A pawn-the Blue Mage

Wilhelm's words slowly appeared.

[Wilhelm: In the battle against the White Whale, we owed Sir Subaru a great debt.]

[Wilhelm: Without the information Sir Subaru brought us, Lady Crusch, Ferris, and many others might not have returned from that battle.]

[Wilhelm: So I cannot regard Sir Subaru in the screen as merely an evil man.]

[Wilhelm: But that Sir Subaru has already gone too far.]

No further words appeared.

Because no one knew how to continue.

Natsuki Subaru in the screen was saving someone, too.

He wanted Ferris to live.

But that salvation carried a powerful purpose.

He did not simply want Ferris to get back on his feet.

He wanted a Blue Mage who could be used for Emilia.

He would ruthlessly suppress Ferris's wish to die.

He would start over again and again.

Then he would find a way to make this person live, obey him, and continue to be useful.

Outside the screen, Emilia tightened her grip on the hand of Natsuki Subaru beside her.

"Why...?"

She was right there in the library, standing beside Natsuki Subaru.

So she asked him directly.

"Why go this far?"

Natsuki Subaru's fingers twitched.

He did not answer immediately.

Emilia looked at her own name in the screen, then at Natsuki Subaru beside her.

"Subaru is saving someone."

"But saving someone like that hurts so much."

"Ferris is suffering."

"Subaru is suffering, too."

"Why does he have to drag everyone down this path?"

Natsuki Subaru opened his mouth.

He wanted to say that the person in the screen had already gone astray.

He wanted to say he would never do that.

He wanted to say it was not Emilia's fault.

But Emilia's hand was still trembling.

She was not blaming him.

She simply, suddenly could not understand.

She could not understand why Natsuki Subaru in another world would, for her sake, push himself, his enemies, his companions, and the people he saved onto that chessboard.

Natsuki Subaru lowered his head and looked at their clasped hands.

Only after a long time did he say quietly:

"Because that guy can't find any other way anymore, I guess."

Emilia froze.

Natsuki Subaru's voice was very quiet.

"He wants to make you king."

"He wants to clear away everything standing in your way."

"He wants to bring everyone useful over to your side."

"He wants to make every death mean something."

"So Ferris can't die."

"Meili and Elsa have to keep being useful, too."

At that, the corner of his mouth twitched.

"In the end, he probably can't even tell whether he's saving people or arranging his pawns anymore."

The library fell silent.

Betty's hand tightened around Natsuki Subaru's sleeve.

"Subaru."

Her voice trembled a little.

"Betty doesn't like putting it that way."

Natsuki Subaru looked at her.

With reddened eyes, Betty said each word distinctly:

"Betty doesn't want Subaru to put himself on the chessboard, too."

"And she doesn't want Subaru to think that he can die any number of times as long as it means something in the end."

Natsuki Subaru was silent for a while.

Then he nodded gently.

"Yeah."

"Of course. I definitely won't."

Because-"I" have returned.

In the screen, Natsuki Subaru was still crouching before Ferris.

Ferris's sobs gradually grew quieter.

As though he had finally heard Natsuki Subaru's words, his gaze slowly focused on the boy before him.

"You..."

His voice was hoarse.

"Do you know?"

Natsuki Subaru tilted his head.

"Know what?"

Ferris gripped the chains tightly.

"What I lost."

"Do you know?"

Natsuki Subaru looked at him.

The cavern was silent for a moment.

Then he said:

"I don't."

Ferris's eyes dimmed again.

But Natsuki Subaru's next words quickly followed.

"But I'll find it with you."

"If you can't remember, I'll help you find a way."

"If you can't hold on, I'll start over."

"If you want to die, I'll find a way to keep you from dying."

Natsuki Subaru reached out and took hold of the chain.

The cold iron chain swayed gently in his palm.

"So help me, Ferris."

"Help Emilia become king."

"Then I'll make sure you find what was taken from you."

Ferris stared at him blankly.

At last, the faintest flicker appeared in those hollow eyes.

It was like someone on the verge of drowning suddenly spotting a straw on the water's surface.

He did not know whether that person had come to save him, nor did he know where that hand would take him.

But he had nothing else left to grasp.

Watching the gradual change in Ferris's gaze, Natsuki Subaru slowly held out his hand.

"Come on."

He said.

"From today on, you're mine."

Outside the screen, Ferris looked utterly sick.

Those words were so vile that he wanted to curse, but he could not get the words out.

Because his self in the image really did raise his hand.

The chains swayed.

His fingertips trembled.

Finally, that broken Blue Mage took Natsuki Subaru's outstretched hand.

The cavern in the screen remained damp and cold.

But from that moment on, Natsuki Subaru had a new pawn in his hand.

The Blue Mage.

Ferris.