"I'm back."
When everyone heard Natsuki Subaru announce his return, they all relaxed a little.
Betty's eyes reddened at once.
She threw herself straight at him, wrapping both arms around Natsuki Subaru as though this troublesome contractor would vanish again if she loosened her grip even slightly.
"I'm glad you're back."
She spoke softly.
"I'm glad Subaru's back."
Emilia lowered her head, the silver hair over her forehead falling gently. She seemed to have finally breathed a sigh of relief, but she did not immediately take her hand off Natsuki Subaru's shoulder.
"Welcome back, Subaru."
Natsuki Subaru looked at her, his smile softening a little.
"Yeah, I'm back, Emilia-tan."
At that familiar form of address, Emilia froze for a moment, and her eyes immediately reddened.
Shaula stared at Natsuki Subaru for a long while.
Then she asked quietly:
"Master, how are you feeling now?"
Natsuki Subaru fell silent for a moment, then reached out and gently rested his hand on her head.
"Yeah, I've never felt better."
"Thank you, Shaula. You found me."
Shaula blinked.
A moment later, as though she had finally understood those words, her expression gradually brightened.
"Master hasn't turned strange. Thank goodness."
She spoke softly.
The next moment, she could no longer hold back the emotions she had been suppressing for so long. She lunged forward and hugged Natsuki Subaru tight.
"Master, Shaula was so worried about you!"
Natsuki Subaru stiffened slightly. Before he could speak, Betty, sandwiched between him and Shaula, had already let out a muffled protest.
"W-wait! What's going on? Why is Betty stuck in the middle again-"
Natsuki Subaru looked down at Betty in his arms, then at Shaula hugging him, and could not help laughing.
"Does this... count as the first warm welcome I've received since coming back?"
"This isn't a welcome, I suppose!"
Betty struggled to squeeze a few words out from between them.
"Betty's going to be squashed flat!"
Only then did Shaula seem to realize something. She hurriedly loosened her hold a little, but still did not let go of Natsuki Subaru.
"Ah, Shaula forgot to be gentle."
She lowered her head, looking at Betty and then at Natsuki Subaru, a hint of panic in her voice.
"Betty, you haven't been crushed and broken, have you?"
"Betty doesn't break that easily!"
Betty raised her head indignantly.
"And don't talk about Betty like she's an object, stupid Shaula!"
Natsuki Subaru finally could not hold back his laughter.
It was quiet laughter, but it finally brought a little warmth of a true return to reality into the library, which had been tense for so long.
Ram stood to the side, watching them laugh together. After a moment of silence, she spoke flatly.
"It seems Barusu managed not to lose himself after all."
Natsuki Subaru turned and smiled.
"Miss Ram, does that count as a compliment?"
"Yes."
Ram glanced at him.
"So don't push your luck."
Natsuki Subaru could not help laughing aloud.
Meili stood a little farther away.
She did not approach like Betty and Shaula. She simply folded her arms, her gaze falling on Natsuki Subaru before quickly shifting away. She looked as though she had little interest in scenes like this, but her fingers gripped her sleeve much harder than usual.
Natsuki Subaru noticed her and looked over of his own accord.
"Meili."
Meili's shoulders stirred slightly.
She raised her eyes and looked at Natsuki Subaru, whose memories had returned. Her lips moved, but in the end she merely turned her head away and said quietly:
"...So you're back. That's all."
The words sounded a little awkward.
But Natsuki Subaru did not laugh at her.
"Yeah, I'm back."
Meili fell silent for a while before adding in a low voice:
"Then don't turn into something that scary again, big brother."
Natsuki Subaru froze for a moment.
Meili did not look at him. She just stared at the floor.
"It was awful to look at, and it made me uncomfortable, so..."
"Just stay like this."
Natsuki Subaru looked at her without pressing her or deliberately exposing her awkwardness.
He simply nodded.
"Yeah."
"I'll stay like this."
Julius looked at him and spoke solemnly:
"Welcome back, Natsuki Subaru."
Natsuki Subaru raised his eyes toward him.
They met each other's gaze for a moment, and Natsuki Subaru nodded.
"Yeah."
"I'm back, Julius."
At that, his voice grew a little quieter.
"I'm sorry I forgot you."
Julius gently shook his head.
"No, it wasn't your fault. This is enough."
Standing beside Julius, Anastasia let out a soft breath.
"It looks like we finally got our leading man back before the worst could happen."
Natsuki Subaru lowered his gaze to the Book of the Dead on the floor.
Louis's cries before her breakdown still seemed to linger in his ears.
"Louis won't be able to act again for now."
Those words made everyone look at him.
Natsuki Subaru pressed a hand to his temple, slowly sorting through everything that had just happened.
"After tasting my memories, she seemed unable to withstand such a huge shock."
He paused, his voice dropping a little.
"She seems to have gone mad."
The library fell quiet.
No one spoke immediately.
They all knew that Natsuki Subaru had put it simply, but no one present could easily imagine what lay behind those words.
Natsuki Subaru did not explain Louis's miserable state any further.
He glanced down at the Book of the Dead on the floor, then braced his hands on his knees and slowly stood up.
Emilia instinctively reached out to steady him, and Betty still held his sleeve. Shaula stood beside him, watching him without blinking, as though afraid he might collapse again at any moment.
"I'm all right."
Natsuki Subaru spoke softly.
Only after he was standing steadily did he raise his head again and look at everyone.
"But it isn't over yet."
"The other two Gluttonies, Ley and Roy, are still outside."
"They'll bring the witchbeasts here too."
"Louis breaking down doesn't mean the problem of Gluttony is completely resolved."
Anastasia nodded, her expression regaining its composure.
"Then we need to take this chance to organize our information and reassign everyone."
Julius also spoke:
"Now that your memories have returned, we'll have more information at our disposal."
He looked at Natsuki Subaru, his tone earnest.
"Your judgment is important, but this time, please let us face it together."
Natsuki Subaru nodded.
"Yeah."
"This time, I won't make the decisions alone."
With that, he looked at Emilia, Betty, Ram, Meili, Julius, Anastasia, and Shaula standing beside him.
"From here on, we'll resolve this together."
The instant those words fell.
The air in the library suddenly trembled faintly.
That familiar screen of light unfolded before everyone's eyes once again.
Betty's grip abruptly tightened.
Emilia raised her head.
Ram frowned.
Meili also instinctively glanced toward Natsuki Subaru.
Julius's expression grew grave.
Watching the screen of light reappear, Natsuki Subaru suddenly felt a bad premonition rise within him.
The next moment, cold words slowly appeared.
[Observation of a future branch will now begin-]