[And so, after completing the rare event of meeting Emilia and Beatrice for the first time a second time, Subaru next-
"-Is this some sort of sick joke, Barusu?"
At what was nominally a breakfast gathering but actually a briefing, Subaru learned what it meant to sit on pins and needles.
Emilia and Beatrice were there, of course, along with five other people-one man and four women, a decidedly lopsided gender ratio.
Emilia had told him beforehand, and he had come with them, so although it did not feel real at all, everyone in this tower was a companion working together to conquer it.
They were a richly varied cast, but in short, every one of them was beautiful or handsome.
Subaru alone dragged down their average looks, and he felt terribly bad about it. His appearance was not the only thing he felt bad about, however. There was also his memory.
According to Emilia and Beatrice-Emilia's explanation had been incomplete, but Beatrice filled in the gaps-something had gone wrong with Subaru's memory.
Everyone present had their own reaction to this.
The first to act was the pink-haired girl-apparently named Ram.
"Are you listening, Barusu?"
"Yeah, I am. It's natural to be suspicious, but it's true. Also... you're the older sister of the girl sleeping in that room, right?"
At his answer, Ram's eyes suddenly narrowed.
He was referring to the green room where he had woken up-a space named the "green room" after its appearance, where another girl was recuperating alongside a black lizard.
The girl had bright blue hair and looked exactly like Ram.
-Apparently, waking her was another reason the group had come to conquer this tower.
"I'm really sorry I ended up like this when we're supposed to be waking your little sister. But honestly, I still don't really understand what's going on myself..."
"...Do you think saying that will convince people you've lost your memory? You're no different from usual."
"It's nice to hear someone say I haven't changed... well, people's personalities don't change that easily. Just treat the new me the way you did before, and let's get along!"
He understood how she felt, but Subaru was not deliberately trying to play a different version of himself. If there was not much difference between before and after his memory loss, that should not be a bad thing.
"Let's not worry about each other more than we need to... whoa!?"
"Master~?"
While he was still talking to Ram, someone suddenly blew into his ear, making Subaru arch his back in surprise. He looked over to find a beautiful woman wearing a black bikini and hot pants-
"I'm Shaula! I'm Master's favorite student, and the star guardian of this Pleiades Watchtower!"
"St-star guardian...? And by Master, you mean me?"
"That's right!"
The beautiful woman-Shaula-introduced herself with a smile bright enough to rival the sun.
That cheerful smile easily shattered the first impression her appearance gave. Her revealing clothes had made him expect a mature beauty, but her completely unreserved manner was just like a child's. She also seemed like a puppy delighted to receive attention.
"Still, Master, you really never learn. How many times have you forgotten me like this now?"
"Wait, wait, wait! So I lose my memory a lot? Is this an aftereffect of being summoned to another world?"
The airheaded Shaula's shocking statement left Subaru reeling. He had forced himself to swallow the fact that he had lost his memory, but if it happened frequently, that would create other major problems.
If this was some disease endemic to this world, he ought to suspect that something had gone wrong in the summoning process.
"This world isn't that hard to survive in, is it? How many times have I lost my memory?"
"C-calm down, Subaru. Shaula, don't make things more complicated."
"Bleh~. I'm not trying to trouble Master. Oh, but if it means he'll have his head full of me, I'd be happy. I'm such a femme fatale!"
Beatrice took Subaru's left hand, trying to reassure him. Shaula stuck her tongue out at her, showing no intention of cooperating.
Apparently, this was also because her affection for Subaru was so high. He did not dislike her attitude, but-
"...It's because the me from before I lost my memory earned all that affection, right?"
Neither the "Master" Shaula admired nor the person Emilia and Beatrice called to so affectionately was him. It was a very troublesome way to perceive himself.
"You really are such a handful, big brother."
"-. So, who are you, looking at me so sweetly? I'm setting everyone's initial affection levels right now. Get on my good side now, and we might end up closer than before, you know?"
"Pfft... get on your good side, he says."
The girl swung her legs, laughing merrily at Subaru's reply. She looked about Beatrice's age, with dark blue hair in a braid and the air of a country girl, but what stood out was the mischievous gleam in the round eyes on her cute face.
"I'm Meili, big brother. If you haven't forgotten your sewing skills along with your memories, I'd be happy if you made me more stuffed toys."
"Oh~. You even know my special skill, so we must be pretty close. Are you the little-sister type, like Beatrice?"
"That girl was originally an assassin sent to kill Subaru and Betty."
"What kind of joke is that!?"
That was far too grim a joke, but for some reason, nobody denied it. Even Meili, who had been cast as the villain, merely giggled and waved.
"Well, Ram, Shaula, and Meili have introduced themselves. Next up..."
Setting aside Meili's true identity for now, Subaru looked at the remaining two.
A beautiful woman wearing a fox scarf and a handsome young man.
Neither had yet offered their thoughts on Subaru's memory loss, but Subaru was eager to hear from the only other man present.
After all, being surrounded by girls made him uncomfortable. However, Subaru's hopes-
"--"
With a hand over his mouth, the young man's silence looked positively haunting.
Even Subaru, who had something of a reputation for deliberately ruining the mood, hesitated to call out to him casually.
He looked as though he had suffered the greatest shock of anyone there.
"...Please give him a little time to himself. Would that be all right?"
The beautiful girl in the fox scarf spoke for the young man. In contrast to her feminine appearance, her tone sounded a little masculine-her way of speaking felt quite androgynous.
"Right. It was so sudden, it must've startled him..."
"To my eyes, it's more than just that..."
"Ah, definitely androgynous."
"-For now, I'll call myself Anastasia. If not for your shocking announcement, I was actually supposed to give everyone a shocking report myself."
The beautiful girl stroking her scarf-Anastasia-smiled faintly.
Though he was curious about the report she had intended to give, it was questionable whether Subaru would even find it surprising in his current state.
In any case, he would accept Anastasia's suggestion and give the young man time to adjust.
"In that case, let's prepare breakfast. Lady Emilia, may I borrow Barusu to fetch water?"
"Huh? But Subaru's memories are still hazy. Wouldn't it be better to let him rest...?"
"Will resting bring his memories back? Besides, regardless of his memory, Barusu is Lord Roswaal's servant... don't think forgetting a few things gives you leave to slack off."
"That's pretty harsh, Rammy... Miss Ram?"
"...It's Ram. You've always had the nerve to call me by name."
Ram, who had stood and patted her thighs, gave Subaru a sharp look at his words.
In truth, Ram's suggestion offered a convenient way out. Subaru was also feeling uncomfortable with everyone worrying so much about him.
And given how shaken the young man was, Subaru thought it might be better if he were absent.
"Then I'll come too..."
"Lady Emilia, he's only fetching water. Please don't spoil the servants."
"But..."
"Now, now, Ram has a point. Memory loss aside, my body's fine, and apparently I'm a servant who does odd jobs. Carrying a bucket is no problem."
Emilia tried to stop the sharp-tongued Ram, but lowered her eyes after hearing Subaru's own thoughts.
"...Subaru isn't a servant. He's my-"
"Your? Your what? D-don't tell me, your boyfriend or something..."
"No, nothing like that at all."
"Nothing like that at all, huh! Well, I figured..."
He had asked breathlessly, full of hope, only for Emilia to decisively shoot him down.
In truth, Emilia's looks were exactly Subaru's type, but she seemed so far out of his league that he felt she was unattainable.
Apparently, whether he had his memories or not, she did not see him as a prospect.
"Anyway, don't worry about me. Please look after him over there. You and Betty are more dependable than I am."
"...Mm, all right. I understand. I'll try talking to him again."
When he lowered his voice and entrusted the young man to them, Emilia nodded calmly.
Only then did Subaru notice that Beatrice, still holding his hand, looked displeased. Noticing Subaru's gaze, she said quietly:
"Subaru, please don't call Betty 'Betty.'"
"-? Oh? Then, Beatrice?"
"...That will do for now. Betty accepts Subaru's request."
Beatrice let go of his hand, and Emilia passed Subaru an empty bucket.
"I'll be right back, then. I'm counting on you too, Emilia-tan."
"-Mm."
For an instant, Emilia seemed to hesitate over her reply, but Subaru did not ask why. Leaving them in the room, he followed Ram into the corridor.
Only once they were out of earshot of the people in the room did Subaru let out a deep breath.
"...You look tired."
"Can't really help it. I'm pushing myself pretty hard. Being thoughtful and considerate was never really part of my character."
Rotating his shoulders in wide circles, Subaru answered Ram. It had started when he confessed to Emilia and Beatrice, but seeing other people so dejected hurt Subaru too. This was not a matter of whether he could read the room.
"...Can I ask something? What was going on back there?"
"You mean the knight Julius? That was quite cruel, Barusu."
"Cruel, huh..."
At Ram's cold reply, Subaru grimaced, wondering just what had happened between him and the young man. Perhaps because he was thinking about that-he was slow to notice that Ram had already stopped walking beside him.
"Ram?"
"-Enough of this tiresome act, Barusu."
He turned and called her name, only for Ram's response to leave him speechless. Quiet anger filled her pink eyes as she brushed back her pink hair.
"We've even gone out of our way to move somewhere else. Don't make a woman embarrass herself, you creep."
"Creep?"
"You've thought up something ridiculous again, haven't you? Lady Emilia can't hide what she's thinking, so leave her aside. What are you plotting with Ram? Out with it."
That would make it easier to handle anything that went wrong. With that air, Ram folded her arms around herself and calmly ordered Subaru. Utterly bewildered, Subaru scratched his head.
"Uh, well. Ram, what you're saying is a bit... it's not that I don't understand, but..."
"But?"
"Sorry, but this isn't some act or clever little trick. I really have lost my memory. So I can't give you what you're expecting."
"So stubborn. Barusu always agonizes over things alone, but this time, that will cause trouble for everyone. Ram is worried about Rem too, so let Ram help."
"No, I'm serious..."
Who's the stubborn one here? Ram's adamant rejection of his words left Subaru at a loss.
Granted, memory loss was hard to believe, but faced with denial this persistent, he could only throw up his hands.
For that matter, how would pretending to have lost his memory help them conquer the tower?
"Ram doesn't know either. But Barusu must have a plan of his own. So hurry up and tell Ram everything. Ram will keep it secret."
"The idea of a secret between the two of us is tempting, but..."
Ram's words were groundless, and Subaru was past surprise and beginning to feel a little fed up. After all, saying things like "Subaru can definitely do it" gave Subaru far too much credit-
"Whoa!"
As Subaru struggled for words, someone suddenly grabbed his collar, throwing him off balance.
The bucket slipped from his hand and rolled along the corridor as Subaru was shoved back against the wall.
The person responsible was the petite girl before him.
"What are you doing... ow!"
"Talk. If you keep refusing to see sense, Ram has her own ideas."
"-But... I already told you! I'm not lying!"
"-Enough excuses! Tell me everything!!"
He tried to push the disbelieving Ram away, but the next instant, her furious voice pierced him.
Subaru stiffened, his hands losing the strength to push her away. It was not only the shock of being yelled at so suddenly. There was another reason.
"Tell me... everything..."
Her voice was trembling violently. It had nothing to do with his memory loss now, and it shook Subaru deeply.
"...Please, tell me everything."
"Ra... m?"
"...Please."
The girl pressed her forehead weakly against Subaru's chest, speaking in a trembling voice.
Her earlier forcefulness had vanished entirely, leaving only anguish. It was not crying.
She was not that fragile. Nor was it lamentation. She was not that kind to herself.
It was simply that the grief and anger in her voice, with nowhere to go, pierced powerfully through Subaru's heart.
"If Barusu forgets, what will Ram... Rem will..."
-Rem. That was her little sister's name.
The "sleeping beauty" who lay on the bed in the "green room," looking exactly like Ram.
Subaru had no way of imagining what had happened between them and him, or what bonds they had formed.
But there was no doubt that Ram genuinely wanted to grasp something Subaru had forgotten.
"...I'm sorry."
He apologized to Ram, who pressed her face against his chest, hiding her expression.
Was he apologizing for forgetting, or for being unable to answer? Surely his feelings contained both, and also something that was neither.
"-"
Ram said nothing more. Subaru had nothing to say either. Only the fallen bucket silently watched the two helpless people.
"-Subaru knows how painful it is to be forgotten, so he would never joke about forgetting someone."
As they neared the room, the voice coming from inside made Subaru hold his breath.
Although he could not see her, he could imagine her expression from her voice.
Her beautiful face was probably taut, her eyes filled with trust in "Natsuki Subaru."
Whatever the case, that trust was not in "the current Natsuki Subaru."
"-Sorry to have kept everyone waiting. We're back."
Ram stepped into the room as she spoke, and Subaru followed as though nothing had happened. The atmosphere had eased somewhat since they had gone to fetch water, probably thanks to Emilia's efforts.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Julius Juukulius. This is Lady Anastasia... I serve as her knight. You and I are friends... or something of that sort."
"I see. Nice to meet you... Why did you sound so unsure about that last part?"
"Unfortunately, it would not be surprising if our perceptions of one another differed slightly. Although I consider you a friend, I do not know what you think..."
"So the answer ran off with my memories?"
"-Precisely."
His phrasing, though roundabout, was elegant, making Subaru close one eye. The journey seemed to have been extremely harsh, and as the only traveling companion of the same sex, he had probably gotten along well with him.
"Honestly, if we really were meeting for the first time, you would definitely be the sort I wouldn't like..."
"You don't need to worry. Subaru and Julius get along ve~ry well. Right?"
As Subaru pondered that impression, Emilia planted her hands on her hips and vouched for them, seeking agreement from those around her. Meili smiled in response. "That's right, you get along well, so there's nothing to worry about. Besides, that's not where the problem lies for our knight."
"Not there? Then where..."
"-It must have something to do with Lady Anastasia acting strangely since this morning, doesn't it?"
"Miss Anastasia, you're talking about yourself as though you're someone else. So you really are..."
"Your suspicions are correct.-At present, the will inhabiting this body is not Anna's. She is currently asleep within it. In the meantime, I... Echidna, am acting as Anastasia."
"Echidna...!?"
Emilia's eyes widened as she watched Anastasia place a hand on her chest and explain. Beatrice's hand tightened too; clearly, everyone had been shaken to some degree. Anastasia admitted that she was not Anastasia herself, but Echidna. Subaru understood that much too, but-
"...I-is that so? That really is, um, serious, isn't it?"
Naturally, the amnesiac Subaru was utterly lost.
"But I heard that you came to this tower to help that girl called Rem who won't wake up, as well as the afflicted people in the other cities, right? But how did..."
"We're only just about to begin tackling the tower in earnest, and everyone here is already battered and bruised... Barusu has lost what pitifully few memories he had, and Lady Anastasia's consciousness is in the abyss."
"N-no good news at all, huh..."
Ram's extreme conclusion made Subaru want to clutch his head and scream.
Being one of the mountain of problems was daunting, but the group was already caught between a rock and a hard place. If problems kept cropping up, how could they possibly tackle the tower-
"-Everyone, we can't keep looking down forever. I feel troubled too, but we can't let that discourage us."
Just as he was thinking that conquering the tower was impossible, Emilia clapped her hands and looked around at everyone's faces.
"Emilia-tan..."
"We came here carrying everyone's hopes. Now Subaru and Miss Anastasia are in serious trouble, and things have become ve~ry difficult. But-"
After a pause, Emilia looked straight at everyone with her blue-violet eyes and continued.
"We can't stop moving forward.-Someone has always taught me that we mustn't give up."
Her tone was firm and powerful. Her gaze moved from one companion to the next before finally settling on Subaru. Caught by those beautiful eyes, Subaru forgot to breathe. Heat rose in his chest. His soul cried out that he could not let the hope in her eyes go to waste.
"Ow! Hey, Subaru! You're squeezing too hard! That hurts!"
"S-sorry, I'm sorry!... But Emilia-tan is right."
Beatrice protested as her little hand nearly got crushed in his grip. Subaru apologized to her, then shook his head.
Emilia's words resounded powerfully in his heart. Of course, even Subaru felt like giving up in these circumstances. But he was not alone.
He had no memories; even his recollections were gone.
But as long as he was with Emilia and the others-
"I'm really sorry my missing memories have caused everyone trouble. But that doesn't mean we're doomed. It depends on how you look at it. Maybe the way I am now, I can come up with fresh ideas that aren't bound by this world's common sense. Then we can turn this crisis into an opportunity!"
"...Another optimistic opinion."
"But it does sound like something Subaru would say."
His declaration, backed by nothing but enthusiasm, made Anastasia smile wryly-no, Echidna. Beatrice murmured a response as well. Receiving the cheer Subaru had mustered, the oppressive atmosphere in the room eased a little.
Emilia lightly placed a hand on her chest as she looked at Subaru, the first to respond to her.
"Yes, that's right. Subaru always gets through the most dangerous situations. So I'm sure we can overcome this one too."
"Yeah, that's the spirit! If you're looking forward to seeing what I'll do, I'll work twice as hard and exceed your expectations. After all, I've got a cute girl cheering me on."
"Thank you, Subaru.-Yes, I'm so glad. Subaru really is still Subaru."
"-"
The words she spoke as she exhaled with her hand against her chest stunned Subaru.-Subaru really was still Subaru. Those words, spoken in relief, reassured Subaru too.
Indeed, he was still himself. There was no question about that. Little by little, he would bridge the gap between himself and the "Natsuki Subaru" Emilia knew.
Then their initially awkward relationships should become smoother too. As Subaru felt that, Julius shrugged.
"My, memories or no memories, it remains impossible to distinguish your bravery from your recklessness. Surely you can say that precisely because you have forgotten how formidable the obstacles we face are."
"Oh? There it is. That attitude is this gentleman's... your true nature, isn't it, Mr. Julius... No, Julius."
"...I see. As Lady Emilia said, memories do not dictate who a person is."
"I'm starting to imagine what our relationship was like too. Here's to getting along from now on."
Their barbed exchange was not hostile, but friendly. Still, judging by how it felt, Subaru believed this was the distance between him and Julius.
"Pardon the interruption while everyone is discussing something important, but we can continue over a meal. One's sense of time grows vague inside the tower, but Ram is not particularly fond of having her routine disrupted."
"Agreed! I agree too! Food! Food!"
At Ram's suggestion, Shaula, who had looked uninterested until then, immediately sprang up. Subaru wanted to comment on her sunny smile, but his stomach gave an unhelpful growl. Once he became aware of it, he could no longer ignore his empty belly.
"...You still get hungry even without your memories, Natsuki Subaru."
"Hehe. Let's eat, just as Ram suggested. We can talk while we eat anyway."
Having tasted embarrassment, Subaru hung his head, making Emilia giggle before she lightly clapped her hands. And so began his first meal since being summoned to another world-as far as he remembered.]
Otto instinctively held his breath when he saw Ram's expression.
He knew that look all too well-confirming something while wishing it were nothing but a lie.
"Miss Ram was the first to realize Mr. Subaru really had lost his memories. She checked the truth of it before anyone else-but she was also more unwilling than anyone to accept it."
He paused briefly, his eyes filled with understanding and concern.
"Miss Ram thought Mr. Subaru was pretending to have amnesia. After all, this hero who has led everyone out of trouble time and again has done so many things none of us could understand, yet those very strange actions saved everyone."
"Earlier, outside the tower, Mr. Subaru also suddenly noticed and told everyone that someone was firing death rays at them-Miss Ram immediately trusted Subaru's intuition then too... Although that wasn't really intuition, but experience gained through Subaru's Return by Death."
"Subaru must have his reasons for doing this."
"This is part of the plan."
"So Miss Ram was probably thinking that too. She would rather Mr. Subaru had been lying to her. She just didn't expect that Subaru really had fallen victim this time..."
"Tch."
As that disdainful sound escaped into the air, Ram waved her hand, seemingly trying to stop Otto from continuing.
"Enough, Otto. Don't presume to guess what Ram thinks. Ram doesn't care about that man. It's only because of Rem."
Then came Petra's gentle, soft voice.
"Yes, Sister Ram was afraid. She was afraid Lord Subaru would forget Rem, forget everything between them. So she got angry first. If that could make Lord Subaru remember, then she could hold on to the things she was losing..."
"Lord Subaru was the only one who still remembered Miss Rem, and now even Lord Subaru has lost his memories. How is everyone supposed to save Rem? Forgetting really is terribly frightening."
"If I forgot Lord Subaru too... No! I can't think about it, I really can't! Please don't ever let that happen! It hurts too much..."
Petra shook her head frantically, her eyes squeezed shut, rejecting the very idea of forgetting.
"Especially forgetting Lord Subaru. I absolutely won't compromise on that, no matter the cost!"
Having made up her mind, she finally opened her peacock-blue eyes. The red bow hair clip on her head finally stopped swaying too, standing upright as though it, too, had found conviction.
The scene on the Sky Curtain shifted to the corridor. The bucket tumbled down, its dull clatter echoing repeatedly through the empty passage. Subaru was shoved against the wall by Ram, his collar gripped tightly, his back pressed against the cold stone.
Ram rested her forehead against Subaru's chest-a posture on the verge of collapse, yet she still stubbornly refused to let anyone see her expression.
Garfiel had returned to the crowd at some point. He leaned against the wall, his fist pressed to his lips, his whole body seeming weighed down by some invisible force.
"So even Ram was relying on the captain to keep going."
His voice was very low.
"She thought if she didn't say it, no one would know she was almost at her limit. But when she said 'please'... that one word carried more weight than any roar."
Betty had remained silent throughout, only watching. She saw Ram's forehead pressed against Subaru's chest, her shoulders trembling, yet she did not cry.
She knew Ram never let herself shatter easily-but she had cracked open in front of Subaru, then gathered herself back together in a way no one could see.
"Ram held Subaru because she wanted to use his weight to keep herself standing. She was afraid Subaru would forget Rem, afraid he would forget the only clue in those memories."
Betty finally spoke, her voice much softer than usual.
"What Ram feared was-if Subaru completely forgot Rem, who would remember her for Ram? Who would prove for her that the girl had truly existed? Betty understands Ram too, but also knows very well that the girl doesn't need anyone's pity."
In the hall, Ram no longer responded to anyone's words or gazes. She stood where she was with her arms folded, but her eyes seemed nailed to the Sky Curtain, as though she wanted to see through it, straight to the place where her kindred sister stood.
-The imperial capital manor.
Rem had not looked away for a long time. She watched the girl in the Sky Curtain whose figure was exactly like her own, and the black-haired young man the girl had pinned against the wall, as though some invisible hand had gripped her chest.
They truly gazed with desperate longing-both Ram and Rem wanted to reach the place where the other sister was.
At this point, Rem could of course fully understand that she had an elder sister named Ram. As for the black-haired young man named Natsuki Subaru over there-
"I imagine you were just as important to the old me as my sister was."
"To think that during those times when even my sister had forgotten me, you alone remembered my existence. Just what sort of ill-fated bond do we have?"
Recalling him rushing about across the Empire, after everything that had happened, she had to admit that he truly was someone worthy of trust and reliance.
But everyone was a separate, independent individual. Did anyone really have to rely on someone else? If she had to rely on another person because her own abilities were lacking, how could that not be a burden to the person she relied on?
At that thought, Rem sighed helplessly by the window.
Unequal information and differing ideas left her at a loss as to how to handle this relationship, but whatever the case, she still hoped he would be safe, and her hope and trust that he would overcome the ordeal in the Sky Curtain remained.
Flop's gaze likewise rested on Ram in the Sky Curtain, tightly clutching the hem of Subaru's clothes.
"Oh dear, why did the master go and give himself amnesia when he was perfectly fine?"
He said softly, "That lady must indeed be the mistress's sister. They're beauties cast from the same mold. If it were me, I'd certainly rather believe the master must have his reasons for doing this too."
Madelyn stood in the courtyard, her head tilted slightly. Her golden eyes reflected the scene in the Sky Curtain of Subaru being pushed against the wall by Ram, and the tip of her nose twitched faintly.
"Human emotions are sometimes hotter than a dragon's wrath."
She spoke in a low voice.