Natsuki Subaru froze for a moment, then nodded gently.
The chat fell silent for a moment as well.
Everyone outside the screen had actually known for a long time that Natsuki Subaru in the Gluttony Route wanted to "bring Natsuki Subaru back."
From the moment he opened the Book of the Dead, from the moment he repeatedly confirmed the name "Natsuki Subaru," from the moment he clung to that nonexistent hero within the screen as his lifeline, that thought had already been laid bare before everyone.
He wanted to save everyone.
He wanted that Natsuki Subaru who could do anything to return.
He believed that as long as the real Natsuki Subaru came back, every mistake would be corrected, and everything he had ruined would be pieced back together.
But Otto within the screen did not know that.
Garfiel within the screen did not know that.
Reinhard within the screen did not know that either.
All they saw was someone wearing Natsuki Subaru's appearance, flooding the city, killing his companions, using Felt to hold the Sword Saint in check, then praising Otto in a familiar voice before personally sending him to his death.
In their eyes, of course that person had already gone mad.
Even the word "mad" seemed too mild.
[Crusch: In Otto's and Reinhard's eyes, that person brought nothing but disaster.]
[Crusch: They cannot understand his so-called salvation.]
[Crusch: All they can see is the destruction that has resulted.]
Those words made many hearts sink.
The Water Gate City had sunk, Garfiel had died, Otto had been pierced by white light, and Reinhard had been held in check.
With those results laid before them, no one could defend Natsuki Subaru in the Gluttony Route.
Yet everyone outside the screen knew more.
They knew he did not simply want to destroy everything.
He knew everyone, far too well.
He knew Otto would rally the crowd again in a desperate situation, remembered that Garfiel would be full of trust upon hearing his "boss's" voice, remembered that Reinhard would certainly save Felt, and agreed with how Emilia, Betty, Ram, Petra, and Roswaal would assess Otto.
He had put all those memories to use.
Precisely because he had loved them, known them, and trusted them, he knew where to strike to hurt them most.
Anastasia watched the screen and let out a soft breath.
[Anastasia: It really is no surprise that Mr. Otto in the screen called him a fake.]
[Anastasia: To the people over there, he is wearing Mr. Natsuki's face while doing things Mr. Natsuki should never do.]
[Anastasia: But we have also seen the earlier recordings.]
[Anastasia: Even after coming this far, that boy still wants to find the "Natsuki Subaru who can save everyone."]
[Otto: That is what makes it even worse.]
[Otto: If he simply hated us, it would be a little easier to understand.]
[Otto: He remembers us and still wants to save us, yet in the end, he turns all of that into reasons to kill us.]
[Otto: How is anyone supposed to accept something like that?]
Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru finally showed the faintest hint of a smile.
[Natsuki Subaru: So this is the usual Otto? You feel like a completely different person from the one in the screen.]
[Otto: You still have to take a jab at me at a time like this? Mr. Natsuki!]
Those words eased the oppressive atmosphere a little.
Ram stood at the entrance to the green room, looking at those lines of text.
Normally, she would probably have added a cold remark about how Barusu really was surrounded by troublesome people, or how Mr. Otto could still see reason.
But she did not send those words.
She looked at Natsuki Subaru.
The boy who had lost his memories stood beside Betty and Emilia, his complexion still poor. The word "fake" from the screen just now had clearly stung him too. Although Otto had been cursing the person within the screen, that face and that name made it impossible for his present self to remain completely uninvolved.
Ram suddenly remembered what she had said earlier.
She had said she would never kill innocent people like Barusu within the screen.
She had said it calmly, with complete conviction.
Because at the time, she had seen the village massacre, the Water Gate City, and the deaths of Otto and Garfiel. With those sins laid before them, no one could brush them aside.
But at the time, she had not considered that Barusu had once been hurt by them too.
Hunted by Rem, tortured by Rem, and finally killed by her own magic.
Back then, Barusu had known nothing.
He had known nothing about the Witch Cult, nothing about the scent, nothing about why Rem hated him.
Even at the end, he had still been talking about things at the mansion, about peeling vegetables, reading and writing, fairy tales, and that unfinished declaration of affection.
Ram's fingertips slowly tightened.
When she had thrust Rem's name in front of Barusu before, she had done so too lightly.
As lightly as casually tossing out a reproach.
But when those words landed on Barusu, perhaps they weighed far more heavily than she had imagined.
Ram slowly walked from the doorway toward Natsuki Subaru.
Seeing Ram approach, Betty frowned and turned to stand in front of Natsuki Subaru.
Emilia also watched Ram quietly, wanting to know what she would do.
Ram looked at Natsuki Subaru with a complicated expression. "Barusu."
Natsuki Subaru raised his head to look at Ram.
As Ram looked at that boy, something seemed to clog her throat. An apology was simple, taking only an instant to say, but she knew those few words were far too light.
They could not possibly atone for all the times she had used Rem's name to stab at the amnesiac Barusu.
Only after a long silence did Ram continue.
Ram: "I'm sorry. I'm truly, truly sorry."
Betty froze, as though she had yet to process it.
Natsuki Subaru also seemed not to have expected Ram to say those words to him at a time like this.
Ram lowered her eyes without looking at his expression.
Ram: "Those words are not enough."
Ram: "Ram knows that."
Ram: "Ram has no right to apologize on Rem's behalf, nor any right to ask Barusu for forgiveness."
Her fingers clutched her skirt tightly.
Ram: "When Ram pressed Rem's name upon you before, Ram spoke too lightly."
Ram: "Ram thought she had seen Barusu forget Rem."
Ram: "Only now does Ram know that what Barusu carries is heavier than Ram imagined."
Natsuki Subaru opened his mouth.
He wanted to say it was all right.
Those words had almost become instinctive to him.
But Betty suddenly tightened her grip on the hem of his clothes and looked up at him.
Her eyes seemed to say that he was not allowed to cover up his own wounds so quickly.
Natsuki Subaru thought for a moment, then gave a cheerful smile and reached out to ruffle Betty's hair.
Only then did Betty's brow relax, and she nuzzled her head against Natsuki Subaru.
Only then did Natsuki Subaru look at Ram.
"It's all right. I don't mind. We're companions, aren't we?"
Ram saw what he had done, and her gaze grew even more complicated.
Ram: "Barusu."
Ram: "Next time, do not say it is all right so quickly."
Ram: "Some things ought to be remembered by the people who hurt you."
Natsuki Subaru fell silent.
Ram said nothing either.
She lowered her head and looked at her hand.
That hand had once unleashed the wind magic that ended Barusu's suffering.
It had also used Rem's name as a blade, cruelly stabbing this present Barusu.
There was very little she could do now.
An apology was not enough.
But next time, if Barusu tried to pile all the blame onto himself again, at the very least, she could no longer stand beside him and push him down with the sharpest words.
Hearing Ram's words, Betty turned her head away and, for once, did not talk back.
Emilia tightened her hold on Natsuki Subaru's hand and said softly:
"Subaru."
"I also hope you won't say it's all right too quickly."
Natsuki Subaru lowered his head to look at her.
Emilia's eyes were earnest.
"When you're sad, say you're sad."
"When it hurts, you can say it hurts too."
Betty immediately nodded.
"If Subaru can't say it, Betty will remember it for Subaru, I suppose."
Natsuki Subaru looked at them, and only after a long while did he nod gently.
"...Yeah."
His voice was very soft.
"I'll remember."
The screen did not give everyone much time for quiet.
The black screen began to glow faintly again, and new words slowly appeared.
[Playback will resume shortly.]
[Subject of this observation: Shaula.]
The air inside the Sage's Tower shifted slightly after that name appeared.
Everyone instinctively pictured that very cute-looking girl, wondering why the subject of this observation had changed. It seemed they had yet to fully understand the screen's rules.
Betty tightened her grip on the hem of Natsuki Subaru's clothes.
A little more unease appeared in Emilia's eyes.
What had just happened in the Water Gate City had already proven that Shaula would obey every command Natsuki Subaru gave within the screen.
Kill Garfiel, kill Otto, fire at Felt. Take him away from that sinking city.
Her strength was terrifying. But her loyalty to Natsuki Subaru was alarming.
There was no telling what would happen next.
Shaula was also staring at the screen, and when she saw that it would show more content related to "Master," her eyes visibly brightened. She did not seem to realize yet what the footage about to play would show everyone.
Shaula looked forward to it just like that. Even merely watching Master this way was enough to satisfy her.
If only Master could be like the Master in the screen. I love Master most of all.