Roswaal's Mansion was in chaos.
Natsuki Subaru and Roswaal were both in a state of alarm. Roswaal didn't fully understand the situation, only that his Gospel had shown Subaru had died twice.
What was going on?
A commotion erupted from within the mansion.
"Subaru, what are you doing?" Emilia's footsteps were hurried, her tone anxious, as Subaru tried to pull her along. Her wrist ached from the force.
"We have to get out of here," Subaru said grimly. Upon regaining consciousness, his first thought had been to find Emilia and get her to safety. The mansion was no longer secure.
What had begun as attacks on the village had escalated. Now the assailant had no qualms about striking the mansion directly. Even Roswaal, Betty, and Puck were not capable of opposing such overwhelming power. The only choice was to flee, to escape as far as possible.
In the face of absolute power, Subaru's Return by Death offered nothing but added suffering.
"How dare you be rude to Lady Emilia?"
Ram and Rem appeared, pushing Subaru back with force and glaring at him with hostility. The Witch's Scent emanating from him was stronger than ever.
"Emilia, trust me. Staying here will be far too dangerous," Subaru pleaded, his face etched with fear.
"What are you talking about?" Emilia rubbed her wrist, confused.
"Trust me. If we leave the mansion before noon, we'll be safe." Subaru's eyes shone with desperation.
"Subaru, are you unwell?" Emilia asked, concern in her voice. Subaru seemed completely broken, his usual composure shattered.
"Trust me, come with me!"
"I trust you, Subaru, but asking me to leave suddenly…" Emilia hesitated, troubled. From her perspective, Subaru's urgency seemed extreme and irrational.
"Everything I'm doing is to save you, to save everyone," Subaru insisted, gripping her hand and moving toward the main door.
Bang!
Ram and Rem forcefully pushed him away. Subaru's body hit the wall and he fell to the ground, stunned.
"Ram, Rem…" Subaru's pupils widened. Outside the window, a blue meteor with a blazing tail streaked toward the mansion. The attack had come faster than expected. Only twenty minutes had passed since his awakening.
"No…"
Subaru scrambled from the bed, panic surging. Ram and Rem, startled, hastily threw off the covers and pursued him as he ran toward Emilia's room.
Slam!
The door burst open, startling Emilia, who had been dressing. Her chest was covered with her hands, her face flushed. She had only fastened her stockings, leaving her upper body clad in nothing but underwear.
Subaru would have been excited under normal circumstances, but now urgency and panic consumed him. Disregarding her embarrassment, he seized her hand and dragged her outside.
"Subaru, what are you doing?" Emilia exclaimed, pressing her slender hand against the doorframe, her face a mixture of anger and shame.
"We have to get out of here."
"You're hurting me!"
Emilia flung Subaru's hand away, turning to face him, fuming.
"What's wrong, Lady Emilia?" Subaru asked urgently.
Ram and Rem arrived, eyes blazing with hostility at the scene.
"There's no time to explain. Ram, Rem, alert the others. We must leave immediately," Subaru said quickly, attempting to pull Emilia again, only to be blocked by Ram.
Subaru fell to the floor with a thud, realizing the hostility in Ram and Rem's gaze and the anger and disappointment on Emilia's face. Only then did he notice her attire.
"Emilia, I didn't…" Subaru's voice faltered.
"Subaru, you've gone too far," Emilia said, her shame, anger, and disappointment mixing in her tone.
"Emilia, trust me. You can scold me later, but we must leave now," Subaru pleaded.
Ram and Rem kicked him back, disgust evident in their expressions, and closed the door.
"Emilia, trust me." Subaru knocked desperately. "Time is running out."
A blue meteor streaked across the sky, illuminating the corridor. Subaru's face was pale with despair. The attack had come sooner than anticipated. Only ten minutes had passed since he awoke.
"Fourteenth time," Lucien Graves observed from the tavern ceiling, opening his eyes.
In the next instant, he appeared mid-air, unclothed, surrounded by white flames, golden lightning crackling intermittently. Within a blink, he vanished into the horizon.
Back in the mansion, Subaru sat on the bed, holding his head. Unlike before, he did not rush to Emilia immediately. Now he focused on staying calm.
"Roswaal."
Subaru ran toward Roswaal's room, unaware that Ram and Rem were watching from the shadows. Their pupils showed swirling black mist—the Witch Factor, the Witch's Scent.
The door burst open as Subaru panted, facing Roswaal, who was calmly closing a book in his chair.
"Oh my, isn't that Subaru? Why are you so eager to see me?" Roswaal chuckled, though his eyes betrayed confusion. His Gospel had shown Subaru dying multiple times, and the reason remained unclear.
"There's danger within ten minutes. We must leave immediately," Subaru said, urgency in every word.
"That's strange. Someone dares attack my territory?" Roswaal remained calm, though attentive. He understood Subaru's ability. Perhaps the multiple deaths were tied to it. Yet who could be powerful enough to threaten him? Betty and Puck were present, yet unable to stop it.
"There's no time to speculate. Emilia and the others will follow your orders, as long as you give them the command…" Subaru began.
Roswaal interrupted, smirking. "Subaru, I'm not a dictator, you know."
"Just hurry!" Subaru barked, anxiety consuming him.
"Very well," Roswaal said. He rose and followed Subaru, gathering everyone as a blue meteor tore through the atmosphere.
Boom. A massive mushroom cloud erupted, obliterating the area within a thousand meters. The crater expanded further.
"Damn, was I too late again?" Subaru muttered, pale-faced, rushing to Roswaal.
Ten minutes later, another blue meteor fell. The crater reappeared, but this time, no lives were lost. Subaru had instructed Roswaal to activate the mansion's defenses from the start. Puck and Betty had contributed all their energy.
Everyone survived, though the mansion lay in ruins, reduced to debris.