Arc 8, Chapter 3 - 'Three Reasons”

Arc 8, Chapter 3 - “Three Reasons”

Jumping out from the entrance of the detached building, Subaru stood in front of a man who was giving a faint smile.

That petrification was perhaps the most foolish choice he could have made in the face of that man. However, even for Natsuki Subaru, who had experienced all kinds of hardships, even Death, over and over again, the indescribable eeriness of this man made his mind go blank.

A sense of fear that not even a Sin Archbishop could bestow, and a sensation of being ensnared.

In the face of Todd Fang, Subaru was made to feel that way.

Subaru: [――――]

Bewilderment had arisen around Subaru, who stopped reflexively in response to the voice he had heard.

It was Beatrice, as she held hands with him, facing the same opponent as Subaru. Other than her, Tanza and Idra were also casting a dubious gaze upon Subaru, who was standing still.

Although his mind raced to the thought that he should immediately warn them to be cautious, but――,

Rem: [――Katya-san!]

And, before Subaru could move his trembling lips, Rem shouted in a high-pitched voice.

When he looked, Rem’s pale blue eyes, which had turned back towards Todd by the door―― No, they were directed not towards him, but directly behind him.

It troubled Subaru to take his gaze off of Todd and shift his attention to that direction, but once he did, he understood the target of Rem’s shout.

There was a wheelchair-bound woman hiding behind Todd’s back.

The woman peeked at them as she grabbed the hem of Todd’s clothes, with suspicious eyes that overlooked the world beneath curly brown hair; she was a perfect match for the features Rem had described.

That in itself was joyful―― No, the fact that she was beside Todd would mean,

Rem: [Please stay away from her...!]

Louis: [Uu!]

Rem, who seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Subaru, raised her voice and glared at Todd. Louis, who was always close to her, also growled while looking at Todd, roused by Rem’s fighting spirit.

Despite losing his trademark bandana and letting down his orange hair, Todd’s cruelty and dangerous creativity had probably not been diminished.

Even in this situation, it was not difficult to imagine that he would try to use the woman―― Katya, as a shield to manipulate Subaru and the others into doing his bidding.

Of course, it was obvious from Subaru’s previous hostile encounters with Todd that the outcome of giving in and doing as what was told would ultimately result in Death.

Subaru: [...From this point onwards.]

If I were to die, I can’t be sure of how far back I’ll return to.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at it, during the entire series of events of intervening in the siege of the Imperial Capital, breaking through the city walls, and riding into the city, Subaru had never once lost his life.

Regardless of whether that was to thank, or to blame, Subaru did not know the starting point of Return by Death.

He was able to meet up with Louis and Beatrice, and was also able to reunite with Rem and Flop.

Honestly, the situation had been going well, almost too well. It was impossible to calculate how many retries it would take to reach this point.

However――,

Subaru: [――I’ll do what I must.]

If he had decided whom to save, whom to let survive, and whom to move forward with, Subaru had decided with a steadfast heart to firmly grasp that outcome.

For that reason, he was able to rescue all the Gladiators concerned with the Gladiator Island, and fight alongside them as members of the Pleiades Battalion until today. ――He would never give up, no matter what.

Not even if the obstacle he needed to overcome for that purpose was the very embodiment of a fear that caused his heart to freeze over.

Thus, Subaru moistened his dry lips with his tongue, and with a determined action――,

Katya: [P-please wait! You’ve got it wrong! I haven’t been captured, Rem!]

Rem: [Katya-san?]

Katya: [Misunderstanding... Yes, it’s a misunderstanding! Todd is, he isn’t your enemy!]

Katya tried to move forward, turning the wheels of her wheelchair while loudly insisting that it was a misunderstanding and that Todd was not their enemy. However, Todd put a hand on her thin shoulder, preventing her from moving forward.

Katya, pitching forward with vigor, glared at Todd with teary eyes, and,

Katya: [Wait, what are you doing! You are putting yourself in danger!]

Todd: [You’re the one being in danger. Don’t move forward on your own.]

Katya: [W-who do you think I’m saying this for...!]

Todd: [Of course, it’s for my sake. But that doesn’t mean I can overlook the woman I love putting herself into danger.]

Katya: [Ugh...]

Red-faced and having snapped at him forcefully, Katya was silenced by those words.

That was not because of embarrassment or shame, but mainly because his objection had conveyed that he was concerned about her.

Subaru found it difficult to believe that it was a perfectly honest statement without the intent of deception.

Rem: [Katya-san, could it be, that person is...]

With a small gasp, Rem asked Katya this with a fearful look. Although she did not clearly state the question, the intended point of the question was clear.

Whether it was a sign of her hesitation and anxiety, but Rem had put her slender hand on Louis’s shoulder. In response to this question of Rem, Katya nodded her head while biting her lip.

Katya: [I told you this several times already. ...He is, you know, my.]

Rem: [Your fiancé.]

Katya: [That’s it...]

After her initially hesitant declaration, Katya responded clearly to Rem’s question as such.

Rem’s eyes wavered when she was told this, and she clearly was agitated. Subaru was just as shocked as Rem, and was also shaken to his core.

Subaru: [Fiancée...]

While not having the fondest memories of Todd following the events since their first encounter, the story of his fiancée left a different impression apart from his insanely cautious and unforgiving nature.

Todd, who had been deployed as an Imperial Soldier and was encamped near the forest where the Shudraqian village was located, frequently spoke of his desire to return to his fiancée.

But after a series of bloody encounters with Todd, his expectations for his humanity had faded, and it became a distant memory that merely lingered in a corner of his mind――.

Subaru: [They really did exist...]

And the words were so incongruous with Todd and his lovely fiancée that he had to let it slip.

Despite probably not even hearing Subaru’s monologue, Rem looked at Todd with suspicion in her stern eyes,

Rem: [Are you really Katya-san’s fiancé?]

Todd: [Yeah, it’s true. Like I said before, it’s an unconventional arrangement. I never thought that Katya and you would be getting along so well during your confinement in the Prime Minister’s mansion.]

Rem: [――――]

Todd: [Don’t look at me like that. Of course, I’m not saying we had a good first encounter or a good relationship either, but this is the situation we’re in. We both have to let go of our grudges, don’t we?]

Shrugging his shoulders at Rem’s silent gaze, Todd spoke up brazenly. Then his gaze turned not to Rem, but to Subaru.

Holding his breath, Subaru met Todd’s gaze. Cold sweat ran down his back.

However――,

Todd: [What the kid said is true, right?]

Subaru: [――Ah.]

There was no hint of hostility in Todd’s demeanor as he closed one eye and winked at him.

Staying true to his words, Todd had let go of his hostility and caution and was extending a hand, as if it was the obligation of the person proposing to cooperate with each other to get out of this situation.

Flop: [Husband-kun, Wife-san, who is Soldier-kun?]

At the sight of both Subaru and Rem going silent, Flop’s soft face took on a serious look.

In response to his question, Subaru could not speak carelessly, partly due to his current appearance. Instead, Rem continued with “That man”,

Rem: [I’ve had several encounters with him before. And, each time, my life had been put in danger.]

Katya: [Huh...]

While she looked at Katya, Rem tried hard to choose the right words while also telling the truth. Upon hearing this, Katya’s eyes widened and she looked at Todd who stood beside her.

Her lips trembled as she questioned her fiancé from his side.

Katya: [I-is that true? Todd, you, what Rem said...]

Todd: [If it’s about that young lady, it’s true. You said it earlier, that there are some grudges. I’m an army man. Sometimes I have to turn my weapon on someone. That kinda thing, I guess it’s just one of those unwanted situations.]

Rem: [To think it was “unwanted”, you went out of your way to...!]

Todd: [If it was in the Fortress City, it was because I saw your companion as a threat. If it was before that, I was just following orders like any other soldier. I have nothing personal against you.]

As he said this, Todd took the axe worn on his waist. For a moment, a tension ran through Subaru and the others, but Todd, keeping one hand outstretched, heaved it away without getting worked up.

A parabolic arc was drawn as the axe slid across the ground and came under the feet of Subaru and his team.

Louis: [Aau.]

Louis picked up the axe and alternated between looking at Subaru’s face and Rem’s.

It did not seem to be an axe-shaped bomb, but it appeared to be a pure act of disarmament.

Todd raised his hands and waved at Subaru and the others who had recognized that fact.

Todd: [As you can see, I’m not your enemy. Only, it would be regrettable for all of us if we wasted time glaring at each other like this, right?]

If they took too long to withdraw, they would eventually be swallowed by the rising waters――.

Todd: [If we don’t get out of here before that happens, it’s over for all of us.]

Todd, who walked over to them, clearly verbalized Subaru’s sense of crisis.

Subaru stiffened slightly, and whether or not Todd realized his alarm, he pointed the tip of his returned axe toward the Crystal Palace.

Todd: [It looks like General First-Class Moguro doesn’t stand a chance against the Cloud Dragon. It’s only a matter of time before Moguro loses. It would be better if it were one-on-one, but two-on-one is fatal... After the General First-Class is defeated, how will the enemy proceed?]

Subaru: [How they will proceed, do you have an idea?]

Todd: [Regardless of the Cloud Dragon, the flying dragon rider cooperating with it looks to be a corpse. So far, all the corpses have been attacking as soon as they see us. In other words...]

Subaru: [The zombies are trying to kill the living.]

Todd: [It’s irritating, but that’s how it is.]

Todd tilted his head in contemplation, and Subaru understood what he was trying to say.

The objective of the zombies was to exterminate every last living person they came across. For that reason, if there was a way to kill a lot of people, it would not be surprising that they would choose it.

The stone giant clashing against the white Dragon right in front of the castle, if it lost, the zombies would completely destroy the walls of the reservoir, causing the water to ceaselessly flood.

If that happened, Subaru’s group and the people of the Imperial Capital, along with the soldiers of the regular army and the rebel army who were fighting outside, would all be swept away.

Todd: [That’s irritating. But, I do like the way you call them zombies. We need some kind of name for them. Let’s just call them zombies from now on.]

Beatrice: [What do you think about those zombies, in fact?]

Suddenly, Beatrice, who had been silent, asked Todd that question.

Todd, who muttered the word “zombie” several times to familiarize himself with the word, made a puzzled face at Beatrice’s question,

Todd: [What do I think?]

Beatrice: [So far, the majority of the zombies we’ve encountered were Imperial Soldiers just like you, I suppose. I can tell by their appearance, in fact. How do you feel about killing your own allies...]

Todd: [First, they aren’t my allies. They just wear the same clothes. If they’re dead, they’re not soldiers or anything. They don’t need to be recognized as anything other than troublesome obstacles.]

Beatrice: [――――]

Todd: [Talking about whose pawns they are and what their goals are, I don’t think that’s important for survival right now. That’s something for the big shots to think about and solve.]

He gave a composed response, and Beatrice silently agreed to end the conversation.

Todd shrugged his shoulders at her attitude and looked at Subaru again,

Todd: [You’ve got a reliable partner, but it would be better for you to talk it out with her if you’re feeling worn out. Contrary to expectations, even just spitting out what’s on your mind can do some good.]

Subaru: [...I’ll keep that in mind.]

In response to Subaru’s gloomy answer, Todd left him with the words “Do it”, and proceeded forth.

Acting as a scout for the road ahead, Todd would find the positions of the zombies and make a plan for how to drive them back, to which Subaru and his team would then review and implement in order to secure their escape route. Currently, it was going quite well.

However――,

Beatrice: [Subaru, if you are worn out, you can talk to Betty about anything, I suppose.]

As Beatrice looked into Subaru’s face, he looked to be mentally worn down.

That was partly because he continued to devote strong vigilance towards Todd, and partly because Beatrice’s magic was using his mana.

But the greatest psychological burden of all was taking down the zombies.

It was painful to destroy zombies that could speak and had something close to the will they had during their lifetime.

How much better it would be if, like Todd, he could simply dismiss them as scarecrows blocking the way.

Flop: [I think that’s also one of the virtues of Husband-kun, though.]

Subaru: [...I don’t know. Rem’s going to kick my butt for hesitating again.]

Flop: [Wife-san wouldn’t do such a thing.]

Subaru: [――――]

Flop: [I don’t think she would.]

Strangely, Flop’s repeated words were persuasive.

Flop had survived in this merciless Empire with neither physical strength nor magic, but with words alone. Perhaps the single greatest weapon he possessed was his humanity.

Subaru: [Thanks to Flop-san, I’m feeling a bit better!]

Flop: [Thank goodness! I’m useless, so if Husband-kun were to get depressed, I wouldn’t be able to find a way to save us! Oops, but...]

Subaru: [But?]

Flop: [Thanks to me, I think I may have hurt Dress-chan’s feelings a bit.]

When Flop pointed that out, Subaru turned around and said, “Huh?”. There was Beatrice, holding hands with Subaru and glaring at him with her cute, round eyes.

Subaru’s cheeks stiffened at her reaction, and Beatrice’s cheeks flushed,

Beatrice: [Neglecting Betty when she worried about you, lucky you, in fact. There Subaru goes again, immediately befriending a handsome guy and ignoring Betty, I suppose.]

Subaru: [What incredible misinformation! No, I’m not ignoring you at all, okay? In the first place, though guys like Flop-san and Ceci are exceptions, Idra and Weitz are nuanced while not necessarily handsome... Hiain is quite charming, though.]

Beatrice: [There’s no need to make excuses, in fact!]

She suddenly turned her face away from him, and Subaru moaned in pain as if his chest had been brutally gouged out.

Beatrice was also worried about him. Although Flop had phrased his words more skillfully, he felt regret towards Beatrice from the bottom of his heart.

No matter what, after escaping from this place, he had to entirely devote himself to making it up to Beatrice.

Subaru: [For now, all I can do is caress you earnestly with my hand...]

Rem: [...What do you think you are doing in a situation like this?]

Subaru: [Wow!]

Subaru was surprised when someone called out to him from behind. Rem, who cast Subaru a dubious look, still had Louis clinging to her waist as she looked around the vicinity warily and said,

Rem: [Even if you take such a form, your personality surely doesn’t change.]

Subaru: [Oh? Does that mean that you know my nature well enough to understand who I am?]

Rem: [Correction. Now that your body has shrunk, your restraint has become nonexistent compared to before.]

Subaru: [That’s the part I’d really like you to laugh at and let slide, blaming it on the wild nature of a child.]

Even Rem’s harsh opinion was a pleasant stimulus for Subaru, after having been separated from her for some time.

Subconsciously, Subaru tightened his face and appeared to be happy, being careful to not make Rem uneasy.

In addition to that, speaking of someone that he did not want to make anxious,

Katya: [Hey, is Todd bothering you? Is he properly being of use?]

Subaru: [――――]

Katya, pushed in a wheelchair by Rem, hesitantly asked.

Compared to the fake Crown Princes who had been released from confinement and followed Subaru and his group on their own as they retreated, Katya was experiencing a considerable sense of helplessness in not being able to move on her own.

She seemed to be terribly worried about Todd as well as herself, and it was clear that she had a shy affection for Todd, her fiancé.

Seeing Katya’s genuine concern, Subaru turned towards the end of the alley where Todd was headed,

Subaru: [Yeah, he’s being useful. He has a good nose and good eyesight. His precise directions have really helped us avoid trouble.]

Katya: [I-I see. That’s good then...]

Katya, her eyes downcast, patted herself on the chest in relief.

As aggravating as it was, those were not thoughtless words said just to reassure Katya, but a fair assessment of Todd’s work up to that point.

In fact, as a soldier, Todd’s work had been impeccable. His scouting and route selection had contributed greatly to their survival in this current situation of having to flee, even with the hindrance of having to move a large number of people.

Todd did not have an effective way to strike the zombies, but he was outstanding at exposing them to the attacks of Subaru and Beatrice, who did have effective skills. ――Except for Subaru suffering more mental wear due to the higher amount of loss than necessary, there were no disadvantages to Todd’s presence.

Subaru: [――――]

――No, Rem, whose interactions with Katya seemed to be complicated, was also under the same mental strain due to Todd’s presence as Subaru.

Subaru: [At this rate...]

Would they really all be able to escape out of the Imperial Capital together without incident?

While Subaru struggled with unanswerable questions about how he wished for things to proceed――,

Todd: [――Katya, I told you to stay farther back, didn’t I? Don’t catch up to us.]

Todd, who had been away scouting, returned and found Katya with Subaru and the others, and gave caution to his fiancée.

At Todd’s words, an expression of relief for Todd’s safety rose on Katya’s face, then it quickly turned into a look of opposition towards the words, and then her expression changed once again.

She seemed to be a bit worried about Todd’s appearance.

Katya: [Todd, did something happen?]

Todd: [...Good grief, she’s so intuitive only at times like these.]

As he said this, Todd ran a hand through his bandana-less hair and revealed what he had seen as he looked toward Subaru and the others.

That was――,

Todd: [――There’s a rather tough-looking zombie just ahead from here. A member of the Cyclops Tribe, he was probably the one who stood out the most in today’s battle.]

So he spoke.