Emilia trembled softly in Subaru's arms, her body shivering in a fragile rhythm that spoke of fear more than cold. She was conscious, but her gaze was empty, unfocused—locked so deeply in shock that she seemed unaware of where she was or whose arms cradled her. From her lips spilled the same broken, quivering words over and over, like a fragile charm against the chaos in her mind: "It wasn't me... it wasn't me... it wasn't me..." Each repetition sounded weaker, yet more desperate, as though those three words were her last lifeline against drowning in the darkness.
Subaru's hold on her tightened ever so slightly, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. His voice, quiet but resolute, brushed against her ear like a promise: "Yeah, Mili... it wasn't you." His fingers threaded gently through her silver hair, each stroke deliberate, conveying both comfort and certainty.
The touch was familiar to Emilia. She raised her head slowly, just enough to look back at the boy holding her so securely. Fear, guilt, and helplessness swirled in her violet eyes, and when she spoke, the tremor in her tone betrayed the wild hammering of her heart. "Subaru... it really wasn't me! I would never trap anyone in ice! I... I—"
Subaru's hands framed her head, steadying her, before guiding her face into his chest. The softness in his tone deepened into something firmer, grounding. "Calm down, Mili. We'll save them—I promise. But first, you need to find your footing again. You need to breathe, to push this back. Don't forget... we face everything together."
Her will gave way, and she collapsed fully into his embrace, her tears flowing freely. The fabric of his clothes grew damp as she cried until her eyes ached, until her sobs dissolved into ragged gasps. Subaru didn't interrupt, didn't try to rush her grief. What she needed wasn't words—it was the steady rhythm of a heartbeat that told her she was safe. Puck wasn't there, and in his absence, Subaru had become the only pillar keeping her upright.
A short distance away, Flugel observed in silence. His face was unreadable—not pity, not satisfaction, only the cold detachment of someone weighing the cost of a problem. "You know Puck sealed Little Lia's memories," he said at last. "We'll have to undo it. If the memories she's missing keep trying to surface... she'll lose herself sooner or later."
Subaru's eyes narrowed, his mind racing through possibilities, none without risk. Each second felt stretched, each thought heavier than the last. At last, Emilia's sobs faded, and exhaustion claimed her. She drifted into sleep, still clinging to him as though he might vanish if she let go.
Subaru rose carefully, carrying her as though she were made of glass. Stepping out of the Witch's Tomb, the night air hit his skin—sharp, cold, almost biting. Above, the sky was dimly lit by distant stars, their light pale against the oppressive stillness that hung over the land.
Halfway down the worn stone steps, Subaru's instincts flared—a warning. Someone was coming. Fast.
Recognition struck almost immediately.
From the treeline, Garfiel erupted with a beast's roar, closing the distance in a blink. Subaru reacted without hesitation, summoning the Authority of Sloth—the Invisible Providence. Six invisible arms unfurled like spectral limbs. His lips quirked into a dry mutter: "Hm... two extra cups of tea, two extra arms... fair trade."
Garfiel's charge ended abruptly as the invisible arms coiled around him at blinding speed, suspending him midair. His muscles bulged, straining against their unseen grip. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, YA BASTARD?! YA SOME SORTA FLYIN' FROG?!" he bellowed, a mixture of fury and shock.
Subaru exhaled slowly, his voice calm but unyielding. "No. Just magic. And right now, I'm not letting you disturb the girl I'm carrying. So... how about we save this for tomorrow?"
The arms released him, lowering him to the ground. The forest fell into a thick, watchful silence once more.
Garfiel spat on the ground, his eyes blazing with a volatile mix of fury and defiance. "I'm gonna break every bone in your body…" he growled, his lips curling into a mocking smirk. "Anyway, the clown wants to see you. The half De-"
Before he could finish, a dense, oppressive aura erupted from Subaru. The air seemed to thicken, pressing down like an invisible hand wrapped around Garfiel's throat. His muscles tensed instinctively, and his breath caught; every instinct screamed that speaking further would bring disaster. He cleared his throat in a rough, almost forced way, his gaze flicking aside for a fleeting moment.
"I mean… take the half-elf to her room and talk to her. Rem's been asking about you, too," he muttered, his tone stripped of its earlier bravado.
Subaru inhaled slowly, the fatigue in his bones offset by a grim resolve. He set off toward Ryuzu's home, each step deliberate. Tomorrow's sole objective was clear in his mind: to face the first trial at Emilia's side. But before that, he needed his thoughts in order.
The door creaked open to reveal the warm dimness within. Subaru offered Ryuzu a silent nod, the quiet crackle of the stove and faint scent of burning wood enveloping him. He ascended the stairs, the boards groaning faintly beneath his weight. Upstairs, Beatrice, Hikari, and Meili lay curled together in a single bed, their breathing steady in the night's calm. Elsa, by contrast, stood against the window frame—eyes shut yet every line of her body poised for action.
Subaru set Emilia gently upon the bed, adjusting the blanket around her shoulders. As he turned to leave, Elsa's voice slid into the air, cold and precise:
"I overheard Roswaal. He's making plans about you—and speaking to some… book. Whether it's madness, paranoia, or something else entirely, I can't say. Just… watch yourself."
Subaru met her words with a silent nod, then made his way down, his footsteps heavy. He entered Roswaal's chambers without knocking. Inside, Ram and Rem flanked the bed like sentinels. Rem stepped forward, but Ram's piercing look froze her in place.
"Barusu, what business do you have here at this hour?" Ram's tone was as sharp as her gaze.
Roswaal lifted one hand with a light, playful chuckle. "Raaam~ I called our dear Subaru-kun here. He's earned the right to attempt the trials, and I wished to discuss it, huhuhu~"
Subaru's expression hardened. "After you attacked my little sister and treated Emilia like nothing more than a pawn, working with you isn't even on the table, Roswaal. Let me make this clear—your plan is going to crumble. Teacher's pet or not, you're not getting what you want."
For a fraction of a second, Roswaal's painted smile fractured. In that glimpse, the mask fell away, exposing the cold, calculating predator beneath. Then, like a curtain falling, false cheer returned. "Leave us," he said, his voice low but edged.
Ram took Rem's hand, leading her out. As she passed, Rem turned and offered Subaru a small, layered smile—one heavy with unspoken meaning.
Roswaal reached slowly behind himself, fingers trembling slightly as they closed around the Gospel. In his eyes burned a dangerous light, part pride, part madness. His voice rang through the room like the crack of a whip: "You've seen this before, Subaru-kun. The Archbishops carry them too."
Subaru folded his arms, letting a cold smirk touch his lips. "Yeah? Should I have one of my own, or is this some exclusive membership perk?"
With a sharp thud, Roswaal set the book down. "No. These Gospels are fragments of the shadows of the future—they whisper which steps to take, which paths to walk. My Gospel… shows me the single way to bring my master back. And you, Subaru-kun, are the key that unlocks that path. I've been waiting for you for a very, very long time… but…" His gaze shifted, bright glimmers turning to dead steel. "The Gospel has told me nothing true about you."
His voice grew taut as he strode toward Subaru, his steps quickening. "What are you?! You shouldn't have those powers! You should never have met the Great Sage! It should have been impossible for you to gain extra Authorities! You were meant to be weak—just another foolish pawn on my board! And yet… here you are, rewriting the script I've been perfecting for years."
Subaru exhaled deeply, the sound long and deliberate, almost as though he was trying to rid himself of a heavy weight pressing against his chest. His gaze drifted toward the shadowed corner of the room, where Flugel sat slouched in his chair, covering a yawn brought on by Roswaal's endless speech. The silence that followed felt like a thick fog settling over them. Flugel's eyes met Subaru's, and he flashed a sly, knowing grin. "Don't be fooled by the way he talks. Everyone knows you're the strongest card in any deck—always have been, always will be."
Subaru allowed a faint but loaded smile to cross his lips, one that spoke volumes without uttering a word.
Roswaal, ignoring the exchange, reached for the Gospel lying beside him. His fingers trembled ever so slightly as they flipped through the pages in a fevered frenzy, eyes scanning each line with wild, searching movements. Abruptly, he snapped the book shut with a loud, decisive clap that reverberated through the room. "Tell me, Natsuki Subaru… Did you pass the first trial? What visions confronted you when you stepped inside?"
A crooked grin twisted Subaru's mouth. "Inside… I met your master, The Witch of Greed, Echidna, if I'm not mistaken. We even shared a cup of tea. Or should I say… tea brewed from her own bodily fluids."
Flugel broke into uncontrollable laughter, his voice rolling through the room like a crashing wave.
Roswaal's expression stiffened into stone, his breath catching mid-throat. "That tea? W-wait—my master?! What did she say about me?!"
Subaru stepped forward with unhurried steps, emerging from the veil of shadows that clung to the room. His voice turned to ice, each word slicing with surgical precision. "She told me you're nothing more than a mistake. Strange, isn't it? She birthed Puck and Beako as though they were her own flesh and blood, yet betrayed them when the time came. They were precious… cherished. But you, Roswaal? You're nothing more than a toy. A BROKEN. TOY."
The words seemed to linger in the air, echoing again and again, burrowing deep into the walls. Roswaal surged forward in rage, but before he could stand, two vice-like grips pinned him to his chair—Subaru's right hand clamping down on one shoulder, Flugel's left on the other. Both bore identical, chilling smiles, the kind that carried the dark thrill of domination.
Flugel was the first to speak, his voice sharp enough to cut the silence clean in two. "Stay down, Roswaal. You know as well as I do—kill Subaru, and he'll come back again and again. But you… oh, you won't get that luxury." His words dripped with venomous amusement, the kind that made the skin crawl.
Roswaal's body trembled under the combined pressure. The weight of unspoken humiliation pressed down like a mountain, crushing his breath. In his eyes, fury and helplessness fought for dominance, the corners of his mouth twitching against his will. He tried to speak, but his voice failed him, the words catching like thorns in his throat. After an excruciating pause, both hands released him. Flugel dissipated like a phantom melting into mist, while Subaru leaned back against the wall, his cold gaze never leaving Roswaal.
Roswaal inhaled sharply, then exhaled with a heaviness that seemed to drain not just air but resolve. Slowly, he rose to his feet. "I haven't given up, Natsuki Subaru. If I need you, then you need me too. Let's make a deal." His voice carried the strange balance of defiance and desperation.
Subaru arched one brow, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh? And why exactly would I need you?"
Roswaal placed the Gospel on the bed, noticing that his hands still shook—though he didn't bother to hide it. "If you truly want to free everyone from the Sanctuary, my help is not optional. If Lady Emilia fails to break the barrier within two weeks… you'll assist me, in every way possible, to bring my master back. If I'm wrong, I'll vanish from your path entirely. But understand this… there is nothing I will not do to see her revived. Carve that into your mind."
The air grew oppressive. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Subaru weighed the proposition. Then, with a deliberate motion, he extended his hand. "Deal."
Roswaal clasped it. But before letting go, Subaru's voice dropped to an icy whisper. "But Roswaal… never forget… Emilia is far stronger than you think." With that, he released his grip and strode quietly from the room.
As Subaru ascended the stairs, Flugel's voice ghosted through his mind. "So… were Echidna's words about you really true?"
Flugel shrugged, his reply casual, almost bored. "Meh. Yeah, they were true. Got nothing to hide."
After a brief exchange, Subaru returned to his room. Inside, Rem and Elsa were in conversation. The moment Rem saw him, she ran toward him without hesitation and threw her arms around him. As Subaru closed the door, he returned her embrace.
"Are your arms fully healed now, Rem?"
Rem pulled back slightly and held her hands out for him to see. "Yes! There are still a few scars, but I don't mind, Subaru-kun. They remind me of you." Her cheeks flushed faintly, her voice trembling with warmth.
Subaru gently took her hand and pressed a quiet kiss to it. For a moment, the two shared a silent, tender connection. Meanwhile, Elsa leaned against the window frame, her complexion pale, clearly trying not to be sick.
"Ugh… my stomach," she muttered.
Beside her stood Flugel, also leaning against the glass, his eyes fixed on the view outside. Elsa turned toward him and asked in a low voice, "Can't handle what you're seeing either?"
Flugel shrugged. "Meh. As long as it's not overly sentimental, I can manage. Just act natural, Elsa."
Elsa let out a long sigh and dropped her gaze to the floor. "I feel like killing someone…" she murmured, her tone almost a whisper, yet carrying an undercurrent of restrained hunger.
Hours later, Subaru sat on the floor beside Emilia's bed, knees drawn up, holding her delicate hands. They were clammy with cold sweat; the girl was trapped in the depths of a nightmare. The trials had left her with wounds that went far beyond the physical, and now those same scenes replayed in her dreams—sharper, crueler, and more vivid than before. Every shudder, every strained breath weighed on Subaru like another stone on his chest.
In the dim corner of the room, Flugel leaned silently against the wall, a shadow among shadows. The rest of the shelter's occupants were long asleep, leaving only the three of them in the heavy quiet. Lifting his head, Flugel glanced at Subaru—who looked worn down to the bone—and spoke in a voice balanced between mockery and seriousness.
"We have a serious problem with your sleep schedule, Subaru. Staying awake for days, then crashing for an entire day—it's getting ridiculous. What do you say we try something healthier?"
Subaru lifted his eyes to meet Flugel's. In them was the deep red strain of sleepless nights, mixed with the stubborn glint of resolve. "With Emilia like this, I just… can't sleep. When things go back to normal… maybe then I'll fix it."
Flugel simply exhaled, shrugged, and said, "Suit yourself." Without another word, he vaulted gracefully out the window and disappeared into the night.
Time passed slowly. Gradually, the tension in Emilia's face began to ease. She stirred, pulling herself up from the darkness of her nightmare and blinking her eyes open. As she moved to raise her hand, she met a warm resistance—Subaru's hand. He had been there the entire time.
Thinking she was still caught in her nightmare, Subaru tightened his grip and drew her closer. When he turned his head, he realized their faces were now separated by little more than a breath. To an outside observer, it might have looked like they were about to kiss.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Their eyes locked, an unspoken current flowing between them. Then, as though on cue, both pulled back slightly, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Emilia cleared her throat, her voice soft but uncertain. "Subaru… have you been by my side all this time? Since the moment I collapsed?"
Without letting go of her hand, Subaru answered with a faint smile. "Of course, Mili. I couldn't possibly leave you like that. You know, you were having nightmares the whole time—almost like a little kid."
Emilia frowned lightly and reached out to pinch his cheek. "Subaru! Don't make light of my nightmares, please." Her voice trembled, fragile. "Reliving everything from the beginning… it's really painful."
Subaru took a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of the bed so he could meet her gaze directly. "Alright, maybe you froze them yourself, but think about it, Mili… did you really do it because you wanted to?"
Emilia's eyes welled up instantly. "No… I… I just wanted that witch to stay away from me. Mother Fortuna was gone, and… I didn't know what else to do!"
Gently, Subaru placed his hands on her shoulders and drew her into a light embrace. "You were just a child, Mili. If I were in your place, I couldn't have controlled my emotions either. If you had frozen them on purpose, out of cruelty, then I might call that evil. But that little Emilia back then… she was just an innocent, lost girl."
When a single tear slid down her cheek, Subaru didn't let it fall away unnoticed. His fingertips brushed it aside with such gentleness it was as if even the air might shatter at his touch. In her eyes he saw both fragility and an unyielding strength, coexisting in a way that made the moment feel suspended in time. His voice was soft, but carried a deep resolve and unwavering devotion:
"And besides… you still shed tears for the people frozen in ice. Your heart still aches for them, Mili. You set your sights on becoming queen to save them. That's no small thing. Truly, Mili… don't diminish that. And remember—rescuing them is a goal I've made my own. Walking this path with you… that's my choice. And… I'm proud of you, Emilia."
Emilia bit her lip, the slight crease between her brows reflecting the weight of her regrets and the quiet echo of her conscience. She bowed her head for a moment, her voice trembling with a pain she couldn't hide: "I'm just… paying for the sin I committed, Subaru. That's all this is. And you… why are you joining me in this? This is my burden. Not yours."
Subaru lifted his head with a faint smile, his movements deliberate, as if savoring the moment. He shrugged his shoulders in a mock-careless way, but the truth lay clear in his eyes—there was no jest, no sarcasm, only a steadfast resolve that seemed to root him firmly in place. "Eh… I'll do whatever it takes for you, Mili. That's all there is to it. No convoluted reasoning, no grand speeches. My heart tells me this is the path I need to walk, and I'm not the type to ignore it."
Emilia's lips curved into a small, knowing smile, touched with a hint of mock irritation, as though she wanted to scold him but couldn't bring herself to. With gentle playfulness, she tapped the side of his head with the back of her hand. "You're so selfish, Subaru."
Subaru's grin widened just slightly, a mixture of tenderness and stubborn defiance shimmering in it. He leaned forward slowly, taking his time, and pressed a light kiss to her forehead—a fleeting touch, yet carrying a depth that words could never match. "Yes, I'm selfish, Mili… so you'd better get used to it. Now… how about we get some sleep before you decide I've talked too much?"
Emilia's cheeks deepened to a rosy blush as she sank back against the pillows, her silver hair spilling softly across them. She averted her gaze, pretending to focus on some distant thought, yet her fingertips betrayed her—lightly drumming against the empty space beside her. Her ears, flushed nearly scarlet, twitched faintly. Her voice came out quiet, hesitant, but threaded with a shy sincerity: "It's just… I might still have nightmares. So… maybe, instead of sitting on the floor, you could… lie here, beside me?"
Subaru's eyes brightened with a mischievous glint, and a faint chuckle escaped him. In a voice that was almost a conspiratorial whisper, he murmured, "If my queen gives such an order... How can I refuse?"
He eased himself onto the bed, careful not to disturb her, and wrapped his arms around the elf girl in a protective embrace that spoke more than any promise could. Emilia leaned into him instinctively, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her cheek—a soothing melody that wove itself around her, muting the harsh, distant noise of the outside world. Each deep breath she took seemed to seal away another scar, as though the shadows of her past were losing their grip.
They stayed like that for a while, speaking no further words, letting the silence settle around them like a warm blanket. Outside, the night pressed in, cold and vast, but within those four walls was an island of calm. And that night, the two of them, cradled in a peace they hadn't touched in what felt like forever, drifted slowly into a deep, dream-laden sleep—drawn into visions lit with fragile hope, bound together in the quiet sanctuary of each other's warmth, and carried far from the reach of the darkness.