Chapter 63: The Madmand — Part 2
[ [ "Don't touch Subaru-kun!" The three Rems, inside and outside the video, shouted in unison.
Rem's head-on battle with the Witch's Cult members reignited once again in this loop. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Those Witch's Cult members again!"
The two Rems' eyes were filled with both hatred and fury.
"…Is this 'Sloth'?"
Yuriusu murmured to himself.
In the world he had seen before, Petelgeuse had spoken of using Emilia as a vessel to resurrect the Witch of Jealousy.
No matter which loop it was, this fact, this event, never changed…
....
—
[ [ "Hah!" Rem in the video leaps into the air, stepping on tree branches before diving into the crowd of Cult members, beginning her slaughter.
"You will not lay a hand on Subaru-kun… Witch's Cult scum!"
A pure white horn sprouted from Rem's forehead as she activated her Oni transformation. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Hmm? Still retaining consciousness?"
This time, she retained her sanity even while transformed—why was that?
"Could it be that my sister-in-law, like me, can grow stronger while keeping her mind?"
Garfiel said.
"…How is the battle going, Wilhelm?"
Otto anxiously asked the Sword Saint, who had extensive combat experience.
After all, Rem had started the fight already injured.
She had been wounded protecting Subaru during the cart's rollover—her forehead was slashed, a wooden splinter was embedded in her left shoulder, and a bone in her left thigh seemed to have fractured.
"…The situation is grim."
Wilhelm responded with a frown.
"What? My sister-in-law's already taken down half of them. Shouldn't she be fine? Whoa!"
....
—
[ [ After Rem had eliminated half the Cultists, a sharp stone spear came flying. Rem barely dodged, but her hair and the side of her head were still grazed, blood flowing into her eyes.
From Rem's perspective, everything might have been stained red.
Her vision was impaired—this was terrible.
"Huma!"
A fireball came hurtling toward her. Rem released an ice barrier to counter it, but it only lessened the flames.
She raised her left arm to smash the fireball…
"Uwaaah!"
Rem was blown back by the explosion, spinning through the air before crashing hard into a tree trunk.
Her left arm was severely burned.
The tide of battle clearly turned against Rem.
Under the Cultists' relentless attacks, Rem was covered in wounds, many of which were grievous—horrific even. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Rem…"
Ram ached with sorrow.
"…Rem."
Emilia's heart clenched.
"W-Wait… the perspective is pulling back!"
Otto cried out in shock.
Several Cult members rushed in and seized Subaru…
"Subaru-kun!"
The two Rems shouted in unison.
That me—hurry, notice Subaru-kun has been taken! Hurry and kill those damn Cult bastards!
If they could, they would have rushed in to save Subaru, but they couldn't. All they could do was pray that Rem would notice.
But…
....
—
[ [ "Subaru-kun?!" The audience couldn't see Rem's face, only hear her voice—likely because the viewpoint was now on Subaru.
"…You… you stole sister's horn, you stole Rem's reason to live, and that wasn't enough… Now you're stealing even the reason for Rem to die here?!"
Her voice grew fainter, but it was clear she was screaming.
Apparently, Rem hadn't noticed Subaru had been captured during the fight, leaving behind only a mournful cry.
The last thing heard was a massive explosion.
The screen went dark. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"That explosion… Rem!"
Ram cried out in agony.
"Sister-in-law! Damn those Cult bastards!"
Garfiel ground his sharp teeth.
"Rem… Rem was useless… couldn't protect Subaru-kun…"
The nearby Rem clenched her fists tightly.
"G-G-Geuse !"
Emilia gasped, staring at the screen.
....
—
[ [ "Oh my? Ohhh, I see… my, my, this is indeed fascinating. You… could you perhaps be 'Pride'?"
The screen brightened again, revealing a man thin to the point of illness—no, worse than that, a mere skeleton wrapped in skin, his pupils reflecting extreme madness and fanaticism.
Geuse Romanée-Conti—or more accurately, the deranged Witch's Cult, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth: Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti.
Petelgeuse bit his finger hard, then looked at Subaru, bound in chains and grinning foolishly, and spoke:
"Hmph… seems you won't answer me. Oh, right. Come to think of it, how rude of me. I've truly failed—haven't even introduced myself yet."
Slowly, Petelgeuse bent down, stretching his neck forward as he spoke while raising his head:
"I am a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult… Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, Archbishop of 'Sloth'!" ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Madman…"
Otto whispered.
"No matter how many times I see him, this guy is utterly disgusting."
Mimi remarked.
"…So let's calm down and think. This time, Barusu and Rem arrived earlier, so they encountered the Cultists on the road. And the Cultists, under orders from 'Sloth', took Barusu away… So what does this lunatic intend to do to Barusu?"
Ram asked, analyzing the situation.
Though no one knew the specifics, being captured by the Witch's Cult—especially by a madman like this—could only end in disaster.
"Geuse…"
Emilia lowered her eyes.
"Lia, Geuse died the day the Witch of Vanity arrived. What's there now is just a Cult member."
Puck said to Emilia.
....
—
[ [ "Ah, how absurd! How truly, truly, truly delightful! Truly, truly, truly, truly! My brain trembles!"
Then, a Cult member approached and said something to Petelgeuse.
"The dragon cart! Ah, the earth dragon was splendid! But my 'fingers' killed it—my 'fingers' diligence overcame the earth dragon, a creature symbolizing diligence! Ah, my brain trembles! But the dead earth dragon is truly 'slothful,' isn't it? And the passengers? Were they properly dealt with?"
Petelgeuse asked the Cultist.
The Cultist replied:
"There was one passenger… a blue-haired girl. The tip of her left ring finger destroyed the cart together. When we took him, a fight broke out—the destruction of the finger was due to that girl… Her fate is unknown."
"Fate… un… known…? Did you grow… slothful?"
Then, Petelgeuse grabbed the Cultist and easily swung him back and forth. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Fate unknown… meaning Rem might still be alive."
Ram felt a glimmer of joy.
But… if Rem were alive, she would surely come to save Barusu… Let's just hope she escaped safely.
Beneath her joy, Ram felt a thread of worry.
"The 'fingers'…?"
Wilhelm muttered to himself.
During Rem's battle with the Cultists, one of them had clearly been more skilled—likely the 'fingers.' And Rem's greatest reason for losing might have been those very 'fingers.'
[ [ "Then, then, then then then then then then then." Petelgeuse crawled on his knees toward Subaru.
"Just what kind of person are you?"
It seemed Petelgeuse's interrogation of Subaru had only just begun. ] ]