——After racing up that impossibly long staircase, by the time they arrived, it was already too late.
"————"
Gasping for breath, lungs screaming with exhaustion, they forced the sound out in a ragged shout.
But voices—words—rarely carry the power to change a situation. Especially in a clash of swordsmanship, the inadequacy of words becomes all the more acute.
Whether they could even call it a "clash of swordsmanship," though, Subaru wasn't sure.
Because it had been far too one-sided, and no matter how one tried to dress it up, one side's weapon was nothing more than a stick.
——White light flooded the already-white space with an even more intense brilliance.
The principle behind it was unclear. Whether it was because that single swing had boasted of cleaving even light itself, or because of the unconventional swordsman's sheer humanity—the slash carried a shockwave and swept the space clean.
The person caught in the trajectory of that slash was also swallowed by the light and blown away without any means of resistance.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the light vanished, and what spread across the now-cleared white space was the tall frame of a red-haired man with one sleeve rolled up—and the figure of a purple-haired swordsman, rolling across the floor like a ragdoll.
"Yo, if it ain't the little fry, ya hear me?"
The one who casually called out to Subaru—standing there dumbfounded at the sight—was the red-haired man. With a face that had completely forgotten about the sword fight just moments ago, he grinned like a shark without a hair out of place.
Then, pointing at the defeated swordsman—Julius— "Ya were too slow, fry. I already finished 'im off, and 'e's just a pain in the neck now, so take 'im back with ya."
"…
"What's with that, fry? Don't go puttin' anythin' weird into people's names, fry. I already told ya—havin' a cool entrance without introducin' myself is my thing, so don't go ruinin' my cool pose, fry."
The "Stick Wielder"—or rather, Reid—got grouchy at having his name called.
Hearing that absurd remark, Subaru felt a twinge of discontent but didn't make any overt moves. Slowly, without taking his eyes off Reid, he made his way to where Julius lay collapsed.
"I ain't gonna eat 'im, ya know. No need ta glare at me like that."
"Sorry, but where I come from, it's common sense never to take your eyes off a bear. Julius is…"
Still keeping his guard up and his gaze on Reid, Subaru leaned over to check Julius's breathing. He was unconscious, but when Subaru held his palm near his mouth, there was a response—breathing.
Even after taking that slash, it seemed his life hadn't been taken. Subaru felt a wave of relief.
"For someone who said he'd hold back even less next time, you sure are showing a lot of mercy."
"Not really. Hey, fry—don't ya think losin' to chopsticks and runnin' home is lamer than gettin' killed by chopsticks? I think so. Showin' that pathetic face around is worse than dyin'. That's why I beat 'em with chopsticks and let 'em run home."
"I take back my mercy comment, you son of a bitch."
"Ha! Nothin' a little fry says is gonna get to me. Besides, I ain't in the mood to test ya anymore today. If ya wanna come at me, I'll flatten ya—just like that guy at your feet."
Scratching his belly with his right hand, Reid pointed the chopsticks in his left alternately at Subaru and Julius.
And in the current situation, no matter how furious Reid's attitude made him, Subaru simply didn't have the means to force him to retract his insolence.
"Damn it."
"Yeah, yeah, that's right. Just carry 'im silently and mutter whatever excuses ya want. If that makes ya feel better, fry, then go ahead—it's easier that way, and it's the smart move. Boring, though."
Reid plopped himself down and narrowed his blue eyes cruelly as he spoke. Exposed to that victor's glee, Subaru somehow managed to hoist up the collapsed Julius.
Just like he had done a little over an hour ago, he forced Julius onto his back. An unconscious person's body was heavy, and Julius was taller than Subaru to boot. It was a rather awkward arrangement, but he had no choice—there were worse problems to deal with.
There was no way Subaru could leave Julius behind here alone.
"Next time, bring some hot babe with ya, fry. That gorgeous one's fine too."
Right to the end, without calling a single person by name even once, Reid gave a lazy wave of his hand.
At Reid's thoroughly frivolous attitude, Subaru truly had no choice but to swallow his words and retreat.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "…Haa, haa…"
One step at a time, one stair at a time, descending with deliberate, careful footfalls.
The stairway corridor was reasonably wide, but the claustrophobic feeling of being enclosed by stone walls couldn't be shaken. This was his second time going up and down these stairs, but the structural absurdity of a straight staircase that didn't actually pierce through the tower—there was no clue whatsoever as to how to unravel that mystery.
"Why… the hell… am I even thinking about stupid stuff like that… I can't… do this…!"
The agony of carrying someone down a long, long staircase went without saying.
To make matters worse, this grand staircase had four hundred forty-four steps—
Of course, Emilia would be adorable even with her cheeks being pinched— "I have to get back soon… Emilia and Beako must be worried."
When Subaru and the others had noticed Julius's absence in the Green Room, everyone had split up to search for him throughout the Watchtower. Some headed to the third floor, others rushed to various rooms on the fourth,
Everyone was worried about Julius. After his defeat at Reid's hands, he had set down his broken knight's sword and disappeared—and they all wondered what must be going through his mind.
That these girls would be pained by such worry was beyond any doubt.
"But…"
——However, Subaru was the only one who was different. Subaru alone had immediately understood.
Where Julius, having set down his knight's sword, had gone—and why.
That was something only Subaru— "…It sure does sway, doesn't it."
"—! You're awake?!"
Hearing the voice from his back, Subaru stopped the foot he'd extended toward the next step below. At his call, Julius, being carried on his back, stirred with a faint "Ah…"
"Wh-where…"
"If you want a vague answer, we're in the middle of the stairs. A bit more specifically, we're in the middle of a long staircase. To be even more precise, we're on the stairs between the fourth and second floors, fleeing back the way we came."
"That's quite the roundabout answer. …Am I being carried on your back?"
"That's right. And just so you know, this is the second time in a short while. Can you even imagine how I feel, being made to do this again just thirty minutes after thinking 'never again'?"
"No wonder the ride is so uncomfortable…"
"You want to be thrown off?"
Faintly, as if exhaling a breath, Subaru felt the sensation of Julius smiling through his back. While refuting that dry wit, Subaru allowed himself to relax slightly.
Honestly, Subaru hadn't been able to predict what Julius's first words upon waking would be. If he'd been allowed to speak freely and honestly, it wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say Subaru had been dreading them.
So he was relieved that the exchange stemming from Julius's first words upon waking hadn't been some kind of self-destructive outburst.
"Do you actually remember what happened?"
"…It's a pathetic story, I'm afraid. I was effortlessly defeated by the enemy, shown mercy on top of that, and then proceeded to cause trouble for Lady Anastasia and for you."
"…I'm not such a devil that I'd blame you for getting crushed when that was the opponent."
Hearing that painfully Julius-like remark, Subaru sighed and resumed his descent of the stairs.
With Julius now conscious, he was far easier to carry than before. And since the anxious heaviness in his steps had lifted, Subaru felt he could power through the remaining steps on momentum alone.
"…Is Lady Anastasia all right? I witnessed her collapse and saw her being treated in the spirits' room, but…"
"The diagnosis so far is that her life isn't in danger. You were closer to dying than she was, fighting that guy… Actually, you'll be shocked when you find out who that eye-patch-wearing guy was."
"——Reid Astrea."
"————"
With that voice filled with conviction, Subaru momentarily stopped in his tracks. But he quickly masked it, resuming both his breathing and his steps.
Choosing his words carefully so that his agitation wouldn't be felt through his back, "Well, well, you figured it out, huh? On my end, it was Shaula. She knew who he was. It makes sense—she was acquainted with him four hundred years ago. But apparently her aversion to him was real. That's why she fainted the moment she saw his face."
"Well, there were plenty of clues to work with. Fiery red hair, blue eyes. Swordsmanship that was so far beyond the norm—can I even call it swordsmanship? He didn't even let me swing my sword. Let me just call him what he was: an overwhelmingly skilled fighter. And 'Stick Wielder'—that's the term used for him in the documents I've seen."
"So you're telling me he's been called 'Stick Wielder' since ancient times because he fights with chopsticks?"
"More precisely, the name comes from his willingness to wield any weapon. I had my suspicions the moment he self-identified as 'Stick Wielder'… but I couldn't bring myself to be certain. I'm sorry—I should have told you."
At the apologetic undertone in Julius's words, Subaru said nothing.
He'd said there were clues to work with, but Subaru thought that was far too harsh a standard.
Reid Astrea—the man hailed as the first Sword Saint—was supposed to have died four hundred years ago.
Even if the features matched, it wasn't something you'd casually arrive at—that you'd actually encounter a legendary figure from the past, a great man whose name lived on in fairy tales and legends.
If anyone should have had the presence of mind to figure it out, it should have been Subaru himself.
He and Emilia had already agreed that the "trials" being conducted in this Watchtower bore some similarity to the "trials" he'd undergone at the
If so, then it was Subaru who should have given far more thought to the nature of these trials, and brainstormed every possible outcome he could imagine.
And his failure to do so was exactly what led to that rout on the second floor—"Electra."
"Hmph. An encounter with a legendary swordsman resurrected from the past, through some unfathomable principle… Normally, I should rejoice in such a miraculous convergence of fate…"
"I can imagine. Finding out the real deal behind a legendary hero looks like that is a huge letdown. Between Shaula living up to the reputation of the 'Sage' and all, this Watchtower is full of bitter disappointments."
"…You can imagine, huh."
It was a voice that carried a faint, hoarse note of self-mockery.
Hearing Julius's near-whisper up close, Subaru bit his back teeth, realizing he'd been thoughtless. But without touching on that remark, he pivoted with "Even so—"
"I'm pretty sure the first Sword Saint is the one engraved on the gold coin, but this was quite different from the real thing too. I guess it can't be helped that Shaula had the wrong gender entirely, but this guy had a huge gap too. The one on the coin looked more like an old man…"
"Historically, Reid achieved the deeds that earned him a place among the Three Great Heroes at a much older age. The depiction on the gold coin is probably accurate. The version of him up there is younger than the historical figure."
"Come to think of it, Reid didn't seem to recognize Shaula at all…"
What had been an attempt to change the subject unexpectedly linked up with one of their lingering questions.
Comparing it with Julius's account, it made sense—there had been a strange discrepancy in how Shaula and Reid had reacted to each other. If, hypothetically, that had been "Reid before meeting Shaula," then their differing levels of recognition were understandable to some extent.
Then again, Shaula's reaction had been excessively extreme, and given Reid's personality, there was a pretty high chance he simply didn't remember people's faces or names—which weakened the argument.
"If that's right, then he fought the
"It sounds like a daunting task—or perhaps an impossible one."
"It's definitely going to be brutal. But if we plan carefully, there's bound to be a way through. The thing is…"
While searching for a way to crack the Reid problem, Subaru hesitated mid-sentence.
His heart told him to hold back—was this really the right moment to tell Julius?
But he was one step too late.
"The thing is… what?"
"Well, it's…"
"Subaru."
Excuses about having observed Reid and found a breakthrough would be seen through instantly. And the truth was, Subaru genuinely hadn't yet found any method to overcome Reid, or any weakness to exploit.
So when Julius spoke his name, Subaru resigned himself.
"…After you and Anastasia collapsed, Emilia broke through the trial."
"————"
"But here's the thing—it's not like she overpowered him in a straightforward contest of strength. A bunch of coincidences worked in her favor, and… Emilia is, well, special."
The result was a bit too complicated to simply call a victory.
As a trial, Emilia had managed to earn the recognition of Reid, the examiner, for her resolve and her abilities—but the actual circumstances were hard to explain beyond what Subaru had witnessed.
And if asked to replicate her exact method of victory, there wasn't anyone other than Emilia who could do it.
"Anyway, a bunch of complex factors came together and Emilia cleared the trial. But the deal is, only the person who cleared it gets to pass. If all of us want to go up, we all have to win—it's the same problem. Actually, it's worse than that."
"————"
"So we need to come up with a strategy. Putting aside those who can fight on their own, for someone like me, I have to get them to acknowledge combo battles with
"————"
"So anyway, you can take another crack at him too—that's not out of the question. But that said, it won't be like this time. We'll study him properly, figure out his patterns, and build a counterstrategy from there. This time around, we follow my style…"
"————"
"…Hey, are you listening? Julius, hey?"
While firing off explanations in a rapid stream, Subaru grew suspicious of Julius's silence. Calling out to the man on his back once more, at what must have been the third or fourth attempt, Julius caught his breath slightly— "Y-yes, I'm fine. I'm listening, of course. …So, Lady Emilia…"
"That's technically from earlier, but… yeah. That's why this trial isn't a hopeless one. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"Push myself? No need to worry about that. —Everything you've said makes sense. If Lady Emilia was able to overcome the trial, then he… the Sword Saint Reid is by no means an insurmountable obstacle. Knowing that alone is a tremendous gain."
"O-oh, yeah. Exactly. …I'm just glad you understand."
To his surprise, Julius had accepted the fact that Emilia had overcome the trial with remarkable flexibility. Subaru, who had been nervously explaining it all, felt as though his wind had been knocked out of him. —No, this was fine.
Learning that someone had already cleared an obstacle he himself had stumbled over— The worry that his heart might grind at that fact was unnecessary for Julius. It could be said that Subaru had expected too much vulnerability from him. Or perhaps he shouldn't have been measuring the knight
Just as those thoughts crossed Subaru's mind, Julius let out a long breath.
Then, in a light tone, Julius began with "Well then—"
"Would you mind setting me down soon? If I stay on your back much longer, I'm going to get motion sick. Unlike a ground dragon, you don't seem to have the 'Wind Warding Blessing.'"
"Put up with the swaying and the wind, and be grateful you're getting a ride. It's tough, but I'm not heartless enough to make an injured man walk on his own. Emilia-tan would scold me."
Shaking his head at Julius's offer, Subaru shifted his body and readjusted Julius on his back.
The fact was, Julius's condition wasn't great. He'd only been in the Green Room for a few dozen minutes, and no matter how capable the spirits in that room were, there was only so much they could do for a man whose entire body had been battered.
Moreover, no treatment had been administered for Julius's second defeat.
If there had been lacerations or fractures, Subaru could have put his first-aid skills to good use, but unfortunately, Julius had no such obvious external wounds.
Reid's attacks had been aimed solely at breaking Julius's spirit.
Of course, there was no question that this was accumulating damage in a form different from physical wounds, and it went without saying that pushing him was out of the question.
So Subaru had steeled himself to carry Julius down the remaining half—roughly two hundred steps—of the staircase, but— "—No, I can't let you go to all that trouble. If I were still unconscious, that'd be one thing, but fortunately I'm awake now. I can walk down a flight of stairs on my own."
"Don't be so pointlessly stubborn. Besides, what's the point of putting on a tough front now? If you're embarrassed about being carried, everyone who was there already saw it… though Shaula was unconscious and Anastasia didn't see."
"Then that's exactly why. I can't let the two of them—especially Lady Anastasia—see me like this. Put me down."
"Don't give me some half-baked excuse. In the first place—"
"——I said put me down!"
——The outburst came without warning.
"Wha—!?"
The moment that taut voice struck his eardrums, Subaru slammed shoulder-first into the stairway wall.
The cause was Julius, on his back, forcibly twisting his body. By instinct Subaru had angled toward the wall, which saved him—but he'd very nearly fallen right off the staircase.
However, because he'd barely managed to protect himself— "—Gh!"
"You… you idiot! What the hell were you thinking?!"
Leaning against the wall and looking back, Subaru found Julius collapsed on the steps a short distance below. He'd fallen from Subaru's back and slid partway down the stairs.
Propped up on his elbows, face-down, gasping in pain—the agony on his face was unmistakably about more than just the fall.
"See what happens! Hey, stay right there, you idiot. I'm coming—"
"Don't come closer!"
"————"
"…I can stand. On my own. I don't need your help."
The feet that had been about to rush down the staircase came to a halt.
Julius, elbows on the floor, had raised a hand to stop Subaru from rushing over. He let out a deep breath, his profile set hard with determination, and somehow managed to raise his body.
Bracing his back against the wall, he slid himself upward—slowly, agonizingly slowly—raising his hips, straightening his knees, and finally standing, albeit leaning heavily against the wall.
"See? Like I said—standing on my own is a simple matter."
Something in the dismissive ring of his voice left Subaru momentarily speechless.
Julius then turned around, pressing his right side against the wall, and began descending the staircase at a snail's pace—literally, at the speed of a baby crawling across the floor.
One step, one step at a time—deliberate, determined.
"It's going to take some time, but I don't need to trouble you with it. More importantly, the women downstairs must be worried. I know it sounds like I'm brushing aside my own actions, but I somehow doubt you're the only one looking for me."
One step, and then another.
"If possible, would you go on ahead and explain the situation downstairs? That said, it's only proper that I give the full account and make my own apology. You just need to tell them I've been found—that should be enough to put their minds at ease."
Slowly, slowly, one step at a time.
"…I'll admit it's a heavy thing to have to explain. But it's a road I can't avoid. If you could smooth that rough path even a little, I would be deeply grateful. I know you might think you don't want any more obligations to me…"
Facing away from Subaru, trying to descend the stairs alone—by himself—Julius continued talking.
Even with his halting pace, the gap between him and the stationary Subaru was steadily widening.
It was a distance Subaru could close in an instant if he wanted to. Whether to fulfill his request, he'd need to pass him first. —And so, Subaru moved his feet.
"Got it. I'll go talk to Emilia and the others first."
"…Yes, that's right. If Lady Anastasia happens to be awake… no, actually, forget that. In any case, I'm counting on you."
Hurrying down the stairs, Subaru easily caught up with Julius. At the sound of his footsteps echoing on the stone, Julius let out a sigh of something like relief and gestured for Subaru to go on ahead.
—No, not "go on ahead." It was "please, go on ahead without me."
"————"
Subaru believed he understood, to some degree, what was going through Julius's mind when he said that.
The reason he could understand was the same reason he'd immediately intuited—from the others, only Subaru had understood—that Julius had gone to challenge Reid.
It must have been rooted in something similar to what Subaru himself had once felt.
And so, at that moment, Subaru— "—! Ah, damn it! Shit, shit, shit! You idiot! Both of us—what a couple of absolute idiots! Goddamn it!"
Spitting the words out in frustration, Subaru kicked off the stairs and headed toward Julius.
Not to pass him. Instead, he grabbed Julius's left arm—the man who was leaning against the wall with unsteady steps—and roughly slung it over his shoulder to support him.
"What—Subaru, what are you doing…"
"Shut up! What do you mean, 'I can stand on my own'?! You're clearly in agony! There's no way I can just leave a guy like that and walk away! Forget Emilia-tan scolding me—I'd lose all respect for myself!"
"But I—"
"If you really didn't need my help, I wouldn't give it! My hands are already full with all sorts of things as it is! If you seriously don't want to rely on me, then stop stumbling around like a pathetic mess I can't stand to watch!"
"————"
Julius fell silent as Subaru screamed at him, spitting words like bullets.
The moment Subaru saw Julius lose the will to pull away—that hesitation to resist—he started walking, still forcibly lending his shoulder.
Once they'd set a pace like that, Julius wouldn't have the chance to argue.
"I'm not going to pretend I know what's really going on in your head."
"————"
"But right now, there's no reason for you to walk down this long, ridiculous staircase all by yourself. I'll lend you my shoulder, and I don't consider it a favor."
The very notion of owing and being owed was absurd.
If they were going to start counting, just how much did Subaru owe Julius?
His very first debt to Julius surely began at the royal castle's training grounds.
——Subaru understood the reason Julius had challenged Reid despite knowing he couldn't win.
It was the same as Subaru at that time.
That Subaru, knowing he couldn't win, had challenged Julius. No matter how many times he was knocked down, no matter how many times he was punched, he got back up without learning his lesson and kept on fighting.
Because there was no other way to vent the passionate fury surging up from the depths of his chest.
And at that time, Subaru—at that place where everything had ended, where he'd parted ways with Emilia after a bitter argument—had been left "alone." It had hurt. He'd wanted to cry.
——And so, there was no way Subaru would leave Julius alone on this staircase.
"————"
His gut burned hot—just like it had back then.
But unlike back then, he had no idea where to direct this surging emotion.
"—Subaru."
"What."
"…I'm sorry."
"Shut up."
He answered, hoping it didn't sound like he was lashing out.
And so, the two of them slowly descended the staircase and returned to the fourth floor.
——It was some ten-odd minutes later that Emilia found them and let out a sigh of heartfelt relief.