Two victories.

To say that Subaru felt as if something weighty had been lifted out of his mind would have been an understatement.

He had facilitated the death of the White Whale, a massive mabeast that had plagued the entire continent for 400 years. No longer would people have to worry about this creature flying over their village while accompanied by its ghastly fog.

And to add to it, he'd just walked away from an impromptu confrontation with the Karsten duchess where it seemed that the tables had truly been turned. Subaru never would have imagined that just a few days after she had so coldly rejected his desperate plea for assistance that it would turn out she would be the one seeking Subaru's information. But just as they say, what goes around, comes around. And Subaru had nothing to offer the green-haired woman. At least for today.

"All I have to do is finish this. Once we destroy them, and him, it'll all be over. I'll finally be able to start again. To continue living a new life in this world."

Subaru was not naive enough to believe that trouble would never come his way again. After all, there was still an unexplainable curse that enveloped his body. As long as it existed, he had to assume that his interactions with those who may have been affiliated with the Witch Cult would continue. "But this time, I'll be ready for them."

And not only the Witch Cult, but the unpredictable dangers of this world, also. This wasn't Japan. Subaru already knew that people could up and die a bloody death or be the victim of an unpredictable disaster. "Not to mention that Bitch is still out there running around, somewhere." Yes, Subaru hadn't forgotten the first monster he'd encountered in this country.

But, instead of feeling a sense of despair creeping into his heart, Subaru could only accept reality for what it was. And resolve to change his situation. "Seems I've got a fair bit of work ahead of me, then."

"...baru?"

"Subaru!"

As if waking from a dream, Subaru saw the curious face of Rem, who was leaning unusually close. "Eh? What? What's going on?" Had he been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had zoned out like a bored school kid?

With a half-hearted chuckle, the Japanese teen could only apologize for not paying attention. He, Rem, and their two mysterious benefactors, Sebas and Demiurge, had been discussing their next move from this point.

"Well, ideally, I would want to evacuate all of the people in the village," Subaru estimated that it would still be a couple of hours before daybreak. Meaning that because their victory over the White Whale had come with such speed, they were way ahead of schedule! "I'd like to get there and check things out as soon as possible. I never actually saw the Witch Cult attack the village, so..." Based on this, he would have to do a bit of guesswork. However, one thing was certain: Just like with the White Whale, Subaru wanted this to be an absolute surprise of an attack!

"Demiurge, with your ability to teleport, would it be possible for us to get to the Mathers domain ASAP?" If they were able to do that, they could conduct surveillance within the surrounding area, and even warn the villagers! And, though he didn't really want to think about it, Subaru knew that he would have to confront the mansion itself. A feeling of uncertainty welled up inside him. And he didn't like it. "Because...next time I go there, I'll have to see her." Subaru had put so much of his energy into preserving the one life that would ultimately spare the entire world a cold death. But even now, he found himself afraid to even picture her face.

Turning to the boy who had become a great help to them, Demiurge was afraid he had to deliver an ill response, "Yes. But also no. The spell [Greater Teleportarion] has an immense range. However, when one does not know the specific location one intends to arrive at, there is also a chance of error." If that person were here, then she would be able to use the [Gate] spell, which had no limit on distance as well as no chance of failure.

While this was not exactly what he wanted to hear, Subaru did not exactly find himself to be especially disappointed. Even though he knew he could not think of his situation as being some sort of video game, it wasn't the first time that he had heard that those with the ability to teleport needed some frame of reference for the destination.

Even if they left for Arlam Village right now, Subaru was confident they wouldn't be too late. "After all, at that time, it was nearly dusk. So we have plenty of time." But he didn't feel like wasting any. Though he wanted to get there as soon as possible, Subaru also felt that showing up in the middle of the early hours of the late-night was not going to put people's minds at ease. He needed to look at this from their perspective and consider how they may respond to the timing.

Furthermore, if Subaru was to maximize the value of what he'd obtained through Return by Death, he knew what needed to be done. "We need to go after the Witch Cult lurking in the forest before they figure out what we're up to. While they're prepped to strike first, we've gotta strike even before that, and crush 'em."

Rem found this to be a worthy plan. The idea of challenging both themes to open combat was simply ridiculous. This was nothing resembling a duel. Witch Cultists should be annihilated without hesitation. She could not forgive even the thought of such people trampling upon her most important place where she had finally found happiness. However, she did have one question for her hero. "But, Subaru. How will we lure them out in the first place?"

With a smile, the dark-haired teen turned toward her and said, "You know."

Confusion spread across the face of the maid. Did she know? What did she know?

"I used my skill to lure the Whale in, right? I can do the same thing with the Witch Cult, too. It seems they also have the same ability to detect this miasma around me. And truth be told, they might think I'm one of them." The idea of using this to knock his opponent off guard appealed to him.

She had said it once and she would say it again. Rem did not particularly like the idea of him using the Witch's Scent as a way of turning himself into the bait. However, this would not be the first time and she suspected that it wouldn't be the last.

"Using yourself as bait one more, are you? It seems Subaru has a liking of being the frontal target." It was Demiurge who said this. He valued the worth of using others as distractions to attract the attention of a true enemy. However, he felt it would be a bit too risky to put Subaru out there against enemies who supposedly preferred surprise attacks. "If that is your plan, I have an idea of what may give you a great measure of assistance."

Upon hearing this, Sebas spoke up for the first time, "So, you mean to make use of them, do you?"

"Indeed," Demiurge responded with a knowing smile.

But, right before Subaru could ask just what in the world the two of them were talking about, he was quickly given his answer. From the ground below Demiurge, no, rather, from his shadow itself, an entity of solid black emerged. Though human-shaped it was emaciated and otherwise completely featureless, with bat-like wings on its back, sickly yellow eyes, and its fingers ended in pointed claws.

"This is a Shadow Demon. In our homeland, persons of importance use these for defense. For this operation, I will be lending this one to you, Subaru." With a finger movement, the black, silhouette-like figure darted into Subaru's own shadow with such speed that he barely even saw it move! And from this, he instantly got the eerie feeling that he was being watched from behind. "Err, thanks. But...what do they do? Aside from giving you this weird feeling?"

"They are used for reconnaissance, as well as to launch themselves as emergency shields in case of danger." This was explained by Demiurge, who held up a finger as if he was lecturing a classroom. "You need but give the order, and the Shadow Demon will scout the vicinity for traps and other unknowns and report back to you."

A 180 in mood occurred within him and Subaru suddenly fist pumped the air! "Are you serious? I'm starting to feel like the President, here!" An idea suddenly coming to him, he ran off into the distance a few meters and crouched down, his actions unreadable. "Okay, Shadow Demon! Go on over to Rem, then tell her exactly that!" He seemed to say this quite a bit louder than what was necessary, ensuring everyone heard.

Immediately following his order, the stealthy figure vanished from Subaru's own shadow and arrived at its destination. Rem, confused as to what her beloved hero was playing at could only gasp in surprise as she felt that cool, unearthly presence consume her entire body before it vanished as quickly as it came. And, in a voice that seemingly only she could hear, the secret message was delivered. A pink flush assaulted her face and she turned to the black-haired boy to respond, also much louder than she usually would, "Subaru! This is not the time to be playing those sorts of obscene games!"

Giggling childishly, Subaru returned to the rest of the group.

"Sorry, sorry! I just had to make sure that this secret messaging thing worked the way that I thought it did. I know that you will forgive me!" Subaru pressed his hands together as if in prayer, even though he really wasn't religious in the slightest.

"If you are done having fun, Subaru, I believe there is a suggestion that you may find worth entertaining." It was Demiurge who said this. And Subaru had already learned that he did not go into anything without thoroughly looking into all possibilities. Giving him a look that said he should go on and explain, the bespectacled demon did so with eagerness. "Simply put, I could have my subordinates patrol the area, both on land and from the air, and have them search for anything that may be deemed suspicious. That way, they can ensure that the possibility of any unwanted company is minimized."

"Eh? You mean you want to bring Wrath back in?" Seeing Evil Lord Wrath knock the colossal White Whale out of the sky with nothing more than his bare hands made the Japanese teenager wonder what it would look like if such burning might was used on human-sized opponents. And because their target was the With Cult, he felt absolutely no sympathy for what suffering they may endure.

Shaking his head, Demiurge quickly canceled this thought. "No, of course not. You see, one of my particular specialties lies in summoning demonic servants, many of whom have a variety of different abilities. Ones of greater strength are summoned in smaller quantities, and weaker ones are brought forth in larger numbers."

Hearing this, Subaru felt his confidence grow. With this many numbers on their side, the Witch Cult wouldn't know what hit them! "I think that's a great idea! Especially since I think it's likely they'll hesitate when they see whatever it is you've got up your sleeve!"

But, there was still one more thing that made Subaru a little bit uneasy. And it was something that he didn't think he could necessarily do anything about from where he was at the moment. Keeping the Witch Cult as far away from the mansion as possible was the goal. As a matter of fact, if they could defeat as many of them as possible while in the forest, that was the ideal situation as far as he was concerned. So with that in mind, just what exactly did they do with the villagers? It probably was not safe to have them stay in their homes, even if they were being guarded. The village was basically the middle point between the mansion and the forest.

Looking over to Rem, he wondered if she had any suggestions. "Rem, do you think you'd have any sway with the people? Since you've been an employee of Roswaal for a long time..." He hoped she understood where he was going with this. Her word might have more pull, even though Subaru knew he had a more personal connection with them.

He didn't like the idea of her having to pull rank on them in some kind of official capacity. But this was a matter of life and death, after all.

"Rem believes it would be possible to hide the villagers in the mansion," After all, there was an abundance of space. And if the Cult was contained to the forest, the people would be completely removed from the situation altogether. Rem would have liked to have at least half transported to the Sanctuary, but there seemed to be no way of having them moved there. "Though Rem doesn't like it, if Subaru can lure in a large number of the Witch Cult and isolate their leader..."

She was thinking the exact same thing he was.

"Yeah. I actually have something of a history with this bastard. And I'd prefer to get him nice and alone." Subaru remembered the first and last time he'd met with the green-haired madman. At first, both he and Rem had been completely at the mercy of that psychopath's mysterious ability. And yet, for some reason, on the last failed loop, Subaru had been able to visually see what his power was! "Those weird hands that were materializing from behind him..." If Subaru hadn't been paralyzed by fear and despair, he would have thought perhaps that person was using some form of telekinesis. But really, they were some sort of invisible extra arms.

But, now that Subaru was capable of seeing his attack, he had an advantage! "Yeah, considering the way he reacted last time when I moved out of the way, I can assume he's not accustomed to people dodging his attack." Subaru would keep that nickel in his back pocket for now.

"Alright! For now, I guess we just have to hope that we can convince the villagers to trust our word when we tell them the situation." But to be honest, Subaru didn't want to leave anything to chance. Unless he was talking about Rem, he didn't feel confident that anyone else from this world wouldn't betray his hopes. "So, with all that in mind, I guess the four of us should get moving. The sooner the better."

But to his surprise, it was Sebas who was the one to deliver some unfortunate news.

"I am actually afraid that it will have to be the three of you. Though I wish I could continue, I just transport this creature to our master as soon as possible. The body of the White Whale will undoubtedly be of great interest to him. And I could no forgive myself if I did not present this rare find with haste."

With a look of dumb surprise on his face, Subaru quickly managed to reign it in. He...understood what Sebas was saying. After all, Subaru would feel like crap if he ended up getting in trouble with his superior just because he was helping a guy like him out. Sebastian had already done plenty. It was time for him to go on and take his reward. This was what they agreed on, anyway.

Sighing, the Japanese teen spoke, "I get where you're coming from. Don't want the flies to start eating away at this body out here once the sun comes up, after all."

Subaru suddenly recalled the first interaction that he ever had with Sebas. And he remembered that the elderly butler had given him the key needed to make the decisions that he had to put him on this path.

Live strong!

I want to fight! And I want to win!

"Sebas, I really owe you a whole lot. If I hadn't run into you, I'd be in a real mess!" Subaru didn't even want to think about what might have happened if he decided to just go in a different direction. Would he have been condemned to a fate of continuously repeating the same loop over and over until he fell into the clutches of despair?

He didn't even want to think about that. The cycle was broken, now. The White Whale was dead. All that was left was to finish part two.

"Subaru, having provided us such a reward, I believe it is possible that our master may one day be interested in meeting with you. So, you should not think of this as a goodbye between the two of us. With Demiurge by your side, I have no doubt that you will have all the assistance you need. Go forth and defeat your enemy, wherever they may be."

Sebas had a way of instilling ironclad resolve within him with just words alone. It must have been one of those experienced old man things. Also, Subaru couldn't decide if being looked at by the master of guys like Sebas and Demiurge served was an honor or something to be afraid of if it did happen. "I guess we shouldn't keep you, then. Take care, Sebas. I hope we meet again, soon!"

Demiurge and Sebas merely exchanged nods with one another. Clearly, they planned on seeing one another again. And as for Rem, she bowed toward the butler, having once found his presence to be oddly convenient, but now acknowledging his help as having been invaluable to her hero's cause.

As the trio departed, Sebas waited until they were out of visual range before he reached into his personal inventory, brandishing a blue orb the size of a softball. A gold, draconic symbol was emblazoned on the face of the sphere, and as he activated its effect, it began to produce a misty, white light that enveloped both Sebas as well as the body of the White Whale.

"Dragon Soul Stone - World Connector."

The glow of the blinding light consumed its intended targets, and moments later as the radiance faded, there was nothing left on the Liphas plains except a starry night sky.

The ride back to the capital was going to be a long, slow, and humiliating journey for Crusch Karsten and her forces.

They were all returning home, completely unhurt and without having even drawn their weapons. To say the least, this subjugation of the White Whale was a complete and total failure. Even though she was not going to lose anything in the short term, what she wanted was for this victory to push her far ahead of the other candidates of the royal selection. But now, that possibility had been completely taken away from her.

And the worst part of it all was that Crusch knew that there was no one to blame but herself.

If she had only looked past what was on the outside, then perhaps she could have spoken with Subaru Natsuki on a deeper level. She had relied perhaps too much on her Divine Protection, she felt.

Crusch wanted to tell herself that her reasoning was not flawed. At the time, Subaru was not able to give her any concrete reasoning as to why she should join his cause, especially when there was nothing to gain from doing so. But the truth was, she had already done the same thing.

She thought back to the scene in the royal selection just a few days ago where she announced her plans for the future. And thinking on it from this current standing, Crusch couldn't help but wonder if she had made some truly foolish claims.

"If the kingdom is to crumble without the Dragon's protection, then crumble it should. A nation too blessed stagnates, that stagnation courts corruption, and corruption brings about its demise. If the nation is to crumble without the Dragon, we should become the Dragon ourselves. Until now, everything that the kingdom has relied upon the Dragon should be borne by king, minister, and people. When I become king, I will make us forget about the Covenant with the Dragon until now, come what may. The Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica belongs not to the Dragon, but us."

Should even the king have the power to choose from that? Lugunica was a nation of around 50 million people. And those people had trusted in the pact with the Dragon for centuries! Was there anything she could say or do that would change their minds so completely?

The country should fall without outside aid? How would Crusch be received if she said such a thing to a public audience?

"Was I...arrogant to think I could live up to the standard of the Dragon?"

Something in the back of her mind told her that this was indeed true. After all, if she couldn't even put on a show of personal strength by defeating the White Whale, then what business did she have claiming that she would uplift the entire nation to levels that exceeded the Dragon itself?

With a straight face and bold words, she had claimed that support for her was supporting a stronger nation and stronger people. And yet here she was, going home with nothing to show.

"Subaru Natsuki, did you use your power to see the future and know you would not succeed if you attempted to face the Witch Cult alone? Was that the root cause of your desperation?"

"I suppose I...need more training." It was at this moment of lowness that Crusch Karsten had never felt less worthy to be a leader in her entire life.

As sunrise began to creep into the sky, Subaru, Rem, and Demiurge arrived on the outskirts of Arlam Village just in time! They could count on the villagers preparing to begin their early morning routine anytime soon.

"Alright, from here on, Rem and I will do our best to convince the villagers they need to hide in the mansion." All he could do was hope they had enough trust in him to go along with this plan.

Nodding, Demiurge understood that this was his cue to do what he did best. "I will set up a sort of barrier within the forest. When you see it, you will know exactly what it is. And within the confines of that area will be what is essentially our killing field." He said with such a pleasant tone that it may have been easy to miss that he was surely planning for people to die out there.

But they were Witch Cultists. And death was exacly what they deserved. Scum like them could not be considered part of society.

"Please stay safe out there, Demiurge. And, if you happen to see any of those robed freaks, you're not gonna hear any complaints from me if you eviscerate them." Even though the actual plan was for him to stay out of sight until it seemed as if Subaru was truly in need of his aid, the Japanese teenager still was not going to shed any tears if he managed to lessen the number of enemies that he ended up encountering.

Demiurge's smile exposed his fangs for a few seconds as if something Subaru had said entertained him. But, with no more words to be exchanged at the moment, the man in red vanished from their sight, having teleported off somewhere.

"Alright! You ready, Rem?"

"Yes! We will succeed, Subaru!"

Smacking both of his own cheeks to pump himself up, Subaru and the blue-haired maid strolled into the village, seeing that it was predictably, not very active at the moment.

Really, he should have seen this coming. Typically the only times that he came down here to play with the children were usually in the afternoon. And then there was the time he showed up in the dead of night to stop what he thought was going to be an attack on the entire village by the creatures in the forest. "Maybe it's too early...?"

Sitting down on a bench in the center of town, Subaru stretched out, feeling his muscles relax! "I don't even remember how long I have been awake at this point. Guess I've been too uptight to actually even sit down."

Finding himself joined by Rem, Subaru leaned over and asked, "So, how do you feel about all this, Rem?" This was the first time that the two of them had just been able to talk with one another since they went into battle with the White Whale. All they needed was just one more victory, and they were home free. However, this was going to be a little bit different than confronting a creature that could not think for itself.

"Rem has not picked up any traces of the Witch's Scent in the immediate vicinity. And so, that likely means the Witch Cultists are keeping their distance and waiting."

With a nod, he figured that sounded right. They probably weren't going to attack until later on this afternoon. People like them loved to use the cover of the night to carry out their dirty plans.

"We just need to get this done, and it's all over with." Closing his eyes, Subaru imagined what it would be like to finally be free of this hellish loop. He wanted it to be over. And as he had told Sebas, he wanted to bring about this victory with his own hands. This wasn't something he could leave to other people.

"...Subaru? Rem was curious, when we have defeated the Witch Cult, what is it that you plan to do from then on?"

Silence took over.

This was a question that Subaru knew he would have to answer at some point, but he wasn't prepared to even think about it. Not because he didn't have time, but because he was afraid of saying out loud what he felt he knew was coming. "The way I messed up back in the capital was overwhelming. There's no way things can be repaired just with an apology. And I wouldn't blame her if she decided she didn't want anything to do with me."

"I..."

But, before he could finish his thoughts, Subaru was interrupted by a familiar, feminine voice that presented itself from their left.

"What a scoundrel like Barusu does should be none of your business, sister."

"Ram?!"

"Sister!"

A young girl who had the exact same face as Rem had appeared on the scene. The two of them were identical in every respect, even wearing the same maid uniform. The only physical difference was the color of their hair and eyes, with Ram, the older twin sister having a head of bright, pink hair.

Though, Subaru did note that Ram oftentimes wore a peevish expression on her face. Kind of like she was right now.

"Barusu, you will explain why you and my dear sister have returned to this place alone and in such a filthy state! What manner of foul acts have you engaged in with my little sister?"

Subaru just could not resist the urge to roll his eyes. This was the first time she had seen them in nearly a week, and those kinds of thoughts were the first thing that she voiced? She didn't even greet them. Snorting, the black-haired teen mumbled, "Some welcome wagon."

But, objectively speaking, she was correct. There had really been no time to stop and get cleaned up. Both of them were still covered in the now dry blood of their defeated enemy. While his appearance really was not a concern at the moment, Subaru did have to wonder if all of this blood would ever come out? This was, after all, his only tracksuit and momento from home.

"Sister, despite the way things look, Subaru and I have had quite a rough, but amazing time in the last few days. Things will take a great deal of time to explain."

"A rough, but amazing time? What nonsense is this? Barusu! You will explain immediately what perverse acts you have taught my sister in the time away from my presence. Truly, allowing her to leave with you was a mistake. Typical Barusu."

While he was happy to see a familiar face after what felt like forever, Subaru still did not have the patience for this kind of treatment at the moment. After all, there was a time and place for everything, and this wasn't it. He needed to keep his mind focused on the task at hand.

"We can talk about all that later! But the better question is, why are you showing up here at the village at a time like this? It's early morning and I think we both know that you don't like to get started any quicker than you absolutely have to. So how did you know we were down here? Or were you just in the mood to take an early morning stroll?" Usually, he just let Ram say whatever she wanted, but Subaru couldn't handle her verbal barbs at the moment.

"If you must know, I have been monitoring the area for the last few days every morning and every night with my Clairvoyance. And since the village is still mostly asleep, it was easy to recognize Barusu sitting alone and comfortable with my little sister."

So, she was keeping a lookout from a distance, was she?

That was a pretty smart idea. Especially since the resident aristocrat in charge of this area was nowhere to be found. Subaru found this to be incredibly annoying. This was the second time that blue-haired idiot was a ghost when a situation was going on in his territory. Somebody should report him for negligence!

"Well, it's a good thing you were. Because shit's about to be going down pretty soon, today. And we're going to need your help." Already predicting a smart-aleck comment from her, Subaru didn't give the pink-haired maid even the opportunity to refuse, snort, or give him crap about anything. "The Witch Cult is hiding in the forest. And I have reason to believe they have one of the Archbishops leading them. Their aim is the mansion. Emilia, specifically."

Fortunately, Rem was quick to support him. "Sister, it's true. Which is why we need to evacuate the villagers to the mansion as quickly as we can." The more quickly that they put innocent people out of danger, the more easily they would be able to launch a preemptive strike against the enemy.

As unflappable as always, Ram stared blankly before her gaze shifted back to Subaru. "...What manner of tripe have you filled my sister's head with, Barusu? According to what I have heard, you embarrassed Lady Emilia during the royal selection, and now you come back here without her say so and bring this sort of news upon us without warning?"

"This is the warning. And I think you should know well enough that when it comes to the Witch Cult, they don't send a time, place, and location of how they're gonna attack. They just do it! We don't have any time to waste on unnecessary questions, Ram. People's lives are in danger, and if you don't wanna—"

"Understood."

"Eh?"

Subaru, stunned quiet, could not believe that Ram had believed him so easily. He expected her to give him the run-around for an hour before she decided to make a decision.

"I said I understand. Because I also sensed a strange presence in the forest that is not usually there. Even my Clairvoyance was ineffective."

Regardless of how much of a fool she thought Barusu could be, this did not mean she believed him to be wholly stupid. And she wasn't blind. The two of them were covered in what was obviously a great deal of blood. And from that, she could understand that they had probably been through a conflict of some sort on their way back here to this location. And on top of that, there was no way that he would claim that the Witch Cult of all people were skulking about without having something to back it up. She already knew from prior experience that Barusu had an unusually keen sense of timing when danger was afoot.

"Well...that was...a whole lot easier than I thought."

Rubbing the back of his head, he felt a bit of tension ease within himself. Ram was not always the easiest person to have a conversation with, but, he needed to keep in mind that she had been helpful to him in the past.

Always the first one to come to his aid, Rem piped up to give her hero further encouragement. "Subaru, even though she does not say it, big sister also has faith in you!"

Turning her head away, Ram was quick to give a dismissive, "Hah!"

Wanting to momentarily change the subject, Ram finally asked, "So then, do explain why you and my sister are so filthily covered in blood, Barusu."

Though he had already told himself that he didn't really want any accolades for the accomplishment, Subaru just could not resist the urge to be a little bit petty toward the pink-haired maid. Running a hand through his black hair, he turned away just a little bit and responded with the most casual of tones, "Oh, that? It's nothing, really. We were just off killing the White Whale."

...

For once, Ram had no snide remark. No pointed jab. No backhanded comment.

Her eyes momentarily widened in response to the words she was certain that she had heard. "The...White Whale?"

"Yeah. I knew where it was. Rem and I found it, and we killed it. But, it'd be too arrogant to say it was as simple as that. Back in the city, I was in a pretty desperate spot, but I managed to run into some new friends who really lent us a big hand. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have been able to do anything. And Speaking of which, one of those friends is out there in the forest right now. He's making preparations for our assault against the Witch Cult.

Still silent, Ram's eyes shifted over to her sister, who confirmed everything she had been told with a smile and a nod. "You should have been there, sister. Subaru was amazing with the way he gave the most appropriate commands to control the Whale's movements. And he's also the one who delivered the finishing blow."

"Hey now, don't go and sell yourself short, Rem. That last ice attack of yours? It was as huge as a building! You really turned that overgrown fish into shish-kebab." And for the sake of convenience, he was going to leave out the part where she so expertly controlled a flying horse. That would probably be a little bit too much to talk about at this moment.

Ram was speechless.

It had only been a week. What was Barusu doing at that time?

She'd heard then he burst into the royal selection and claimed to be a personal knight of Lady Emilia, thus embarrassing her in front of all of her political rivals. When she first heard this news, she was in disbelief, having not thought that even someone as foolish as him would do something so off the wall. But now, she was being told that the very same person had facilitated the defeat of one of the Three Great Mabeasts?

Collecting herself, Ram opened her and spoke in her usual scathing tone, "Barusu is still Barusu, regardless of what he does."

Suppressing an annoyed grown, the Japanese teen could only be glad that Ram wasn't pressing him for further details. Rem could explain all of that later.

Because the time to explanation had come.

The villagers were beginning to come out of their homes. One by one, the elderly and the children piled out, perhaps having seen the situation with Subaru, Rem, and Ram unfolding from within their homes.

Seeing the Subaru they knew so well do this made the villagers widen their eyes, wondering what was going on. Seeing from their reactions that he'd nicely gathered their attention, Subaru opened his mouth to set their concerns at ease.

"Yes, everyone's attention, please! Hi, it's been a while. It's been a few days, but is everyone doing okay?"

"…" He received no answer. Understandable. After all, it was still early as hell in the morning. Nobody had the energy to be receiving this kind of announcement before they even had their coffee.

"I know coming back like this is really sudden, but today, I'm asking everyone to do something." After a modest greeting, Subaru switched to the topic at hand. The way Subaru raised his voice made the villagers, surrounding him from a distance, look at one another's faces.

They all knew Subaru, and he knew all of them. Understanding their worry and confusion, Subaru spoke in the gentlest voice he could, but also laid things out very quickly. He wanted to convey the situation with haste, enough to deny them time to think about other choices—and enough to make evacuation a reality. It was at this point if he would understand if forging personal connections with other people would end up helping him to help them.

"You might notice that me and Rem look like we've been through the wringer. And you'd be right. Not long ago, we were in a fight with someone that we believe is affiliated with the Witch Cult."

And, exactly as he had expected, the villages shrinked away at the mere thought of that band of psychopaths. They didn't need to know that he and Rem had recently just done battle with a gigantic monster. But, if his theory that the White Whale was in some way connected to the Witch Cult ended up being correct, then these words would not be a complete lie.

But, the response of one of the villagers threw off Subaru in a way he hadn't expected.

"So it is true The Witch Cult is in the area!"

This was said by a middle-aged man, and the way he spoke didn't portray him to be nearly as surprised as Subaru would have thought. Why did it sound as if they were expecting this?

"So the people from the mansion really were talking about the Witch Cult yesterday! Why are they in a remote place like this?"

"That's obvious, that's obvious, isn't it? It's because the lord did something like that!"

"Why must he support a half-elf…a half-demon…?"

The worries spoken by one set of lips after another made it painfully clear that Subaru's efforts to smooth things over had resulted in the opposite effect. The villagers had understood long before: The unrest enveloping their village was not unrelated to Emilia, residing at the mansion of the lord of the land.

Somehow, the villagers had figured out that the activities of the Witch Cult were indeed connected to Emilia. Subaru didn't feel as if he had the time to ask them why they felt this way. Somehow, they had already figured it out and so there was no point in lying or trying to deflect.

But even still, and he didn't understand why they had to make it about her race. Subaru had grown up in Japan, a mostly homogeneous country. And because of this, he truly didn't know what it was like to be looked at as another or turned away simply because of his appearance. "Do all half-elves really have it this bad?" Despite his feelings regarding Emilia, he couldn't allow these people to turn her into the villain simply for existing.

And he couldn't let them make this the main point of the discussion! Who cared why those bastards were coming? The point was that they simply were!

The villagers were exchanging looks of suspicion and uncertainty. And even some of them were passing around the idea that if they simply left things alone then the Witch Cult would just turn the other way and not bother them. Subaru knew that this was just wishful thinking on their part and hoping the situation would just go away. But it was naive. Far too naive.

Inhaling, he brought all attention back to himself by shouting, "LISTEN! UP!"

"I know that everyone here feels terrified of what might happen. And trust me, I'm not just running my mouth with no frame of reference. I know the Witch Cult! I have seen firsthand what they do. I've walked through a village just like yours and looked at the aftermath with my own two eyes. I'm gonna spare you the gory details, but I will tell you this: There wasn't a single half-elf who lived in that village."

As the people of Arlam took in what their neighbor from the mansion told them, some of the villagers, especially the children flinched back at the thought of those villains coming to their home. They all wanted to believe that the problem would simply go away if they did not become involved, especially the adults, however, Subaru was not going to allow them to think that way.

"You think the Witch Cult will just leave you alone? You think you can just tell yourselves it's all because of the half-elves in the world? I'm sorry, but you're wrong. You don't even know that girl, but you're putting all the blame on her just for being born differently than you. Because if you gave her half a chance, I guarantee you that she'd be your friend the same way I am."

Feeling that his words now commanded the undivided attention of everyone in the village, Subaru knew he needed to keep riding this wave. They were listening. All he needed to do was get them to move.

"I know the Witch Cult. Those people...they once took away a friend of mine and they almost got me, too. And I think you can all see that I'm not a half-elf, either. What I'm trying to say is, I know how easy it is to think things will work out if you just pretend the problem belongs to someone else. But that doesn't work when the danger is at your door. I don't wanna see anyone in this village go through what I had to go through. That's why I've already put forth a plan to stop those maniacs before they even show their ugly faces. But I can't save you if you don't take my hand. The only thing I need you guys to do is to just get out of the danger zone. Go to the mansion, and I assure you this whole thing will be over by the end of the day!"

The amount of conviction with which the boy from the mansion spoke seemed to stir the thoughts of the villagers.

Stepping forth to speak on behalf of everyone else was an old woman who Kazuma recognized as the pervy old woman who was always trying to slap his ass in order to feel younger!

"Can we truly seek refuge in the lord's mansion? Will you truly be able to drive the Witch Cult away?" After hearing that Subaru had suffered losses at the hands of those people, Milde couldn't help but want to believe he knew what he was talking about. Also, she remembered the last time something of this nature happening with Subaru being the first one to run into danger to save one of their own.

He wouldn't lie about this.

The old woman's question was one that almost made Subaru want to laugh. But instead, he turned this impulse into a smile that radiated his resolve. "Can I drive the Witch Cult out? Grandma, why do you think I came all this way?" He had already come this far. Failure was not an option at this point.

"What Subaru says is true!" It was Rem who had come to speak on his behalf.

"As a maid of Margrave Mathers, I, Rem, submit that everything Subaru has asked of you is for your own safety. Please believe that the Witch Cult will have no mercy on civilians. Evacuation as quickly as possible is the only path to safety. And I can assure you that there is no one here who wishes to defeat those vile fiends more than the one standing here before us."

And, to his surprise, the next one to step up to assist him was Ram.

"If you incur issues or damages due to the evacuation, our landlord shall take responsibility and compensate you. If any of you object, come forth and state your names. This is Master Roswaal's decision." The way she said it was stern; her meaning was severe as well. But though she had been uncompromising, the contents of her proposal soothed the concerns of the populace, leaving Subaru and the villagers in awe. Everyone understood: By backing up Subaru's words with the authority of the landlord, Ram gave the villagers what they needed to agree.

"Ahh, sorry for Ram's harsh way of saying it, but what I want hasn't changed. Everyone needs to evacuate the village. I realize that it's so sudden you can't properly prepare."

If they handled the situation as well as he hoped, then there would be no need to worry about property damage. But, even if it didn't turn out that way, as far as Subaru was concerned, as the landlord, Roswaal should be compensating the people for what was going on in his absence.

While they were a long way from liking it. However, they'd given their consent. The evacuation could begin.

Everything had been decided. Subaru didn't think that there would be any trouble with the villagers moving toward the mansion. However, he still felt it best that they received an escort. Moving so many people at one time could attract trouble in the worst possible scenario. And that was exactly why he wanted the twins to be the ones to bring everyone to the mansion and get them settled. They probably would have been more comfortable with a familiar face doing so, but, Subaru could not admit out loud that there was a reason he didn't want to go up there.

Rem was organizing the villagers and having them proceed toward the path that led to the mansion. The same way that she conducted her maidly duties, she kept the villagers in line as she led the way.

There was just one issue that couldn't be left unresolved— "Explaining this to Lady Emilia and Lady Beatrice at the mansion, yes?" Ram said, hands on her hips as her eyes shifted to the path going from the village to the mansion. The issues for proceeding with preparations to evacuate had been resolved. The mansion was another issue. And for Subaru, it posed the largest problem of all.

"I thought the village was pretty agitated, but how's Emilia gonna feel about this?"

Truth be told, Subaru wasn't ready to face her. He needed more time.

Sitting down on a post, Subaru rubbed his head in exhaustion. He'd never felt more wiped out than he did right now. The villagers were quickly vanishing, which he felt was good. To be honest, Subaru didn't want their home to become a battleground.

"Barusu, there is something I still do not understand."

Looking over to see that it was none other than Ram, Subaru gave her a weird look, curious why she wasn't with her sister to escort all the villagers to the mansion. "Eh? You're still here?"

Considering that she had not yet hit him with some sort of disparaging remark, he could only assume that the pink-haired maid was serious in her curiosity.

Taking his silence as a go-ahead, Ram wanted, no, needed to know this. "Who have you been associating within these last few days, Barusu? I can only think that it may be the Sword Saint who is powerful enough to not only defeat the White Whale, but do so in a way that you have returned so uninjured."

A wry smirk crossed his lips. How, oh how should he respond to this?

"Funny you say that. I wanted to try and find Reinhard since I'm pretty friendly with him. But, the guy was nowhere to be found when shit was going down." At the time, he felt truly infuriated with how everyone around him, save Rem, just seemed to be utterly useless. Even still, whatever it was that Reinhard was doing at the time, Subaru hoped that it was something important.

But, before he could open his mouth to explain anything else, something in the sky cut Subaru off from speech.

From just outside the village, crimson flames burst toward the sky! And, seemingly taking on a life of their own, began to stretch around the forest, reaching out further and further into the distance. Interestingly, the flames began to change colors from red to green, purple, and more! If Subaru had to estimate, he would say that the wall of fire was at least 50 meters high! And there was absolutely no way of telling how wide an area they were covering.

The reason that Subaru was not worried was that he immediately recognized that fire did not act that way unless it was being controlled by magic. Second, a fire that immense would have been accompanied by a large amount of smoke. Especially burning in the forest. But there was none. And so, he could only come to one conclusion.

"That must be Demiurge."

"...Barusu. What is that?" The pink-haired maid turned toward her coworker, who, to her surprise, was now wearing what she recognized as a very unusual, even sinister smile.

She received her answer a few seconds later. "That's the killing field."

Finding this flashy display to be rather amusing, Subaru felt that this was his cue to get up and get moving. "The guy sure has a flair for the dramatics, doesn't he?" Subaru remembered that Demiurge said he would have his summoned demons patrolling the area. However, Subaru hadn't seen anything at all. But to be fair, he wasn't really paying attention.

"I'll be heading in, now, Ram. You should be getting up to the mansion to help explain the situation with Rem. Besides, it's been a while since the two of you saw one another. I'm sure there are lots of things you want to say."

Ram was uncertain of what to say. He wasn't acting like the usual Barusu that she knew and liked to mock. His seriousness was very...offputting to Ram. Was this all a result of what had happened in the capital with Lady Emilia a few days ago? "You're seriously going into the forest...alone?"

Again, this was something that Rem could explain to her. He wasn't going to be alone.

"Looks like some interesting things are going on here, this morning. Mind cutting me in on the situation?"

Both of them knew the identity of the surprise third speaker. Floating behind them was a grey-furred cat, eyes staring down directly at Subaru.

It was Puck.

Subaru didn't have a clue why he was here, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Puck didn't give him an opportunity to even explain last time, and this time, Subaru had backup.

"Shadow Demon! Get Demiurge over here, right now!"