Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　Juice screams with tears of blood and clenched teeth.

　Seeing his terrifying presence, Emilia couldn't help but feel the hairs rising up her spine.

　Just a moment ago, the black "something" had been trying to absorb Juice's body, but it had stopped eating away at the outside of his body and was now writhing tensely inside.

　Juice's body bounces around distortedly beneath his black robes.

　The extent of the devastation inside was obvious, as blood seeped through the thick fabric, suggesting an unimaginable nightmare was unfolding.

"juice..."

　What on earth had Juice put into his body?

　And what was that blow that had taken down Regulus with a single blow? Emilia had no idea what had happened, but it felt like déjà vu.

　It was as if I had just seen it recently.

"This is proof of your splendid resolve. Bishop Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti."

　However, Emilia's thoughts were interrupted by a cool girl's voice.

　Pandora spoke calmly, looking down at Juice, who was breathing heavily and spitting blood. Even as she watched Regulus, who had been standing beside her, being launched into the sky, her natural beauty did not waver in the slightest.

"You are unqualified, yet you have managed to absorb the Witch Factor. In the name of Pandora, I will award the position of 'Sloth' to you, in recognition of your determination and unwavering will."

"Do you think I desire such a position? Right now, I have only one desire. I have no hesitation in dedicating myself to this, for the mother and child to find peace!"

　Fortuna and young Emilia leave the battlefield.

　Juice was prepared to give his heart and soul, even his life, to help them escape. Pandora raised her eyebrows in surprise at his answer, then blushed slightly and smiled ecstatically.

"Love. That's wonderful."

"It's an emotion you will never be able to understand... Death!"

　While Pandora remains completely aloof, Juice is prepared for a fight to the end.

　He falls to his knees in agony, raises his trembling arms, opens his blood-stained eyes and screams.

"The authority of 『Sloth』――the invisible hand!!"

　Immediately afterwards, an immense amount of pressure was released from Juice's source with immense force.

　However, Emilia was completely blind to the true nature of this pressure. Juice simply stretched his arms out and shouted, and no visible change occurred in the world.

　And yet,

"The forest is being torn apart...!?"

　On all sides of Juice, traces of destruction spread, as if an "invisible snake" was writhing about. Trees were torn down, the earth was cracked, and clods of earth and flowers were scattered everywhere.

"Ohhh... ohhhhhh!!"

　It destroyed everything around Juice randomly, but in response to his shout, it headed towards Pandora. Pandora watched as the scenery in front of her was being trampled like a giant, yet she showed no sign of moving.

　And so, the destruction hit Pandora's small body head-on.

"You see."

"---!?"

"I'm here, I'm here, and yet you continue your conversation while ignoring me. I think it's about time that even a gentle and selfless person like me got angry."

　The moment the invisible snake's strike reached Pandora, a white figure stepped in to interrupt the impact.

　Regulus, his bangs, neither long nor short, swaying, raised his hand to catch the shockwave. Taking a hit that would have been fatal to a normal person, Regulus stood there, unaffected.

　On the contrary, even though he had been slammed into the ground so hard that it exploded, his body, which should have been buried in the earth, once again had not a single scratch or stain on it.

"lie..."

　Seeing the results with her own eyes, Emilia covers her mouth and is speechless.

　It also makes sense that he managed to return unscathed from Fortuna's surprise attack. If his fighting strength is far superior to Fortuna's, it may be possible for him to prevent that deadly barrier.

　But Juice's invisible attack was a different story. Unlike the attack hidden by the white smoke of snow, Emilia had definitely seen him get launched into the air and slammed into the ground.

　He would have been thrown to the ground defenseless.

　It's still okay to be uninjured.

　However, there is no explanation for the fact that there is not a speck of dirt on his body.

　Regulus had some kind of mechanism that allowed him to remain unaffected by attacksーーno, by others.

"Regulus Corneas...!"

"How unpleasant. You, who have never been chosen by the Factor, are ignoring the disintegration of your body and forcibly suppressing it, aren't you? Isn't that an insult to those of us who took our seats following the correct procedure? It hurts my tiny, unshakable self-esteem."

　Regulus's face, dripping with malice, was flicked back in time with Juice's arm swing.

　His neck twisted with the force of a punch, but as he bounced back, there was no sign of the blow on his face. He simply furrowed his brow in displeasure, and continued to receive the repeated blows defenselessly.

"I don't think we'll see any progress if we stay here any longer."

　Juice's valiant fight was confronted by Regulus, who mercilessly repelled him.

　As Emilia watched the battle in which her old acquaintance was putting his life on the line, Echidna called out to her from behind.

　Turning around, Emilia glared at the profile of the witch, who was watching the battle expressionlessly.

"You want me to leave this place? Juice has gotten to that point, he's desperate!"

"Whether the process of hard work leads to the desired results is open to debate, though. Unfortunately, I have no intention of arguing with you. I have no interest in bullying the weak, and hearing even one more word of your voice is extremely unpleasant."

"Then, it would be better if you just shut up and watch. I'll..."

　I'll stay here and see what Juice's resolve is.

　Just as Emilia was about to declare that, it was her own heart that held her back.

　She instinctively reached out her hand to her chest, but it missed, and Emilia remembered why she had come there. She had come to take on the Trial, to overcome her past.

　What Emilia sees now is the real past that she wanted to forget.

　Juice's valiant fight here was certainly a great one, and perhaps he should witness the outcome in place of young Emilia, who had been taken away by Fortuna.

　--But that would mean betraying both Subaru and the others who had sent Emilia off, and Juice, who had tried to help Emilia and Fortuna escape.

　What will happen to Fortuna and young Emilia, whom Juice allowed to escape?

　We must discover the hidden past and uncover the answers.

"It seems that even your limited intelligence is able to determine which is the wiser option."

"...You're right. Let's go after Mother and me, Juice."

Echidna: "There is no need to worry, it is a battle between Sin Archbishops. It is not so easy for the scales to tip in one direction. It would be a different story if the other one joined in but… it is highly unlikely that she would interfere with the battle."

　With Emilia still harboring regrets, the battle between Juice and Regulus becomes more intense.

　Tears of blood followed, and blood juice overflowed from his nostrils and the corners of his mouth. In proportion to the damage inflicted on his body, the precision and power of the invisible destruction he controlled soared.

　However, what was striking was how abnormally normal Regulus was operating. Defenseless as the destruction hit him, he looked down on Juice's resistance with a bored look on his face.

　It almost seemed as if if he were to take offensive action, the situation would change in an instant.

"Haa..."

　And as Echidna's gaze pierced the spot, Pandora's excited expression and her chest was bouncing.

　Just as Echidna had said, it seemed unlikely that she would take part in the battle herself. A beautiful girl letting out a seductive sigh in front of an abnormal battle - that abnormality aside.

"Let's change the scene. We fled to the forest, to where you and your mother were."

"--cormorant"

　Receiving Emilia's conclusion, Echidna raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

　The moment a light sound rang out, her vision suddenly became distorted and the forest scenery changed completely. Emilia felt as if the floor beneath her feet had suddenly been replaced with a different one, and she instinctively stepped on the bellows.

　I looked up and saw that I was in a familiar place, in a forest with no traces of destruction.

"No! No, mother! Please, don't leave me behind!"

　Hearing the high-pitched cry of a child, Emilia looked up as if she had been thrown.

　In front of her was a large tree that Emilia was familiar with - its hollowed-out interior contained a space large enough to hide a single child, which her mother and she had called the "Princess Room".

　In front of the entrance, a crying young Emilia and Fortuna were talking to each other.

　Fortuna grabbed the girl who was clinging to her chest by the shoulders and said with all his might,

"Please, listen to me, Emilia. It'll be okay. Soon… yes, I'll immediately clean up everything and come back. So, until then, I just need you to hide here. Please."

"No! Absolutely not! Mother Fortuna, you have the same face as Juice! Just like Juice, you're going to do something! Leave me behind and do... something...!"

　Young Emilia desperately clung to her mother with her small palms, trying not to let her escape.

　If Fortuna had wanted to shake off the young child's hand, it should have been easy for her to do so. And yet, the fact that Fortuna does not callously shake off the young Emilia's hand was clearly evidenced by the amethyst eyes that gazed upon her.

　Because Fortuna is Emilia's mother, she doesn't shake off her crying daughter's hand.

"Don't leave me behind! Let me stay with you! I won't lie anymore! I won't break my promises! I'll be a good girl, I'll be a good girl... so don't leave me behind..."

"Emilia... Emilia, Emilia, Emilia...!"

　Hearing the voice of young Emilia, who did not want to be separated from her mother and was giving everything she had to in order to avoid being separated from her, Fortuna's face was overcome with emotion as she embraced her daughter. If she had not pressed her daughter's face against her chest, she would have been able to see the face she was making.

　Unable to stop the tears from flowing, her daughter sees them running down her cheeks.

"Fortuna, mother..."

　The crying face that the young Emilia had never been able to see; now the Emilia could see it clearly.

　Her mother, who had always believed without a doubt that the girl called Emilia was noble, honorable, strong, respectable, without a single weakness, never imagined that she would be hurt like this, overcome with unbearable grief, or shed hot tears like this.

"...!"

　Watching her mother cry, Emilia's cheeks reach their limit as she catches a glimpse of the past.

　I quickly put my hands down, but it was too late, and tears started to flow one after another from the corners of my eyes.

　I can clearly see this scene when I look at my mother's face now.

　I never doubted it, but right now, at this very moment, I was once again convinced.

"Mother Fortuna... was my real mother..."

　Who her birth mother was meant nothing to Emilia now.

　No matter how many times Fortuna tells her not to forget about her real mother and that she is merely her substitute, will that change anything?

　Even though these are the words of Mother Fortuna, whom she cherishes and respects, she cannot accept them.

"Mother Fortuna... I love you..."

　This is the one feeling that will never bend, no matter what anyone says.

"Lord Fortuna――!"

　As Fortuna is unable to pull away from the young Emilia, a man calls out to her.

　Responding to the voice, Fortuna wiped her face with her sleeve, roughly hiding her tears as she turned towards the voice. A lightly dressed elven man appeared in front of her.

　He is one of the elves living in the village, and is also someone Emilia is familiar with.

"Arch, how's the village doing?"

　Fortuna asked in her normal voice as the man ran up to her. The man called Arch had a look on his face indicating that Fortuna was crying, but he shook his head without touching it.

"It's the same everywhere. The Bishop's companions and the other men are fighting back, but..."

"Not good, I see."

　Fortuna lowered his eyes at Arch's answer and gritted his teeth at the poor state of the battle.

　Young Emilia looked up at her mother with an anxious expression, and could only clutch the hem of her dress and tremble, unable to say a word.

　Archie saw Emilia like that,

"It's okay. There's no need to be so scared, Emilia. Trust everyone in the village and us adults. Also, your mother is a very strong and scary person."

"Uh, yeah..."

"Arch, you don't need to say it's scary. Seriously..."

　Fortuna crossed her arms in exasperation as Arch tried to reassure the young Emilia. However, she couldn't keep looking down forever, so she nodded at Arch's roundabout concern and looked towards the princess room behind her.

"Hiding Emilia here won't be enough of a distraction now."

"It's frustrating, but if they stay in this forest they'll be found soon. Their purpose is...?"

"It must be the seal deep in the forest. Where did she hear about it...even that woman...!"

　Fortuna bites her lip in frustration, thinking about the juice she left behind and the attack by the Witch Cult's Regulus and Pandora.

　Then Fortuna shook her head vigorously.

"Very well, I'll go out anyway. I'm the most powerful warrior in this forest, so this is not the time to just stand around in a place like this."

"No! We will fight! Lord Fortuna, take Emilia and leave the forest!"

"What will happen if we run away now? We will lose our haven... We can't just conclude it like that. The problem isn't that we lost. The problem is that we made them uncover the seal!"

　Arch yells for him to stop, but Fortuna cuts him off in an even stronger tone.

　Then she said "I'm sorry" as if ashamed of having yelled back at him.

"You must be resentful. In truth, there was no reason for you guys to get embroiled in this. Emilia and I came here…and caused unnecessary trouble."

"No way...! Is there anyone among us who thinks like that?!"

"arch..."

　Arch retorted furiously to Fortuna's remorseful voice, refusing to let her say that. His face turned red and his long, elven ears perked up in rage.

"Please stop treating us as if we were out of the loop when it comes to your problems! Considering our lifespans, it may have only been a brief period of time like the blink of an eye...! But even so, we spent the same time together, seeing the same things! Have you forgotten!"

"..."

"Who could dislike you? You and your brother… we owe a great debt to Emilia's mother, and you want us to shamelessly forget that?!"

　Arch's emotional voice explodes with tears as he pleads.

　The young elf knelt down on the spot, breathing heavily, sniffling and looking up at Fortuna. In response to his gaze, the silent Fortuna shut his eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry. I was about to reject the family I live with again."

"Lady Fortuna... I, I was being too outrageous..."

"No, it was important. I'm sorry, Arch. And thank you."

　Thanking the kneeling Arch, Fortuna gently holds out her hand. Arch looks hesitant for just a moment, but then takes Fortuna's hand and quietly stands up.

　Then, Fortuna turned to look at young Emilia,

"Emilia. From now on, mother has an important role to play in order to protect everyone. So, we will say goodbye for a little while."

"No… no, mother. I, I…"

"Please. Just for a little while, listen to me. I want you to stay out of the forest with Arch. These forests are... getting really dangerous."

　Speaking to young Emilia, who was shaking her head with a tearful look on her face, Fortuna turned back to Archie.

　Staring at him with determined amethyst eyes, Arch's slender body stiffened.

"Yo, Lord Fortuna... I am..."

"Archi. You are still young and have a future ahead of you. Please take Emilia with you... it's a difficult world to live in, but there is surely hope."

"Don't say things like that... like it's the end! I, I'm going to stay in the forest with everyone until the very end!"

"Please take care of Emilia. She is my, my brother's, and my sister-in-law's precious daughter."

「――――!!」

　Fortuna's voice had lost all strength and nobility; it was simply a weak female voice.

　Archie was moved to tears by the voice of Fortuna, his mother and woman.

　Sobbing, Archie covered his tearful face with his hands.

「That's unfair...! I know there's no way I can refuse when someone says that to me...! I want to fight with everyone too...! But even so...!」

"We are sorry. We have forced everything on our children. Please forgive us."

　Placing her hand on the crying young elf's shoulder, Fortuna begs for forgiveness.

　Arch couldn't say anything, but in silence he accepted Fortuna's request.

　And the only person Fortuna needs to persuade in this situation is young Emilia.

"Emilia."

"No! I want to be with mother, mother! Please! Please! Please, let me be with her! To be alone...no way!"

"You're not alone. Listen carefully."

　Young Emilia was crying and not ready to listen. She covered her ears, trying to shut out all of her mother's parting words, and Emilia felt like slapping her past self on the cheek.

　It wasn't because he wanted to scold her for being disobedient, but because he wanted to make sure he heard every word that Fortuna said, not missing a single word.

"Emilia."

　Fortuna crouched down and embraced Emilia.

　Taking hold of the young Emilia's arms, who was desperately covering her ears, he pressed his head against her silver hair as if biting her, and nuzzled his cheek into her. As if to touch something he loved more than anything, more than anyone, so as not to destroy it.

"Mother will always be by your side. Close your eyes and let your memories float to mind. Hold me in your arms and let your warmth flow into my chest. Speak out loud and let your voice resonate beneath the sky. Mother will always be with you. Always and always, forever... together."

"It's a lie. It's a lie, a lie, a lie... Mother, you're a liar..."

"Emilia. --Promise."

　As young Emilia tried to dismiss her mother's words as mere comfort, Fortuna met her gaze and spoke. Young Emilia gasped at the word "promise" that came from her mother's mouth, and fell silent.

　Guided by Fortuna's gaze, the young Emilia places her small palm in front of him.

"Mother and Emilia will always be together. I promise you that now."

"W-Will you really...stay with me...?"

"Yes, truly. Mother loves Emilia... Lia, more than anyone in this world."

　Hearing a gentle voice calling out "Leah", young Emilia's dam of tears bursts.

　The two Emilias, present and past, sob and break down in tears.

"Mother Fortuna… I, I love you too… I love you so much…"

"I love you. I love Mother Fortuna. I really, really love you, I cherish you so much…"

　The emotions of both Emilia, present and past, come together, and she desperately tries to respond to the love shown to her.

　It was as if they were teaching us that only by squeezing our voices out and pressing our bodies together can we convey all the emotions inside our hearts, and that we cannot fully express the emotions that are overflowing from our bodies.

"Leah, I love you."

　Fortuna's soft, hot lips are pressed against my cheek, eyelids, and forehead.

　Even though he allowed them to touch and embrace, he was shy when it came to expressing his affection as a mother, and would never do anything like this for her - that was the moment when Fortuna truly, from the bottom of her heart, accepted herself as Emilia's mother for the first time.

"--Arch, please."

"...Yes. I understand."

　After expressing her deepest love to her daughter, Fortuna stood up and called out to the young man.

　When Arch was called, he took the young Emilia, who was crying bitterly, from Fortuna, held her tightly, and bowed deeply to Fortuna.

"I'm sure you'll escape safely."

"Yes… yes! Emilia… I will never let anyone hurt this child!"

　As Arch made this absolute oath, Fortuna's cheeks relaxed in relief.

　Then he pointed to the path deeper into the forest.

"Go, please."

"――――"

　Arch said nothing more and ran towards the direction Fortuna was pointing.

　As the young Emilia was running through the forest in the arms of a young man, she looked behind his shoulder and saw her mother receding into the distance, and let out a voiceless cry.

　Hearing that, Fortuna's sharp gaze softened and became gentler.

"--I love you, Emilia."

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　Held in Arch's arms, young Emilia desperately looks in the direction where her mother can no longer be seen.

　As if hoping that if he continued to gaze in that direction, the figure of his mother, who had disappeared from sight, would suddenly appear. As if hoping that she would follow him.

"Emilia...!"

　The stubbornness of young Emilia's mind is conveyed to Arch as he picks up her small body.

　Arch's face was crumpled as he wondered what to say to his young mind, having just experienced separation from Fortuna.

"--That was unexpected."

　As Emilia chased after Arch, Echidna, who was running alongside her, called out to her.

　Still reeling from the moment she'd been separated from her mother, Emilia couldn't stop sobbing and asked Echidna a question with just her eyes. The white-haired witch just shrugged her shoulders,

"You didn't stay there, and instead pursued your past self without hesitation. I thought for sure that you would be dragging your mother's actions along like an effeminate person, just like when you were lazy earlier."

"...I told you before. I came here to witness my past...! Mother, Juice, and everyone...for that reason."

"Yes, yes. I said something unnecessary."

　In response to Emilia's tearful rebuttal, Echidna shook her head, looking as if she hadn't gotten the answer she wanted.

　Even Emilia felt irritated by that insensitive attitude, but before she could comment on it, the young Emilia in Arch's arms appeared before her and covered her face with her hands.

"Wh-w-why... Why did it turn out like this...? I-I broke my promise... and left the room..."

"No. That's not true, Emilia. It's not your fault! It's not Fortuna-sama's fault, or anyone else's! There's no need to blame yourself!"

"Then why...? Why are we breaking up...? Mother... and Juice... why do they... hate me? Because so many, many things hate me, that's why I'm like this..."

　The sudden separation from Juice and Fortuna has young Emilia's heart on the verge of shattering.

　Reflecting on her own actions and the cause of her current situation, young Emilia sinks into a sea of ​​self-denial.

　Breaking a promise. Leaving a room he shouldn't have left. Learning about a seal he shouldn't have known about. It all seemed as if it had all started because of his own actions.

"Would it have been okay if I'd just locked myself in my room by myself? Then, everyone would've stayed together...?"

"Emilia..."

"I was a bad girl...? So, everyone in the world will hate me... and I'll be alone?"

"No… that's not true, Emilia. No one, no one hates you. The world doesn't exist to make you suffer… the world, everyone, exists to bless you…!"

　Arch desperately tries to persuade the young Emilia, who is once again bursting into tears.

　It was partly because he wanted to stop Emilia from crying, but more than that, it seemed to be because he himself wanted to believe it.

　Archie's shout touches Emilia's heart as she looks back at the past.

　It wasn't just Fortuna and Juice. Emilia was protected and loved by him and everyone in the village, who reached out to her to make sure she wasn't lonely.

　It wasn't until this very moment that I truly remembered that this had always been the case.

"You there――!"

　As Archie ran, someone glided in front of him, letting out a sharp voice.

　A figure in a black robe suddenly appeared from between the trees, and Archi stopped in his tracks, casting a wary look at him. However, the man raised his hand in response to his gaze,

"Wait, don't panic! I am the finger of Bishop Romanée-Conti!"

"The Bishop...!"

　The out-of-breath man in the priest's robes mentioned Juice's name, and Arch showed a look of relief. Seeing that Arch's guard had dropped, the man came over and noticed young Emilia.

"The girl over there... then, could it be that Lady Fortuna?"

"There's no need to worry. I… left Emilia in my care. Lady Fortuna is the most skilled in our village. I'm sure she'll defeat any enemy that enters our way…"

"...I hate to say it, but it's probably difficult."

　As Arch corrected his attitude, the man lowered his eyes and spoke in a husky voice.

　Archie raised his eyebrows at those words, and the man sighed with a grave expression on his face.

"The Sin Archbishop's greed has been confirmed, and the Bishop is fighting back. If that was all, there might have been a chance that we could have driven them back by retreating the other extremist believers, but…"

"Is there some other problem...?"

"--The magical beast 'Black Snake' has been loosed into the forest."

「――――!?」

　Archie looked shocked at what the man said.

　He shook his head in disbelief at what he was hearing and gestured towards the forest.

"That's ridiculous, impossible! The Black Snake, one of the three great demonic beasts, should be even harder to control than the White Whale or the Great Rabbit! It's not like the White Whale, which is under the control of Gluttony, or the Great Rabbit, whose course it can guide... The Black Snake is just a disaster that doesn't obey anyone! A disaster among disasters! How can that be!"

"...She is being accompanied by Pandora-sama of the Witch Cult. Even if Pandora-sama cannot control the black snake with her authority, she is able to guide it to its destination."

"Pandora...? Such a person's name is..."

"It's someone who has been kept secret! Even within the Witch Cult, it is taboo for them to even mention her, whether it be the Bishop's moderate faction or the other extremists. That person has arrived."

　Arch was speechless at the man's strained voice.

　Still, Archie did not sink into despair because he felt the pulse of a life different from his own in his arms. He knew that he could not afford to look down now.

"I was ordered by Lady Fortuna to help Emilia escape. No matter what happens to the forest, I must protect this child… at least hope!"

"...I'll accompany you. I'm not sure how much help I can be with my weakened body though."

　Seeing Arch's attitude of not losing his will to resist, the man's dejected expression recovered.

　Fluttering the tails of his robes and showing off strong legs that were well-trained for his age, he took off running to lead the way down the path leading out of the forest.

"Let's avoid the extremist cultists. Anyway, once we get past the Great Forest we'll see the Eyes--"

　Yes, the man said, and was about to indicate his intention.

　The man who was leading the way suddenly got his legs entangled in something and fell over. Archie let out a small cry as the man fell to the ground and ran over to him in a panic.

　However, as the archer rushed towards him, the man called out in a sharp voice,

"Don't come!!"

"--!?"

"Oh dear... I didn't expect it to come so soon!"

　The man who had stopped Arch from running over to him tried to pick himself up, but he only managed to raise his upper body. For some reason, his outstretched legs didn't even seem to move.

　However, underneath his pulled-up robes - the man's bare shins were covered in black burn-like marks.

"The evil tongue of the Black Snake...! Run!"

"But!"

"There's no hope for you now..."

　The expression on the man's face as he tells Archie to run away changes rapidly.

　The skin above the neck, visible from the robe, gradually becomes covered with reddish-black spots, and the eyes that had previously appeared gentle open wide, and the face sunken so much that it looked as if the eyeballs would fall out.

　The man scratched his spotted neck with the fingers of both hands, and a large amount of yellow foam came out of his mouth.

"Bu, bu, bu... Ah, bu..."

　The moment he groaned in pain, dark blood began to flow from his eye sockets, nostrils, earlobes, mouth, and every organ in his face, and it seemed as if the man's life was being squeezed out of him.

　Emilia, who had to witness that pitiful death, could not keep her composure, let alone Arch. Even Echidna grimaced in pain.

"The crucible of disease... the source of the disease, the black snake...!"

　After witnessing the man's fate, Archi called out in a hoarse voice the name of the monster that had killed the man.

　It was likely not in response to that name, but a new sound suddenly began to mix into the quiet forest, dominated only by the sound of Archie and young Emilia's breathing.

　It made a slurping sound, like a giant creature licking its lips.

　It was as if something long and thin was crawling across the floor, asserting its presence.

　The scale of the sound was so different that it was difficult to match my impression, but it sounded like the sound of a snake crawling along the ground with its tongue out in front of its prey.

"--Shit!"

　Realizing the source of the sound, Arch realized that he and young Emilia were in the Black Snake's hunting grounds.

　They know that speaking up will work against them, but they have no choice but to speak up. They can't think of any other way to resist.

　Not knowing which way to run, Archi starts running, away from the man's body. He no longer has any thoughts of heading in the direction Fortuna is pointing. Right now, he must escape from this threat. He must protect what he must protect.

　Such is the young elf's fierce and desperate resistance...

"ah--"

　The black evil tongue wrapped around his right ankle as he kicked the ground, and cruelly tore it away.

　The exposed skin where the evil tongue had crawled left a dark red burn scar.

　The moment he saw that, Archie pointed his palm at his right foot,

"...Hurrah!!"

　Without hesitation, the wind blade slices through the burnt area below the shin.

　Losing his footing, he pushed his body against the tree trunk, and Archie spurted out a huge amount of blood. His brain was boiling and eaten away by the intense pain, and he had to endure it by clenching his teeth until they cracked.

"Humaaa...!"

　There was a sound of the air cracking, and the wound on Arch's amputated right leg froze. White steam rose, and Arch screamed as the method of forcibly stopping the bleeding from the wound began.

　Emilia was left speechless by his brutal actions. His quick decision, the way he dealt with the intense pain. And the strength of his heart that refused to let go of the young Emilia in his arms.

"arch...?"

　Young Emilia, with her face pressed against his chest, didn't see what Arch had just done. And Arch had absolutely no intention of letting young Emilia see it.

　He gave an awkward smile to young Emilia, his face covered in sweat,

"It's nothing... I'm fine...!"

　Arch answered in a halting voice, trying not to let young Emilia understand anything.

　However, cruel fate continued to mock the noble young man's aspirations.

　The wound had been sealed in a desperate attempt to cut off his leg and freeze the wound to stop the bleeding - but the intact part of his frozen right leg dried up as if it had lost all moisture, and began to crack like earth that had been sucked dry, and the damage was spreading.

　Arch's right foot begins to die, as if the earth is drying up, and it doesn't just stop at the foot.

"…Emilia. Can you see those white flowers between the two trees?"

"...Yeah"

　Arch crouched down, leaning his back against the large tree. With her feet on the ground, young Emilia looked in the direction he was pointing, found the white flower just as he had mentioned, and nodded.

　Archie wiped his sweaty forehead and hid his pained expression.

"Um, can I run towards the flowers? Past the flowers...straight, straight..."

"I can run... I can run. But..."

"Well then, run--"

　Arch spoke to the young Emilia, who was gazing at the white flowers and choking up.

　A short, farewell message. Young Emilia was confused, but she noticed that there was something unusual about him, and her amethyst eyes trembled.

　To be alone. To lose someone right in front of my eyes.

"It's okay. Emilia, you won't be alone…"

"arch..."

"Now, run. Whatever you hear, don't look back... just run!"

　Young Emilia's shoulders jumped at Arch's sharp voice, and she took a step forward and started running. She tried to hold back the urge to look back, but she had been told not to.

　Arch's words, Fortuna's words, Juice's words echoed through his young head.

　Believe that if you follow all of your instructions, everything will go back to normal.

　As if to convince herself, doing so was the only hope for young Emilia right now.

　He watched as young Emilia ran off, leaving him behind and disappearing towards the direction of hope.

　Arch let out a long breath and pushed up the bottom of his jacket.

　The erosion of exhaustion had already covered both her legs and waist, reaching down to her chest.

　I couldn't move my legs, and it felt like they would crumble and fly apart if I touched them at all.

　What would happen if the exhaustion reached your chest, your heart?

　The slurping sound of the demonic beast licking its lips before its prey can be heard.

　It was a sound that seemed to try to take away the fleeing girl, the hope of the forest, and the arch and the meaning of burning away what little life remained.

"Who would let me go..."

　The hissing sound that was fading away suddenly stops.

　It was as if he had lost interest in his prey, which was still breathing, but was now drawn to it.

　The sound was getting closer. In other words, as he sensed the end approaching, Arch relaxed his cheeks.

　If death approaches me, it means that death is moving away from that child.

"Lady Fortuna... I'm sure the child will be fine."

　The sound of the end draws closer.

　Hearing this, Archie smiled with pride at having accomplished what he had done, even though his life was in grave danger.

"――――"

　That smile remained ever-present even when it had completely dried up.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　--The white flowers that Arch was pointing at have long since passed by.

"Haa... haa... haa."

　Breathing heavily and trying her best to lengthen her narrow strides, young Emilia ran through the forest.

　I decided that it would be best to just head in the direction Arch was pointing, without having to think about anything else, while thinking about my mother, Juice, Arch, and everyone else.

"Ugh....Ugh!"

　Shake your head.

　Tears flowed and I fought to stop sobs from escaping the corners of my mouth.

　I wonder what's going on and how it's going now.

　What does everyone know and what do I not know?

　I don't know what to do. Is there anything I can do?

　Who are the people attacking Fortuna, Juice, Arch, and the others? What can be done to get them to go home? What is their purpose?

"Phew, yep..."

　That's right.

　Fortuna and Arch were saying something. Juice, while talking to Fortuna, must have also said something about it being important.

　If so, what is their purpose?

"--ah"

　As young Emilia was running and lost in thought, her feet suddenly whipped around, and the girl realized she had lost sight of the ground and entered a hollow in the forest.

　She quickly tried to grab hold of her hands, but the sharply dug hole in the ground did nothing to stop her small body, and young Emilia tumbled down the slope, driven by her running momentum.

　Normally, she would have immediately stood up, crying from the pain of her scrapes.

　However, young Emilia was in a state of extreme exhaustion both physically and mentally, and after hitting her head hard on the ground, she lost consciousness for just a moment.

"I..."

　I knew I had to do something. And I thought I had found it.

　When I feel that I must do it, a small flame of a sense of mission lights up in my chest, and then I lose consciousness.

　--And so the story temporarily leaves the child and returns to the battlefield.

　To witness the conclusion of these two destinies.