Led astray

Outside the screen.

Everyone watched the sea of flames.

They watched Natsuki Subaru standing before the fire, saying, "I think so too."

This victory had finally killed Greed.

The mansion's beams and pillars collapsed. Charred wood crashed into the sea of flames, scattering tiny sparks. Regulus's voice had vanished. The man who had been cursing everyone just moments ago could no longer utter even a word in his own defense.

The library was silent for a long time.

Finally, Emilia spoke first.

"I really... hate Regulus more than anyone."

Her voice was soft, but there was no hesitation.

Natsuki Subaru turned and saw her still staring at the screen. Firelight reflected in her amethyst eyes, and their corners were a little red.

"He hurt so many people."

"He kept people trapped by his side and thought he was giving them happiness."

"Even their deaths had to be called betrayal by him."

Emilia's fingers slowly clenched.

"I really... really hate him."

After saying that, she did not keep watching the screen, but turned to Natsuki Subaru beside her.

"But, Subaru."

Natsuki Subaru's shoulders tensed slightly.

Emilia did not release his hand.

"I don't want to see you kill people that way, either."

Natsuki Subaru opened his mouth, unable to speak right away.

Betty stood on his other side.

She looked awful, and her voice was very low.

"Betty hates that Sin Archbishop of Greed too."

"But Subaru stood there listening to the screams, and even said something like that..."

Betty raised her head.

"Betty doesn't like it."

Natsuki Subaru lowered his eyes.

"Yeah."

His reply was quiet.

"I know."

[Felt: I think that guy deserved every bit of what he got.]

[Felt: Someone who treats other people like objects is nothing but a menace alive.]

[Felt: If the women locked in that mansion were still alive, they might even curse him for getting off too easily.]

[Felt: But that Natsuki Subaru kid did go a bit too far.]

[Felt: Killing him is one thing, but standing in front of the fire listening to the end, and saying it sounded nice along with Elsa... something feels off about that.]

Reinhard's words appeared next.

[Reinhard: Regulus Corneas's sins were unforgivable, and those women's hatred deserved to be seen.]

[Reinhard: If I had ended that battle, I would have cut off his head as quickly as possible.]

[Reinhard: Letting an enemy die in agony cannot bring back the dead.]

[Reinhard: The one wielding the sword will also be held captive by that pain.]

Felt saw Reinhard's reply.

[Felt: You knights sure talk in circles.]

[Felt: But I think I get it.]

[Felt: That scumbag deserving to die and Natsuki Subaru killing him like that are two different things.]

Otto's words slowly appeared.

[Otto: I find it a little hard to believe.]

[Otto: Is the person on the screen really the Mr. Natsuki I know?]

[Otto: The Sin Archbishop deserved worse than death. I won't say a single word in Regulus's defense.]

[Otto: But Mr. Natsuki personally chose to "take it slowly," and watched him die.]

[Otto: He was fully lucid at the time.]

Natsuki Subaru stared at those lines and recalled that scene on the screen. After dying too many times, one stopped treating lives as lives. Nothing could mend that mindset.

[Otto: I think of the Mr. Natsuki I know.]

[Otto: He can be stubborn, he can fool around, and he will rush out to face anything for someone else. But he wouldn't stand before a fire watching a life fade away, listening to someone's dying screams with that expression.]

[Otto: Even if that person were a Sin Archbishop.]

The Natsuki Subaru on the screen really had gone very far.

So far that even he found that face unfamiliar for a moment when he looked at it.

[Anastasia: If I only look at the results, I don't see a problem.]

[Anastasia: The Sin Archbishop of Greed is dead, the imprisoned women got their revenge, and the Emilia Camp earned an achievement great enough to shake the kingdom.]

[Anastasia: From a royal selection candidate's standpoint, this is a major victory.]

[Anastasia: If they can handle it, their reputation will rise.]

[Anastasia: If they can't, the fire will spread to them.]

Priscilla spoke a little later than the others.

[Priscilla: That white-haired clown met a fitting end.]

[Priscilla: He spoke of integrity, yet his conduct was so filthy it spoiled my mood.]

[Priscilla: There is nothing to regret about burning vermin.]

[Priscilla: As for that black-haired boy.]

[Priscilla: Heh.]

[Priscilla: He could stand heartlessly before the fire and listen through the dying man's final screams.]

[Priscilla: As a retainer, he would be a sharp and useful tool.]

[Priscilla: As an enemy, others would likely think it best to break him early.]

Al only appeared after a while.

[Al: That's one scary assessment, Princess.]

[Priscilla: Shut up, Al.]

[Al: Yes, yes, yes.]

Al cracked a joke, but did not keep playing the fool as he usually did.

[Al: But bro really is in a bad state.]

[Al: After dying too many times, people start losing track of the boundaries.]

[Al: Their own lives become something to experiment with, and their enemies' lives become an outlet for anger.]

[Al: Even the resolve someone stakes their life to offer can just be carried over into the next loop.]

[Al: By the time he comes to his senses, all he has in his hands might be bargaining chips.]

Betty's expression worsened when she saw those lines.

"He won't."

She said it aloud.

"Subaru won't become like that."

Natsuki Subaru looked at her.

Betty clutched his sleeve, her eyes filled with stubbornness.

"Betty won't let Subaru become like that."

"Even if Subaru gets angry, even if Subaru thinks he has a reason, Betty will hold on tight to you."

Natsuki Subaru's throat shifted.

"Betty..."

"Don't just say Betty's name."

Betty glared at him.

"Answer."

Natsuki Subaru fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'll be counting on you then."

Only then did Betty relax a little.

Just then, Meili's voice came from beside them.

[Meili: Come to think of it.]

She twirled her ponytail, her tone sounding much the same as usual.

[Meili: It seems big brother didn't say how many times he died this time.]

As those words fell, Meili's fingers stopped playing with her hair.

She blinked, seemingly only then realizing she had said something.

"Meili."

Emilia called to her softly.

Meili raised her head.

Emilia did not blame her.

During the incident with Sloth, Natsuki Subaru on the screen had said it was over four hundred times.

During the incident with Ferris, he had said, "This time, I'll definitely find a way to keep you from killing yourself."

But with Greed, he had never mentioned it from beginning to end.

No one knew how many times he had died to reach that fire.

No one knew on which attempt he had first seen those women's resolve.

No one knew how Regulus had killed him in the previous loops.

[Otto: Miss Meili is right.]

[Otto: What we saw was probably the final, successful attempt.]

[Otto: Before this, he may already have failed many times.]

[Otto: Those women may have died many times.]

[Otto: Regulus may have won many times.]

[Otto: Mr. Natsuki may also have been killed by him many times.]

The chat fell quiet.

Felt did not say anything else for a long time.

Julius's words slowly appeared.

[Julius: The Archbishop of Greed's weakness, intelligence, information-none of it would have come from nowhere.]

[Julius: Every precise arrangement may indeed have been reached by stepping over his own corpse again and again.]

Garfiel's words appeared too.

[Garfiel: Boss.]

[Garfiel: I know that bastard deserved to die.]

[Garfiel: But don't turn into that. It hurts to watch.]

The flames on the screen gradually dimmed.

The burned-out mansion became a charred ruin.

Natsuki Subaru and Elsa's retreating figures had already vanished beyond the firelight.

The Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas, was dead.

The imprisoned women, too, remained in that mansion forever.

There were no cheers for this victory.

Only silence in the wake of the fire.

The screen continued to shift, and in the next scene, the firelight gave way to dim yellow lamplight.

The scene became a quiet tavern.

The counter had been wiped clean, several bottles stood on a shelf, and the liquor in the glasses swayed gently. There were few customers inside, and the smells of alcohol and wood mingled in the air.

Beside the counter, a purple-haired knight sat upright.

Julius Juukulius.

He seemed to have just finished an ordinary meeting. His posture remained proper, and even the hand holding his glass carried the composure expected of a knight.

Beside him sat a slender figure.

Cat ears.

Short, flaxen hair.

That face, usually wearing a cheerful smile, was lowered now, as though lacking even the courage to look up at a friend.

Ferris.