Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　--The brightness of the rainbow dispels the approaching darkness.

　The clash had now lasted several times, dozens of times, and Subaru continued to watch as the sword and palm cut each other, enduring the excruciating pain that ran throughout his body.

　Julius' sword――the rainbow-hued blade was strengthened by the compound magic of six elements known as 『Clarista』, which resulted in its tip reaching the power of Petelgeuse's 『Invisible Hand』.

　With each slash, the demonic hand was severed in two, dissipating into mist, turning into dust and disappearing from the shadow. Though he didn't know how this worked, it seemed the "invisible hand" was no match for the rainbow sword strikes, and as he lost one shadow after another, a look of rage could be seen growing on the madman's face.

"This is not something to laugh at, this is not a joke, this should never happen! Trying to disparage my love... my loyalty with such methods...!"

　Spitting out abusive language and frustration, Betelgeuse stretched his arms out from the seemingly endless shadow, shooting at Julius' arms, legs, and head, all at once.

　The fighting blade would meet them, or turn around to evade, and like a finest knight dancing on the battlefield――literally, he would dash through while performing a sword dance.

「――――!!」

　Cutting through the air, the number of approaching "invisible hands" always exceeded ten. There was no way he could mow them all down with a single swing, and even with the number of hands cut off, and each move he made to dodge, Julius still received unavoidable injuries that damaged his body.

　Miraculously, he didn't suffer any fatal damage from being grabbed and torn apart. No, it wasn't a miracle, it was an outcome that was only possible thanks to Julius' exceptional fighting strength.

　And it was precisely because he was aware that he was supporting his friend's slim chance of success that Subaru was able to keep his eyes on the scene before his eyes.

　The jet-black fingertips grazed his thighs, and Subaru's face contorted in pain as they dug into his thighs. He gritted his teeth in agony, muffling his voice as he endured the sharp sensation of his shoulders tearing apart.

　"Nect" allowed them to share their senses - Subaru and Julius' bodies and senses were currently synchronized to a very deep level. Therefore, Julius was able to see Betelgeuse's "invisible hand" through Subaru's vision, and conversely, Subaru was able to sense the overwhelming mana surging from the rainbow knight sword that Julius held.

　However, if we ignore these benefits, it is no exaggeration to say that this partnership is in a very precarious state.

　The visual synchronization caused multiple scenes to overlap at times, creating the strange feeling that one was seeing completely different scenes with one eye. The physical empathy not only conveyed to Subaru the exhilaration of the battle that Julius was feeling all over his body, but also the pain engraved in his flesh.

　The feeling of the wind caressing the skin, the feeling of the soles of the feet stepping on the earth, the taste of blood and saliva mixed in the mouth, and the dull, murky ringing in the brain - constantly being exposed to ``two people's worth'' of them cannot be said to simply double the burden on the mind and body.

　How much easier would it be if I could block my sense of taste, smell, pain, and touch? I have an itchy sensation, but I can't reach that spot with my hand, which is a dilemma. It's like having an itchy feeling on the back of someone else's head.

"My true intention is to end this quickly..."

　Subaru muttered, moistening his lips with his tongue as a lump of discomfort surrounded his entire body. Julius had probably sensed the sensation he was feeling just now. He couldn't afford to do anything careless.

　If I could instinctively submit to such complaints, I would immediately abandon all senses and shut off my consciousness. Even though it was a plan I had proposed myself, I felt such a strong aversion to empathizing with others.

　But for now, I have no choice but to seal away those helpless, weak feelings.

　because--,

"Little by little, my body is getting used to it. Subaru, should we increase our speed?"

"Yeah, I'll follow you so don't worry!"

　As he spoke, Julius lowered his body and plunged into the overwhelming amount of shadow. He slid under the palm of his hand as if crawling along the ground, and with a slash from below, he swept away all three demonic hands. He weaved annoyingly between the gaps in the shadows that dispersed and turned to dust, and immediately countered with a step that scraped the ground - the palm of his hand that had been aiming for the end of the movement sparkled and scattered before the intercepting rainbow.

　Julius shook off the delusional thoughts of the demonic hand that had been attached to the Rainbow Sword with a light movement. Behind his sweet, dignified mask, his eyes remained closed and never opened.

　Due to the synchronization of their vision, if they fought with their eyes wide open, their vision would overlap, making the world take on an ambiguous shape. Therefore, Julius had made the decision to close his own eyes and entrust all visual information to Subaru's vision.

　Subaru was confused by this situation that had not been discussed beforehand, and was on the verge of complaining about Julius's decision, but then a reason arose that forced him to swallow all of it.

　First, Julius's decision to abandon his own vision was correct, and at the very least, he would be able to avoid the foolish decision of hesitating to make a move when faced with two different views.

　The other is the consequence of Julius's thinking that led him to abandon his vision.

"You idiot, you idiot, stop messing around... you're really a disgusting person!"

　Abandoning his own vision and entrusting everything he could see to Subaru was nothing less than proof with his life that he believed in Subaru fighting without looking away.

　Moreover, if we add a bit more, focusing all of his energy on Subaru's vision is not a simple matter. Subaru's eyes belong to his own body, and are not attached to Julius' body.

　In other words, Julius was currently performing the risky feat of moving his own body in battle while viewing it from a third-person perspective, while looking at it objectively from behind.

"This isn't like a game or anything… Once you get caught, it's a shitty game where it's all over. Trusting your life to that is just nuts, you and I."

　Julius leapt to avoid the whip-like arm's path, grabbed a tree branch and sent his body flying through the air. He turned his head so he didn't lose sight of him, and was careful not to get too far away. After all,

"There's no need to worry about us, as long as we defeat you it'll be over!"

　Petelgeuse's favorite is not Julius, who is risking his life on the front lines, but Subaru.

　He is the key to this battlefield, and the "eyes" necessary to overcome the "invisible hand." And above all, to him, he is a great sinner who has betrayed his own faith.

"Julius, this is bad! Go back! Go back! Follow me!"

"Oh my goodness...how troublesome!"

　Kicking the trunk of a tree, Julius leapt horizontally and landed close to Subaru. At the same time, an "invisible hand" closed in on them both, but Julius first completely ignored the palm that was aimed at his back - with minimal movement he limited the damage to just a graze on his skin, and thrust out the tip of his sword to pierce the demonic hand that was trying to rip Subaru's head off.

　Next, the rainbow sparkle drew an arch, cutting down the palms that had grazed Julius. Turning the situation around, the knight smiled at Subaru with his eyes still closed,

"I know you're desperate, but how about you try to defend yourself a little? You can't even face the enemy head on like this."

"I'll say the exact same thing back to you! I can't just sit back and watch this either! Can you see the desperate knight through my eyes?"

"It shows a handsome man with his eyes closed and a sad expression on his face. He looks like he's blessed with a good family background and talent."

"The truth is, I suspect that you and I see things differently!"

　He stuck out his tongue at Julius's self-praise, then hurriedly moved away from the wave of palms that were coming towards him. Subaru rolled, while Julius jumped backwards and slashed away with a slash, causing his arm to disappear before stepping forward again.

　The terrifying thing about Julius was that he was already getting used to controlling his own body from a bird's-eye view even in the middle of a fight.

　Unlike Subaru, his experience of pushing his body to its limits and inflicting pain on it is strongly influenced by his life as a knight, who improves himself on the battlefield where murderous intent is exchanged with murderous intent.

　Subaru's current limit is that he is afraid of battle and cannot perform beyond his true ability, let alone at all.

　Julius and other warriors alike improve themselves in battle and bring out more than their true potential.

　The fact that he was thus involved in part of that warrior's battle was what was keeping Subaru from cowardly and timid.

　His palm grazed his back and thighs, the pain of his shoulder bursting into flames hit his brain.

　Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Subaru didn't look away.

　Run, leap, slide, turn, step, leap back, advance, slip, stop, slip through, circle, jump sideways, swerve, turn, charge, spring, kick, and refine your actions.

　Slashing, slashing, thrusting, slashing upwards, kicking away, flowing slashes, punching, sweeping, thrusting, piercing, slicing, flashing, swinging down, knocking down, slashing away, slashing, the accumulation of sword strikes and slashes reduced the ``invisible hand'' to dust.

　An eerie darkness spreads across the entire field of vision, but the sight of the knight dancing with a rainbow-colored sword in his hand is so beautiful it loses its sense of reality.

　It's such a fantastical scene that you almost forget that it's a fight for life.

　Subaru felt this way, most likely because he was sensing the heartbeats of the spirits through Julius. And so, something similar was raining down on his palm.

"This can't be... There's no way this could be happening...! Why, why! Why is this happening, with my authority?! I was supposed to be loved, I am supposed to be loved, I am loved! I love you! This much, this much, this much! If not me, why? Has the Witch guided my existence?"

"I can't put up with that incoherent speech. The numbers of the Black Demon Hands have been reduced accordingly. And above all, I've grown accustomed to fighting through Subaru's eyes."

　Turning his head towards the yelling Betelgeuse, relying on his hearing, Julius took a small breath, then pointed the tip of his sword at the madman,

"--Now, it's time to cut you down for real. For a long time, it has been threatening the kingdom... no, the world; I will put an end to "Sloth" here."

"How can I do that?! I won't let you do that! Me...I! For four hundred years, I have been showered with the Witch's favor, and have worked diligently to embody her will! And there is no way that a fool like you...a fool like you, who is merely carrying around a wood chip spirit, can stand in my way!!"

　Baring his teeth, Petelgeuse betrayed his anger at Julius.

　However, upon hearing what he had said, Subaru felt that the speculation he had shared with Julius had taken on a stronger sense of reality. So, that guy must have been――

"Julius――!"

「I know! Sin Archbishop, prepare――!!」

　Julius stepped forward and kicked hard enough to gouge the earth, sending his body flying forward.

　Betelgeuse opened his mouth and shouted something as he deployed his "invisible hand" with delusional force. The demonic hands spread out from all sides, into the sky, into the earth, into the forest, closing in to envelop Julius' body without leaving any gaps――,

"--Alcurarista!!"

　The rainbow aurora burned the world to ashes, and the palm that was trying to crush Julius was blown away.

　This is Clarista's highest level magic, which coats the sword in a rainbow.

　Although it only lasted for an instant, the encirclement that Betelgeuse had created completely disappeared, and a completely unobstructed path was opened between Julius and the madman!

　In the aftermath of the rainbow aurora, Betelgeuse lost even the magic hands that had been extended to keep him afloat in the air, and was dropped to the ground, but he rose to his feet, his thin body trembling with rage.

　Julius ran towards the madman without any hesitation. He held his blade straight up, the tip once again taking on a rainbow glow as he aimed for the man's chest.

"I won't let you do that, Death!! Urdona!!"

　Petelgeuse stood with his arms outstretched as if to meet Julius, and chanted, and immediately afterwards a torrent of mana interfered with the earth― in front of Julius, walls of earth rose up, surrounding Petelgeuse on all sides, drawing the madman away from the blade.

　And then, making a detour around the back of the shield, a pair of powerful black palms bound together aimed at Julius' body, as if embracing him.

　At this rate, it would take one action to break down the wall, and that action would delay Julius's reaction against the Demon Hand by one step. This would mean either a fatal blow to Julius, or he would miss his chance to corner Betelgeuse.

　--If Julius was the only one fighting here.

"Burn, fighting spirit! Roar the magic ball! --My full power is 120 kph!!"

　Twisting his body, lifting his leg, stepping forward and rotating his shoulders, he took a full swingーー and with a speed that was a bit of a misnomer to call it a fastball, the magic ore was thrown from Subaru's hand.

　The ball was thrown from the hands of an ordinary person who had not even undergone any special pitching practice, but with extreme concentration, it was hit straight at the target.

"What is this...?!"

　The destructive energy hidden within the red magic ore passed Julius' back and crashed into the earthen wall that had been acting as a barrier - emitting light and high heat, it exploded into pieces, sending up an explosion of flames that covered the entire front of Betelgeuse in red.

"You can't tell me, this from the beginning...!"

"The reason you lost is because you went into battle alone!"

　Julius leapt out as if breaking through the flames, and his thrust pierced Petelgeuse's chest.

　A rainbow glow pierces Betelgeuse's body, and the aurora burns his slender body from the inside.

　Then he was slammed into the dirt wall behind him, impaled on the wall, his limbs flailing about like an insect that had been struck by a specimen, blood bubbles coming out of the corners of his mouth.

"How stupid, so stupid, you idiot... my, body is... like this."

"The blade that combines the six attributes will burn your body from the inside. If your true identity is as we suspect, then you may as well just disappear!"

　Julius dug out the sword he had stabbed, making Petelgeuse scream.

　The knight's sword grew brighter, and in the face of that light, Petelgeuse was unable to hold him back with his "invisible hand," nor could he turn the situation around with a chant.

　However, Petelgeuse's crazy gaze shows that he has not given up on life.

"It can't end! It can't be ended! It can't be ended! I have worked diligently! I can't even be allowed to think about lazily giving up, or being content with a lazy end! That's why, then, no matter what...!"

　Screaming, writhing, and struggling, Betelgeuse widened the wound and expanded the source of his pain. Matching his movements, Julius pressed the tip of his sword even harder, moving the blade to destroy his heart―― and then,

"I've lost my fingertips, and even now my flesh is being damaged like this... Death, death, death! I still have some of my body left... Death!"

　All of his possessed bodies had been crushed early on, and as his final body came to an end, Betelgeuse cried out in defiance, refusing to give up.

　Those eyes, filled with madness, stared straight at Subaru.

　A chill ran down my spine, and Betelgeuse's manic laughter deepened.

"Ahh――My brain is shaking."

「――――!!」

　The next moment, Betelgeuse's body, impaled by Julius, collapsed like a doll with its strings cut. The light went out of his eyes, and all life disappeared from his body, which hung with its head limp.

　The moment he saw that reaction, Subaru knew that what was meant to come had arrived. He immediately put his hand to his chest and pulled out something from his pocket,

"Julius! Release it!!"

"Understood!"

　Responding to Subaru's call, Julius kicked down the corpse of Betelgeuse, then turned around and ran towards him. His eyes were wide open, and the pressure that had been weighing down on Subaru's body until then, which had doubled, disappeared immediately afterwards.

　Instead, another being entered Subaru's body.

"As I thought, your body has the qualities to be a vessel to contain me! Even you, as expected, surely didn't expect it to end up like this! Ah, ah! Ah! You're lazy, aren't you?"

　Betelgeuse's manic laughter echoed so close that it seemed as if he was nestled next to Brain.

　Next, against his will, Subaru's body extended his right hand towards Julius, who was running towards him. At that, Subaru's shadow swelled up, and an "invisible hand" erupted from within, aimed at Julius, who had lost all means of vision――

"Ubu."

『--Ah?』

　Just as Subaru was about to commit a violent act against Julius, his upper body shook. A feverish, floating sensation suddenly made his skull tremble violently, and Subaru, unable to maintain his balance, collapsed to the spot, unable to even defend himself.

　And as Subaru collapsed, the conversation mirror he had been holding fell out of his hands,

"If I could see their position through the dialogue mirror, I could figure this out. But even so, Subaru-kun, you're really an idiot, planning a strategy that will result in your own self-destruction.♪"

　A familiar, mischievous voice reached his eardrums from the surface of the conversation mirror, which he could no longer see. It was Ferris, who had been watching their situation through the mirror, and as Subaru had instructed - at the same time as the signal for Petelgeuse's possession was given, he had transformed Subaru's body into a ``doll'' just like the Witch Cultists who had interrogated him.

　However, Subaru's consciousness was still intact, and the water's mana had merely limited its rampage, restricting his physical freedom.

"If you can't maintain a normal, erm... mental state, there's no point in using the 'invisible hand', right?"

"You can't... you can't... you can't... you can't... you can't... you even read about me taking over your body and then you do this?!"

　While the Petelgeuse in his head shook in shock, Subaru boldly replied, "Yes, I am," in the vague, drunken state of mind.

　As Subaru and Petelgeuse continued to struggle, Julius ran over to Subaru, ignoring his fallen bodyguard, and retrieved Mimi and Tiby, who were lying at his feet. He then placed them on Patrasche and carried them away from the battlefield.

"The hostage strategy is impossible with the 'invisible hand'. Are you ready to give up now?"

『There's no way I'll give up… If I continue like this and take your body, I'll be me, I'll be me, I'll be me, I'll be me, I'll be me, I'll be me!?』

　Petelgeuse goes into a frenzy, going beyond his usual state and beginning to go truly mad.

　Listening to Betelgeuse's words as he began to glitch, Subaru sighed in response to the madman who would not give up, then closed his eyes as if he had made up his mind,

"If I get taken over, Ferris might seriously try to kill me. I've decided to fight you in my own way."

"What are you planning to do?"

　Taking a breath, Subaru recalled the world of the previous loop.

　The final moment after his body was taken over by Betelgeuse during the battle on the plains. Ferris had made the mana in his body go out of control, leaving Subaru in a terrible state. The unimaginable pain and the image of a madman screaming just like Subaru.

"Forcibly conforming to others - that is the true nature of your possession. Petelgeuse of Sloth... No, the Spirit Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti!"

"Me――!!"

　Shouting out his speculation, Subaru comes face to face with the Betelgeuse inside of him.

　During his discussion with Julius, Subaru and he arrived at the answer to the true identity of Betelgeuse.

　When I was able to make certain guesses as to the true nature of possession and its mechanism, I came to the conclusion that it could not be otherwise.

　Betelgeuse is a spirit who has obtained a body by forcibly overwriting and taking over the body of another person. Those who have the qualities to make a contract with Betelgeuse are judged to be those who have the qualities, and possession is the result of a one-sided and selfish contract.

　Julius' rainbow blade - "Clarista" combines all six attributes and is the ultimate mana destruction technique that breaks through the protection of any of the attributes. It has the power to cut through the body of Petelgeuse, a spirit made of mana. Therefore, his sword can reach Petelgeuse.

"I don't want you to lump me in with spirits or anything like that! I am a being who has overcome spirits! I have transcended spirits, shed my ambiguous, drifting existence, and am a chosen being who has acquired a will of their own through favor! That! That! I won't let you talk about it as if you understand it!"

　And Petelgeuse, enraged by Subaru's words, explodes from his presence and screams.

　Ironically, the contents of the message confirmed our speculation, and so Betelgeuse denied it, expressing his anger and refusing to accept it.

"Love has changed me! Love has given me a will, a reason to exist! And all of that is the witch's blessing, her favor! So, so, so, so, so! This body, this soul, should all be dedicated to the witch!"

"That's quite enough, then. I'll make it a special occasion to meet you."

"What?! With whom?! What were you talking about――!!"

"The one you've been waiting for, Lady Witch---"

　His eyes widened at the answer, and the Betelgeuse in his mind was shocked, his face stiffening and he was at a loss for words.

　With a look of surprise burned into the back of his eyelids, Subaru took a deep breath and drew the moment closer.

　--Come on.

"---I will use 『Return by Death』."

　The moment those forbidden words are uttered, the world slows down.

　And then, it happened.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　His existence was guided into a world where only darkness existed.

　There is nothing, I don't even know where my body is.

　There is only consciousness and nothing else can be perceived.

　Even if I try to stretch out my arm, I can't see it, and I can't believe there's anything in this world that I can touch with my arm.

　In the first place, the recognition of body parts such as limbs is beginning to become unclear. How much meaning does the presence or absence of a physical body have in this world?

　Abandoned in the world and separated from one's body, one exists only in consciousness and soul.

　That terrible feeling of insecurity, that overwhelming sense of loss, makes you realize that you miss it terribly, and your conscious mind finds it difficult to accept this fact, and your feelings of rejection become stronger.

　However, a change comes over the world of darkness such that the destination of those own emotions, the target of those pent-up passions, all of this becomes inconsequential.

『――――』

　It was a shadow that appeared in a pitch black world, shrouded in darkness so thick it painted the whole place black.

　That much is clear: she is a woman. Her face and body are vague and uncertain, and nothing about her is clear.

　Even in such a world, consciousness arrives at a single truth and rejoices.

　I celebrated the encounter with this being that appeared before my very eyes, and was overwhelmed with emotion.

　The days leading up to this day existed in order for me to meet this being.

　Those long, long days that I can't even remember - they were all spent solely for this moment, this fleeting moment.

　It's frustrating that my fingertips don't exist. I want to reach out and take her hand right now.

　It's frustrating not having a mouth. I want to express all my feelings in words.

　It's frustrating not having a body. If you want, I'd be happy to give you my whole flesh and blood.

　It's frustrating to only have awareness, because that's all I have to offer.

『――――』

　Still, she continues to remain silent.

　However, I could clearly sense that her consciousness was directed towards me. Just the thought of being part of the world she was conscious of was enough to send me into heaven.

　And then, as the 『love』 he desired came from those lips, his consciousness gave way to the true answer――

"--different"

　The voice was extremely husky and colored with disappointment.

　Whatever the words, my mind was prepared to have my heart tremble as if I had heard a heavenly voice. And yet, even as I listened to that voice, a shadow of anxiety overflowed and refused to stop assailing my mind.

　This is the place where "love" was supposed to be spoken of, the place where they could arrive at the long-awaited answer.

"--You're not that person."

　Disappointment fills the voice, but it's quickly replaced by another emotion.

　In other wordsーー,

"Why is someone who is not that person in the same place as me and that person--?"

　There was anger in his voice.

　Those were words that denied me. Words of rejection.

　Not understanding the meaning of being treated like this, his mind tried to cling to her words and lament.

　However, consciousness has no mouth. No limbs to communicate. All that exists is consciousness. There is no way that he can touch her, exchange words with her, or even be loved by her.

"---Just disappear."

　My confusion, bewilderment, and lamentations don't reach her. Even if they did, they would be meaningless.

　For her, consciousness is worthless, meaningless, and useless.

　Rejection and negation affirm the despair of that consciousness.

　And just like that, my consciousness was detached from the framework of this cut-out world, and it seemed to sink far away and disappear before the encounter I had so longed for.

　Her figure fades away.

　The figure that I had longed for so much, so much, disappeared into the distance.

　She no longer paid any attention to the lamentations of that consciousness.

　She just looked down quietly.

"I love you, I ... I love you ...

　ーーIt wasn't consciously, but he continued chanting "love" for someone else.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

"--Ahhh! He's back!!"

　The sensation of his heart being squeezed, the evil hand that attacked him in a world where time had stopped - perhaps, surely, it was the witch's hand that left her scent on Subaru.

　The Witch of Jealousy - surely she has some kind of connection to Subaru's Return by Death. Perhaps she is also the one who invited Subaru into this world.

"I'll figure it out one day... but for now!"

　Subaru's limbs were still shaking and he managed to grab hold of a rock and pull himself up. Wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth onto his shoulder, he struggled to his feet, tormented by the ringing in his ears and the nausea that wouldn't go away.

　Subaru supported himself by placing his hands on a rock and looked straight ahead.

"This... shouldn't... happen... but... it's not... happening..."

　In front of him, dragging a trail of blood, the corpse of Betelgeuse had begun to move once more. It had possessed Subaru, and with a sense of synchronization, it felt the witch's palm.

　Faced with the excruciating pain that he no longer wanted to even remember, it was expected that Betelgeuse would break and give up Subaru's body as a last resort.

　--Although it was worrying that he was so busy writhing in pain that he didn't remember hearing Betelgeuse scream.

"At worst, I was planning to keep trying until you left… but giving up after just one try? You really are a wimp, bastard."

　As he spoke, Subaru's arms lost strength and he was on the verge of collapsing, when a pair of arms reached out from behind him, just in time to stop him and pick him up.

　It was Julius. He returned accompanied by Patrasche, and after confirming that Petelgeuse had retreated from Subaru's body and returned to his own dead body,

"This time, let's finish this."

　He unsheathed his knight sword and released it, the magic of the Clarista lighting up once again painting the blade in rainbow colors.

　With his blade sparkling in its wake, Julius headed straight for Betelgeuse.

　Betelgeuse, dragging his body and on the verge of dying, was unable to take any action as Julius approached.

　With damage to his pierced flesh and an expression that looked even more devastated than that, Betelgeuse dragged his body, looking completely devastated and overwhelmed by despair.

　Eventually, the body reaches the front of a cliff, leans its back against the cliff, and looks back towards us.

　Losing even the energy to act crazy, Petelgeuse looked up at Julius in shock, then turned his gaze to Subaru, and suddenly, passion lit up in his eyes.

　Tears overflowed, soaking Petelgeuse's cheeks.

　They were not the tears of joy I had seen so many times, but rather evidence of a hopeless, irredeemable kind of delusion, overflowing from sheer frustration.

　Petelgeuse cried, his voice trembling, and he cried out as if reaching out to the heavens to grasp something that was not there.

"Witch... Witch! Witch! Witch! I have devoted myself to you to this extent! I have given up everything for you! I have dedicated everything I could think of to you, so why! Why! Why have you abandoned me!? Why! Why! Witch! If that is the case... then why do you give me your love... your favour...!?"

"You have not offered up your faith, your love, or even yourself. You have offered up the people who were just passing by."

　Subaru clearly cuts off Petelgeuse's pleading lament.

　It wasn't even worth listening to; what Betelgeuse had said was the product of self-righteousness and self-indulgence. Even calling it "love," as Wilhelm had said, was presumptuous.

"----!"

　Julius sprinted, closing in on Betelgeuse's slender body.

　As the blade was raised, Betelgeuse could only stare blankly at him, eyes no longer shedding tears - and the tip of the knight's sword pierced his chest once again, causing a torrent of light to explode.

　A mass of mana dwelling in his body - a rainbow aurora that burns away the spirit's existence, erasing the existence of Betelgeuse from the world.

　The blade was pulled out, and Petelgeuse looked down in shock at his bleeding chest.

　Then he turned his unfocused eyes upwards and, with his hands stretched out to the heavens,

"---My brain is trembling."

　An "invisible hand" was shot out from the shadow towards the heavens, stretching out endlessly towards the dazzling sun.

　However, the palm of his hand did not grab anything, and instead, as it headed towards the void, it eventually scraped a large part of the cliff's surface, violently gouging the rock face and creating cracks.

　--It probably wasn't an intentional action. It had no meaning to Betelgeuse either, and was probably just an act giving form to a delusion.

　A collapse occurs above Betelgeuse's head, and the gouged cliff falls off in huge fragments. Directly below, Betelgeuse gazes up at the heavens, which he still cannot grasp.

"I am loved--"

　The boulder crushed his body from above, and the sound of flesh and bones crushing echoed loudly throughout the room.

　The ground rumbled and smoke erupted in a chain reaction, and in an instant Betelgeuse's slender body was buried under the rubble of a grave marker.

　Julius, who escaped the collapse, walked up to where Betelgeuse had been. He saw a large amount of fresh blood flowing from under the boulder. Seeing this, he shook his head, sheathed his drawn knight sword, and turned around.

　Subaru, without a word, also steps in that direction.

　His steps were unsteady, and the poor footing made for extremely slow progress, but when he reached the gravestone, Subaru let out a small sigh.

　There's no sense of excitement, no sense of accomplishment, no satisfaction.

　All I could feel was a feeling of emptiness spreading throughout my chest.

　Subaru didn't want to be so rude as to mention concepts like victory and defeat here.

　However, with no other words coming to mind, he only uttered those words.

"Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti"

　With that one word, this battle came to an end.

　--Buddhist Archbishop of Sin, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti.

　--A battle between the greatest knight, Julius Euclius, and the self-proclaimed knight, Natsuki Subaru.

　Standing in front of the rubble-covered grave marker, Subaru took a small breath and said.

"--You were 『Lazier』."