"It was nothing I didn't know already." Emilia said.
"Even if you know you'll fall, when it happens, that doesn't stop it from hurting or bleeding." Puck said.
"What do you think I should do, Puck? No, this isn't just about me. How can I do more for everyone, as well as get them to do more for me?" Emilia asked.
"I think you should do whatever you want. I'll be on your side, no matter what you do. And no matter what, you can't abandon that village, right? Early this morning, Ram headed back out there. Maybe we should wait to hear from her." Puck said and Emilia nods.
"I'm going to check on Betty." Puck said and flies away.
"Oh... okay. Let her know I said hello." Emilia said. She walks down to the hall and sees Ram with someone.
"Ram?" Emilia asked.
"Emilia-sama, you have a visitor." Ram said and beside her is Wilhelm who bows at Emilia.
"There is really a lot of change on Subaru's plans." Felt said.
"After what happened to the last loop, he can't afford to fail again this time." Reinhard said.
"You are... from Crusch-sama's household, aren't you?" Emilia asked.
"I am Wilhelm Trias. I have come on my master's behalf." Wilhelm said.
"On Crusch-sama's behalf? I received a blank letter from her yesterday..." Emilia uttered.
"I see, so it was true. Whole this shames me to say, the letter's content conflicted with my master's true intentions." Wilhelm said.
"Oh... It was a mistake, then?" Emilia asked.
"Yes, Emilia sama and Ram-dono... We would like to evacuate those remaining in the mansion, along with the villagers. That is Crusch-sama's will." Wilhelm said.
"What? There's a ring of criminals near the forest?" Emilia asked.
"Yes. The punitive forces this messenger brought are already preparing to fight the enemy." Ram replied.
"But why would Crusch-sama do so much to help this domain?" Emilia asked.
"Because of Subaru..." Rem whispered.
"Did you say something, Rem?" Emilia asked.
"Nothing, Emilia-sama." Rem mumbled.
"The margrave sent my master a proposal for an alliance with respect to the royal selection. The condition is a share of the mining rights in Elior forest. Do you understand?" Wilhelm asked.
"So this is what's all about?" Emilia asked.
"But evacuating all the villagers to the capital will be difficult. Half of them will go to the capital." Wilhelm said.
"I will lead the other half to safety in the Sanctuary. Roswaal-sama is heading there now." Ram said.
"Ooooh! Sanctuary! I wonder what's in the sanctuary? Kukukuku!" Scorpio exclaimed in a sarcastic tone.
"What do you mean, Scorpio sama?" Ram asked.
"Nothing. I'm just keeping this information in this mind of mine! Fufufufu!" Scorpio exclaimed.
"The gods are looking at Roswaal-sama..." Rem uttered as the three other gods looked at Roswaal with intimidating looks.
"Uh, oh. This is bad." Ricardo uttered.
'Did something happened at the Sanctuary? Why are these gods are looking at me with bloodlust looks?' Roswaal thought.
"I can't forget Satella appearing at the Sanctuary and repeating those words saying that she-" Subaru was stopped by Pandora.
"Stop mentioning her name and what she said to you. Hmph!" Pandora pouted.
"H-Hey..." Subaru uttered.
"Don't say such things that'll make her jealous, Subaru. Just look at her when she gets angry." Halibel chuckled.
"What did you say?!" Pandora angrily asked and was hugged by Subaru to calm her down.
"Chill, Pandora." Subaru hummed and Pandora buries her head to his chest.
"What a problematic woman..." Halibel sighed.
"O-Oh, I see... Then, the discussion on the matter is already over. But isn't there something strange about this? It all seems too well-timed-" Emilia stopped as someone with a hoodie barged inside the mansion.
"Pardon me. Strange movement has been detected from the group hiding in the forest! We haven't a moment to waste! Once they make their move, the entire region will be a sea of blood! What will it be, Captain? No, Sword Demon Wilhelm-dono?" The man asked.
"Emilia-sama?" Wilhelm asked and a moment of silence came first before she answers.
"I understand. I gratefully accept your kindness. Has this been explained to the villagers?" Emilia asked.
"They have all already been made aware of the situation, Emilia-sama." Ram replied.
"I see..." Emilia uttered.
"Betty says she'll stay here." Puck said.
"Puck!" Emilia called.
"Betty can't go. I suppose I'll wait here for your return. Don't worry about me."
"That's what she said. Well, in Betty's case, the forbidden library is a much safer place. Besides, due to her contract, she can't leave the mansion. Lia, you know that, right?" Puck asked.
"No fair, using that as a reason..." Emilia uttered.
"So, since my cute little sister will be staying here, we don't need to do anything about the mansion. Betty is sweet and kind, but she'll show no mercy." Puck said.
"Understood, great spirit." Wilhelm said. Puck enters into Emilia's neck and appears once again.
"You should do what you want. I'm on your side, and yours alone." Puck said and hides.
"We will evacuate. I don't want to endanger the villagers." Emilia said. The man under the hoodie smiled after hearing this.
"Subaru..." Emilia uttered.
"Since you all leave Beatrice behind, there must be someone who will stay with her, right?" Rem asked.
"And that might be that woman again..." Ram uttered.
"Frederica, am I right?" Nezuko asked.
"Yeah. She has these sharp teeth as a monster does and her brother is a fucking annoying brat as well." Jotaro said.
"Why did you put yourself as no one in that scene when you can show to Emilia that you arranged all of those plans and agreements you had with Crusch?" Pandora asked.
"Because if I did, the moment with me and Emilia that time will be ruined. But now, I guess I'm done with it now." Subaru said.
'He realized now how foolish was he when he was with Emilia. And how things went against him, that even death chases him.' Halibel thought.
"We're ready, miss." Petra said as the other kids were gathered with her.
"Um, I think there's been some kind of mistake." Emilia said.
"No, given the number of people and carriages, we must ask you to ride with these children. It's a necessary measure." Ram said.
"Can't we put them in a different carriage? That would be better for the children-" Emilia was stopped by Subaru concealing himself in the hoodie.
"You think no one would want to ride with you? Have you asked the kids how they feel about that? Perhaps you just assume that they hate you and wouldn't want to be around you?" He asked.
"That isn't... I don't need to ask them... I know it's best for everyone." Emilia uttered.
"Six children and one dragon carriage. If we stumble here, how will you wish ever come true?" He asked.
"A-Are you..." Emilia uttered.
"That voice... is that Subaru-kun?" Rem asked.
"Maybe he is. Just listen to the way he talks about her and to those children, I suppose." Beatrice said.
"How did Emilia-sama never noticed him aside from his voice?" Otto asked.
"Later, you'll know why." Madara said.
"What do you think, Petra? Do you refuse to ride in the same carriage as she does?" He asked. Emilia closes her eyes to avoid hearing she expects.
"Of course not. Aren't you the lady with the potato stamps? The one who came with Subaru to watch our radio calisthenics!" Petra said.
"Well..." Emilia uttered.
"I couldn't see your face, but I always saw you having a good time talking with Subaru! Come and ride with me!" Petra sweetly said and offers her hand to her.
"And me!" Mildo said.
"I wanna ride with you!" Dyne added.
"Come on, let's go!" Lucas added and the children swarmed Emilia with their cute pleads. Petra looked at Subaru and smiles at him.
"Ram, take care of things at the Sanctuary. Be sure to protect the villagers." Emilia said.
"You take care as well, Emilia-sama." Ram said.
"I need to thank you too. Where did he go?" Emilia asked on the hooded man who disappeared.
"You thought those kids won't ride with you because they thought you are connected to the witch itself?" Anastasia asked on Emilia.
"Well, that was the main reason they don't want to come with me to evacuate. But... I was wrong. There was someone out there who made things settled for me instead of me doing it. And I'm grateful to that man from the bottom of my heart." Emilia said.
'You can say such sweet things, Emilia. But you can't change him as what he is now. After he realizes that he was really stupid and foolish of you from before. Yeah, he may be stupid and useless from before but since I love him, I take all those thoughts back and I won't let you lay a finger on my Subaru once you cross paths again.' Pandora thought.
"Look at her, focused on their reactions." Halibel said.
"Yeah. Just let her be." Subaru said.
Above the village, the traitor was spotted with two Witch Cultists and holds a metia on his hand.
"Now I get it... We couldn't figure out how you guys stayed in touch. Those metia sure are handy, huh?" Subaru asked as the two cultists were taken down.
"You owe a heavy price for the crime of interrupting my touching reunion with Emilia!" He added as he removes his hood.
"You're..." The traitor uttered while preparing his knife as blood splattered beside him.
"Too slow." Wilhelm said while pointing his sword into the traitor's neck.
"In short, we knew you were a spy. How we learned that is a trade secret. So we set a trap for you, the contract for the Witch Cult. Two hours. You gave your buddies a schedule that was two hours behind. We'll use that time to get Emilia and the others away, crush the fingers whose locations we know, and make preparations to crush your Sin, Archbishop.
Having your enemy one step ahead, ready to destroy you... You're about to learn firsthand just how terrifying that is." Subaru said.
"He's just being a badass because of the reinforcements around him. If he is working all alone, maybe he was shivering while pinning down the spy." Priscilla said and laughed.
"You..." Crusch uttered angrily.
"Just how filthy her mouth is?" Naoko asked.
"Mom, her mouth can't be helped anymore. Maybe it was filled with something dirty stuff that made her say such insane and bullshit things around her." Subaru said.
"In short, her mind got crazy because of too much air on it." Halibel said.
"May the blessing of the spirits be with you." Emilia said and they started to leave. Wilhelm looks at Subaru to get his attention.
"Good luck." Wilhelm said and follows the carriage.
"This is what enabled you to trick Emilia-sama and chase her off?" Ferris asked while holding the robe Subaru used earlier.
"Don't put it that way! Even if it's accurate, it makes me sound bad!" Subaru whined.
"That robe was woven with quite an odd spell." Julius said.
"It was handmade by Roswaal. Apparently, a spell is woven into it that prevents recognition. Originally, it was Emilia's..." Subaru stopped when he noticed the two looked at him.
"I didn't steal it, okay?" Subaru defended.
"Hmm... Well, the plan to correct the mistake with the blank letter went off without a hitch!" Ferris said. A flashback of Ram using her clairvoyance to see what Subaru intends to say to her from far away.
"The letter was a mistake... It was my fault"?
"And you worked hard to convince the villagers, Subaru-kyun..." Ferris added.
"Please! Emilia... She's a girl who would love to get along with all of you, so I want you to give her a chance to prove herself to you! I'm sure everyone has a lot they'd like to say, but please let us protect you long enough to give you that chance!" Subaru pleaded while bowing.
"Jeez, you really are hopeless, Subaru-sama. If you insist on protecting us so much, what choice do we have?" One villager asked as he helps Subaru to stand up.
"Getting old is just awful. I think my tear glands have weakened." An old lady said.
"Thank you all..."
"We should be thanking you, Subaru-sama." The old man said with tears on his eyes.
"You actually moved me." Ferris said happily.
"Don't bring it back up! It's embarrassing!" Subaru cried.
"Subaru... did all of those things for me...?" Emilia uttered.
"No matter you throw him away because of what he has done before, he still looks for a way to make everyone look at you with respect and as a normal human." Nezuko said.
"Subaru-kun is literally making me cry right now... He really is something special to you, Lia." Puck said.
"Yeah!" Emilia replied with a smile.
"Special? Then you should've given him a chance instead of putting him away from you, you good for nothing half-elf!" Pandora said angrily.
"Calm down, Pandora. I know your anger towards her can't be gone so easily. I feel you for that." Kenichi said.
"F-Fine, future father-in-law." Pandora said.
"Welcome back! How did it go?" Ferris asked on Ricardo who returns with blood-soaked on his sword.
"We pulled off a surprise attack on the ones whose location we knew. If I messed up, I'll retire. The map did a nice job showin' the way." Ricardo said.
"Then the mark on the map really was their base!" Subaru said.
"I dunno if you'd call 'em fussy or high-strung but whatever it is worked against 'em. And we got what we were after. This should shut down their communications network." Ricardo said
The other Iron Fang members have arrived as well.
"Hooray! We killed 'em all!" Mimi exclaimed.
"Don't say that. It makes us sound like bad guys. We managed to take a prisoner too!" Tivey said.
"A prisoner?" Subaru asked. The prisoner they restrained on a log carried by the wolves is known to be Otto.
"He isn't in the Witch Cult... I wondered why you hadn't shown up. You got caught, Otto?" Subaru asked while laughing.
"You look like a pig about to be roasted." Ram said and this made some laugh.
"Hey! That's an embarrassing moment for me! Please fast forward it!" Otto cried.
"But it's funny though." Nezuko said and laughed.
"Oh, come on!" Otto cried in humiliation.
"I don't know who you are, but thanks for saving me. You know what, I'm really not in the mood to say that from the heart, damn it!" Otto cried. The scene now changed to everyone gathered and ready to go.
"Everything is ready. Subaru, we can leave at any time." Julius said.
"Let's do this, everyone. We'll proceed as planned. Now... Let's finish this once and for all! Let's show both Fate and Sloth what we're made of!" Subaru exclaimed. He and Betelguese now can be seen facing each other in a cave somewhere.
"I've been waiting for you, believer of love. I am a Sin Archbishop in the Witch Cult. Archbishop of Sloth, Petelguese Romanée-Conti, at your service!" Betelguese exclaimed and bows.
"That guy is creepy as always." Old Man Rom said.
"His creepiness won't make me sleep at night." Felt said.
"Of course he is from the Witch Cult. Are you expecting someone good looking from them?" Puck said.
"Pleasure to meet you, great Sin Archbishop. If you could find it within you to add my body and soul to your fingers' ranks, carrying out the Ordeal, there would be no greater honor." Subaru said.
"How wondrous, how vivacious your faith is! To think there was such a devout believer out there! Please forgive my sloth, for failing to find him! Forgive me! Forgive me! Forgive me! Forgive me! Forgive me! Forgive me!" Betelguese exclaimed while bashing his forehead on the rock.
"Ugh! That's disgusting!" Petra cried.
"He's an Archbishop and creepy, right? I shouldn't be surprised since most people in the Witch Cult are all crazy." Al said.
"How you can say such things that for us while looking at it, it's disgusting!" Felt cried.
"That man really lost his head. He should be killed for good." Priscilla said with a cringed look on her face.
"Please stop, Archbishop." Subaru pleaded.
"Ah... But, but, but... I have no way to atone for my sloth and foolishness but my punishment." Betelguese said.
"That's not true. The witch wouldn't want to see her beloved believer in pain. She would be happier to see you carry out the Ordeal!" Subaru said.
"Gah! You are exactly right... Yes, the Ordeal. What she needs from me now is the Ordeal! Your words have opened my eyes. Thank you! Thank you!
With this Ordeal, we must test her... To learn if this half-devil is a worthy vessel if she is worthy to put the witch into." Betelguese said while hugging Subaru.
"Put the witch into? Vessel?" Subaru asked.
"If she is, the witch will possess her. If not, discard her. If she proved a worthy vessel for the witch, then the witch will be reborn into this world on the coming fated day." Betelguese said.
"Me as a vessel? For the witch?" Emilia asked.
"Because you two look the same when being compared. That's why people judge you being a member of the Witch Cult or having a connection to the Witch itself." Madara said.
"I won't let them touch Lia!" Puck said.
'But he's already dead. We mean, the Sloth.' Julius and Ferris thought.
"You're saying Emilia's just an afterthought, a convenient means to an end, to you? You monster..." Subaru uttered angrily.
"The words inscribed in the Gospel tell of her love. All of it guides my path! Show me your Gospel." Betelguese said with his head perfectly tilted sidewards. Subaru shows him a metia instead of a Gospel.
"What is that?" He asked.
"Just what it looks like. A metia, dear Archbishop." Subaru said with a grin.
"Oh, I see him! I see him! His face looks just as scary as I'd heard!" Ferris said from the metia.
"Exactly who are you? No! Who are you, people!?" Betelguese asked in a spooky pose.
"Now, then... Tora, Tora, Tora." Ferris said and Subaru snapped his finger. Patrasche rushes into the scene and bumps Betelguese away.
"Our surprise attack is a success!" Subaru said.
"What? Surprise attack... surprise attack... Then, what do you think of this!?" Betelguese releases his Unseen Hands but Subaru and Patrasche run away from it.
"How? How can you see my Authority!?" Betelguese asked while twisting his body downwards.
"Who knows? Ask the witch that left her scent all over me. Oh, that's right. Unlike me, you haven't received the pass that lets you meet the witch anytime." Subaru said.
"What do you mean? How dare you speak as though you are intimate with the witch!" Betelguese yelled.
"We're so close, she's grabbed my heart. Literally." Subaru said with a wink.
"You really are good at provoking that fool, Subaru." Halibel said.
"Since he is already one, he can easily fell to my son's schemes!" Kenichi said.
"I-Inconceivable! That cannot be!" Betelguese roared and releases his authority once again.
"Let's go, Patrasche!" Subaru yelled and now was being chased by Betelguese with his Unseen Hands as his vehicle in flight.
"Do not presume you can escape." Betelguese said as the Witch Cultists appeared behind him.
"He used his authority as his source of flight!" Hetaro exclaimed.
"He may be a fool but, he's crafty as hell." Julius said.
"For those who can't see the hands, you'll only see him flying without those hands. Such terrifying power he has if you are only an ordinary person." Reinhard said.
"Here he comes, here he comes, here he comes! Keep it up, Patrasche!" Subaru yelled.
"Futile! Impossible! Vanish in the face of my diligence!" Betelguese roared and the hands caused blasts from its huge hands.
"Sorry to always rely on you. You're the best, Patrasche!" Subaru said.
"But... But, but, but... But! This is the end, the end!" Betelguese exclaimed. Before the cultists reach Subaru through their blades, echo blasts destroy the two cultists behind Subaru.
"You guys... You almost caught me in that! Thanks, though. I thought I was a goner." Subaru said.
"You're welcome! Yay!" Mimi exclaimed.
"Is that man in the sky the Sin Archbishop?" Tivey asked on Betelguese who flies into the sky without seeing the Unseen Hands.
"Yikes! What the heck is that!? There' a man flying, all balled up! Wow!" Mimi exclaimed.
"I've never seen anything so creepy in flight." Tivey added.
"That's how it looks to you guys? Either way, leave him to me! Watch the rear, as we planned!" Subaru said and advances forward.
"Got it! You heard him, Sis!" Tivey said.
"Aye-aye! Hey, Bro. Beat him now, and you'll look awesome!" Mimi said with a thumbs up on Subaru.
"Yeah, I got this. Bring it on, Archbishop." Subaru said.
"Who... Just who... Who are you!? That cannot be. None of this is in the Gospel, in the guide to my destiny! Who... Just who are you?" Betelguese asked.
"You've asked that four times now. If we're talking nightmares, I've had far more than you." Subaru said.
"Then... Then, then... You truly are Pride's..." Betelguese said.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru, the silver-haired half-elf Emilia's knight. I don't know anything about this "Pride" stuff but that's the only title I want. I don't need any others." Subaru said. The two arrived at the place where spiky rocks can be seen and a cliff above it.
"Is that the place where Barusu died when an angry version of myself appeared to him?" Ram asked.
"What is he up to and why in that place?" Rem asked.
"This place is..." Betelguese uttered.
"It's a place where my time once ended. And it will be where your time ends too. That's what this place is." Subaru said.
"If your goal was to lead me out here, what have you prepared for me?" Betelguese asked.
"What else? Your natural enemy. One you and I have in common..." Subaru said and he looked above.
"Natural enemy"? Now, that's a fine thing to call me." Julius said and he uses the spirits around him to land down safely on the ground.
"I am Julius Juukulius, of the Lugunica Imperial Knights. I am the Kingdom's sword that will slay you." He said.
"A spirit arts user, are you? How truly... How truly... Is this also part of your plot? I have never known such humiliation!" Betelguese exclaimed.
"Really? Well, make the most of it. That's your bill for all you've done. Let's do it, Julius." Subaru said after patting Patrasche's head.
"Are you sure?" Julius asked.
"I won't back down, I won't bend, I can't lose. I don't want to lose anyone else." Subaru said.
"The two knights now working as one against the Sloooooooth." Roswaal said.
"And it is the greatest team-up we didn't expect." Ferris said.
"Julius, thank you, for assisting Subaru throughout this entire battle of him. I'm grateful to you all." Emilia said.
"It is my pleasure to help him, Emilia-sama." Julius said.
"Take care of Emilia for me, Julius. Prove that to me." Subaru said.
"You're pairing him to Emilia?" Naoko asked.
"What I mean is that he should take care of her because even if they are from different parties, Julius must be able to protect her." Subaru said.
'But what if you return to their world with all the powers I transferred to you? I became powerless because I loved you!' Pandora thought.
"I still believe my behavior was backed by meaning and reason, but that is no more than self-justification, which has nothing to do with you. Can you trust me?" Julius asked.
"I hate you." Subaru said.
"Yes, I know." Julius said.
"Having someone break your arms and legs like that is traumatic. Don't you know the meaning of restraint?" Subaru asked.
"Just so you know, I did hold back quite a bit." Julius said.
"Seriously? That was you holding back? You really are the kind of guy I hate the most. I can hardly stand the sight of you, greatest knight. So... I will trust you. My shame attests to my knowledge that you are an incredible knight." Subaru said.
"Then, with all my soul... I shall live up to that!" Julius said and now unleashes a bright light from his sword.
"Is this farce over yet? What do you expect adding a single spirit arts user to your ranks will do? I will pass judgment upon you both, tear apart those who remain, and resume the Ordeal. That is all. My diligence knows neither slothful resignation nor demise! Sloth! Sloth! Sloth! SLOTH!" Betelguese roared.
"Al Clarista!" Julius yelled and was covered by the Unseen Hands. And a huge slash destroys it all by Julius himself.
"He slashed it!" Dyne exclaimed.
"Which means... you can see the Unseen Hands as well?!" Otto asked.
"How is it possible?" Rem asked.
"You... You should not be able to see it. It should be invisible to you. My Unseen Hand can be... seen? No, you can't! You shouldn't be able to see it! And not by one, but two... Two other people than me!" Betelgeuse roared in frustration.
"I'm the only one who can see it, Betelguese." Subaru said.
"Huh?!" Betelguese angrily asked.
"Julius can only see what I'm seeing. It also feels much creepier than I expected." Subaru said.
"I can use Nect to consciously share your senses, as well as to maintain them for a while. When you first proposed this, I questioned your sanity." Julius said.
"I see. Subaru-kun shared his vision with Julius? That's why." Rem said. Deep inside, she wanted herself to be the one to kill Betelguese and now looked at Julius with envy.
"The two knights working as one!" Petra said.
"Yeah!" Lucas added
"It worked, didn't it? A man's all about guts. You've gotta be open to anything." Subaru said.
"Curse you, curse you... Curse you! Curse you! Curse you! Curse you! Curse you!" Betelguese roared and released his powerful version of Unseen Hand.
"Sharing a body with you like this makes me feel sick. Let's get this over with." Subaru said.
"Yes, let's." Julius said. He slashes the other hands and closes his eyes.
"Using your eyes, I shall slay him... My friend, Natsuki Subaru!" Julius exclaimed as the title "The Self-Proclaimed Knight and the Greatest Knight" appeared on the screen and turned off.
"The last episode everyone, let's go!" Madara said.
"What will be our fate after watching the last one?" Crusch asked. Everyone murmured about it and the gods listen to them.
"Shall we decide later if we will put the people in the sanctuary here after the last episode? And they watch the future?" Nezuko asked.
"We are going to discuss it." Jotaro said.