In the Sanctuary, the battle between Kazuma's team and Roswaal raged on as the margrave was not giving an inch as their battle moved into the forest.
"I really appreciate you all moving on out like this. I cannot risk that place or that crystal being destroyed." Roswaal said with a grin. "Things will only get worse if we continue. I admit you did strike terror in me but even a Great Spirit has limits."
"You're definitely thorough, aren't ya? So…when did you put that spell on Lia?" Puck asked.
"Before I headed to the Sanctuary. Altering the contract between you and Miss Emilia as she had a bout of depression from a fight with dear Subaru was quite simple." Roswaal said. "All to make sure she stayed discouraged. Admittedly, restricting dear Subaru's actions was a bit tough but he is the final key for all I aim to achieve. And I am in no way going to put him through a series of tests for the hand of my precious daughter."
"Wait… Puck, Rozzy changed your contract?" Kazuma asked.
"Yeah. I even had to sever it completely to remove the block on Lia's memories." Puck said.
"So you're not obligated to serve Emilia anymore. What will you do after this?" Kazuma said.
"With all this power I'm using, I'll probably end up going dormant for a long time." Puck said.
"That sucks… but then again, I heard about what you're really like." Kazuma said. "But hey, if you ever still wanna hang out with us again after you wake up, Guild door's always open."
"I'll keep that in mind, if they're still open when I come back." Puck responded, before turning to Roswaal. "But speaking of things being the same…I remember someone who spoke a whole lot like you. What is that, a way to remember? A punishment? Either way, you're stuck in the past."
"Yes, I suppose that's true." Roswaal admitted. "My former years are where all the wonderful things that happened to me took place. What we have now is but an imposter, atop a pile of corpses."
"I'm not going to fault you for what you are, but…you're going to make Betty sad, Roswaal." Puck said.
"Enough. Al Goa!" Roswaal said, launching a massive fireball at them as they jumped back.
"Not a fan of criticism, huh?" Kazuma asked as he and Ram prepared to attack.
"You may as well surrender now." Roswaal said as he dashed forward and struck Ram in the stomach, blowing her back before turning to Kazuma.
"Ohgeezewinterblastfreeze!" the otaku cried as he blew freezing wind at Roswaal, freezing him just long enough for Kazuma to get away and to Ram's side. "Come on, Palette Swap, don't sit on your ass now!"
"You make it sound so simple, Cadzuma." Ram struggled to get up.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Ram." Roswaal said as he broke out of the freezing, his body surrounded by a glowing orange aura as he approached them. "I wanted you to succeed and attain true happiness by achieving justice for your brethren."
"After all this time, you still haven't realized my true intentions. I wish I was simply a demon looking for revenge, then my heart wouldn't torment me so. But the fact is…I…love you." Ram said, surprising Roswaal.
"Stop this. You would seriously say that to me after all that's happened. You're lying! You say you love me, but you hate me! You should! I am the man who caused the death of your family and the destruction of your homeland! You loathe me so much that you wanted to take my life!" Roswaal said.
"I can't help it. My feelings prioritize the needs of my brethren. Now!" Ram said.
"All right. Aside from Lia, it's girls who are in love I'll always side with." Puck said surrounding Roswaal with icicles as Ram and Kazuma ran around.
"Dirty tricks!" Roswaal gritted his teeth as he unleashed fire upon the icicles, shattering them. "Where did they-?"
"Looking for me?" a large voice asked, as Roswaal froze in fear, whipping his head around to see a cat that towered over the forest, cloaked in shadow. However, the shadows faded, revealing it to be Puck, still in his normal appearance. "Gotcha, didn't I? I just made myself bigger." Puck said as he fired off icicles as Roswaal broke them apart with his fists.
Roswaal roared as he blasted apart the spirit construct as well as the entire area, covering it in flames. "Where…where are they?" he asked as he looked around.
The large icicle behind him began to crack, the shattered as Kazuma and Ram leaped out of it. "Steal!" the former hikikomori declared as he thrust his hand out.
After a moment, Roswaal was left standing, the two having past him. "What just…?"
"Feeling a little light, Rozzy?" Kazuma asked as he held the black book as Roswaal looked on in shock. "This thing…is the root of all evil. So let's send it…to where it belongs, huh?"
"Don't you dare…!" Roswaal called out as Kazuma just smirked and tossed the book right into the fire.
"Just call me Mr. Wingman!" Kazuma yelled in victory as Roswaal shot out a blast of flame towards him. "Oh wait, he's still trying to kill me…crap."
"What an idiot you are, Cadzuma. This…should suffice as repayment of debt." Ram said as she pushed the boy out of the way, before getting hit by the fire spell in his place.
"No…Ram!" Roswaal called out as he ran towards the fallen oni girl as he tried to heal her.
"You lost your temper, which is unlike you." Puck said. "She knew what you'd do if they went and took that book. Now…stop this before…" he said before realizing that snow was falling. "I see…you cast it before the battle even started."
"Which means…we're gonna have company." Kazuma said after he recovered from his shock. "Okay, now all we gotta do is hold out until the others get back."
"We need to get everyone to the ruins. That's the only safe place." Puck said.
"Got it. Lead the way, Spirit Guide." Kazuma said.
Back at the mansion, Beatrice continued to sit within the library as the mansion continued to burn.
"We gotta do something about Beako, guys! If we don't convince her to change her mind, she's gonna die!" Aqua said.
"Yeah, but she won't budge. What're we gonna do?" Nemo asked.
"We're doing all we can to find it, same with Subaru, but the flames are spreading fast." Theo said. "Everyone! Keep opening doors until you find Beatrice!"
The group frantically searched the burning mansion, trying their best to open the right door to the library. Eventually, the right one was found.
"C'mon, Beako, just come with us already!" Subaru said.
"Go away!" Beatrice said, sending him out.
"We're not leaving until you come with us!" Aqua said.
"None of you are that person I'm waiting for! If you are, then do what you must and say it! Even if it's a lie, I'll believe you I suppose!" Beatrice begged.
"Forget it, we're not that person. But you think it's Subaru, isn't it?" Ty asked. "So why are you shoving him out? Think for yourself and make the choice that you think is right!"
"I…I cannot, I suppose!" Beatrice said, gripping the book.
"It's because you can't let go of that, can't you? You think your whole life's gotta be dictated by some book even though there's nothing in there." Ty said. "But us in Mythos Hearts? We don't let anybody else dictate our lives. We decide for ourselves what we want to do. So are you really gonna be okay with burning to death, waiting for that someone you don't even know who it is?"
The flames caught up to the library, Beatrice still refusing
"Beatrice, don't you get it?! No one else can choose "that person"! You have to choose who that person is for yourself!" Aqua said.
"What is the point?!" Beatrice cried. "Even if that was the case…the life of a human passes me by in the blink of an eye. Whoever I choose…they'd die, and be gone forever! Then I'd be alone again, I suppose! There's…there's no point…"
"...You're right." Subaru spoke up, walking towards her. "The person you choose…they would die. And it wouldn't be a long time for you. So…choose me, Beatrice!"
"Wh-What?" the spirit asked in a mixture of shock and confusion.
"I need you! I'm pretty helpless on my own!" Subaru said. "I need someone who can keep an eye on me, who can deal with a handful like me. I can't promise you much, hell, I can't even save you. Only you can save us right now. But even so…I can be so much of a handful, that you won't have time to be sad or worry about the future!"
"B-But…you'll still die." Beatrice said, tears flowing from her eyes. "I'll be alone again…"
"Then we'll make sure that, even when I'm gone, the memories we make will still be there!" Subaru countered. "Take back those four hundred years with interest! You'll be able to look back and say "That Subaru Natsuki…he was so memorable, even after an eternity…I still remember him!" You'll have a joyful life that'll completely eclipse these years here! So please…!"
"Choose me!"
Beatrice was still crying at Subaru's declaration.
"You've been alone for so long. So leave with me. Isn't that why you waited at that door for hundreds of years?" Subaru demanded.
"Yeah…so throw that stupid book away and come with us!" Theo called out.
Beatrice was quite taken aback by this as the library began to fall apart around them.
Outside of the mansion, a bright streak of pink light could be seen shooting out of it as the remaining guild members could see it from where they stood.
"Hahaha! Our comrades succeed!" Molotok laughed.
"Now there's only one thing left for us to do. Then we win." Goblin Slayer said.
"Of course. Defeating the Great Rabbit." Gimlior said. "And now that Beatrice has finally come around, we have the means to destroy it for good."
"Yeah…I just hope that the others back at the Sancutary are okay." Lily said.
"Ros, Ram!" Kazuma called out as he ran back to them. "Everyone's headed to the graveyard! Come on, we gotta go!"
Roswaal didn't respond, still healing Ram.
"...Damn it, does everyone in this world have issues?!" Kazuma gritted out.
"Roswaal, Ram, Kazuma!" the otaku heard someone call out as Emilia came sliding down towards them, with Rem on her shoulder and several dozen clones of Ryuzu following behind them.
"Emmy? Wait, if you're here, then that means you-!" Kazuma realized.
"Not the time. We need to get to the graveyard now." Emilia said.
"I'm trying, but clown boy won't budge." Kazuma said. "We might have to drag him there. And fast, because with all the mana it took to cause this storm, we're about to have-"
The boy stopped cold as he noticed several familiar pairs of eyes dotting the forest line.
"...Company." he croaked out in dread.
"The Great Rabbit-!" Emilia realized before she got a determined look. "Ryuzu, get Roswaal and Ram to the graveyard! Kazuma and I will cover you!"
"Wait, we will?!" Kazuma asked.
"Let's go!" Emilia said firmly as she blocked hordes' way with a wall of ice. With that, the group ran towards the graveyard, getting the others inside as Emilia and Kazuma stood at the top of the steps facing the mob of rabbits.
"No one will die here tonight! I won't let it happen!" Emilia declared as she prepared an ice spell.
"Here I am, facing off against a horde of man-eating rabbits, with my best friend's girlfriend, worlds away from Tokyo, and with no Holy Hand Grenades in sight…I can't deny it anymore: I love this guild. Shame I'm having this epiphany right before I die, though…"
Just then, a large purple light landed behind them, illuminating them to the horde. If it were anyone capable of higher brain function, they would more than likely be impressed.
"Come on. Don't push yourselves that hard, Mili, Kazuma." a voice said as the two turned to see both Subaru and Beatrice holding hands. "So you can relax and leave the rest to me. This is a little payback for my first battle."
"Not sure what you mean." Emilia chuckled as Subaru stepped up with Beatrice.
"Don't blame me for whatever may happen next." Beatrice said.
"I won't. We'll make it all work out. You and me will face this together!" Subaru said.
