Standing before him in an utterly defenseless posture — arms dangling loosely at his sides, body relaxed in a natural stance — was Garfiel.
Spotting him blocking the road ahead, Subaru instinctively swept his gaze around for threats. He was worried that others might be lying in ambush. Though he already half-concluded that, if Garfiel was here at all, he had almost certainly come alone.
Sure enough, no one else was within Subaru's perception. Confirming that it had been nothing but needless worry, Subaru let out a breath. Without dropping his guard, he stroked the underside of
"Hah. I ain't the type who can lie or flatter. Whatever pops into my head comes right out of my mouth. That's why I get an earful from the old hag and
Garfiel clacked his teeth at Subaru's half-teasing jab, then wiped the trace of a smile from his face and looked up at him. Meeting that single-eyed stare, Subaru held up a finger.
"Your being here doesn't exactly add up. You mind explaining?"
"Nothin' complicated. I'm the fang of this '
He waved a hand dismissively. Subaru furrowed his brow.
"If the 'Eyes' you're talking about are what I think they are — codeword for something like 'the Grass' — then they're basically watchers. But…"
"You think everyone on the outside knows everything about this 'Sanctuary'? Even that bastard Roswaal doesn't know half of what goes on here. This is just one more thing he's clueless about. …Though I couldn't tell you about you."
Garfiel's words were merciless toward the frustrated Subaru. He snorted at the silence, then let his gaze drift to the line of dragon carriages behind them.
"…Everyone in those carriages — they all evacuating?"
"Y-Yeah. That's right. Look, Garfiel. I know it was wrong to leave without saying anything, but could you just… let us pass? Straight up? It's not like it hurts your position either, right?"
"Hah?"
The look in Garfiel's eyes sharpened, but Subaru pressed on, gesturing behind him.
"The people who were being held hostage — getting them out of the Sanctuary is meant to prevent any more conflict from breaking out inside. I've heard there've already been some skirmishes, but the idea is to defuse things before they escalate."
"————"
"Your stance is the same as Ryuzu's, right? You want the Sanctuary liberated. Leaving potential fuel for a fire inside works against that. Letting us through benefits you more."
Subaru kept his voice quiet, trying to persuade Garfiel however he could. In truth, what he'd said wasn't just off-the-cuff reasoning. From Garfiel's standpoint, this evacuation should serve his interests — except for one part.
"If you can stomach the part where we did this in secret…"
"Hey, aren't you gettin' the wrong idea here?"
"Wrong idea?"
"You've got it stuck in your head that I came to stop you from the get-go. But like you said, I got no reason to block this evacuation. All that smooth-talkin' and justification you're throwin' out is a complete waste of breath."
Subaru tried to pile on more words, but Garfiel cut him off with a snort, mocking his assumptions. Subaru fell silent. He'd been proceeding on nothing but bad premonitions since the moment Garfiel appeared, but logically, the man's words made sense. Still…
"Then what exactly are you doing here?"
"Seeing you off, obviously. You can leave if you want, but if nobody from the Sanctuary verifies it, it's no different from a midnight runner. If I can say I watched you leave, I can shut the others up too."
"…You're more thoughtful than I gave you credit for."
Half surprised that Garfiel possessed the reasoning and intellect to talk him around so convincingly, Subaru nodded in understanding. Garfiel, arms folded and equally satisfied with Subaru's somewhat rude but honest response, grunted.
"Obviously. I'm not just strong — I got all kinds of considerate qualities too. …Man, I'm awesome."
"Hah, that reply actually puts me at ease. While we're at it, I won't mention anything about your right eye. Consider it a freebie."
"Oh. Oh, right — you noticed since I took off the eyepatch. Guess there's always someone who goes and does unnecessary things. Am I right?"
As Garfiel praised himself, Subaru pointed to his own right eye — the one that was gone. He was referring to the eye Garfiel had lost, but also directing the conversation toward Otto, who had helped rescue Subaru. In the dragon carriage behind them, Otto shrank into the driver's seat, trying to hide from Garfiel's razor-sharp gaze.
Cracking his neck, Garfiel continued: "Still, you're pretty calm for a guy who lost an eye. Honestly, I was half-expecting grievances and retaliation."
"If I started listing my grievances, I'd be talking till dawn, and there's no time for that. And even if I wanted revenge, one punch and my left eye would go too. No thanks on that one-course meal."
"What's that even supposed to mean. —I don't like that, hey."
Garfiel looked displeased at Subaru's retort. But Subaru decided the banter had gone on long enough, gently touched his right eye with his palm, and asked: "So I can keep you out of this and send everyone back to the village?"
"I just wanted to make sure nobody can call it a sneak-out. Do what you want."
"Then I'll take you up on that—"
"However—"
The voice cut in just as Subaru was about to signal the dragon carriages forward. Garfiel leaned slightly forward, looking up at Subaru on Patrasche's back with a piercing stare.
"You're the one who stays. The hostages go through. That annoying big brother goes through. Ram gets through too, I suppose. But not you."
"…Reason being?"
"It's partly about your motivation for Lady
"That again…"
Garfiel flicked his nose at the golden-haired youth, trying to intimidate Subaru. Subaru was growing weary of the now-familiar accusation, but if a condition was what it took, he'd accept it.
"The condition is that I remain in the 'Sanctuary.' No objections, right?"
"Good that you're straightforward and know how to have a conversation. If you drag it out too long, even my brain can't keep up with all the words."
"You're almost admirably blunt… Fine. I'll go tell everyone behind me. Wait here."
Once they got to the actual negotiation, it was over almost instantly. Not that there was much to negotiate. Subaru accepted his terms, turned around, and relayed the arrangement to the key figures — the drivers, Otto, and Ram.
"So apparently if I stay behind, the rest of you can pass through unharmed. It's dumb to drag this out, so I think we should just accept the offer…"
"If it means we can pass through, I'd call that an excellent deal," Otto said. "But will the folks behind us accept it? To begin with, there were people who refused to escape unless Natsuki-san was coming along."
"Ah, yeah — that's gonna be tough to sell. …But honestly, everyone's already moved this far, and they've got their hearts set on getting back to the village. If it's just me dropping out mid-way, I think their hope of getting home will win out and they'll accept it."
Subaru stroked his chin, mulling it over. The evacuees' desire to return to the village was overwhelmingly strong. It would be nice if they weighed that against Subaru's safety, but now that things had progressed this far, he doubted the balance would hold.
"Natsuki-san…"
"Yeah, so that's my thinking — I don't think说服ing them will be that hard. But this is one where I really need to talk to them myself. Give me a sec, and everyone else should be ready to move out in the carriages immediately…"
"I don't like that."
Ram's sharp voice cut Subaru off mid-instruction. Combined with Otto's worried gaze, it left Subaru feeling deflated. He scratched his head.
"I just heard the same thing from Garfiel — you don't need to keep draining people's energy like that…"
"Barusu, aren't you aware of what you just said?"
"What do you mean?"
Subaru tilted his head at Ram's words but couldn't puzzle out what she was getting at. His confusion showed plainly on his brow.
Ram let out a sigh that bordered on disappointment.
"If you don't understand, then fine. I suppose I now understand Lord Roswaal's frustration. If that's the case, then everything Ram has done will have been for nothing."
"Wait — hold on, what are you saying? You do know something, don't you? You know something, and you're standing here…"
"Nothing you say matters right now, Barusu. It's a waste of time."
"You—!"
Subaru gritted his teeth at Ram's know-it-all, condescending tone. Just as the tension between them was about to boil over, Otto jumped in: "Now, now, now! Let's stop the arguing! Ram-san is absolutely right — this is a waste of time. A waste of time — that is, a waste of the chance to make money! Let's settle this for my sake, alright? Done!"
"Tch. Fine. I'll go explain."
"Tch. Ram has nothing left to say."
"Would you two stop clicking your tongues at me while you say that!?"
Otto grumbled about his usual treatment, but that was his role after all. Thanks to Otto, the group held together. Subaru went to each dragon carriage, explained the situation as it was, and — while the people of Aram Village all wore unhappy faces at the condition of Subaru staying behind — the fact that Subaru himself was willing and that returning home would only prolong the evacuation managed to win them over, if reluctantly.
Grateful for their concern, Subaru finished说服ing everyone. He returned to the group, reported the result, then mounted Patrasche and faced Garfiel.
"Negotiations on my end are done. We're going with your terms. Everyone passes through."
"Everyone but you. Send 'em on their way. That ground dragon of yours — she staying too?"
"Walking back would be rough on everyone's stamina. Patrasche will have to put up with being cramped a bit longer, I'm afraid."
He placed a hand on his partner's back. Patrasche shivered and turned her head away, as if to say, "Don't worry about me, seriously."
Interpreting his partner's body language that way, Subaru watched the dragon carriages file out of the 'Sanctuary' alongside Garfiel. Through the carriage windows, the villagers gazed down at Subaru with looks that said they wanted to speak. He smiled bitterly and waved.
"Otto — when you get back to the village, don't go to the mansion. If possible, head straight back from there."
"…? That's a pretty cryptic instruction. Why? I feel like reporting the situation around here to Frederica-san is mandatory."
"Just do it. You should reach the village by tomorrow morning, but… just to be safe, don't show your face there until at least after noon."
Otto's face clearly showed he didn't understand. Unable to articulate a clear answer to his doubts, Subaru jerked his chin and said, "Go."
Tonight was the fifth night — the night that would determine everything. In other words, it was the final deadline for Elsa's attack on the mansion. If things followed the first loop's script, the assault had already happened by now.
Granted, Elsa was indiscriminate in her cruelty, but Subaru doubted she'd descend all the way to the village and massacre villagers. As long as no one entered the mansion, Otto and the others should be safe.
Of course, that meant abandoning Frederica, Petra,
"…This time, I'm going all-in on figuring out what happens in the 'Sanctuary.' That was the decision. If I try to have it all and end up with nothing, there'd be no point in looking away in the first place."
The guilt of turning a blind eye to the worst-case scenario rose in his chest. He crushed it with force — duty, mission, the steeling of his own will.
Steel. He had to become steel. To seize the best possible future, he would use every available strategy. He would tolerate the sacrifices along the way, accept them, and spend however much of his soul it took.
"If I can be the one laughing at the end, then my — our — victory is complete."
So if his heart wavered before sacrifice, he just had to crush that hesitation too.
For the sake of everything he could eventually reclaim, he must not hesitate to lay the groundwork. There was nothing worth holding onto — not now.
"————"
After the last dragon carriage had passed and vanished into the depths of the forest, Subaru exhaled.
Now the only ones remaining in the 'Sanctuary' were the original inhabitants and the people from the Roswaal mansion. All that was left was to wait until morning and observe what happened — the purpose of this loop would be fulfilled.
"Lingering any longer and we'll just get eaten alive by bugs. Let's go. Having you stare at me the whole time isn't exactly pleasant either."
"Don't go giving me orders. …Oh, right — you didn't ask a damn thing about Lady Emilia's 'Trial' tonight, did you?"
"Your being here is my answer. …Though I won't pretend I wasn't worried it might be too harsh."
At the very least, he couldn't afford to treat Subaru's safety as Emilia's motivation — the same as the hostages. For Emilia to overcome the 'Trial,' something more fundamental needed to change. Or perhaps, given the urgency of the Sanctuary's problems, that might be impossible regardless.
"That's why I need to verify it. I can't even think about whether Emilia can wait to break through her 'Trial' until I've seen what actually happens."
Thinking ahead to the next attempt, Subaru considered his remaining possibilities in this third world.
The maximum was four deaths per loop — that was how many times Subaru had died. If he was aiming to break through in the fifth world, he could only die one more time.
"And there are so many things I want to check…"
He no longer even thought of his own 'death' as anything more than a stepping stone toward that breakthrough.
Oblivious to the distortion in his own words, Subaru turned to Patrasche, signaling her to head back to the 'Sanctuary.' But behind him, Garfiel had been watching.
"…Talking like you've figured everything out. How much do you think you really know?"
"Garfiel?"
Subaru turned on dragonback to ask about the half-mumbled words. And right before his eyes, it happened without warning.
Garfiel leaped.
With a knife-hand aimed at Subaru's neck, he slashed sideways from the air.
Eyes locked on the fingertips hurtling toward him through the air, Subaru stared in silent horror at the death that had suddenly materialized before him.
He hadn't entirely forgotten the possibility that Garfiel might attack, but he'd never expected an outright lethal strike right here and now.
"————!"
The sharp sound of a blade cutting air rang out. Pain tore through his flesh, accompanied by bleeding. Subaru clapped a hand to his throat and felt the shallow gouge his fingernails had left just below the Adam's apple.
Feeling blood seep between his pressing fingers, Subaru yanked the reins and shouted: "Garfiel! What are you—!"
"You think I'm gonna let you get away with this?! What the hell are you after, huh?!"
Subaru's voice rose in shock at the sudden violence on dragonback, but Garfiel — having landed — was shouting in a different direction, shaking his bloodied fingertips.
Subaru turned toward the voice through the haze of pain. There stood a girl with a small staff — pink hair swaying, her hard eyes locked on Garfiel.
"Ram?!"
"I had a bad feeling, so I stayed — and sure enough, it played out just as I expected. You should thank Ram that your head and body are still connected, Barusu."
"If the wind hadn't thrown my aim off, your head would've gone flying."
Garfiel confirmed Ram's statement with a shake of his head. Subaru, nearly losing his voice at the exchange, felt his thoughts ignite through the pain of his wound.
"What were you — Garfiel! Were you trying to kill me just now?!"
"Well, I botched it, didn't I? If you're asking what I meant to do… that's the only honest answer."
Garfiel acknowledged his own murderous intent with disarming frankness. Subaru stared at him with his one good eye, trembling with incomprehension. Because— "If that's the case, you could have killed me at any time! When I was locked up — no, before that, if you'd just left me alone without treating me, I would have died!"
"But then the hostages inside woulda exploded, wouldn't they? Only after they were gone was the order set — for me to kill you."
"That's—!"
Subaru's thoughts burned crimson as Garfiel's words struck him like a hammer. If Garfiel had been watching for the perfect moment — a moment where Subaru's death would cause no complications — then even this farewell scene made sense. But there were still things that didn't add up. Specifically— "If you kill me here, what happens to Emilia's 'Trial'? I'm the core of her motivation — if I die, the Trial ends. No question."
That should be the greatest inconvenience imaginable for the Ryuzu faction, who wanted the Sanctuary liberated.
Even if Garfiel suspected Subaru of something related to the
Maybe anger had consumed him — that would be in character — but looking at the Garfiel who was holding a coherent conversation now, it was obvious he hadn't lost his composure. Which meant Garfiel had attacked Subaru based on cold, calculated logic. And that raised the question — what did it mean?
"I…"
"There's no point in hearing him out, and no point in trying to reason with him, Barusu."
But before Garfiel could speak, Ram interjected sharply, cutting between the two of them. She leveled the tip of her staff at Garfiel, who clicked his tongue.
"Stop hiding behind plausible-sounding excuses. That's not like you, Garf."
"H-Hey, Ram."
"Stand down. Ram will handle this. —Either way, Garf intends to kill Barusu."
Hearing her calmly confirm his death, Subaru had nothing to say.
Ram kept her unwavering eyes on Garfiel as she approached, then gently traced her finger along the underside of Patrasche's neck.
"There's a good girl. Do what you must. Your rider is terribly dense — both toward himself and toward others."
"————"
Patrasche responded in silence to Ram's soft, kind words — simply licking the outstretched finger. With a low bow of her head, the ground dragon began lumbering toward the trees on her own, without waiting for Subaru's orders.
"H-Hey, wait. What are you all—"
"Just make sure you hold on to the reins. If you do that, that ground dragon will do everything in her power to protect you. It's a man's pride, of sorts."
"Listen to me! No — let me explain! What do you all know that's making you do this?!"
"There's no time to talk, and it wouldn't help if there were. Like I said, Barusu. —Ram will buy you one minute. Use that to run as far as you can. That's the only resistance Ram can offer, it seems."
Ram's answers were maddeningly vague, but this time there truly wasn't time to press further.
Patrasche's sharp whinny and lunge forward came before Subaru could even process Ram's last words. Thrown by the acceleration, Subaru clung to the dragon's back as the Wind Blessing deployed, diving into the thicket of trees.
"Ram—!"
He screamed. But no answer came.
As the wall of trees swallowed his vision, Subaru bit his lip — abandoned to a situation spiraling beyond his control, with nothing to do but hold on.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ With Subaru aboard, Patrasche plunged through the forest — and in the space now emptied of others, two figures stood facing each other.
Garfiel stared down Ram, who hadn't moved a muscle with her staff at the ready, then pointed toward the forest where Subaru had vanished.
"Running your mouth like that — you know you just made it harder for me to chase him?"
"You thought I'd let you?"
"You really think you can stop me? If you still think the power between us is the same as it used to be, you're dead wrong. Being in love and being able to overpower someone aren't the same thing."
He cracked his knuckles for emphasis. But both he and Ram knew she wasn't the type to cower. True to form, Ram's expression didn't change. Garfiel raked his short blonde hair in frustration.
"What the hell are you thinking, Ram? What do you think you're going to accomplish with this? I want an answer. Did Roswaal order you to do this?"
"…That's disappointing, Garf. Ram is here of Ram's own will — Lord Roswaal's orders have nothing to do with it. At the very least, there's no need to consult him right now."
Ram's tone was resolute. Garfiel's question was the same one Subaru had asked — same origin, same doubt. His brow creased with incomprehension, and his expression soured further.
"I don't get you, Ram. If you're not following Roswaal's orders, it makes even less sense why you'd do something like this."
"Really?"
"Hah—?"
"Do you really not understand why Ram is doing this… Garf?"
The question was quiet. Ram's expression and voice were no different from usual. But hearing it — meeting that gaze — Garfiel's face changed.
Confusion. Suspicion. Shock. Then, rage.
"You—"
One step forward, and Garfiel's foot cratered the earth. Grating his teeth against unbearable fury, he fixed Ram with a pinhole stare.
"I'd hate to think this, but the reason you're doing this is—"
"—For Frederica, and for Garf."
"Don't you dare speak that traitor's name from your mouth!!"
He roared, his foot slamming down. The ground caved in with a deafening crash.
Dust erupted. Trees leaned from the shockwave. The forest cowered — even the air seemed to lose its voice, afraid to provoke him further.
But Ram, who had received that fury head-on, remained perfectly composed.
"You think throwing a childish tantrum and flexing your strength will make everyone obey you? Garf, how long are you going to keep running in circles through this narrow forest?"
"Don't you talk down to me! What the hell could you possibly know — you, and Frederica, and all those bastards who abandoned the 'Sanctuary'?!"
Ram's words, gentle as those spoken to a child, couldn't reach Garfiel in his fury. Unlike his earlier lunge, his foot scraped at the earth with impotent, repeated motions.
"For my sake? For MY sake? You… of all people, I can't believe that. What gives you the right to say that to me now—"
"Garf…"
"Pity and sympathy — when did I ever ask for them?! How long have you all looked down on me from on high?! Me, the old hag — none of us ever asked to be pitied!"
He pressed his palms to his face and ground out the words through ragged breathing. There was something heartbreakingly small about him in that moment — his stature diminished by more than just his posture.
After several deep breaths, Garfiel lowered his hands from his face.
"That's enough. I don't want to hear any more. Turn around and go back to the 'Sanctuary.' Do that, and I'll let this slide. I'm going after that guy."
"I refuse, Garf. If anyone needs to back down, it should be you, not Ram. Even if you return, you can't avoid the collapse that's coming. You know that."
"Just go back! I won't say it a third time! Go back and wait until the 'Trial' is settled!"
"No. I won't go back, and I won't wait. Standing still gets you nothing. All that remains in your palm is the residue of what you thought you'd obtained. Why would I—"
"ANYTHING'S BETTER THAN NOTHING LEFT AT ALL!"
Garfiel roared, cutting Ram off. He raised his head. His expression held rage, envy, and grief in equal measure.
"The collapse? So what. I'll handle all of it. This time, I'll handle everything — all of it—"
"Garf, I've been saying this for years. —What you're doing is compensation."
Ram's response was unyieldingly calm against Garfiel's emotional explosion.
Their positions were irreconcilable, their compromises clashing head-on. And the scene of two people yielding to one another — that, too, would not come.
Perhaps he realized that. Garfiel lowered his eyes, closed his lids.
"Go back, Ram. This is my last request. With every feeling I've ever laid at your feet — I'm begging you. So please…"
"If that's the case, Garf. —Will you give up on everything except Ram?"
"————"
Garfiel's final plea was steeped in anguish. Ram's answer was brutally concise — and yet it carried a weight that crushed the heart of anyone who heard it.
Garfiel's expression stiffened, his lips trembling.
Watching him, Ram lowered her eyes slightly.
"Choose Ram from everything in this world. Look only at Ram. Love only Ram. Devote yourself only to Ram. Be loved only by Ram. Be forgiven only by Ram. Surrender everything only to Ram. —Can you do that?"
"I — I…"
"Ram can."
With a hand pressed to her own chest, Ram spoke clearly and without hesitation to the stammering Garfiel.
Quiet, unshakable will. She poured that into every word, then raised her face.
"—Ram can."
And that was Ram's final ultimatum to Garfiel.
Understanding it, perhaps — the fighting spirit drained from Garfiel's face for one brief instant. Only Ram, who witnessed it, would ever know what expression flickered across his features in that moment.
He shook his head immediately, burying that glimpse of vulnerability, and bared his teeth.
"Known it since we were kids — you stubborn thing."
"Same to you. —If you truly won't make Ram the one precious thing in your heart, then Ram won't follow Garf. Ram won't belong to anyone."
"…Is that so."
They looked at each other. Their gazes crossed.
Both had spoken their conclusions, confirmed that neither would yield. Then, in quiet voices: "Goodbye, Garf."
"See ya, Ram."
Those were the last words exchanged between them — and they were words of fondness.
—The forest trembled.
And a roar split the sky.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "Patrasche! Stop! I said stop!!"
Subaru hauled desperately at the reins from the dragon's back, shouting at Patrasche as she tore through the forest.
But the ground dragon ignored her rider completely, pounding through the rough terrain and putting ever more distance between them and the confrontation.
He had heard stories of horses panicking from fear or shock and refusing to listen to their riders, but Patrasche's state didn't match any of that.
She was no different from usual — perfectly rational — and was consciously ignoring Subaru's commands.
In other words, she had decided that Subaru was not worth obeying.
"You were listening to me this whole time out of the goodness of your heart, huh?"
"————"
She didn't obey, but she also didn't buck him off. Patrasche's behavior was drenched in consideration for Subaru from start to finish — and for Subaru, who could only cling helplessly to her back, the mixture of gratitude and shame nearly brought him to tears.
This wasn't some cute story about being unable to control his mount. The fact that even his dragon was looking out for him, and he hadn't even noticed — he was ready to be fed up with his own idiocy.
And all of it, combined with the present situation, fed Subaru's ongoing disappointment in himself: "Ram is in danger! Garfiel was trying to kill me — if he's that far gone, he might hurt Ram too… but right now!"
The fact that Subaru could reach that conclusion meant Garfiel's thinking had arrived at a definite endpoint. Ram's intervention was a miscalculation on Garfiel's part — but what kind of solution he would find for that miscalculation was terrifying to even imagine.
Subaru had already half-accepted that the people at the mansion would be sacrificed in this loop. But Ram was a different story. If he let her fall outside the scope of what he'd steeled himself to accept, his resolve would shatter and reveal something ugly.
"It hurts me, yes… but it's reversible. That's why…!"
His voice was pleading — almost a whine. But Patrasche was unreachable.
The ground dragon's speed didn't slacken; she showed no sign of listening to his entreaties. Ram and Garfiel were growing farther away. A tragedy unfolding in a place beyond his reach.
The thought struck Subaru's heart like another blow. Why was his heart so soft? Why, no matter how much time passed, could he never become strong?
—And yet, having repeated his mistakes by focusing only on his own interior world, Subaru once again made the very same error.
"Huh—?"
The view opened abruptly as Patrasche burst through the last of the tangled trees. Having endured the obstacle-ridden forest by clinging to her back, Subaru now stared at the scene before him with his jaw hanging open.
"What's wrong, Natsuki-san? Why the rush?"
Otto wore the same expression of shock as Subaru. He was here — in the column of evacuees that should have been far ahead of them. Subaru had assumed Patrasche was fleeing blindly into the forest with no destination, so this made no sense at all.
"We shouldn't be able to pass through — where's Garfiel?"
"I-I'm not sure myself, but… Ram and Patrasche…"
Subaru tried to catch his breath as he answered Otto, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
The next instant, a devastating roar shook the entire forest.
"What—?!"
"Hwah—?!"
Eyes wide with a shock that strangled their voices, Subaru and Otto both turned toward the sound.
The roar that bellowed through the forest rattled the atmosphere and shook the hearts of men and women alike — and worst of all, it sent waves of panic through even the ground dragons.
The only one present who hadn't flinched was Patrasche, with Subaru on her back.
And because of that, she was also the first to make a decision.
"Ah, Natsuki-san?!"
"Hey, Patrasche!"
She whipped her head toward the front of the carriage column and bolted. Her target was not the lead carriage — but beyond it. The road ahead. Without hesitation, she was charging straight toward the exit of the 'Sanctuary.' Leaving Otto's calls behind, Subaru felt the Wind Blessing envelop him again on Patrasche's back. He didn't understand what she was doing. He opened his mouth to shout and try to stop her— "————!!"
An impact shook the ground. Screams rose from behind.
Subaru swallowed hard, craned his neck, and strained his vision toward where Otto and the others had been.
In the left half of his remaining sight, the dark forest loomed dimly — and Subaru saw it.
Dragon carriages exploding outward. Ground dragons swallowed by savage impacts. Evacuees hurled into the air, screams and blood painting the forest sky in hues of anguish and crimson.
"Ah…"
Beneath the wreckage of a carriage tumbling through the sky, Subaru saw a beast.
—Coated entirely in golden fur, it looked to him like an enormous tiger.