Chapter 15 — 'Together to Hell'

—When the spreading inferno swallowed Natsuki Subaru, Beatrice doubted her own eyes.

"Why...!"

The deployed E.M.T is a cheat magic that, within its field, forcibly inserts directives that tamper with a spell’s formula—primarily, it alters the construction of magic and compels its cancellation and disassembly—a forbidden gambit that, in any other age, would without question have been designated a forbidden art. Of course, if someone were to see through the workings of E.M.T and weave a formula that still functions even after its construction was unraveled, there would be a chance to break through. But that sort of out-of-spec feat—like taking a precisely assembled magical device, swapping out just one part for something entirely different, and still making it work the same—would be impossible unless you were Roswaal or the Witch of Greed—my mother. Barring such irregulars, no one can activate magic. And yet—

"Just how did you break through it?"

"—It's nothing as grand as 'breaking through.' I just used my head and staked my body, that's all."

"——"

Posing the question and narrowing her eyes, Beatrice saw that the one who answered was Tiga Rauleon, half his body leaning against the wall as he pushed himself upright there. In the midst of the fierce clash, the young man—who should have been sent crashing when the rampaging girl with the Dragon Eye, Crusch, had kicked him all the way into the wall—let out a long, weary breath. Tiga gripped his beloved sword in one hand, and pressed the other to his own side. And then—seeing that the clothes around the side where he held his hand were scorched and his skin charred, Beatrice shuddered. That wasn't a wound he'd taken from Crusch. And that very wound was—

"...What on earth were you thinking?"

"I only did what was necessary, Miss Beatrice. The scripture says this: 'While the Dragon circles the sky, let man till the earth. He who lets the time he is given rot away in sleep will, when the season of harvest comes, not even be able to tread upon the Dragon's shadow'... or so."

Shaking his head slowly, Tiga recited a verse from the Holy Dragon Church's scripture that called Filore to mind. Yet if the fact that he had read the scripture enough to recite it by heart truly backed the decisiveness of the choice he had made, Beatrice could not readily nod to that. The scorch on Tiga’s side was from the very same flames that had swallowed Subaru and Crusch—only, those flames had not burned him from the outside, but from within.

E.M.T's effect is to dismantle the construction of any magic activated within its field. It was this 'within the field' condition that Tiga brute-forced his way past. And the method—

"—Magic that originates inside my own body doesn't fall under this forbidden art's influence. ...I wasn't certain, but it seems I was right."

"——"

"I realized it in the middle of the fight. Like, huh—seems I can't use magic right now, but the effects of the Flow Method are still applying. So—"

"Even so, cutting open your own belly, and using magic with the resolve to have your innards seared through the slit—neither of those is an easy choice. ...Only a person whose heart is bound by something that goes beyond a sense of duty could do that."

"It kind of sounds like you're calling me crazy—that's a bit unfair. ...Not that I can blame you."

Even if exhaustion lent a heaviness to his voice, Tiga’s answers themselves were matter-of-fact, and Beatrice felt a chill crawl through the guts she didn't even have.

Beatrice had only known Tiga for a day or two since meeting him at the Holy Dragon Church—an exceedingly brief span. And yet, even in that short time, she had taken a liking to how well he and Subaru got along, and to his light, easygoing way of speaking and attitude. That impression didn’t line up well with the Tiga before her. The kind of mechanical judgment that disregarded himself to carry out the necessary task was the complete opposite of her prior impression.

What in the world was driving him that far? An obsession that overstepped a sense of duty, straying beyond reason—Beatrice knew people who moved on the strength of such resolve. Tiga’s obsession was of the same nature as Roswaal’s. A man who, over four hundred years, warped many fates and still strove to achieve his goal, aiming for a demonic state. Was Tiga trying to arrive at the same place as Roswaal?

"I'm only doing what's necessary—so I can take back my life."

To the doubts and silence Beatrice held, Tiga answered with a small shrug. Then he glanced toward the back of the room, to the roaring, raging flames,

"If you ask me, Miss Beatrice, it's your reaction that's unexpected—surprising, even. Honestly, I'd steeled myself to get a spell blasted at me out of nowhere. Given what I did."

"...So you want me to take it that it wasn't a mistake made in a blind panic?"

"Ah, you're not wrong about that. — Duchess Crusch Karsten refused our repeated calls to surrender. We even delivered an ultimatum, and she cut it down."

"——"

"After killing Lord McMahon, she even turned her blade on us—she wasn't in her right mind. So I made a call on the spot and eliminated the danger, thoroughly. ... Am I wrong?"

Plastering an impassive look over the sweet mask of a debonair pretty-boy, Tiga asks Beatrice whether what he did was right or wrong. What she sees there is not the face of a penitent martyr seeking forgiveness, but that of an executioner, calmly confirming where the responsibility lies for the blood staining his hands. By now, Beatrice can no longer reclaim her first impression of Tiga.

"What you're saying isn't wrong."

Facing Tiga head-on, Beatrice narrowed her round eyes and nodded. In truth, that's right. From the moment Beatrice and the others witnessed the carnage at McMahon Manor, encountered Crusch as the culprit, and everything that followed, there was nothing mistaken in Tiga's actions. He did his utmost to follow Subaru's intent and tried to help subdue Crusch, and it was unmistakably Crusch herself who rejected each of those judgments. To protect himself from that dangerous individual, Tiga has the right to make a merciless decision. Even if that means making a call that drags Subaru—his temporary ally—into it, it is not morally permissible to condemn him out of hand for that alone. Therefore—

"Betty isn't so pigheaded as to selfishly heap blame on you."

"... I see. Then—"

"—However."

Saying so, Beatrice cut Tiga off. For an instant, not surprise but a cold hue flashed through Tiga's yellow eyes. Beatrice pushed her reaction to that aside and went on. Tiga's conduct is legitimate, and yet—

"—Betty will side with the one who saved Subaru."

In that instant, the fierce blaze, hot enough to scorch the eyes that looked at it, was cut cleanly in two from the far side.

"——"

The flames, cut without a sound, wavered and parted; and standing unhurried in the space opened at their center was the girl with the 'Dragon Eye'—Crusch Karsten, who had loosed a knife-hand with her right to sever the flame and cradled the unconscious Subaru in her left.

"The heat... no, I cut the flow of power. So this is what they call the 'Death Hole'?"

Touching the eyelid of the 'Dragon Eye' with the right hand that had unleashed the knife-hand, Crusch murmured as if convinced. Astonished that a single sweep of her arm had blown away that infernal blaze, Beatrice confirmed Subaru's safety in Crusch's arms and felt even greater relief.

—Right after Subaru was swallowed by the flames, the reason Beatrice didn't lose her composure was that there was no reaction along the link with her contractor that indicated anything severe.

That fact, and what she saw in the final instant—Crusch pulling him down to shield Subaru from the onrushing flames and herself leaping into their path—decided Beatrice's course. Beatrice would throw her support behind Crusch Karsten.

"At the very least, I'll be the one to listen. The finer judgments can come after."

"—I can't call that a wise decision, Miss Beatrice. Just because your contractor, Subaru, was saved, don't let that cloud your eyes. The Duchess is dangerous."

"Don't treat Betty like a reckless, thoughtless spirit. Although, if Betty were a rash, indiscriminate spirit, then siding with the girl who saved Subaru would be only natural, wouldn't it?"

"Is this really the time for word games!? Sooner or later, people will notice this fire and come running. If you pick the wrong side, it'll be too late to regret it. What about Subaru!?"

"Your words don't resonate when you nearly burned Subaru along with that girl. But you're right about one thing—we don't have much time. So—"

At that, Tiga caught his breath as Beatrice slowly raised her right hand. She wasn't preparing a spell—the opposite. As Beatrice readied herself to snap her fingers, Tiga narrowed his yellow eyes to sharp slits and leveled his Shamshir at her, saying,

"Stop, don't do it. I really won't be able to cover for you."

"Long ago, Betty regretted doing nothing but sob sweetly as she saw a friend off. — She won't make the same mistake again."

Even if upheaval comes crashing in like raging waves, Beatrice will, as long as she is allowed, choose her path by her own decisions. She will never again crouch helplessly before what is precious to her, the way she once only drifted along and lost a friend. For that—

"—I'll take your side here and now, Crusch Karsten!"

She snapped her fingers, and at that signal, Beatrice dispelled it—E.M.T. At once, the invisible field that had been enveloping the office vanished; anyone with keen enough senses would have noticed the subtle change. That included Tiga, and the owner of the 'Dragon Eye' as well—,

"—One Hundred Men, One Slash"

The explosive wind unleashed shook the estate, centered on the office in McMahon Manor.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—And then we shook that man off and slipped into the sewers. I wanted to run farther, but I couldn't do anything reckless while Subaru was having his nap."

Nestling gently at his side and supporting his body, Beatrice told her story; Subaru, organizing the information with his muddled head, somehow managed to murmur, "I see..." Frankly, with all that had happened, he felt pathetic for being the only one to have dropped out of consciousness so quickly. But he shelved that self-punishing line of thought for now.

"First off... Beako, sticking with Crusch and not leaving her side was a nice call. If we'd split up in that situation, I'd never have forgiven myself."

"It's only natural to be as considerate as possible of my partner's feelings. Betty was sure that Subaru would do the same, you know."

"From the outside it's a reckless choice, so it's hard to just go, 'Right?!' and agree, though."

Even given the circumstances, he couldn't help but let out a wry smile at Beatrice's smug look. But the only part of the story that let his lips loosen even slightly was that bit just now. Turning his eyes to the burn on his arm, which throbbed with a dull pain, Subaru bit his lip.

"Tiga did this..."

"No doubt about it. When he said in the middle of the fight that he couldn't use magic, that was a bluff, or else... no, never mind."

"What is it? Now I'm curious, because it sounds like there's something on your mind."

"With so much to worry about right now, I don't think it's something to dig into. In any case, that man used magic assuming there'd be collateral damage. Betty's impression of him has hit rock bottom."

"...You're saying that because you love me so much."

At Beatrice's raised brows and puffed cheeks, Subaru's feelings were exceedingly complicated. Of course, he had no intention of just letting an attack that could have killed them slide. But it had been a lifeline found on the razor's edge between life and death, overwhelmed by Crusch. He couldn't outright condemn the decision Tiga made in the heat of the moment. And with that, Beatrice's eyes on Subaru grew stern.

"Subaru? Don't tell me..."

"No, I'm not planning to let it slide. I'm going to demand an apology for the pain from this burn. I'm not budging on that. That's only fair, right?"

――――

"Huh? Why the even more exasperated look? I said I'm going to make him apologize!"

Met with Beatrice's narrowed, deadpan eyes at his answer, Subaru only grew more bewildered. Both sides had made mistakes, and he'd intended to lean a little harder on the other's fault—that alone, to Subaru, felt like a pretty decisive stance. And besides—

"At the very least, the cause of the friction between us and Tiga is largely a matter of misunderstandings. If we can sit down and talk it out somewhere properly, we can clear those up—"

"—Regrettably, I have no intention of letting you do that."

Choosing his words, Subaru tried somehow to persuade Beatrice. But the one who cut him off wasn't Beatrice, her brow furrowed, but Crusch, who had been walking ahead of them. In the dim sewer, guided by the light of a lamp fueled by Lugmite Ore, she made her objection to Subaru and Beatrice's conversation unmistakably clear—by drawing a dagger and leveling its point straight at Subaru.

"...C-Crusch?"

"I do not permit you to make contact with Tiga Rauleon. Not only have you already crossed blades, but he's one of the men presently commanding the pursuers on our trail. If you go to meet him carelessly, you'll only end up in bonds."

"That may be true, but from Tiga's position he doesn't have much choice—it's the situation, given the situation..."

――――

――――

Facing only the amber of Crusch's one eye—the left one covered by an eyepatch—Subaru hesitated greatly over his next words. From the atrocity at McMahon Manor to the fact that she was now pointing a dagger at him here—speaking with the current Crusch required the utmost caution. A careless remark that needlessly provoked her would, this time for sure, force those hands of hers to be stained with blood. With such thoughts in mind, their staring contest dragged on for a while, until—

"...Astonishingly, I catch no wind trying to deceive me."

With that, the first to lower her dagger was Crusch. At her words Subaru blinked, "Huh?" but as Crusch slid the blade back into the scabbard at her belt, ...

"No wind of falsehood blows from you. From the moment we crossed paths at Miklotov McMahon's manor up to this very moment, it has been the same. Hence, I permitted Beatrice to accompany you."

"—. In the end... in the end, what do you want to do with us, Crusch?"

Exchanging a quick glance with Beatrice at his side, Subaru put the question to Crusch directly. The 'wind of falsehood'—as a bearer of the Divine Protection of Wind Reading, Crusch can sense another's thoughts and designs as currents of wind, functioning like a sort of lie detector. When Subaru first met her, she saw through the deceptions in his heart, forcing him to confront just how twisted his nature was. —And that is now the basis for Crusch's words and actions.

Her belief in Subaru is also a result of the Divine Protection of Wind Reading. If so, then is the slaying of Miklotov—and the thirteen people in the manor—also the result of that Divine Protection?

"Tell me, Crusch. Us... no, first and foremost, this is about you. What is it you want to do—what are you doing this for?"

"—. What I want to do... no, what I must do is save this Kingdom of Lugunica from the hands of the traitors. That will likely be the last deed I can do for the kingdom."

"Traitors... and, that this will be the last...?"

"Will you insist otherwise? I succumbed to the malice of the Witch Cult and wasted long days bedridden. On top of that, I rose again by the hand of the Holy Dragon Church—the very opposite of the pledge I made to abolish the Dragon's rule—and you think I still have a chance?"

"That's...!"

"A wind of understanding is blowing. —You are an honest man."

Lowering her eyes slightly, Crusch etched a self-mocking smile on her lips. In the eyes that smiled so feebly, she must have seen it through her blessing: Subaru's sense of powerlessness at being unable to refute her words and at having no reliable way out to offer. Being called 'honest' for that was nothing he could take joy in.

"That's enough already. Betty won't overlook you any longer, playing the tragic heroine and snapping at Subaru."

"Beatrice..."

"And you too, Subaru. What are you doing moping over things that aren't your responsibility? At this rate, you'll start blaming yourself just because some child trips on the roadside. If that happens, you'll be so busy you won't have any time left to dote on Betty. I will lodge a fierce protest."

Hands on her hips, Beatrice displayed such out-of-place anger. Realizing that this was her way of downplaying the problem between Subaru and Crusch out of consideration, a breath escaped him. Crusch, for her part, also nodded gravely, saying, "You're right."

"As Beatrice says, this is no time to cling to petty grudges. The more time we give the other side, the more the disadvantage falls to us. Therefore, Natsuki Subaru, I ask—you, no, you and Beatrice—for your cooperation."

"...Cooperation?"

"Yes. We are in the very midst of a national crisis brought about by the clandestine maneuvers of countless traitors who have wormed their way even into the kingdom's very core. It is precisely in this situation that I would borrow your power—the power of Natsuki Subaru, who once cooperated with my house and contributed greatly to the subjugation of the White Whale."

"—"

As Crusch sheathed her dagger and extended her now free hand to him with those words, Subaru involuntarily caught his breath and stared straight at her. It wasn't only her request that astonished him. Of course, that plea shocked him greatly, but what startled him even more was that she spoke of the once-waged decisive battle with the White Whale as something that had indeed happened to her.

In response, Subaru finally gave voice to the question that had weighed on his heart ceaselessly from the moment he ran into Crusch at McMahon Manor up to now. It was—

"Let me ask one thing. —Has your 'memory' returned, Crusch?"

"—. Of course. Do you sense in me now any trace of that contemptible, feeble Crusch Karsten from when I lacked 'memory'? The question is almost insulting."

"————"

At Crusch's unequivocal declaration of the restoration of her 'memory,' Subaru's cheeks tightened. The shock it brought was a complex blend of joy and indignation. That Crusch's 'memory' had returned was, in itself, something he was glad for from the bottom of his heart. But even so, to denigrate so harshly the Crusch who existed while she lacked 'memory'...

"A wind of displeasure. Surely you don't mean to side with the me without 'memory'?"

"It's not that simple. Whether you have 'memory' now or lacked it then, both are still you—both are Crusch to me."

"—No, that's wrong. A Crusch Karsten without 'memory' cannot be Crusch Karsten. Therefore—!"

"—"

"...That's why Ferris, too, gave up on Crusch Karsten."

"Wh—!"

To Crusch, who ground her back teeth and trembled all over, Subaru tried to declare plainly, "That's the one thing you're wrong about!" He'd thought the same not only in this instant, but even before they started moving. Crusch was misunderstanding what Ferris's decision meant—misreading the depth of his resolve.

It was true that Ferris had gone back on Crusch's vow, the vow made for the sake of the deceased royal. Even Subaru, who'd only heard the story, could easily imagine how important that was to Crusch. But it was the same for Ferris. Ferris, too, had loved the late Fourth Prince. Even so, he chose.

Love for the living over love for the dead. —That, Subaru refuses to have denied. All the more when two people who mutually turn their feelings toward each other are kept from sharing them just because they passed each other by—such a tragedy—

"—It seems this is as far as we can put off a decision."

But before Subaru could vent that surge of emotion, the situation would not allow it to continue. Crusch's murmur as she looked toward the depths of the sewer they'd passed, behind Subaru and the others—what that implied was made clear by the voices and footsteps coming from far behind. —Pursuers. Those searching for Subaru's group and Crusch had banded together and descended into the sewers.

"If we just talk to them properly..."

"I told you. You're already being seen as having colluded with me. The sword taken by your strange technique was left at the scene as well. If they compare it with the wounds on the corpse, my involvement will be obvious. On top of that—"

"On top of that? What, there's an even worse part than this?"

"Despite the presence of Tiga Rauleon, who knows your intentions, you, too, have been deemed to have been involved in the killing of Miklotov McMahon. That man must have reported as much."

"——"

"The rest is your choice. If you think I'm not worth trusting, then seek protection from the pursuers coming after. —Farewell."

Having said whatever she pleased and making it clear she had no intention of further conversation, Crusch turned her back, tossed the lamp into the sewage, and dashed off with brisk resolve. When even the faint light from the light source sinking into the sewer could no longer reach her back, only the receding footsteps pressed Subaru for a decision like a countdown.

Reject Crusch's argument and rejoin the soldiers pursuing them, spill everything and ask for protection. Or else, disappear into the dark and chase the back of Crusch, who was trying to fight a vast conspiracy alone—one of the two.

"Damn it! I wanna believe! I wanna, but does that conspiracy even exist in the first place...?"

She's misunderstanding Ferris's true intent, and is of a mind that won't hesitate to point her sword even at Subaru. Including the tendency to become impulsively emotional, Crusch's state of mind is unstable. In the worst case, everything—including cutting down Miklotov—could be nothing but the baseless rampage of a Crusch fallen into paranoia; that possibility is cause for alarm. In such a situation, what is the right thing to do—

"Subaru, calm down and listen, would you? No matter which you choose or whose side you take, Betty is on Subaru's side, and she'll stay by you the whole time."

"Beako..."

"I'm done with being separated like back in the Empire, you know. If Subaru isn't where I can keep an eye on you, my heart pounds so hard I can hardly breathe."

Saying that, Beatrice told Subaru, who didn't know what the right answer was, that whatever he chose she'd make it the right one—or rather, that they'd make it the right one together. That blew away his hesitation. That's right. Just as Beatrice says. No matter what choice he makes, struggling to make it the right one is supposed to be Natsuki Subaru's most proficient way of fighting, isn't it?

"I can't just leave Crusch. You're coming with me to hell, Beatrice!"

"If it's with Subaru, I wouldn't mind being sealed for four hundred years!"

"I do mind, so don't say scary things like that, will you?!"

As he said it, Subaru scooped up his reliable and beloved partner, gave chase after the retreating footsteps, and tore off into the dimness at full speed.

Whether she's right or wrong, he can't leave Crusch. Whether to stop her or to help her, he mustn't leave her side.

"Ah, damn, my arm hurts!"

A dull throb—the pain in his burned arm ached as if to condemn Subaru's foolishness. Carrying that, more than lamenting how he'd been swept up and driven along, Subaru worried for how this would weigh on the hearts of Emilia and the others when it reached their ears.

Causing trouble is one thing, but more than that, the pain of making them worry wins out. To Emilia, to Rem, to Ram, to Petra, to Meili, to Garfiel—to everyone. So, biting down on the pain of body and mind, Subaru strained his eyes into the gloom...

"Somehow, make it work, Otto!"

And with that, he ran, tossing this sudden crisis to a friend who wasn’t even here.

△▼△▼△▼△

—At the same time, at the Lords' Manor in Royal Capital Lugunica.

This day was supposed to mark the starting point of an event of great, great significance both to the Kingdom of Lugunica and to the camp of Emilia, a candidate in the royal selection. As for the calamity wrought upon the Watergate City of Pristella by the Witch Cult, it was a perfect chance to remove its lingering blight. With the cooperation of the Holy Dragon Church, that moment was to be made possible, and Emilia and the others would be present to witness months of powerlessness finally swept away—or so it had been planned.

—And yet, what exactly is this situation?

With preparations for departure complete, all that remained was to await the return of Subaru and Beatrice, who had left the manor on an errand. In the meantime, as the camp enjoyed tea time in the parlor, Otto Suwen, striving to remain calm, posed that question to the unexpected visitors.

Those who barged boisterously into the manor were soldiers of the kingdom, each equipped to show their formal affiliation with the realm—exuding a somewhat heavy, tense atmosphere. Otto moved to shield the women, Emilia included, and stepped to the fore. Of course, standing even before Otto as he did so was—

“Ain’t this one helluva rough entrance? I don’t care how soft and fluffy Lady Emilia is, that don’t mean you punks get a free pass to pull rude crap.”

“Garfiel, try not to intimidate them too much. They’re guests. —For now.”

“Got it, Big Bro Otto.”

Standing at the very front, Garfiel clicked his sharp fangs together; Otto only nominally soothed him, creating a pause to make the other side state their reason for visiting. It was a bit of a contrived setup—ceding them a move to manufacture a sense of obligation. If they could at least grasp that—

“All of you, rein in your killing intent. Do you understand before whom you stand?”

—

The instant that low voice was uttered, the kingdom soldiers spread throughout the parlor snapped their backs straight in perfect order. Slipping through the ring of now-upright soldiers and approaching with heavy, thudding footsteps came a giant of a man, so large one had to look up at him. Clad head to toe in steel-colored armor, with a face like living rock, he was the captain of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Lugunica—in other words, the man at the pinnacle of the kingdom’s knights, Marcos Gildark.

“Marcos...”

“I sincerely apologize for the sudden visit, Lady Emilia.”

At the sight of Marcos stepping forward, Emilia’s violet eyes blinked. In response to her reaction, Marcos, in contrast to his rugged appearance, offered a bow in perfect accordance with etiquette. Then, raising his face, he let his gaze sweep over Emilia and everyone around her—lingering especially on Otto and Garfiel, whose eyes were severe—

“We have come in this manner to request that Lady Emilia present herself at the royal castle. There is a point of doubt we must urgently confirm.”

“Out of the blue, just like that. A doubt? What on earth is it...?”

“—Concerning the background of Knight Natsuki Subaru.”

“Subaru’s?”

Observing proper forms, paying respect, and yet brooking no refusal—that was Marcos’s stance. On hearing that the doubt he raised concerned Subaru, Emilia reacted in words, while the others—Otto among them—each showed their own response in expression and bearing. Otto would later regret that this created the opening for Marcos to say his next words.

Because the doubt Marcos pronounced, involving Natsuki Subaru, was—

“There is a suspicion that Knight Natsuki Subaru has strong ties to the Witch Cult—that he may be akin to an Archbishop of Sin.”

—for it was the watershed that would determine whether Natsuki Subaru would be regarded as an enemy of the world or not.

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