(A/N): This starts about half an hour after Subaru, Otto, and Garfiel left the Sanctuary to go to the mansion. Enjoy!

As Emilia began the third and final Trial, Ram knew that she also had a duty to uphold.

It was her duty to stop Roswaal from following the Gospel anymore. It was destroying him. It was like a fire that consumed his entire being and left no more than a husk of a man who had only one desire in his life. She was going to extinguish that fire and force him to live outside of his twisted fantasies.

Because - even though it was absurd, even though it should have never happened - Ram had fallen in love with Roswaal.

And now, the day has finally come for her to save him. Even if it meant destroying the only thing that he cared about, she was going to fulfill her wish to save him.

So now, she stood across from Roswaal at the core of the Sanctuary, where he was attempting to cast a wide-ranged spell that would envelop the Sanctuary in snow. He was no longer under the guise of being immobile. The magician was beginning the final stage of his plan.

"I suppose that it would be easy to get here if one used clairvoyance." Roswaal turned around, and disappointedly looked at Ram, who had indeed used her under-used clairvoyance to find him. "Did I not order you to wait for Emilia-sama?" The usual playful tone in his voice was gone, and was replaced by a serious one instead.

With her usual straight expression, Ram replied, "Yes, you did."

Anger rose in Roswaal's voice. "Then tell me. For what reason did you come here?"

"It's simple." Ram whipped out her wand, which she hadn't used in a very long time. "I've come to take you away from the Witch's delusions." She pointed her wand at Roswaal, demonstrating her resolve.

This ticked Roswaal off. "Delusions, eh? It has been years since you last pointed your wand at me, but it's a shame you did so here, and called them 'delusions...'"

With her wand still pointed at Roswaal, Ram replied, "I've always considered them as such. I just never said it out loud. Is it not obvious?"

This, for some reason, amused him. "Obvious...?" He chuckled lightly. "That word seems to have many meanings, but from your perspective, I suppose that your humiliating days spent yielding to me have been long. But I do have to say that I considered your behavior to be your way of demonstrating your devotion."

This behavior that Roswaal mentioned was about Ram's actions at the Sanctuary. She had assisted Subaru and Otto in defeating Garfiel and getting him to take the Trial, and Roswaal mistook that as her wanting to help him create an even more complex situation for Subaru.

"Beating up Garf served two purposes: to fulfill my goal, and to rectify his stupidity." Ram lowered her wand, as Roswaal also relaxed and seemed to stop casting the spell.

"I cannot deny that it all worked out in the end. Subaru-kun will naturally choose to walk a fine line in the final confrontation, if (Y/N) doesn't kill him or somebody else first."

When Roswaal mentioned you, Ram narrowed her eyes. "What does (Y/N) have to do with this?"

Roswaal smirked. "Do you not remember what I ordered him to do? He went to the mansion, so he will surely become an obstacle and create a situation in which Subaru-kun will have to sacrifice somebody! Will it be Garfiel? Will it be Beatrice? Maybe Otto! Whoever it is, Subaru-kun will have to choose between their life or his life. (Y/N) is the catalyst for this decision, and it will drive everything toward my goal!"

"No."

Ram's abrupt response confused Roswaal. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"(Y/N) would never do something like that. He has matured, so he will definitely not make a choice as foolish as that one. He even promised me that he would not comply with your demand."

Roswaal started laughing when Ram said this. "Promise?! What foolishness! He has made a soul-binding vow with me! He cannot disobey my orders, and no promise will change that! Nothing can override a soul-binding vow! And you claim that he has matured, but I still see the confused little boy who does not understand the role that he plays in this world. (Y/N) is nothing but a tool, and he will act accordingly."

For some reason, this made Ram angry. "Do not speak so little of (Y/N). You may not see him as more than a tool, but he is becoming stronger and he is beginning to overcome his many faults. He has accomplished more than he has been given credit for, and he and Barusu make a good team. If there is one thing that they are good at, it is timing, and it will be that timing that will undo your schemes."

This left a tick mark on Roswaal's face. "Ram, it almost sounds like you hold feelings for (Y/N)!"

This made Ram even angrier. "If that is your conclusion, then I am even more convinced. You cannot clearly think about anything that isn't written in that book. Speaking of which, you have it now, don't you?"

Ram stared at Roswaal, and he stared back. "In the place designated for the final showdown, at the stage when you take action yourself, there is no way you don't have the Gospel that you rely on above all else."

Roswaal looked up and closed his eyes. "I have never once forgotten the one and only vow that we have exchanged."

Ram recited said vow. "Those who wield the sword should die by the sword. Those who use magic should die by magic. And those who give themselves to fire should die by fire."

Finishing the statement, Roswaal said, "And those who ask favors of a demon should die by that demon. Whatever one relies on should be the thing that brings about their death. And now the time has come. Now that I have lost that which I desired, I offer myself to you. If you don't mind that I am but an empty husk, you may do as you please with me. That was our vow."

"Whether I let you live or kill you is up to me," Ram added, even though just about anyone could tell that she didn't want to kill him.

Egging her on, Roswaal said, "You can finally achieve your retribution." He reached inside of his outfit, and pulled out his Gospel. "After all... You had no choice but to swear loyalty against your will to one of the men who destroyed your homeland, and live with him. Although you had to do it after losing your horn and your ability to maintain your form, suffering of this degree is very rare."

There were a few things wrong about that statement, but Roswaal was so twisted that he couldn't see anything wrong with his train of thought.

"There is only one pawn as useful as you. Which is why it is such a shame... Your decision was the slightest bit... premature."

Roswaal's face lost any jest that was left in it, and what was left was a terrifying glare. "It is impressive that you created a situation in which I had to carry the Gospel. You should have overlooked this last step toward the action I was planning to take. That alone is true shame!"

Roswaal lifted his arms, and the previously dull crystal that had been behind him the entire time began to glow. Inside of this crystal was a pink-haired girl who could be identified as Ryuzu Meyer. Not one of the clones that everyone had met, but the original girl. "This is the precious young girl who offered her own life to save her friend by becoming the Sanctuary's core. But my objective does not involve her."

Ram put the puzzle pieces together. "You intend to use this magic crystal to cast great magic?"

"Great enough to change the weather!" Roswaal replied. "In accordance with the Gospel, I will make snow fall in the Sanctuary. In order to use that magic, I require tremendous focus and a highly delicate use of mana. If I had been engaged in that, you most definitely could have shot me with your magic."

This statement did not sit well with Ram. "There would have been no meaning in that."

"And there is meaning in forcing me into capitulation when I am in my best condition? Or did you simply want to destroy me as soon as possible?"

Ram shook her head. "No. You truly don't understand anything at all. I won't allow your wish to come true. Being offered a husk of you after your wish was realized would mean nothing. Receiving you in a broken state would not satisfy me."

Roswaal sarcastically gasped. "How greedy of you! But do you believe you can defeat me now?"

"No, I'm sure I can't. My understanding of your power is only second to your teacher's."

Roswaal narrowed his eyes in a questioning glance. "Then how, exactly, do you intend to achieve your goal?" He put his Gospel away, and summoned balls of magic into both of his outstretched hands.

Ram gripped her wand. "I cannot win alone. That much is clear, so..." She pulled something from her maid uniform, and displayed it to Roswaal.

It was a blue crystal. To be precise, it was the blue crystal that held a certain fire spirit.

"If it's two against one, I guess we have the advantage?" Puck's voice rang out from inside of the crystal. He didn't materialize in front of Emilia since their contract was broken, but Ram was able to obtain the Great Spirit's help.

Roswaal gasped when he heard this voice, and he began to lose his cool. "So this is why you agreed to Subaru-kun's plan?!"

Ram pointed her wand at Roswaal once again. "I told you, Roswaal-sama." For the first time in the conversation, Ram smiled. "I'm going to take you away from that Witch's delusions!"

Puck materialized next to her, and playfully introduced himself. "And I'm just a passing stray spirit. Well, time to pick up where we left off before!"

Puck was referring to the time that he and Roswaal had fought a battle that changed several borders. That battle had no clear winner, but this one couldn't afford to have an ambiguous outcome.

Magic swelled around Roswaal, and he shouted, "Come!"

Puck created dozens of ice shards, and Ram activated her magic. "As you wish!"

The impact from the first collision of magic created a shock wave that could be felt by people who were on the other side of the Sanctuary.

A few minutes later

Explosions of fire barraged the Sanctuary, and both Ram and Puck ran through the trees, avoiding all of the perilous spells.

Right as a fireball was heading toward Ram, Puck intervened and created an ice shield in front of the two of them. "Are you all right? Being reckless is bad for you, y'know."

Ram focused on the figure that was slowly making his way towards them. "There is no need for concern. Thanks to you, Great Spirit, at least I'm able to fight."

Roswaal appeared from a dust cloud that had only shown the outline of his body. "I was correct to bring you outside." More fireballs appeared in his palms. "I can't have that place - specifically, that magic crystal - destroyed. Of course, you should still be able to achieve your goal. Will you not attempt to do so?"

Ram was panting as she replied, "You mean I should ask the Great Spirit to stall you, and use that opening?" She smiled, as if that was a terrible idea. "You jest. Even if I do, my wish will never be fulfilled."

Roswaal looked intrigued by Ram's words. "That said, things will get even worse if we continue." He gestured to the many fires that were burning around them. "You did strike terror in me, but not even a Great Spirit is perfect."

"Oh?" Puck said. "I have to commend you for your meticulousness." His expression suddenly flipped into a very aggressive one. "But I have to end this fight before Lia gets hurt.."

When Roswaal didn't reply, Puck continued. "Oh yeah, I just happened to remember some things, and you know what? You're going to make Betty very sad."

Roswaal fell into a fit of rage. "Ah, so you regained your memories from before your contract with Emilia-sama!? Is that so!? Ul Goa!"

When Roswaal chanted the incantation, Puck began to cast his own magic. A gentle blue light covered his body as he began to grow. "What a childish way to react just because I hit the bulls-eye!"

Ice met fire, and Ram was blinded by the wind that was created from the impact of these spells.

Realizing that this was her opportunity to attack, she pointed her wand where Roswaal should have been standing, and chanted, "El Ful-"

"Too late."

Roswaal appeared right in front of her, and used his palm to strike her midsection. Ram went flying, and Roswaal retreated as Puck sent shards of ice toward him.

Ram winced in pain, and held her stomach as she stayed on the ground.

Seeing this, Puck came closer to her. "If you don't get up now, the next one will hit you, and you'll lose."

Even though the wind was still knocked out of her, Ram replied, "You make it sound so simple..."

"I am disappointed in you, Ram," Roswaal's voice reached her as another explosion destroyed all of the ice that Puck had fired at him. "I wanted your wish to come true. I wanted you to exact revenge for your brethren and find happiness."

Ram gritted her teeth in anger, and attempted to pick herself off of the ground.

"Ram...?" Roswaal asked. He didn't know why she only showed anger after what he just said.

"After repeating it so many times... After touching upon it so many times... You still haven't realized my true intentions." Ram was able to bring one leg up, and she continued to struggle. "I only wish I was just a demon burning with hatred in her wish to avenge her brethren."

Even though she was obviously in pain, Ram stood up. "If I were only out for revenge, my heart would not hurt so." She put a hand up to her chest, and Roswaal was really confused. "But..."

Ram finally looked him in the eye, and Roswaal's face contorted into one of anger and confusion. Because in her eyes were tears.

Not tears of anger or pain but tears of joy.

Ram was happy that she was finally able to say these words.

"I love you."

"...?" Roswaal just stared at her as if he did not believe what he just heard.

"Is something wrong?" Ram asked. She knew what she said, and she wanted Roswaal to accept it.

"Wrong?" Roswaal asked. His whole body tensed up, and he balled his fists. "Are you making fun of me? After all this?"

Ram didn't falter. "I only said what I truly feel."

Roswaal could not accept Ram's words, and his confusion fueled his anger. "I know that can't be true!" He pointed his finger at her accusingly. "How can you love me? How dare you say that?! I am the one you hate! I am the man who caused the destruction of your homeland! I know you hated me so much that you wanted to kill me!"

Flashbacks of her burning village flashed through Ram's mind, but that didn't matter. "That was true at first, but not now." She cupped both of her hands right where her heart was. "What's true now is... I love you."

"Who would believe in such a cheap emotion?! (Y/N) fell in love with you after you showed him a little bit of kindness! Love is nothing but a lie! What happened of your revenge?! Did you not swear on the souls of your brethren to achieve it?!" Roswaal was spitting as he yelled now, but Ram remained calm.

"I do feel as if I wronged my brethren. But I cannot help that I love you. I will prioritize my own feelings over those of the dead." She took her hands off her chest, and yelled, "Great Spirit!"

Puck floated in-between Ram and Roswaal. "You got it! Next to my beloved daughter, it's girls in love that I'll always side with!"

A small blizzard suddenly appeared, and Roswaal covered his face with his arm. When the snow dissipated, he was met with the sight of countless ice crystals coming up from the ground and surrounding him.

He could see Ram's reflection off of all of them, which made it much more difficult to discern her location.

"Petty tricks!" he exclaimed. He extended his arms and blasted the ice with fire.

While he was trying to hit Ram's reflection, a shadow grew over him. One thing was going through his mind.

Puck turned into the Beast of the End, and he was about to die.

"Where are you looking?" An ominous voice came from above, and he slowly moved his head up.

He gasped when he saw Puck's form. It was just him, but a lot bigger. The cat just trolled him.

"Surprise! I just got bigger, that's all!" Puck said as he shot huge chunks of ice towards the magician.

Roswaal destroyed the ice by physically hitting it, and he fired a huge ray of fire at Puck. Or what seemed to be Puck, because the enormous figure vanished as soon as he shot the spell at it.

Roswaal stopped his spell and looked at his surroundings. The most obvious thing was the fire that was now burning everywhere, but there were also a few ice shards still present.

He heard a clink from behind him, and his eyes widened. As Roswaal turned around, he saw Ram using all of the mana in her body to materialize her horn, and she was already upon him.

Her hands could be classified as claws at this point, and Roswaal prepared to strike her as soon as she struck him.

The thing is, she never hit him.

Roswaal examined his body, but there were no wounds on his figure. Ram, on the other hand, was on her knees a short distance away from him, and she was spitting blood.

It was when Roswaal saw what she was holding that he understood what Ram just did.

"That's-!"

Ram was holding onto his Gospel, but she was barely conscious. "As far as I'm concerned... this is the root of all evil." She raised the book, and Roswaal experienced flashbacks of his time with Echidna. She was the world to him, and this book was the key to reuniting with her once again.

"NOOOOO!" He screamed as he ran towards Ram. If that book was destroyed, he would have no aim in his life. There would be no purpose left for him to fulfill. This book was his entire world.

Ram weakly smiled as she tossed the book into the flames that Roswaal had conjured himself.

He looked at the falling book with hopelessness. It was over. He had lost. Ram had achieved her goal.

Ram, on the other hand, was at peace. "Now... at last..."

"Al Goa!"

Blinded by rage, Roswaal blasted Ram's body away with fire. She was the reason that he would no longer know what to do. He no longer had a plan. He didn't know what to do with his life anymore. Everything was useless. He couldn't be reunited with the one who saved him. His teacher was lost to him, and it was all Ram's fault.

It didn't even matter that the spell was complete, and that snow would fall on the Sanctuary.

Back to Emilia

Emilia had just finished her third and final Trial, which ended in a very peculiar way. When she found herself at Echidna's Tea Party, Echidna was not there. Instead, she found an unnamed Witch.

This Witch had golden hair, and even cried when Emilia explained her thoughts. And at the end, she hugged Emilia and promised to make Echidna sit at a Tea Party with her, maybe even bring all of the other Witches as well.

When she exited the Trial, she was met with the sight of a woman who was supposed to be Echidna. She was in a coffin, and there were complex... things that surrounded it.

But this woman... she looked nothing like the Echidna that Emilia knew. This woman was older, and had a wiser look about her.

Though this was confusing, Emilia did what she was there to do. She shattered the complicated spell, and it dissipated, breaking what created the barrier that surrounded the Sanctuary.

Now she stood outside, where it was snowing.

"Why is it snowing?" She asked herself.

"Emilia-sama!" She heard a shout, and she found all of the villagers assembled right in front of the graveyard, and they were inside a shelter made of ice.

"Everyone! What happened?! Why is it snowing?" Emilia walked towards the shelter as she asked these questions. She had no idea what was going on, so maybe the villagers, who had been outside the entire time, knew something.

The village elder explained the situation. "It only started falling moments ago, and it's already accumulated this much. And of course, we can't evacuate! The only dragon carriage that we had is carrying Subaru-sama to the lord's mansion. Until he returns, we cannot do anything but wait here." The fact that the villagers weren't blaming Emilia for the snow demonstrated how much they trusted her now, but that didn't mean anything if the snow couldn't be stopped.

Emilia examined the ice structure. "Who made this?"

The elder looked confused. "Wasn't it you who made it, Emilia-sama?"

Emilia pointed at herself. "What? Me?" She shook her head. "No..."

"But that spirit said if we wanted to thank someone, we should thank Emilia-sama, or rather, 'Lia'."

Emilia's eyes widened. "Puck..." Puck terminated their contract only a day ago, but he wasn't gone. She touched the ice, and she got a certain feeling...

She followed it, and went out of the shelter. Just like she thought, there was another ice structure in the distance. This was Puck's work. Even after he wasn't contracted to her, he was still helping her.

While Emilia was looking into the distance, she remembered Puck's last words to her. 'You still have a job to do, don't you, Lia?'

Emilia nodded her head, and went back inside. "Everyone, I have finished the Trials. But I think that it will be too dangerous to move right now. So take refuge inside the graveyard. You-" She pointed toward the biggest looking guy. "Can I count on you to handle this?"

The random dude nodded his head.

"But what will you do, Emilia-sama?" The elder asked.

Emilia looked back into the distance. "It seems like I have to go over there. Can you stay safe and wait for me?"

The villagers gave a collective nod. "We will stay safe, so please stay safe yourself, Emilia-sama," the elder said.

Emilia nodded her head, and began to walk away.

After several minutes of struggling through the deepening snow, Emilia reached the tall ice structure that she saw from the ice shelter.

She looked up to the very top of it, but before she could figure out what it was, it dissolved into mana, and that mana took off in a separate direction.

She looked at the mana and followed it. "Puck is waiting. I have to go."

This path took her to the crystal where Roswaal performed the spell that was causing the snow to fall.

But what surprised her was the number of Ryuzu's she was seeing. "Ryuzu-san...? Wow. That must have been really hard on your mother..."

The clone closest to her responded. "Emilia-sama, why are you here- No, that does not matter. Explanations on us clones can wait too. Please, for now, please stop me!"

This puzzled Emilia. "Stop... you?" She looked up, and saw the body inside of the crystal.

She then looked at the clone who was standing right at the crystal. This was the clone that she was familiar with. "You're Shima-san, right?"

Ryuzu Shima turned around. "The fact that you are here, Emilia-sama, must mean that you have overcome the Trial. Young Gar's wager was correct."

"Yeah, but I have a question. Is that also Ryuzu-san inside the magic crystal? Are you here to get her out? Should we all take her to the graveyard together?"

When Ryuzu Shima replied, her voice was different, though Emilia didn't notice this. "Unbelievable. You see this, and that is the first thing that you think of?"

Emilia nodded her head in affirmation. "Yes. It'll be fine. If we make a sled and put her on it, I think we can all pull her there together."

Ryuzu Shima's voice returned to normal when she replied. "We do appreciate it, but the reason that I am here is to fulfill my role."

"Your role...?"

Shima had something in her hand, and tossed it to Emilia. "Here, take this."

What Emilia caught was a blue crystal, and she immediately knew what it was. "Puck!?"

Shima nodded her head. "The Great Spirit visited us in advance and delayed the casting of the spell. He exhausted all of his strength to save everybody."

Emilia held the crystal to her chest. "Puck... He made that wall of ice to protect everyone from the snow, and pushed himself this far to let me know... How many other impossible tasks did you do?"

"He lent us aid in many forms. Now that we have been given this opportunity, it is my responsibility to fulfill our role." Shima put her hand on the crystal, and one of the other clones began to cry.

"I understand your role, but-"

Continuing, Shima said, "Our beloved grandson has been with us for ten years. Garf is giving his all to make it to the outside. I will give him a push. Please watch and see where it takes him, my sisters made from half of me."

That one clone who was crying began to hug Emilia, who smiled. "I'll take care of the rest."

"You have grown a shocking amount in half a day," Shima noted, right before she uttered something and a blinding light came from the magic crystal.

When the light was gone, so was the crystal and Ryuzu Shima.

There was a stunned silence, and it took Emilia a few moments to speak. "We still have something to do. Can you take me to Ram and Roswaal?"

The crying clone nodded her head, and Emilia followed her back into the snow.

Small Time skip

A short time later, Emilia and the clones arrived at their destination.

"Ram! Roswaal!" Emilia shouted. She couldn't see them clearly, but she could see their outlines.

She made a slide of ice and slid the remaining distance down to Roswaal, who was just sitting there.

"Roswaal-sama! You can't stay here! You'll freeze solid!" When Roswaal didn't respond, Emilia tried shaking him, but she stopped when she saw his eyes. They were devoid of any emotion. They were dead.

She looked down, and gasped as she saw Ram, who was bloodied up. Roswaal was slowly healing her, but neither of them seemed to be able to hear Emilia's warnings.

"Ram! Ram!" She touched Ram's face, and the only sign that she was alive was the slight twitch of her cheeks when contact was made.

"She's alive! There's still time! Roswaal! You're helping Ram, right? You can help me take her-"

"It doesn't matter," Roswaal muttered.

Emilia was shocked by these words, and all she could say was, "Huh?"

"It doesn't matter anymore..." Roswaal muttered again.

Emilia didn't know what had happened there, but she did know one thing: Roswaal was acting up, and she needed to get him back on the right track.

She grabbed the front of his clothes, and shook his upper body. "Don't say things like that! What do you mean, it doesn't matter anymore?! Of course it matters! Don't give up and accept that it's over! For me, for Ram, and for you! There's not a single thing that doesn't matter anymore! I completed the Trial! The past that I was afraid to face, the happy present that could have happened, the tragic future that might happen one day... I saw it all! I saw it and still made up my mind to walk this path! And now I finally get to start walking!"

Roswaal didn't show any reaction to this, so Emilia grabbed his face. "When someone's talking to you, you need to look them in the face!"

Roswaal only blinked as a reaction, so Emilia continued. "I won't let anyone say that it doesn't matter anymore! As long as you're alive, there's nothing that doesn't matter anymore. So I'm not going to give up on anyone ever again!"

She stood up and casted ice at some small creatures that were running towards her.

As they fell, the rabbits shattered. It was only then that Emilia saw what was happening. A huge horde of ravenous rabbits had surrounded her, and now they were closing in.

Seeing as Roswaal was still not moving, she gave an order to the clones. "Take Ram and Roswaal! When we get to the graveyard, I will protect all of you!"

She shot a trail of ice onto the icy terrain, and all of the rabbits in her way were obliterated. Emilia ran along that path, and the clones, who were carrying Ram and Roswaal, were close behind.

Luckily for them, the rabbits only went after Emilia because of Puck's crystal, which had a very high concentration of mana in it. After all, the Great Rabbit is attracted to high amounts of mana.

This chase went on for only a few minutes, but to Emilia, it seemed to end in the blink of an eye. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins and making the world seem to slow down and speed up at the same time.

It was only when she arrived at the graveyard that she realized that she had pretty much let her mind fade into a world of its own.

She stopped in front of the graveyard and shook her head, concentrating on the overwhelming number of rabbits in front of her.

"I absolutely will not let anyone or anything be lost!" Even though her body was beginning to freeze from the extended amount of ice she was using, Emilia prepared to cast another spell.

"Mother and Geuse, everyone from today, and the words that Subaru wrote for me... So long as I remember all of them, I won't give up!"

And at that very moment, a pink light appeared right behind her.

From inside that light, she heard the voice of the person who was the reason that she was able to do what she had accomplished in the last day. "You don't have to push yourself that hard, Emilia-tan."

Emilia widened her eyes, and looked to her side, where Subaru had taken his place. He looked confident, and his presence made her feel so much calmer. "You can step back and leave the rest to me now," Subaru told her.

Emilia smiled, and her smile only grew wider when Subaru stepped forward. This was because she could now see who was on the other side of him.

It was Beatrice, and she was holding his hand. It was a heartwarming sight.

"Don't blame me for what happens next, I suppose."

Looking out to the rabbits that have eaten him alive already, Subaru squeezed Beatrice's hand. "Sure. We'll make it work out. You and me together!"

Subaru took this moment to properly examine his surroundings. As he had found out, knowing what's happening around you is a very important thing when you're about to go to battle.

When he saw the villagers inside the graveyard, he turned to Emilia. "I guess that means you finished the Trial. Great job, Emilia-tan."

He then looked around some more, and he grew concerned when he saw Roswaal holding a limp Ram in his arms. "Ram..."

"Subaru! Focus your attention over here for now, I suppose." Beatrice pulled his arm, which resulted in his full attention on her.

"Whaoooah!" Subaru stumbled around and make a weird noise.

"What kind of weird reaction was that?" Beatrice questioned. Her contractor may be... unique, but he wasn't the kind of person to make random noises like that one.

Subaru scratched his head. "Oh, just... hearing you calling me just 'Subaru' is new. I was just savoring the joy of it."

This embarrassed Beatrice. "Save that for later, I suppose... S-Subaru!"

Subaru took a second to appreciate this. "Wow. You're so cute!"

"Gwomyanonmo!" Beatrice made a furious - but still adorable - sound while shaking Subaru's arm.

Subaru finally focused his attention back to the threat in front of him. "So, we're up against the Great Rabbit. Are you ready?"

"We just formed a contract, and it's one of the Three Great Mabeasts. The contractor is a novice, and it's been 400 years since Betty was involved in a battle."

Subaru glanced down at her with a grin. "And?"

Beatrice grinned too. "Betty calls it the perfect handicap."

The contracted pair looked into the horde of rabbits that was now clinking their teeth together, ready to tear their prey apart.

"Are you scared?" Beatrice asked Subaru.

"No, I'm not scared," he replied. "I've got Emilia behind me and you beside me. I'm feeling stronger than ever!"

Right on cue, the Great Rabbit charged at them.

Beatrice raised her hands, preparing to cast a Yin spell. "El Minya!"

Countless stakes of crystalized mana formed above their heads and shot forward, dealing devastating damage to the rabbits.

Seeing the power of Beatrice's spell, Subaru couldn't help but be amazed. "Holy crap! So what should I do?"

Beatrice huffed. "Just keep holding my hand and don't leave me alone, I suppose. And imagine yourself weaving mana, shaping your power into arrows, and crushing the enemy in a single, supreme attack."

Subaru closed his eyes and did just what Beatrice said to do. "Done!" He yelled.

"Then all that's left is to say it, I suppose!"

Together, Beatrice and Subaru cast the spell. "El Minya!"

There was a purple flash in front of them, and the number of stakes had increased even more. This time, after they were sent flying towards the rabbits, such a great number of them were obliterated that nobody could see any more rabbits.

This emptiness lasted briefly, but it was enough.

Beatrice jumped up, taking Subaru with her. "Cross over!"

A small portal, created by one of the uses of Beatrice's Door Crossing ability, appeared in front of them. The pair reappeared behind the horde of rabbits that had already replenished itself.

"Take the left, I suppose!" Beatrice told her contractor.

"Then the right's all yours!" Subaru yelled back.

With their hands still intertwined, they summoned a great number of stakes once again. "Minya!"

The stakes shot forward, and Subaru continued to cast the spell. "Minya! Minya! Minya! That's hard to say! Minya! Minya!"

Hundreds of rabbits were turned into shattered dust, but no matter how many rabbits they destroyed, the Great Rabbit was never-ending.

"There's no end to them! Beako, what's the plan?"

Responding to Subaru while still attacking the rabbits, Beatrice replied, "What we need to do is gather all of the Great Rabbits here." She smirked. "They may be infinite, but that doesn't mean there's no upper limit, I suppose. They can only multiply up to a certain number. Which means..."

Subaru finished her sentence. "If we can stop all of them when they hit that max, we can destroy them!"

Beatrice nodded her head. "The question is how to do it.'

Subaru smiled down at her and stopped casting Minya. "It's not like the two of us have to solve this alone."

Beatrice gasped as she realized what Subaru was saying. "Honestly..." She chuckled. "Act as a decoy while I'm getting ready, I suppose."

Subaru patted her head with a free arm. "Don't you worry. There's nobody in Lugnica better than me when it comes to being bait for insanely strong enemies!"

Subaru swept Beatrice up in his arms (she was actually very light) and started running back towards Emilia. "Hey Great Rabbit! It's me you want! Follow me!"

Even though he was being chased by these man-eating rabbits, Subaru was smiling as he said this. He had complete trust in his allies.

"You're too slow!" he taunted as he kept on avoiding the perilous beasts.

He stuck his right arm out and began to cast Minya, but aimed at the ground. The result was a growing perimeter around the Great Rabbit.

"Emilia-tan!" Subaru shouted as loud as he could so that his voice could be heard through the falling snow. "Beatrice and I are going to knock all of these things out! So I'd appreciate it if you could help us a little!"

"Subaru?!" Emilia shouted back. She wasn't exactly sure what Subaru wanted her to do.

"I know I'm asking too much!" Subaru shouted as he casted Minya and as he continued to run from the rabbits that were chasing him. "If you can't do it, I'll just have to think a little harder, but if you think you can, I want you to try! Let's all win this together!"

Emilia now understood her role in this battle. She nodded her head firmly and replied. "All right! You can count on me! So I'll count on you!

Subaru gave her a thumbs up with his spell casting hand. "Yeah! I'm on it!"

He began to yell, which signaled a boost of strength in his body. He began to run faster, and kept on casting the spell. The perimeter was almost done now, so he wasn't going to waste any effort in completing it.

As he connected the two ends of the square that he just made with Minya, he gave Emilia her cue. "Now, Emilia! Trace the line!"

Complementing Subaru's work, Emilia said, "You're doing so well! Just like you always do, Subaru!"

As she said his name, Emilia shot ice at the perimeter that Subaru had made, and it quickly froze into a wall of ice that none could escape from.

"I'm not letting you escape!" Emilia yelled. She raised her hand, and the entire square now became more of a cube as the ground beneath the rabbits began to rise.

Seeing this display of power, Subaru's mouth hung open. "Wow..."

He then turned to Beatrice, who was now on the ground immediately next to him. "Okay, your turn to be the star, Great Spirit Beatrice!"

Beatrice grinned slightly before finally casting her spell. "Al Shamak!"

All of a sudden, the rabbits began to glow, and they began to eat each other in a horrendous display. If it weren't for the height of the ice walls, blood would be raining down on the Sanctuary.

Reality seemed to break as a huge black crack appeared in the sky. It slowly closed in on the rabbits, and when it closed, they were nowhere to be seen.

This was Al Shamak. A spell so powerful that it sent its targets to another dimension.

Everybody looked up at the sky in a stunned silence. "We did it..." Subaru mumbled.

"That was... so amazing." Emilia whispered.

Beatrice explained what she just did. "I sent them to an isolated space, much like the Forbidden Library. They'll never be able to come back out, I suppose."

Unfortunately, this didn't matter.

Because there was one rabbit left.

It had been injured by other rabbits, so it was immobile. This resulted in it not falling into the trap, and so the Great Rabbit was still not destroyed.

Hey guys! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! This wrapped up most of the things that were ending in the Sanctuary, and all that's left is that one rabbit! (Y/N) will be back in the next chapter, so who knows what part he'll play?

So, as it turns out, the next chapter will be the conclusion of Arc 4.

I may not be able to post a new chapter next week, but I'll definitely try to! I'll see you there!