[ [ "So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so. Just who are you, anyway? I've seen the appearances of all the other Sin Archbishops besides 'Pride.' Since you're so deeply favored, I can't believe you have no connection to the Gospel."
"Uuuhh, ahhn..."
Subaru merely let out mindless moans.
"Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh... Being ignored is so lonely! Even though I was being so, so—so friendly, so welcoming, welcoming, welcoming, you you you you you you!"
Having said that, Petelgeuse grabbed Subaru's face and forced him into eye contact.
"Look into my eyes. Answer me. Answer me properly. Answer my question, fulfill my request. I wish to ask you something."
Having spoken, Petelgeuse stuck out his tongue and licked Subaru's left eye. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Friendly... Ahaha, is that what you call friendly? Then... Uwaa, Petelgeuse licked Mr. Natsuki's eye, how disgusting!"
Otto remarked.
"For a cruel follower of the Witch's Cult, this might actually count as friendly behavior... Ah, licking the eye... What a disturbingly grotesque act."
Anastasia responded.
"Damn it, take your filthy hands off him! Don't touch him!"
Both Rem and Rem Natsuki shouted at Petelgeuse.
"Hmph..."
Emilia puffed her cheeks and clenched her fists tightly.
"Well then, what kind of twisted question does the perverse Witch Cult leader want to ask?"
Garfiel stared at the screen.
....
—
[ [ "Why... why are you pretending to be insane?"
"Aaah! Aaahhh!"
"Why... why are you pretending to be insane?"
The true madman, Petelgeuse, asked the question again.
"Uurgh! Ahnn aahhh! Aaaaaaah!"
"No, no, no, no—actually, I'm really puzzled. For what reason, for what purpose, do you pretend to be mad? You possess reason, you understand yourself—you're pretending to go mad while fully aware of it."
"Waah! Waaah! Waaaaahhh!"
"Ah, how comical, truly comical! Why do you pretend to be insane?! To someone truly abandoned, your mask would be stripped away instantly! How utterly laughable! Ah, what a sight, what a sight! You... you really are 'Sloth' after all!" ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"It seems just as I suspected. Someone like Lord Natsuki, half-mad as he is, would be exposed immediately when faced with true madness."
Wilhelm said.
"Subaru's current mindless screaming is merely an attempt to escape Petelgeuse's words, to flee from those words that awaken reason, to suppress the reason buried deep within himself..."
Yuriusu said.
"Unable to face reality..."
Emilia whispered sorrowfully.
After everything he's been through, even if he truly went mad, who could possibly blame him?
"Still... Mr. Natsuki's mental fortitude is truly incredible..."
Otto couldn't help but say.
After enduring so much suffering, a normal person would have long since gone insane, yet Natsuki Subaru had only gone half-mad.
"Is that Rem?"
A familiar voice reached Ram's ears, and she turned her attention back to the screen...
....
—
[ [ "Found him." Rem was covered in blood, her dress torn, her body battered—especially her left arm.
"Thank goodness, Subaru-kun..."
"Ahhh, how magnificent! A girl! A mere girl! So grievously wounded, yet still pressing forward! For what purpose? For this boy! To save this beloved boy, you've gone this far! You too are possessed by love, born for love!"
"You fanatics have trespassed on the lands of Lord Roswaal of the Meltina domain without permission and are wreaking havoc. Rem will punish you in place of my absent master."
"With a body so broken and battered? Don't speak as if you can do something you clearly cannot. Besides, you're only here to take back this boy. Spare me the noble-sounding excuses."
Petelgeuse grabbed Subaru's hair and shook his head violently up and down.
"...Don't."
"What did you say?"
"Rem says you must not touch that person!!"
On screen, Rem flew into a rage and began fighting. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Ah, Rem is amazing!"
Felt was touched.
The others nodded in agreement.
Even at the cost of her life, she would find and save the one she loved.
"Look, Miss Rem just instantly killed several Witch Cultists!"
Otto exclaimed in shock.
On screen, Rem was ruthlessly eliminating enemies with a deadly combination of martial arts and magic.
"They're not on the same level..."
Yuriusu realized—the Witch Cultists Rem was killing were now clearly stronger than those who attacked the dragon carriage earlier.
Previously, Rem had barely managed to kill half of six people after a desperate struggle. Now, despite her severe injuries, she was killing several in rapid succession.
....
—
[ [ "Amazing, amazing! You truly are incredible! But why! Ah, why! Why won't you accept love! Won't acknowledge love! Won't proclaim love! If you don't speak it, you'll never receive that dreamlike love! But why! Why!"
"Stop spouting nonsense! Rem has already been saved! That morning, Rem regained what was lost that night in the most supreme way possible! So to obtain everything, Rem will keep giving back everything. The feelings driving Rem to do this, the feelings Rem wishes to act upon—surely they are not the vulgar things you keep shouting about!"
"Aaah, aaaaah, aaaaaah... My brain trembles."
Petelgeuse stood up and calmly stepped toward Rem.
"Move away from Subaru-kun..."
Subaru slowly raised his head and looked at Rem.
"...Rem."
"Ah..."
Rem froze.
It seemed Subaru had finally broken free from his inner prison—he was showing true reason.
"Subaru-kun..."
Rem called his name, overjoyed. ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"The guy's finally facing reality!"
Felt shouted excitedly.
Everyone could see it—Rem's repeated calls had awakened Subaru.
"This kid really put in the effort."
Puck couldn't help but say.
"Can she... can she win?"
Meanwhile, Garfiel anxiously asked about Rem's battle against Petelgeuse.
"...I think it will be difficult..."
Yuriusu said.
"Hm."
Wilhelm also nodded. He said:
"His 'Invisible Hand' is easy to catch an unfamiliar opponent off guard... but that moment of surprise is fatal."
If you knew about it beforehand, it would be easier to fight—Wilhelm believed at least that much.
For example, one could scatter sand to roughly determine the hand's position.
"Rem!"
Ram's scream confirmed Yurias and Wilhelm's assessment.
....
—
[ [ The next instant, Rem's entire body was torn apart and slammed onto the cold ground.
"The Authority of 'Sloth'—the Invisible Hand. Reaching into places beyond touch, fulfilling duty without moving one's body. Exerting diligence through the form of sloth... Ah, my 'Sloth' makes my brain tremble!"
Rem... is dead? ] ]