He suddenly sat up from the ground, clutching his abdomen in pain
The wound was scratched with fingers from the right side of the abdomen to the center of the abdomen. Although the scar has disappeared, the fact that the abdomen was cut is still clearly visible.
"Why is Elsa the Sausage Hunter in the mansion, hiding on the door of the room..."
When searching the rooms in the mansion one by one, I relaxed my vigilance because I found nothing unusual, but I didn't expect that a guy covered in pitch black was squatting on the top of the invisible roof of the main entrance, waiting for the arrival of Yuexing.
"Is this the function given by Satila? It seems that it can be studied for a while..."
Sitting on the sofa, Echidna looked up and down at Yuexing, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"You should be able to see what's going on outside, right? That means you've already discovered her squatting there, right?"
"Yes, but I want to know more about the impact of the function. Besides, you can avoid it if you use the "Desire" function -" Echidona narrowed her smile and said
"Then thank you for the reminder..."
Yuexing rolled her eyes, took a cup of tea from Rem's hand, and sat down.
"I thought that the "return of death" would never happen again, but I didn't expect it to come so quickly. I didn't even have a chance to remind Subaru, and he died just like that..."
I drank the tea depressedly, and a bitter feeling burst out in my mouth.
"Let's go out and take a look at the situation first. Then we can discuss it with Subaru and get down to business."
Exiting the space in the head, consciousness returned to the dark room
"This is the inside of the "trial". Judging from the situation, it should be the end of the trial..."
While thinking, a shout came from the distant passage
"...Emilia! Yuexing!"
In the narrow stone room, Subaru gasped for air and looked around for white figures.
"——Emilia!"
Her silver hair fell to the ground, and her snow-white cheeks were twisted in pain.
Subaru knelt beside her, wanting to touch her face, but hesitated
"————"
If he touches her, Emilia's "trial" will end. Due to external intervention,
The past shown in "Trial" will disappear in an instant like a bubble bursting.
Even if Emilia desperately tries to transcend the past, she will still be forced to end it
"But, I already know that she won't succeed tonight...! Yuexing, help me!"
Shaking his head to stifle the hesitation, Subaru called to Yuexing and lifted the painful Emilia up from the ground. Subaru hugged Emilia. Suddenly, her body trembled several times and then he said:
"Subaru, Subaru...?"
"Well, that's right, it's me. Emilia, are you okay?"
Emilia, who recognized Subaru in her vague consciousness, called out. Subaru smiled back, and it took her a while to understand the reality as she was surrounded by smiles and warmth.
Just like that, she accepted the situation she was in and the result of the "trial", and then cried like a child, while Subaru just stayed with her quietly.
"--ah"
At least he covered her gently to prevent her from breaking down. Before Emilia calmed down, Subaru held her tightly and did not let go.
…
"Yes, I'm sorry... I finally calmed down... Let's talk about it."
After being sent back to Ryuzu's house, and sitting in the guest room, Emilia sobbed and said
Her blue-purple eyes were slightly red and swollen, and the confusion and sadness just now were still clearly visible. However, she still tried to appear strong, so Subaru did not want to interrupt.
"Um, I'm sorry... I troubled you over there at the tomb, and just now..."
"That's what I want to do, so you don't need to bother me. Compared with this, I'm more worried about whether you were injured when you fainted. Now I can help you touch it gently."
"Well, it seemed like I hit my butt when I fell down, so it hurt a little..."
"Gudu, then, then, I will help you there... Miss Ram? Did the stick pierce my back!?"
Subaru, whose behavior was deliberately exaggerated, was hit hard by the tip of Ram's staff on his back. As soon as Ram turned the staff after being called, Subaru screamed and jumped away on the spot.
"You, you guy! Have you gone too far? Look at this, you're bleeding!"
"You didn't do it yourself," Yuexing said with a smile.
"Lady Emilia, are you feeling well? There's no need to hide it, just tell Ram."
"It's amazing that you can ignore me to this extent, you guy!"
Ram, who was worried about Emilia's health, looked at Subaru who was protesting like a bug, and snorted with a "Humph!" Looking at their interaction, Emilia smiled weakly and said:
"...Thank you, I'm fine,...so I want to report what happened inside."
There is a smile on the corner of the mouth, but the eyelids, cheeks and voice cannot hide the fatigue and uneasiness
Surrounding her were all the people who had gathered at the tomb for the "trial" - bathing in everyone's sight, Emilia intermittently told the content of the "trial" and the result of failure.
Everything here is the same as last time, the difference is -
"Then, what's the matter with Mr. Natsuki and Mr. Tsukisei entering the grave safe and sound?"
Otto raised his hand and asked. The last time Yuexing admitted his so-called "half-demon" identity, it was nothing more.
After getting Yuexing's nod of agreement, Subaru gave the explanation he had thought of.
"The reason is very simple. As you can see, the glowing ruins mean that I am qualified to accept the "trial", so I also accepted the "trial" in it... and I also completed it."
"--ah?"
Subaru's speech shocked everyone, and then they were violently shocked.
Especially Emilia, who also challenged the "trial" but failed, was particularly shocked. Her blue-purple eyes widened, and the trembling gems reflected Subaru in her eyes.
Nodding in response to her gaze, Subaru looked around at the people who were still shocked and continued.
"I'm sorry to scare you. But to be honest, I'm very lucky, because by chance I had already compromised on the content of the "trial" beforehand... although I can't say I passed it easily."
"Huh, it's Mr. Si. But, this is really... getting complicated."
Taking Subaru's words seriously, it was Ryuzu, the representative of the "Sanctuary", who frowned. She was young on the outside but experienced on the inside. She said this seriously, while Ram, who was holding his elbow, narrowed his light red eyes.
"Is it complicated... Indeed, but if that is not Barrus' joke, it will be a great achievement. If it is true, the barrier will be lifted. Jia Fei, what is the status of the barrier?"
"...I and the old woman didn't feel any changes in the restrictions at all."
"If you dare to lie, you are seeking death."
“The conclusion is drawn too quickly!!”
It was rare for Ram to show his impatience. Subaru, who was holding his head and enduring her poisonous tongue, suddenly noticed
"...What's wrong, Jaffier? Your expression is so scary."
"——It's okay... because the barrier has not been released at all."
"There is not just one "trial" of the barrier, but three -"
Yuexing calmly revealed the information that shocked everyone.
The reason why there is no change after passing the "trial" is because there is no "trial" at all.
"There are two more..."
The uneasiness in Emilia's eyes deepened, and Subaru was also heartbroken. The first "trial" was to face the past. This one alone made her mentally weak to this point. When she heard that there were two more, she felt almost dizzy.
past
"Listen to your words, you also passed the "test"? Did you hear these things from someone in the grave?"
"Yes, information that appears naturally after passing through, that's all." Yuexing shrugged.
Subaru sat down on the bed next to Emilia, and then met her eyes.
"Emilia, I have a proposal, although you may not like it."
"Proposal...? What is it...?"
"——I or Yuexing will challenge the "trial" of the grave on your behalf and complete it."
"————"
Emilia was shaken violently by what Subaru said. It was unexpected for her.
——Accept the "trial" on behalf of Emilia and liberate the "sacred territory"
That was an idea that came to me on the way back to Alam Village on the previous route.
At that time, Emilia challenged the "trial" every night and failed repeatedly. Even so, Subaru still sent her to accept the "trial" every day. So Gafir asked Subaru in the dragon carriage whether it was really necessary for her to do it.
across the past
Of course, although I couldn't accept it calmly, this question was like a bolt from the blue.
The value of these words is to remind Subaru that he still has this option.
"I want to be your help. I don't know what you saw in the past, but since it makes you cry like that and show pain...then I want to help you."
"……Pleiades"
"It's okay for me to accept the "trial" and liberate the "sacred territory", so that you don't have to painfully compromise with the past."
Subaru shook his head slowly and spoke calmly, while Emilia's eyes wandered.
She could understand Emilia's inner entanglements. Faced with the painful past, her soul was tortured to death. If she could give up this responsibility, she would of course want to give it up and hand it over to Subaru. However, she did not do so despite having such thoughts.
It comes from her high-spirited and upright spirit, and her sense of responsibility that will not give up what she carries - and most importantly, her gentle heart: she is worried that the "trial" in the future will hurt Subaru as much as it hurt herself.
So, if that tenderness becomes a shackles for her, then you have to tell her that it’s not necessary——
"——Just keep your mouth shut and listen~ Let me make my own decision~"
Just before the sentence about removing the shackles was uttered, an extremely unhappy voice came from behind. The speaker made a clanging sound with his teeth, wrinkled his nose and arched his back, and continued talking.
"I am opposed to letting Your Highness the Princess... let someone other than Lady Emilia undergo the "trial", at least! Even if I let that guy go, I absolutely don't want you to break the barrier~"
"What--?"
For Subaru, this was the second bolt from the blue brought by Javier, but the second impact was incomparable to the first.
Because the speaker and the content of the speech could not be connected, Subaru fell into intense confusion. Seeing Subaru so shocked, Gafir once again pushed this unreasonable reality in front of him.
"If you don't understand, please repeat it again? I don't agree with anyone other than Her Royal Highness the Princess accepting the "trial". Even if it's an old woman, I won't back down. This is my condition."
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait...!"
Jaffier's disdain to speak made Subaru desperately squeeze out his voice. But his heart was already mixed with surprise and confusion.
It’s no wonder, after all, Subaru’s proposal came from Gafiel’s opinion in the previous round.
"But now you are saying this..."
"Ah~? Are you surprised that I am against you? Otherwise, I would like to congratulate you, bastard"
"You are the one who is unhappy over there. I should be the one who has the right to complain and frown..."
Subaru had clearly inquired about his willingness to accept the "trial" last time, but now he refuted the proposal on the spot.
"There is a lingering emotional vortex in my heart... Why do you oppose it? For you, the sooner you liberate the "sacred territory", the better?"
"It's not a matter of fast or slow, you bastard~ It's a matter of reason, right, old woman?"
"I asked you not to call people such unlovable names... In short, I can't object to Jia Xiaozi's words, although there is something wrong with his way of expression."
"Even Miss Luce..."
Not only was Gafir stubborn, but even the elders opposed it, leaving Subaru confused.
If it were Gafir who seemed to be moody and flippant like a book, he might change his opinion depending on the timing, but Lutz didn't seem like such a person.
Facing Subaru's pleading eyes, Ryuz waved his sleeves and said:
"I understand what Mr. Si wants to say. Of course, the sooner the barrier is lifted, the better... But if possible, I want to follow Mr. Ross's ideas as much as possible."
"Rozwaal's idea..."
"——Liberating the "Sacred Realm" is something that Lady Emilia should do personally."
"——"
Hearing Lucius narrow his eyes and say this, Emilia took a breath. She put her hands on her chest, lowered her eyes, and her voice trembled.
"Sure, sure enough... it wouldn't work if I didn't do it... I really have to do it."
"No, Emilia doesn't need to..."
"No, it's no problem! Subaru just don't force yourself, a little...yes, it was just because it was a little sudden that I was scared. If I had known what would happen..."
The content of "trial" is to face the past. If you know this, you can prepare yourself mentally in advance.