Arc 10, Part 20: "Sheep-Mirror, Dog-Face"

—Red. That single color filled Subaru’s entire field of vision.

"—!"

The clown-masked man who had suddenly appeared—a figure whose affiliation and motives were completely unknown—had unleashed a massive fireball toward Subaru and the others as a substitute for a greeting of "hello" and "goodbye." The sensation of surging heat scorched his skin, and the dim sewer became as bright as high noon. However, this only served to clearly illuminate the flames spreading across the narrow waterway, leaving no room for escape—a result that served only to stir a particular kind of despair.

Carrying Crusch on his back, and having already used his once-a-day E·M·T and E·M·M, Subaru was on the verge of running on empty. He had no means to deal with this—

"Goddammit!"

A rough, spitting voice rang out, followed by the viscous sound of splashing water. Out of the corner of his eye, Rachins, who should have been beside him, was gone. Like Subaru, he had been startled by the clown-mask’s appearance, but he had reacted to the approaching flames faster than Subaru. Without hesitation, he had dived headfirst into the sewage beside the walkway—the only available escape.

"Subaru! Betty and the others—"

"No—"

Seeing Rachins’ emergency judgment, Beatrice grabbed the hem of Subaru’s tracksuit. With her meager strength and light weight, she tried to pull Subaru into the sewage with all her might. But Subaru dug his heels in and resisted Beatrice’s pull. At this unexpected reaction, Beatrice’s voice cracked as she cried, "Subaru!?"

"Trust me, Beatrice."

"————"

Beatrice’s eyes widened, and she stared intently at Subaru as he spoke with conviction. Their eyes met; her round pupils, marked with their characteristic patterns, trembled as she caught her breath. And before she could say anything, the mass of fire reached them. The overwhelming firepower was about to mercilessly incinerate the standing Subaru and Beatrice, along with Crusch on his back—or so it seemed.

"—"

The flames closed in, skin was scorched, and it felt as if the moisture in his entire body would evaporate instantly. Just as the heatwave, intense enough to make him think so, singed Subaru’s bangs, it suddenly vanished. As if by a magic trick, the brightness of the sewer plummeted in an instant, as if the sun had been hidden. All that remained was the lamp in Subaru’s hand, the weak light produced by the fragments of magic stones fallen on the path, and the heated air of the sewage scorched by the vanished flames. —No, that wasn't all.

"—Why?"

"Ah...?"

"Why? How? In this moment, in that spot... why didn't you move?"

In the hazy darkness, the white mask of the clown floated. Tilting his head, the clown-mask looked perplexed—in fact, he had somehow swapped the villainous mask he first wore for a different one with "X" marks for eyes, displaying a different expression. While feeling irritated by this mockery, Subaru blew on his singed bangs and said:

"You prefaced this by saying you had business with Crusch-san. If that's the case, it would be weird for you to try and burn her to death along with us."

"—. Heh, hehe, hahahaha! Is that it? You stood your ground based on that and nothing else? Even though you could have dragged your Great Spirit partner down with you!"

"...But I won the bet."

"What a confident one! Truly the first knight of a Royal Selection candidate! You've carved your path until now by believing in your own decisiveness and insight! Amazing, wonderful, I'm impressed! It’s absolutely enviable!"

Contrary to his loud words of praise, the clown-mask clapped his hands grandly with a voice that didn't value Subaru at all. As the loud applause echoed hollowly through the sewer, Subaru gritted his teeth and silently endured the insults disguised as praise. It was all to avoid needlessly provoking the opponent—

"What just happened was the result of Subaru’s cleverness exceeding your expectations. To ignore that and launch petty character attacks is truly pathetic behavior, I suppose."

Instead of the silent Subaru, Beatrice bit back with a sharp gaze. In response, the clown-mask put a hand to his head and cried, "Taha—!"

"How touching, how lovely! A spirit and a contractor are like a perfectly fitted lock and key. One cannot exist without the other. And that is exactly why! Bonds can be both medicine and poison!"

"He’s someone you can't reason with... he has a nastiness that reminds me of a Sin Archbishop, I suppose."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Spare me, have mercy! Of all things to call me, a Sin Archbishop! I can't stand being lumped in with those things. Besides, aren't you the ones being suspected of that?"

"Suspected? Of what..."

"Of being a Sin Archbishop, that’s what! The surface is buzzing with that rumor, Natsuki Subaru. 'He might be the Sin Archbishop of Sloth on the inside!' 'What should we do, what can we do?' Everyone’s in a total panic!"

"—!"

Waving his hands dismissively, the clown-mask spoke mockingly as he swapped back to his original expression. Every single gesture was grating, but Subaru didn't have the luxury to comment on it. That was how much being treated as a Sin Archbishop weighed on Subaru’s heart.

"I’m... a Sin Archbishop...?"

"There’s a limit to foolish speculation, I suppose. If that were the case, how do you explain Subaru crushing the Witch Cult time and time again? Would you call it infighting among allies, I wonder?"

"Who knooows? I don't know, I don't care, it doesn't matter! No one is interested in the truth; they just want to take information that’s convenient for them and spread it in a way that makes them look good. People like that... are annoying, aren't they?"

Even while speaking, the clown-mask swayed his body exaggeratedly, unable to stay still. However, only that last sentence sounded like the true feelings of the eccentric man before them. Sensing this, Subaru took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and spoke.

"In the end..."

"Hmm? Hmmm? Mmm~?"

"What is your goal? I know you're trying to take Crusch-san. But for what purpose, and for whom? I don't believe for a second that someone looking like you is a Kingdom soldier."

Not only was he being chased by Kingdom soldiers, but the fact that he was being treated as a Sin Archbishop made the "Sin Archbishop-allergic" Subaru feel like he was breaking out in hives, but he pushed that aside for now. If he focused solely on the clown-mask in front of him, a natural question arose. His goal was to secure Crusch. However, he wasn't an ally of the Kingdom soldiers. —If that was the case, the natural deduction was that he was an ally of the people who had framed Subaru and the others.

Honestly, even putting Crusch aside, Subaru and Beatrice—who were running on empty—had no chance of winning a head-on fight against someone who could use magic of that caliber. He had to draw out information, buy time, and find a breakthrough—and then.

"—? You, what is that?"

"Mmm~? What is it, what’s wrong? If you're trying to buy time... gegeh!"

At Subaru’s pointed remark made with furrowed brows, the clown-mask groaned as he looked down at his own body. What Subaru had pointed out was a flickering light visible through the inner part of the clown-mask’s black robes, which completely concealed his physique. Subaru recognized that flickering light.

"Is that... a 'Conversation Mirror'?"

"Ah! Ee! Oo! No way, how could that be? Let me tell you! Just because my stomach is flashing doesn't mean your fate will—"

"The light is getting stronger, I suppose. It seems there is a very important matter, I wonder."

"Nunu-gugugu...! You guys! Right there! In that spot! Wait just a liiittle bit!"

Spitting out those words with force, the clown-mask turned his back to Subaru and the others right then and there. Subaru was momentarily stunned by such a bold display of vulnerability. With his back turned, the clown-mask pulled something out of his robes—likely the 'Conversation Mirror'—and seemed to start talking to someone through it. Even with his back turned, he didn't consider Subaru and the others a threat. It was incredibly frustrating to be looked down upon like that, but—

"Now’s our chance. Hey, pull me up...!"

A hushed voice struck Subaru’s ears just as he decided to move. Glancing toward the voice, he saw it coming from the sewage flowing right beside them—there, Rachins was floating, his head poking out from the black surface.

"Chin! You were in the sewage the whole time!?"

"I didn't want to draw that guy's attention carelessly! Also, there’s a chain submerged in the water, and it’s tangled around my leg, so I can't get out..."

"If you had drowned there, it would have been the worst way to die, I suppose."

"Shut up! Just give me a hand!"

Subaru hesitated for a moment at Rachins’ plea from the sewage. Naturally, he wanted to help pull him up, but Subaru’s hands were full carrying Crusch. That meant relying on Beatrice, but he doubted her weight and physical strength could pull Rachins up. If anything, there was a risk of just adding another victim to the sewage. In that case, perhaps he could use Murak to interfere with gravity and simultaneously find a breakthrough—

"Ah, dammit, to hell with this! I'm doing my job! It might be a bit flashy, and I won't say I'm not acting on my own, but I'm not ignoring instructions or deviating in a way that sounds bad!"

"—!"

Raising his voice, the clown-mask stomped his feet and protested to whoever was on the other side of the 'Conversation Mirror.' Afterward, whatever his interlocutor said, he gave a dismissive, defeated reply of "Fine, fine!" and then—

"Hey, catch this! Don't drop it!"

"Huh? Wait, Beako!"

"Dangerous, I suppose!"

Turning around with a sigh and slumped shoulders, the clown-mask suddenly threw something. The moment Subaru saw it was the 'Conversation Mirror,' he called out Beatrice’s name. As mentioned, Subaru’s hands weren't free. Thus, it was Beatrice who hurriedly reached out both hands to catch the object as it traced a gentle parabola.

"I-I almost dropped it, I suppose. You, what are you thinking..."

"The person on the other side of that mirror says they want to talk to you!"

"To us?"

Subaru and Beatrice exchanged looks at the sulking clown-mask’s words. Then, the two of them tentatively peered into the 'Conversation Mirror' in Beatrice’s hands, while remaining wary of any suspicious movements from the clown-mask. There, the image of the clown-mask’s conversation partner appeared on the mirror’s surface—

『—Ah, it’s showing! Um, can you see my face?』

"————"

Seeing the person reflected in the mirror, Subaru was at a loss for how to react. He never would have expected that the person appearing in the 'Conversation Mirror' handed over by the clown-mask would be a young girl.

She wasn't a face he knew. Her age was perhaps a year or two younger than Subaru. She was a girl with long, glossy navy-blue hair tied in high twin-tails, and large, round golden eyes that made a strong impression. Within the narrow frame of the mirror, the girl—who had a refined face but an air of unreliability—wore a white shirt with a neatly tied thin tie and a jet-black jacket. She was dressed in a black suit that prioritized practicality over glamour, looking at them through the mirror. The gap between the girl’s serious gaze and the current situation left Subaru deeply confused.

"You... no, who are you?"

『U-Um, I am called "White Sheep." I thought that "Black Dog" over there... the man in the mask... might have caused you a lot of trouble... I'm so sorry!』

"S-Sorry...?"

The girl who called herself 'White Sheep' suddenly bowed deeply on the other side of the mirror. As the girl disappeared from the mirror’s view due to the force of her bow, Subaru’s brain couldn't keep up with the information processing. The clown-mask—the man the girl called 'Black Dog'—was clearly a dangerous individual. Yet, the girl who seemed to be on the same side as 'Black Dog' was bowing to them like this. It was so contradictory and mismatched that it felt like they were trying to confuse him on purpose.

"...To be honest, I don't know what to think of you guys. My own position is already ambiguous enough, and my head and heart are in a mess. Give me something to judge you by."

『Something to judge us by?』

"If you're enemies, just say so. —Because I'll break through you." "Just like always, I suppose."

As Subaru made his declaration, Beatrice beside him nodded with a defiant look. As confirmed earlier, Subaru and Beatrice were currently in a state of extreme mana depletion, and their hand was in tatters. However, there was no need to announce that. Even if your hand was a "bust" with no winning cards, bluffing was a survival skill in another world.

『————』

At Subaru’s words, White Sheep’s eyes widened on the other side of the mirror. She seemed to be the type whose emotions showed easily on her face. She was clearly trying to suppress any changes in expression, but her eye movements and facial muscles were not cooperating. And it seemed she was aware of this herself, likely from facing a mirror every morning.

『You're very blunt. ...Aren't you afraid?』

"I am. But if a crisis is right in front of me, it's better. It's much better than having a crisis roll somewhere out of my reach while I'm hesitating."

『—. Once again, I'm sorry. The reason "Black Dog" meddled with you was due to our oversight and his concern for me.』

"Sounds like a lot of selfish, self-centered talk to me, ku-hahahaha."

While White Sheep apologized for her associate’s mistake, the masked 'Black Dog' literally acted like it was none of his business. Ignoring the unhelpful 'Black Dog,' the girl’s gaze in the mirror shifted—it was proof that White Sheep’s attention had moved to Crusch, who was on Subaru’s back. As if to confirm this, White Sheep stared at the sleeping Crusch and said:

『We wish to protect... no, secure Crusch Karsten-san. Because her power is necessary.』

"Crusch-san’s power...? Could it be her left eye?"

Subaru momentarily thought of the left eye covered by Crusch’s eyepatch. It was entirely possible that she was being targeted for the obvious anomaly that had occurred to her, or for that 'Dragon’s Eye.' The fact that White Sheep had corrected herself from "protect" to "secure" was likely because she felt that simply guaranteeing her safety wasn't the right expression. However, betraying Subaru’s expectations, White Sheep looked puzzled and asked, 『Left eye?』

『I haven't been told anything about her eye. What we need is the power of the "Divine Protection of Wind Indication" that Crusch Karsten-san possesses.』

"—Divine Protection."

『Yes. That power is necessary. —For the battle against the "Beloved Children."』

She spoke those unfamiliar words with strong determination and resolve.

—The battle against the "Beloved Children."

White Sheep said that Crusch’s Divine Protection was necessary for that battle. Told that their goal was to secure her regardless of the 'Dragon’s Eye' in her left eye, Subaru felt a disconnect in the focus of the conversation. In the first place, he hadn't expected to have the existence of a completely unknown enemy dangled in front of him here.

"Confusion is starting again... but who are these 'Beloved Children'?"

『They are our enemies. Probably... yours too, Natsuki Subaru-san.』

"...Can I take that to mean it's related to the current urgent situation?"

『—Yes. They are the ones pulling the strings behind the current chaos in the Royal Capital.』

Clearly identified as the core enemies of this incident, Subaru caught his breath. Honestly, White Sheep’s declaration was more welcome than anything else to Subaru right now. The reality was that he was in the midst of chaos, not knowing who the enemy was or what their goal was. Just the fact that she had presented the information he wanted in an easy-to-understand way was enough to make his opinion of White Sheep go up. However—

"If Crusch-san is necessary for the battle against those 'Beloved Children' and that's why you contacted us, then having that masked guy as the negotiator is a massive error in personnel..."

『N-No, um, the Royal Capital is quite tense right now, and it's dangerous to even walk around unless you're as skilled as "Black Dog"...』

"Aaaand, it’s just a coincidence that the person I happened to tail was a hit. It's not like I was chosen as the negotiator. So don't go thinking it’s White Sheep’s fault, okay? You guys."

"How can you act so proud of that? Don't tell me that was meant to be a follow-up, I suppose. If so, it’s not just your sense that’s lacking, but your understanding of the human heart, I wonder."

"Ku-hahahaha, you little brat in a dress that reeks of the gutter. Shall I shut that mouth of yours for good?"

Because of his threatening fire and his words, Beatrice’s hostility toward 'Black Dog' was strong. Combined with 'Black Dog’s' mocking retort, Subaru couldn't feel any goodwill toward him either. In addition, there was something concerning in 'Black Dog’s' recent statement.

"Did you just say you 'tailed' someone? Does that mean..."

"You're sharp and observant, Sir Knight! That's right, that's right! Searching for a target blindly is a waste of time, energy, and life, right? So I used another method. In other words, I followed someone who looked like they could find you! He’s currently in the stinking water."

"In the stinking water..."

"Hey! You bastards, how long are you gonna keep having this heartwarming chat! Hurry up and help me!"

Following 'Black Dog,' who answered while swaying his hips, Subaru looked toward the sewage, where the abandoned Rachins was shouting. It was a huge win that Rachins, who was familiar with the underbelly of the capital, had found them on Felt’s orders, but it seemed 'Black Dog' and the others had taken advantage of that. That said, his gratitude toward Rachins only diminished by a tiny bit.

"We can't let him keep treading water forever. Can I pull him up?"

"Pull him up? Someone soaked in that filthy, stinking water? I think the discussion would proceed much more hygienically if we just let him sink as he is."

『..."Black Dog," if you've caused trouble for someone...』

"Fine, fiiiine! I might be a tiny bit responsible for him jumping in. I might have thought, just a little bit, that it would have been easier if everyone else had been burned to a crisp and only the Duchess on your back was left, but only a tiny, tiny bit."

"Before you lower our opinion of you any further with your trashy comments, hurry up and move, I suppose."

The goodwill White Sheep had earned was being ruined by 'Black Dog’s' unnecessary remarks. Now that the true intent behind those threatening flames was clear, his danger level had increased even further. Keeping that in mind, Subaru and Beatrice stepped back, staying wary as 'Black Dog' reached out a hand to Rachins in the sewage. With his level of magical skill, they couldn't feel safe even if they kept their eyes on him. And that wariness of Subaru’s—

"—Ah?"

It served to detect a different anomaly, not from 'Black Dog' who was crouching toward the waterway. Crack. Somewhere, a sound like a fingernail scratching thin porcelain rang out. Reflexively, Subaru’s gaze turned toward the sound. —Deep in the sewer, in the weak light of the magic stone that Rachins had tossed at 'Black Dog’s' feet and left there, a shadow was floating.

"————"

It was a woman. She wore a cloak that was neither black nor gray, with wavy dark green hair tucked into the collar. She was a sickly-looking woman with dark circles under her eyes. For a moment, Subaru wondered if she was also an ally of 'Black Dog' and White Sheep. But before he could ask, the woman moved. With one hand hanging limp, she held a white fragment-like object between the fingers of her other hand—the left hand she had raised to her chest. That fragment was crushed by the movement of her fingers.

—Immediately after, a crack extending from the woman’s feet slithered across the stone floor of the sewer like a snake, racing toward Subaru and the others.

"Whoa!?"

At this tremendous anomaly, Rachins, who was about to grab 'Black Dog’s' hand, cried out. The running crack didn't stop at the floor. It crossed to the walls, the ceiling, jumping from one stained sewer stone to the next, turning the ancient, damp framework supporting the capital’s foundation a cloudy white. It was as if everything in sight was being replaced by glass.

『—"Black Dog"!』

Amidst the anomaly, the situation was transmitted to the other side of the mirror, and White Sheep screamed in a voice close to a shriek. But sadly, no matter how much she raised her voice, she couldn't interfere with Subaru’s side through the mirror. —However, her cry did have a meaning.

"Don't wail and scream with a trembling voice, I know!"

With that single shout, the air of mockery surrounding 'Black Dog' vanished. He quickly turned around and stood boldly in front of the spreading crack. Subaru could tell that his gaze, which should have been invisible behind the mask, was piercing the woman in the darkness. 'Black Dog' clicked his tongue loudly.

"The absolute worst! You, of all people, showing up here and now!"

"Is she an acquaintance!?"

"Someone I never wanted to know or meet. Clarissa 'The Shatterer'—she’s a 'Beloved Child'!"

At the name 'Black Dog' spat out, both Subaru and White Sheep on the other side of the mirror gasped. The woman called Clarissa didn't answer. She simply picked up another small fragment from a pouch she held in her lowered hand. It looked like a pebble.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! If you do that here—"

'Black Dog' shouted to stop her, but the stone broke faster. Snap. A clear sound echoed through the sewer—and with that as a signal, the next wave of destruction propagated.

"You've gotta be kidding me...!"

New destruction spread through the already cracked and fissured sewer. The wall right next to Subaru turned a cloudy white, and then the peeling ceiling began to collapse on top of them.

"Beatrice!" "I know, I suppose!"

Responding to the call, Beatrice spread her five fingers toward the falling ceiling. They had already used E·M·T and E·M·M, and were in a state of depletion where normal combat was difficult. Even so, making do with a poor hand was the essence of Subaru and Beatrice’s partnership.

"Murak!"

The incantation interfered with reality, and the fragments of the collapsing ceiling were enveloped in a faint light, reducing their lethal weight to that of pumice stones. Shielding Crusch on his back from the rain of pumice and pulling Beatrice close, Subaru leaped backward—in an instant, the collapse regained its weight and half-buried the sewer.

"Not bad, not bad at all, little brat! That was a good split-second judgment!"

"If you're going to help yourself to our protection, then speak clearly! Who is that woman!"

"An esper! She breaks things! Shatters them! A gloomy woman who’s no fun to talk to! I'll kill her now!"

Taking advantage of Beatrice’s countermeasure and escaping the collapse, 'Black Dog' shouted with a laugh and unleashed a massive wind toward the buried rubble, firing a storm of stone projectiles into the depths of the passage. It flew straight toward Clarissa at the end of the tunnel—but the moment another light snap was heard, the projectiles flying through the air were shattered, turning into dust by the time they reached her.

"Is it related to her breaking those stones?"

Staring at Clarissa’s movements and seeing her left hand drop stone dust, Subaru deduced that the logic behind that abnormal destruction was hidden in that very gesture. And he also saw that the pouch Clarissa held still contained many more pebbles for that purpose.

"Hey, use fire! Something without a physical form shouldn't be able to be broken or stopped!"

"Good point, certainly, but unfortunately! I already used my fire, I don't have it in my hand anymore!"

"What!? —Wait, this is bad!"

'Black Dog’s' nonsensical rejection made Subaru panic. In his field of vision, Clarissa smoothly, with a movement like a sacred ritual, picked up the next pebble with her fingers. Already, the floor and walls around Subaru and the others were on the verge of collapse. If Clarissa broke that fragment, the entire area of the sewer might shatter all at once. At this rate—

"—Hey! Over here! Get over here!"

"—! Chin!?"

At that moment, a desperate call came from the sewage, and Subaru and the others turned around. They saw Rachins floating in the water, gripping the edge of the waterway wall with one hand and pulling something black with the other. —It was a rusted chain. Rachins, who had pulled it up from the bottom of the black sludge, shouted at the top of his lungs.

"It’s a sedimentation tank! The side of the main stream is packed with sludge!"

"Sedimentation..."

A sudden introduction to the sewer’s mechanics. Hearing it, a bolt of electricity ran down Subaru’s spine. A sedimentation tank, filled with rotting sludge—that meant the worst possibility—

"Are you serious...!"

"Heh! You're quick on the uptake, aren't you?"

Soaked in sewage, with his hair plastered to his forehead—a terrible sight—but with his sanpaku eyes shining brilliantly, Rachins grinned at Subaru, who had reached the same conclusion, and pulled the chain with all his might.

The rusted, filth-covered chain made a dull sound—creak—and a heavy noise came from the bottom of the water.

As if in response to that sound, bubbles rose from the water’s surface near the wall. The small bubbles gradually increased in number, suddenly making the black water boil. —In an instant, the already foul-smelling air of the sewer was filled with a stench like rotten eggs that surpassed it.

Subaru understood Rachins’ plan. There was no time to hesitate.

"Crusch-san is—"

Conscious of the sleeping Crusch on his back, Subaru momentarily hesitated on what to do. Thinking of the actions to follow, he felt she was in too much danger while unconscious. In the moment Subaru hesitated, 'Black Dog' moved. —Suddenly, he was shoved.

"You—!"

"This is the right answer compared to being thrown, launched, and shattered!"

As he spoke, 'Black Dog' leaped into the sewage, taking Subaru, Crusch, and even Beatrice with him. Just before they hit the water—Subaru’s vision was suddenly covered by something black, and the expected impact with the sewage didn't come. He saw that it was a massive, half-formed ball made of earth created by 'Black Dog,' intended to completely wrap and enclose Subaru and the others—

『Please! Trust us!』

In the midst of the sudden situation, White Sheep pleaded desperately from the mirror’s surface. Pushed by her voice, Subaru, inside the sinking earthen hemisphere, entrusted Crusch to Beatrice beside him and reached his hand out of the closing ball. And—

"—Come on, Rachins!"

"Don't you go bossing me around!"

Rachins, who had finished pulling the chain, kicked the wall awkwardly and flew toward them. Grabbing Rachins’ outstretched arm, Subaru pulled his thin frame into the hemisphere all at once. They tumbled onto their backs, tangled together. Immediately after, the hemisphere closed completely, and the faint sound of a pebble being crushed was heard almost simultaneously.

Tremors and a roar were heard from beyond the thick walls of the closed earthen mass. But Subaru felt something more than that—

"Blow 'em away. —Goa."

Rachins, still piled on top of Subaru, spat out those words and snapped his fingers. —Immediately after, a red light spread through the earthen walls, and the sound and impact followed a moment later.

"—!?"

A force like being punched in the gut shook the world, and Subaru screamed. Even though he was underwater, inside an earthen ball, it was hot. It was blinding. An explosion erupted, threatening to burst his eardrums.

"—Ah."

A wordless scream rampaged inside Natsuki Subaru’s body. Round and round and round, the world spun with terrifying force. The earthen ball submerged in the water was swept away by a violent current, hitting large objects over and over, being battered until his consciousness began to fade.

What had accumulated in the sedimentation tank was flammable gas generated from a large amount of waste. Rachins had opened the lid of that sedimentation tank, ignited the gas that flooded out, and blown away the entire sewer along with Clarissa, who had been targeting them. —No, he didn't know what had happened to the sewer. He couldn't see. He couldn't hear. It was beyond his understanding.

Simply being tossed around by the churning water and the bouncing earthen ball, Subaru desperately, tightly hugged the familiar small sensation and the person he had to protect.

He gritted his teeth and endured. —That was the best Subaru could do right now.

"————"

He gritted his teeth and continued to endure, and endure, and endure. Until his consciousness was swallowed by the invisible, muddy torrent, he continued to endure, for a long, long time—

—When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the smell.

It wasn't the smell of rotten eggs, nor the smell of sewage soaked in filth. What he smelled was the scent of alcohol and dry cloth. Air warmed without the use of fire passed through his nasal passages, and he inhaled deeply of the air that felt strangely clean—and choked.

"Geh! Cough! Wheeze!"

"Wha—! I suppose!"

Subaru, coughing violently and jerking his body, heard the weight on his chest and stomach jerk in the same way, letting out that cute scream. He opened his eyes and adjusted the focus of his blurred vision with a few blinks. Then, he found Beatrice, with a grumpy face, right beside the bed where he lay. Seeing Beatrice with a blanket draped over her shoulders, Subaru’s lips trembled.

"Beako... are you... safe?"

"Somehow or other, I suppose. It wasn't just a close call; it was more like a hundred close calls, I wonder."

"A 'close call' refers to a single hair's breadth, so increasing the number changes the meaning... wait, that doesn't matter. More importantly, if you and I are safe, what about the others—"

"Calm down, I suppose. Look around before you make a fuss, I wonder."

As Subaru tried to lean forward, his forehead was stopped by Beatrice’s hand with a thwack. With her small palm pressing against his forehead, Subaru moved only his eyes and realized. On the bed next to the one he was lying on, Crusch was also lying down.

"Crusch-san... thank god. She’s... okay, right?"

"As far as I've heard, yes, I suppose. But she hasn't woken up once since then, I wonder. How long the exhaustion from that eye will last is unknown even to Betty, I suppose."

"I see... ah, Chin is here too. That’s a relief."

While feeling relieved about Crusch, whose chest was rising and falling regularly in sleep on the bed, he saw Rachins rolled up in a blanket like a cocoon on a long chair beyond her. He wasn't awake, but perhaps the chair was uncomfortable, as he was frowning in his sleep and mumbling something. —Subaru gave a wry smile, thinking that for the key player who had saved them with his quick thinking, he was being treated rather roughly.

"...Where is this?"

His strength left him in relief, and Subaru, leaning his hands on the bed, finally arrived at that question. Not only the smell, but the appearance was clearly a different place from the sewer. The stone room had no windows, and the only light came from a small lamp. Beside the bed, a water pitcher, bandages, and folded cloths were neatly placed; the word "infirmary" vaguely crossed his mind.

"Or maybe a hideout clinic? Like a back-alley doctor’s hideout..."

"—! Have you woken up, Natsuki Subaru-san?"

Immediately after he stated his impression, a voice hit Subaru from the side, catching him off guard. When Subaru turned around, a girl was standing at the entrance of the room—the person he had seen through the mirror. The girl in the black suit with long navy-blue hair tied in twin-tails—White Sheep. Facing her in person rather than through a mirror, White Sheep clenched her hands in front of her chest, opened them, clenched them again, and opened them, repeating this several times before saying:

"I-I'm so glad... I was so worried that something might have happened to all of you...!"

"That’s... thank you for worrying about us?"

"Yes! No! Um? Which one is it...?"

Apology, gratitude, and resentment—Subaru and White Sheep both short-circuited, unable to decide which to process in what order. They had been saved, that was for sure. However, just before that, it was also true that they had been threatened by 'Black Dog,' White Sheep’s associate. Questions about the correct way to respond were endless. And just as he thought that—

"—'White Sheep,' you mustn't trouble Natsuki-dono. You are supposed to be different from 'Black Dog.' If not, we will need to reconsider our policy."

"————"

It was a voice from behind White Sheep, who was flustered at the entrance of the room. Hearing that voice and seeing the person who appeared, Subaru gasped and widened his eyes. He thought he had already consumed more than enough surprises for one day, but here came another. Because Subaru knew the person who appeared with White Sheep as well.

"You... Russell-san?"

The name Subaru stammered out was someone he had a connection with a long time ago—someone he met when the Royal Selection first began, and whom he had negotiated with to supply support materials for the White Whale subjugation battle immediately after. Though they hadn't fought side-by-side on the battlefield, they were acquaintances who had fought the same enemy. Russell Fellow, who held the title of representative of the capital’s merchant union, was there.

"————"

In his mind, where confusion and chaos reached their peak, Subaru simply stared blankly at the composed Russell. At Subaru’s gaze, the gentleman in the well-tailored suit smiled and nodded deeply. For some reason, Subaru felt a chill at that smile. —It was a smile that felt like it carried far too many motives for a mere merchant to possess. And Subaru’s premonition was proven correct.

"It is truly a stroke of good fortune to meet you like this, Natsuki-dono. In the face of this unprecedented crisis for the Kingdom, we would very much like to borrow your strength and insight."

"An unprecedented crisis for the Kingdom...?"

"Yes."

Despite the situation being anything but a laughing matter, Russell continued with his smile intact. That was—

"—The enemy’s goal is the quiet and thorough invasion of the Kingdom. The heart of the Kingdom has already fallen into the hands of our long-standing arch-enemy, and it is on the brink of destruction."