Strangling his own throat,『Gluttony』fired words as if answering his own questions. That tone of voice met clear change, and as if pulled into the change of that tone of voice change ensued in『Gluttony’s』flesh body itself.

It was a change as if the waxing and waning of the moon, and the expression of questioning when did it even happen was appropriate for it.

Subaru did not avert his eyes at all.

The same went for Beatrice, who was in his chest, and of course Julius, who had taken stance with his sword. However, whilst remaining captured in the field of vision of the three,『Gluttony』erased that form of his in an instant.

And instead, the one standing at the spot where『Gluttony』had been wasーー,

???: “ーーAh, a fresh body sure’s different. It feels like blood’s flowin’ through flesh. I’m already feelin’ hungry. At least come after fillin’ yer stomach, mentally adult brat.”

Pronouncing so, the one who had carried out substituting for the former player, having exited the stage known as the Pleiades Watchtower for merely a few ten seconds, the existence who was blooming a second time at the centre of the stage, was Reid.

Reid Astrea had stolen the flesh body of the Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』and had achieved resurrection into the present world.

Julius: “This is......”

The result of the negotiations between Reid and『Gluttony』from Julius’ perspective.

Of course, the details of the content of the conversation between Reid and『Gluttony』must have changed due to Subaru and the others’ intervention but it should have approximately remained the same.

In other wordsーー,

Subaru: “What the hell’s the negotiation, speaking while putting on airs......”

Beatrice: “Subaru, this is not the time to be saying all that, I suppose.『Gluttony』has disappeared, and Reid has......”

Subaru directed a rough remark towards Julius’ pretentious phrasing the previous time. Within those arms, Beatrice called for further vigilance but Subaru patted her head lightly and gazed towards Reidーー,

Subaru: “Strictly speaking, taking a backhand grip onto the Authority of『Gluttony』which reconstructs eaten opponents, and painted out the opponent’s self...... is that right?”

Reid: “Don’tcha go ’round sayin’ tough bullshit. Like I’d know such convenient shit. So, don’t swagger ’bout with shit I’d no way in hell know, damn young fish. Young fish? A~h, hm? You...... ah? You, this, you, that’s it, ain’t it, you.”

“ーー?”

Though his spirit had hijacked that flesh body, Reid made a wry face unrelated to that truth. He unusually groaned saying hm and gently put a finger in his own eyepatch. And turning it over, he looked at Subaru with his healthy blue eye which had no particular need for an eyepatch.

Looking, gazing, staring,

Reid: “ーーYou, ya’re pretty disgustin’.”

“ーーーー”

Reid: “Good job not havin’ yer head gettin’ screwed up with that. No, has it gotten so? What it’ll be precisely cause it’s gotten so, I ain’t got any idea. I haven’t even given it a thought.”

“ーーーー”

What was he saying, thinking that, Subaru got truly perplexed upon Reid’s attitude.

On top of being perplexed, the shivering and nausea enveloping his entire body were about to hit the critical point. Though obvious, Ram’s inferior physical form was worsening as much Ram’s body increased its voltage, and was throwing the backfire of recoil she was originally supposed to have felt into Subaru.

This time Subaru had not personally met up with Ram so there were no means for Ram to find out the reason why her body was favourably working.

Thinking of it now, it seemed as if Ram had been concerned regarding Subaru last time as well.

Though he had noticed Ram’s concern, who was not in this place, only after dying twiceーー,

Reid: “I see I see I do see. I ain’t got any idea, but it looks like ya’re the one these guys’re aimin’ for, ain’t that so. Then that makes things faster.”

Julius: “Reid! Your opponent is myself!”

Stepping ahead, Julius fired a slashing strike. But Reid attempted receive that with the chopsticks he had drawn out from his bosomーー,

However,

Reid: “Ah?”

The slashing strike lightly touched the tip of the chopsticks and blood spouted out of Reid’s right hand, despite him wanting to receive it. Looking at that Reid made a suspicious look, Julius raised his eyebrows in faint surprise as well.

Andーー

“ーーーー”

For having witnessed that with his own eyes, that alone was a harvest for Subaru.

Reid: “Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, Reid gyrated his chopsticks as if spinning a pen between the gap of his fingers and skilfully repelled Julius’ knight sword. At the same pace, stepping ahead with a single stomp he lapsed the distance between him and Julius, who had instantaneously drawn his body back, and aimed his palm towards his abdomen,

Reid: “Your opponent is myself, did ya say that?”

Julius: “Khーー”

Reid: “No way ya’ll be gettin’ to have an exchange with me, after doin’ a princess carry back there!”

The further twisted sole of the palm burst open Julius’ abdomen, the slender tall figure continued bleeding and was blown away backwards. He tried to position his lengthy legs to the floor in order to kill off that vigour, but failing to do so, Julius’ body turned upward at the bottom on the floor, and tumbled over at the same pace.

And, concluding his battle with Julius, who had widened the distance in between, Reid turned back,

Subaru: “Shi ~hk!”

Aiming for that sideward face of Reid’s, Subaru fired the whip which was at the back of his waist. However, without the occurrence of a miracle such as his body continuing to remember it, the tip of the whip flew towards the wrong direction.

The effect of lost memories was not only in his mind but also affecting the recursive actions of his flesh body. As a result of fully realising that, Subaru took in a heavy inhale.

At the same time as thatーー,

Reid: “You, with such a borin’ trick......”

Beatrice: “ーーThat boring trick, is the recommendation of you getting an end of being buried, in fact.”

Going past his amazement, Reid expressed his rage, and from his hind echoed the loud sound of striking hands. Upon looking that had been Beatrice, who had both her hands free, away from Subaru.

However, even if their hands were unconnected there was a certain connection between them. Beatrice extracted an extremely small amount of something like MP from the path of Subaruーー and exercised great magic.

Beatrice: “ーーUl Shamak.”

The moment immediately after Beatrice’s chant had achieved completion, what arose in the space was an enormous black hole.

That which had appeared all of a sudden in the air, manifested as an existence accompanied by primordial fear such as its unknown bounds and unknown depths, and tried to swallow Reid, who was right before it.

Subaru: “That, is......”

At a single glance, it could be understood that it was the great magic in effect within the space.

This was more of an issue of imaging it so, rather than having knowledge about it. Subaru had heard of Beatrice being a wasteful spirit, but the intensity of the real great magic could not even be in the same league of comparison.

Subaru had been unaware, that this was even possible. This was, a harvest.

That black hole swallowed Reid, and repelled away his『Sword Saint』off to somewhere unknownーー,

Reid: “The hell, it’s jus’ air. Somethin’ like air’s everywhere, as if it’d stop me.”

“ーーーー”

With just a single swing of his chopsticks, Reid broke through that immense magic with extreme easiness.

A carefree attitude as if, quite literally, slashing through airーー no, for him, it truly was exactly that. He did not have the nature of taking roundabouts around something which he was capable of doing and then boasting about it.

He had slashed the air, so that was his explanation. That was all there was to it.

Subaru: “Slashing dimensions, I imagine it as quite a superior ability, you know......”

Reid: “Heyhey, don’tcha put such cool names on it, better food can be served, ya know. If ya’ll stay persistent jus’ cause things’ve gotten a bit lively, that won’t be amusin’ or anythin’, ya know.”

Swinging his chopsticks at the same angle as when he had slashed Beatrice’s magic, the moment immediately afterwards, Subaru’s? body had been diagonally burst open from his chest to his waist.

Subaru: “Gha, a~a~a~!!”

Beatrice: “Subaru!!”

Julius: “Subaruーー ~hk!”

Tasting the sensation of scorching heat Subaru collapsed on the spot, as Beatrice and Julius called for him. Upon the voices of those two, Subaru gnashed his molars and glared at Reid with bloodshot eyes.

And, turning his palm towards the two trying the rush up to him, he managed to halt their legs.

Subaru: “I’m, al, right......”

Shaking his head left and right, he urged the two to not worry for him. Of course, there was no way he could truly convince them simply by conveying such words to the two.

The chest wound, was shallow. ーーNo, it was not shallow. Though it was not shallow, it did not ache. It could be expressed as not being unbearable. At any rate, though it was bitter, it was alright. It was not worthy of making those two experience bitter, painful emotions. Gnashing molars, the blood on the verge of being vomitedーー nausea? Whichever it was, vomiting must be restrained from. Facing the front, glaring ahead, Reid must be carefully observed.

Reid: “As if ya can reach me with that, you.”

With a stunned expression, Reid was looking at Subaru, who was bleeding out of his lips.

Facing that Reid, Subaru stretched? out his hand, and raised a single finger.

Subaru: “ーーY-Yeah. I will, reach you.”

Even right now. I can reach you. In a place not necessarily here.

I will, for sure, save Emilia, Beatrice, Ram, Rem, Meili, Echidna, Julius, Shaula, Patrasche, Gyan.

Without failing, a single person.

『Gluttony』and Reid were exceptions. ーーThe『Natsuki Subaru』who was not Natsuki Subaru as well.

That is why, right now, at this momentーー,

Subaru: “ーーThis is, count one.”

Overlapping with『Death』necessary for a counterattack, was an accomplishment of『Natsuki Subaru’s』as well.

At the very end of the end, Reid’s blue eyes sheened a dull flash towards Subaru, who had made that declaration.

Count 1.

? The fight between Reid and 『Gluttony』 cannot be stopped.

? If it’s Julius, then there is a chance for them to succeed.

? ーーNatsuki Subaru, has no chance of succeeding.