Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　--How many times had he come to this room to see her like this?

　When Subaru first met Beatrice, he easily exposed her plot using illusions that roamed the mansion, and thus set foot into the Forbidden Library.

　I think our first impressions of each other were terrible.

　Subaru was quickly knocked out with the mana drained from his body after just recovering from an illness. Afterwards, Subaru, burning with a desire for revenge, repeatedly teased Beatrice.

　Every time they meet they exchange insults, but they get along well and unintentionally end up at the Forbidden Library where they had intended to hide.

　During the roughly two months Subaru had spent at the Roswaal Manor, Subaru and Beatrice had repeatedly engaged in immature exchanges, spitting at each other and yelling at each other.

　The royal selection process had begun in earnest, and a few days after returning from the royal capital, a change had occurred in their interactions.

　Beatrice rejects Subaru. Subaru comes to understand part of why she is so stubborn, by learning about the girl's past and destiny in a place called "Sanctuary" where she is not present.

　And so, speaking as if he knew what she was talking about, and trying to understand the girl's loneliness, he was devastated by the wailing of Beatrice, whose tears had long since dried up after four hundred years.

　Afterwards, there was nothing he could say to the haggard girl. Beatrice's life was lost in the events that followed, and all he could see was the expression on the girl's face as she disappeared while shielding Subaru.

　That face was burned into his memory, and Subaru returned, driven by a burning passion.

　--This time, no matter what, he wanted to get the girl out of here.

"Are you going to get Betty out of here...?"

　Upon entering the room, Subaru boldly declared, to which Beatrice replied with a confused look. She held the Gospel tightly, pulled her knees to her chest on the stepladder, and,

"Is that none of your business? Nobody is asking you to do that."

"It's not a question of whether I asked you to or not. I'm going to get you out of here. That's already been decided."

"Why don't you just hurry up and take comfort in that girl's lap?"

「You bastard… this is war…! If you say that, then this is war…!」

　Having been reminded of the time when he had been overwhelmed at the mansion, Subaru strained his voice to hide the shame he felt inside.

　Beatrice snorted at Subaru's attitude and quickly averted her gaze.

「But, ​​we don't have the luxury of messing around like that. We don't have much time. Do you know what's going on outside right now?」

"...I know that there's an uninvited guest in the mansion. After the big maid and the little maid were doing something, two outrageous people are rampaging around."

"One of the incredible ones is the helper I brought with me though. I don't think he's inferior in terms of fighting ability, but unfortunately I feel like the difference in resolve will probably be the deciding factor. So I can't just sit back and relax."

"And so, while the helpers buy time, the people in the mansion can escape… that's the plan. I'm not sure if they trust their allies or not, so it's a rather unclear plan."

"It's a plan that makes it all too clear that he's too kind."

　Garfiel's current condition is about 80 to 90 percent of his perfect condition, thanks to the healing effect of the "Protection of the Earth Spirit" until he returns to the mansion. Add to that his lack of hesitation in fighting and his fighting power is rated quite high. However, it doesn't seem like he was ready to kill his opponent in time, which probably resulted in a lack of determination, which is a slight negative to his rating.

　Meanwhile, Elsa is naturally in perfect condition. Her inexplicable, abnormal fighting power puts her in a good position to rival a perfect Garfiel in Subaru's eyes. Her tendency to enjoy fighting somewhat is a minus for her fighting power, but Elsa has an inexplicable immortality. It's hard to imagine the thought of her dying if she's killed a few times, judging by what she said. The provisional rating is slightly in favor of Elsa.

"However, if everything goes according to our plan, Frederica should be able to retrieve Rem while Garfiel holds Elsa. Petra has reunited with Otto, so we should be able to rescue everyone except for the last person."

"People who need to be rescued... right? And the last one is Betty."

"That's why."

　Petra had met up with Subaru on the first floor of the mansion, and after having him reunite with Otto, who had led the villagers of Arlam to safety, had helped with some small details around the mansion, before ordering him to leave.

　By the time Subaru had reached the Forbidden Library, they had likely already escaped.

"So, you're going to let me take you out. If you don't want to hold my hand and run, I'll carry you on my back or in my arms or whatever, so just follow me obediently..."

"You're going to make me say it again and again. I don't need your help."

　Subaru took a step closer, reaching out his hand, but Beatrice's low voice rejected him. As Subaru stopped in his tracks, Beatrice turned her head to indicate the contents of the Forbidden Library,

"Is it okay? This is an isolated space beyond the corridors of time, within the reach of Betty's power. This is Beatrice's Forbidden Library. No matter what kind of threat lies outside, I'm sure they can reach Betty's Forbidden Library. Your concerns are simply unfounded worries."

"That won't work. The randomness of your Forbidden Library is certainly a powerful advantage in the sense that it allows you to escape, but… it has a fatal flaw. What's more, your opponent is aware of that fatal flaw."

"A fatal flaw...?"

　Beatrice frowned, clearly not happy to hear that, but Subaru nodded in response to the stern gaze of the girl and gestured to the door behind him.

"Your power, which randomly connects you to the doors in the mansion, is strong. However... your power only works on the 'closed doors' in the mansion. In other words, if you leave all the doors in the mansion open, you will eventually reach this Forbidden Library, and will only be able to connect to this library."

"----!"

"It's a stupid method. Even you wouldn't have noticed it. I wondered why I hadn't noticed something so simple until I saw it for myself."

　He remembered when Erza noticed the loophole in "Door Crossing" and exposed the Forbidden Archives.

　Without the obstacle of Garfiel behind her, Elsa would undoubtedly come here using the same method as she did back then, and take Beatrice's life.

"Of course, I'm not underestimating you and saying that you'd be easily defeated if that guy came in here. But, based on my life experience, I can attest to the unknown nature of that guy. If you can avoid having to deal with him, there's nothing better than not having to."

　Defeating Elsa is something that would be best achieved if possible, but it is not a necessary condition for breaking out of this loop. If the client is Roswaal, then at the very least, once the time limit for the events surrounding Sanctuary is exceeded, there will be no reason for Roswaal to continue employing Elsa.

　In that case, Elsa would back off, as was proven by the incident with the royal capital's emblem.

　Anyway, if they could survive the attack on this mansion――

"Beatrice, it's not like this place is safe either. If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have raided the archives. So now…"

"I wonder how she knows how to defeat Betty's Doorwalk?"

"――――"

　Subaru urges Beatrice to escape, coming up with some reasonable excuse to get her out.

　However, it was unclear whether Beatrice had been listening to what Subaru had said up until that point, as the words she muttered were completely different to what Subaru had been hoping for.

　As Subaru stammered, Beatrice remained on the ladder,

"There's no way that you'd suddenly come up with a way to break through Betty's 『Door Crossing』 the first time you encountered it. I wonder if the person who gave you that idea was someone who knew Betty."

"Beatrice. Now is not the time to be talking about that..."

"--Roswaal, that is."

　Deception won't work.

　Subaru gasped at how quickly her thoughts had progressed to a conclusion.

　Seeing Subaru's reaction, Beatrice understood everything. That it was Roswaal who had hired Elsa, and that her goal was to kill her.

"I wonder if the Gospel of Roswaal has a passage that tells us to kill Betty."

　"Oh," Beatrice sighed softly, not listening to Subaru's affirmation or denial.

　It was no wonder that there was something reassuring about her sigh. Subaru couldn't help but hear it, and so he approached Beatrice.

「Hey, what was that sigh about just now? What are you pretending to understand?」

"As you can see, it makes sense. If the Gospel of Roswaal commanded him to do so, then I guess Betty's fate was decided as well."

"What is that… Roswaal's book is Roswaal's book, and your book is your book! Does your book say that you should be killed by Roswaal?"

　Pointing his finger, Subaru glared at the Gospel that Beatrice was holding.

　If it was the same as the previous loop, then there should have been nothing but blank spaces for the past four hundred years.

　Hearing Subaru's cry, Beatrice lifted her gloomy expression and opened the Gospel to the pages, then spread it out for Subaru to see - revealing a book filled with nothing but blank pages.

"There's nothing written on it. It's still blank, like it always has been."

"--! In that case, there's no reason for you to let yourself be killed according to Roswaal's book! As always, you decide what you're going to do!"

"... Will Betty decide, like always?"

"That's right! If nothing is written, then you should have had the choice up until now. From small things to big things, you should have decided your own path. So this time too, there's no reason for you to let yourself be manipulated by someone else's choices――"

"What decisions has Betty made in her life so far?"

　The force of Subaru's words was crushed by the sheer anguish of the question.

　Beatrice tilts her head and stares at Subaru with lonely eyes. Turning over the blank pages one after another, Beatrice seems to trace the blank time where nothing is written.

"At Roswaal's mansion, you continued to protect the Forbidden Library entrusted to you by Mother, spending so much time alone...where in that time was Betty's? What remains of Betty, who has continued to live in blank periods where nothing is recorded, where in this world? What exactly has Beatrice done, and who is she?"

"Bear, Tris..."

"Betty's life, her 400 years, was as blank as this Gospel. It was a blank space. Nothing she chose for herself, nothing she gained for herself, nothing she could use to prove herself... none of it existed."

　Beatrice closed the Gospels with a clang and gently placed it on her lap. Strokes the nameless cover, the girl says in a quiet voice,

"It's the same as a blank book. If we were to lose Betty here, all we'd lose would be a blank book with nothing drawn on it. A book that meant nothing to anyone, just sat on a bookshelf - I'd feel better if it was gone."

"Um, what about people who would be in trouble if they didn't have a blank book?"

　With a fleeting expression, Beatrice seemed ready to give up on her 400 years and future in an instant. Subaru tried to speak to her in an attempt to hold her heart.

　Subaru still hadn't found an answer to the question Beatrice had asked him back then.

　But even so, if she didn't continue speaking now, she would give up on herself.

"You said it was a blank space. But the book is definitely on the bookshelf. There are people who know that the book exists. There may be people who were hoping to pick it up someday, so I can't let them just dispose of it without their permission."

"A book with no title or author. Even if there was such a wise person, they would only be disappointed when they opened the book and saw what was inside. I don't think I would want to see the look of disappointment on someone's face when they picked up a blank book."

"Well then! Then why was the book put in there?"

"――――"

　Beatrice stared emotionlessly at Subaru, who continued to press on.

　If he couldn't find any meaning in this exchange, it felt as though he had been confronted before he could even utter a word. But even so, Subaru raised his head and continued to reach out to Beatrice's faraway heart.

"If anyone who picked it up was going to be disappointed when they saw what was inside... then what was the point of the book being there? Wasn't it made for a reason?"

"…The author who created the book created it for someone. The book looks blank to everyone, but it's designed to look different to that 'someone'. So if it has any meaning, the moment it is handed over to that 'someone' will be the moment when the book's creation will become meaningful."

"In that case."

"Are you saying that we shouldn't dispose of it until it gets into the hands of that 'someone'?"

　I gasped.

　Subaru realized just how cruel a wish he had been about to express. Beatrice saw the expression on Subaru's face and gave a painful smile.

"That's right. If Betty really was just a book... then it would be fine to keep waiting for that day."

　I could have continued to wait for the day when the pages would be turned by the hand of "someone" who would come eventually.

　Suppose Beatrice was a book.

　But Beatrice is not a book. She is a girl trembling with loneliness during a long period of emptiness.

"If I had no heart, no self, and was just a book... I would have been able to believe in mother's instructions without any hesitation. I wonder if I would have been able to remain mother's adorable Beatrice forever."

　If I had been a mindless being, merely to be displayed like a doll, I wouldn't have had any doubts.

　If it were something that would not change with the passage of time, like a book, I would not have lamented.

　But Beatrice was not like that.

"But Betty has a heart. As time passes, you start to think about so many things that you can no longer believe what you want to believe. You become troubled. There were many nights when you couldn't remember mother's face, her smile, and you tried to gather memories together and clung to them!"

"――――"

"There were times when I couldn't bear being alone and wanted to be close to someone! But everyone always left Betty behind! They said things that didn't make sense, like it was for something more important than themselves, and made up reasons to leave Betty behind! Mother too! Roswaal too! --Even Lewes!!"

　Beatrice yelled, her face all crumpled and on the verge of tears.

　When she uttered the name of Lewes, Subaru remembered the past of Beatrice that he had heard in the Sanctuary. Lewes Meyer, the ancestor of the Lewes of today.

　This is the story of the fleeting but definite bond that Beatrice formed with the girl who was sacrificed to protect the "Sanctuary." -- and the scars that remain in Beatrice's heart even today.

"--So, it's fine now."

　Suddenly, Beatrice lost all the momentum she had been using and her voice dropped sharply.

　His expression, which had been twisted with passion, returned to its usual emotionless state and he embraced the book on his lap.

"Betty's Gospel does not record Betty's future... It's something that has been known for a long time. Betty's fate was abandoned by her mother a long time ago."

　The fact that the future is not written means that the future of the Gospel's owner is at a dead end.

　That's how Beatrice described the book that had stopped writing as it approached Subaru, who was holding the Gospel of Betelgeuse. The same thing was happening to her.

"If Betty's fate is engraved in Roswaal's Gospel... then how ironic. But I'm also relieved. I'm sure Roswaal would never go easy on me."

"Even though you might be killed by someone you've known for so long... why do you feel relieved?"

"Of course."

　Beatrice nodded in response to Subaru's strained voice.

　Then, with a fleeting, yet somehow endearing smile on her face,

"If Betty is written about in the Gospel, whether it be Roswaal's or not... then it doesn't mean that Mother had forgotten about Betty."

　--It's distorted.

　Seeing Beatrice smiling, Subaru found himself being engulfed in a torrent of emotions.

　It was distorted. Beatrice's current appearance, as if she was happy to have been touched by her mother's love, was too distorted and unbearable. Could something like this, something like this, be a mother's love?

"...What are you planning to do?"

　Biting his lip, Subaru tried to hold back the emotions welling up within him as he stepped forward.

　Subaru exuded an unusual presence, and Beatrice's expression became wary.

"――――"

"Do you hear Betty? What are you planning to do? I tell you, if you plan to do anything, I will show you no mercy. Betty has already accepted her fate."

"What do you mean, accepting your fate? You're no different from Roswaal. In fact, you're even worse than that self-aware guy. There's nothing you can do about it, you've just made it worse."

　Anger wells up.

　Ever since he'd come into contact with the various events surrounding Sanctuary, Subaru had fought this emotion time and time again.

　Angry at himself for taking on the Trials, angry at the witches who toyed with him, angry at Garfiel for belittling him with the stubbornness of a child, angry at Roswaal for trying to affirm the fragility of his feelings by adhering to the instructions, angry at Emilia for not being able to believe in herself and Subaru's love――

　--Right now, he was once again angry at Beatrice and those around her who had driven her into this corner.

"You're an idiot. It's just painful to watch you talk about fate and your mother's orders. Do you have a heart? Can't you just stay with a book? Of course you do, you idiot. If you stay holed up in this moldy room, you're not going to understand such things!"

"Bah...!"

　Beatrice's eyes widened at Subaru's angry voice, and before she knew it, she looked shocked and enraged.

　The girl stood up from the top of the ladder and pointed at Subaru, her skirt swaying.

"You! Who are you talking to and what are you talking about? You idiot, idiot? How dare you say that to me.....you! What on earth do you know about Betty!?"

"Of course I know you're an idiot, and understand you better than you, who doesn't even realize you're an idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!!"

"Y-y-you...!!"

　Subaru raised his middle finger and yelled abuse at her, making Beatrice's face turn red and she was at a loss for words. She was so enraged that she lost track of what to say.

　Once that gap was created, Subaru's specialty was stepping in with his dirty feet on.

"A gap of four hundred years? Don't get all pretentious! All you've been doing is crying on your knees for four hundred years! Why have you had that much time to think, clinging onto one answer for so long?! There's nothing written in the book, so you're trying to say 'I've been doing nothing'? Are you an idiot!"

「There's no way I hadn't thought about it! Of course! How many times, how many times had Betty tried to see if the description in the Gospels would change…! But no matter what she did, no matter how long she waited, it never changed! So!」

"That's what I'm saying is stupid! You said you tried to make the text stand out in the book because there was nothing written in it, but you tried to make it stand out in the New Year's card? No one does that these days! If you tried all that and it didn't work, then you should suspect other possibilities!"

"There's another possibility..."

"That's it. Your mother may have given you the wrong book."

　Beatrice was left speechless by Subaru's words.

　But Beatrice quickly retorted that this was a ridiculous answer,

"Enough already! There's no way Mother would do something so foolish! You... you have no way of understanding Mother's profound thoughts!"

"Oh, I don't know, you idiot. Who cares what your mother thinks? I'm talking to you right now. I told you just now, that I would never do something so foolish. Is that really true? Can you be sure? Have you never, even once, doubted your mother?"

"Wh, what are you doing...?"

"Four hundred years! The books that are supposed to have floating letters are still blank! The person you were told to wait for never showed up! You've been spending all your time alone, with plenty of time to think, yet you never once thought about it? Didn't you ever think that something was wrong!?"

　To continue believing in someone wholeheartedly for four hundred years.

　At first glance, this may seem like a beautiful way of thinking, but it is a distortion of the truth, especially if you are constantly thinking about that person and their words.

　This was especially true for Beatrice, who had almost given up, believing that her wish would never come true.

"M-Mother could never do anything wrong! Oh, of course. Mother! How dare you doubt what your own mother says!?"

"Of course it is possible! Do you know how little credibility there is in what my mom says? When I misheard her say the satellite had fallen into "Aichi Prefecture" instead of "the atmosphere", I stopped believing the big news coming out of my mom's mouth without checking it! That was when I was in third grade!!"

　I will never forget the day I took it seriously, spread it around, and was laughed at at school.

　Since that day, Subaru has completely stopped believing anything his parents say. He had lost faith in the words of his father much earlier.

"For 400 years, you have never once doubted anything?! I have not even lived for twenty years, and the number of times I have exchanged blows with my father is more than I could count on the fingers of both hands. And that's in twenty years. You, who are twenty times older, have never once felt that way?"

「You… what do you want Betty to say?! I have no idea! Your purpose, the meaning of your words, Betty has no idea! I don't understand!」

"Then I'll tell you clearly! So that you idiot and your stupid mother can hear!"

　Subaru approached Beatrice, who was trying to hold her head, and took both of her hands.

　Beatrice looked up, and Subaru approached her so close that she could feel her breath. He spoke to the teary-eyed girl.

Subaru: "Don't keep being swayed by a blank book and a verbal promise from four hundred years ago. ーーYou choose what you want to do, Beatrice."

"――――"

"Four hundred years. That's more than enough time for a rebellious phase to occur."

　Beatrice continues to obediently follow her parents' instructions.

　Her stubborn determination to keep her promise has created loneliness and emptiness in the girl's life.

　To her mother, Echidna, even such times of anguish were sweet, but to Subaru, they were an outrageous vice.

　I forgot how to cry and wanted to cry. What was my state of mind? I felt sick.

　With both her arms still being held, Beatrice turned her face away from Subaru while standing on the stepladder.

　Subaru was at roughly the same eye level as the girl sitting on the top step. Beatrice turned her face away, then looked down, her lips trembling.

"Y-You... you want to say this to Betty. You disobeyed your mother's orders."

"..."

"Throw away everything you've believed in for the past 400 years and become free... is that really how you would tell Betty?"

　Her trembling voice gradually calmed down.

　And as he heard the voice begin to carry something more than just agitation, Subaru felt his hairs stand on end. Ever since coming to the other world, this sense had been honed without any need for doubt.

　That is, the sense of the presence of a serious threat.

Subaru: "--To this Beatrice! To break the contract! Are you planning to act like you know it all?"

"--Zua?!"

　Subaru's body was knocked backwards, as if hit by a blast from the front.

　He tumbled across the floor of the library on his back, the wind whipping him into the wall and knocking him out of breath. All his bones creaked, and Subaru looked up as his vision flickered.

　Beatrice was still standing on the stepladder, but looking down at Subaru with an angry look on her face.

"The contract is absolute! Absolute! And it is a promise made between a witch and a spirit. You want the spirit to break it unilaterally? Don't you understand anything? That will not be tolerated! No matter who it is! No matter what it is! Betty herself will never forgive it!"

"---Speaking of someone who was looking for a back door to that contract, and was thinking of getting killed if they couldn't break it."

「――――!!」

　Exhaling as if to push the pain out of his body, Subaru slowly stood up.

　Beatrice continued to be angry at Subaru's words, her adorable expression tinged with wickedness. Looking up at her face, Subaru laughed maliciously.

"You're saying nonsense, Beatrice. Don't you realise how incoherent you are? Of course you don't, right? You're smart."

"I wonder if he'll shut up."

"No, I won't shut up. Breaking a contract? Fine. If you hate keeping your promises so much that you literally die, then just quit. No one will blame you."

"Betty is to blame! How can you not understand that!? The contract is absolute, and we must abide by it..."

"Why don't you understand? Rather than dieing while keeping the contract, it's better to break the contract and survive. Is it so strange that I would make that choice?"

　Beatrice, who continues to adhere to the contract, is speechless at Subaru's attitude of wanting to tear it up so easily. Perhaps Subaru appears to her as an incomprehensible monster.

　Subaru found it extremely strange that someone would think like that.

　Of course, keeping promises is important.

　Subaru had been scolded by Emilia many times for breaking promises, and had suffered many painful experiences because of it, so even he understood the importance of keeping promises.

　Even so, Subaru felt no hesitation in making Beatrice break her promise.

　The reason is as I just told Beatrice.

　If anyone tells me to keep my promise and let Beatrice die, I'll give them the finger.

　Making him break his promise and letting Beatrice survive is not even a problem to worry about.

"That's just an unreasonable and hopeless act..."

"I know I'm being defensive, and I'm sorry. But it's important, so I won't give in."

　Subaru's attitude has been decided from the beginning, and the rest is up to Beatrice.

　Beatrice couldn't hide her confusion and bewilderment at Subaru's disregard for the contract. That's understandable. In this world, for spirits, contracts are that important.

　From all the time I've spent witnessing the relationship between spirits and spirit users, I know it's something solid and heavy that should not be shaken.

　Subaru knew this, but he still spoke.

　You are more important than that.

"If you're... 'that person'..."

　Subaru's attitude towards the contract is too unfair.

　Hearing this, Beatrice's expression took on a slightly weak look and began to crumble.

　What spilled out of her mouth was the name of someone intangible who she had been waiting for for the past four hundred years, believing in her mother's legend.

　A fictional existence that Echidna had cruelly decided upon in order to find out "who that child will choose".

　Beatrice wants to be saved.

　The best proof of this was that her eyes were moist with tears, touched by Subaru's words.

"You..."

　Beatrice's moist eyes focused on Subaru, who was standing there motionless.

　And the girl, with trembling lips, as if clinging to him,

"Will you be 'that person' for Betty?"

　It was a question that could put an end to the past four hundred years.

　Or perhaps, as Echidna had instructed, that was exactly what the Witch had wanted to hear.

　Could Beatrice find that intangible being known as "that person"?

　The witch entrusted the satisfaction of her own curiosity to her daughter, and made her spend 400 years in solitude.

　The fruit of those days is the question I am asking myself now.

　Staring directly at the breathless Beatrice, Subaru stated clearly.

"Are you stupid? --There's no way I'm your "someone" because I'm some random person you don't understand."

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　After the tremendous shock wave blew through the Forbidden Library, Beatrice was returning the books that had been blown away by the wind to their original positions on the shelves.

　Fortunately, although some books had fallen to the floor, there were no books with their bindings removed.

　While reflecting on how she had used her power inside the Forbidden Library that she had been tasked with protecting, Beatrice was relieved that the damage had been minimal.

　They were comrades who had been with Beatrice through her solitude for the past 400 years.

　Beatrice's recollection that it would be nice if it were just a book was no lie. There had been many times when she had fantasized that, like these books, it would be something that would not be affected by long waits.

　I now think it was a silly idea and hope.

"I guess it's no wonder people laughed at me."

　This just goes to show how shamefully he had been pushed into a corner.

　She laughed at herself for that, but more than anything, there was rage in her small heart.

"That guy... that guy... really, I wonder what he is...!"

　Just thinking about it reminded her of the irritating man, and Beatrice felt like stomping her feet in rage.

　She wanted to dump all her pent up feelings somewhere, but the entirety of the Forbidden Archives was an important place that Beatrice had been told to protect by her mother.

　There is no sign of anything to vent his anger on, so all he can do is wait for the growing anger to die down.

　Returning the last book to the shelf, Beatrice sighed and adjusted her appearance. Then she sat down on the stepladder in her usual place, and was about to pick up the black-bound book when she stopped.

　A blank book. I have been easily told many times to just throw it away.

　And then, at the crucial moment, when Beatrice tried to choose the opportunity to be dumped, he refused. Seriously, it just doesn't make sense and it makes me angry.

"I'm already tired..."

　But that passion doesn't last long.

　Beatrice stopped puffing out her cheeks and placed the book she had hesitated to embrace into her heart.

　In the end, the only way to protect my heart is to continue to rely on this until the very end.

　Just as Roswaal's Gospel states, Beatrice will soon come to an end.

　How should I feel about waiting for that?

　Should I think that it's finally over?

　That's what I thought, but when the time actually came, I found myself confused.

　--When he told me I was an idiot, for some reason it remained in my heart as a lump.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　Subaru was blown away by the shockwave and rolled down the hallway, his back slammed into the wall and he fainted in agony. The pillar struck him directly in the side, making him yelp and writhe around.

「Argh! Ugh… Ah, that's impossible…! That idiot stopped in the middle of my story…!」

　The door slammed shut in front of him, and Subaru reached out to open it with a resentful look on his face. Of course, the view on the other side, which was a crack open, was completely different from the Forbidden Library—it was just a regular guest room.

　The "Door Crossing" was activated, and Subaru was expelled from the Forbidden Library.

"You're telling me, you're going to get so angry that you kick me out... Shit, I chose the words wrong...!"

　What I wanted to say was not wrong, but there was a discrepancy between how I communicated it and how it was conveyed.

　As a result, Subaru was thrown out of the Forbidden Library, and the conditions for achieving it became more distant.

"Anyway, we can't leave it like this. Let's go through another door to Bearko...!"

"Natsuki-san...?"

　Subaru turned around to attack any other doors he could find, but then he heard a voice call out to him. He was taken aback by the familiar voice and name, and his eyes widened.

　Ahead of her gaze, Otto, who she was supposed to have broken up with, was peeking out from the next room. And beneath him, in the same position, was Petra's face, looking in her direction.

"Y-you guys...? Why are you still in the mansion? I told you to just stay in one building and to run away once the door was open, right?"

"Unfortunately, the situation outside has changed drastically..."

　As Subaru pressed on, Otto, his face pale, shook his head.

　There was no way he was joking in this situation. The fact that Otto had given up on escaping meant that something had happened.

"What happened? Please keep it brief."

"It's a magical beast. For some reason, the outside of the mansion is surrounded by magical beasts, and I can't move."

"Demon beast?!"

　Subaru's eyes widened at the unexpected words, and he looked at Petra for confirmation. The girl nodded her head repeatedly at Subaru's gaze,

"Um, there are a lot of magical beasts that are different from demon dogs... like double-headed snakes and rats, and lots of other things."

"Are those the ones that live in the surrounding forest?"

"That's right, but... it shouldn't be possible for something to get through the barrier."

"Another barrier..."

　During the previous monster incident, it was confirmed that the barrier between Aram Village and the forest surrounding the mansion had been re-established. Caution for any weakening of the barrier since then was a top priority, and there was no way they could make a mistake in such a short time.

　Above all, how could the monsters that had overcome the barrier have ended up surrounding the mansion?

"Just like when he was a puppy, there seems to be some strange will at work... What about the people in Aram Village? Are they okay?"

"At the time of the evacuation, no magical beasts were spotted, and we mobilized all the dragon carriages entrusted to us by the Duke to help them escape, so they should be safe. Patrasche-chan is guiding them there, after all."

"I see. That's a relief then."

　It would be more reliable to leave it to that clever earth dragon rather than having someone less skilled guide them.

　While praying that Patrasche would do well, Subaru gritted his teeth at the fact that the situation was once again different to what he was familiar with.

　An unprecedented attack by magical beasts.

　Naturally, the timing couldn't be unrelated to Elsa's attack.

"What about Frederica and Rem?"

"I haven't been able to meet Frederica or Rem-san, but... I don't think we can run through that place and escape."

"In that case, the two of them are still inside the mansion. We're lucky that no magical beasts have entered yet, but I wonder how far Garfiel will go."

　He stroked Petra's head and praised her for her strength of mind, not losing her composure even in the most extreme of situations. If Subaru was the same age, it wouldn't be surprising if he was crying and pissing himself.

　However, it is also true that the situation does not allow things to continue as they are.

"Where am I now? Which wing of the mansion am I in?"

"The east wing. Garfiel and the others are supposed to be fighting in the west wing, so I avoided that area for the time being to avoid any damage..."

"In that case, the only escape route we can use is..."

　Of course, retrieving Beatrice is essential, but allowing Otto and the others to escape is also a prerequisite.

　Subaru was deep in thought, trying to search through the blueprint he had in his head for a place he could use as an escape route, when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"--Oh? You all gathered here all the way out here waiting for us?"

　Everyone stiffened, feeling as if a blade was being stroked against their nape.

　Subaru quickly grabbed Petra by the arm and picked her up, then timidly turned around.

　At the end of the corridor, down a passageway lit by slanting light, someone was approaching with the sound of footsteps.

　Eventually, the figure entered the area bounded by light,

"Garfiel, what the hell are you doing?!"

"You three, expose your beautiful intestines--"

　In front of the screaming Subaru, the Gut Hunter, a dancing black shadow, kicked the ground and leapt towards him.