"It's not like I lost at rock-paper-scissors to be the errand boy, so you've got no right to take it that far!"
Subaru decided then and there that if anyone was selling a delicacy advertised as only for the bold, that's what he'd give her.
For her part, Priscilla knit her refined eyebrows at Subaru's response.
"Rock-paper…scissors?"
She tilted her head while murmuring in confusion.
If she'd forgotten about Subaru, maybe she'd forgotten about rock-paperscissors, too. In many ways, she was a very hard woman to get along with.
"Subaru, be careful."
"If something happens, would you immediately call Betty, I wonder?"
After Emilia and Beatrice saw him off, Subaru waved and rushed out of the park.
When he tried to wink at Liliana, he was thwarted because she had closed both eyes.
"Oh…"
A little after that, right when he was reaching the entrance to the park, he heard the melody of the lyulyre echoing behind him.
With that sound at his back, Subaru quickened his steps as he headed toward the shopping district.
3
—And some ten minutes later after Subaru left the park…
"Man, I'm just a chicken. Really, I am."
As he exited the store, Subaru glanced at the products inside the bag, and his shoulders sagged.
After setting off in the name of procuring sweets, Subaru had found some appropriate stores and finished his shopping in short order. Along the way, his interest had been temporarily drawn by "gina jelly," a strange Pristella specialty, but he hadn't summoned the courage to buy it for Priscilla.
It sounded better to say he was fearful of worsening relations between the camps, but he'd simply chickened out.
"But it looked kind of like eel jelly… I'm not brave enough to taste test this one, but I liked that stuff."
Berating himself for his complex personal biases, Subaru jogged until he reached the street that led back to the park.
Fortunately, in the ten or so minutes he'd been away, Beatrice hadn't warned him about something going awry in the park. They were probably in the middle of the recital without any problems.
Even though he understood that, he instinctively wanted to return as soon as possible. But— "Oops, my bad."
—after rounding a sharp corner a little too fast, he nearly bumped into someone as soon as he entered a public square. After narrowly evading the passerby, Subaru immediately apologized as the other party raised a cry of "aah?" with a foul-sounding voice. "Hey, pal. Is that how ya apologize? You better put more sincerity into… Geh!"
The man with the crude demeanor was in the middle of picking a fight when he noticed Subaru and froze. Simultaneously, Subaru was shocked to realize he recognized this man.
"Huh, it's Larry? You still act like a street thug even though you work for
Felt now?"
"Oh, shaddap! And my name ain't Larry! The hell are you doin' here?!"
The one letting spittle fly as he complained was Lachins, who'd played the hoodlum role just the day before. According to Felt, he'd been assigned errands and was off on independent action within the city.
"Curly and Moe aren't with you? Kinda rare to see you on your own like this."
"How the hell would you know what's rare for me? We ain't known each other enough for this to feel like anythin'. Shoo, scram."
"Hey, don't be so cold. Aren't we buddies who've gone through life and death together?"
"I don't remember anythin' like that!"
Lachins shot him a disgusted look when Subaru got too chummy.
Even Subaru wasn't very sure why he had a soft spot for the guy. It was probably because Subaru's Everyman Sensor picked up that Larry, Curly, and Moe were fellow commoners. In this world, Subaru had met so many incredible people that seeing ordinary people like them once in a while came as a relief.
Though he'd been killed by them once, his fondness for them had actually grown since.
"Anyway! Don't get close to me! I'm doin' work right now!"
"For you to have work after being unemployed for so long… I'm so happy for you!!"
"Get lost!!"
As Subaru acted tearful, Lachins clicked his tongue and brushed him off, vanishing into the crowds. Subaru reflected on the fact that the cold reaction was a great relief to him for some reason.
Lately, he'd been greeted with receptions befitting his title practically everywhere he went. He was worried that he'd let it go to his head if he didn't get a reality check like this once in a while.
Of course, he belatedly realized he really had been a nuisance to Lachins, so he decided to apologize the next time he had the chance.
"Mm?"
Then, with Lachins having vanished into the throng, Subaru turned around and began to walk when he came to a halt.
—No, it wasn't just Subaru who'd stopped. Within his field of view, a great many people within the square had come to a halt as well.
"What the—? If it ain't one thing, it's another! The hell y'all lookin' at?!"
Speaking those words, Lachins pushed his way out from the frozen mass of pedestrians. Just like he had complained, everyone had stopped to stare up at a tall building overhead.
—This was a spire standing at the back of the square, extremely prominent even in such a large city.
A magic crystal clock was embedded into the upper portion of the building; it was a time tower that functioned much like a clock tower.
These towers were common in large towns and cities, and several of them were scattered around Pristella. This time tower was simply one among many.
But then that changed.
"—To all those whose conversations and busy schedules I've interrupted,
I offer my apologies."
At the upper portion of the time tower, a lone figure emerged from an open window to stand precariously on the edge.
As all eyes gathered on the stranger standing before them in such a bizarre manner, the voice addressing the crowd trembled, seemingly overcome with emotion at being the center of attention.
"Please lend me but a tiny instant of your time. Thank you."
The tone of the voice that opened with an apology and a word of thanks was particular to those who were more concerned with their appearance than genuinely showing gratitude. Everyone listening was assailed by an uncomfortable sensation, as if that voice itself mercilessly clawed at their hearts.
These disturbing feelings were doubtlessly amplified by the speaker's bizarre outward appearance.
This person's head was covered in raggedly wrapped bandages that left one eye visible, gleaming mysteriously as it surveyed the world below.
For clothes, they had a black robe with long, misshapen gold-colored chains wrapped around both slender hands, ending in hooks. These were dragging across the floor as the speaker came forward one purposeful footstep at a time, hastily heading to the top of the tower.
Glancing at the audience, unable to peel their eyes from the bizarre sight, the speaker smiled—at least, the gloomy contortion of their mouth, which was hidden by bandages, made Subaru think that was a smile.
"Thank you, and sorry. I am the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins, charged with Wrath—"
Voicing that terrifying preamble aloud, the eccentric offered an introduction.
"—My name is Sirius Romanée-Conti."
4
In contrast to the other Archbishops, the tone of Sirius's voice was chummy, outgoing, and even cheerful.
This strange announcement delivered by someone wrapped in bandages left everyone looking up at the tower and unable to speak.
Perhaps it was partly due to the speaker's surreal appearance, but the greater factor was almost certainly the crowd's inability to process what they just heard.
Of course, these were nothing more than secondary reasons. There was a reason more fundamental than any other.
—How could anyone take their eyes off something that threatened their very lives?
"Eh, wha—?"
"What did they say just now?"
"You're kidding, right? The Witch Cult, here…"
The realization and chaos that had been delayed by the initial turmoil began to gradually spread through the mass of people.
But not a single person there instantly adopted the best countermeasures available. Everyone listening to the contents of the message doubted their ears, and the only thing rippling through the crowd was confusion.
"Hey, what did that bastard say just now?! Did you hear that?!"
And the same went for Lachins, who noticed Subaru and came running.
Lachins kept one eye on what was happening overhead as he wove through the crowd toward Subaru, who also couldn't take his eyes off the eccentric, despite standing apart from the rest of the audience.
For some reason, he could tell that letting his attention lapse would be an irrevocable mistake. There was no need to doubt the individual's identity.
—That was the exact same malice Petelgeuse had.
"Plus, Romanée-Conti…?"
The surname the bandaged eccentric had invoked—Romanée-Conti, just like Petelgeuse.
Of course, as Petelgeuse had been an evil spirit, a blood relative sharing the same name was highly unlikely, but—
"Don't tell me all the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins use the same family name…"
The existence of a famous Romanée-Conti family within the Witch Cult churning out Archbishops one generation after the next was a concept so twisted that even the thought of it was enough to make Subaru crinkle his nose.
Without such trivial thoughts running through his head, Subaru would have already blown his lid.
An Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins was right there. It wasn't the Gluttony he was pursuing, but there was an Archbishop right there. "—Gotta nab 'em and make 'em spill the beans." He'd blaze a trail to Gluttony one way or another.
With that decided, Subaru calmed his blazing heart. Simultaneously, he focused on the link with Beatrice within his chest. By calling out to her, Subaru could convey that something was wrong. This was the firm bond that tied a contractor to his contracted spirit.
In the innermost depths of his body, he'd grasp it, pulling it toward him all at once—
"—That's quite enough!"
"—?!"
But his attempt to call Beatrice was terminated, abruptly blown away by a dry, rupturing sound.
This was the sound of the bandaged eccentric clapping their hands together. Subaru's breath caught from the noise, which was so loud that it seemed to reach every corner of the city and rocked the square itself.
Then, looking down upon the multitude frozen with shock, the eccentric's exposed, lolling eye wandered around.
"It took twenty-two seconds before everyone fell silent. But I thank you for quieting down. I am sorry. I am also very happy. And…"
Speaking sarcasm along with their thanks, the eccentric—Sirius—kept both hands together as their body swayed. Sirius really did seem to be enjoying the show, but the crude-looking chains hanging from both hands continued to undermine that impression. The discordant sound of the hooks scraping against the tower's platform and the chains rubbing against the walls really grated on the ears.
"You and you over there, and you two sirs over there also, I am sorry. Do
not be so cross. I offer you my heartfelt apology for taking up your valuable time. Sorry, and thank you." "Is…!"
Sirius squirmed all around while doing their best to convey sincerity.
The only reason Subaru did not instantly shout, Is this a joke?! and go deliver a beatdown was precisely because he was included among those Sirius had pointed to that moment, urging them to not be so cross.
Subaru noticed the three others whom Sirius had pointed at—a beast man with a sword on his hip, a woman with an eye patch, and Lachins—had all gone pale. They were probably the only ones present with any fight in them.
This was without doubt a warning: Any sign of hostility, and Sirius would nail them to the floor first.
Feeling sweat beading on his brow, Subaru cursed the stalemate he had fallen into.
Allowing the Witch Cultist to take the initiative was a terrible misstep. Including Subaru, some thirty people were in the square, trapped in Sirius's field of vision—hardly a trivial number.
One false move, and there would be instant carnage.
Everyone indicated by Sirius's finger understood this, blocking them from making a move. From the expression on his bitter face, Lachins was the only one hesitant in his decision.
Lachins probably had a wild card to play—specifically calling Reinhard over.
If he could do so in time, there was no one who could best Reinhard. It was a certainty that he'd settle matters with a single blow—however, the sacrifices incurred in the time it took him to arrive could never be undone.
If Lachins didn't care about casualties, he could have Sirius taken care of…hence his inner turmoil.
"Yes, thank you. It would seem that everyone has calmed down a little. I understand that you are uneasy. The ring of the words Witch Cult never fails to leave a poor impression. That is why even I will not ask you to disregard this. I merely wished to have all of you give me this time today because there is something I sorely wish to confirm."
"And what's that…?"
"I am sorry; please do not be noisy. I am not very smart, so if everyone talks at once, I won't know what to do. And then I'll be quite sad. That's not good, is it? But if something's wrong, please let me know. I'll do my best to answer for everyone's sake."
Sirius's insistence on maintaining a pretense of friendliness and that somewhat logical manner of speaking only made the situation all the more unsettling.
Most people also found Sirius's fashion sense, which involved covering everything but their left eye and lips with bandages, predictably disturbing.
And if wariness about this was keeping everyone from making a move— "Can I take you at your word and ask a question?"
When it felt like no one wanted to take the initiative and single themselves out, Subaru Natsuki raised a hand anyway.
Even as he sensed a wave of surprise spreading around him, Subaru did not avert his eyes from Sirius, who was still standing overhead. Looking down upon Subaru, Sirius opened their purple eye wide.
"Yes! You over there, please do. Thank you. To think you were so angry before, yet now you are willing to speak with me. What a happy occasion.
Ask me anything."
"I'm not sure what you want, but I have some girls waiting for me, and four of them at that. I'd like to settle this as quickly as possible and get back to them."
"My! That is terrible; I am so sorry. Surely, we are troubling these girls and causing them sadness or maybe even anguish. That is wrong so very wrong impermissible unforgivable."
"Um, excuse me?"
As they spoke, the cheer in Sirius's voice faded, their gaze began to grow ominous, and they gasped in surprise when Subaru's bewildered voice called out.
"Oh no, oh no, I was about to get emotional. I am so sorry. I really try to watch out, but I get easily excited. Thank you for your concern."
"…Nah, that's fine. I'm just grateful that we can have a nice and calm conversation."
"I am sorry you need be so considerate. Thank you. But it's all right. I am famous for being one of the doves of the Witch Cult. I am quite sorry that the others are problematic children to some extent."
Something shocking dawned on Subaru as he continued having a surprisingly coherent conversation with Sirius.
The unexpectedly gentle demeanor, the insistence on keeping the conversation going, and the sheer impact of the initial encounter had shoved this fact aside, but Sirius, the mystery person standing above on the tower, was a woman.
Judging from the way the incredibly white fabric wrapped around her head and how it poked out from the standard Cult-issue black robe, her entire body was probably covered in bandages. Even so, Subaru had noticed telltale bulges on the chest of her tall, slender body. That combined with her manner of speech convinced him that Sirius was female.
" "
Setting aside the issue of gender, Sirius's words and actions conveyed no sense of an immediate threat for the time being.
At first, Subaru had been extremely wary, but after conversing with Sirius for a bit, he realized that she came off as more of a true human being than Priscilla did. The initial tension in everyone's expressions fell away, leaving most people more interested in Sirius's true intentions rather than worry and fear.
In spite of the hatred he supposedly harbored toward the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins, Subaru was no exception.
"Thank you; I am so sorry. Truly, I had not intended to surprise everyone. But I am pleased from my heart that we have overcome this and you are now lending me your ears."
"It's not like we've accepted or forgiven you, but we'll at least hear you out first."
"I suppose that will do. Well then, I shall get to the point about the reason why I have appeared before you like this."
As she swayed her body and rubbed the chains on both of her hands together, the high-pitched sound tore at the air around them.
Now that he took a good look, her appearance was more comical than creepy. If he thought of her as some sort of clown or entertainer, he had to wonder if she was really that far removed from someone like Liliana.
Subaru's expression softened, and the guarded walls he'd raised around his heart slowly crumbled away.
There didn't seem to be a need to call over Beatrice anymore. He'd hear Sirius out and then ask her to depart quietly.
—Peaceful and proper, not making any waves whatsoever. Wasn't that a good thing?
"So what did you wanna ask?"
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up and ask already!"
"That's right, that's right. If ya don't hurry up, I'll be late for work."
When Subaru prodded her to go ahead, the people around him raised their voices, almost jeering at her.
The last man pointed at the magic time crystal over Sirius's head, an act that was enough to provoke uproarious laughter. The wave of laughter made Subaru unwittingly relax his lips.
The amicable atmosphere brought a blushy smile over Sirius as she pressed her hands to her cheeks like she wasn't sure what to do.
"Sorry, so sorry. I really am sorry. I know you all must be in a hurry. I will soon be finished, so please bear with me a little while longer."
"I told ya, hurry it up already—!"
"Yes! Well then, I shall do just that. Er, you see, there is something I wish to confirm. To come out and say it…it concerns love. Ohhh, I am so embarrassed."
Thanks to the bandages, he couldn't see the color of her face, but Sirius was covering it with her palms to conceal her own bashfulness. The gesture made Subaru break into spontaneous laughter. There were grins all around him as the gradually warming atmosphere infected others, making Sirius tremble in even greater embarrassment.
"I—I expected everyone to laugh, but even so, I can't seem to look you in the face. But thank you for listening. Thank you, and also, I have a request."
"A request?"
"I am so sorry. Could I ask you to put up with me while I try to confirm love?"
Fidgeting, Sirius rubbed the chains from both hands together as she made that request.
The pathetic sight elicited a collective that's all? from the audience. As a matter of fact, Subaru had no particular objection, either. His heart warmed by the sight, he politely nodded.
When he did, Sirius brightened, her eye twinkling as she clapped her hands together.
"Really?! Thank you, thank you, and also sorry. The world truly is kind. It is kind and filled with love. I am grateful I can savor the feeling like this. We are capable of permitting and yielding to one another. That is why I say not only thank you but I am sorry."
"We get it already! Sirius, what are you gonna do now?"
"Ahhh, so sorry!"
Sirius looked deeply moved when the swordswoman with the eye patch over one eye jeered at her. The voice was casual, as if she was speaking to a friend she'd known for a decade or a classmate at a girls' school, which seemed to help Sirius relax.
As if finally remembering something, Sirius walked to the time tower window from which she had emerged, reaching her arms inside the structure.
And then—
"I am so sorry to have kept you waiting. Come on—right this way."
" !!"
Calling out with a gentle voice, Sirius pulled something from beyond the window.
Thrashing in Sirius's arms was a tiny, moaning figure—a boy still early in years, his entire body firmly bound.
The child, ten years old give or take, was wrapped in chains from his ankles to his shoulders; there were blood droplets where a chain had bit into his mouth. He was desperately moving what he could above his neck, tears coursing in some kind of muffled plea.
"I am so sorry this is so confining. But you are a boy, so you must not cry. I wished to keep that a secret between us, but you are drenched. Now everyone will know your shame."
"Nn—! Nnn!!"
"Yeah—! It's embarrassin'—!!"
"You're a boy! Don't cry, don't cry!!"
"There's only three times in a man's life that he can cry, ha-ha-ha!"
Warm voices called out to the tearful boy as the audience joined Sirius in trying to console him.
Overcoming the urge to be scared and cry from small frights was something everyone had to go through. There was no malice involved, but a number of the comments were rather lacking in delicacy.
"Yes, yes, everyone, please do not say such things. Certainly, he is cowering a little at the moment, but this is a very brave child. Isn't that so, young Lusbel?"
With his entire body bound by chains, the kid had to weigh a fair bit, but Sirius easily carried him with one arm. Gently stroking the boy's chestnutcolored hair, she turned him toward the crowd while praising his courage.
Lusbel—the boy squirming with all his might in his effort to escape from Sirius's hand. The contrast looked humorous and laughable, just begging for someone to laugh at how pathetic he seemed.
"Yes! Now then, may I have everyone's attention? This is the young Lusbel Callard. He is a native of Pristella. He is still only nine years old.
My, such fine future prospects."
"Nn ! Nnn !!!"
"His father is Muslan Callard. He is an observer for the city waterways. His mother, Ina Callard, is currently pregnant and showing at this very moment. Will Lusbel be blessed with a younger brother or a younger sister…? Quite a happy thought regardless of which is born. Young Lusbel has a childhood friend, a cute blonde with curly hair named Tina, who he gets along with very nicely. Since the pair care deeply about each other and seem to have an ideal relationship, I spent a considerable amount of time mulling over which one I should bring here. At first, I thought I'd bring Tina, but Lusbel asked me so earnestly, it struck a chord deep within me… Therefore, I yielded to young Lusbel's enthusiasm and had him cooperate with me. He is a very brave child. You all understand that now, don't you?" For an instant, the tale of Lusbel's courage was greeted by pure silence.
But a moment later, riotous applause thundered in the square. The audience extolled Lusbel's courage, regretting the way they had laughed at his tears, for he was a true hero.
—No, that wasn't it. It was not the time to feel remorse for their thoughtlessness. It was time to praise courage.
"Lusbel, don't cry! You're the best!"
That was why Subaru raised his voice, celebrating the heroism of the tearful boy.
"That's right, don't you be cryin'! We know ya got stones, so hang in there till the end, kid!"
Beside Subaru, Lachins had tears in the corners of his eyes as he raised a crass cheer for the boy.
"That's right, you go, Lusbel! You're the pride of Pristella!"
"Lusbel! You're marvelous! I'm sure you'll become a fine man!"
As one, the audience filled the square with cheers, applause, and acclaim for their hero Lusbel.
This beautiful scene of human virtue had been made possible by the courage and dedication of a single boy. No matter how unseemly he might have looked, it was genuine courage that gave birth to true light.
"Ahhh, ahhh…thank you, thank you, thank you! Ahhh, this is so wonderful! You all understand. I believed that you would trust in young Lusbel's courage! After all, his way is the way of love! I thought that by knowing him, you would come to love him as well! The more you understand him, the deeper you know him—your thoughts become one, and that is love!"
"Thank you, Sirius! Thank you!"
Sirius hoisted Lusbel aloft with both hands, the bandages on her face drenched with tears. Seeing this, Subaru couldn't hold back the hot tears he hadn't even noticed until moments ago.
He felt a poke on his shoulder. Beside him, Lachins pointed at Subaru and laughed at his free-flowing tears. As he did so, tears trickled down his cheeks as well, and before long, everyone in the square was overcome by the same emotion.
That moment, everyone's hearts had truly become one. They were linked by an undeniable bond.
"We rifts are born because we do not know one another. Conflict arises because we do not understand one another. And when we give up because we are different from one another, bonds cannot be wrought. Everyone, how are your hearts now?"
"It's not like that at all! None of us is giving up! Our hearts are one!"
"Thank you! Thank you! Then I take it that everyone is happy right now?"
"Damn right we are! It's the first time I've felt like this! Thank you, Sirius! Lusbel!"
With sounds of admiration and applause trained toward him, Lusbel sobbed at the highest point of the time tower. Finally, heedless of the gashes at the corners of his mouth, the boy bled as he desperately raised his voice.
"Gu, gii! Aurr!! S-svv…sv—ve…mhhh…!"
"Young Lusbel, they extol your courage; they extol love! Look down. So many people admire you. Ahhh, thank you! I am so sorry, young Lusbel. This may not be what you intended. But now I know. The world is indeed a kind place!"
Embracing Lusbel, whom she held aloft, Sirius turned her head toward the heavens as she continued in a loud voice.
"Yes, there truly is love in this world. Everyone's hearts have become one. Their feelings of happiness are the same. No one needs tragedy. A world where people must cry is nothing but a nuisance. The greatest emotions come when people's hearts are joined together! No one needs tragedy! No one needs Wrath!"
"That's right! No one needs tragedy!"
"Ahhh, abominable Wrath that makes my heart tremble so! Anger—in other words, rage! If this is indeed one of the Seven Deadly Sins that afflicts human hearts, if it is fate that it can never truly be cut away, then one should fill the heart with tremendous joy until there is no room left! Just like how it fills everyone's hearts this very moment!"
Letting spittle fly, Sirius shared what she had learned about love from on high as if it were the judgment of the heavens themselves.
Then from her upraised arms, she hurled the courage that had received envy from one and all into the sky.
"May I have your applause?!"
Sirius hurled Lusbel into the sky on the greatest stage imaginable.
Watching the boy fly toward the sun, everyone clapped. Subaru brought his hands together over and over again as hard as he could.
Uproarious applause rang out, blessing Lusbel as he soared into the sky.
The tiny body spun in midair, finally reaching the zenith of the throw, then proceeding to plunge straight toward the ground. He was inverted, falling toward the stone-paved square headfirst.
The audience cleared his impending point of impact—applauded endlessly all the while, awaiting his triumphal return.
"Nnnn !!"
Lifting his head, Lusbel glared at the approaching ground and screamed.
Though his strength should have been exhausted, he thrashed wildly, desperately struggling until the very, very end. Sensing they had caught a glimpse of a human being truly worthy of praise, the audience was moved to tears.
And then—
"—Ahhh, what a kind world!!"
—just before the impact, Sirius shouted.
Hearing that voice, the audience's applause became one, growing louder and louder as the echoes boomed.
—Then there was a sound of something hard and fragile breaking, like an egg falling onto the floor. Everyone's vision was filled with red.
Falling headfirst onto the hard surface, the entire body crumpled, and that which had once been Lusbel transformed into a pile of crimson flesh. Fat globules of blood scattered across the square in all directions as the hero spectacularly flew apart.
And then right after witnessing this— "—Bhhh."
—like applause that refused to end, the sound of countless eggs smashing reverberated across the square.
The ground was drowned in a crimson pool of blood.
That was how it ended.
5
"After the song, we'll have a pleasant chat, so could you prepare some snacks, Master Natsuki? Do you not think that sweets will make everyone happy and bring us all closer together?"
Just after he thought he'd blinked, he saw an olive-skinned girl shoot him a clumsy wink.
" "
As he watched the girl sticking her tongue out in a playful pose, Subaru Natsuki forgot to breathe.
When he shifted his unsteady gaze, he saw a silver-haired girl with a soft, charming smile beside him, and also standing there was a redheaded girl, arms crossed with an arrogant look on her face.
Then he noticed the presence of a little girl in a dress gently holding his hand—
"Errr, is something amiss? Ignoring? Are you ignoring me? P-please cut that out; it's very depressing… Aah, cut—cut that out… D-don't sigh after listening to my song… Don't make such a sad face; forgive meee…!"
As Subaru fell into complete silence, the girl before his eyes—Liliana— was trembling awkwardly as if she was undergoing some kind of trauma.
Subaru set his eyes upon her, and his stiff lips trembled.
"…I feel sick."
"Wha—?! H-how can this be?! How can you look at a girl's face and say something so cruel?! Liliana has never been humiliated like this before!! My goodness, on behalf of Master Natsuki's mother, I am completely
embarrassed for you!! Compwetewy!! Embawwassed!!"
As Liliana faked anguished tears, her mouth bled from the impressive way she had bitten her tongue. It was a ridiculous and transparently comical sight, but Subaru couldn't bring himself to laugh even if he wanted to.
His head was heavy. His vision was flickering. Unable to stand, he sank to his knees then and there.
"Subaru?! What's wrong?"
"Wait a—What happened, I wonder?! Subaru, Subaru?"
Beatrice, who was holding his hand, and Emilia beside them peered at Subaru's face as he hugged the floor.
Then with a face so pale that the two unwittingly gasped, Subaru—
"—I feel sick."
Even more than the death loop a year prior, he was at a loss for how to process his death. His knees continued trembling as nausea welled up.
"I feel sick."
The shock was almost impossible to endure. He felt revolted by the corruption that made his insides roil. His mind and body were buffeted by raging waves of loss. Subaru Natsuki was overwhelmed by a disgust that outweighed even the horror of death.
In his memory of the moment just prior to his death, the past felt like the blink of an eye to him. He remembered how the corruption of his soul had blotted out his mind and left him unable to recognize the abnormal for what it was. And then he recalled the mysterious behavior of that disciple of abomination—
—Archbishop of Wrath, Sirius Romanée-Conti.
Without any doubt, the being was one of the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins, kin to Sloth and Greed and Gluttony. They were all envoys of vice and destruction, embodiments of nightmares that by rights should not exist.
The feeling of losing himself, of ceasing to be himself only to eventually return, was a first even for him.
"I feel sick."
The horrifying experience made him shudder. Feeling a chill coming on, Subaru trembled uncontrollably.
Like an old friend celebrating their reunion, death had clawed Subaru Natsuki to pieces.
What's more, Subaru hadn't even realized it yet.
He was only tens of minutes before the scene of his death, from which he had just returned.
The time limit was approaching again, at which point he would have to rise, clench his teeth, and fight.
A maelstrom of death enveloped Subaru Natsuki once more. And so it began. In fact, it had already begun.
—The loop to overcome the worst day in his life was set here in the Water Gate City of Pristella.