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Volume 4, Chapter 109 [The Wrong Choice]
[Otto: Just like we discussed, the villagers will evacuate while I distract Garfiel. Natsuki-san said not to worry too much about buying time, but Iâm feeling a little more greedy than thatâŠâŠ so, can I count on your help?]
After parting with Subaru, and before setting out with the two bait carriages, Otto spoke with Ram in a corner of the village.
Ram crossed her arms at Ottoâs rather unconfident query, then leaned into a wall and closed her eyes. Met with her silence, Otto tried to suppress his impatient agitation at the urgency of the imminent battle,
[Otto: Uhm, sorry, butâŠâŠ we really donât have much timeâŠâŠ]
[Ram: Impatient men are repulsive. As I said before, it would depend on the conditions]
Opening a single eye, Ram promptly rebuffed Ottoâs imploring gaze.
This âbeforeâ she mentioned was referring to three days ago: the night Subaru challenged Roswaal to a bet, and Otto asked Ram to fight alongside him.
Roswaal had asked Ram to leave the room so he and Subaru could be alone.
And as Ram came out of the building, Otto was waiting for her outside. He had accurately predicted that Roswaal would ask her to leave before discussing the crucial matters of the Gospel, and so he managed to catch her in a moment when she was free.
Simply put, three days ago, Ram and Otto had been no more than shallow acquaintances.
They could count their interactions on a single hand, and Ram hadnât a shred of interest in any man except for Roswaal. Other than the familiar faces from Roswaalâs Mansion, Lewes and Garfiel were probably the only people she talked to in the Sanctuary.
And so, when Otto called out to Ram, and she looked at him as if she was looking at a pebble on the side of the road, he had to start by building their cordial relations from scratch.
[Otto: Greetings, uhmâŠâŠ Ram-san. It sure is a nice night out]
[Ram: ââââ]
[Otto: Hello?]
[Ram: ââAh, I was wondering who you were. So youâre that lackey who follows Barusu around everywhere. I wasnât used to seeing you without him, so I had some trouble identifying what creature you were]
[Otto: Iâm not even human anymore!? The fact that you have that impression seriously hurts! Although, well, I can kind of understand why Iâd be treated like Natsuki-sanâs accessoryâŠâŠ]
[Ram: A man who accepts being anyoneâs accessory is worthless. Begone]
[Otto: So harsh!?]
Ramâs unapproachable attitude swiftly tore Ottoâs friendly overture to pieces.
Without showing the slightest interest in Otto, Ram leaned against the side of the door and crossed her arms.
[Otto: So uh⊠do you have a minute to talk?]
[Ram: Regardless of whether Iâll remember it, but havenât you even considered starting a conversation by presenting your name? Regardless of whether Iâll remember it]
[Otto: Whyâd you remind me twice that you might not remember it? HhaahâŠâŠ my name is Otto Suwen. Iâm just a humble travelling merchant, but Iâd appreciate it if you could memorize my face and name]
[Ram: That would depend on how interesting this talk is]
Otto despondently gave his name, while Ram refused to concede any of her domineering attitude.
Although she indicated that she was willing to listen, she would immediately put a stop to it should it turn out to be pointless. Otto pumped himself up once more and decided to broach it from a different angle,
[Otto: This would be related to what Natsuki-san and the Margrave are currently discussing, butâŠâŠ Ram-san. Would you be interested in helping Nastuki-san and myself release the Sanctuary from its Barrier?]
[Ram: ââThatâs enough. Ramâs only desire is to fulfill Roswaal-samaâs most earnest wish. For as long as I respect Roswaal-samaâs will, liberating the Sanctuary that way would be pointless]
[Otto: But thatâs assuming everything proceeds as the Margrave intendedâŠâŠ correct? Ram-san, are you aware that events have already diverged from that path?]
[Ram: ââââ]
It was Otto who proposed, at the end of his conversation with Subaru, that they drag Ram in as an ally.
Subaru was overwhelmingly reluctant about it, but, going from what he said, Otto judged that it was a bet with good chances of victory.
Opening her eyes, Ramâs emotionless, pink irises fell on Otto.
She uncrossed her arms as the fingers of her lowered right hand grazed against what mustâve been her wand beneath her skirt.
How he chooses his next words would decide whether or not he incurs her wrath in the form of her wind blades.
Holding his breath and wetting his lips with his tongue, Otto showed the same fearless smile as he would when making a challenging business deal.
The stiffness of his body disappeared as his accelerated pulse fell to a more comfortable pace.
Now, just as always, it was time to stand firm.
[Otto: Events have diverged from the Margraveâs plansââ and for the first time, you have a chance to realize your true wish. And I believe Natsuki-san and I can help you with that]
Ramâs fingers wavered, hesitatingââ and then left her wand. Seeing this, Otto determined that his sales pitch was nothing to be scoffed at.
After sheâs heard Ottoâs proposal and learned the details of his plan, Ram presented several conditions.
Honestly, revealing their entire plan to Ram was a rather huge gamble for Otto and Subaru. If they misjudged their proposalâs impact on Ramâs heart, then all their plans would be leaked to Roswaal. But there was enough value in getting Ram on their side to take this risk.
Ram laid out several conditions in exchange for her cooperation, and, finding them entirely reasonable, Otto accepted.
Otto didnât mention the details of her terms to Subaru. Because he needed her maximum cooperation, and it was necessary to keep some of the actions he had to take secret.
If Otto had told him, Subaru would have stopped them. If Subaru gave in to his emotions and ruled out this plan, it wouldâve meant leaving the rest of their fate to chance.
[Ram: You have an unfortunate personality, you know that? I have no idea what you do for a living, but youâd make a terrible merchant]
[Otto: You totally remember I was a travelling merchant, right!?]
Ram remarked with a snort at Ottoâs secret determination, as a pained wail echoed throughout the Sanctuary.
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ââFaced with the pressure of the beastâs overwhelming aura, Otto was surprised that his body wasnât trembling.
The abhorrent figure looming before him was a colossal monster four meters in length.
Crooked, razor fangs extended like sabres from its enormous mouth as its claws curved in brutal crescents like life-reaping scythes of Death. Every strand of golden fur coating its body was a wire thick enough to tangle any mortal blade that struck it.
Only the glint in its eyes, golden as its fur, retained vestiges of what it was before its transformation. But the lack of commonality between now and what was there only moments before made all of it seem unreal.
It was Garfiel, after heâd shed his human body for the form of a ferocious tiger. frđđđ eđŻđ»ovel.cđšm
Vile smelling breaths escaped his throat in growls, exuding a pressure enough to freeze the hearts of every creature in the forest.
[Otto: ââââ]
Consciously forcing his lips to smile, Otto wished he could say something, anything, to lighten the mood.
But no voice escaped his frozen throat, and even his supposedly smiling cheeks ignored him and remained rigid.
And, belatedly, Otto realized why he wasnât trembling.
ââIt was not because he wasnât afraid. Rather, it was because, in the face of certain âDeathâ, Ottoâs body had given up on improving his chance of survival.
After all, trembling in the face of fear is the bodyâs mechanism to ignite its instinct to survive.
It is the soul screaming to the body: âDo not give up!âââ but, in a situation where this would be entirely pointless, it was only natural that his body wouldnât tremble.
He had heard about it. And he had imagined it.
He knew that Garfiel possessed both beastman and human blood alike, and that he could transform into a monster.
But reality surpassed Ottoâs flimsy imagination and manifested a creature so far beyond human understanding that it devoured his spirit to its core.
To think that, in the presence of such a creature, he could have uttered something so foolish as âWe bought enough time, but why donât we try and beat him?â. Of course he shouldnât try to beat him. As if he stood a chance.
And yet,
[Ram: Garf transformedâŠâŠ weâve met all the conditions now]
Muttered the small girl beside him, her voice entirely unchanged in the face of the overwhelming presence before her.
He hadnât even the mind to ask âWhat conditions?â. But, with a movement so mechanical that his neck creaked as it turned, Otto looked to the girlââ to Ram.
Ramâs lips relaxed slightly, and, for the first time, she showed Otto something like a smile.
[Ram: Garf made a mistake by picking this obvious choice. ââWeâve won this fight]
[Otto: ââââ]
You damn sure about that? Otto quipped in his mind, forgetting his usual politeness.
ââRam gave Otto roughly three conditions for her cooperation.
[Ram: Regardless of the divergence from Roswaal-samaâs plansâŠâŠ and from the Gospelâs writ, you must preserve Roswaal-samaâs will to live in this world, whatever it takes]
This term was already fulfilled when Subaru challenged Roswaal to their bet.
Roswaal, who had been ready to abandon everything, again donned his war-paint and, with eyes brimming with life, resolved to take on the world once more.
[Ram: Secondly, Emilia-sama must not lose her determination to challenge the Trials. If this world is to continue despite diverging from Roswaal-samaâs plans, then she will inevitably have to stand for herself. âŠâŠShe must be tested before the day of reckoning comes]
This one would have to be left entirely to Subaru and Emilia, but, judging from the fact that Ram was willing to hear his proposal, she probably considered this condition as good as cleared.
When Otto heard that Emilia had gone missing, his first thought was âWeâre completely doomedâ, but Ram doesnât seem to think so. However, since Otto was afraid that she might change her mind if he asked her why, he decided to leave well enough alone.
So then,
[Ram: If you can guarantee these two things, I will be willing to help you. âŠâŠBut as for the part that weâll be keeping secret from Barusu, I still have a few finer requirements]
[Otto: Letâs hear it, as long as itâs something I can do]
[Ram: If I am to join the fight against Garf, youâll have to at least broaden the prospects of victory. First, you must disable Garfâs nose. Then, deal a certain amount of damage to make him lose his composure. I will not enter the fight until the decisive moment, so youâll have to accomplish these things yourself. Surely, seeing youâve gone out of your way to propose this plan, you must have at least one trump card hidden up your sleeve?]
[Otto: WellâŠâŠ there is a little something, yeah]
[Ram: I see, just as I thought. In that case, hereâs the last conditionâŠ]
[Otto: Right]
[Ram: Make Garf transform. ââThis is the final requirement for attaining victory]
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[Ram: His sense of smell, is it still disabled?]
[Otto âŠâŠâŠâŠ]
[Ram: Pathetic]
[Otto: Gheuh!]
Seeing Otto so stricken that he couldnât even answer her question, Ram mercilessly jabbed her elbow into the side of his waist. Wailing at the sharp, gouging pain, Otto gasped as he suddenly remembered to start breathing.
[Otto: A, aghhâŠâŠ I-I thought I was gonna dieâŠâŠ just now, thought I was gonna die from that pressure!]
[Ram: Even a soft and flimsy meatshield is better than nothing, so snap out of it. His sense of smell, is it disabled?]
[Otto: Iâll pretend I didnât hear that first part, but, yeah, it is. Makoil pollen is an extremely powerful animal repellent, even humans would pass out if they smell it from up close]
[Ram: And even more so for Garfiel, with his many times more sensitive nose. Then thatâs one of the benefits of his beast-form nullified. The timing and the damage dealt to him before his transformationâŠâŠ is all going according to plan]
Exhaling a light breath, Ram tipped her heels off the ground as she shifted onto her toes. From there, she dropped her heels, lifted them, and began repeating that motion in a simple leg exercise.
Otto furrowed his brows at Ramâs strange behavior, and with [U-uhm?], he tiled his head.
[Otto: R-Ram-san? Whatâre you doing?]
[Ram: Iâm warming up. Slightly loosening my body before I start. As much I loathe to admit it, Barusu is right about this being efficient]
[Otto: Uhm, no, thatâs notâŠâŠ I meant, whatâre you doing these exercises for?]
[Ram: Thatâs simple]
Casting the stuttering Otto a glance from the corner of her vision, Ram finished her warm-up exercise and closed her eyes. Then, opening her eyes again, her feet carried her forwardââ with a casual gait, as if she were taking a leisurely stroll, she began closing distance with the beast.
[Otto: W-wait!?]
[Ram: Be silent]
Ottoâs eyes bulged as he watched her bold advance. But Ram rejected his call, not slowing her speed in the slightest as she headed towards the tiger.
The beast stooped low as it glowered at the prey before its eyes. Surprised by the little creatureâs action, its body stiffened for a moment, but immediately, it judged the behavior to be an insult to itself.
Rage arose in its golden eyes as it raised its hefty fore paw, thicker than Ramâs torso, and swiped with vicious claws outstretched. A single strike from these claws, each as wide as the delicate girlâs arms, would carry enough force to instantly transfigure her limbs into shreds of gore with a graze.
The wind screamed as the Reaperâs Scythe in the shape of claws swung to claim Ramâs life from this world.
ââBut, just before that could happen,
[Ram: Youâre too soft, Garf. ââWho do you think youâre facing?]
Crouching down and letting the mighty claws pass overhead, Ram said to the tiger with pity.
Having thrown its entire body behind that swing, the tiger floundered as Ramâs tiny figure dived for its chest. Bending her knees, Ram sprung out her body as she shot out her readied fistââ
[Ram: When have you ever won in a fist-fight against me?]
[Garfiel: ââââRR!]
The fist lunging into its torso from below sent the several-hundred-kilogram beast into the air.
Its body arching from the force of the strike, a pained wail spilled from the beastâs gaping maw. Shock waves crashed against the forest as Otto heard the sound of the air bursting.
[Otto: No, way]
A girl a head shorter than he was had just punched a beast so tall that looking up wasnât enough to see the whole thing. And just like that, with her fist still buried in the tigerâs torso, Ram used her offhand to slap the animal around even further.
Blows alternated from one hand to the other as they beat the enormous beast shrieking in retreat. With fangs bared, it lunged its great jaw at Ram, but the girl leaped, setting her foot upon the tigerâs nose, and, with a forceful kick, she sent the beastâs face slamming down to the ground.
Scraping against the earth with its roar cut off, the colossal beast writhed, frantically attempting to tear apart the limbs of the girl toying with him. But Ram danced through the air like leaves in the wind, mockingly evading the tigerâs strikes, driving attack after piercing attack into the shallow points in its fur.
Her heel into its throat. Her hand into its flank. Her fist punching aside its paw, opening the way for a direct kick to the beastâs unguarded face.
Witnessing her dominate the vicious tiger in close-quarter combat, a surreal sensation as if he were reading a picture-book gripped at Ottoâs heart.
What on earth was he watching?
Seeing Garfiel shed away his human form had stricken Otto with so much despair that his body gave up on living. And yet, what on earth was he watching here?
With every swing of the girlâs arm, the beastâs body bounced back from the force of the blow. This colossal monster, whose very roars could slaughter a living creature, was unable to land a single hit on her.
Its furious paws blindly mowed through the trees, gouged into the earth, transforming the forest with chaotic violence, and yet the constantly changing landscape caused Ram no issue at all.
They could win, like this.
He felt stupid now for having doubted Ramâs pre-battle remarks.
Her statements about purposely getting Garfiel to transform now held definite credibility.
As a beast, the power of the transformed Garfiel is overwhelming, but its advantage lay in situations where heâs fighting multiple opponents. His very mass is a weapon in itself, and even against single individuals, there was no reason he should lose.
But, when his opponent is someone with inhuman combat abilities, itâs a different story.
His cumbersome body becomes a target, his powerful, tree-felling claws are fraught with openings, and his devastating strength leaves him clumsy and unbalanced, unable to shift between attack and defence.
Calmly analyzing the situation would make all of this become clear.
However, this simple solution would only be valid if there was an âOverwhelming individualâ to carry it out.
A friendly wildcard who could counter a transformed Garfielââ securing this precious resource for their team was Ottoâs greatest contribution to this fight.
[Otto: We canâŠâŠ we can do it! At this rate, Garfiel can beâŠâŠ!]
Clenching his fists, Otto cheered as he saw the first hope of victory.
As if propping up that hope, Ramâs fist slammed into the side of the ferocious tigerâs face, sending the creature skidding magnificently across the ground, scraping up plumes of dust.
Andââ
[Ram: ââBhg]
Leaking an unsuppressible groan, and with profuse blood streaming from her forehead, Ramâs body swayed as if about to fall.
With the streaming blood dyeing her vision true-red, Ramâs frantic steps barely managed to keep her body from collapsing.
Sharp, piercing pain flashed just above her browââ at the very center of her forehead. Clicking her tongue, she rued the throbbing ache emanating from the faint-white scar.
Behind her, Ottoâs broken voice shrieked. So annoying.Ram didnât need anyone to tell her how much the situation had deteriorated. It wasnât that any of Garfielâs attacks had hit her. Against those thoughtless, wide-open swings, itâd actually be harder to try to get hit. Those screams are annoying. Wanna hit him.
[Ram: ââhhu]
Expelling a short breath, Ramâs unsteady feet kicked off of the ground.
Immediately, the tigerâs claws gouged into the earth where sheâd just been standing. Clods of dirt sprang up like a shotgun blast, mingling with vivid red droplets as Ram spun, dancing to evade.
She was clearly on borrowed time, but somehow, she could still move. Sighting an opening, she kicked the tigerâs jaw from below, sending the beast wailing in pain as she followed with another kick from her other leg. She rode on the momentum to backflip out of harmâs way, but the instant she landed, her stance immediately crumbled.
[Ram: ââa]
[Garfiel: ââââWRR!]
Literally by a hairâs breadth, Ram evaded the claws late enough for them to shear off a tuft of her hair, sending strands of pink dancing through the air.
It was pure coincidence that she dodged that strike. If her feet hadnât just happened to slip, Ramâs head wouldâve doubtlessly exploded like a red fruit.
Tasting the closeness of death, feeling something indescribable rushing up her spine, Ramâs red lips opened into a grin as she snarled.
The exhilaration of battle. The scar on her forehead throbbed, sending something between pain and an itch flooding down her entire body.
Her broken horn. Her proof of being an Oni. In order to release her full potential, Ram needed her horn to draw mana from the inexhaustible supply within the atmosphere around her. After losing that organ, her body could not unleash even a tenth of its true power.
She knew beforehand that sheâd be punished for overtaxing her body like this.
Still, she had thought that if the conditions were right and she manages to end the fight quickly, there was no reason sheâd lose. And yet,
[Ram: ââYouâve gotten stronger, Garf]
Ramâs murmur was overflowing with an emotion she rarely showed to others.
Naturally, Otto had never seen it, and even Subaru only saw it on a few occasions. It was the kind of emotion sheâd show to her only family, the one who had vanished from her memory.
With the tender smile still etched upon her lips, her lunging fist mercilessly smashed into the tigerâs face.
She felt its tough skin bouncing off of her knuckles. Her fist, having lost its firmness, directly felt the recoil of the impact, breaking the bones in her hand. It felt good. She was fighting. She was living. The exhilaration of killing and being killed flooded her with overwhelming euphoria. More, more. Thereâs more after this. There is yet another dimension to reach.
Her right hand shattered, no longer capable of forming a fist. The tiger with its crushed face bellowed. Breath like a windstorm pressed towards her as her left hand sliced through the wind and gouged into the thin hide on the tigerâs neck. Blood spouted, her fingers tore out chunks of flesh as more blood spouted forth. Gory specks sprayed onto her white cheeks as she savored the intoxicating taste of iron on her tongue.
If her shattered right hand was useless, then sheâll choke him with her arms. One arm wasnât nearly enough to wrap around the neck far wider than her own body. Soaring, grappling, throwing in her legs as well to strangle the beastâs arteries, she dodged the claws closing in to swipe her away. Shifting with all her weight, one of her fingers snapped. The shriek felt good, like she was back home.
[Ram: Bh, phh, agh]
The dance was so much fun, yet the haziness of her head was too aggravating. The blood streaming from her forehead showed no signs of stopping, and it began to overflow from her nose and mouth as well.
She was past her limit, and her body was beginning to break. Her nerves were controlling her body based on its full potential, but, with no mana to sustain it, her body was gradually failing to keep up. Ram continued to move at blazing speeds, still evading Garfielâs claws. So overwhelming was her combat ability that not even a single strike could graze her. But the wicked hands of collapse continued gorging upon her body, and the end would come before any claws or fangs could reach her.
[Ram: ââhg, phh]
After pausing for a deep breath, overflowing liquid burst from her mouth.
Clots of blood splashed to the ground, and, as if itâd been Ramâs very life force, her body instantly lost its strength.
Her shoulders slumped, her legs collapsed. The beast would surely not overlook this moment. Its beaten and enraged visage bared its fangs as it swung its paw towards Ramâs slender body.
Butââ
[Otto: Uwaaaah! DONA!!]
Alongside that throat-tearing chant, a wall of earth shot up from the ground.
It cut into the space between Ram and the tigerâs paw, dulling the attackâs force for just an instant before immediately being smashed to dust.
But in that single instant, a hand dragged Ramâs body back and, with all its strength, flung her backwards.
ââSomehow, she had a feeling that this was the second time sheâd been thrown like this.
Soaring through the air, she stared at the sky in a daze as that out-of-place sentiment popped into her mind. The impact of crashing back-first into the ground robbed her of her breath, but she swiftly raised her head to register the situation.
There, in front of her, in the spot where sheâd just been tossed from, now stood Otto who shouldâve been cowering on the side. It seems he saw that Ram was in danger and threw himself in.
But even so, surely, there is nothing he can doââ
[Garfiel: ââââWRR!]
The beast, enraged by this powerless creature who had intruded into its battle with Ram, blasted the pale-faced youth with a forest-shaking roar. If he froze here, he would surely become food for those fangs. At this juncture demanding immediate action, Otto clenched his hands into fists, stomped his foot into the ground, andââ
[Otto: ââââWWRRR!]
ââFrom his slender throat came a roar exactly like the beastâs.
This was the Divine Protection of Anima Whispering Ram had heard so much about. Otto had always boasted that as long as it was an intelligent life form, whether it was a dragon or a critter, or even an insect, he could speak with it. It seems to also allow him to communicate with Garfiel whoâd transformed into this irrational beast.
Ram couldnât tell what Otto mustâve heard from Garfielâs roar.
And she couldnât tell what Garfiel thought of Ottoâs reply.
But this exchange of roars did create a brief delay before the beast resorted to its claws and fangs.
That opening was more than enough for Ram to understand Ottoâs true reason for throwing her.
[Garfiel: ââââWWRRR!]
[Otto: ââWWRRR! Aaukh! Thatâs, my throatâs limitâŠâŠ!]
Struggling to sustain the literally blood-spewing shriek, Otto held his throat as he coughed.
With the conversation at an end, the tiger lifted its paw, aiming to annihilate Otto with a single strike. Otto raised his hands before him, and with a determined expression, he unleashed the desperate scream,
[Otto: EL DONAAA!!]
A thick wall of earth spread out in front of Otto, and, without waiting to watch it rise, he turned and began sprinting backwards. The tigerâs paw crashed through the wall behind him, sweeping up a whirling plume of dust as it closed in on Ottoâs fleeing figureââ a direct hit knocked the wiry body flying like a dead twig, plunging nonstop through the bushes and trees.
Whether he lives or dies would depend entirely on Ottoâs fortitude.
Ram paid no attention to the results of his decision and actions. She determined that to pay it no heed was the most appropriate way to repay Otto for what he had done.
[Ram: Garf. ââYou made a mistake by transforming after all]
Ram announced to the tiger who was turning to attack her next.
Leaning against a tree, freed from the exhilaration of bloodlust, Ramâs head steadily cleared. Gripping her wand in her barely-operational left hand, she aimed its tip at Garfiel.
Mana began to shift.
[Ram: If you had even a speck of sense left, you wouldnât have overlooked me]
[Garfiel: ââââ]
The tiger warily scrunched its nose.
But did nothing further. It had no idea what was coming.
The eyes of that senseless beast did not understand what it meant that Ram was âStanding in a mass of white lightâ.
To the residents of this forest, this man, who transformed into a monster and ravaged the earth, the trees, and the forest in its attempts to strike Ram, was a violent and irredeemable villainââ
[Ram: Iâm not bungling this the way he did]
[Garfiel: ââââ!]
Realizing something, the tiger stooped low and charged towards Ram.
But it was too late.
[Ram: ââAl Fula]
Mana from the rage of the forestâs residents converged at the tip of Ramâs wand, exploding into a burst of light.
ââAnd the battle for the Sanctuaryâs forests was over.
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Getting the feeling that heâd just heard a beastâs roar, Subaru stopped and glanced behind him.
[Subaru: Nah, no way]
Itâs way too early for that, Subaru naively decided.
It had been perhaps twenty minutes since he asked Otto to buy time and left him. It was doubtful whether Otto had even departed with the carriages yet, and there was no way the situation couldâve progressed that far.
He figured his anxiety must be making him hallucinate, but that was actually the more terrifying thought. Just how subconsciously anxious was he?
[Subaru: Gotta believe, gotta believe. Ottoâs doing his best to buy time. He did say heâll spill everything once Garfiel catches himâŠâŠ and we didnât tell the Arlam villagers anything they didnât need to know, so they shouldnât become targets]
Each time Garfiel attacked Subaru or the villagers as they tried to leave, Subaru had confronted Garfiel about the Lewes clones beforehand. Which means, by Subaruâs speculation, Garfiel didnât want the truth about the Lewes clones to be leaked outside.
Subaru didnât know what the underlying reason for this would be, but it seems Garfiel could not be at ease until he has eradicated everyone who knew that fact. The loop where he slaughtered all the villagers except Subaru was probably the result of his inability to determine whether Subaru had divulged it to any of his fellow escapees.
Whether Garfiel would believe him when he says he never told them would be yet another gamble, but somehow, Subaru had a mysterious conviction that if he sincerely emphasized that fact, Garfiel would accept it.
Garfiel doesnât seem to be the type who could handle complicated concepts very well, so Subaru figured he would just have to present him with something he wouldnât need to think too hard about.
[Subaru: And if Ottoâs right, then weâve got Ram on our side. Worst case, as long as heâs not cornered, he shouldnât lay his hands on herâŠâŠ]
If there was anything to worry about, itâs that Ram would provoke Garfiel more than necessary.
The two have known each other for a long time, and they share a past of which Subaru knew nothing about. If something fractures between them because of that shared past, it could lead to unimaginable consequences.
But the reason Ram had agreed to help them was so that Roswaal would keep living in a world that had diverged from his Gospel, and she would tirelessly work to forge that path. Or at least, that was how Subaru interpreted it, and he figured she needed his and Ottoâs help to achieve it.
Even if she wasnât impressed by Ottoâs sales-pitch, sheâd surely go along with it.
[Subaru: I believe in you, Big Sister-sama! No matter how useless Otto is, please work with him!]
Clapping his palms together, Subaru prayed his utmost for their safety.
Unaware that the two had gone off and made a decision to skirt the boundaries of life and death, Subaru concluded his prayer, and,
[Subaru: Well then, time for me to do my part]
Tugging his own cheeks to psych himself up, Subaru gave his head a shake and resumed his stride.
The moment his foot stepped inside the gaping entrance, the unpleasant feeling of free-falling through the airââ and of his guts floating upwards assaulted him.
[Subaru: EughhâŠâŠ]
Holding his hand to his mouth, Subaru forced back the surging nausea as he pressed onward.
That unshakable floating sensation made every step he took feel like the phantom step at the end of a staircase. His organs churned as his blood seemed to flow backwards, and it was as if the air was slathering its tongue around his eyeballs.
Savoring the sense of rejection as if the entire world was refusing Natsuki Subaru, he drew deep breath after deep breath, his face pale, pressing his hands to the wall as he dragged his feet forward.
[Subaru: Donât⊠be so coldâŠâŠ Iâll⊠feel hurt, you knowâŠâŠ]
Having anticipated this, Subaru had emptied his stomach beforehand. Nevertheless, this gut-wrenching nausea caused stomach acid to surge to his mouth.
Subaru pushed the feeling down and forced his eyes to open as he desperately crept step after step through the darkness.
Andââ
[Subaru: Ah, thank goodness. ââIâve finally found you]
Having made his way to the end of the short distance that felt like an eternity, Subaruâs shoulders slumped in relief.
In front of him, leaning against the ancient wall of the dusty corridor, the girl sitting there hugging her knees looked up at him with an astonished expression.
[???: su⊠baru?]
Though her voice was faltering, the fact that she called his name filled him with satisfaction.
Then, Subaru bent down beside the girl on the ground, andââ
[Subaru: Sayââ letâs talk, Emilia-tan]
Using the same icebreaker from back then when he couldnât bear to face his mistakes, this time, it was Subaru who spoke the words.
-=Chapter 109 End=-