2.5.7

Time in the archive of forbidden books passed gently and quietly.

With neither exchanging words, only the sounds of the pages being softly turned echoed within the archive.

That said, Subaru's heart wasn't into reading at the time; all he was doing was turning the same page over and back again, making the same page sound like a prank.

—Shut in the archive of forbidden books, he had no way to know what was going on outside.

Beyond the room not having windows, the very nature of the archive was to be in a separate space, locked off from the outside world.

He had no way to tell the time of day or feel the passage of time. He wondered what time it was by then.

By simple logic, being in the room for half a day would get him through the problematic night. But he had only a vague sense of just how much time had passed while he'd been in the archive.

He couldn't trust his own senses, but he also hesitated to ask Beatrice.

It wasn't for any reason as simple as not wanting to stop Beatrice while she focused on her reading. Subaru was afraid that any action he initiated might stir up something.

His fingers turning the pages of the book were numb. The tip of his tongue begged for water.

His heart was beating like an alarm bell. He was out of breath.

How long could he remain strong against such tension, he wondered?

If the start had been so brutal, the end might be without any warning whatsoever.

A murmur abruptly echoed through the silent archive.

"—Calling."

Subaru's face seemed to leap up as Beatrice put down her book and slid her legs onto the floor.

Rather than speaking to Subaru, it felt like she was murmuring to herself.

"A call for me, I suppose?"

Beatrice waved a finger as she spoke. The next moment, Subaru's whole body felt ill as space bent.

Subaru made a small moan as his entire body shuddered from the sensation that most resembled floating. Hearing this, Beatrice looked at Subaru as if only just remembering he was there.

"Ah, you were there, weren't you? I forgot, I suppose?"

"That's a bad joke, forgetting about a guy right in front of your face…"

"—Puckie is calling. It would seem this is an urgent matter."

With that as Subaru's only warning, Beatrice strode past him to the door like it was the natural and obvious thing to do. Subaru's voice shook as he called out to stop her.

"W-wait, hold on! If you go out now…"

"You can stay shut in here if you like. Perhaps you will be safe here?"

Beatrice left behind her words of obvious sarcasm as she passed through the door. Subaru, blood rushing to his head from her attitude, seemed to kick away his chair as he leapt up and reached toward the door. He'd hesitated for only a few seconds, but…

"Aw, to hell with it. What's the big deal, right?!"

Spurring himself on with the foul-mouthed statement, he roughly opened the door and stepped outside.

The next moment, it hit him.

"Ah—"

Without thinking, Subaru's voice leaked out of his lips like a complete idiot.

His hand shielded his eyes from the piercing sunlight of the morn that greeted him.

Deeply moved, he waved his hand in the air as if to confirm it. Subaru's body wobbled forward toward the window just on the opposite side of the corridor that peeked out over the inner garden—beyond which the sun had just begun its rise.

It was the morning of the fifth day that he'd yearned for but had never reached.

"You mean…I made it? Past the fourth night…?!"

Unable to believe the result before his eyes, he pushed open the window, almost pounding it.

Holding down his hair as a cool breeze blew in, Subaru took a breath of the fresh morning air.

He stumbled, bumped his back against the wall, and slid down, having lost the will to stand.

He could do nothing but stare in shock.

He'd given up. He'd surrendered to despair. He'd been worn to the bone.

And yet, Subaru had passed beyond the fourth day and arrived at the fifth.

"Ha-ha-ha…"

Without realizing it, a dry laugh came over him.

Once it began, he knew no way to stop it.

"Heh-heh, ha-ha-ha. What is this? Hey, what is this? This is just… Ha-ha…"

He couldn't think of any rational way to show how he felt at that moment.

Hugging his knees, Subaru remained squatting in the hallway, laughing like a madman.

He thought it was a far-off place that his hand would never reach.

He couldn't speak. He couldn't find the words. Finally, Subaru had—

Suddenly, a voice like a bell interrupted Subaru's hollow joy.

"—Subaru?"

Lifting his gaze in annoyance, he saw a silver-haired girl standing deeper in the hall—Emilia. He was able to find her safe and sound, here on the morn of the fifth day.

Both of them had gotten past the fourth night. That fact made Subaru tremble.

He'd hoped for this chance. If the morning of the fifth day greeted both of them, they could rekindle that promise and have it granted.

He'd introduce Emilia to the kids in the village, they'd both walk around the blooming flower garden together, they'd form the same memories together—and yet…

"Emilia…?"

Subaru began feeling a sense of accomplishment that barely seemed real while Emilia watched him in silence. Then, as if Emilia had remembered something, she rushed over to Subaru.

"Subaru, where did you go?"

"Er, I…"

"I mean… No, that's fine. It's fine, just…come with me."

Emilia pulled up Subaru with surprising insistence and ran off with him. She looked like she wasn't going to take no for an answer as a smirk came over his face.

"Where are we going… Hey, Emilia, listen to me. I've worked really hard to get to this point…"

Subaru stared at the side of Emilia's face as he tried to find the words to convey his success.

"Why are you making a face like that? I mean, it all turned out all right…didn't it? I'm safe and sound, and you're… Yeah. Let's go to the village…together, and then…"

"—"

"There's lots I want to do with you and talk about with you. A lot's happened. I wanted you to know th—"

"—Subaru."

With one brief call of his name, she interrupted him. That was when he noticed the momentary wavering in her eyes, the irritation she could no longer conceal.

The look she had was like when they'd been fighting for their lives at the fence's shop.

"What in the world h—"

Happened, he tried to ask but couldn't. For before he could put the word on his lips, a different sound slammed into his eardrums.

—He thought it was a yell. Perhaps it was a wail instead.

It was a long, high-pitched sound filled with sadness that scarred the very soul.

The morning air of the manor was rent by the unending cry of pain, as if someone were being torn asunder.

They passed through the corridor and headed up the stairs. The east wing of the second floor of the manor was for the servants' bedrooms, where Subaru's room on previous loops had been.

Emilia led him by hand to the innermost room. And there stood…

"Roswaal and…"

…The man with long indigo hair narrowed his eyes as he saw both rushing over. Beside Roswaal stood Beatrice, leaning her back against the wall as a gray cat curled up on her shoulder.

With the three of them having arrived, Subaru was about to ask about the circumstances when Roswaal spoke simply.

"Inside."

Roswaal motioned to the open door of a bedroom beside him.

When Subaru turned toward Emilia, she nodded to him as well. Emilia's clear violet eyes settled things for him.

Holding his breath, Subaru walked in.

Here, too, the yell continued unceasingly, filling the whole of the room. Subaru entered, his eyes wide open, frozen from tension—and then he saw.

It was an immaculately preserved room. It looked like a girl's room with minimal furnishings employed to maximum effect, a reflection of a steadfast maid's personality.

Though Subaru had received an identical room, it felt different.

For a moment, such feelings let Subaru forget the sight before his eyes. But the moment passed as the horrible truth crashed upon him, a truth from which he found nowhere to run.

"AaaaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAaaaaA—!"

It was Ram yelling, tears pouring out, her deep sadness threatening to rip her throat asunder.

—And there lay Rem, still clinging to her older sister when she had breathed her final breath.