Arc 7, Chapter 54 - 'The Utopia of Chaosflame”

Arc 7, Chapter 54 - “The Utopia of Chaosflame”

Subaru: [Uh, ugh, uhh... Hk.]

Olbart: [Yeah, yeah, the snivellin’ brat’s cryin’, you’re such a handful, ya know.]

Sniffling his nose, Subaru was unable to stop his crying fit. With the boy latched to his back, Olbart gave a shrug of his shoulders, with nothing else to do but scratch at his cheek with a finger.

――It had been a dreadful, dreadful experience.

Those ten seconds of despair that had happened to Subaru, and the eleventh second that followed after overcoming that despair―― to get here, just how many “deaths” had he experienced?

Through despair and heartbreak, it was a miracle that his worn-down spirit seemed to not have completely vanished.

But after such a hellish experience, he had finally reached the end.

Louis: [Uauu.]

Clinging to Subaru’s arm as he cried without end, Louis groaned.

Not that she’d had the same experience as Subaru, that of trial-and-error repeated more times than he could count, but Louis had suffered the same fate as Subaru many times over, having lost her life.

Jumping onto Olbart’s back in order to reach such a flimsy victory, would not have been possible without her presence.

Subaru: [I... Really, I don’t get you.]

Louis: [Uu.]

Subaru: [But without you, it wouldn’t have been possible... Thank you.]

Those were the feelings in Subaru’s heart, albeit in a complete chaotic mess.

He knew that Louis was guilty of various things, he knew in what way he and her were connected. He knew it, yet he was still overflowing with feelings of gratitude

And, it was not only Subaru’s gratitude that was overflowing.

Louis: [Ua, uh...]

Subaru: [Louis?]

The dam’s burst was sudden.

Having heard Subaru’s faltering words of gratitude, tears slowly welled up in Louis’s big round eyes, then trickled down her cheeks in the blink of an eye.

Pling-pling, tears fell down Louis’s cheeks, with such momentum that she did not know how to halt their course.

Subaru: [Louis, you’re crying, you’re really crying...]

Louis: [Uu, uu!]

Louis herself knew she was crying, yet did not attempt to stop or wipe away the tears that streamed down her face. All the while, she remained clung on to Subaru’s arm with a desperate look; one would have expected her to stop so she could wipe away her tears.

Subaru: [Your face, wipe it, you idiot, idiiiot...]

Seeing Louis cry like that, Subaru, who had tried to soothe down his emotional swings, was likewise on the verge of it himself. The tears that had been shed, the visible sobs, were by now innumerable.

It was like the pair made up of him and Louis would, at this rate, be crying forever and ever, without being able to stop――,

Yorna: [――Well done, you did your best, you two.]

Subaru: [Ah...]

Yorna: [However much you cry isn’t an issue. I’ll allow you to do it, as the Lord of this Demon City.]

Long arms extended from behind Subaru and Louis, and tenderly embraced them.

The warmth and softness of those words made Subaru’s eyes widen in surprise, he became entranced by the beautiful profile near him. With long eyelashes, vermillion lips, and glimmering azure eyes that put one at ease, no matter the troubles and suffering; it was so sublime that it enthralled those who laid eyes upon it.

He already knew what type of person the owner of those eyes was.

Therefore, he knew that in her words and warmth both, there was kindness devoid of anything untoward behind it.

Because he knew that even if he entrusted everything to them, he would be forgiven.

Subaru: [Uh, guh... ah, uh, AAAaah!]

Louis: [Uau... Uauhk, ua, uh, uau...!]

Yorna: [There, there... Children have the privilege to cry, the privilege to cling onto an adult’s chest. It’s okay if you use my bosom, you may weep as many tears as you need.]

Looking up, tears flowed down Subaru’s face once more. Louis embraced Subaru as he was.

Holding them both together tenderly in her arms, Yorna patted their small backs. All the while, at that moment, at the end of the battle that had unfolded up on the castle tower of the Crimson Lapis Castle――,

Olbart: [I dunno what kinda face I should be makin’ here ‘cause all this is happenin’ on my back.]

Yorna: [Silence.]

With that, the boorish interruption from the monstrous old man was shushed by the Lord of the Demon City.

△▼△▼△▼△

Yorna: [So, how do you explain yourself, Old Man Olbart?]

Olbart: [Explain myself? Did I make any excuses? You’re the one who attacked me ‘cause of yer mood, right, foxgirl?]

Yorna: [――――]

Shortly after Subaru had cried his eyes out, this time, they would have a calm conversation―― so he’d thought, when the castle tower was abruptly engulfed by a precarious atmosphere.

Needless to say, the cause was the aloof and unapologetic one, Olbart.

Sitting on the roof, picking at his ear canal with the tip of his pinky,

Olbart: [I kinda did what I was told, yeah? Well, I did try ta use a few loopholes, but look, that boy called us even, aight?]

Subaru: [Ugh... B-but, that’s...]

Olbart: [Now now, ya should listen ta me, boy. ――’Cause whatever ya say, I’m the one who’ll have the most ta gain. Kakakakka!]

Subaru stammered as Olbart opened his mouth open wide and roared with laughter.

In fact, Olbart was right. If Subaru were to argue against Olbart’s misuse of the rules here, it would turn into a no-holds-barred situation that ignored the rules as a result, probably making them unable to defeat the shinobi Olbart in any sort of manner.

Olbart had plenty of hidden techniques, and did not hesitate in dragging others into it. Since coming to the Empire, Subaru’d had more than enough experiences to know that such opponents were the number one in toughness.

Subaru: [Olbart-san, you sound similar to one of the scariest bastards I know...]

Olbart: [Really? In that case, ya should definitely kill me. I’m no decent fella, and will be a serious pain in the ass.]

Yorna: [In that case, Old Man Olbart, you must agree with me that I should stop you from breathing here.]

Olbart: [Oioi, that’s a lotta hate for me. Well, that’s only natural.]

The air was tingling, ripe with tension, but this was due to the one-sided hostility that Yorna had unleashed.

Olbart, the party it was directed at, was no longer in a fighting stance. Of course, this was just for show, and he could turn the switch back on in an instant.

Nevertheless, it was natural for Yorna to be angry, as Subaru held strong anger towards Olbart as well. However, there was a big reason as to why he could not act on that anger.

That was, because of his shrunken limbs, and his head that was not functioning properly.

Subaru: [Olbart-san, about the technique that’s being used on us...]

Olbart: [Oh yeah, that’s right. Of course, ya can’t fix it if I’m dead. No, there might be another way, but I’ve never seen anyone do it.]

Subaru: [I knew it...!]

Olbart: [Well, it’s like an insurance policy. It’s supposed ta be a secret technique back at my village, so basically, we deal with the dead bodies without leavin’ any traces so that they don’t come ta light.]

Quite indifferently, Olbart spoke some disturbing words.

At the same time, Subaru congratulated himself for having walked a really dangerous tightrope.

Even if Yorna defeated Olbart, and the old man died, the “infantilization” that had befallen Subaru and his friends would have remained unresolved. His state would always be that of being Natchuki Subawu.

Just thinking about it made Subaru shudder.

Yorna: [I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard that you’ve treated these children in a cruel way.]

Yorna looked at Olbart as she put the kiseru in her mouth and filled her lungs with purple smoke.

When asking her for help, Subaru had given her as much honest information as he could, but he left out the nitty-gritty details of their situation. That included the fact that Subaru had been shrunk due to the influence of Olbart’s technique.

Once Olbart dissolved the “infantilization”, Subaru would return to his original body.

Once that happened, he would do his utmost to apologize and ask Yorna for forgiveness. ――Of course, he didn’t think that’d be enough to completely reverse her impression of the situation.

He would like to think that Yorna was the kind of person who would see reason with just words.

Yorna: [Old Man Olbart, you’ve conceded defeat in your earlier match, right?]

Olbart: [Yeah, I admit it, I admit it. For sure, it’s a complete loss. At least, I’m lucky I didn’t die losin’. But I didn’t think I’d lose.]

Yorna: [It was unexpected that you’d lose?]

Olbart: [I thought it’d definitely be the boy’s boss who’d gimme a good challenge.]

Paying no heed to Subaru’s concern, Yorna and Olbart proceeded with their conversation. Yorna whispered, “Boss”, quoting Olbart, and gently, sliding her hand into her kimono,

Yorna: [The sender of the missive, right? I’ve been looking forward to meeting him, but...]

Suddenly, Yorna cut off her words and narrowed her eyes at Olbart.

Olbart tilted his head at the sharpness of her gaze and uttered, “What is it?”,

Olbart: [There’s nothin’ scarier than bein’ stared at by a beautiful woman. What’s the hubbub?]

Yorna: [For crying out loud! I told Tanza to deliver a message to all the messengers, for them to come to the Castle. ――Well, where’s Tanza off to?]

The air quickly chilled, to the point that Subaru felt like he was going to choke.

Yorna’s anger was always unleashed when harm was done to a resident of the city, or a child. This was even more so in Tanza’s case, who met both requirements by being a resident of the city and a child.

Nevertheless, Subaru suspected that Tanza had conspired with Olbart to prevent his own party from meeting Yorna. He would have to be careful how he approached this.

However――,

Subaru: [I also thought Tanza was with Olbart-san. But she’s not... right? Is she hiding under some tiles or something...]

Yorna: [The Castle’s insides are much like my own. There’s no chance I’d miss someone entering or hiding within it.]

Subaru: [R-right. Yorna-san’s technique is amazing...]

Hearing Yorna’s self-assured answer, Subaru flinched at her unusual nature.

After wincing, Subaru realized that he and Louis had trespassed the Crimson Lapis Castle via the teleport, and that Yorna had found them immediately afterward.

At that time, Yorna had stated that she was walking through the Castle and found them by chance, but he guessed that was just a ruse. Truth was, she had noticed that Subaru and Louis had abruptly appeared in the Castle and moved to catch the intruders.

Perhaps the reason why she had not captured them right away, and instead treated Subaru and Louis as Tanza’s friends, was because she had not been able to decide how to treat the two of them, Subaru and Louis, who were so young.

After all, ever since they had first met, Yorna had been protecting them.

Subaru: [――――]

The more he came into contact with Yorna’s personality, the more intense were Subaru’s feelings of doubt on whether he should involve her in the great battle of the Vollachian Empire.

The same went for his feelings towards the people living in Chaosflame, the so-called “horned races”, who had obstructed Subaru’s group along the way.

They wanted to protect the safe haven they had finally found, after so much suffering and ostracism.

Could Subaru’s group blame them for wanting to resume their peaceful lives? Especially considering their Lord cherished them.

――What was the difference between this, and the world desired by the girl Subaru liked?

Subaru: [――――]

In silence, Subaru looked down from the castle tower, at the disorderly townscape of the Demon City.

A city where everything was chaotic, intricate, in a horrible mess, and without a sense of unity. Upon first arriving at this city, he had been bewildered by its disorder.

But after meeting Yorna and the people of this city, even if for a short time, Subaru had one thought.

Here, there was freedom.

There was freedom here, no need for a person to submit to someone, unbound by anyone. Ergo, one could express themselves as they wished, this overflowing chaos going undenied by anyone.

It was free, equal, and fair.

It seemed to him that a somewhat ideal picture of the future had been illustrated here.

Was it really the right thing to do, to pry Yorna away from such a place?

Yorna: [Old man, answer me. Where’s that girl, Tanza?]

Paying no heed to Subaru’s internal conflict, she continued to question Olbart.

Tanza was not inside the Castle. He’d like to believe that Olbart didn’t have a technique to make a person small enough to put them in his pocket.

Olbart: [No need ta have such a scary look on yer face, I’ll tell ya what I know. The only reason I made a deal with that deergirl was ‘cause I had just the right conditions to use her for the match.]

Yorna: [――Where is she?]

Yorna’s repeated questions were driven into Olbart, expressing that there was no need for superfluous talk.

In response, while tilting his head, Olbart turned his gaze towards the land surrounding the Castle―― towards the Demon City, as if he were taking in the superb view,

Olbart: [It’s not that hard ta guess. I’m an outsider, ya know? There’s only so many places where I can hide a single girl.]

That was his response.

△▼△▼△▼△

――Just as Olbart had cracked under Yorna’s questioning, a little bit earlier.

Within the Demon City of Chaosflame, in one of its inns.

Neither was it large, nor was it very ornately decorated. ――However, in fact, the walls and interior of the building were robustly constructed, and seldom did a sound ever pass through.

In Chaosflame, this was the only place where the atmosphere was so different from the rest of the city, prepared as an unlikely contingency as accommodations for VIPs.

The room that became the setting was a spacious one, said spaciousness resulted from its interior design being that of three rooms with their walls removed as to join them together. Even within the people that used this travelers’ inn, only a handful of them held the standing to be able to stay in such a spacious room.

There were no high-quality furnishings, no numerous works of art to delight one’s eyes, and no sort of fine alcohol available to soothe one’s palate, as many of the people who made use of this inn were of an utilitarian sort.

In a sense, this inn’s standing within Chaosflame was different.

The Demon City, with its popular name of “Land of Unlawfulness”, was worthy of being a symbol of “freedom”. Despite its chaotic existence, under Yorna, the ruler of the Demon City, the inhabitants of Chaosflame were remarkably unified in their will.

For those who shared a common vision, who did not tolerate foreign invaders, who had no mind to give mercy to those with their own troubles, there was no need for the kind of preparations that this inn offered.

Certainly――,

???: [――The people of the Empire must be strong, that is the core tenet that this city of demons has overturned.]

???: [Ah...]

???: [To some extent, governance is left to city leadership. But there are limits. ――Is it because they do not know their limits, that they operate like this?]

As a man with crossed arms inquired this, the girl of small stature stiffened her cheeks and kept silent.

The man to question that of her, donning an outfit that combined red and black, his face concealed by an oni mask, was Abel. The demi-human girl bearing antlers opposite to him, wearing a beautiful kimono with her arms put through its sleeves, was Tanza.

In this city a face-to-face between two people with a presumably hostile relationship was happening.

――Nay; to be more precise, Abel and Tanza were not the only two meeting face-to-face.

???: [You all, you have stepped in here knowing what kind of place you are in...!]

Abel: [――――]

???: [Answer me! Depending on your response, not a bone of yours will remain!]

Yelling so, was a man with dark skin reddening with wrath, General Second-Class of the Imperial Army, Kafma Irulux. Those words were directed at Abel, who had marched into the room, and the boy and girl who accompanied him.

He had nothing in his outstretched hand, but he had no need for a weapon. Any armaments were literally nestled within Kafma’s own body.

That he would not leave any bone remaining was no mere declaration of a threat, but the truth.

――Because that was the true value of Kafma Irulux, the Fighting Insect General.

???: [Oi, Abel-chan, you serious?]

That voice, visibly strained with strong vigilance, came from a masked boy just before Kafma and his vigor; Al. He carried on his back a weapon he could not handle, the Blue Dragon Sword, and once he spoke, Abel glanced back at him, and,

Abel: [You, how many times shall you inquire that before you make up your mind?]

Al: [I’m asking that question again and again because, after you strolled, the jury’s still out on it. I mean, this is insane! Sh*t, I dunno why I followed you either...!]

Abel: [It should be obvious. ――The current you is too much of a coward to be alone.]

Al: [Guh... Hk.]

Unable to speak further, Al was incapable of getting out any words beyond that. It was a reaction that revealed instantly that Abel had hit the bullseye. Yet the fact that Al could not even argue with him made it evident that he himself was aware of this.

For some reason, Al was currently no longer able to keep his composure for even a walk down the street.

???: [Abel-chin.]

Another companion, Medium, called out to Abel to protest on the behalf of Al, who was at a loss for words.

Medium, who walked alongside Abel with much effort, was protecting the now-useless Al; however, her facial expression appeared to have somewhat of a strong gloom to it.

All of this and more, had happened after becoming separated from Subaru and Louis midway through.

Medium: [I don’t think that’s a very nice way to put it.]

Abel: [Do you think, in this situation, we shall reach a mutual understanding with roundabout words? You and that clown both should be more conscious of the situation. One erroneous move, and, just as declared, not one bone shall remain.]

Medium: [All the more reason! You shouldn’t talk like that, it’s no good!]

Abel: [――――]

Medium: [‘Cause you talk like that, Abel-chin, Subaru-chin and Louis-chan...]

She refused potently once, but afterwards her words tapered off.

That was inevitable, due to Medium’s own nature. Albeit she wished to blame Abel for all the problems that had arisen, she was far too compassionate to do that.

She understood clearly that her own attitude and gaze had been the factors that had driven Subaru and Louis to the brink. That, in turn, was likely a result of the education her brother had given her.

In any case, Al and Medium both were dysfunctional.

Abel: [Ergo, we do not intend to quarrel either. Put down your arm, Kafma Irulux.]

Kafma: [Are you... insane? You did not answer my question, just being stubborn in trying to follow your own will. With that conduct, do you believe yourself to be a king?]

Abel: [――. You are not far off the mark.]

Kafma: [You――!]

Kafma’s eyes became bloodshot, his anger, as someone with high loyalty towards the Emperor, reaching its limit.

By chance, Kafma came half a step short from coming into contact with the truth regarding the true nature of Abel’s identity. That was the strength of the effect of “cognitive disruption” held by the oni mask obtained in the Shudraqian village.

In rough terms, with the exception of those whom the wearer intended to reveal his true identity, and those already possessing absolute certainty regarding the true identity of the one donning it, no one was able to see beyond the effects of the mask.

In other words――,

Kafma: [Enough, I cannot take any more of this farce of bringing kids along! Regardless of what happened yesterday...]

Abel: [Tanza’s reaction. When I brought up the subject of the Castle, she rapidly averted her eyes; Tanza herself was hiding in a traveling inn, but she must have known about Olbart’s hiding place as well. Although, it is not certain that she even had an inkling about the third hiding place.]

The procedure for Olbart and Tanza’s cooperation was that after Tanza delivered the message, Olbart would propose a game to Abel’s group. Then, after they discovered the first hiding place right behind them, the logical step was for Olbart to go outside and accompany Tanza to the traveling inn.

Of course, considering that Tanza could be apprehended, it was possible that Olbart had Tanza accept false information.

Abel: [The trick of hiding out in the Crimson Lapis Castle is also something to Olbart’s liking.]

Medium: [...Hm, I see. Well, we should go to the Castle as soon as possible.]

Al: [Yeah. We need to see that geezer immediately to get our bodies restored... If our bodies are restored, we should be fine. Same goes for bro and that pipsqueak if that happens.]

Clenching his fists tightly, Al grumbled this as if he were praying for it, as if he were cursing Olbart.

Al, having lost his mental capacity due to his own body having been shrunken, held extreme hostility towards the sort of relationship between the disappeared duo of Subaru and Louis.

When it came to him, he would like to get Subaru to how he was before as soon as possible, to ponder over a normal decision regarding Louis. However, Abel was doubtful that Natsuki Subaru would make a normal decision upon returning to his original body―― And before that.

Abel: [No matter what your thoughts may be, I have no intention of letting Olbart’s technique be undone so simply.]

Al: [Huh?]

Medium: [Eh?]

Abel: [To be precise, I shall not interfere with either you or Medium. However, I have no intention of allowing the technique on Natsuki Subaru to be dispelled for a short while. It would be best to keep him in that state for the time being.]

Upon hearing Abel’s plan, the two were left astonished, their eyes and mouths wide open.

Then, after a pause,

Al: [Q-quit fucking about! The fuck’s up with that? You didn’t say anything like that before!?]

Incensed, Al, his voice trembling with anger, grabbed Abel’s collar―― or rather, as he could not reach it due to his height, the belly section of Abel’s clothes was grabbed, lashing out at him.

However Abel, his countenance unphased by that powerless threat, replied with “It is as I stated”,

Abel: [For now, I shall have him remain as-is, in his infantile form, for a while.]

Al: [Bastard...]

Medium: [Is that related to why you were bullying Subaru-chin?]

Exerting more pressure, Al inched closer towards him, while Medium grabbed his shoulders from behind. As she posed that question, she stared fixedly at Abel.

Upon her inquiry, Abel quietly exhaled,

Abel: [I do not recall bullying him, or any other low-level behavior of the sort.]

Medium: [Call it whatever you want! But, Abel-chin, you were trying to scare Subaru-chin on the way here, to get him to say something! Is it because of that?]

Abel: [――――]

Medium: [That’s so unfair! If there’s something you wanna hear, just ask and they’ll usually tell you! It’s because of something like that...]

Abel: [――Unfortunately, there is no way that shall happen.]

Hearing the quiet, serene emotion in his voice, Medium could not help but stumble over her words, letting out only a “Eh?”.

Giving a sidelong glance to Medium’s surprised face, Abel brushed off Al’s arm that was gripping him with ease, and spoke,

Abel: [My thoughts have nothing to do with the wickedness that Medium suggests. It is merely a necessary thing.]

Al: [Necessary!? What the hell!? Why just bro... What about me and Lil’ Miss Medium!]

Abel: [You do not meet the requirements. You possess one arm, and Medium’s hair and eye color are the reasons for her.]

Al: [Wha...!?]

Not grasping the meaning of that statement, Al’s anger grew more and more intense. Medium, too, was left with a face that betrayed her lack of understanding of the true nature of Abel’s intentions, while a surprise of different origin still remained on her face.

And, Abel’s bottom line was――,

Abel: [Even though the situation remains unaltered, the pieces are falling into place. Henceforth――]

Through his oni mask, Abel gazed out the window of a room in a traveling inn. Towards the outside, his eyes reflecting the Crimson Lapis Castle.

It was a gesture to stare at something far more symbolic than the Castle itself; and, in fact, Abel stretched his hand straight out as if to grasp something that could not be reached.

Abel: [――You shall accompany me, Natsuki Subaru. Blown by an unopposable wind, into the midst of war.]

△▼△▼△▼△

Olbart: [That’s why that deergirl’s with His Excellency.]

Subaru: [――――]

Olbart answered calmly, sitting cross-legged with his short arms crossed. Hearing his astonishing answer, Subaru was simply left dumbfounded.

He was not surprised because it was outside the realm of his imagination, however.

Subaru: [I thought she’d be at their inn, in case she wasn’t in the Castle...]

Olbart: [Oh, ya thought of it. Well then, boy, ya gotta have a terrible personality. Ya sure ya don’t have some of that Vollachian Imperial Family blood in ya after all?]

Subaru: [That’s really creeping me out, so don’t say that...]

It was perhaps Olbart’s comedic style, but not a single one of his jokes were really funny. As always, the person in question let out a “Kakakakka!”. In fact, he appeared to be in a good mood, which was probably the secret of his long life.

Paying no mind to others, not allowing stress to build up, laughing quite often; he was the very example of it.

Subaru: [There’s a saying in my hometown, that ill weeds grow apace.]

Olbart: [Oh, a proverb, is it? What’s it mean?]

Subaru: [Something like, the more you’re hated, the longer you live.]

Olbart: [Kakakakka! Well, I don’t have an excuse for that. Ouch.]

Louis: [Au!]

Louis’s angry fist struck Olbart, who was laughing hysterically at the meaning of the saying. Though it was a simple smack on the shoulder, the effort put into just touching it had led to this scene.

Perhaps Olbart, as a member of the most powerful of the Empire, would deal with the smack however he wished, were it anything akin to hostility or murderous intent.

In that sense, Subaru’s move in using Louis’s teleport as a playful touch of pursuit rather than an attack had been the correct option. Yes, he should be proud of himself.

Yorna: [Anyway, I now know where Tanza is... I heard that the residents of the city have been very unkind to you and the others, and I apologize for that.]

Subaru: [Huh, no, Yorna-san, stop it please! There’s nothing to be sorry about!]

Louis: [Uu!]

Yorna bending her knees on the spot in apology caused Subaru to be flustered. Even Louis jumped up involuntarily at the significance of having Yorna bow her head.

In fact, Yorna had taken him seriously, had not backed down at all against Olbart, and had tried to help Subaru again and again, and so on and so on――.

Subaru: [Uh...]

Yorna: [――? What’s the matter, child? Your face is so red.]

Subaru: [No, well, I just remembered some things...]

As the situation calmed down and the pain and suffering that had been pouring down like a nightmare receded, Subaru was reminded of the many times Yorna and him had exchanged a kiss, in those repeated moments of pain and suffering.

That memory had not remained in Yorna’s memory, and Subaru was not in a position to remember the feeling of the kiss itself, so he only remembered it as an event that had happened.

Still, honestly, he admired and liked Yorna a great deal for her willingness to kiss him in order to make it so he’d like her, just so a dying child could be saved.

And because of that――,

Subaru: [I don’t want you to get mixed up in this.]

An increasingly stronger resistance to bringing Yorna into the fray, to bring her into a war that would destabilize the entire Empire, was welling up within Subaru.

He was unsure if this was only because he had been made younger, or if he would think differently once he was back in his proper body.

But even if Subaru thought differently after returning to his original body, he would not believe that what Subaru felt and thought in this young body would be wrong, either.

Because if that was the case――,

Louis: [Uau?]

Subaru: [I don’t want to leave the answer regarding you to someone else completely, even if that person’s my grown-up self.]

The question of what to do with Louis, the young girl who held his hand, was a question that Subaru’s mind was not able to answer.

If they joined Abel and the others, that was definitely an unavoidable subject. However, at the end of those ten seconds of despair, there was one thing that Subaru could not help but feel.

――He did not wish to kill Louis or to permit Louis’s death, that much was clear.

Yorna: [The restoration of the Castle will have to wait. First, I’ll go to see Tanza.]

Subaru: [Ah... Yorna-san, um, about Tanza...]

Don’t be too harsh on her, but from Subaru’s point of view, that was difficult to say.

Even if he believed that she had her own agenda and thoughts, Subaru had not heard them. It was just that――,

Yorna: [It goes without saying that I’d never scold her without asking her to explain herself. Moreover, if that girl’s been overcome by her own feelings, I’d be to blame as well.]

Subaru didn’t need to worry; the Mistress of the Demon City knew what she had to do.

Because she was exactly like this, was probably why a great deal of people, Tanza included, adored her.

Subaru hoped that if she would not suddenly become cold once he returned to normal, if possible.

Subaru: [I might cry if that happens...]

That was rather, seriously heartbreaking to imagine. Sincerely, he hoped it wouldn’t come to pass.

Anyhow, if Yorna could convince Tanza, the residents who had been chasing Subaru and his friends would withdraw. Subaru’s critical second step would start from there.

But――,

Subaru: [――There’s nothing scarier than dying.]

He told himself that, after going through such a horrifying experience, things were okay.

On top of that, Subaru also wanted to get out of the Castle with Yorna――,

Olbart: [Wha, waitwait, boy. Why don’t I turn ya back? Or do ya like yerself better now? I don’t particularly mind if so.]

Subaru: [Oh, sorry, no, of course not. I’ll turn back, I’ll turn back, I’ll turn back alright. I mean, I’m getting used to being in this form, but I’m going to have trouble finding things to wear.]

Olbart: [Kakakakka! Ya got a lotta nerve worryin’ ‘bout that.]

Olbart called out to his back, and Subaru stepped on a roof tile and spun around.

In fact, although his body had been shrunk only for a few hours, he had exceeded the total number of deaths up until now, and so this became the body he had lived and died with the most.

He didn’t want to say it was because of that, but his small body felt like a bad omen, so if he could get back he’d like to get back to his normal size sooner rather than later.

Right now, the only thing that scared him was the possibility that his views might change abruptly, but――,

Subaru: [Don’t worry, Louis. I’m going to face you properly.]

Louis: [Uau... Au.]

Louis cast her head down after Subaru’s words, but then she gave a deep nod. Subaru pushed on Louis’s forehead with a finger, directing her towards Yorna.

Louis’s back struck her, and Yorna took her in.

Yorna: [Child, what is Old Man Olbart doing...]

Subaru: [Hm, I don’t fully trust him, but I’d like to think that he’s at least got just barely enough humanity left in him to follow the logic of victory and defeat.]

Olbart: [Oiii~, I can hear ya, ya know.]

Subaru: [I know that, that’s why I’m saying it.]

Subaru smiled wryly in response to Olbart’s teasing. To Subaru’s answer, Yorna narrowed her eyes as she hugged Louis tightly.

Yorna: [If you understand that, then I have nothing else to say. I haven’t been told what’ll happen exactly, but this child and I will be watching you.]

Louis: [Uh!]

Subaru: [Hmm, okay. Well, you know, I hope you’ll be on good terms with me after this, Yorna-san.]

Yorna: [――? Child, you’re quite the worrier, aren’t you?]

Being sent off by Yorna smiling at him and Louis’s cheerful face, Subaru went to Olbart’s side. Standing up, Olbart patted himself on the lower back, and spoke,

Olbart: [You’re talkin’ crap again. Oh geez, let’s get this over with.]

Subaru: [Yeah... Uhh, is it going to hurt?]

Olbart: [Did it hurt when ya shrank down? Then, that’s the answer!]

Giving a brief answer to Subaru’s hesitant question, Olbart’s outstretched hand gently touched Subaru’s solar plexus.

Abel had conjectured that Olbart’s “infantilization” technique interfered with the Od, and perhaps that Od resided somewhere around the heart.

At the same time, a memory came back to Subaru’s mind. The previous day, he had indeed received a painless blow from Olbart as he fled from the keep right beneath where he was currently standing.

Subaru’s “infantilization” had occurred, with the interference of his Od as a trigger.

Only a few hours had passed since his body had been shrunken, but it felt like that had been the biggest struggle he’d faced since coming to the Empire. Although, ever since he’d been in the Empire, he’d been struggling to begin with.

Even including the time outside of the Empire, those ten seconds of despair were some of the greatest――,

Subaru: [Oh, speaking of which...]

Suddenly, Subaru remembered something he had been attempting not to think about.

Those ten seconds of despair, that seemingly hellish cycle of rebirth and death, were a far cry from the Return by Death that Subaru had come to know.

What had brought this about, and what had happened to Return by Death, the Authority that resided in Subaru?

???: [Found you.]

△▼△▼△▼△

——Everything that happened in that instant, was incomprehensible for all those who were present.

Olbart: [Ugh.]

Along with those words, Olbart withdrew his outstretched right hand in an instant.

But, too slow. Olbart’s wrinkled right hand, from the wrist onwards, vanished.

And then――,

Yorna: [Chil――]

Louis: [Uau!!]

Her eyes widened in shock, Yorna pulled Louis into her arms and jumped backwards a great distance, hugging the girl struggling to break free.

Immediately afterwards, pure dark flooded Yorna and Louis’s field of vision, and, in one fell swoop, swallowed the castle tower, the upper parts, and the middle parts of the Crimson Lapis Castle, famous for its majestic and bright brilliance.

And then――,

Kafma: [Your Excellency! That is...]

Vincent: [――――]

From a distance, looking at the scene outside the window, Kafma, at the side of the Emperor he served to protect, and harboring a sharp fighting aura, felt as if all the bugs in his body shivered in terror.

In the meantime, Vincent had stood up, turning his sharp gaze towards the Castle dyed in black, allowing his deliberate thoughts to flow with all the peace in the world.

And then――,

Tanza: [That’s, the Castle... Yorna-sama...]

Al: [Ah, ahhh, AHHHHHHH――!]

Medium: [Al-chin!?]

In a daze, the children stared at what had happened bug-eyed, in absolute shock.

Tanza feared for her master, who remained in the Castle; and Al, at the damage dealt to the city, screamed louder than anyone in the city—— no, louder than anyone in the world.

Medium dashed over to him and supported Al’s shoulders. She stared at Abel as if clinging on to him in this inexplicable situation.

And then――,

???: [Myyy~ oh my, how should I put it... This might be, a small bit I didn’t gaze.]

Taritta: [You――]

Watching the crumbling city from a distance, being swallowed by the shadows, Ubilk let out an easy-going mutter, using his hands as a visor, while the brown Shudraq standing opposite to him, Taritta, listened to him while grinding her teeth.

As if it were difficult to decide whether the shadow in the distance, or the man in front of her, were what she ought to pay attention to.

And then――,

Abel: [――Is this, the true identity of the thing you had been carrying within?]

He directed his eyes to the same thing the false Emperor and the bawling children regarded, and Abel muttered so.

Clenching his fists tightly, he bit his lip, to the extent that blood flowed, hidden on the other side of the oni mask. As he glared at the jet-black mass, his countenance distorted to the point it resembled the terrifying visage of his oni mask.

And then――,

△▼△▼△▼△

――I love you.

――I love you. I love you. I love you.

――I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

――I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Love akin to a curse that would never, by any means, leave, transcending every conceivable dimension, was blotting out the existence called Natsuki Subaru.

A hellish world devoid of love; that, he knew.

That his own self was still loved; that, Natsuki Subaru knew.

However, at the same time, that not all forms of “love” should be something to be affirmed, that he also should know.

Exactly because of his ignorance, there would be retribution.

Exactly because of his ignorance, of why everyone dreaded it, ran from it.

――It morphed into a sable shadow, swallowing all things, cheering while destroying.

Cheering for reuniting, for coming together, for embracing, for being tied, for this predestination, for this forward march.

Cheering for confession, for regret, for suspicion, for its mysteriousness, for exaltation, for devotion.

A hellish world devoid of love, that he knew.

If he were to arrive at a world with love, what sort of hell would it be?

Subaru did not understand. He understood naught.

If there was something he could say, in this situation inexplicable to anyone, there was only one thing.

The utopia of those ostracized, the Demon City of Chaosflame.

――The ruin of this utopia, was brought about by the causality of none other than Natsuki Subaru.