V8 - CHAPTER 2 : —FIGHT

Let us rewind time to just before the end of the Anti-Witch Alliance conference.

"Oh, right! I forgot the important part!"

When Subaru palmed a fist, it was in the particularly quiet atmosphere immediately following his request to the expeditionary force—on the verge of setting off with great ardor to enter the Mathers domain.

I didn't explain enough, he thought, feeling sheepish as he immediately backed away from his grandiose words, but Subaru could not be negligent about the most critical part. Thus, he addressed one and all:

"I called this plan Witch Cult Hunting Made Simple, but the ultimate target, the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins… I want to pick who goes after him real carefully."

"Carefully?"

"Yeah. After all, whether we take the archbishop down decides whether this plan works or not. I want to pick our best members. What I mean is Wilhelm and some Iron Fangs who're confident about their sneaking abilities. Ah, they have to be okay even if the archbishop's staring straight at them."

Subaru's condition furled the brows of everyone sitting in the circle around him. Their expressions shifted to bewilderment, anxiety, and unease; the men sitting beside one another differed somewhat individually, but their faces surely added up to a sum total of "doubt."

It was a natural reaction. Subaru, knowing he should explain further, scratched his face as he continued.

"Errr, you see. Just like I said, the plan itself is simple—I lure out the Witch Cult so we can hit them. That much is the same as with the White Whale, but…I think it's pretty hard to expect their reaction to be as simple as a demon beast's."

"Ahh, well, that figures. Subawu's scent made the White Whale lose track, but unlike a demon beast, the Witch Cult won't go grrr quite that much, huh?"

"Well, that's exactly how the White Whale reacted to me… Anyway, ideally, we hit the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins with a surprise attack and take him down the instant I lure him out. We have to absolutely make sure he dies instantly, so prioritizing that is another requirement."

Subaru affirmed Ferris's explanation and tied the logic together. The surrounding reactions to his plan turned sour, with disgust visible on the faces of many. The sternest face of all was Ricardo's, bared fangs included.

"Wait, wait. We can't do that. Can you leave us out of this one? We can't be sneakily murderin' people after gettin' all fired up about a proper battle like this. No way. I didn't hear about this."

"That's why I'm explaining it now. Besides, I mean just for the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins. The I'm-a-lure plan's other ten parts depend on this. You'll have lots of places to make noise."

Subaru tried all he could to convince Ricardo, the dividing line inside the circle.

"Not that we can underestimate the other Witch Cultists, but the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins is a different story. I want to make extra sure we take him down."

This time Julius interrupted his explanation to the jeering Ricardo.

"So prepare for all possibilities, is it? I commend that line of thinking, but what of your logic for selecting people? Of course, I have no objection to selecting Master Wilhelm."

After glancing sidelong at Wilhelm, who sat with closed eyes, Julius touched his own slender knight's sword as he looked at Subaru.

"I wish to hear the reason why I was not among your initial selections."

"Seems like you're not unhappy about that, but you're not exactly pleased, either…"

The Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins was the main event, leaving Julius with some objections to being removed from the decisive battle. Ferris, seeing the two clashing in their opinions, patted Subaru on the shoulder before speaking.

"Hey, Subawu. If this is just you still holding a grudge against Julius…"

"I have no such vulgar suspicions. Such a possibility has never entered my mind…but I would be disappointed to find that you are a human being so obsessed with trivial matters that you lose sight of the greater picture."

Subaru wasn't sure how serious he thought all that, but he felt Don't give half-hearted orders was the point that Julius wanted to drive home. Subaru, reflecting on having lost sight of the larger picture through obsession with small things in the past, raised a finger and responded.

"The magic of the Archbishop of Sloth…maybe it's not magic. It's not a spell or a spirit, but anyway, he has a special ability. That's one reason I don't want a big gaggle of people rushing him."

"…Special abiwity? What? First I've heard of it."

"Best I can describe it, it's an ability to extend a bunch of hands invisible to the eye. With one exception, you really can't see 'em, and if they hit you, they can rip your limbs off pretty easily. The range is pretty much as far as he can see."

"Wha…?!"

Subaru's off-the-wall reasoning left Ferris in shock, looking as if someone had poured cold water on him while he slept. Julius's brows furled as well, and a not-insignificant shock took hold of the expeditionary force.

—The Unseen Hands under Petelgeuse's control were literally an invisible menace. Subaru would never forget the sight of that nightmarish power cruelly toying with Rem's body. And in a large-scale melee, the might of that menace could throw everything into utter chaos.

"That's why I don't want to go with numbers. It'll just raise the number of casualties."

"…You're saying that with a completely straight face, huh? I can't check without Lady Crusch here, but…"

"If Crusch were here my answer would be the same. That ability's the biggest obstacle to taking Sloth down."

Deep down, he didn't think that was all there was to it, but even so, he was sure of that part. Taking it in, Julius, the first to have spoken up, lowered his eyes, sinking deep in thought before asking, "Incidentally, you said there was one exception. And that exception is?"

"Me."

"I see. A simple tale."

Faced with Subaru's simple explanation, Julius could only make that curt reply. Julius sank into thought, but in the meantime, someone else clenched a fist.

"I get it!"

It was Mimi who had spoken, vigorously clenching her fist. With an impetuous laugh, she grabbed the shoulders of TB, standing beside her, and shook them hard as she said, "All right, Mimi and TB will go with Mister! And the old man, too! That's best! What, not good? You won't go?"

"Sis, you're being impulsive again…"

TB, accustomed to his older sister's lack of inhibition, made no move to refute her. Subaru was happy for the volunteers, but he wasn't sure they fulfilled his conditions.

"Ya can rest easy. Besides me, Mimi's the best of the bunch at everythin'. She ain't my second in command for nothin'."

"I can really trust you on that? She looks like the type who sneezes at the worst possible time."

"Subawu, you're not really one to talk, are you? …Ha, can't be helped, meow. Ferri will go with you, too. That should make you rest a little easier, right?"

"Seriously? That's a big help, but you're all right with this? To be honest, we're crossing a dangerous bridge here."

"To think you would say that…"

When Subaru expressed his surprise at Ferris's declaration, Julius's eyes went wide at Subaru's reply. "Huh?" went Subaru, turning his head at Julius's reaction, but Julius said nothing more.

Julius let the matter of Subaru's intent lie, proceeding to turn Ferris's way.

"I shall leave Master Wilhelm, Mimi, TB, and him in your hands, my friend."

"Yes, yes. Lady Crusch entrusted me with this from the beginning, so don't worry, it'll be fine."

"Even so, I must."

"…Yes, yes. Then I'll stick a little concern for you in a corner of my heart, Julius."

Ferris gave a strained smile; Julius's expression was the very image of seriousness as he drew himself up. The easygoing exchange demonstrated the trust between the two friends. Put bluntly, Subaru was a little jealous.

Either way, the brainstorming seemed to have resulted in Julius agreeing, too.

"Don't feel like arguing anymore?" said Subaru.

"Since you are the only one who can see the archbishop's power, it cannot be helped. If the numbers are increased further, you cannot easily instruct others to evade, I take it?"

"Glad you're quick on the uptake."

As might be expected, people who fought were quick to understand tactics.

Subaru could counter Unseen Hands by dodging the evil hands himself, but beyond that, the asset he brought was seeing the hands' movements and getting other people out of their way. And for purposes of the operation, the fewer people the better. The Unseen Hands power was advantageous against numerous opponents, and that was another reason Subaru wanted to confront Petelgeuse with as few people as possible.

"So that's why I wanted to insist that Wilhelm come with me, but…"

Julius, Ricardo, and others had ceased to object, so Subaru turned the conversation toward Wilhelm, who'd maintained his silence up to that point.

When he cautiously checked on Wilhelm, who had neither approved nor disapproved, the man's eyes opened. The Sword Devil trained his clear blue eyes on Subaru, nodding without a single contrary word.

"—You do not need to ask about my resolve. I am your sword, Sir Subaru. By your will, I shall cut down your foe."

"━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━"

"Please, employ me however you wish."

Granted such highly refined trust, Subaru could only nod, swallowing his astonishment.

When he looked back, he saw the siblings quarreling, Ferris's shoulders slumping, and behind them Julius, Ricardo, and the rest of the expeditionary force entrusting Subaru & Co. with this crucial matter.

Accepting this, Subaru nodded strongly, this time without worry.

"Yeah, this fight—we're gonna win this!"