...
{3rd Pov}
Subaru dashed frantically through the hallways, his breath ragged as his footsteps echoed against the marble floor.
Behind him, Garfiel and Otto held their ground, desperately covering his retreat as chaos erupted within the mansion.
The Knights stationed nearby stood frozen in disbelief, unable to immediately process the sudden turn of events.
Their attention, rather than following Subaru's fleeing figure, was instinctively drawn toward the thick frost rapidly spreading from the direction of the meeting room—its icy tendrils creeping along the floor and walls, swallowing the warm air of the corridor.
For a moment, the bewildered soldiers simply stared, their minds struggling to make sense of the impossible sight.
Subaru, sprinting for his life, barely registered their presence as he pushed himself onward, heart pounding violently in his chest.
The Knights, still uncertain of what was transpiring, exchanged confused glances before breaking into motion.
"Don't let them escape!" a furious voice bellowed from within the meeting room.
The cry was immediately followed by a thunderous crash, shaking the entire mansion from its foundations.
Dust rained from the ceiling as the walls groaned under the immense pressure.
The chamber, once a place of orderly discussion, now quaked as if it were about to collapse upon itself—an undeniable testament to the terrifying battle raging inside.
At first, the Knights hesitated, shocked by the sheer force of the confrontation.
The command echoed in their ears, but their minds reeled with disbelief.
Wasn't that Natsuki Subaru—the very same boy hailed as one of the heroes who had once stood against the Witch Cult?
The thought alone made them falter, torn between loyalty, confusion, and the dawning horror that something far beyond their understanding was unfolding within those icy halls.
"Don't let Natsuki Subaru escape! That is the direct order of the Wise Men!" Julius declared sharply, his voice cutting through the chaos as he emerged from the shattered doorway.
His words immediately threw the surrounding guards into a frenzy, their discipline snapping back into focus at the authoritative command.
The Knight Captain barely had a moment to breathe before a barrage of glimmering ice shards shot toward him—Emilia's magic tearing through the air with blinding speed.
Without hesitation, Julius drew his blade, intercepting the deadly projectiles in a fluid motion as frost blossomed along the steel's edge.
Inside the grand meeting hall, the battle had descended into utter pandemonium.
The once elegant chamber, adorned with banners and polished marble, was now a battleground of raw, uncontrolled power.
Priscilla and Reinhard stood at the center of the storm, their clashes resounding like thunder.
Each strike they exchanged sent visible ripples through the air, the very floor beneath them splintering and cracking under the sheer force of their blows.
The ground trembled, furniture was reduced to dust, and bursts of light and flame illuminated their silhouettes in a dance of devastation.
Meanwhile, Aldebaran was locked in a desperate duel with Felix.
The confined space limited him severely—one reckless move, and his magic could obliterate the entire mansion.
His every swing had to be restrained, every burst of energy controlled to a dangerous degree.
Even so, the tension between them was palpable, their movements blurring as the temperature within the hall swung violently between searing heat and biting cold.
The mansion itself groaned under the strain, the walls fracturing, beams cracking, and the chandelier above swaying perilously as if it might come crashing down at any moment.
The air was thick with magic and dust, making it hard to see, harder still to breathe.
At the heart of it all, Emilia stood like a storm given form.
Her silver hair shimmered under the pale glow of her ice magic as she commanded the entire room with relentless force.
The floor, the ceiling, even the walls had been encased in thick frost, sealing off every possible escape route.
Her control was astounding—she was simultaneously maintaining a massive ice barrier while unleashing a continuous flurry of glittering projectiles at her opponents.
It was chaos—pure, perilous chaos—born from too much power confined within too small a space.
None of the combatants could exert their full strength without risking catastrophic destruction, and yet the intensity of the battle only continued to rise.
Emilia's onslaught left her opponents—Crusch, Ricardo, Julius, and Wilhelm—badly wounded, their defenses cracking under the ceaseless storm of her magic.
Were it not for the unspoken restraint among the fighters—their shared unwillingness to deliver a killing blow—this confrontation could have ended in tragedy.
Emilia, despite her overwhelming offense, was fragile—a glass cannon, as some might cruelly describe her.
One lethal counterattack, one moment of recklessness, and even she could have been reduced to nothing beneath the ruin of the collapsing mansion.
Meanwhile, Subaru burst out of the shattered entrance of the mansion, his lungs burning as he sprinted into the cold night air.
Behind him trailed Garfiel, fierce and alert, while Otto ran just ahead, his mind racing as fast as his feet.
Clinging tightly to Subaru's back was Beatrice—small, determined, and radiating magical energy that shimmered faintly against the moonlight.
Her tiny arms wrapped around his shoulders, her face pressed against his neck as her twin drills of hair bounced with every stride.
"Subaru! I know somewhere safe—follow me!" Otto shouted over his shoulder, his voice strained but confident.
He darted through the open courtyard, weaving between fallen debris and half-frozen shrubbery as the echoes of battle roared behind them.
"Cap'n! I'll take the rear! Ain't no way those bastards are touchin' ya while I'm breathin'!" Garfiel barked, positioning himself protectively behind the group.
His claws glinted faintly in the dim light as his beastly instincts sharpened, ready to tear apart anyone who dared to approach.
"Beako!" Subaru called out, his voice desperate but steady, feeling her grip tighten on him.
"I will cover the front, I suppose," Beatrice muttered, her tone calm yet firm, her pride barely masking the tension in her voice.
With a quick motion, Subaru bent slightly forward, allowing her to climb up higher and perch on his shoulders, her small hands burying into his hair for balance.
"Hmph, hold still, I suppose," she added, tightening her grasp as glowing mana began to flicker between her palms.
Brilliant strands of light gathered at her fingertips, ready to unleash at the first sign of pursuit.
Subaru didn't waste another second.
With Otto leading the way and Garfiel guarding the rear, he pushed himself to run faster, boots pounding against the cobblestone path as they fled into the maze of dimly lit alleyways that stretched beyond the mansion grounds.
The air was heavy with tension—every shadow could hide an enemy, every corner a trap.
The cries of the knights behind them were growing louder, echoing through the icy night.
Frost still clung to their clothes and hair, a chilling reminder of the chaos they had escaped from.
"Move! Keep going straight, then left!" Otto shouted, glancing back briefly to make sure Subaru was keeping up.
The group darted through the narrow passages, their breaths forming white clouds in the freezing air.
Subaru's heart pounded like a drum, not just from exhaustion but from fear—the kind that gnawed at his gut yet pushed him to keep running.
Every step, every turn mattered.
Behind them, the Knights would soon regroup, and when they did, there would be no time to hesitate.
They had to move fast.
They had to survive.
Suddenly, without warning, a deafening shockwave rippled through the air, powerful enough to make the ground beneath Subaru's feet tremble violently.
He skidded to a halt, his breath catching in his throat as he instinctively turned around. T
he sight that met his eyes left him utterly stunned—his mind struggling to comprehend the sheer magnitude of what had just occurred.
The once-grand mansion, already scarred by battle, now stood on the brink of annihilation.
With a thunderous roar, the entire upper section of the building exploded outward, the ceiling shattering into countless fragments that were hurled high into the night sky.
Dust and debris erupted like a volcanic plume, scattering across the courtyard as the shockwave tore through the surrounding area.
Amid the chaos, two brilliant lights clashed at the center of the destruction—two swords meeting in a collision so fierce it seemed to tear the heavens apart.
Subaru's eyes widened.
There was no mistaking it.
Those two figures, suspended amidst the storm of destruction, were Priscilla and Reinhard—the Crimson Princess and the Sword Saint—locked in a duel that shook the very air with its intensity.
Each blow they exchanged radiated enough power to annihilate anything caught in its wake, the shockwaves of their strikes rolling outward like ripples from a divine calamity.
But that wasn't the only terror unfolding before him.
As the light from their battle flared, a chilling frost began to spread from the shattered mansion, consuming everything in sight.
The ground, the walls, even the air itself seemed to freeze as crystalline ice raced outward, devouring the remnants of warmth that clung to the night.
Within mere seconds, the entire mansion was encased in a solid sheet of glittering ice—followed swiftly by the nearby houses, which froze over as if time itself had stopped.
Subaru could only stand there, helplessly watching the destruction from afar.
His heart pounded violently in his chest, a mixture of awe and dread overwhelming him.
He could almost feel the magical pressure radiating from that place, as though the very essence of the world was being bent and torn apart by the forces colliding within.
"Emilia…" he whispered under his breath, fear creeping into his voice.
His mind conjured horrifying images—Emilia caught in that chaos, fighting against impossible odds, her fragile form surrounded by people far stronger and far less forgiving.
His chest tightened painfully, his thoughts spiraling into panic.
But before he could lose himself to worry, a sharp tug yanked at his hair.
"Ow—Beako!?" Subaru yelped in pain, jerking his head slightly as Beatrice leaned forward from her perch on his shoulders.
"Stop dazing around, I suppose," she scolded sharply, her stern gaze fixed upside down upon him as her twin drills swayed in the cold breeze.
Her small hands gripped his hair tighter, forcing him to look at her instead of the distant destruction.
"If you escape, then this battle will end, I suppose!" she declared, her voice clear and resolute despite the chaos echoing behind them.
Her tone carried no doubt, only conviction born from understanding the cruel logic of their situation.
Subaru froze for a heartbeat, her words cutting through the fog of his thoughts.
Then, like a jolt of lightning, realization struck him.
She was right—the entire battle raging inside the mansion, all the chaos, all the bloodshed—it was because of him.
He was the reason they fought, the one they had been ordered to capture.
If there was no "Natsuki Subaru" to be arrested… then there would be no battle left to fight.
Gripping his fists tightly, Subaru took a deep breath, his fear slowly giving way to determination.
"You're right, Beako," he muttered, his voice trembling but firm.
"If I keep running… they'll have no reason to fight anymore."
Beatrice gave a small, approving nod, her expression softening just slightly.
"Then run, I suppose. Run until they can't find you."
Even if they were currently on opposing sides, Subaru knew deep down that Reinhard and the others wouldn't resort to killing their opponents merely to arrest him.
No matter how fierce the battle had become, the worst that would happen were severe injuries—fatalities were unlikely.
That small sliver of reassurance allowed him to breathe just a bit easier.
Thinking of that, Subaru glanced up at Beatrice, a faint grin tugging at his lips despite the tension.
"Thanks, Beako! You really saved my head there!" he said, his tone rising back to its usual energy.
Then, without missing a beat, he declared, "Alright, everyone! Time to vanish—like we've got invisible cloaks or something!"
His voice rang out dramatically, filled with misplaced confidence.
Otto blinked, confusion clear on his face.
"Invisible... what now?" he muttered under his breath.
Garfiel frowned, clearly lost.
"Cap'n, you sayin' we're usin' some kinda weird spell?"
But Subaru didn't bother explaining.
He just kept running, grinning despite everything, as if his strange outburst made perfect sense.
To them—Garfiel, Otto, and Beatrice—it was simply Subaru being Subaru: unpredictable, frustrating, and yet somehow reassuring in the middle of chaos.
Their brief levity didn't last long.
A sudden, echoing sound filled the night air—an amplified voice booming across the entire city through the public speakers.
"Attention all citizens and Knights of the Capital! Natsuki Subaru, Otto Suwen, and Garfiel Tinsel have been declared fugitives! They are to be apprehended immediately. Do not let them escape the city limits!"
The announcement repeated several times, each word hitting like a hammer to Subaru's chest.
He stumbled mid-step, heart sinking.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" he muttered under his breath.
The others exchanged uneasy looks.
The situation had just escalated from bad to catastrophic.
And though official search warrants with their portraits would take some time to distribute, that small comfort didn't last long either.
The announcement had included a vivid description of their appearances—down to the smallest detail.
Their features had been laid bare before the entire city.
For Otto and Garfiel, this was still manageable.
A simple change of clothes, a hood pulled low, or a bit of grime smeared on the face would be enough to slip past most eyes.
They had faces that could disappear into a crowd if they needed to.
But Subaru?
Subaru was another story entirely.
He stood out like a beacon in the night.
His black hair and black eyes were rare in Lugnica—unnaturally so.
In a city filled with people of fair hair and bright eyes, his distinct features made him stick out like a sore thumb.
Not to mention, his sharp, expressive face carried an almost smug, devil-may-care charm that, as he often joked, could probably irritate Julius from several miles away.
Ahem.
As if on cue, Beatrice muttered something under her breath about his "unfortunate visibility," while
Otto groaned quietly, realizing how hard it would be to stay hidden now.
Wherever they went, the reaction was almost immediate—Knights and soldiers would spot Subaru within seconds, shouting his name and giving chase with unwavering persistence.
Garfiel did his best to hold off their pursuers, darting behind and knocking away anyone who got too close, but Subaru had made one thing perfectly clear: no lethal blows.
Under no circumstances were they to seriously injure or kill a Knight.
They were their comrades once, not enemies to be slaughtered.
But that restraint came at a cost.
Every skirmish, every attempt to avoid unnecessary harm, slowed them down more and more.
The city, once vast and full of winding paths, now felt like a cage closing in on them from all directions.
Each corner turned revealed more armored figures.
Each escape route ended with shouts and drawn blades.
And yet, through the chaos, Subaru pressed forward, determination burning in his eyes.
They would keep running—no matter how many times they were cornered—until there was no other path left.
"Subaru! This isn't the time to be worrying about everyone's well-being!" Otto's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and desperate.
His usual calmness was gone, replaced by the raw tension of survival.
"If we keep holding back like this, we'll never make it out! Let Garfiel and Lady Beatrice use their full strength—otherwise, we'll be caught for sure!"
Subaru's breath hitched.
The look on Otto's face was enough to tell him that this wasn't just a suggestion—it was a plea born of fear.
Otto's greatest dread wasn't the Knights chasing them now—it was the thought of who might come next.
Julius. Wilhelm, maybe even Reinhardt.
If any of them arrived, then it would mean only one thing: Priscilla and Emilia—two of the strongest combatants on their side—had been defeated.
And if that happened, their escape would be nothing more than a fleeting dream.
Subaru clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.
His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he hesitated for only a moment.
He didn't want anyone to get hurt—he didn't want Beatrice or Garfiel to lose control and cause unnecessary destruction.
But he also knew Otto was right.
They were cornered, and time was running out fast.
Grinding his teeth, Subaru shouted, "Beako! Garfiel! Go all out—just enough to break through!"
Beatrice, perched atop his shoulders, didn't hesitate.
"Finally, I suppose," she muttered, her small hands already glowing with a surge of mana.
The air around her shimmered and cracked as she began chanting.
With a burst of blinding light, she unleashed Minya—a spell of explosive magical force manifested as projectiles of crystallized mana that tore through the encircling Knights like a hail of bullets.
At the same time, Garfiel roared, his body glowing with golden light as his beast-like features intensified.
"Move, ya damn fools!" he bellowed, slamming his clawed fists into the ground.
The impact shattered the cobblestones beneath him and sent a shockwave ripping through the street, throwing the remaining Knights aside like rag dolls.
The path ahead opened.
"Now's our chance!" Otto cried, sprinting forward with all his strength.
Subaru followed close behind, his legs screaming in exhaustion but his will refusing to falter.
They broke through the blockade and burst into the open road, the night wind hitting their faces as they ran.
Yet freedom didn't taste sweet—it was bitter, tainted by the glares and voices of the citizens around them.
People peered out from their windows and doorways, their eyes filled with suspicion and disgust.
Whispers turned into shouts, and shouts turned into curses.
"Criminals!" some yelled.
"Traitors!" others hissed.
The same people Subaru had once risked his life to protect now looked upon him as if he were something vile—something to be condemned.
Subaru's heart tightened painfully at the sight.
He lowered his head, trying to block out their words, but they echoed endlessly in his mind.
'These people will abandon you the moment your use runs out.'
The voice of Zero—cold, mocking, and cruel—resonated in the back of his skull.
The words struck deeper now than they ever had before. E
ach shout from the crowd was like a blade twisting in his chest, confirming that prophecy in the harshest way possible.
But even amidst that pain, Subaru forced himself to look around—at Otto, running ahead with unwavering resolve; at Garfiel, growling fiercely as he defended their rear; and at Beatrice, sitting on his shoulders, her tiny hands still glowing faintly with residual magic.
Then his mind flashed back to those still fighting behind—the likes of Priscilla, Al, and Emilia—each risking their life just to buy him time, to ensure his escape.
Something inside Subaru stirred—a warmth that pushed back against the despair.
His chest ached, not from exhaustion, but from emotion.
Despite the hatred of the crowd, despite the fear gnawing at him, he couldn't suppress the surge of gratitude swelling within his heart.
Even when the world turned against him, these people—his people—were still by his side.
'I have to escape! No matter what happens, I need to get out of here first! Once I'm safe—once I've put some distance between us—I'll figure out a way to clear my name!' Subaru's thoughts raced frantically as his lungs burned with every breath.
His legs felt like lead, but he forced them to move faster, pushing past the rising pain.
Ahead loomed the city's main gate—their last barrier to freedom.
But as they approached, Subaru's heart sank.
The massive iron doors were already sealed shut, guarded by a full squadron of soldiers.
Their armor gleamed under the moonlight, their weapons raised and ready.
The moment Subaru and his group came into sight, the soldiers shifted into formation, lowering their spears in unison to block the road.
"Stop right there!" a commanding voice bellowed.
The Knight Captain stepped forward, his silver armor reflecting the pale light of the torches.
His sword gleamed ominously in his hand, its polished edge promising both authority and danger.
"You—Natsuki Subaru! We've heard the announcements! You are hereby declared a wanted criminal. If you value your life and the lives of your companions, surrender peacefully! There's no need for bloodshed!"
The Captain's words carried confidence, but also tension—he knew exactly who stood before him.
Subaru, however, was in no mood to listen.
His chest heaved, his face shadowed by exhaustion and rage.
Slowly, he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
His teeth ground together, and then—biting down on his lip so hard that blood began to trickle down his chin—he glared at the line of knights blocking his escape.
The fury boiling inside him finally erupted.
"Surrender?" Subaru spat the word like venom.
"You want me to surrender?!" His voice cracked with emotion, his anger raw and unfiltered.
"What the hell did I even do wrong?! Tell me!" His shout echoed across the cold air, drawing every pair of eyes to him.
"If saving all your damn lives was a crime—then maybe I should've just let every single one of you die back then!"
The words tore out of him, heavy with frustration and heartbreak.
For a brief moment, even the knights flinched, startled by the sheer pain in his voice.
Behind him, Otto and Garfiel exchanged shocked glances.
The Subaru they knew—who smiled through the pain, who always carried the burden silently—was baring his soul in front of everyone.
His fury wasn't just anger; it was anguish, betrayal, and exhaustion all colliding at once.
But as the meaning of his words sank in, Otto's eyes softened.
He understood.
This wasn't the rant of a reckless fool—it was the cry of someone who had given everything for the people now calling him a criminal.
Garfiel's sharp teeth clenched, a low growl rumbling from his throat.
"Tch… damn idiots," he muttered under his breath, though it wasn't aimed at Subaru.
His golden eyes were filled with a fierce resolve.
They all knew why he was angry.
After the last ordeal—the hellish test Zero had forced them through, breaking their trust and crushing their spirits—they had come out of it changed.
Stronger.
Their faith in one another had been reforged in fire, tempered by pain.
So even as Subaru shouted those bitter words, neither Otto nor Garfiel wavered.
They didn't retreat.
They didn't question him.
They simply took their places beside him—Otto adjusting his stance, Garfiel cracking his knuckles with a feral grin, and Beatrice tightening her hold atop Subaru's shoulders, her mana flickering faintly around her.
They didn't see a man lashing out—they saw their comrade, their friend, pouring out everything he'd bottled up for far too long.
"You heard my Cap'n!" Garfiel bellowed, his sharp teeth flashing as he stepped forward, muscles tensing like coiled steel.
"If ya don't wanna get yer damn asses handed to ya, then move aside and make way!" His glare was feral, golden eyes glowing faintly under the torchlight, radiating the raw, animalistic power that lay just beneath his skin.
But the soldiers didn't flinch.
They had their orders, and fear of a beastman's wrath wasn't enough to make them waver.
One by one, they shifted formation, lowering their spears and tightening their defensive line.
The sound of clanking armor filled the air as they took up an offensive stance, determination hardening their faces.
"If you refuse to surrender," the Knight Captain called out, voice steady and cold, "then we'll make you surrender—by force if necessary!"
He raised his sword, its polished blade catching the flickering light.
The tension between both sides thickened instantly, the air growing heavy enough to choke on.
Otto swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as he glanced between Subaru and the soldiers.
"Subaru, we can't waste any more time here," he said urgently, his usual composure replaced with anxious energy.
"If reinforcements arrive, we'll be surrounded completely! We have to move—now!"
"I know!" Subaru barked, mind racing as he assessed their situation in the blink of an eye.
The gate was massive, reinforced, impossible to break through—but it wasn't the only way out.
Then an idea struck him, reckless but effective.
"Beako!" he shouted, turning his head slightly toward the small girl perched on his shoulders.
"You're gonna fly us over the gate! Garfiel—you grab Otto and jump! Meet us on the other side!"
Otto blinked in disbelief.
"We're… flying over the gate?"
"Damn right we are!" Subaru said with a grin, though his heart was pounding.
There wasn't time to argue.
"You trust me, right?"
Otto let out a shaky laugh.
"Trust you? At this point, I think I have no choice!"
"Good plan, Cap'n!" Garfiel cracked his knuckles, grinning with wild excitement.
"Don't need to tell me twice!"
Beatrice sighed, though a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"Honestly, you're as reckless as ever, I suppose… but fine."
Her tiny hands glowed with radiant mana, circles of light forming beneath her feet and Subaru's.
"Hold on tight," she warned.
The next instant, the world lurched.
With a blast of magical energy, Subaru and Beatrice shot upward, propelled by an invisible force.
The wind howled past their faces as they soared above the gate, Beatrice's magic shimmering like starlight around them.
Below, the Knights shouted in confusion, their torches flickering as the pair rose higher and higher, clearing the massive iron structure in a single dazzling arc.
At the same moment, Garfiel crouched low, his muscles flexing, power thrumming through his veins.
Otto clung to his back, white-knuckled and pale.
"Hold tight, merchant boy!" Garfiel snarled, veins glowing faintly gold as he invoked his Divine Protection to its absolute limit.
Then he leapt.
The ground beneath him cracked open from the sheer force of the jump, a shockwave blasting outward with a deafening boom that echoed through the night.
The cobblestones shattered beneath his feet, dust and debris swirling in his wake as he and Otto shot upward like a cannonball.
For a fleeting moment, they were airborne—suspended against the moonlight, the city below shrinking rapidly.
It seemed like they might actually make it.
But fate wasn't about to let them go so easily.
The Knight Captain, eyes narrowing with sharp precision, snatched a spear from the hands of a nearby soldier.
With a roar, he drew back his arm and hurled it with all his strength.
The weapon tore through the air, breaking the sound barrier with a thunderous crack.
The spear shot forward like a missile, its point gleaming as it sliced through the night sky—aimed directly at Garfiel and Otto.
Garfiel's sharp eyes caught the faint shimmer of movement in the air—the deadly gleam of the incoming spear.
His instincts screamed danger.
In a heartbeat, he twisted midair, his body coiling like a spring, intending to shield Otto with his own.
But even with his monstrous reflexes and strength, he was a fraction of a second too slow.
The spear struck with a sound like thunder cracking through the heavens.
It tore through the air faster than sight could follow and struck Otto's side with brutal precision.
The weapon pierced clean through his chest, skewering both lungs and grazing his heart in a single devastating blow.
Otto's eyes widened in shock.
A strangled gasp escaped his lips—then came the torrent of blood.
It sprayed across Garfiel's back, hot and crimson, splattering against the cold night air.
The force of the impact sent them spinning, and Garfiel's heart clenched in horror as he felt Otto's weight grow limp.
"Otto!" Garfiel roared, his voice breaking.
He twisted his body, landing hard on the outer wall with a bone-rattling crash.
Stone cracked beneath his feet as he slid down, one arm desperately clutching Otto to keep him steady.
The moment his boots hit the ground, he tore the wounded merchant from his back and laid him gently down.
Subaru and Beatrice landed a few moments later, both freezing in place at the sight before them.
Otto's pale face, the blood soaking his clothes, and the spear wound that still pulsed faintly with each fading heartbeat—it was a scene that clawed at Subaru's chest like a nightmare made real.
"Otto—no, no, no…" Subaru whispered, his voice trembling as he dropped to his knees beside him.
"Beako, quick! Heal him!"
Beatrice didn't waste a single second.
"Move aside, I suppose!" she commanded sharply, her small hands already glowing with radiant light.
Mana flared violently around her as she knelt beside Otto, weaving healing spells faster than her body could handle.
The air filled with the scent of ozone and blood as she poured everything she had into closing the wound.
"Damn it!" she hissed, her usual calm tone replaced by panic.
"His injuries are far too severe! The spear pierced through vital organs—his lungs and heart! I can slow the bleeding, I suppose, but to fully heal him will take time—a long time!"
Her words struck Subaru like a hammer.
His vision blurred, and for a moment, he could hear nothing but the rapid pounding of his own heart.
Every second that ticked by was a second closer to death for Otto.
"Damn it…" Subaru muttered, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
His mind spun.
He couldn't run—not like this.
If he tried to flee while Beatrice worked, Otto would die before they made it a hundred meters.
But if he stayed, if he delayed even a little longer, the pursuing soldiers would catch up—and all of this, all their struggle, would have been for nothing.
He was trapped.
Beatrice glanced up at him briefly, her expression grim but steady.
"Subaru, we can't move him. If we do, he won't last, I suppose."
Subaru's teeth ground together as the bitter truth settled in.
His entire body trembled—rage, fear, guilt, and despair all mixing into one unbearable storm inside his chest.
He looked back toward the gates.
The massive iron doors were already creaking open, the sound echoing through the night as dozens of soldiers poured out, weapons drawn.
Subaru took a deep breath.
Then, with a heavy, resigned sigh, he rose to his feet. His voice, though trembling, was loud enough to carry.
"I surrender!" he shouted, raising his hands.
"You hear me?! I surrender, alright?!" His voice cracked, desperation leaking into every word.
"But my friends—they're innocent!" He pointed back toward Otto, who lay motionless on the ground as Beatrice struggled to keep him alive.
"Please—take my friend to an infirmary! His injuries are critical!"
The soldiers hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the raw desperation in his plea.
Subaru's knees threatened to buckle as he stood before them, exhausted, blood-smeared, and broken—but his eyes burned with something fierce and unrelenting.
He had fought, fled, and defied fate itself more times than he could count—but in that moment, for the sake of Otto's life, Natsuki Subaru chose to lay down his pride and surrender.
Garfiel's jaw tightened until his teeth nearly cracked, his fists trembling at his sides as fury coursed through him like wildfire.
Every muscle in his body screamed to tear apart the bastards in front of him, but deep inside, he knew what had just happened—Subaru had once again made that same, damnable choice.
He had chosen them—his friends, his family—over himself.
Again.
Beatrice's small hands glowed brighter, her face tense with focus as sweat trickled down her forehead.
She didn't even glance at Subaru, though her voice carried a low, seething edge as she muttered,
"You foolish human… always thinking about others before yourself, I suppose…" Still, her magic didn't waver for even a moment.
Every bit of mana she had was being poured into Otto's dying body.
The Knight Captain stepped forward, his armor clinking menacingly as he glared down at Subaru with an expression dripping in disdain.
"You do not have the right to negotiate with me, you filthy criminal," he spat coldly, his hand flashing out faster than Subaru could react.
Crack!
The sound echoed sharply across the courtyard.
The Captain's metal-plated gauntlet slammed across Subaru's face with brutal force.
The blow was so vicious that Subaru's head snapped to the side, and several of his teeth flew from his mouth, scattering across the dirt like broken pearls.
Blood erupted from his lips, splattering onto the ground in thick crimson drops.
He collapsed to one knee, coughing violently, choking on the iron taste in his mouth as his vision swam.
Tears welled unbidden in his eyes—not of weakness, but from the sheer pain radiating through his skull.
"Subaru!" Garfiel's voice roared like thunder, his eyes wide with fury.
The veins on his arms bulged, his claws trembling as he stepped forward, ready to crush the arrogant knight into dust.
The aura around him flared dangerously, his beastly instincts pushing him toward bloodshed.
But before he could take another step, Subaru's battered hand shot out weakly, stopping him.
"Stop!"
That one word—hoarse, broken, and soaked in desperation—froze Garfiel in place.
His eyes widened, disbelief and frustration warring on his face.
Subaru forced himself to lift his head, his blood-streaked face barely managing a strained smile.
"Don't… Garfiel," he rasped between ragged breaths.
"Otto's life… that's what matters most right now. Let them… do whatever they want to me. Just… don't fight. Not now."
For a moment, Garfiel could only stare at him, his heart twisting painfully.
He wanted to protest, to scream, to tear down the world for what they were doing—but Subaru's gaze, filled with quiet determination despite the pain, made the words die in his throat.
The Knight Captain sneered, unimpressed by Subaru's plea.
"Pathetic," he muttered, his lip curling.
Then, raising his voice, he barked, "Arrest them all!"
The soldiers surged forward immediately, their boots pounding against the ground in unison.
They surrounded Garfiel, who didn't resist—though his entire body trembled with barely contained rage.
Two knights pressed glowing shackles against his wrists, and with a hiss of magic, the enchanted cuffs activated.
A faint blue light pulsed through the bindings, sealing away his mana and divine protection.
The moment it did, Garfiel grimaced, feeling his strength drain from his body like water through a sieve.
"Damn it…" he growled lowly, his voice quivering with restrained fury as the soldiers forced him to his knees.
His golden eyes flicked toward Subaru—bloody, beaten, but standing tall despite it all.
And in that moment, even chained and powerless, Garfiel realized something undeniable—Subaru wasn't surrendering out of fear.
He was enduring all this because he refused to let anyone else suffer, even if it meant breaking himself apart.
They shackled Subaru in the same enchanted cuffs, the cold metal biting into his wrists as the soldiers hauled him roughly to his feet.
For a brief moment he allowed himself the hope that it might end there — that at least Beatrice, still bent over Otto and pouring every scrap of mana into his failing body, would be left alone long enough to pull him back from the brink.
When he saw the soldiers start to move toward her, panic flared hot and loud inside him.
"Stop! She's still healing him!" Subaru cried, his voice cracking with urgency as he struggled against the bindings.
He could feel every second slipping away like sand through his fingers.
The men in armor did not relent.
Their faces were set in hard lines of contempt, as if mercy had been stripped from them along with any shred of reason.
One soldier stepped forward and leveled his spear at the small figure hunched over the wounded merchant.
Then, with brutal decisiveness, he thrust.
For an instant everything seemed to slow—the roar of wind, the clank of armor, the hiss of Beatrice's magic—until the world narrowed to the sickening arc of metal.
The spear pierced her without warning, driving through the fragile fabric of her chest.
She was lifted off the ground by the sudden, terrible force, suspended as if the night itself had betrayed her.
Beatrice's eyes flashed wide with disbelief.
For a moment she looked as if she might laugh at the absurdity of it all, then the expression crumpled into utter despair.
Her small hand reached out toward Subaru, fingers trembling in a pathetic, aching plea.
"S-Su-…Bar—" she tried to speak, the syllables shattering on her lips.
Before she could finish her name the light around her began to wind down, her form unraveling like smoke.
In a heartbreaking instant she dissipated completely, leaving nothing but the cold air and the sorrow it carried.
"No—!" Subaru's cry tore from his throat, a sound raw and primal that ripped through the courtyard.
He thrashed uselessly against the cuffs, blood and spit foaming at the corner of his mouth as fresh tears blurred his vision.
"Why did you do that?! Why? Why? I will— I will kill you! Kill Yo—" His scream broke off as a heavy hand slammed into his face.
The blow shattered more of his teeth and rattled his skull, sending him staggering to the brink of unconsciousness.
Around him, the scene devolved into a nightmare.
Garfiel, already straining every sinew to shatter his bindings, roared in a fury that shook the stones—only to be met by the merciless edge of a knight's blade.
The sound of steel was brief and final; the beastman's great cry choked off as the attackers executed their command without a flicker of mercy.
And Otto—Otto, who had been clutching life by a thread even as Beatrice fought to mend him—was not spared dignity in death.
A cascade of fire magic was unleashed, and the desperate merchant's unconscious form was consumed, collapsing into a small heap and then crumbling away until nothing remained but a whisper of smoke and ashes carried off by the cold night wind.
Subaru watched each horror as if through a pane of glass—stunned, unbelieving, and shattered beyond repair.
The world around him had become a theatre of cruelty: metal, flame, and silence where laughter had once been.
He felt hollowed out, like someone had scooped the last of himself away, leaving only a raw, bleeding shell that could no longer find words to name the loss.
"We were ordered to apprehend Natsuki Subaru," the Captain said with a sneer, voice cold and clipped as he paced before the gathered officers.
"As for the others who were with him—that decision was left to our discretion. They presented a direct threat and could have attacked us at any moment."
He shifted his gaze, venom thinly veiled as contempt.
"Do you actually think we would let such people live? Whether they die or survive is irrelevant. Our mission was singular: capture you alive, criminal."
Subaru fought like a cornered animal.
His vision swam, eyes rimmed in red, blood still trickling from his mouth where his teeth had been broken.
He clawed at the iron that bit into his wrists, muscles trembling with the effort to break free.
The knight merely smiled a fraction and wrapped a heavy hand around Subaru's throat, throttling the desperate movements until the boy sagged half-unconscious in their grip.
They hauled him back through the freezing streets, the world blurring at the edges as the chain of soldiers bore him toward the city's rallying point.
Lanterns bobbed like distant stars, and the distant murmur of the crowd felt thousands of miles away to the man who had just watched friends extinguished.
When they reached the encampment, the Captain stepped forward and dropped into a formal bow before Julius.
"Sir Julius! We have apprehended the criminal," he reported crisply, pride and relief warring in his tone.
"Where are the others who were with him?" Julius demanded immediately, his voice hard as flint.
The Captain's face was unreadable for a heartbeat, then he answered without hesitation, almost casually. "
They inflicted heavy injuries on our soldiers during the engagement. When we struck back, they fell in the battle."
Those words landed like a blow.
Julius's hands curled into fists until his knuckles blanched white, anger and cold horror etching lines across his stern features.
He turned slowly to face Subaru, the weight of command and betrayal twisting his features into something severe and personal.
"Are you proud of yourself?" Julius's voice was low but lethal, each syllable laced with accusation. "
Because of the choices you made, three innocent people are dead. Their only crime was being your companions—your so-called friends. They paid for that with their lives."
His glare cut through Subaru like a physical thing.
"This is disgraceful. I am deeply disappointed in you… Subaru."
The words hit Subaru harder than any blow.
He stood there, chained and bleeding, the world narrowing until only Julius's face remained—an immovable mask of judgment.
For a long, terrible second he could not find the breath to answer; disbelief and a hollow ache filled his chest, leaving him stunned and reeling beneath the weight of the commander's condemnation.
"I–I didn't… I didn't do it… They're lying…" Subaru stammered out, his swollen lips barely forming the words.
His voice was hoarse and broken, choked between sobs and gasps for air.
The blood dripping from his mouth made his speech nearly incomprehensible, and the metallic taste burned at the back of his throat as he forced each syllable out.
The Captain sneered, feigning outrage as he gestured sharply toward Subaru.
"See! He's cursing us now! Even after everything, he dares to insult the knights!" he shouted, twisting the situation in his favor.
Julius turned his gaze away, his jaw tightening as though the very sight of Subaru pained him.
A shadow of conflict flickered across his usually composed face—but it was fleeting, gone before Subaru could even hope to read it.
"I thought you had changed," Julius said finally, his tone heavy with restrained bitterness.
"I believed you could finally see beyond your own emotions and act with reason—for once."
He paused, his expression hardening like steel.
"I was wrong."
He took a slow step forward, his golden eyes dim beneath the torchlight.
"Natsuki Subaru," he said, each word falling like the toll of a funeral bell, "from this moment onward, you are no longer my friend."
With that, Julius turned and walked away, his cape sweeping through the dust as he disappeared into the cold night.
Subaru stood frozen, unable to breathe, unable to think.
His world felt as though it had collapsed inward, crushing him from every side.
His arms trembled within the shackles, and for the first time, a fleeting, desperate thought crossed his mind—Should I end it here?
If he killed himself, maybe he could return… return to that safe point, to when things were still fixable.
But a deeper fear clawed at him.
What if it's already too late?
What if this was the point of no return?
The uncertainty hollowed him out from within, leaving nothing but despair.
Suddenly, another realization struck him like lightning.
"Emilia…" he whispered weakly, his eyes darting across the crowded encampment.
He scanned every face, every corner, hoping—praying—to see that familiar silver hair, that gentle light in her amethyst eyes.
But she was nowhere to be found.
Not a single trace.
His vision blurred as dread settled like ice in his chest.
'What happened to her?', he wondered.
'Is she safe? Is she even alive?'
And then, inevitably, his thoughts drifted to the others—to Priscilla, to Al, to everyone who had fought for him.
'What about them?'
A sudden impact tore him out of his spiraling thoughts.
One of the knights kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt.
The taste of blood filled his mouth again as another boot pressed down on the back of his head, grinding it into the cold, filthy ground.
"Stay down, criminal," the soldier spat.
Subaru gritted his teeth, the pain forcing his eyes to narrow.
His fingers curled into fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, warm blood trickling between his fingers.
He refused to cry, refused to give them that satisfaction.
From the corner of his eye, he caught movement—a familiar figure standing among the nobles.
Anastasia Hoshin, wrapped in her elegant attire of white and violet, looked down at him.
Her expression was unreadable, but in her eyes lingered a mixture of pity… and ridicule.
That look burned more than the pain itself.
Subaru's body trembled with fury as he clenched his fists harder, his knuckles whitening beneath the grime and blood.
His heart screamed in silence—humiliation, grief, anger—all mixing into something dark and suffocating.
And in that suffocating stillness, Subaru Natsuki realized that everything he had fought for—all the trust, all the bonds, all the sacrifices—had been reduced to ashes before his eyes.
If he truly wished to end it all, he could—death had never been a stranger to him.
He had walked its path more times than anyone should ever have to.
Yet now, even that release mocked him.
His teeth were shattered, his jaw throbbed in unbearable pain, and the idea of cutting his tongue to force a reset was nothing more than a cruel impossibility.
The pain was so intense that even breathing felt like swallowing shards of glass.
He sat there, slumped in the dirt, blood trickling from his split lips as his thoughts spiraled into a storm of despair and fury.
Every memory of what had just happened burned itself into his mind, searing deeper and deeper until all that was left was agony.
Beatrice—gone, ripped from him before he could even hold her one last time.
Otto—burned alive like trash, his loyalty repaid with death.
Garfiel—slain where he stood, his body discarded like an afterthought.
All of them, erased in the blink of an eye.
And after all that… after every sacrifice, every desperate struggle—the knights, the same bastards he had saved countless times before, had pinned everything on him.
The world had turned against him.
Every single face he once thought of as an ally now twisted in disdain.
Their eyes—those cold, judgmental eyes—saw him as nothing but a curse, a failure, a criminal.
The boy who had saved them again and again was now nothing more than a villain in their story.
The weight of that realization crushed what little of his heart was still left intact.
Anger began to simmer beneath his grief, slow at first, then sharper, hotter—until it felt like molten steel running through his veins.
His entire body trembled as the fury built, clawing for release.
His vision blurred, not from tears this time, but from the sheer force of rage burning in his chest.
Subaru Natsuki—mocked, humiliated, broken—wanted revenge.
Not later.
Not after another death.
Not in another loop.
Now.
He needed vengeance now.
The clanking of chains pulled him from his thoughts as a heavy carriage rolled into the courtyard, its iron wheels screeching against the cobblestone.
The knights dragged him toward it like a lifeless doll, his body too battered to resist.
They shoved him inside the iron cage and slammed the door shut with a clang that echoed like a final judgment.
The lock clicked into place, sealing him in darkness and cold.
Through the iron bars, Subaru looked up.
Members of the royal camps had gathered, drawn by the commotion.
Their gazes met his—some filled with pity, others brimming with open disgust.
Whispered words passed between them, bitter and condemning.
They had heard of what happened—the deaths of Emilia's followers—and in their minds, it was clear whose fault it was.
They thought it was his.
The boy who couldn't make the right choice.
The fool who brought ruin wherever he went.
The disgrace of the Emilia Camp.
Subaru met their stares one by one.
He saw their pity, their contempt, their disappointment—and something inside him snapped.
His lips twisted into a grim, bloody smile.
He had had enough.
Enough of the pity.
Enough of the shame.
Enough of being weak—of being stepped on, betrayed, humiliated.
His eyes darkened, the faint light in them replaced by something far colder, far more dangerous.
The blood that dripped from his mouth felt almost hot now, mingling with the fire rising in his veins.
'If weakness brought my world to ruin,' he thought bitterly, 'then maybe it's time I stopped being weak.'
Being weak.
Because they didn't care for him.
Because they had taken the only things that had ever truly mattered to him… his friends.
The real ones — not the hollow, convenient allies who bowed and smiled while discarding them.
Because they had thrown those people away as if they meant nothing.
Because, in the end, he had nothing left to lose.
"I—"
There was no turning back now.
The broken syllable died on his lips, but the thought behind it remained: a fracture had widened into a decision.
"Can—"
There would be no more begging for mercy, no more groveling at other people's feet for scraps of compassion.
He had tolerated humiliation long enough.
"Return—"
Even if his actions invited chaos, even if calamity followed in his wake, let them feel the consequences of their choices.
Let them suffer the price of what they had done.
"By—"
Because Natsuki Subaru had finally reached the limit of his endurance.
"Death."
The single word hung in the air like a blade — precise, cold, irrevocable.
For a moment there was a hush, as though the world itself paused to register what he uttered.
No keening whisper of the Witch accompanied it this time; no gutting, familiar pain.
He waited for the old voice that always haunted his edges — "Did I fail?" — and the thought crossed his mind, dull and small.
And then — something shifted.
The sky darkened as if answering him, clouds rolling in with a slow, patient threat.
The very atmosphere around the cage seemed to thicken; the air tasted metallic and close, charged with an energy that made his skin prickle.
Sound dampened; even the murmurs of the gathered soldiers fell away into a low, distant rumble.
And through the rigid silence, soft and impossibly bright against the darkness, a single voice reached him like warmth:
"I love you."
It was a slender thread of mercy, a thing spoken that did not erase the past but cut it open enough for him to breathe.
That phrase — three simple words — is all he needed to hear.
To be continued...
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